On sunday, March 2, 2008, the NBA announced its Players of the Month for February:
LeBron James of the Eastern Conference and Kobe Bryant of the Western Conference were successfully awarded.
The addition of Tim Duncan put the Lakers on track, achieving a 13-2 record in February, and the team began its final charge for the top spot.
Kobe Bryant averaged 39.5 minutes per game, with 27.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 3.3 turnovers per game.
He averaged 18.4 field goal attempts per game, with a 50.7% field goal percentage, 4.4 three-point attempts per game, and approximately 33.3% three-point percentage.
He averaged 8.0 free throw attempts per game, with an 88.3% free throw percentage.
Upon seeing these statistics, some 'cloud fans' who hadn't paid attention to Kobe for a long time were shocked.
His efficiency was significantly higher than before, and such a performance could even place him in the top 3 of the MVP rankings!
LeBron James, who also won Player of the Month, had statistics that were not inferior to Kobe's.
The Cavaliers lost some games after the trade, but still achieved a 10-4 record in February.
He averaged 41.5 minutes per game, with 30.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 2.8 turnovers per game.
His field goal percentage was 49.8%, three-point percentage was 32.8%, and free throw percentage was 70.7%.
Despite having nearly 4 more shot attempts than Kobe, their statistics were almost identical.
James had found the playing style that best suited him, not affecting Howard, and his statistics continued to climb.
The high efficiency of both players also made fans feel that this Player of the Month award was well-deserved.
As for Clay Lee's statistics, critics no longer paid attention, as the MVP had long been locked in.
In the past two years, the NBA had tirelessly given Lee small trophies, but this season, after giving him Player of the Month, there wasn't much more.
More and more young players started winning awards.
Those familiar with the selection rules could easily see this as a signal: Clay Lee would once again lift the MVP trophy.
LeBron James, receiving his second Player of the Month award, was cheered by Cavaliers fans at Quicken Loans Arena that night.
Although their record wasn't as good as "Old Man Duncan," third place wasn't bad, and the future was bright!
Howard had won Player of the Month this season, and James had now won it twice.
Although Lee topped him in both scoring and team record, the The Chosen One himself was very satisfied with these achievements.
With a 39-20 record, if nothing unexpected happened, the Cavaliers would secure the third seed.
In the playoffs, there was a high probability they would face the Boston Celtics.
Fans were full of confidence about this!
After all, facing the The Big Four was better than facing the New York Knicks.
The The Chosen One had never won against Clay Lee.
Leading the team to 50 wins again was almost a foregone conclusion, and Van Gundy had also proven his coaching ability.
However, the Champion Coach had been in a bad mood recently, shouting continuously once the game started.
With a 23-35 record, the Chicago Bulls seemed to be in trouble again this season.
Although they still had hopes of making the playoffs, no one expected them to advance further.
Ben Wallace ultimately stayed with the team, but Head Coach Jim Boylan, after taking over, failed to resolve the problems left by his predecessor.
By the end of the season, the interim coach would have to leave, and the Chicago Bulls would undergo another reconstruction during the offseason.
A happy person is refreshed by good news.
Although the Cavaliers had injuries and his younger brother Gibson couldn't play, on this award-winning night, James was on fire, driving and shooting, continuously showcasing his talent!
If Howard hadn't gone 1-for-6 from the free-throw line in the first half, the Cavaliers would have already ended the suspense of the game.
At 38:52, the Quicken Loans Arena echoed with James's favorite chant:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
James, who scored 23 points in the first half on 8-of-14 shooting and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, walked towards the players' tunnel, smiling and fist-bumping with fans.
His new teammate, Delonte West, had been following closely behind Howard, and upon entering the locker room, he shouted:
"Maybe we can catch up to Boston, the Old players must be feeling the pressure!"
With a record of 45 wins and 13 losses, due to the Boston Celtics' less dense schedule at the beginning of the season, the Old players were able to maintain stability, but with the emergence of injuries, their record began to fluctuate.
Delonte West played for Boston during his Rookie season, but he was somewhat dissatisfied after being traded.
The expressive Rookie, upon joining the Cavaliers, shouted the slogan of "revenge."
Cleveland fans loved this, and everyone welcomed Delonte West very much.
Howard, back in his seat, pounded his fist in frustration.
His muscles seemed to have affected his shooting touch.
Currently, his free throws were entirely up to God, and tonight's poor performance meant his prayers weren't answered:
"Second place? That's just one more home-court advantage. I don't mind playing away games at TD Garden!"
"I don't care about their championship banners. Have they won in the last 10 years? If historical records mattered, the New York Knicks should be fishing every year now."
