NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 163 "The First Human Shield" (6000 words chapter)
On December 1999, 12, the Knicks ushered in their fourth game of the week, an away game against the lousy Nets.

Since the start of the new season, the Nets have a record of 2 wins and 14 losses.

The team's performance is poor, the tickets are not sold at high prices, and the home court is often full of seats.

The fans in New Jersey don't buy it, and they will only have more fans when the visiting team comes to play a game.

Facing a weak team, Jeff Van Gundy thought it would be an easy game. However, after four quarters of hard work, the Knicks unexpectedly lost.

At 92:95, relying on Marbury's consecutive free throws at the last moment, the Nets won their third victory of the new season.

The Knicks coaching staff was dumbfounded. Chris Childs, who started the game, made consecutive mistakes at the last moment. Jeff Van Gundy almost thought that an undercover agent from the opposite team was mixed into the team.
Li You, who returned to New York to take the LSAT exam at Fordham University, took time off to rest. Even though New Jersey was very close, he didn't bother to go back and play another game at night.

After the loss, Jeff Van Gundy had no choice but to take the blame, and the New York media accused Van Gundy of poor on-the-spot response at the last moment.

It's okay to lose a game, but New York fans can't accept losing to this kind of fish belly. This is a record that was given away.

Li You, who felt relaxed after completing the exam, practiced with his husky Happy at home. The husky, which almost turned into a pig, was eventually walked until his tongue stuck out, and he lay down obediently after returning home.

In every post-game commentary on TNT, as long as there is a Knicks game that day, there will usually be a discussion. This time they lost to the slutty Nets, they will not miss this hot spot:

"Without Lee, the Knicks turned the ball over 19 times against the Nets in this game."

"It's difficult for Alan Houston and Larry Johnson to absorb too much of the ball, and the team's offensive efficiency is too poor."

"But the good news is that we can see Oakley's recovery in these two games, and he grabbed 4 offensive rebounds tonight."

"Although the December schedule is relatively friendly, the Knicks must also be nervous!"

Mike Fratello is still not optimistic about the Knicks, but as a professional commentator, he does not blame Van Gundy. After all, the game is played by the players.

Kenny Smith looked at the technical statistics and noticed that the shooting percentages of both sides were very average. He laughed and joked for a moment:
"It seems that the Knicks need Lee! Facts have proved that only Lee can efficiently absorb the ball. Most outside players will lose efficiency after gaining more shots."

24 of 9, Alan Houston scored 25 points tonight, and his shooting percentage was the same as Marbury, less than [-]%.

Teams with outside players as the core will encounter such a dilemma. Ernie Johnson did not comment on the players' performance. After being recharged, he began to preview Li You's second-generation signature shoes on the show:
"Before the Christmas war, Lee's second-generation signature shoes will also be on sale, which is definitely a good thing for fans!"

"."

"Lee Flightpostie 1" made the hooks cut leeks wildly, especially the colorful metallic colors launched in the finals, which made many fans take the initiative to swipe their cards.

The release of new sneakers will not stop the sales of the first generation, but the basic color matching will no longer be produced, and more fancy styles will be launched later.
Recently, Hook has placed a lot of advertisements. After the sales of the fourth generation of Anfernee Hardaway declined, most of the resources were given to Li You.

He didn't go out to play on the weekends. Jin still read at home every day and solved the problems. Occasionally, in his spare time, he read the newspaper or surfed at night.

Having already noticed the news in the newspaper, Jin was still a little unbelievable:

"Sneaker sales are over $6000 million, so maybe I'm really behind the times."

Unlike New Mexico, the consumption here in New York is higher. Jin, who had a small amount of savings, found that his wallet was not as big as expected.

The sales are in line with Li You's expectations, but compared with the Jordan series, his signature shoes are still far behind.

Before retiring, the Jordan 14 was selling very well, and after Michael retired, the sales of the ugly Jordan 15 were still not affected much.

Whether they are red and black or North Carolina, the two shoes are still very popular. The news Li You got from Mark Parker is that the sales of McNuckle's two sneakers have exceeded [-] million.
"There are many opportunities to make money. Remember to read the stock news for me. I'm afraid I will miss useful news!"

Most stocks are still rising, and Qualcomm has gone completely crazy. Li You is afraid of being cut off suddenly, and has recently mobilized everyone around him to pay attention to the news.

Jin could only nod along. After learning about Li You's investment, he was a little worried at this time. After all, the stock cannot keep rising:

“I saw that pet supplies website was doing a Macy’s event on Thanksgiving.”

"To be honest, the more information I learn, the more I feel that the stocks of these companies will fall sooner or later. Maybe by the end of the month, I should be ready to leave the market."

Li You nodded. This was also his idea. It was true to end the game of drumming and passing flowers as soon as possible and make a safe bet.

