NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 172 A style of play that cannot be hardened (5200 words chapter)
In the NBA, it has almost become a consensus that players born in New York are always overrated.

Thanks to the New York media, as long as you grow up in New York and show some talent, you will be favored by the New York media.

Marbury, the son of New York, is the beneficiary. Before the 96 draft, this player was touted to the sky.

The Knicks are also beneficiaries. In the 1999-2000 season, Alan Houston and Ray Allen played almost the same data. Both of them entered the All-Stars, but their attention was far different.

阿兰-休斯顿本赛季出手权没太大变化，场均21.2分3.5篮板2.2助攻0.7抢断2.1失误；

He averaged 17.2 shots per game, shooting 45.5% from the field, and averaged 5.0 shots per game from beyond the three-point line, shooting 42.3% from the field.

Compared with Ray Allen, Alan Houston missed one less free throw, averaging 4.1 free throws per game and shooting 83.5% from the free throw line.

The playing styles of the two are also very similar. Alan Houston will play more low post singles, but the main method of scoring is to catch and shoot after the screen, and to break through after receiving the ball.

Averaging 20 points per game, he deserves to be named an All-Star.

It's just that in terms of external criticism, Alan Houston is a tough guy who can stand up to others, but Ray Allen is a softie who shoots freely.
The reason for this is mainly caused by the sports media.

The New York media is blowing the news every day. Even Lewis, whose playing style is not very tough and his defense is mediocre, is about to become a top rim protector!

Not to mention the treatment of Alan Houston in the main lineup:

"The best shooting guard in the league!"

"."

After the end of G1 in the first round of the playoffs, the second game will not officially start until three days later.

The schedule is particularly friendly, allowing the Knicks' veterans to get more rest time.

Because Ray Allen's blunt comments in the pre-game interview made the New York media feel unhappy, and the Bucks lost G1, several newspaper columns in the past two days began to ridicule in a weird way:
"Facing the declining Knicks, Ray Allen is still the weakling who only knows how to shoot jump shots."

What makes Ray Allen even more angry is that as his head coach, George Karl not only failed to give him a platform, but also criticized him after the game:

"I'm not surprised at all that we lost the game. I hope my players can show a tough side in the game!"

"But until the end of the game, I didn't see their desire to win. Some players played too softly!"

"."

It is common for old-school coaches to curse and punish players.

Although the privileges of superstars are increasing, for many teams the head coach still has the final say.

George Karl obviously wanted to inspire the Bucks, and by the way, he put Gary Payton's standards on Ray Allen, but the two are not the same type of players at all.

Connecticut has not been a defensive team since college. Li You, like Ray Allen, started on defense as a freshman, but it was just a statement.
During three days of rest, veteran Cassel found that the conflict between Ray Allen and George Karl had deepened.

In Milwaukee, it was fine for George Karl to complain twice to the local media. After all, the small market's influence was limited.

But saying this in New York means that everyone in the league knows that Ray Allen is giving George Karl a slap in the face every day.

On April 4, there were more reporters at the Tarrytown Training Center than Knicks staff.

It is expected to achieve three consecutive championships. The playoffs have just begun, and almost all sports media have come to New York to join in the fun.

After the video session in the morning, when the Knicks were doing a simple warm-up, the training hall was surrounded by reporters holding cameras.

Jeff Van Gundy found out helplessly that no matter what he said, someone would over-interpret it the next day and evaluate the opponent's tactics. In the end, it turned into arrogant remarks that disdained the opponent.

Faced with this situation, Jeff Van Gundy simply remained silent during daily training sessions. As a result, some tabloids continued to report in the morning:
"Coach Van Gundy is already thinking about the next round of opponents."

The accompanying picture shows him standing with his arms folded, watching the players run tactics.
In order to deal with media reporters, the Knicks hold open training sessions every day so that everyone can take photos and interview players.

This situation will naturally disturb the team's training plan, but the NBA league is essentially a big show. Fans love to watch it, and the team has to cooperate.

As soon as the afternoon training session ended, a large number of reporters gathered in front of Li You with cheers. The female reporters could no longer do the job, so they crowded around and began to hand over microphones.

Joe Nocera of the Wall Street Journal is a business columnist who analyzes business events and the successes and failures of stars in the financial world.

