NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 209 MVP needs to boast (7000 words chapter)
On February 2001, 2, the Kings challenged the Knicks away from home.

The two teams are playing against each other for the first time this season, and with Chris Webber also competing for MVP, this national live broadcast is full of fun to watch.

However, the fans had been looking forward to it for a long time, but the last news they got was that Weber was out due to injury. This disappointed the New York fans. Many fans shouted at Weber on the bench after the game started:
"Wuss! (soft egg)"

Two days ago, Iverson boasted wildly about X, but was finally defeated by the Hornets.
Webber learned from experience and didn't talk about MVP at all. He didn't always play in the West, and he didn't win against the Knicks a few times in the East.

After three quarters, the score between the two sides was fixed at 77:80, with the Knicks only leading by 3 points.

Jason Williams, who played the entire third quarter, sat on the bench depressed. So far in the game, he has only scored 3 points.

Coach Adelman didn't expect that the main point guard would suddenly stretch his hips so much, so he could only wave his hand and let substitute point guard Bobby Jackson come on for a while.

Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie partnered in the backcourt, and the frontcourt trio were Hedo Turkoglu, Lawrence Funderburk and Divac.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Knicks also began to rotate the lineup, with Billups, Artest, Kukic, Kurt Thomas, and Ben Wallace coming on the scene.

Compared to his opponents, Jeff Van Gundy's rotation was bolder, directly taking on five substitutes.

After the game started, the two sides continued to fight, and Divac's low-post offense did not achieve results, and he also failed to hit the mid-range after the pick-and-roll.

On the Knicks side, Billups subconsciously slowed down the tempo of the game, making pick-and-roll jumpers. Artest and Kukic also missed the cut-and-layup.
The first one to break the deadlock was Kurt Thomas. After a pick-and-roll at the elbow, he came down to the right elbow, received a ground pass from Billups, and hit a mid-range jumper!

At 77:82, the Knicks finally expanded the point difference.

Coach Adelman on the sidelines watched Divac pick-and-roll at the top of the arc and bounce out, continuing to hit the ball outside the three-point line. He subconsciously shouted and gestured, signaling the big men to go to the low post to complete the offense.

After three minutes of lively play, the score remained unchanged and the New York fans lost all their emotions.

Jeff Van Gundy took the initiative to request a timeout. Billups and Cookic were unpredictable, and they were ghosts again tonight.

In the TNT commentary box, Marv Albert couldn't help but joked:
"Judging from the state of the game in the fourth quarter, they don't look like the two strongest teams in the league on the offensive end."

"I'm still looking forward to Grant Hill's performance. He should still have playing time in the last quarter."

Hubie Brown glanced at the technical statistics and said with a smile:

"Li's game status is getting better and better this week. He is expected to achieve 5+30 in 10 consecutive games."

"After Grant Hill returned from injury, the Knicks have more ball-carriers and a faster counterattack. So far, their offense is indeed better."

The Knicks got their main lineup back early, and head coach Adelman was forced to rotate accordingly, hoping that the team could respond on the offensive end.

The main lineup returns, with Scott Pollard and Divac forming the twin towers, and the three outside players become Jason Williams, Christie, and Peja.

After almost two quarters of rest, Ewing returned to the field with his physical fitness restored.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amidst the cheers of the fans, the gorilla running forward quickly slowed down when he reached the top of the arc. He noticed that Li You had already passed the half court, stopped simply, stayed away from the three-point line, and made a high pick-and-roll.

Jason Williams took the initiative to defend Li Youyun after halftime.

Suddenly lowering his center of gravity, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, quickly in and out, swaying left and right, pretending to break through on the right, and immediately turned around sharply.

Jason Williams, who subconsciously moved backwards, was about to pursue a defense when he realized that he had arrived at Ewing's side. The moment he was delayed, he immediately lost his defensive position.

The big man Pollard, who had just appeared, bravely moved to the three-point line. Before he had time to adjust his defensive focus, Li You, who switched to his left hand, did not stop the ball and completed a one-handed crotch ball.

The basketball flew out from his crotch, and Li You deftly squeezed past Pollard.

Like a wooden stake, Pollard didn't react at all. He turned around and watched Li You flying close to the ground and directly into the basket!
Li You retrieved the ball with his right hand and broke into the paint area instantly. He noticed that Peja and Divac shrank to the basket at the same time and took off with both feet right in front of the basket.

Throwing himself completely in the air, Li You faced the two men's jumping blocks, quickly curled up his body, pulled the lever in the air from top to bottom, and dodged the blocks.

