NBA: The Basketball Miracle

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***

On May 13, 2001, at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto Raptors fans quietly watched both teams miss shots.

At halftime, the score was 48:36.

Even though the New York Knicks almost broke their home court basket, the Toronto Raptors couldn't seize the opportunity.

If Vince Carter was missing more and more shots in the first half, by the third quarter, it became difficult for him to even score.

Missing three-pointers, missing mid-range shots, and failing on strong drives to the basket, Vince Carter could only rely on the referee's whistle for points.

With 6 minutes and 42 seconds left in the game, Lee also perked up.

He had a terrible shooting touch tonight and had prepared for a loss.

He didn't expect the opponent to be even worse than the New York Knicks, and even the referee's favoritism was useless.

After making two free throws, narrowing the deficit to 8 points, Vince Carter continued to loudly call out to his teammates.

Even if the series was hopeless, he still hoped to secure a victory at home.

Grant Hill only played 11 minutes in the first half and didn't re-enter until the latter half of the third quarter.

Perhaps due to more abundant physical energy, he performed exceptionally efficiently during his effective playing time.

"Defense!"

The shouts for Defense quieted down significantly.

After crossing half-court, Lee immediately passed the ball at the top of the arc, then ran to the right baseline.

Grant Hill, who received the ball at the top of the arc, first observed the matchup.

Without calling for a screen, he put the ball down with his right hand, performed a simple crossover dribble, then a quick in-and-out dribble.

Vince Carter always defended against drives and allowed shots, giving Grant Hill space to adjust his dribble and making the correct defensive read, but he was still driven past into the paint while being defended.

Antonio Davis hesitated, ultimately choosing not to help on Defense.

Below the right side of the basket, he kept his eyes on Ben Wallace, who was behind him.

Grant Hill didn't make complicated moves.

After pinning Vince Carter to his side, he took a large hop step in the paint, pushing off the defender, and released a fadeaway jump shot directly in front of the basket!

"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.

81:71.

The score differential returned to 10 points.

Scattered boos indicated the mood of the Toronto Raptors fans.

Though he had lost some explosiveness, Grant Hill could still show glimpses of his past brilliance within limited time.

He could drive and pass, and like Clay Lee, he was an excellent ball-handler.

At the NBC commentary table, Bob Costas could only smile and comment on the New York Knicks' simple and direct tactics:

"After entering the playoffs, Grant Hill's playing time is still strictly controlled. Perhaps his ankle still has some issues, but he can still contribute to the team."

"It's time for the Toronto Raptors to respond. They still have a chance."

Doug Collins also looked forward to the Toronto Raptors' response, but Vince Carter's post-up fadeaway jump shot from the left block area missed again.

The two commentators found it difficult to comment.

Antonio Davis and Ben Wallace scrambled for the ball, and ultimately, Bensecured the defensive rebound.

With his 10th rebound, Ben Wallace hugged the ball, proudly looking at the dejected Antonio Davis retreating on Defense.

The two often competed during games, and in Ben Wallace's view, Antonio Davis was a bust All-Star.

Having won many trophies, Ben also began to pursue other things.

On the bench, the Toronto Raptors' atmosphere squad was still loudly cheering on their teammates.

After Grant Hill dribbled past half-court, he didn't rush to attack.

Instead, he initiated a hand-off play at the three-point line.

Allan Houston received the ball on the right wing and immediately moved towards the top of the arc, then passed the ball to Lee.

Alvin Williams did not double-team Lee with Mark Jackson this time.

Instead, he quickly pursued Allan Houston to the left wing.

Clay Lee, who received the ball at the top of the arc, first quickly dribbled between his legs, switched to his left hand, and immediately completed an in-and-out dribble.

Mark Jackson instinctively tried to poke the ball with his left hand, but Lee suddenly accelerated his dribble, completed another crossover, and simultaneously burst forward to the left.

Mark Jackson, sensing something was wrong, instinctively slid backward to the right.

As his defender was faked out, Lee smoothly completed a behind-the-back dribble, adjusted his footwork, and looked up at the rim.

Mark Jackson quickly lunged forward, shifting his defensive weight, as Lee suddenly leaned in and accelerated, completely squeezing past the defender and instantly breaking into the paint.

Antonio Davis's help Defense was incredibly fast.

Just as he left the basket, he saw Lee casually lob the ball towards the upper right side of the basket while in motion.

Ben Wallace leaped high, caught the ball in the air, and powerfully slammed it down with both hands!

"Boom!" An alley-oop dunk successful!

"Boo!"

Watching Ben Wallace yell at Antonio Davis after the dunk, Toronto Raptors fans couldn't hold back.

Boos and curses erupted simultaneously.

