After the 1997-1998 season entered April, the competition among teams for better rankings had reached a fierce stage.
In the Western Conference, the Lakers, SuperSonics, and Jazz all have the chance to take first place.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers officially fell behind, and the Knicks and Bulls began to compete across the field.
Before every game in April, Jeff Van Gundy would secretly pray, praying for the Knicks to win, and also praying for the Bulls to lose!
On the evening of the 9th, perhaps God heard the bald young coach's sincere prayers, and the Bulls overturned in the game against the Cavaliers!
85:91, the Cavaliers, who scored from multiple points, successfully sniped the Bulls.
When New York fans saw this game, they burst into laughter and started celebrating wildly.
As a result, on the evening of the 12th, the Knicks challenged the Heat away, and the two sides fought again.
In the end, the Heat successfully blocked the Knicks 80:84!
After the game, the New York media was so angry that they ridiculed Pat Riley in a roundabout way.
Seeing that the regular season was about to end, the record was tied with the Bulls again.
Fortunately, the Pacers are true friends of the Knicks.
On the evening of the 13th, the Bulls lost again, 114:105!
Unfortunately, the Knicks suffered injuries in the final moments, with Larry Johnson and Oakley absent.
The Wizards defeated the Knicks again with a score of 104:100.
After that, the Knicks made no more mistakes and defeated the Raptors 79:108.
The Bulls, who also suffered injuries, lost to the Pistons 79:87!
So far, the Knicks have a record of 62 wins and 19 losses, while the Bulls have a record of 61 wins and 20 losses.
April 18th happens to be the last regular season game between the two teams.
If the Bulls can beat the Knicks again, they will be able to secure the top spot in the Eastern Conference with their win advantage.
If the Knicks succeed in defeating the Bulls, they can get 63 wins and kick the opponent!
It is not enough to focus on this game, the New York media must also pay attention to the game between the Jazz and the Lakers on the 19th!
They also have a record of 62 wins and 19 losses.
If the Knicks lose and the Jazz win, then the opponent will lock in the first place in the league and will enjoy home advantage throughout the playoffs.
The inflated New York media had already borrowed the finals, and everyone thought it was okay to pay attention to potential opponents in advance, but such behavior once again angered the Chicago media.
Before the game even started, both sides began to mock each other:
"In order to win the assists title, Lee has become a stat brush. The MVP belongs only to Michael Jordan!"
"Michael Jordan can only rely on the news of retirement to gain sympathy! He wants to steal Lee's MVP!"
The Chicago Tribune and the New York Times went all out to mock each other's star players mercilessly, and every day's newspaper became the scene of a fierce battle.
For New York fans, no matter how old or new the hatred is, as long as they can beat the Bulls, everyone will be happy!
The Los Angeles media is also not convinced.
The Lakers currently have a record of 60 wins and 21 losses. At the end of the regular season, O'Neal is getting stronger and stronger:
"The Lakers will reach the finals again, and the MVP belongs to O'Neal!"
Jazz fans felt ignored, and the Salt Lake City media also wanted to speak up for Karl Malone, but no one paid attention to them because they were not strong enough.
The three major cities were all saying their own things, cheering for the star player, but as for the MVP, it was really hard to say!
On the evening of the 18th, at the United Center, from the start of the game, the Bulls fans who were present shouted wildly and kept cheering for the home team.
At the end of the first half, thanks to Michael Jordan's heroic performance, the Bulls led by 4 points, 53:57.
5 of 13 shots, 15 of 16 free throws, Michael Jordan scored 25 points, 2 rebounds and 1 turnover, and almost defeated the Knicks.
In the third quarter, the Knicks finally began to explode, and the Bulls' big delay allowed Lee to find his teammates frequently.
Veteran Buck Williams, who started tonight, scored consecutively with a mid-range jump shot and a second tip-in at the basket!
Chris Mills, who got the starting position, also made breakthroughs and free throws in this quarter, continuously helping the Knicks score points.
Although Larry Johnson was not in the best physical condition, he also contributed his strength on the defensive end.
The score was 35:26 in a single quarter. After three quarters, the United Center was silent.
The score was 88:83, and the Knicks overtook by 5 points!
Michael Jordan had to rest in the fourth quarter.
If he wanted to get free throws, he had to keep attacking the basket. Michael Jordan scored another 12 points in the third quarter, so he had to take a breath.
Harper played for just 14 minutes before falling ill and not returning.
In the rotation phase of the last quarter, Steve Kerr and Scott Burrell partnered in the backcourt, Pippen and Rodman were still the forwards, and Kukoc was the center.
Of course Phil Jackson wanted to win the game.
The playoff ranking was too important, so he chose to fight hard against the main players.
As for the Knicks, Lee did not rest at all.
He took a lot of shots in the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, he no longer took care of the organization.
The Bulls took the lead in attacking. Pippen missed a jump shot after a pick-and-roll near the free throw line before the 24 seconds were about to expire!
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the rim and Chris Dudley grabbed the backcourt rebound.
After Lee received the ball, Kerr immediately stepped forward to delay it, while the Bulls team quickly retreated.
