NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 212 Everyone is an excellent player (7000 words chapter)
On April 2001, 4, rookie coach Isiah Thomas had some doubts about life.

Although it was expected before the game that the game might encounter difficulties, the Pacers bench was silent as they watched Reggie Miller and Jaylen Rose playing continuously.

Isiah Thomas, who had been shouting since the start of the game, returned to the bench with dull eyes before halftime, watching quietly as the Knicks launched a counterattack.

The old rival completely stretched his hips, and the New York fans at the scene were particularly excited. Even if it was a game of abuse, everyone was particularly engaged in watching it.

Li You, who collected the long rebound, looked at the Pacers who were trying to retreat and did not rush to attack. Instead, they slowly advanced along the left sideline.

Travis Best just carefully maintained his center of gravity, keeping himself in front of Li You, and then moved back.

The small point guard has been forced to pass frequently since the start of the game. Currently, he can only take half a step to defend and control the distance at all times.

Alan Houston, who had already reached the top of the arc, waved to Artest on the right wing, and soon the Knicks pulled away one after another.

Reggie Miller watched Artest run towards the right corner, and while he was still hesitating whether to continue following Alan Houston, Li You was already slowly approaching the three-point line.

Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace just stayed near the baseline, with no intention of raising the pick-and-roll.

Best subconsciously glanced at the movement behind him, and then saw Li You in front of him suddenly jumping to dribble and raising his body's center of gravity.

Instinctively sliding to the left and back, Best's center of gravity had just shifted. Li You, who leaned forward to accelerate the breakthrough, quickly pulled his hips back, swayed half of his body, combined the ball with the left wing, and quickly shot a jumper from outside the three-point line!
"Swipe!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

Best, who was stuck on the spot and jumped up to block the shot, was a little embarrassed. He made a mistake in defensive prediction and gave up the point.
The sudden attack with a cold arrow made the shouts louder. Li You, who retreated from defense, clapped his hands and signaled that there was still another chance to attack.

At 38:58, with 29.3 seconds left in the first half, the Knicks led by 20 points.

Reggie Miller, who took the baseline kick, looked at Spike Lee with his hands raised on the sidelines and became furious. However, he just couldn't find the shooting touch. For a while, he could only rush through the half court with his lips pursed.

In the last attack, Best began to control the time after halftime. Jermaine O'Neal wanted to move up the pick-and-roll, but was stopped again.

Everyone in the Pacers also pulled away one after another, watching Best being frequently cut by Li You at the top of the key.

With 10 seconds left in the attack time, Best, who had been holding the ball with his right hand and protecting the ball with his back, began to call Crohill to the top of the arc to cover.

Crohill, who was anxious, just hung up for a moment and immediately moved down. This allowed Kurt Thomas to suddenly grab the ball and form a double encirclement with Li You.

With his body completely covered, Best couldn't find the path for the ball for a while. When his mind was confused, he quickly threw the ball to Jaylen Rose on the right wing.

The hasty pass was clearly intended and of poor quality. Jaylen Rose originally planned to move to respond, but he didn't expect Artest to grab the ball even more fiercely.

On the right wing, before he had time to adjust after receiving the ball, Jaylen Rose found that the ball was firmly grasped by Artest.

Under the tug, Artest pulled the ball out of the opponent's arms. The referee did not blow the whistle. After completing the steal, he took the ball and rushed.

It was 1 on 0 in the frontcourt. Jaylen Rose, who almost jumped into the street, had no time to catch up. Artest had already rushed into the three-point line. After taking three long steps, he grabbed the ball with his right hand and dunked with one arm!

"what!"

After completing the dunk, Artest screamed after landing. Faced with Jaylen Rose who retreated from defense, he kept beating his chest and seemed particularly excited.

"Wow!"

The piercing cheers rang out again. Head coach Isiah Thomas didn't hold back. He stood up and fired a wave at Best, and then watched angrily as Jermaine O'Neal took the blame under the basket and missed a layup.

