NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 178 Fans love to watch offense! (5000 word chapter)
On May 2000, 5, G21 of the Eastern Conference Finals officially started.

After only one day of rest, they had to continue their road trip. The Pacers were particularly low-key after arriving in New York.

Reggie Miller, who is about to turn 35, no longer has the high-spirited look he had when he was young. Years of failure have also smoothed some of the veteran's edges.

When the Pacers players entered Madison Square Garden that night, Reggie Miller was wearing a beige formal suit and huge sunglasses on his head. He didn't say anything when facing the camera in front of him.

The entire Pacers team seemed low-key and silent. After each player came to the arena, they did not show much emotion. It was not until Larry Bird appeared that he faced the camera and said confidently:
"We will win here!"

In contrast, the Knicks are much more active when playing at their home court.

Ewing, whose performance in the first two rounds was mediocre and didn't play much, joked with the media before the game and came to the locker room while laughing.

Larry Johnson did not forget to show off his boxing skills in front of the camera, smiling and shaking his fist at the camera
Unlike Li You who came to the arena an hour early to warm up, most of the bulging teammates did not take the Pacers seriously. Even if the two sides tied in the regular season, no one cared about it.

New York fans love to watch Reggie Miller be unlucky, and they didn't forget to greet their old rival before the game.

In the live NBC commentary box, Bob Costas and Doug Collins were affected by the atmosphere in the arena, and their tone became much lighter:

"This season, Jaylen Rose stood up from the bench and won the Most Improved Player Award, which already shows how outstanding his condition is!"

Doug Collins also agreed with this view, and also flattered Larry Bird:
"Solving the problem of the team's second scoring point, head coach Larry Bird has tapped into the team's potential!"

"Judging from the regular season records, the two teams are similar in strength. This will be an exciting series."

"."

Jeff Van Gundy thought the Pacers would start from the outside. In the last round of the game, Reggie Miller and Jaylen Rose both scored 40 points at the same time.

But after the opening, the Pacers did not continue to use the outside as the core of the offense as the Knicks coaching staff expected.

As the game progressed, the Pacers' tactics seemed no different from those in the regular season.

Reggie Miller quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, using Smits' screen to come to the left wing to catch the ball.

Ewing knew that the opponent would turn around to get the ball, so he immediately hit the ball behind him.

Reggie Miller passed the ball very quickly and threw the ball to Smits in the low post the moment he caught the ball.

The latter did not choose to rely on the ball, but instead twisted up the line and relied on his height advantage to quickly throw the ball toward the basket.

"Shua!" The two-pointer went into the net hollowly.

In the transition attack, Smits caught the ball at the elbow and followed up with a long two-point jumper.

In the right corner, after receiving Jaylen Rose's breakthrough pass, Smith made another two-point jumper.

Dale Davis grabbed the second rebound, and then Smits added the ball.

As Mark Jackson assisted Reggie Miller and succeeded in a jump shot in the right block, with 6 minutes and 17 seconds left in the first quarter, Jeff Van Gundy frowned and requested a timeout.

In the first half of the quarter, Rick Schmitz relied on a jump shot to make Ewing's defense useless.

At 15:7, the Knicks were given a lesson by their opponent's tornado quick play at the beginning after several failed attempts in response.

I thought my opponent would fight the inside, but when he returned to the bench, Ewing was so depressed that he didn't say a word.

Dale Davis' rush for offensive rebounds also made Oakley a little embarrassed.

The two veterans failed to convert opportunities into goals, and they spit out cakes continuously at the beginning, which also made the New York fans at the scene a little depressed.

The noisy scene seemed to indicate the mood of the New York fans. Doug Collins quickly glanced at the technical statistics, and then couldn't help but sigh:
"Ewing still hasn't been able to regain his previous touch in finishing at the basket this season. He went to a very deep position twice, but ended up letting the basket go."

"Facing Rick Schmitz's defense, Ewing seems to have no good solution."

Bob Costas also noticed that the Knicks' scoring came from the outside, and he briefly commented:
"The Pacers' offensive rhythm was very fast, which was beyond everyone's expectations. They started running with their big men. This was completely different from the game strategy in the first two rounds."

"Coach Larry Bird really caught on to the Knicks' weaknesses."

