NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 161 Champion’s Dilemma (6200 words chapter)
Before Thanksgiving, the Knicks started a road trip in the Western Conference.

Jeff Van Gundy is worried about the team's defense, but there is nothing he can do.

No matter how the lineup is matched, the high-intensity defense with rapid rotation and partial pressure in the first three seasons will no longer be possible.

On November 11, 16:104, it was not until the fourth quarter that the Knicks really opened up the gap and finally defeated the Nuggets.

Larry Johnson returned from injury, but was beaten by the rookie Ron Moser.

Moser, who made 25 of 12 shots and played 47 minutes, was almost unstoppable. He scored 30 points like Li You with continuous shots and bursts.

Facts have proved that it is very difficult to clock in three quarters and completely dominate the game in the double-gun mode in the backcourt.

Alan Houston made 18 of 10 shots and scored 26 points, but the Knicks' dominance was declining.

Larry Johnson played 33 minutes, made 9 of 2 shots and scored 7 points. The condition of his knee was worse than he imagined.

In last year's finals, "Big Mom" ​​sprained her knee, but no one paid much attention to it. In the next few games, she played with the injury and was in poor condition. Everyone thought that after the offseason, there would be no problem.

But no one expected that the old back injury and knee injury would cause Larry Johnson to decline so much. The most obvious change is that "Auntie" can no longer fight, and he can no longer make free throws.
With multiple players taking turns, the Knicks made 26 free throws in this game, but their opponents made 38. If the Nuggets hadn't made 20 turnovers, perhaps the game would have been even more anxious.

Flying to Salt Lake City back-to-back, Li You and Alan Houston's status fluctuated, and the Knicks lost cleanly.

At 92:98, the Knicks made 23 of 6 three-pointers, giving their opponents too many opportunities to switch offense.

The slow-moving Jazz have just found their form recently. After winning this game, their record reached 5 wins and 3 losses.

As the defending champion, the Knicks are naturally a team that has been studied repeatedly. When the defense exposed problems, the Jazz seized the opportunity and attacked the inside.

36岁的卡尔-马龙依旧活力十足，出场41分钟，17中10，罚球15中13，砍下33分11篮板6助攻1盖帽5失误的数据。

With a smile on his face after winning the game, the Salt Lake City media naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity pass by and made some sarcastic remarks:

"Knicks, get ready to lose big!"

"."

After a day off, the Knicks continued to fly to Phoenix. In the next two days, there were back-to-back games.

What makes Jeff Van Gundy frustrated is that the coaching staff cannot sum up the losing games.

In the game against the Jazz, the Knicks made only 13 turnovers and took 83 shots. Except for lagging behind their opponents in free throws, they were ahead in almost every data.

Li You can always control the team's mistakes, but if the team can't make a jump shot, there is no solution to the problem.

Once the efficiency of the two main attackers drops and the role players perform averagely, the Knicks will lead in data but still lose.

On the night of the 19th, more than 9000 Suns fans cheered for the home team at America West Arena since the game started.

Tonight's game, broadcast live across the United States, is known as "the showdown of the strongest backcourts."

Anfernee Hardaway is still very good. After joining the Suns, he and Kidd formed the "strongest backcourt".

Coupled with Gugliotta, the former All-Star forward and experienced Luke Longley, the Suns are still very good on paper.

Newcomer Sean Marion has already secured the starting position and has shown some outstanding performances in a few games.

Although the Suns have only achieved a record of 5 wins and 4 losses since the start of the season, Phoenix fans feel that the future is promising when they see this lineup!

Larry Johnson was out again in tonight's game. After playing back-to-back games, he had some back problems.

After the game started, the Knicks were a little slow. In this attack, Oakley missed a jumper from the right elbow area of ​​the free throw line, and the Suns seized the opportunity to switch offense.

Longley grabbed the rebound, and Kidd continued to accelerate from the center after receiving the ball. In a classic three-line fast break, Anfernee Hardaway and Marion rushed to the half court, one on the left and one on the right.

