The three-pointer, visibly short, finally bounces off the rim, and the rebound is grabbed by Howard.
Coming back, the Knicks go on offense.
Even though the Knicks, without Jas due to DNP, indeed lack a player who can average about 25 points per ga.
But during the actual ga, the calculation isn't so straightforward.
Because without Jas, the Knicks also freed up a lot of ball control, giving Harden, Durant, and Igoda more opportunities to handle the ball, making the second ga one of the smoothest offensive performances by the Knicks in recent years.
This evening, the Knicks' first offensive play continued their previous smooth offensive rhythm.
At the high post, Jeffries and Howard both stepped up to set screens for Harden.
Then, taking advantage of the Warriors' unclear rotational defense, Durant quickly switched Curry into his range.
Seeing this, Harden imdiately passed the ball to Durant.
And silently mourned for his good brother Curry for three seconds.
Compared to the past, Curry has made noticeable progress on the defensive end this season.
But...
No matter how good Curry's defense is, he couldn't withstand Durant raising his long arms for a shot right in front of him.
Swoosh——!
In Madison Square Garden, the Death God who swung the scythe first imdiately set the arena ablaze.
It's just...
Durant's one-on-one with Curry is a staple for the Knicks against the Warriors, while Qin Yue's pick-and-roll to single out another Jas is similarly a staple for the Warriors.
Previously, while mourning for Curry, Harden now has to pray for himself.
Because Howard failed to get around the screen, Harden was forced to switch and guard Qin Yue.
To be fair, in this defensive play, Harden's defense was diligent, active, even to the point of self-sacrifice.
But Qin Yue practically burned through Harden's iconic beard with just a single move.
Pushing the ball with acceleration sprint.
Converging the ball and gliding into the air.
In the Knicks' paint area, Qin Yue, leaping past Harden's defense, dunked over "Spider-Man" Jeffries with one hand.
This was a dunk performance that stunned everyone.
However, on the court, the other four Knicks players imdiately applauded Harden, led by Durant, who encouraged him saying, "Don't mind this play, this kind of shot is sothing we can't deal with."
As a team, based on incomplete statistics, the team previously averaged at least a hundred mutual complaints per ga...
What made the Knicks, overnight, beco a team focused on mutual encouragent?
And what caused Howard, who traditionally didn't like Harden, to follow Durant's lead in encouraging Harden, saying, "Next ti I'll try to help you around the screen."
On ESPN, the perpetually disgruntled A. Smith comnted, "Without LeBron, the atmosphere destroyer, the Knicks' unity is evidently stronger than before."
anwhile, Van Gundy analyzed tactically, "In a basketball ga, to play high-quality defense, your five players on the court must all act for the team and the team for them."
On the basketball court, why do so players always have defensive stops around them, while others always have gaps?
Because defense can never rely solely on individuals.
In a complete defensive system, rather than arguing with teammates about defense, think more about what you've done for your teammates.
For example, in the Warriors' next defensive play.
Knowing Durant wanted to target Curry again, he delayed through fronts and gave Qin Yue enough ti to help defend.
Curry knew he couldn't stop Durant.
So he never thought he could rely on personal ability to limit Durant.
And Qin Yue?
As the headline super player of this ga, at this mont, he didn't stand still watching, nor did he complain after being beaten.
Qin Yue only had the determination to win at all costs.
At the high post on the left wing, the Death God attempting to swing his scythe for the second ti was directly "blocked" by Qin Yue.
And in front of the TV, Jas, also watching the ga, should have slid on his knees in his living room for Qin Yue's amazing block on Durant.
But before Jas could slide to his knees, Durant, like a flying mantis, soared and saved the ball back to Iguodala.
Seeing this, Iguodala didn't hesitate to fire from the outside and made the shot.
In this mont, Jas always felt like this relentlessly determined Knicks team was performing like him before.
But...
How many people in this world want to be like Jas?
In this play, Iguodala firmly believed that Durant would definitely save the ball.
Just like Durant believed that after he saves the ball, Iguodala would certainly make the shot.
After the tempering in the second ga of the finals, the unity and desperation of this Knicks team had risen to a whole new level.
anwhile, for the Warriors, Qin Yue, who scored 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in a single quarter, found himself and the Warriors in a similar predicant as the last ga.
At the end of the first quarter, 29 to 33.
The Warriors on the road were trailing by 4 points.
Qin Yue scored 18 points in one quarter, yet the Warriors were still trailing by 4 points. What does that indicate?
It indicates that tonight, the other players of the Warriors were out of form.
Especially Curry, who was 0 for 4 in the first quarter and 1 for 7 in the first half.
However, during halfti, Qin Yue, who was not at all worried that Curry would find his rhythm, jokingly said to Curry, "If you keep missing like that, I can grab at least 30 rebounds this ga."
In Qin Yue's past life, why was it that Curry, in crucial monts, always had teammates who stepped up?
From "Ga 6 of the Western Conference Finals, ask around who's the boss" Klay Thompson to "Ga 7 is 'nervous guy' Hield."
Isn't it possible that because, whether on offense or defense, Curry always unconditionally trusted his teammates, just like Qin Yue at this mont?
Qin Yue believed in Curry's ability to adjust.
In this aspect, Qin Yue was well aware of the quality that Curry possessed.
So, after halfti, in the third quarter, with the intention of helping Curry find his rhythm, Qin Yue soon witnessed Curry firing off shots from outside, at the expense of Iguodala's various reactions.
On the court, the Warriors were attacking.
Curry first used a screen to make a difficult three-pointer.
Then, in the next play, with Qin Yue's tacit agreent, Curry completed another tough three-pointer in front of Iguodala.
When Curry, dribbling and nearly losing the ball several tis to Iguodala, still managed to send the ball through the hoop with an astonishing physical posture.
Iguodala's baffled expression at that ti...
Was it not a true reflection of those opponents whose ntality was shattered by Curry's repeated shots in Qin Yue's mory?
Crossover, step-back, but never hesitated.
At Madison Square Garden, with Curry scoring 17 points for the Warriors in a single quarter, single-handedly giving Qin Yue this precious ti to play and rest on the court...
In this much-anticipated ga, Knicks fans experienced the sa despair previously felt by Lakers fans in the last quarter.
1 minute and 57 seconds before the ga ended.
The Warriors' offensive play.
Qin Yue, having shaken off Howard, scored his last basket of the ga in the Knicks' paint and secured his 14th point of the fourth quarter.
The Qin-Curry combo led the Warriors to a key victory at Madison Square Garden.
Final score, 119 to 110.
Throughout the ga, Qin Yue totaled 48 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals.
And Curry, who had only 3 points in the first half, scored 22 points in the second half, with a ga total of 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
If that night, the Knicks did not DNP Jas, he would certainly ask in the post-ga interview:
Why do Qin Yue's teammates always step up?
But since this was a Knicks team that DNP'd Jas,
rather than complain like Jas about Qin Yue's teammates performing better, Durant was naturally more concerned about why he couldn't inspire his teammates to step up like Qin Yue.
"I think I still have a long way to go in helping my teammates," Durant said at the press conference.
Additionally, during the post-ga, Durant, fully enveloped by his "Death God" persona, boldly claid, "Next ga, we will surely defend our ho court."
"If I can't do that, I'll directly retire."
...
PS: First update delivered. PS2: Oh no, now Ah Qiao has really beco a jinx. (But, now that I think about it, could it be because Ah Qiao praises Old Jas every day that Old Jas couldn't lead the Lakers to the championship?)
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