Chapter 557: Why Are the Knicks So Divided

The Knicks–Bulls playoff, because of Fan Xi's forceful remarks, quickly turned into the basketball world's most watched game.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Chicago, fixed on the United Center, waiting for Jieke Fan's actual move.

ESPN broadcast the game nationwide, already eager to announce that Jieke Fan's miracle would end here. Their experts analyzed the first game and concluded… even if Michael Jordan joined the Knicks, it wouldn't solve the Knicks' problem.

All the analyses show that the Knicks are now a tangled mess; lacking defense they are already a playoff fatal flaw, and they are a gathering of former top players. Fan Xi can lead them past the first round because the Nets are also a typical team of individuals fighting their own battles.

The current Bulls, however, are an Eastern top team that has battled the Miami Heat for three consecutive years; their lineup cohesion and chemistry surpass what the Nets can match.

Many even say the Knicks schemed to embarrass the Nets, and now the clever ones have fallen into the deep pit they themselves dug.

"I don't think the Knicks choosing the Eastern seventh seed for this year's playoffs is the right choice; besides meeting the Eastern second‑seed Brooklyn Nets, who have been collectively lifted up, in the first round, the rest of the schedule is downright devilish!"

"In the Eastern semifinals they face the Chicago Bulls, who have been on standby for three years to strike at the top, without home‑court advantage. If they miraculously survive this one‑in‑a‑thousand chance, they will meet the Miami Heat, whom Fan Xi defeated for three years; they will surely crush them this year while the Knicks are weak."

"And if they survive the one‑in‑ten‑thousand odds in the Eastern bloodbath, they will face the Western champion. In that case, if they can still win the title, I must say, they truly are better than Jordan."

"But I think they will be eliminated by the Bulls right away. My predicted result is 4–1, a gentleman's sweep."

ESPN host McBlin warmed up like this before the game. He also emphasized: "I'm not looking down on Jie Ke; he is certainly the league's number one today. But leading this team to a championship is too hard. Moreover, if LeBron or Derek win the title this season, I think the league's number one will become them. The league's number one is always fluid, never fixed."

McBlin's statement represents the view of mainstream American basketball media.

Deep down they still want American players to be the league's best, even though they pretend to be objective. But as soon as you stop winning and give others a breather, they will strip you of your titles and honors.

That is their inherent arrogance and some not‑so‑bright genes.

Reggie Miller and Jie Fu Fan Gan Di sat on either side of him.

Reggie Miller has always been a hidden Fan Xi fan; since Fan Xi's first game he's liked him, because he saw his own reflection in Fan Xi's open‑spot Three-Point Shot, though that reflection has grown fainter now.

Jie Fu Fan Gan Di, after losing his coaching baton, became an excellent commentator.

He isn't a coach with great in‑game reactions, but he is a diligent and hardworking worker. When he was head coach he would study opponents day and night, filling his crumpled suit pocket with notes for use during games. Sometimes he seemed to trust the notes in his pocket more than what was happening on the court.

That is people's criticism of his poor in‑game reactions.

When he was head coach, the impression he gave was… rigid, stubborn, unchanging.

If you must point out any other highlight or label, it would be that when he first debuted as head coach of the New York Knicks during the Heat–Knicks playoff showdown, he clutched Mo Ning's thigh to protect his player. It was a comical scene, but… he earned the team's respect because of it.

Another thing is… he was banned by Versace from wearing their brand suits because his suits are always crumpled, giving a dirty, sloppy impression.

However, all those problems vanished after he became a commentator.

Fan Gan Di's solid foundation makes him always eloquent during games, and he even shows a humorous side.

He is becoming an authoritative and beloved commentator.

At the same time, he is also one of ESPN's most vehement opponents of Jieke Fan.

Although he likes Yao Ming, under his coaching Yao Ming gradually became the most threatening center in the paint.

But he really dislikes Fan Xi's playing style.

He is an academic‑type coach; he dislikes point guards who are too individualistic and opinionated, and he also dislikes the current Knicks' defense‑less style.

On TV he predicted: "My view is a bit more pessimistic than yours; I think the Knicks will be cleanly swept 0–4, with no suspense whatsoever."

