Champion, please stay!

Chapter 292, page 290: A Crazy Start!

首节9分、第二节7分、第三节20分、末节16分，易水打满全场，33投18中，其中三分球11中6，加上12中10的罚球，狂轰52分；
首节2板、第二节3板、第三节2板、末节4板，全场11板；
首节4助攻、第二节3助攻、第三节3助攻、末节1助攻，全场11次助攻……

At the end of the third quarter, Angel City fans thought they might witness a rare 40+ triple-double.

If the Lakers win and Yi Shui gets a 40+ triple-double, they'll be ecstatic tonight.

Yi Shui had already scored 40+ points early in the fourth quarter, and during the subsequent stretch of missed shots by both teams, he grabbed two rebounds, achieving a 40+ triple-double.

In the last four rounds, the fans in the arena were focused on the one-on-one battle between Kobe and Yi Shui, and only noticed the score. It wasn't until the end of the game that they realized that Yi Shui's triple-double was not 40+ points, but 50+ points!

And the Lakers lost! Angels fans were absolutely furious!
不过，看着易水52分，比科比多1分；11次助攻，只比拿到15分12助攻的保罗少1个……天使城的球迷心中的震撼无以复加。

In the eyes of Lakers fans, Paul is the best point guard in the league, and Kobe is the strongest.

Yi Shui single-handedly took on Paul and Kobe, holding his own in individual stats, and even stealing the ball from Kobe in the final moments and hitting the game-winning shot...

Online, when Yi Shui received the ball in the penultimate round and made a 360-degree turn and left-handed hook shot after taking a one-on-three opportunity, the media and fans were already in an uproar.

The last time a 50+ point triple-double occurred was in the 1974-1975 season before the NBA merged with the ABA. In January 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 50 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers. This was the last 50+ point triple-double in the NBA before tonight.

Before that, there were three players who achieved 50+ triple-doubles: Chamberlain, Richie Guerin, and Elgin Baylor, a frequent name on the statistics list. Baylor and Chamberlain both achieved it twice, ranking first.

Since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, no player has recorded a 50+ triple-double for 35 seasons. Yi Shui is the first player in the modern basketball era to achieve this!
...

After the game, Yi Shui gave interviews and took promotional photos for several brands he endorses, working until the early hours of the morning before returning to the Knicks' hotel.

Lying in bed after taking a shower, he still felt excited looking at the task progress notifications on the system panel.

"Dream Game 1: ...Score: 52 points, Kobe Bryant's score: 51 points; Your assists: 11, Chris Paul's assists: 12..."

Like the fans at the stadium, Yi Shui didn't realize he had already achieved a 50+ triple-double before seeing his stats after the game.

Even when he was racking up 40+ triple-doubles, he didn't realize that during that period of missed shots, his physical condition had already declined significantly.

Two of the five turnovers tonight occurred in those few minutes. Fortunately, one was a traveling violation and the other was a misjudgment of a teammate's movement that resulted in a pass out of bounds, preventing Paul from launching a counterattack. Otherwise, they might have lost.

In the final one-on-one duel with Kobe, he activated his "snake heart" mode and couldn't even hear any other sounds, as if he could only hear his own heartbeat and the sound of the ball hitting the floor.

"For decades, I have been the only one who has been able to obtain such data."

Strategic planning, orchestrating the offense against 58; relentless running and firing on all cylinders, battling it out with the veteran Black Mamba... Who throughout history can compare to me?

After gloating for a moment, Yi Shui remembered that a few more players would get 50+ triple-doubles in the future, but before the joke changed the assist statistics rules, his performance in this game could remain glorious for a few more years.

To make the NBA appear more prosperous under his leadership, Adam Silver will undoubtedly revise the statistical rules after taking office to make player statistics look better.

In the future, they might even come up with absurd statistical methods that count a successful shot as an individual shot and a missed shot as a team shot.

Harden is being groomed as Wade's successor, and Wade also has the ambition to emulate his predecessor and complete the 'passing on' the torch. Perhaps in the future, there will not be a King of Jingdezhen, but rather a version of a jawline with weakened explosiveness, enhanced static strength, and a stronger physique.

