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Chapter 228 He got anxious, he got even more anxious, he was both angry and anxious (Two chapters combined!)
The plot is strikingly similar to that of traditional American superhero blockbusters filled with the aroma of popcorn.
On the court, after the Knicks' star players had each shown their prowess, Qin Yue, who was considered the main villain by the New York media before the game, made his move.

High position on the right wing.

Facing Iguodala, who was constantly trying to shield him from the ball, Qin Yue slammed the ball backward to create space, then accelerated and stopped abruptly before pulling up for a pull-up jumper. In an instant, Qin Yue's powerful pull-up shot pierced through Iguodala's defense.

The next second, the basketball flew through the net in a beautiful arc.

Swish!
"Messiah's jump shot is like a work of art."

Barkley remarked about TNT, "No matter how many times we watch it, we never get tired of it."

Previously, Qin Yue had never been able to understand it.
Why do those veterans say that the NBA in later generations is not as entertaining as it was back then?

But now, the signature moves that made these NBA stars of their generation famous are becoming increasingly abstract.
Qin Yue, who stands out from the crowd, finds it hard not to agree with the views of these predecessors.

Knicks offense.

James's Nightmare Dance once again opened Qin Yue's eyes.

If we say that James habitually shifts his pivot foot when receiving the ball, it's somewhat acceptable.

After turning with his back to the right while holding the ball, he shifts his pivot foot again, and finally completes the turn by stepping to the left side of his body.
LeBron James, who can completely disregard the rules related to the pivot foot in the basketball world, is beyond description to Qin Yue except for his domineering style.

Near the low post on the right baseline, the new GOAT barely managed to keep up with James's incredible pace.

However, faced with James' ultimate move, the wide-open fadeaway jumper, even the new GOAT could only pray to the heavens at this moment.

Clang, clang, swish!

Qin Yue admitted that the moment James stumbled and fell into the basket with his fadeaway jumper, his worldview was instantly shattered by James.

This was a rare moment of vulnerability for Qin Yue in recent years, as his mindset matured.

And as the man who can make the new GOAT break down.
Putting aside James's violation after completing the fadeaway jumper, James deserves the title of Executive Vice President GOAT based on this play alone.

Turning back, Qin Yue, who was already showing signs of a heart attack, lobbed the ball to Brown, who was eagerly asking for it.

Perhaps he felt that James's offensive play, which he had just executed while receiving guidance from Hakeem Olajuwon at DreamWorks last summer, was a disgrace to his mentor.

Under Mozgov's defense, Brown decisively showed the world his true nightmare dance moves.

Turn left, then right.

Turn right then left.

In Mozgov's eyes, Brown's pivot foot shifted at least four or five times.
The Russian polar bear, which was not good at defense to begin with, was almost instantly disoriented by Brown's skillful maneuvering.

And, most incredibly, that's it.
After completing the entire Nightmare Dance steps.
The genius Brown, just as he was about to turn and shoot, changed his shot to a step-back, and brazenly sent the ball into the basket right in front of Mozgov.

Fortunately, the referee did not tolerate this extremely ugly back-to-the-basket play.

"I absolutely did not walk!"

Under the Knicks' basket, watching the referee call a traveling violation on him, Brown defended himself: "I was just using the new Dream Shake that Hakeem Olajuwon taught me!"

Upon hearing this, the referee decided it was impossible to heed Brown's protest.

Undeterred, Brown continued to defend himself, saying, "If you're going to call me traveling, then why didn't you call LeBron traveling just now?"

James, who was preparing to inbound the ball from the baseline, unfortunately got caught in the crossfire.

And under Brown's reminder
In the following rounds, James did indeed receive "special attention" from the referees, being called for a wrist violation and a traveling violation.

Qin Yue never expected that Brown's extremely ugly singles play would produce such a strange chain reaction.

"Well done."

So much so that when the first quarter entered an official timeout, Qin Yue didn't forget to specifically praise Brown's performance in this game.

Although Brown's original intention was not to risk a one-for-one trade with James by self-destructing.

But Brown, who effectively limited James' non-basketball moves, accomplished something that even Qin Yue couldn't do.

