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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
On the evening of April 28th, at the Continental Airlines Arena, fans witnessed a miraculous game.
The Nets' leader, Jason Kidd, did not bounce back strongly, continuing his sluggish performance from the previous two games after the tip-off.
Starting player Richard Jefferson no longer worried about his wrist injury and was extremely active on the offensive end.
The Dunk King, Vince Carter, who had just joined the team this season, showed a different mental outlook, taking shots frantically from the start.
The two commentators on the broadcast booth also did not expect Carter to perform like this.
Kevin Harlan noticed that the Nets often had less than 8 seconds on the shot clock for their offense, and he couldn't help but exclaim again:
"This is Vince Carter! After returning to his home court, he has activated his scoring mode!"
"I think the fans on site must have felt Carter's desire to win."
Doug Collins did not take over the conversation because although Carter was shooting frantically, the effect was mediocre.
The Dunk King was suppressed by Clay Lee.
Sometimes, the NBA is a big show.
Doug Collins knew that Carter, whose reputation had been declining this season, was actually trying to maintain his image.
For Nets fans, many had already prepared for a loss, but seeing Carter's performance, the cheers for the Nets once again drowned out the noise created by the New York Knicks fans at the arena.
Towards the end of the first quarter, the game was still ongoing, and on the Nets' side, Kidd no longer controlled the game's rhythm as he had in the previous two games.
For a core point guard who likes to manipulate the game, Kidd had clearly laid back.
He was cooperating with his teammates' performance, no longer deliberately controlling the rhythm, and the number of risky passes was also increasing.
Carter did not stop his performance. In other words, he had to show his desire for victory.
The game could be lost, but it could not be lost without meaning.
After the game started, Lee was first a little surprised, then gradually showed a mischievous smile.
NBA players actually like to show off.
Black players who have made a lot of money have already escaped the bottom class.
Wealthy Black people are truly "Black people," while those who are poor, unmotivated, and only want to take advantage are "niggas."
Ewing always looked down on his compatriots in the lower districts who only liked to wait for relief.
Carter, due to his family background, would not openly discriminate.
But after so many years in the league, Carter's way of doing things has also changed.
With 2 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter, as Pau Gasol scored an easy layup under the basket, the inbound pass was quickly made, and Kidd once again chased over half-court.
To cooperate with Carter's performance, Lee actively switched Defenses.
Currently, Raja Bell was responsible for guarding Kidd.
Amidst the cheers of Nets fans, Kidd, who came to the top of the arc, did not initiate an offense from that position but instead actively came to the back wing and handed the ball to Carter.
When initiating an offense from the top of the arc, the Knicks compressed their Defense, testing the Nets' shooting, which naturally would not yield very good results.
Although Kidd gave up control, some details were still well-considered.
After passing the ball, he ran to the baseline, dribbling from right to left along the baseline, loudly directing his teammates to open up offensive space.
The big man Kostic actively came to the right wing to set a screen but was strongly squeezed past by Lee.
The referees did not call a foul on Lee's minor actions.
Since the two had frequently matched up, the three referees tonight had entered spectator mode.
Seeing Carter holding the ball in his left hand, lowering his center of gravity, and moving horizontally, the fans at the arena were highly emotional, many loudly shouting "Offense!"
Moving horizontally to the top of the arc, Carter had not yet realized that his offensive choice was problematic.
Lee was relentless, sticking to his side like a piece of chewing gum, and with the referees' indulgence, he constantly interfered with his hands.
Carter, whose dribbling rhythm was disrupted, unknowingly returned to the top of the arc.
After achieving his goal, Lee suddenly moved sideways, guarding in front of the opponent.
Carter immediately used a crossover to pull back, seizing the opportunity.
Switching to his right hand, Carter first faked a gather at the three-point line, then again dipped his shoulder and accelerated.
Achieving his goal, Lee was not fooled at all. While sliding his feet in time, he subtly pulled and tugged.
