Chapter 500: Sudden Intrusion
Stan Van Gundy didn't quite understand it, but the Knicks actually had a three-point shooter in their current tactical system. This shooter was none other than center Yang Mo.
In a sense, Yang Mo is a versatile player. He can play any of the five positions on a basketball court if he chooses. Now, he needs to combine the duties of both the center and center positions into one. If he can combine the two, he'll become a versatile player, not just a versatile swingman.
Back in half court, the Magic's hoped-for shooting advantage from their high-post power forwards failed to materialize. Instead, they were countered by a dense barrage of ball-handling players. Ryan Anderson lacked the ability to handle the ball, and Jeffries could easily contain a player without it, given his exceptional defensive judgment and aggressiveness. The Magic's original four perimeter players, capable of handling the ball, were reduced to three, instantly reducing their tactical flexibility.
Under the man-to-man defense, the Magic's final shot was forced by Nelson, and boom! The basketball went in the air.
Yang Mo quickly squeezed past Howard and grabbed the rebound with ease. Ryan Anderson, who had been used by Stan Van Gundy to increase his height inside, had become a complete decoration. When Yang Mo grabbed the rebound, he realized that this guy only had the body of an inside player. In terms of inside skills, he was still far from being a true inside player.
Yang Mo grabbed the rebound and passed it to Tony Allen, and then the whole team slowly moved down to the half court to conduct a positional attack.
Back in half court, Yang Mo still went to the free throw line, forcing Howard to follow. Although Yang Mo's offensive power wasn't much of a threat near the free throw line, he was a dominant force at the three-point line. There, he was a more accurate and dangerous shooter in the league.
As soon as Howard followed out, the restricted area was empty because Jeffries was also roaming around. He was also a threatening spot shooter, and Ryan Anderson had to follow closely.
At this moment, Tony Allen once again ran back into the penalty area. As soon as he entered, Yang Mo's pass followed the penalty area in time, even before him. As soon as the ball reached the person, Tony Allen scored a layup very easily.
The score widened again, now only two points behind. With less than a minute remaining in the second quarter, the two teams theoretically had one offensive opportunity each.
At halftime, the Magic quickly launched their offense, but the Knicks' relentless man-to-man defense kept them going. In this situation, they were forced to employ a cross screen offense. However, when they did, the Knicks switched defenders. Since all five players had similar mobility, switching players wouldn't cause any mismatches. Of course, Howard had only Yang Mo to handle. And even with Yang Mo's control, Howard couldn't leave the paint to screen for his teammates.
Even in this situation, the Magic still couldn't find an open shot. And the clock kept ticking. Finally... finally, they didn't get a shot. Yes, all twenty-four seconds were completely exhausted. The Knicks players, with their most aggressive defense and tacit coordination, successfully limited the Magic's offense.
The Knicks' players at this point were truly accomplished on defense. Tony Allen was a true defensive stalwart, Jeffries also built his career on defense, and the former steals leader, eager to set an example for his daughter, brought his signature skills to the table. As for Tracy McGrady, while his footwork was failing, his motivation was far greater than at any point in his career, and his height and reach were still there. With such a lavish defensive package, the Magic's four perimeter players struggled to escape, especially when they were all determined to fight to the bitter end.
When the team served the ball again, Yang Mo took the initiative to take the basketball and shouted to his teammates, "Twenty-three seconds left, let me take care of them. We need to go into the locker room with the lead."
Yang Mo took the initiative to take charge of the final attack, and no one had any objections to this. This is what a team leader should do.
At halftime, Yang Mo dribbled the ball directly to the three-point line. He bent over and slowly bounced the basketball back and forth, relaxed and brisk. At this time, Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines was anxiously shouting: "Vince Carter, and Nelson, quickly rush over to defend, don't let him make that damn three-pointer!"
Stan Van Gundy was only thinking about defending Yang Mo at the moment, and didn't care about other Knicks players running. For him, as long as Yang Mo didn't shoot the basketball, it was fine.
Unfortunately, Yang Mo had to shoot the ball himself. He didn't really care about the defensive combination of Nelson and Vince Carter. In his opinion, even if the two of them hugged him tightly, he had absolute confidence in throwing the basketball into the basket.
As time passed, the fans in Madison Square Garden began to get restless and stood up one after another. Soon, almost 20,000 fans stood up, waiting for the fate of the last buzzer-beater in the second quarter. They were looking forward to Yang Mo making the fatal three-pointer, but at the same time they deliberately suppressed themselves and did not make any sound, for fear of disturbing Yang Mo.
When the stopwatch reached 9, Yang Mo finally moved his shoulders. As soon as he moved his shoulders, the two defensive players surrounding him quickly became nervous. They rushed forward and prepared to surround Yang Mo as soon as possible.
At this moment, Yang Mo suddenly took two steps back. Their retreat caught the two players on their left and right off guard, and their attack was empty. They hurriedly prepared to double-team again. This was the task assigned to them by Stan Van Gundy, and they, as the executors, had to complete it.
As they advanced, Yang Mo suddenly snapped his fingers. Almost instantly, Vince Carter and Nelson noticed a Knicks player next to them: Jeffries to Vince Carter's right, and Tony Allen to Nelson's left. Yang Mo immediately set two pick-and-rolls, effectively defeating the Magic's encirclement strategy with a counter-encirclement.
Yang Mo thought for half a second before reacting quickly. He attacked directly from Vince Carter's right side and quickly ran towards the right three-point line at a 45-degree angle. As soon as he ran over, Ryan Anderson, who was nearby, quickly caught up with him. There were only three seconds left in the game.
Yang Mo quickly stopped, then quickly made a shot-shooting gesture. His movements were so swift and realistic that poor Ryan Anderson fell for it in an instant. He leaped up with all his might. He thought Yang Mo must have shot, because it was too late.