After discovering Li You's investment recently, this reporter came to block the door every day. This time, he finally got in front of Li You for the first time and hurriedly asked loudly:

"Li, what do you think of the current decline in the stock index? Do you think technology stocks will return to the situation in March?"

"Can you give investors some confidence? We want to hear your point of view!"

As soon as Joe Nocera asked the question, he was quickly recognized by the surrounding reporters, and then there were shouts and curses:
"Fuck! You want to trick us into continuing to buy stocks? We all subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, and your articles are bullshit!"

"."

As the most high-end newspaper in the United States, most of those who subscribe to the Wall Street Journal are from the middle class and above. Before the Internet bubble, this professional newspaper did not provide very useful information.

American aunts are all buying stocks, and the reporters on the scene naturally follow suit. Now that the bubble has come, everyone has lost money, and naturally they are not in a good mood.

Hearing that he wanted to find confidence from him, Li You was almost amused. This was to the point of trying to find metaphysics:
"I'm just a basketball player. I think you should interview Mr. Greenspan. The chairman of the Federal Reserve should be able to give investors some confidence!"

When Joe Nocera heard that Li You also blamed the Fed Chairman for announcing the interest rate hike, he couldn't laugh or cry for a moment. Now this person has become the scapegoat.

Amid some shouting and cursing, several reporters from the New York Times quickly pulled Joe Nocera behind them and asked, changing the subject:
"Lee, O'Neal thought the Lakers would have a 1-15 record in the playoffs after winning G0!"

Li You knew what the other party wanted to ask, so he smiled and answered quickly:

"With their crappy triangle offense? I played against the Bulls in the playoffs, and they had no chance!"

"Coach Phil Jackson is right, statistics do not mean victory. Shaq should practice free throws. Scoring a few more points is more useful than talking big words."

The surrounding sports media all burst into laughter. O'Neal lost the scoring title, and several New York paper media made sarcastic remarks every now and then.

On the other side, when Ewing returned to the locker room, there were many people in front of him. The gorilla, who was in a good mood, was smiling and joking with everyone, but soon some reporters' questions became unpleasant:
"Pat, after this season, have you considered retiring early?"

"."

On the evening of April 4, the G26 game between the Knicks and Bucks officially started.

In the live TNT commentary box, Marv Albert, who has escaped the scandal, appeared in Madison Square Garden for the first time this season.

The game entered the second half of the second quarter, and most of the main lineups of the two teams had returned.

The Bucks scored 35 points in the first quarter without any three-pointers. The three Musketeers who found their touch once again showed excellent offense by relying on two points and mid-range shots after the pick-and-roll.

The Bucks attacked, Ray Allen broke through to the basket, and his layup was blocked by Ben Wallace.

After grabbing the rebound, Ben Wallace immediately gave the ball to Li You who responded, and the Knicks launched another transition attack.

The groom Albert noticed that Li You was rushing faster and faster, and he also raised his voice and said loudly:

"This is a duel between Connecticut's star guards, oh! Lee breaks through Ray's defense!"

Li You quickly came to the left wing, holding the ball in his left hand and quickly changed direction in front of his body. The moment he switched to his right hand, his body swayed to the right and at the same time, he changed direction very quickly with his hips.

Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand and lowered his center of gravity. Li You barely slowed down. Ray Allen, who was leaning on the sliding defender, turned his hips and increased his stride, twisting and squeezing past the defender.

Losing his defensive position, Ray Allen had no time to pursue him. Li You had already rushed to the paint area.

The big man Williams, who retreated to the basket, moved to help defend, but was turned around by the advancing Li You and passed him cleanly.
Turning to the lower right side of the basket, Li You, who switched to his right hand, easily picked up the basket and succeeded!
At 49:49, with 4 minutes and 11 seconds left in the half, the Knicks tied the score again.

"Wow!"

The cheers at the scene couldn't stop again. Looking at Li You who retreated quickly, Hubie Brown from the commentary box praised:
"Efficient and concise scoring, Lee's transition attack is fast and stable! The Knicks' counterattack is getting faster and faster."

George Karl on the sidelines was very dissatisfied with Ray Allen's defense. After gesturing, he signaled to continue to speed up the offensive rhythm.

