The Bobcats clinched their 10th consecutive win, continuing to break the franchise’s winning streak record and becoming the fifth team since the new millennium to start the season with 10 straight wins. The other four teams were the Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, and Pistons.
For a time, the eyes of the entire basketball world were focused on this defending champion team.
On November 22nd, the Bobcats visited Madison Square Garden to challenge the Knicks.
After nearly overturning against the Pacers, the Bobcats started very energetically tonight, dominating the Knicks at both ends of the floor... Another reason the Bobcats played so aggressively was that it was a nationwide broadcast, after all, it’s a visit to the Big Apple.
However, no player on the Bobcats wanted to showcase themselves; their primary goal was to win the game.
Facing the Bobcats’ powerful performance, no Knicks player stepped up in response. Randolph, Crawford, David Lee, and Nate Robinson were just padding their own stats, not caring at all about the outcome. Isaiah tried to make some noise on the sidelines, but none of the players paid any attention to him.
As for Eddie Curry and Marbury...
This season, Little Shark had completely turned into a salted fish. He used to fight for his shooting rights, but now, seeing Randolph asking for the ball, he didn’t even bother going to the low post, just wandering around instead. He was hardly motivated before, and the brief period last season when he played well and made an effort was ruined by the head coach, leaving his competitive spirit and morale even worse than before.
Marbury... he didn’t even show up for the game tonight.
This season’s news about Marbury: trade requests, buyout demands.
Initially, many people sympathized with Marbury’s plight, but as time went on, fans grew tired of him. The world is full of people facing tragedies, not just Marbury who earns more in one game than some so-called middle class earn in a year; amidst the ongoing financial crisis, fans’ lives are a mess, they watch games for comfort, and Marbury’s melodrama... the once beloved son of New York has become a figure the entire city’s basketball fans dislike.
Zhang Yang went 9 for 20, performed well with mid-range shots and layups, scoring 5 out of 9, got a bit frivolous and missed some threes, only 4 out of 11. With light defense and not much confrontation, he only got three free throws, all of which went in, grabbing him 25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block.
Felton had 18 points and 6 assists, Rondo 3 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, Okafor 21 points and 8 rebounds, Miller 12 points, Millsap 8 points and 8 rebounds, Jarett Jack 11 points and 3 assists, Hill 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists...
On the Knicks’ side, Randolph and Crawford really swung for the fences. Randolph had 24 points and 10 rebounds on 23 of 10 shooting, while Crawford scored 23 points going 9 for 24.
David Lee secured a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Robinson, tightly guarded by Felton and Rondo, had a rough time, but a rookie named Wilson Chandler stood out with 15 points and 6 rebounds...
With a score of 118 to 99, the Bobcats had six players scoring in double figures, routing the Knicks and notching their 11th straight victory!
On the 24th, the Bobcats returned home to take on the 76ers.
The Bobcats encountered a difficult start; poor three-point shooting in the first quarter impacted their scoring on cuts, with Okafor’s solo play inside getting double-teamed, leaving only Zhang Yang and Felton to score from the high post and beyond the three-point line.
With Zhang Yang going 3 for 7 with 8 points and Felton 2 for 5 with 6 points, the Bobcats struggled to get just 21 points in the first quarter.
Not only was their offense weak, but their defense also lagged, allowing the 76ers to score 29 points in a single quarter!
In the second quarter, the teammates finally improved offensively, with Zhang Yang and Felton adding 14 points. But unlike the first quarter where those two scored two-thirds of the team’s points, this quarter they accounted for just half, as the Bobcats scored 28 points in all.
The problem was the 76ers scored another 29 points in the second quarter. If not for Okafor’s last-second leap to the foul line, swatting Louis Williams’ mid-range shot, they would have been down by double digits by halftime.
At halftime, the Bobcats trailed the 76ers by 9 points, with a score of 49 to 58!
During the halftime break, back in the locker room, Zhang Yang didn’t go for a walk to relieve the pressure but stayed to discuss the game with the coaches.
Carlisle said, "Our defensive shortcomings have been completely exposed, the Pacers made good use of it, and tonight the 76ers are doing the same."
Zhang Yang replied, "The Pacers are easy to handle as they are a team that relies heavily on shooting. Grant, Alan, Mike, and I all do a good job of defending the three-point shot. The 76ers cut in too fiercely, with Iguodala, Young, Evans (Reggie), and Dalembert all possessing good physical attributes and cutting instincts. With Williams (Louis) and Miller (Andre) drawing the defense with their solo play and passing the ball inside, Emeka’s shot-blocking isn’t strong enough and Kendrick’s ability to move and protect the rim is lacking. We lack the ability to intercept on the wings; I’m not tough enough on the defense, and Grant is not fast enough."
Carlisle acknowledged, "Jack, you’ve analyzed it correctly. In fact, I predicted this problem before the start of the season, but no matter what I’ve tried, I can’t evade it. Last week, Michael tried to trade for Artest with the Kings and for Howard (Josh) with the Mavericks, but both were rejected. They didn’t want to ’support’ a championship contender in their views."
Zhang Yang’s mouth twitched, "I can understand the Mavericks considering themselves as contenders for the championship, but where do the Kings get that confidence from?"
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