NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 137 New York Enemy (Daily Chapter)
The impact of the shortened season finally began to fade in the conference finals.

By rushing to end the semi-finals and seizing the time to announce the major awards, football commentators often have no time to warm up the game, and the series ends suddenly after back-to-back games.

In the conference finals, all four teams have gained valuable rest time, and the media can calmly warm up for the game.

Before the Pacers faced off against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, Spike Lee, who was interviewed by the New York Times, brought up the old story again and said:

"The Knicks are completely different. In the past two years, our regular season record has been slightly better, and Reggie Miller has started to decline."

"The situation in the past will not happen again. We are ready to win another championship."

"I can't even wait to see Reggie Miller lose. The New York fans will welcome him with the loudest boos!"

In Game 94 of the 5 Eastern Conference Finals, faced with Spike Lee's provocation, Reggie Miller finally broke out and gave him a "throat choker".

In the 95 Eastern Conference semifinals, "Miller Moment", 8.9 seconds and 8 minutes, Reggie Miller helped the Pacers counterattack the Knicks.
The above two famous scenes are still fresh in the memory of old New York fans. During the regular season, whenever they met the Pacers, everyone would boo. Before the Eastern Conference finals started, many fans shouted the slogan:

"Knicks In Four!"

Reggie Miller, who is about to turn 34, has matured a lot. He is about to enter the end of his career and naturally knows that there is not much time left for him to win the championship.

They nearly overturned the Bulls last year and reached the Eastern Conference Finals again this year. The Pacers' veterans cherish this opportunity and don't want to miss it again.

Starting point guard Mark Jackson is 34 years old, and No. 3 Chris Mullin is 35 years old;
Inside, Dale Davis is 30 years old and Rick Schmitz is 32 years old. From an age structure point of view, the Pacers have richer game experience!
Most of the five starting players are still in their prime, and they swept their opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs, which was also expected by football commentators.

On May 5, in addition to predicting the game between the Trail Blazers and Spurs that night, TNT's program also did not forget to comment on the showdown between the "old rivals" in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ever since Duncan defeated the Lakers inside line, McHale has been in a good mood. When he came to the studio these days, his tone became lighter and lighter:

"The Knicks' defense has declined this season, and both Ewing and Oakley have problems with their lateral quickness."

"The inside combination of Rick Smits and Dale Davis is at its peak, coupled with Reggie Miller on the outside, the inside and outside are balanced. This is the best time for the Pacers to win the championship!"

Looking at the superficial lineup, the Pacers do have a height advantage in the paint.

After all, Rick Schmitz is 2 meters tall. In his playing years, he seemed to be in better shape than Ewing.

Kenny Smith is still optimistic about the Knicks and quickly gave his own opinion:
"The regular season can reflect the strength of the team. Don't forget that the Pacers only ranked 14th on the defensive end during the regular season."

"In the postseason, they didn't face many challenges. I don't think the Pacers can limit the performance of Lee and Alan Houston."

"They don't have a very good defensive strategy. When encountering pick-and-rolls, they can only delay the game as in the regular season."

"Lee will completely tear down the Pacers' defense, and he loves facing big centers who are slow to move laterally."

All the famous coaches were eliminated, and the TNT program did not mention tactical adjustments at this time. Both of their views started from the technical characteristics of the players.

Ernie Johnson heard that the argument between the two was not stopping and quickly reminded him:

"We have to talk about tonight's game again. The Trail Blazers are also very good inside!"

"Tim Duncan will respond."

"."

Tim Duncan, who won a double-team spot, became so popular after reaching the Western Conference finals that the ball commentators did not hesitate to praise him and praised Duncan.

In the Western Conference finals that night, the Spurs twin towers continued their highlight performance in the previous series, scoring 20+10 double-doubles one after another.

Although Rasheed Wallace made 20 of 12 shots and scored a high of 28 points, he frequently attacked in positions and was unable to penetrate the Spurs' defense.

76:80, the Spurs successfully protected their home court.

Li You also watched the final moments of the game from his apartment in Manhattan.

Noting that in the technical statistics, the two teams took a total of 17 shots from beyond the three-point line and hit 5 goals, I shook my head secretly for a while.

Kristen Ritter, who has been acting as a shield for Li You in the past two days, asked curiously while surfing the Internet:

"I think Sanders is very beautiful too! She also won a gold medal in the Olympics. Don't you like her?"

Having just joined NBA Inside Stuff, former Olympic swimming champion Sanders has become the show’s new female host.

Sanders was recently in charge of interviewing the Knicks and had been filming with the team. Regarding the other party's hints, Li Youtong pretended to be stupid.
"I have no interest in getting involved with an Olympic champion! In my opinion, you are much prettier than her!"