After the timeout, the Warriors made a substitution.

Brown, who had single-handedly defended James, was temporarily substituted off for a rest, and Jamison, who had been reunited with James after a long absence, came on as a substitute.

Before entering the game, Jamison pleaded with Qin Yue, "I have a lot to say to number 23 on the other side. Can you pass me the ball a few more times?"

Seeing this, Qin Yue chuckled: "Antoine, you know, I only decide how to pass the ball based on the position of each teammate."

At that moment, Jamison knew that Qin Yue's unspoken meaning was...
Qin Yue will not change his playing style because of his personal feud with James.

Jamison was slightly disappointed by this.
But considering that everything would be meaningless if they didn't win this final, Jamison immediately said, "I misspoke earlier. This is the final, and winning is our only goal."

Qin Yue smiled and said, "No, what I mean is, this is the last time."

Is this not against the rules?

At that moment, Jamison, who instantly understood Qin Yue's implication, transformed into a fire-breathing dragon.

And what about Qin Yue?

Qin Yue knew, of course, that winning was the Warriors' only goal.

But since Jamison had something on his mind to say to James, Qin Yue, who always doted on every teammate, naturally had to generously grant the other's trivial request.

Moreover, isn't the Warriors using Jamison precisely because of his offensive prowess?

What, do the Warriors really expect Jamison to be a two-way player?
On the court, in the first offensive possession after the timeout, Qin Yue quickly directed the other Warriors players to clear Jamison's half of the court.

With the ball in a triple threat situation, Jamison, who had often challenged James to one-on-one situations in his Cavaliers career, first used a jab step to shift James's center of gravity. Then, after dribbling to the right and taking a step to the side, Jamison faked out the overly eager James and calmly sank a long two-point jump shot for the Warriors.

"Is this the kind of defense that would earn you a spot on the All-Defensive Team?"

After scoring, Jamison, unable to control his emotions any longer, yelled at James, "Stop lying to people with your fairy tales, you king in your new clothes!"

—The King in His New Clothes.

As James ran toward the Warriors' half of the court, with Jamison's piercing taunts still echoing in his ears, his expression clearly grew anxious.

James desperately needed a shot to shut Jamison up.

However, the main character for the Knicks in this round was not James.

On the court, James's movement successfully drew the Warriors' defense, and Westbrook, who was responsible for setting a screen for Durant on the wing, quickly popped out and instantly created an open shot.

Seeing this, Iguodala did not hesitate and quickly passed the ball to the unmarked Westbrook.

However, after receiving the ball, Westbrook seemed to be possessed by the spirit of Balotelli.

You say he wanted to vote, but he faked voting twice and nobody paid any attention to him.

You might say he wanted to drive, but Nash, who was closest to him, was at least three meters away.
How can he possibly break through now?
Should we just force our way into the crowd?

Before Qin Yue's time travel, Westbrook's career playoff three-point shooting percentage was less than 30%.

Moreover, with this accuracy rate
Most opponents will selectively leave him open, allowing him to shoot wide-open shots and thus increasing his shooting percentage.

Therefore, the Warriors' rotation defense was no longer able to keep up with the Knicks in this possession.
Therefore, leaving Westbrook open would naturally be the best solution for the Warriors players on the court.

结果
After hesitating for two seconds on the perimeter, Westbrook still managed to shoot the three-pointer.

Then, Qin Yue successfully added another defensive rebound to his stats.

Then, Qin Yue dribbled the ball with long strides and launched a transition attack.

In the Knicks' first half, Jamison, who had complete faith in Qin Yue's ability to protect the backcourt rebounds, successfully enjoyed the benefits of stealing a fast break.

After receiving a brilliant pass from Qin Yue, Jamison scored two tough points.

Turning his head to James, who had arrived late, Jamison, who seemed ready to chat for three days and three nights, said, "You've always envied your messianic teammates, haven't you? Listen up, this is the fourth point your former teammate, who couldn't offer you any help, scored tonight!"

