NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 208 "I should be there!" (6000 words chapter)
On February 2001, 2, at the half-time show of the All-Star Game, Harry Connick Jr., who has flourished in recording, film and television, paid tribute to the 10th anniversary of the All-Star Game.

At the MCI Center Arena, more than 2 spectators recovered from the first half of the game and watched the performance with great interest again.

At 61:58, at the end of the half, the Western All-Stars led by 3 points.

It is completely different from previous exhibition games. Most of the players who appeared this year played hard. The rhythm of the game is no different from the regular season, except that there may be more dunks.

When the halftime show was about to end, Marv Albert once again discussed the halftime game in a brisk tone in the NBC commentary box:
"It's a very interesting phenomenon. The Western Conference All-Stars are very efficient, but they can never widen the point difference. The Eastern Conference All-Stars counterattack too quickly."

"This is a duel between the frontcourt and the backcourt. Coach Van Gundy will most likely increase Lee's playing time in the third quarter."

Li You only played 12 minutes in the half, giving the Eastern All-Star team a good start and everyone took turns playing.

Doug Collins also likes to see games like this. At least the players are tense instead of playing casually:
"Duncan and Webber both played very seriously. How to defend against the impact of small men in the second half is still a huge test."

"Of course, we can also pay attention to the responses of Kidd and Kobe on the defensive end."

Before halftime, unlike Garnett, who was jolly and waving to the audience in the rows, Kobe remained serious, holding Kidd in his arms and whispering.

Iverson didn't smile when he returned to the court. No one wants to lose for two consecutive years. This is a matter of face.

"Wow!"

Amid the cheers of the fans, Li You took the baseline ball and slowly passed halftime with Carter.

Before he could reach the left wing, Kobe moved forward on defense and noticed that Li You, who was protecting the ball, shook his head. Anthony Mason Jr., who was near the baseline on the left, immediately moved diagonally toward the right elbow area.

Li You, who had been holding the ball with his left hand and protecting the ball sideways, suddenly turned around and pretended to break through after his teammates opened up the space. He took advantage of Kobe to slide to the right and immediately dribbled the ball behind his back.

Kobe could clearly sense Li You's dribbling force. Faced with Li You who switched to his right hand and lowered his center of gravity, he subconsciously moved back.

As Li You quickly dribbled the ball from his hips and swayed his body to the left, Kobe slid to the right again. At the moment when he grabbed the ball with his left hand, Li You suddenly turned around quickly.

Kobe, who made a mistake in defensive prediction, could only slide to the left and back desperately at this time, delaying Li You who was holding the ball in his right hand and forcing a breakthrough.

After two shakes, Li You was so fast that the fans at the scene only had time to exclaim before the two of them were entangled and reached the left elbow area.

After the physical collision, Kobe still suffered a hidden loss. He was pulled by Li You's ball protector and used force. Seeing that he was about to break through to the paint area, Kobe subconsciously increased his defensive stride.

Sensing the change in the opponent's center of gravity, Li You suddenly turned around with his left foot as the axis, relying on Kobe's fast top, and arrived at the lower left side of the basket in the blink of an eye.

Completely losing his defensive position, Kobe subconsciously jumped up to block the shot, but Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand, used his body to completely push away the opponent, without any impact, and threw the ball toward the backboard.

"Bang!" The basketball hit the board high into the basket.

"Oh!"

In the MCI Center Arena, exclamations and cheers rang out at the same time. As an excellent perimeter defender, Kobe Bryant was beaten one-on-one, and the visual effect was explosive.

"Shet!"

I was so angry that I cursed secretly. I don’t blame Kobe for keeping a straight face the whole time. Young people want to save face. This is not the first time this has happened.
At 61:60, at the beginning of the second half, Li You took the lead in scoring again for the Eastern All-Stars.

As if it was a regular season game, Duncan was expressionless when he kicked off, and Iverson was leading Kidd's defense. After halftime, Kobe asked for the ball on the left wing.

Li You didn't guard against catching the ball, and the two faced off again, and the audience immediately followed and started cheering loudly.

The moment he caught the ball, Kobe took a quick test step with his right foot. Seeing that Li You still maintained his center of gravity, he immediately stepped forward to the left. While releasing the ball with his left hand, he lowered his center of gravity and crossed the step to force a breakthrough.

