On December 4, 1999, the Knicks welcomed the fourth game of the week, away to challenge the bottom-ranked Nets.
Since the start of the new season, the Nets have a record of 2 wins and 14 losses.
The team's performance is poor, and tickets cannot be sold at a high price.
Many times, the home court is not full.
The fans in New Jersey are not buying it, and there will be more fans only when the visiting team comes to play.
Facing the bottom-ranked team, Jeff Van Gundy thought it would be an easy game, but after a hard fight for four quarters, the Knicks unexpectedly lost.
92:95, relying on Marbury's consecutive free throws in the final moments, the Nets won the third victory of the new season.
The Knicks coaching staff was stunned.
Chris Childs, who started the game at the last moment, made consecutive mistakes.
Jeff Van Gundy almost thought that there was an undercover agent from the other team in the team.
Lee, who returned to New York to take the LSAT at Fordham University, asked for leave to rest.
Even though New Jersey was very close, he did not go back to play another game in the evening.
After the loss, Jeff Van Gundy had no choice but to take the blame.
The New York media accused Van Gundy of not responding well at the last moment.
Losing a game is nothing, but losing to such a weak team among weak teams is unacceptable to New York fans.
This is a free record.
Lee, who finished the exam and felt relaxed, practiced the Husky Happy at home.
The Husky, who was almost as fat as a pig, was finally walked until it stuck out its tongue.
After returning home, it lay down obediently.
In every TNT post-match commentary, as long as there is a Knicks game that day, there will usually be a discussion.
This time, after losing to the bottom-ranked Nets, this hot topic will not be missed:
"Without Lee, the Knicks made 19 turnovers in this game against the Nets."
"Alan Houston and Larry Johnson have a hard time handling too much ball possession, and the team's offensive efficiency is too poor."
"But the good news is that we can see that Oakley has recovered in these two games and grabbed four offensive rebounds tonight."
"Although the December schedule is relatively friendly, the Knicks must also be nervous!"
Mike Fratello is still not optimistic about the Knicks, but as a professional commentator, he did not blame Van Gundy.
After all, the games are played by the players.
Kenny Smith looked at the technical statistics and noticed that the shooting percentages of both teams were very average.
He laughed and joked:
"It seems that the Knicks need Lee! Facts have proved that only Lee can efficiently digest the ball. Most outside players will be less efficient after getting more shots."
24 out of 9, Alan Houston scored 25 points tonight, and his shooting percentage was the same as Marbury, less than 40%.
Teams with outside players as the core will encounter such a dilemma.
Ernie Johnson did not comment on the players' performance.
After being recharged, he began to preview Lee's second-generation signature shoes on the show:
"Before the Christmas game, Lee's second-generation signature shoes will also be released. This is definitely a good thing for fans!"
"."
"Lee Flightpostie 1" made the Nike cut leeks crazily, especially the colorful metallic color scheme launched in the finals, which made many fans swipe their cards.
The Nike will not stop selling the first generation of sneakers, but the basic color will no longer be produced, and more fancy styles will be launched later.
Recently, the Nike has put a lot of ads.
After the sales of the Anfernee Hardaway 4th generation declined, most of the resources were given to Clay Lee.
Lee and Kim didn't go out to play on weekends. They still read books and practiced questions at home every day.
In her occasional leisure time, Kim just read the newspaper or surfed the Internet at night.
She had noticed the news in the newspaper a long time ago, but still couldn't believe it:
"The sales of sneakers exceeded 60 million US dollars. Maybe I am really out of date."
Unlike New Mexico, the consumption in New York is higher.
Kim, who has a little savings, found that her wallet is not as bulging as she imagined.
The sales volume is in line with Lee's expectations, but compared with the Jordan series, his signature shoes are still a long way behind.
Before retiring, Jordan 14 sold very well, and after Michael Jordan retired, the sales of the ugly Jordan 15 were still not affected much.
Whether it is the red and black color scheme or the North Carolina color scheme, the two shoes are still very popular.
Lee got the news from Mark Parker that the sales of two of Michael's sneakers exceeded 100 million.
"There are many opportunities to make money. Remember to help me check the stock news. I'm afraid I will miss useful news!"
Most stocks are still rising.
Qualcomm has been completely killing it.
Lee is afraid that he will be cut off suddenly.
Recently, he has mobilized everyone around him to pay attention to the news.
Kim could only nod her head.
After learning about Lee's investment, she was a little worried at this time.
After all, the stock could not continue to rise:
"I saw that pet supplies website participated in Macy's event on Thanksgiving Day."
"To be honest, the more information I learn, the more I feel that the stocks of these companies will fall sooner or later. Maybe at the end of the month, I should prepare to leave."
Lee nodded.
This is also his idea.
It is better to end the game of passing the parcel as soon as possible and put the money in the bag.