After hanging up for several seasons, Jeff Van Gundy also realized that the gorilla was useless. The more he ran repeatedly, the worse his performance became.

"Ben, when you come on the court, go and grab the offensive rebounds. Don't let the opponent get the ball easily. The same goes for Kurt. Take decisive shots when you are open. If you can't make a shot, go and grab it!"

"Show our energy, press the opponent, and don't let the opponent score easily!"

Directly replacing the two veterans, Jeff Van Gundy patted the tactical board and once again used the tried and tested tactic-shooting!
Larry Johnson was also replaced, and "Auntie" didn't care about this. Being replaced early meant that he would appear earlier in the second quarter.

After giving the two insiders a wave of chicken soup, Jeff Van Gundy patted Li You on the shoulder before taking the court, and the on-site director quickly captured this scene again.

Every team in the league knew what this gesture meant. Doug Collins in the commentary box complained twice in his heart, but on the surface he smiled and said:

"Coach Van Gundy made the rotation in advance, which is the right choice!"

"."

Although they fell behind at the beginning, for Li You, it was just three rounds without scoring a response.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Hearing the cheers of the fans again, Alan Houston did not have too many emotional fluctuations, which will always happen this season.

After the baseline serve and Li You received the ball, the two passed the half court leisurely.

Mark Jackson did not choose to lead the defense. Instead of ineffective defense, it is better to save some physical energy.

I noticed that the two inside men who came off the bench for the Knicks were stationed near the baseline on the left and right sides, and then I saw Kukic moving to the right elbow area.

Mark Jackson immediately realized that this was going to be a single on the wing and immediately defended.

On the left wing, his teammates were completely in position. Facing Mark Jackson who was suddenly on defense, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, quickly dribbled behind his back, switched to his right hand, immediately lowered his center of gravity, and accelerated the breakthrough against the defense.

Keep sliding to the left and back, Mark Jackson did not forget to pull on his right hand, trying to interfere with Li You's dribbling rhythm.

At the left elbow area, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, slapped away the opponent's right hand that was pulling him, and took advantage of the situation to take a small horizontal step.

Without completely shaking off the defense, Li You ignored Mark Jackson's efforts to block the shot, and after combining the ball, he succeeded in a fadeaway jumper near the free throw line!

"Wow!"

In less than 12 seconds, the Knicks completed their attack, and cheers rang in their ears again. Larry Bird folded his arms and frowned secretly. It was obvious that Li You was also going to speed up.

Mark Jackson was not affected by Li You's attack. Kukchi came on the scene and made corresponding tactical gestures after passing half court.

The big man will have some problems chasing the front line. He slips across the baseline from left to right. With the help of Rick Schmitz's screen on the right elbow, Jaylen Rose cuts around to catch the ball, and then starts to release the ball and break through smoothly. .

Kukic immediately changed defense and stayed put. Ben Wallace quickly slid toward the basket. Seeing Jaylen Rose rushing hard, he adjusted his steps and took off early.

Rushing to the basket, Jaylen Rose wanted to use his arm to slam down the ball, but just as he grabbed the ball with his left hand and swung the ball towards the basket, he was caught by Ben Wallace who was waiting in the air and was firmly blocked. Pressed
Waiting for his opponent in the air, blocking shots with great power and strong visual impact, Bob Costas exclaimed:
"Oh! Great shot from Wallace!"

Kukchi immediately returned to the paint area to control the ball and immediately threw the ball towards the half court.

Li You had already charged at this time. After crossing the center line, he picked up the ball with his left hand and continued to rush forward against the chasing Mark Jackson.

Larry Bird on the sidelines also moved at this time, and kept shouting to remind his players:
"Foul! Direct **foul!"

Mark Jackson, who had returned to the paint area, seemed to have heard the coach's instructions. While giving confrontation, he immediately leaned forward and cut the ball vigorously.

Li You was well prepared. He noticed the opponent's shoulder moving, and immediately circled the ball behind his back while moving. While dodging the opponent's cut, he switched to his right hand and twisted to avoid the physical confrontation.

Mark Jackson lost his center of gravity and flew in front of Li You. Li You, who rushed to the lower right side of the basket, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand and made a counterattack dunk!
"Oh!"

