The rest is just noise

Reporters from other places all sneered at this, talking about how much New York added to Knicks players, how unfair it was to players from other regions, and so on.

Wilson has become the focus, and people have forgotten that after Sampson became the AMVP of the regular season, the scoring leader, the rebounding leader, and the block leader, he was selected to the All-Double Team on the awards day and won another DPOY.

In addition to these awards, there is also MVP.

Even if the Celtics "only" have 65 wins in the regular season, ranking third in the league, the regular season MVP will not fall to someone else.

Tragedy and Ewing both have only a slight chance, and Sampson's probability of winning is more than 90%.

This year, he will win everything except the championship.

In the fourth game of the semifinals, the Knicks did not give the Pacers a chance and won overwhelmingly, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals with a complete victory.

This is the fifth consecutive year the Knicks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Since 1987, every May, the Knicks have come to the Eastern Conference Finals... Their consistency is better than Steffi Graf⑴." The New York Times never lags behind in every quarrel.

, every time he brags, he always strives to be the first.

The Celtics' semifinal opponent is the emerging Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.

Reaching the second round is the Heat's goal this year.

To do that, the Heat need to avoid three teams in the first round.

Knicks, Celtics and Pacers.

When they met the first two teams, they had no chance of winning. Their fear of the Pacers came from last year.

Danny Manning was as brutal as he was against the Pistons in the first round this year, leaving a psychological shadow on the people of Miami.

So after the first round and the semi-final game against the Celtics, Lewis Shafir would be satisfied as long as he won one game.

As a result, they really won a game.

They prefer this result to being swept.

4 to 1

There is still no suspense in the Eastern Conference, and the final spot will still be decided between the Knicks and Celtics.

During the regular season, the Knicks and Celtics met five times and recorded 3 wins and 2 losses.

Judging from the battle record, the two sides are evenly matched, with the Knicks having better lineup depth, while the Celtics have the league's number one star.

When facing the Celtics, what Louis said the most was blocking, defense, running, and taking open shots.

When it comes to star ability, Sampson is unmatched. The Knicks' winning point lies in team strength.

Therefore, it is necessary to create a feeling that all the people are soldiers.

From the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks' performance made people feel that this is a team that wants to win more.

Wilson, Miller and Stockton at the top of the arc, their active off-ball movement and precise outside shooting made it difficult for the Celtics to defend well.

With the combination of ubiquitous pick-and-rolls and screens, the Celtics can only tear down the east wall to make up for the west wall, but there will always be a point where they fail.

The most amazing thing about the Knicks is that they have a way to get players in hot form open.

Miller and Wilson were busy on the left and right wings.

Stockton's three-pointer from the top of the arc was also like a miracle.

The Celtics lost to the Knicks by 14 points before they could compete with their star power.

The Knicks won Game 1.

In the second game after that, Bird suffered a recurring back injury, and Wilson beat Reggie Lewis and made up for the gap when Ewing was beaten by Sampson.

In this game, it would be an understatement to say that Wilson and Sampson were at each other's throats.

Wilson hit 20 goals in 30 shots, scoring 52 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Sampson scored 39 points and 19 rebounds despite being double-teamed every time he took the ball.

At the decisive moment, the winner is the outside line of both sides.

Isiah Thomas missed a two-point shot, and Wilson's outside three-pointer narrowed the point difference to 5 points.

That goal directly killed the game.

2 to 0

The game returned to the Boston Garden. Before the game, the league announced that Ralph Sampson was elected the regular season MVP.

Sampson thus completed the personal honors Grand Slam of scoring, rebounding, blocks, DPOY, double team, AMVP, and MVP.

As he emerged from the tunnel to accept the award, Louis could feel the love Bostonians had for him.

That kind of love is no less than that of Bird.

Compared to Bird, who is arrogant, cold and unkind, Sampson is a star with a better image. He will not hide in his hometown in Indiana during the offseason and then suddenly suffer from a back injury.

Sampson was actively involved in the Boston community, building a positive image for the Celtics and earning him a level of affection that Bill Russell never got.

