Chapter 498 Adding insult to injury
Yang Mo didn't know whether Emma Watson and the others wanted to be friends with Paris Hilton, and he didn't want to care about whether they wanted to pay attention to Paris Hilton. Anyway, he didn't want to say another word to her. God knows what kind of trouble . If this matter wasn't so shocking and she had no direct evidence, she might have ruined the future of these people.
No one wants to be friends with dangerous people, and Yang Mo is no exception.
In fact, Yang Mo’s mind was not on the women on the sidelines at all. He didn’t pay attention to this. His only thought now was how to win this difficult victory.
The Knicks no longer have a reliable inside player. In fact, the only player on the team who can hold their own in the paint is Yang Mo. Yang Mo's more important task now is to organize the team's offense. You must know that the Knicks are not only short of inside players, but also have an appallingly weak point guard line.
Before the game started, Yang Mo struggled for a while before finally deciding to use offense to open the scoring. So, he immediately fielded a pure offensive lineup consisting of Anthony Randolph, Jeffries, Wilt Chandler, Gallinari, and himself.
This lineup clearly focuses on fast breaks rather than defense.
The Magic, on the other hand, were solid, still featuring Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, and Nelson. This lineup was just as mobile as the Knicks', and in the paint, they were practically dominant.
There is no way, because the Knicks' two capable guards are now injured.
drop!
As the referee blew the whistle, Anthony Randolph and Dwight Howard jumped at the same time. Using his experience, Howard successfully caught the ball first. However, Nelson didn't snatch the ball away, but Yang Mo got there first.
After Yang Mo snatched the ball first, he quickly launched a fast break. The other four players also sprinted at full speed. As their teammates started running, they naturally found open space. While moving at high speed, Yang Mo's wrist suddenly flicked, and the basketball flew into the penalty area with a whoosh. At the same time, Wilt Chandler, who was cutting into the penalty area, leaped high, caught the ball in mid-air, and slammed it into the basket... BOOM!
The ball smashed powerfully into the hoop, instantly triggering a frenzy of cheers from Madison Square Garden. They hadn't made the playoffs in years, but this year they finally got their wish. The slam dunk unleashed a surge of pent-up excitement.
Just as the whole crowd cheered like thunder, Wilt Chandler, who had let go of the basket with his right hand, suddenly slipped on his left foot and twisted his right foot… Puff! Yang Mo, who was standing two meters away, heard a dull sound.
He immediately cried out inwardly, "Oh no!" and hurried over. By then, Wilt Chandler was already slapping the floor and wailing in pain. It was obvious that he was injured, and the injury was very serious.
Seeing this, the referee quickly stopped the game and asked the Knicks team doctor to come forward to check.
The sudden change, the excitement throughout Madison Square Garden barely lasted ten seconds before it all turned into exclamations. Seeing Wilt Chandler lying on the ground, howling in agony, everyone's heart sank. This was too cruel for them. The Knicks had already lost two big men, and was the nightmare about to continue at forward and guard? Was God truly forbidding the Knicks from advancing to the second round?
Suddenly, pessimism gripped the hearts of all Knicks fans, and the players' morale began to wane. While foreigners didn't have the concept of dying before achieving victory, losing a key player so early in the game was undoubtedly a bad omen.
Yang Mo was extremely anxious as he watched the morale gradually decline. They were already at a disadvantage in terms of lineup. If the morale continued to decline, there was no need to fight anymore. Wouldn't it be faster and less stressful to just raise their hands and surrender?
The Magic, on the other hand, had inadvertently boosted their morale. Ever since they learned that Milicic and Turiaf were both out for the season, their confidence had surged. And now, with Wilt Chandler injured within twenty seconds of the start, their confidence had skyrocketed. They even began to believe it was divine guidance, a sign of victory.
When they regard victory as their destiny, how can they not be confident?
"This is a sad story. After losing two stalwart inside players, the Knicks have now lost their small forward. Wilt Chandler was the only one on the Knicks, besides Super Yang, who could effectively drive the ball and cause damage." TNT commentator Collins lamented as he watched the Knicks' team doctor hurriedly bring in a stretcher and carry Wilt Chandler out. "The Knicks' road to victory will undoubtedly be much more difficult."
