Chapter 259: Evaluating them together is disrespectful to Wolverine

In the evening of the 18th, at the Toyota Center.

At eight o'clock, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Knicks: He Zhongqiu, Karl Malone, Battier, Jamal Crawford, Nash
Mosaic: Yao Ming, Juwan Howard, McGrady, Jim Jackson, Bob Sura
In the live broadcast room, Zhang Heli said: "The Yao-McGrady combination is still in the process of running in. The current record is 4 wins and 5 losses. The Knicks have won 6 games in a row. In terms of strength, the Knicks have the advantage."

Yu Jia said: "I hope Yao Ming can make it to the second round this season."

"Correct."

Zhang Heli nodded quickly.

The game starts at half past eight.

He Zhongqiu and Dayao jump ball and the Knicks attack.

"Let's see what defensive tactics the Rockets use?" Zhang Heli asked.

He Zhongqiu entered the frontcourt and did not run to the penalty area, but directly to the left wing, positioning himself and asking for the ball one step inside the 45-degree three-point line.

Yao Ming was originally worried that He Zhongqiu would enter the basket to take position, and he would not be able to withstand it, but now he is dumbfounded. How can he defend against this?
Van Gundy Jr. arranged a three-two zone defense, and his position was at the left waist. The defender of He Zhongqiu's current position was McGrady.

He hesitated for half a second, continued to run to the left waist position, and decided to execute a defensive tactic, throwing He Zhongqiu to McGrady.

McGrady stood in front of He Zhongqiu and adopted a front-circle defense to prevent He Zhongqiu from receiving the ball.

He Zhongqiu pushed with force and directly pushed McGrady aside, then easily trapped him behind him and completed the positioning.

McGrady has suffered a lot of injuries now, and has not invested much on the defensive end. His defense mainly relies on his physical condition, that is, his long arms, and his defensive awareness is actually not outstanding.

As for the superhero Wolverine, he had no intention of defending him to the death. If he was stuck behind him, then he would be stuck behind him.

The next moment, He Zhongqiu received the ball, took a tentative step, shook McGrady, then immediately pulled back and jumped to shoot.

"Bang! Swoosh!"

The basketball hit the backboard and bounced into the basket.

"Beautiful! In a mismatched singles game, Zhongqiu hit a long two-point shot at a 45-degree angle." Zhang Heli praised.

Yu Jia said: "You are not allowed to defend with your hands above the free throw line. For a face-to-basket attack like the one in the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is even more difficult to defend because of the mismatch."

Zhang Heli said: "If Zhongqiu keeps shooting from this position, the Rockets will definitely not be able to defend him with a three-two zone defense, and McGrady can't defend Zhongqiu."

"We have to change our tactics," said Yu Jia.

There is a flaw in Van Gundy's on-the-spot command, which is that he is easily confused by the situation. In the first quarter, He Zhongqiu was always in the far two-point area and singled out McGrady, making 7 of 4 shots, but he did not realize the problem.

The reason is simple. Yao Ming had a good touch today. Even though he couldn't enter the restricted area under He Zhongqiu's defense, he still made 6 of 4 shots in the first quarter, which was a higher hit rate than He Zhongqiu.

In addition, McGrady also made 5 of 2 shots in the first quarter, so the Rockets did not fall behind in the score. The score was alternately leading, and the Rockets' situation was not bad. They were only 1 point behind after the first quarter.

But in the second quarter, even though He Zhongqiu did not defend Yao Ming with all his strength and the confrontation was not intense, Yao Ming's physical fitness inevitably declined, and then his offensive efficiency began to decline.

He Zhongqiu was still pulled out to play. If Yao Ming didn't guard him, he would get into a mismatch. No matter who he played against, his physical energy consumption was very small and his hit rate remained high, so the Rockets began to fall behind.

Halfway through the second quarter, the Rockets were trailing by 6 points. It was then that Xiao Fan realized that something was wrong.

He immediately called a timeout, changed the defensive tactics, and asked Yao Ming to defend.

This put Yao Ming in trouble, because He Zhongqiu immediately changed his playing style. When Yao Ming followed him out, he immediately cut into the penalty area, or dribbled past Yao Ming with the ball, and Yao Ming could not keep up with the rhythm at all.

Thibodeau knew He Zhongqiu very well and suggested that Juwan Howard come out to defend He Zhongqiu to avoid wasting Yao Min's energy. Xiao Fan agreed.

But the Rockets' unfavorable situation did not improve, because when the Postman moved to the other wing, Yao Ming had to follow him out, and the restricted area was still emptied.

After the Postman was substituted after playing for half a quarter, Varejao came on the court. He also had mid-range shots, but Yao Ming still didn't dare to leave him open.

After the second quarter, the Rockets were trailing by 14 points and 13 points in the second quarter.

"There's nothing we can do about it. After Yao Ming and Uncle Huo came out, no one can defend them." Zhang Heli said.

"Yes, after Yao Ming and Howard came out, Zhongqiu was able to defend back." Yu Jia said.