At the end of the year, the feast of the Internet is still going on.
There are also many players in the Knicks who buy stocks.
But most of them are what the stockbrokers recommend, and the players buy what they buy.
Lee never promotes the stocks he bought in the team.
It is easy to make money, but once he is cut off and loses everything, it will definitely cause controversy.
The Knicks' schedule in December is relatively easy, with only 14 games to be played that month.
In order to show his full commitment to the championship, Ewing called on everyone to say goodbye to the nightclub with him.
In the past, when he encountered such an easy schedule, he would definitely go out for a good time at night and take care of Oakley's friend's place by the way.
It's just that the team is in a critical period this year, and the gorilla intends to retire after the contract ends.
In order to avoid being hurt by alcohol and sex, Ewing took the initiative to express his position after the training session on the morning of the 5th:
"We must also be nervous before the All-Star Game. We can't relax at this time. No matter what the schedule and the opponent are, we must strictly demand ourselves."
But the gorilla's words lack persuasiveness.
After all, he himself is a representative of undiscipline.
Most of the players looked at Lee, and everyone wanted to hear the real core's thoughts.
"Pat's words make sense. Many times the game is difficult to play, and we know the reason. If we want to play well in the regular season, we really need to be nervous at this time."
Lee did not spoil the show.
The players wanted to go out and play, but verbal promises alone were useless.
At this time, it was just a statement.
If we really wanted to be nervous, we still had to look at the players in the main lineup.
Oakley soon agreed.
In the last year of the old guy's contract, in addition to daily squeezing of the newbies, the remaining pursuit was to win three consecutive championships.
Alan Houston and Larry Johnson also agreed that the "grandmama" just had the will but not the strength.
There is still no problem with the attitude of the game, but don't expect to play a highlight performance.
After the small player meeting, the Knicks decided to "quit drinking and sex" and focus on playing well in this month's games.
On the evening of the 5th, Oakley, who was in good shape, made the Knicks' defense regain a bit of its past style.
80:108, the Knicks, playing at home, defeated the Nuggets.
The victory over the opponent is also inseparable from the undercover performance of Van Exel and Billups.
The former made 7 of 23 shots and 1 of 9 from beyond the three-point line, scored 18 points inefficiently and made 4 turnovers.
Billups was invisible throughout the game, 1 of 5 shots, and scored 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 turnovers.
The name of "parallel import" has been firmly attached to his head.
In the three games of the second week, the Warriors continued to send warmth, 83:109, and the Knicks continued to defeat their opponents.
The 76ers, who lacked Iverson, did not improve their offense after arriving in New York.
They lost 78:107 and failed to score 80 points .
It was not until the evening of the 12th that the Knicks encountered some difficulties in their home game against the Celtics.
Paul Pierce was injured, which caused the Celtics, who had performed well since the start of the season, to have a fluctuation in their performance.
That night, the two sides fought until the fourth quarter.
Antoine Walker suddenly missed shots continuously.
The Knicks seized the opportunity to play a transition offense, which laid the foundation for victory in one fell swoop.
97:106, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents and won 4 consecutive games again.
Despite winning the opponent, Jeff Van Gundy did not smile after the game, and the New York media was not in a good mood.
After promoting the comeback battle for several days, Ewing only played 28 minutes, 3 of 11 shots, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 3 turnovers.
The Celtics, led by coach Pitino, have always played fast and furiously.
The gorilla couldn't run any more and couldn't keep up with the pace of the game.
At the press conference after the game, perhaps because he was a little disappointed with his performance, the gorilla didn't attend.
As soon as Lee sat down, the sports media in the audience asked questions actively:
"Lee, after resting for more than half a year, how do you think Pat has recovered? His performance tonight didn't seem to meet everyone's expectations."
As the person who knows Ewing's condition best, Lee has never had any illusions.
The Achilles tendon injury has made the gorilla lose his explosive power.
Unless you have to go to a very deep position, the previous kind of jump step and arch to the basket is basically gone.
The decline in athletic ability has also brought about a chain reaction of a decline in "explosive free throw power".
Like "Grandmama", Ewing's ability to make free throws has also declined.
"Give Pat more time. It's never easy to recover from a serious injury!"
"We will help Pat find the rhythm of the game through half a month of games."
Lee briefly introduced the team plan, and the New York media in the audience began to look forward to it.
On December 14, the Knicks flew to Houston to challenge the Rockets away.
Since the start of the new season, the Rockets have only played 7 wins and 15 losses.
The biggest reason for the poor record is injuries.
Barkley had a torn Achilles tendon before, and he also had a pelvic injury in the game against the Magic two days ago.
As for Olajuwon, he was lying down this season, which made Francis and Cardino Mobley the core of the Rockets.
