NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 128 The new star-making movement ([-]-word chapter)
On February 1999, 2, the 19ers were defeated at home. Larry Brown looked solemn after the loss, and the Philadelphia fans at the scene were stunned.

98:67, looking at the huge score difference of 31 points, many fans were heartbroken.

阿兰-休斯顿打出了开赛以来最好的表现，出场32分钟，16中11，三分线外5中5，27分3篮板2助攻3抢断1失误。

Facing Iverson's defense, Houston looked very calm and even showed some Michael Jordan style.

He caught the ball in the right block near the paint area and successfully blocked the ball. He immediately turned toward the baseline and completed a fadeaway jumper!
Faced with such an offensive method, the little Iverson really didn't have much to do, and he was almost slapped in the face for three quarters.

When the ball was not being chased, a few gambling steals allowed Alan Houston to easily get a three-point shot, and he made another great shot.
Although Iverson also regained face on the offensive end, he played 40 minutes, shot 20 of 11, and scored a game-high 29 points.

But after losing so much, the boss had to take the blame. After the game, when the New York media laughed and asked what the MVP thought, Iverson was so angry that he almost turned away and left the game.
"MVP will not lose by a big score, nor will he become a defensive sloth!"

The New York media made sarcastic remarks, and during the interview, Alan Houston also rubbed salt in the wound:

"Lee always delivers the ball at the most opportune moment, and I just seize those opportunities that flash by!"

"Of course, I want to thank Mike. I learned a lot from him in the two years of playoffs."

"Moving without the ball and attacking with a back, this is how he beat me in the playoffs these two years, but I am very grateful for these experiences!"

"Iverson has offensive talent, but I have a size advantage. This is just a regular season, and efficient performance doesn't explain too much."

出场33分钟，李佑也打出了高效表现，15中8，三分线外5中3，罚球6中5，拿到24分4篮板12助攻1抢断2失误的数据。

Since the beginning of this season, the score has been maintained at 20+, and he has scored double-doubles in 5 consecutive games. Such performance has made the New York media follow suit and shout:

"Lee gets his MVP back!"

Five games a week, Sunday night on the 5st, the Knicks returned home to face the Bulls again, giving the opponent another big defeat.

At 63:100, the game ended, and Madison Square Garden was completely in a state of excitement.

New York fans were overjoyed to see their old rival Bulls turned into a loser!

The outstanding performance of the Knicks' second unit allowed the Bulls' bench to score only 10 points in total.

Since the start of the game, most teams will take the initiative to slow down when encountering the Knicks.

Look for positional offenses, trying to reduce the Knicks' chances of switching offenses.

It's just that the team is trying to stretch its own offense. Once the team strikes, they will still be hit by counterattacks.

In two consecutive games, the 76ers had 70 possessions, the Bulls had 72 possessions, and the Knicks still had 84 possessions, without being affected by the opponent at all.

At the press conference after the game, Jeff Van Gundy received unanimous praise from the New York media:
"Jeff, can you talk about our second team? Sprewell has been in great shape in the last few games!"

Since "Madman" doesn't like the New York media, everyone can't get an interview, so naturally they have to ask the head coach.

The bald young coach has also been a little distracted recently. The team is on the right track. Facing a tight schedule, the excellent lineup depth has played a huge role:
"The second unit was defensively focused and Sprewell did his job well!"

"The team is getting better. This season, our goal is to complete the defense."

Jeff Van Gundy, who never speaks big words, started to brag at this time, and the New York media in the audience loved hearing this!
The regular season has not even started for a month, and the enthusiastic media has helped the Knicks win the championship again.
On the morning of the 22nd, at the Manhattan apartment, Li You opened the door to the big loli Scarlett in a daze, and the energetic big loli started gossiping when she entered the door:
"I saw Connery when I came! Are you going to marry her? I remember she had a kid!"

Li You poured himself a glass of milk, looked at the big loli who fell on the sofa and started gossiping as soon as he entered the door, and said helplessly:

"We just talk together and relieve our loneliness."