The Knicks' retreat speed was not slow either. Li You delayed Kidd's advance immediately. The two were of similar body size, and Kidd kept accelerating against the defense.

Quickly advancing to the three-point line at the top of the arc, Kidd still did not slow down and even played a trick.

While traveling, he quickly circled the ball behind his back, switched to his left hand and took off. After hesitating in the air, Kidd threw the ball to Marion who was following up on the right.

"Oh!"

The beautiful assist immediately made the Suns fans at the scene scream with joy, but Marion was forced to adjust when he received the ball, and he was also a beat slow when he rushed to the basket for a layup.

It seemed that Li You didn't give up his defense. After Marion put up a layup, the basketball just took off and flew to the basket. Li You, who had been prepared for a long time, suddenly jumped up and sent a nail board!
"OMG!"

In the TNT commentary box, Dick Stockton exclaimed, and then saw the basketball hit the backboard and bounce into the hands of Kukchi who was retreating.

The tall forward immediately turned his head and advanced after taking control of the ball. He made a large pass from behind and passed Gugliotta who was delayed in advancing.

After switching to his left hand, Cook took two big steps and immediately threw the ball forward. At this time, Li You, who had completed the block, had already crossed the half court again. After receiving the ball, Kidd immediately followed up on defense.

Li You accelerated while protecting the ball. He noticed that Longley was unable to get up and down, and when he was close to the three-point line, he threw the ball to the upper right side of the basket.

Halfway through the defense, Longley could only watch helplessly as Ben Wallace rushed to the basket, leaped high, grabbed the ball from the air and then slammed the basket with both hands!
"Boom!" The empty catch dunk was successful!
The Suns fans at the scene booed loudly, and the transition attack failed. Instead, the Knicks seized the opportunity to score another 2 points.
Like Oakley, Longley faced a large number of transition attacks. He couldn't keep up with the rhythm in less than half a quarter.

Kidd handles the ball very quickly, especially in transition attacks, and his speed on the ball is among the best in the league. This is indeed not friendly enough for a big man with average running and jumping abilities.

At 16:12, watching the Knicks regain the lead, Hubie Brown immediately commented in the commentary box:
"Coach Danny Ainge should probably consider replacing Longley. In recent rounds, the two sides have been playing faster and faster. It is obvious that Longley can no longer keep up with the rhythm of the game."

This time the Suns attacked, Anfernee Hardaway followed the coach's instructions and went to the left wing without dribbling too much. He immediately lobbed the ball to Longley inside.

Facing the short Ben Wallace, Longley caught the ball and immediately released the ball with his right hand. He hit the ball hard and quickly turned towards the baseline. After switching to his left hand, he raised the ball high and hit it high to complete the throw.

"Shua!" The two-pointer was hit steadily.

The height difference between the two was too big. Watching Longley score easily, coach Danny Ainge felt comfortable on the sidelines.

Another quick baseline kick, the Knicks didn't care about losing points. Li You advanced very quickly. After passing the center line, he came to the left wing before encountering Kidd's defense.

Noticing Ben Wallace moving quickly from the basket to the three-point line, Kidd moved back slightly and waved his left arm, signaling Longley to take charge in the other direction to prepare for the delay.

Kidd moved back, and Li You suddenly jumped to dribble. While shaking his body to the right, he quickly changed direction in front of him.

Subconsciously moving to the left, Kidd realized something was wrong and jumped to defend. However, the moment Li You opened the defense, he combined the ball outside the three-point line and made a quick jump shot from the left wing!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

Waving his fist in annoyance, Kidd watched Li You raise his left hand, hold up three fingers and then pretend to retreat, and cursed twice in his heart.

Before the game started, the Suns coaching staff showed the players a lot of videos of recent Knicks games. Li You's rapid breakthrough gave Kidd greater worries tonight.

Danny Ainge immediately asked for a timeout. Tonight, Li You regained his touch. Combined with sudden shots, his offense was fast and accurate.

Oakley returned to the bench and took a quick breath, while Ewing stood up and high-fived his teammates who came off the court.