At the end of the year, the Internet's feast was still going on, and many Knicks players were buying stocks.

It’s just that players mostly buy whatever stockbrokers recommend.

Li You never promotes the stocks he buys in the team. It is easy to make money. Once he is cut off and loses everything, it will definitely cause controversy.

The Knicks have a relatively easy schedule in December, with only 12 games to play that month.

In order to show his full commitment to the championship, Ewing called on everyone to bid farewell to the night with him.
In the past, when encountering such an easy schedule, I would definitely go out to have fun at night and take care of Oakley's friends.

It’s just that the team is in a critical period this year, and Gorilla plans to retire when his contract ends. In order to avoid being hurt by drinking and sex, Ewing took the initiative to express his position after the training session on the morning of the 5th:
"We also have to be nervous before the All-Star Game. We cannot relax at this time. No matter what the schedule and opponents are, we have to be strict with ourselves."

It's just that the gorilla's words are unconvincing. After all, he himself is a representative of unself-discipline.
Most of the players looked at Li You, everyone wanted to hear the true core's thoughts.

"What Pat said makes sense. Many games are difficult to play, and we know why. If we want to achieve good results in the regular season, we really need to be nervous at this time."

Li You didn't make trouble either. If the players want to go out and play, it's useless to rely on verbal assurances. At this time, they are just expressing their stance. If they really want to get nervous, they still have to look at the number of players in the main lineup.

Oakley quickly agreed. In the last year of the old guy's contract, in addition to squeezing the newbies on a daily basis, the remaining pursuit is to win three consecutive championships.

Alan Houston and Larry Johnson also agreed that "Big Mom" ​​just has more than enough intentions but not enough power.

There's still no problem with the attitude towards the game, but don't expect to perform brilliantly anymore.

After the small player meeting, everyone in the Knicks decided to "stop drinking and sex" and go all out to play this month's games.
On the night of the 5th, Oakley, who was back in form, allowed the Knicks' defense to regain a glimmer of its past glory.

80:108, the Knicks defeated the Nuggets at home.

The victory over the opponent was inseparable from the undercover performance of Van Exel and Billups.

前者23中7，三分线外9中1，低效砍下了18分并且还送出了4次失误。

比卢普斯全场隐身，5中1，怒砍6分3篮板1助攻3失误，“水货”的名号已经稳稳地扣在了他的头上。

In the three games in Week 2, the Warriors continued to provide warmth, and the Knicks continued to defeat their opponents 83:109.

The 76ers, who lacked Iverson, did not improve their offense after coming to New York, 78:107, and failed to score 80 points.

It wasn't until the night of the 12th that the Knicks encountered the Celtics at home.

Paul Pierce's injury caused fluctuations in the Celtics' record, which had been performing well since the start of the game.

The two sides fought until the fourth quarter that night. Antoine Walker suddenly hit the ball continuously, and the Knicks seized the opportunity to play a transition attack, which established the victory in one fell swoop.

At 97:106, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents and once again won 4 consecutive games.

Despite winning his opponent, Jeff Van Gundy did not smile after the game, and the New York media was not in a good mood either.

宣传了好几天的复出之战，最终尤因只出场28分钟，11中3，拿到8分7篮板2助攻1盖帽3失误。

The Celtics team led by head coach Pitino has always played a whirlwind and fast game. The gorilla can't run anymore, and it is obvious to the naked eye that it cannot keep up with the rhythm of the game.

At the press conference after the game, perhaps because he was a little disappointed with his performance, Gorilla did not attend. As soon as Li You sat down, the sports media in the audience actively asked questions:

"Li, after resting for more than half a year, how do you think Pat is recovering? His performance tonight seems to have failed to meet everyone's expectations."

As the person who knows Ewing's status best, Li You has never had any illusions. The Achilles tendon injury caused the gorilla to lose his explosive power.

Unless you want to reach a very deep position, you can hardly see the previous throws that let the ball jump and reach the basket.

The chain reaction brought about by the decline in athletic ability is the decline in "penalty blasting power". Like "Auntie", Ewing's ability to make free throws has also declined.

"Give Pat more time, recovering from a serious injury is never easy!"

"We will help Pat find the rhythm of the game through half a month of competition."

Li You briefly introduced the team's plan, and the New York media in the audience began to look forward to it again.
On December 12, the Knicks flew to Houston to challenge the Rockets away from home.

Since the start of the new season, the Rockets have only posted a record of 7 wins and 15 losses.

The biggest reason for the strained record is injuries. Barkley had previously strained his Achilles tendon, and he also suffered a pelvic injury in the game against the Magic two days ago.

As for Olajuwon, he just sat down this season, which made the core of the Rockets become Francis and Cardinal Mobley.

