Chapter 536: Number One in the World
The significance of this successful defense is huge for Yang Mo. It means that their lineup is effective, and it also means that they seem to have found a way to deal with the Heat, although it is not stable enough.
On offense, Yang Mo wasn't in the least bit afraid of the Heat, with their Big Three. The Knicks simply had too many scoring players, all with unique abilities. With Yang Mo at the helm, Miami would likely lose in a head-to-head matchup. After all, they still hadn't completely resolved the ball-handling issues surrounding Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, which was why their record was only third in the Eastern Conference.
"I expected the Knicks to be strong this season, but I swear I never imagined they would be this strong. They could even win without Super Yang scoring," TNT commentator Collins exclaimed in astonishment. "And their defense is surprisingly good too. They don't look like a new team at all. They have such a strong chemistry, like they've been playing together for years."
"Although the Knicks' stars are not as big as the Heat's, their lineup is actually much more reasonable than Miami's. Miami doesn't have many defensive players, and their role players are also more offensive, like McMiller and Dorell Wright. The Knicks, on the other hand, are half defensive and half offensive. They have three players from the Celtics plus Tyson Chandler, Ronnie Brewer and the original Jeffries, all of whom are good defensive players. Offensively, they also have Gallinari, Iverson, Beasley, Chandler and Stoudemire. As for Super Yang, as long as he wants, he can do his best in any aspect. In fact, he can do his best in both defense and offense at the same time." Kenny Smith couldn't help but brag about the Knicks. He had already defected a long time ago, and now he is TNT's number two Yang fan.
As for number one, it’s naturally Sir Charles Barkley.
However, Sir Barkley's love is now deeper. He no longer praises the Knicks like he did last year. As the Knicks become stronger and stronger, he has instead fallen in love with the activity of accumulating goodwill. He always says that the Knicks are too weak and vulnerable, and asks other teams to be gentle with them.
"Don't worry, we Knicks are just a paper tiger. The Heat should not take us seriously. Stoudemire had major knee surgery, Tyson Chandler can't attack at all, Iverson is so old that his teeth are almost falling out, Jeffries and others have also been injured. Beasley is even worse, he smokes so much marijuana that he can't tell the difference between day and night. As for the Celtics' veterans, they are all defective products that Boston doesn't want. And our Super Yang has also suffered two serious injuries. So, everyone must not be fooled by the illusion in front of us. The eleven-game winning streak is just a stroke of luck. There are people who win the lottery of 500 million or 600 million US dollars, so the winning streak is not surprising. We are really just soft persimmons, please be gentle!"
Whenever Charles Barkley says this, Collins wants to strangle him to death. How can this be possible? If the Knicks are really as weak as he says, why are they still the first in the league?
However, some fans still like to see Charles Barkley accumulate his character like this, and they like to listen to Sir Barkley's nonsense and talk nonsense.
In fact, some Knicks fans have been misled by them. Before games, they always express their opinions through various media: "Hey, we'll win if we lose less." "As long as the opponent doesn't cut us by 20 points, we'll be satisfied." "We're easy to bully, don't be too harsh!"
This trend gradually expanded from a small range to the general public, and almost all Knicks fans have heard of this way of accumulating good luck.
Some people even think that this way of accumulating good luck is the right way to win, and that this is how fans should cheer for the team.
Fans of other teams were left despairing, "Is this malicious cuteness really appropriate?" Are you Knicks really weaklings? You beat us like idiots, and you're still weaklings? You're the ultimate fighters among roosters!
Meanwhile, the Knicks and Heat were still battling each other, and the game was getting tense because LeBron James was going wild. He was starting to make three-pointers one after another.
Yang Mo wasn't anxious about James's rampage, nor did he immediately beat him to death. After all, things were different now. Before, the Knicks' marshal was his general, and if anyone challenged him, he had to personally go out and defeat them. But now, the Knicks were stronger, and he could just call out any of his men and in a matter of minutes, he could answer the ball and regain his position.
Does a real boss need to go out on the streets with a machete every day to collect protection fees?
LeBron James launched a crazy scoring offensive, while Yang Mo directed the defense slowly and steadily, and continuously sent out wonderful passes, allowing his teammates to easily wreak havoc in the Heat's penalty area and violently demolish the ball.
There was nothing the Heat could do about it.
The first quarter was over quickly. While the Heat's LeBron James was on a rampage, Yang Mo's defensive formation suppressed their overall offensive strategy. As a result, the Knicks, despite playing as a team, managed to hold an 8-point lead. James chipped in 15 points, while the Knicks had 11 assists .
Nearly every Knicks assist was orchestrated by Yang Mo, while LeBron James on the Heat often faced off alone. While appearing heroic, the battle between him and Yang Mo had already been decided. Yang Mo now resembled a commander, while LeBron James was merely a vanguard charging into battle.
The second quarter continued, Yang Mo maintaining a steady pace and firmly controlling the ball. Meanwhile, the Heat's situation became a one-on-one duel with Wade. After using the pick-and-roll to get past Yang Mo twice, Wade went into overdrive.
Seeing that Wade had found his form, Yang Mo simply stopped defending and let Wade score as he pleased.
He wasn't afraid of Wade's scoring. No matter how good a player is, their shooting percentage is limited. Meanwhile, the Knicks maintained their efficiency, with Yang Mo's passing consistently delivering results.
The second quarter was over quickly, with Wade scoring 16 points. Yang Mo also had 10 assists in the quarter, bringing his total to 21 in the first half. The Knicks were already leading by 21 points.
Although the Heat's style of play is very intense, they look extremely tragic, just like Don Quixote challenging windmills, full of ridiculous passion but extremely weak.
As he walked into the tunnel during halftime, Yang Mo patted Dwyane Wade's shoulder with a smile on his face. "If I remember correctly, you two were ranked second and third respectively on the leaderboard. And I'm in first place. You guys stole the show on the scoring end tonight. I can't lose to you, the number one, can I? So, go back and tell Spoelstra that Super Yang will be in scoring mode in the second half. Tell him to quickly deal with the tactics, so we don't get caught off guard and suffer an embarrassing defeat."
"Kid, do your girlfriends know you're so arrogant?" Wade rolled his eyes at Yang Mo, then continued, "I won't let you score too many points. Besides, I'm your teacher, and I know your scoring techniques best, so I have experience defending you."
"Then give it a try." Yang Mo laughed: "I suggest you find another helper. Double-teaming me might have a little effect."
Yang Mo was joking, and before Wade could say anything, Chris Bosh, who was standing behind him, suddenly started taunting Yang Mo: " Kid , do you really think you're invincible?"
"What else?" Yang Mo turned her head away. "Your neck is too long. I'll shorten it for you in the second half. Please pay attention. I hope you won't dodge."
"If you dare to come in, I will knock you over. Others are afraid of you, but I am not." Chris Bosh retorted tit for tat.
"Very good, I'll remember your words." Yang Mo smiled faintly and strode into the visiting team's locker room. He didn't want to continue his verbal battle with this guy. He was the best in the world, so he should just use his fists to teach him a lesson. Why waste his breath?
