Champion, please stay!

Chapter 294, Section 292: Listen to your father!
The Knicks are the only team left that remains undefeated.

The focus of media and fans has shifted to the Knicks.

At this time last year, the Knicks were also winning and being talked about all the time, but the discussion was relatively simple – how amazing the Knicks' offense was.

Back then, the Knicks won purely through offense. They scored over 100 points in 11 consecutive games at the start of the season, including 9 games with over 115 points. They averaged 118.9 points per game in the first 11 games. They did build a defense, but it only played a certain role as a backup and wasn't very significant.

This time, unlike the exceptionally long winning streak at the start of the season, fans have more to discuss, such as the defense.

The Knicks averaged only 111 points per game in 11 games, but still won 11 straight because they allowed only 97.45 points per game. At least 5 of those games were won by sheer defensive prowess.

In the last three games against the Hawks, Celtics, and Pacers, it was a classic team offense and a tough defensive battle, with Yi Shui's individual scoring ability deciding the outcome.

They conceded 94, 97, and 94 points in these three games, respectively, a defensive performance higher than their season average.

The Knicks first displayed top-tier defense against the Jazz, and also the first time they failed to score over 100 points, winning 96-87.

Next up was the Lakers. Although the score was high, 113 to 109, aside from Yi Shui's 52 points and Kobe's 51 points, the rest of the Knicks players only scored 61 points and the rest of the Lakers players only scored 58 points.

Of the Knicks' 61 points, Curry and Ray Allen each scored around 20 points, while of the Lakers' 58 points, Paul and Bynum combined for over 30 points.

The Knicks were able to defeat the Lakers by using their defense to limit the Lakers' role players, while also limiting the Lakers' role players, and then utilizing the scoring ability of their three star perimeter players to narrowly win the game.

The Knicks allow an average of 97.4 points per game. Compared to the top defensive teams that allow less than 95 points per game, they are certainly not on par, but they are already among the best defensive teams.

This season, the league has officially entered the '100-point era'. The 30 teams are currently averaging 101.6 points per game. This may decline somewhat, but media predict that the league could break 100 points by the end of the season.

The Knicks rank tenth in defensive efficiency and first in offensive efficiency among all 30 teams!

With one team ranking first and the other in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the last time such a team appeared was the Chicago Bulls in the 95-96 and 96-97 seasons. In those two years, the Bulls had the best offensive efficiency in the league, and their defense ranked third and sixth, respectively.

把条件放宽，攻防中的一项效率前五、另一项前十，进入21世纪以来，只有4支——99-00赛季的湖人队、06-07赛季的小牛队、08-09赛季的湖人队、08-09赛季的魔术队。

Last season, by April, not many people thought the Knicks could achieve more than 65 wins. In mid-March, after winning 50 games, they had already suffered their 13th loss, which was worse than the Pistons in the 2005-06 season, the Mavericks in the 2006-07 season, and the Lakers and Cavaliers in the 2008-09 season when they played the same number of games.

Like the Mavericks in the 06-07 season, their record was once 61 wins and 11 losses. At that time, everyone thought that a new 70-win team was about to emerge, but they couldn't hold on at the end of the season.

Before their two-game winning streak at the end of the season, people thought the Knicks were 'replicating' the fast-paced style of the Suns in the 04-05 season.

没有人想到，尼克斯队最后18场比赛能飙出场均115分、打出17胜1负的战绩收官，冲到68胜。

This season is different. From the very beginning, the Knicks have put on a performance that rivals those of historically great teams!
...

The day after playing the Pacers, the Knicks arrived at Rutherford Town's Landa Arena for a back-to-back game against the Nets.

As Yi Shui entered, he heard the deafening cheers from the crowd and his lips twitched.

When he arrived at the Army Aviation Arena in the afternoon, he heard Curry mention that today was the first time in two seasons that the Nets' tickets had sold out.

He initially thought that Nets fans were motivated to buy tickets to watch the game because of their presence.

As a result, it was as if there were no Nets fans at the stadium. When the visiting team entered the arena, the cheers were even wilder than those at the basketball mecca.