Their bodies collided, and Carter was forced to slow down.
If there was an element of performance at the beginning of the game, by this point, Carter was already fuming, and his actions were becoming larger and larger.
Exerting horizontal force, Carter, who was protecting the ball with his side, suddenly turned his back, continuously posting up near the free-throw line.
Lee adjusted his center of gravity and propped up his arm, firmly holding off the opponent.
Their muscles collided, and fans behind the basket could even see sweat flying.
After two consecutive shoves, Carter did not gain an advantage and failed to fully squeeze into the paint.
Taking advantage of Lee leaning back slightly, Carter, holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly pulled the ball back significantly, then, pivoting on his left foot, twisted his body forward.
Pulling the ball to fake, Carter's movements were fluid and seamless.
Finally, he exerted force with his feet, leaning back from the free-throw line, and forcefully shot a jump shot!
In the air, Carter found that he couldn't see the basket.
Lee extended his left arm, using a "face-smothering" block.
Although it wasn't fully blindfold and there was still a small distance from Carter's eyes, this fadeaway jump shot was still interfered with.
In the lightning-fast offense and Defense, fans only saw a rough outline, and the basketball once again bounced off the rim.
Carter, who landed, was visibly agitated.
He directly bumped his head into Lee, yelling angrily:
"Damn it, you want to poke my eyes out!?"
Carter's headband was askew from the collision.
Unexpectedly, his opponent broke his composure so quickly.
Lee turned to look at the sideline referee, while raising both arms and saying nonchalantly:
"Buddy, you can go complain to the referee!"
Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound, and when the New York Knicks players saw Carter and Lee clashing, they immediately surrounded them.
Raja Bell and Richard Jefferson started pulling at each other before they even got close.
Not only did Carter lose his composure, but Richard Jefferson, who was starting despite an injury, was also seething with anger.
Both of them were verbally abusive.
After being separated by the referee, Raja Bell was still shouting loudly:
"Fuck you, nobody cares about your performance!"
When Lee hadn't switched Defenses yet, Carter was scoring over Raja Bell's head.
Coupled with the referees favoring Carter, this made Raja Bell particularly annoyed.
Clearly, the Dunk King wanted him to be a backdrop.
However, Lee had no intention of cooperating with the opponent's act.
He quickly took over the defensive assignment, and then Carter went silent.
The fans followed with loud jeers.
Carter, who had been clanking shot after shot, felt he was losing face and was still arguing with the referee after being held back.
Lee's mischievous nature was essentially about hitting his opponent.
If Carter hadn't made grand statements before the game and had played silently like Kidd, he wouldn't have bothered to defend him.
However, the opponent wanted to add drama to himself, creating an image of a lone hero, and Lee would not agree to this.
He preferred to see big stars lose their composure.
Compared to Carter, Kidd was still the same.
When his teammates shot, he would pass the ball, and if he found an opportunity, he would initiate a fast break.
His emotions were stable, and Kidd did not show a strong desire to win.
"Defense!"
After the small skirmish, the defensive cheers in the Continental Airlines Arena grew louder.
The "performance" still had some effect.
Most fans enjoyed that kind of drama.
Receiving the ball on the baseline, Lee unhurriedly dribbled past half-court and came to the right wing.
Raja Bell noticed Carter actively switching Defenses and immediately slowed down.
Carter occasionally glanced behind him.
Lee played unfairly.
Most of his offensive initiations were pick-and-rolls.
Pau Gasol cooperated tacitly.
Noticing Carter's distraction, he actively moved, further drawing the opponent's defensive attention.
Carter instinctively stepped forward to guard closely, preparing to establish his defensive position early.
Lee suddenly changed direction with a crossover, dipped his shoulder, accelerated, and actively initiated body contact with the opponent.
Lee's excellent explosiveness allowed him to instantly gain half a step.
Without a screen, Carter, though he slid his feet in time, was still half a beat slow.
Their bodies collided, and Lee, after a slight deceleration, suddenly increased his stride.
