On January 22, 2000, the Knicks challenged the Spurs on the road.
This game was the first time the two sides met this season.
The fans in San Antonio were particularly excited, and the local newspapers also called this game a revenge game.
The attendance rate of the Alamodome increased dramatically.
When facing a weak team, there would be more than 14,000 people at most, but tonight, more than 34,000 fans were particularly devoted after the game started.
At the end of the first half, the Knicks were 48:52 behind by 4 points.
By the end of the third quarter, the atmosphere on the scene was already violent.
68:77, the Spurs successfully led by 9 points through more stable performance.
This game broadcast live by TNT nationwide has attracted a lot of attention.
After all, the two teams will only play against each other twice a season.
The regular season record can also reflect the strength of the two teams from the side, and most ball critics also want to see how the Knicks, whose defense has declined, will perform when facing a twin tower team.
The 9-point lead made head coach Popovich smile on the sidelines.
He had been preparing for this game for more than a week in advance.
In the three quarters, Tim Duncan only rested for 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
After playing the third quarter, Duncan, who returned to the bench, couldn't help but start breathing heavily.
The donkey in the production team is only used in this way.
Holding the tactical board, Popovich noticed Duncan's situation and hurriedly called out to the short forward Malik Ross:
"Be sure to pay attention to rebounds after you come on the court. Hang on, we will win soon!"
After a simple encouragement, Popovich kept drawing on the tactical board and kept reminding the players who were about to come on the court.
On the other side, on the Knicks bench, Jeff Van Gundy felt a little helpless when he saw Oakley with 5 fouls and Kurt Thomas with 4 fouls.
The Spurs' tactics were not complicated, and most of the rounds were to give the ball to Duncan.
At the end of the three quarters, Duncan made 13 of 16 free throws, and almost made the Knicks power forwards leave the court with 6 fouls.
The foul tactics failed completely, and the coaching staff did not expect Duncan to be so accurate in free throws tonight.
However, the game plan that has been formulated usually will not be changed halfway, and fouls have to be continued if it cannot be defended.
Rashard Lewis also got more playing time than usual as a tool tonight.
In the previous game, Jeff Van Gundy still trusted Kurt Thomas, who played a tough style, more.
Lewis, who suffered on the defensive end, could not play in the key game.
"Rashard, remember to participate in the defense, don't let Ben get the fifth foul too early, and shoot decisively after receiving the ball on the offensive end!"
"Don't worry about the score difference, we still have a lot of time!"
Jeff Van Gundy clapped his hands, and did not talk about tactical issues, but just sent chicken soup continuously, and reminded some precautions by the way.
Ewing was sluggish again tonight.
Although the Spurs' offensive rhythm was not fast, Duncan and David Robinson always liked to pinch him as a soft persimmon.
Fighting for position sometimes tests physical fitness more, and he also had to protect the rebounds under the rush of two big men.
At the end of the third quarter, the gorilla was basically out of business.
Larry Johnson's eyes widened on the bench.
He shot 3 of 10 tonight, which is almost becoming his normal data.
Before going on the court, Jeff Van Gundy patted Lee on the shoulder again.
The live director also captured this scene.
This scene has appeared frequently recently.
The depressed Oakley also cursed Duncan on the bench for taking too many free throws.
His tough defense is always targeted by the referee.
Every time he meets the Spurs, the old guy is in a bad mood.
On the TNT commentary booth, Dick Stockton also teased the two head coaches at this time:
"After Coach Popovich gave the ball to Tim, Coach Van Gundy will also use the Knicks' final tactics."
"Lee is in good shape tonight, but the Knicks' response is average. I can look forward to the showdown between the two sides in the fourth quarter."
Hubie Brown began to comment on the Knicks' tactical play at this time:
"The big man stands in the elbow area, and with Lee's vision and passing ability, the Knicks can indeed get shooting opportunities easily."
"But as long as the shot misses, the Spurs can protect the rebound and get an easy chance to counterattack."
"In this regard, Coach Popovich is too conservative. Many times they can choose fast breaks. If they can seize the opportunity to counterattack, perhaps the Spurs will be leading by double digits at this time."
In the last quarter of the game, the Spurs were also forced to rotate:
Avery Johnson and Antonio Daniels partnered in the backcourt, Jaren Jackson and Malik Rose were on the front line, and David Robinson was the center.
"Defense!"