Then the Nets entered the court, greeted by a chorus of boos and chants of "Disband!"

After the entrance ceremony, Yi Shui looked across at Harris, Mayo, and Lopez, the core combination, which looked quite impressive.

Last season, Mayo was relegated to the bench and put on the trading block by the Timberwolves for competing with Evans for ball possession. His scoring average dropped to 13.2 points per game with a field goal percentage of only 40%. This summer, he was sent to the Nets as part of a trade for Yi Jianlian and Courtney Lee.

After switching teams, Mayo became the Nets' core scorer, averaging 17.5 points per game so far this season with a good field goal percentage of 45.3%. He is mature and excellent in one-on-one situations.

But he has almost no off-ball ability! Apart from one-on-one play, he just stands on the wing and watches.

Moreover, his passing was worse than in his rookie year, averaging only 3 assists and 2.5 turnovers per game!
Even scoring point guard Harris couldn't stand it anymore and expressed his hope that Mayo could focus on scoring, while he would take over the passing duties...

With Brook Lopez's further development and the addition of Mayo, Harris's shot attempts have been reduced, and his scoring average has plummeted from 20.1 points last season to 15 points. However, his assists are a career high of 7.5.

Brook Lopez, in his third year, truly lives up to his reputation as a cornerstone player, averaging 21 points per game.

The stats for these three players look promising, and in addition to them, the Nets also have a power forward, Kris Humphries, who averages 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, giving the impression of a very strong core lineup.

But their record... started with 2 wins and 10 losses, second to last in the Eastern Conference. Only the Cavaliers, who started with an 11-game losing streak, had a worse record than the Nets.

These four star players, all of whom performed exceptionally well individually, were essentially playing their own game.

Harris's drive-and-kick plays only with sideline catchers and shooters, and teammates who follow up on the fast break. He doesn't play with anyone else. Calling him a core point guard is more like calling him a sixth man who has taken the starting position. His function is similar to that of Lou Williams.
Mayo is purely a one-on-one player. When he doesn't have the ball, he just stands still and can't defend anyone.
Humphries was the one who played the most normally. He was a pure role player, very aggressive on offensive rebounds and decent in one-on-one defense, but he didn't have any other abilities.
If we exclude Stoudemire, who plays center but is essentially a forward, then Lopez's scoring performance so far this season is the strongest. However, while averaging 21 points per game, he only has 6 rebounds, and his playing style doesn't mesh well with the two star guards.

He averaged 92.5 points per game, second to last in the league; he allowed 101.5 points per game, fifteenth in the league. However, this was not because the Nets defended well, but simply because Brook Lopez was slow, had fewer possessions, and had the 26th fastest pace in the league.

At 8 p.m., the Knicks' back-to-back game began.

After several games, the Knicks once again unleashed a devastating offensive in the opening stages, scoring 33-24 in the first quarter!
第二节比分29比24、第三节比分30比26，三节打完，尼克斯队以92比74领先篮网队18分。

However, in the final quarter, the Knicks' offense and defense collapsed. They had been through a lot in the past five days, playing against the Hawks, Celtics and Pacers. It was also the second game of a back-to-back away game. They only scored 23 points in the final quarter and were outscored by the Nets by 34 points!
The combination of Harris, Mayo, and Lopez, although completely mismatched, is actually quite effective at chasing points in chaotic battles when opponents are exhausted. At this point, the Nets need individual skills, and all three of them possess them.

Fortunately, they had a large enough lead, and in the end, the Knicks narrowly defeated the Nets 115-108.

易水今晚是全队唯一全程表现正常的那个，每一节都打了8分钟左右，全场出战33分钟，18投11中，其中三分球4中2，加上5中4的罚球，拿到28分11板11助攻1抢断2盖帽，拿下赛季第5次三双！
Tonight, Yi Shui also had a good game. In the middle of the final quarter, after he had double-digit assists and 9 rebounds, Birdman and Gibson, who were on the court at the time, were both yelling at him to grab rebounds and actively box out... which led to him losing a defensive rebound that he should have been able to protect, which was put back in by Humphries.

