NBA: The Basketball Miracle

On the evening of May 7, 1998, the return of the "King of New York" left fans somewhat disappointed.

Patrick Ewing can still guard the basket with his excellent defensive awareness, but the gorilla has lost his offensive form.

In his first game back from injury, Ewing found it difficult to attack Divac in the low post, so he set more screens in the third quarter and tried to shoot from mid-range.

With a simple pass, he finally scored a goal in open play.

But for old fans in New York, everyone missed Ewing's low-post offense in the past.

Facing a center like Divac, he should have shown his skills, but he ended up playing like a forward.

Because the Knicks led by a large margin in the first two quarters, the Hornets' defensive intensity dropped a bit in the third quarter.

Therefore, Ewing's score was a bit indecent.

From the team's perspective, Ewing's choice was correct.

After coming on the court, the gorilla fought hard, still trying hard to defend and catch baskets on offense, and generally did not cause any trouble.

With 3 minutes and 25 seconds left in the third quarter, Divac kept playing with his back to the basket in the low post on the right side.

Near the paint area under the basket, he actively exerted force and threw the ball towards the basket with his left hand.

The basketball hit the rim and bounced out, but Divac touched the frontcourt rebound and almost tipped the ball in.

In the end, Oakley struggled to protect the backcourt rebound.

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines noticed that Ewing began to breathe heavily and knew that the gorilla was tired.

He hadn't played a game for a long time, and the first game was in the playoffs.

Ewing is still a human being after all, and gradually couldn't keep up with the pace of the game.

The Hornets did not give up, and David Wesley continued to defend Lee throughout the game.

"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"

The New York fans at the scene continued to cheer loudly, and Lee also took the initiative to slow down the pace, waiting for all his teammates to rush across half court, and then he dribbled across the center line in 8 seconds.

Coming to the left wing, Lee noticed that Ewing had stopped at the top of the arc, and he took the opportunity to throw the ball to the gorilla.

Without the ball, Lee first pretended to move towards the top of the arc, and then shook his body continuously.

David Wesley subconsciously stood still to adjust his defensive focus.

At this time, Lee suddenly accelerated towards the top of the arc.

After handing the ball off to Ewing, Lee held the ball in his right hand and had already gotten rid of the defense.

Due to Ewing's mediocre performance in the first half, Divac delayed the defense by switching defense, and David Wesley also caught up from behind, attracting two defenders, and Lee took the opportunity to make a ground pass.

After the rebound, the basketball bounced into Ewing's hands at the free throw line.

There was no one defending him, and the gorilla's jump shot missed again!

"Shit!!"

Ewing cursed inwardly and clapped his hands in frustration.

Many New York fans at the scene sighed as well.

He had chances but just couldn't make the shot.

From the low-post attack in the second quarter to the assists in the third quarter, Ewing missed shots in most of his rounds.

Oakley was full of energy tonight, and this time he grabbed the rebound in front of Mason at the bottom left of the basket.

After grabbing the rebound, the old guy noticed that the Hornets had begun to shrink inside, and immediately passed the ball to Alan Houston outside the three-point line.

Alan Houston received the ball on the left wing and passed it to Lee who was waiting at the top of the arc.

The moment he received the ball, Lee lowered his center of gravity, released the ball with his right hand, and suddenly changed direction forward quickly.

David Wesley, who was chasing him, adjusted his center of gravity without any preparation and stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

"oh!!"

The wonderful dribble immediately made the New York fans at the scene exclaim.

Seeing his teammates lose their defensive position and noticing that Lee accelerated with the ball in his left hand and broke through to the three-point line, Phills on the left wing immediately came up to assist.

As soon as Phills took a step, Lee broke through to a position close to the paint area, attracted the defense, and immediately jumped up and passed the ball.

Alan Houston received the ball on the left wing near the sideline.

There was no one in front of him, so he took an open three-point jump shot!

"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!

49:73, 2 minutes and 4 seconds left in the third quarter, head coach Dave Cowens requested a timeout again.

In Madison Square Garden, cheers continued to ring out, victory was about to be achieved, and the Hornets could not hold on any longer!

Alan Houston smiled and bumped fists with Clay Lee.