Scarlett, who has been exposed to the entertainment industry since she was a child, is well-informed. She curled her lips and continued gossiping:
"I like Sister Ramis, will you get married?"

Li You, who took a sip of milk to regain his strength, also sat on the sofa, raised his eyebrows, and responded casually:
"Milinda plans to continue studying. She has no plans to get married."

"Ritter, don't think I don't know. You two are very close! Will you marry her?"

Seeing that the big loli was still planning to gossip, Li You quickly interrupted:

"How old is she, young people should enjoy life, but they won't think about marriage so early!"

Scarlett, who wanted to continue gossiping, rolled her eyes. Thinking that she still had something to ask for, she regained her smile and asked in a low voice:

"Lee, can I go to your new house for a few days? I want to entertain a friend!"

The big loli is one year older and starts to like to show off.

It's just that the family conditions are not rich, and the money earned is kept by the family. If you have a party, you will beg Li You, who has money and a house.

Handing the key to the other party casually, Li You thought of the campus gossip about the little follower and him, and also joked:
"You are very popular in school! Why don't you go to those parties!"

The big loli who got the key cheered, and then said nonchalantly:
"I know what those people are up to, and I have no interest in fooling around with them."

High school students' parties are just as crazy. Obviously, Scarlett also knows this. The public school environment is average, and it's not uncommon for Ye Zi to have parties.

Scarlett, who has seen the life of the rich, began to improve her social circle. If her age did not allow her, she even wanted to try Li You's high-performance sports cars.

Noticing the mark on Li You's neck, the big loli asked with a smile:
"Li, how do you deal with loneliness? Your life is obviously very exciting, how can you be lonely!"

Looking at Scarlett with her blond ponytail and her washboard figure, Li You rubbed his brows and complained helplessly:
"When one day your schedule is full of work, you will naturally realize it. Remember not to go to the master bedroom. The guest room should be enough for you!"

Scarlett knew that there was a wine cellar in the new house, and after hearing Li You's instructions, she knew that she could drink to her heart's content. She cheered again, and then complained in a low voice:
"I know, it turns out you want to marry that rich girl!"

"."

The girls had no worries and could only gossip about the love lives around them. However, Li You, who returned to New York again, had a full schedule.

In addition to hook activities and new commercials, there are also new McDonald's commercials to shoot.

Coupled with the exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated and parties with several other sponsors, Li You has nothing else to do except work.

In the last week of February, the Knicks still have 2 games to play.

Jeff Van Gundy could clearly feel that the players' enthusiasm for the game was beginning to decline, and this was most obvious with Ewing.

Although there are still many shots in each game, the Gorilla seems to be lying flat, and the reason is very simple:
"I won't get much honor."

O'Neal of the Western Conference has killed all sides. With the current state of the Sharks, they are destined to be selected for a team.

As for the MVP, Li You's stable performance, in terms of statistics, Ewing feels that he can't compare.

The gorilla couldn't be selected for the Weekly or Monthly Players. Under various circumstances, Ewing failed to lose weight, and Van Gundy began to lose his hair again.

Although chicken soup cannot arouse the fighting spirit of the veterans, the Knicks are still winning, beating the Nets by a big margin and beating the Timberwolves slightly.

When he flew to Boston to challenge the Celtics away from home, Ewing still wasn't excited enough.

This season, the Celtics have completely transformed into a whirlwind and fast-playing team. In the first two days of the game against the Magic, they defeated their opponents with 79 shots, 111:91.

The doormat McCarty was still able to get a starting spot with the Celtics in his first season after leaving the Knicks;
After Paul Pierce was selected this year, McCarty became an atmosphere group again.

On the evening of the 26th, the Knicks challenged the Celtics away at the North Shore Garden Arena.

At the end of the three quarters, the score was 82:82, which made the Boston fans excited.

Bruce Bowen, who joined the Celtics this season, has established a firm foothold and successfully entered the team's rotation.

After the start of the fourth quarter, Kenny Anderson and Bowen partnered in the backcourt, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker were on the front line, and Tony Barty was the center.

