On June 8, 1998, after the end of G4 in the finals that night, the major sports media climaxed in situ:

"Curse from the Grand Final!"

"Carl Malone is not a qualified leader."

"Magical three-pointer, the youngest Mr. 40 points in the NBA playoffs."

"Outraged Jerry Sloan and disappointed Salt Lake City fans."

"Bonus from New York, Knicks legend heading to Salt Lake City."

"Winning away from home, the Knicks are ready."

"The big heart attribute of the champion point guard!"

“THE BLOCK！”

“.”

On the morning of June 9, the print media in Salt Lake City collectively broke the defense, and the "Salt Lake City Tribune" rarely denied Carl Malone.

The Mormon Church's "Desaria Morning Post" also deliberately set aside a portion of its content for Carl Malone.

Salt Lake City Weekly sports columnist Bill Frost was even more fiery and spewed Carl Malone to ruin the Jazz championship.

If you turn on the broadcast media again, opinion shows like KFNZ-AM's NBA Today and Jazz Hotline are sprayed from after last night's game into the next morning.

With 12-of-26 shooting, 10-of-13 free throws, 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers, Karl Malone played very well throughout the game, but unfortunately, he lost the most crucial 2 points.

In the press conference after the game, Karl Malone was very rarely absent, and Stockton was still supporting his teammates, but the media in Salt Lake City couldn't stand it.

In the 1997 Finals, Karl Malone missed two free throws in the final minute, and Michael Jordan beat the Jazz at the United Center arena.

No one expected that in this year's finals, Karl Malone reproduced the classic moment, and when he hit one free throw to enter overtime, he made two free throws.

finally grabbed the frontcourt rebound, but was fatally blocked by the guard?!

This year, the Jazz lost not an away win, but a more important match point, and the big score came to 1:3, which means that the series is almost over:

"There are no miracles!"

"Carl Malone can't work miracles."

The Hilton Salt Lake City Center Hotel has been buzzing with activity since this morning.

Early in the morning, Charles Dolan, who completely controlled the Knicks, flew to Salt Lake City with the team's management and several celebrities.

The team uniforms are also starting to get busy, getting match points, championship t-shirts, celebratory champagne and other items need to be prepared in advance.

After breakfast, there was no need to take a video lesson, and a small party was held directly in the hotel.

Charles Sr. and his son James Dolan laughed and chatted with the team.

Cablevision just fully owned the Knicks last year, and there is a high probability of winning the championship this year, and the old Charles who has received the metaphysical bonus is in a very good mood.

As the helmsman of the family business, Charles Sr. also took the opportunity to let his son make a good impression on everyone, from a rich second-generation playboy to the CEO, the span is a bit large

Old Charles, dressed in a black suit, smiled and patted Ewing, and after the two exchanged a few words, they quickly moved to Li You's side, at this time, his eldest son James Dolan was still blowing X:

"Don't worry, Lee! You're going to get a big contract, Grunfield has done a good job for the past two years, don't worry about the collective bargaining agreement. ”

"No one can criticize the Knicks in the future, and I know some media outlets don't get along well with Pat, but you don't have to worry about that."

"Later, I will ban these unscrupulous media from interviewing us, we have our own MSG, we can speak for ourselves!"

"Once you've won the championship, where do you want to party? I know"

James Dolan, who was still talking endlessly, was patted, turned his head and saw that it was his father, and this time he stopped blowing X.

glared at his son helplessly, and the bad idea of forbidding the media to interview the players made old Charles's eyelids jump

"Perfect performance! Don't be pressured, don't worry about the collective bargaining agreement, Lee, Ling is the future of the team, New York has always loved defenders! ”

Charles Sr. winked at Lee Yoo while tilting his head to look at the Knicks' celebrities.

Dick McGuire, Dick Barnett, Walter Fred and Earl Monroe are all backcourt players.

Hearing that the two bosses mentioned the collective bargaining agreement, Li You also smiled and expressed his desire to stay in the team:

'I'm happy with the team, I love life in New York, it's the pressure against the opponents, and tomorrow night we can win the title!'

