Champion, please stay!

Chapter 266, Section 264: An Unbreakable Record, the Playoffs Begin!
Once Yi Shui scored 61 points, raising his weekly average to over 50 points, the discussion of Player of the Week lost its meaning.

After the game, the topic of Yi Shui scoring 61 points in a single game generated far more buzz than the pre-game trending topic of the week.

It didn't even generate as much discussion as Yi Shui's premature celebration of his final three-pointer.

However, these are all secondary!

The highest single-season scoring average in active games was previously held by Kobe Bryant, who played 80 games in the 05-06 season and scored a total of 2832 points, which was exactly 35.4 points per game.

After scoring 61 points tonight, Yi Shui's total score in 82 games has increased to 2915 points, averaging 35.55 points per game, surpassing Kobe Bryant to become the active player with the highest total score and highest average score in a single season.

Fans dug up a video clip of Kobe's interview before the game against the Knicks on the last day of last month.

New York fans are flooding all basketball websites and forums with messages—thanks to the Black Mamba for helping Embiid analyze how to break the record!
Kobe said that day that if Yi Shui wanted to surpass him, he would have to score the same 35.4 points per game as him in every game, and also score an extra 70 points in the last 10 games.

从那天起，易水打湖人队拿到50分、打奇才队拿到22分、打山猫队31分、打活塞队43分、打凯尔特人队31分，5场比赛场均35.4分。

接着连续5场40+，合计拿到246分，减去场均35.4分的177分，比‘场均得分’高出69分……和科比分析的差不多一样！
Although everyone knows it's a coincidence, if Yi Shui really wanted to pad his stats, he wouldn't have only scored 22 points against the Wizards.

But the thing about prophecies coming true is so interesting; even casual fans got caught up in the frenzy and started posting about it...

West Coast, Los Angeles.

Kobe, who was warming up, heard that Yi Shui had broken his scoring record. He dragged his fanboy Farmar to the locker room, turned on his computer to read the news, and after confirming the news, although he cursed, his emotions were still relatively stable. He was not the one with the highest average points per game in history, nor even the one with the highest average points since the merger of the NBA and ABA. The highest in history was 20,000, and the highest in the modern basketball era is the God of Basketball.

But when he saw the comments section flooded with thank-you messages from fans, he exploded on the spot!
He was just showing off in front of the camera, and he had calculated the data in advance. He was just saying it casually, but he didn't expect the damned emperor to actually do it!

...

On the night of the final match, Yi Shui was extremely busy.

First came various interviews, then several sets of photos were taken overnight.

The head of the Hook came to Madison Square Garden to discuss the release schedule of the 'Emperor II' and also planned to release two special editions during the offseason—a 61-point commemorative edition and a commemorative edition of the scoring champion.

Yi Shui certainly wouldn't refuse. Although he wasn't particularly interested in hype, as long as the endorsement fee was right, he would shoot commercials and do his best in promotional activities. But he knew that in this day and age, such things had to be done.

The era of being able to quietly deliver good performances and win honors to be selected as an All-Star starter year after year, like Duncan, is over.

Nash and Paul played so well, and for several years in a row, but their popularity, All-Star votes, and shoe sales couldn't compete with Rose, who was only in his second year, because Adidas used more than half of its marketing budget on Rose.

Some players have even started their own media companies.

Professional players should be professional. They earn money from fans, so they not only have to play well, but also provide sufficient emotional value.

This allows fans to have other topics to discuss besides watching and discussing the game itself, and to debate with fans of other stars.

Late at night, Yi Shui was dragged by his boss to a cocktail party, where Curry, David Lee, and Ben Wallace were also present.

While being watched by New York business owners and socialites, Yi Shui and Curry quietly complained that they looked like monkeys in a zoo.

But their own boss has this one flaw in the team: he loves to show off and be pretentious. If he's happy tonight, they're satisfied.

The match lasted 44 minutes and he was exhausted. He was also tired from the busy schedule after the match and the party. In the early morning, he was even kicked twice by Hollywood star Emilia Clarke, who was also attending the party. The next day, April 20, Yi Shui woke up at noon.

The actress who had been pedaling the Yi Shui bicycle twice had already left, leaning against the wall. She was in New York with the film crew to promote the movie. Last night, she went to the basketball mecca with the crew to watch a game. After the game, she was invited to a cocktail party by Dolan's secretary. At the party, Yi Shui saw Emilia Clarke and, thinking of a future American TV series, impulsively tried to strike up a conversation... Then, she was taken back to the hotel by Daenerys Targaryen, who was still wet from watching the game, and pedaled the bicycle twice.

Looking back on last night, Yi Shui felt that the actors were even more... casual than he was.

Fortunately, he has the ability to automatically put on protective gear, and the gear provides 100% protection.

