NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 165: The new generation of stars officially debut (6600 words chapter)
On January 2000, 1, the Knicks challenged the Spurs away from home.

This game was the first time the two sides met this season. San Antonio fans were particularly excited. The local newspaper media also called this game a revenge game.

The attendance at the Alamodome has soared. When we met a bad team, there were only more than 14000 people in attendance. Tonight, more than 34000 fans were extremely engaged after the game started.

At the end of the first half, at 48:52, the Knicks trailed by 4 points. By the time the third quarter was over, the atmosphere was already furious.

At 68:77, the Spurs successfully took a 9-point lead by playing more steadily.

This game, which was broadcast nationally by TNT, received a lot of attention, after all, the two teams only played against each other twice a season.

The regular season record can also reflect the strength of the two teams, and most football commentators also want to see how the Knicks, whose defensive end has declined, will perform against the Twin Towers team.

The 9-point lead made Coach Popovich smile on the sidelines. He had been preparing for this game for more than a week.

In the three quarters of the game, Tim Duncan only rested for a total of 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

After playing the third quarter, Duncan, who returned to the bench, couldn't help but start breathing heavily.

This is how the donkeys of the production team are used.
Holding the tactical board, Popovich noticed Duncan's situation and hurriedly called to the short forward Malik Rose:

"Be sure to pay attention to rebounding after coming on the court. Hold on, we will win soon!"

After a brief encouragement, Popovich kept drawing on the tactical board, and then kept reminding the players who were about to appear.

On the other side of the Knicks bench, Jeff Van Gundy felt helpless as he looked at Oakley, who committed five fouls, and Kurt Thomas, who committed four fouls.

The Spurs' tactics are not complicated and they give the ball to Duncan in most rounds.

At the end of the three quarters, Duncan made 16 of 13 free throws. Single-handedly, the Knicks power forwards almost fouled out with six fouls.

The foul tactic was a complete failure, and the coaching staff did not expect Duncan to be so accurate in his free throws tonight.

It's just that the game plan that is formulated usually does not change halfway, and fouls continue to occur if you cannot prevent it.

Rashard Lewis also got more playing time than usual as a tool tonight.

In previous games, Jeff Van Gundy still trusted Kurt Thomas, who had a tough style of play. Lewis, who suffered on the defensive end, was unable to play in key games.

"Rashad, remember to participate in the defense, don't let me get the fifth foul prematurely, and the offensive end must take decisive action after receiving the ball!"

"Don't worry about the score difference, we still have a lot of time!"

Jeff Van Gundy clapped his hands and didn't talk about tactical issues. He just sent out chicken soup continuously and gave some precautions by the way.

Ewing slumped again tonight. Although the Spurs' offensive rhythm is not fast, Duncan and David Robinson always like to squeeze his soft persimmon.

Melee combat situations sometimes test physical fitness more, and you also have to protect the rebounds from the rush of two big men. At the end of the three quarters, the Gorillas basically rested.

Larry Johnson's eyes were wide-eyed on the bench, and he shot 10-for-3 again tonight. This has almost become his normal data.

Before taking the court, Jeff Van Gundy patted Li You on the shoulder again, and the on-site director also captured this scene. This scene has appeared frequently recently.
The depressed Oakley also scolded Duncan on the bench for taking too many free throws. His tough defense was always targeted by the referee. Every time he met the Spurs, the old guy was not in a good mood.

In the TNT commentary box, Dick Stockton also teased the two head coaches:

"After Coach Popovich handed the ball to Tim, Coach Van Gundy was about to use the Knicks' final tactics."

"Lee was in good form tonight, but the Knicks' response was average. I can look forward to the showdown between the two sides in the fourth quarter."

Hubie Brown then began to comment on the Knicks’ tactics:
"The big man got to the elbow and with Lee's vision and passing ability, it really allowed the Knicks to get easy shots."

"But as long as the shot misses and the Spurs protect the rebound, they will have an easy chance to counterattack."

"At this point, Coach Popovich is too conservative. Many times they can choose fast breaks. If they can seize the opportunity to counterattack, maybe the Spurs are already leading by double digits at this time."

In the last quarter of the game, the Spurs were also forced to rotate:

Avery Johnson and Antonio Daniels partner in the backcourt, Jaren Jackson and Malik Rose are on the front line, and David Robinson is at center.

"Defense!."