"After Zhongqiu acquired the mid-range shooting skill, he used the space-type center style of play, and the effect was very good whether he was playing against O'Neal or Yao Ming," said Zhang Heli.

"The key is that he can switch back and forth between space-type play and highly confrontational low-post play," Yu Jia said with a smile.

Zhang Heli said: "The Knicks didn't play fast breaks much today. If they did, Yao Ming would have a harder time."

In this game, the Knicks finally achieved their seventh consecutive victory, 85:104, a big win of 19 points.

Zhang Heli said after the game: "Yao played for 30 minutes, got 24 points and 7 rebounds, and his shooting percentage was 41.5%. His shooting percentage dropped sharply in the second half."

于佳接着道：“麦迪35分钟，28分6助攻2抢断，命中率40.3%。”

Zhang Heli said: "The Yao-McGrady duo scored 52 points, but the offensive efficiency was not high enough under the strong defense of the Knicks.

Their own defense didn’t work out, and they couldn’t stop the Knicks’ offense. Mid-Autumn didn’t play hard tonight.”

Yu Jia said: "Zhongqiu scored 33 points in 30 minutes, Crawford scored 18 points, Nash scored 16 points, Battier scored 12 points, and the Mailman scored 10 points. All five starting players scored in double digits, and Nash got 13 assists."

Zhang Heli said: "In comparison, on the Rockets side, only Yao Ming and McGrady scored in double digits, while the others were not in good shape.

In terms of lineup comparison, whether it is the main lineup or the substitute lineup, the Rockets are not as good as the Knicks. I think they need to continue to strengthen their team."

On the court, He Zhongqiu said to Yao Ming: "Yao Ming, I haven't played much yet. With your strength, I think it will be difficult for you to get past the first round."

"If we make it to the upper half, why don't we have a chance to get past the first round?" Yao Ming said unconvinced.

"The question is, do you have the ability to make it into the upper half?" He Zhongqiu joked.

Yao Ming simply counted on his fingers and said, "The Spurs and Mavericks are the only two teams stronger than them. The Kings and Nuggets are at the same level as us. Why can't we make it to the top half?"

"Have you forgotten the Supersonics who won eight games in a row? They are currently ranked first in the Western Conference." He Zhongqiu laughed.

"Uh!"

Yao Ming was embarrassed. He actually forgot about the Supersonics.

After losing the opening game, the Supersonics won eight consecutive games and are now 8-1, ranking first in the Western Conference. The Spurs have a record of only 6-2.

It’s not that he deliberately ignored the Supersonics. It’s just that the Supersonics didn’t make the playoffs in the two seasons since he entered the league. In his mind, the Supersonics are a bad team.

After defeating the Rockets, the Knicks rushed to Dallas overnight.

But on the 19th, in a back-to-back game, the Knicks, who were in poor form, lost.

7 wins and 1 loss, first in the Eastern Conference, second in the league, behind the Supersonics.

On the 20th, He Zhongqiu returned to New York.

The wooden man has been installed in the training hall at the back. He specified that it be made of iron and wood, and it took the martial arts school more than half a month to complete it.

The wooden man is as hard as iron, two and a half meters tall, several sizes larger than ordinary wooden men, and weighs more than four hundred kilograms.

From the top of the head to the feet, there are ten rows of poles, twenty poles on the left and right, and each pole is ten centimeters thick.

"I haven't practiced much in several years."

After stretching his body, he took off his clothes, wearing only a pair of shorts, and stood in front of the pile.

First he gathered Qi and moved Qi and blood. As Qi and blood rushed, all the muscles and bones in his body exerted strength, and his physique suddenly became larger and became very strong.

"Bang!" He half turned to the left and his left fist hit the opponent's hand heavily.

"Oh!"

The next moment, the corresponding hand on the right side hit him hard on the back.

"boom!"

The next punch hit the overhead stake.

"Oh!"

The next moment, the corresponding hand hit him on the head.

"Hiss! This iron wood is strong, harder than a human fist."

……

21st, Madison Square Garden, New York.

In the visiting team's locker room, the Cavaliers are preparing for the game.

LeBron James has some confidence in tonight's game and he wants to have a great performance in the basketball mecca Madison Square Garden.

After winning the championship, Wolverine's popularity has grown, and after the Japanese fighting tournament, his popularity has reached a new level. He has world-class influence and his influence is unique in the NBA league.

He is also a rising star that the league is promoting and is very popular, but compared to Wolverine, his popularity is far less, and he has almost no influence outside the United States.

But what made him even more depressed was that Wolverine actually became a superhero. This guy's popularity skyrocketed to the point that he had to look up to him.

Tonight, he wanted to show his presence in front of Wolverine.

At this time, the Cavaliers had a good record of 6 wins and 3 losses, which was one of the sources of his confidence.

His strength has also improved a lot this season. He averaged 27 points per game and his shooting percentage increased from 41.7% last season to 47.2%. He also developed a three-point shot with a shooting percentage of 35%. His mid-range shooting ability is also more stable than last season.

