NBA: The Basketball Miracle

Chapter 509 509: Losing with Dignity?

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On Friday, March 16, 2007, Kurt Thomas returned to Madison Square Garden for the second time this season.

The New York fans didn't forget to give a warm round of applause after a tribute video was played that night, as they hadn't had the chance to honor the veteran during last year's awards ceremony.

The Hornets had many players with championship experience, including Anderson Varejão, who was a stable starter, and Kurt Thomas and Rasual Butler off the bench.

Butler, who was a role player back then, had grown into the Hornets' Sixth Man.

Most players who came out of the Knicks, regardless of their draft position, were able to make a name for themselves.

Peja's injury prevented the Hornets from reaching their ideal record of 28 wins and 36 losses, and Head Coach Scott still had to lead his players to strive for a playoff spot.

Delonte West was currently the Hornets' main scorer.

As the tactical core, his pick-and-roll with Chris Paul was excellent.

Unfortunately, the New York fans were too enthusiastic that night, and Delonte West started bricking shots right after tip-off.

Receiving the ball in the left and right elbow areas, Delonte West tried to use his speed to drive past Pau Gasol, but instead, he turned the ball over and got blocked.

The slow-starting Knicks gradually extended their lead thanks to Tyson Chandler's continuous offensive rebounds.

With 6 minutes and 13 seconds left in the first quarter, Desmond Mason missed his second free throw.

Watching Chandler grab the rebound, Head Coach Scott helplessly turned around on the sideline and spread his hands towards the bench.

5:15, the Hornets still couldn't seize the opportunity.

"Let's go Knicks!"

The cheers once again echoed through the Madison Square Garden.

At the MSG commentary booth, Walt Frazier was discussing the technical characteristics of Paul and Rajon Rondo:

"Judging solely from their Rookie seasons, Chris Paul is more mature. You can see a lot of Lee's shadow in him, some of his technical moves are almost identical."

"Rajon Rondo has also performed very well, but his shooting has magnified his flaws. Every opponent will study us, and as a Rookie, he has already performed very well."

Chris Paul also knew that everyone had been comparing him to Rajon Rondo lately, but he didn't care about this opponent.

Their technical characteristics were too different.

At this moment, watching Lee accelerate with the ball in his right hand, he noticed Tyson Chandler had already moved up to the three-point line behind him and immediately turned his head to loudly remind his teammate:

"Move!"

While reminding his teammate to delay, Paul tried to stick to him to make it easier to squeeze through, but just as he got in front, Lee passed the ball to Tyson Chandler.

The moment the ball was released, Lee immediately lowered his center of gravity and suddenly swayed his body to the front-left.

Paul, defending tightly, slid with him to receive the ball, but the next second, he was instantly shaken off by the accelerated back cut.

After more than half a season of training, Tyson Chandler had barely adapted to the Knicks' fancy hand-off passes.

His calm cross-pass after receiving the ball, although a bit too strong, Lee still easily chased the ball.

More than half a step behind, Paul chased diligently, and at the same time, Anderson Varejão, who had been alerted, desperately slid towards the basket.

Lee, holding the ball in his right hand and accelerating with a lowered shoulder, made no further changes in rhythm, flying low to the ground and driving straight to the basket.

Gathering the ball directly in front of the rim while in motion, Lee bumped Anderson Varejão away, then, twisted his body to the bottom right of the rim, drifting backward to the right.

Paul, who had chased up to block, only hit his left arm.

"Whistle!"

The referee blew his whistle.

Lee, suspended in the air, casually tossed the ball against the backboard, and the basketball bounced in, eliciting another round of cheers.

Seeing both Anderson Varejão and Paul sprawled on the floor, Mike Breen at the commentary booth happily praised:

"Clay Lee tears apart the Hornets' Defense! With such impact and finishing ability, no big man in the league can protect the rim against Lee's drives."

The Knicks' bench was also in an uproar, while Rajon Rondo managed a strained smile.

He didn't like commentators comparing Paul to him.

This kind of chaotic scene wasn't the first since the game started.

Small guards usually got hit hard when they encountered Lee.

Paul, sitting on the floor, frowned, and when a teammate pulled him up, he looked unhappy.

His Defense was collapsing.

"Step it up, I don't want to play only 24 minutes!"

After Lee made his free throw, he didn't retreat on Defense.

He squeezed behind Paul at the baseline and teased the Rookie, who accelerated with his head down when he received the ball, knowing he had to speed up the game.

Anderson Varejão proactively raised his screen position.

Outside the arc at the top of the key, taking advantage of his teammate standing still, Paul, with the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped short while in motion, then changed direction between his legs.

After switching to his right hand, Paul, while Lee was squeezing through the screen, again exploded with a sudden stop, then quickly pulled the ball and turned.

Quietly shifting his feet, Anderson Varejão, with his championship experience, successfully used his large frame to delay Lee's chase.