At the beginning of June, the 9th collective bargaining agreement broke down, and the shutdown was almost a foregone conclusion, causing quite a stir after it was revealed that the management and the league wanted to limit the players' wages.

The old Charles took the celebrities to express his condolences to the Knicks in advance, and also expressed his attitude to the players:

"No matter how the collective bargaining agreement changes, if you win the championship, the team will not treat everyone badly, and you don't have to worry about the contract, we have money!"

Unlike other small-ball markets, when the Knicks win the championship, season ticket sales will increase, and in addition to the old fans who will spend money, the new generation of fans will not be stingy with their wallets.

Ewing was already smiling at this time, and last night's game was 7-of-18, 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, and finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers.

He shot less than 40 percent from the field, but received numerous praises, missed free throws, and no one criticized him, and the title of "the league's No. 1 center" fell to him again.

Legendary Willis Reed is still telling Ewing:

"Don't be careless, Pat! End the series early and don't underestimate the veterans opposite, who are equally hungry for the title. ”

"Believe me, after winning the championship, the media will not consume you anymore!"

“.”

General manager Grunfield and the team's staff followed the old Charles and the players for a long time before leaving, and at this time several celebrities were completely let go.

Bill Bradley, who was wearing a gray wide suit, watched Li You and Walter Fraser chatting, and suddenly said with a smile:

"I'm going to run for the 2000 Donkey Party nomination, Lee, young people like you, remember to do me a favor when the time comes."

Walter Fraser was a little surprised to hear the news, the championship player, years of political accumulation, did make Bill Bradley more popular than ever:

"Getting deeply involved in politics is not a good option!"

Bill Bradley saw that everyone was looking at him, shrugged his shoulders and said easily:

"I love politics, I love policy!"

The identity of the senator can no longer satisfy this person, and Li You learned through the news in the newspaper that the other party's situation is not good:

"Dangerous, tired of logging! It's also a pleasure for me to be able to help. ”

Several celebrities also expressed their support for this old friend who turned to politics, and several people in Oakley complained loudly about the living conditions of low-class blacks

The Knicks' atmosphere group couldn't interject at this time, and the old guys talked about topics that were a little beyond their understanding.

On the evening of June 10th, at the Delta Center Arena, the Finals G5 had begun, and Spike Lee continued to fight Jazz fans in the front row.

Ray Allen and Calhoun took Travis Knight and the rest of the team to sit close to the front row.

Although the Jazz still have the potential to pull one back, everyone doesn't want to miss Lee's championship moment.

The University of Connecticut plans to hold a separate graduation ceremony for Li You, and after that, the law school, as long as the grades are passable, there will naturally be no problem.

Coach Calhoun, who was sitting in his seat with a beer, heard the shouting and scolding of the Jazz fans around him, and said to Ray Allen next to him with a smile:

"I knew that Lee could succeed in New York, a good point guard, and the biggest reinforcement for the Knicks, and the two sides achieved each other."

"Ray, Milwaukee isn't for you, there's a year's worth of contracts, you'll have to think about it."

Since the idol Mai Buckle was eliminated by Li You, Ray Allen has just lemon.

He certainly understands what Coach Calhoun meant, but he doesn't like the Knicks' style of play:

"I want to stay in Milwaukee, I've got a central position, and even though it's just a small ball market, the management hasn't given up on the championship."

Seeing Ray Allen's serious appearance, Coach Calhoun shook his head slightly, and then suddenly sighed:

"If you had been drafted by the Celtics, it might not have been a good thing, I don't see any hope that they will rise in recent years."

“Defense！ Defense！ Defense！ ”

The halftime was coming to an end, and the Jazz fans were still cheering and screaming despite the home team trailing.

Alan Houston's move has been affected by an ankle injury and struggled to run out of the open spot tonight, and the Jazz frantically wrapped up Lee Yow more as a point of contact.

Just after half-time, Lee Yoo came to the left flank, and Stockton and Hornacek were delayed.

Meanwhile, Brian Russell also moved quickly to the top of the arc to guard against Alan Houston.