In the next possession, still not satisfied, Jamison used Qin Yue's off-ball screen to drive to the basket and drew Mozgov's second foul. He then continued to criticize James, saying, "Some players, just by stepping onto the court, make their team a super team!"

After a pause, Jamison added, "And that's why your team will never be a super team! Because a sheep disguised as a lion can never lead a pride of lions!"

At the free-throw line, Jamison of the Lions made both free throws.

Furthermore, Jamison, noticing that Zydrunas Ilgauskas was preparing to replace Mozgov, couldn't resist mocking him, saying, "You Lithuanian idiot! After all these years together, haven't you seen what kind of player he really is?"

At that moment, Big Z was rendered speechless by Jamison's retort.

And what about James?
After Jamison unleashed a barrage of attacks, James finally lost his temper.

Knicks offense.

James, who reached out to Iguodala for the ball just past half-court, was determined to vent his anger by scoring on Jamison.

However.
James's anger ultimately failed to ignite.

Because Westbrook, who always seems to have no clue what's going on, suddenly "stole" James' pass, intercepting the pass that Iguodala was about to pass to James.

And, under James's stunned gaze, Westbrook said with a disgruntled expression, "Damn it, why aren't you coming over to set a screen for me?"

Screen/pick/roll?

Didn't you fucking see that I was about to fuck that bastard over there to death?

have to say
Westbrook is indeed James' natural nemesis.

Especially in the moment when James, who had reluctantly screened for Westbrook, saw another glimmer of hope to vent his anger, only to have it extinguished by Westbrook himself.

On the court, as Westbrook launched his powerful attack, James also cleverly cut into the Warriors' paint.

So all Westbrook needs to do is press the pass button.
Given James's historic physical attributes, he will undoubtedly be able to respond to Jamison with a dominant finish.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

After a sudden stop while dribbling, Westbrook sent the ball into the basket with his signature zombie jump shot.

"Come over here to set a screen for me sooner, or the offense will be over."

After scoring, Westbrook relentlessly told James, "Brown, you need to be more selfless!"

Even.
To be more selfless?
How the hell do I have to be selfless?

Last season, I was practically begging you guys for mercy, what more do you want from me?

He was mocked by his opponents and lectured by his teammates.

He was even being lectured by a teammate who, theoretically, was his junior.

If James were still the Cleveland team's former soul, how could he possibly be treated like this?

But in that instant...
James, still needing to keep a low profile and endure, forcibly suppressed his resentment.

The Warriors then launch their attack.

Jamison's pull-up three-pointer missed. This finally gave James a sigh of relief after being outscored for several possessions.

However, just as James was about to steal a fast break...
Westbrook had already taken the lead and charged towards the Warriors' half of the court.

"That was my shot; I shot it too hastily."

After the Warriors conceded two points to the Knicks on a fast break, Jamison raised his hand to apologize.

Seeing this, before Qin Yue could even speak, Wallace stepped forward and kicked Jamison.

"Apologize for what?" Wallace said. "Remember, Antoine, in the Warriors, you never need to apologize for a missed shot!"

Upon hearing this, despite being kicked hard by Wallace, Jamison felt an unprecedented warmth in his heart.

Then, the Warriors had possession of the ball.

Nash proved with his actions that this Warriors team would never blame any teammate for a missed shot.

Jamison, positioned high on the right wing and using Qin Yue's screen to get around and receive the ball, almost perfectly timed his arrival with the ball.

Swish!
This time, Jamison didn't miss the opportunity and hit a three-pointer.

"The Messiah is willing to selflessly share the cake with every teammate, but what about you, my king?"

After scoring, Jamison turned his gaze to James and said, "Oh wait, I forgot, you're no longer the king, you're just a Rottweiler next to 'KD'."

How can one describe James's feelings at this moment, after being jokingly called a Rottweiler by Jamison?
Simply put, James was practically screaming "I'm in a hurry" on his face.

But to James' dismay...
In this Knicks team, everyone has long been accustomed to the selfless and team-oriented LeBron James, who is willing to sacrifice himself for the team to win.

After all, the Knicks won the previous Eastern Conference Finals because of James' selflessness.

Knicks offense.

James still hasn't gotten his turn.

