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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
In recent years, every time Shaq came to New York, he was mocked by the fans.
However, the New York Media loved Shaq.
Compared to Allen Iverson, who had lost his edge, Shaq always brought more joy to everyone.
On the morning of the 24th, the protagonist of the New York Post sports section was not the usually outspoken Shaq, nor the arrogant Rookie.
Veteran Mourning became the New York fans' delight.
Due to illness, Shaq and Dwyane Wade did not attend the post-game press conference after the loss.
The Kidney Fighter, representing the Heat, made a strong statement:
"They are the defending champions, but they can be defeated!"
"The Knicks have shown weaknesses. They are not invincible."
"We once thought the Chicago Bulls would never lose, but the Knicks broke that notion."
"Now history is repeating itself. They won't rule the league forever. We all know that."
These words almost made the New York sports reporters burst out laughing.
92:117, the Heat lost by 25 points, yet after the game, they were talking about the defending champions' weaknesses?
It was a typical game where the referees favored the underdog.
If the Heat hadn't had 25 free throws in the first half, the outcome would have been clear much earlier.
In the second half, the referees tried to balance the calls, which made the statistics look better, but anyone who watched the game knew the huge gap between the two teams.
Mourning truly lived up to his old-school player reputation.
With the blessing of "spiritual victory," he kept encouraging the team:
"I never look at those boring statistics. A win is a win. As long as we win, the stats don't matter at all."
"Even if Clay Lee scores more points in the game, it won't affect our fighting spirit."
"Perhaps New York fans see Clay Lee as Superman, but in reality, he is human, just like us. He will also age and decline. No one can keep winning forever."
"Dwyane Wade is still very young. Time is on our side. This is what I've learned after experiencing major injuries. No one can defeat time."
The New York Post's column that morning ridiculed Mourning's words:
"Losers always find all kinds of excuses."
"The league's strongest duo will still cry in New York!"
In Eastern Conference Finals Game 1, the Heat role players performed well.
Haslem contributed 18 points, Eddie Jones also had 15 points, and Damon Jones, boosted by garbage time, also scored 11 points.
Looking solely at the stats, among the starting lineup, Shaq's 18 points and Wade's 9 points were actually underperformances.
Considering that superstars eventually break out in a series, Miami sports media believed their home team still had a great chance to win!
Amar'e Stoudemire only played 22 minutes in last night's game, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers.
In the eyes of the New York Media, Amar'e Stoudemire, coming off the bench, had already dominated the Heat's interior.
Mourning's words were just an attempt to save face.
He had been schooled by the Rookie!
Fans of both teams argued from last night until this morning, until the Heat officially announced that Shaq was questionable for Game 2, at which point the commentators began to predict overwhelmingly in one direction.
Around noon, Stan Van Gundy reconfirmed the news in an interview:
"Shaq's hip injury is affecting him, and Dwyane Wade also has some knee issues."
"But in the Conference Finals, players will always have injuries. The boys just need to adjust their bodies. We will definitely give our all in Game 2."
"."
During lunchtime, Lee was still at his home on 82nd Street.
The team's practice session was moved to the afternoon.
Recently, "Desperate Housewives" concluded its season, and with "American Idol" ending, many onlookers began shifting their attention to sports.
There was plenty of news from New York's four major sports leagues, but when they heard ABC channel previewing "Trump Unauthorized" for 7 PM, everyone at the dining table looked at Ivanka.
Melinda, who had just returned from the UK, was on vacation.
After seeing the preview, she curiously asked:
"Is this a new movie about the family history? This season of The Apprentice was indeed very successful."
On the other side, Kim cleared her throat and shared her news, whispering:
"It's not live-action. In any case, it should be a pretty good film."
Melinda was wearing a white camisole and loose pajama bottoms at home, while Kim had put on an oversized blue T-shirt and matching pajama bottoms.
Both had blonde hair and showed gossipy expressions when they looked at Ivanka.
Ivanka, dressed in a blue business suit, had to go to the office in the afternoon.
Seeing Lee also show interest, she couldn't help but mutter:
"Ivanka told me her portrayal was like a cross-dressing Dracula!"
"This is the worst TV movie ever!"
After saying that, the girls burst into laughter.
Lee twitched his lips.
Last night, Donald had called him to help promote it.
Fortunately, he was very cautious and knew that Donald focused on bad movies.