While sliding to the right and back, Li You engaged in physical confrontation. The two quickly reached the left block. Kobe, who increased his stride, wanted to force a breakthrough, but he slowed down slightly after the confrontation and was still unable to get rid of the defense.

As a last resort after passing the blocking zone, Kobe slowed down and started to attack with his back. He subconsciously switched to his right hand and continued to rely on the ball.

Still unable to get rid of the defense, Kobe's shoulders swayed in confusion the moment he approached the paint area, and then immediately turned towards the line.

At the same time as the ball was combined, Kobe jumped up and drifted to the right, leaning back sharply. Li You once again predicted the opponent's offensive choice, rose up on the spot, and completed the block interference immediately.

Kobe's shot with a high arc finally hit the basket, and the fans sighed with regret. Antonio Davis grabbed the rebound, and Iverson caught the ball and rushed.

Kidd, who retreated quickly, failed to defend effectively. After being dodged by Iverson's advancing back, he watched as the opponent held the ball in his right hand and went all the way to the basket, and finally succeeded in a layup!
At 61:62, just as the third quarter began, the Eastern All-Stars took the lead.

"It's too fast. At this pace, even if Garnett and Duncan have excellent athletic abilities, they can't keep up with such a counterattack."

Marv Albert couldn't help but sigh again. Doug Collins noticed Kobe's expression and joked again with a smile:
"In the first quarter, Kobe Bryant was blocked by McGrady, and Lee also successfully defended. It seems that several members of the Eastern Conference All-Stars have done a lot of work."

The Western Conference All-Stars attacked again, and Garnett took the initiative to ask for the ball from behind in the right block of the free throw line.

After receiving the ball, facing Carter's defense, Garnett released the ball with his right hand and continued to play with his back. He reached the paint area, immediately turned around quickly, and used his height advantage to force a jump shot!

"state!"

The basketball came out of the frame, and Duncan hit the offensive rebound, but missed the second tip-in. Antonio Davis struggled to protect the backcourt rebound, and the rest of the Western Conference All-Stars quickly retreated.

After Li You caught the ball, Kobe had retreated to the midline position.

Noticing that Anthony O'Mason Jr. was stopped at the three-point line, Li You held the ball in his left hand and accelerated past half court.

Not paying attention to the movement behind him at all, Kobe faced Li You's quick push and changed direction, and subconsciously slid to the left, and was then delayed by Mason who was moving.

The moment he switched to his right hand, Li You lowered his center of gravity and got rid of the defense. Facing Weber who came up to help defend, Li You quickly changed direction with his hips while moving.

Without any deceleration, Li You picked up the ball with his left hand and hit the opponent's arms. Li You accelerated again and got rid of the defense in an instant.

Garnett and Duncan, who were near the baseline, immediately began to shrink, and Li You, who had just broken through to the paint area, suddenly threw the ball high to the upper left side of the basket with his left hand!

Cutting in from the left corner, Carter leaped high without being defended, took off from behind Garnett, fished the ball in the air, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, hovered briefly, and performed a powerful tomahawk chop!
"Boom!" The empty catch dunk was successful!
"Wow!"

Li You passed two people in a row, and Carter's hovering dunk, a goal with great visual impact, completely ignited the arena.

The beautiful goal even made the benches of both sides stand up and cheer. This time Carter's dunk was even more exciting than this year's dunk contest.

"what!"

After landing, Carter held his head high and yelled. After giving Li You a thumbs up, he grinned again.

At 61:64, watching the Eastern All-Stars completely overtake the score, Kidd began to give the ball to the inside continuously.

The two sides began to score consecutively, and after half a quarter, the Eastern All-Star team took on Ray Allen, McGrady, and Mutombo.

After Iverson and the two big men left the game, the Eastern All-Stars completely changed into one senior and four juniors.

The Western Conference All-Stars, Gary Payton, Michael Finley, David Robinson, and Divac appeared on the stage, and continued to maintain high standards while retaining Kobe.

In the first round after the substitution, Li Youyun passed half court and the top of the arc was far away from the three-point line. Mutombo stopped and made a high pick-and-roll.

