NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 174 The performance of negative 27 (5000 words chapter)
On the night of May 2000, 5, New York fans still entered Madison Square Garden early.

The official kickoff started at 19:30. Half an hour before the game, the arena was already extremely noisy. In the TNT commentary box, Marv Albert showed a nostalgic look. The "Voice of New York" wanted to continue working in New York.

The fans were in high spirits. The commentator Hubie Brown was looking at the technical statistics, and at this time he started talking about the gossip about the 76ers:
"Although the deal during the All-Star Weekend was not reached, Larry Hughes was affected somewhat."

"The boys are in average condition after the All-Star Game. For rookies, they are still adapting to the league."

The groom Albert came back to his senses, took over the conversation and said with a smile:

"Kukic seems much more mature in this regard. For him, he may be used to serving as the sixth man on a championship team."

"However, his status has been ups and downs this season. He had some bright moments before the injury, but in the first round, it seems that he has not yet completely entered his best condition."

Due to the first round of the game, Allen Iverson did not perform well, and Hubie Brown did not introduce much about the situation of the 76ers. Instead, he talked more about the situation of the Knicks:

"Playing at home, if the opponent speeds up, I believe the Knicks will soon get Ben Wallace. Although there are some problems with finishing at the basket, his rebounding this year is very good."

"The Knicks' rotation has a great advantage. The rookies are very suitable to play next to Lee and they can get more opportunities."

Groom Albert nodded, noticed that the appearance ceremony was about to begin, and said in a nostalgic tone:

"Lee is a qualified leader. In comparison, Allen Iverson still has more to improve!"

"."

After the visiting team players came on the stage, the "fully armed" Iverson looked at the simple animation above his head, and when he heard the excited shouts of the New York fans at the scene, he couldn't help but secretly curl his lips.

The New York media has been ridiculing him a lot in the past two days. Some newspapers were very angry:
"Allen Iverson is just an imitator, but not a qualified leader."

Wearing an arm guard was considered to be imitating Li You, and Iverson was so angry that he really had an injury to his elbow.
In order to avoid being said to be an imitator, Iverson specially wore a headband tonight, as well as elbow and finger protectors, which can be regarded as updating his equipment.

When Li You came on the stage, Iverson was disgusted by the "MVP" titles. This is why he didn't like coming to New York to play.

Head coach Larry Brown did not notice the emotional changes in his beloved disciple. He had been preparing for this game for a long time.

The lights came back on, and the cheers in Madison Square Garden couldn't stop. Larry Brown took advantage of the final warm-up of the players from both sides and once again pulled the crowd and said:
"We need to increase our offensive tempo and show our energy as soon as the game starts."

"Move and seize the opportunity to switch offense!"

Writing and drawing on the tactical board, Larry Brown took Eric Snow and others to explain the tactics and matchups again.

Compared to the serious coach of the 76ers, Jeff Van Gundy did not do much. He said a few words casually and then sat on the bench waiting for kickoff.
Compared with last season, the 76ers haven't changed much. After Li You came to the center circle, he saw "old acquaintances" on the opposite side and smiled and bumped fists with each other one by one.

The forwards are still George Lynch and Te'lon Hill, and the center is Theo Ratliff.

The three of them looked at Li You's smiling face and couldn't smile, so they could only keep their faces expressionless.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid the shouts, the referee threw the ball, and Ewing moved the ball to his own half, and then quickly rushed across the center line.

As in the regular season, Eric Snow still chose to lead the defense. After Li You took control of the ball, he held the ball in his right hand and advanced steadily.

Faced with the opponent's interference, Li You didn't need to move, accelerated and bumped into the opponent. At the same time, he used the ball guard to slap off the opponent's arm. With a simple behind-the-back dribble, when he switched to his left hand, he had already reached the right wing.

After the opening, the Knicks' tactics were very simple. Larry Johnson immediately stuck in the left corner and Oakley moved in the right block.

Li You was in position, and the two men in the bottom corner quickly slipped across the baseline. On the left side near the baseline, Ewing suddenly stood still and provided an off-ball screen for Alan Houston.