"Oh!"

The flashy move made the New York fans exclaim.

This was also the difference between Rajon Rondo and Paul, and there was a difference in the entertainment value of their games.

Facing Tyson Chandler's perimeter Defense, Paul, standing on the three-point line, stopped short then accelerated a second time.

With the ball in his left hand, he lowered his shoulder and accelerated, then immediately stopped short at the left elbow, dribbled behind his back, and quickly shot a jump shot!

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

Pau Gasol boxed out Delonte West and easily secured the rebound.

Paul didn't have time to be annoyed, as Lee was already receiving the ball at the free-throw line.

Head Coach Scott on the sideline loudly called for his players to retreat on Defense.

Clay Lee, after wrapping the ball behind his back to his right hand, charged forward, pushing against Paul.

Delonte West and Anderson Varejão had just returned to the basket.

At the top of the arc, Lee drove through the Defense like a tank, and the moment he reached the paint, he changed direction with a slow three-step move and wrapped the ball behind his back.

Paul helplessly twisted his body and jumped, barely managing a block, but Lee easily completed a long-range floater with his left hand!

"Swish!" The basketball swished through the net.

5:20, Head Coach Scott called another timeout, and Madison Square Garden erupted again.

The Knicks' atmosphere group rushed onto the court to high-five Lee in celebration.

Paul stood with his hands on his hips, regretting having rejected his coach's suggestion for a double-team.

"What limits Clay Lee's scoring more is his playing time. I think he'll only play 28 minutes tonight."

"Coach DAntoni won't let Lee appear in the fourth quarter. There won't be a second 60-win team in the Eastern Conference this year, this is absolute dominance!"

Mike Breen felt the game was no longer in doubt and began his usual bragging.

Although some commentators questioned the quality of the record, New York fans didn't care about any of that, winning was all that mattered.

"I think Tyson Chandler is getting better and better. The quality of his screens has improved significantly compared to the beginning of the season."

"I have a lot of respect for the Chicago Bulls, but they failed to unleash Tyson Chandler's potential."

Towards the end of the season, it was time for award selections again.

Walt Frazier had been praising him fiercely every day since March, and the New York Media had already prematurely predicted the DPOY.

With almost no self-created offense, relying on easy dunks, and averaging a double-double, Tyson Chandler's block numbers weren't great, and Marcus Camby currently had higher acclaim.

Despite Marcus Camby's excellent shot-blocking, the Denver Nuggets' defensive efficiency wasn't great, which was Tyson Chandler's opportunity at the moment.

The Hornets subbed out the invisible Devin Brown and brought in Bobby Jackson to form a dual-guard backcourt.

The substitution broke their scoring drought, but the deficit continued to widen.

Towards the end of the first quarter, Paul again made a field goal, a pull-up three-pointer after a high pick-and-roll.

Thanks to Desmond Mason's free throws, the Hornets barely maintained a respectable score.

15:36, the first quarter ended, and the game entered garbage time.

Clay Lee played the entire first quarter, shooting 6-of-7 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line, efficiently scoring 16 points, barely outscoring the Hornets.

During the rotation phase, thanks to Rasual Butler's three-pointer and Chris Paul's offense, the Hornets' performance improved, and Delonte West also stopped missing shots, playing aggressively during garbage time.

As the New York Knicks pushed harder in the third quarter, too many turnovers led to the Hornets scoring only 16 points in the single quarter, and Lee ultimately couldn't play the entire third quarter, being substituted early for rest.

At 89:120, when the game ended, Chris Paul breathed a sigh of relief.

The point difference didn't exceed 50.

The two teams would face each other again at the end of the month.

Chris Paul, accepting an interview after the game, forced a smile: 5-of-15 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range, 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers.

Chris Paul was naturally not satisfied with his statistics, but fortunately, the MSG reporters present didn't care about these, asking again about the MVP question:

"Chris, do you think Lee should win the MVP again?"

"62 wins and 3 losses, Lee has led the team to such a record. We all know how difficult that is. He deserves this award!"

Chris Paul again spoke highly of Lee, and seemingly feeling that the argument wasn't strong enough, he added:

"Lee leads the league in scoring and steals. This year, he's on another level on both ends of the court. No one can come close to him. Dirk is good, but I think there's a big gap between the two."

Every visiting team is asked these questions.

The MSG reporters were very satisfied with Chris Paul's answer, and facing their own cameras, they emphasized again:

"Perhaps the German will steal Lee's trophy, but it doesn't matter. In the players' hearts, Lee is the true MVP!"

"..."

After the game, Lee brought staff to the visiting team's locker room to deliver food.

Kurt Thomas, seeing the familiar pizza, laughed in front of the new players:

"Everyone, try this! Pizza from Tarrytown Training Center, with extra cheese and ham!"

Delonte West, who had lost the game, stared at Lee's bare upper body and secretly marveled, subconsciously rubbing his stomach, certain that he didn't have visible abdominal muscles.