Li You hooked up with her hands on the sofa, and the little follower smiled and clung to her body. Christen-Litte, who had completely transformed into a big girl, except that she was a bit flatter, was now a beautiful girl full of energy.

Compared to the Olympic champion who took the feminist route independently, Li You still felt that the follower was safer.

Christen-Litte, who had her long black hair styled into a bun and was only wearing cool pajamas, whispered into Li You's ear.

The two of them whispered to each other, and the little follower became a little short of breath and whispered again:

"Honey, what if it happens?"

"Of course he was born, he must be a cute child!"

On the evening of May 5, the Eastern Conference Finals officially began.

Despite constant provocations from Spike Lee and the New York media before the game, no one on the Pacers responded.

In last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, in order to show their determination to win, the entire Pacers team shaved their heads just to defeat the Bulls.

After the regretful loss, in this year's playoffs, the team led by Larry Bird is more mature. They just want the championship.

In the Madison Square Garden Arena, the boos became louder and louder shortly after the game started. Alan Houston continued to hit the ball while being chased by Reggie Miller.

Coupled with Ewing's free throw, the game lasted 4 minutes and 42 seconds, and Jeff Van Gundy frowned for a moment on the sidelines.

When the Pacers attacked, Reggie Miller quickly slipped across the baseline from left to right, bounced to the right wing, received the ball, feinted and broke through smoothly.

Completely getting rid of Alan Houston's defense, Reggie Miller succeeded in a two-point pull-up jump shot!

At 4:10, Jeff Van Gundy immediately requested a timeout.

"Shh!"

After a bad start, Madison Square Garden was booed. In the NBC commentary box, Bob Costas began to praise the Pacers' performance again:

"There is no problem with the physical fitness of both sides. On the defensive end, the Pacers performed better after the opening."

"Reggie Miller used his excellent defensive experience to successfully limit Alan Houston's performance."

Small hidden movements can indeed interfere with pitchers. Doug Collins is more concerned about the defensive strategies of both sides:
"After the opening, whether it was Rick Schmitz or Dale Davis, both of them showed strong defensive flexibility and cooperated with their teammates to complete the delay." "Lee handles the ball very well. It is a pity that Ewing tonight The touch was not good, and there were mistakes in the inside pass. I hope they can get back to the game in time after the timeout."

After the game started, the Pacers started double-teaming mode. When Li You dribbled close to the three-point line, the defender on the weak side would cooperate with Mark Jackson to double-team.

Chris Mullin cooperated with double teams the most, and Larry Johnson, who responded after the opening, failed to respond in time.

The opponent resolutely implemented the double-teaming strategy and caught the Knicks off guard. The scene was very noisy. Jeff Van Gundy sat in front of everyone and shouted loudly with a tactical board:

"Move the ball, move the ball to the basket, then come back out, stretch their defense, stay patient, and we will seize the opportunity!"

Ewing took a breather. After the opening, Rick Schmitz attacked several times in the low post. Coupled with a lot of physical confrontation, the Gorillas lost their starting touch.
Li You just nodded. The best way at the moment is to remain patient. There is really no solution to the problem that teammates cannot hit open shots.

After the timeout, the two sides returned to the court. Mark Jackson kept clapping his hands to encourage himself. Reggie Miller also shouted to his teammates to help defend.

From the beginning of the game, everyone on the Pacers team was completely involved in the game, and the warm greetings at the scene did not have any impact on them.

The New York fans continued to cheer loudly. When Li You received the baseline ball, Mark Jackson immediately stepped forward to lead the defense.

Advancing quickly against the defense, Li You first pretended to accelerate after half-time, then quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his left hand, then switched to his right hand and swayed a distance, and immediately made tactical gestures.

Ewing hurriedly moved to the top of the arc. Just as Li You was about to break through on the right side, Rick Schmitz raised his hands high, slid quickly, and cooperated with his teammates to double-team.

Continuing the strategy of the opening game, Li You, who had been prepared for a long time, suddenly boasted about the ball with one hand this time.

When the basketball passed through his crotch, it also happened to pass between the two defenders. Li You leaned forward and squeezed past the defender in an instant. Then he picked up the ball with his left hand and rushed towards the basket quickly.

Mark Jackson tried to pursue the defense again, but bumped into Ewing. Rick Schmitz also had no time to retreat.

Dale Davis, who was near the baseline on the right, immediately helped defend the basket. Li You did not choose to pass the ball. After taking three long steps, he quickly took off.

Catching the ball with one hand with his left hand, Li You dodged and blocked the shot in the air. Dale Davis sensed something was wrong and simply hit his left arm directly.