The Gorillas' recent road trip has turned into a chicken soup atmosphere. It's just that the Knicks' current predicament is not a mental problem, but a decline in physical condition.

Jeff Van Gundy also mentioned defense in the past few games. After a day off, he saw Li You regaining his touch. Alan Houston was also in good condition. During the timeout, he continued to encourage:
"Keep the pace of the game like this, Ben, Kurt, remember to rush for offensive rebounds and try to slow down the opponent!"

Oakley was substituted, and Kurt Thomas's task after coming on was to work hard to grab rebounds.

In the second half of the first quarter, the Suns replaced Longley and replaced short center Oliver Miller, and the two sides began to poke each other.

Li You and Kidd have similar playing styles. Both of them can easily find teammates in transition attacks.

Once he starts running, the game becomes very interesting. There is almost no difference between Li You's left and right hands and he can pass the ball with both hands.

Coupled with the strong personal impact in the transition offense, once there is a problem with the Suns' retreat defense, Li You will immediately go straight to the basket.

In the transition attack, Marion, who had just been assisted by Kidd, succeeded in a layup.

Looking back, Kukchi caught the ball at the right elbow of the free throw line. After sending the pass, Li You swayed laterally to the right and suddenly ran back and cut in.

With his back, Kukic sent a small ground pass covertly and took advantage of the situation to cover. Kidd made a defensive mistake and Li You immediately rushed to the basket after receiving the ball.

All the attention of the Suns team was attracted by Li You, and everyone moved towards the basket.

While walking, Li You held the ball with his left hand and cut into the basket. He quickly turned around and got out of the way of Miller, who was assisting in defense. He switched to his right hand and came to the paint area, and swung the ball to the right corner.

Li You's extremely concealed pass stunned everyone in the Suns. Anfernee Hardaway reacted quickly, but Alan Houston caught the ball and threw it!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Kidd helplessly pointed to the position under the basket and signaled his teammates not to help defend too early.

Neither side had any intention of slowing down, and Anfernee Hardaway's low-post offense also helped the Suns score points quickly.

The scene was lively, and the Suns fans were happy to see it. Later, when the extra penalty was entered, Kidd was also fouled by Li You. Seeing such a scene, head coach Danny Ainge was a little dissatisfied.

Kidd didn't play according to the game plan assigned before the game.
At the end of the first quarter, at 30:26, both teams had high shooting percentages, and the Knicks temporarily took the lead.

The game was lively, but Hubie Brown in the TNT commentary box didn't like the content of the game very much:

"The Knicks still haven't been able to solve some defensive problems. When facing tall interiors or strong forwards, it's difficult to limit opponents' scoring as they did in previous seasons."

"Of course, basketball is not just about defense. After three seasons, Lee seems more calm on the offensive end, but the Knicks should rely less on him." "Sometimes high scoring is not a good thing. Instead of scoring 40 points , it’s better to hit 28+10.”

Dick Stockton also watched some Knicks games and asked with a smile:
"Lee is stronger, but the team's forward line has declined. How should the Knicks solve this problem?"

It has nothing to do with fighting spirit or mentality. This decline in hard power also makes it difficult for Hubie Brown to evaluate:

"Maybe the Knicks need another defensive system, and I believe coach Van Gundy will solve this problem."

Anfernee Hardaway also suffered a decline in physical condition. His internal resources were taken away by Li You. He came to the Suns and was suppressed by Kidd.

I wanted to prove myself in a nationally broadcast game, but in the second quarter of the rotation, facing Artest's top defense, Anfernee Hardaway's best post-up singles were also useless.
It's useless to be full of fighting spirit. The quick and deft turns in the past have all disappeared, and the signature step-back jumper after shaking has also been hit.

Leading the team alone for the first half of the quarter, Anfernee Hardaway directly led the Suns to collapse.

Forced to request a timeout and return to the bench, Hardaway's mentality exploded.
The bench lineup, which had been in the doldrums for half a month, finally had a meal tonight. Chris Childs began to hit three-pointers from the outside, and Kurt Thomas also made steady hits in mid-range jumpers.