There are one senior and four juniors, most of the players are new, and coach Pitino continues to speed up!
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

The Knicks took the lead in attacking, and Li You didn't take a break at this time. He partnered with Sprewell in the backcourt, Larry Johnson and Kurt Thomas were on the front line, and Ben Wallace was at the center.

Jeff Van Gundy went with the opponent to make the lineup smaller, and the bald young coach tried to give the Knicks an advantage.

Kenny Anderson, as a small point guard with a height of 183, has excellent flexibility. Although the overall defense effect is not great, he still insists on this defensive method.

Li You came to the top of the arc, and the Knicks' two big men stood at the elbow.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand and protecting the ball sideways, quickly in and out when Kurt Thomas stepped forward slightly, swaying right and left.

First, he knocked away Kenny Anderson who was on defense. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, lowered his center of gravity and took Kurt's left side to break through.

Facing Anto Wanwok, who came up to help defend, Li You suddenly circled the ball with his crotch. When he successfully dodged the defense, the basketball passed under Li You's crotch and grabbed the ball with his right hand. Li You squeezed between the two in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, he rushed into the paint area. Paul Pierce was still guarding Larry Johnson in the right corner. When he saw that his teammates did not retreat to help defend, he quickly shrank to the basket and jumped high.

Rushing to the front of the basket, Li You took off with both feet and noticed that Paul Pierce had already occupied a favorable defensive position. After the aerial confrontation, Li You turned around 360 degrees.

"Oh!!"

Amid the exclamations of Celtics fans, Li You dodged to the lower left side of the basket, completely got rid of Paul Pierce's block, and then sent the ball into the basket with his left hand!

"Squeak! Swish!"

The ball was scored when the buzzer sounded, and the referee also whistled for a foul on Pierce's hand.

"Shh!"

Seemingly dissatisfied with the penalty, there were boos all over the scene. Paul Pierce subconsciously opened his mouth wide when he landed, watching Li You walk to the free throw line.

In the Celtics home commentary box, legendary Bob Cousy sounded a little helpless:

"We need to get a big man who can protect the basket. This is the fourth time Lee has made a shot in the paint and received an extra penalty."

"Antoine's defensive habits on the line are a bit bad. If we want to win the championship, we must do these details well!"

His partner Sean Grandy glanced at the technical statistics, immediately twitched the corner of his mouth, and suggested in a low voice:
"Our shooting percentage is declining, but Lee is in excellent offensive form. We should slow down the pace in the next game."

The two also suggested in the commentary box that after Li Youjia made a free throw, the Celtics quickly sent a baseline kick. After halftime, they made two outside passes. Antoine Walker came out to receive the ball from the right wing.

Noticing that Kurt was guarding the three-point line and raising his hands high, Antoine Walker did not hesitate after receiving the ball, and simply shot a jumper!

"state!"

The long rebound popped up and just fell into the hands of Sprewell. He collected the rebound and immediately took the ball and rushed forward. He continued to accelerate in the middle and quickly rushed through the half court.

Bowen chased desperately and continued to interfere. Sprewell saw that the right flank Li You had followed up, and before he could get close to the three-point line, he immediately threw the ball behind his left hand.

Li You, who followed up, caught the ball and released it with his left hand, approaching the three-point line and began to adjust his steps.

Kenny Anderson, who was chasing him from the side, hurriedly skated, but just as he came in front of him, he saw Li You making an emergency stop and immediately shot a jump shot!

"Shua!" Converted to a three-pointer and scored again!

At 88:82, they quickly took the lead. On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team began to cheer.

Seeing Li You raise his right arm, hold up three fingers, and start to pretend to be X, Antoine Walker did not look at the coach's gesture and continued to speed up the attack in the next round.

After receiving the ball in the right block, Antoine Walker faced Kurt's defense and attacked from the frame. After three threats, he held the ball in his right hand and crossed to break through and go straight to the basket.

Although Kurt lost his defensive position, he still provided physical confrontation from his side. Ben Wallace quickly retracted and came to the lower right side of the basket. After jumping up, he immediately sent a nail-biting block!
"Oh!"

