NBA: The Basketball Miracle

As the season ends, players begin to strive for various awards.

And for New York and Los Angeles fans, it's time for the annual 'Let him stat-pad' segment.

Lee had excellent attendance this season.

Despite increasing his drives, most of his injuries were hard knocks from being 'thrown' and 'hit'.

Even while handling a large amount of ball possession, Lee didn't relax his demands on himself.

As long as there were three games in a week, he would do extra training.

In the Knicks, perhaps not everyone liked shooting practice, but lifting weights was very popular among many players.

After being squeezed out of the starting lineup by Ewing, Ben's playing time was greatly reduced.

Finishing at the rim was too difficult.

Compared to that, lifting weights was much more satisfying!

With the enhancement of his physical talent, Ben Wallace's strength training showed significant results.

With positive feedback from his training, Ben became more and more enthusiastic.

Ron Artest was the same, three-point shooting practice was too boring.

After hard practice, he could still go 0-for-4 in games.

He rarely had a 'dumpling day' (a good shooting day), so strength training provided better feedback.

Furthermore, the Knicks also had an amateur boxer, so lifting weights and boxing were much more interesting than monotonous basic training.

Larry Johnson was troubled by a back injury this season, and his knees also developed issues.

Ewing advocated 'abstinence from alcohol and lust,' so everyone stopped going to nightclubs.

The 'Grandmama' was so bored that he would drill everyone in boxing whenever he had time.

On April 2nd, the Knicks challenged the Lakers on the road.

The second match between the two teams was exceptionally intense.

Larry Johnson, who was having a rare good shooting night, found himself unable to get to the free-throw line.

Adding to that, they were trailing by 7 points at halftime, 51:58.

Halfway through the third quarter, after 'Grandma' and Glen Rice both fell to the ground during a drive to the basket, a conflict immediately erupted.

Fans who bought tickets to the Staples Center that night certainly got their money's worth.

The two sides quickly shoved each other, followed by an amateur boxing match.

The young Kobe was active, but his skills weren't good enough.

He tried to stand up for his elder teammate and was almost directly knocked out by Ron Artest, who rushed off the bench.

Phil Jackson had long been displeased with the Knicks.

This highly individualistic Head Coach not only didn't break up the fight but instead incited his players to charge forward.

Nicholson, sitting in the front row, could even hear Phil Jackson's curses:

"Fuck! Everyone charge! Kill them***"

Unfortunately, the Lakers didn't have a tradition of toughness.

When it came to throwing punches, they really couldn't compare to the Knicks.

This conflict ultimately resulted in four Knicks players—Ben Wallace, Ron Artest, Larry Johnson, and Oakley—being ejected, and they would also face a one-game suspension after the game.

The Lakers' Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, and Derek Fisher also received the same penalties.

The Grandmama was suspended for a flagrant foul, while most of the others were suspended for rushing onto the court from the bench.

As the game progressed, Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy both pressured the referees.

Seeing the Knicks start to catch up again, Phil Jackson, to boost team morale, first angrily threw his clipboard, then self destructed and was ejected.

After being outscored by 17 points in the third quarter and falling behind the Knicks, the Lakers finally erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring a massive 31 points.

Ultimately, the Lakers won the game 102:106 at home, avoiding a season sweep.

The Knicks almost completed another comeback with their tough basketball, but even if they had won, the Los Angeles Media would have been furious.

After the game, they gave Lee a new nickname:

"Lee High-Kick."

Learning from the previous game's lessons, Shaquille O'Neal, A.C. Green, and Robert Horry played much more aggressively on Defense in this game.

Robert Horry suffered greatly.

If he helped on Defense, he could easily get hit.

This was also why he rushed off the bench and got himself ejected in the third quarter.

Kobe, with panda eyes, didn't force cold shots like in the previous game but obediently passed the ball to O'Neal.

In 43 minutes, Shaquille O'Neal scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers on 14-of-28 shooting and 6-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Clay Lee played 41 minutes, scoring 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers on 10-of-23 shooting, 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Tonight, Shaquille O'Neal had just lifted the March Player of the Month trophy at his home Staples Center, but he almost suffered another comeback in this game.

At the post-game press conference, Shaq still had a long face:

"I don't like being ahead at halftime and then suddenly losing in the third quarter."

"We should have won the game more easily, not struggled to win until the fourth quarter!"

Although the Knicks lost, Lee, who appeared at the post-game press conference, still maintained a smile.

The sports media, who love to stir things up, acted as a mouthpiece and repeated Shaq's words.

Lee didn't mind Shaq' confident attitude and instead joked, following the topic:

"If Shaq could make six more free throws, perhaps the Lakers could indeed win more easily."

