Chapter 59: Core Benefits (Part 1)

On January 13, 1997, after resting in New York for two days, the Knicks set off for Houston to embark on a three-game Western Conference road trip.

Jeff Van Gundy boarded the plane wearing a gloomy expression. Larry Johnson’s back injury had flared up again, and the New York media spent the weekend relentlessly blasting the head coach for his conservative rotation.

The New York Post dug up the past, arguing that the fundamental reason for Larry Johnson’s declining statistics since joining the Knicks was Jeff Van Gundy’s flawed tactical system!

Although the Knicks’ pace had increased somewhat this season, they still served fans a turd-flavored chocolate every now and then, a frustratingly lovable state of affairs.

Assistant coach Tom Thibodeau had no good solutions for these reports. With Ewing as the absolute core and everyone else playing supporting roles, the Knicks simply lacked the conditions to restore "Grandmama" to the tactical status he had enjoyed with the Hornets.

"No need to pay attention to those reports. The All-Star break is just around the corner, and the season is almost at the halfway mark. The most important thing for the next few months is to stay healthy. We still have a shot at the division title."

Thibodeau tried to comfort a balding Jeff Van Gundy sitting beside him. The words of the New York media couldn't be taken seriously; everyone knew the team's internal situation.

"I haven't taken the media to heart. I'm more worried about injuries. Larry's condition hasn't been right, and his back problem is affecting him much more seriously than we imagined."

With that, Jeff Van Gundy plunged back into a pensive brooding.

The team could not afford to lose "Grandmama"; otherwise, nobody would be left to cover the small forward position.

Meanwhile, rookie John Wallace looked extremely excited. It was his first career start, and it was a nationally televised game—he hadn't been able to sleep the night before...

Hearing John Wallace chattering endlessly, Charles Oakley looked impatient and immediately issued a warning:

"It's just a regular-season game! Look at Lee, he wins awards and doesn't make a big deal out of it. That's what a star player should look like!"

"If you turn the ball over the moment you step on the court, you'll be taking over Walter's cleaning duties next week!"

"..."

Hearing the old veteran speak, rookie John Wallace instantly shut his mouth. He had zero desire to do chores.

You You watched the drama unfold with an amused smile. With "Grandmama" out for tomorrow night's game, the Knicks were running high odds of running into trouble.

Since joining the team, Larry Johnson had done plenty of the dirty work. You didn't always notice it day-to-day, but when crucial games arrived, the value of "Grandmama" became unmistakable.

Patrick Ewing remained silent. Every time they faced Hakeem Olajuwon, the media would hype it up.

If not for pride, then for sheer dignity—the Gorilla desperately wanted to crush his opponent. Even in a regular season game, Ewing took this matchup with extreme seriousness!

"The Rockets are in good form, but we've got injuries piling up. I wonder if the coaching staff will make some adjustments after these two days of practice."

Allan Houston was still holding out hope for a tactical shift, but "Grandmama" and You You sitting nearby both curled their lips in unison. Nearly half the season had passed, and at best they'd get a meager holiday meal; the tactical core was immovable.

The flight would take three and a half hours. Ewing didn't feel like playing cards, leaving everyone else to flip through magazines, chat, and kill time.

The aging Big Three of the Rockets had also demonstrated their dominance since the start of the season. In the first month of the new campaign, head coach Rudy Tomjanovich even snagged the Coach of the Month award.

However, as the season wore on, the old men's form began to fluctuate. On January 11, playing away against the Chicago Bulls, they suffered a blowout defeat.

86:110. In a battle between heavyweights, Michael Jordan turned it up!

Shooting 12-of-25, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, Jordan posted 32 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. A slightly exerted Michael Jordan completely crushed the aging Big Three...

On the Rockets' side, Hakeem Olajuwon performed the best, shooting 12-of-25 for a team-high 29 points, while "The Glide" Clyde Drexler shot 3-of-11, angrily putting up 7 points!