Kobe failed to squeeze through the screen immediately. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, made a simple in and out, swayed right and left, and suddenly stopped outside the three-point line.

Divac didn't care, he still shrank inside the three-point line, completely unguarded. Li You took advantage of the opportunity to combine the ball and hit a quick jump shot!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Then David Robinson missed a mid-range jumper from the free throw line. McCready grabbed the rebound, rushed with the ball, and came to the left wing. Without waiting for the opponent to retreat, he immediately stopped and converted a three-pointer!
Amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, Gary Payton broke through and scored. Divac, who was on the lower right side of the basket, caught the ball and forced a layup, which was directly blocked by Mutombo.

Carter collected the rebound and immediately distributed the ball to Li You in the middle.

Noticing that Ray Allen had rushed to the right wing, Li You immediately threw the ball without waiting for it to cross the center line. Ray Allen, who received the pass, did not make any adjustments, just picked it up and threw it!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

75:87, less than 2 minutes later, the Eastern All-Stars scored 9 points in a row, instantly widening the point difference to double digits.

Ray Allen, who scored the goal, pumped his fist excitedly, jumped up and bumped chests with Li You in celebration.

"Wow!"

Cheers echoed throughout the arena. Coach Adelman smiled and shook his head and could only ask for a timeout.

Li You, who was substituted, returned to the bench, smiled and fist bumped with Alan Houston, who was about to come on.

Seeing that Iverson still didn't smile, Li You sat down and joked in a low voice:
"While pursuing victory, we must also learn to enjoy the game."

"The annual All-Stars should let their hands and feet go. There is no need to consider other issues at this time."

Iverson obviously couldn't empathize with Li You, who held three championships, and he didn't forget the "loan" at this time:
"I'm not interested in enjoying the game, I just want to win and I won't lose again this year."

Iverson, who was still sullen and didn't get a reply to the text message, was in a bad mood. For the first time, he felt that there was something wrong with the 76ers' signings.
In sharp contrast to Li You, who was talking and laughing, Kobe Bryant seemed a little dissatisfied after being replaced. He did not forget to cheer for his teammates loudly when he returned to his seat.

Just seeing Rasheed Wallace, who came off the bench, hitting the ball continuously, Kobe's face turned even darker for a moment.

As Ray Allen hit a three-pointer, the cheers in the MCI Center became louder and louder.

When Michael Finley also joined in the fun, Marbury was not polite and converted a three-pointer and scored!
At 22:39 in a single quarter, after three quarters, it was 83:97, and the Eastern All-Stars completely widened the point difference.In the last quarter of the game, both sides still did not relax. After Kobe came on the court, he continuously asked for the ball and responded with mid-range.

But the point difference had just narrowed to 10 points. Facing Kobe's guard, Li You went to the right wing, held the ball in his left hand and dribbled under his hips, then suddenly stepped back and made a three-pointer!

The score difference was widened again, and Marv Albert suddenly sighed:
"The limitations of relying on big men are beginning to show. If you want to chase points, you need to show an excellent defensive state under the current situation."

Doug Collins noticed that Li You was throwing more three-pointers in the second half. After taking a look at the technical statistics, he smiled and gave suggestions:

"The Western All-Star team's best performer from beyond the three-point line is Kidd, with 4 of 2. The team's three-point shot count has almost been overtaken by Lee."

"Double-teaming might be a good choice!"

Duncan and Garnett, who were very efficient in the first three quarters, also began to take turns playing iron. Mutombo's defense played a key role and the backcourt rebounds were protected.

Jeff Van Gundy pretended to shout twice on the sidelines. After half a quarter of the game, the bald young coach saw that the score difference was still widening, and he knew that the outcome was determined.

With 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game, Carter, the left wing, faced Kobe's defense, broke through with a cross step and went straight to the basket.

After approaching the paint area, Carter took off with both feet. Facing Duncan who was assisting on defense, Carter turned in the air, dodged the block, and dunked with both hands!
The exaggerated dunk made the audience cheer loudly. The dunk contest was not enough to watch, but the All-Star game was a good way to make up for it.

When Kidd missed a three-point conversion shot, Li You, who received a long rebound, launched another conversion attack.