Kostic, who had followed Pau Gasol to the paint, intended to help defend, but Lee, while moving, smoothly executed an In and out move.
Feinting right and driving left, Lee's body swayed significantly, directly freezing Kostic in place.
Carter, who was continuously sliding, almost collided with his teammate, and helplessly completely lost his defensive position.
After the fake, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, flew close to the ground.
Collins, who was below the left side of the basket, was still wrestling with Kurt Thomas behind him, and when he turned his head, he saw Lee soaring into the air.
Collins instinctively helped defend under the basket.
Before he could fully jump, Lee, who had charged up with three big steps, grabbed the ball with his left hand, ignored the block, and slammed it down with a powerful arm swing!
"Screech!"
As the referee blew his whistle, the basket suddenly exploded with a bang, and cheers erupted in the arena.
Clay Lee, under the basket, showed off to the camera by pounding his chest:
"Softie!"
Shouting and shaking his head, Lee ignored the displeased Carter, slowly walked to the free-throw line, and high-fived his teammates in celebration.
Doug Collins saw it clearly: Clay Lee's timing for the breakthrough was just right, the fake screen amplified his physical advantage, and his dribbling skill, where man and ball were one, guaranteed points under the basket.
Thinking of Lee's age, Doug Collins suddenly exclaimed:
"Perhaps Clay Lee won't show significant decline even at 35. He is the most perfect backcourt player I have ever seen."
Kevin Harlan didn't notice too many details, but he saw Lee's dominance over Carter on both ends of the court in the first quarter.
Compared to technical details, Kevin Harlan preferred gossip.
Taking advantage of Lee making his free throw, he again stoked the fire, saying:
"I like games like this. If Carter regains his shooting touch, the Nets still have a chance."
Carter's performance continued.
After his ball-handling offense proved ineffective, he started receiving the ball in the left and right block areas.
However, too much physical contact affected his shooting touch, and Carter's low-post offense continued to miss.
The two exchanged blows for several consecutive possessions, and in the end, both Lee and Carter earned free throws.
By the end of the first quarter, the Nets fans' excitement had disappeared.
32:20, the deficit still reached double digits.
Fans who initially had expectations would cheer loudly when they saw Carter continuously demanding the ball and attacking, but after shot after shot clanked off the rim, their enthusiasm waned.
3-for-11 shooting, 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, Carter inefficiently scored 9 points.
Despite scoring half of the team's points, Carter did not receive encouragement from the fans when he returned to the bench, and his teammates were also very subdued.
Frank did not make too many adjustments, only replacing Collins with Brian Scalabrine at Richard Jefferson's strong request.
From the commentary booth, Kevin Harlan, after looking at the technical statistics, found it difficult to comment and could only continue to praise:
"A scorer needs to have that kind of confidence. I believe Carter will regain his touch in the upcoming games."
Doug Collins did not comment on individual performance but tactfully said:
"The Nets are losing their game rhythm; their offense is too casual!"
"Superstars shouldn't be swayed by emotions. Clay Lee does better in this regard."
Clay Lee, who also played the entire first quarter, scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 0-of-2 from three-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Coach D'Antoni naturally noticed that the Nets had entered a chaotic, helter-skelter rhythm.
23 shots in a single quarter was not the Nets' normal game plan, and the two big men's sprints clearly increased.
Initially expecting strong resistance, Mike D'Antoni knew the match point was secure when he saw Carter take over the game:
"Collapse the Defense. We'll continue to test the opponent's shooting!"
"Raja Bell, continue to pester Vince Carter on Defense, wearing down their patience!"
Mike D'Antoni gave a simple reminder, and Raja Bell nodded fiercely.
Early in the second quarter, Lee sat on the bench, while Raja Bell, having received instructions, over-interpreted them, and his defensive actions became increasingly aggressive.
Less than three minutes into the game, Carter executed a front-body crossover at the top of the arc, driving hard to the middle with the ball in his right hand, only to almost be taken down by a neck-grab from Raja Bell.