As for the turtle, it's very likely that it will still follow the path it was meant to take.

The Thunder look great right now, overflowing with talent, but starting next season, Durant will be on a max contract, the season after that Westbrook will be on a max contract, and the season after that Griffin... Ibaka's salary won't be low either.

However, while the Thunder have been reaping the benefits of their young core of four rookies for years, their acquisition of role players has been a mixed bag.

The Thunder had nearly $2000 million in salary cap space during the offseason, so it's understandable that they didn't pursue a superstar.

With Durant and Westbrook already in the game, Griffin showcasing amazing talent in the Summer League, Ibaka poised for a breakthrough, and Jeff Green already overflowing with talent, there's no need to bring in any superstars.

However, seeing that quality role players were being overpriced, the Thunder abandoned their plans to strengthen the team and even withdrew their market value offer. Instead, they signed Daequan Cook, whom the Heat had waived to make room for cap space, to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. Currently, the Thunder's total salary is only $4591 million, $14 million short of the salary cap. This move is puzzling.

When the Thunder's talented players all sign big contracts and their salary cap is full, they won't have the space to strengthen the team. They'll be forced to rely on a few star players, and due to injuries and insufficient roster depth, they won't go far in the playoffs. This could lead to internal strife and eventually the team's disbandment.

Oklahoma City fans and the Thunder management both have a particular fondness for Westbrook.

Durant played well enough, and Griffin was even a 'local talent' from the University of Oklahoma, but Oklahoma City fans just preferred Westbrook.

This is all the fault of a certain player who casually dubbed someone 'Mamba'.

Two years ago, the Thunder, who had just moved to Oklahoma City, hosted the Western Conference leaders, the Lakers. As expected, the Thunder suffered a crushing 90-105 defeat. Durant, who was still struggling with ball handling at the time, was defended by Kobe and Ariza and only made 6 of 16 shots, scoring just 15 points.

But rookie Westbrook played aggressively and relentlessly throughout the game, refusing to give up even in garbage time. He scored 29 points on 10-of-25 shooting, plus 9-of-12 free throws, 3 points more than Kobe.

In a post-game interview, Kobe said, "I like Russell's expression. He's the rookie who's most like me this year."

Westbrook was overjoyed by those words, and so were the Oklahoma City fans...

As Yi Shui drifted off into a drowsy state, he dreamt that in the future, he and the lone defender of Oklahoma City, Turtle, were going head-to-head on the basketball court. He scored the first-ever 60+ point triple-double, surpassing Turtle's 50+ point triple-double record...

The next day, Yi Shui's 50+ triple-double was at its peak, but he didn't have time to enjoy it. He left Los Angeles with the team for Sacramento to continue their three-game road trip in the West.

After a night's rest, Yi Shui and his team played an away game against the Kings.

The outcome of the game is not in doubt. So far, only two teams have not won a single game: the Cavaliers and the Kings.

The Knicks easily defeated the Kings 122-98, handing them their seventh consecutive loss and extending their own winning streak to seven games.

这场比赛易水得分只有16分，10投5中、其中三分球1中1、加上5中5的罚球，算上造成犯规的那两个回合，出手只有12次，因为对方夹击太狠了。

Players on teams like the Kings are all padding their stats and don't want to see opposing stars score high points against them.

Yi Shui was immediately marked when he got the ball, and a group of people surrounded him when he broke through. So, just like the past two years, he would take the ball and attack as soon as he came on the field, attracting double teams and then passing the ball.

D'Antoni and Mark Jackson don't object to him playing like this. The tactic is to create easy shooting opportunities. If Yi Shui gets the ball and gets double-teamed, or if he receives the ball on the wing and can make a shot, that's the best tactic.

In 30 minutes of playing time, Yi Shui scored 16 points, along with 13 assists and 12 rebounds, achieving a triple-double for the third consecutive game!
Yi Shui felt that the intensity of this match was not as high as their team's internal training match.

