On November 30, 1997, after the game with the Suns, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents and achieved 15 consecutive victories.
After tying the Rockets' opening winning streak record set in the 1993-1994 season, the team did not gain any metaphysical bonuses, but instead suffered injuries.
The New York media's malicious words finally came into play.
At the post-match press conference, Jeff Van Gundy looked grim.
Reducing the number of players at the beginning of the season was not in line with the coaching staff's expectations.
What's worse is that the team is still in the running-in period, and it is almost impossible to expect Chris Dudley from the bench to shoulder the responsibility of rebounding.
At the post-game press conference, the New York media, which had been full of toxic comments, fell silent and could only ask a simple question:
"Jeff, this is so unfortunate. Can you talk about Pat's injury? How many games will he miss?"
The New York Post rarely made things difficult for the bald young coach and asked the questions that everyone wanted to know.
"I don't know yet. The medical team hasn't been able to give an accurate answer, but we have to prepare for the worst!"
"Perhaps Pat will miss the rest of the regular season. I can only say that this injury is really serious."
"oh!"
The media in the audience all gasped.
Although everyone would criticize the gorilla from time to time, Ewing played for New York for 13 seasons after all.
The gorilla has accompanied the youth of many New York fans, and in the past 12 years, he has also continuously provided news material for some unscrupulous reporters.
There have never been too many problems with his attendance in the past, and no one expected that Ewing's injury was so serious!
Jeff Van Gundy was in a bad mood and began to daydream.
Without Ewing, how would the interior defense work?
On December 1, the Knicks officially announced Ewing's injury status:
"Right wrist fracture, ligament torn"
Fortunately, the gorilla's wrist nerves were not damaged and the ligament was only partially torn.
But considering that he was 35 years old and had injured his shooting hand, the New York media all looked down on the gorilla and concluded:
"The era of Patrick Ewing for the Knicks is over."
The NBA announced the best player of the first month of the 1997-1998 season this morning.
Ewing, who achieved a 14-0 record in November and led the Knicks to the top, won the award:
Averaging 32.1 minutes per game, 20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 2.5 turnovers.
With a shooting percentage of 50.4% and a free throw percentage of 72.0%, Ewing was still very efficient in November with an average of 15.5 shots per game!
It's rare to get the monthly best award, but the gorilla can't receive the award in person.
After Ewing was injured, he was transferred to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
In the morning, Lee and his teammates went to visit the gorilla who had completed the operation:
"Pat, don't worry about the wrist problem. Didn't the doctor say that there was no nerve damage? Just rest and recover!"
Oakley was deeply saddened, but on the surface he only showed a look of concern.
The old guy can empathize with him.
Fortunately, Ewing signed a big contract this year, so the second half of his career is guaranteed.
Seeing Ewing's right wrist wrapped tightly and lying listlessly on the hospital bed, Oakley became more determined to pursue a big contract.
"Damn the injury, I just used my right hand to support my body!"
The gorilla knew that his wife Rita and the child were also in the ward, so he did not yell or curse, but just complained in a very tough manner.
Lee put the Player of the Month trophy aside.
No one in the atmosphere group said anything.
They all looked at the unlucky Ewing in silence.
What players are most reluctant to face is injuries.
No one wants to see serious injuries.
After leaving the hospital, Larry Johnson also sighed:
"After a serious injury at the age of 35, it may be difficult for Pat to return to his previous form."
Larry's back injury still recurs from time to time, but even when there are some minor problems with his body, Larry Johnson still insists on playing.
Alan Houston didn't expect Ewing's injury to be so serious.
He pulled his tie and whispered helplessly:
"This illness is really bad at the right time. Pat is really unlucky. The team is in good shape and he just won the Player of the Month. I thought he would play at his peak again."
Lee also felt the importance of the big contract at this time.
No matter what Ewing's physical condition is in the future, he has US dollars as a guarantee:
"As long as he patiently completes the rehabilitation training, Pat will get back to his form."
The old guys could only nod silently when they heard Lee's consolation, but they all knew in their hearts:
"The Ewing era is likely to be over."