At eight o'clock, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Cavaliers: Big Z, Drew Gooden, LeBron James, Ira Newber, Jeff McGinnis

Knicks: He Zhongqiu, Karl Malone, Shane Battier, Jamal Crawford, Nash
On the ESPN commentary booth, Bill Walton said: "Crawford once again got the chance to start. With his strength, he is absolutely qualified to start even in the defending champion Knicks."

Michael Breen said: "Josh Howard is a better defender. If the opponent's No. 2 is aggressive, Howard will usually be used."

Bill Walton nodded and said, “Last season, LeBron was mentioned in the same breath as the Wolverines, and people talked about how talented they were.

But this season, it seems that such comments are rarely seen, and people no longer seem to be keen on evaluating LeBron and Wolverine together. "

Michael Brin laughed and said, "One won the Grand Slam in a season, winning MVP, scoring title, championship and Finals MVP at the same time, and the other didn't make the playoffs. How can these two be evaluated together?
If they are evaluated together, it would definitely be unfair to LeBron James and disrespectful to Wolverine."

The game starts at half past eight.

After the jump ball, the Knicks attacked.

The Postman pulled to a position one step inside the right corner, while Drew Gooden defended in the low position on the right wing with one foot on the right sideline of the penalty area.

He Zhongqiu received the ball two steps outside the left waist position. After Big Z followed, he immediately turned around and broke through with the ball, but Drew Gooden failed to return to the basket in time from the low post on the right wing.

"boom!"

With a one-handed tomahawk dunk, the Cavaliers' basket was instantly blown up.

0:2, the Cavaliers attacked, and the Knicks set up a three-two zone defense.

Jeff McGinnis carried the ball to the right wing, and James ran over.

After the two passed the basketball, James immediately rushed inside with the ball, and McGinnis stayed on the three-point line.

Nash was touched by James and fell to the ground.

Battier at the free throw line and the Mailman in the low post on the right wing immediately made up for the defense, and outside the right waist position, they formed a close-range double-team on James.

But James was very fast and determined. Facing the fierce double-team, he immediately passed the ball and then rushed towards the two men with the ball.

One step, two steps, three steps, bang, he bumped into the middle of the two people, rushed over, and then took another step...

"Di!"

The referee couldn't help it, blew the whistle and made a traveling gesture.

Forget about your third step, you even took the fourth step. This is the Knicks' home court, and Wolverine is watching us inside. I don't want to become the second Tim Donaghy.

"why?"

James was confused and spread his hands. He said, "Usually you don't blow the whistle when I take six steps, but you blew the whistle just now after I only took four steps. There's something wrong with your whistle!"

Bill Walton and Michael Brin were unable to explain and were shaking with laughter.

"Young man, you have to adapt to the rules, not let the rules adapt to you, do you understand?" He Zhongqiu said earnestly as he passed by.

Then he said to the referee, "Sir, please be strict with him. With his talent, he may become the future star of the NBA. The nickname Liubulang is not very nice."

"Who said six steps? I'm just used to taking a few more steps. Who told them not to blow my trumpet normally?"

James' face turned as black as charcoal, but he didn't dare to argue in front of He Zhongqiu, feeling a little aggrieved.

Then, two minutes later, James was called for a traveling violation again, and then he started to seem to be unable to play the game.

Throughout the game, he was called for traveling violations 11 times. Later in the game, he stopped breaking through and just took spot shots from outside.

In this game, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers and achieved a record of 8 wins and 1 loss.

The Supersonics, who had won nine consecutive games, also lost tonight, with a record of 9 wins and 2 losses.

The two teams have the same record, competing for 7 wins and tied for first place in the league.

On the 23rd, after the Knicks defeated the Hawks at home, they set off overnight and flew to Toronto, Canada.

On the 24th, the ticket center of Madison Square Garden began selling tickets for the match between He Zhongqiu and WWE, and also opened online and telephone ticket sales channels.

The average ticket price was as high as $2510, far higher than the price of tickets for the Knicks' last Finals.

If ticket sales go well, the game will take in as much as $5300 million, more than the North American box office of most Hollywood movies.

Ticket sales started at 9am, and long queues formed outside the four sales windows starting at 6am.

"Open four more sales windows immediately."

After the ticketing center manager learned the news, he made a decision immediately.

Madison Square Garden also received dividends from the box office of this game. In addition to the fixed venue rental fee of $1, there is also a % box office dividend.

Tickets went on sale at 21000 a.m., online, by phone and at the ticket counter. Four hours later, all tickets were sold out.

On the 24th, the Knicks lost to the Raptors in back-to-back road games.

This is also the second game the Knicks have lost this season, both of which were back-to-back road games.

The Knicks have 9 wins and 2 losses, while the Supersonics have won two consecutive games, with 11 wins and 2 losses. The Knicks are still in second place in the league.

On November 11, He Zhongqiu returned to New York with the team.

(End of this chapter)