The beautiful dunk instantly ignited the atmosphere of the scene. When they saw Li You hit his chest expressionlessly after landing, the fans in the front row did not forget to rush towards Reggie Miller who was quickly returning to defense on the other side.When Doug Collins saw that the arena was back to its lively state, he could only sigh:

"The Knicks seem to have regained the rhythm of the game, and Lee can rely on his personal ability to solve the problem!"

At 15:11, the point difference continued to be narrowed.

At this time, Mark Jackson no longer continued to run around with the Knicks. He came to the left wing during the offense and lobbed the ball to Rick Schmitz, who was looking for the ball in the low post on the left.

According to the game plan, when the Knicks switch to a shorter inside man, they have to take advantage of their height.

Rick Schmitz did not choose to pass the ball when faced with Ben Wallace's single defense. After receiving the ball, he relied on the ball and then quickly turned toward the baseline.

Taking advantage of his height, Rick Schmitz switched to his left hand and completed a throw at the lower left side of the basket.

Ben Wallace predicted the opponent's offensive options, but at this time he could only jump up and block the shot.

Under the interference, the basketball knocked on the rim and finally came out.

After missing his first shot since the start of the game, Rick Schmitz punched in frustration and hurriedly retreated with his teammates.

After grabbing the rebound, Ben Wallace passed the ball to Li You who was responding. At this time, everyone in the Knicks rushed toward the opponent's half.

Mark Jackson's delay did not have much effect. He came to the left wing again. While Ben Wallace was standing still, Li You pushed the ball to change direction, switched to his left hand and pretended to break through.

Rick Schmitz, whose footing was not stable, hurriedly came up with a big delay, but Li You pushed the ball again to change direction, then quickly moved sideways, holding the ball in his right hand to attract the opponent to the free throw line.

Mark Jackson hesitated slightly and stopped following Ben Wallace at this time. He subconsciously cooperated with his teammates to pursue Li You.

Rick Schmitz decided to take a hit when he saw his teammates' defensive choices. Before the two had time to encircle each other, Li You suddenly threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket while walking.

Ben Wallace, who quickly followed the unguarded man, jumped high, grabbed the ball in the air and smashed the frame with both hands!
"Boom!" The empty catch dunk was successful!
In a semi-transition attack, an alley-oop suddenly came, and the wonderful coordination made the New York fans cheer again.

Jeff Van Gundy was pacing the sidelines with a smile and clapped his hands. The highlight of the transition offense was his quickness. Rick Schmitz could not keep up with the Knicks' rhythm.

"Xiao Ben" roared loudly after landing, looking particularly excited.

In the pursuit of points, dunks can better stimulate team morale.

Seeing that the score difference was only 2 points, Reggie Miller hurriedly asked for the ball, received the pass from the right wing, feinted and then broke through smoothly, and made a jump shot to help the team stop the bleeding.

Quickly sending a baseline ball, Li You accelerated again, and this time he threw the ball to Kukqi at the right elbow just after half-time.

Mark Jackson saw Li You suddenly cut into the middle without the ball after handing over the ball, and subconsciously followed suit. As a result, Li You suddenly ran sideways and reversed, instantly losing his defensive position.

Jaylen Rose, who had learned his lesson, immediately changed defense when Kukchi sent the pass and went straight to Li You who was near the right sideline.

After Kukchi sent the pass, he immediately pushed Mark Jackson low to the left and Li You immediately sent a half-high throw.

Mark Jackson's desperate defense didn't have much effect. Cookqi, who received the ball, did not release the ball. Instead, he twisted up the line and hit the ball directly in front of the basket with his left hand.

He also played a misplaced offense and scored easily. Larry Bird on the sidelines felt that the game was not right and immediately requested a timeout.

"Good job!"

Li You smiled and high-fived Kuqi in celebration. He seemed to feel that he felt good tonight. Kuqi took the initiative to propose:
"We can fight faster!"

Nodding, Li You agreed, greeted everyone, and everyone returned to the bench to form a circle and have a brief exchange.

After this timeout, Rick Schmitz was replaced, Dale Davis moved to the 5th position, and Austin Crosier, who came on the bench, moved to the 4th position.

Although they only had one day's rest, the Pacers had no intention of slowing down their offensive pace. Both sides began to speed up their offensive pace and completely started the offensive mode.