He was a little disappointed not to see Whiteside tonight, but the news he had learned about Whiteside in the two days since he arrived in Sacramento was even more outrageous than he had expected.

After the Summer League ended, Whiteside had just received a three-year contract totaling $2.4 million, with a team option for the third year, meaning two years were guaranteed. He couldn't wait to take out a loan and buy a supercar worth over $200,000. He went to the arena to show it off, mocked Cousins ​​for driving a cheap car, and eventually got into a fight with Cousins.

What Yi Shui found most surprising was the focus of attention from the local Sacramento media and fans on this matter.

Whiteside spent more than half of his after-tax salary for the new season on buying a car to show off and got into a fight with the third overall pick in the same draft class. Although this was a big deal, people seemed to be used to it.

The media and fans are mocking Whiteside's loan itself. NBA rules clearly state that players on guaranteed contracts can withdraw up to two-thirds of their salary in advance, yet Whiteside went to a loan company and took out a high-interest loan…

Yi Shui was glad that he didn't let the team select Whiteside just because of his talent. He let Whiteside get a taste of what was good for him first, and then he could get him back when Chandler's peak was coming to an end.

And then... we'll talk about that later, three or four years from now.

Back at the hotel after the game, Yi Shui saw the news that, following the Lakers' losing streak the day before yesterday, another undefeated team's winning streak had been ended.

The Grizzlies, playing at home, defeated the Thunder 99-90, ending the Thunder's six-game winning streak.

维斯布鲁克遇到灰熊队这支铁血之师，20投7中，只拿到15分5板7助攻；

托尼老师一战成名，防得杜兰特21投7中、其中三分球5中1，加上10中10的罚球，只拿到25分。

Griffin played quite well tonight. He made off-ball runs, Boozer couldn't keep up, and Marion couldn't handle him. He played 22 minutes in the first three quarters, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line for 15 points, but he was carried out in the end.

Late in the third quarter, Griffin received the ball close to the basket and had room to jump. He leaped up and used his arm to block Gasol, attempting a dunk... but the hot-tempered Gasol elbowed him in the face, sending Gasol to the ejection. Griffin was also carried off the court. Rose had a stellar performance tonight, shooting 14-for-21 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line, racking up 34 points and 6 assists, completely disrupting the Thunder's interior defense.

Griffin also has significant problems on the defensive end. He is not lacking in enthusiasm, but his basic skills and experience are lacking. Ibaka only needs his third overall pick to stay in the paint and guard his opponent, but Griffin always rushes out blindly, resulting in his opponent being left open under the basket.

The game was broadcast live across the United States tonight, and tens of millions of people saw the brutal elbowing scene, resulting in polarized opinions.

Some people called Marc Gasol a "murderer," while others said Blake Griffin deserved it.

Gasol earned the nickname "the villain of Mengcun" with just one elbow strike.

...

On the 14th, Yi Shui and his team arrived at the Pepsi Center in Denver for the final stop of their three-game road trip in the West, where they would challenge the Denver Nuggets.

At 7:30 p.m., after entering the stadium, Yi Shui looked at the other side and felt a little regretful.

With a super scorer, a playmaker, a good roster of role players, and a capable coach, the Nuggets were definitely championship contenders. They reached the Western Conference Finals in the 08-09 season, and everyone thought that was just the beginning for the Nuggets. Little did they know that they had reached their peak.

Last season, the Western Conference was in turmoil. The Suns, who had collapsed for two years, defied the odds and returned to championship-caliber performance. The Grizzlies rose to become the strongest team in the Southwest Division, and the Lakers remained strong. The Nuggets were eliminated by the Grizzlies in the first round.

This is an utter disgrace and unacceptable blow to Carmelo Anthony, who proclaimed his intention to win the championship before the start of last season.

With several max-contract players changing teams this summer, Carmelo Anthony couldn't sit still anymore. He regretted not signing a 3+1 short-term contract back then, but instead obediently signed a 5+1 long-term contract, demanding that the Nuggets trade him to a team that could win a championship.