Kidd, who quickly retreated from defense, continued to interfere. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, came to the left wing and slowed down slightly. Without passing the defense, he suddenly threw the ball toward the backboard with his left hand while traveling.

Garnett retreated to the basket and was stunned for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he saw that Li You had rushed to the front of the basket.

After the basketball hit the board, it bounced into the air. Li You jumped high in the paint. After grabbing the ball with both hands, he completely got rid of the defense. Ignoring Garnett under the basket, he briefly glide and slam the basket with both hands!
"Boom!" The dunk was successful!
"Wow!"

The beautiful dunk made many spectators stand up involuntarily and cheer loudly.

The benches on both sides watched Li You banging his chest after Li You landed, and they also cheered and screamed.

With the outcome decided, Garnett simply fist-bumped with Li You with a smile, which made Kobe furious when he came back from defense.

Ignoring the crowd of Western All-Stars, after taking the baseline ball, Kobe caught the ball and hit a three-pointer halfway through the court.

Iverson collected the rebound, made a fast break on the third line, and threw the ball directly to the upper right side of the basket. McGrady, who was following the ball, also made a two-handed dunk after catching the ball in the air!
Continuous dunks made the MCI Center Arena excited again. Obviously the audience loved the wonderful dunk performance at the last moment.

As the final time ran out, the score was fixed at 110:123, and the Eastern All-Stars made it back!
Li You, who was wearing a Knicks home jersey, briefly hugged the Western Conference All-Stars after the game, and then waved to the fans again to express his gratitude.

出场28分钟，17中11，三分线外9中5，罚球4中4，31分5篮板8助攻1抢断2失误。

Li You, who scored the highest score in the game, will undoubtedly be elected as this year's All-Star Game MVP.

Although everyone in the Western Conference All-Star Team was a little regretful, most of them didn't care about the result of the game. The big men had tried their best, but they just couldn't keep up with the ball in response.

I wanted to show positive performance in front of McDull, but by the way I got the better of Li You. He played 30 minutes and scored 18 of 9, 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers. Kobe had a sullen face and was a little depressed.

David Stern came to the center of the field while applauding. Although he was not satisfied with the individual games last night, the effect of the All-Star Game was up to expectations.

Mr. President took the microphone with a smile and immediately expressed his thanks:
"This is the 50th anniversary of the NBA All-Star Game. I am very grateful to the city of Washington for supporting the league!"

"We enjoyed a wonderful basketball game this year, and I hope the fans will enjoy this carefully prepared gift!"

"Get the highest score in the game and lead the Eastern Conference to victory. I think the fans like your performance very much!"

"The 2001 Washington All-Star Game MVP belongs to Clay-Lee! This is the second time in his career that he has won this honor. I hope I can continue to appreciate your performances in the future!"

David Stern took the trophy with a smile and handed it directly to Li You beside him. Most of the players behind him followed suit.

Watching Li You lift the trophy, Jeff Van Gundy smiled brightly. The two of them joined forces to win the award.
Holding the trophy, Li You took the microphone with a smile and kept thanking:

"The victory belongs to all of us, thanks to my teammates, but also to Coach Van Gundy and the Washington fans."

In the back, Iverson was bored listening to Li You's speech. He made 20 of 9. He also scored 22 points tonight. In terms of Excel, he really can't compare.

Kobe also noticed Iverson who was in an "unhappy" state. The two looked at each other without speaking. Thanks to the atmosphere created by the media, everyone disliked each other and there was nothing brothers could do.
Looking at Li You chatting and laughing with Mr. President, Kobe finally understood why O'Neal didn't come to watch the game at all:
"I should be there!"

With the All-Star Game over, media reporters are actually more concerned about Mutombo's whereabouts.

Although Duncan is ranked third in the MVP rankings, the topic is very wide-ranging, and most fans still prefer to discuss "beautiful" playing.

Back in the locker room, Mutombo also experienced the feeling of being the center of attention, but as an old-school player, he just smiled and expressed his position in the interview:
"I'm very happy with the Hawks and I love the city of Atlanta."

"As long as the team still needs me, I will always play here."

Jeff Van Gundy, who has been avoiding interviews, was also blocked. The bald young coach was quite satisfied with the current lineup, so he could only say a few words:

"The All-Star break is over and I'm just focusing on the second half of the game."

