Pope of Basketball.

Summary

. During the break, the regular season awards were announced, and Patrick won the MVP title, leading to frustration among fans who felt Michael should have won. Patrick also led the First Team All-NBA, while Shaquille fell to the sidelines due to injuries. Alan Houston replaced Pippen on the Third Team All-NBA. Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks' coach, was disappointed to lose the Best Coach award to Larry Bird, despite the Knicks' offensive improvement being credited to assistant Yang Rui. Danny Manning won the Best Sixth Man, Alan Henderson was named Most Improved Player, and Dikembe Mutombo took home the Best Defensive Player award. Tim Duncan was unanimously chosen as Rookie of the Year. Patrick's unexpected selection for the Second Team All-Defensive surprised Yang Rui, as Patrick's defensive skills had declined. With the Knicks' defensive stats needing recognition, the award went to the popular Patrick. Despite missing the awards ceremony due to an away game, Patrick's MVP win boosted the Knicks' morale. They decisively won the first game against the Pacers 118-97, with Patrick excelling. The Pacers struggled, and after losing the fourth game 95-81, they were swept 4-0 by the Knicks, advancing New York to the Eastern Conference Finals. Fan Gan Di confidently stated the Knicks were the best team in the league and could beat anyone, including the Bulls. Reggie Miller's disappointing performance against the Knicks marked another nightmare series for him. Yang Rui felt no sympathy for Miller, known for his trash-talking but lacking significant achievements in his career. The Knicks' victory over the Pacers sent them home, and Yang Rui speculated about possibly altering history, suggesting Miller would no longer be viewed as Jordan's "one true rival." .

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