Being in the leading position, Lee did not rush to advance, but steadily dribbled across half the court.
On the right wing outside the three-point line, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, leaned sideways to protect the ball.
The two inside players of the Knicks both sank to the bottom line, while Larry Johnson and Alan Houston moved to the wing.
Kerr kept on giving physical confrontations.
Lee, who had been protecting the ball sideways, suddenly dribbled the ball hard when he was close to the three-point line.
While twisting his body, he pretended to scoop the ball with his left hand, then suddenly and quickly twisted his body, lowered his center of gravity at the moment of scooping the ball with his right hand, and accelerated with all his strength.
There was a slight hesitation on the defensive end, and Kerr was blocked half a body length by Lee, forcing him to slide to the blocking area.
Lee suddenly stopped, then blew the ball with his right hand again, and while Kerr was adjusting his defensive center of gravity, he quickly changed direction in front of his body.
Switching to the left hand, Lee pretended to break through, and Kerr was shaken and quickly slid to the right rear.
As a result, when he moved near the paint area, Kerr saw Lee just cross steps back, completely losing his defensive position, and watched Lee take a mid-range jump shot.
"Swish!" The two-point shot hit the target steadily.
"Shh!"
There was a huge booing in the United Center.
The Bulls fans at the scene didn't want to lose, and they didn't want to fall to second place.
Then Kukoc also scored a back-to-the-basket single in the low post on the left side, and the Bulls coaching staff breathed a sigh of relief on the bench.
The Knicks continued to quickly serve the ball from the baseline.
This time, Lee passed the ball to the right wing after crossing half court.
Alan Houston received the ball at the top of the arc, Larry Johnson and Chris Dudley also occupied two elbow positions at this time, and Lee quickly went online and cut across.
Under the double screen, Kukoc was delayed in his pursuit of Kerr, and he immediately switched defense, raised his hands high, and tried to control his center of gravity.
Coming to the left wing, Lee received the cross pass from Alan Houston and without much movement, he just raised the ball and made a jump shot!
Looking at Lee who was still drifting to the left, Kukoc was a little dazed.
Then he heard a booing sound in his ears, and he immediately knew that Lee had scored again.
"Lee entered the attack mode and it was difficult for Kerr to limit him. The Bulls should not hesitate, they should continue to delay."
Hubie Brown, on the TNT commentary booth, saw Lee's quick finish and couldn't help but whisper a suggestion, while Dick Stockton on the side gave a different opinion:
"In the third quarter, the Knicks' role players played very well and responded in time."
"Michael Jordan should play earlier, after all, tonight's game is very important for them!"
Regardless of whether the Bulls scored or not, Lee did not reduce his aggressiveness.
Lee received a hand-to-hand pass from Chris Dudley at the right elbow, dribbled one step, got rid of Kerr's pursuit, and made a jump shot from the free throw line!
The Bulls scored and Pippen missed a three-pointer.
Lee received a long rebound, but was blocked in transition and missed the shot.
Larry Johnson followed up and made a tip-in.
The Bulls attacked again, Pippen broke through to the basket, and responded with a layup despite Dudley's interference!
The Knicks quickly served the ball from the baseline.
Lee received the ball on the left wing, released it with his left hand, broke through with a crossover step, pulled back under his crotch in the left blocking area, and made a quick stop jump shot from mid-range.
The two sides started another scoring battle, constantly switching between having the ball and not having the ball, and Lee showed no signs of physical exhaustion.
After forcing a breakthrough to the basket and causing Kukoc to foul, Lee was booed again when he stood at the free throw line.
Kerr, who was constantly chasing and defending, had already started to breathe heavily.
In previous games, he would not have had so much playing time.
Kerr felt that it was not an easy job to guard Lee throughout the game.
After Lee made two free throws, the score came to 101:91.
With 7 minutes and 48 seconds left in the game, Michael Jordan returned to the court.
At this point, the double-digit lead had already made the Knicks' atmosphere group boil.
Ewing, dressed in formal attire, was also on the bench, but he was just a gorilla with mixed emotions.
In March, he was busy with the labor management agreement issue.
When he returned to the team, he felt a little unfamiliar.
With a double-digit lead, Lee began to slow down the pace of the game. While taking a breath, he immediately played tactics again.
After his teammates missed shots in just two rounds, Lee started to take over the offense again when he saw Michael Jordan making consecutive breakthroughs and free throws.
The Bulls' one-point rain was very fierce, but Lee's three-pointers were also not soft.
This time on the right wing, Lee received the ball and faked a shot.
Seeing the defensive focus of Kerr who was chasing him, he immediately let go of the ball and stepped back sideways.
Kerr tried hard to block the shot from the side, but Lee's shooting speed was too fast, and he made a jump shot after a slight drift.
"The Bulls need to speed up the game, time is running out!"
Hubie Brown saw Lee miss the shot from outside the three-point line and the Bulls protected the rebound, and subconsciously shook his head.
Before Dick Stockton had a chance to comment on the Bulls' fast break, Larry Johnson immediately committed a tactical foul on Pippen.
"The Knicks were very calm. It was obvious that they had made adequate preparations before the game. Tonight, Lee was in firm control of the game rhythm."