Yi Shui picked up his phone and saw an email from the team outlining the schedule before the playoffs began.

They have three days of rest. Today is a rest day, tomorrow morning they will train, tomorrow afternoon they will have a fan appreciation event, the day after tomorrow they will prepare for the match, and the first round of matches will begin on the 23rd.

After taking a shower, Yi Shui took a taxi home. He didn't go to his own basketball club for extra practice, nor did he go to the team's gym or hang out with his teammates. Instead, he rested well to recharge for the upcoming preparations and games.

Of course, he still needs to keep up with the news. Right now, he's riding high and being praised to the skies, so he should enjoy it. Otherwise, why would he work so hard in the competition?
His name was on the front page of the news!

Three consecutive weeks' best, four consecutive months' best!
This morning, the league announced the Players of the Week for the final week and the Players of the Month for the final month, and he won both!
In the final week, he averaged 50.7 points per game and won all nine games. In the final month, he averaged 41.4 points per game and won all nine games. Without any suspense, in the league's voting results, he won all 11 votes for Player of the Month and also led the vote for Player of the Week by a wide margin of 9 to 2. James and Rondo each received 1 vote.

D'Antoni also won the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award for the last month, though it's better than nothing...

The Western Conference Coach of the Month award went to Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, while the Western Conference Player of the Month award went to Derrick Rose. In 10 games in April, Rose averaged 24.2 points and 8.1 assists, leading his team to a 7-3 record and securing a playoff spot amidst a fierce battle between teams ranked fourth through ninth in the Western Conference.

In the Western Conference, Evans became another rookie to sweep the awards for Rookie of the Month. In the Eastern Conference, Jennings averaged 16.2 points per game, beating Harden, Terrence Williams, and others to win the award.

Although many people won awards today, the topics and traffic related to the winners of the week and the winner of the month were basically concentrated on Yi, the guy with the big name.

Ten Player of the Week awards, a historic record, according to The New York Times—Emperor has erected an insurmountable mountain in this award category.

It achieved five best-of-the-month rankings in November and from January to April, a record that has been described by the media as difficult to surpass.

Even Yi Shui himself, and the media, don't believe he has a chance to surpass these two records he already holds...

...

After scrolling through news praising him for a while, Yi Shui shifted his attention to the regular season rankings and playoff matchups.

昨晚太阳队以107比101击败灰熊队、掘金队以115比109击败湖人队后，09-10赛季常规赛正式结束。

东部战绩排名：尼克斯队68胜14负第一、魔术队56胜26负第二、步行者队55胜27负第三、骑士队53胜29负第四、老鹰队50胜32负第五、凯尔特人队48胜34负第六、山猫队45胜37负第七、热火队44胜38负第八。

The Bucks, with a record of 43 wins and 39 losses, failed to make the playoffs. Yi Shui looked back at their records from previous years and found that in the Eastern Conference, 43 wins was not enough to make the playoffs. This was the first time since the beginning of the new century. Going back further, the threshold for the Eastern Conference playoffs was 44 wins in 96-97. In the more than ten years since then, the threshold for the Eastern Conference playoffs has been less than 40 wins in most seasons.

The Bobcats, this "catfish" team, have forced the Celtics, Heat, Bucks, and even Hawks to fight harder and achieve better results.

However, the Bulls, who finished tenth in the East, only had a record of 32 wins and 50 losses, while the Raptors, who finished eleventh, had a record of 29 wins and 53 losses. There was a significant gap between the ninth and tenth teams.

西部战绩排名：太阳队57胜25负第一、湖人队56胜26负第二、小牛队56胜26负第三、掘金队52胜30负第四（西北赛区头名）、灰熊队53胜29负第五、爵士队51胜31负第六、雷霆队51胜31负第七、马刺队51胜31负第八。

The Portland Trail Blazers, with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses, failed to make the playoffs! The tenth-ranked Houston Rockets, with a record of 42 wins and 40 losses, seemed to be on par with the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat.

对此，易水的感受是……庆幸！他们这赛季有52场比赛是和东部球队打，除了打步行者队1胜3负、打山猫队1胜2负处在下风，打热火队和魔术队打成2比2平，与其他10支球队交手，都是3胜1负、3胜0负、4胜0负。

Especially in this final 13-game winning streak, they only had two Western Conference opponents, the Lakers and the Jazz, while the other 11 games were against Eastern Conference teams.

It's not that he's being self-deprecating, but if their team were really in the Western Conference, their best record would be competing with the Suns, Lakers, and Mavericks for the top spot.

If they were in the West, several teams in the East would have seen their records improve significantly, especially the Cavaliers. They caused internal strife several times, yet still managed 53 wins. Without them, the Cavaliers could probably have reached 60 wins.