But he underestimated Yang Mo's patience, and even more so, his ability to calculate with millimeter precision. As he soared high, Yang Mo suddenly retracted his attack, then quickly scrambled forward... BANG! Half of Yang Mo's body crashed into Anderson's, and then he twisted his body and launched the ball... TING! The ball had barely left his hand a meter when the red light blew. Simultaneously, the referee blew the whistle, signaling a buzzer-beating foul on Ryan Anderson. Regardless of whether the shot went in or not, Yang Mo would be awarded three free throws.
When the whistle sounded, all the Knicks fans burst into cheers. They knew that with Super Yang's shooting percentage, free throws were equal to points.
And just as they were cheering, the basketball actually drew a slightly flat arc and went into the net...Swish!
3+1! 3+1 at the buzzer!
Almost all the Knicks fans were going crazy. They cheered louder and screamed more enthusiastically. It had been a long time since I felt so good. Super Yang was indeed Super Yang. He was a natural clutch ball handler!
The home fans at Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers, celebrating this remarkable comeback. Meanwhile, Stan Van Gundy, on the Magic bench, wore a mournful expression, his eyes filled with disbelief: We're actually behind! We're actually behind. The Knicks, without their big men and their second-best scorer, are still ahead? Are we really that pathetic? Are we truly so vulnerable? We're third in the Eastern Conference!
Stan Van Gundy's face was filled with frustration and dejection. Meanwhile, Yang Mo didn't forget to taunt him, "Hey, Mr. Van Gundy, your double-teaming tactics weren't very good! There's a Chinese proverb that goes, 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' You were so focused on double-teaming me that you completely forgot about my other two teammates. You were so careless! I hope you've learned your lesson. If this happens again, it'll be a real game-winner!"
Yang Mo's provocation made Stan Van Gundy extremely crazy, but he still tried his best to maintain his composure. If he quarreled with Yang Mo at this time, he would undoubtedly be labeled as a loser. Although he was not fond of cleanliness and could wear a piece of clothing for two or three months, he still cared about his reputation.
Swish!
Yang Mo walked to the free throw line and made the free throw steadily, successfully expanding the team's lead to two points.
At this time, the halftime break also arrived.
"Oh my god, this is unbelievable! The Knicks are actually ahead, ahead of the incredibly powerful Magic. You know, they're missing three key players, and their strength is far behind the Magic. Could it be that they're just natural opponents?" TNT commentator Collins said in astonishment during halftime. "I thought the Magic were a sure win tonight."
"Collins, I have to tell you that even though the Knicks have taken the lead with a lucky shot, they will still throw away all their leads in the second half, and the Magic will still be able to win easily. At this point, the Magic's inside advantage has not been fully utilized, and their physical advantage has not been reflected. By the fourth quarter, the Knicks will have serious physical problems. After all, they only have seven or eight people who can play, and more than half of them are old, weak, sick, or disabled." Jeff Van Gundy still maintains absolute confidence in his brother's team.
"Come on, Jeff. Your bragging will hurt the Magic. Do you know when the Knicks started to turn things around?" Charles Barkley complained unhappily, "That was when your self-confidence was at its peak. You said the Magic were sure to win and the Knicks were about to enter garbage time early. Before you even finished that sentence, the Knicks started to turn things around. Do you think your brother would beat you up if he knew that it was this off-court factor that led to the team's comeback?"
"You are the most bullshit commentator I have ever seen, Charles. I swear I will never appear in the same game with you again..."
"Hey, you can't swear like that. Our bet hasn't been executed yet. You have to wait until you commentate on the next game wearing a sanitary napkin." Barkley quickly interrupted Jeff Van Gundy; "You can't run away from it."
"Okay, then I will swear after I finish commentating on you wearing sanitary napkins in the next game that I will never sit on the same commentary desk with you again." Jeff Van Gundy corrected his oath in time.
"Okay, Jeff, I agree to your request, even though I'm not God." Charles Barkley nodded with a smirk on his face, and then said, "But then again, if you still show up here in the fourth game, your brother's team is likely to be swept. I mean it, you seem to have become your brother's nemesis."
"Shut up!" Jeff Van Gundy slammed the table and roared viciously.
As soon as his temper flared up, the director quickly cut to a commercial break. This was called creating suspense. When the camera switched back, if the two people weren't bruised and battered, it meant they were quite harmonious and no fight had occurred. If they were, then... hehehehe.
Just as the atmosphere in the TNT studio was tense, an uninvited guest suddenly broke into the Knicks' home locker room. This person broke through the heavy security and came to Yang Mo's side as soon as she entered. She apologized tearfully: "I'm sorry, Yang, I didn't mean to. I was just mad at the time..."
Only after she spoke did Yang Mo see her face clearly. It was Paris Hilton. Her sudden intrusion into the Knicks' locker room and her tearful apology instantly piqued the curiosity of the entire locker room. However, out of respect for Yang Mo, no one booed, but simply watched silently and intently.
"Let's talk after the game, okay? Our players are all resting now, so please don't delay everyone's rest time." Yang Mo said rudely, his tone a little hard.
But at this time, the other players' inner thoughts were: It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter even if it's delayed, we just want to know what you will talk about next, and it would be even better if you can talk about some exciting inside information.
"Yang, the reason why I said that in the media is because you sent me away that day. You obviously treated me as an outsider, so I... imagined that incident. I know that incident hurt you and the sisters, but I will really change. Please forgive me!" Paris Hilton cried even harder as she spoke, her eyes full of tears, and she suddenly felt like she was in a heartbreaking drama.
At this time, the players in the locker room were even more excited. They were looking forward to Yang Mo's reaction.
