NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 210: Silence after the fight (5000 words chapter)
On March 2001, 3, both the Heat and the Knicks were severely punished by the league.

The conflict before halftime ultimately cost the Knicks the game.

Tim Hardaway and Li You were suspended for one game and fined US$7500;

Ben Wallace rushed from the bench to the field and participated in a fight and was suspended for one game;
Bruce Bowen was also suspended after the game. He was suspended for five games for maliciously tiptoing twice and participating in a fight. He was also fined $5;

Artest's malicious elbow was directly suspended for 7 games and fined US$17500;

Head coaches Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy were also suspended for one game.

Issuing the biggest fine of the season failed to stop the two sides from continuing to quarrel after the game. Pat Riley looked very sad and angry in the post-game interview:

"Bruce is a good man who plays hard and focuses on his family. Artest is killing people! He may even ruin Bruce's basketball career."

Jeff Van Gundy didn't take Pat Riley's feelings into consideration and was extremely angry after the game:
"It was definitely an intentional foul. It was not a basketball move at all. I even suspected that Bowen had received special instructions. This was not the first time he had done such a thing."

"The league should punish Bowen severely. Ron was unintentional. This was an ugly victory!"

Bruce Bowen almost lost his job last year. After joining the Heat for the second time, he seemed to have completely awakened. Last season, tiptoe Carter caused huge controversy.

Alan Houston and Grant Hill both played with their feet sprained and will most likely not be able to play next week's game;
Bruce Bowen suffered a cracked rib after being elbowed by Artest and will be out for at least a month
The war of words between the two sides did not stop after the game. Li You, who was interviewed by the New York Times, also expressed his position:
"I will help Ron pay the fine. This way of pursuing victory is shameful!"

The 30-year-old Bruce Bowen has been struggling at the bottom of the league. After joining the Heat this season, he has hit a career high.

Perhaps this is how little people survive. They rely on fierce defense to earn a living.

There will always be people who appreciate his talent, and Bowen's career is just getting started.

There were 10 technical fouls in one game and many people were fined. David Stern's heavy punch also sparked heated discussions in the league.

The fight at Madison Square Garden made New York fans extremely angry. Grant Hill, who injured his left foot again, has yet to determine the extent of the injury, but fans who bought tickets to watch the game knew that the injury was serious.

At the thought of this "good gentleman" being injured again, the New York media pointed the finger at the leader of the Heat:

"Jealousy blinded Pat Riley!"

On the morning of March 3, at the Tarrytown Training Center, Jeff Van Gundy looked at the frustrated Grant Hill and sighed silently.

"Kicking the lame man's leg" really worked. No matter how good-tempered Grant Hill was, looking at his swollen ankle, he couldn't help but curse a few times:
"Shet! He's a liar!"

Grant Hill became furious when he remembered that Bowen always looked innocent after committing a foul and would show his hands to the referee.

Alan Houston is okay. His feet are tied well and he wears high-top sneakers, so it's not a big problem. He can recover almost completely after a few days of rest.

"Fortunately, the next week will be home games, which is good news for us!"

After hearing what Alan Houston said, Artest was a little depressed. After being suspended, he lost the opportunity to express himself.

Ewing watched from the sidelines as everyone gathered around Grant Hill, and began to silently calculate the victory issue.

In the last season of his career, Gorilla also wants to win 60 more games.

When Li You heard that Grant Tehill needed further examination, he knew that there was a high probability that Grant would miss the remaining games in March.

"Ron, don't worry about the fine, I will take care of it for you!"

Artest also raised many relatives and friends, and spent a lot of money. He still had half of his salary of just over 100 million, so he spent lavishly. By the end of the season, his wallet was empty again.

Artest, who had remained silent, smiled gratefully, while Billups looked at the schedule and felt that his opportunity had come.

Too little playing time makes it difficult for Billups to perform well. Unlike Longley, who is fishing for fish, he still wants to show his abilities.

On the night of the 13th, the Knicks faced the Cavaliers at home. Without many players, the game was a bit ugly.

Billups also didn't perform well against Andre Miller. The Knicks won 79:85 with difficulty.

If they lose this game, the Cavaliers will most likely miss the playoffs, with 23 wins and 40 losses. Unless they win all subsequent games, they will soon be out of luck.

Lewis has become the team's main attacker. Compared with Billups, this rookie who is completely magic ball can still produce good statistics.

On March 3, the Knicks lost to the Nets in an away game. They had a two-week welfare schedule and finally achieved a record of 23 wins and 4 loss.

Ewing's "tour" was also affected. The gorilla had no choice but to shoulder some of the ball rights. As a result, his efficiency dropped sharply and he was completely "exposed".

The competition for MVP has also reached a critical point. Compared with Li You and O'Neal, Iverson has been injured in recent games and has taken crazy shots!

In the recent game against the Hawks, he shot 30-for-16 and scored 47 points.

There were back-and-forth matches with the Fish Belly team. Except for the Philadelphia media, which followed and applauded, most football commentators were not impressed.
On Saturday the 24th, on the TNT program, before the heat had dissipated, the three of them began to discuss the performance of the MVP candidates in the past half month.