"Snapped!"

"squeak!"

The buzzer sounded and the ball was scored. The clear sound of the thugs made the referee blow the whistle immediately. The New York fans at the scene saw Li You hitting the ground and pumped their fists in celebration, and immediately cheered loudly.

Li You passed three people and then sent the ball into the basket. Dale Davis was a little helpless. Coach Larry Bird on the sidelines just made a steady gesture.

At 7:10, Li You made an extra free throw to help the Knicks narrow the point difference.

In the commentary box, Bob Costas began to praise Li You's performance:
"Lee broke through to the basket twice after the opening, and the results were very good. Once he made a free throw, and this time he hit a three-pointer successfully. His finishing at the basket has improved a lot compared to the previous two seasons."

Doug Collins, who was on the sidelines, noticed that Mark Jackson passed the ball to Rick Schmitz on the left low post after halftime, and he immediately commented:

"Slowing down the tempo of the game and playing more inside on the offensive end, the Pacers took advantage of their advantage at the beginning."

After Rick Schmitz released the ball with his right hand, he hit it hard, trying to use his height advantage to immediately complete the throw as he approached the paint area.

"state!"

The basketball came out of the frame, and Oakley got stuck behind Dale Davis and grabbed the rebound.

The Pacers retreated quickly, but the Knicks failed to complete the transition attack immediately.

The game was completely tense. Reggie Miller didn't play much on the offensive end, but on the defensive end, he was clinging to Alan Houston.

Forced double-teaming is bound to pay a price. In the early going, Larry Johnson received a pass from Li You who was double-teamed at the top of the arc and easily hit a three-pointer from the left wing.

"Wow!"

The first three-pointer of the game finally came, and the New York fans breathed a sigh of relief, followed by shouts of joy.

The Pacers continued to slow down the tempo, scoring and hitting, and with 24 seconds remaining, Reggie Miller made a breakthrough after a feint, and suddenly stopped and missed a free throw.

Alan Houston, who received the second foul, slapped his thigh in frustration and was replaced by Sprewell.

"Madman" is still responsible for chasing Reggie Miller, but the effect is much better than Alan Houston.

Not caring about his foul at all, Sprewell started a defensive method of pulling and pulling, and the Knicks started the iron-blooded mode early. . .

After the tough defense, Sprewell also showed good touch on the offensive end, helping the Knicks score consecutive points.

Seeing the Knicks regaining their offensive rhythm, Doug Collins changed his tone and began to praise this substitution choice:

"Sprewell had a better playing temperament tonight. Although there are rumors that he will leave in the offseason, I think staying with the Knicks is the best choice."

Bob Costas naturally also noticed such news, noticed that the scores between the two sides began to rise slowly, and also added:
"Reggie Miller was not an easy opponent to deal with, and Sprewell did a great job."

With the help of "Madman", at the end of the first quarter, the score was fixed at 25:22, and the Knicks narrowed the point difference.

The New York fans at the scene were in a bad mood. No one expected that the Pacers would take the lead.

李佑打满首节4中2，罚3中3，拿到7分1篮板2助攻；

Sprewell made 3 of 2 and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 6 points. The two of them accounted for half of the Knicks' scoring.

Returning to the bench, Ewing, who was replaced early, felt a little aggrieved. All the opportunities to eat steadily were wasted.
The score difference was within one round, and Li You was not worried about the situation on the court. As long as the Pacers continued to play positional offense, they would not be able to really widen the score difference for a while.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the scene, the rotating lineups of the two teams appeared.

The Pacers have no starters on their second unit.

On the back line are Travis Best, who is 180 meters tall, and Jaylen Rose, who is a forward figure. The three inside are Derek McKay, Sam Perkins, and Antonio Davis.

The Pacers' height goes down and their agility goes up!
In the second quarter of the game, Sprewell continued his efficient state in the first quarter and continued to hit the ball in response, allowing the Knicks to cling to the score.

Alan Houston's playing time was compressed, and the starting lineup only reappeared with 4 minutes and 24 seconds left in the half.

The two sides played slower and slower. The single quarter lasted 19:20, and at halftime, 44:42, the Knicks narrowed the point difference again.

Madison Square Garden was getting louder and louder, and New York fans could tell that several of the starting players were in poor condition.

半场9中5，罚球4中4，斯普雷威尔高效砍下了14分。

Ever since the news came out that he was leaving the team, no one in the locker room paid attention to him. "Madman" felt aggrieved. His performance at halftime tonight was another proof of himself.

After walking into the players tunnel, the excited Sprewell shouted loudly:
"Shet! You need me so much!"

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(End of this chapter)