He was getting more and more accurate in his throws tonight and felt completely comfortable.

As the victory was about to be won, commentator Mike Breen smiled and praised the Knicks' performance:

"What a beautiful dribble. Lee always seizes the fleeting opportunity and easily scores or assists."

"Pat didn't have a good touch tonight, but this is his first game back from injury, I believe he will find his shooting touch!"

Walt Frazier also thinks the team's current style of play is reasonable:

"Offense is not a problem, we have a lot of scorers, and Pat's return has liberated Oakley, which is very important."

The two analyzed the situation together in the commentary booth and finally came to the conclusion:

"Ewing is back, the Knicks have made up for their shortcomings, and the championship is waving to New York!"

Sitting on the bench again, Ewing was replaced and the gorilla was still a little depressed.

Played 27 minutes, made 4 of 11 shots, 4 of 5 free throws, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block and 2 turnovers.

Ewing was not happy with the double-double.

He knew his physical condition better than anyone else, and he had lost a lot of his shooting touch.

In the last two minutes of the third quarter, both sides scored points continuously and the time ran out quickly.

54:78, the fourth quarter will enter garbage time.

On the Hornets bench, Glen Rice looked unhappy.

He shot 1 of 8 in the first half and finally found his touch in the third quarter, but the score gap kept widening.

After shooting 7-for-21 in the previous game and 4-for-13 tonight, Glen Rice found himself completely ignored by the New York media, with no one paying attention to his performance.

Everyone on the bench was in a bad mood.

Even though the next two games would be played back in Charlotte, the consecutive large-score losses seemed to have illustrated the gap in strength between the two sides.

Time passed quickly in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets just wanted to get back to their home court as soon as possible, while the Knicks' atmosphere team performed hard.

In the end, 80:102, the Knicks defeated the Hornets again, and the series score came to 2:0!

Although the game was a crushing victory, the atmosphere was still hot, and New York fans began to imagine the Eastern Conference Finals!

As reported in the newspaper column, this year may be the best time for the Knicks to win the championship!

Playing for 29 minutes, Clay Lee made 7 of 12 shots, 2 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws.

He efficiently scored 20 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, steals and 1 turnover.

20 points was also the highest score of the game. After the game, MSG was the first to interview Lee:

"Lee, the series score is 2:0. Let's talk about the next two away games. Will the team make any adjustments after Pat returns?"

Commentator Mike Breen didn't hesitate to ask the question that fans were most concerned about.

Having already changed into training clothes, Lee also chatted at this time, and said confidently:

"The game plan is to finish the series as soon as possible, so that we can get more rest time!"

"The team will not be the first to make adjustments. We are the leading side and can still win big in the next two games."

"Pat's return has also raised our defense to another level. In this series, we won't give our opponents any chances!"

Walt Frazier on the side also smiled and nodded in agreement.

The three of them were talking loudly on the sidelines, and no one mentioned Ewing's offensive problems, which was considered to be giving the gorilla some face.

In the Western Conference semifinals that took place simultaneously that evening, the Jazz narrowly defeated the Spurs in overtime.

Stockton made 8 of 13 shots, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 1 of 3 free throws, scoring 18 points, 1 rebound, 12 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.

Major sports media began to compare Lee and Stockton.

The "No. 1 point guard" that the New York media had previously joked about seemed to be coming true!

On the morning of May 8, the sports section of the New York Post detailed the performances of Lee and Stockton in this year's playoffs:

"The old and the new are changing, the No. 1 position of the new era!"

Instead of reporting on the Hornets, he provoked the veteran point guard from a distance.

In the afternoon, the Knicks set off for Charlotte.

After boarding the plane, Ewing read the columns in the newspaper and always felt that the New York media was reflecting on him.

Two consecutive wins over their opponents also made the Knicks start to pay attention to another group of Eastern Conference semifinals.

Alan Houston looked through the technical statistics of the two teams and said with emotion:

"The Pacers still have a chance to defend their home court. If they can drag the series to Game 7, they may be able to eliminate the Bulls."

"The intensive schedule is a test of physical fitness."