Charles Barkley was not polite. When discussing Iverson, he acted like an old-timer in the studio and commented seriously:

"As a team leader, when facing some weak teams, he should lead the team to crush the opponent, rather than fight back and forth with the opponent."

"The 76ers have a good record, but I don't think they can win the championship. Like I said, they haven't been able to show their dominance."

"The Knicks team is not well-organized, but Lee can still crush his opponents. The Lakers team has Kobe Bryant injured, but O'Neal can score 36 points in 40 minutes."

"They will also lose, but more often than not, they show absolute dominance!"

Kenny Smith was a little helpless when he heard his partner's fault-finding remarks. Does the victory need to be broken down?They have never done this before:
"I don't think there is a problem with Iverson taking too many shots. No one on the 76ers can absorb the ball."

"Iverson is not Michael Jordan or Lee. He may not be as efficient as the two of them, but being able to lead this 76ers team to such a record is definitely an MVP-level performance."

Upon hearing this point of view, Charles Barkley immediately retorted:
"The 76ers have the best big man in the Eastern Conference!"

"The team sent away Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, and Theo Ratliff for Iverson. The management has overdrawn the future. The lineup is not an excuse for his inefficient performance."

"Look at his matchup with the Kings. The 76ers lost by 21 points, and they only scored 79 points at the end of the game."

"We all know what Lee did against the Kings!"

"Without Lee, I would have given Iverson a vote, but right now, he's not the best player in the Eastern Conference and I don't see any reason to vote."

"If the Lakers' record can catch up, I will also vote for Shaq. There is no need for excuses in the selection of MVP. I will vote for whoever has better personal performance and better team record."

Ernie Johnson noticed that the two wanted to continue arguing, and suddenly laughed and interjected:
"Maybe we should pay more attention to Tim Duncan. Injuries have not affected this big man."

"The Spurs are now ranked first in the Western Conference. Coach Popovich and the team have grown together. I think they have a chance to reach the Finals again."

In the tough game, Duncan's playing time dropped sharply. This is where Popovich has improved this season. If he continues to play hard, there is a high probability that he will be dismissed.

Perhaps Excel was not gorgeous enough and 20+10 could not satisfy everyone's appetite. Although the two people in the studio cheered, they never mentioned voting.

As the regular season comes to an end, TNT and ESPN begin to frequently consume several MVP candidates, and sports columnists from print media also begin to use Excel to comment on games.

In a daily newspaper with a huge circulation like USA Today, most of the sports sections are articles by Iverson and Li You.

In addition to bragging about X, Li You has a better overall image, without chains, tattoos, or fancy hairstyles;

And Iverson, who let himself go, is also very popular. Under the slogan "Black people should help black people", many people like this rebellious little player.

Reebok is also working hard to help Iverson, and Hook is not stingy with advertising. The paid sports media has turned over and over again to increase the popularity of the two.After experiencing three games a week and two games a week, at the end of March, the Knicks embarked on a road trip and ushered in five games a week.

In the first back-to-back away game, although Artest was still suspended, after Alan Houston returned from injury, the team regained its previous offensive firepower.

The "see you in Sacramento" Kings are fully prepared at home.

The two sides fought into overtime, and finally the Knicks had the last laugh thanks to Li You's performance of 14 points in overtime.

121:114, the Knicks defeated their opponents with difficulty.

Ewing only played two quarters of the game again. The smiling Gorilla even exchanged jerseys with Weber after the game.
李佑出场45分钟，30中17，三分线外15中7，罚球14中13，砍下54分7篮板8助攻5抢断2盖帽4失误的数据。

54 points, just tying Iverson's highest score of the season. At the end of the game, the New York Post reporter accompanying the team was in high spirits.

At the post-game press conference, as soon as Alan Houston and Li You sat down, a reporter from the New York Post in the audience couldn't wait to ask:

"Lee, congratulations on scoring a career-high 54 points. Can you talk about your performance in overtime?"

Hearing the question, Li You just smiled and shook his head, joking about his inefficient performance in the last quarter:

"Actually, what I want to talk about more is the performance in the last quarter. If I could hit the last attack, the game would not have entered overtime."

"As for the 54 points, I just want to thank my teammates. We almost lost. They are my strong support."

Also smiling after winning, Alan Houston was also in a good mood and joked:
“I love seeing Lee hitting the iron, it keeps us motivated!”

"It feels good to save the MVP!"

Seeing the two groups of people exchanging business bragging on the stage and off, some local reporters in Sacramento secretly curled their lips.

韦伯27中16，罚球12中7，拿到了39分15篮板的大号两双！
The Knicks were blown away inside, but losing made the data meaningless.

In the last two games at the end of March, the Knicks first defeated the Trail Blazers with difficulty, and then gave warmth to the Grizzlies.

With 55 wins and 17 losses, the Knicks continue to lead the league.

Although the loss of individual games was a bit inexplicable, Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with this result.

On Sunday, April 4st, April Fool's Day, the Knicks continued their road trip and challenged the Lakers away from home.