At 38:60, at halftime, the Knicks had a 22-point lead.

Perhaps because he lost too much, Isiah Thomas glared at the players walking to the bench and roared loudly:
"Shet! You guys played like shit at halftime!"

"."

半场12中2，雷吉-米勒怒砍6分，杰伦-罗斯11中3，同样也是6分入账。

When the two of them heard the head coach yelling and scolding, they all lowered their heads and said nothing. They walked to the tunnel in frustration. It was indeed their fault that they lost the game like this.

The atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was boiling over again and became more and more lively. Watching this kind of food-crushing competition made everyone feel happy. To describe it in one word:
"Cool!"

It seems to be no different from the regular season. This season the Pacers are completely stretched, unable to attack and defend. Jermaine O'Neal's game experience is too different, and he is currently unable to compete with Smits.

Everyone in the Knicks walked towards the tunnel with relaxed expressions. After Li You briefly high-fived his teammates in celebration, he also showed a satisfied smile.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the first round of the game was indeed easier. It was not how good the Knicks' defense was, but how tough the opponent was.

In the TNT commentary box, Marv Albert also found it difficult to evaluate the first half of the game. The Pacers did attack from a double flank, but failed to execute in place in individual rounds:
"The first half was a bit beyond our expectations. If you want to reverse the game, how should the Pacers adjust in the second half?"

Hubie Brown on the side heard the question and was speechless for a moment. He thought for a while and briefly spoke about the situation:
"Continue to resolutely implement double teams, let the Knicks' role players take shots, and don't change the game strategy easily."

"If the opponent's shooting percentage drops, I believe the Pacers still have a chance."

"."

During the regular season, when most teams meet the Knicks, when the decisive moment comes, they will adopt the game strategy of double-teaming the ball handler.

At halftime, head coach Isiah Thomas couldn't think of a good solution. After a wave of output, he regained his composure, tapped the whiteboard, and continued:
"The defenders in both corners must shrink. Don't worry about the point difference. This is a long series. Now I just want to see you resolutely execute the tactics!"

When picking and rolling with position 5, Jermaine O'Neal needs to move up and delay, and the defenders on the wings need to shrink at the right time.

If the defense fails to be completed, the defender responsible for squatting in the corner must immediately shrink to the basket.

It’s just that the ball is faster than people. As long as the Knicks move the ball quickly in a row, they can always find opportunities on the outside.

O'Neal Jr. was a little confused. He had never shouldered so many defensive tasks before.

You can't win by playing fishy games in the regular season. Looking at the head coach writing and drawing on the whiteboard and constantly explaining, O'Neal's mind is in a state of confusion.

Best has been sprayed, and he simply can't do what Isiah Thomas thinks is a simple and easy defense.

Just seeing the head coach losing his "elegant and easy-going" face, Best didn't dare to complain.
At the beginning of the second half of the game, the two people in the commentary box noticed that the Knicks only mentioned Ben Wallace to the starting position, and they knew that this was going to continue the regular season style of play.

Watching Li You slowly move across the half court and come to the left wing, Hubie Brown said seriously:

"Jalen Rose should pay attention to defense. Grant Hill scored too easily on several cuts in the first half."

When Ben Wallace moved up to the left wing for a pick-and-roll, everyone on the Knicks team had already spread out.

Alan Houston and Lewis stood in the left and right corners respectively, and Grant Hill also moved to the right wing.

Best subconsciously called on O'Neal to help defend. The moment Ben Wallace stood still, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, immediately circled the ball behind his back.

While switching to his right hand, he lowered his center of gravity and quickly stepped in and out against O'Neal who came up to help defend.

Swinging left and right, coupled with a feint pass on his wrist, Li You blocked Best, who was chasing him, and stunned O'Neal, who was delayed.

The quality of the cover was average. Ben Wallace had already moved down quickly at this time. O'Neal's defensive position was suddenly a bit awkward. When he was still hesitating, he saw Li You suddenly speeding up.