"."
There was no suspense about the Rookie of the Month in November, Tim Duncan of the Spurs won the award!
The Spurs had an 8-6 record, with Duncan starting all 14 games; he averaged 35.4 minutes per game, contributing 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.6 blocks and 3.3 turnovers per game;
He averaged 11.9 shots per game, with a shooting percentage of 55.8%, and 4.3 free throws per game, with a free throw percentage of 46.9%.
Since the Knicks will fly to the West for an away game next, the coaching staff will naturally pay attention to the status of their next opponent, the Spurs.
Duncan, who won the Rookie of the Month award, did not act like a rookie at all, and the twin tower lineup he formed with David Robinson has been quite effective.
"Pat just got hurt and we had to face the Spurs with their twin towers."
Assistant coach Thibodeau glanced at the Spurs' technical statistics and couldn't help rubbing his eyebrows.
It was very likely that they couldn't hold on to the rebounds.
"We also have advantages. The Spurs' perimeter defense is far behind ours. If we shrink our defense, there won't be too many problems."
Assistant coach Don Chaney is more optimistic.
In his opinion, the Spurs refuse to shoot from the outside, and even if there is an extra big man, it won't change anything.
After a brief discussion, everyone started packing up as the Knicks would fly to San Antonio in the afternoon.
Jeff Van Gundy was in a bad mood, with a sullen face and didn't say anything.
The situation within the Knicks is not complicated, with old players and new players competing for data.
Having been with the Knicks for many years, Jeff Van Gundy naturally stands on the side of the old players.
By serving Ewing well, he can keep his job and at the same time ensure the team's record is at a minimum.
After witnessing old Nelson being kicked out, the bald young coach lay down.
Lee's rise has caused Jeff Van Gundy to frequently hang up.
Now without Ewing's restraint, the head coach's prestige has been even lower.
In November, Clay Lee averaged 29.0 minutes per game, averaging 16.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 turnovers.
He averaged 11.5 shots per game with a shooting percentage of 47.71%, 5.9 shots from beyond the three-point line with a three-point shooting percentage of 42.8%, and 4.1 free throws per game with a free throw shooting percentage of 88.2%.
Jeff Van Gundy was speechless with Lee's extremely efficient top point guard data.
Seeing this Excel spread that was infinitely close to a double-double, he thought helplessly:
"How should I coach such a player?"
On the morning of December 2nd, the Knicks team had arrived in San Antonio.
While having breakfast at the hotel, everyone started gossiping:
"Is Sprewell crazy? He actually choked the head coach?"
The atmosphere group was all gossiping about the morning news in low voices.
This was a big deal, and it directly ignited all the major sports media, with the front-page headlines all being about choking.
Warriors All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell choked head coach P.J. Carlesimo during practice.
The media then made a big fuss, claiming that the chokehold lasted more than 10 seconds, and that coach Carlesimo almost went to see God on the spot!
Such a bad behavior naturally angered the Warriors management, and they immediately announced that Sprewell was suspended for 68 games.
The Warriors have exactly 68 regular season games left, which means the All-Star guard's schedule for this season has been completed.
Jeff Van Gundy ate his breakfast in silence.
The bald young coach always felt that Clay Lee and Larry Johnson were looking at him from time to time.
Thinking of the "grandmama" practicing boxing every day, Jeff Van Gundy's mouth twitched:
"NBA head coach is indeed a high-risk job."
After Tim Duncan joined the team, the Alamodome would occasionally expand its capacity and open more seats.
On the evening of the 2nd, more than 30,000 spectators flocked to the Alamodome.
Although we can't see the center showdown, fans who like to watch the fun buy tickets to watch the game just to witness the Spurs end the Knicks' winning streak!
Of course, there are also some Knicks fans who buy tickets to watch the game just to witness the birth of a new record.
Popovich, a rookie coach, has no right to brag or make threats.
Jeff Van Gundy has the title of the best coach in the league, and he is no longer a rookie who can challenge him.