The inflated Howard talked about how the Boston media exaggerated, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Ever since they defeated the Boston Celtics, they looked down on those "Old players" who banded together.
Howard even imitated Garnett, banging his chest twice and staring in James's direction, saying:
"Get that damn basketball in the hoop! Everyone has to fight!"
James also grinned, watching his teammate's imitation.
When facing the Boston Celtics, he indeed had a psychological advantage.
Although this didn't align with the coach's plan, it was currently the best outcome:
"Third place isn't bad. There are 22 games left. Take care of yourself, Bro!"
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, whose shoulder was patted by the warm-hearted "younger brother," immediately looked at James.
Noticing Drew Gooden, who was silent beside him, the Old player eased the locker room atmosphere:
"LeBron is right, we need to get into playoff mode early. If we don't have a chance to get home-court advantage, then we need to focus on our bodies."
Drew Gooden, who was frequently used as a trade chip, was extremely dissatisfied in his heart, but as long as he was still playing for the Cavaliers, he could only compromise.
He tilted his head towards his older brother and then offered his own suggestion:
"We should listen to the coach and refine our Defense more. This year, we have a roster advantage."
Compared to the Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers seemed to have more players on their bench.
While Drew Gooden wasn't confident against the New York Knicks, for other teams, the Cavaliers had already built up an advantage.
Wally Szczerbiak, who had just joined the team, had been unable to get a word in.
He had been with the Seattle SuperSonics helping Durant level up, and here he was helping the The Chosen One bolster the offense from the bench.
Although his role didn't seem to change much, the Seattle SuperSonics had low tactical demands, relying entirely on their stars to carry the team, while the Cavaliers had a complete tactical system.
Szczerbiak was still adapting to the team:
"Who will we face in the first round?"
Another Old player who remained with the team, Donyell Marshall, heard the question and tossed his long hair, then quietly spoke again about the situation in the Eastern Conference:
"You might not have been aware when you were in Boston, but once the upper-bracket teams enter the playoffs, they can easily get through the first round."
"So now everyone is only thinking about the later opponents."
"..."
The competitive environment was very different from the Western Conference.
Szczerbiak raised an eyebrow.
The situation in the Eastern Conference playoffs made him uncomfortable.
The polarization seemed too severe.
After the second half began, LeBron James's firepower did not diminish, his touch became even hotter, completely pushing the atmosphere of Quicken Loans Arena to a climax.
84:110, at the end of the game, Luol Deng, who shot 3-for-13, had a dark expression, quickly left the court after a simple greeting.
Ben Wallace had been sitting on the bench for a long time, pursing his lips as he stood up.
He didn't even look at the happily celebrating Howard, turning his head and walking towards the players' tunnel, feeling depressed and muttering to himself:
"Damn Rookie..."
Howard went 4-for-11 from the free-throw line for the entire game, but he grabbed 13 rebounds.
Ben Wallace was almost completely suppressed, which was also why the Chicago Bulls wanted to trade him.
His decline was too fast to keep up with the team's pace.
James, who was being interviewed, didn't mind the veteran's behavior, boldly declaring to reporters:
"After the trade, the team's condition is getting better and better. If we ultimately only get the third seed in the Eastern Conference, we can accept that."
"You know, the Cavaliers are a young team. Maybe the Old players have more experience, but our talent is unstoppable!"
"The Cavaliers will gradually enter playoff mode. Everyone is ready."
This was the first time in recent years that James had boasted so much in front of reporters.
In the past, when facing the New York Knicks, the The Chosen One had always been very humble.
"The advantage is mine," that was the confidence the The Chosen One conveyed to the fans.
Most Cleveland fans loved to hear such bold declarations.
The New York Knicks would only be strong for a few more years at most, then they could break the curse.
Time was on their side!
"Oh!"
In the boiling Quicken Loans Arena, perhaps only Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff were the calmest.
The Champion Coach had been somewhat silent since the trade occurred.
Originally, he missed Lee a bit, but after receiving "feedback," a surge of anger involuntarily rose in Jeff Van Gundy's heart.
Clay Lee drew his own tactics and controlled the game himself.
Now he even wanted to arrange his coaching career.
Jeff Van Gundy absolutely would not accept this.
Now he only wanted to deal with the The Big Four and get one victory in the Conference Finals.
Appearing at a press conference for the first time after the trade, Van Gundy looked serious and did not directly answer some questions, but he clearly refused the idea of a "commentary booth":
"I am still very young, I love this job very much, and I have no plans to do commentary in the future."
"A championship isn't luck. Perhaps you favor the Boston Celtics, but young people can always create miracles, and I believe you should be very familiar with this!"
Watching Van Gundy, with his dark circles, show off on stage, some reporters still nodded involuntarily.