Gliding to the lower left of the basket, Li You exerted force on his waist and abdomen, switched to his left hand and picked up the basket!
"Bang!" The basketball hit the board and went into the basket!
As soon as Li You hit the ground, Madison Square Garden was buzzing with excitement. In the blink of an eye, he sent four balls into the basket. The New York fans at the scene subconsciously stood up and cheered.

"Wow!"

Divac, who was under the basket, was still a little confused, with the expression "This can go in" written on his face.

At 77:84, the point difference was widened. Coach Adelman immediately signaled to slow down. The Twin Towers lineup had a great advantage in the paint.

Divac, who deliberately played in the fourth position, quickly ran to the half court after taking the ball, and then immediately turned his back to ask for the ball in the right block.

Every time he defends a tall inside line, Lewis will curse in secret. Basically, everyone assumes that he is a soft persimmon and always starts from him.
Jason Williams was uncomfortable being defended by Li You. When he came to the right wing, he failed to pass the ball immediately. After finally stopping the ball, he hit the ground, breaking the momentum and Divac took a step up.

Lewis immediately blocked the line, and Li You followed the pass and directly defended Divac.

Just as he moved his feet, Divac noticed Li You's movements and once again passed the ball to Jason Williams on the outside.

However, the quality of the pass was average and the ball speed was very slow. Li You saw the opportunity and suddenly used force and jumped out suddenly.

The moment he caught the ball, Jason Williams saw that Li You had rushed forward and subconsciously protected the ball on the right side of his body. Unexpectedly, Li You reacted faster and completed the cut almost simultaneously as the ball was swinging down. ball.

Cutting the ball hard with his left hand, Jason Williams instantly lost control of the basketball. Before he could fully react, Li You had already controlled the ball, quickly led the ball with his right hand, and rushed across the half court at full speed.

"Oh! A beautiful steal from Li, who accurately predicted the opponent's passing route!"

Commentator Marv Albert raised his voice. Hubie Brown noticed that the Kings seemed to have given up on defense and could only sigh:
"Li is too fast! Mistakes like this will cost you points!"

1 vs 0 in the frontcourt, Li You quickly rushed into the paint area, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, rushed up in three strides and easily glided and dunked!

77:86, watching the score difference reach 9 points.

The cheers got louder and louder. Coach Aardman hesitated but still did not ask for a timeout.

Fortunately, in the next round, Divac was deeper in the low post on the left side. The moment he caught the ball, he turned and threw to the baseline in response.

The Kings, who strengthened their defense, immediately double-teamed Li You when faced with a high pick-and-roll, no longer giving Li You a chance to easily pass through.

Facing the big delay at the top of the arc, Li You took advantage of the situation and passed the ball to Grant Hill on the left wing.

Jason Williams had just relaxed. Li You did not stop the ball after completing the pass. He pretended to run back and suddenly accelerated towards the left corner.

Grant Hill, who was receiving the ball, swung right and left in the face of Peja's defense. After releasing the ball with his left hand, he immediately crossed over and broke through.

In the left block, Grant Hill took advantage of the situation and passed the ball to Li You who moved to the left corner.

After catching the ball, he raised the ball and feinted. Jason Williams, who was chasing him, was immediately hit by Li You's fake move and flew sideways out of the baseline.
With no one in front of him, Li You adjusted slightly and quickly shot a jump shot!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

79:89，比赛进行到第4节还剩7分12秒时，全场最大的分差出现了。

Adelman was forced to request a timeout, and the Kings' offense suddenly stalled.

Looking at his teammates walking to the bench, Weber, who was wearing a black suit, could only stand up and give high-fives. The shouts of "weak" on the scene became louder and louder.

No matter how good-tempered a player is, he can't stand being scolded for a whole game. The swarthy Weber returned to the bench and gave the audience a middle finger. As a result, the New York fans became even more enthusiastic.
"Lee's understanding of the game has gone to another level after being honed over several seasons."

"If the Kings want to recover the score, the first thing they have to solve is the scoring problem. Webber's absence did have some impact on them."

Hubie Brown started to make excuses for the Kings. The old man knew that the situation was over and it would be difficult for him to respond to the Knicks.

Marv Albert, who has been the commentator at New York's home games in the past few years, has an illusion that Li You seems to be getting faster:
"After the high pick-and-roll, combined with the ball breakthrough, once Li completes the acceleration, it is difficult for the subsequent defense to keep up. Apart from fouling, there seems to be no good choice."

"It's incredible. Lee is getting better and better at polishing his body. Tim Grover should be busy again this offseason!"

The two began to joke about Li You's training team in the commentary box.

After the timeout, everyone on the Kings team looked serious when they returned to the court.

