Chapter 1194: Chapter 379: Remember, No Japanese
Roger wasn’t really angry; he understood KG. The NBA isn’t a place where you beg for mercy.
But he wouldn’t let KG and the New York Knicks have their way.
So, on Christmas night, all of New York went mad.
An ESPN reporter filmed on the street, telling the audience in front of the camera, "Right now, all of New York’s streets and alleys are filled with just one sound!"
That was the shout from New Yorkers for their one and only mayor.
In the locker room, the entire Warriors team was enveloped by this unique atmosphere, except for Boris Diaw, who was still casually sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. Everyone else was in battle mode.
After getting rid of Allan Houston, the Warriors’ team atmosphere was equally excellent.
In the League, if you want to establish a dynasty, you have to create a sense of team honor. Fortunately, most of the players on the Warriors have this sense of honor now.
They felt the same as Roger, eager to tear the Knicks apart in New York and knock the one sitting at the top down.
And the Knicks surely felt the same way.
This would be a ruthless, bloody battle.
On the court, Wade and Yao Ming routinely greeted Roger.
But Kevin Garnett stayed on his half of the court with Gary Payton.
Roger pointed at KG and asked Yao Ming, "What’s up with him?"
"Don’t overthink it. The old wolf just wants to create a tense atmosphere for the team. In fact, he hoped that Wade and I wouldn’t come and shake hands with you either."
"Oh, like how he always blocks every shot after the whistle? Just some meaningless tricks."
Kevin Garnett was good at stirring up the locker room’s emotions, so for today’s game, he didn’t want to greet Roger with laughter.
He wanted to tell the whole team from the first second on the court: We are here to take down the King!
When the starters from both sides gathered at the center circle, Roger didn’t speak to Garnett either.
Yao Ming didn’t know if the two were just being competitive or if they were genuinely upset with each other.
Kevin Garnett openly stated he no longer wanted to play the big brother and little brother game, and Roger also ignored Garnett.
Is there really no problem between them?
Yao Ming had no time to ponder because the game quickly started, with the Knicks winning possession.
The Knicks’ first offensive play was a pick-and-roll between Wade and Garnett. Amar’e Stoudemire switched to Wade immediately, not giving this improved mid-range shooter an opportunity.
However, just as Wade was about to crash into Stoudemire, he suddenly gathered the ball, changed direction without losing much speed, stepping to the other side and sliding past Stoudemire.
This was speed Stoudemire had never encountered in his career.
After using a high-speed Eurostep to get past Stoudemire, Wade made a floater, scoring the first basket for the Knicks.
In Roger’s view, among NBA perimeter players, only two types of footwork were deadly. One was prime Wade’s Eurostep, and the other was LeBron’s persistent, gliding step.
These two footwork styles are almost indefensible.
The Knicks’ first attack was very easy. In his sophomore year, Dwyane Wade was already an efficient scorer. Other than being unable to shoot threes and having unstable free throws, he had hardly any major weaknesses.
Knicks fans were cheering wildly, and Spike Lee was already in tears watching Wade score the first basket.
He hadn’t forgotten how Roger repeatedly tormented the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in the ’90s, plunging New York fans into agony time and again.
Since Roger declared in his rookie season that he would "shove failure down Pat Riley’s throat," the Knicks have consistently played the role of the loser.
Whether it was during the New York Gang era or the Jordan-Ewing era, this storied team was always trampled by Roger. For hardcore New York Knicks fans, their memories of the team over the years were nightmares woven by Roger.
All along, Roger was the demon hanging over Madison Square Garden.
But now, look at the unstoppable Dwyane Wade, look at the passionately roaring KG, and look at the calmly resilient Yao Ming.
The New York Knicks’ bright future is coming!
One play later, Tayshaun Prince cut inside, shaking off the Knicks’ only defensive weak link in the starting lineup, Jamal Crawford.
Jamal Crawford actually didn’t fit well with this starting lineup. He needed the ball in his hands to be most effective, but with New York’s Big Three, he didn’t have much possession.
Everyone knows that being the sixth man is the role best suited for him.
But Lenny Wilkens still started him, just to ensure the Knicks’ offense had no weak spots.
Jamal Crawford’s shooting range helps the team space the floor, and when he’s on the court with Wade, he just needs to be an off-ball shooter who spaces the floor. When Wade is resting, Jamal Crawford can handle the ball at will.
However, another problem with starting Jamal Crawford is that his defense is always targeted.
Prince easily outmaneuvered the thin guard, received a pass from Roger, and prepared to attack the basket.
But just as the basketball headed towards the hoop, Yao Ming’s hand shattered Tayshaun Prince’s beautiful fantasy.
The reason Lenny Wilkens dared to start a defensive liability like Jamal Crawford was that the Knicks had plenty of players to back him up.
Even if you break past Jamal Crawford, it doesn’t mean you’ll score easily.