Antonio Davis was in a terrible mood and had no time to argue with Ben Wallace.

They were now trailing by 12 points again.

Clay Lee, who delivered the assist, looked relaxed.

In most games, he rarely had the chance to "cook" at the top of the arc.

Mark Jackson was clearly heavy-footed and unable to defend.

With no time wasted and the lead extended again, Vince Carter, who hadn't rested for even a minute, couldn't drive anymore.

His strong three-point attempt from the left corner after continuous jab steps missed again.

The fans in the arena gasped.

Lee grabbed the long rebound, and with his back to the offensive direction, he suddenly passed the ball powerfully behind his back with his right hand.

The ball flew past half-court.

Allan Houston received the ball, took a large dribble, then suddenly stopped short.

On the right wing, he faked a shot, sending the pursuing Alvin Williams flying.

Without waiting for the Toronto Raptors to retreat on Defense, he quickly pulled up for a jump shot from beyond the three-point line!

"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.

86:71. Head Coach Wilkens could only call for another timeout.

Although it wasn't a reasonable shot choice, the made basket completely silenced the Air Canada Centre.

Allan Houston briefly celebrated with a fist pump, then walked towards the bench with a smile, high-fiving Clay Lee along the way:

"What an imaginative pass! Lee, we're definitely going to be on Sports Center tonight."

"Good thing we're going to win the game, otherwise the New York Knicks would be the ones getting roasted."

Hearing Lee's words, everyone laughed.

Even if they won the series, as long as they didn't fulfill their promise, ESPN would certainly not miss the opportunity and wouldn't stop discussing it for at least two days.

There was laughter and joy on the New York Knicks' bench.

Jeff Van Gundy, besides reminding them to pay attention to Defense, also offered some motivational words to liven the atmosphere.

On the other side, on the Toronto Raptors' bench, Vince Carter was still sulking, very dissatisfied with his own performance.

Head Coach Wilkens was writing and drawing on the whiteboard, and the assistant coaches were also boosting morale.

The atmosphere in the arena was still noisy, but most fans had already prepared for a loss, and a small portion of fans were calling for celebration.

It didn't take long to fly from New York to Toronto, and some New York Knicks fans chose to cross the border to watch the game on Sunday.

The timeout still had an effect.

Vince Carter finally made his first field goal of the 4th quarter, a contested three-pointer from the right corner.

The deficit was narrowed, and Toronto Raptors fans cheered loudly.

In the subsequent play, both teams started missing shots again, with occasional points coming from free throws.

Until 1 minute and 09 seconds left in the game, Lee made a bailout three-pointer from the left wing.

Within 4 minutes, another field goal was scored.

91:78.

Time was running out, and the sweep was a foregone conclusion.

"Boo!"

Toronto Raptors fans began to vent their frustration.

The Eastern Conference Semifinals were good, but everyone still hoped the home team could achieve better results.

Clay Lee let out a long sigh.

Tonight, the New York Knicks would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the final minute, the Toronto Raptors were still shooting free throws, and Antonio Davis was still desperately fighting for offensive rebounds.

But such efforts were futile.

They could only watch the time tick away.

When the final buzzer sounded, the score was fixed at 94:82.

With a 4:0 series sweep, the New York Knicks swept the Toronto Raptors and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals again!

He played 48 minutes, shooting 8-for-27 from the field, 1-for-8 from three-point range, and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, for 26 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.

After an amazing performance in the previous game, Vince Carter entered a terrible state tonight.

Looking at the scoreboard, with fans' curses filling his ears, Vince Carter felt terrible.

He pulled off his headband, forced a smile, and embraced Lee in greeting.

"Congratulations, Clay! Five consecutive years in the Conference Finals."

Vince Carter felt a pang of sadness after saying this.

He really wanted to experience the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lee just chuckled and patted his shoulder again:

"Keep going, Bro! Stay healthy, don't worry about outside opinions, and keep chasing the championship!"

Vince Carter forced a smile.

If nothing unexpected happened, the next day, several mainstream sports media outlets would likely criticize his "desire to win."

When you lose, everything is wrong, and if you lose inefficiently, you're open to ridicule.

Looking at Clay Lee's back, Vince Carter suddenly thought of his graduation ceremony.

As he walked towards the shooting tunnel, he sighed inwardly:

"No need to worry about time anymore."

Having made it to the Conference Finals for many consecutive years, Ewing was all smiles. Besides hugging everyone he saw, he didn't forget to boast during interviews:

"Yes, five consecutive years in the Conference Finals. I'm proud of the team!"

"This is the result of our collective effort. Perhaps in a few days, you can also report on the New York Knicks making it to the Finals for four consecutive years."

Jim Gray, a reporter for NBC, looked at the confident Gorilla and could only flatteringly ask again:

"Pat, have you been following the other series?"