负班长的竞争也很激烈，国王队以12胜70负，击败了16胜66负的勇士队、17胜65负的篮网队，勇夺倒数第一。

However, Yi Shui believes that the Wizards will definitely get the number one pick this year. The Pollin family has reached an agreement with the consortium led by Leonsis, and they are just waiting for the owners to vote on June 30. The transaction price is 600 million, which breaks the record of 450 million set by the Warriors.

The playoffs begin on the 22nd with four series: Magic vs. Bobcats, Pacers vs. Celtics, Suns vs. Spurs, and Nuggets vs. Grizzlies. On the 23rd, four more series will begin: Knicks vs. Heat, Cavaliers vs. Hawks, Lakers vs. Thunder, and Mavericks vs. Jazz.

Yi Shui saw an expert's comment that this was the closest gap in strength between the two teams in the first round in many years.

He felt honored that the Knicks-Heat series was the only one without any suspense.

The Bobcats have one of the best interior depths in the league, which poses a certain threat to the Magic.

The Pacers and Celtics are two of the three most physically imposing teams in the league, and it's hard to say who will win. In the analyses I've seen, most people favor the Celtics, who have a worse record, because their backcourt is much weaker. After the All-Star break, the Celtics' record was actually better than the Pacers'. In March and April, the Celtics' record in the Eastern Conference was only worse than the Knicks and Bobcats.

Many people thought the Cavaliers and Hawks would be a fierce matchup, but Yi Shui had a different opinion. He felt that the Hawks had no chance of eliminating the Cavaliers, as James's strength was far beyond the Hawks' capabilities.

In the Western Conference, experts and fans alike believe that every round will be a clash of titans.

A prevailing view is that the Spurs have a chance to upset the eighth seed.

The Lakers are still considered the biggest favorites for the championship, even though their record is only fourth in the league.

After reviewing the news about the team's records and playoff matchups, Yi Shui checked the data rankings.

他场均35.5分拿下得分王，韦德场均31.6分第二、杜兰特场均31.1分第三、詹姆斯场均30.6分第四、安东尼场均28.6分第五、科比场均27分第七。

Dwight Howard won his third consecutive rebounding title, averaging 13.2 rebounds per game, and his offensive rebounds also surpassed Randolph's 4.2 per game with 4.5 per game.

However, Howard is not number one in defensive rebounds. Love averages 9 defensive rebounds per game, higher than Howard's 8.7 per game. With Thabeet positioning himself, Love has a much better chance of grabbing defensive rebounds.

However, Love averages 3.4 offensive rebounds per game, and in his second year, Love's offensive rebounding is not yet as wild as Howard's and Randolph's.

Nash once again topped the assist charts, despite a significant reduction in his playing time in the middle of the season, he still managed to average 11 assists per game.

Rajon Rondo topped the steals leaderboard with an average of 2.3 steals per game, but Chris Paul actually averaged 2.8 steals per game, which was higher. However, Paul only played 35 games and had a total of 98 steals, which was two short of the 100 steals required to qualify for the list, thus missing out on a three-peat as the steals leader.

However, Yi Shui remembers a report that after Paul's return, he won the steals title for four consecutive years. Fans were very disappointed that his injury this season caused him to miss the great achievement of winning the steals title for seven consecutive years.

Dwight Howard wins his second consecutive title as the shot-blocking king.

Along with the data rankings, the various awards of the regular season were also reported and discussed by fans.

Howard is a clear frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.

Yi Shui saw that he also appeared in the relevant rankings because he averaged 1.8 steals and 2.4 blocks per game. In the words of the New York media, "Emperor is the only top defender who can average 1.5+ steals and 2+ blocks per game."

Over the course of a few months, the New York media figured out how to use customized statistics. Howard averaged 1 steal and 2.8 blocks, Josh Smith 1.5 steals and 1.9 blocks, and Gerald Wallace 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks. The New York Times set its standard at 1.5 steals and 2 blocks, which was basically a winning formula.

The Los Angeles Times' prediction for Rookie of the Year is straightforward: first, Evans; second, none.

Yi Shui remembers that in the original timeline, due to Griffin's season-ending injury, only Curry could pose a threat to Evans in the 09-10 season. Without Curry, the gap between the other rookie classes of 09 and Evans was too great.

The regular season MVP prediction generated less buzz than Yi Shui had anticipated. To be precise, there was very little controversy. Although the media coverage was lively and fans' comments were enthusiastic, the overall buzz was not low, exceeding the number of news articles and posts for other award predictions. However, the comparisons and debates that are common in previous years were almost nonexistent.

In 08, the MVP competition between Kobe and Paul was not officially decided until Kobe led his team to a head-on victory over Paul's Hornets at the end of the season. Even after the award was announced, the controversy continued and the popularity remained extremely high.

Last season was very close to the final result, but there were still some debates. For example, after the Cavaliers were swept in the second round, some media outlets seriously discussed whether Yi Shui deserved the MVP award in his rookie year.

