Chapter 207
After the Knicks won, the fans finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This includes Dolan; watching a game on tenterhooks like this is really unpleasant!
However, the feeling of excitement at the final victory was very intense, but he still didn't like it.
In fact, Dolan's feelings reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of Knicks fans.
In the TNT broadcast room.
"This game was fantastic from start to finish," said Kenny Smith.
"That's right. Although the Knicks aren't as invincible as they were last season, with Li Chen as a consistent scorer, they still have the strength to contend for the championship," Barkley nodded in agreement.
"The turning point of this game was when Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate was forced off the field; he performed exceptionally well in this game."
The Pistons' top scorer in this game was Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate, who played 35 minutes, shooting 9-for-14 for 22 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, and 4-for-6 from three-point range.
"If Li Chen hadn't fouled him out so early, his score would have been even higher," Kenny Smith said with a sigh.
"Haha! If Larry Brown doesn't solve the Pistons' foul trouble in the next game, tonight's scenes will repeat themselves."
Kenny Smith nodded in agreement. "We believe Larry Brown will solve this problem." He then added, "Let's look at the stats for the other Pistons players and the Knicks."
The Pistons' second-highest scorer was Hamilton with 21 points. Billups had 14 points, Prince had 15.
For the Knicks, Wang Zhizhi scored 11 points, Odom 11 points, Allan Houston 10 points, Louis Williams 9 points, David Lee 10 points.
Li Chen played 45 minutes in this game, shooting 15-for-30, scoring 45 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 8 blocks, 3 steals, shooting 6-for-8 from three-point range and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
"Oh my God! Chen, he blocked 8 shots from the Pistons!"
"Li Chen's performance tonight truly lived up to his FMVP title," Kenny Smith remarked.
The next day, after the morning strength training session, Li Chen took out a hiking backpack and tossed it to Odom, saying, "Eating more will do you good."
"Hey, hey, hey! What is this? And Grandpa Odom is in great shape, very strong." As he spoke, he slightly bent his arm, making a gesture of how strong he was.
At this moment, the other teammates also gathered around, all asking at once, "Quick, look, what's inside?"
Odom didn't hesitate to unzip the hill.
A moment later, he took a rectangular plastic package, about ten centimeters long, out of his backpack.
He looked at Li Chen, shook the black object in his hand, and asked blankly, "Chen, what is this?"
When Wang Zhizhi saw this thing, he was slightly stunned, then turned his head, suppressing a laugh, and looked at Li Chen strangely.
Seeing Wang Zhizhi's expression, Odom had a bad feeling. "Wang, what is this?"
"Uh..." Wang Zhizhi hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the packaging bag and said, "There should be instructions on it."
A short while later...
"Fuck, fuck, damn Li Chen, what do you mean? Odom doesn't need any of this stuff."
Odom howled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, looking ready to fight Li Chen to the death.
Li Chen calmly retorted, "You say you're good, so why are you so terrible when you play?"
Li Chen's probing question left Odom speechless.
The other teammates curiously took out items from their backpacks and examined them closely. They found things like Deer penis, donkey penis, Horse penis, and Dog penis. Seeing these things, they all looked at Li Chen strangely, wondering if these things were really useful. Why did they seem a little disgusting?
At this moment, Li Chen walked over, patted Odom on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "These are all excellent kidney-tonifying medicines from our country; they will surely satisfy you."
"Get lost." Odom slapped Li Chen's hand away.
Although Odom kept saying he didn't need it, in the afternoon, when training ended, he honestly took all the whips from his hiking backpack.
At midnight, all was quiet.
In the stillness of the night, the whole world seemed to be immersed in a mysterious tranquility.
The streets were deserted, with only the dim yellow light of the streetlights illuminating the empty streets, giving a strange and desolate feeling.
The night wind gently rustled the leaves, making a soft sound that sent a chill through one's heart.
At this moment, time seemed to slow down, and everything appeared so peaceful and serene.
On nights like these, people can calm down and think about things, or enjoy a moment of peace and solitude.
But one person tossed and turned in the quiet night, unable to fall asleep.
In Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson stared blankly at the ceiling, realizing that his insomnia was getting worse.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered what that Eastern Kid had said at his birthday party.
He said it was a good medicine for treating insomnia, so he specially stored it separately.