It was rare to encounter a soft persimmon, and the Rockets' offensive rhythm was not fast. Li You took the initiative to slow down, and with the cooperation of the whole team, he helped Ewing find a feeling for the game.

出场32分钟，尤因10中6，罚球8中8，怒砍20分5篮板1盖帽2失误。

Ewing the pie efficiently, Ewing destroyed the Rockets' interior combination of Carlos Rodgers and Thomas Hamilton.

Smiling after winning the game, seeing Ewing score 20 points, the headlines of the sports section of the New York paper media the next day were roughly the same news:
"The league's number one center announces his return!"

The New York media rejoiced too early. In the away game against the Mavericks on the 16th, Ewing succumbed again to the rapid transition between offense and defense.
Nowitzki, who had never been impressed by the Gorilla before, made 19 of 8 that night, shooting from inside and outside, and scored 24 points in front of the "league's best center".

尤因出场24分钟，10中4，拿到10分6篮板2失误。

At 102:93, the Knicks did not show dominance in the game and stumbled to victory.

这场比赛李佑出场39分钟，23中14，三分线外10中4，罚球6中6，极其高效地砍下了38分6篮板10助攻3抢断3失误的数据。杰夫-范甘迪彻底死心，尤因已经无法适应快节奏的比赛了。

When the Knicks' offensive possessions reach 85, Oakley and Ewing's playing time will decrease.

When faced with a team like the Mavericks, which has a fast offensive pace and can throw the ball 89 times in a game, the veterans can't stand it anymore.

After the game, in the Knicks locker room, the New York reporters accompanying the team were a little disappointed. The Gorillas failed to perform as they expected.

However, during the interview, everyone still saved face for Ewing:
"Pat, through these few games, have you gradually regained some of your playing rhythm?"

Ewing, who forced a smile and realized his own problem, was a little unsure when answering the question:

"I still need more games, and my body is still recovering."

"."

On December 12, the Knicks returned to New York to face the Wizards at home.

With 7 wins and 17 losses, after Michael Jordan became the Director of Basketball Operations for the Wizards, the team's record fell into the top spot again.

Consecutive losses made Maidun completely numb.

You can still see this figure at the beginning of the season, but with the Wizards' poor record, McDuck no longer watches the game.

After all, sports reporters like to watch him have fun. Every time he loses, he is ridiculed. Michael Jordan, who is extremely competitive, can't stand it and simply disappears.
Hamilton was injured early in the season and could only watch the game from the bench.

Encountering a team with a slow offensive rhythm, under the control of Li You, Ewing became active again.

The Gorillas also wanted to show themselves in front of the home fans, and they worked particularly hard after the game started.

At the top of the arc, Ewing moved quickly and stood at the three-point line. Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, faced Strickland's defense and suddenly pushed the ball quickly to change direction and lead the ball forward.

Taking advantage of the opponent being delayed by Ewing's pick-and-roll, the moment Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand, he lowered his center of gravity and quickly pushed the ball to change direction when faced with Jahidi White, who had switched defenses.

The high-quality cover allowed Li You to get rid of the defense in an instant and easily passed between the two.

Amid the cheers of the New York fans at the scene, Li You, who grabbed the ball with his left hand, went straight to the basket. Facing Juwan Howard who came up to help defend, he adjusted his steps and took the initiative to confront the opponent physically.

The two collided in the air, and Li You took advantage of the situation. He tilted his body in the air, and under the surprised eyes of Juwan Howard, he lay back and shot, and casually threw the ball to the basket with his left hand!
"Squeak! Swish!"

The buzzer sounded and the ball was scored. After landing, Li You briefly pumped his fist. After high-fiving Ewing in celebration, he walked to the free throw line with a calm expression.

After landing, Juwan Howard looked helplessly at the scoreboard with his hands on his hips. Compared with previous games, as the quality of the screen improved, Li You's breakthrough became easier.

"Wow!"

Although tonight's game was considered a waste, the beautiful goal still made the New York fans scream with joy.

In the MSG commentary box, Walter Fred was loudly praising Ewing's cover at this time:

"Compared to Ben, Pat's size can provide high-quality coverage, which will further improve Lee's efficiency."

"Maybe the independent offensive ability has declined, but I believe Pat will use another form to help the team win the game!"

Commentator Mike Breen looked a little weird. In his opinion, the so-called other method was the human shield tool man.

His independent offensive ability has declined. Ewing, who has returned from injury, basically catches the ball after picking and rolling to complete the offense. Although the shooting rate seems to be good, most of them are taking advantage of the cake:

"Lee controlled the rhythm of the game very well. For Pat, scoring is no longer important. I believe he will find his own position in the game again."

The "league's No. [-] center" has turned into a meat shield, which is actually very shameful.

Ewing has also tried low-post attacks in the past few games, but the results were not very good. Instead, he just took advantage of the situation and can still maintain a good state.