This time, really no one is analyzing whether anyone else is qualified to win MVP; only a small group of extreme fans are saying their star player deserves the MVP...

2915分766板391次助攻149次抢断199次盖帽，场均35.5分9.3板4.7助攻1.8抢断2.4盖帽。

单赛季29次单场40+、7次单场50+、1次单场60+、3次单节20+、2次压哨绝杀。

投篮命中率48.3%，三分球527投215中，场均6.4投2.6中，命中率40.8%。

He only averaged 2.3 turnovers per game, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of over 2, and his 2.9 fouls per game were also well controlled.

Leading the team to 68 wins...

There was really no suspense.

While browsing forums, Yi Shui came across a rumor—Yao Ming once again rejected the Rockets' early contract extension negotiations and is positive about opting out of the final year of his player option.

The little giant finally stood up for himself, not even giving Alexander a chance to use PUA tactics.

...

After a day of rest, Yi Shui returned to the team on April 21st to begin preparations for the playoffs.

Before training began, after the team meeting ended, Dolan's secretary arrived at the training ground with a cart full of gifts.

In addition to cash prizes, there were also shopping cards for David-Lee's supermarket, membership cards for some clubs, and so on. When Yi Shui received the gifts, he complained that no wonder he had to bring armed professional bodyguards to escort him when giving a gift.

Including the double bonuses for security, cleaning, trainers, and other logistical staff, the total value of everything must be one or two million dollars, enough to tempt people on the streets of New York to risk their lives to rob.

The sight of this penny reminded Yi Shui of the Knicks' nickname in the 90s—the New York mob.

But let me tell you, no matter how passionate or inspiring the mobilization is, it's not as effective as giving money.

During the previous meeting, Yi Shui could clearly sense that his teammates were being a bit too relaxed.

There was no other way. After defeating strong opponents such as the Cavaliers, Magic, Jazz, and Lakers at the end of last month, their record reached 59 wins, giving them a chance to break the record of the new century. From the coaching staff to every player, everyone was fighting for victory and could not relax for a single day.

Just like Curry, even while watching the 3 Madness Finals, he was still talking about 'this defensive play suits us' and 'that passing play we can practice,' his nerves were on edge for more than half a month.

Now that they've won 68 games, the pent-up energy has dissipated, and it's normal to relax.

But when Dolan threw out this gift of one or two million dollars, everyone's passion was ignited!

The secretary said that Dolan will also double the league's bonuses! Up to the maximum allowed by the league rules!
Starting in the early 80s, the league would set aside a portion of its revenue each year to establish a prize pool. Teams that made it to the playoffs would receive a sum of money based on their ranking, which would then be distributed among the teams themselves.

Each time a team advances through the playoffs, they receive a sum of money. While the prize money for each round isn't much, it adds up to a considerable amount. For example, last season, the Lakers earned a total of $410 million in prize money for advancing to the playoffs, reaching the second round, the Western Conference Finals, the NBA Finals, and winning the championship. This was divided among the team's 30-plus players, meaning each player received over $10.

The Knicks achieved the best regular season record and received a bonus of 330,000 for advancing to the playoffs. Yi Shui just received 15,000 in cash and 15,000 in supermarket cards, and his teammates received the same amount. This was exactly what the secretary meant by "the boss will give double."

After the morning training session, Yi Shui flipped through the regular season summary that Dan D'Antoni had sent during the team meeting.

The team scored a total of 9042 points in 82 games, averaging 110.2 points per game, ranking second in the league. The first place is held by the Suns, who average 111.5 points per game.

However, they only allow 102.2 points per game, significantly less than the Suns' average of 105.2 points per game, giving them a net point differential of 8 points per game, the best in the league.

Yi Shui recalled that before playing the Magic, their average score had dropped below 110 after playing the Bobcats and Celtics. Fortunately, in the last game against the Magic, they went head-to-head with the opponent and won 136-127, which brought their average score back up.

The team's field goal percentage was 47.7% and their three-point percentage was 39.3%, which was very impressive. The team averaged 9.7 three-pointers per game, ranking third in the league. Only the Magic and the Suns made more three-pointers than them, but their three-point percentages were not as good. The Magic's three-point percentage was 38.9% and the Suns' three-point percentage was 38.1%.

Their three-point shooting was more restrained than that of the Magic, Suns, Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Warriors.

The team averages 24.7 three-point attempts per game, with him averaging 6.4 and Curry averaging 6.2, meaning they together account for more than half.

The number of other players' three-point attempts is only in the middle range compared to the top two players on other teams, which is normal.

In terms of three-pointers made, he averaged 2.62 three-pointers per game, while Curry averaged 2.5 three-pointers per game, accounting for more than half of the team's total. In other words, they are the third-best three-point shooting team in the league, purely because of the two of them.

