Madison Square Garden, end of the first quarter, 38 to 33.
On the scoreboard, the Knicks trail by 5 points.
But from the performance on the court, Warriors fans believe that if not for the referees' assistance, the Knicks wouldn't stand a chance against them.
In the second quarter, Qin Yue and Curry both rested during the first half of the game.
The Warriors were led by JR Smith and Livingston, with the other three players being "Iron Bull" Green, "Second Egg" Butler, and "Fuzzy Head" Vallejo.
Ray Allen and Jamison did not play in this phase.
This is because, even with full psychological preparation, Wallace, Brown, and Green could not avoid falling into foul trouble.
Therefore, Mike Malone, who needed to extend the player rotation list, needed Ray Allen and Jamison, the two veterans, to play in the second half alongside Qin Yue and Curry.
On the Knicks' side, they only substituted Bill and Jeffries for Durant and Howard, with Harden leading the team.
This finals, as one of the focal points of people's attention.
The completely different rotation strategies of Malone and D'Antoni also became a hotly debated topic among fans.
Some believe that the reason the Warriors always gave the Knicks opportunities was that Malone allowed the Warriors' main players to rest for too long.
But others believe that the Knicks, who always ran out of steam at the decisive moment, could defeat the Warriors if their main players had more rest.
In short, in the NBA, the question of which is better, long rotation or short rotation, needs to be analyzed case by case.
For example, if possible, Malone also wanted to shorten the Warriors' player rotation to nine or ten people to match the Knicks' strength during the lineup transitions.
Unfortunately...
The referees did not give the Warriors such an opportunity.
And D'Antoni?
Although the intensity of this finals has proven that there aren't many qualified substitute players on the Knicks' bench.
But even if the Knicks had better role players on the bench, for D'Antoni, who is accustomed to the slave master rotation strategy, he might not extend the Knicks' player rotation list.
In Qin Yue's previous life, D'Antoni, once criticized for overworking the main players just like the "Legendary Slave Master" Thibodeau, said in an interview: "Many times, players think they are tired, but actually, they just haven't unleashed their potential."
Indeed, this finals proved that the Warriors could regain home-court advantage in the free throw paradise, partly because of the personnel differences between D'Antoni and Malone.
Even in the third game, which the Warriors had to rely on Qin Yue's heroics to win, Malone only let Qin Yue play for 42 minutes.
As for this fourth game, which might become the turning point of the finals?
Throughout the first half of the second quarter, even the usually sarcastic Hollins about Malone not being worthy of this Warriors team kept his mouth shut.
"Get on the move, Ande! Don't just stand there!"
"Great pass, Xiao, that's exactly how we need you to play!"
"Zone defense, zone defense! Watch the corners, damn it, Jimmy, if you zone out again, I'll kick your ass!"
On the court, Malone, directing the team's offense and defense, only returned to his usual calm demeanor halfway through the second quarter.
Because after the Warriors' substitutes secured a crucial six-minute rest for Qin Yue, now...
Malone could choose to take it easy.
A master of warfare needs no great achievements.
Since Qin Yue returned from injury, Malone always gave the impression of winning effortlessly.
But how many people knew that Qin Yue was always able to give his all on the court because Malone always found a way to set the stage for him?
To keep Qin Yue healthy, for the past three summers, Malone always enforced a rule that Qin Yue could not touch a basketball until the start of the regular season.
And over the past three years.
Apart from those games where it was necessary to extend Qin Yue's playing time.
Every night, Malone tried to give Qin Yue as much rest as possible.
Moreover, compared to the main players.
Because the Warriors' substitutes couldn't always allow Malone to take a backseat every night.
So, during lineup transitions, Malone also needed to use his wits to backstop the Warriors.
For instance, in this game...
JR Smith, drawing the "wild card," almost brought the Warriors to the brink of disaster.