The Spurs fans at the scene shouted excitedly. After Avery Johnson came on the stage, he first gave himself two bangs, and then kept high-fiving to encourage his teammates.

This set of operations made the fans at the scene even more excited and the shouts became a little louder.

The Knicks took the lead in attacking and received the baseline ball. Li You was speechless looking at the "little general" who was eager to perform.

There was no need for fancy shaking. With the cooperation of the ball protector, Li You pushed forward all the way and quickly rushed through the half court with the ball in his left hand.

Outside the three-point line, Avery Johnson glanced at the position of the Knicks behind him, once again chose to defend, and at the same time called David Robinson to prepare for a double-team.

It's still a "V" position, with Ben Wallace and Cooke standing at the left and right elbows, and Alan Houston and Lewis moving in the left and right corners.

Without Li You's call, Ben Wallace immediately moved to the left wing to provide a fake screen, while David Robinson cooperated with his teammates to quickly double-team Li You.

Li You, who holds the ball in his left hand, quickly sends a pass after pulling the defense outwards.

The basketball accurately passed between the two double-teamed players, bounced to the floor and flew high into the air.

After Ben Wallace finished the fake screen, he sprinted towards the basket. After receiving the early pass in the paint area, he immediately took a big step, ignoring Malik Rose who was assisting in defense, and leaped high. Finally, he grabbed the ball with both hands and hit the frame hard!
"boom!"

The basket roared, and Malik Rose, who was assisting on defense, was knocked crooked and almost fell into the street.

The short, heavy forward was almost dunked. First there was a burst of exclamations, and then there was a loud boo.

"Fuck!."

Ben Wallace was particularly excited after completing the dunk. Farc knocked the defender in front of him, and when retreating from defense, he jumped up and bumped chests with Li You in celebration.

70:77, the score difference was temporarily narrowed.

Without Duncan's help in defense, the Spurs' interior defense quality is also declining.

Popovich glanced at Duncan again on the sidelines, and he was already preparing to let his thigh appear early.
Avery Johnson quickly dribbled across the half court under the leadership of Li You. The Spurs had already opened up in sequence, and David Robinson asked for the ball in the low post on the left.

Ben Wallace tried his best to defend and kept going forward. Li You, who was on the line, also interfered. Due to the delay between the two, the quality of the final pass sent by the "little general" was not high.

David Robinson's receiving position is also a bit far away from the basket.

The moment he caught the ball, he quickly turned towards the baseline. David Robinson only dribbled the ball once, then reached the basket and used his height advantage to force a layup.

The Spurs atmosphere team cheered loudly along with the fans. The Knicks quickly took the baseline kick, and Li You once again pushed Avery Johnson through the half court.

The Knicks used the same tactics. Li You still used the pick-and-roll on the left, and Ben Wallace quickly moved down.

This time, Avery Johnson followed to help defend the inside line and cut off the passing route. At the same time, David Robinson, who was on the line, also raised his right hand and switched to defend in front of Li You.

The "general" with very good agility is also the guarantee of the Spurs' defense.

Faced with the opponent's sudden change in defensive strategy, Li You just moved slowly with the ball in his left hand.

Taking advantage of the "Admiral" to come forward, Li You suddenly changed the direction of his crotch. While shaking his body to the right, he switched to his right hand and quickly crossed and pulled back.

David Robinson was shifted to focus on defense, but he did not lose his position at this time. Li You, who was switched to his left hand, paused slightly, then pretended to join the ball with his right hand and looked up at the basket, shaking the "Admiral" subconsciously.

Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity and leaned forward with the ball in his left hand to accelerate. This time David Robinson overreacted and slid back to the right desperately.

Just after dribbling across the three-point line, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped and pulled back with his feet. Before David Robinson jumped up to block the shot, the left wing quickly made a jump shot!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

At 73:79, the point difference was narrowed again.

Seeing Li You shaking his head and retreating, David Robinson, who was stuck on the spot, cursed.

The fans couldn't see the details, they just felt that the "Admiral" was shaken to the point of dancing, and his tough response to the ball made the boos mute by half.

In the TNT commentary box, Hubie Brown couldn't help but praise Li You's goal loudly:

"Dribbling the ball as he pleases, succinctly and efficiently shifting the defender's focus. It's difficult for big men to limit Lee's offense one-on-one."

"Switching defenses won't work. The Spurs need to continue their previous defensive strategy."