As time went by, Phil Jackson began to walk around the sidelines, and Jeff Van Gundy shouted at his players to pay attention to rebounds.
With 58 seconds left in the game, Kukoc also stood at the free throw line.
"No matter how many free throws you take, you can't win the game. Maybe you can try a three-pointer, maybe it will have some effect!"
Lee smiled and teased Michael Jordan outside the three-point line.
His face was long and he obviously knew that there was a high probability of losing tonight.
"Ranking doesn't matter, I will still be the final winner."
Michael didn't say much. He simply responded and stopped looking at Lee.
He was in a very bad mood.
After two free throws, the score was 114:107.
In the next round, as Lee assisted veteran Buck Williams to score another 2 points in the basket with 24 seconds left, boos broke out in the United Center.
In the final moments, the Knicks committed consecutive fouls and the Bulls continued to shoot free throws, but the game time was running out.
The Bulls fans at the scene could only watch Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines punching the air to celebrate.
116:111, in the end, the Knicks relied on Lee's outstanding performance in the fourth quarter to successfully win the game!
In the fourth quarter, Clay Lee made 6 of 11 shots, 3 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 17 points;
In the whole game, he played 44 minutes, 13 of 28 shots, 7 of 14 from beyond the three-point line, and 7 of 8 free throws, scoring a double-double of 40 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers.
No one on the Knicks team paid any attention to the boos.
They gathered around Lee and shouted happily.
Oakley breathed a sigh of relief, and Ewing on the side also forced a smile.
First in the Eastern Conference, they will have home-court advantage in the playoffs!
Jeff Van Gundy proudly shook hands with Phil Jackson:
"This is what a championship coach can do!"
Looking at the bald young coach, Phil Jackson was furious and his smile disappeared.
If it weren't for the internal strife in the team, the Bulls would not have won only 61 games.
"When the team main players were injured, Lee stepped up and successfully ended the Bulls. 20 years old? What an outstanding performance!"
On the TNT commentary booth, Hubie Brown felt that the league was indeed in need of an upgrade.
Dick Stockton heard the director's prompt and smiled and praised:
"At 20 years and 108 days old, Lee broke the record set by Magic Johnson tonight and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40+10."
"If the Jazz lose tomorrow, the Knicks will get the best record in the league. We have to praise the performance of these guys!"
"."
The Knicks finished their regular season this season and flew back to New York overnight, and the coaching staff just gave the players a day off.
The New York media was completely inflated by the league's best record.
The next day, the newspapers and sports columns all had a common viewpoint:
"The Knicks are the champions!"
On the evening of April 19th, New York fans were watching the game between the Jazz and the Lakers.
After four fierce battles, the home team Lakers defeated the Jazz 98:102.
Seeing this result, New York fans and media were ecstatic:
"63 wins and 19 losses, the Knicks are first in the league!"
That night, the 1997-1998 regular season ended, and the Eastern and Western Conference team rankings were officially released:
The final Eastern Conference standings are:
The Knicks with 63 wins, the Bulls with 61 wins, the Pacers with 58 wins, the Heat with 53 wins;
The Hornets with 51 wins, the Hawks with 50 wins, the Cavaliers with 47 wins, the Nets with 43 wins.
The final standings of the Western Conference are:
The Jazz with 62 wins, the SuperSonics with 61 wins, the Lakers with 61 wins, the Suns with 56 wins;
The Spurs with 56 wins, the Trail Blazers with 46 wins, the Timberwolves with 45 wins, and the Rockets with 41 wins.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks will face the Nets.
The two teams are very close, so there is no need to worry about traveling.
The moment the regular season officially ended, Lee, who was lying in the apartment like a pig, threw his mobile phone aside and stopped replying to text messages.
After taking a shower, he called out the talent panel this time.
At the end of the regular season, the Knicks once again won the Atlantic Division championship, and Ler could draw talents again.
Lee silently prayed for God to bless him, and before he could react, he got a hint:
Gain [Michael Jordan's extraordinary core strength].
Seeing that half of his new talent was still gray, Lee's face darkened.
This showed that his core strength was far behind that of Jordan.
Thinking about his efforts to increase strength training, but ultimately not getting much results, Lee couldn't help but eat a lemon:
"This is the Chosen One."
On the morning of April 20, Lee had just arrived at the training ground when he was blocked by a large number of New York media:
"Lee, we have taken first place in the league. Will the Knicks win the championship?"
"Can we knock out the Bulls? We have home court advantage this year!"
"Will Pat return from injury in the playoffs? Lee, what do you think of the MVP selection?"
"."
Looking at the media blocking the door of the locker room, Lee didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He suddenly felt that these guys were starting to get scared again:
"Of course we will make it out of the East and win the championship!"
"But we have to play each game one by one, and everyone has to believe in the strength of the Knicks."
Perhaps because of the poor playoff experience in the past, most of the media smiled awkwardly.
It was not because they lacked confidence, but because they were numb from losing before.
Lee waved his hand at everyone, then chuckled and said jokingly:
"The Bulls might lose in the semifinals, so I have some confidence in the Knicks!"
"."
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