But through clever in-game adjustments far superior to D'Antoni, Malone managed to fight the Knicks' mid-to-upper tier lineup evenly with the Warriors' mid-to-lower tier lineup.
So, don't ask why Malone qualifies as the coach who can have a deep gaze with Qin Yue.
Because the reason Malone can have a deep gaze with Qin Yue is that he has grown with this champion team to become a bona fide dynasty coach.
Madison Square Garden, Qin Yue, Curry, Ray Allen, and Jamison took the court together in the second half of the second quarter.
Additionally, Vallejo, who performed well this quarter, was left on the court by Malone.
Regarding this, Malone's consideration was that since Vallejo was in good form, having Vallejo play an extra six minutes would give Brown, who already had two fouls, more leeway in the second half.
"Mike, did you know, in my mind, you were always the only choice for head coach of this Warriors team." Courtside, Hollins, rarely complimenting Malone, said.
However, upon hearing this, Malone, who had been busy for most of the quarter, replied with a less optimistic tone: "In this game, if we want to beat the Knicks, we must ensure our lead remains around 10 points."
10 points, was the safety line Malone set for the Warriors after fully understanding Scott Foster's officiating scale.
After all, against this team of "honest men," playing without any "trickery," and relying on point by point scoring, the Warriors' scoring wasn't as "solid" as the Knicks'.
Indeed, Malone's concerns were not unfounded.
On the court, the Knicks' offensive possession.
Seeing the "honest" Harden intentionally wrapping Ray Allen's arm, it opened Ray Allen's eyes and completed an and-one.
Seeing this, Ray Allen sneered mockingly: "A Nican is just a Nican, just like a dog that can't stop eating shit; you'll never expect a Nican to become an honest good man."
On the side, in response to Ray Allen's mockery, the only two non-black players on the court, Love and Qin Yue, immediately started chatting like long-lost brothers.
As for Harden and the other black players being ridiculed by Ray Allen?
At that moment, no one chose to refute Ray Allen.
On the court, Harden made the bonus free throw.
Turning back, Warriors' offense.
Not only sharp with words but also skillful with hands, Ray Allen hit a three-pointer from the outside off Qin Yue's screen and Curry's assist.
Additionally, after the shot, Ray Allen defiantly glared at Harden.
However, unfazed by this, Harden immediately connected with Love through a clever pass on the Knicks' offensive possession.
Noticing Qin Yue coming over to help, Harden intentionally slowed down the rhythm while advancing with the ball and passed the ball discreetly to Love, who was lurking near the free-throw line.
After receiving the ball, Love showcased his all-around skills as a "shooting forward."
Holding the ball to retreat beyond the three-point line.
Opting for a more cost-effective three-point shot to finish.
This is Kevin Love in his prime.
Though to some fans later on, Love wasn't even considered an All-Star, seen as a downright "CBA teammate."
But as one of the best offensive big men in the same period in NBA history, another label on Love is clearly more famous:
Everyone's beloved "Cupid" Love.
Swish——!
On TNT TV, Barkley exclaimed: "Despite the level gap between Kevin Love and the Messiah in this finals, he is undoubtedly the backbone of this Knicks team, both offensively and defensively."
O'Neal asked: "So the question is, how did the Knicks get Kevin Love?"
Barkley replied: "You have to ask the Timberwolves about that, maybe they thought LeBron had a better chance of leading them to the number one pick?"
Madison Square Garden, at halftime, 68 to 63.
Facing the nuclear combination of Qin and Curry, who combined for 44 points in the first half, the Knicks astonishingly hit 29 out of 24 free throws in the half to prevent the Warriors from further extending the score gap.
On CCTV, Yu Jia summarized the first half of this game by saying: "This could be the toughest test the Warriors have faced on their championship journey, having no advantage in weather, location, or people. They not only have to deal with the Knicks players on the court but also have to find a way to adapt to the extremely strict officiating scale."
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PS: Here comes the real update for today!