In an interview before the game, David Robinson did not talk about the outcome of the game, but sent his best wishes to Ewing:
"Pat is a good man. It's a pity that he suffered a serious injury. I hope he can recover as soon as possible!"
"."
This game, which was supposed to be a center-forward showdown, was broadcast live nationwide by TNT.
In the commentary booth, after both teams finished their appearance ceremonies, Dick Stockton felt that the atmosphere was completely different from last year, and immediately joked with a smile:
"Tim Duncan effect, it can be seen that San Antonio fans like this big man very much!"
Hubie Brown looked at the technical statistics and said:
"Duncan didn't perform well against the Jazz and SuperSonics. In recent games, his scores have been in single digits."
"Maybe he hit the rookie wall, but Duncan has always done a good job of rebounding, which is difficult for the Knicks to deal with. The Spurs have a huge height advantage in the paint."
The Spurs' twin towers also made Dick Stockton nod his head frequently.
Noticing that the starting lineup had not changed, he immediately introduced:
"The Spurs are still Avery Johnson and Vinny Del Negro in the backcourt, Sean Elliott and Tim Duncan in the front line, and David Robinson in the center."
"For the Knicks, Buck Williams is in the starting lineup. It seems that coach Van Gundy still trusts the veterans more."
The players from both teams completed their final warm-ups and came to the center circle.
After a brief greeting, the Knicks players prepared to retreat.
The jump ball was a foregone conclusion as David Robinson easily jumped to the ball and Johnson quickly dribbled across half court.
The two sides also met last season. Lee watched a lot of Spurs game videos before the game.
He did not choose to defend closely, but stayed inside the three-point line, waiting for the opponent to launch tactics.
Coming to the right wing and noticing Lee's defensive position, Johnson immediately signaled to David Robinson that he needed to move deeper.
Noticing his teammates were in the low post, Johnson took a few steps forward and then made a high pass.
After completing the pass, Johnson, nicknamed "Little General", began to direct his teammates to move away, while signaling Duncan to go inside.
In a simple and rough attack, David Robinson didn't wait for Lee to help defend.
He put his right hand behind the ball and hit it.
Then he immediately turned towards the baseline and used his height advantage to quickly jump shot!
"Clang!"
As soon as the basketball hit the rim, David Robinson rushed to the inside and grabbed the rebound over veteran Buck Williams.
David Robinson was disturbed and failed to complete the attack.
The ball hit the rim again and bounced out.
Tim Duncan saw the opportunity and grabbed the rebound from behind Oakley.
He also made a quick shot, but the ball hit the rim again and bounced out.
"Oh!!"
After two consecutive missed tip-ins, the Spurs fans at the scene exclaimed, and soon everyone saw Duncan grab another offensive rebound, but before he could release the ball, Lee rushed in from the outside and blocked his shot!
"Squeak!!"
The referee immediately called a foul on Lee, and the Alamodome was filled with boos.
Oakley glared at Duncan with an unpleasant expression, then bumped fists with Lee.
A solid block on Lee's hand.
Duncan, shaking his hands, stepped onto the free throw line.
He missed the first free throw, and after a while of aiming for the second one, he missed it again.
"Clang!"
The rebound bounced out, and veteran Buck Williams pulled David Robinson behind him.
Oakley blocked Duncan at the first time, and finally Larry Johnson on the side took the rebound.
"Grandmama" turned around and passed the ball to Lee on the right wing outside the three-point line, and the Knicks immediately launched a transition offense.
Along the right sideline, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, kept accelerating.
The Spurs seemed to be prepared and retreated quickly.
Although David Robinson was affected by injury and his physical condition has not yet recovered to its best, the center was as fast as a guard at this time.
He took a few steps back to the paint area.
Popovich on the sidelines was very satisfied with the team's defensive retreat speed.
He clapped his hands and shouted to the players to quickly match up.
On the right wing, close to the three-point line, Lee began to slow down, turned his head to look at the top of the arc, noticed that Oakley and Buck Williams had also rushed to half court, and immediately dribbled the ball behind his back.
The moment he switched to his left hand, Lee lowered his center of gravity and moved his body to the right, causing Avery Johnson to slide to the left subconsciously.
