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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 November 28, 2005, American Airlines Center, Miami.
At halftime, the Heat fans were in high spirits.
The veteran, Gary Payton, was waiting for his teammates on the sidelines, constantly high-fiving them and looking excited.
57:63. Thanks to Dwyane Wade's excellent performance, the Knicks were trailing by 6 points.
Wade played almost the entire first half, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 11-for-14 from the free-throw line, tallying 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.
The role players also performed well, with Alonzo Mourning delivering three blocks, compensating for Old Shark's absence.
Watching the Heat players bounce off the court, Kevin Harlan, at the ESPN commentary desk, instinctively remarked:
"A perfect performance! The Heat only had 3 turnovers in the first half. Jason Williams has transformed!"
Doug Collins also didn't expect the game to unfold this way.
The Heat scored 34 points in the second quarter, and their bench lineup even had the advantage:
"Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has found the secret to winning."
"As I said before, the Heat's coaching staff is underestimated. Fans should give them more time."
Due to their poor record, the Miami Herald had reported more than once that Pat Riley would return to coach the Heat.
Many fans are fickle, and incited by the media, more people called for Stan Van Gundy to step down, saying the team needed a Champion Coach!
Kevin Harlan had naturally heard the gossip, but he focused more on the individual strength of the players:
"Wade has become more mature. Among the 2003 Rookies, he has already moved to the forefront."
"I believe if Shaq hadn't been injured, the Heat would definitely be in the upper half of the standings right now."
Due to Kurt Thomas spraining his ankle in the last game and being forced to sit out tonight, the Knicks' starting lineup became one big and four small players.
After a discussion at halftime, seeing that the Knicks continued with their starting lineup in the third quarter, with Diaw still on the court, Doug Collins could only tactfully comment:
"Offense is not a problem for the Knicks. Their rim protection is in trouble."
"Coach DAntoni didn't make any adjustments. It seems the Knicks value offense more."
Aside from foul trouble, the Knicks played well in the first half.
As the game began, cheers once again echoed through the American Airlines Center.
Jason Williams, who received the ball on the baseline, no longer had his flashy style of yesteryear.
His experience with the Grizzlies had transformed this flamboyant point guard.
After dribbling past half-court, he made a tactical gesture and then quickly passed the ball.
The Heat did not have a height advantage.
Alonzo Mourning immediately moved to the left wing for a screen when Wade got the ball.
Facing Hill's Defense, Wade, dribbling with his right hand, quickly changed direction in front of his body, then put the ball down with his left hand and drove straight to the basket.
The good screen quality allowed Pau Gasol to slide early for help Defense.
Wade, flying low to the ground, immediately performed a spin move when he approached the restricted area.
Squeezing through the gap into the paint, the moment Wade gathered the ball, Ron Artest, who was guarding the right corner, had already rotated to the basket for help Defense.
James Posey called for the ball with outstretched hands in the right corner.
As Wade passed the ball, Posey confidently shot a wide-open jumper!
"Bang!"
Creating space and drawing the big men high, Wade continued his first-half form, but this time his teammate missed the shot.
The long rebound bounced out, and Clay Lee grabbed the ball before Haslem, drawing boos from the American Airlines Center.
The veteran Mourning was very experienced.
He didn't crash the offensive glass but instead retreated to half-court early to establish a defensive position, while loudly directing his teammates to match up.
"Defense!"
The fans' loud cheers encouraged Wade.
This Rookie was again tasked with guarding Lee tonight.
Stan Van Gundy still didn't quite trust Williams' Defense.
With the height reduced, the Heat's transition Defense was incredibly fast.
By the time Lee brought the ball up the middle to the top of the arc, he had completely lost the chance for a fast break.
Wade occasionally glanced behind him, also observing his teammates' positioning.
He didn't recklessly try to steal the ball.
Lowering his center of gravity, Wade only strictly guarded Lee's right hand, intentionally exposing the right side of his body.
Pau Gasol under the basket cooperated tacitly, timely shifting direction and standing to the lower right of the basket to open up offensive space.
As Diaw faked a screen from the right corner, without waiting for his teammate to settle, Lee, dribbling continuously between his legs, suddenly accelerated.
Dribbling with his left hand and accelerating with a shoulder drop, Wade was prepared but was still almost directly squeezed past by Lee.
While desperately sliding, Wade, who had entered the paint, didn't forget to loudly remind his teammates, repeatedly shouting "Move."
