On the evening of February 5, 1999, at the Madison Square Garden Arena, fans in New York watched the third championship flag rise over the arena.

Throughout the award ceremony, Charles Sr. and David Stern did not steal the show, but gave several veterans the opportunity to speak and perform.

From the start of the game, the cheers of the New York fans did not stop!

Perhaps it was the championship that stimulated the fat Ewing, and the gorilla was unusually positive after the opening, but after receiving the ball and hitting the iron continuously, it gradually withered

What made Li You feel helpless was that although Oakley maintained his body shape well, he also didn't feel at all in the game.

Fortunately, the Bulls on the opposite side are also in average form, and the new head coach Tim Floyd does not seem to be able to integrate the team, and most of the time he gives the ball to Cookcic and then watches the Bun Bang play the iron.

Sprewell may not be used to playing off the bench, sleepwalking in the half-game, and like Ewing and Oakley, he almost smashed the basket.

The content of the game was not satisfactory, and New York fans could naturally see that several veterans had taken a break!

At 46:50, at the end of the half, the New York media present were like a Sprewell spraying iron.

On the MSG commentary bench, Walter Fraser also frowned, Ewing was 2 of 9 in the half, and he scored 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 turnovers

"It seems like the long offseason has really taken its toll on us and Pat needs to find his form early on, and of course, he's done a decent job of covering."

Commentator Mike Brin noticed that Lee Yo only handed out 3 assists in the half, and almost all of his passes were converted into irons, and he couldn't say anything for a while:

"In the first game of the season, it was normal to be slow to heat up, but fortunately we were leading at half-time and Lee was in very good shape."

In the Knicks locker room, the two veterans didn't care about their own iron, and returned to their seats to continue chatting and farting, anyway, the team still won the ball:

"There's nothing wrong with having a night of champions and enjoying the game!"

After Li You returned to the locker room, he didn't care about the state of the old guy, and simply communicated with the team's new signings Kurt Thomas and Dennis Scott:

'Thomas, let it go, the team needs you to defend toughly, like Charles, it's our home field.'

After being drafted by the Heat with the 10th pick in the first round in '95, Kurt Thomas was traded to the Mavericks last season.

Affected by injuries and the arrival of Nowitzki, Nelson Sr. simply gave up on the power forward.

Glenfield signed the free agent as a great addition to the Knicks' interior defense.

As general manager, he certainly knows that Oakley could slip, and Kurt Thomas, who has a decent mid-range shot at the free-throw line and can swing around at the four or five positions, is a good addition for money.

The offensive means are single, and in the bench lineup, Sprewell doesn't pass the ball at all, and Chris Childs has sent him a few cakes.

Maybe it's too nervous, Kurt Thomas is iron.

"Chris, pay attention to the ball after the pick-and-roll, and let Thomas feel in the paint area."

"Scott, you can shoot three-pointers like the Knicks, and when you meet an opponent like the Bulls, after you do a good job of defense, we can use what we do best to complete the offense."

The forward, who was selected by the Magic team with the 4th pick in the first round in 90, nodded awkwardly when he heard Li You's words.

Dennis Scott also joined the Knicks as a free agent, the 30-year-old is currently in a downward spiral, his figure is a little out of shape, and Lee's words are more about giving the other side a face.

After all, the first half was really stretched.

Due to Chris Dudley's poor fitness, Ben Wallace played as a backup center in tonight's rotation.

The interior defense with Kurt Thomas in the first half was passable and the rebounding was well protected, but the entire rotation struggled to score after Sprewell hit the iron.

The substitute is barely a "four guarantees and one", and the lineup that allows the "throat locker" to play, but the effect fails to meet expectations.

When Jeff Van Gundy returned to the locker room, he found Lee Woo writing and drawing on the whiteboard.

Chris Childs asked questions from time to time, and Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace couldn't stop nodding.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was accustomed to such scenes, waited until everyone was almost finished talking, then cleared his throat, clapped his hands and said:

'The second half was tense and we tried to finish the game in the third quarter, so it's a bit tight this month and we have to prepare early.'

“.”

Kurt Thomas, who had just joined the team, looked a little strange, but fortunately, he had a bitter and hateful expression, and others couldn't see that he looked different.

In half a month of training sessions, he mostly received defensive training.

Some offensive routines for the Knicks are too simple and crude, basically just pick-and-roll, three-point shot, pick-and-roll, mid-range, pick-and-roll, and break-through.

Another routine is that the big man covers the scoring guard, catches the ball and throws three points, catches the ball and throws it to the middle distance, and catches the ball and breaks through in steps.

The task of the big man is to rush to the basket and grab the rebound, and then return the ball to the perimeter.

If it weren't for the Knicks winning the championship, Kurt Thomas would have almost doubted his life, and in the Mavericks, he would have more offensive routines than the Knicks.