With the performance of his teammates, Curry, relying on averaging 20+ points per game in the last month, has returned to averaging 18+ points per game. He has played 80 games, averaging 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

David Lee is one of only two players on the team to play every game. He averages 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. His stats are average, but his field goal percentage is as high as 56.9%, the second highest on the team, only behind Chandler's 61% field goal percentage.

钱德勒加入后打了28场比赛，这期间场均10.5分8.8板1.8盖帽，让球队中锋位置有了质的变化，才有了后半程疯狂的25胜3负、13连胜收官。

The other teammates all performed as standard role players. In the afternoon, the Knicks held a fan appreciation event and opened the game to the media.

Looking at the fans participating in the event, apart from the group pushed in front of the camera, everyone else was either rich or noble, some even dressed better than he usually was. After all, they were all season ticket holders and couldn't possibly be poor.

He didn't care about it. Whether the fans had money or not, they just wanted to play basketball together, chat, and spend a pleasant afternoon. He wasn't expecting the fans to spend money on the foreign liquor he endorsed.

When it came to the media Q&A session, Yi Shui was a bit overwhelmed. What were reporters from The Honest Man, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports, etc., doing here on the day after they had won 68 games and were celebrating with the fans?

However, the first question from the Cleveland Honest Report stumped Yi Shui.

"Big, I see people saying that it's easier to win in the East, easier to achieve good results, and easier to win MVP. What's your opinion on that?"

Generally speaking, when the media asks questions under the guise of "people," "netizens," or "fans," Yi Shui will usually retort.

But if the Los Angeles Times, the Phoenix Republic, the Dallas Morning News, etc. asked this question, he could understand it. But why would the Cleveland media ask this?
He did not deny it, replying, "Of course, as I said before, it's a very lucky thing to get into the NBA and play in the Eastern Conference."

The competition here is less intense, and the games aren't as stressful as in the West, allowing rookies to transition more smoothly from college to professional.

Winning games and achieving good results will certainly be easier than in the West, and it will be easier to put up better stats in the East, making it more advantageous in the competition for awards.

"Like this year, I've won 10 Player of the Week awards and 5 Player of the Month awards. In the Western Conference, that's unimaginable. I remember Kobe, Steve, Derrick, and Kevin all won 3 Player of the Week awards, which was already the most in the West. And no one in the West has won Player of the Month a second time."

Yi Shui was stating an objective fact. Other star players might have evaded the issue, but Yi Shui's response didn't surprise the media.

ESPN immediately followed up with a question: "Many fans say that your roster is underrated. You have the best three-point point guard in the league, the most efficient power forward, a center with high efficiency on both ends of the court, and the most expensive bench in the league... With your core players on rookie contracts, your team's total salary is the highest in NBA history. You deserve to have the best record. Do you think this statement is correct?"

For the most expensive substitutes, Yi Shui thought of Ben Wallace and Hughes. For the highest salaries in history, he thought of Mobley and Cardinal, who combined still earned 1500 million... Whatever, he was just worried about not praising his teammates enough last night; now was the perfect time to do so...

"Of course, my teammates are the best in the league. Stephen is third in three-pointers this year, and one day he will be number one. In my mind, he will be the next Reggie Miller or Ray Allen."

David is the most professional player I've ever seen. He's fully capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, but he's willing to sacrifice for victory. He's already an All-Star, but he works diligently as a blue-collar player.

Tyson, I hope you can vote for him as the best defensive player; he deserves it.

Larry...

Martel...

Chris…

As Yi Shui launched into a tirade, the reporters collectively gaped in astonishment, especially the rival media outlets.

They often publish articles praising how good the Knicks' roster is, but none of them dare to do it like Yi Shui does!

The teammates who were interviewed together were so engrossed in listening that they almost wore their shoes out with their toes!
...

After a series of group interviews, the Knicks players got three bedrooms and a living room, the reporters got the answers they wanted, and Yi Shui was happy to praise his teammates, resulting in a rare win-win-win situation.

However, Yi Shui was still puzzled. Why would the Cleveland media ask that question? Such public opinion was not good for that person.

In the evening, after finishing a day's work and returning home, Yi Shui was browsing the news when he saw articles about "the West being stronger than the East" and "the East being more likely to achieve good results, good statistics, and win awards" flying everywhere, and fans with Cleveland IP addresses were spamming the screen everywhere.

He immediately understood the thought process of the Cleveland media and Cavaliers fans.

In order to diminish the impact of his 68 wins, 10 Player of the Week awards, 5 Player of the Month awards, and the highest scoring title among active players, they did not hesitate to put down James' 64 wins and MVP award from last season!

I'd rather it be a lose-lose situation than have him win alone!