Finally, Yi Shui's 10th rebound came from a putback after Mike Miller missed a three-pointer, meaning they lost that defensive rebound for nothing.

...

After playing the Nets, the Knicks flew to the South Coast. After arriving at the hotel, Yi Shui saw the news that the league had announced the Player of the Week for Week 3... It wasn't him, nor was it James.

The Magic went 5-3 in their first two weeks, including a game won only by Vince Carter hitting a game-winning shot, marking their worst start to the season since 07-08.

However, the Magic won all four of their games in the past week, improving their record to 9 wins and 3 losses, overtaking the Celtics and Pacers, and surging to third place in the Eastern Conference.

霍华德4场比赛场均24.5分16.5板，其中有一场28分25板的双25表现，击败了他逼哥和king同学，拿下周最佳。

In the West, the Player of the Week is also a rebounding expert!
The Clippers had a 2-2 record in four games last week, which wasn't great, and their overall record was only 5 wins and 7 losses. However, Love averaged 21.5 points and 19.5 rebounds per game, with two double-doubles in the four games. In the game where they lost to the Heat 103-111, Love scored a whopping 35 points and 31 rebounds.

自埃尔文-海耶斯在1982年2月打超音速队打出32分38板的表现后，已经时隔28个赛季没有人打出过双30表现，乐福成了21世纪第一人！
Seeing the online discussions about Warcraft in the East and Cupid in the West, Yi Shui felt a little heartbroken.

He felt the same way other stars felt when he won Player of the Week.

He had a triple-double! A triple-double! He was momentarily stunned, thinking he was in the era 10 years from now, when a triple-double was considered worthless.

However, 28 points and 25 rebounds, 35 points and 31 rebounds... these two players' performances were truly extraordinary. Even more than a decade later, few people can put up performances like Howard's, not to mention Love's.

After a night's rest, on the 23rd, Yi Shui and his team played an away game against the Hawks.

The Knicks' poor performance in the final quarter the night before last continued into tonight, and they were even worse, scoring only 23 points in the first quarter, 18 points in the second quarter, and a total of only 41 points in the first half.

Against the Hawks, Eric Gordon, Jeff Teague off the bench, and Al Horford in the paint, with Josh Smith orchestrating the offense, fired on all cylinders, giving the Hawks a 56-41 lead over the Knicks at halftime!
During halftime, D'Antoni recalled that three of the five starters were in very poor form, with stamina issues affecting the tactical execution. Curry even twisted his ankle twice in the second quarter. D'Antoni made a tough decision and let Curry, Ray Allen, and Chandler go home early!

Originally, D'Antoni wanted Yi Shui to rest as well. After playing against three top defensive teams—the Hawks, Celtics, and Pacers—the Knicks were facing the Hawks again in the second game of a back-to-back away game. This was the most difficult stretch of games for the Knicks in the early part of the season. A winning streak... it's time to give up.

But Yi Shui insisted on continuing the fight.

That unwavering attitude reminded D'Antoni of someone—Michael Jordan. In his 15-year career, aside from his second season being cut short by injury and the two seasons he temporarily returned after a year and a half of retirement, in the other 13 seasons, except for the first year of his second comeback when he missed more than 20 games due to injury, he only missed a total of 7 games in the other 12 seasons.

Even when injured, Jordan would insist on playing as long as he could.

D'Antoni had planned to call it a day, but Yi Shui wanted to keep fighting, so let's fight!
In the second half, he let Yi Shui lead the team alone, with Chalmers, Willie Green, Webster, and Mike Miller rotating on the perimeter, and Amir Johnson, Gibson, Birdman, and Frye rotating on the inside.

The tactics are simple: Yi Shui plays one-on-one and passes the ball, outside shots are taken when necessary, inside shots are aggressively contested, and defense is relentless!
This unrestrained maneuver had a remarkable effect!