With that in mind, he turned on the light and found an exquisite gift box in a drawer.
A short while later, after drinking the somewhat bitter Chinese medicine, he fell into a deep sleep within 30 minutes.
On April 27th, the Knicks faced off against the Pistons again. In this game Li Chen's random S-rank Skill was [Flopping].
This skill is a perfect counter to defensive teams like the Pistons; in just three quarters, Li Chen took both Wallace off the court.
Finally, the Knicks Pistons again, winning 98-90.
Li Chen continued his excellent performance in this game, scoring 25 points and dishing out 15 assists.
It is worth mentioning that Wang Zhizhi performed exceptionally well in this game. With the support of Li Chen, he scored 30 points, setting a new high for himself since entering the NBA.
Wang Zhizhi was very excited, and Li Chen was happy for him too.
However, when the Knicks moved to their home court, Knicks Pistons taught them a lesson.
In this game, the Pistons' defensive team rained down three-pointers, ultimately defeating the Knicks 110-100.
Even with Li Chen scoring 40 points, the Knicks still couldn't escape defeat.
This game once again demonstrated the terrifying power of the three-pointer to other teams. Their draft focus is gradually shifting to players with high draft picks and three-point shooting ability.
Although the Pistons taught the Knicks a lesson, Pistons failed to replicate their previous success and were Knicks 4-1 in the series.
The results of the other games in the Eastern Conference were subsequently announced.
The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 4-2 to advance to the second round.
The Miami Heat defeated the Bulls 4-2 to advance to the second round, and the New Jersey Nets defeated the Pacers 4-2 to advance to the second round.
The Western Conference is much more lively.
The Spurs battled the Rockets to seven games, ultimately winning by a lucky buzzer -Rockets to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks also battled the Nuggets for six games to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.
The Lakers the Clippers, who featured Howard, for seven games before narrowly advancing to the second round of the Playoffs.
Only the Suns advanced relatively easily, defeating the Grizzlies 4-1 to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.
The Knicks' next opponent is the Cavaliers, led by LeBron James.
Although James performed well in this stage of the series, Li Chen performed even better. With his consistent performance, Li Chen scored both outside shots and drove to the basket, leading the Cavaliers to a 4-2 series victory over LeBron James.
On the other side, the Miami Heat also defeated the New Jersey Nets, and they will once again face the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Spurs 4-3.
The Lakers' Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant duo defeated the Suns, led by Nash and Stoudemire.
Although Stoudemire is comparable to Yao Ming, Ricci is significantly better than Nash.
The Miami Heat and Knicks are tied 2-2 after the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
They faced off in the fifth and most crucial match of the series.
In the fifth game, Li Chen displayed his prowess, scoring a season-high 50 points.
Thanks to Li Chen's consistent performance, the Knicks established an advantage for the remainder of the game.
The Miami Heat were once again pushed to the brink in Game 6, an away game.
The Miami Heat's starting lineup for this game is:
White Chocolate Williams (Point Guard)
Wade (Shooting Guard)
Antoine Walker (Small Forward)
Haslem (Power Forward)
O'Neal (center)
Knicks starting lineup:
Li Chen (Point Guard)
Louis Williams (Shooting Guard)
Odom (Small Forward)
David Lee (Power Forward)
Wang Zhizhi (Center)
Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this match is [Assist Master].
Seeing this skill, Li Chen felt frustrated.
He then began equipping skills: [Unrestrained], [Pull-up Jumper], [Miracle Shot], [Ankle Killer], and finally, after hesitating for a moment, he equipped the [Fake Collision] skill.
The match had just begun when both teams launched a back-and-forth offensive.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 25-25.
At halftime, the Miami Heat led the Knicks 51-50.
By the end of the third quarter, the Miami Heat were leading the Knicks by 8 points.
The tense atmosphere on the court was suffocating; Knicks fans held their breath, watching every moment of the game with rapt attention.
Despite the immense pressure, Li Chen remained calm and composed, moving with the agility of a cheetah as he weaved among the Miami Heat players.
He can break through the attack quickly and also use his keen observation to find the best passing route.
Every shot was accurate, keeping the Knicks competitive.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat struggled in the fourth quarter.
Because Wade, a player who relies on driving to the basket, has very high physical demands, his shooting percentage dropped sharply in the fourth quarter.