It was rare to encounter a soft persimmon, and the Rockets' offensive rhythm was not fast.
Lee took the initiative to slow down, and with the cooperation of the whole team, he helped Ewing find the feeling of the game.
In 32 minutes, Ewing made 6 of 10 shots and 8 of 8 free throws, scoring 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block and 2 turnovers.
With efficient dunking, Ewing blew up the Rockets' inside combination of Carlos Rogers and Thomas Hamilton.
The Knicks won the game with a smile. Seeing Ewing scored 20 points, the front page headlines of the sports section of New York newspapers the next day were all roughly the same news:
"The league's No. 1 center announces his return!"
The New York media was too happy too early.
In the away game against the Mavericks on the 16th, facing the rapid offense and defense transition, Ewing was sluggish again.
Nowitzki, who had no impression of the gorilla before, made 8 of 19 shots that night, and scored 24 points in front of the "league's No. 1 center".
Ewing played 24 minutes, 4 of 10 shots, 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 turnovers.
102:93, the Knicks did not show dominance in the game and won stumblingly.
In this game, Lee played 39 minutes, 14 of 23 shots, 4 of 10 from beyond the three-point line, and 6 of 6 free throws, and scored 38 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals and 3 turnovers with great efficiency.
Jeff Van Gundy completely gave up, Ewing could no longer adapt to the fast-paced game.
When the Knicks' offensive rounds reached 85, Oakley and Ewing's playing time would be reduced.
When facing a team like the Mavericks that has a fast offensive rhythm and can shoot 89 times in a game, the veterans can't stand it.
After the game, in the Knicks' locker room, the New York reporters who followed the team were a little disappointed that the gorilla didn't perform as they expected.
However, during the interview, everyone still gave Ewing face:
"Pat, through these few games, have you gradually found some of the rhythm of the game?"
Ewing, who forced a smile and realized his problem, was a little lacking in confidence when answering the question:
"I need more games. At present, my body is still recovering."
"."
On December 18, the Knicks returned to New York and faced the Wizards at home.
7 wins and 17 losses, after Michael Jordan became the director of basketball operations for the Wizards, the team's record dived towards the top pick again.
The consecutive losses made Michael Jordan completely numb.
At the beginning of the season, he could still be seen, but as the Wizards' record was not good, Michael Jordan no longer went to watch the game.
After all, sports reporters like to watch his fun.
Every time he lost a game, he was ridiculed.
Michael Jordan, who was very competitive, couldn't stand it, so he simply disappeared.
Hamilton was injured at the beginning of the season and could only sit on the bench to watch the game.
Facing a team with a slow offensive rhythm, Ewing became active again under the control of Lee.
The gorilla also wanted to show himself in front of the home fans, so he worked particularly hard after the game started.
At the top of the arc, Ewing quickly moved and stood on the three-point line.
Lee, who held the ball with his left hand, faced Strickland's defense and suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction quickly, leading the ball forward.
Taking advantage of the opponent being delayed by Ewing's pick-and-roll, Lee scooped the ball with his right hand, faced Jahidi White who came up to defend, lowered his center of gravity, and pushed the ball and changed direction quickly again.
The high-quality screen allowed Lee to get rid of the defense in an instant and easily pass between the two.
Amid the cheers of New York fans, Lee, who scooped up the ball with his right hand, went straight to the basket.
Facing Juwan Howard who came up to assist in defense, he adjusted his steps and took the initiative to physically confront the opponent.
The two collided in the air, and Lee then took the opportunity to pass the ball to his left hand.
He tilted his body in the air, and in the surprised eyes of Juwan Howard, he leaned back and shot, and shot the ball into the basket with his left hand!
"Squeak! Swish!"
The whistle sounded and the ball went in.
After landing, Lee simply punched, celebrated with Ewing and clapped his hands, and walked to the free throw line with a calm expression.
After landing, Juwan Howard helplessly put his hands on his waist and looked at the scoreboard.
Compared with the previous match, as the quality of the screen improved, Lee's breakthrough became easier.
"Wow!"
Although tonight's game was considered a bully, the beautiful goal still made New York fans shout with joy.
At the MSG commentary booth, Walt Frazier was loudly praising Ewing's screen:
"Compared to Ben, Pat's size can provide high-quality screens, which will further improve Lee's efficiency."
"Maybe his independent offensive ability has declined, but I believe Pat will use another form to help the team win the game!"
Commentator Mike Breen looked a little strange.
In his opinion, the so-called other form is to be a meat shield tool.
With his independent offensive ability declining, Ewing, who returned from injury, basically completed the offense after receiving the ball after the pick-and-roll.
Although his hit rate looked good, most of them were dunks:
"Lee has a good control of the game rhythm. For Pat, scoring is no longer important. I believe he will find his position in the game again."
"The league's first center" has become a meat shield who eats dunks.