Watching Larry Johnson take control of the ball and start dribbling, Pierce retreated desperately.

Just after passing the half court, Larry Johnson threw the ball to Li You who was approaching the left wing.

After catching the ball, he immediately changed the direction of his hips and switched to his left hand. While lowering his center of gravity, Li You opened the way with his shoulders and pressed them to break through.

Kenny Anderson, who was still retreating, slid subconsciously to prepare to stick to the defense, but after the confrontation, he lost his center of gravity, had no time to adjust, and was directly crushed and squeezed by Li You.

Noticing that Pierce, who was actively retreating from defense, returned to the basket, Li You immediately jumped after approaching the basket, and then the two faced off in the air.

Having learned his lesson, Pierce subconsciously pulled and fouled, only to find that Li You only tilted his body slightly and once again avoided the wind on his right hand, tilted his body and threw the ball towards the backboard!

"Boom!"

"squeak!"

After landing, he saw the basketball fall into the basket, and then the referee's whistle came to his ears. Pierce spread his hands to his teammates in frustration, saying that he had tried his best.

Li You didn't even look at the opponent. He stood under the basket and showed off his biceps to the camera, which provoked a burst of boos from the fans in the front row. Then he turned around and high-fived Larry Johnson in celebration:
"Beautiful pass! Bro!"

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines couldn't help clapping his hands, then sat back on the bench with a smile, and hung up with peace of mind.

When the legendary Bob Cousy in the commentary box saw Li You taking another penalty, his tone was no longer brisk, and he complained a few words:
"You can't blame Paul, Kenny Anderson was completely unable to limit Lee's offense!"

"."

As the game progressed, Antoine Walker and Pierce took turns, and the North Shore Garden Arena gradually became silent.

The Knicks counterattacked one after another. Sprewell and Li You made sudden shots, ending the suspense of the game in less than 6 minutes.

Requesting a timeout again, head coach Pitino was almost blown away by Antoine Walker. He banged the iron and continued to score points:

"Pay attention to retreat and complete the defensive matchup in time. Hey! The game is not over yet!"

At 99:86, Pierce, who returned to his seat, was still very frustrated when he heard the coach's words and saw the 13-point difference.

With the return of the main lineup one after another, the Knicks' offensive firepower remained undiminished, and Li You was still scoring points.

In the transition attack, Li You exploded the ball and stepped back to shoot a three-pointer;

In the second attack, Li You broke through to the basket and assisted Ben Hualai for a dunk;

Pierce hit the ball from the three-point line on the left wing. After collecting the rebound, Li You passed the ball throughout the court and assisted Larry Johnson for a counterattack dunk!
While scoring continuously, the iron was clanging. When there were 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Li You stood on the free throw line again, and the Celtics fans sitting in the back row began to leave.
After three good quarters, the final quarter of the game was successful!
On the Knicks bench, Ewing watched his teammates cheer and celebrate, feeling bored for a moment.

Jeff Van Gundy naturally noticed the gorilla's mood and frowned inwardly. His chicken soup seemed to have no effect.
With 1 minute and 01 seconds left in the game, Li You was replaced, and Sprewell took the initiative to fist bump:

"Great job! Career high!"

Li You didn't care about the statistics. He just felt that tonight's game was enjoyable. He really liked the feeling of attacking:

"We have to watch out for the beer in the hands of Boston fans!"

The fans in the front row who broke through the defense were vomiting sweet things at this time, and the fans who didn't leave also started to curse. They were full of hope in the first three quarters, but in the end the Celtics scored 12 points in the last quarter.
出场39分钟，19中12，三分线外11中7，罚球10中10，41分5篮板10助攻2抢断2失误。

The two people in the commentary were speechless when they saw this data. In the end, Sean Grandy summed up the game:
"The boys played well. Coach Pitino has fulfilled the talents of the players this season."

"We still need to optimize some game details, and the Celtics are already on the right path."

As the game time ran out, 110:94, the Knicks defeated the Celtics away from home!Paul Pierce did not greet the Knicks after the game. After a brief handshake, he turned around and left.