Mourning had indeed retreated to the basket, but Lee didn't stubbornly force a shot.
As soon as he approached the paint, he immediately dribbled behind his back.
He suddenly stopped, but didn't shake off Wade.
The moment his opponent closed in again, Lee, switching the ball to his right hand, used his left foot as an axis and pulled the ball back with a large step.
Wade involuntarily slid to the right.
As soon as he moved his feet, realizing his misjudgment, he immediately adjusted his center of gravity and jumped up to block.
However, his Defense was still half a beat slow.
Lee quickly twisted his body forward, and before the Defense was in position, he shot a mid-range fadeaway jumper!
59:63. The Knicks narrowed the score.
"Boo!"
Amidst the boos, Wade frustratingly clapped his hands.
He always felt his body wasn't obeying him, constantly being faked out by Lee.
On the Heat's offense, Jason Williams immediately found Wade, who had stayed on the baseline and used a screen to get to the right restricted area.
Wade received the pass, faked a shot, tricked Hill's center of gravity, and immediately put the ball down with his right hand, dribbling one step towards the baseline.
Watching Wade's pull-up fadeaway jumper, Hill's block was also in vain.
59:65. The Heat responded promptly.
On the bench, Gary Payton stood up and cheered loudly.
This veteran had a strong presence on the team.
Not long ago, he had even questioned the Head Coach's tactics.
The cheers in the American Airlines Center did not affect Lee.
He accelerated his drive, quickly crossing half-court.
Pau Gasol received the ball in the right elbow.
After passing the ball, Lee first faked horizontally, then squeezed past his teammate, cutting to the basket.
Wade, chasing relentlessly, wasn't shaken off by the simple UCLA cut.
He pursued closely, running towards the left corner.
Hill came to the right wing, feigning to receive the ball.
While Williams was still sliding, he suddenly accelerated towards the basket.
Pau Gasol found his teammate with a bounce pass, assisting Hill for an easy 2 points at the basket.
Williams raised his hand, indicating it was his fault, but Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines clapped his hands, continuing to encourage his players.
The score difference narrowed again, and the Heat fans in the American Airlines Center grew a bit nervous, with their cheers getting louder and louder.
Wade wanted to receive the ball on the left wing, but Lee, who had switched to guard him, didn't give his opponent a chance.
The two became entangled far from the three-point line.
Jason Williams decisively called for a teammate to screen.
As Haslem came to the right wing and settled, Diaw decisively switched Defense, and at the same time, Hill also squeezed through the screen.
Jason Williams, who originally wanted to use his speed to shake off the Defense, reluctantly found himself double-teamed near the restricted area.
Suddenly double-teamed, he had no choice but to pass the ball.
Far from the three-point line, Wade jumped to receive the ball at the top of the arc.
Mourning very actively came high, attempting a high screen to allow Wade to drive again.
Before the screen could happen, Lee immediately chose to go under to block his opponent's driving lane.
Wade, dribbling with his right hand and accelerating on the drive, saw Pau Gasol retreat to the paint.
He immediately pulled back between his legs after a sudden stop near the right elbow.
Gathering the ball and faking a shot at the same time, Wade's realistic fake didn't have much effect.
Clay Lee stuck to him, raising his right arm high.
With more than half the shot clock gone, Wade didn't pass the ball again in the dead-ball situation.
He faked continuously, and finally gritted his teeth and attempted a "Flying Horse" shot.
His attempt to draw a foul failed.
Lee, who was prepared, timely pulled back his hand.
The basketball hit the rim and bounced out, and Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound.
Ignoring his complaints to the referee, Wade landed and immediately pounced on Lee.
Pau Gasol faked a pass and passed the ball to Hill, who accelerated down the left sideline.
Jason Williams retreated in time, but as Hill approached the left wing, he performed a crossover dribble, switched to his right hand, and then drove past his defender with power.
The big man failed to retreat in time.
Ultimately, the Heat players who returned to half-court could only watch as Hill, with a defender hanging on him, made a one-handed dunk!
"Oh!"
Seeing Jason Williams awkwardly fall out of bounds, the Heat fans in the American Airlines Center instinctively let out a low cry.
Hill, however, didn't react much.
He simply signaled a foul to the referee with a hand gesture, then quickly retreated to Defense.
63:65. With the score about to be tied, the unified cheers in the American Airlines Center also turned into a somewhat chaotic noise.