In last year's playoffs, Alan Houston was overwhelmed by Michael Jordan's monstrous physical strength, which left a deep impression on him.

Larry Johnson was inflated again at this time, and without even looking at the technical statistics, he commented casually:

"The Bulls are the oldest team in the league. If it really goes to Game 7, I think the Pacers will have a chance to outrun their opponent!"

"Reggie Miller is not a good defensive player. He will rebound. Maybe we won't see the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals."

The atmosphere group also nodded in agreement, and they all comforted themselves that the Bulls were no longer victorious.

Seeing everyone using the method of mental victory, Lee secretly shook his head.

After all, he was still worried about meeting the Bulls:

"Michael Jordan is also a human being. His playing time is not less than 40+. He will also be tired in the end!"

"It's the same for both teams and that's our chance."

Ben Davis from the atmosphere team immediately turned into a flatterer when he heard Lee's words:

"Lee is right! We will make it to the finals and win the championship, and my career will be complete!"

Soon the topic was diverted by the atmosphere group to what the design of the Knicks' championship ring should be.

Ewing remained silent.

His past experience of losing to the Bulls made it difficult for him to brag confidently.

That night, Jeff Van Gundy and several members of the coaching staff watched Game 3 of another Eastern Conference semifinal.

103:106, the Pacers defended their home court and successfully scored a goal.

Jeff Van Gundy and Thibodeau both looked thoughtful, and soon, the bald young coach spoke up:

"40:29, the Pacers lost the rebound, but still won the game. The Bulls did decline."

Assistant coach Thibodeau seemed to gain confidence from this game, and said confidently:

"With Pat, our rebounding is not necessarily at a disadvantage. Lee and Houston can also play like Reggie Miller. We can also learn from the Pacers' style of play."

Hearing the discussion, assistant coach Don Chaney prayed in his heart:

"May the Pacers eliminate the Bulls."

On the morning of the 9th, Lee saw the news in the newspaper and his memory became clearer.

He paid little attention to the performance of other teams this year.

Compared with last season, the lineups of several teams that made the playoffs did not change much.

They were one year older and their strength had even declined.

Under such circumstances, Lee goes to bed early and gets up early every day to ensure his physical condition.

No matter who his final opponent is, he still has to be strong enough to win.

In the morning training session, Ewing was particularly dedicated, but his shooting condition was no different from before.

He is about to turn 36 years old, and it is very difficult for the gorilla to recover to his previous condition after suffering such an injury.

That night, Hornets fans arrived at the Charlotte Arena early to cheer for their home team.

Glen Rice, who had been in a slump for two games, finally broke out after returning to his home court.

He quickly got into the game after the start of the game and helped the Hornets continue to score points.

Throughout the first quarter, head coach Dave Cowens did not make any personnel rotations, and all five starting players played the entire first quarter.

26:24, the opponent fought hard with their main players, but the Knicks still led by 2 points.

It was like a punch on cotton.

The Knicks just followed the tactics and counterattacked. All five starters scored points.

Clay Lee once again made four assists in a single quarter.

In the second quarter, both teams used their rotation lineups, and less than two minutes into the game, Glen Rice came on the court again.

However, this rotation did not play much of a role, and the Hornets fell into a scoring drought again.

Although Ewing's finishing ability has declined, his defensive state is better than the previous game.

Instead of speeding up, the Knicks gradually widened the gap by relying on better offensive efficiency.

After Lee and several others returned, the offensive firepower remained undiminished and they continued to score points in turns.

Seeing this scene, the Hornets fans present gradually became silent.

When the team needed points the most, Glen Rice was silent.

The score in a single quarter was 28:17, and at the end of the first half, it was 54:41.

The Knicks entered the second half with a 13-point lead.

During the halftime break, everyone in the Knicks locker room looked relaxed, as if this was no different from the regular season.

There is a high probability that Glen Rice will explode again in the second half and the Hornets will lose the game.

We have seen this situation many times.

Jeff Van Gundy was also confident and did not nag about chicken soup. He simply reminded:

"Play good defense, reduce turnovers, and we're going to get match point tonight in Charlotte."

Ewing performed well in the first half of the game, making 3 of 7 shots and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 10 points.