26中9，低效拿到24分11篮板4助攻3失误安托万-沃克却不在意这些，嘻嘻哈哈的李佑商业互吹。

This performance made the famous Bob Cousy in the commentary box secretly shake his head:

"Sooner or later, get rid of this inefficient brush"

A new career high, Li You's 40+10 made the New York media climax on the spot!
I had a happy night. In the last game in February, the Knicks played back-to-back away games against the Pistons and lost cleanly.

On March 3, the NBA announced the Player of the Week and Player of the Month for the last week of February, and Li You of the Knicks successfully won the award.

In February, the Knicks achieved a record of 2 wins and 11 losses, the schedule was relatively easy, and Li You also performed efficiently:

场均出场35.2分钟，场均拿到25.0分4.3篮板10.5助攻1.7抢断2.1失误；

Averaged 17.1 shots per game, shooting 50% from the field, 6.1 shots from beyond the three-point line, and 40.8% from three-pointers;

He averaged 5.8 free throws per game and made 91.5% of his free throws.

There was no customized data this time, and Li You successfully entered the "2 Club" in February!
On March 3, at Madison Square Garden, the New York fans present cheered loudly for Li You who held two trophies.

NBA staff also smiled and applauded.

Michael Jordan has retired and a new round of star-making has begun. Li You's current performance is in line with expectations.

The cameras in the hands of the surrounding media reporters kept clicking, and this week's news materials are available again!
In the game against the Cavaliers that night, Ewing finally found some motivation and performed his best performance since the start of the game.

17中10，26分12篮板2助攻4盖帽2失误，中距离上吃了顿饺子，也让尤因重新露出笑脸。

78:102, the Knicks returned home and defeated the Cavaliers!
Sean Kemp's state began to fluctuate. At the end of this game, the Cavaliers' record reached 5 wins and 7 losses, and they fell out of the top 8 positions.

Since there are a total of 3 games in March and the schedule is very intensive, Jeff Van Gundy decided to give Ewing a psychological massage early.

On the morning of the 2nd, at the Taridun Town Training Center, after the morning video class, the bald young commander invited the gorilla to have a heart-to-heart talk.

Of course everyone in the Knicks team knows why Ewing can't get excited.

With a big contract and a championship, the physical condition is declining, he can't afford the ball, and without data, he can't pursue honor naturally.

After all, there is no fighting spirit involved in league awards. Without Excel, the sports media would not vote.

Li You entered the "2 Club" in February, and the New York media was at a fever pitch, but Ewing fell further and his enthusiasm for training sessions began to fade.

The afternoon training session hadn't started yet, but in the locker room, Oakley didn't care about his old friend's condition and said carelessly:
"Pat just hasn't recovered from the offseason. As soon as the playoffs come, he will be nervous."

"Except for the Heat and the Pacers, which have good records, other teams don't pose much of a threat. We have a chance to defend the title this year!"

Larry Johnson doesn't like the gorilla's attitude, but he won't say much at this point:
"This damn schedule gives us no chance to play against teams in the West!"

"Although there is no need to fly around, but 18 games, almost one game a day, coupled with repeated opponents, I feel boring when I think about it."

Alan Houston was looking at the schedule posted in the locker room, flipped through it twice, and also complained:
"The whole of April will be the regular season, and most of them will be opponents in the Eastern Conference. The league may consider directly conducting the playoffs."

Sprewell didn't care about this, but asked Li You in a low voice:
"Will the team make personnel changes?"

Perhaps when he first joined the team, Sprewell didn't care too much.

But as the record gets better and better and he is expected to win the championship, Sprewell also wants to get a ring.
Li You was a little surprised that the other party would pay attention to this issue, and then responded seriously:

"There shouldn't be too many adjustments. After all, our record is pretty good. In the past two years, the team rarely made too many transactions in the middle of the season."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere team felt relieved. If they were laid off halfway, they would probably not be able to find a job. Being able to get their salary in full was what everyone wanted.

Jeff Van Gundy's heart-to-heart talk was effective. At least Ewing is no longer lazy, and the second round of weight loss has officially begun.

