192. First Win of the Second-Round Series

But after talking with Old Bass for nearly an hour, Kobe stopped talking about a trade.

As time went by, the first round of the Playoffs has come to an end.

Eastern Conference:

The Miami Heat's strength has increased significantly with the addition of O'Neal.

Even though O'Neal was past his prime, he still possessed terrifying dominance.

In the first round of the Playoffs, the Miami Heat swept Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 to advance to the second Playoffs.

The Pistons defeated the Pacers 4-2 to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.

The Wizards defeated the Bulls 4-2 to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.

Li Chen's Knicks also handed James' Cavaliers a 4-0 sweep.

James and his Cavaliers were eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs once again.

Western Conference:

The Suns swept the Grizzlies 4-0.

The Dallas Mavericks battled the Rockets for seven games, narrowly defeating the Rockets.

The Spurs defeated the Nuggets 4-1.

The SuperSonics also eliminated the Kings 4-1.

The Knicks' second-round opponent is the Pistons, led by Larry Brown.

This game was also a major highlight of the second round of the Playoffs, as the mentor and his student met again in the Playoffs.

Can Alvin Gentry once again stop his teacher's path to victory?

Meanwhile, the media also noticed a very interesting phenomenon: Li Chen was unusually aggressive when playing against the Pistons, which piqued their Central Africa, leaving them wondering what the story behind it was.

At this point, the media discovered that Li Chen had too many interesting stories to tell, which was exactly what they wanted!

Li Chen didn't care what the media was thinking; at that moment, he was eager to give Larry Brown a 4-0 victory.

Li Chen was quite confident about this, because his [God's Blessing] had been unlocked when he won the regular season MVP and assist title.

Li Chen used this skill in the second match of the first round, and it was quite effective overall.

However, Wang Zhizhi and Allan Houston were somewhat opposed to this.

Especially Wang Zhizhi, who, like himself, had a neat short haircut. Once, after Li Chen used [God's Blessing], he found a hair stuck to his palm. This sight made his mouth twitch. This thing was too poisonous.

At the same time, Li Chen had a strange idea: he wondered if touching his own head would trigger this debuff.

However, Li Chen didn't dare to try it. It would be fine if it didn't work, but if it did, he would be the first man to make himself bald.

However, if you push him too far, he'll still try, but he really doesn't want that day to come.

The Knicks' second-round Playoffs series began on May 10th.

In the first game, the Knicks played the Pistons on the road.

Knicks starting lineup:

Li Chen (Point Guard)

Crawford (Shooting Guard)

JR Smith (Small Forward)

Allan Houston (Power Forward)

Wang Zhizhi (Center)

Pistons starting lineup:

Billups (Point Guard)

Hamilton (Shooting Guard)

Prince (Small Forward)

Ben Wallace (Power Forward)

Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate (Center)

The Pistons attacked first.

Meanwhile, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this game is [Rebounding Monster].

He then smoothly equipped five skills: [Unrestrained], [Assist Master], [Miracle Shot], [Pull-up Jumper], and [God's Blessing].

Billups the ball across half-court.

Hamilton, having shaken off JR Smith, ran to the three-point line to receive the ball.

Meanwhile, Crawford came over to closely guard Billups. Close guarding is the most uncomfortable way to play, and with no space to shoot, Billups passed the ball to Hamilton.

Hamilton received the ball and shot it despite JR Smith's close defense.

"Whoosh!"

Three-pointer hits! The score is 3-0. The Pistons take the lead.

The Knicks' offense.

Li Chen dribbled the ball forward into the attacking third.

Billups came over to guard Li Chen, and the two stood a step inside the three-point line.

Meanwhile, the Knicks players drew the Pistons players to the perimeter, creating space for Li Chen to isolate and attack.

Li Chen then adopted a three-threat starting stance.

The triple threat stance – it allows you to drive, shoot, and pass.

This posture makes Li Chen more threatening on the court and puts more pressure on Billups, who is defending him.

However, Billups was not intimidated by Li Chen's three threats; he calmly observed Li Chen's movements.

His eyes were fixed on Li Chen; no movement or expression escaped his keen observation.

Billups' defense was very tight; he seemed to anticipate Li Chen's every move.

Li Chen tried to break through, but Billups' arms were like an iron wall, blocking his way.

Just then, Li Chen suddenly crossed his steps.