Charles Barkley, riding coattails, shot 2-of-11 and managed only 8 points.

After this game, American sports media fell completely silent, and the narrative of the Rockets' aging Big Three charging to a championship plummeted in popularity.

Patrick Ewing had hoped to kick the Rockets while they were down and deal them a crushing blow!

Unfortunately, the aging Big Three also wanted to pick on a soft target, and the Gorilla happened to walk right into the line of fire...

On the night of the 14th, in a nationally televised game, the home-playing Rockets completely erupted in the first quarter.

Charles Barkley, playing the entire first quarter, shot 5-of-9, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, and went 2-of-2 from the line, racking up 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in a single period.

24:30. The Rockets established a 6-lead by the end of the first quarter.

You You started the game and likewise played the entire first period, acting primarily as a perimeter spacer and feeding the ball to Ewing.

Shooting 3-of-4, including 2-of-2 from deep, You You chipped in 8 points and 2 assists in the opening quarter. His high-efficiency play prevented the lead from blowing out further.

Ewing, matched up against Olajuwon, struggled considerably and played without much polish, committing two turnovers in the post while shooting 1-of-3 for just 4 points.

Perhaps feeling he hadn't gotten enough touches in the first quarter, Ewing checked in early in the second quarter and began demanding the ball in the post repeatedly.

Chris Childs didn't distribute possessions rationally the way You You did, instead force-feeding Ewing over and over.

The Gorilla failed in his singles and coughed up yet another turnover.

The harder he tried to prove himself, the more problems arose. Before Jeff Van Gundy could even react, the game completely fell apart...

Charles Barkley, his frustration finally unleashed, continually attacked the rim. After checking back in during the rotation, he shot 2-of-3 and went 6-of-6 from the line in the quarter, adding another 10 points!

At halftime, the score was 46:63, with the Rockets already ahead by 17 points.

Returning to the locker room at halftime, Oakley and Ewing wore grim expressions, while Starks sat with a tight jaw, saying nothing.

Everyone in the room knew why the team had suddenly collapsed...

"Sorry, I was too nervous. I shouldn't have made those rookie mistakes."

Rookie John Wallace had been thoroughly destroyed by "The Glide," even missing an uncontested layup. Upon returning to the locker room, he spoke in a low voice and took the initiative to own up to his mistakes.

You You maintained a calm expression. Shooting 5-of-8, he had put up a team-high 13 points in the first half. He sat quietly at his locker without a word—this was the team leader's time to speak.

To everyone's disappointment, Ewing remained entirely silent from start to finish. The Gorilla simply sat in his seat, waiting for Van Gundy's arrival.

A 17-point deficit was actually still surmountable. With "iron-clad" defense and an accelerated offensive pace, as long as they could cut the lead to single digits by the third quarter, the game would still have suspense.

When Jeff Van Gundy entered the locker room, his expression was severe as he delivered some dry, clichéd motivational soup:

"We have plenty of time to turn this around. Believe in your shots, believe in each other..."

"..."

Larry Johnson, dressed in a sharp suit, scanned the faces in the locker room, folded his arms, and stayed silent, secretly harboring a tiny bit of satisfaction.

Ewing always wanted to prove himself whenever he faced Olajuwon, but in this game, the Knicks had to wave the white flag early.

90:106. The Rockets successfully bullied a "soft target."

Inside the Houston arena, the home fans cheered wildly for the blowout victory.

You You looked at Charles Barkley celebrating with fist pumps, then turned to comfort the struggling John Wallace:

"Next time we play them, we'll win it back!"

Rookie John Wallace forced a strained smile and muttered quietly under his breath:

"I don't want to do chores... Oakley is definitely going to take his anger out on me..."

Hearing this response, You You's eye twitched slightly. The emotional atmosphere he had been building up instantly vanished, and he cursed inwardly:

"Sooner or later, I'm getting you shipped out too!"