The Knicks' counterattack was extremely fast, and Dwyane Wade was a bit annoyed.
Seeing Coach signal to slow down, Jason Williams also began to loudly remind his teammates.
Seeing the opponent's interior players start to move towards the free throw line, the Knicks players all realized that this must be an up-screen double pick-and-roll.
This tactic had already started to appear frequently in the NBA.
Ron Artest, who switched to Dwyane Wade's side, stuck close, not giving the opponent a chance to receive a handoff pass up top.
Seeing his teammates already in position, Dwyane Wade, who hadn't received the ball, simply ran to the other side, signaling Jason Williams to initiate the offense.
Always sticking to his opponent, Lee glanced behind him and saw Alonzo Mourning suddenly raise his screen position, so he followed by moving back a step.
With the defensive pressure suddenly reduced, Jason Williams quickly dribbled behind his back, switched to his left hand, and tried to use the screen to shake off Clay Lee.
Instead of trying to squeeze through, at the moment the opponent switched hands, dropped his shoulder, and accelerated, Lee agilely moved around behind him and forcefully slapped the ball with his left hand.
Just a little bit more and he would have completed the breakthrough, but he instantly lost control of the ball.
Jason Williams still wanted to twist his body and steal it back, but Lee had already dashed past the half-court line in the blink of an eye.
"Boo!"
Amidst the boos, Lee, who completed the steal, attacked like a tiger.
Approaching the paint, he took three big steps, jumped up, glided, and slammed the ball down for a dunk!
65:65, the Knicks tied the score.
On the Heat's bench, Gary Payton was no longer excitedly shouting.
Seeing Lee point to his head with his index finger, the veteran cursed in a low voice:
"Shit! This guy has no respect for us!"
Shark, wearing a dark gray suit, didn't bother to take up the conversation, expressionlessly crossing his arms and continuing to watch the game.
Respect needs to be earned on the court.
Although Head Coach Stan Van Gundy loudly reminded his players to stay calm, Dwyane Wade, being entangled, subconsciously sped up his offensive rhythm.
High pick-and-roll, Haslem's screen was directly squeezed through by Ron Artest, and Diaw had already slid over to help defend early.
Seeing Dwyane Wade gain more than half a step with his speed, the American Airlines Center erupted again.
Diaw, who was desperately sliding, didn't completely lose his defensive position, and Dwyane Wade's spin move in the paint forced him to slow down.
Seeing Ron Artest about to jump up from behind to block, Dwyane Wade, in mid-air, subtly tossed the ball to Alonzo Mourning, who was under the basket on the left.
Pau Gasol didn't react immediately, but Alonzo Mourning, whose vertical leap had decreased, was met with a long-armed block.
Coming from behind, Pau Gasol pressed the ball down and controlled it in the crowd.
When Lee received the ball, the Heat players had already run back to their half-court.
The pace of offense and Defense was extremely fast for a few minutes.
When Clay Lee rushed past the half-court line, Dwyane Wade again stuck close to him.
Holding the ball with his left hand, he probed and accelerated.
Approaching the three-point line, Lee stopped abruptly, dribbled the ball forcefully in place, then changed direction between his legs.
Suddenly speeding up his dribble, Wade saw Lee's body sway to the front right.
Wade adjusted his center of gravity and slid to the left to follow.
As his opponent moved his feet, Lee again changed direction between his legs.
The moment his left hand touched the ball, he accelerated forcefully while pushing against the Defense.
Seeing that he was about to lose more than half a step, Dwyane Wade twisted his body hard, sliding and simultaneously pulling.
Their bodies collided.
The moment he broke into the paint, Lee suddenly gathered the ball, hanging onto his opponent's arm, and drifted to the back left, tossing the ball with his left hand!
"Squeak!"
The referee blew his whistle, the basketball bounced twice, and finally dropped into the basket.
"Oh!"
The Heat fans in the arena groaned as the score was overtaken, many unable to hold back.
"I just don't like to draw fouls! Your little tricks aren't that hard."
Dwyane Wade, who was still complaining to the referee, immediately turned his head and glared when he heard Lee's words.
As he walked towards the three-point line, he didn't forget to retort, "You can only stop me with fouls!"
Ron Artest, standing by the paint, had long been impatient.
Ignoring the referee who was still at the baseline, he turned his head and cursed,
"Remember to kiss the referee's ass after the game!"
Before the two could start yelling at each other, the baseline referee blew his whistle again, issuing a warning.