The Spurs fans at the scene shouted excitedly.
After entering the court, Avery Johnson first slapped himself twice, then clapped his hands continuously to encourage his teammates.
This set of operations made the fans at the scene even more excited, and the shouting became louder.
The Knicks took the lead in attacking.
After receiving the ball from the baseline, Lee was speechless as he looked at the "little general" who was eager to perform.
There was no need for fancy shaking.
With the cooperation of the ball protector, Lee pushed forward all the way and rushed across the half court with the ball in his left hand.
Outside the three-point line, Avery Johnson glanced at the position of the Knicks behind him and chose to defend again, while calling David Robinson to prepare for double-teaming.
It was still a "V"-shaped position, with Ben Wallace and Kukoc standing in the left and right elbows, and Alan Houston and Lewis moving in the left and right bottom corners.
Without Lee's call, Ben Wallace immediately moved to the left wing for a fake screen, and David Robinson cooperated with his teammates to quickly double-team Lee.
Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly sent a ground pass after pulling the defense outward.
The basketball passed accurately between the two double-teamed players and bounced high onto the floor.
Ben Wallace rushed to the basket after making a fake screen.
After receiving the advance pass in the paint area, he immediately took a big step, ignoring the assisting Malik Rose, jumped high, grabbed the ball with both hands and slammed it hard!
"Bang!"
The basket made a loud noise, and Malik Rose, who was assisting in defense, was also knocked to the ground and almost fell.
The short and heavy forward was almost blocked by the dunk.
The scene first burst into exclamations, and then there was a fierce booing.
"Fuck!"
Ben Wallace, who completed the dunk, was particularly excited.
He f**ked the defender in front of him, and when he retreated, he jumped up and bumped his chest with Lee to celebrate.
70:77, the score difference was temporarily narrowed.
Without Duncan's assisting defense, the quality of the Spurs' interior defense was also declining.
Popovich glanced at Duncan on the sidelines, and was preparing to let his big man come on the court early.
Avery Johnson quickly crossed half court under Lee's defense.
The Spurs had already pulled away one by one, and David Robinson was in the left low post to ask for the ball.
Ben Wallace tried his best to defend, and kept half-circling forward.
Lee also interfered when he was on the line.
Due to the delay of the two, the quality of the pass sent by the "little general" was not high.
David Robinson's position to receive the ball was also a little far from the basket.
The moment he received the ball, he quickly turned towards the baseline.
David Robinson only dribbled the ball once, then arched to the basket, using his height advantage to force a layup.
The Spurs atmosphere group cheered loudly with the fans.
The Knicks quickly drove the baseline ball, and Lee rushed across half court again against Avery Johnson.
The Knicks used the same tactics.
Lee still went to the left pick-and-roll, and Ben Wallace quickly went down.
Avery Johnson followed the defense inside this time, cutting off the passing route, while David Robinson, who was on the line, also raised his right hand and switched to Lee.
The "Admiral" with good agility is also the guarantee of the Spurs' defense.
Facing the opponent's sudden change in defensive strategy, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, just moved slowly.
While the "Admiral" was coming forward, Lee suddenly changed direction under his crotch, swayed his body to the right front, and quickly crossed his right hand and pulled back.
David Robinson's defensive center of gravity was mobilized, but he did not lose his position at this time.
Lee, who switched to his left hand, paused slightly, then pretended to pass the ball with his right hand, looked up at the basket, and shook the "Admiral" subconsciously moved forward.
Lee suddenly lowered his center of gravity, holding the ball in his left hand and leaning forward to accelerate.
This time David Robinson overreacted and slid to the right and back desperately.
Just after passing the three-point line, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped, retracted his feet and pulled back.
Before David Robinson jumped up to block, he quickly jumped and shot from the left wing!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net.
73:79, the score difference was narrowed again.
Seeing Lee shaking his head and retreating, David Robinson, who was standing still, cursed.
The fans could not see the details, but felt that the "Admiral" was shaken to dance, and his tough response to the ball made the boos smaller.
In the TNT commentary booth, Hubie Brown couldn't help but praise Lee's goal loudly:
"Dribbling as he pleases, moving the defender's center of gravity concisely and efficiently, it is difficult to limit Lee's offense against a big man one-on-one."
"Switching defense doesn't work, the Spurs need to continue the previous defensive strategy."
David Robinson, who lost face, forced the basket again in the offensive round.
