Chapter 209
After the timeout, players from both sides entered the court one by one.
The Knicks adopted a half-court man-to-man defense strategy because all the Dallas Mavericks players have three-point shooting ability, and their shooting percentage tonight is quite impressive. Alvin Gentry didn't dare to gamble, so he could only choose half-court man-to-man defense.
Harris inbounded the ball and passed it to Dampier.
Louis Williams immediately adopted a sticky defense combined with blindfold defense, which made it very difficult for Dampier, who simply couldn't shoot.
Then he could only pass the ball to Horry, who had come out to receive it.
However, Li Chen was the one defending Horry.
The instant Horry received the ball, Li Chen's large hand reached out towards it.
Thud! The crisp sound of the ball hitting the ground rang in Horry's ears, sending shivers down his spine.
At this moment, a series of illogical events flashed through his mind, and he wondered why he had been able to easily escape Li Chen's entanglement.
He didn't think much of it at the time, but now... haha! It's a bit ridiculous! It's not that he's improved, but rather that he's been tricked by this Eastern man.
In a flash, Horry reached for the basketball, which had already slipped out of his control.
Meanwhile, Li Chen was also vying for possession of the ball with Horry.
A moment later, seeing that Li Chen was about to gain possession of the ball, Horry, in a moment of desperation, thinking "If I can't have it, neither can you," slapped the basketball away.
The basketball flew towards the baseline at an extremely high speed.
Seeing this, Li Chen didn't try to save the ball anymore, since it was out of bounds and the Knicks had possession.
But just then, a figure lunged at the basketball like an arrow, saving it just before it went out of bounds. He then passed the ball to Josh Howard.
His tall body slammed heavily onto the ground.
Yes, Nowitzki saved the Dallas Mavericks at a crucial moment; however, he took a rather serious fall and didn't get up immediately to return to the court.
On the other side, Josh Howard lived up to Nowitzki's expectations, firmly controlling the ball.
At that moment, Wang Zhizhi, just like Louis Williams, employed the same tenacious defense combined with screens and blocks.
Okay! This is Li Chen's bad idea. No! It can't be called a bad idea. This tactic is very reliable, at least that's what Alvin Gentry thinks.
Knowing how tough Wang Zhizhi was, Josh Howard immediately turned his back to the basket, dribbling the ball and trying to drive towards the basket.
Just then, Odom arrived, and he and Wang Zhizhi teamed up against Josh Howard in a precarious situation.
Just then, the referee's whistle blew.
This greatly angered the Knicks fans, who didn't hold back in booing the referee loudly.
It turns out that Nowitzki is still lying on the ground, which is why the referee blew the whistle.
The Dallas Mavericks doctor rushed onto the court and, after a brief examination, determined that Nowitzki had sprained his ankle during the save and could not continue the game.
But how could Nowitzki agree to that? So after some simple physical pain relief from the team doctor, Nowitzki went back on the field despite his injury.
The Dallas Mavericks had only 12 seconds left on their shot clock.
The match resumed.
The Knicks' tenacious and suffocating defense greatly troubled the Dallas Mavericks players, making them hesitant to make shots.
At that moment, Nowitzki waved to signal that the ball be passed to him.
After receiving the ball, Nowitzki engaged in a fierce battle with Odom.
Nowitzki knew he had to make that shot to shift the pressure to the Knicks.
So now he no longer insists on shooting three-pointers.
He dribbled the ball with his back to the basket, then suddenly turned and launched a difficult Golden Rooster Independence jump shot.
Although Nowitzki's shot was very sudden and caught Odom off guard, he still managed to use his blindfold defense at the crucial moment.
Thump! The basketball spun a few times around the edge of the rim before finally falling into the Nets.
The Dallas Mavericks lead the Knicks 88-90.
Meanwhile, there were 11 seconds left in the game.
Alvin Gentry called a timeout. The final ten seconds would determine the outcome of the game.
After the timeout ended, Li Chen glanced at the timer; there was enough time for the Knicks to complete a high-quality offensive play.
The question now is whether to do it himself or let his teammates do it? He took a deep breath, thought about it, and decided to do it himself.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his teammates; after all, even if they lost this game, they still had a Game 7, and with Nowitzki injured, their chances of winning the championship were extremely high.