This was his second MVP trophy. When he picked up the trophy, the MVP cheers in the garden lasted for a full 6 minutes.

Celtic always have a BUFF bonus in the garden.

On Sampson's MVP night, he chose to play from the outside, scoring three points first and two points later, and then dominated the penalty area for a whole game.

Even if Bird is in so much pain that he can't bend down, as long as he has the touch, he can become a threat to the Knicks.

Thomas also found his offensive status tonight after being invisible for two games at MSG.

Different from Drexler's attitude of determined to leave, Thomas made trouble for a summer, and then stayed and failed to leave. Although he often said that he would be traded, as the Celtics' record got better and better, he Just like Kobe Bryant in the 2007-08 season, he came up with the idea of ​​"How about staying for a few more months and trying it out?" After this, another season passed.

In a battle of dignity in the Garden, Boston's Big Three worked together to break the Knicks' undefeated streak in the playoffs.

"Celtic did what they were supposed to do and I'm not surprised at all."

Louis is extremely magnanimous about losing.

It's not like we haven't lost to the Celtics before, this is all a trivial matter.

The focus is to win the fourth game, he doesn't want to lose two games in a row at the Garden.

At the beginning of Game 4, the Knicks' playing style was completely different.

It used to be that the intensity in the playoffs was even higher when meeting the Celtics. Now, it's a life-or-death attitude towards facing off against the Celtics.

Rodman's foul on Bird in the opening game caused boos in the Garden.

Bird endured the pain, hit a three-pointer in the next round, and then shouted to Louis: "Why don't you send a living person to guard me?"

Bird loved to insult defenders.

These words are an unacceptable insult to Rodman, who was the DPOY last season and was selected as the first defense for three consecutive years.

In just one quarter, Rodman fouled Bird three times.

Every time he fouled, he had to let Bird's body touch the ground.

Garden's hatred for Rodman reached its limit.

Tom Heinsohn even said: "Dennis Rodman would be attacked by crazy fans within ten seconds if he walked down Charles Street."

In the second quarter, the Knicks' murderous press encountered stubborn resistance from the Celtics.

They are not afraid of fouls by the Knicks. They rush forward as long as they get the ball and are ready for the highest-intensity confrontation.

Under this intensity, the first person who can't stand it is the big man.

Laimbeer sprained his knee and Sampson hit his ankle.

The two pillars of the Celtics' interior line came off the field one after another, and the situation reversed.

However, Bird's three-pointer and Thomas' fearless 100-meter run gave the Green Army a glimmer of hope.

In the second half, Bird and Wilson scored three points.

Trick Kemp into switching defense, then catch the ball, turn around and shoot at the opponent.

After the ball was scored, he roared: "I am the greatest player in the history of Indiana, why do you guard me?"

Bird shouted the same thing to Kemp when he was a rookie last year.

This word has a different meaning today.

Kemp broke through at the end of the third quarter and dunked over Bird. He grabbed the basket and shook it for a few seconds before falling. "When you retire, I will be the greatest player in Indiana."

Bird, who dreamed of returning to his peak, was killed by the Knicks in three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Sampson refused to listen to dissuasion and played injured. Thomas was inspired by him and attacked desperately.

Even if Bird is just standing on the outside, he is a threat.

The Celtics, who were on the verge of collapse several times, relied on their stars to save the situation.

But Louis was keenly aware that Sampson's injury affected his movement speed, and Bird's injury also made him unable to mark shooters in the corners.

Louis called a long pause.

It was a decisive long timeout. After that timeout, Stockton controlled the ball and continuously called Kemp to play Empty Lob (airside lob) tactics.

Kemp's scoring was like drinking water, and the inside line was shattered.

Then came Miller in the outside corner. The Celtics used their last manpower to block the penalty area to prevent Kemp from bullying Sampson. When Sampson suffered from a foot injury and was unable to move, Miller got an open position.

"Reggie three points!"

"YES!!!"

Marv Albert's constant roar echoed three times in the Knicks' three offensive possessions.