Lewis suddenly helped defend, and the "Admiral" walked to the line and shot, but the ball hit the basket.
After the second jump, Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound, and the Spurs immediately retreated, and David Robinson ran even faster.
Lee received the ball and rushed forward, chasing the opponent across the half court.
The players of both teams suddenly started running, which also made the fans at the scene exclaim.
Just after returning to the elbow area, David Robinson wanted to direct his teammates to take defensive positions.
He turned his head forward and saw that Ben Wallace's high screen made Avery Johnson lose his defensive position.
At this time, Lee, who was holding the ball in his left hand, had completely gotten rid of the defense.
He noticed that David Robinson, who was quickly assisting in defense, did not slow down and continued to break through with his shoulders.
Avery Johnson behind him chased him, and David Robinson in front of him jumped up.
Lee suddenly stepped back sharply when he approached the three-point line.
Before the two defenders could get in place, Lee drifted slightly to the left and quickly switched to a three-point jump shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!
The perfect timing allowed Lee to complete the attack, but then the three of them fell on the three-point line at the same time.
The excessive defensive action made the referee on the sideline hesitate for a moment and finally blew the whistle.
"Boo!"
Seeing Lee being pulled up, the Spurs fans all felt that this scene was familiar, and the Alamodome erupted with the loudest boos since the start of the game.
"God! How did Lee do it? The Spurs' defense is already in place. Incredible shooting ability!"
Dick Stockton subconsciously raised his voice, and Hubie Brown on the side commented seriously:
"David Robinson should look ahead. Although the Knicks may counterattack and get 2 points, it is better than losing 4 points."
"This is the strength of the MVP. Lee's influence on the offensive end is unique in the league."
Seeing Lee's free throw hit steadily, the Knicks bench was boiling.
77:79, in just a few rounds, the score difference was narrowed to 2 points, and Popovich immediately requested a timeout.
On the bench, Artest shouted excitedly and celebrated by high-fiving several players who came off the court.
Ewing also stood up and applauded.
Jeff Van Gundy didn't need any chicken soup for the game, as the gorilla was the first to speak:
"Keep working harder! Foul him and send him to the free throw line, and we'll be able to overtake the score in no time!"
Everyone gathered in a circle and discussed lively.
Jeff Van Gundy hurried in and reminded loudly:
"Rashad, pay attention to your defensive position. If the opponent gets close to the basket, foul him in advance!"
Lewis quickly indicated that he understood, and Alan Houston also clapped his hands to encourage him.
The Knicks were only one breath away from completing the counterattack.
Before going on the court, Lee pointed to the right corner, and Lewis immediately patted his chest to show that he was ready.
After less than 2 minutes of rest, Duncan came on the court again.
After the timeout, the Spurs simply and roughly started with Duncan.
Lewis couldn't hold on and fouled cleanly.
Kukoc wanted to double-team in advance, but when he saw Duncan's first free throw miss, he quickly positioned himself in advance to protect the rebound.
Duncan deliberately took a look, but the second free throw still hit the back edge of the basket.
Ben Wallace only positioned himself but didn't grab the rebound.
After Kukoc grabbed the rebound, he immediately passed the ball to Lee.
Avery Johnson, who tried to delay, only slowed Lee down slightly.
Quickly retreating to the Spurs, everyone focused all their attention on Lee.
On the left wing, David Robinson saw Lee's crotch change and cut in from the middle while defending, and immediately moved to the paint area.
Duncan also retreated.
When Lee broke through to the front of the basket, the two big men of the Spurs had already surrounded him.
Without forcing the attack, Lee passed the ball to the right corner while moving.
There was no one in front of him.
After a slight adjustment, Lewis caught the ball and shot it!
"Swish!" Another three-pointer!
The Spurs fans at the scene suddenly quieted down.
On the Knicks bench, everyone raised their right hands and raised three fingers.
80:79, Lewis, who hit the key ball to overtake, excitedly punched and roared.
Seeing Lee smiling and retreating, the Spurs fans couldn't hold it anymore, and the shouting began to resound throughout the stadium.
In the next round, David Robinson missed two free throws.
Looking back, Lee assisted again and suddenly slipped into the baseline and cut in Alan Houston to score another 2 points.
Watching the Knicks go from trailing by 9 points to overtaking by 3 points, Popovich was completely stunned by the defense and was repeatedly broken by Lee.