What he was really worried about was that this missed shot would put immense pressure on his teammates. They weren't reborn; they were just inexperienced young men in their early twenties. Their mental maturity wasn't enough to handle such pressure. If things went wrong, they might collapse and end their basketball careers, which was something he didn't want to see.
Li Chen received a pass from Louis Williams, Horry followed suit, using the same tenacious defense and blindfold defense to deal with Li Chen.
Li Chen wasn't in a hurry, since there was plenty of time. He called Wang Zhizhi over for a screen.
Wang Zhizhi's pick-and-roll created space for Li Chen to break through, and he used his speed to drive down the right half of the court towards the basket.
Nowitzki, who had been keeping a close eye on Li Chen, reacted immediately. He quickly provided defensive support, staying close to Li Chen and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
On the other side, Harris also rushed towards Li Chen, trying to form a pincer movement with Nowitzki.
Just then, without any warning, Li Chen suddenly stopped.
The transition from high speed to a standstill resulted in a loud, screeching friction sound as the sneakers rubbed against the floor.
The sudden stop was unexpected; Nowitzki never anticipated that Li Chen would choose to stop abruptly at top speed. His defensive stance instantly faltered, and he too chose to stop abruptly.
However, he had an ankle injury, and this sudden, intense stop caused him immense pain, which made him break out in a cold sweat.
He knew he was doomed; he couldn't jump at all now. But he still endured the pain and raised one arm high.
But instead of shooting, Li Chen stopped abruptly and took a step back, which put him right behind the three-point line near the corner.
His movements were poetic and picturesque; he gracefully lifted the ball, his body and the ball leaning forward in perfect harmony, just like a dancer completing a final spin on a diving platform.
The ball traced a perfect arc in the air before landing steadily in the basket, the sound like a beautiful symphony.
91-90, Li Chen finished the Knicks' attack with a perfect Pull-up Jumper.
The Knicks fans erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
Meanwhile, the Knicks players excitedly embraced each other, knowing they were just 0.1 seconds away from defending their championship title.
But for the Dallas Mavericks, the game is not over yet.
They still have a chance; as long as the final whistle hasn't blown, they still have hope.
However, the goddess of victory ultimately did not favor the Dallas Mavericks.
As the final whistle blew, the Knicks players cheered. They had successfully held onto their lead and won the NBA Finals, becoming the Knicks champions.
Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers once again as Li Chen made history once more, and the Knicks successfully defended their title.
The Knicks players were also incredibly excited, especially David Lee and Louis Williams, who cried uncontrollably. Winning the championship as key players in the NBA Finals series was a tremendous encouragement and affirmation for them.
In the Knicks' bench, Allan Houston grinned, "Another championship ring for free! No, no, no! How can you say it's free? I even played on the court, you know."
Right now, he's thinking about whether he should retire next season. Forget it! I'll just aim for a three-peat first!
On the other side, Alvin Gentry also touched his bald head strangely. He noticed a strange problem with the Knicks: the mental fortitude of these rookies was just too strong.
On the court, Odom vigorously ruffled Li Chen's short black hair and roared, "Hahaha! Chen, Grandpa Odom has a championship ring too!"
"You'll get more if you leave Khloe Kardashian."
"Hey, hey, hey! Chen, what did Kardashian do to offend you? Why do you keep telling me to leave her? And besides, she's pregnant."
Hearing this, Li Chen's lips twitched. He thought to himself, "Holy crap, this guy's too amazing! He's even created a little guy!"
Wait, what does this bastard mean by saying all this? Is he subtly mocking me?
Before he could even retort to Odom, his teammates lifted him up again and tossed him into the air.
During the handshake ceremony between the two teams, Nowitzki hugged Li Chen and said, "Chen, congratulations on winning the championship again."
"Dirk, believe in yourself. One day you'll stand at the top too."
Li Chen's words filled him with hope, but he later smiled wryly and said, "With you around, I'm in serious trouble."
Li Chen was somewhat embarrassed by this.
In a domestic live streaming room.
"Congratulations to Chen on defending his NBA championship title. He is our pride, and I think tens of millions of basketball fans in China feel the same way."
In 2006, the internet in China developed rapidly, and now live streaming is available.
As soon as Sun Zhengping said this, the chat box at the bottom of the page immediately crashed.
At the same time, the NBA has become one of the most popular sports programs in the country.