Without giving the opponent too much time to react, Lee suddenly accelerated, holding the ball in his left hand and dribbling forward quickly, then suddenly stopped outside the three-point line, and after dribbling the ball, he quickly made a jump shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!
"Boo!"
The fans at the scene booed loudly, and Popovich's expression froze on the sidelines.
He was planning to direct the defense.
Rookie coaches always like to increase their presence, but Jeff Van Gundy is different.
The bald young coach sat on the bench and didn't even get up.
He simply clapped his hands to express his good attack.
Duncan was just positioning himself in the paint, but when he turned around he found that the Knicks had retreated and the Spurs were preparing to shoot the ball from the baseline.
Subconsciously looking at the bench, Duncan felt that this was very different from the pre-match game plan, but no one gave him feedback.
The Spurs' offense was still simple and rough, with David Robinson playing one-on-one.
After receiving the pass in the elbow area on the right side of the free throw line, David Robinson made a simple tentative step and then made a pull-up jump shot.
Veteran Buck Williams, who can shoot and break through, finds it difficult to defend the admiral, and the speeds of both players are not even on the same channel.
The Knicks players ignored the cheers and continued to quickly pass the ball from the baseline.
This time, Clay Lee was immediately defended by Avery Johnson.
The Little General, who is less than 1.8 meters tall, is very aggressive in defense and shows a completely different defensive attitude from last season.
Lee, who had long been accustomed to this kind of defense, continued to accelerate, turned quickly, and immediately rushed across half court after switching to his right hand.
Alan Houston quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, and with the help of Buck Williams' cover at the left baseline, he quickly bounced out to the left blocking area.
After reaching the position, he suddenly stopped and pretended to ask for the ball with his back to the basket.
While Del Negro was defending him, Alan Houston accelerated again and quickly bounced out to the left wing.
Just after crossing half court, Lee immediately made a side pass from the top of the arc.
Alan Houston received the ball without making too many adjustments, he just raised the ball and shot it!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!
6:2, after two rounds, the Knicks led by 4 points.
"It seems that the Knicks have completely changed their tactics and Van Gundy intends to use outside offense to suppress the Spurs."
"Lee and Houston got into the game quickly after the opening, which was also a test for the Spurs."
Seeing the Knicks retreat quickly again, Hubie Brown smiled in the commentary booth.
The completely different game strategy was indeed very interesting.
Dick Stockton noticed that Duncan received the ball in the left blocking area and wanted to comment on it, but Duncan didn't move too much, took a tentative step and made a dry jump shot in front of Oakley!
"Swish!" A steady hit from mid-range.
Duncan quickly retreated and the Spurs began to speed up the pace of the game.
After a few rounds, the Knicks players quickly realized that they could not defend David Robinson, and from then on, as soon as the opponent rushed into the inside, they would immediately foul.
The fans at the scene thought that David Robinson would dominate the inside, but as the game progressed, David Robinson missed his turnaround jump shot and also missed his free throws.
Standing on the free throw line again, David Robinson made one of two free throws.
The second free throw just hit the rim and Oakley protected the backcourt rebound.
Lee received the pass and Avery Johnson came up to defend him.
Even though he missed two shots, Avery Johnson did not dare to be careless and continued to engage in physical confrontation after defending closely.
The Spurs, who were retreating at a very fast speed, had already completed their defensive position and moved to the left wing.
Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, began to slow down and protect the ball sideways.
Avery Johnson kept his hands on Lee's sides and kept interfering.
Ignoring the defense on his side, Lee, who was protecting the ball sideways, suddenly dribbled the ball hard on the spot, twisted his body quickly backwards, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, picked up the ball again with his left hand, and broke through with his shoulder.
On the left wing, Lee's sudden 45 degree cut immediately changed the Spurs' defensive formation.
Duncan saw his teammate out of position and quickly retreated into the paint area near the left baseline to block the breakthrough route.
Just as he approached the left blocking area, Lee suddenly stopped, dribbled the ball again on the spot, then quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his left hand, switched to his right hand, and immediately accelerated into the paint area.