They had indeed witnessed Lee's heavy-handed attack on old-school basketball, and Van Gundy's words were very convincing.
With no one refuting him, Van Gundy felt relieved for a moment and instinctively smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit.
At this moment, he was still the youngest coach with four consecutive championships:
"I will succeed!"
On Monday the 3rd, due to another back-to-back road game at the end of last month, Lee simply returned directly to Peninsula Manor on sunday.
Waking up early to make breakfast, Lee was in a good mood, and the two energetic little ones were running around near the dining table, making the two middle-aged housekeepers a bit nervous.
Two-year-old Alvin had become even cuter, with brownish hair and big eyes.
He didn't cry or fuss, and would babble and smile when held.
Due to work, Krysten Ritter didn't have much time to take care of the children, but she particularly doted on her well-behaved son.
Scarlett, on the other hand, often got angry with the crying Zell, as the succubus would say:
"Boys should be sensible."
However, the little guy was cute, and a group of people would care for him after just a few cries.
He probably liked being the "center of attention," so the succubus couldn't do anything about it.
After kissing the little one who was following him twice, Lee looked at the sleepy-eyed Scarlett and then at the vibrant Krysten Ritter, walking up to her and teasing softly:
"Didn't sleep well last night?"
Tilting her head for a kiss, the succubus only sat down contentedly after being kissed, then kissed the little one twice more and said dejectedly:
"I've been a bit sleepless lately. Maybe I've read too many newspapers. The Wall Street Journal's reports are completely opposite to those of a few months ago."
The real estate market had been booming for the past two years, but now reporters were revealing that many people couldn't afford their mortgage payments, and a large number of houses were being sold off, including some high-quality assets.
Scarlett's own finances were fine, but her family was troubled.
Even though her father took on the project of renovating the small island at Peninsula Manor, it couldn't recover the previous investments.
"Dear, I haven't received any news from Goldman Sachs. Is this a good thing?"
The little assistant was carefree.
She hadn't given much money to her family and didn't invest at all.
Every day, she was responsible for dressing up beautifully, taking care of the shop, and taking photos.
"Of course it's a good thing. Remember to visit the cafe more often in the next few months!"
Lee leaned down to kiss the little assistant who was blinking her big eyes.
Since emails could be monitored, some messages were conveyed in the most primitive way, and Happy Cafe was the best meeting point.
The succubus, tearing at her bread, sighed.
Sometimes she regretted accepting her mother's guidance, but she found it hard to refuse her family's concern.
This loss might allow her to be more free.
Feeling a comfortable kneading on her shoulder, Scarlett immediately leaned her head on Lee's body.
Hearing the comforting words in her ear, her mood improved, and she instinctively pulled his large hand to her large, fair chest.
After the softness was kneaded, she let out a long breath.
Before the succubus could even act spoiled, she suddenly noticed Zell looking at her obediently from his seat.
She quickly tugged at her nightgown, turned her head, and glared, scaring him:
"Eat nicely! No crying today."
"..."
The New York Knicks suffered two consecutive losses at the end of last month, losing to the Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic.
The explosion of Anthony and Lewis surprised New York fans.
The furious three-pointers made many feel a "crisis," and the fun-loving people of New York were also worried about being hit by a boomerang.
51 wins and 8 losses.
Although the team had already secured a playoff spot, when they returned home this time, the fans watching the game were even more invested.
When leading the Boston Celtics in record, Lee would appropriately "slack off" during away games.
The team-oriented basketball would ignite the teammates' sense of responsibility and also make the atmosphere group more engaged in the game.
At 7:30 PM, Madison Square Garden was packed.
After the away game, they would enter vacation, and D'Antoni was AFK early tonight.
The Charlotte Hornets flew here from Washington in the middle of the night.
They were currently on an Eastern Conference road trip, with 39 wins and 19 losses.
After losing to the Washington Wizards last night, their record had already been surpassed by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The noisy Madison square garden gave Head Coach Scott a headache.
The external public opinion made him feel pressured.
Falling behind in the second half of the season was definitely not the result he wanted:
"Shoot! David! Don't pass again!"
Yelling at the retreating David West, Head Coach Scott couldn't hold back after seeing an inside pass turnover.
Three consecutive losses and returning home would be hard to explain...
"Oh!"
During the fast break, a huge roar erupted in the Madison Square Garden again.
Seeing Lee charge past half-court and use a large left-handed In and Out dribble to deceive Chris, the shouts grew even louder.
Faking right, driving left, suddenly lowering his center of gravity and accelerating sharply, Lee feigned a breakthrough.
As Chris timely slid to keep up, he suddenly stopped short and smoothly dribbled behind his back.
