thefictionvixens Chapter 513 513: Lee's Respect (3296 words)
Chapter 513 513: Lee's Respect (3296 words)
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Head Coach Eddie Jordan led the Washington Wizards to New York for the playoffs for the first time since taking over the team.
Madison Square Garden, known as the Mecca of Basketball, truly became a demonic home court this season, with the fervent atmosphere severely undermining the coaching staff's prepared strategies.
In fact, New York fans were very displeased with the first-round matchup because most of them couldn't even name their opponents.
Individual fans hadn't even watched a full regular season game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards, as the two teams only played in New York twice a season.
Facing such a weak opponent, every game was a blowout, so naturally, no one cared about such an opponent.
Only Gilbert Arenas, that incompetent loudmouth, left a deep impression, but that was all.
After the game started at 7:30 PM on the 21st, Head Coach Eddie Jordan paced back and forth on the sidelines, his occasional loud shouts having no effect whatsoever.
They fell behind by double digits in the first quarter, and although the starters were brought on early in the second quarter, the situation on the court remained unchanged.
From 8 minutes and 33 seconds, two minutes passed, and the Washington Wizards' score remained at 29, the recent timeout having no effect.
At the ABC commentary desk, Hubie Brown saw the Washington Wizards' predicament: their lack of height on the court, and Antawn Jamison failing to play his role as a stretch four:
"Head Coach Eddie Jordan's tactics are successful. It's just that Jarvis Hayes seems to lack confidence. He must make those wide-open three-pointers."
"With their rebounding completely suppressed, it's difficult for them to launch effective counterattacks. They must cherish easy scoring opportunities."
The frontcourt composed of Jarvis Hayes, Antawn Jamison, and Etan Thomas was almost completely suppressed, and Mike Breen revealed a hint of schadenfreude:
"Aside from controlling turnovers very well, the Washington Wizards' performance has not met expectations."
Antawn Jamison had just missed a pull-up jump shot from the left wing, and he retreated on Defense helplessly amidst the cheers of New York fans.
Being completely suppressed from the start, this game was frustrating.
Antonio Daniels was also an old friend of Lee.
They had faced each other when he was still a bench player for the San Antonio Spurs, but New York fans didn't have much of an impression of him.
"DeShawn!"
Hearing his teammate loudly call his name, DeShawn Stevenson, retreating on Defense, quickly stopped when he reached the right wing, joining the double-team on Lee, who was at the top of the arc.
As Lee smoothly passed the ball, Hill, unguarded on the right wing, received the pass and accelerated with a step-through move against the rotating Defense of Antawn Jamison.
Hill, releasing the ball with his left hand, was very quick.
Although Antawn Jamison slid his feet in time, he still lost more than half a step.
In the paint directly in front of the basket, Hill drove against the Defense, faking a shot and then making a true pass.
Pau Gasol, at the bottom right of the basket, received a behind-the-back pass and easily made a bank shot.
29:47, the deficit was still widening.
"Defense!"
Defensive cheers mixed with applause rang out in the Madison Square Garden again.
The Washington Wizards retreated quickly, but they couldn't limit the New York Knicks' offense, which was no different from the regular season.
Antonio Daniels, following his coach's instructions, continued to speed up the offensive rhythm, but facing Clay Lee's on-ball Defense, he couldn't accelerate at full speed.
Turning his back and switching to his left hand, Antonio Daniels was about to approach the mid-court line.
Before he could even protect the ball with his rear, Lee suddenly moved up and stripped the ball away.
"Oh!"
Immediately, the New York fans began to cheer loudly again.
Antonio Daniels awkwardly went forward to retrieve the ball, and in the end, after their struggle, the basketball was knocked out of bounds.
The referee hesitated for a moment but ultimately gave possession to the Washington Wizards.
The game's excitement level was ridiculously low.
Their task was to make it to the third quarter.
Scattered boos appeared in the Madison Square Garden again.
Antonio Daniels noticed that Lee didn't even bother to complain, merely squeezing next to him, waiting for the inbound pass.
His scalp tingled.
He wouldn't be able to fulfill his coach's instructions.
After receiving the ball, Antonio Daniels accelerated with the ball in his left hand, finally crossing the mid-court line.