0opovich could only shout loudly to remind the Spurs to defend.
If the coach was allowed to play, Popovich would have wanted to go up and punch Lee.
David Robinson, who was madly attacking the basket, kept missing shots.
Seeing the score difference widen, the sound in the arena gradually disappeared.
Although veteran Terry Porter helped the Spurs score points continuously after his appearance, the twin towers were silent, and the Knicks responded continuously.
Popovich could only watch the game time pass.
With 18 seconds left in the game, Lee stood on the free throw line and made both free throws.
102:96, as the Spurs missed the three-pointer, the long rebound was taken by Lee again, and the game was completely over.
Lee handed the ball to the referee, stood in the middle of the court, and smiled and punched in celebration.
Alan Houston and everyone rushed over to hug Lee and shouted happily.
The game was reversed, and everyone felt comfortable.
Jeff Van Gundy also excitedly punched the ball, with a smile on his face that could not be stopped.
He walked to the technical table, looked at Popovich, whose face was black, shook hands with him and took the initiative to hug him:
"Greg, the Spurs are the better team tonight!"
"."
Popovich was so angry at the bald young coach's words.
The better team lost?
In the TNT commentary booth, Hubie Brown looked at the technical statistics and shook his head subconsciously:
"The Spurs are too dependent on Tim Duncan. In the fourth quarter, his physical fitness declined and it was difficult for Duncan to finish at the basket."
"Popovich should reduce Duncan's use time, and David Robinson should also improve his efficiency."
"The Admiral" made 1 of 7 shots in the fourth quarter, scored 2 points and 3 rebounds, and was reversed, which was inseparable from his undercover performance.
He played 44 minutes, 9 of 19 shots, 14 of 18 free throws, 32 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 4 turnovers.
Except for the poor performance in the fourth quarter, Duncan blew up the inside line of the Knicks.
Dick Stockton noticed that Duncan turned away after the game, and heard the scolding at the scene, and couldn't help but tease for a moment:
"Maybe Duncan was a little disappointed with his performance, but the coaching staff did have some responsibility for the 9-point lead being reversed."
"Lee was omnipotent tonight, and leading the team to complete the reversal in the fourth quarter was even more impressive!"
"This is the MVP, I believe the Knicks can defend their title."
Playing for 40 minutes, 12 of 22 shots, 5 of 9 three-pointers, 8 of 9 free throws, 37 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers.
After slacking off in the game against the Nets two days ago, Lee played efficiently again.
Every time the Spurs lose to the Knicks, the San Antonio media will criticize Popovich for overusing Duncan.
In addition to praising Lee, the New York media will not forget to praise Ewing's performance.
Playing for 30 minutes, 5 of 11 shots, 4 of.6 free throws, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 turnovers.
With Lee deliberately slowing down the pace, the gorilla can still get double-doubles in every game.
If it was Lee from the first three seasons, he really couldn't support the slow-paced positional warfare.
Ewing, whose form was declining, also benefited from Lee, and his data gradually recovered after his comeback.
On January 23, the NBA announced the Player of the Week for this week, and Lee finally won the award.
Perhaps because they felt that the New York media would go crazy if they didn't give him the Player of the Week award, Francis, who played well this week, was suppressed by Lee.
The Knicks achieved a record of 3 wins and 0 losses this week.
Lee played 37.3 minutes; averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.3 turnovers per game;
Averaged 20.7 shots per game, with a shooting percentage of 49.8%, 7.3 shots per game from beyond the three-point line, with a three-point shooting percentage of 44.4%;
Averaged 6.7 free throws per game, with a free throw shooting percentage of 90.7%.
Although Francis's score was not as good as Lee's, his hit rate was better.
It was rare for him to have an efficient performance.
He didn't get the Player of the Week award, so he immediately criticized.
After the NBA announced the awards, this newcomer complained in front of the Houston media:
"The league only takes care of players from big markets."
On the 24th, the NBA officially announced the voting results of the Oakland All-Star Game:
Lee was successfully elected as the All-Star Game vote king of this season with 1.92 million votes!
The outstanding performance in the Christmas game brought Lee a lot of votes.
Vince Carter received 1.91 million votes, losing to Clay Lee by a narrow margin.
The two are also the only two players who received more than 1.9 million votes.
