Chapter 516: Applause
The Celtics don't want to lose again, but the focus now is not on the outcome of the second longest game, but on the breaking news that Yang Mo was crowned the number one player in the league.
Yang Mo's incredible 88 points, coupled with his rhetorical question during the game, instantly made him the headlines of all sports media. With the NBA's deliberate promotion, almost all basketball fans joined the discussion, debating whether Yang Mo could be considered the best player in the league.
A year ago, everyone believed Yang Mo's mission was to establish himself in the NBA. Now, he's been labeled the league's top player, with LeBron James practically posing no threat. In the minds of most, the only thing holding Yang Mo back from the top is himself. Everyone is watching to see if this performance is a flash in the pan. If he can maintain this high level of performance, then great! He'll be the top player.
"I think one game is not enough to show that Yang has surpassed LeBron. You have to know that anyone can perform exceptionally well in a single game. The evaluation of whether a player is the best in the league should be based on his entire career, not just one game. I have seen too many players who have put up amazing numbers in a certain game, but without exception, none of them have dominated the league." When public opinion was heavily leaning towards Yang Mo, LeBron James' head coach Mike Brown stood up to protect his boss.
"One game? Is Mike Brown blind? Super Yang's average points per game in the playoffs has exceeded 50, while LeBron James has just passed 30. Did he make up for the 20-point gap?" Knicks general manager Isaiah Thomas stepped forward without hesitation to challenge: "Go back and check the record to see how many times we've defeated you. LeBron? He's not even as good as one of Super Yang's toes!"
Isaiah Thomas's brazen statement unexpectedly garnered the full support of New York City, with practically every Knicks fan on their side. Remember, they were the same ones madly pursuing LeBron James a year ago. It was like a dog stroking someone and then finding them ugly.
"Maybe Super Yang's energy on the scoring end has surpassed LeBron, but height is a peak that Super Yang can never surpass. His height is destined to prevent him from sitting comfortably in the first position, he is too short!" LeBron James' supporters and Chris Bosh jumped out to say this. The Raptors did not make the playoffs, so he had plenty of time to talk nonsense.
"Yang surpasses LeBron not only in scoring, but also in rebounding, defense, passing, leadership, and most importantly, the will to win." Kobe Bryant was finally blown away by the intense coverage. While he didn't admit Yang Mo was the best, he believed that Yang Mo's ability surpassed James. Obviously, with such pride, he would never publicly admit that he was inferior to others, unless he was completely old and unable to move.
"I think James is better. Reason? I don't like that guy in New York," Kevin Durant said bluntly in an interview. He admitted he simply disliked Yang Mo. Although he didn't give a reason, everyone could imagine it. Every time he met Yang Mo, this guy got fucked black and blue. And the woman he was willing to drink her bath water from repeatedly and publicly expressed her admiration for Yang Mo. With this kind of hatred, it's hard to believe he could like Yang Mo.
Amidst all the commotion, a prominent figure finally spoke out and expressed his opinion: "LeBron James is no match for Super Yang. Super Yang will be the next player to dominate the league."
The person who said this is the God of Basketball, Michael Jordan. As the former ruler of the NBA, it is undoubtedly most appropriate for him to stand up and make the final judgment.
As he spoke, the heat of the discussion quickly died down . After all, the God of Basketball had spoken, so what was there to argue about?
Before the game, Doc Rivers said in an interview, "We can't lose again. We really can't lose again."
As Doc Rivers had said, the Celtics couldn't afford to lose. Another loss would likely turn them into a laughingstock. After all, the other team consisted of six players. Even if Super Yang was the best player in the league, his teammates were utterly scumbags. Their defense was lacking, their offense was lacking. If they couldn't win, Boston's legacy would be completely shattered! They would become the butt of the joke that made Yang Mo's legend so epic.
"We will use all our energy to fight against Super Yang. He is a dangerous opponent and we must control him!" Kevin Garnett was extremely cautious in his speech, for fear that he would use the wrong words and be caught by Yang Mo and beaten severely.
When he first met Yang Mo, Garnett could still say to her with a certain air of superiority, "Welcome to the NBA, rookie." But now, he no longer has that confidence, because Yang Mo has become a towering mountain. Even he, who was once so glorious, now has to look up at her!
Rajon Rondo, who had previously promised to sweep the Knicks, simply shut up and vanished. His face was already swollen from the beating, and after witnessing Yang Mo's terrifying power in their last match, he knew that with his own strength, he probably wouldn't be able to catch up or even close the gap in his lifetime.
The Celtics were on high alert, viewing the Knicks as their most dangerous opponent. Yang Mo, however, knew how slim their chances of victory were. He walked into the locker room to find his teammates laughing and relaxing, without a trace of pre-game tension. Clearly, they had lost interest in the game and were content with their current results.
Seeing this, Yang Mo could only shake his head secretly. He knew that no matter how much he tried to inspire these guys' fighting spirit, they would not be able to ignite it. They were the kind of people who were content with a small fortune and they thought that this year's playoffs were already brilliant enough.
At this moment, Yang Mo finally understood what it meant that a sparrow cannot understand the ambition of a swan. When he was with this group of sparrows, his own lofty ambitions became an exception.
After Yang Mo shook his head, he didn't say anything. He just walked to the side silently and closed his eyes to rest. He wanted to adjust his condition to the end and then fight to the death tonight.
Soon, the competition officially arrived.
When the referee blew the whistle, Anthony Randolph and Perkins jumped at the same time. Perkins passed the ball to Rajon Rondo. Rondo slowly moved forward with the ball, playing very steadily and calmly.