"No matter how the league promotes a fast pace, no matter how fervently offense is praised, I always believe the playoffs are a defensive stage. Xi Bo Du performed well; when he was my assistant coach, I already saw his unparalleled defensive talent."

Jie Fu Fan Gan Di is a devotee of defense. Of course, saying that also subtly elevates himself.

In the NBA coaching circle, the Van Gundy brothers' status isn't low; in seniority they rank just below Pat Riley, Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Popovich… as second‑tier. Jie Fu Fan Gan Di was an assistant to Pat Riley early on, and his brother Si Tan Fan Gan Di was an assistant to Popovich.

Now the thriving Xi Bo Du, De An Dong Ni, and Li Fu Si… all have less seniority than them.

However, the two brothers now have little market in this league.

ESPN interviewed Derek Rose before the game, hoping to create a tense atmosphere. They wanted Derek Rose to say some pointed remarks.

But Rosa didn't do that.

Rosa did not comment on Fan Xi's statements; he remained silent. The Bulls also had no one step forward to ride the media wave.

"We just train seriously, play seriously, give it our all."

Derek Rose said, "I don't watch TV."

"Jie Ke is my good friend."

"I won't evaluate him."

"If anything arises, we'll handle it privately."

"Alright, I'm going to practice now."

Derek Rose remains as straightforward as ever.

The Knicks side also gave no pre‑game interviews; the media hype has already reached this point, and nothing more needs to be said.

Now, anyone with eyes can see: nationwide opposition to Fan, worldwide condemnation of Xi.

Everyone is giving Fan Xi a tough spot, everyone hopes Fan Xi will be shattered.

Once Fan Xi is beaten in this series, Fan Xi's myth will be shattered.

Thus, the media hype around this game and series is extremely intense. They are eager to see the invincible Fan Xi collapse here; America doesn't need a Chinese person ruling the basketball scene.

This is not the American Dream.

…

When Fan Xi entered the United Center, the arena erupted in boos and curses; the irate Chicago crowd illustrated to the world why their public safety is so poor. Even though most ticket‑buyers are middle class… the Bulls raised ticket prices before this game, already filtering out many low‑quality people.

After the arena's boos toward Fan Xi, the camera interestingly cut to Michael Jordan sitting at the sideline.

In an instant, the arena boiled.

Everything felt as if Jordan were still playing.

Jordan stood up and waved his hands around.

That sparked an even larger wave of cheers.

Until Derek Rose took the floor.

Rosa also walked to the sideline to high‑five Jordan, and Jordan whispered some encouraging words into Rosa's ear.

Their whispers fired up the Bulls fans even more; they loved this kind of legacy. From #23 to #1, they enjoyed such a storyline, they hoped Rosa would keep pushing forward, leading the Bulls toward a new three-peat dynasty.

The Bulls' starting lineup tonight is: Derek Rose, Ronnie Brewer, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah.

Continuing their starting lineup from the previous game.

Defensive-minded head coaches are all like that; they don't like frequently changing the lineup, they prefer to refine the existing lineup and then operate it perfectly and stably.

Larry Brown made a major change; given his experience, he could be considered the forefather of modern defensive-minded head coaches. But this season, he overturned his own previous career.

Fan Xi, Bariani, Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Tyson Chandler.

A brand-new lineup.

Moreover, it's a tall lineup.

The average height far exceeds that of the Bulls.

Beep!

The whistle blew.

It was Garnett walking up to midcourt, and he and Noah jumped for the ball.

Garnett stared at Noah, who had won big in the previous game, but this also sparked Garnett, who works out his muscles in the gym even at midnight.

As the head referee blew the whistle, he tossed the ball into the air.

Garnett and Noah almost jumped at the same time; Noah's takeoff explosiveness was a bit better because he is younger. But when he reached the midpoint of his jump, he noticed Garnett's left hand pressing on his chest, and then his astonishing right hand hooked the ball.

The ball was tipped to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi caught the ball without hesitation, sprinting straight to the frontcourt, with Derek Rose in hot pursuit.