This amused him. He glanced back at the two rows of trophies on the cabinet, which were full of awards: 10 Player of the Week awards, 5 Player of the Month awards, All-Star MVP awards, Three-Point Contest titles... They were all real, the honors recorded on the NBA's official website, and they wouldn't disappear just because of this hype.

At most, such remarks might only evoke different opinions from some casual fans at this moment, allowing Cavaliers fans to have a moment of self-congratulation.

But it's a different story for James; he really took a heavy hit!
Last season, James' MVP award was originally considered to be of very high value.

自乔丹之后，从98-99赛季起到07-08赛季，整整10个赛季，除了00-01赛季MVP被东部的艾弗森拿下，其他9个赛季MVP都是西部球员拿到。

James' MVP award can be seen as breaking the Western Conference superstars' monopoly on the MVP award.

If it weren't for LeBron James last season, many media outlets would have been willing to vote for Kobe or Paul, and the Western Conference would likely have monopolized the MVP award for another year.

With the Cleveland media and Cavaliers fans doing this, the perceived value of that MVP award will inevitably decline significantly in people's minds. That's what James' own media and fans are saying, not someone else's.

Adding to this, James's second-round exit in last year's playoffs has led Cavaliers fans to admit that they 'don't deserve the MVP award.'

And regarding the questions ESPN raised about 'highest salary' and 'best lineup', when I was browsing related news, I felt like ESPN had also 'backstabbed' LeBron James.

This is all the Cavaliers fans' fault. Every time the Cavaliers acquire a star player, their fans get incredibly excited, telling everyone they've assembled an 'All-Star lineup.' When people talk about the best lineup, they always think of that string of names from the Cavaliers: Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and before that, Joe Smith, Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace…

On the other hand, because he got carried away with his praise and boasted too much, some media outlets reported that his response was due to excessive sympathy for his teammates…

However, the topic of Curry's shooting talent has indeed been brought up again.

Granger played 80 games, averaging 3.1 three-pointers per game, a record unmatched in the league, breaking the Pacers franchise record previously held by Reggie Miller.

Yi Shui averaged 2.64 three-pointers per game, ranking second in the league.

Both Curry and Lewis average 2.5 three-pointers per game. Curry made exactly 200 three-pointers in 80 games, averaging exactly 2.5 per game, while Lewis made 182 three-pointers in 72 games, averaging 2.52 per game. Lewis's three-point percentage is 39.7%, and Curry's is 40.3%... Their three-point performances this season are considered to be in the same tier by most media outlets.

But Curry is only a sophomore and just turned 22 last month... Of Yi Shui's effusive praise of his teammates, only the part about Curry seems likely to come true.

Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Granger, Lewis... at the same age, none of them had a three-point shooting ability as good as Curry.

Throughout NBA history, only one player was better at three-point shooting than Curry at the same age, and that player is Yi Shui, who is nine months older than Curry, and both are now 22 years old...

...

April 22nd marks the first day of the playoffs.

Yesterday, the Knicks did have half a day of preparation work, but it mainly consisted of meetings to clarify the direction of preparation and discuss the feasibility of strategies. The training time was just one 40-minute session divided into two parts, and they started playing around in the afternoon.

Today marks the official start of training, but the intensity isn't high. They have absolute confidence against the Heat.

At noon, Yi Shui, Curry, and Chalmers gathered around the computer, complaining about the playoff star and team rankings from various media outlets.

The New York Times, of course, ranked the Yi River and the Knicks first, and then, with ill intent, placed the Cavaliers third, after the Lakers.

Sports Illustrated, quite naturally, put the Lakers first, followed by the Celtics in second place, the Knicks in third, then the Magic, Cavaliers, and Suns.

The Orlando Sentinel also ranked the Lakers first, the Magic second, the Knicks third, the Suns fourth, and the Cavaliers fifth.

Regardless of the reason, the Cavaliers, with players like LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, were all ranked in the top five.

But ESPN's rankings—Lakers first, Suns second, Magic third, Celtics fourth, Knicks fifth, Pacers sixth… placed the Cavaliers seventh!

The Cleveland Plain Dealer also stated that the Cavaliers are not one of the top contenders for the championship.

Both media outlets are detailing the Cavaliers' various mismanagement and injury-related issues this season...

Yi Shui didn't care to guess what the media's purpose was, but he felt that King might benefit from this and receive far less criticism later on.

After being humiliated like this, it's understandable that he couldn't stand it and left, right?
In the player rankings, defending champion FMVP Kobe was ranked first by all media outlets. The second place was basically given to Yi Shui, except for Orlando Sentinel who gave it to Howard and ESPN who gave it to James... ESPN didn't criticize the player rankings again.

At 3 p.m., the Knicks organized the whole team to watch the live broadcast together. Anyone who wanted to come could come, anyone who wanted to train could train, and anyone who wanted to go home and rest could go home.