68:65, Clay Lee made the free throw, and the Knicks took the lead.
Dwyane Wade, playing with emotion, soon broke into the crowd again.
Although he timely passed the ball to Haslem, who was unguarded near the baseline on the right, the open jump shot still missed.
Alonzo Mourning also failed to grab the offensive rebound.
Pau Gasol tipped the ball out, and Diaw, who controlled possession, accelerated with big strides.
Seeing the Knicks launch another transition offense, gasps of surprise once again filled the arena.
Haslem diligently chased back on Defense, trying to establish a defensive position early, stopping in front of Diaw on the left wing.
Except for Pau Gasol trailing behind, Lee and the others had already crossed half-court.
Slowing down near the left wing, he saw Lee moving horizontally from the middle, and Diaw turned his body, feigning a handoff.
Dwyane Wade still wanted to squeeze through and disrupt the catch, but he didn't expect Diaw to suddenly make a between-the-legs pass.
The bold pass fooled Haslem, and Dwyane Wade, who misjudged, was also delayed by Diaw.
As their bodies collided, Lee had already received the ball on the left wing.
Outside the three-point line, without any adjustment, Lee stopped his feet, took the ball, and shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
Stan Van Gundy immediately called a timeout.
The fans in the arena saw Lee making "clanking dunks," and the boos wouldn't stop for a while.
71:65, in less than half a quarter, the Knicks had taken a 6-point lead.
Against a muscular opponent, Diaw's performance at power forward was not ideal, but tonight against Haslem, he wasn't at a disadvantage in height and had a certain advantage in athleticism.
Unlike his frowning opponents, Little Beard was grinning from ear to ear.
He said a few casual words and then returned to his seat, leaning back in a tactical pose:
"This is what you call a Champion Coach!"
After the timeout, the game entered a defensive battle rhythm.
The referees were no longer quick to blow their whistles, and the actions of both sides became increasingly aggressive.
Both teams had a tradition of tough Defense.
With their outside shooting going cold, Dwyane Wade quickly enjoyed the treatment of a core player.
He was double-teamed on several consecutive pick-and-roll possessions.
Although Dwyane Wade didn't turn the ball over, Haslem and Alonzo Mourning, who were receiving the passes, consecutively fumbled the ball.
On Defense, Alonzo Mourning interfered with Ron Artest's tank-like drive and also caused Pau Gasol to miss a layup under the basket.
Both sides continuously missed shots.
When the Heat attacked again, they constantly passed the ball around the perimeter, trying to stretch the Defense.
Most of the shot clock had expired, and finally, Dwyane Wade again tried to ISO Hill at the top of the arc, but before he could break through near the free throw line, he was met with help Defense from Lee.
Jason Williams' open three-pointer from the right wing missed, and Diaw grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball again.
The Heat players could only retreat on Defense with their heads down.
Having just crossed the half-court line, Diaw immediately passed the ball, a handoff far from the three-point line.
Dwyane Wade chose to defend Lee by going under the screen.
"Defense!"
Neither side had scored for several consecutive possessions, and the Heat fans were getting excited again.
The back-and-forth running forced Dwyane Wade to adjust his breathing, lower his center of gravity, stare at the ball in Clay Lee's hand, and constantly use his torso to provide resistance.
Holding the ball with his right hand, Lee protected the ball with his side, bumping and pushing Wade to the left elbow area.
Although his chest felt tight from the collision, Dwyane Wade still waved to his teammates, signaling that he didn't need a double-team.
James Posey followed Ron Artest at the left corner, cutting along the baseline.
After clearing one side, Lee, who was posting up again, suddenly faked with his shoulder.
The moment he swayed backward, he quickly twisted forward, Lee feigned an acceleration drive up the court, a realistic fake that made Dwyane Wade instinctively slide to the left.
As his feet just moved, the basketball instantly disappeared.
Clay Lee suddenly used his left foot as an axis, made a large turn, and the basketball was thrown forward.
Watching Clay Lee, who was chasing the ball, had already rushed under the basket, Dwyane Wade, who forcefully twisted his body, rushed over and jumped to block.
Their movements were extremely fast.
The fans in the arena only saw Lee instantly shake off the Defense and easily make a layup, and then Wade flew out of bounds while hugging him.
As the referee blew his whistle, the basketball hit the backboard and went in.
"Oh!"
The Heat fans in the arena gasped again.
Dwyane Wade, who propped himself up, angrily pounded the floor.