"I know you guys like to eat these after the game. When you officially return to New Orleans, you should try it, Bro. Everyone is very happy to see you staying healthy."

Lee went forward and fist-bumped Kurt and a few others.

Chris Paul on the side started sighing again.

They were still playing at Ford Center now, and they could only officially return home next season.

Rasual Butler, who got the pizza, smiled happily and took the opportunity to complain a bit:

"Sometimes I really miss my days in New York. The Oklahoma City fans are enthusiastic, but it's too boring there, and there aren't many national broadcasts."

Anderson Varejão had completely experienced the regional differences.

In New York, even being a hype man could get him on TV, but as a starter for the Hornets, few people discussed him:

"We all saw the news. Maybe players should vote for the awards. Lee, we all support you!"

"Forget it, Bro. Player voting might be even worse. Nobody likes New York."

Watching Lee joke around with a smile, the Hornets players all joined in the laughter.

That's just how it is: there are more sour grapes than rational players.

On sunday, March 18th, the Toronto Raptors once again challenged the New York Knicks on the road.

Andrea Bargnani had another nightmarish game.

Amidst the cheers of "Spaghetti," the former first overall pick shot 0-of-7, scoring only 4 points from free throws.

Even though Chris Bosh played aggressively during garbage time, the Toronto Raptors still suffered a crushing defeat, and Head Coach Sam Mitchell even refused to shake hands after the game.

70:128. Rajon Rondo, who had been shooting poorly for most of the season, finally had an excellent performance with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers.

The Rookie, who had been ridiculed mercilessly, almost shed tears again after the game.

Bargnani didn't understand why New York fans had such malice towards him.

He couldn't comprehend the mindset of the trolls.

With 36 wins and 31 losses, although the Toronto Raptors lost, they have a strong chance of returning to the playoffs.

Ron Artest looked down on this team.

When they played away last time, the Toronto Raptors fans cheered MVP for Chris Bosh.

Tonight, after a dominant victory, the former Defensive Player of the Year again mocked their opponents:

"If a team's leader loses by 58 points, he shouldn't receive MVP cheers. The Toronto Raptors fans have too low expectations for them."

"If we meet in the playoffs this year, they will realize that Clay Lee is the true MVP."

"Chris Bosh is no different from that Italian noodle. His All-Star selection is just the league's favor."

Sam Mitchell proactively attended the press conference.

The Black Head Coach was furious, and taking the opportunity to answer questions, he defended his players:

"Such humiliating nicknames should not appear in the holy land of basketball. Andrea has always yearned to prove himself here, but he cannot get respect."

"Yes, we lost by 58 points, but the boys gave their all."

"Andrea is still a fan of Lee, and every time he comes to New York, he has great expectations, but when the fans hurt him, Lee did not show any reaction."

"This is why many people in the league don't like New York: arrogant, conceited, and lacking respect. When a team plays to humiliate opponents, they will fail sooner or later."

More and more teams in the league were losing by large margins, and this undignified way of losing indeed sparked public outrage, with Lee's increased free throw attempts being the best feedback.

However, Sam Mitchell was the first to publicly complain in front of the media, and New York Media were also quite annoyed, but fortunately, Lee's response didn't disappoint everyone:

"The New York Knicks only respect opponents who have beaten us. Tickets are not cheap, and New York fans have the right to express their wishes."

"..."

On tuesday, March 20th, just one day later, the Portland Trail Blazers became the next victim.

Brandon Roy, who had become famous in the previous game, turned into a bricklayer under targeted Defense.

82:124. The Portland Trail Blazers scored only 38 points in the first half, inevitably losing by a large margin.

The inside combination of Eddy Curry and LaMarcus Aldridge was shot full of holes from the start.

After the game, Curry, who was full of sour grapes, couldn't help but complain again:

"I don't understand why the fans here mock me. I almost came to New York back then."

"Now I understand how the Toronto Raptors players feel. Clay Lee shouldn't have played the entire third quarter. The game had already lost all suspense."

The roaring Madison Square Garden made Head Coach McMillan's face turn dark.

He didn't expect the New York Knicks to specifically target the Rookie.

Brandon Roy was shut down by Clay Lee and others, shooting 5-of-18.

With 26 wins and 42 losses, the Portland Trail Blazers were already preparing for fishing.

When McMillan saw Mike D'Antoni's smiling face at the scorer's table, he couldn't help but break down for a moment:

"I thought you wouldn't play such tight Defense on a first-year Rookie."

Mike D'Antoni naturally wouldn't say that he had been slacking off recently.

Hearing the other party's sarcastic complaint, he just smiled and teased:

"Listen to these cheers. These are also for the Portland Trail Blazers. The New York fans present are very satisfied with this game."

"I think this is the best respect. Lee even specifically asked for Roy's game footage for this game."

"..."

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