Lunch ended amidst their gossip.
Lee needed to drop Ivanka off at work, and then he had to go to the Tarrytown Training Center.
After they left, Melinda quickly went over to Kim, buried her head in her arms and listened for a long time, then excitedly asked again:
"Is it a boy or a girl? A boy is better for the first child."
Kim shook her head.
She hadn't paid attention to those details, simply saying contentedly:
"I haven't focused on that. In any case, it will definitely be a cute little one."
Perhaps due to adequate care, Kim didn't have many reactions.
Besides her growing waistline, she could still work normally.
Lee was currently driving Ivanka's Carrera GT.
This sports car, launched last year, was her birthday present.
The custom blue color gave it a more mature feel. With a price tag close to $500,000, fewer than 600 units of this car were sold in the US, and its high price also made it an eye-catcher.
Unfortunately, New York traffic was terrible, making it impossible to unleash the car's performance.
Ivanka was reapplying her makeup in the passenger seat.
Seeing someone looking their way, she smiled and kissed Lee:
"My father plans to allocate some funds. He thinks Axe Capital's recent performance has been very good."
Hedge funds were having a tough time.
The falling stock prices of General Motors and Ford affected many institutions.
Coupled with the previous insurance industry explosion and Spitzer suing several well-known figures in the industry, many investors began to withdraw their capital.
Lee and Bobby needed more investors to trust them.
During the subprime mortgage crisis, if a large number of investors withdrew their capital, it would affect the final returns.
Trust is built over time, and getting Donald's funds was a good start.
The loudmouth would automatically advertise for them at the club.
Lee gently stroked the beautiful black-stockinged leg beside him.
Ivanka didn't mind and even shifted her position:
"You'll see returns in the second half of the year. Trust me, this is definitely a win-win choice."
Taking advantage of the red light, Ivanka twisted around again to give a kiss, expressing her trust.
A daily display, and the next day, they would be in the newspapers.
On May 25th, Western Conference Finals Game 2, which ended last night, saw the San Antonio Spurs win again.
91:108. Thanks to Manu Ginobili's excellent performance off the bench, the San Antonio Spurs successfully protected their home court.
Shooting 9-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line, Manu Ginobili scored 28 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 5 turnovers in just 31 minutes of play.
Since the Olympics, Manu Ginobili has emerged this season and established himself with the San Antonio Spurs.
Ray Allen and Lewis performed poorly, and they must now protect their home court.
The strong performance of the San Antonio Spurs made many commentators begin to anticipate Duncan's first championship of his career.
The Heat, still in Manhattan, were largely ignored.
With no updates on Shaquille O'Neal's injury, Clay Lee's personal gossip became the focus of public attention.
The main reason was that "Trump Unauthorized" was so bad it was beyond words, with some even calling for a more beautiful Ivanka to star in the TV movie.
In the afternoon, during pre-game warm-ups, Shaquille O'Neal, whose injury status had been strictly confidential, finally accepted an interview.
Facing a TNT reporter, Shaquille O'Neal confirmed that he would start tonight:
"30% of Shaq is better than no Shaq! That's my impact on the team."
"Injuries do affect my condition, but this is the playoffs."
"Silent after the game"—ever since he scored 9 points the night before last, Dwyane Wade's self-esteem had been severely wounded.
Coupled with the injury to his elder brother, the inflated Dwyane Wade no longer made grand pronouncements, and the smile was gone from his face during interviews:
"How to break through Clay Lee's Defense? I'm not sure, but I believe in my talent."
"Perhaps I won't be able to score as efficiently as in the first two rounds, but I will still keep shooting. Shaq has physical issues, so I must shoulder the responsibility of a leader."
However, when asked why he only scored 9 points in the last game, Dwyane Wade could only change the subject, and talked at length about agreeing with Mourning's view:
"The defending champions also have weaknesses, and the Heat will show their desire!"
"."
At 8 PM that night, Madison Square Garden welcomed Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Recently, the Dolan Family managed to reverse the West Side Stadium project with their financial power.
Dozens of economic experts came forward, stating that building a stadium would not bring significant economic benefits to the city.
As for why no one spoke up in the past few months, that was naturally because the public relations were not in place.
In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, there were no protesters in the Madison Square Garden.
Most of the fans who bought tickets were immersed in the game, cheerfully cheering for the home team.