With their star player demanding a trade, and using this reason in particular, the internal conflicts within the Nuggets have escalated significantly.

So far this season, the Nuggets have only won 3 and lost 4 of their 7 games. The teams they defeated were all bottom-ranked teams like the Nets, Bobcats, and Kings. They lost to the Pacers and Heat, and even against teams like the Jazz and Hornets who had lost their star players, they started slowly, rallied, and ultimately lost.

After the first week of the season, the Nuggets have officially put Anthony on the trading block and are shopping him around.

However, the level of popularity Anthony received from various teams was different from what Yi Shui had expected.

In Yi Shui's 'past life' memories, in China, Anthony was a superstar who was compared to James and Wade.

But in America, the stars that the media compares to Anthony are mostly ordinary superstars like Bosh, Granger, and Randolph.

Fans' affection for Anthony is not as high as that of domestic fans. For example, in the 08-09 All-Star voting, Anthony's votes were not only lower than those of Duncan, Stoudemire, and Artest, but also lower than those of Bowen, who played as a substitute that year and averaged 2.7 points per game. He ranked only fifth among Western Conference forwards.

However, looking back now, Yi Shui realizes that Anthony's consecutive All-Star starter selections only happened after he joined the Knicks and benefited from the large market. In his seven full seasons in the Western Conference, he was only selected to the All-Star team three times.

There's another player whose reputation in the US is very different from that in China—Little Tyrant.

Stoudemire has been an All-Star starter for the past two years. In the eyes of American media and fans, he is a legend and a superstar. Howard is the best defensive center, and Stoudemire is the best offensive center.

This summer's free agency market has seen Stoudemire become the most talked-about free agent after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Yao Ming.

In late July, after being rejected by Bosh, Walsh decisively chose to bring in Ray Allen, leaving Stoudemire in New York, which caused some controversy.

After joining the Heat alongside LeBron James and Joe Johnson, Stoudemire told the cameras that the Knicks would regret it, adding another intriguing element to the Knicks-Heat rivalry.

At 8 p.m., the Knicks' away game against the Nuggets tipped off.

In the past two seasons, the Knicks and Nuggets have faced off, and each game has been a high-scoring affair. The difference is that the Knicks were swept by the Nuggets in the 2008-09 season, while the Knicks returned the favor and were swept once last season. After their first meeting, which ended in a high-scoring battle of 112 to 118, the next three meetings were among the most-watched games of the regular season.

Tonight is no different. Major TV stations designated this match as a key live broadcast event as soon as the schedule was announced, and many fans paid in advance to reserve the live broadcast.

But the process of the competition...

For the Nuggets, Anthony performed very well in one-on-one situations. Facing Yi Shui's one-on-one defense, he made 10 of 22 shots, including 4 of 11 three-pointers, plus 8 of 8 free throws, scoring a game-high 32 points.

The Nuggets' beautiful run-and-gun offense, which they've had for the past two years, was rarely seen tonight.

Not only did their offense stall, but the Nuggets' defense was also in disarray.

Unlike the past two seasons, where Anthony's matches against Yi Shui were always fierce physical battles, tonight Anthony was like a traffic commander. When Yi Shui had the ball, a simple crossover was enough to get past him, and when he didn't have the ball, a turn and cut past him directly.

The Nuggets' frontcourt and wing guards double-teamed Yi Shui relentlessly, and he struggled with his shooting tonight, going 7-for-17 from the field, including 1-for-3 from three-point range. He also had 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, scoring only 23 points. However, he also had 12 rebounds and 14 assists!

Chandler was on fire tonight, getting easy baskets everywhere. In a half-court offense, he moved to the other side of the basket at the right time, and then he rushed up on the fast break, and another easy basket came his way.

10投9中、加上6中4的罚球，拿到22分8板！
The Knicks had five players score in double figures, easily defeating the Nuggets 114-101!
...

When the Knicks defeated the Nuggets to achieve their eighth consecutive win, fans who didn't watch the live broadcast weren't surprised.