Having completely lost his defensive position, Avery Johnson tried to defend again, but was pushed away by Lee's body.
Without waiting for the opponent to block the shot, he made a lob with his right hand in the paint area right in front of the basket.
"Swish!" The two-point ball went into the net.
"Great attack! Lee successfully read the Spurs' defense and scored easily!"
In the commentary booth, Dick Stockton praised loudly, saying that the Knicks' offense was also very simple, with no pick-and-rolls, just screen jump shots and one-on-one plays with the ball.
Lee is two punches taller than Avery Johnson, and there is a difference in their body sizes.
Popovich on the sidelines gave instructions helplessly and continued to pass the ball to the inside.
Avery Johnson was extremely angry because his defense was out of position for several consecutive rounds.
The intention of passing the ball to Duncan in this attack was too obvious.
Avery Johnson made a ground pass, and the moment Duncan bent down to receive the ball, he was cut off by Lee who came to assist in defense.
Duncan, who wanted to bend down to fight for the ball, lost his balance and fell to the ground.
The sudden mistake also created a loophole in the Spurs' defense.
After completing the steal, Lee quickly passed the ball to Alan Houston who received the ball in the middle and rushed across half court.
Delayed by Del Negro, Alan Houston came to the left wing and immediately passed the ball to Oakley who was following up in the middle.
After receiving the ball, the latter made an easy layup before Duncan returned to defense.
At 16:12, the score difference returned to 4 points.
As Duncan received the ball in the left blocking zone and tried to break through to the basket but missed, Oakley grabbed the rebound and Lee rushed forward again.
The Spurs fans at the scene began to boo loudly.
David Robinson rushed to the paint area again and just as he stood firm, he looked up and saw Lee on the right wing suddenly dribbling the ball behind his back, shaking off his teammates who were defending him, and shooting the ball directly to Duncan, who was still retreating, when he saw the basketball draw an arc and fall into the basket.
He subconsciously widened his eyes and looked at his big brother.
"Exaggerated shooting distance! Lee hits another transition three-pointer!"
This season, the NBA league readjusted the three-point line distance from 6.7 meters to the previous 7.24 meters.
Dick Stockton didn't expect Lee to shot the ball from such a distance.
Avery Johnson was also a little confused.
He thought that Lee stopped the ball outside the three-point line to organize the offense, but he made a wrong judgment and watched the shot.
At 19:12, the Knicks started to score quickly again.
With 3 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first quarter, Popovich had no choice but to request a timeout.
Whenever the Spurs approached the score, the Knicks would respond from the outside.
It was a good shot as long as Lee shot it in.
Lee missed the shot and Jeff Van Gundy did not stand up to dissuade him.
Facts proved that he made the right bet again.
"Good job!"
Assistant coach Don Chaney smiled and patted Lee who was walking towards the bench.
In this lineup, only Larry Johnson could play in the low post.
The offense was simple and the tempo was fast.
Clay Lee scored 8 points with 3 of 5 shots.
After showing his aggressiveness, the opponent would definitely make targeted defense, so he returned to the bench and immediately reminded:
"Pay attention to catching the ball! There will be an open opportunity near the free throw line!"
Oakley nodded.
As the Spurs' youngster scored points on him continuously, he naturally had to respond on the offensive end.
Jeff Van Gundy spoke a few dry words to increase his presence, and after the timeout, he resumed hosting.
In the final minutes, just as Lee expected, Duncan and David Robinson began to assist more.
The two big guys are fast and flexible, which makes them suitable for sweeping the defense.
Lee no longer forces himself to attack at this time, but attracts the defense and quickly passes the ball to the open space.
Duncan made another two-point shot after a tentative step in the left blocking area.
Looking back, Oakley set a fake screen in the right elbow area, and Duncan tried to cooperate with Avery Johnson to complete the defense.
But Lee's passing speed was faster.
Without waiting for the two players to surround him, he quickly passed the ball on the ground in the blocking area.
Oakley received the ball and made a jump shot in the elbow area in response.