At halftime, the score was 47:53. After encountering numerous double-teams, the Knicks' outside shooting failed to respond efficiently.
Before the start of the second half, a TNT reporter interviewed Mike D'Antoni.
Craig Sager had clearly seen the statistics and asked a very pointed question:
"Mike, you missed a lot of opportunities from beyond the arc in the first half, going 3-for-11 from three. Will you make any adjustments?"
With just over a day of rest, Mike D'Antoni simply trained as usual.
As long as the team was leading, Mike D'Antoni insisted on letting things run their course:
"With a shooting percentage under 30%, we certainly performed poorly from beyond the arc."
"But we forced the Heat into 10 turnovers, which is why we're leading."
"Lee will handle the situation on the court, and I believe the boys can find their touch."
Mike D'Antoni still had a smile on his face.
He believed the Heat would experience fluctuations in their performance.
Dwyane Wade had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers in the first half, shooting 4-for-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Having the highest score on the team, Dwyane Wade was full of energy at the start of the 3rd quarter, calling for the ball before Damon Jones even crossed half-court.
"Defense!"
Amidst the defensive cheers, Dwyane Wade, with the ball in his left hand, came to the top of the arc, and Shaquille O'Neal quickly came up for a screen.
Affected by the injury, Shaquille O'Neal only played 14 minutes in the first half, but he was very efficient, actively helping his younger teammates in his limited playing time.
Standing near the three-point line, Shaquille O'Neal used his body to successfully delay Clay Lee, who was trying to squeeze through the screen.
After pushing the ball and changing direction, Dwyane Wade, with the ball in his right hand, lowered his shoulder and accelerated.
Facing the retreating Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade did not blindly drive into the paint.
Instead, at the moment Raja Bell collapsed to help defend, he passed the ball to Damon Jones on the left wing.
The latter immediately faked after receiving the ball, and while Raja Bell was adjusting his Center of Gravity on his way back on Defense, Damon Jones decisively drove forward.
The moment he shook off the Defense, he suddenly stopped, one step inside the three-point line, and Damon Jones successfully made a long two-pointer!
49:53. The booed Heat players became even more excited. Shaquille O'Neal even patted his teammate's shoulder firmly in encouragement as they returned to Defense.
Lee, who received the ball on the baseline, dribbled across half-court within 8 seconds.
With poor outside shooting, both wings were already in the corners to create space.
Dwyane Wade, leading the Defense, occasionally reached out to interfere, and after understanding the officiating standard, his actions became bolder.
"Let's go Knicks!"
When Shaquille O'Neal followed Pau Gasol to the left elbow area, he thought it would be another "V-cut" offense.
But seeing Kurt Thomas suddenly move towards the basket and Pau Gasol run out to the three-point line, Shaquille O'Neal could only follow him out again.
Raising the screen position, near the Logo, as Pau Gasol settled, Lee, who had been protecting the ball with his side to the defender, first pounded the ball in place, then spun around to his left hand, faking a drive.
Dwyane Wade again squeezed through forcefully.
Sensing the opponent catching up beside him, Lee took advantage of the momentum to perform a wide behind-the-back dribble.
The ball slipped out of his hand, flying directly to the other side of his body.
Clay Lee skillfully glided, using the screen, and regained possession, while Dwyane Wade could only stop.
The experienced Shaquille O'Neal, however, had already dropped back to the three-point line, attempting to establish a defensive position, but with a running start, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, ignored the Defense and accelerated in a straight line with increased strides.
Shaquille O'Neal, who had just stopped, hadn't even had time to extend his hand when Lee, leading the ball forward and lowering his shoulder, accelerated and squeezed past him.
In a blink of an eye, he had broken into the paint.
Dwyane Wade, attempting to chase, helplessly watched Lee take three big steps and charge hard to the basket.
Directly in front of the basket, Lee, airborne with the ball in his right hand, saw Haslem jump to block, skillfully switched hands, then grabbed the ball with his left hand, and slammed it into the basket over the Defense!
"Squeak!"
The referee blew the whistle, and seeing Haslem stumble after landing, the Madison Square Garden erupted again.
Haslem felt uncomfortable hearing those harsh cheers and couldn't utter any harsh words.
He could only look up at the basket to cover his embarrassment from being posterized.
Watching Lee step to the free-throw line, Kevin Harlan exclaimed loudly from the commentary table:
"It seems Clay Lee has found a way to deal with the double-teams. Raising the screen position indeed amplifies his advantages."