David Robinson, who had lost face, attacked the basket again in the offensive round. Lewis suddenly assisted in the defense. The "Admiral" went to the line and made a throw and finally missed the basket.

After the second takeoff, Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound. The Spurs immediately retreated from defense, and David Robinson ran even faster.

Li You caught the ball and advanced, chasing the opponent's butt and rushing across the half court. Players from both teams suddenly started running, which also made the fans at the scene scream.

Just after returning to the elbow position, David Robinson originally wanted to direct his teammates to defend their position. When he turned his head forward, he saw that Ben Wallace's high screen made Avery Johnson lose his defensive position.

At this time, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, had completely gotten rid of the defense. He noticed that David Robinson, who was quickly assisting in defense, did not slow down and continued to press his shoulders to break through.

Avery Johnson behind him pursued the defense, David Robinson in front of him jumped upwards, and Li You suddenly took a large step back when he was close to the three-point line.

Before the two men could defend in place, Li You drifted slightly to the left and quickly converted and shot a three-point jumper!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

The right time allowed Li You to complete the attack, but then the three of them fell to the three-point line at the same time.

The excessive defensive action made the referee on the sideline hesitate for a moment before blowing the whistle.

"Shh!"

Seeing Li You being pulled up, Spurs fans felt that this scene seemed familiar, and the Alamodome erupted into the loudest boos since the start of the game.

"God! How did Lee do it? The Spurs' defense is in place, incredible shooting ability!"

Dick Stockton subconsciously raised his voice, while Hubie Brown on the side commented seriously:

"David Robinson should look in front of him. Although the Knicks may counterattack and score 2 points, it is better than losing 4 points."

"This is the strength of MVP. Lee's influence on the offensive end is unique in the league."

Seeing Li Youjia hit the free throw steadily, the Knicks bench was already boiling.

At 77:79, in just a few rounds, the point difference was narrowed to 2 points, and Popovich immediately requested a timeout.

On the bench, Artest shouted excitedly and high-fived several people on the bench to celebrate. Ewing also stood up and applauded. Without Jeff Van Gundy's chicken soup, the gorilla was the first to speak:

"Work harder! Make a foul and send him to the free throw line. We will take the lead in no time!"

Everyone gathered in a circle and had a lively discussion. Jeff Van Gundy hurriedly squeezed in and reminded loudly:

"Rashad, pay attention to your defensive position. If the opponent is close to the basket, foul in advance!" Lewis quickly signaled that he understood. Alan Houston also clapped his hands in encouragement. With just one breath, the Knicks could complete the counterattack.

Before taking the field, Li You pointed to the right corner, and Lewis immediately patted his chest to show that he was ready.

After only resting for less than 2 minutes, Duncan came on the court again. After the timeout, the Spurs started from Duncan simply and roughly. Lewis failed to withstand it and committed a clean foul.

Kuqi originally wanted to double-team in advance, but when he saw Duncan hit the first free throw, he quickly blocked the position in advance to prepare to protect the rebound.

Duncan deliberately took a look, but the second free throw still hit the back edge of the basket. Ben Wallace only blocked the position and did not grab the rebound. After shrinking, Kukoc grabbed the rebound and immediately threw the ball to Li You.

Avery Johnson, who tried hard to delay, only slowed down Li You slightly.

Quickly retreating to the Spurs, everyone focused all their attention on Li You. On the left wing, David Robinson saw Li You's crotch change direction and cut through the middle while hanging on the defense. He immediately moved to the paint area. .

Duncan also retreated, and when Li You broke through to the front of the basket, the Spurs' two big men were already surrounding him.

Instead of forcing the attack, Li You took advantage of the situation and distributed the ball to the right corner. There was no one in front of him. After a slight adjustment, Lewis caught the ball and threw it!

"Shua!" Three-pointer and then scored!

The Spurs fans at the scene suddenly fell silent. Everyone on the Knicks bench raised their right hands and raised three fingers.

At 80:79, Lewis, who hit the key go-ahead ball, pumped his fist and roared excitedly.

Seeing Li You retreating with a smile, the Spurs fans couldn't stand it any longer, and shouts and curses began to echo throughout the arena.

In the next round, David Robinson made two free throws. Looking back, Li You assisted again and suddenly slipped through the baseline and cut into Alan Houston for another 2 points.

Watching the Knicks go from a 9-point deficit to a 3-point lead, Popovich was completely confused.
The defense was broken through by Li You again and again, and Popovich could only keep shouting loudly to remind the Spurs to defend.