The schedule of the game in early March was extremely boring, with the Heat and Bucks playing against each other repeatedly.

On the night of the 9th, after returning home, the Knicks succeeded in revenge and successfully defeated the Bucks.

Repeated matches and repeated schedules have left Ray Allen in no shape. He made 11 of 2 shots tonight and only scored 6 points.
After losing this game, the Bucks' record reached 10 wins and 6 losses, and there was no time to adjust. Ray Allen had to fly to Indiana with the team overnight to continue challenging the Pacers.

Not only the players feel bored, but also the fans who bought tickets to watch the game can't stand it anymore!
Fortunately, New York has never been short of tourists, and every venue is still full. In some small ball markets, attendance rates have begun to decline, and team revenue has also experienced problems.

In late March, the Knicks finally said goodbye to the repetitive schedule and began a short trip to the Western Conference.

On the night of the 24th, the away game against the Kings once again attracted the attention of many fans.

This season, the Kings drafted Jason Williams, then traded Divac and Chris Webber from the Hornets and Wizards.

The head coach has also been replaced by Rick Adelman, and the team can be called a new look!
Although the record so far is 11 wins and 16 losses, ranking only 9th in the Western Conference, the poor record has not affected attendance.

Jason Williams' flashy pass made Kings fans buy votes to support him!

After the game started that night, the Kings fans in attendance were very involved and kept shouting loudly.

But as Jason Williams was continuously intercepted by Li You, the cheering sound became smaller and smaller.

With 1 minutes and 4 seconds left in the first quarter, Alan Houston missed a three-pointer from the right wing and Jason Williams collected the rebound. The Kings had a rare opportunity to switch offense.

Jumping and jumping quickly across the half court, Jason Williams, holding the ball in his left hand, was extremely active in the face of Li You's defense.

Even though he had made three mistakes, the rookie guard's desire for performance was not diminished at all.

On the left wing outside the three-point line, Jason Williams began to slow down, approaching the three-point line, quickly completed the dribble under his hip, switched to his right hand, and immediately dribbled behind his back quickly.

Pretending to look up and observe the movements of his teammates at the top of the arc, Jason Williams, who switched to his left hand, began to twist his body and prepare to throw the ball.

Just when he was about to throw the ball to the basket, Li You suddenly grabbed the ball. First, he squeezed forward, cut the ball hard with his left hand, and swatted the basketball away. Then he took the ball again with his right hand and quickly pushed the ball forward.

Jason Williams, who was preparing to pass the ball, was staggered by the collision. When he tried to turn back to defend, Li You had already grabbed the ball with his right hand and rushed through the half court.

It was 1 vs 0 in the frontcourt, and boos broke out in the stadium. Li You quickly rushed to the paint area. After taking three long steps, he grabbed the ball with his right hand and easily made a one-handed dunk!
"Shhh!!"

After completing the dunk, Li You shook his head and retreated quickly. Adelman on the sidelines rubbed his brows and simply requested a timeout.

At 19:12, the score difference reached double digits again.

As he walked to the bench, he happened to pass by Jason Williams. Li You smiled and whispered:
"Rookie, don't show off your crappy passes in front of me!"

"I"

Jason Williams wanted to say something back, but was immediately pulled away by Chris Webber, who was standing beside him, and then warned in a low voice:
"If you don't want to break to the basket and lie on the ground, don't take the initiative!"

With an unconvinced look on his face, Jason Williams returned to the bench depressed, and was yelled at twice by Aardman before he regained his composure.

In the subsequent games, all the smooth cooperation of the Kings disappeared. Facing the Knicks' fierce offensive rebounds, transition attacks became less and less.

Fans originally expected Jason Williams to perform, but as a result, not only was there no fancy passing, but it was also difficult to score, and he could only throw three-pointers from the outside.
With 1 minute and 32 seconds left in the half, Jason Williams made a two-point jump shot after a feint on the right wing.

The long rebound was collected by Larry Johnson, and then he was thrown to the front court.