"For most of the game tonight, they were indeed the better team!"

"..."

In March, the Lakers achieved a 14-2 record.

Shaquille O'Neal averaged 33.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 2.6 turnovers, with a field goal percentage as high as 59.0%!

The Knicks had a 13-4 record last month.

Clay Lee averaged 31.2 points with a field goal percentage of 47.8%, which was a slight decrease in efficiency.

He lost the Player of the Month award, and the New York Media had nothing to say.

This nationally televised game sparked a new round of verbal battles between New York fans and Los Angeles fans.

The clash between the two major markets also made the NBA league commisioner Stern grin from ear to ear.

Controversy leads to discussion, and from an operational perspective, this is indeed a good thing!

The regular season was nearing its end, and being suspended was no big deal.

Jeff Van Gundy continued to expand the rotation, and Lee's playing time didn't decrease.

To win the scoring title, he still had to keep shooting, and O'Neal was the same.

The two continued to trade blows from afar in the final few games.

On April 10th, the Knicks experienced their third two-game losing streak of the season, losing back-to-back to the Heat and the Pacers.

On TNT's post-game show that night, they began comparing the Lakers and the Knicks again.

In a synchronously played game, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Seattle SuperSonics, having already secured the league's top spot.

The three commentators in the studio weren't discussing the game content but rather the ownership of this season's MVP award:

"It's a shame. Although the Knicks still have a chance to get 60 wins this year, it will be difficult for Lee to win the MVP again. Shaq has shown unparalleled dominance!"

Kenny Smith sighed regretfully, seemingly feeling sorry for Lee's performance.

Mike Fratello also felt there was no suspense for the MVP.

The Lakers had a better record, and Shaquille O'Neal not having won an award yet was also an advantage:

"I believe the vast majority of media members will cast their votes for Shaquille O'Neal. Both the team's record and his individual stats are perfect!"

In the studio, Ernie Johnson saw that their opinions had reached a consensus and smiled, adding:

"Having secured the league's top spot, from a record perspective, this year belongs to the Lakers!"

"Whether the Lakers can dominate the playoffs when they meet is also a major highlight right now!"

"..."

On April 19th, the 1999-2000 regular season officially concluded.

There were 14 games that day.

After the Knicks defeated the Celtics in a back-to-back game, their season record finally settled at 60 wins and 22 losses.

The Lakers also didn't relax.

O'Neal, like Lee, was still fighting for the scoring title.

104:97, the Lakers successfully defeated the San Antonio Spurs in their final game!

With 67 wins and 15 losses, Phil Jackson led the Lakers to the league's best record.

The playoff matchups were also officially released tonight.

In the Eastern Conference, the eight teams that ultimately made the playoffs were:

The 60-win Knicks, the 56-win Pacers, the 52-win Heat, and the 49-win 76ers;

The 48-win Hornets, the 44-win Toronto Raptors, the 41-win Detroit Pistons, and the 41-win Milwaukee Bucks.

For the Knicks, although they didn't get the league's best record, the Chicago Bulls had a 17-65 record this season.

The value of the Chicago Bulls' first-round pick was still rising, and Sprewell received unanimous praise from New York fans!

In the Western Conference, the eight teams that ultimately made the playoffs were:

The 67-win Lakers, the 59-win Trail Blazers, the 54-win Utah Jazz, and the 52-win San Antonio Spurs;

The 51-win Phoenix Suns, the 49-win Timberwolves, the 45-win Seattle SuperSonics, and the 44-win Sacramento Kings.

The Houston Rockets achieved a 34-48 record, and Charles Barkley's championship dream was completely shattered.

His final season ended with an injury.

As the regular season officially concluded, major sports media noticed the disparity between the Eastern and Western Conferences.

That night, the commentators' opinions were surprisingly consistent:

"West strong, east weak? The future champions will most likely come from the Western Conference!"

"..."

The Knicks finished the season healthy.

Upon returning to the hotel, Jeff Van Gundy even celebrated their Eastern Conference top seed with everyone.

After three days of rest, back in New York, the Knicks would host their first-round game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

When Lee returned to his room, he also saw a text message from Ray Allen.

After a simple reply, he quickly took a shower.

On the TV, ESPN was still predicting the first-round results, and the commentators were again heavily praising the Lakers' dominance.

Having won the Atlantic Division title again, Lee looked at the simple talent panel with anticipation.

[Anfernee Hardaway's outstanding explosiveness] had disappeared, completely digested in just one season.

With a thought, Lee quickly received a prompt:

[Grant Hill's extraordinary explosiveness]

Looking at the initial golden progress, Lee stroked his chin thoughtfully:

"Is it almost at its limit?""

....

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