It was still the Twin Towers lineup. In this attack, everyone pulled apart and immediately engaged in a classic tactical coordination.

After Divac received the pass at the right elbow, Jason Williams immediately ran back the moment he handed the ball over, moved laterally and drove straight into the basket from Divac's left side.

The high-quality screen made the fast UCLA cut very effective. Divac, who was supporting in the high post, passed the ball to Jason Williams who was going straight to the basket. The latter received the ball and immediately completed the throw near the lower right side of the basket. .

There was no pursuit behind him, and Jason Williams' shot seemed very calm. However, when the basketball was still rising, Li You, who went straight to the basket from the center, jumped high and completed the nail block directly in the air!
"Snapped!"

The basketball hit the backboard and flew directly out. Lewis twisted to control the ball and then immediately threw the ball forward.

Grant Hill, who accelerated along the right sideline and rushed across half court, grabbed the ball, got rid of Peja who was chasing him, rushed into the paint area and dunked with two hands!
From blocks to dunks, the Knicks counterattacked quickly. Adelman, with his arms folded, shook his head subconsciously, saying the game was over.
In the subsequent games, everyone on the Kings bench was stunned. Under continuous strikes, the Knicks rushed faster and faster, without positioning to attack, and three-pointers in transition frequently appeared.

During the semi-transition attack, Li You encountered a double-team at the top of the arc and immediately gave the ball to Alan Houston on the right wing.

The latter caught the ball and pretended to pass the ball to the right corner. Divac, who was taking turns to help defend, stopped subconsciously, and then watched Alan Houston make an easy jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Toying with his opponent, Alan Houston retreated with a smile. Soon, Divac attacked the basket and missed, Ewing grabbed the rebound, and Li You caught the ball and rushed again.

The Kings, who had already worked hard to retreat, had just completed their defensive matchup. At the top of the key, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and swung his body to the left while drastically changing direction in front of him.

Jason Williams was shaken backwards and completely lost his defensive position. Li You, who switched to his right hand, went straight to the basket.

Attracting the attention of everyone in the Kings team, Li You threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

Grant Hill suddenly cut in from the left corner and grabbed the ball from the air, slamming it into the basket with both hands!
"Wow!"

The cheers couldn't stop, the opponents kept hitting the ball, the Knicks kept scoring points, and the wonderful scene allowed the fans to vent their excitement through shouts.

Seeing that Peja missed a three-pointer from the left corner, Li You, who collected the long rebound, launched a transition attack again. Adelman on the sidelines turned his head and simply sat back on the bench.

Jason Williams, who was working hard to defend, kept giving physical confrontation. Li You, who was on the left wing and holding the ball with his left hand, suddenly stopped when he was close to the three-point line.

After vigorously blasting the ball on the spot, he dribbled the ball with his hips. Li You combined the ball from the three-point line. Jason Williams was hit by Li You and lost his center of gravity. He almost threw himself on the street.
Unable to continue defending, Jason Williams could only watch as Li You made a jump shot from the left wing!
"Shua!" Converted to a three-pointer and then advanced!
There was no timeout, and the Kings, who were trying to slow down, kept hitting the ball, while the Knicks, who were speeding up like crazy, scored consecutive points.

With 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game, Li You broke through in the middle, blocked half of his body, and carried Jason Williams to the paint area.

Noticing that big man Podela, who was near the baseline on the left, was once again helping to defend, Li You suddenly turned around while walking.

When they came to the lower left side of the basket, the two people who jumped up to block the shot found that the ball in Li You's hand had disappeared.
Ewing, who received a pass from Li You, cut to the basket from the left near the baseline and dunked with one arm!
"what!"

Seeing Ewing beating his chest and roaring, the Kings immediately requested a timeout, replaced all the main lineup, and the atmosphere team immediately came on stage.

The joyful shouts of New York fans once again echoed throughout the arena, and the hearty offense completely ignited the atmosphere. Two minutes passed quickly, and the final score was fixed at 2:87.

At 10:34 in the fourth quarter, the Knicks put on a crazy offensive performance!
Perhaps it was because they had lost too much. After the game, everyone in the Kings team shook hands briefly and then turned to walk towards the tunnel.

全场6中1，只拿到2分3篮板3助攻4失误的杰森-威廉姆斯彻底蒙了，比赛结束后就大脑一片空白，被队友抱着肩膀拉回了更衣室
出场40分钟，23中13，三分线外7中4，罚球8中8，38分5篮板12助攻4抢断1盖帽2失误。

After scoring 30+10 again, Li You smiled brightly after the game. Craig Sagar came here with a smile, and then asked jokingly:
"I'm glad to see you bounce back strongly and have 5+30 points in 10 consecutive games. This is not an easy thing."