Li You quickly rushed across the half court. After grabbing the ball, he released the ball with his right hand and kept accelerating. He ignored Jason Williams beside him and came to the paint area. He rushed up in three strides, leaned on the defense, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and picked the basket. succeed!

"squeak!"

The constant defense caused the referee to blow the whistle again. After Jason Williams landed, he put his hands on his hips in depression and received three fouls in the half.

The Kings fans at the scene also realized at this time that apart from those gorgeous passes, this rookie was an ineffective point guard.
What the expectant fans saw was the half-time score of 58:41.

After failing to narrow the point difference in the third quarter, the game quickly entered garbage time.

The Kings finally played a gorgeous match again, but the fans present felt it was boring. After all, victory is everyone's pursuit.

7中2，三分线外5中1，罚球4中3，8分3篮板3助攻6失误。

On the bench, Jason Williams pulled a face, and the pre-match media's touting became a joke.

Li You doesn't have much defensive experience. He just has better physical fitness. When leading the defense, he will fight with his body, and when he squeezes the screen, he will support his waist to defend.

Before he even used some tricks, Jason Williams stretched his crotch on his own.
On the Knicks bench, Jeff Van Gundy is more concerned about Ewing's competitive state.

The competition continued, and in late March, Gorilla slacked off again, and the thick chicken soup only worked for half a month.

Assistant coach Thibodeau naturally knew what Jeff Van Gundy was worried about, so he comforted him in a low voice:

"Don't worry about Pat's condition. It's normal to lose some back-to-back games. Players are not robots."

The bald young coach is a little helpless. Although the Knicks still lead the league, he is more worried about slacking off in the regular season and injuries in the playoffs:
"I just don't want Pat to be injured again. He should lose weight, even if it is to reduce the low attack, he should continue to lose weight."

"I trust the team doctor's judgment!"

The coaching staff stopped talking. There is no solution to this matter.
As the game time ran out, the score was finally fixed at 102:88, and the Knicks easily defeated the Kings.

In this point guard duel, Li You only played 28 minutes:

12中7，三分线外4中2，罚球5中5，拿到21分3篮板8助攻4抢断1失误的数据。

He didn't play much time, but he once again left a deep impression on Kings fans.

I am afraid of comparison in everything.
On March 3, the Knicks visited Los Angeles and challenged the Lakers away.

The New York media is clamoring for "the league's best center" every day, which has already given O'Neal a lemon!

The Lakers have undergone major changes this season. Silver Fox Harris was fired directly at the beginning of the season, and the current head coach has been replaced by Kurt Rambis.

In early March, the Lakers also sent away backup centers Elden Campbell and Eddie Jones, and acquired Glenn Rice from the Hornets.

This transaction indicates that Kobe Bryant has officially been corrected.

Of course, neither O'Neill's big mouth nor the above transactions are of concern to the people who eat melons!

The Lakers signed Dennis Rodman, and Hua Da Chong came to Los Angeles, and quickly "mingled" with the old Buss' daughter, Jenny Buss!
Many lace media reported vividly the experience of the two fighting in the hotel.
The Knicks team members who had just flown to Los Angeles naturally saw these "interesting" newspaper articles. Rodman brings his own traffic and can always make some big news.

That night, the Great Western Forum was packed.

The Lakers currently have a record of 19 wins and 11 losses, and have been overtaken by the Spurs and Jazz, ranking third in the Western Conference.

The record was overtaken, and O'Neal naturally began to decline in the MVP rankings. Karl Malone and Tim Duncan have surpassed the Sharks.

The record did not meet expectations, and a lot of rebounds were taken away by Rodman. O'Neal has been in a very unhappy mood recently.

A new round of star-making campaign in the league has begun, and the Sharks also want to take this opportunity to win the MVP.

The Lakers team present felt that the team was on the right track. Glenn Rice had shown good form since joining the team. Although Rodman was 37 years old, he could still play.

I thought this was a close game, but the Knicks couldn't guard against the inside attack, so they simply used a shark-cutting tactic and directly blocked O'Neal.