易水第三节10投5中拿到13分，率队打出了28比22的单节比分，三节打完时，将比分追至69比78，分差缩小到了9分！
末节易水继续狂飙，在打到还剩33秒的时候，将比分追至97比98、分差缩小到1分，11分半钟时间打出了28比20的反扑浪潮。

Although Bibby started tonight, his performance in regulation time was mediocre, scoring only 7 points and 4 assists, not as good as Jeff Teague's 12 points and 6 assists off the bench. However, in the final moments, Woodson called a timeout, substituting Teague for Bibby. Bibby did not disappoint his coach and teammates, protecting the ball well in time, and then one-on-one against Willie Green, driving to the left high post and hitting a long two-pointer!
The Hawks extended their lead to 3 points, 100-97, leaving the Knicks with only 12 seconds left!
However, the Knicks did not call a timeout, and D'Antoni waved his hands and shouted "Hurry up, hurry up" from the sidelines.

Willie Green received the inbound pass and quickly advanced to the frontcourt, but did not rush to launch an attack or play recklessly.

With 5 seconds left on the countdown, Yi Shui, who had rushed to the baseline after reaching the frontcourt, ran out using Birdman's screen, and Willie Green calmly passed the ball to him.

Yi Shui shook off Marvin Williams, who was switching defenders and chasing after him, received the ball, and faced Bibby who was coming to help and Bogut who was rushing out from the free-throw line. He turned and shot a three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle...

Amid boos from the fans, the long whistle blew, and the ball flew out and plunged into the basket.

首节8分、第二节9分、第三节13分、末节16分，易水常规时间打了42分钟，29投14中、其中三分球10中5，加上15中13的罚球，狂轰46分9板6助攻2抢断1盖帽，并命中了绝平三分！
The score was 100-100, and the Knicks forced the game into overtime!
In the third quarter, the Hawks were already somewhat stunned by Yi Shui's outburst. They gritted their teeth and persevered in the final quarter, but their confidence gradually eroded. In the final moments, Bibby's crucial long two-pointer gave the Hawks renewed hope of winning... But when Yi Shui hit that buzzer-beating three-pointer, it completely shattered the Hawks' renewed momentum!

After entering overtime, the Hawks performed poorly, making only 1 of 6 shots and 2 of 2 free throws in 5 minutes, scoring only 4 points and committing as many as 3 turnovers... The Knicks completely took control in overtime!

Leading by 15 points at halftime, with three of the opposing team's four star players not playing a single second in the second half, Yi Shui, along with a group of role players, wiped out the 15-point deficit!

How are the Hawks supposed to play?
On the sidelines, coaches like D'Antoni and Mark Jackson witnessed the entire process of the game going from a 15-point deficit to a 5-point lead in overtime. Even though they had coached Yishui for over two years and knew how strong Yishui was better than any other team's coach, they still felt it was an exaggeration!

The opposing team's poor ability to withstand pressure also drew the attention of several coaches.

Mark Jackson: "Last season the Cavaliers swept the Hawks, and I thought it was Miami's King who was good against the Hawks, but now it seems that's not the case..."

D'Antoni nodded in agreement: "Next time we play the Hawks, let's not overthink it, just put Brook in!"

At 10:44 p.m., the final whistle blew.

易水加时赛5投2中、加上一次三分出手被犯规3罚2中，拿到6分，率队打出11比4的比分。

易水单场52分11板7助攻，率领尼克斯队通过加时赛，以111比104逆转老鹰队！
...

A 15-point comeback, a game-tying three-pointer, and a 52-point outburst in a single game... Yi Shui relied on their strength to steal the limelight from Dong Mo Xi Ai!
However, he couldn't completely recover. After scoring 50+ points for the second time this season, the hottest new topic also included the other three players.

This season, there are 4 players whose stats look completely different from the other players!
One of them was him, the Emperor who had grown for another year, scoring high points and making triple-doubles with ease.

The second is Kobe after he got Paul. He would suddenly go on a scoring spree, as if he had returned to his peak years of 27 or 28, and his efficiency even set a new career high.

The other two are Love, whose talent is beginning to materialize, and Howard, whose teammates' abilities have declined significantly.

Both of these players have averaged 15+ rebounds per game this season, often racking up 20 rebounds. Randolph, who is third in the rebounding list, is far behind them.

The next day at noon, the Knicks left Atlanta and arrived at the final stop of their four-game road trip, Orlando, another major city on the South Coast.