On the other hand, the Knicks' defense was in disarray. Tracy McGrady and Gallinari kept getting out of position. Although Yang Mo tried his best to trap them inside, he couldn't withstand the Celtics' system. Swish! Soon, the ball was hit by Ray Allen from beyond the three-point line.
After receiving the ball, Yang Mo slowly made his way upcourt, only to find his only defender was Rajon Rondo. The Celtics didn't double-team or employ the Jordan Rules; they treated Yang Mo like an ordinary player.
This kind of treatment frightened Yang Mo, because it was exactly this kind of treatment he feared most. It meant the Celtics had finally understood their own strength. How could a strong force dance with a weak one? They simply needed to maintain their momentum and easily defeat their opponent. In the previous game, they hadn't maintained their momentum, and instead, they were tricked by Yang Mo, losing the game by a huge margin. This time, they had finally learned their lesson.
The Celtics returned to normal, and Yang Mo had no choice but to go ahead. He easily passed Rajon Rondo's defense, then shot a jump shot from outside the three-point line... Swish! The basketball went into the net.
The goal was scored easily, but the Celtics showed no signs of anxiety. They continued to play slowly, like machines, unaffected by Yang Mo's presence.
When you can't influence your opponent's mind with actions, you can only fight hard. But fighting hard? How can the Knicks be a match for the Celtics?
After the first quarter, Yang Mo scored 19 points, the Celtics had 29, and the score was 29-20. This meant the other four Knicks players had scored a combined... one point. This point came on a brilliant pass from Yang Mo, but Anthony Randolph missed the shot and added a point, only drawing a foul and then making one of two shots.
At the start of the second quarter, Yang Mo went on a rampage. He constantly attacked the paint, repeatedly shooting three-pointers, and finally, in the second quarter, he single-handedly outscored the Celtics, 28:25. The team score was 30:25. This time, the Knicks players showed some improvement, as they made a mid-range shot.
At halftime, the score was tied at 50-54. Three Celtics players scored in double figures, while Yang Mo scored 47 points for the Knicks, McGrady added two points, and Anthony Randolph chipped in one.
Back in the locker room, Yang Mo's fingers couldn't help but tremble. He'd shot too many times, and the constant lifting of his hands was causing him to lose energy. If he continued shooting like that, his accuracy would definitely become a problem. This was exactly what the Celtics wanted. In their view, shooting with five people was always easier than shooting with one.
Yang Mo knew clearly what the Celtics were going to do, but he had no way to deal with it because his teammates were really, really, really disappointing.
Back in the locker room, Yang Mo sat astride a corner. The locker room was eerily quiet, with only the sound of Yang Mo's heavy breathing.
"Guys, I hope you can stand up and help Yang. Basketball is a game for five people after all..." Stan tried to cheer on other players to share Yang Mo's hard work.
Yang Mo waved his hand, interrupting him. "Stein, don't say that. I've already provoked them many times in the playoffs, and they did fight tooth and nail. But you have to understand, not everyone has a morbid desire for victory. Not everyone wants to be at the top of the mountain. Many people prefer to rest halfway up the mountain, where the air is pleasant and the scenery is beautiful. So, I understand everyone's thoughts. But I don't think we'll ever be on the same path again."
Yang Mo's words were light, but they weighed heavily on the hearts of his teammates.
Yang Mo really didn't want to use provocative words to stimulate their desire to win. He was tired of these provocative tactics. As the saying goes, a wolf will travel a thousand miles to eat meat, and a dog will travel a thousand miles to eat shit. If they are not of the same kind, then stop being so demanding.
After saying this, the locker room returned to silence again.
Everyone knew Yang Mo had given up on them. They began to reflect, and then, after further reflection, they became calm. As Yang Mo had said, they were tired of those provocative tactics. They were not competitive people to begin with. No one could go against their nature for long, not even them.
Therefore, the second half of the game was still Yang Mo's one-man show. Their role was to help Yang Mo screen the pick-and-roll, and when there was an absolutely open space, Yang Mo would pass the ball to them for a couple of shots.
The third quarter passed quickly, the Celtics had already taken an 85:72 lead, and Yang Mo also increased his score to 65 points.
If some people still had criticisms of Yang Mo after the last game, then at this point in the game, everyone had to admit that Yang Mo had truly become the undisputed number one player in the NBA. He actually relied on his own strength to hold back the Celtics. If he had been given a slightly more decent helper, he might have been able to overtake the Celtics.
Moreover, this guy is really a tough guy. He puts in 100% of his energy every time. Even though he looks exhausted, he can still release powerful energy and score a goal.
For a moment, everyone even thought Yang Mo was a superman.
However, even supermen get tired. In the second half of the fourth quarter, Yang Mo's shooting percentage finally dropped as his strength faded. His shots began to fall, and the Celtics took advantage of the situation to expand their lead.
In the end, the score gap became larger and larger, and when the final whistle sounded, the Celtics finally defeated the Knicks 108:88.
Although Yang Mo didn't win, he persevered until the very last second. Just as he'd said, he'd give his all for the Knicks' victory. Everyone knew he'd put his all into this game, including the Celtics. So, after the game, Kevin Garnett immediately hugged Yang Mo. As he did so, he noticed Yang Mo's steps weaken, and he sank down.
"Team doctor! Team doctor!" Kevin Garnett quickly turned around and shouted. He knew that Yang Mo had played on both offense and defense for 48 minutes tonight without a single rest. This kind of physical exhaustion was unimaginable.
Soon, the team doctor ran over and helped Yang Mo, who was on the verge of collapse, to walk out.
As Yang Mo was carried off the court by two people, applause rang out again at the NDRC Arena. This applause was for Yang Mo. Although Yang Mo had caused them difficulties and brought them humiliation, they knew in their hearts that he deserved the applause.
