Basketball Dragon

Chapter 148 Competing for Ranking
James' pass made a mistake, and the Knicks switched offense and scored quickly, extending the lead that had just been chased by the Cavaliers to 5 points to 7 points.

James didn't panic because of a mistake, but played even better.

Gortat's defense speed is still a bit slow, and then James can only foul Gortat in the same way, sending James to the free throw line.

But the confrontation between James and Li Hai may have been too fierce, and only one of the two free throws was made.

In the last few minutes, James attacked many times in a row, and Gortat quickly fouled six times while sitting at the basket, but James only made four of his nine free throws.

In the last 2 minutes of the game, the Cavaliers were still 7 points behind.

Both James and Larry Hughes tried three-pointers one after another. At this time, the Knicks were closely defending the Cavaliers' three-pointers, and neither of them made a shot.

And Nate Robinson made a shot at 55 seconds, completely extinguishing the Cavaliers' hopes.

At 96:91, the Knicks maintained the lead until the end. Li Hai only scored 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in this game, but he didn't care at all. The victory is gratifying.

After winning the Cavaliers, the Knicks have 44 wins, and they are only one win away from the Cavaliers. Because of their mutual records, the Knicks can replace the opponent's fourth place in the Eastern Conference as long as they are equal to the opponent's wins.

There are not many games left, and they must try to gain home court advantage while keeping their players healthy.

On April 4, the Knicks played against the Pacers at home.

The Pacers are also looking for a ticket to the playoffs. They traded for Peja Stojakovic. The outside offensive power has improved to a certain extent, but the defense has dropped a bit. It is not obvious yet Is a blessing or a curse.

Jermaine O'Neal also returned some time ago, allowing the Pacers to restore their full strength.

The Knicks entered the state relatively quickly at the beginning of the game, thanks to Eddie Curry's strong offensive power when he was full of energy.

However, O'Neal's ability to continue fighting is better, and Eddie Curry has been sluggish after three strikes.

Even though O'Neal suffered an injury this season, he still maintained a good strength after his comeback. The Knicks still have few ways to defend.

The Knicks' tactics are obvious. Just like dealing with the Timberwolves, they cut off the connection between the enemy's star players and other players. They still adopt a single-wheel tactic against O'Neal. Let O'Neal keep playing whatever he plays, but they don't play against others. It is strictly guarded against.

Stojakovic, Li Hai was very careful not to give the opponent a three-pointer. If Stojakovic took advantage of his height to force a two-pointer, Li Hai would try his best to interfere.

The main force of the two sides is actually almost the same. Without Miller and Artest, the Pacers are far less powerful than before. When the substitute players come on the court, the Knicks have the advantage.

One Crawford is equivalent to two or three others, and he can score consecutive points on the court.

Relying on the advantages established by the substitute players, the Knicks led by 10 points at halftime.

In the second half, Jermaine O'Neal's attack became more ferocious, a bit unstoppable, but the Pacers' other scoring points were not good, and Stojakovic's hit rate was greatly affected by Li Hai's fight.

Compared with Jermaine O'Neal's inside advantage, the Knicks' outside advantage is more obvious.

Nate Robinson and Crawford both feel good, and Li Hai is as stable as ever, making Stojakovic very embarrassed on the defensive end.

In the fourth quarter, Stephen Jackson, who hadn't shown much before, finally showed his combat power, but it was too late.

At 2 minutes and 06 seconds, Jackson hit a three-pointer, but Li Hai immediately responded. Stojakovic's defensive attitude was too negative, and he was always easily thrown away by Li Hai.

At 1 minute and 12 seconds, Li Hai passed the ball to Nate Robinson, who was ambushing outside the three-point line. After this three-pointer hit, the Knicks' lead came to 10 points again, and the result of the game was almost settled.

In addition to identifying a few players who can enjoy a core position on the court, the Knicks always have one or two outside players who perform well. In this way, their offense will hardly misfire.

After the number of players on the team was reduced, Lehi's proposal proved to be feasible, and Larry Brown finally determined the Knicks' most efficient fighting style.

98:91，李海砍下35分13篮板外加5次助攻，简直是不可阻挡。

On April 4th, the Knicks came to Boston as a guest. The Celtics have completely lost the chance to enter the playoffs this season. The traded Wally Szczerbiak was also injured and unable to play, so they did not have many opportunities. fighting spirit.

李海砍下25分8篮板10助攻，以出色的状态带着尼克斯101:85轻取对手。

On the second day, the Knicks played back-to-back away games, allowing Lehi and Francis to take turns, and the team did not underestimate the Pacers.

On April 4, the Knicks won a key game and challenged the Cavaliers away.

Now the two teams have a record of 47 wins. The Knicks are ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference because of the relationship between the two sides, and the Cavaliers are ranked in the top five in the Eastern Conference. For the top four positions, both teams will do their best.

James said in an interview with reporters before the game, "We will definitely keep the victory in Cleveland, and we are ready."

Zajunas Ilgauskas has also returned and said there is a way to limit the Knicks.

The Knicks are also very domineering. Li Hai directly said that the Knicks are the best team.

In this game, both sides are bound to win. In the first quarter, they directly entered the defense of the playoffs. Their offense is played from the inside, and the defense is the same. If someone catches the ball in the three-second zone, it will be crowded. Humans don't even have a chance to make a move.

After 2 minutes, Li Hai assisted Nate Robinson to hit a three-pointer.

Subsequently, James also assisted Ronald Murray to hit a three-pointer, and immediately returned the color.

Because the fight was too fierce and the defense was tight, the two teams had more shots from outside the three-point line. Seeing this situation, the Knicks replaced Crawford in advance, and the Cavaliers responded quickly. Replaced with taller pitcher Donyell Marshall.

At 16:16, the score of the first quarter can be seen to what extent the defense of the two sides has reached.

Because it is closer to the playoffs, the Cavaliers did not let James play on the court all the time. They plan to use more rotation players to maintain intensity.

For the Knicks, Li Hai and James kept the same playing time.

They use Crawford to stay on the field to maintain the team's firepower. Crawford's stamina is good enough. On the premise of not needing to undertake strong defensive tasks, don't worry about physical strength at all.

At critical moments, the blade will reveal its sharpness.

(End of this chapter)