NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 250: End of Losing Streak, Confidence Returns

The Hawks' three-point shooting was still off in this game, which allowed the Knicks to start double-teaming Jia Fei as the game progressed.

However, the Knicks' own offense didn't pick up either, so they couldn't catch up in the score.

Judging from the game, it's visibly difficult for the Knicks to play the triangle offense with their current lineup. Carmelo Anthony is the only strong starter, and the others struggle with handling the ball when he's double-teamed, making the team's offense extremely stagnant.

The game entered the rotation phase, with the Hawks fielding Art Mayok, Scott, Carroll, Sefolosha, and Schroder.

Art Mayork immediately displayed boundless energy upon entering the game. Rebounding, blocking shots, setting screens aggressively, he tirelessly did the dirty work!

This stands in stark contrast to the old captain; Art Mayork has revitalized the Hawks' sluggish rotation in the past few games.

Perhaps a little too excited, Art Mayok also made a mistake, picking up two fouls in the first quarter. But these flaws didn't overshadow the Hawks' overall performance; their rotation players defended well and maintained their lead.

This marks the first time in the last five games that the Hawks have gone scoreless during their rotation, plugging that loophole and allowing them to maintain their advantage.

When the starters returned, the Hawks still led by 5 points, 37-32.

Larkin dribbled over and passed to Anthony to continue playing in the low post.

Carmelo Anthony still relies on the triple threat followed by a pull-up jumper. As he's gotten older, the young Melo who used to aggressively attack the basket for the Nuggets is gone. Now he's become a mid-range shooter, rarely driving to the basket anymore. He's also slower, his center of gravity is lower, and he can't get past defenders.

As a historically great scorer, compared to Kobe and Durant, Carmelo Anthony, while called an "offensive kaleidoscope," was actually "scoring 80 points in every game, without a true killer move." Durant's pull-up jumper after shaking off his opponent was unstoppable, and Kobe's fadeaway jumper at his peak was also unguardable. So what was Anthony's true killer move?

Anthony is still doing well; look, he scored again!

37:34, the score difference has narrowed to 3 points!

Teague dribbled over, and after a combination with Horford, Jia Fei made an off-ball cut!

Horford passed the ball to Jia Fei, who blocked Shumpert, broke through to the basket, and scored with a light, easy layup!

During this time, Anthony simply watched with his eyes, showing no intention of helping on defense whatsoever, truly embodying "defense by eye."

39:35, still a 4-point difference!

The Knicks were on offense. Anthony called for the ball in the midfield, was double-teamed, and passed it out, but then committed a turnover!

Jia Fei steals the ball and launches a counter-attack, passing it to Korver who is following up on the other side!

Big open!

Korver received the ball and sniped it in – a three-pointer!

42:35, the point difference instantly widened to 7 points!

The Knicks are on offense, and Shumpert's pull-up jumper misses!

Horford grabbed the rebound, and the Hawks continued their comeback!

Jia Fei received a pass from Horford, made a transition, and the ball returned to Korver's hands!

Korver received the ball, calmly faked out Hardaway Jr., and calmly shot, making another three-pointer!

45:35, the score difference instantly reached double digits!

Knicks call a timeout!

Mike Breen repeatedly shouted, "Bang—Kyle Korver! Bang—Second three-pointer!"

The Knicks fans in the arena felt heartbroken. When Korver raised his hand to shoot a three-pointer, the fear was somewhat reminiscent of Shaquille O'Neal receiving the ball in the paint. While not quite as dramatic, that moment was undeniably similar!

Old Fish's face was expressionless, but his blank expression revealed his helplessness regarding the team's current situation. Is this team suited to the triangle offense? Clearly not. But the Knicks management brought in Phil Jackson as the team's leader. If they don't play the triangle offense, what's the point of having him? It's like bringing in a guru and his angelic baby couple; if you don't let the guru play the domineering CEO and the angelic baby the naive sweetheart, they'll be very uncomfortable.

Mike Brin asked, "Jeff, what do you think the Knicks should do to close the gap?"

Jeff Van Gundy rubbed his head, which was smoother than a hard-boiled egg, and said with some helplessness, "To be honest, I don't know what to do. The Knicks' offense just isn't working. It's unrealistic for them to limit the Hawks for the whole game. In the regular season, it's hard for a team to win if they only rely on defense and not offense. This is no longer the league of the 90s where you could win by scoring 80 or 90 points."

The visiting team's bench finally erupted... The Hawks' record has been abysmal since the start of the season, everyone is frustrated, and the players and coaches are under immense pressure. This time, Korver's two three-pointers, along with Art Mayork's passionate block and dunk, finally ignited the suppressed flames within everyone.

Everyone's confidence is gradually returning. Confidence is more precious than gold, especially on offense. Without confidence, people won't even dare to shoot, so how can they possibly execute a smooth offense? Without offense, defense will be even more difficult, and frustration is contagious. Eventually, everyone will lose confidence, and the team's competitiveness will further weaken.

Korver's two three-pointers did more than just add six points for the Hawks; their deeper impact was that they made the Knicks less likely to double-team Jia Fei so recklessly.

This is also the role of a marksman, especially a sharpshooter! This is why Running Man wants to have high-quality marksmen in the team, because that can prevent them from being double-teamed by the opponent and give them more space to attack.

Jia Fei is the same; he also needs offensive space, and what Korver can provide is something that ordinary players cannot provide: offensive threat when off the ball.

This mini-surge was almost the turning point of the game. The Hawks played steadily, and although their overall offensive efficiency wasn't very high, they outperformed their opponents.

At halftime, the Hawks led by 9 points, with the score at 49-40.

The second half saw little change; the Knicks showed absolutely no signs of a comeback. Their triangle offense was a complete mess, with both stars and role players seemingly clueless about their role and appearing utterly bewildered. Coach Fisher on the sidelines looked utterly dejected, as if he had lost all hope; it's unclear what he was thinking.

The game wasn't over yet, but many New York fans couldn't stand it anymore and left early. This game was awful. Losing isn't the worst thing; no one can go 82-0. What's truly disheartening is the complete lack of future prospects. The players' body language was negative; this team reeked of decay from top to bottom…

Ultimately, the Hawks easily defeated the Knicks 99-86 on the road, ending their embarrassing three-game losing streak.