Despite the doubts, Kurt Thomas off the bench got a glimpse of the real Knicks' style of play as soon as the second half began.

The Bulls, who were the first to attack, played a regular low-post game.

New signing Brent Barry quickly slipped across the baseline from left to right, came to the right block, received Harper's pass, and turned to the frame to attack.

After the dumble, he put the ball with his right hand, crossed the step, and went straight to the basket against Alan Houston's defense.

The same offense, if it were Michael Jordan, squeezed through the first line of defense, and after quickly rushing to the inside, he would probably pull the rod and pick the basket.

Brent Barry didn't have the speed of the dunk, and the overly obvious intention to break through allowed Oakley to successfully predict and let go of the opposing Mark Bryant to recycle the defense.

Partnering with Alan Houston to complete an aerial interception, while parting, Oakley's right arm was concealed as an elbow, and Brent Barry only felt a pain in his ribs, and then he was slapped to the floor by the two of them

"Oh!!"

The fans cheered, Oakley grabbed the rebound, immediately threw the ball to the receiving Lee, and quickly advanced along the right sideline, while Harper immediately stepped forward to delay.

The Bulls' two big men had just stepped back to the halfway line, the right wing was close to the three-point line, and Lee You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, slowed down and quickly dribbled behind his back.

Harper was very familiar with Li You's technical movements, but he didn't expect Li You to suddenly accelerate after stopping the ball sideways.

Holding the ball in his left hand, Li You lowered his center of gravity, successfully snatched half of his body, and quickly cut into the paint area against Harper, who was constantly sliding.

Approaching the basket and suddenly changing the rhythm, he stole a step in the middle, with his hands and feet, hanging on the defense, and after jumping with his left foot, Li You completed the basket with his left hand!

"Huh!" The two-point ball hollows into the net.

Before the Bulls' two big men could get back to defense, the Knicks had already finished their offense.

Harper was in average physical condition, scoring 2 points on free throws after 5-of-0 in the opening game, and if it wasn't for the Bulls' bench lineup, it would have taken half a game.

The veteran always wanted to block Li You's three-point shot, and every time he reached the three-point line, he would readjust his body's center of gravity, and the result was multiple rounds and was easily broken.

The two new signings on the bench have seen the Knicks' housekeeping skills, tough defense, and no whistle, forcing the Bulls to start jumping again.

Constantly playing iron, the Knicks continued to counterattack, Ewing and Oakley did not run, watching Lee You, Alan Houston, and Larry Johnson complete the three-line fast break.

Even with free throws, the Knicks began to score quickly, the Bulls took several timeouts to no avail, and the offensive end continued to play iron.

At 13:26 in the single quarter, the battle ended in the third quarter, and at 59:76, the game was out of suspense.

Harper, who played the third quarter, walked to the bench with an unusually ugly face, and the Bulls actually collapsed, which is a very rare phenomenon in the past few years.

The veteran players of the Bulls are all with straight eyes, and without a few dunks, there is a high probability that they will swoop into the champion.

"I don't play garbage time, I don't have any problems with my form!"

As soon as Jeff Van Gundy called Sprewell to the game, the former All-Star guard replied without raising his head, putting on his training uniform and not getting ready to play

The bald young marshal didn't want to clash with the players in the game, and waved at Charlie Ward with a serious expression, garbage time, and played a double point guard.

0 of 6, 2 of 4 free throws, and in Game 1, Sprewell handed over 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 turnover.

The Knicks have a decent bench lineup, and Ewing and Oakley don't care about the stats, and in the opinion of the two veterans, they should enjoy the game tonight.

Seeing the clash between Sprewell and Van Gundy, Li You didn't speak, Ewing and Oakley are still locker room leaders, and if the coach can't even decide who will play, then the bald young marshal should also be out of class.

As the clock ticked by, the final score was fixed at 79:100.

In the first game of the new season, the Knicks finally defeated the Bulls easily.

defeated the old opponent by a big score, and the New York fans at the scene were very satisfied, and the celebrities present also stood up and applauded.

Jeff Van Gundy's face is not very good-looking, and the bald young marshal turns around and prepares to clean up Sprewell

Played 28 minutes, 9 of 17, 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 4 free throws, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 turnover.

3 of 11, Gorilla performance stretched, 2 of 8, Oakley didn't find his form, Walter Fraser simply ignored the two veterans, and followed with a smile X:

"We played really well in the first game of the new season, Lee, do you think we have a chance to defend our title this year?"

Most New York fans are concerned about this issue, and Li You naturally responded confidently:

"Of course, in the third year of the run-in of the squad, the cooperation is more tacit, compared to other teams, we have a balanced offensive and defensive balance, and we will definitely defend the title successfully this year."

Many New York fans at the scene were still shouting Li You's name, and commentator Mike Brin saw such a scene and asked with a smile:

"We noticed a big change in your offensive options in the first game, is that related to the training you did in the offseason?"