But on the Knicks side, Alan Houston was in great form, making 6 of 10 shots, 2 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 18 points in the first half.

Lee frequently passed the ball to Houston.

The Knicks' offense was simple and efficient.

Even if Ewing was depressed, he had nothing to say.

The efficiency was explosive!

This game was crucial.

As long as they got the match point, the Knicks would basically lock in their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ewing had to passively become a tool again.

In the third quarter, head coach Dave Cowens began to make frequent substitutions, trying to find the player with the best touch to open up the situation on the outside.

But as the game progressed, it eventually turned into Glen Rice repeatedly playing singles.

After a break, Anthony Mason took over the responsibility of playing singles.

Divac can only be a tool man. After coming to the line to assist, he has nothing to do with the offense.

Glen Rice made 5 of 9 shots in a single quarter and scored 13 points.

As a result, at the end of the third quarter, the score was fixed at 79:62, and the gap was widened by 17 points.

After the start of the fourth quarter, the score gap did not narrow and no Hornets fans left the stadium early.

Lee came on the court again with 8 minutes and 8 seconds left in the game.

The opponent's main lineup will continue to play tonight, and the Knicks can no longer slack off.

Ewing thought he would gradually find his touch, but after missing two low-post attacks in the fourth quarter, the gorilla had no choice but to simply eat the ball.

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

Despite being behind by a large margin, Hornets fans were still cheering for their team's defense in the final moments.

Ewing walked to the right side of the free throw line to receive the ball.

Instead of choosing to play one-on-one, he turned sideways to protect the ball, preparing to pass it to Alan Houston.

The defending Phills saw through the tactic and kept chasing Alan Houston, who simply gave up on the left wing and stopped catching the ball.

The first tactic failed to be achieved. Lee quickly ran to the left side and entered the baseline position, then left a baseline from left to right.

At the right baseline, Lee used Oakley's screen to quickly bounce out!

He came to the right elbow of the free throw line and briefly got rid of David Wesley's pursuit.

Lee took the hand-to-hand pass and then used Ewing's screen to come to the free throw line.

After the gorilla passed the ball, he immediately moved to the right blocking area.

Lee on the free throw line noticed that David Wesley was chasing him again from behind, and Divac was also preparing to delay defense.

When the two were about to surround him, Lee, who had just crossed the free throw line, immediately passed the ball behind his back.

The basketball flew straight to Ewing in the right blocking area, who caught the ball and cut into the basket, easily making a layup with his right hand!

"Boo!"

The Hornets fans at the scene booed wildly, while Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines clapped his hands with a smile, indicating that this attack was well played, and at the same time shouted a reminder:

"Retreat! Don't give the other side any chance!"

Being able to efficiently catch the ball is also a technical job.

Ewing did a good job this time, and Lee also added an assist.

Although Glen Rice was sluggish again in the last quarter, Divac recovered, attacked in the low post, and made consecutive free throws to help the Hornets continue to score points.

But as the game progressed through the middle of the quarter, the noise became smaller and smaller, and when the final buzzer sounded, only some noise remained on the scene.

103:90, the Knicks crushed their opponents again, the score came to 3:0, and the series seemed to have no suspense anymore!

"Boo!!"

In the Charlotte Arena, after the noise, there was another round of huge boos.

In the TNT commentary booth, Dick Stockton took a look at the technical statistics and immediately praised:

"Although the Hornets readjusted their defensive strategy and tried to delay Lee more, they did not achieve significant results in the game."

"21 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 35 minutes of playing time, Lee once again played a perfect performance!"

7 of 16, 3 of 7 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 5 free throws.

Although Clay Lee's efficiency declined, Hubie Brown didn't care at all. Instead, he continued to praise him:

"Ewing's offensive form has not yet recovered. Lee and Houston carried the team's offense tonight."

"The Knicks will not waste this opportunity with a 3-0 lead. I believe they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals again."

In the visiting team's locker room, the Knicks atmosphere team was still cheering loudly, celebrating the team's advancement to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years.

Ewing sat in his seat and forced a smile, but the gorilla felt a little uncomfortable after looking at the technical statistics:

"Just because of a wrist injury, does our health decline?"

...

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