As the game progressed, the Knicks gradually widened the point difference. The New York fans at the scene also saw Ewing running down the pick-and-roll again and again, receiving a pass from Li You in the paint, and completing the attack.

After eating too much pie, he finally found his touch, and Ewing followed suit with mid-range jump shots from the left and right near the baseline.

Facing the underperforming Wizards, Ewing finally had another dumpling!
With 4 minutes and 6 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ewing was also substituted.

出场28分钟，尤因14中8，罚球4中4，砍下20分7篮板1盖帽1失误的数据。

With such an efficient performance, Jeff Van Gundy was completely relieved. In terms of finishing at the basket, Ewing is still reliable.

In the end, 92:102, the Knicks, playing at home, successfully defeated their opponents and continued their winning streak!
After returning from injury, Ewing participated in the post-game press conference for the first time.

The "league's number one center" has become the "league's number one human shield." The New York media knew this, but at the scene, everyone kept praising Ewing's performance.

The business exchange was pleasant, until a Los Angeles reporter deliberately asked:

"Pat, I noticed that since you came back from injury, you rarely complete offense in the low post. Can you tell me why?"

Ewing, who is very aware of his physical condition, did not pay attention to the other party's ridicule. He was very happy to score 20 points:

"Low-post offense doesn't fit with the Knicks' current tactical arrangements. I just want to help the team win."

"."

On the 19th, at the Tarrytown Training Center, Ben Wallace was immersed in strength training after the morning video session.

As Ewing returns from injury, "Little Ben" has also been affected, and his playing time has been reduced.

Most players don't like to step out of their comfort zone, and Ben Wallace is no exception.

The coaching staff hopes that "Little Ben" can improve his finishing at the basket, but some technical skills are really not suitable for Ben Wallace.

During this period, the opponents were not strong, and the Knicks won consecutive games, which made everyone feel good.

After the players left the multimedia room, assistant coach Thibodeau couldn't help but sigh in a low voice to the assistant coaches on the side:

"If it was Lee from previous seasons, it would be difficult to take care of the big man calmly."

"This is indeed a good thing for us. At least Pat is gradually getting back to his game state."

This morning's video class mainly introduces the tactics of the Trail Blazers and Lakers. The rest is information about the opponent in the Christmas game, the Pacers.

Jeff Van Gundy is not as optimistic as the assistant coaches. Looking at the data collected, most teams in the league play at a fast pace. Taking 83 shots in a game is not difficult for everyone:

"Pay attention to Pat's physical condition. I don't want to see him get injured again after just recovering from injury."

Coach Van Gundy made the request, and everyone nodded. Taking a lesson from the Rockets, the Knicks are currently being more careful about the use of veterans.

Christmas is approaching, which also means that the voting results for the All-Star Game will be released soon. Players who are aspiring to be All-Stars are starting to express themselves at this time.

Kobe Bryant's return from injury did not receive as much attention as Ewing.

Rather than quietly playing a supporting role, Kobe always wanted to express himself, but the few games after his comeback affected the previous team atmosphere.

On the night of the 20th, the Lakers challenged the Celtics away from home. The game did not go as smoothly as Phil Jackson expected.

奥尼尔20中13，砍下34分20篮板2助攻2盖帽8失误的数据。

Despite their explosive performance, the Lakers stumbled.

Compared with some previous games, the Lakers began to fall into a singles cycle again.

Kobe, who was able to absorb the ball, was not polite to the Sharks. In individual games, he took more shots than O'Neal.

With 22 wins and 5 losses, the Lakers had an excellent record, which caused most media to boast about the team's dominance.

In a simultaneous game that night, the Knicks faced off against the Raptors at home.

Carter, whose popularity has skyrocketed this season, also allowed New York fans to witness explosive dunks.

With 14 wins and 11 losses, the Raptors are currently in very good shape. Carter is a latecomer and has become the core of the team, while McGrady is still waiting for opportunities on the bench.

With the blessing of the "league's best human shield", Li You played particularly easily.

In the second quarter of the game, the Raptors' offense suddenly misfired. Faced with Artest's tough defense, Carter was a little uncomfortable for a while.

At 14:26 of a single quarter, after half-time, the score was fixed at 40:54.

In the MSG commentary box, Mike Breen glanced at the technical statistics and found that Ewing only scored 4 points. He could only sigh and said:

"There is no problem with coach Van Gundy's rotation. When the opponent frequently launches transition attacks and tries to speed up the rhythm, we really need Ben Wallace who is more mobile."

After less than half a month of playing, Walter Frazier finally saw Ewing’s true situation:

"If you want to win the championship, you must make some sacrifices. Three consecutive championships is never easy. I hope Pat can adjust his mentality in time."

"."

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(End of this chapter)