Carter clutched his neck, and Richard Jefferson, unable to hold back, rushed forward and immediately threw a punch after the referee's whistle and seeing Raja Bell's smug expression.
Barnes held the opponent from the other side, and soon both sides were pushing each other near the free-throw line again.
Amidst the cheers of the fans, the referee blew the whistle again.
Frank on the sideline was still loudly arguing.
Ultimately, Raja Bell was called for a flagrant foul.
Derek Fisher continued to act as a peacemaker.
He had a good relationship with the Players Union and lower-tier players.
Seizing the opportunity, he proactively comforted Richard Jefferson:
"Richard, no need to be so emotional! This is just an ordinary playoff game."
"Boo!"
The New York fans were not satisfied with this call, erupting in boos again.
Richard Jefferson remained silent.
He simply disliked the attitude of the New York Knicks players.
With the fans turning against them and the opponents showing no respect, Richard Jefferson, having endured so many years of the Nets losing, finally couldn't hold back.
Soon, Lee and Tayshaun Prince returned to the court.
Both teams played with one big and four small.
Amar'e Stoudemire had no interest in competing with the opposing role players.
He actively set screens for Lee, content to receive easy passes, and in transition offense, Amar'e Stoudemire also ran incredibly fast, rushing across half-court at the first opportunity.
In the one big, four small lineup, besides setting screens and connecting the offense, Lee mostly chased Carter.
The Nets fans' cheers grew quieter and quieter for a simple reason: Carter was still ice-cold.
Carter, whose mentality had exploded, no longer attacked the basket as aggressively as in the first quarter.
In some possessions, he even forced pull-up jumpers from beyond the three-point line.
The two chased each other for more than half a quarter, and the lead gradually expanded.
Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher, focused on distributing the ball, kept turnovers well under control.
In a "pure strength" contest, Carter clearly fell behind.
With 4 minutes and 2 seconds left in the first half, Lee cut horizontally to the top of the arc, received the ball on the right wing.
Carter, who was chasing him, was delayed by Kurt Thomas, who had just entered the game.
Seeing Lee shoot without adjustment, leaning sideways and drifting backward to the right, Carter, who was chasing from the side, immediately lunged forward.
Unable to block the shot, Carter also lost control of his body and fell to the floor with Lee.
"Swish!"
The basketball swished through the net.
The referee's whistle was a bit slow, hesitating for a moment before blowing.
Carter, pulled up by his teammates, was even more frustrated.
This was his third personal foul, meaning he would have to curb his defensive actions.
"Good Defense!"
Lee, pulled up by his teammates, patted Carter.
The opponent, despite being furious, didn't stick out his foot, which was a refreshing change among players.
Jason Kidd remained silent.
He had indeed increased his aggressiveness, but his three-point shooting remained cold.
The Nets fans were silent, and the Nets players on the court were equally dejected.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The New York fans watching the game showed no consideration for the opponent's feelings.
They cheered happily at this moment.
The more miserable Carter was, the happier they were.
Late in the second quarter, Carter finally made his first three-pointer of the game from the left wing.
Frank on the sideline merely clapped encouragingly.
Tonight's game had already become a battle of personal vindication.
In a somber atmosphere, as the first half ended, the Nets fans booed again.
60:41. With such a huge deficit, everyone knew the series was effectively over.
Playing the entire first half, Vince Carter had an inefficient 17 points on 6-of-20 shooting, 1-of-3 from three-point range, and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Clay Lee had an efficient 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 2-of-6 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
During halftime, Doug Collins, after watching the half's offensive and defensive battle between the two, commented with a smile:
"Losing isn't necessarily a bad thing. Vince Carter is still young. This is his first season playing with Jason Kidd."
"Considering the Nets experienced more injuries this year, their record will be even better next season after they've had time to gel."
The visible gap surprised Kevin Harlan, who hadn't expected Lee to completely dominate the Dunk King with his physical prowess.