"Three championships in four years, Chen has now surpassed the God of Basketball Michael Jordan," Zhang Weiping said, making a startling statement.
Sun Zhengping was speechless, thinking to himself that although Li Chen might surpass Michael Jordan in the future, wasn't it a bit too early to say that now?
However, fans largely agreed with Zhang Weiping's words.
It's worth noting that Jordan was constantly taught a lesson by NBA veterans in his early years, but Li Chen debuted at his peak and swept all NBA teams, which they considered superior to Jordan.
On the other side, when Dolan lifted the O'Brien Cup again, he was still feeling quite pleased with himself. As he handed the O'Brien Cup back to Li Chen, he whispered, "Chen, can we win three in a row?"
Li Chen smiled mysteriously and said, "That's hard to say!"
Hearing this, Dolan knew that this was a difficult issue to discuss. He had already decided that he would have a proper talk with Li Chen in a couple of days.
Then came the FMVP award. Li Chen averaged 30.5 points and 13.4 assists in 6 NBA Finals, once again defending his FMVP title.
After that, of course, I went clubbing and had a good time.
During this time, Li Chen finally found an opportunity to retaliate against Odom's words after the game.
So when Odom was bragging about becoming a father and marrying Khloe Kardashian, Li Chen, still drunk, asked, "Lamar, do you think there's any possibility of that?"
"What?" Odom asked Li Chen in surprise.
Li Chen chuckled mischievously, "That child isn't yours."
Upon hearing this, his teammates were stunned, and Odom was stunned as well.
Odom had drunk too much and didn't realize what was happening for a moment.
When he came to his senses, he wanted to fight Li Chen in person, but Li Chen was stronger and knew a bit of Bajiquan, so he subdued Odom in no time.
Wang Zhizhi was speechless. How could someone make such a joke?
When Odom sobered up, he was very embarrassed. "Chen, I'm sorry, I tend to act impulsively after drinking."
Li Chen was speechless. Then he remembered that Odom was divorced by Khloe Kardashian because he was a drunkard who beat his wife.
Thinking of this, he patted Odom on the shoulder and said, "Quit drinking! Otherwise, Khloe Kardashian will definitely leave you."
"No, she won't," Odom said confidently.
"Hmph! Don't overestimate yourself. Even if she really loves you, she wouldn't be with a piece of trash who beats his wife when he drinks. Besides, the Kardashian family isn't simple. You'd better think about what to do!"
Odom fell into deep thought.
The next day, Dolan called Li Chen to his office to discuss the issue of strengthening the team.
However, the two disagreed, and Li Chen still wanted to choose a reliable rookie.
Dolan's idea was to find All-Star Player to be Li Chen's assistant, and Li Chen could name his own name as to who it was.
Li Chen was speechless after hearing Dolan's boastful words.
However, Dolan is the owner after all, and he is a player now, so it wouldn't be good to offend the owner Dolan.
Therefore, Li Chen's request for reinforcements was to acquire either Duncan or Ginobili.
Dolan was speechless. "Fuck, are you doing this on purpose?"
Li Chen, of course, wouldn't admit it and instead seriously lied, "First of all, Duncan's composure is well-known in the NBA. With him around, he can keep the Knicks competitive even when I'm not having a good shooting night."
"Duncan is impossible," Dolan said, shaking his head.
He knew very well that Duncan was Anthony 'Spurs prized possession and not for sale.
Li Chen knew this too. The reason he said he wanted Duncan to come to the Knicks was just to fool Alvin Gentry. So his real target was Ginobili.
So he said, "If Duncan isn't good enough, Ginobili will be."
Dolan frowned and said, "Chen, he's not an All-Star, what do we need him for?"
"Mr. Dolan, you can't say that. Ginobili is a key player; he's always the one who turns the tide in crucial moments for the Spurs..."
Beep beep beep! As Li Chen gave his examples one by one, Dolan nodded repeatedly, agreeing that Ginobili was a good candidate.
However, when Dolan asked Alvin Gentry to make an offer to the Spurs, it was rejected by Spurs general manager and head coach Popovich.
Not to mention Duncan, even Ginobili was out of the running, which frustrated Dolan. So the matter was dropped.
Thank you Jianbei Junxiao for the 3 monthly tickets.
Thank you to reader 20180509132807625 for voting in February.