When Lee Woo was about to be trapped, Alan Houston cut in quickly down the middle to take away the defense, and the vacated Larry Johnson quickly stepped to the right wing and easily received Lee Yo's throw.

With no one in front of him, Larry Johnson shoots steadily after aiming at the basket!

"Huh!" The open three-pointer hit again!

The "aunt" who was in a projection state and pulled her hips in the last game finally found her shooting touch tonight.

Larry Johnson grinned, thumped his chest, stepped back to half-court and high-fived Lee again in celebration.

At 49:43, with 52 seconds left in the half, the Knicks widened the gap again.

"Shhhhh

Huge boos resounded in the arena again, and Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines shouted excitedly, and since the meeting with the management, the bald young marshal was completely relieved.

As long as he wins this championship, he will get a contract that is worthy of the title coach status!

Regardless of whether the players could hear it or not, Jeff Van Gundy couldn't wait to play in person, shouting from the sidelines:

"Watch defensive! Protect your rebounds, Pat, and stay under the basket! ”

The Jazz attacked, Karl Malone blocked the elbow on the right side of the free throw line, went down to receive a pass from Stockton, and went straight to the basket.

Facing Ewing, who contracted the defense, and Oakley, who cut the ball on his side, the basket was lower to the right, and Malone made a layup and knocked out of the basket.

"Oh!!"

Every time Malone misses, the Jazz fans at the scene will sigh along with it, and this situation also makes Karl Malone a little frustrated.

Grabbing the rebound, Ewing immediately threw the ball to Lee You, and the Knicks began to accelerate to the opposing half.

Under the loud reminder of head coach Jerry Sloan, the Jazz team quickly completed the retreat.

Accelerating along the right touchline, Lee Woo came to the right flank against Stockton's defence.

With the ball in his left hand, Li You approached the three-point line and began to protect the ball sideways, while looking up to observe the position on the court.

didn't encounter the bag again, Ewing quickly came to the line at this time to block and dismantle, the left flank stood still, Li You immediately pretended to break through on the left side, and quickly circled the ball behind Stockton at the moment when he desperately squeezed through.

Scooping the ball with his right hand, Lee Woo deftly dodged the defense, and then went straight to the basket from the right side at 45 degrees, and the Jazz's big man Foster quickly slid to the left rear after switching defenses.

The two of them just had physical contact in the right blocking area, and Li You, who was moving, suddenly wrapped the ball around the ball with one hand, and then leaned forward violently, and did not stop the ball after re-catching the ball with his right hand, and quickly threw the ball above the rebound!

Foster was half a beat slower, and by the time he responded with the block, the basketball had already hit the rebound.

"Bang!"

After hitting the board, the basketball falls into the net with precision.

"Shhhhh

The boos were mixed with the sound of Farke, and the Jazz fans at the scene were extremely emotional when they saw Li You score.

"The Jazz should continue their previous defense, Lee's shooting has dropped tonight, and Foster should continue to use tough defense to stop this offense!"

On the NBC commentary bench at the scene, Doug Collins couldn't help shaking his head, and without confrontation, Li You scored points, and in his opinion, the Jazz's defense was lax again.

Isaiah Thomas didn't look at the technical stats either, just smiled and praised Lee Yo's offensive options:

"In a flash of opportunity, Lee knew very well how the opponent would defend him, so he changed the rhythm in the breakthrough."

"Tempo is important, it's fast, sometimes you can't get rid of the defense, it's a talent to be calm on the pitch all the time!"

Hornacek's three-pointer from the left wing in the final moments of the half missed, and the boos grew louder at the Delta Center Arena.

At 51:43, the halftime ended, and the multi-point Knicks led by eight points.

Bob Costas doesn't feel the Jazz are playing desperate basketball:

"The Jazz didn't seem ready after the opening game with Lee, but after the rest of the Knicks responded."

"They didn't play with a sense of desperation, maybe because of their age, and most of the opportunities to switch attacks were not grasped."

Isaiah Thomas smiled again at this time and said cool words:

"Not every player is suitable for a big stage like the finals, and not every player will completely explode in a desperate situation."