Doug Collins didn't expect the Knicks' adjustment to be so simple and direct:
"The Heat need to protect Shaquille O'Neal. They have to switch early, but Haslem will have a hard time dealing with Pau Gasol's low-post offense."
Amidst the cheers, Lee's free throw was calmly made, 49:56.
Perhaps due to the impact on his physical exertion, whenever Shaquille O'Neal couldn't get a better position in the low post immediately, he would promptly move to the elbow area to facilitate.
After continuous perimeter passing, and failing to establish low-post positions on both sides, Shaquille O'Neal moved to the right elbow area to receive a pass from Eddie Jones.
The latter immediately moved towards the top of the arc after receiving the ball.
At the same time, Dwyane Wade in the left corner started again, quickly slipping along the baseline.
Near the right baseline, Haslem's off-ball screen didn't have much effect, as Lee stuck to him tightly.
As the Heat's perimeter players rotated in sequence, Shaquille O'Neal turned his body and handed the ball to Dwyane Wade at the elbow.
As he sent out the pass, Shaq delayed Lee's pursuit, and Dwyane Wade, holding the ball in his left hand, dribbled sideways once.
Seeing that Pau Gasol was still retreating, he decisively pulled up for a jumper and scored!
51:56. Although Dwyane Wade's mid-range jumper performance was average in the first half, this offensive play was still very decisive.
The boos did not affect Dwyane Wade's emotions.
Before guarding Lee, he slapped himself twice, trying to ignite a better game state.
Lee, who received the ball on the baseline, suddenly accelerated his drive this time, and Dwyane Wade could only follow with quick slides.
Kurt Thomas, who received the instructions, trailed behind.
As Lee moved to the right wing, Tayshaun Prince in the right corner immediately slipped along the baseline.
Kurt Thomas stood firm at the free throw line, and Haslem also followed out to defend.
After two quick behind-the-back dribbles, with the basketball back in his right hand, Lee briefly shook off Dwyane Wade at the three-point line.
Taking advantage of Haslem's sliding to help defend, Lee slightly raised his center of gravity, quickly performed an In and out with his right hand, and again led the ball forward.
Gaining half a step, Lee crashed into his opponent, forcing a breakthrough against the Defense.
Haslem, sliding desperately, tried to slow Lee down, while Dwyane Wade, pursuing from behind, controlled his position, giving Lee no chance to pass the ball.
Amidst the fans' gasps, as he broke through to the right restricted area near the paint, Lee suddenly performed a large, sweeping ball-around while moving horizontally.
Just as he squeezed between the two, in the paint directly in front of the rim, Lee jumped off his left foot while quickly tossing the ball with his left hand.
Haslem was still twisting his body to adjust his center of gravity.
Although Dwyane Wade jumped with all his might, he still couldn't interfere in time, only watching Lee toss the ball into the rim with an awkward posture.
Kevin Harlan was equally stunned, and in the midst of the cheers, he involuntarily raised his voice:
"God! How did he do that?"
Suddenly changing direction while in motion, completing the offense with both hands and feet under a double-team, Doug Collins watched Lee shake his head and retreat on Defense, instinctively bragging:
"Only through extensive practice can such a skill be honed!"
"Clay Lee not only showed his terrifying body coordination but also demonstrated his love for basketball!"
Wade wasn't sure if Lee trained hard, he only knew that to complete such an outrageous shot, his core strength had to be excellent.
What Dwyane Wade experienced was physical dominance.
In the offensive possession, he tried to receive the ball at his sweet spot on the left wing but was again thwarted by Lee's sticky Defense.
Eddie Jones at this moment timely tossed the ball to Shaq, who had come to the low post after a cross screen on the right wing.
Tayshaun Prince noticed the situation behind him and immediately converged with the ball to double-team.
Shaq timely passed the ball back to his teammate outside the three-point line.
With an open shot, Eddie Jones bricked it.
"Oh!"
Cheers erupted again as Lee grabbed the long rebound near the free throw line and immediately initiated a fast break.
1-for-5 from beyond the arc, Eddie Jones, retreating on Defense, punched the air in frustration, gritting his teeth and charging forward, trying to double-team Lee early with Dwyane Wade.