Ewing heard the question and flashed his confident smile again:

"Neither the 76ers nor the Milwaukee Bucks will cause us any trouble."

"All we need to do is stay healthy. This year, we will still make it to the Finals!"

The "smooth" Ewing, despite only playing 18 minutes tonight and mostly just going through the motions, was full of hot air after the game, almost predicting a championship.

After Jeff Van Gundy shook hands with Head Coach Wilkens, he couldn't help but smile.

Having eliminated a coach with over a thousand wins again, the Bald Young Coach even wanted to shout:

"Who else!?"

On May 14th, the NBA announced this season's All-NBA Teams:

The five players on the All-NBA First Team were:

Clay Lee, Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal.

The five players on the All-NBA Second Team were:

Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo.

The five players on the All-NBA Third Team were:

Tracy McGrady, Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, and Glenn Robinson.

Clay Lee achieved the "Double First Team" feat this season, and the New York Media, after holding back for several seasons, finally burst out with a big headline:

"The Current NBA's Number One Player — Clay Lee!"

These past two days, the NBA has also been building momentum for Lee, trying to attract more fans with his outrageous stats:

"At 23 years and 131 days old, Clay Lee broke Oscar Robertson's record set in 1963, becoming the youngest player in NBA playoff history to achieve a 40-point triple-double!"

This record is indeed outrageous.

"Big O"'s statistics were still relatively rough back then.

The most recent 40-point triple-double was a record set by Charles Barkley in '93, but Barkley was already 30 years and 101 days old at that time.

With the triple-double and the "Double First Team" selection, no one cared about Lee's poor shooting performance in Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 4:

9-of-22 from the field, 2-of-7 from three-point range, 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, for 26 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers.

Given such a performance, basketball commentators selectively forgot, and everyone continued to cooperate with the NBA in hyping up Clay Lee.

All the attention was focused on Lee, and the Lakers, who also swept their way into the Western Conference Finals, were surprisingly ignored for a time.

In Game 4, Kobe erupted again, playing the entire game, shooting 15-of-29 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 17-of-19 from the free-throw line, putting up a huge double-double of 48 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.

Aside from the local Los Angeles Media being overjoyed, most basketball fans were still discussing Clay Lee's triple-double and the Knicks' fifth consecutive appearance in the Conference Finals.

Young people all like to show off.

Not only was Kobe in a bad mood, but Derek Fisher, who had an excellent season after recovering from injury, also felt a pang of envy.

As the Lakers' starting point guard, Derek Fisher felt he wasn't getting the respect he deserved.

The local Los Angeles Media sometimes even wondered "if," regretting not drafting Clay Lee to the Lakers back then.

On the 14th, after returning to Los Angeles, Phil Jackson, sensing the abnormal atmosphere within the team, also stood up for his players during an interview:

"I don't understand why everyone is discussing Lee. Look at the Lakers' performance, Shaq and Kobe have dominated the playoffs!"

"Derek Fisher's three-point shooting percentage was close to 40% during the regular season this year, and he's had a consistent performance in the playoffs as well."

"Although the Knicks achieved 62 wins, they are in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are underestimated. We haven't received the respect we deserve!"

"..."

The media's heated discussions did not affect the Knicks' preparations.

The Milwaukee Bucks and the 76ers were still entangled, with the series tied 2-2, so the coaching staff gave everyone two more days off.

If the opposing teams went to a Game 7, the Eastern Conference Finals would not officially begin until the 22nd.

On the morning of the 15th, on the 67th floor of a landmark building owned by a famous New York real estate developer, Lee woke up to realize it was already 10 AM.

The black-painted walls gave the room a hazy feeling.

In the bedroom, besides the exquisite furniture, the large bed was particularly eye-catching.

Sitting up, Lee casually tossed the "art rope" by his hand onto the carpet, grabbed the water glass by the bed, and took a big gulp before fully waking up.

Last night, with the "rope technique" in play, the two had a wild time.

Even with Lee's abundant stamina, after an entire night of overtime, he vaguely felt his body had been drained.

Ivanka groggily climbed onto Lee again, stroking his firm chest while softly asking:

"Darling, what time is it? Aren't you going to sleep a bit more?"

Looking at the golden-haired big white rabbit embracing him with her eyes closed, Lee, while controlling the ball, softly comforted her:

"It's almost noon. We have a dinner party tonight, aren't you going to get ready?"

Her looks and figure fluctuated, but recently Ivanka had slimmed down again, even showing her dimples of Venus, which led to the two exploring the technique of behind-the-back dribbling multiple times last night.

Fully awake, and feeling a lingering soreness in her knees, Ivanka bit Lee's shoulder hard, her body still feeling soft, and mumbled a complaint:

"I can't wear a skirt tonight, you scoundrel!"