The moment a loophole appeared in the big delay, Li You, who had finished shaking, turned his hips covertly and accelerated, increased his stride, and went straight to the basket in the blink of an eye.

Jaylen Rose, who wanted to help defend on the right elbow area, had no time to react defensively. He turned around and saw Li You breaking through to the lower right side of the basket and easily picked up the basket!
O'Neal Jr. stood blankly in front of the basket. As long as Best failed to successfully pursue the defense immediately and faced sudden defensive choices, he never succeeded once.

Hearing the shouts of the head coach, O'Neal came to his senses, and when he saw the tactical gestures, he finally understood that he needed to delay without thinking.
"Defense!."

Although the Knicks are leading by a big score, the defensive cheers are still there, and when there is not much suspense about the outcome, most fans want to see Reggie Miller.

The Pacers' offense is still the same. Reggie Miller quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, and with the help of O'Neal's cover near the baseline, he bounced out to the left block.

Best, who had been entangled by Li You, passed the ball a beat slower this time, allowing Alan Houston to easily catch up to Miller.

Although he lost the best opportunity to attack, Reggie Miller simply released the ball with his right hand after receiving the ball, broke through smoothly, and wanted to cut into the basket.

Observing Ben Wallace moving, Reggie Miller suddenly stopped suddenly, then drifted slightly to the right and forced a jumper!

"Bang!" Another strike.

Lewis immediately protected the backcourt rebound. When Li You responded, he was not in a hurry to attack. He made tactical gestures in advance before halftime.

When Isiah Thomas saw Li You's actions on the sidelines, he knew that the Knicks would most likely play a three-man pick-and-roll, and immediately reminded loudly:

"Delay to go up! Jermaine, guard yourself!"

Approaching the left wing, Ben Wallace lifted up and immediately went down. Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, broke through on the right side. Faced with the big delay of O'Neal Jr., he forced his way through.

Alan Houston saw that his opponent had expanded the scope of the delay, took the initiative to move up the free throw line, and used his back cover to delay the sliding O'Neal.

After a slight pause on the defensive end, O'Neal Jr. felt that he had lost his defensive position. Best saw that his teammates were about to lose their position and desperately pursued the defense from behind.

Alan Houston completed the screen and bounced to the top of the arc. Reggie Miller and Ben Wallace, who was on the defensive line, left him unguarded.

At the elbow area on the right side of the free throw line, Li You jumped up to pass the ball. O'Neal wanted to cooperate with Best to block it, but his teammates were too short. Facing the sudden surge of Li You, he failed to block the passing route. Look, The basketball flew straight to the top of the arc.

In the wide open space, Alan Houston even took a look at the ball for two seconds, but there was still no one to defend him. Only then did he make a solid jump shot!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

This tactic has been played many times in a row, and Alan Houston is smiling from ear to ear. The more fierce the opponent attacks, the more open opportunities he gets.

Even though he knew what tactics his opponent was going to use, he still couldn't prevent it. Isiah Thomas on the sidelines had already confirmed the problem and looked at Best fiercely:
"I'll send you away next season!"

Perhaps knowing that his touch was not good, Reggie Miller kept signaling to give the ball to O'Neal in the low post.

Just trying to get the ball to the right position is not an easy task. Ben Wallace may not be able to finish, but the blocking is very fierce.

After 22 seconds of tossing on the offensive end, O'Neal Jr. used a cross screen to barely catch the pass in the low post on the left. Through Lewis, who was changing defense, he threw it forcefully with his right hand, and the basketball stumbled and fell into the basket.

At 40:65, looking at the 25-point difference, Marv Albert in the commentary box began to talk about off-court topics:
"Mutombo was elected as the DPOY this season. I am somewhat looking forward to the performance of the 76ers this year."

"Perhaps they will be a strong opponent of the Knicks. In contrast, the Pacers have never been able to find the feeling of winning in the past this season."