Noticing the situation on the other side, Lee pushed the ball and changed direction early, then, with the ball in his right hand, he lowered his head and accelerated again.
Dwyane Wade, forced to adjust his center of gravity, continuously retreated on Defense, and soon the two rushed past half-court to the right wing.
Lee showed no signs of slowing down, driving straight to the basket against Dwyane Wade.
As he approached the lower right side of the basket, Lee gathered the ball and immediately decelerated, taking a step for a layup to adjust his stride and change direction a second time.
Dwyane Wade wasn't fooled and continued to slide, but Eddie Jones, who had retreated to the basket, jumped early and instantly flew out of bounds.
Stepping directly in front of the rim, Lee pushed past the Defense, creating space for a shot.
As Dwyane Wade jumped to block, Lee, holding the ball with his right hand and leaning back, only twisted his body to toss the ball towards the backboard just as he was about to land!
"Squeak!"
The referee blew his whistle.
Dwyane Wade's eyes widened, his desperate block was in vain, as the ball hit high off the backboard and swished through the net.
Seeing Lee score against two defenders, Madison Square Garden erupted completely.
Soon, the Knicks players pulled Clay Lee, who was lying on the floor, back up.
Dwyane Wade still wore a look of disbelief, not even arguing with the referee.
He had clearly made the correct defensive choice, yet he was hit with a 2+1.
"That was a good try! Almost!"
Lee, standing at the free throw line, smiled and praised Dwyane Wade, who was looking at him.
The Rookie regained his composure, only able to secretly pout.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Amidst the shouts, Lee's free throw again found its mark, bringing the score to 51:59.
Dwyane Wade had intended to receive the ball early, but Head Coach Stan Van Gundy on the sideline motioned for Damon Jones to pass the ball into the paint.
The 8-point deficit made the Heat's coaching staff a bit nervous, opting for a more stable offensive approach.
With the obvious offensive intent, Shaq, who received the ball in the left low post, was again met with help Defense from Raja Bell.
With years of experience playing against him, the Knicks players knew Shaq's sweet spot very well.
Under interference, Shaq only dribbled once, leaned into the Defense, and then turned towards the baseline, gathering the ball and completing a floater with his left hand.
The floater, which failed to enter the paint, eventually bounced off the rim.
Kurt Thomas secured the defensive rebound, and Tayshaun Prince, receiving the ball, pushed it up the court.
Lee rushed past half-court along the left sideline, with Dwyane Wade beside him constantly watching the movement at the top of the arc.
Before reaching the three-point line, Lee suddenly moved towards the top of the arc, then accelerated into a back cut.
Dwyane Wade no longer cared about the direction of the ball.
Tayshaun Prince delivered a lead pass, allowing Lee to receive the ball near the left sideline.
A surge of joy in his heart, Dwyane Wade directly lunged to defend, attempting to cover Clay Lee with his body and use the sideline to complete a "double-team."
Sprawled out, Dwyane Wade had just lunged in front of Lee when he felt a chill between his legs as the basketball passed through his legs.
As Lee accelerated and squeezed past him, he didn't forget to discreetly shove, disrupting his opponent's balance.
Dwyane Wade, forcibly twisting his body, eventually tripped over his feet and fell with a thud on the three-point line, watching Lee chase the ball and drive straight to the basket.
"Oh!"
Amidst the excited shouts of the New York fans, Lee, having completely shaken off the Defense, took three big steps, his head level with the rim, glided to the front, and with his right hand, slammed the ball into the basket!
"OH—!"
"What a play by Clay Lee!"
Stan Van Gundy was forced to call a timeout.
In the commentary booth, Kevin Harlan kept shouting, entering a state of self-excitement.
51:61, the lead reached double digits.
Watching Lee strike a gliding pose, cheerfully running towards the bench, high-fiving fans in the front row, Dwyane Wade, back in his seat, completely lost his composure.
He threw his towel onto the floor, rubbed his face hard, and took deep breaths to calm himself down.
Shaq remained silent, merely calmly drinking his "oral solution."
Every time it reached the third quarter, he had a sense of déjà vu.
Clay Lee again scored 8 consecutive points at the start of the second half, and Stan Van Gundy, holding the tactical board, continuously emphasized Defense.
Before going onto the court, Mourning, who was standing nearby, felt a chill in his heart, but he loudly declared:
"We need to fight! The opponent is not as strong as you imagine!"
"..."
...
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