Although people have high expectations for this game, everyone knows how the Nuggets have performed so far this season. Just like a soap opera with a different plot every day, fans wouldn't be surprised if their expectations are disappointed.

Today Anthony and Kenyon Martin are arguing, tomorrow Anthony and Nene will each bring their gangsters to confront each other, and the latest rumor is that Billups cheated at gambling at his home...

After the Knicks narrowly defeated the Lakers by 4 points, some media outlets predicted that the Knicks would win all three of their road trips.

But the data on the Yi River in the battle report shocked people.

23分12板14助攻，上周背靠背第2场打黄蜂队开始，易水连续4场三双！
These days, the triple-double leaderboard hasn't been disrupted by players like Turtle and Porcelain King. Triple-doubles are very valuable, and consecutive triple-doubles are something that only happen a few times a season. Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such a sensation if Yi Shui had surpassed Magic Johnson's number of triple-doubles in his rookie season.

The following day, November 15th, the league announced the Players of the Week for Week 2.

东部：易水，3胜0负，场均30分11.7板12.7助攻1.3抢断2.3盖帽，场均三双，且3场比赛都是三双。

上周同样全胜、而且是4胜0负的热火队当家球星詹姆斯，场均拿到28分7板8助攻1.5抢断的标志性全能数据，但又一次在周最佳争夺中被易水击败！
西部那边，上周场均拿到27.5分3板7助攻1.7抢断、率队取得3胜1负的表现，将战绩提升到5胜3负的罗斯，力压科比，当选周最佳。

Yi Shui had just returned to New York with the team that afternoon when he received a call from Walsh, asking him to go to the arena to collect the Player of the Week trophy. He was overjoyed.

After a night's rest, on the 16th, the Knicks hosted the Hawks at home.

This game was only broadcast live on American cable sports, but the viewership was quite good.

Yi Shui's two consecutive Player of the Week performances at the start of the season have reminded people of the Knicks' incredible performance in the first month of last season, and Yi Shui's terrifying record of three Player of the Week awards in a single month.

Also, fans want to see Yi Shui continue to get triple-doubles.

The Hawks lost Joe Johnson but brought back third-year player Eric Gordon. Gordon is quite good, averaging 21.5 points per game in the first 8 games. Although he is not as good as Joe Johnson in his prime, he has ensured that the Hawks did not collapse because of the loss of their star player and achieved a 5% winning percentage, with a 4-4 record at the start of the season.

Of course, this record is far worse than the Knicks'. At best, it's a team competing for a playoff spot in the lower half of the Eastern Conference. Apart from the haters, not many people think the Hawks have a chance to beat the Knicks.

The two-and-a-half-hour game ended, and as most people expected, although the Hawks managed to slow down the pace of the game with their fairly good team defense, holding the Knicks to below their season average score, they were actually outplayed by the Knicks.

The Knicks cruised to a 104-95 victory over the Hawks at home, extending their winning streak to nine games at the start of the season.

However, Yi Shui's performance was very different from what people expected.

首节6分、第二节5分、第三节11分、末节8分，易水21投11中、其中三分球5中2、加上6中6的罚球，拿到30分8板6助攻2抢断2盖帽。

The Hawks' defense was normal. Yi Shui's style of play has returned to what it was before the three-game road trip: initiating offense and taking shots when necessary, without driving and dishing to get high assists anymore! In order to speed up the game, they even abandoned the collapse defense and took the initiative to rush and speed up the offense!
When Yi Shui achieved a triple-double, he became the talk of the town among fans. Even though he didn't achieve a triple-double tonight, he still became the focus of discussion among fans after the game.

However, two hours after the Knicks and Hawks game ended, another game stole the spotlight.

The Spurs, who started the season with an 8-game winning streak, hosted the Heat, who also started the season with an 8-game winning streak. Before the game, the media unanimously predicted that the Heat would be the stronger team and would show the Spurs what a real powerhouse is.

But the result was that all 12 players on the court for the Spurs scored, leading to a 116-103 victory over the Heat!
(End of this chapter)