The first round of the game was a best-of-five game. The Knicks got match points at two home games, and it was basically over.

Hubie Brown also believes that there is not much suspense in the series, and then added two sentences:
"If you want to limit Lee's performance, you need an excellent defender in the backcourt. Neither Best nor Reggie Miller can complete the job." "Head coach Thomas almost rotated 7 people tonight, and he should not be able to do it in the next game. Let Zahn Tabak start again, and the Twin Towers lineup is a complete failure."

The Knicks had already begun to practice tactical coordination at this time. It was also a three-man pick-and-roll, replaced by Grant Hill holding the ball at the top of the key.

Ben Wallace still used a fake screen from the three-point line, and Li You delayed the chasing O'Neal at the free throw line.

Jaylen Rose nimbly squeezed through the screen. Grant Hill, who was holding the ball in his right hand, did not break away from the defense. Instead, he broke through. Seeing Ben Wallace's opportunity, he threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

O'Neal Jr., who was delayed by Li You, failed to catch up in time. Best reacted quickly, but was too short. Facing Ben Wallace who was fishing for the ball in the air, there was not much he could do. He watched "Little Ben" dunk with both hands. !
The same tactics have been used frequently since the opening, but the Pacers have never been able to find a good solution. Especially after Li You participated in off-ball screens, the defenders became a little confused.
As the game time passed, the Pacers relied on the offense of Jaylen Rose and O'Neal to slowly increase the score;
The Knicks' shooters took turns participating in the three-man pick-and-roll. Grant Hill either burst or passed, and the offense suddenly became extremely smooth.

Jaylen Rose had just hit a mid-range jumper in the last round, and when he looked back, there was another three-man pick-and-roll.

Ben Wallace suddenly stopped at the left elbow this time, and Li You on the free throw line moved quickly.

Jaylen Rose was chasing Hill, who suddenly accelerated and broke through, but was staggered by Li You's back screen.
Best watched Grant Hill break away from the defense in the right elbow area, hold the ball in his right hand and go straight to the basket, subconsciously sliding to help defend.

Li You easily bounced to the top of the arc. Grant Hill immediately dumped the ball and feinted when he caught the ball. Jaylen Rose, who came on defense, was directly knocked away.
"Wow!"

Amidst the cheers, Li You once again released the ball, took a step laterally, and quickly made a jump shot from the top of the arc!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Looking at Li You who raised his right hand after completing the goal, Isiah Thomas on the sidelines immediately requested a timeout and his expression became "painful".

The Pacers were defeated by the same tactic, and the coaching staff had to take the blame after the game.
Jeff Van Gundy, who had been on the phone all the time, smiled and looked at the people walking to the bench. He stood up and clapped his hands continuously, showing his famous and handsome style.

Due to Grant Hill's injury, the tactical adjustment did not take long, but it is still easy to use.

Compared to Artest, Grant Hill, who has lost some of his explosiveness, is still a star player who can better control the ball.

Back on the bench, Li You was also smiling from ear to ear. The playoffs were easier than the regular season.
Ewing made chicken soup for everyone on the bench and continued to encourage loudly:
"Don't relax, even if you come off the bench, continue to expand the score and teach them a lesson!"

"."

With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the third quarter, the Pacers called it a day and Isiah Thomas couldn't stand it anymore.

Perhaps thinking of the past when he was slapped in the face by Reggie Miller, the substitute lineup came on, but the gorilla was still shaking the towel wildly on the sidelines.

At 22:30 of a single quarter, after three quarters, the score reached 60:88, and the game entered garbage time.

李佑仅出场了28分钟，15中8，三分线外6中3，罚球4中4，拿到23分3篮板8助攻的数据。

阿兰-休斯顿12中6，三分线外4中2，砍下14分；
格兰特-希尔10中4，拿到12分，刘易斯9中4，三分线外5中2，贡献了10分。

Looking at the technical statistics, the four starting players scored in double figures. Marv Albert was in a good mood and praised with a smile:
"As long as the shooters can find their shooting touch, the Knicks will be unstoppable!"