Kukic even made sudden penalties, and his score also increased. Artest and Ben Wallace also had some tacit understanding in their defensive response.

The Suns, who were still in the process of getting used to it, acted as a sparring partner, watching the Knicks play more and more smoothly.

Li You, who had played 39 minutes in several consecutive games, felt a lot more relaxed tonight. He only returned to the court with 4 minutes and 02 seconds left in the half.

Seemingly caught off guard by the Knicks' rotation, the Suns suddenly misfired in the second quarter.

This brought the score to 58:46 at the end of the half, with the Knicks leading by 12 points.

When the team needs to chase points, Kidd can't score points. This is the biggest difference between him and Li You at present.

In the end, the "strongest backcourt" only played one good game. The Suns made more and more mistakes in the second half. With a few simple defensive counterattacks, the Knicks easily widened the point difference.

In the TNT commentary box, as the game lost its suspense, the two also began to discuss the situation of the Western Conference this season:
"If the Knicks want to win three consecutive championships, they have to regain their previous interior defensive strength."

"The Trail Blazers have only lost one game so far. Scottie Pippen has made up for the shortcomings on the front line, making the Trail Blazers more balanced."

"The Lakers and Timberwolves also have outstanding big men. If you want to limit their performance, it will be difficult to do so with the current Knicks lineup."

Hubie Brown truthfully commented on the Knicks' current strength.

Dick Stockton looked at Ewing cheering for his teammates on the bench and couldn't help but sigh:
"If Pat recovers well, I believe he can help the team improve its defense!"

"."

Rashad Lewis, who performed well in the previous away games, was a little sluggish tonight.

But Jeff Van Gundy doesn't care. The smoke in the corner can also help the team. When offense is needed, he will still keep Lewis on the court.

In the third quarter of the game, Li You sent out 5 assists in a single quarter, and the Knicks finally played their best game in half a month.

29:22 in a single quarter, after three quarters, 87:68, the game completely lost its suspense.

Kidd sent out two assists in the 4th quarter and then went off the court to rest.

12中4，罚球6中4，12分7篮板10助攻1抢断2失误，下场时基德差点就达成三双。

安芬尼-哈达威13中4，罚球2中2，10分3篮板4助攻2失误，在第1节比赛还有运动战进球，后面基本就隐身打铁了。

The "strongest backcourt" scored 22 points together, leaving the Suns fans at the scene speechless.
出场31分钟，李佑16中9，三分线外4中2，罚球5中5，25分5篮板12助攻1抢断1盖帽1失误。

After taking a look at the technical statistics and then at Li You who was resting, Hubie Brown immediately praised:
"I like the content of Lee's game tonight. He has recorded a double-double for the first time in consecutive away games recently. The Knicks need his performance like this."

Dick Stockton didn't say anything this time. After all, it was the home court of the Suns, and the "strongest backcourt" was broken, so it was difficult to say too many sarcastic words.

Jeff Van Gundy was also relieved to avoid two consecutive losses and no longer had to listen to the slander and nagging of football commentators before Thanksgiving.

In the end, at 109:90, the Knicks had the last laugh in the competition about the strongest backcourt combination and successfully defeated the Suns.

Anfernee Hardaway was not in a good mood. After the game, he said hello and turned towards the tunnel.

At this time, Kidd and Danny Ainge started shouting loudly on the sidelines.

Suns fans are already used to this. Danny Ainge cannot suppress Kidd, and many fans even think that the team will soon change its head coach.
Ewing, who acted as a spiritual mentor, patted his teammates on the shoulders after the game and encouraged him loudly after returning to the locker room:
"Hang in there, guys! We only have two games left before Thanksgiving, and the team's record is going really well right now!"

"."

Li You didn't pay attention to the chicken soup for the soul that Gorilla kept saying, and looked at the technical statistics thoughtfully.

There were 83 offensive rounds and 14 turnovers, 3 of which occurred in garbage time.