It was too sudden, and Li Chen's first move was too fast. Although Billups has good physical talent, it depends on who he's compared to. Compared to Li Chen, he's really no match.

So, unsurprisingly, it passed.

After passing Billups, Li Chen continued to accelerate his breakthrough.

At the same time, Billups gritted his teeth and followed closely behind.

At this moment, Li Chen made an incredible move, instantly passing the ball to JR Smith, who had run into open space.

Billups couldn't believe it. How could Li Chen pass the ball so accurately without even turning to check on his teammates?

What baffled him most was why he passed the ball when he could have easily scored it. He didn't understand this at all.

Billups was thrown off his rhythm by the unexpected pass, and although he quickly covered for the ball, it was too late; JR Smith had already calmly launched the Open Three-Pointer.

Swish! The basketball went through the net cleanly.

The score was tied 3-3, and the Knicks responded with a score of 3-3.

JR Smith waved his arms excitedly after making the jump shot. He felt like he had an invincible ability.

He triggered the [Unrestrained] stimulant buff.

He ran excitedly towards Li Chen, shouting, "Chen, I feel like I'm on fire today! Pass me the ball, I'm sure I can make it!"

Li Chen was taken aback at first, then understood immediately. He placed his large hand on JR's head and said seriously, "JR, shoot boldly. I believe in you, and you have to believe in yourself too. You are the Knicks' best shooter."

"Of course, this only applies to those around me," Li Chen silently added in his mind.

J.R. Smith, with his childlike nature, was easily fooled. Li Chen didn't even need to keep trying to persuade him; he naturally became lame on his own.

JR Smith nodded vigorously; in fact, he thought the same thing.

The Pistons are on offense.

Billups wanted to continue exploiting Hamilton's weaknesses, but J.R. Smith, seemingly under the influence of performance-enhancing drugs, appeared to have read his passes.

He leaped and intercepted the ball, then sprinted towards his own half like a wild dog.

But Billups reacted quickly and immediately went to stop him.

However, J.R. Smith, now boosted by performance-enhancing drugs, was not Billups could stop. Left with no other option, Billups had to commit a foul to stop the attack.

This foul was still worthwhile, considering the number of fouls hasn't reached the number of free throws yet.

The referee blew his whistle, and the Knicks took the ball inbounds.

After receiving the pass from Crawford, Li Chen did not rush to shoot.

Instead, he led Billups to circle around the three-point line, seemingly looking for opportunities, but actually putting pressure on the Pistons.

Billups was always very nervous when defending Li Chen, afraid that Li Chen would break through his defense.

At this moment, Li Chen suddenly accelerated and broke past Billups.

However, Ben Wallace had already been on guard against Li Chen. With his body blocking Li Chen 'Wallace way, he stood like a mountain, keeping Li Chen outside the restricted area.

Li Chen smiled slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, passed the ball to J.R. Smith once again.

The latter showed no fear of Hamilton's help defense; with a flick of his wrist, the basketball flew past Hamilton's fingertips toward the basket.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball swished perfectly through the net.

The Knicks lead the Pistons 6-3.

The game had barely begun when JR Smith scored six points in a row.

Larry Brown, sitting in the Pistons' bench, frowned deeply. He knew Li Chen had given them a major headache last season, and he never expected another JR Smith to appear this year. Larry Brown felt an urge to curse.

On the court, Billups calmed down. This time, he didn't insist on forcing Hamilton to shoot three-pointers. He knew that the Pistons needed to score now, instead of worrying about whether to shoot three-pointers or two-pointers.

So this time he lobbed the ball to the Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate under the basket.

When Wallace received the pass, Wang Zhizhi jumped up, trying to block his shot.

However, Wang Zhizhi was not in the same league as the Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate, and he failed to defend against his attack, allowing Wallace to easily put the ball into the basket.

6 to 5,

The Knicks' offense.

After Li Chen dribbled the ball up the court, he passed it to Crawford and then observed the situation from the outside.

Crawford drove to the basket, but the Pistons are known for having the best defense among the 30 NBA teams.

After Crawford's consecutive failed attempts to break through, he passed the ball back to Li Chen.

Li Chen had a flash of inspiration and launched a long-range Pull-up Jumper three-pointer from a meter beyond the right three-point line.

His shot was so sudden that the Pistons players didn't have time to react. Even his Knicks teammates were caught off guard.