When Larry Johnson moved to the right corner, Alan Houston had already moved to the left elbow.

Immediately sent a cross pass, Li You started to move back after handing over the ball. Iverson was delayed for a while, and Alan Houston caught the ball and threw it directly against the defense!

"Shua!" A steady hit in the middle distance!

"Wow!"

In a face-to-face facial, Alan Houston used his height advantage to score points on the opponent's core players, and the cheers in the arena were even louder.

Iverson was used to this situation. His face was expressionless and he ran forward immediately.

Eric Snow was also defended by Li You, and the 76ers did not advance quickly.

In the elbow area on the right side of the free throw line, using a rolling tactic, Iverson, who was moving diagonally, used Ratliff's cover to receive a cross pass from Eric Snow on the right wing.

Alan Houston pursued the defense very quickly, and Iverson did not attack immediately. Seeing Te'lon Hill deep in the low post on the right side, he immediately sent a ground pass.

The moment he caught the ball, Te'lon Hill immediately released the ball with his left hand and slammed it toward the basket. However, due to physical confrontation, Oakley decisively cut the ball.

"what!"

Even the ball handler was hit. Te'lon Hill yelled and tried to get the referee to blow the whistle, but no one paid attention. Oakley, who completed the steal, hit the ball immediately.

Li You caught the ball and continued to accelerate along the left sideline, and the crowd cheered again.

Eric Snow retreated quickly and loudly called Ratliff back to the basket.

Just as he stood at the three-point line, Eric Snow saw Li You holding the ball in his left hand starting to slow down, and subconsciously took another step forward.

There was no problem with the defensive prediction. As soon as Eric Snow came up to defend, Li You quickly changed direction with his hips. After switching to his right hand, he leaned against the opponent and accelerated to squeeze past.

Eric Snow hurriedly slid to the left and back, but Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, then used his left foot in front of him to blast the ball and retreated.

The right wing combined the ball, Li You ignored Eric Snow and jumped to defend, converted to a three-pointer and made a quick jump shot!
"Squeak! Swish!"

When the buzzer sounded and the ball was scored, Eric Snow failed to control his center of gravity and hit Li You's right forearm, and was caught by the linesman who was close at hand.

Groom Albert did not shout excitedly, but smiled and joked with Hubie Brown beside him:

"This is definitely a wrong defensive choice! I have seen Lee's 3+1 too many times."

"With excellent coordination, core strength, and dribbling rhythm that changes during movement, it is difficult for the 76ers' perimeter to limit Lee's offense."

After Hubie Brown finished speaking, he shook his head. The forward players were not flexible enough, and the size of the two outsiders did not match up. This was also the reason for the one-sided prediction before the game.

Iverson watched Li Youjia hit the free throw from outside the three-point line with his arms akimbo, and quickly gave a tactical gesture to his teammates.

The two teams have played against each other too many times. Just looking at the position of the 76 team, everyone on the Knicks realized that Iverson was going to throw a three-pointer.
Under the double screen in the elbow area, Iverson came to the sweet spot on the left wing, not giving Ewing a chance to defend, and shot a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line.

A rare open shot hit the back edge of the basket, and the long rebound bounced out and was collected by Larry Johnson.

The Knicks quickly launched a counterattack, and this time everyone rushed forward. Larry Brown on the sidelines shouted loudly, signaling the players to retreat quickly.

After Li You received the ball in the middle and rushed across the half court, George Lynch and Eric Snow blocked it together.

The two had just caught up to the top of the arc, and Li You took advantage of the situation and threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

The unguarded Larry Johnson went straight to the basket, jumped up, picked up the ball in the air, and easily put the ball into the basket!

At 0:8, Larry Brown on the sidelines looked serious, but did not request a timeout.

The 76 team attacked, and after patiently covering and passing the ball continuously, George Lynch hit the ball again from the mid-range on the left elbow area.

The rebound was collected by Oakley, and Eric Snow didn't care about leading the defense and quickly retreated with his teammates.

Falling into a positional battle attack, Li You signaled to open up and used a simple pick-and-roll on the right elbow. Te'lon Hill over-assisted in defense. Oakley received the pass at the free throw line and succeeded in an open jump shot.