If the coach is allowed to play, Popovich would like to go up and punch Li Youlai twice.

David Robinson, who was furiously attacking the basket, kept hitting the iron. Seeing the point difference widening, there was gradually no sound in the arena.

Although veteran Terry Porter made sudden inside and outside shots after his debut, helping the Spurs score consecutive points, the Twin Towers misfired and the Knicks continued to respond with the ball. Popovich could only watch the game time pass.

With 18 seconds left in the game, Li You stood on the free throw line and made two free throws.

At 102:96, as the Spurs made a three-pointer, the long rebound was collected by Li You, and the game was completely over.

Li You handed the ball to the referee, stood in the center of the field, smiled and pumped his fist in celebration.

Alan Houston and everyone rushed over, hugged Li You and shouted happily, reversing the game and everyone felt comfortable.

Jeff Van Gundy was also excited and pumped his fists. The smile on his face could no longer be suppressed. He walked towards the technical stage, looked at the dark-faced Popovich, shook hands and took the initiative to hug:

"Greg, the Spurs were the better team tonight!"

"."

Popovich was so angry at the words of the bald young coach that the better team lost?
In the TNT commentary box, Hubie Brown looked at the technical statistics and shook his head subconsciously:

"The Spurs relied too much on Tim Duncan. By the fourth quarter of the game, his physical fitness declined, and it was difficult for Duncan to finish at the basket."

"Popovich should reduce Duncan's usage time, and David Robinson should also improve his efficiency."

"Admiral" went 4-of-7 in the fourth quarter, scoring 1 points and 2 rebounds. He was reversed, which was inseparable from his undercover performance.

出场44分钟，19中9，罚球18中14，32分15篮板4助攻2盖帽4失误，除了第4节表现拉胯，邓肯打爆了尼克斯队的内线。

Dick Stockton noticed that Duncan turned around and left after the game, and heard the yelling and swearing at the scene. He couldn't help but joked:
"Maybe Duncan is a little disappointed with his performance, but the coaching staff does have a certain responsibility when a 9-point lead was overturned."

"Lee was omnipotent tonight, and leading the team to complete the reversal in the 4th quarter was even more impressive!"

"This is MVP, and I believe the Knicks can defend the title."

出场40分钟，22中12，三分线外9中5，罚球9中8，37分6篮板8助攻2抢断3失误。

After struggling against the Nets two days ago, Li You once again performed efficiently.

Every time the Spurs lose to the Knicks, the San Antonio media will criticize Popovich, who is always trying to criticize Duncan.

In addition to praising Li You, the New York media will not forget to praise Ewing's performance.

出场30分钟，11中5，罚球6中4，14分10篮板2盖帽2失误。

Even though Li You deliberately slowed down the pace, the Gorillas were still able to get double-doubles in every game.

If it were Li You who had been in the first three seasons, he really couldn't sustain the slow-paced positional battle. Ewing, whose condition was declining, could be regarded as reaping the dividends of Li You, and his data gradually recovered after his comeback.

On January 1, the NBA announced this week's Player of the Week, and Li You finally won the award.

Perhaps because he thought the New York media would go berserk if he didn't get the best player of the week, Francis, who had an outstanding performance this week, was overpowered by Li You.

The Knicks achieved a record of 3 wins and 0 losses this week, and Li You played 37.3 minutes;

场均拿到29.7分5.7篮板9.0助攻2.3抢断2.3失误；

Averaged 20.7 shots per game, shooting 49.8% from the field, 7.3 shots from beyond the three-point line, and 44.4% from three-pointers;

He averaged 6.7 free throws per game and made 90.7% of his free throws.

Although Francis's score was not as good as that of Li You, his shooting percentage was better. He rarely performed efficiently and did not win the best of the week. It was a lemon for a while.

After the NBA announced the awards, the rookie complained a few words in front of the Houston media:

"The league will only take care of players in big markets."

On the 24th, the NBA officially announced the voting results for the Oakland All-Star Game:
Li You was successfully elected as this season's All-Star Game vote king with 192 million votes!
The outstanding performance in the Christmas battle brought Li You a lot of votes.

Vince Carter received 191 million votes, losing to Li You by a narrow margin.

The two are also the only players to receive 190 million+ votes.

