If the Pacers hadn't taken the shot at Stephen Jackson, O'Neal Jr.
It's not Artest who beats the fans, but the team's water cooler players.
Then the situation would be very different.
You must know that that year was the peak period of this group of players.
A brawl on the court completely ruined the future of this team, and several people went their separate ways after that.
But this also gives other teams some warnings.
Some playoff teams usually have one or two hitters, or players who do the dirty work.
The Spurs had the most back then, and the Knicks now have no shortage of them either.
If the Pacers want to play well, the Knicks will help; if they want to go rogue, the Knicks have countermeasures!
…
Today, D'Antoni consciously hid Millsap and Cousins, and he is ready to let these two take on big responsibilities in the next game.
Originally, D'Antoni wanted Lian Dao to take a break, but Lian Dao did not agree.
If he is not on the court, once the opponent is in good form, it will take even more energy to suppress it in the second half.
The gain outweighs the loss!
Moreover, Lian Dao knew that only by defeating the opponent would they not dare to use dirty tricks.
Since the opponent was trying to get in the way, Lian Dao no longer attacked the basket, but used shooting to resolve the battle.
Especially his signature step-back three-pointers and fadeaway jumpers, which confused Granger and Paul George.
Even towards the end of the second quarter, Lian Dao was without the ball.
Running to the basket, he received a pass from Holiday in the air and dunked.
Teammates cover from the outside, catch the ball and shoot three-pointers...
On the defensive end, the combination of Lian Dao and Whiteside produced an unexpected effect.
Especially since both of them are gibbons, and Whiteside has a height advantage.
The two men guarding the basket were like blocking out the sky and the sun.
The Pacers players were completely unable to attack when they were in poor condition.
Before the end of the first half, he also received a big hit from Whiteside and Lian Dao.
At the end of the half, the Knicks led by 18 points!
Lian Dao's statistics in the first half were still excellent, with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Especially in the second quarter without the ball, his scoring ability was unleashed.
Running without the ball, he penetrated the Pacers' defense one after another and scored the ball.
Paul George was in a depressed mood at the end of halftime. He couldn't figure out why his team was so frustrated today.
"It shouldn't be like this!"
Paul George shouted in his heart!
When they faced the Heat in the regular season, they often had some advantages.
But why has it become so unbearable against the Knicks now? Is the defending champion really that good?
In terms of strength, the Knicks and Heat are actually about the same.
However, the Knicks' lineup, or player configuration, somewhat restrains the Pacers.
Especially their big center Hibbert, who did not show his true defensive strength in the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter.
Every time he was either pulled out of the basket by Cousins or Millsap.
And he is a heavy center who moves slowly, so once he is pulled out of the basket, his ability to help defend and cover defense is seriously reduced.
It wasn't until Cousins took a break that Hibbert's intimidating power at the basket really came into play.
This is why the Knicks did not extend their lead to 20 points at the end of the second quarter.
In the second half, although Cousins still did not return, the Knicks' offense did not stop.
The main reason is that their rebounding in the second half was much better than in the first half. With Lian Dao and Hassan guarding the basket, even Hibbert was not easy to use.
[To be honest, I’ve been using the Changing Source app recently to read and catch up on new books. It allows me to switch sources and read aloud with many different sounds. It’s available on both Android and Apple.]
Hassan is more flexible than Hibbert, and this guy also has a very good sense of rebounding.
And D'Antoni said when he let him play, he didn't need to score, he only needed to defend and rebound.
If the opponent messes up, Hassan can also act as a thug.
Therefore, the Pacers' rebounding dropped severely, and their offensive efficiency was very low, so the score was opened unknowingly.
Although the Pacers wanted to rebel and push the table several times throughout the game.
It's a pity that their fists are not as big as the Knicks, and they quickly retreated under the confrontation.
At the end of the game, the score is.
The Knicks defeated the Pacers with a big score at home.