On the court, once he gets going, Westbrook can instantly teleport behind Nash, even if Nash retreats on defense. Without warning, he uses his "flash" to jump up and pass the ball to Durant.

in fact
The moment Westbrook jumped to pass the ball, James was also open.

However, at this stage, Westbrook only had Durant in his eyes and no one else, even though he had observed James' positioning.
He still passed the ball to his good older brother.

Durant hits a three-pointer from the outside.

The next second, Westbrook, who was all lovey-dovey with Durant, unintentionally stabbed James in the back, saying, "I knew that as long as I gave you the ball, you would definitely give me an assist!"

Admittedly, Westbrook was simply expressing his admiration for Durant at that moment.

But given tonight's context, and considering James's previous experiences, James, who is currently so desperate that he's practically ready to nuke Oracle Arena, subconsciously felt...
Westbrook's words implied that even if he had passed the ball to him, he might not have made the shot.

and
The deadly thing is
James, who hadn't touched the basketball for several rounds, was mocked by Jamison for it.

"Stop hiding behind your teammates, do you dare to take a shot yourself?"

Jamison said, "A Rottweiler that doesn't help its owner solve problems can't be called a good dog!"

Without a doubt, this is Jamison's most aggressive performance since his 51-point duel with Kobe Bryant years ago.

Contrary to what many people imagine.

Jamison has never been a player with a good temper.

After all, a large part of the reason Jamison scored 51 points against Kobe was because Kobe provoked him before the game.

The 00/01 season was Jamison's third season in the league.

Before facing the Lakers, Jamison had just experienced a game where he scored 51 points for the Warriors but couldn't help the team win.

Then, two days later, in a game against the Lakers, he received the comment from Kobe, "What's the use of just scoring points?"

Although it was somewhat comical to hear those words coming from the mouth of "Kobe No. 8" back then.

But on the night of the game against the Lakers, Jamison, who was holding back his anger, responded to Kobe's 51-point duel with a performance of scoring 51 points for the second consecutive game.

"Simply scoring points is not very useful."

After leading the Warriors to victory over the Lakers, Jamison said, "They can only beat Kobe Bryant."

This game, which started as a friendly match, completely changed Kobe's opinion of Jamison.

This led to the conclusion that Antoine Jamison is a ruthless person.

However, when Jamison was traded to the Cavaliers, he had no choice but to keep a low profile, just like LeBron James today.

Can.
Now that Jamison has the opportunity to vent his anger in person, why would he continue to choose to endure it?

Oracle Arena.

The Warriors' final possession of the first quarter.

Knowing Jamison was on fire tonight, Nash even ignored Qin Yue's request for the ball and passed it to Jamison in the final seconds.

Immediately afterwards, Jamison used a convincing fake shot to shake off James once again.

Swish!
On the court, Jamison, who came off the bench in the second half of the first quarter, scored his 14th point of the game.
This former star forward, who had been playing center since the Western Conference semifinals, reached the peak of his emotions in an instant.

"Antoine!"

"Antoine!"

"Antoine!"

This was a scene Jamison, who had been highly anticipated by Bay Area fans, had never witnessed before—the golden waves of energy surged higher and higher as fans chanted his name wildly, and his teammates came forward one by one to celebrate with him chest bumps.

"Welcome home, Antoine."

On the Warriors' bench, Dunleavy, who had worked with Jamison for a season, offered a warm hug.

Seeing this, Jamison hugged Dunleavy tightly, tears welling up in his eyes, and said proudly, "Yes, this is my home!"

Meanwhile, James, who had been outplayed by Jamison for half a quarter, returned to the bench, exhausted both physically and mentally.

Furthermore, whether Westbrook intended it or not...
Russell Westbrook's comments during the break severely aggravated LeBron James's already wounded heart.

"Damn it! 'KD' has already scored 14 points in the first quarter, but we've allowed the opposing substitute to score 14 points as well!"

Westbrook expressed his dissatisfaction with the Knicks' defense in the first quarter, saying, "If we keep playing like this, we'll never beat the Warriors!"