阿朗佐-莫宁拿到了187万票排在第3位，艾弗森以184万票排在第4位，奥尼尔拿到了180万票，排在第5位。

After the voting results were announced, the petty O'Neal was almost blown away. The Lakers had the best record in the league, and he was almost like Chamberlain, but he only ranked fifth in the voting.
The Los Angeles media failed to interview the depressed Shark immediately. O'Neal, who felt that he had lost face, kept several people in mind.

The voting results were officially announced, and the Eastern and Western All-Star starting lineups were also officially announced:
The five Eastern Conference All-Star starters are:

Li You, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, Alonzo Mourning;

The five starting Western Conference All-Stars are:

Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal.

The new generation of stars has completely surpassed the old stars and officially made their debut!
In the Western Conference backcourt, Kidd and Kobe received 106 million votes and 102 million votes respectively. Their votes beat Gary Payton's 89 votes. The old guys are about to withdraw from the All-Star Game.

On the evening of the 24th, at Madison Square Garden, Li You, wearing a blue Knicks training uniform, received the Player of the Week trophy with a smile.

Although it was only a small award, the New York fans were also happy and kept shouting loudly:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Gary Payton is not in a good mood. The Sonics currently have a record of 27 wins and 15 losses. The results are not bad, but the All-Star starting position is gone.

After the game started, "Glove" Payton took the initiative to exert his strength. As a result, he only played three rounds and broke through to the inside and landed on his foot.
Less than 3 minutes later, Gary Payton, who was beating the floor angrily, left the game.

Injuries occurred, and this nationally broadcast game became boring.

Just like the Knicks' defense has declined, the Sonics' defense has also collapsed this season.

Although the fat Vin Baker can still contribute 20+10, his role on the defensive end is limited.

The supplementary Horace Grant has lived up to his previous bravery and was almost invisible throughout the game.

102:112, the Knicks blossomed more and successfully defeated their opponents!

李佑再次送出15次助攻，阿兰-休斯顿17中11，三分线外3中2，罚球3中3，高效砍下27分7篮板2助攻。

Larry Johnson also had a dumpling meal, shooting 15 of 7 and 8 of 8 free throws, scoring a season-high 24 points.

At the post-game press conference, the New York media in the audience were all smiles. Li You won the vote, and O'Neal ranked fifth. This situation made it possible to ridicule the opponent again.

After Li You and Alan Houston sat down, many New York reporters started cheering:

"Winning the All-Star vote for the first time in your career, Lee, how does it feel?"

Li You straightened the microphone and started the commercial exchange mode with a smile:
"This is a victory for New York! Thank you everyone for supporting the Knicks!"

Many people began to applaud, and the article was not in vain. It continued for three months, and everyone contributed to the vote-winner!
Li You, who was in a great mood, pulled Alan Houston and started to brag loudly to everyone in the audience. After holding the ball for three months and constantly "beating" him, his talent finally changed:
[Karl Malone’s extraordinary physique] turned purple!

In the simultaneous game that night, the Lakers fought hard for two overtimes and ultimately lost.

101:105, the Jazz at home successfully defeated the Lakers!

打了55分钟，31中16，奥尼尔砍下36分9篮板3助攻2抢断6盖帽3失误的全能数据。

Losing to an old rival again, O'Neal was extremely depressed. Kobe Bryant made 24 of 9 shots and scored 26 points. The "strongest duo in the league" lost to Old Man Basketball, so they were naturally ridiculed crazily.
After the game, O'Neal, who lost to MMP, was asked about the All-Star voting. At this time, Shark could only say sourly:
"I don't care about losing because we are still number one in the league!"

"As for the All-Star voting results, fans just prefer to watch offense. The Lakers are the better team."

"."

In the last two games at the end of January, the Knicks lost two consecutive games for the first time this season.

The loss to the Hawks was considered a poor touch, and in the loss to the Kings, the opponent scored 111 points.

Under the leadership of head coach Adelman, the Kings, who were speeding up like crazy, took 88 shots in the game.

The offensive end quickly moved the ball, coupled with a large number of transition offenses, but the Knicks veterans failed to withstand it, and the defense collapsed again.

At the end of the January schedule, the record reached 1 wins and 32 losses, and the Knicks still led the Eastern Conference.

The New York media also saw the team's problems at this time. Jeff Van Gundy adjusted his mentality and confidently expressed his stance after the game:
"The team's condition is getting better and better. If we give the young people some time, I believe they can realize their talents!"

"."

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