Vince Carter's impression was that of an explosive scoring guard with great athleticism.
Tonight, not only did he not "fly," but he was completely outmatched in every aspect.
After the third quarter began, Carter was still trying, and his shooting percentage improved slightly.
At this point, Lee was no longer interested in competing with the opponent.
Maintaining a 20-point lead, tonight was another three-quarter game.
Perhaps due to his mental breakdown, Carter made a turnover at this point, which left Jason Kidd a bit helpless, forcing him to speed up the pace again.
The game proceeded smoothly, and Frank did not call another timeout, simply standing on the sideline, silently watching the time tick away.
The single quarter score was 28:24. After three quarters, the score was 88:65, and the Continental Airlines Arena erupted in cheers once more.
In the final quarter, Lee sat on the bench, watching Carter, who was still fighting on the court, with not much emotion.
Perhaps the opponent still expected him to come on and continue their "man-to-man duel," but Lee did not respond.
Changing into his practice clothes showed his attitude: he was going to rest.
After playing most of the quarter, Carter was also substituted out.
Upon returning to his seat, he dejectedly threw off his headband, staring at the floor in silence.
He finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers on 11-of-32 shooting, 2-of-6 from three-point range, and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line.
Carter, who scored the highest points in the series, showed his desire to win in this game, but the Nets still lost.
Some fans began to leave.
As the final buzzer sounded, boos and cheers simultaneously echoed throughout the Continental Airlines Arena.
112:93. Despite the Nets' fierce resistance, the New York Knicks secured another victory, reaching match point and ending the series' suspense.
Vince Carter remained silent.
Immediately after the game, he stood up, covered his head with a towel, and quickly walked towards the players' tunnel.
According to custom, Carter, who scored the most points for the Nets, should have been interviewed.
Ultimately, Jason Kidd took his teammate's place and accepted the TNT interview.
When asked about the outcome of the series, Jason Kidd, though his face was grim, still stated firmly:
"Just as Richard Jefferson said, the opponent needs to win four games to claim victory."
"Although we are far behind in the series, with the support of our fans, I believe we can create a miracle!"
"..."
Having reached match point and with the team's form improving, Lee, attending the press conference, naturally greeted the reporters with a smile.
The ESPN reporter clearly wanted to stir up trouble, completely ignoring questions about the series and instead asking about Carter's statistics:
"Clay, in tonight's game, we noticed Vince took 32 shots but only scored 31 points."
"Do you think such offensive choices disrupted the Nets' rhythm?"
Hearing this question, Lee made his expression serious and said with a "sincere face":
"32 shots are no problem. I like Vince's competitiveness!"
"In such a crucial game, Vince took on the responsibility of a leader. As for the stats, they're not important at all."
"I understand Vince. He is a big-hearted player with killer instincts. Therefore, in tonight's matchup, I never let him receive the ball easily and constantly disrupted his offensive rhythm."
"I know how much trouble such a scorer can cause us once he finds his shooting touch!"
"In my opinion, Vince is like the Black Mamba. He is very dangerous. Facing such a killer, you can never relax."
"When the Mamba hunts, one strike can be fatal. All I have to do is not give the opponent such an opportunity."
The reporters below didn't expect Clay Lee to praise Vince Carter so highly, even helping to hype up an opponent who was shooting poorly.
The ESPN reporter, looking at Lee's serious expression, was momentarily swayed and, after some thought, even found his words quite reasonable.
On the morning of April 29th, mainstream media in New Jersey and New York reported on the New York Knicks' victory.
At the same time, Lee's evaluation of Carter also sparked heated discussion among fans.
Regarding Carter's aggressive shooting performance, the New York Post also gave high praise.
Besides commending his desire to win, it also followed Lee's words, praising him:
"Vince Carter proved himself. He still has killer instincts!"
"Always believe the next shot will go inâthat is Carter's unique mamba mentality!"
"..."
...
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