Shrinking the defense naturally comes with a price, and Del Negro managed to make a three-pointer from the outside.
Before they had time to celebrate, Alan Houston responded with a back-to-back single against Del Negro in the right blocking zone.
By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs fans in the Alamodome were silent.
At 27:20, the Knicks still led by 7 points.
"David Robinson is still recovering, he made 3 of 9 shots, 4 of 9 free throws, and scored 10 points, Tim Duncan made 3 of 6 shots and scored 6 points."
"The Spurs' role players failed to respond, and Avery Johnson made 1 of 2 free throws and only scored 1 point."
Hubie Brown never expected that the Spurs would not be able to take advantage of their height, and David Robinson was too inefficient when facing double-teaming.
Tim Duncan played almost the entire first quarter, and when he returned to the bench, he stared straight at Popovich.
Being watched, nervous Popovich simply emphasized:
"Be good at defense, the game has just begun!"
He thought the coaching staff would give a response, but it turned out to be another big talk emphasizing defense.
Tim Duncan frowned secretly, and for a moment he felt that the rookie coach was still unreliable.
On the Knicks bench, as the rotation lineup prepared to take the court, Alan Houston was in a good mood and took the initiative to high-five everyone:
"The starting lineup lost the rebound, but our rotation lineup should not lose points."
In the first quarter, Alan Houston made 4 of 6 shots, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 11 points and showing a different kind of vitality.
Lee didn't look at the technical statistics, but David Robinson's poor free throws left a deep impression on him.
After changing into his training clothes, he also whispered and joked:
"Maybe the opponent's free throw shooting percentage won't exceed 50% tonight."
The easy scoring and fast-paced offense made the starting five feel happy.
Even Oakley, who had two fouls, had a smile on his face.
As Alan Houston expected, the Spurs' rotation had trouble scoring, but Starks continued to score.
After hitting a three-pointer in the counterattack, Starks pumped his fist and roared, and Popovich was forced to request another timeout.
The game lasted 4 minutes and 1 second, and the Spurs had only scored 2 points.
At this point, the defensive cheers from the fans at the scene also stopped.
34:22, the score difference reached double digits.
Popovich thought he could rely on the twin towers to blow up the Knicks' inside line, but David Robinson was in poor form and his aggressiveness continued to decline as the game progressed.
Instead of attacking hard in the paint, the Spurs shot farther and farther away, and couldn't even get free throws.
"The Spurs can't just rely on Duncan and Robinson, because that would shrink the Knicks' defense."
"After Lee returned to the game, he scored easily from the outside for three consecutive rounds. Avery Johnson may need to pay attention to his pursuit and defense."
Hubie Brown felt bored for a moment when he saw the Knicks team with multiple players scoring.
The Spurs had no tactical system and only knew how to let the big men work alone.
"This season is the first season that Popovich officially coached the Spurs. The addition of Tim Duncan has strengthened the team."
"But at the moment, it seems that they still need more time to get used to each other."
Dick Stockton sighed secretly when he saw Duncan standing on the free throw line for consecutive singles.
He could only score by free throws.
25:18 in a single quarter, 52:38 at the end of the first half, the Knicks entered the second half with a 14-point lead.
Duncan walked towards the player tunnel with a blank expression on his face.
There was something wrong with his pre-match preparation and he was completely stunned in the first half.
After Jeff Van Gundy, who was in charge of the team, returned to the locker room and saw everyone talking and laughing, he suddenly realized that Ewing's influence was not as great as he had imagined.
The team will lose rebounds, but with the current lineup, they will not be overwhelmed by the opponent.
The inside defense couldn't hold up, but even if they lost 2 points, they were able to make up for it quickly.
Without Ewing on the offensive end, Lee can still lead others after opening the situation with the ball.
Jeff Van Gundy straightened his coat, adjusted his mood, came to the locker room, tapped the whiteboard, and said with a smile:
"Great! We executed the game plan perfectly!"
"Keep up this pace and don't relax in the second half. We want to continue the record tonight!"
"."
In the second half of the game, the Spurs failed to turn the tide.