However, most people still came to watch the first game of the series between the Magic and the Bobcats.

The Knicks consider the second, third, sixth, and seventh teams—excluding the seventh-placed Bobcats—as potential rivals for the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the game started, the Bobcats took the lead!

With a 22-19 lead over the Magic in the first quarter, the defensive intensity was simply incredible. Howard went 0-for-2 from the field and only 2-for-6 from the free-throw line. Kaman and Kwame Brown took turns battling him, and Gerald Wallace was always there to double-team him. Howard couldn't even jump after grabbing an offensive rebound.

When they really couldn't defend against it, Kaman or Kwame Brown would just foul, slamming Beast to the floor and making him yell, almost causing a fight.

But in the second quarter, the Magic started to take the lead, outscoring the Magic 22-20. They led 21-18 in the third quarter and 19-15 in the final quarter...

The Bobcats held the Magic to just 81 points, using aggressive fouls to limit Howard to 6-for-15 free throws. However, their own offense was even worse, going 0-for-8 from three-point range. Their free throw percentage was high at 90%, but they only made 9 of 10, scoring just 75 points for the team!
刘易斯今晚表现很疯狂，20投12中、其中三分球9中5、加上3中3的罚球，狂轰32分6板2助攻，在双方得分都艰难的情况下，他抓住空档用一记又一记的三分和长两分把山猫队投死！

However, while the TV commentators were praising Lewis, Yi Shui and his teammates were more concerned about Howard's performance. He made 4 of 11 field goals and 6 of 15 free throws, scoring 14 points with a field goal percentage of 36.4% and a free throw percentage of 40%, which was very inefficient. But as long as he rolled to the basket, he could draw Gerald Wallace's attention, and Lewis would get the opportunity by using screens from his guard teammates.

Seeing that Kaman and Kwame Brown couldn't hold off Howard one-on-one, Yi Shui is under a lot of pressure. Only top-tier tanks like Perkins and Bynum can effectively limit Howard one-on-one. If it's going to be a playoff series... I feel sorry for Chandler, Ben Wallace, Birdman, and Swift in advance.

Then, at 5:30 p.m., the Pacers and Celtics took turns playing.

By this time, most of the viewers had left; some were hungry and went to eat, while others couldn't bear to watch the brutal fight anymore.

Yi Shui and Curry didn't leave, Chalmers... went to buy some food and came back. The three little ones from the Class of '08 still have to be together.

The Bobcats played against the Magic, and although they were pressured for three consecutive quarters, they always had hope of turning the game around. However, Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Kaman all had poor one-on-one performances, and Curry complained that they "couldn't use their opportunities when given them".

Curry thought the Celtics vs. Pacers game might be more exciting, but there was absolutely no suspense.

首节26比21、第二节25比24、第三节25比23、末节22比20……98比88，凯尔特人队吊打步行者队，没给步行者队任何机会！

The Celtics shot an impressive 45.6% from the field, limiting the Pacers to just 41% – they were incredibly dominant!

Just as Yi Shui predicted, the Celtics have a sure thing against a team like the Pacers, which has a fixed playing style, relentless defense, and no variety in its tactics!

When Yi Shui got home that evening, he watched the final quarter of the Nuggets vs. Grizzlies game and the Suns vs. Spurs game.

Billups hit a crucial three-pointer, and the Nuggets defeated the Grizzlies 103-99. The commentators commented that the teams were evenly matched and went back and forth throughout the game, but the Grizzlies lacked a clutch player, and Gay's 0-for-4 shooting in the final quarter dragged the team down.

The Spurs, who were predicted to be upset by the eighth seed before the season started, suffered a humiliating 100-120 defeat to the Suns in their first game!

纳什是真的狠，10投6中、其中三分球2中2、加上2中2的罚球，拿到16分16助攻！

Enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile, and this match embodied that sentiment!

...

April 23rd marked the first day of the Knicks-Heat series.

This morning, the league announced three awards.

Best Manager Award: Donnie Walsh of the Knicks.

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

ESPY Ethics Award: David Lee.

It wasn't just Yi Shui praising David Lee's professionalism; others were also lauding him. After being selected for the All-Star game, David Lee didn't fight for more ball possession. Instead, because of Chandler's addition, he started to camp under the basket and defend, becoming Chandler's most comfortable teammate on defense. Regardless of whether his defense was good or not, this choice and attitude alone earned him a lot of praise.

Best Manager… In the words of one of the voting reporters, “The Knicks’ performance this season deserves all the regular season awards, and of course, Donnie’s performance has been truly outstanding.”

He did his best within the limited resources. Although it was all because he drafted the New York Embiid, probably no one else would have been as decisive and daring. Using O'Neal as a stepping stone, he traded Curry and James for Wallace and Hughes, turning the roster's burdensome contracts into usable, immediate contributors, and also winning a first-round pick and two second-round picks. I couldn't even imagine such a move.