Despite Wade's efforts to organize the offense, he was not only exhausted but also constantly pressured by Li Chen. His speed, which he was so proud of, was completely ineffective against Li Chen.
Haslem's shooting lacked power, and Antoine Kemba Walker's dribbling was somewhat loose.
O'Neal was completely unable to exert his power due to the Knicks' targeted defense. And most importantly, he was old.
Even Point Guard like White Chocolate was completely outmaneuvered by Louis Williams' tight defense.
Li Chen knew this was the best opportunity to catch up in the score, so he went all out.
He first hit a long-range three-pointer, narrowing the score to five points, 81-76.
Immediately afterwards, Louis Williams stole the ball from White Chocolate Williams.
The Knicks launched a fast break, and Li Chen hit a three-pointer in transition.
With the score at 81-79, the gap between the two teams has narrowed to two points.
Then, Miami Heat's Wade attempted a layup with a crossover dribble, but missed due to Li Chen's interference.
However, O'Neal demonstrated his dominance under the basket, grabbing the rebound and then attempting a self-rebound shot, only to be stopped by Wang Zhizhi's fouling tactics.
O'Neal went to the free-throw line and made one of two.
82 to 79.
The Knicks were on offense, but Li Chen's strong performance during this period caught the attention of the Miami Heat, who adopted a double-team strategy.
Instead of forcing a shot, Li Chen cleverly passed the ball to Odom had been performing well in the game.
Odom lived up to Li Chen's expectations, hitting a crucial three-pointer.
The Knicks finally tied the score at 82-82.
At this moment, Madison Square Garden erupted in thunderous cheers once again.
It has to be said, Deer penis is really effective.
On the other hand, Riley was anxious and uneasy in the face of adversity.
He knew that if things continued like this, the Miami Heat would be unable to turn the tide.
He racked his brains, trying to find a solution. However, in such a fierce competition, he didn't have much time to think.
At this moment, Payton volunteered, "Coach, let me play!"
Riley glanced at Payton. Actually, he didn't trust Payton because his offensive ability had deteriorated too much. However, his defense was still okay, and using him to guard Li Chen might be a good choice.
With three minutes remaining in the final quarter, the Knicks are now leading the Miami Heat 95-88 by seven points.
At this point, Riley replaced White Chocolate Williams with Payton.
Payton, who had just been substituted on, stared at Li Chen's retreating figure, a sinister glint in his eyes.
It's important to know that Payton and Li Chen had a history of arguments and friction.
For Payton, this match was his last hope, so he was determined to pursue his dream at all costs.
Payton received a pass from his teammate, glanced at Li Chen with a cold smile, and drove to the basket without hesitation.
However, the moment Payton collided with Li Chen, the referee blew the whistle for a foul.
Payton looked at the referee with a puzzled expression, indicating that he had not committed a foul and that Li Chen had bumped into him on his own.
However, the referee completely ignored Payton's explanation and even gave him a technical foul.
At this moment, Li Chen got up from the ground and rubbed the injured area on his face. The pain made him grimace, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.
It's as if it's saying, "Welcome back to the team, my teammate."
Faced with Li Chen's provocation, Payton couldn't stay calm; he had an urge to fight Li Chen.
Li Chen applied the two-penalty-one-throw rule.
Swish! Li Chen's shooting remained steady, and he made both free throws with ease.
The score gap widened further to 97-88.
Riley was furious when he saw this happen after Payton came on. "Useless! Useless!" he thought, and without hesitation, he substituted Payton off the court again.
Wow, he might have set a record for the fastest All-Star Player to be substituted off the court in NBA history!
Payton's foul gradually shifted the momentum in the Knicks' favor, and the Miami Heat, feeling desperate, began to lose their fighting spirit.
Wade became somewhat agitated, Haslem and Antoine Kemba Walker struggled to shake off the Knicks' defense, and O'Neal was also exhausted.
As the final whistle was about to blow, fans felt a surge of hope for the Knicks to defend their title.
They spontaneously stood up and applauded and cheered for Li Chen and the Knicks.
"Li Chen, you're the best!" a young fan shouted.
Yes, their King of New York has not fallen.
At that moment, the words of the King of New York resounded throughout Madison Square Garden.