Three minutes before the end of the game, the Celtics trailed by 14 points.

Opportunities to win can be fleeting.

Sampson may be the best player, but he is injured and the defense is nothing more than a shell.

Thomas risked his life to attack and seize the game for the Celtics, but under the Knicks' offensive, no one could hold on.

Bird, who seemed to be dying, refused to give up.

He wanted the ball, elbowed Wilson away, turned around and hit a three-pointer.

Wilson wanted to hit a chasing three-pointer, but Sampson predicted his intention, stepped forward in advance, interfered in place, and missed.

Thomas flew up to grab the rebound and passed it to Bird.

Bird came to the frontcourt with injuries all over his body, collected the ball one meter away from the three-point line, and pulled it up.

"Larry! Oh Larry!"

Bostonians have long been accustomed to these eardrum-buzzing Bird moments. Just before Bird shot the three-pointer, everyone in the Garden knew that something magical was about to happen. That kind of thing.

The excitement is like watching a championship boxing match, but the difference is that the outcome of this "boxing match" is decided by one punch.

As long as there's that buzz in the Garden, fans have reason to believe and expect those special things to happen.

Many people think that this premonition is just a hoax from old fans, but as long as you have followed a great player, you will know that they always appear at the moment when the team needs it.

The air in the garden reminds everyone: Larry is taking over!

In two minutes, Bird scored 12 points and 2 assists, leading the team to close the gap to 2 points.

Louie angrily called a timeout.

"Give the ball to Benj!" Louis yelled matter-of-factly, "Benj, don't fucking tell me you can't even compete with a 35-year-old man!"

Louis designed an Exchange Ricky (high post dynamic offense) for Wilson.

Opponents have raised their level, and Wilson has nowhere to retreat. If he is to prove that he has the strength to take over the throne, he must withstand the pressure at this moment and respond to the onslaught of the best player in history.

"Guys!" Wilson's charm at this moment is probably something Ewing will never be able to match in his life. "Either you run to lose or you run to win. I just want to win, but I need you to believe in me!"

If the entire Knicks team is likened to a fire, then Louis is the one who ignited the fire, and Wilson is the fire with the strongest ignition. Opponents always keep a distance from him to avoid being burned, and the latter always only

Bring your hottest side to your opponents, and then warm up your teammates around you.

At this moment, he walked onto the field.

There was also a "buzzing" sound in Louis' ears.

Yes, he knows, Benj is coming!

The Celtics put Reggie Lewis on Wilson, and he was out of position when Wilson hit the same elbow as Bird.

Outside the three-point line at the top of the arc, Wilson held the ball, took a shot, and shot to cover Isiah Thomas, who was well guarded.

The ball flew to the highest point.

“Y~~~es!!!!”

Albert roared excitedly.

Wilson's three-pointer fell into the basket, responding to Larry's legendary challenge in the toughest way, consolidating the Knicks' chances of winning and holding the victory tightly in their hands.

"Beep!"

The referee blows the final whistle.

117 to 112

Wilson screamed excitedly, and his teammates immediately threw him to the ground.

At this moment, he is just a happy young man.

He doesn't need to win the team's scoring title, he doesn't need to convince Ewing, or he doesn't even need to be on par with Bird in this matchup. He just needs to stand up when the team needs it most and be the one in everyone's heart.

hero.

Bird put his hands on his hips and exhaled a breath toward the top of the garden.

"Larry," Louis said, "you're no match for him anymore."

Bird said proudly: "He has never been my opponent."

Louis snorted softly.

Winning this game gave the Knicks a 3-1 lead.

The Celtics' state tonight may only come out once in 10 games.

They even lost this game and had almost no chance of winning the fifth game.

Louis looked at Bird again and noticed that the other person's body was shaking slightly: "Is your back okay?"

"Care more about yourselves!" Bird sneered arrogantly, "My body can at least support me to score 50 points in the next game!"

⑴A famous female tennis player who was active in the 1980s and ranked No. 1 in the world for 186 consecutive weeks (1,302 days).