When protecting the ball with his side, he didn't even dare to signal a play, his ball-handling hand constantly in contact with Lee.
"Illegal Defense!"
Head Coach Eddie Jordan had been pressuring the referees since the start of the game.
His point guard was so suppressed that his dribbling was unstable, so he could only hope for the referees' calls.
However, the referees showed no indication.
Some minor actions were allowed in New York.
Their 42-win record was inseparable from their support.
On the right side near the baseline, Antawn Jamison quickly slipped along the baseline.
Etan Thomas's screen on the other side didn't have much effect, as Chandler switched out in time.
Under Lee's interference, Antonio Daniels's bounce pass was of poor quality.
Antawn Jamison, who received the ball in the right restricted area, couldn't catch and shoot.
Chandler left Antawn Jamison's left hand open, raising his left arm while turning his body.
Jamison's poor weak-hand offense prevented him from changing direction, so he simply accelerated in a straight line after releasing the ball.
Etan Thomas, who had moved to the bottom right of the basket, was left open by Pau Gasol.
Chandler quickly slid to cover him, and Antawn Jamison reluctantly rushed into the arms of the two big men.
"Squeak!"
The block, which came down directly on Antawn Jamison's head, sent him directly to the ground.
The baseline referee called a foul on Chandler, who clapped his hands with a slight regret, still having been taken advantage of by the opponent.
Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines, however, was very satisfied with this Defense, clapping his hands with a smile to encourage.
Antawn Jamison, holding his backside, took deep breaths at the free-throw line.
He no longer complained, because the referee simply ignored him.
31:47, two free throws made, Antawn Jamison finally helped his team break the scoring drought.
"Let's go Knicks!"
Amidst the cheers, Antonio Daniels quickly retreated on Defense.
Clay Lee, who had crossed the mid-court line, suddenly wrapped the ball behind his back near the logo, switching to his right hand and instantly gaining more than half a step.
Unable to slide and interfere, Antonio Daniels watched as Lee easily lobbed the ball to Pau Gasol at the top of the arc.
The New York Knicks set up in a 1-3-1 formation.
As Lee faked receiving the ball and suddenly back-cut, Ron Artest on the left wing also began to move towards the corner.
Antawn Jamison, behind Pau Gasol, was anxiously shouting instructions to his teammates.
The opponent had been targeting him since the start, and he needed his teammates' help.
Lee, accelerating horizontally on a back-cut, received Pau Gasol's pass near the left wing.
Before Antonio Daniels could catch up on Defense, he smoothly released the ball with his left hand and accelerated into a drive.
Amidst the cheers of the fans, Antonio Daniels, chasing on Defense, was almost thrown off balance by Lee's sudden stop-and-go crossover pull-back.
By the time Pau Gasol moved up to set a screen, Antawn Jamison could only watch as Clay Lee easily shook off his teammate.
Helpless, he had no choice but to switch again.
Using the screen, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, reached the top of the arc.
Facing the switched Antawn Jamison, he paused slightly, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, instantly widening his stride, and forced a drive through the middle.
The hesitant Antawn Jamison lost his defensive position almost in the blink of an eye.
The Washington Wizards' players began to collapse towards the basket.
Lee drove into the paint and then leaped up.
Etan Thomas, who had helped on Defense under the basket, instinctively stopped, leaning back to give space, and watched as Clay Lee pulled his right arm back, hung in the air, and then powerfully slammed it down!
"Bang!"
The basketball instantly slammed into the hoop.
Etan Thomas involuntarily took another step back.
He clearly saw the basketball deform and couldn't help but let out a low cry:
"Damn it."
The rim-level tomahawk dunk reignited the Madison Square Garden atmosphere.
Most New York fans didn't remember Etan Thomas's name, but that didn't stop everyone from joining in the taunts:
"Lee scared you, coward!"
Etan Thomas, with his cornrows, was completely unfazed by the fans' mockery.
He was just an unremarkable bench player.
If Brendan Haywood hadn't gotten injured, he wouldn't have even gotten this position.
Antonio Daniels was completely numb.
Lee, who had just completed the dunk, stood on the baseline waiting for him to inbound the ball.
After some entanglement, the Washington Wizards were forced to play a half-court offense.