Jaylen Rose's breakthrough pass in the right elbow area assisted Crosier, who had just debuted, to hit a three-pointer in the right corner.

Looking back, Kurt Thomas's lower screen in the right block allowed Reggie Miller to miss Alan Houston.

The Pacers, who had just retreated, stopped. Alan Houston received a cross pass from Li You on the right wing and quickly made a jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"Shua!" A three-pointer was scored again.

At 22:22, both sides returned to the same starting line.

Alan Houston, who completed the goal, also clapped his hands and gave a thumbs up to Li You while encouraging himself. The ball was thrown comfortably when the person reached it.

The two inside lines of the Pacers cross-covered. After receiving the ball in the left block, Crohill turned up the line and shot to the basket.

Dale Davis once again rushed to the offensive rebound, but was pushed down by Ben Wallace on the second offense.

"Oh!"

The fans subconsciously exclaimed, and then started cheering loudly. After controlling the ball in the paint area, Kukic once again dumped the ball.

In the opponent's half, Li You picked up the ball from the right wing and continued to accelerate. Mark Jackson continued to slide and approached the three-point line. Li You suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back and immediately stopped.

Under the inertia, Mark Jackson failed to stop this time and was immediately shaken one meter away.
Before he could jump to defend, Li You had already made a jump shot from the right wing!
"Whoa!" He also scored a three-pointer in conversion!

Li You raised his right arm, raised three fingers, and pretended to retreat.

In the next round, on the right wing, Reggie Miller, who was receiving the ball, continued to feint on his test steps. Facing Alan Houston's defense, he responded with a pull-up jumper!
The two sides suddenly started to score consecutively with extremely high shooting percentages. This situation completely made the New York fans at the scene excited.

Fully immersed in it, the shouts became louder and louder. Everyone subconsciously threw up the orange handkerchiefs in their hands and cheered even if they were blacksmithing.

Both sides ran like crazy. Li Youyun passed the top of the half-court arc and changed direction, shook Mark Jackson away, broke through the middle with the ball in his right hand, stopped at the free throw line, and then suddenly accelerated again.

Suddenly increasing his stride, Li You went straight inside. Mark Jackson failed to keep up with the rhythm and watched Li You succeed in an easy layup.

"Wow!"

In the commentary box, feeling the suddenly violent atmosphere, Bob Costas subconsciously raised his voice:
"God! Both sides seemed to have completely given up on defense and kept sending the ball into the basket!"

Doug Collins noticed that the Pacers' defense just failed to complete the position. At this time, he had already served from the baseline and rushed forward again. He was a little confused for a moment:
"It only took one day to rest, and the Pacers didn't seem to be affected at all!"

At the end of the first quarter, Li You converted a three-pointer from the left wing, and the New York fans at the scene sighed with regret.

Just seeing a long rebound picked up by Kukchi and assisting Kurt Thomas for an alley-oop dunk, Madison Square Garden was completely boiling.

Different from the previous two rounds, stimulated by the high number of rounds and high shooting percentage, everyone became extremely involved, and the shouts almost broke through the arena.

At the last moment, Reggie Miller missed a long three-pointer, and the first quarter was officially over.

At 35:36, in a fierce battle, the Knicks took the lead.

James Dolan, who deliberately sat in the front row under the basket to watch the game, also stood up with the fans and shook his fist, laughing and celebrating.

After sitting down in his seat to calm down, James Dolan spoke excitedly again:
"Look at the reaction of the fans at the scene, everyone loves to see such an offensive performance!"

General manager Glenfield could only laugh. The atmosphere was indeed heated, but the Knicks only led by 1 point.

The Pacers didn't have much time to rest, and the score already reflected the defensive intensity of the two teams.

"It's a really good game and we will win."

In the end, Grenfield just said a simple sentence, but James Dolan felt happy after hearing it. He turned around and waved to the fans behind him, and whispered confidently again:
"It's time for the Knicks to make changes, look at Lee's performance! I love games like this!"

首节比赛李佑8中6，三分线外2中1，拿到13分1篮板6助攻。

The noisy scene made General Manager Grunfield unable to hear clearly what the boss was saying, but looking at the other party's excitement, he probably guessed that it was about another attack.
Noting that the fans in the front row were indeed more engaged than before, Grunfield could only sigh secretly:

"Defense wins championships."

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(End of this chapter)