Alston's position was replaced by De Nagro. The Streetball King was invisible in the last game, and tonight he won't even get playing time.

After the opponent passed half time, Li You immediately defended and continued to interfere.

Glenn Robinson, who had a poor touch, was not on the court at this time. Ray Allen was looking for the ball with his back in the right block, and Cassel was parked on the left wing.

Tim Thomas and Johnson are two inside players, one on the free throw line and one on the left near the baseline. Everyone opens up space.Denagro had just sent the pass, and Ray Allen turned toward the baseline after receiving the ball, hoping to release the ball to break through.

Allen Houston immediately blocked the line. When encountering a confrontation, Ray Allen immediately switched to his left hand after protecting the ball, preparing to go to the line to break through.

After just moving a step, seeing Li You suddenly assisting in defense, Ray Allen realized something was wrong, he was too close to the bottom line.

With the two of them flanking each other, Ray Allen's passing quality was extremely poor. He barely threw the ball to DeNagro, who was receiving the ball from the outside, but was directly intercepted by Kurt Thomas, who had been waiting for a long time.

Head coach George Karl slapped his thigh. Seeing Li You catch the ball, the Bucks forgot to press again and roared loudly in anger:

"Go ahead! Defend! Don't let him make moves easily!"

The head coach seemed to be more engaged than the players. Seeing this situation, the New York fans at the scene started cheering and yelling.

Cassel received the instruction and quickly signaled De Nagro to change positions.

After Li You passed halftime, Cassel followed up and used his forearm to give Li You a physical confrontation.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, had been protecting the ball sideways and was close to the three-point line. He suddenly turned around and accelerated. Cassel moved quickly. The two bodies collided. Li You made an emergency stop and completed the dribble behind his back instantly.

After switching to his right hand, Li You turned around again and accelerated his breakthrough without giving the opponent much time to adjust.

Cassel still did not lose his position, and at the same time he began to pull on his hands. In the blink of an eye, the two of them reached the free throw line. Li You, the ball protector, secretly pulled the opponent's arm, stopped suddenly and at the same time secretly exerted force.

The two sides collided again, and Cassel, who had made a sudden stop, was pushed and staggered. It was too late to jump up to defend him. He watched Li You stop and make a successful jump shot at the free throw line!

At 49:51, the moment the score was overtaken, Madison Square Garden was filled with cheers.

George Karl asked for a timeout again. The old-school coach was very dissatisfied with the team's defense and glared at every player who came off the field.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was lagging behind and hanging up, was still smiling and clapping his hands.

They had already experienced the Bucks' scoring ability during the regular season. The coach did not formulate a complicated game plan. He only needed to maintain defensive intensity and wait patiently, and the opponent would strike the iron on their own.

Returning to the bench, Li You high-fived everyone in celebration and reminded him loudly:

"After the pick-and-roll, go up late and don't let them take easy shots below the free throw line."

The Bucks' shooting feeling dropped in the second quarter, but at this time they can't be too stubborn to defend anymore.

Ben Wallace and Kurt Thomas both responded. Their lateral speed is much stronger than that of the veterans and they can take on such defensive tasks.

Clapping his hands, Li You once again warned Artest, who had gained a lot of time:

"Ron, just follow Robinson and let him jump. Remember to respond to Ben in time!"

Glenn Robinson will most likely return to the court after the timeout. At this time, Artest, who is fishing, also cheered up and patted his chest to show that he was ready.

Alan Houston doesn't need to tell him, the two of them work well together, just refer to the defensive dunk when it comes to covering the ball holder on the outside.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was playing soy sauce, looked at the crowd gathered in a circle and did not come forward to join in the fun. He just patted Li You on the shoulder before going on the court.
After the timeout, Ray Allen found himself enjoying the same defensive treatment as Michael Jordan.

If you catch the ball with your back in the blocking area, you will encounter help defense. After all, Ray Allen is not a dunk. Once the speed of handling the ball is too slow, the Bucks' offense will be on the verge of making a mistake.

As the game progressed, Cassell began to give more chances to Glenn Robinson.

Robinson, who performed well in the first quarter, was unable to score again against Artest's defense.

The Knicks were beaten into transition offenses continuously, and when the score difference became 6 points, Glenn Robinson, who received the ball again on the left wing, simply resisted the defense and attacked the inside.