"It's a shame to be down by eight points at halftime, but I think the Jazz fans are going to be at home tonight to see the Knicks win their third championship in franchise history."

At halftime, in the Knicks locker room, Jeff Van Gundy was so excited that he kept sending chicken soup:

"There are only 24 minutes left before the championship, don't give your opponent any hope, hold on, we will win tonight!"

'Believe me, the opponent is desperate, they can't counter-attack effectively, we just need to keep up the defensive intensity like this and have a chance to win the game.'

Looking at Jeff Van Gundy, who was walking around in front of the whiteboard and constantly nagging loudly, Li You, who was sitting in the seat, raised his eyebrows and whispered to Alan Houston next to him:

'It seems that our manager has been committed, the champion manager, there is a big contract waiting for him.

Alan Houston is also in a good mood, and Charles Sr. has also given him assurances that the Knicks will offer him a sizable contract:

"Maybe the same salary as Phil Jackson!"

When the two of them whispered teasing the bald young marshal, Ewing also began to speak passionately, and the gorilla was extremely excited at this time, and several veterans also shouted.

Unlike the newcomers who joined the Knicks after Li You, Ewing, Oakley, and Starks have experienced too many failures, and everyone is extremely excited to see that the championship is about to arrive.

At the start of the second half, the over-excited Knicks were on the move, while the Jazz's Karl Malone suddenly lost his aggressiveness.

With 5-of-12 in the half, Malone suddenly stopped being tough in the third quarter and stopped slamming to the basket.

The boos from disappointed Jazz fans grew louder and louder, and by the time the Knicks regained their touch, the margin was quickly in double digits.

At 23:20 in the first quarter, at the end of the third quarter, 74:63, the Knicks led by 11 points.

In the fourth quarter of the game, every time the Knicks scored, Spike Lee on the sidelines would arrogantly raise his hands in front of the visiting fans.

The elder Charles who watched the game in the box with the celebrities was also smiling, and by the end of the fourth quarter, the difference had not narrowed, and the league's staff began to prepare for the award ceremony in advance.

In the front row of the audience, David Stern looked calm, the collective bargaining agreement negotiations broke down, and the shutdown had entered the countdown.

For the league, it's a lose-lose situation

The Jazz held out until the end, and as the final hum rang out, boos erupted in the Delta Center arena.

96:85, without any twists and turns, the Knicks suppressed the Jazz all over the court and successfully won the game!

Li You casually threw the ball into the sky, raised a finger in front of the media who rushed to surround him, and shouted loudly with a smile:

"The first championship, this is just the beginning!"

Compared with Li You's reserved smile, Ewing and Oakley hugged each other, and the two beat each other's chests excitedly, and Starks also hugged everyone he met, followed by unconscious yelling.

Jeff Van Gundy raised his hands even more, frantically punched, his shirt was torn out of his trousers, and the bald young marshal didn't care, and shouted excitedly:

"We are champions! We are the champions! ”

A small number of New York fans also jumped up and cheered loudly in the audience, and no one cared about the boos in the stadium at this moment, only feeling extremely happy.

The camera has been following Lee Woo, and despite his mediocre performance tonight, it was clear to everyone that the Finals Most Valuable Player award would not go to anyone.

Stockton's face also showed frustration, and the veteran point guard immediately found Li You and greeted him with a simple hug:

"Congratulations, Lee, it's a pleasure to play against you in the finals."

The surrounding media did not skimp on the film, clicked and filmed, everyone surrounded the two, the camera continued to slap the face, Li You didn't care about the surrounding environment, just smiled and patted the veteran's shoulder:

"Looking forward to the finals later, we can continue to play each other!"

“.”

In the Delta Center arena, the boos and yelling continued, and in the front row of the audience, Coach Calhoun also stood up and applauded with everyone.

Watching Li You and Stockton greet each other, he sighed again to Ray Allen beside him:

"A new era has begun, and perhaps tonight we are witnessing a historic moment!"

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There is still a night of it, and today it is still 10,000 words~

(End of chapter)