Hubie Brown noticed that Ewing and Ben Wallace had contributed a total of 13 points after three quarters. Everyone on the bench also scored, and he subconsciously praised the bald young coach:
"Coach Van Gundy has made full use of Grant Hill's technical characteristics. If there were no injuries, I believe the Knicks' offense would be better."

"Perhaps we have all overlooked his offensive talent. For this year's best coach, I will give coach Van Gundy a vote!"

"."

After the start of the fourth quarter, Jeff Van Gundy was in a state of admiration.

Since the Knicks have been plagued by injuries this season and have won 60+ games under such circumstances, the best coach is already beckoning to him!
Trying to increase his presence, Jeff Van Gundy stood on the sidelines with his arms folded and shouted twice from time to time to show that he was still immersed in the game.

On the bench, assistant coach Thibodeau watched Li You chatting and laughing with everyone in low voices, and then looked at the bald young coach who was eager to perform, and he once again confirmed his thoughts in his heart:
"I can also be a head coach"

In the last quarter of the game, Billups, who came off the bench, took the lead. The two sides played very lively, but the score rose very slowly.

Longley also appeared in the playoffs. Like the regular season, the Knicks' young big men took turns to experience the atmosphere of the playoffs.

At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 82:110. The Knicks defeated the Pacers and ushered in a good start to the playoffs!

Although it was a brutal playoff game, watching the Pacers lose by 28 points made the New York fans at the scene feel comfortable, and they did not forget to greet Reggie Miller after the game.

Reggie Miller only scored 15 points on 3 of 10. When he walked to the tunnel, his face was ugly and he made an international gesture to the New York fans on both sides.

After receiving the middle finger from the other party, the shouting and cursing at the scene became louder and louder.
Craig Sagel felt the "enthusiasm" of the New York fans on the sidelines again. He ignored the yelling and cursing in his ears and concentrated on interviewing Li You with a smile:
"Li, congratulations on winning this game. Can you talk about your amazing tactics? I noticed that you successfully cooperated many times during the game."

Unexpectedly, the other party would ask some professional questions. Li You was slightly surprised, and then answered with a smile:
"This is all the credit of the coaching staff. In fact, in the past few seasons, we have often used this set of tactics."

"There seems to be a change, mainly due to Grant's technical characteristics."

"Coach Van Gundy has tapped into the potential of the lineup. This season, he is the best coach in my heart!"

Hearing such an answer, Craig Sager, who was wearing an orange and white plaid suit, didn't pay attention. Instead, he laughed and complimented:
"The Knicks are the only team in the league with 60+ wins. Maybe we will soon see Coach Van Gundy win another award!"

"."

Grant Hill's career has been limited to the first round. He won the game by chopping things up like this, which also made the "Jordan successor" a little confused after the game.

Attending the press conference with Jeff Van Gundy, Grant Hill praised Li Youhe's coaching staff throughout the interview:

"Six assists? I didn't care about the statistics. I was completely involved in the game after I came on the court. Playing with Li, assisting is not difficult at all."

"No, my body is not back to its best yet. I'm still getting used to my ankle. The second injury didn't affect me too much. I just want to thank the Knicks for that."

"Lee is so outstanding. He is the leader of the team just like Coach Van Gundy. The best coach this year must belong to Coach Van Gundy!"

"."

The New York media in the audience also followed the commercial exchanges. Jeff Van Gundy just felt elated. Faced with one question after another, he subconsciously took a tactical step back, thinking proudly in his heart:
"The best coach must be me!"

In the other three playoff games that day, the Bucks narrowly defeated the Hornets 103:106;
The three Musketeers struggled, but Scott Williams stepped forward and scored a double-double of 21 points and 16 rebounds to help the team win.