Fan Xi drove into the three-point line, suddenly stopped, instinctively made a shoulder-lifting shooting motion, and Rose quickly jumped.

Bam!

Whoa!

Fan Xi lowered his center of gravity and cleanly shook off Rose.

Fan Xi then drove into the paint and leaped up explosively.

Noah was blocked by Garnett, and Boozer didn't bother to defend because he's not a defensive stalwart.

Boom!

Fan Xi slammed the basket with both hands.

The rim rang, shook, and trembled!

Fan Xi landed cold as ice, remaining calm, without celebrating with teammates or letting out a roar.

He simply walked back to half-court, then stopped at the top of the three-point arc, waiting for the Bulls' counterattack.

Michael Jordan sat on the sidelines, with Dennis Rodman sitting beside him.

They were teammates of the Bulls' later three-peat dynasty; although they rarely kept in touch after retirement, sitting together now also makes a lovely sight.

Dennis Rodman and Fan Xi have a poor relationship; he has criticized Fan Xi more than once in the media. He is someone who can't stand being idle, always wanting to create a buzz.

Fan Xi never cooperates with him, and Fan Xi's many celebrity girlfriends are also a source of his jealousy.

After completing that dunk, Fan Xi told Jordan: "Michael, this guy thinks he's playing the Terminator. I hate his arrogance."

Jordan did not respond to his remarks.

Jordan sat calmly there, his eyes constantly observing Fan Xi.

Fan Xi's calmness made him a bit worried; he knew Fan Xi was getting serious.

He hoped the Bulls could withstand the pressure.

Derek Rose is also a calm person; he arrived at the frontcourt extremely calmly.

He didn't lose his judgment because of being "whoa"-ed by Fan Xi, nor did he hot-headedly retaliate.

To him, being toyed with by Fan Xi is acceptable. In one-on-one drills, he often gets played by Fan Xi, just as he often breezes past Fan Xi in a flash.

But this time, he did not take solo action.

He had Carlos Boozer come out to set a screen for him.

Carlos Boozer is an excellent pick-and-roll forward; his screen quality is high, and he has a full set of mid-range finishing moves.

Rose used Boozer's screen to quickly shake off Fan Xi's on-ball defense, then drove inside. Fan Xi followed behind him; suddenly, inside the free-throw line, Rose took a step and stopped abruptly, then made a quick shooting motion.

Then, with lightning speed, he passed toward the baseline… Luol Deng was quickly cutting in from the weak side, this being the Bulls' regular offensive tactic, intending to slip a backdoor play on the Knicks for a surprise.

But the very next second after Rose released the ball, he saw a long arm quickly chase out from his side… Fan Xi's speed was extremely fast… and his posture was very determined.

This shows Fan Xi was not fooled by Rose's shot fake at all; he had already read Rose's intention, and his reaction might even have been faster than Rose's pass.

Fan Xi slapped the ball off its trajectory before it bounced up to Luol Deng's hands.

Tyson Chandler stepped forward in sync, grabbed the ball, and then passed it to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi caught the ball, steadied the tempo; instead of launching a fast break, Derek Rose quickly dropped back on defense.

Fan Xi slowly advanced the ball forward.

He wanted to wage a half-court battle.

Jeff Van Gundy sat in the commentator's seat, his head a bit foggy.

He is an outstanding and excellent defensive theorist; the Knicks' defense this time left him inwardly amazed.

It's not just because Fan Xi stole this ball.

From Boozer setting a screen for Rose, Fan Xi quickly chased him, while Garnett in the back closed off the backdoor, eliminating the possibility of Rose turning and throwing a lob pass.

Furthermore… when Luol Deng came cutting in from the weak side, Chandler's positioning was very smart, forming a response with the chasing defender Josh Smith.

Even if Fan Xi's steal failed this time, once Luol Deng received the ball, he would still find it hard to complete the offense.

Moreover, it would be even harder to pass the ball into the paint for Noah to finish.

So?

The Knicks' defense isn't that bad?

Why, in just three days, has there been such a big reversal?

Can this lineup solve their offensive problems?

Why are the Knicks so divided?

…