Unable to hold on any longer, head coach Larry Brown immediately requested a timeout. He was beaten 10-0 at the beginning, and the 76ers' atmosphere team was also confused.
When Hubie Brown saw the Knicks playing more and more easily, he could only sigh:
"Iverson must respond on the offensive end. Coach Larry Brown must emphasize defense. In individual rounds, he should not over-defend."

Marv Albert was speechless for a moment when he thought about the "grievances" that were hyped before the game. In his impression, the 76ers had never won a game during the commentary.
After the timeout, the 76ers relied on Iverson's strong drive to the basket and scored a 2+1.

Iverson, who was beating his chest and roaring after hitting a penalty, didn't have time to be happy for a few seconds. Li You cut in at a 45-degree angle from the right wing, attracting Ratliff's help in defense, and assisted Ewing who followed up with a one-handed slash under the basket. buckle! "oh!"

Ewing also beat his chest and roared, and the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was completely ignited.

At 1 minutes and 6 seconds into the first quarter, Li You faced Eric Snow's one-on-one defense, holding the ball with his left hand and crushing it to a position close to the paint area.

Taking advantage of the opponent's sliding step to the right, he quickly turned toward the baseline and combined the ball with the ball. Near the baseline on the right, Li You drifted backwards to complete a fadeaway jumper!

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

Li You moved a lot, Eric Snow's block had no effect, and the 76ers requested a timeout again.

At 3:16, under the hammer, Larry Brown looked ugly, and all the pre-game arrangements were in vain.

It was rare for Ewing to be in good form. In the first quarter, Ewing was not substituted early. When the opponent attacked the inside, the Gorilla blocked Te'lon Hill.

Continuous breakthroughs, Iverson's offense made the inside more and more crowded. 76's big man had a poor touch and relied on secondary rebounds to score points.

As the defensive intensity dropped, the 76ers' offense still didn't improve much.

The Knicks blossomed more, and Larry Johnson, who was left open, also hit a three-pointer.

After calling two timeouts, Larry Brown sat back on the bench. Like the rest of the coaching staff, everyone looked at the players with a grimace.

Larry Hughes, who came on as a substitute, failed to change the situation. Instead, like his big brother, he hit two irons angrily, giving Li You a chance to switch offense and score easily with a counterattack layup.

At the end of the first quarter, the New York fans at the scene were elated. Spike Lee, wearing a large orange handkerchief on his head, raised his hands in the air and cheered together.

At 15:35, the score difference reached 20 points, and the game was over just as it started.
In a game with too low intensity, Li You loses interest. On the contrary, Ewing doesn't mind eating cakes and pretends to be X after scoring to interact with the fans.

打出了今年季后赛单节最好表现，大猩猩6中4，8分5篮板1助攻1盖帽。

李佑打满首节，4中3，三分线外2中1，罚球1中1，8分1篮板7助攻。

Alan Houston made 5 of 4 and also scored 8 points, Larry Johnson scored 5 points, Oakley contributed 4 points, and Kukic, who came off the bench, also scored 2 points on free throws.

All the players who appeared in the first quarter scored, and the two people in the commentary box could only shout:
"The Knicks once again demonstrated the dominance of a championship team!"

"."

The more he missed shots, the more he liked to rush to the basket. Once Iverson's offensive choices became predictable, the Knicks' interior defense became much easier.

Also playing the first quarter, Iverson scored a team-high 6 points on 1-for-5.

Larry Brown pressed Iverson who wanted to continue playing. The 76 team rotated step by step. There is a high probability that this game will be gone.

Aaron McGee and Larry Hughes partnered in the backcourt, George Lynch and Billy Owens were on the front line, and Matt Geiger became the center.

Under the huge point difference, the 76ers' rotation performed better than the starting lineup.

With Larry Hughes as the core of the offense, they began to score points continuously.

Larry Brown on the sidelines crossed his arms and stopped yelling. The Knicks' rotation lineup was also unrelenting in responding to the ball.

The second quarter of the game only lasted 2 minutes and 3 seconds, and Li You completely caught the fish after coming on the stage.
At halftime, 37:59, the second half will enter garbage time.