He had been fooled again.
Pulled up by his teammates, Lee looked at Dwyane Wade's frustrated expression and couldn't help but tease him:
"I can score on you in all sorts of ways. Keep it up, buddy, maybe you were just a little bit away from defending me."
"..."
Having been repeatedly stifled in the second half, Dwyane Wade stared silently, his stamina rapidly declining.
74:65, with Lee making the free throw, the Knicks broke the deadlock and extended their lead again.
In the following few minutes, James Posey finally found his touch, hitting two consecutive shots from beyond the three-point line.
Ron Artest of the Knicks drove hard to the basket and drew a foul, and Pau Gasol also completed a 2+1 in the low post.
Alonzo Mourning was the first to wear down.
Towards the end of the 3rd quarter, the veteran completely lost his energy when defending pick-and-rolls.
With Lee and others' drive-and-kick plays, the Knicks had multiple scorers.
Although the Heat had consecutive free throws in the last two minutes, and Dwyane Wade and James Posey made field goals, the lead continued to widen.
94:83, seeing the double-digit lead, the American Airlines Center fell silent again.
Clay Lee contributed 17 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 2 steals, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in a single quarter, exerting himself on both ends of the court.
Dwyane Wade performed decently, scoring 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line, while James Posey contributed 8 points.
The rest of the Heat went cold.
On the ESPN commentary desk, Doug Collins was thoroughly enjoying the game and, taking advantage of today's break, loudly praised:
"As expected from the two teams that made it to the Conference Finals last season, the Heat are performing excellently even without Shaq."
"Head Coach Stan Van Gundy could consider expanding the rotation. Antoine Walker should get more playing time."
Kevin Harlan noticed that the Knicks were not sticking with their starters, as Derek Fisher and others re-entered the game, and could only lament:
"Head Coach Little Beard is bold in his use of players. Perhaps this is the confidence of a Champion Coach!"
Alonzo Mourning's stamina declined, and backup center Michael Doleac entered the game, along with Antoine Walker and Gary Payton.
Dwyane Wade and James Posey, who performed best in the third quarter, also didn't rest.
The Heat were especially eager for a victory tonight.
However, after a few minutes of play, Miami fans witnessed the power of the "Tailwind God of War."
Tayshaun Prince, full of energy, was responsible for guarding Dwyane Wade, and Raja Bell also started to make an impact from beyond the arc.
Derek Fisher passed the ball early when facing Payton, and Boris Diaw occasionally fed Gadzuric in the paint for easy baskets.
After Dwyane Wade missed several shots in a row, Derek Fisher seized the opportunity, made a steal, and hit a three-pointer on the fast break!
Payton looked at Fish celebrating with a fist pump in front of him and almost exploded with anger.
When the Knicks' starting lineup returned, there were only 5 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game, and the point differential had already grown to 14 points.
Dwyane Wade failed to continue his efficient performance from the first half, kept shooting despite missing, and continuously attacked the rim, but ultimately missed several layups in a row.
Gradually, Heat fans sitting in the back rows started leaving early again.
Nobody wanted to get stuck in traffic!
The two commentators on the desk watched the familiar actions of the Heat fans, momentarily speechless.
Kevin Harlan could only offer polite remarks, "With Old Shark's return from injury, I believe the Heat will have a chance to win the Christmas War."
Doug Collins glanced at the box score, noticed Dwyane Wade was 3-of-10 in the second half, and chuckled, commenting:
"Tonight, Clay Lee showed his excellent Defense. If he maintains this form, perhaps he can win the DPOY."
With 56.2 seconds remaining in the game, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy pulled his starting lineup, conceding defeat.
Ultimately, the Knicks completed their comeback, defeating the Heat 124-105.
In the American Airlines Center, half of the fans had already left.
Dwyane Wade, feeling down, walked directly to the player's tunnel when he saw this scene.
Payton also had a long face.
He had celebrated too early at halftime.
Shaq, however, maintained his composure, greeting the Knicks players after the game and even showing off while fist-bumping Lee:
"You know, if I were on the court, it would have been very difficult for you to come back!"
Lee curled his lip, looking at the gruff Old guy starting his "IF" statements, and retorted without politeness:
"If you had returned from injury tonight, we would have been leading at halftime."
Alonzo Mourning played his heart out on Defense, showing much more effort than Old Shaq.
The only hard part left on the aging Shaq's body was his mouth.