Five games a week, all on the road, and the players were a little tired. Jeff Van Gundy even planned to give up the game.

Kobe Bryant was affected by elbow bursitis and had been sidelined for a week. Before he had fully recovered, he forced his comeback in order to compete.

It's never a wise choice to play with an injury. After playing 9 minutes, Kobe couldn't hold on anymore and had no choice but to end the game.

In the end, the game turned into a collective siege by the Knicks against the Sharks.
84:78, despite inaccurate shooting, the Knicks still defeated their opponents, doubling the Lakers this season!
In the fourth quarter of the game, at 4:22 of the quarter, O'Neal was unable to catch the ball in the low post for a long time.

After losing, the Sharks were so angry that they made 2 of 1 free throws and 4 of 2 free throws in the fourth quarter, scoring only 4 points.
The Lakers' record reached 48 wins and 27 losses. Phil Jackson also looked ugly after the game. At the post-game press conference, he could only emphasize many times:
"This is not the true strength of the Lakers. Tonight, we just couldn't make a shot!"

22 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, the Lakers' three-point shooting percentage was less than [-]%. Such a stretched shot allowed O'Neal to catch the ball and be surrounded by three people.

15 of 8, 22 of 15 free throws, 31 points and 11 rebounds, still got a double-double. Olney did not support Phil Jackson after the game, but just said something about the scene with a face:
"The regular season can't explain too much. We are ready. I just want to see the team enter the playoffs healthy."

"."

今晚李佑虽然铁匠附体，但依旧交出了24分4篮板10助攻4抢断3失误的两双数据。

On Easter Day, April 4, the Knicks will return to New York for everyone. There will only be three games in the next week, so everyone can enjoy the holiday with peace of mind.

After defeating the two MVP candidates, Li You once again rushed to the top of the rankings.

On April 4, the Knicks will challenge the 15ers away from home. Although there is still half a month left, many sports media have already begun to warm up for this game.

With 51 wins and 22 losses, the 76ers ranked second in the Eastern Conference. Although their record was a little worse, the Philadelphia media was still shouting hard.

Although Stephen A. Smith is a die-hard Knicks fan, at this time he still wants to help his little brother. He took the initiative to canvass votes for Iverson on the ESPN program:
"I don't want to discuss who is better, Allen or Lee. I just want to talk about the fact that the 76ers have been silent for many years before this."

"The day Iverson came into the team, everything changed. He changed the culture. He made the 76ers rise again. That's what I saw."

"."

MVP needs a story, and Iverson does have a great advantage in this regard. After all, everyone loves counterattacks!

When there is not much difference in record, the selection result depends more on the personal preferences of media reporters. No one stipulates that the player with a better record will definitely win the award.

The Knicks, who have entered a state of preparation for the playoffs, have begun to play back-to-back games.

The Eastern Conference's welfare schedule has allowed the team to almost lock in the first place in the league. Jeff Van Gundy just wants to enter the playoffs healthy and begins to rotate more lineups.

After arriving in Philadelphia on the 15th, the Knicks' record was 60 wins and 19 losses.

"MVP has a strong conversation!"

The NBA has been promoting it for half a month, and Iverson once again expressed his confidence before the game:
"Eric is back from injury and the team is getting better. I don't care about being first in the league. I will lead the team to win the game!"

"."

Although Iverson no longer faced off against Li You during the game, the two sides played against each other frequently, and everyone knew the other's style of play.

That night, Philadelphia fans arrived at the First United Center early and were looking forward to this game.

But after the first quarter of the game, many fans were silent.
Still familiar with four guarantees and one, Iverson was on full fire, scoring 10 points on 4 of 11 in a single quarter.

At 26:19, the Knicks took a 7-point lead.

As the game progressed, the noise in the arena gradually became the only sound. The disappointed Philadelphia fans did not expect that the game would lose suspense after half-time.

54:44, looking at the 10-point difference, Iverson could only walk toward the tunnel with his lips pursed.

After the start of the second half, the Knicks did not have too many offensive climaxes. They played step by step and gradually widened the point difference.

In the end, 106:90, the Knicks narrowly defeated the 76ers, and their record reached 61 wins.

25中11，29分1篮板2助攻2抢断5失误，艾弗森赛后沉默不语
The noise in the arena became louder and louder. After the game, Li You stood beside NBC reporter Jim Gray with a relaxed expression and was interviewed:

"I'm very happy to win the game. With 61 wins, we have secured the first place in the league."

"This result is beyond my expectations. I just want to thank the coaching staff and my teammates. They are really outstanding!"

Jim Gray had already heard the shouts and curses of the fans at the scene, and at this time he also smiled and asked:
"Li, the regular horse race is over soon. Let's talk about MVP. Everyone is paying close attention to this game!"

Hearing this question, Li You, who was wearing a blue away jersey, just shook his head, and then repeated his previous views with a smile:
"I maintain my previous view that the Knicks have no rival in the Eastern Conference."

"In my opinion, there is not much competition between Allen and I. He is very good, but there is still a long way to go to win the championship."

"As I said before, I am the best outside player in the league, and there is no suspense about the MVP!"

"."

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