Although it was very close, and there was plenty of time in the afternoon after arriving at the Orlando hotel, D'Antoni did not arrange any training. In fact, the morning training session on the second day of the game was canceled. Instead, he went to Amway Arena in the afternoon to have a meeting, warm up, and play the game, just to let the players get more rest.

However, despite D'Antoni's best efforts to create rest time for the players and the players' hard work on the court, it was still impossible to avoid the problem of excessive physical exertion caused by the tight schedule and consecutive away games, and the players were still unable to regain their form.

首节23比31、第二节16比20，尼克斯队半场以39比51落后魔术队12分。

Not only that, Curry, who insisted on playing, twisted his left ankle after twisting his right ankle the day before yesterday!

This situation is quite common, just like Paul last season, who, after injuring his left knee, instinctively reduced the force exerted by his left leg, leading to excessive fatigue in his right knee and a stress injury.

Curry was worried about aggravating his right ankle injury that he twisted the day before yesterday. When moving, he put his weight on his left foot. When defending against a pick-and-roll, he couldn't control the lateral movement distance as well as he usually does with small, quick steps. He tripped over Ryan Anderson after the pick-and-roll, and his left foot slipped and he twisted his ankle.

In the second half, the Knicks resumed the practice of having Yi Shui lead the team alone.

However, they didn't pick up the pace in the third quarter. Yi Shui only scored 8 points on 2-of-7 shooting and 4-of-4 free throws, for a total of 21 points for the team. The Magic's overall defense may not be as good as the Hawks', but their defensive ceiling is much higher because they have Howard.

Fortunately, the Magic lacked players who could score consecutively in the third quarter to win tough games. They had many scorers, but none of them scored high, managing only 21 points in the quarter.

In the final quarter, Yi Shui, who had been struggling, finally found his rhythm and scored 14 points and 2 assists, leading his team to a 30-point run. Unfortunately, this wasn't a comeback, as the Magic's wings also found their rhythm in the final quarter, scoring 25 points.

The Knicks' comeback attempt failed, losing 90-97 and falling by 7 points.

首节6分、第二节8分、第三节8分、末节14分，易水27投12中，其中三分球11中4，加上10中8的罚球，易水拿到36分7板5助攻2盖帽。

The team's 13-game winning streak came to an end. After the game, he returned to the locker room and saw the Magic team figurine he had left in his bag, which made him very upset.

The winning streak is over... It was bound to happen sooner or later. After the second game of the four-game road trip against the Nets, he had a feeling that the winning streak might end during this four-game road trip. Of course, he did not give up because of this feeling. On the contrary, he fought to the end in every game, and tonight was no exception.

This is exactly what frustrated him. In the third quarter, the opponent's offense was so poor that it gave him a chance to catch up, but he failed to seize it. He took 9 shots and made 7 successful shots, but only made 2. He scored 8 points in the quarter, half of which were missed when he drove into the paint and the referee called a foul.

If he had scored two more goals in that quarter, the outcome might have been different.

As I said before, winning streaks always come to an end. Yi Shui is quite experienced in having long winning streaks broken... Last season, they had as many as 5 winning streaks of at least 7 games, which means a winning streak lasting at least half a month. They're used to it.

But after returning to the hotel after the game, the coaching staff called Yi Shui over and told him some bad news—according to the team doctor's diagnosis, Curry's right ankle injury was more serious than expected, and the initial diagnosis was a stress injury. The slip he made in the second quarter of the game against the Hawks the day before yesterday was just the trigger for the sprain. What really made the ankle injury serious was the fatigue that had accumulated in the ankle over the years.

This "years" doesn't just refer to the two years he's been in the NBA, but rather to years of accumulated joint fatigue injuries. The team doctor's assessment suggests that Curry may have a problem with his ankle ligaments!
...

The following afternoon, Yi Shui returned to New York with the team.

After a four-game road trip, the Knicks will have three days of rest: from the 26th to the 28th, and then back-to-back home games on the 29th and 30th to finish their first month of competition.

Upon arriving at the airport, Yi Shui and Chalmers accompanied Curry and the team to the hospital for a thorough examination.