What do you mean by "the opposing team's substitute also scored 14 points"?
That's Antoine Jamison!
He was once an All-Star forward who could go toe-to-toe with Kobe Bryant for 51 points!
At that moment, James, who felt he had given his all in defense in the first quarter, wanted to argue with Westbrook.

However.
Feeling that his words were somewhat contradictory, James ultimately chose to keep quiet.

However, at the same time that James felt physically and mentally exhausted
Iguodala suddenly added, "I often matched up against Antoine when he was with the Cavaliers, so he shouldn't be that hard to guard."

It shouldn't be that hard to defend against, right?

On the Knicks' bench, James, who knew Iguodala was implying something, could guess that he was being targeted if he wasn't stupid.

Yes.

James admitted that he had some problems defending Jamison tonight.

But weren't Jamison's goals on the field achieved with the help of Qin Yue's cover and Nash's passes?
How come now, it's all become his responsibility?
So this means
The Knicks, who trailed 29-39 in the first quarter, didn't lose. Only James lost, right?

"Brown, you need to pull yourself together."

After Westbrook and Iguodala both pointed out, intentionally or unintentionally, where the Knicks' problems lay in the first quarter, Durant, who had been studying how Qin Yue led the team every night, took the initiative to step in and smooth things over.

just
Despite Durant's words of comfort, James felt no warmth whatsoever.

Because Durant, like someone else, has an ever-arrogant attitude that only annoys James.

James doesn't understand what's wrong with the world.

You should know that before the Bobcats upset him in the first round last season, he was the king, LeBron James, second only to the Bobcats!
But it only took a year.
Has he really fallen to such a state?
"In short, if we want to win, we must improve our defense."

Before the start of the second quarter, Iguodala concluded, "Russell is right. If we keep letting their bench players perform like this, we have absolutely no chance of beating this Warriors team."

Substitute player, defense.
Looking up at Iguodala, who was pointing at him again, James felt as if something unidentified was blocking his chest.

And
This feeling of blockage seemed to worsen under Durant's reassurance.

"Brown, you know Russell and Andre have always been objective, not personal."

Durant patted James on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, even if the whole world doubts you, I will trust you without reservation."

Questioning? Trust?
In that instant, James felt that Durant seemed to genuinely consider him his little brother.

Fortunately
As is customary, the Knicks are usually led by James and Harden in the second quarter.

James knows very well that with plenty of time left in the game, he still has ample opportunity to prove himself.

In addition, compared to Westbrook
Harden, with his mild temperament and willingness to pass the ball to James, has always been a quick fix for James on the court.

However, just as James was about to get up and walk onto the court...
His mood plummeted in an instant.

Because of the opposing half of the field, Qin Yue also got up and walked towards the field.

I fucking swear to this utterly stupid world!

James couldn't understand why Qin Yue, who usually rested in the first half of the second quarter, would continue to play this night.

But actually...
The reason Qin Yue was able to play in two consecutive quarters on this night is mainly thanks to James.

after all
The entire first quarter
Because Brown, Wallace, Jamison, and others played so well, Qin Yue was basically just coasting.

Therefore, considering that his excessive slacking off would make it difficult for the judges to select the FMVP, Qin Yue naturally had to continue competing and try to make his technical statistics panel look even better.

However, this means the Knicks will have to rest Iguodala.
During the rotation phase, even though James really didn't want to face off against Qin Yue, he still had to take on the responsibility of matching up against him.

then
James, both angry and anxious, broke down.

Since Qin Yue didn't exert much effort in the first quarter, wouldn't James just be walking right into Qin Yue's trap in the second quarter?
James knew very well that as long as Qin Yue went on a rampage on the court while Iguodala was resting, then...
He will inevitably face a barrage of post-match criticism.

Try to think about it.
In the first quarter, it was his failure to defend Jamison that caused the Knicks to fall behind.

In the second quarter, it was his failure to defend Qin Yue that prevented the Knicks from catching up.

At this moment.
James even felt a dull ache in his groin.

Yes, he really wanted to escape.

But where can he escape to in the finals?
……

PS: A slightly longer two-in-one chapter is coming!

(End of this chapter)