After halting their slump in the third quarter, the Pistons started the final quarter with an 11 to 4 run, widening the point gap back to double digits and maintaining their lead to the end!
Zhang Yang scored 31 points in a single ga, but the Knicks fell to the Pistons.
to 99, the Pistons won two consecutive gas, leading the series 2 to 1!
On the 23rd, both teams continued their matchup at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Despite falling behind, the Knicks did not lose heart and fought fiercely.
The Pistons were confident and aid to take the series to match point, scoring a staggering 31 points in the first quarter, but the Knicks outperford them, with Ewing scoring repeatedly in the paint. At the end of the first quarter, Zhang Yang hit back-to-back three-pointers from the free-throw line after screens, scoring 34 points in the quarter, overpowering the Pistons and leading by 3 points going into the second quarter!
In the second quarter, the Knicks accelerated, winning the quarter 32 to 26 and leading the Pistons by 9 points with a score of 66 to 57 at halfti on the road!
After halfti, the Pistons ramped up the intensity, but the Knicks anticipated this and matched their defensive physicality in the second half.
In the third quarter, the Pistons outscored the Knicks 23 to 19, cutting the deficit to 5 points, but in the final quarter, the Knicks responded with an 18 to 16 advantage, holding their lead until the end!
The interesting point of this ga—when the Knicks surged in the first half, Zhang Yang scored only 9 points in the first quarter and 6 points in the second, totaling 15 points, less than a quarter of the team’s total. In the second half, Zhang Yang scored 20 of the team’s 37 points, accounting for more than half of their points!
When his teammates were scoring, he happily distributed the ball, playing 19 minutes in the first half and taking 10 shots, but when they couldn’t score, he took 20 shots in 21 minutes in the second half!
He made 13 out of 30 shots, including 3 out of 8 from three-point range, and nailed all 6 of his free throws, scoring 35 points with 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
to 96, the Knicks narrowly defeated the Pistons by 7 points, reclaiming their lost ho court advantage and evening the series at 2 to 2!
The two teams will battle again, heading into the critical Ga 5!
After 4 gas, the fans watching live noticed a peculiar aspect of this series.
In the previous round between the Pistons and the Bulls, it was evident that the referees’ calls differed noticeably between The Palace of Auburn Hills and the Chicago Stadium because the two teams had very different levels of physical contact. The Pistons committed noticeably more fouls in Chicago Stadium, and Jordan’s free throws dropped from 12 at ho to 8 at The Palace...
But in this Eastern Conference Final, the referees’ calls showed almost no difference between the two teams’ ho courts. When the Knicks played the Celtics, it was relatively ’civilized’ because it was a one-sided series, but against the Pistons, their defense was just as aggressive. They often wouldn’t wait for the Pistons to foul first before retaliating; instead, they acted on the principle of striking first.
...
On May 25th, the Knicks returned to New York, rested for a day, and went through a day of preparation training.
That night, the Western Conference Finals concluded, with the Lakers, leading 3 to 1, easily defeating the Spurs at ho 118 to 105, progressing to the Finals with a series score of 4 to 1.
The next day, the fifth ga of the Eastern Conference Finals arrived, a highly anticipated battle. In the morning, the Knicks opened their training for interviews.
During a training break, a local reporter asked: "Jack, you’re having such a tough ti, do you envy the Lakers for advancing so easily?"
Zhang Yang looked at the reporter speechlessly, wondering if this question really ca from the local dia?
To be honest, sotis he felt that the Boston dia was actually pretty good; at least they were united on external issues, whereas so New York dia seed to be on Detroit’s side.
He replied: "Of course, but it’s Jordan’s fault."
The reporter curiously asked: "What does this have to do with Jordan? He was eliminated in the second round."
Zhang Yang replied: "It’s because he was eliminated in the second round. If he’d been a bit more competitive and knocked out the Pistons, we could’ve easily reached the Finals too."
New York reporter: Oh my gosh! This answer is brilliant, love it! This makes for great off-court drama!
Next ti, I’ll not ask Big Baby Jack for trouble, but look for the Great Ape instead!
The teammates watching were also surprised by Zhang Yang’s answer, wondering if this wouldn’t drive a certain anonymous #23 Bulls player crazy?
With those words serving as a double whammy, the teammates couldn’t help but want to applaud their big brother!
The Lakers and Celtics have been the most botherso teams in recent years, and among players, Jordan is the most annoying one for his rivals.
These three have been too dazzling, stealing the spotlight for years.
At 7:40 in the evening, Madison Square Garden, the players from the Pistons and Knicks entered the court one after another.
The atmosphere on-site was wild, and the players from both teams eyed each other nacingly across the court.
However, despite the glares, both teams had gotten used to each other’s defensive tactics, and emotions beca more controlled with each ga, mastering one match better than the last.
For violent fouls, the Pistons had Laimbeer, Rodman, and Edwards; the Knicks had Gerald Wilkins, Vandevich, and Oakley.
For fights, the Pistons had Laimbeer, Rodman, and Rick Mahorn; the Knicks had Zhang Yang, John Newman, and Oakley.
Both sides knew that violence wouldn’t get them anywhere, and whoever lost their cool first might end up losing.
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