David Robinson kept making free throws and Tim Duncan kept scoring with jump shots.
But the Knicks scored +3 from time to time, and the score difference was always around 10 points.
Lee did not give the Spurs any chance and firmly controlled the tempo of the game.
With 2 minutes and 42 seconds left in the game, Popovich requested a timeout, replaced the atmosphere team, and announced his surrender.
The fans who bought tickets to watch the game booed wildly.
They had been booing for two or three days, and this was the result?
"Boo!!"
In the Alamodome, the boos from more than 30,000 people made Popovich look ugly.
The Spurs are not a three-point shooting team, but they were taught a lesson by the Knicks tonight.
100:85, the atmosphere group did not relax, and finally the Knicks defeated the Spurs.
In the TNT commentary booth, Hubie Brown praised the Knicks after hearing the director's prompt:
"In the 1997-1998 season, the Knicks won 16 consecutive games after the start of the season, setting a new record!"
"Without Patrick Ewing, the team played a different style of game, with everyone taking on the scoring responsibility."
"Coach Van Gundy made timely adjustments. We must commend him and the coaching staff!"
Dick Stockton glanced at the technical statistics and added cheerfully:
"Lee is about to turn 20 years old and has become the core of the current Knicks team!"
"After watching this game, I will vote for him in this year's All-Star Game!"
"."
Tim Duncan made 9 of 15 shots, 5 of 8 free throws, and scored 23 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover;
David Robinson made 6 of 18 shots and 11 of 20 free throws, scoring 23 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 3 turnovers.
37:44, the Knicks lost 7 rebounds, and the Spurs' twin towers combined to grab 8 offensive rebounds.
Back in the locker room, Lee took a look and put the technical statistics aside.
In an unequal game, the Spurs shot 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, a fatal flaw.
Since the next game is still an away game, fortunately the opponent is the Mavericks, who have lost consecutive games since the start of the war, the coaching staff also breathed a sigh of relief.
Jeff Van Gundy had already seen the technical statistics:
8 of 17, 4 of 8 from beyond the three point line, 4 of 5 free throws, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover.
Although Lee's number of shots increased, his efficiency did not decrease.
The bald young coach had no good advice for this, and could only continue to give chicken soup after the game:
"Keep up this state, now every time we win a game, we are creating new history!"
"."
In the absence of the gorilla, the Knicks broke the record and the New York media was in high spirits again!
On the morning of December 3, New York fans were a little confused when they saw the "strongest backcourt in the league" in the newspaper, but they soon agreed.
In the game against the Spurs, Alan Houston made 7 of 14 shots, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws, efficiently getting 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 turnover.
Together with Clay Lee's 24 points, the two scored a total of 44 points, almost half of the Knicks' points.
A few days ago, they were still shouting "Fight for Ewing", and then they came up with "the strongest backcourt in the league".
It's amazing how quickly people get bored with the old and fall in love with the new!
Ewing, who was still recuperating in the hospital, was initially worried about the team's performance, but after reading the newspaper, the gorilla was furious.
Obviously, the New York media had been exploiting him before.
They were deliberately sensational in the past two days, but now they have forgotten about him.
On the evening of December 4, the Knicks once again handed the Mavericks a big defeat.
106:90, less than three quarters, the Knicks easily clocked out.
The starting lineup performed steadily. Chris Childs of the bench made 7 of 11 shots and scored 16 points.
Together with Starks' 13 points, the two of them supported the firepower of the rotation lineup.
This was the first time Nelson encountered his old club after taking over the Mavericks.
In two consecutive games, the Knicks' number of possessions increased to 84 times.
This game rhythm is almost exactly the same as that of the current Mavericks.
Seeing the renewed Knicks, old Nelson had mixed feelings.
If he had persisted for another year, he would have been the one who succeeded.
With 17 consecutive wins, the Knicks' record continues!
On December 6, back at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks dominated the game on both offense and defense.
79:104, all five starting players of the Knicks scored in double digits, defeating the Hornets again.
Before the game was over, Madison Square Garden was already boiling with excitement, as happy New York fans were happy to see the home team become the focus of the league.