There was no more suspense in the game. During the intermission, the two people in the commentary box simply talked about the thickness of the Knicks' lineup.

Marv Albert knew the Knicks' lineup very well and commented on his home team with a smile:
"Artest and Lewis are both very unique players, but they are inexperienced and often make low-level mistakes."

"Thomas and Wallace performed very well defensively, but the offense was inconsistent."

"Chris Childs is a good at controlling mistakes. As long as the team keeps the lead, they usually don't make mistakes."

"Everyone knows Kukchi's strength. As long as he can find his touch in the game, he can also produce good data."

Hubie Brown also nodded, and then added:

"The rotation players can all be used, which is also a test for coach Van Gundy."

"Coaches cannot predict the offensive status of the players every night. Defense is a more powerful guarantee. The Knicks have indeed declined a bit in this regard."

Marv Albert remembered that O'Neal won the MVP in the morning, and suddenly said something unrelated to the game:
"The Lakers didn't show absolute dominance in the first round."

Hubie Brown smiled and shook his head, but did not answer the question.

When Kobe and O'Neal played 40+ minutes, they returned to the Kings' home court and were beaten two games in a row. In the end, they advanced with a big score of 3:2. O'Neal's reputation has been blown.

After the start of the second half, Iverson finally found his touch, scoring 7 points on 5 of 12 shots in a single quarter.

It's just that the game was over long ago. The two sides tied at 24:24 in a single quarter, and the fourth quarter completely entered garbage time.

Iverson was still on the court, but Li You changed into training clothes after being substituted at the end of the third quarter, and sat on the bench to throw away his towel.
仅仅出场26分钟，13中7，三分线外4中2，罚球5中5，21分4篮板12助攻1抢断1失误，李佑交出一份两双数据。

Iverson didn't officially leave the game until 4 minutes and 01 seconds left in the game.

出场39分钟，20中10，三分线外3中1，罚球8中7，28分3篮板3助攻1抢断3失误，艾弗森也交出了一份不错的数据。

In the end, 83:107, in G1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks defeated the 76ers.

Seeing his opponent turn around and leave, Li You didn't pay attention, and the smiling groom Albert said hello.

Although the "Voice of New York" was in a neutral position during the game, it felt relieved after the game. It stood up and laughed and hugged Li You in greeting.

"Well done, Li! We will definitely be able to defend our title this year!"

As a die-hard Knicks fan, Marv Albert has never said a bad word about the team or criticized any player on the team since winning the championship.

"Of course, I don't want to repeat the story of the Bulls. Everyone is ready!"

Li You chatted with old friends, and Ewing, who was eating dumplings on the other side, was also being interviewed:

"Pat! Congratulations on winning the competition. Can we talk about the tour again?"

The victory was too easy, and after the game, TNT reporters simply gossiped about the news they got before the game.

After scoring a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds, Ewing was in a particularly good mood at this time. He raised his eyebrows and said quite confidently:

"After winning the championship this year, my contract is about to expire, and it's time to end my career."

"But right now I'm completely focused on the playoffs and the tour, and we'll discuss it again in the offseason."

In the morning, O'Neal lifted the MVP trophy, and in the evening, the "league's number one center" announced the news of his retirement tour. Although the gorilla didn't say much, the TNT reporter who had successfully eaten the melon was also satisfied.

In the coming week, don’t worry about hot news
At the post-game press conference, Allen Iverson sat on the stage expressionless. When the media in the audience asked questions, he simply said some casual remarks about the situation.

Until a reporter from the New York Post asked maliciously:
"Allen, he scored 28 points on [-]% shooting, a very good performance!"

"But I noticed that your plus-minus value is minus 27. Can you explain this data?"

Since the 96-97 season, there have been relevant plus and minus statistics. Although most people don't care about these at all, the sports media on the scene still exclaimed after hearing this number.

Seeing the surprised looks in the audience and the triumphant expression of the New York Post reporter, Iverson didn't hold back this time. He almost made a sound from Farke, and finally said viciously:
"Next question!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)