The Charlotte Hornets' Defense had just completed their matchups.
Peja Stojakovic had to follow Prince to the right corner, and Morris Peterson also moved with Raja Bell after receiving instructions.
Chris caught a glimpse of the movement behind him.
He initially thought Lee was waiting for the big man to come up, and was slightly distracted when the basketball in front of him suddenly changed direction.
Dribbling between his legs to his left hand, before Chandler could set the screen, Lee instantly completed a front-of-the-body crossover.
Chris instinctively reached out but grabbed air, and his superfluous defensive movement immediately put him out of position.
Watching Lee, ball in right hand, accelerate with a lowered shoulder and squeeze past him, Chris wanted to remind Kurt Thomas, but in the paint, Lee's running floater made him only able to gape.
Perhaps the continuous road games made his body a bit tired.
In their first official matchup of the season, Chris temporarily didn't know if Lee's speed had increased or if his own physical condition was poor...
"Even the second MVP needs to stay focused. Do you want to be a background board on Sports Centre?"
While the ball was being inbounded from the baseline, Clay Lee teased the Rookie beside him.
Chris was a bit annoyed.
This time, he clearly dribbled with more force and sprinted faster.
Receiving instructions from Head Coach Scott, he became more decisive in offense.
It was still the signature pick-and-roll with David West at the top of the arc, and Chris briefly shook off the entanglement.
Facing Gasol's seemingly pure Defense, Chris, with the ball in his left hand, faked a bounce pass while moving.
With a flick of his left wrist, the basketball bounced quickly, and using the rebound's momentum, he suddenly drove straight to the basket.
"Oh!"
The New York fans in the front row saw it clearly.
This fake was extremely deceptive, and Chris's speed was incredibly fast, almost instantly breaking through Gasol's Defense.
As he approached the lower left side of the basket, Chris maintained his speed, took a quick step, jumped off his left foot, leaned forward, completely shaking off Gasol, and cupped the ball with his left hand, attempting a bank shot floater.
The basketball left his hand, and Chris, in mid-air, heard cheers again.
A strong force came from behind, followed by his vision going black.
"Slap!"
Lee, chasing back on Defense, also leaned forward as he flew into the air, arriving first.
He slapped the ball against the backboard with his left hand, and Chris, losing his balance, immediately fell out of bounds.
Before he could complain to the referee, Chris stood up, and Lee had already charged past half-court.
The New York Knicks' fast break was extremely quick.
Prince received the ball and immediately found his teammate on the left wing.
Raja Bell also didn't look at the rim after receiving the ball.
As the big man rushed into the paint, he smoothly passed the ball horizontally to the "trailing" Lee.
Chris, who had chased back to half-court, couldn't get up to defend.
Still a step away from the three-point line, Lee caught the ball at the top of the arc and shot immediately.
"Oh!"
The basketball swished through the net, and cheers once again echoed through the Madison Square Garden.
13:21, Clay Lee scored 5 consecutive points, and the lead was instantly widened.
With 6 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first quarter, Head Coach Scott called a timeout. Winning tonight was too difficult.
Chris Bosh was completely outplayed.
After the timeout, the offensive problems were briefly resolved.
As David West again made his signature mid-range jump shot from the free-throw line, the Charlotte Hornets stabilized their play.
However, Peja was possessed by a blacksmith tonight, as the game time elapsed, he continuously clanked from beyond the arc, and after repeatedly being counterattacked, he sent the New York Knicks to the free-throw line with just over 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
Watching the lead gradually widen, Bosh's mindset became anxious, and Lee seized another opportunity.
Again at the top of the arc, a sudden spin move, followed by a powerful drive with the ball in his right hand.
Only half a step behind, Chris Bosh desperately shuffled his feet, but was still squeezed into the paint by Clay Lee, and then the help defender Anderson Varejão conceded another free throw.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
This game was dubbed "The Direct Dialogue of MVPs" by the New York Media.
The fans at the Madison Square Garden had all read the newspapers, and seeing the Charlotte Hornets utterly helpless, they cheered even more joyfully.
With 1 minute and 58 seconds left in the first quarter, Chris Bosh, somewhat broken, directly fouled from beyond the three-point line, getting caught red-handed by the referee, and reluctantly left the game early.
19:33, Clay Lee continued to shoot free throws.
Head Coach Scott sighed in his heart from the sideline, actively walking up and hugging his disciple:
"Chris, you played very well! You are the Charlotte Hornets' MVP."
Forcing a smile, Chris nodded and walked dejectedly towards the bench.
Returning to his seat, he took the towel and looked at the energetic Lee, a thought once again surfacing in his mind:
"Will he really decline in future?"
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)