Four games in five days, and all four of them are away, is a tragic thing.

After the game against the Nuggets, the Knicks have to rush to Salt Lake City, where they will face the Jazz back-to-back on November 17!

The home courts of the Nuggets and Jazz are actually known as the home courts of the devils because they are both located on the plateau.

The Pepsi Center, home of the Nuggets, is about 1,610 meters above sea level, and Salt Lake City is a little better because it's located at the northern end of a valley and is low, but it's also 1,320 meters above sea level.

As we all know, the higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure and the lower the oxygen content in the air. The height of the Nuggets and Jazz's home courts may not trigger altitude sickness, but what are the NBA players here for?

It's a game!

Suddenly coming to a relatively low-pressure, hypoxic environment, and having to do strenuous exercise, some players will feel uncomfortable, and even have symptoms such as chest tightness and weakness. Maybe at the beginning of the game, this situation was not obvious, but in the fourth quarter, everyone was tired, and the team that came away and did not adapt to the climate will definitely be in worse shape!

The Nuggets are an Lotto-level team, even if the Knicks are in poor shape, they can still win, but the Jazz team is different, needless to say that they entered the Finals twice in the past few years, and last season they tied for first place in the West in the regular season, but unfortunately the schedule is relatively pitiful, so they were unexpectedly out of the second round of the playoffs.

If you describe them in four words, they are the top team!

Li Wei only played 5 minutes in this game, scored 3 points and 1 assist, and the rest of the time was handed over to Nash and Kerr, because the Jazz had a very annoying opponent and it was difficult for him to defend.

Jerry Sloan's defender is of course the NBA's all-time total assist leader and one of the core of the Jazz, John Stockton.

There are too many small moves of Stockton, Li Wei can't parry, this is the home court of Salt Lake City again, and the referee also opens one eye and closes one eye, and he should not blow it. In addition, the score on the field has been bitten very tightly, in order to avoid accidents, Li Wei did not play more.

The two teams fought fiercely until the last two minutes, Carl Malone hit the key shot, Starks also had a key layup, the Knicks executed the tactics well, but unfortunately everyone was iron, and no one could shoot the ball!

At 90:98, the New Yorkers swallowed their first loss of the season!

Karl Malone scored 33 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line, Stockton had 17 points, 11 assists and three steals, Starks had 10 points and Bryan Russell came off the bench with 10 points.

On the Knicks' side, Da Yao took a break, Big Ben had 6 points and 6 boards, Garnett had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, Maddy had 14 points, Houston had 13 points, Nash had 9 points and 11 assists, and Nowitzki, who came off the bench, scored 18 points and 5 rebounds!

Despite the defeat, the Knicks are still first in the league with a record of 9-1, the Portland Trail Blazers are second with 8-1, and the Lakers, Heat, Spurs, and SuperSonics are 7-2.

On November 18, the Knicks came to Phoenix City for a short day of rest, and on the 19th, the away game against the Suns officially began.

In 1968, the NBA expanded and the Suns joined the league, and Jerry Colangelo, who was only 28 years old, became the team's general manager, a business that lasted for 27 years, until 95 when the position was handed over to his son Colangelo Jr.

Under the management of Colangelo and his sons, the Suns have always been a powerhouse in the West, and they have never missed the playoffs throughout the '90s.

Now, the Suns have completed the transition between the old and the new, and their star Jason Kidd was not only selected to the All-Star First Team last season, but also the All-Defensive First Team last season!

One defense for a while, this is the sign of a top superstar, and even many top superstars can't get a defense. Since the other guard in the team, Allen Iverson, has switched to shooting guard, so Jason Kidd can be called the current No. 1 point guard in the league!

In addition to Kidd, the rest of the Suns players are also famous. The Magic decided to rebuild this summer and fire off valuable assets on the team, and the Suns took the opportunity to get Penny Anfernee Hardaway!

Penny Hardaway, who plays point guard in the Magic team, has the same position as Kidd, and can only play shooting guard instead, but at 2.01 meters, he can also take advantage of his height as a shooting guard.

The small forward of the Suns is this year's No. 9 rookie, Sean Marion, the big forward is the former All-Star forward of the Timberwolves, Tom Gugliotta, and the last center position is the powerful center during the Bulls' three-consecutive championship, Luke Longley!

Li Wei sighed: "Danny, now that the Suns are strong, I am very optimistic that you can break out of the West and reach the Finals!" ”

Suns coach Danny Ainge is a member of the brilliant Celtics in the 80s, and Knicks general manager Dennis Johnson's backcourt partner on the Kais.

Hearing Li Wei's praise, Danny Angie smiled lightly: "Our Suns are good, but you Knicks are stronger, you are the champions!" ”

The two flatter each other, but Angie is not as happy as he seems.

This year, the Suns got Penny Hardaway, and all fans have high expectations for this team, but Angie knows in his heart that the current Hardaway is no longer the omnipotent Hardaway, otherwise the Magic would not have sold him!

The West is now surging, the Spurs and Jazz have the strength to reach the Finals, the Lakers have brought in six-championship coach Phil Jackson this summer to sharpen his knives, and the owner of the Trail Blazers is not bad for money is to continue to recruit and buy horses, bringing in superstars such as Scottie Pippen, so that the team's total salary continues to break through the sky!

Angie thinks that this year's Suns team is still studying with the prince. He has been studying with the prince for three consecutive years, and it's time for Torrent to retire, otherwise by the end of the season, the management thinks that the team needs to change, what to do with him?

Instead of being fired, it is better to resign yourself, so that it is more decent!

Of course, Angie will not say his own thoughts, he wants to lead the team to play a wave of consecutive wins and then resign, which can also leave countless reveries for the management of other teams, and it is easy to make a comeback!

The tournament officially began shortly after.

The referee blew the whistle, Da Yao jumped the ball to win Tom Gugliotta, and the Knicks attacked!

Nash advances with the ball, Jason Kidd defends!

Li Wei sat in the coach's seat on the sidelines, looked at Kidd and Nash on the court, and smiled slightly.

This is the ball game he likes, the two best point guards in the league at the beginning of the 21st century, the base does not attack, does not defend, and collides head-on!

Of course, it was also good to see Nash facing Stockton in the last game, but it was a pity that the young Nash was still educated by the aging Stockton and failed to lead the team to win.

The opening tactic of the Knicks is the No. 16 tactic, Nash holds the ball at the top of the arc, Maddy makes a cover for Garnett at a 45-degree angle on the right side, and Garnett uses the cover to cut straight to the basket!

At the same time, Da Yao also mentioned the 45-degree angle on the left side to cover Houston, and Houston used the cover to quickly go down to the bottom left corner!

Garnett is tall, long-legged, and big-stepped, and he shook off his former teammate Gugliota in one step after the cover!

Sean Marion hurriedly changed his defense, but he couldn't catch up!

Nash passes the ball in time and the ball is in Garnett's hands!

At the other end, Penny Hardaway went around the cover and was trying to chase Houston who slipped into the corner, when he saw Garnett catch the ball and rush to the basket, he immediately threw away Houston and made up for the basket!

He's defended well!

It's too late, it's fast, in the face of Hardaway's supplemental defense, Garnett didn't hit hard, but passed straight to the bottom corner!

Alan Houston received the ball and threw it, and a three-point shot went into the net steadily!

3:0, the away Knicks scored first!