That night, the Knicks, showcasing a diverse and flourishing offensive strategy, not only managed to suppress the Warriors with their attack but also, with DAntoni no longer fixated on a six-person rotation, ensured that the Knicks' key players had enough energy in the second half to withstand the inevitable counterattack from the Warriors.
Final score, 119 to 115.
The Knicks, with their multi-pronged approach, unexpectedly leveled the score in the finals series at Oracle Arena.
Throughout the game, Durant, who always avoided Qin Yue's sharpness, shot 9 of 17, and with free throws and three-pointers, efficiently notched up 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
As a future representative of "Magic Ball"...
With a performance of 16 shots, making 8 of them, including 5 out of 12 from three-point range, and sinking 13 of 14 free throws, Harden delivered a perfect score sheet of 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, demonstrating a scoring structure of utmost efficiency.
In addition, Love and Howard contributed 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 points, 15 rebounds respectively.
It can be said this game not only proved that the Knicks had the capacity to challenge the Warriors but also exposed numerous problems still present in the current Warriors team.
Firstly, whenever Curry's passing lacks stability, the Warriors have to rely on Qin Yue alone to manage the team's offense and organization.
Secondly, when the Warriors switch to their offensive lineup, not even Qin Yue, known as China's Superman, can consistently cover for his teammates defensively.
Lastly, the league's unwillingness to let the Warriors monopolize the championship meant that in this series, where the Warriors couldn't enjoy home-court advantage, they couldn't fully exploit Qin Yue's destructive power against the opponent's inside defense.
Simply put, the Knicks could freely crash the Warriors' perimeter shooters while simultaneously utilizing "Qin Yue's Law" to exhaust Qin Yue's stamina.
For example, in the second game of this series, even though Qin Yue scored 57 points for the Warriors with both offense and defense combined.
But continuously trying to involve his teammates, Qin Yue only garnered 7 assists.
Considering Qin Yue's current vision and passing ability, what does this assist data prove?
It proves that during the game, the Knicks players went insane in severing the link between the GOAT and his teammates.
If "Qin Yue's Law" didn't exist.
If the league's targeting didn't exist either.
Then Qin Yue could single-handedly demolish the entire Knicks defense.
Unfortunately…
From the moment they achieved a three-peat, the Warriors became the team that the league had to target.
And with the second game of the Finals over, it's foreseeable that…
The defending champion, heading to the so-called "free throw sanctuary" of Madison Square Garden this season for the games, will face even greater challenges.
This season, up to now, the Knicks have averaged 35 free throws per game at Madison Square Garden.
What about their opponents?
The answer is an average of only 16 free throws per game.
So, after the Knicks unexpectedly leveled the Finals series at one game apiece, the experts and journalists who originally favored the Warriors nearly overnight, without any psychological burden, switched sides to the Knicks camp.
Online, more people began to favor the Knicks for the championship.
Some even started analyzing the weaknesses of the Warriors.
Additionally, Durant, after the team returned to New York, said: "The old Warriors were like the invisible health bar BOSS you encounter in games.
Believe me, that feeling of despair makes you suspect that no matter what you do, you can't beat them.
But now, with someone's departure and our continuous evolution, I have no doubt we have pushed the Warriors to reveal their health bar in this Finals series."
Compared to last year, the strength gap between the Knicks and the Warriors has indeed shrunk.
And the hope of winning the championship shown by the Knicks in the second game has made the arrival of the Warriors players in the Big Apple City quickly feel the hostility of the city toward the Warriors and Qin Yue.
On the 7th, during a street interview, a CCTV reporter captured this scene in New York.
Dozens of Knicks fans, dressed in Knicks jerseys, gathered together, circling a burning doll and chanting excitedly:
"FUCK 'Great Qin'!"
It turned out that these Knicks fans were burning…
None other than a doll dressed in the Warriors' number 77 jersey of Qin Yue.
Before the third game of the Finals, such scenes were almost ubiquitous in New York.
The average "wizard" New York fans were fervently cursing at Qin Yue and everything related to the Warriors.
In response, The Los Angeles Times couldn't help but mock: "In the 21st century, how do you get a Los Angeleno and a New Yorker to put aside their prejudices against each other?
The answer is simple, just shout 'FUCK Great Qin,' and you'll instantly become best friends with nothing left unsaid."
The largest city in America "hates" Qin Yue and the Warriors who have made them runners-up for the past two years.
"We all know, the Knicks don't want to follow in the Celtics' footsteps by establishing their own 'Runner-up Dynasty' in the NBA."
The San Francisco Chronicle's columnist Anthony Lester said: "But sorry, the Bay Area has been the promised land in the basketball world in recent years.
In my view, New York fans trying to interfere with the Messiah and the Warriors through curses is as ridiculous as being knocked down by a strong man and only being able to fantasize in your mind about gaining superpowers to defeat him."
June 9.
Having unexpectedly lost their home-court advantage at Oracle Arena, the defending champions met their ultimate test on their path to defend their title at Madison Square Garden.
On the night of the game, as the sky filled with cries of "FUCK" from all directions…
Don't ask.
If you do ask, how could it not be when the player stepping onto the court simultaneously holds the title of "Mayor of Los Angeles" and "Mayor of New York" – Qin Yue?
On TNT TV Station, Barkley curiously stated: "If, I say if, if the Warriors win again this year, how will New Yorkers treat the Messiah?"
Upon hearing this, O'Neal replied: "Then from now on, when playing in New York, the Messiah will likely have to hire an army to protect him."
In the center of the court.
In an environment so noisy that it was impossible to distinguish whether it was cheering or cursing, Qin Yue won possession for the Warriors at the tip-off.
Like the previous two games, both the Warriors and the Knicks maintained their established starting lineups in this game.
Curry dribbled past half-court.
Learning from the lesson of the second game, Curry, who is usually reckless until uncomfortable, played much more steadily this night.
And the moment Curry smoothly passed the ball to Qin Yue…
The entire arena went wild instantly, erupting into resounding jeers overhead for Qin Yue.
However…
At this moment, the Knicks fans trying to distract Qin Yue did not know their jeers made Qin Yue more excited, allowing him to enter the realm known as "The Zone."
Being the second player in NBA history after Jordan to master the switch to "The Zone."
Typically, how deep Qin Yue could go into "The Zone" depended only on how good his game-time condition was.
So the question arose.
How was Qin Yue's game-time condition in this game?
On the court, he maneuvered past Howard in one step.
What do you ask silenced Madison Square Garden, turning it into a library momentarily?
Of course, it was Qin Yue, with the enthusiastic support of all New York fans, who was in excellent game-time condition.
In the Knicks' restricted area.
The high-flying GOAT completely ignored Love's help defense.
Bam——!
"My God, what a spectacular dunk?"
On TNT TV Station, when Qin Yue soared over Love's head, Barkley couldn't believe that this 211 cm giant had actually replicated Vince Carter's feat from back in the day.
Yes.
This wasn't just a mere dunk over someone.
This was a flight dunk!
In the first possession of the game, Qin Yue effortlessly dunked over Kevin Love!
And then, landing from the dunk, without pockets but acting as if he had them, Qin Yue, with an unmistakable swagger, walked back to his side of the court amid over 20,000 Knicks fans.
Indeed, in this Finals series, Qin Yue and the Warriors, the big BOSS, have been forced to reveal their health bar.
But at this moment, Qin Yue seemed to say:
"No way someone really thinks that just because a BOSS has a health bar, those naive 'players' can defeat the BOSS, right?"
...
PS: Although it's late, the update is finally here! Good morning, dear reader fathers!