Antawn Jamison signaled to his teammate for a screen near the baseline on the right side, while Jarvis Hayes moved from the right wing towards the baseline.
The simple zipper play had no effect, as Ron Artest switched onto Antawn Jamison and popped out with him.
Antonio Daniels, protecting the ball with his side, couldn't make a pass.
Amidst the cheers of the Defense, he initially wanted to wave his hand to direct his teammate to cut across, but Lee's aggressive Defense forced him to turn his back.
As Antawn Jamison moved horizontally from right to left on the high post, Antonio Daniels still couldn't find an opportunity.
After a behind-the-back dribble, he tried to pass the ball to Jarvis Hayes, who was near the right sideline.
Pau Gasol's collapsing Defense gave the opponent an opportunity.
As Jarvis Hayes moved to the high post, Antonio Daniels' overly obvious cross-court pass was perfectly intercepted by Lee.
The moment the basketball left his hand, Lee extended his left arm and poked it, easily disrupting the pass while subtly raising his right arm.
"Oh!"
Cheers erupted again. Antonio Daniels, who lost the ball, not only failed to pull back but was also pushed by Lee, causing him to stumble.
"Shit! That's a foul!"
No one from the Washington Wizards chased the ball, all loudly complaining to the sideline referee.
Clay Lee easily pursued the ball, a 1-on-0 fast break.
Unhindered, he jumped off two feet in the paint, spun 360 degrees in the air, and then slammed the ball down with one hand!
31:51, the score difference finally reached 20 points, and the flashy dunk almost tore through the Madison Square Garden.
The referee was angered by the Washington Wizards' complaints.
In fact, he couldn't clearly hear what they were shouting, but he knew it wasn't anything good, so he immediately gave DeShawn Stevenson a technical foul.
Although restrained by his teammates, DeShawn Stevenson remained relentless, chasing the referee to vent his emotions.
Head Coach Eddie Jordan also looked somewhat frustrated, shrugging his shoulders along with him.
Due to changes in ABC this season, the number of national broadcast games was reduced, and Hubie Brown hadn't been able to comment on many New York Knicks games.
Watching recordings and being there live felt completely different.
Watching Lee shoot the technical free throw, Hubie Brown's tone on the commentary desk was somewhat helpless, only able to tactfully comment:
"Gilbert Arenas' absence greatly affects the Washington Wizards. Antonio Daniels finds it very difficult to initiate effective offense against Clay Lee."
"The Washington Wizards' tactics have been completely restricted. Antawn Jamison is finding it hard to get easy shots, and they haven't managed a single effective fast break since the start of the game."
As a New York Knicks commentator, Mike Breen naturally knew that facing the Washington Wizards was a crushing victory.
Hearing the veteran coach's comments, he chuckled and took over the conversation:
"How will Head Coach Eddie Jordan adjust in the second half? They are now down by 21 points, and the New York Knicks have never lost when leading by more than 15 points."
"..."
Hubie Brown glanced at the self-indulgent Mike Breen and spoke in a dull, polite manner.
He, of course, knew that tonight would witness another big victory.
The angry emotions did not help the Washington Wizards' offense.
With the same tactic, Antawn Jamison popped out but was tightly defended by Ron Artest.
After a cross-cut, he moved to the left wing.
When receiving the ball, facing Ron Artest's bending interference, Antawn Jamison continuously made probing steps with his right foot, eventually pulling up for another brick.
Aside from hitting 2 shots during the rotation, Antawn Jamison was possessed by a bricklayer.
Watching Lee once again accelerate and charge after grabbing the long rebound, he felt somewhat broken.
After a push-dribble change of direction, Lee continuously accelerated along the left sideline, getting faster and faster.
Antonio Daniels gritted his teeth, chasing from behind, while DeShawn Stevenson also ran hard on the other side.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Lee charged to the bottom right of the basket, soaring into the air while being pulled by Antonio Daniels.
Facing DeShawn Stevenson's jump block, he swung the ball to the side with his left hand.
"Ah!"
The mid-air collision instantly made DeShawn Stevenson lose his balance.
His chest tightened, followed by a scream as he fell horizontally out of bounds.