A group of Indiana players were beaten so dizzy that they could not find their rhythm until the end of the game. They could not figure out how they died.
They were passively beaten by the Knicks' offensive and defensive rhythm throughout the game.
This feeling of being helpless makes the Pacers players have the urge to vomit blood!
Lian Dao likes this kind of game more and more. He does not need to fight hard all the time, and his teammates can provide support on the offensive and defensive ends.
This made Lian Dao feel particularly relaxed after a game.
In the playoffs, we fight until the end. What we fight for is the strength of the stars and the depth of the lineup.
At the same time, the focus is also on the physical fitness of the players!
If the Knicks can maintain this state, they are likely to directly sweep the Pacers and advance.
In this way, they will have more physical advantages when facing the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although his statistics are not as explosive as those in the playoffs of the previous two seasons.
But in the game, he made 9 of 10 free throws, which was also a triple-double with assists.
Especially when facing the Pacers, who have excellent defense in the league, Lian Dao's scoring efficiency is the most praiseworthy.
Post-match press conference.
"Did we play easily? I don't think the opponent's strength is still very good, but we are more experienced!"
"Danny and Paul put a lot of pressure on me on the defensive end. They are both very good players!"
"What are you talking about, Danny made 1 of 10 shots?! Oh, that's normal. You know, it's impossible for every player to be at his best in every game!"
"Danny, it's just that I haven't found the state yet!"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! After the game, Lian Dao was interviewed by reporters. Those who didn't know it thought it was what the opponent's coach Vogel said.
Lian Dao praised his opponent throughout the whole process and did not mention a word about his own outstanding performance. This is also Lian Dao's careful trick, and he will stop when he is good!
But what Lian Dao said was not entirely false.
The Pacers are indeed capable, but this is the first time they meet in the playoffs, and the Pacers don't understand the Knicks' game rhythm.
Moreover, their playoff experience is not as rich as the Knicks.
However, with the subsequent matches between the two teams, the Pacers will gradually adapt to these, and by then the Pacers will be difficult to deal with.
However, the reporters off the court only saw Lian Dao defending his opponent, so they were full of black lines.
Reporter: You are so good at speaking up for the Pacers, why don’t you go to the Pacers?
This group of reporters felt that Lian Dao's words were impeccable and that they were too difficult to deal with.
Don't feel that Lian Dao is a scheming person. He has experienced too many worldly experiences in his two lives.
Moreover, he has also seen too many experiences of people being complacent after making some achievements, making nonsense and then falling into the abyss.
The Knicks are already the winners in this game, and there is no need to belittle their opponents from the perspective of the winners.
Belittling your opponent can only mean that your victory is of low value!
"Do you think the Knicks can make another sweep and get to the Finals?"
"This can only be left to time. After all, this is the first game, isn't it? The final result of the game is the answer."
The reporter once again had his head full of black lines.
It is better to listen to your words than to listen to them!
Isn't it the same as if you said it or not?
However, Lian Dao was not in the mood to listen to the reporters. He had already answered three questions.
According to regulations, Lian Dao could leave the media reception room, so he turned around and left the press conference.
The reporters looked at each other and felt very helpless. Who would let someone else's coffee table sit here?
…
After the Knicks game, the league announced the All-Rookie Team of the Season.
Leading the way is Kyrie Irving, the Rookie of the Year.
Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried, Klay Thompson, Yinman Shumpert, Kawhi Leonard, and Brandon Knight were selected to the first team.
Since the league established the rookie team award during the season.
It is the first time in history that 3 people have tied votes at the same time and 7 people have been selected to the first team.
In the past 50 years, there have been four occasions when two people tied the vote and six people were elected.
The NBA also announced another honor, the Manager of the Year Award.
However, the recipient of this honor is rather embarrassed.
The honor was awarded to Indiana Pacers general manager Larry Bird.
The first generation of "Forcing King" thus became the first person in history to win the four major awards: Regular Season Year), Finals Year), Coach of the Year (1998) and Best General Manager.