As for Coach of the Year, it has nothing to do with the Knicks. Although the Knicks improved by more than ten wins compared to last season, the Thunder improved by almost 30 wins.

There wasn't much discussion surrounding these three awards; fans' attention was focused on the upcoming series between the Knicks and Heat, and the Lakers and Thunder.

Yi Shui vs. Wade, Kobe vs. Durant!
A showdown between Kobe Bryant, a veteran scorer, Dwyane Wade, a mid-generation scorer, and two new generation scorers!

At 5:30 PM, in Cleveland, LeBron James scored 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists, leading the Cavaliers to a 95-86 victory over the Hawks, kicking off the second day of the playoffs.

At 5:40 p.m., in Madison Square Garden, New York, the opening ceremony began, with the Miami Heat entering first.

Hearing the boos from the crowd, which were even more deafening than during a regular season game, Wade had mixed feelings.

There was excitement, an inescapable sense of urgency, and even uncertainty about the future.

When the home team entered the arena, Wade stared at the last man to enter, the one who ignited the cheers in the stadium—Yi Shui.

Excitement, urgency, confusion... all these complex emotions arise because of this new generation's champion!
At 6 p.m., the first game of the series between the Knicks and the Heat tipped off at the Knicks' home court.

Knicks starting lineup: Duhon, Curry, Yi Shui, David Lee, Chandler.

Heat starting lineup: Conley, Wade, Beasley, Haslem, Milicic.

In the other three Eastern Conference series, the Cavaliers started with a tough defense. Mike Brown put Jamison on the bench and brought back the Hickson and O'Neal combination to deal with the frontcourt combination of Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Horford.

The Knicks vs. Heat series is completely different from other series in the same conference – it starts with a high-scoring shootout!
The Knicks won 68 games thanks to their offense. Among the 16 playoff teams, their defensive efficiency ranked 15th, with only the Suns having a lower defensive efficiency. The Mavericks, Nuggets, and Thunder all had slightly higher defensive efficiency.

The Heat were forced to go all out on offense. They tried their defense, but unless the Knicks were in particularly bad form, their relentless defensive efforts would only result in them being crushed and unable to score many points while the Knicks went on a scoring spree. The Knicks and Suns' offensive firepower far surpassed that of other teams, and even the Magic couldn't contain them, exceeding the Heat's limits.

韦德直接进入玩儿命模式，首节7投4中、加上5中3的罚球拿到11分，率队以27比26压了尼克斯队一头。

第二节韦德更是打出了8投5中、加上6中4的罚球拿到14分的表现，率队以28比25再压尼克斯队一节。

半场打满的韦德，拿到25分4助攻，率队以55比51领先尼克斯队4分！
然后……易水第三节7投5中、其中三分球1中1，加上3中3的罚球，拿到14分3助攻，率队单节轰出了33比19的单节比分，以84比74反超热火队10分。

Wade, who shot nearly 20 times in the first half including offensive possessions that drew fouls, faltered in the third quarter, making only 1 of 5 shots and 2 of 4 free throws for a total of 4 points.

末节韦德又支棱了一下，但时间不长，前半节4投2中、加上2中2的罚球拿到6分，后半节3次出手1分韦德。

尼克斯队末节打出25比20的比分，以109比94稳稳击败热火队，大比分1比0领先！

Wade played for 46 consecutive minutes, and only left the court when Spoelstra raised the white flag in the final moments. It wasn't that the head coach was deliberately rubbing him in; it was that he himself didn't want to leave the game and wanted to struggle.

27投12中，其中三分球5中0，加上17中11的罚球，韦德拿到35分8板6助攻3抢断1盖帽，拼到极限了，甚至都去赌三分了。

Commentators were marveling that if Wade had three-point shooting ability and a better free throw percentage, he might have been a better scorer than Kobe at his peak. Apart from three-pointers, he made 12 of 22 shots, drew fouls in 7 possessions, and got 3 free throws, making him as lethal as Jordan at his peak.

The most dazzling thing tonight is, of course, the Yi River!

除了第三节拿到14分，易水其他三节得分不多，首节5分、第二节4分、第四节6分，但首节有4次助攻、第二节2次、第三节3次、末节3次。

35分钟出场时间，18投11中，其中三分球4中2，加上5中5的罚球，拿到29分11板12助攻1抢断3盖帽，生涯第二次季后赛三双！
D'Antoni was very satisfied with tonight's performance. The strategy was executed perfectly. During regulation time, the team's offense was used to offset Wade's offensive efforts. When Wade got tired, Yi Shui was allowed to "go out at off-peak times" and crush the opponent in one fell swoop!
(End of this chapter)