"Unfortunately, the Kings' Webber is out due to injury. The regular season will end in one and a half months. The Knicks are currently leading the league. Lee, are you confident that you will win this year's MVP?"

After Iverson finished blowing, it’s Li You’s turn again. In a turn-based game, of course there’s no need to be polite:
"Of course, I have improved my defense this season. After several seasons of polishing, I have a deeper understanding of the game."

"I am the best outside player in the league, and I am ready for MVP!"

Soon, Li You and Craig Sagel started a wave of commercial exchanges, which was considered as a warm-up for the MVP selection.
出场26分钟，13中7，18分6篮板4助攻1抢断3失误，格兰特-希尔回到更衣室也被大批媒体给堵住了。

"Grant, it seems that your condition is getting better and better. Does this mean that you have fully integrated into the team?"

Most of the points come from fast breaks, and there will be some post-up singles in individual rounds. Joining the Knicks, 18 points is also Grant Hill's highest score:

"I still need some time, the injury has really affected me, so at the moment I still need to get used to my body again."

"But I'm ready. It's easy to play with Lee. We've worked together since the All-Star Game. It's not a difficult thing for me!"

"Mr. Nice" Grant Hill is very popular with media reporters, and everyone is accustomed to this kind of post-game interview.

Artest, who returned to the bench, was not in a good mood. He didn't like playing on the bench. As Hill said, it's easier to get good data as a starter.

Billups is always used to slowing down the game, and this situation also caused Artest's data to decline a bit.

Fortunately, Grant Hill's playing time is strictly controlled, which gives Artest more opportunities:
"I will become a big star, and everyone will come to interview me then!"

Ben Wallace laughed immediately when he heard Artest's whisper:

"Rookies are always so confident, what you should think about is how to get more playing time!"

Seeing Ben Wallace's hair growing more abundant, Artest, who had just taken off his jersey, was not polite and immediately replied:

"You are also a substitute, and I average more points per game than you!"

"Shet! Why don't you look at the rebound count!"

"."

"Softie" Chris Webber also expressed his position in an interview after the game after the team lost a big score:
"This is not the true strength of the Kings, bye Sacramento!"

Weber's words may make sense, but after this game, Li You's biggest gain is that no one will compare him with Jason Williams anymore.

"Only by defeating your opponent can you avoid being in trouble!"

At the end of February, several people on the MVP candidate list took turns bragging about X. With the exception of Duncan, everyone’s attitude can be summarized as follows:
"I'm the best, the MVP should be mine!"

The New York media was the loudest. Iverson, who had just ridiculed the loss not long ago, ended the game with the Kings, and blamed Weber for "avoiding the game" and not playing away games.

The clay figurine also has three points of fire. In short, Weber cannot be regarded as a superficial brother.

On the morning of the 26th, the NBA announced the Player of the Week for the last week of February, and Li You of the Knicks successfully won the award.

In this week's game, the Knicks achieved a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. Li You averaged 38.3 minutes per game;

场均拿到33.3分4.8篮板11.3助攻3.0抢断0.3盖帽2.8失误；

Averaged 22.0 shots per game, shooting 52.2% from the field, 5.8 shots from beyond the three-point line, and 42.6% from three-pointers;

He averaged 8.8 free throws per game and made 89.1% of his free throws.

Compared with the crotch-stretching performance in the first week after the All-Star Game, Li You's data rebounded strongly!

On the 27th, the last game in February, the Knicks defeated the SuperSonics 2:92.

拉沙德-刘易斯在当晚的比赛中8中4，三分线外6中4，罚球8中8，砍下20分9篮板1助攻1抢断1失误。

The scoring was all three-pointers and free throws, and rookie Lewis basically turned into a magic ball.
Alan Houston was also in great form, shooting 16 of 11 and 5 of 2 from beyond the arc, scoring 24 points extremely efficiently.

30分4篮板16助攻3抢断3失误，李佑砍下大号两双，为2月完美收官！
The three people's efficient performance made the New York fans swell to the sky. They didn't care about the Sonics' recent poor performance. At the end of the game, many people chanted "Knicks championship" outside the arena.

Just as James Dolan expected, compared to past defensive battles, the higher the score, the more excited the fans are!

After the All-Star Game, demand for tickets to Madison Square Garden even exceeded supply.

The front row tickets naturally belong to celebrities and celebrities, and no one cares about spending money.

Tickets for the rear area of ​​the arena also sold particularly well, and most of them were bought by tourists visiting New York.