半场比赛，鲨鱼9中4，罚球9中2，拿到10分1篮板。

The free throw stretched his hips, and the rebound was taken away by Rodman.
50:42, looking at the score on the court, and thinking of O'Neal who was banging on the free throw line at halftime, the Lakers fans gradually became silent.

This center duel was naturally broadcast live across the United States. In the live TNT commentary box, Dick Stockton saw O'Neal's data and said helplessly:
"There is no perfect player. Shaq tried his best, but he just couldn't make those free throws tonight, which gave the Knicks too many chances to convert."

Hubie Brown on the side really likes the game strategy developed by the Knicks:

"Coach Van Gundy seized on the Lakers' weakness. In the first half, there were a lot of pick-and-rolls at the 5th position, forcing a lot of delays. Perhaps this is also the reason why O'Neal's free throws were inaccurate."

Thinking that the media has recently begun to discuss the issue of MVP, Dick Stockton also took the opportunity to give his own point of view:

"The Knicks currently have a record of 3 wins and 13 losses in March. Lee is still ranked first in the MVP rankings. Based on his current performance, I will give him a vote!"

Hubie Brown noticed the problem with Ewing's condition. He first nodded in agreement, then shook his head and sighed:
"Ewing's status has declined this season, and like Olajuwon, their usage rates have declined."

"Lee has digested more possessions this season. In March, his number of shots has increased again, and his efficiency has not declined. If I vote, I will vote for him."

When the second half started, the Knicks took the lead. Li You faced Derek Harper's defense and quickly passed the half court.

O'Neal, who was on the inside, saw Ewing wandering to the left wing again. In desperation, he could only move his steps and follow him to defend.

Li You, who had been protecting the ball sideways, saw O'Neal following him near the three-point line, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, held the ball in his left hand and pretended to break through to the left.

Taking a big step, he quickly dribbled the ball behind his back. After switching to his right hand, Li You leaned forward, shook and then quickly turned around.

Ewing stood still, and Li You fished the ball with his left hand against the screen. Derek Hubble failed to squeeze through the pick and roll, and O'Neal was forced to delay again.

Stepping on the three-point line, Li You suddenly changed the direction of his hips. While shaking his body to the right, he picked up the ball with his right hand and quickly circled the ball behind his back.

O'Neal hurriedly adjusted his center of gravity, but Li You broke through too quickly after grabbing the ball with his shoulders, and passed by him in the blink of an eye.

"Oh!!"

Seeing O'Neal being broken through again, the Lakers fans at the scene exclaimed.

Moving to pursue the defense, O'Neal slid continuously and quickly reached the basket. Li You, who was marching, grabbed the ball with his left hand and leaned forward to pick the basket before he could get close to the basket.

O'Neal hurriedly jumped to block the shot, but O'Neal was still a step slower and watched the basketball fly past his fingertips and hit the top of the backboard.

Unable to control his body, he bumped into Li You. O'Neal cursed in his heart. After landing, he saw the basketball go into the basket, and the referee blew the whistle:

"squeak!!"

In the commentary box, Dick Stockton saw Li You completing another breakthrough and said in a brisk tone:
"Beautiful goal, a 45-degree cut from the left. Lee made good use of the screen and got the third foul. Shaq should pay attention to his foul!"

The Great Western Forum Arena was filled with boos for a while. Li You didn't care about the atmosphere and walked to the free throw line with a smile. O'Neal had this look on his face and was too depressed to speak.
After receiving the basketball from the referee, Li You patted the ball and joked with a smile:
"Free throws are the easiest way to score. You can score with your eyes closed!"

After saying this, Li You threw the ball casually with his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

"Shua!" The basketball went into the net hollowly.

O'Neal was almost blown away. He didn't care that the referee was right next to him. Regardless of his teammates' obstruction, he pointed at Li You and shouted:

"Shet! I swear, if you go under the basket again, I will make you lie on the ground!"

Li You smiled and retreated, spreading his hands towards the opponent. Oakley and Ewing laughed at the same time. The old guy also took the opportunity to joke:
"Fuck! Are you the "Number One Center"? You can't even make free throws!?"

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(End of this chapter)