"Oh!"

Lee directly picked up the golden-haired big white rabbit, and amidst her soft exclamations, the two walked naked into the bathroom:

"Darling, that's not my fault. You'll look just as beautiful in long pants!"

"..."

The "family dinner" was held on the 68th floor, featuring French cuisine, with a longer dining time to facilitate conversation and bonding.

Lee was dressed quite formally, wearing a light blue plaid shirt, while Ivanka beside him wore a white cocktail dress that just covered her knees.

Ivanka's brother also appeared at the dinner table with his newly acquainted model girlfriend.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward, with their flamboyant father sitting next to his "stepmother."

This model, who had become somewhat famous after arriving in New York, wore a low-cut dress tonight and paid no mind to the gazes of the two "children" across from her, gracefully serving her boyfriend.

"Don't get too close to those politicians. Look at Bloomberg. That guy can change his identity at will. Their promises are not to be trusted."

"If you don't want your money to depreciate, New York real estate is definitely a good asset. The house you bought near the Metropolitan Museum of Art is good!"

"..."

Enjoying the delicacies handed to him by his girlfriend, Ivanka's flamboyant father casually chatted about New York gossip and everyday anecdotes.

Lee automatically ignored remarks like "most NBA stars are idiots," occasionally agreeing softly.

The two often met at Mayor Giuliani's parties, and although it was their first time having dinner at home, they were not strangers to each other.

However, when political news was discussed, the strange feeling in Lee's heart lingered.

The former First Lady participated in the New York senatorial election last year, which was her first political activity, and Ivanka's flamboyant father was not only a donor to the former First Lady but also praised her multiple times in front of the media:

"This is a tough and smart woman, and I believe she will succeed!"

"..."

The family atmosphere was not harmonious, but Lee didn't care about these things.

After dinner, he went to the study, where they finally discussed serious matters:

"I hope to get to know the management of Enron."

As a well-known enterprise in the 1990s, Enron has grown to become a giant company spanning multiple fields, not just energy.

Holding a glass of red wine, Ivanka's father didn't expect Lee to make such a simple request.

He seemed to recall some recent news and suddenly whispered:

"You want to short this company? Believe me, that's absolutely not a good choice!"

Lee didn't expect him to react so quickly.

He didn't admit it immediately, only smiling and saying:

"Even giants fall sometimes. I just want to confirm some information."

Although he didn't have much interaction with the other party, through friends of friends, he could still talk.

Ivanka's father didn't try to persuade him further, nodding slightly in agreement, and clinking glasses with Lee:

"This isn't difficult, it's just that I don't like those scumbags on Wall Street."

Bobby Axelrod was already somewhat famous on Wall Street, becoming a well-known hedge fund manager.

However, for these old-school wealthy individuals, they looked down on such money-making methods.

The two looked out at the New York night view.

Lee took a sip of the red wine in his glass and was about to express his gratitude, but he didn't expect the other party to suddenly tease him:

"Ivanka is beautiful, isn't she! If she weren't my daughter, I would even become her suitor!"

"..."

The words of thanks were stuck in his throat.

Lee could only smile to hide his embarrassment, while secretly cursing:

"LSP!"

On the morning of May 16th, at Madison Square Garden, Lee and General Manager Grunfeld appeared at the draft lottery ceremony.

Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards staff were chatting and joking with the management of various teams.

Everyone could see that Michael Jordan was in a very good mood.

It was highly probable that the NBA would take care of the Washington Wizards, and the first overall pick was almost certainly predetermined.

The Chicago Bulls General Manager Krause had a long face.

Seeing Clay Lee and Michael Jordan chatting, he turned his head and saw Grunfeld's smug smile, and immediately cursed under his breath:

"Damn trade!"

The undercover actions of the championship guard Sprewell deeply pained everyone on the Chicago Bulls.

When David Stern appeared on the scene, everyone quieted down, and the surrounding sports media began to point their cameras at the drum directly in front.

The draft lottery ceremony was also broadcast live.

As the picks were revealed one by one, the Washington Wizards fans in front of their televisions erupted.

The on-site director also focused the camera on Michael Jordan, who was smiling and embracing the management.

Even retired, Michael Jordan remained the focus of everyone's attention.

At the draft lottery ceremony, Lee and General Manager Grunfeld were also whispering:

"The 4th pick, we have more options!"

Lee nodded, noticing the camera pointed their way, and simply replied:

"We can definitely pick a good big man."

The two didn't discuss the draft at the scene.

Lee suddenly thought of Ben's situation, maintaining a proper smile for the camera, but secretly frowning in his heart:

"Do you yearn for a starting position?"

....

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