At this moment, Li Chen felt a sense of freedom, like Stephen Curry in later Curry, shooting three-pointers at will.

"Whoosh!"

Li Chen's shot went in cleanly.

In a certain city, a baby-faced boy jumped up excitedly after seeing Li Chen's unreasonable three-pointer, shouting, "That's amazing! That shot was incredible!"

In the first quarter, the two teams were neck and neck, with the score fluctuating back and forth. At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks led the Pistons 30-27 by three points.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"The Knicks were superior in this quarter and took control of the game," Barkley analyzed.

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "The Knicks need to maintain this form and solidify their advantage."

Then, Kenny Smith changed the subject, "However, in the first quarter, the Pistons fell into the Knicks' rhythm, and they failed to execute the Pistons' defense."

"Hahaha! Hopefully, the Pistons can fully utilize their strengths in the second quarter," Barkley said with a wicked grin.

In the second quarter, the New York Knicks seemed to be in trouble, Detroit Pistons' defensive strategy caused them a lot of problems.

The Pistons tightly guarded the Knicks' offensive players, forcing them into crucial turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Pistons' offense became more incisive, executing several brilliant plays that gradually narrowed the score gap.

The Knicks tried to steady themselves at the start of the second quarter, but the Pistons' tight defense made it difficult for them to find good scoring opportunities.

The Knicks players were somewhat unaccustomed to the Pistons' sudden high-intensity defense.

It's like someone who has lived on the plains their whole life suddenly arriving at a plateau over 3,000 meters above sea level; they're bound to feel unwell. That's why the Knicks' shooting percentage also dropped.

However, the Pistons failed to capitalize on the opportunity to widen the score gap, because Li Chen's indomitable spirit and his status as a "Rebounding Monster" played an extremely important role.

He always grabbed the rebounds, launched second-chance attacks, and engaged in physical battles with the two Wallace under the basket.

As the game progressed, the other Knicks players gradually found their rhythm, and they began to try different offensive methods in an attempt to break through the Pistons' defense and reduce the burden on Li Chen.

However, the Pistons' defense remained very tenacious, and they consistently put immense pressure on the Knicks.

During this time, Li Chen constantly instilled the idea that JR Smith was capable, and of course, feeding him the ball was an essential part of the process.

JR Smith is just a free spirit, but he's not stupid. He's really touched by Li Chen's support.

In the final moments of the second quarter, JR Smith finally found his rhythm, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to temporarily stabilize the situation.

At the end of the second quarter, the Knicks trailed by five points, 50-55.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"The second quarter was full of tension and excitement, with both teams fighting hard for victory."

Despite struggling in the second quarter, the Knicks showed great fighting spirit in the crucial moments.

Especially Li Chen, his perseverance is something we should all learn from.

Kenny Smith praised Li Chen highly.

Barkley nodded, then analyzed. "The Knicks struggled in the second quarter because the Pistons tightened their defense; they brought their signature defense to its fullest potential."

"This game is like a sequel to last season, another battle between offense and defense," Kenny Smith remarked. "The upcoming games will undoubtedly be even more intense and exciting. Let's look forward to both sides delivering an unforgettable match."

"I'm really looking forward to the Knicks' continued success."

"I'm really looking forward to it too, Charles."

The third quarter began 15 minutes later.

At the start of the third quarter, Li Chen Pull-up Jumper three consecutive three-pointers in two minutes, bringing the score to 59-55.

Li Chen's strong return made Larry Brown of the Pistons frown. Last season, their Pistons was defeated by this rascal's unreasonable three-pointers. He just couldn't understand why this kid's three-point shooting was so accurate.

In a flash, Larry Brown knew he couldn't let Li Chen keep shooting like that; he had to disrupt his offensive rhythm. He knew Li Chen had the ability to kill the game.

So he decisively called a pause.

After the timeout, Li Chen's touch did indeed drop, but Li Chen didn't panic. Through his relentless efforts, he successfully triggered the "Headpat" even after JR Smith lost three hairs.

Li Chen was well aware of the power of the "Headpat" technique, and with the addition of the "Assist Master," Li Chen was completely confident that he could train JR Smith to become an All-Star.

Thus, with Li Chen and JR Smith working together, the Pistons were utterly defeated and had no chance to fight back.

In the end, the Knicks once again crushed the Pistons 118-98.