This is actually very embarrassing.
Ewing has also tried low-post strong attacks in the past few games, but the effect is not very good.
Instead, he can still maintain a good state of dunking.
As the game progressed, the Knicks gradually opened up the gap.
The New York fans at the scene also saw Ewing pick and roll again and again, receiving the pass from Lee in the paint area and completing the attack.
After eating too many biscuits, Ewing completely found his touch, and followed up with mid-range jump shots near the left and right baselines.
Facing the Wizards who performed poorly, Ewing finally had another dumpling!
With 6 minutes and 06 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ewing was also replaced.
In 28 minutes, Ewing made 8 of 14 shots, 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block and 1 turnover.
With such an efficient performance, Jeff Van Gundy was completely relieved.
In terms of finishing under the basket, Ewing is still reliable.
In the end, the home Knicks successfully defeated their opponents 92:102 and continued their winning streak!
After returning from injury, Ewing participated in the post-match press conference for the first time.
The "league's No. 1 center" became the "league's No. 1 meat shield", which the New York media knew, but at the scene, everyone kept praising Ewing's performance.
The business was very pleasant until the Los Angeles reporter deliberately asked:
"Pat, I noticed that you rarely finish the offense in the low post since you returned from injury. Can you explain the reason?"
Ewing, who was very clear about his physical condition, did not care about the other party's ridicule.
He was very happy to score 20 points:
"Low-post offense does not conform to the current tactical arrangement of the Knicks. I just want to help the team win."
"."
On the 19th, at the Tarrytown Training Center, Ben Wallace was immersed in strength training after the morning video class.
With Ewing's return from injury, "Little Ben" was also affected and his playing time was reduced.
Most players don't like to jump out of their comfort zone, and Ben Wallace is no exception.
The coaching staff expects "Little Ben" to improve his finishing at the basket, but some technical work is really not suitable for Ben Wallace.
The opponents are not strong during this period, and the Knicks have won consecutive games, which makes everyone in a good mood.
After the players left the multimedia room, assistant coach Thibodeau couldn't help but whisper to the assistant coaches beside him:
"If it was Lee in previous seasons, it would be difficult to take care of the big man calmly."
"This is indeed a good thing for us, at least Pat is gradually getting back to his game form."
This morning's video class mainly introduced the tactics of the Trail Blazers and the Lakers, and the rest was information about the opponent of the Christmas game, the Pacers.
Jeff Van Gundy was not as optimistic as the assistant coaches.
Looking at the collected data, most teams in the league play at a fast pace, and it is not difficult for everyone to take 83 shots in a game:
"Pay attention to Pat's physical condition. I don't want to see him get injured again after just returning from injury."
Coach Van Gundy made the request, and everyone nodded.
With the Rockets' experience, the Knicks are now more cautious in using veterans.
Christmas is approaching, which means that the results of the All-Star Game voting will soon be released. Players who aspire to be All-Stars are showing off at this time.
Kobe Bryant did not receive as much attention as Ewing after his return from injury.
Compared to being a supporting role quietly, Kobe always wanted to show himself, but the few games after his return affected the previous team atmosphere.
On the evening of the 20th, the Lakers challenged the Celtics away, and the game was not as smooth as Phil Jackson expected.
O'Neal made 13 of 20 shots, scored 34 points, 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 8 turnovers.
Despite the explosive performance, the Lakers won with difficulty.
Compared with some previous games, the Lakers began to fall into a singles cycle again.
Kobe, who can digest the ball, did not show any courtesy to the Sharks.
In some games, he took more shots than O'Neal.
With 22 wins and 5 losses, the Lakers played an excellent record, which made most media boast about the team's dominance.
In the game that night, the Knicks played against the Raptors at home.
Carter, whose popularity has soared this season, also let New York fans see his explosive dunks.
With 14 wins and 11 losses, the Raptors are in very good shape at present.
Carter is a latecomer and has become the core of the team, while McGrady is still waiting for his chance on the bench.
With the blessing of the "league's first meat shield", Lee played particularly easily.
In the second quarter, the Raptors' offense suddenly misfired.
Facing Artest's tough defense, Carter was also a little uncomfortable for a while.
The score was 14:26 in a single quarter, and after the half-time game, the score was fixed at 40:54.
In the MSG commentary booth, Mike Breen glanced at the technical statistics and found that Ewing only scored 4 points.
For a moment, he could only sigh and say:
"There is no problem with Coach Van Gundy's rotation. When the opponent frequently launches transition offense and tries to speed up the pace, we really need a more mobile Ben Wallace."
After half a month of games, Walt Frazier also saw Ewing's true situation:
"If you want to win the championship, you must make some sacrifices. Three consecutive championships are never an easy task. I hope Pat can adjust his mentality in time."
"."
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