"Currently we are number one in the league and Grant is about to return from injury. I won't consider other issues!"

In the locker room, Iverson always felt that Mutombo just wanted to go to New York. He noticed that there was no message on his phone and his expression became increasingly ugly.

If he loses again in the playoffs this year, Iverson can already imagine how the Philadelphia media, whose patience is running out, will evaluate him.

On February 2, the last day of the All-Star Weekend, fans were still discussing the highlights of the All-Star Game. Li You's self-throw and dunk was played repeatedly.

Taking advantage of the popularity, Li You, who flew back to New York, had to continue attending his own star card signing event.

After signing an exclusive contract with Upper Deck, Li You can no longer sign autographs for fans at will, and has to cooperate with leek cutting activities when he has time.

Ewing stayed in Washington and continued to participate in McQueen's golf round. Grant Hill, who had been holding back for half a season, finally made his debut with the Knicks after getting permission from the team doctor!
New York reporters squatting at the Tarrytown Training Center quickly interviewed Grant Hill:

"I'm ready, seriously, I can't wait to get back on the court!"

"The ankle is currently recovering very well. As for the issue of playing time, I still need to further communicate with the coaching staff."

Grant Hill was very confident when facing the interview. This attitude made the New York media climax on the spot.
But in the next 6 games, the Knicks first lost back-to-back games to the Nuggets on Valentine's Day, and then lost to their old club Pistons in back-to-back games.

With 4 wins and 2 losses, most of the opponents they won were mediocre. Grant Hill, who averaged only 20 minutes per game, did not perform well.

Especially in the game against his old club, Grant Hill, who wanted to perform well, made 18 of 6 shots, only scored 17 points, and made 4 turnovers.

On February 2, the Knicks returned to New York and soon saw the big news of the day:

"The 76ers sent Larry Hughes, Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, and Pepe Sanchez;"

"Acquired Dikembe Mutombo and Rodshaw McLeod from the Hawks."

Larry Hughes, who was involved in trade rumors last year, and Theo Ratliff, who was just selected as an All-Star this year, were directly traded. Obviously, the 76ers no longer "believe in the process."
After the training session in the morning, Li You was surrounded by many media. Obviously, everyone wanted to be the first to eat.

The New York Times reporter also seemed to feel the pressure. Mutombo was a good fit for Iverson, and he immediately asked the question that everyone was concerned about:
"Lee, what do you think of the trade that happened this morning? Will the 76ers become our biggest rival in the Eastern Conference?"

Hearing that the other party did not ask about Grant Hill, Li You looked relaxed and joked with a smile:
"The biggest rival? No, we still have no rival in the Eastern Conference."

"Compared to other teams, we have more experience in the playoffs. If we are aiming for the championship, I don't think the other team will cause difficulties for us."

The reporter from the New York Post liked this answer. He nodded in agreement and immediately changed the topic:
"Grant seems to have not fully adapted to the team. Will this affect our regular season record?"

Li You shook his head again, looked at the people in front of him, and said seriously:

"What we have to do in the regular season is to get home field advantage. This is our only goal."

"So, Grant will not affect the team. Give him more time. Don't forget that he has just recovered from injury."

Patiently answering questions from media reporters, Li You told the truth. Halfway through the schedule, the usage rate increased again, which also gave him something to gain:

[Michael Jordan's extraordinary coordination] has turned purple. After being dormant for several seasons, this talent finally changed.

There were no blockbuster trades in the Western Conference, and O'Neal returned from injury in a low-key manner.

A wave of winning streak after the All-Star Game also pushed Iverson to No. 1 on the MVP candidate list.

ESPN was obviously up to something, and the Philadelphia media was excited.

On the 23rd, the 76ers challenged the Hornets away from home. Before the game started, Iverson was in a very beautiful mood after achieving his wish!
Especially after reaching No. 1 on the MVP candidate list, I felt like "I should be there"
The large amount of praise from the media made Iverson a little inflated. During an interview in the visiting team's locker room, he emphasized again:

"This season, I am the best player in the league, and the 76ers will reach the finals."

"You can continue to compare me with Li, I don't care what you think, I just want to chase the championship!"

"."

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