Li You waved to the fans on the sidelines, and then replied frankly:

"Of course, after two seasons and we won the title again, more and more teams will look at my technical characteristics."

"I'm going to respond, not just three-pointers, I'm going to make reasonable offensive choices for defense!"

“.”

When Lee Woo returned to the locker room, Jeff Van Gundy was furious at Sprewell:

"Dangerous, tired of logging! No player is above the team! ”

"To win the championship, everyone has to make sacrifices, and this is my first warning, if this happens again, you won't be on the activation list."

The bald young marshal yelled angrily for a few words, and then briefly summed up the game.

Sprewell, who was sitting in his seat, had a long face, and Ewing and Oakley were smiling and having fun.

Back in his seat, Li You and Alan Houston clashed fists and joked to himself:

"That's a good thing, at least we still have time to adjust!"

Alan Houston, who scored 20 points in this game, didn't care about the atmosphere of the team, and said in a relaxed tone:

"I believe that in just half a month, the team will be on the right track!"

“.”

Perhaps the Knicks had an insider, and the news of Jeff Van Gundy's tantrum at Sprewell made headlines the next day in several print media outlets in New York.

"Van Gundy has lost control of the dressing room!"

"A wrong transaction? Sprewell is going to be a locker room cancer! ”

Fortunately, the media are not stupid, Sprewell is indeed stronger than Starks, and he did not belittle the strength of the other party.

The Knicks had a relatively relaxed schedule at the start of the season, and the next day at a practice session in Tarrytown, Jeff Van Gundy almost put on a "catch the ghost" drama

Theoretically, the news in the locker room cannot be leaked to the media, this is an internal matter of the team, and it is natural to solve it internally.

The bald young marshal is in a bad mood, as the youngest champion coach, but he can't command his players, this is definitely an extremely shameful thing!

After the exposure, Sprewell also realized the seriousness of the matter, playing in New York, he also had to deal with media reporters.

Once you are labeled like this, most of your career is ruined.

In Sunday's game against the Wizards, Sprewell didn't make the active list.

That didn't stop the Knicks from winning.

88:108, the Knicks at home beat the Wizards!

Lee, Alan Houston, and Larry Johnson maintained their hot form;

Off the bench, the interior combination of Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace also showed excellent defense.

Assistant coach Thibodeau was very pleased with this, with Scott Thomas and Ben Wallace both shooting 3-of-4 from the field and scoring 8 points;

The bench scored a total of 31 points, and without Sprewell, it didn't seem to have much of an impact.

In Week 2, the Knicks also only had one back-to-back game to play.

Although Ewing and Oakley are still in shape, the team's record has not been affected much after the offensive core has been transferred to the outside.

After successive victories over the Heat and Magic, the Knicks started comfortably with four straight wins.

On the night of the 15th, Sprewell sat on the bench and entered the activation list, but still did not get a chance to play.

Watching the Knicks' bench lineup rely on a tough defensive Rim for the Pistons, Sprewell knew it was another big win tonight.

Coach Alvin Gentry only felt that the timeout had no effect, and he helplessly hung up on the sidelines, watching the point difference widen.

In the entire second quarter of the game, Li You only played for 2 minutes, and finally moved his body briefly.

At 33:50, half-time, Madison Square Garden was already boiling.

With a 17-point lead at halftime, there will certainly be plenty of garbage time in the second half.

At halftime, Sprewell was still silent, and in the third quarter of the game, seeing that Grant Hill on the opposite side was still on the court, helping the team to try to score points, he was a little entangled for a while.

With 4:12 left in the third quarter, Jeff Van Gundy asked for a timeout to switch to the atmosphere group and continue to hone in on the inside combination of Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace.

"Little Ben" doesn't dislike garbage time, he has kept his hair for almost a year, and this season he has a small explosion head, and after throwing off the towel, he clashed with the main lineup of the next game:

"That's cool! We're going to win again tonight! ”

Back on the bench, Li You took Ben Wallace and handed him the kettle, and encouraged him by the way:

"Ben, played well in the second quarter, keep it up like this!"

The Gorilla had no time to comfort the atmosphere group at this time, the opponent hit the iron, and the Knicks switched offense a lot, frequently turned back and ran, and were so tired that they couldn't help but gasp.

Throughout the offseason, Ewing basically didn't have much training, and these few weight loss games can be regarded as exhausting enough for him.

Lee woo whispered to Chris Childs to let the other side pass the ball more, Larry Johnson was teasing Alan Houston's choice back then, and Oakley was leaning back in his chair and wandering the world.

Sensing that several members of the main lineup didn't care about him at all, Sprewell finally compromised, and took the initiative to get to the other party's side while Jeff Van Gundy finished drawing tactics, and whispered:

"Coach, I want to play"

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There will be more at night, and the number of words will be more~

(End of chapter)