The team made 26 of 10 three-pointers, and Alan Houston, Cooke, Chris Childs, Artest, and Lewis all scored three-pointers.

After losing their iron-blooded defense, there is only one way left for the Knicks:
"Just throw it away!"

On November 11, in back-to-back games, the Knicks challenged the Warriors away from home.

Starks entertained the Knicks before the game, and the night ended with a stalemate for both teams.

At 94:79, the Warriors' offensive attack finally allowed the mediocre Knicks to win easily.

The Knicks have one more game to play before Thanksgiving.

On the night of the 23rd, Li You came to play at Staples Center for the first time.

Since the opponent is the Clippers, taking advantage of the cheap tickets, many Lakers fans and Knicks fans came tonight.

After the start of the new season, the Clippers, who moved into the new arena, started with a record of 3 wins and 7 losses. Such a hip-stretching performance also disgusted many Los Angeles fans.

Perhaps because it was close to Thanksgiving, the Clippers played particularly hard in this game. Odom performed very well, helping the Clippers score points while also organizing the offense.

Contrary to the expectations of the coaching staff, facing a weak team, the Knicks finally widened the point difference with 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game.

At 106:99, the Knicks ended their pre-Thanksgiving schedule.

With 11 wins and 2 losses, while leading the Eastern Conference, the Knicks' record is only one game behind the Trail Blazers.

On November 11, Thanksgiving Day, the Knicks held a Thanksgiving event at the Tarrytown Training Center.

Li You and his teammates all wore aprons and hats and served lunch to the fans attending the event.

Many people drove here from Manhattan, and with the fans from Tarrytown, the training center became extremely lively.

In order to win three consecutive championships, Jeff Van Gundy has been paying close attention to training since the beginning of the new season.

No one in the Knicks complained, but after being tense for more than half a month, everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.

Training - flying - playing games - video lessons - training.
This cycle has been going on recently, and the coaching staff can't stand it anymore.

After the Knicks training camp assembled, everyone was full of confidence and full of desire for three consecutive championships, but as the November game came to an end, Larry Johnson wanted to lie down.

After distributing food to the fans, Larry Johnson took off his hat and suddenly sighed in a low voice:
"Perhaps after completing the remaining contract, I will consider retiring. It is also a good choice to enjoy life early."

"?"

Li You on the side had a question mark on his face. "Auntie" is only 30 years old now, and she was only 2000 years old in 31.

Most players will play until the age of 34. In the past, Larry Johnson planned to sign a large pension contract like Ewing, but now he is flat.

Alan Houston was a little surprised when he heard what "Auntie" said. The new season has just begun. Are you already considering retirement?

Noticing the expressions of Li You and Alan Houston, Larry Johnson grabbed a donut, took a big bite, shrugged his shoulders, and said easily:
"I know my body, and honestly, it's so tiring trying to get back to where I was before."

"Losing weight during the offseason has already made me uncomfortable. I think I should accept the reality and enjoy life early, just like Pat!"

Kukic showed an expression that was true. He has experienced these situations in the Bulls. Not every player is eager to win.

If enough dollars have been earned, perhaps the players are more eager for milk Z
Li You didn't say anything. He could understand Larry Johnson's choice. Physical decline is irreversible and has nothing to do with fighting spirit.

Ewing, who makes chicken soup for everyone every day, is still so fat, and Oakley's fat loss is also very slow.

The old guys were talking about being champions, but their actions failed to keep up.

The newbie is full of motivation, but his ability is not that good.
Seeing Li You in a daze, two little fans holding donuts and wearing No. 1 jerseys raised their heads and asked loudly:
"Lee, will we still win the championship?"

When Li You came back to his senses, he saw Artest and Ben Wallace shouting and taunting each other in the distance. Alan Houston next to him was still interacting with the fans with a smile.

After hearing the little fan's inquiry, Li You smiled and leaned over to fist bump with the two of them:
"Of course, I always keep my word! We will still win the championship."

"."

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(End of this chapter)