A Fresh Start! He Could Feel It Coming!

A 10-point deficit.

It gave the Nuggets a chance to come back and win, but that was all.

They still couldn't afford to relax or assume victory was guaranteed.

That would be unreasonable.

That was impossible!!!

The Knicks felt the same way. A 10-point lead wasn't enough to make them celebrate too early.

Everyone knew that Su Yan was the only truly outstanding player on the team.

They couldn't contribute much.

At the very least, they had to stay focused, avoid leaving too many openings, and do their best not to hold the team back.

They would improve bit by bit, becoming the most reliable teammates Su Yan could have.

The Nuggets' locker room.

The players weren't in particularly low spirits, but their expressions were still grave. They knew winning wouldn't be easy.

First, God Yan was playing too well. It was hard to contain the Current #1 Player.

Second, Anthony's slump had left the team without its leader, making it hard for everyone to see a way forward.

The difference in team leaders had subtly changed the players' mindsets.

Billups went over to Anthony. "Carmelo, you know what I was doing out there earlier.

"I need you to stay calm.

"Because... we need you. We really need you. Do you understand?!"

"Yeah."

Anthony had already calmed down. "I won't hold it against you. I gave you the right to do that.

"Chauncey, you did the right thing.

"You were saving me.

"When I'm worked up, I'm not the Offensive Kaleidoscope. I become a liability on the court and hurt the team.

"Thank you.

"I've settled down now. Give me a little more time to rest, and I'll know how to play the rest of the game."

"That's good."

Billups smiled, then turned to the rest of the team and