Approaching the paint area, Glenn Robinson, who was holding the ball in his left hand, also quickly turned around and came to the position directly in front of the basket. He threw a right hand and was immediately blocked by Ben Wallace, who was assisting in defense.

The basketball was slapped directly outside the three-point line. After Li You grabbed the ball, Cassel immediately grabbed it. The two collided and the referee blew the whistle decisively.

"squeak!"

Seeing Li You walking towards the free throw line with a smile, Cassell realized that the team had entered an extra penalty state.

Standing there with his hands on his hips depressed, Cassel looked at the big screen above his head and couldn't help but cursed.

As Li You made two free throws, the score reached 49:57. At the end of the half, the Knicks expanded the score.

In the last few rounds, the two sides started to fight again, and the Bucks scored 2 points with Tim Thomas' free throws.

At 51:59, from leading by 5 points to being overtaken by 8 points, the disappointed head coach George Karl turned and walked towards the tunnel.

In the commentary box, Hubie Brown shook his head secretly and could only comment briefly:

"16 points in a single quarter, half of the game, the Bucks only played a good quarter, and they still had too many jump shots."

Dick Stockton didn't care about the score difference, feeling the joyful atmosphere at the scene, and said with a smile:

"The Bucks still have a chance. Their shooting was very good tonight. The 8-point difference is not big for them!"

After the second half of the game started, Dick Stockton was speechless as he looked at the Bucks who were suddenly playing hard.

The offensive end was misfired again, Ray Allen missed consecutive shots, and soon everyone followed suit.

At this time, the Knicks still did not replace Ewing and Oakley, and Li You played faster and faster with two inside players who had better lateral movement.

Watching the transition attack, Li You advanced in the middle and passed the ball with his right hand, and Artest followed up from the left wing and completed a two-handed dunk. The New York fans began to celebrate the victory in advance.

Head coach George Karl looked at the team that suddenly fell into a scoring drought and was completely speechless. The timeout was of no use. He could feel that the players on the court were overwhelmed by the Knicks.
At 16:26 of the single quarter, the third quarter ended, and everyone on the Bucks bench was silent.

At 67:85, the game lost its suspense again.

"20 points is nothing" is a small probability event in the NBA. Ewing, who only came on the scene in the second half of the third quarter, came on the scene at this time to waste time.

Seeing the Knicks changing into the main lineup again, George Karl waved his hand for the main players to continue playing. After 4 minutes, he immediately took the atmosphere group.

Li You on the sidelines did not relax. He stood up and called on the people on the stage to strengthen their defense.

Marv Albert has been the Knicks' home commentator in the past and has witnessed the team's rise. At this time, he said with special emotion:

"Lee is not a player who cares about statistics, he knows what is needed in the game!"

"When the opponent increases the physical confrontation, he will also respond. Three-pointers are just one of Li's ways of scoring."

Hubie Brown also followed this topic and commented with a smile:
"Data can sometimes be deceiving. We all know this. Lee just plays smarter and magnifies his advantages on the court. I like his performance this season very much!"

"Data brush", the label labeled Li You by the Los Angeles media, has also been a hotly discussed topic these days.

In the fourth quarter, the Bucks' atmosphere team rebounded strongly, but the game time was no longer enough.

93:110, two consecutive home wins, the Knicks successfully got the match point!
The cheers in Madison Square Garden became particularly harsh. Ray Allen lowered his head and quickly walked to the tunnel.

For New York fans, the first round game is just an appetizer, and no one cares about the No. 8 Bucks at all.

After the game, Li You gave the interview opportunity to Artest, who performed well tonight.

10中5，三分线外5中2，罚球4中2，14分5篮板2助攻1抢断，萌新阿泰斯特算是吃了顿饺子。

Compared to Artest, who was still a little shy, at the post-game press conference, Ray Allen once again transformed into an upright BOY:

"I may never become a DPOY-level defender, but I won't change my style of play!"

"Although the team is in difficulty, we will win the game when we return home."

Hearing Ray Allen's remarks, the New York media almost laughed out loud when they pointedly criticized the head coach. Before the series was over, the opponent was in internal strife.

"."

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　　I’m on holiday~ I’ll update more tonight.

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(End of this chapter)