Western Conference, 82:87, the Spurs narrowly defeated the Timberwolves;

In the playoffs, Popovich once again used the strongest tactics!
出场46分钟，20中13，邓肯拿到了33分15篮板4助攻1抢断4盖帽2失误的全能数据。

出场45分钟的加内特18中9，也打出了25分13篮板6助攻3抢断1盖帽1失误的出色表现。

The Mavericks game that Chinese fans pay special attention to, 86:88, the Jazz had the last laugh.

Nowitzki made a mistake at the last moment, was intercepted by his opponent, and lost the chance to win. This also made the Chinese reporters watching the game secretly sigh.

The game was 20 of 7. Although he contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds, Nowitzki's performance was not convincing.
On the other side of the ocean, the reason why the Mavericks lost was also given:

"Stubborn Nelson eventually paid the price for not appointing Wang Zhizhi!"

On the morning of the 22nd, the NBA announced this season’s Most Improved Player Award (MIP):
The Magic's Tracy McGrady ultimately won the award.

That night, the Magic challenged the 76ers away from home, but McGrady, who had just won the award, had no choice but to lose.

90:95, in this "idol" battle, Iverson finally won the game.

麦克格雷迪34中12，怒砍33分9篮板8助攻1抢断2盖帽4失误的准三双数据；

艾弗森28中11，也打出32分7篮板6助攻2抢断2失误都全能表现。

Although both of them hit less than [-]% of their field goals, they showed sympathy to each other after the game and started a wave of commercial exchanges:
"Tracy's performance is incredible. He can score, protect the basket, and most importantly, create opportunities for his teammates!"

"He is the hardest opponent I have ever faced. It was a tough win!"

Smiling after winning, Iverson gave McGrady the greatest recognition after the game.

"How to defend Iverson? I don't know, he is too fast and he tore our defense apart by himself!"

"No one can match him, but in the next game, I will continue to go all out to win!"

McGrady, who scored a near-triple-double, also did not hesitate to praise him and blew away Iverson.
In another Eastern Conference game, the Raptors completed a counterattack and successfully defeated the Heat at 85:80.

Western Conference, 93:106, the Lakers easily defeated the Trail Blazers.

奥尼尔21中7，拿到24分20篮板的大号两双，科比则20中9，拿到了全场最高的28分。

What surprised most commentators was that the Kings lost to the Suns at home, 86:83.

After this day's game, the performance of each team in G1 also turned many football commentators into idiots again.
On the morning of the 23rd, the NBA announced this season’s Sixth Man of the Year (SMOY):
Aaron McGee of the 76ers successfully won the award!

Averaging 11.6 points per game, shooting 47.3% from the field and 31.2% from three-point range, Aaron McGee has completely grown into an important role for the 76ers.

Although the 76ers have won the scoring champion, rebounding champion, DPOY, and best 6th man awards this season, most football critics are still not optimistic about this team.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, at the Tarrytown Training Center, the Knicks finished their training session for the day.

The media reporters on the sidelines quickly surrounded Li You. The Yahoo Sports reporter was the first to put the microphone in front of him and asked loudly:

"Lee, have you followed the 76ers' games? They have won many awards. Will they become your biggest opponent this year?"

Soon, the TNT reporter also hurriedly asked:
"Lee, how do you evaluate the game between the Magic and the 76ers? Allen Iverson believed that McGrady was the most difficult opponent he had ever encountered."

"."

Li You has been busy this month helping Hill, who has returned from injury, continue to adapt to tactics, and has not paid attention to other games at all.

Li You almost laughed out loud when he heard the "mouthpieces" around him introducing the business exchanges between Iverson and McGrady.

Trying hard to appear serious, Li You finally didn't hold back and replied with a smile on his face:
"Well, the game was well played! Iverson and McGrady are both excellent players. It's great to see them show themselves!"

"But I want to emphasize again that the Knicks have no rivals in the Eastern Conference. There is no need to ask similar questions in the future."

"."

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(End of this chapter)