Antonio Daniels helplessly watched Lee throw the ball off the backboard with his left hand before landing, and the referee's whistle followed, the ball ultimately banking into the basket.
As the referee signaled the basket was good and Antonio Daniels committed a Defensive foul, cheers once again echoed through the Madison Square Garden.
After being helped up by his teammates, DeShawn Stevenson still painfully clutched his ribs, and when he noticed Lee stretching his shoulder and walking towards the free-throw line, his eyes went wide.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Lee's free throw swished in, and the shouts wouldn't stop.
The New York fans knew victory was certain.
31:54, the Washington Wizards did not call a timeout.
Head Coach Eddie Jordan watched his players brick shots with a grim face.
Ethan Thomas received Antonio Daniels' drive-and-kick in the paint directly in front of the rim, but his front-facing floater was interfered with by Chandler and missed.
Timely retreat Defense, another pick-and-roll at the top of the arc.
Antawn Jamison delayed, but Lee dribbled the ball between his legs and slipped through the gap.
Scooping the ball with his right hand, Lee drove straight down the middle to the basket.
As Ethan Thomas just started to move, the ball was thrown to the upper right of the rim, and an undefended Chandler caught the ball with both hands in the air for a powerful dunk!
Antonio Daniels passed the ball to DeShawn Stevenson on the left wing before even crossing half-court with the ball.
The latter immediately put the ball down with his left hand and drove with a step.
Under Hill's interference, his long two-pointer was another brick.
The rebound was easily secured by Pau Gasol, who launched a long outlet pass.
Antonio Daniels, who had just crossed mid-court, chased back in frustration, stopping before reaching the three-point line, watching Lee glide in for a powerful dunk.
The Washington Wizards' offense turned into a free-for-all, and the New York Knicks' continuous fast breaks widened the lead.
It wasn't until the very end of the half that Antawn Jamison's shoot-on-sight offense finally paid off, breaking his scoring drought with a combination of shots and free throws.
On the final possession, Antonio Daniels, whose Defense had completely broken down, sent Lee to the free-throw line again amidst the boos of the New York fans, and the Washington Wizards' nightmarish half finally ended.
36:68, at halftime, Head Coach Eddie Jordan turned and walked away, and the big-mouthed Gilbert Arenas also followed, walking quickly and expressionlessly towards the player tunnel.
Unlike the regular season, Rajon Rondo's playing time was reduced to 21 minutes, and Clay Lee took over the game early.
10-of-14 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range, 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, Clay Lee delivered a perfect stat line of 29 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals at halftime.
For the New York Knicks' first playoff game, ABC specifically added interviews.
Michelle Tafoya waited for Lee near the baseline, and the frantic shouts in the Madison Square Garden forced her to raise her voice:
"Lee, congratulations on taking a 32-point lead at halftime!"
"This is the first playoff game after achieving a perfect home record. How do you feel about it here?"
The New York fans behind were still loudly cheering.
Lee lowered his head, not quite hearing the question, and could only chuckle and say some polite words:
"This is my first time facing the Washington Wizards in the playoffs. They've suffered injuries, and with their performance this half, I only have respect for them!"
"We won't relax. We'll still give our all in the second half. We won't underestimate any opponent in the playoffs."
"..."
The New York Knicks' atmosphere team shouted loudly as they passed by.
They didn't get many opportunities in the first half.
Mike D'Antoni seemed overly cautious in the playoffs.
All the Washington Wizards players returning to the locker room had their heads down, and a sense of frustration spread through the room.
No one spoke.
Lee punched hard, constantly attacking the basket, and the first half was a sieve of drives.
Antawn Jamison completely lost his temper.
This low-key scorer sighed in frustration, he was too much of a bricklayer:
5-of-17 from the field, 0-of-4 from three-point range, 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover.
Antawn Jamison naturally knew his 3-of-9 performance in the second quarter hurt the team, but at this moment, he really couldn't utter any bold words.
"We still have a chance. Maybe they'll relax. Let's first narrow the deficit to within 20 points..."
Gilbert Arenas, as the team leader, saw that his partner was ready to surrender, and said dryly.
Antawn Jamison, who had looked up, didn't retort, only whispered:
"Everyone knows Lee will explode in the third quarter..."
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