The fans were extremely engaged in tonight's game, and every goal caused a huge cheer.
Immediately after the game, Walt Frazier, dressed in a gray suit, interviewed Lee with a smile:
"18 consecutive wins, an incredible record! Lee, talk about the current state of the team! Will we continue to win?"
Wearing the home team's white training uniform, Lee answered confidently after hearing the question:
"Of course! In the back-to-back games tomorrow night, we will still beat our opponents!"
"Without Pat out, everyone needs to take more responsibility, and we did that, just like coach Van Gundy emphasized, we played for each other."
Mike Breen has a constant smile on his face.
In tomorrow night's back-to-back game, the Knicks' opponent is the 76ers, who currently have 4 wins and 11 losses.
Considering the opponent's weak attributes, the winning streak is likely to continue:
"Can you talk about the team's outside offense? I noticed that our number of rounds has increased a lot."
Hearing Mike Brin's question, Lee smiled and briefly introduced:
"More off-ball movement, more screens, more space for offense, in addition to outside shooting, Larry can also solve problems in the low post."
"Charles and Buck's rebounding is the biggest guarantee for our victory. Shooters are not in good shape sometimes, but we don't worry about it because the rebounds always belong to us."
Lee and the other two were laughing and cheering on the sidelines.
Jeff Van Gundy had a complicated expression on his face.
He had lost control of the team again.
After the game, in Madison Square Garden, the fans were still cheering loudly, but Jeff Van Gundy felt bored at this moment:
"Whose team is this?"
On December 7, the Knicks faced back-to-back games at home.
It happened to be Sunday, and tickets were again in short supply, with scalpers selling out all the tickets.
The 76ers, led by head coach Larry Brown, had just suffered a major defeat.
In the games two days ago, the 76ers were beaten by the Nets!
At 16:40, in the first quarter, the Nets scored 40 points.
In the end, the 76ers lost by a large margin of 88:107.
After the game, Larry Brown was criticized by the Philadelphia media.
The goal of hiring a famous coach was to win the championship, but the team's record plummeted to the level of the No. 1 pick.
Allen Iverson was in a slump after the start of the season, and Larry Brown had no way to deal with it.
In the game on the evening of the 7th, Larry Brown also lost control of the team.
Allen Iverson played hard and rushed forward after the opening, continuously scoring points.
But as the game progressed, the 76ers made more and more mistakes, and by the fourth quarter, they were 12 points behind without realizing it.
With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the game, Larry Brown on the sidelines folded his arms, shook his head slightly and requested a timeout.
But after the adjustments, the 76ers failed to respond on the defensive end and ultimately lost the game silently.
93:105, the Knicks easily defeated their opponents and achieved 19 consecutive victories!
At 21:11, with the rebounding difference almost the same, the 76ers paid the price for a lot of turnovers.
Lee was smiling happily after winning the game and was too lazy to pay attention to the gossip about Iverson and Larry Brown.
When facing a weak team, he had to seize the opportunity and beat the weak team steadily.
"Lee, here! Can you sign an autograph for me?"
"Will we keep winning? Lee, I want to see the team keep winning!"
"I'll be waiting for you at the hotel, Lee, don't forget me!"
"."
On both sides of the player tunnel, New York fans shouted loudly.
Lee quickly signed autographs, left a smile to the red-haired tank, and hurriedly quickened his pace to go back to the locker room.
On December 8, the NBA announced the best player of the week for the first week of December.
Clay Lee of the Knicks won the award successfully.
The Knicks had 4 wins and 0 losses this week.
Lee averaged 35.3 minutes per game, averaging 24.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.2 turnovers.
He averaged 17.5 shots per game with a shooting percentage of 47.1%, 8.0 shots per game from beyond the three-point line with a three-point shooting percentage of 43.7%, and 5.3 free throws per game with a free throw shooting percentage of 90.8%.
Regardless of the strength of the opponent or the small sample size, the New York media collectively went wild!
"180 Club, the best point guard in the league!"
(A/N: 50-40-90 CLUB. It's also called 180 club outside USA.)
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