Alonzo Mourning received 1.87 million votes and ranked third, Iverson ranked fourth with 1.84 million votes, and O'Neal received 1.8 million votes and ranked fifth.
After the voting results were announced, the petty O'Neal was almost furious.
The Lakers had the best record in the league, and he was almost as good as Chamberlain, but he only ranked fifth in the voting.
The Los Angeles media failed to interview the depressed Shark in the first place, and O'Neal, who felt embarrassed, remembered several people in his heart.
The voting results were officially announced, and the starting lineups of the Eastern and Western All-Stars were also officially released:
The five starting players of the Eastern All-Stars were:
Clay Lee, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, and Alonzo Mourning;
The five starting players of the Western All-Stars were:
Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal.
The new generation of stars completely surpassed the old stars and officially debuted!
In the Western backcourt, Kidd and Kobe received 1.06 million votes and 1.02 million votes respectively, and the two votes beat Gary Payton's 890,000 votes.
The old guys are going to withdraw from the All-Star Game stage.
On the evening of the 24th, at Madison Square Garden, Lee, wearing the Knicks' blue training suit, received the Player of the Week trophy with a smile.
Although it was just a small award, the New York fans were also very happy and kept shouting:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Gary Payton was in a bad mood.
The Sonics currently had a record of 27 wins and 15 losses, which was not bad, but he lost his All-Star starting position.
After the game started, "The Glove" Payton took the initiative to exert his strength, but he only played three rounds.
He broke through to the inside and sprained his ankle.
Less than three minutes later, Gary Payton, who was pounding the floor, left the game directly.
Injuries occurred, and this nationally broadcast game became boring.
Just like the Knicks' defense decline, the Sonics' defense has also been dragged down this season.
Although the fat Vin Baker can still contribute 20+10, his role on the defensive end is limited.
The replacement Horace Grant has lived up to his former courage and was almost invisible throughout the game.
102:112, the Knicks scored multiple goals and successfully defeated their opponents!
Lee once again sent out 15 assists, Alan Houston made 11 of 17 shots, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws, efficiently scoring 27 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
Larry Johnson also ate dumplings, 7 of 15 shots, 8 of 8 free throws, and scored a season-high 24 points.
At the post-match press conference, the New York media in the audience were also smiling.
Lee won the vote leader and O'Neal ranked fifth.
This situation can be ridiculed again.
After Clay Lee and Alan Houston sat down, many New York reporters followed and cheered:
"This is the first time in your career that you have won the All-Star vote leader, Lee, how do you feel?"
Lee straightened the microphone and smiled and started the commercial mutual praise mode:
"This is a victory for New York! Thank you for your support for the Knicks!"
Many people began to applaud.
The article was not written in vain.
After three months of continuous praise, everyone contributed to the vote leader!
Lee, in a good mood, pulled Alan Houston and the audience to praise him.
After three months of holding the ball, his talent finally changed after constant "beating":
[Karl Malone's extraordinary physique] turned purple!
In the game that night, the Lakers fought hard for two overtimes and finally lost.
101:105, the Jazz, playing at home, successfully defeated the Lakers!
In 55 minutes, O'Neal scored 36 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6 blocks and 3 turnovers with 16 of 31 shots.
Losing to the old rival again, O'Neal was very depressed.
Kobe made 9 of 24 shots and scored 26 points.
The "strongest duo in the league" lost to the old man's basketball, so they were naturally ridiculed.
After the game, O'Neal, who lost the game, was asked about the All-Star voting.
The shark could only say sourly:
"I don't mind losing, because we are still the first in the league!"
"As for the results of the All-Star voting, fans just prefer to watch offense. The Lakers are the better team."
"."
In the last two games at the end of January, the Knicks suffered their first two consecutive losses of the season.
The loss to the Hawks was a bad touch, and the loss to the Kings was scored 111 points by the opponent.
Under the leadership of head coach Adelman, the crazy speed of the Kings took 88 shots in the whole game.
The offensive end quickly transferred the ball, coupled with a large number of transition offenses, the veterans of the Knicks could not withstand it, and the defense collapsed again.
At the end of the January schedule, the record came to 32 wins and 10 losses, and the Knicks still led the Eastern Conference.
The New York media also saw the team's problems at this time.
Jeff Van Gundy adjusted his mentality and said confidently after the game:
"The team's condition is getting better and better. Give the young people some more time. I believe they can realize their talents!"
"."
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