NBA: The Basketball Miracle

The team has maintained an "iron-blooded" defense for many years, with the number of possessions almost falling every year.

New York fans have been watching it for so many years and have long been fed up with it.

Therefore, when Clay Lee showed off with long white arm guards and played a style of basketball that was not typical of the Knicks, the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was completely ignited.

Every time Lee shakes, the fans exclaim. Even if he misses a shot, no one cares. The fans' intention is very clear:

"Love it! Throw more!"

As the first quarter drew to a close, the Knicks were comprised entirely of substitutes except for starter Larry Johnson, and the same was true for the opposing Bulls.

Toni Kukoc and Bill Wennington formed a twin tower, a combination that rarely appears in the regular season, which shows that Phil Jackson doesn't care about this preseason game at all.

Larry Johnson played more actively and proactively in this transition lineup than in the starting lineup. When defending Kukoc, he went around and made a steal.

After successfully stealing the ball, he immediately passed the ball to Lee who had already started.

After catching the ball, Lee first turned his head to observe the situation behind him and noticed that Larry Johnson was rushing forward, holding the ball in his right hand and accelerating.

Steve Kerr, who came on as a substitute, could only quickly chase and defend Lee, and soon the two of them crossed the three-point line.

Lee had no intention of slowing down. Without waiting to get close to the paint area, he rushed forward in three steps, grabbed the ball with his right hand, made a fake pass, and threw the ball back casually despite Stephen Kerr's block.

Larry Johnson followed up and jumped up, scooped up the ball with both hands in the air, and dunked it!

"Boom!" The dunk was successful!

Lee landed without looking at the situation behind him, opened his hands, smiled, and circled around the baseline to quickly return to defense.

"oh!!"

Madison Square Garden was in an uproar, and all the fans were shouting with joy.

After completing the dunk, Larry Johnson stood under the basket and roared, but he found that most of the fans were looking at Lee who was returning to defense.

He was the one who stole the ball and dunked the ball, but in the end it was Lee who stole the show. Larry Johnson was immediately upset and muttered in a low voice:

"A rookie who loves to show off!"

Steve Kerr stood helplessly at the baseline with his hands on his hips, feeling that he was being targeted.

Since he came on as a substitute, Lee has completely let himself go. This was not the case when he faced Harper before.

On the Knicks bench, Starks was waving a towel and shouting as they celebrated.

Patrick Ewing could also sense the joy of the fans and for a moment he was jealous.

Larry Johnson usually played the power forward position for the Hornets. As a short power forward, his playing style was very similar to Barkley's before he suffered a back injury. He liked to attack the basket.

But after the injury, his athletic ability declined, and he was forced to increase his jump shots, and his defense was not as good as in his heyday.

The Bulls made a simple high-low combination. Bill Wennington received the pass from Kukoc, shot high, and easily got 2 points under the basket.

With 11 seconds left, veteran Buck Williams quickly threw the ball from the baseline. It was the last attack of the first quarter.

Lee received the ball and quickly dribbled across half court, approached the top three-point line, and began to slow down.

Steve Kerr, who was retreating, had just taken his defensive position. Holding the ball in his right hand, Lee paused slightly on the three-point line. While leaning forward, he twisted his right foot to exert force, and then turned his hips to accelerate.

The fans at the scene could not see these details. What everyone saw was Lee accelerating and breaking through to gain half a body position, and Steve Kerr sliding awkwardly.

Suddenly, cheers rang out in the stadium again. Lee gained half a body position and broke through to the position below the free throw line. He suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back quickly.

The moment he scooped up the ball with his left hand, he turned sharply towards the baseline.

Steve Kerr just slid to the left, but the defense misjudged and he was completely shaken off. He could only watch Lee shoot a graceful fadeaway jumper!

"Swish!" He made a steady mid-range shot.

Such a smooth dribbling goal once again made the fans at the scene scream with excitement. Steve Kerr had a sullen face, feeling that he had been shown off.

The first quarter ended at 25:25. Although both sides were in average form, the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden became more and more heated.

"I like Lee's performance. After watching the Big East Conference Finals, I knew he would be a good fit for the Knicks. This is the offense everyone is looking forward to seeing!"

In the commentary booth, John Kenneth was also a little excited, feeling that the thing he had been looking forward to for many years was finally coming true.

The groom Albert also happily praised Lee's performance:

"It's hard to imagine that Lee is not yet 19 years old. Maybe that's why he chose to participate in the draft in his sophomore year. He is definitely an underestimated talent!"

Anyone can see the changes in the Knicks' offense after Lee came on the court.

Larry Johnson was more active in offense and defense, and when Chris Charles, who came off the bench, had the ball, Lee was also able to run tactics and play without the ball.

Although rookie John Wallace missed both of his off-ball cuts, the assists provided by Lee after the breakthrough were very effective.

Veteran Buck Williams ran a pick-and-roll and although he missed the layup, the whole process was smooth.

On the bench, Jeff Van Gundy was in a mixed mood. He didn't have any sense of accomplishment at this moment. Lee could handle the offense without any instructions.

In the second quarter, both sides continued to rotate their lineups. Phil Jackson took the player at the end of the bench and seemed to not care about the outcome of the game.

Lee took the initiative to pass the ball to Chris Charles, trying to let everyone touch the ball.

Steve Kerr had an illusion when defending Lee without the ball. He felt that he was chasing Reggie Miller with the simplest tactical cooperation.

Lee quickly slid from right to left to the baseline, and Buck Williams made an off-ball screen near the baseline on the left.

Steve Kerr, who was delayed, was a beat slow in chasing and defending, and did not call his teammates. He watched Lee easily catch the ball on the left wing outside the three-point line and turn around to throw it!

Before the ball went in, the Knicks fans at the scene started cheering and celebrating.

Seeing the basketball go into the net, Harper slowly stood up from the Bulls bench. He knew it was his time to go on the court without the coach's signal.

Lee knew his weaknesses. These old guys might have reduced their lateral speed, but they could always slow him down with their physical advantages and rich defensive experience.

Seeing that Lee became more cautious in dribbling and the ball protector was constantly moving, commentator Marv Albert smiled and commented:

"Interesting matchup. If Lee could be a little stronger, I believe he would be able to handle Harper's defense more easily."

John Kenneth still thinks Lee performed very well:

"Smart boy, I believe coach Van Gundy will like Lee's performance."

Larry Johnson became more and more comfortable during this period, and fell into positional warfare. In the response stage, Lee passed the ball very quickly, completed the positioning, and got the ball.

Unfortunately, less than half a quarter into the game, the main lineup returned and Larry Johnson became the second player again.

Lee, who was substituted off the court, watched the Knicks' offense return to its original routine and shook his head secretly:

"In the era of sticking out ass, it seems difficult for Jeff Van Gundy to make changes."

...

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