"There's no way they can win." Jeff Van Gundy shifted his 37-point T-shirt to the left again and said with immense confidence, "A team without an inside player can't go far in the playoffs. Now the Magic just need to keep putting the ball in the paint. The closer to the basket, the higher the chance of success. This is an eternal truth."
"Director," Charles Barkley suddenly called out, then said, "Please turn the camera on Jeff. I need to show everyone what Jeff looks like in a thong. My dear viewers, did you see that? Our Jeff Van Gundy is a particularly sultry commentator. Look, the thong on his head is actually red, and it has a net bag. It's a very unique shape."
“…” Collins suppressed his laughter and tried his best to remain silent.
At this time, Jeff Van Gundy said angrily, "Charles, don't be so proud. Tonight I'm going to make you a bigger bet. If the Knicks win, I'll stick a woman's sanitary napkin on my forehead. If the Knicks lose, you have to do the same. Do you dare?"
"Since you want to make your look more unique, why shouldn't I agree to your request? I still believe that Super Yang can win this game. Super Yang is like a spring. The greater the pressure, the higher he can bounce. Just wait, your current confidence in victory will soon turn into a sanitary napkin on your forehead."
"Arrogant."
"I am arrogant, but I don't have a red net-pocket thong hanging from my head."
"You'll be getting sanitary napkins soon."
"No, that's yours."
The two men engaged in a heated argument, exchanging verbal attacks. Meanwhile, the game had resumed. The Knicks had replaced Wilt Chandler with Tracy McGrady. Judging by Chandler's pained expression as he left the court, he wouldn't be back tonight. Perhaps his playoff run was over.
This sudden incident is undoubtedly a disaster for the Knicks, and their morale has been completely low.
Back in half court, the Magic took the initiative to pass the ball to Howard in the interior. Howard received the ball and faced Anthony Randolph alone. He pushed him away in a few moves, then turned around and dunked with incredible ease.
After scoring, Howard even pulled off Shaquille O'Neal's signature move... the Bully Step. While his move wasn't as aggressive as Shaquille's, it still exuded a sense of lawlessness and willpower. Clearly, he was incredibly proud.
Back at half court, although Yang Mo wanted to teach Howard a lesson immediately, his instincts told him that he needed to get his teammates moving and build their confidence. So he passed the ball to a completely open McGrady, but… McGrady missed. A shot that looked effortless, like a practice shot, went wide, and Howard .
Now, the Knicks' morale dropped again.
Although Yang Mo knew that McGrady was rarely reliable in crucial moments and was never good at playing against the odds, he never expected him to be so unusable, unable to even make a mid-range shot when no one was defending him.
If McGrady had scored the shot just now, the Knicks players would have regained some of their confidence, but... the ball didn't go in.
Back in the half court, the Magic still focused on the inside, but this time it was Vince Carter who broke through. He used Lewis's pick-and-roll to quickly break through the restricted area, directly causing Anthony Randolph to foul.
Swish! Swish!
Both free throws were made.
The rest of the game became a virtual showdown between Yang Mo and the entire Magic team. Every time Yang Mo tried to break into the paint and cause damage, the Magic players would retreat, allowing him to score, ignoring his dunks and layups. They knew that no matter how dominant Yang Mo was, they would still control the rhythm of the game. After all, the power of five people was greater than that of one.
Yang Mo wanted to wake up his teammates, but none of his passes could generate assists. Almost every pass meant an increase in the opponent's rebounding stats. The other Knicks players simply couldn't make a shot, and Anthony Randolph even made a mistake on a layup.
After a few rounds of back and forth, the Knicks were already 8 points behind after only five minutes of the first quarter.
drop!
After Howard's next dunk, Yang Mo finally called a timeout. Something had to change now. The team was already ten points behind. If they continued playing like this, the Knicks wouldn't even make it through the half, let alone win.
After calling a timeout, Yang Mo walked straight to the bench. As soon as he got back to the bench, he didn't take the tactical board handed to him by Stein. Instead, he asked his teammates around him, "Tell me, is there anyone among you who still wants to win?"
Although Yang Mo's voice was not loud, every word she spoke carried great weight.
"With so many men, can four stand out who want to win?"