On tuesday, November 29th, after last night's highly anticipated game, basketball commentators eagerly discussed the aftermath.
Gary Payton, in a post-game interview, questioned Stan Van Gundy's player usage.
This veteran, since joining the team, seemed unwilling to be quiet and sought to increase his role, stating:
"There are some issues with our tactics. I've never played like this before."
"The third quarter was the turning point. I believe I can help the team, and Antoine should also get more playing time."
"The new season has just begun, and I will follow the coaching staff's arrangements, but I hope the team can get on track soon."
The outspoken Payton had said similar things more than once.
During the preseason, when the Heat had too many turnovers, he had piled on.
Dwyane Wade finished the game with 31 points, shooting 8-of-20 from the field and 15-of-18 from the free-throw line, leading the team in scoring.
Compared to the veteran's complaints, Dwyane Wade, as a young leader, took responsibility for the loss but didn't forget to express his displeasure indirectly:
"The loss is my responsibility, but I don't like the officiating in the second half."
"The opponent kept pulling me, but the referees turned a blind eye to those actions. Clay Lee has many small movements. Perhaps that's his privilege."
With the relaxed officiating, the Knicks' Defense returned, and the referees made up for some calls, but the loss was more due to missed shots.
Playing 36 minutes, Clay Lee contributed a double-double of 39 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover, shooting 13-of-23 from the field, 3-of-7 from three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, with his true shooting percentage once again exceeding 70%.
In the 13 games played so far, Lee's true shooting percentage has exceeded 70% in 8 games, a statistic that even surpasses many big men.
The Knicks had already flown to Chicago for their continued road trip.
Unlike the outspoken Heat player, Michael Finley, who didn't get much playing time in the last game, didn't complain to the media:
"There are 82 regular-season games. I know when I should exert myself."
"Our medical team provides a physical condition assessment report for every game, and I respect the doctors' opinions."
Finley looked relaxed during his pre-game interview.
The Knicks have many players, and as long as it's not a crucial game, he will always get an opportunity.
The Chicago Tribune, however, hoped for internal strife within the Knicks, preferably like the Heat, with a "discord between coach and players."
Unfortunately, The Mustache was almost laid-back.
Most of his tactical adjustments relied on his assistant coaches.
Aside from balancing the team's playing time, The Mustache had little else to do.
At the end of November, he was even going to receive the Coach of the Year (COY) award.
That night, the game between the Knicks and the Chicago Bulls once again turned into a back-and-forth offensive battle.
Head Coach Bill skiles also used a multi-player rotation, and the Chicago Bulls' Sixth Man, Ben Gordon, showed no mercy against his former Connecticut senior.
The United Center initially had boos, but as Lee and Ben Gordon continuously hit three-pointers, gradually, only excited cheers remained in the arena.
The Chicago Bulls held on until the fourth quarter before their offense stalled, losing the quarter 32-19, and ultimately losing the game.
The Knicks won big, 120-103, ending November with a record of 13 wins and 1 loss.
Clay Lee shot 7-of-11 from three-point range tonight, which was a satisfying performance, as most teams tightly guard his three-point shot, and opportunities to shoot freely were becoming rarer.
On thursday, December 1st, the NBA announced the Players of the Month for the first month of the new season:
Clay Lee of the Eastern Conference and Elton Brand of the Western Conference received the award.
The Knicks once again had a perfect start, with the best record in the NBA.
In 14 games, Clay Lee averaged 32.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers in 33.1 minutes per game.
He averaged 18.4 field goal attempts, with a shooting percentage of 57.9%.
He averaged 8.1 three-point attempts, with a three-point percentage of 48.7%.
He averaged 7.4 free throws, with a free-throw percentage of 96.9%.
In comparison, Brand's statistics, leading the Clippers to a 10-5 record, were somewhat modest:
He averaged 23.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.7 blocks, and 2.0 turnovers in 39.1 minutes per game.
His shooting percentage was 56.0%, and his free-throw percentage was 72.3%.
If the names were hidden, Lee's shooting percentage might look more like a big man's.
Back in Manhattan to prepare for the last game of the week, Lee also welcomed his unique gain.
[Shaquille O'Neal's Extraordinary Strength] disappeared, and the long-dormant Strength attribute reached 92.
At the Tarrytown Training Center, Lee started lifting weights early in the morning, and the feeling of his body expanding made him realize one thing:
"Perhaps this is the limit."
...
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)