The next morning, Yi Shui was woken up by a phone call from Clark. After learning about Curry's injury, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Kent Cy Young, the team's new head of the medical staff and advisor to the medical departments of Syracuse University and Brigham Young University basketball clubs, is the right person to take the assessment.

Curry did suffer a stress injury in his ankle, but it wasn't as serious as a careful assessment suggested. It was just a dangerous case of overstretching, not enough to end his season.

Shortly after hanging up with Clark, Yi Shui received a call from Chalmers. The two agreed to meet at Madison Square Garden and then head to the hospital together.

The hospital wasn't far from the stadium, so the two walked there. Yi Shui stopped by David Lee's supermarket and bought a fruit basket, while Chalmers also bought a bouquet of flowers.

Curry was touched to see his two best friends visit him. Yesterday on the plane, after learning that he might have a problem with his ankle ligaments, he panicked and was a little afraid to go to the hospital. Fortunately, his two best friends accompanied him for an afternoon.

Yi Shui and Curry discussed the injury and learned that Curry had a meeting in the morning with Walsh, the coaching staff, team doctor Cy Young, and trainer Clark to discuss treatment options and ultimately decided on conservative treatment.

Surgical treatment has the advantage of being more thorough and potentially having a shorter recovery period, but it comes with risks.

However, the main cause of Curry's injury is the excessive pressure his playing style puts on his ankle. Even with thorough surgical treatment, there is still a risk of recurrence and even more serious complications.

Therefore, experienced senior management member Walsh decided on conservative treatment. Although the recovery period was uncertain and there was a possibility of fluid buildup in the ankle requiring repeated treatment, it was a safer approach. He focused on post-injury work, suggesting that Curry adjust his shooting and quick movement habits.

When they got to this point, Yi Shui realized that Curry was very resistant to it; that stubborn streak had returned!
Back in his rookie season, Yi Shui had heard that Dell Curry had told elementary school students that the shooting form put too much pressure on their feet, and he had even heard Dell Curry complain that his son was too stubborn and wouldn't listen to advice.

He tried to persuade Curry once, but Curry seemed very impatient, so he didn't continue.

But this time, Yi Shui had to advise him. "Stephen, you really should adjust your shooting. If Lyon hadn't been helping you with foot strength training these past two years, it might not have been an overstretched ligament, but a torn one."

Last summer, after Clark joined the Knicks coaching staff as the head of the training department, he observed the players' training during the offseason and discovered Curry's problem with shooting power. He tried to advise him, but to no avail. So he started to address the issue in terms of training, adding leg strength training for Curry, but this only delayed the onset of the injury.

However, everyone has their own 'stubborn' aspects, and Curry is particularly stubborn when it comes to shooting.

He believes he has a better shooting talent than his father or anyone else. He has relied on this shooting skill to establish himself on the court since he was a child, and has achieved his current success and wealth.

He can accept being the second-in-command and admit that Yi Shui is more talented and stronger than him, but when it comes to shooting, he just wants to stick to it.

Curry remained silent, while Chalmers, who was becoming increasingly astute, kept quiet about the matter.

Yi Shui thought for a moment and said, "Stephen, you don't want to become the next Grant Hill, do you? You had dazzling talent in your rookie years, but after a few years you were plagued by injuries. It wasn't until you were over thirty that you woke up, adjusted your playing style, and became the 'most respected veteran'?"
By then, when people mention you, they'll all say it's a pity, that the son of the Hornets' scoring champion, whose three-point shooting was better than Ray Allen and Reggie Miller's in the same era, and who won a championship in his sophomore year, but was plagued by injuries starting in his junior year, and never became the all-time three-point king..."

Curry was somewhat moved by the first part of those words, but as he listened, he realized something was off and retorted, "I haven't made as many three-pointers as you! If we're talking about the all-time three-point king, I can only rank behind you!"

Yi Shui shrugged and said, "If you don't find a way to address the risks of your ankle injury, you won't even have a chance to compete with me for the three-point title... I remember you still owe me a promise, right? Now fulfill it! Change that damn shooting motion of yours! Listen to your dad, he won't harm you!"

(End of this chapter)