Such a situation made the curly boss laugh out loud, and he frequently expressed his position on his MSG in the past two months:
"The "Show Time" era belonging to the Knicks is about to sweep the world!"

"."

On March 3, the NBA announced its Player of the Month for February, and Magic’s Tracy McGrady successfully won the award.

The Magic had a 2-9 record in February;

场均29.3分7.6篮板5.0助攻1.7抢断1.1盖帽2.7失误，投篮命中率为50%，三分球命中率为37.8%，罚球命中率为81.9%。

McGrady deserves the award!

In the first week of March, the Knicks continue to enjoy the Eastern Conference's welfare schedule.

Back-to-back games, victories over the Celtics and Bulls.

After Coach Pitino was fired, new head coach Jim O'Brien was able to improve the Celtics' record.

Antoine Walker completely let himself go. In many games, he shot harder and harder.
After the Bulls lost, their record reached 9-48, and they were determined to be the No. [-] pick. Sprewell being booed at home has become the norm.

On March 3, the Knicks, who were in great shape, finally became iron-clad when they challenged the Raptors away from home.

At 88:98, Carter scored 23 of 8 and still won.

Losing this game, the Knicks' record reached 46 wins and 13 losses, still ranking first in the league!
In the simultaneous game that day, the Lakers defeated the Warriors 95:110.

At 16:43 in the first quarter, the Lakers performed a terrifying offensive performance.

After winning, the Lakers' record reached 39 wins and 19 losses, just tying the Spurs' record. The two teams also surpassed the 38-win Kings and ranked among the top two in the Western Conference.

O'Neal Excel, who was troubled by injuries, was still very good, and he did not forget to stand up for himself after the game:
"The regular season is not over yet, but I am the best post player in the league!"

"No one would object to having too many MVP trophies. I want to pursue the achievements of Larry Bird."

Interestingly, just after O'Neal made his statement, Philadelphia media reporters took the lead. Stephen A. Smith directly mocked in a column:

"A small guard who led the 76ers to a 44-16 record is always overlooked."

"Allen Iverson can't play like Shaq, but he is a true fighter and he is never afraid of those talented big men!"

The team ranked second in the league, and Iverson was on full fire after entering March.

In the game against the Wizards, he played 46 minutes, made 34 of 15 shots, and scored 41 points!
Although the team narrowly defeated the Wizards, the Philadelphia media spoke highly of it after the game:
"Allen Iverson is the real MVP!"

On March 3th, Li You, who returned to New York, was at his home in Manhattan and watched the sports media in the newspapers cheering for their stars, and he felt a little emotional for a while.

Unlike the future basketball environment, most MVP candidates really hate their opponents.

The team is on holiday. In addition to caring about the physical condition of Ewing and Grant Hill, Jeff Van Gundy is also inquiring about the internal situation of the team.

The Gorilla tour is quite successful, at least this season I can get two pairs thanks to "blood sucking".

Met some old friends, exchanged jerseys, took photos and had a great time.

At the Tarrytown Training Center, assistant coach Thibodeau saw that Jeff Van Gundy seemed unhappy and immediately announced the good news:
"Grant's re-examination is in good condition. At present, 25 minutes of playing time will not affect his health."

The bald young marshal nodded, and while the other assistant coaches left the office during lunch time, he suddenly said in a deep voice:

"I don't seem to be in the team's plans, Tom. Maybe we have to prepare in advance."

Thibodeau was shocked when he heard this. He has been working with the Knicks for many years and he doesn't want to leave here:

"Why? We are No. [-] in the league, the team has won three consecutive championships, and has become a dynasty team. We didn't even interfere with the draft and the free market!"

"No coach in the league has accomplished anything like this."

Jeff Van Gundy looked at his old friend who had been with him for many years and interrupted:

"There's not that many reasons, it's just that our boss doesn't like my coaching philosophy."

"He is not old Charles. Although he has not yet intervened in the specific affairs of the team, he can decide the direction of the team. So far, James Dolan has succeeded."

"New York fans love his theories, even if he doesn't understand basketball at all."

Subconsciously his eyes widened, Thibodeau wanted to retort loudly, but he just opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment. In the end, he could only spread his hands and whispered:
"What if we win another championship?"

Jeff Van Gundy didn't respond. He just stood up, patted Thibodeau on the shoulder, changed the subject and said:
"This is just my guess, but I'm also ready. Maybe after the contract expires, it's time to leave New York."

"But I am not short of work. As long as I continue to be the head coach, you will still be my chief assistant!"

Thibodeau nodded, just thinking of his experiences in the past few years, a thought suddenly came to his mind:

"Being a head coach doesn't seem to be difficult?!"

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(End of this chapter)