NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 214: Draft Year (7400 words chapter)
On April 2001, 4, the NBA announced the best manager of the season:
Jeff Petrie of the Sacramento Kings successfully received the award.

Although the Kings' record fluctuated due to injuries during the regular season, being able to rush to the top half and even lead the Western Conference for a period of time has shown that the team is very successful.

Different from the Eastern Conference's welfare schedule, the Western Conference teams are more complicated and can only get playoff tickets with about 50 wins. In this case, the Kings' results seem to be more valuable.

In the game that ended last night, both the Knicks and Jazz easily defeated their opponents.

At 91:116, all members of the Knicks team were on hand, and they defeated the Pacers in a tailwind round;

At 98:109, the Jazz suppressed the Mavericks throughout the game and also got the match point.

出场28分钟，李佑17中10，三分线外5中2，罚球4中4，平平无奇砍下了26分4篮板10助攻2抢断2失误的两双数据。

In the Mavericks game, which was highly anticipated by the Chinese media, Wang Zhizhi still failed to get playing time, which caused many people to complain about Nelson:

"As long as you give Da Zhi time, the game may be completely different."

"."

出场47分钟，诺维斯基11中3，三分线外5中1，靠着罚球，拿了15分4篮板2助攻2盖帽2失误的数据。

The Mavericks have almost a 5-man rotation, and the one on the bench who plays the most minutes is guard Maxwell's 9 minutes.

Karl Malone, who is about to turn 38, overwhelmed his opponents, scoring 22 points on 11 of 34 shots. He was in excellent form and showed no sign of decline in terms of statistics.

The Chinese media complained that Nelson was stubborn about hiring people, but this is the norm in the NBA playoffs. Few teams in the league can do such a large-scale rotation like the Knicks.

On the other side of the ocean, Chinese fans who have just come into contact with the NBA are not in a good mood. No matter how bad Wang Zhizhi is, he is still at the level of Nowitzki. Everyone agrees with some reports:
"If Wang Zhizhi is not used, the Mavericks deserve to be swept!"

Many teams have already secured match points, and there seems to be no suspense in the first round.

Since there was more than three days of rest time in G3, the Knicks flew to Polis on the morning of the 3th, preparing to send their old rivals directly to go fishing tomorrow.

The team has already begun preparing for the MVP award ceremony for Li You. There is no suspense in the selection. Li You, who has smashed PER and won the league's first record, is destined to win this heavyweight award.

After checking in in the afternoon, no one cared about tomorrow's opponent. Although they couldn't go out to have fun, there were no restrictions on playing cards and entertaining the coaching staff.

At night, Ewing missed his old friend Kaplan.

It seems like yesterday that the airlift girl came over for a collective silver party. The gorilla suddenly missed the days of unrestrained indulgence in the club:
"I don't know how Kaplan is being investigated. It's rare to find a good place. I don't want him to close early."

Most of New York's heavy-flavored nightclubs don't last long, mainly because of the involvement of leaves and other reasons. Some newly opened nightclubs are getting lighter and lighter, which is naturally not a favorite for old-school people like Ewing.

Grant Hill and the new Knicks team were confused. Li You, who was watching the cards, simply reminded:

"It may be seized, Pat, you have to be careful. At this time, don't go there anymore."

Ewing didn't care. So many people had done it, and there was no shortage of him:
"I never spend money when I go to clubs. It's a personal friendship between Kaplan and I. Don't forget, he's a huge fan of the Knicks!"

The gorilla's prostitution for free was so reasonable that Li You almost laughed. However, it seems that the FBI has not yet investigated the Gold Club, and the other party does have a chance to escape sanctions.
"Good Sir" Grant Hill was stunned for a moment. Originally he only heard about the Knicks team's collective silver party, but this time it was confirmed.

Artest showed a longing look and couldn't help but whispered:

"I want to try it if I get a chance. I heard it's the most unique strip club in Atlanta!"

Many people in the atmosphere group also laughed. Everyone hoped that the Gold Club could continue to operate.

On the morning of the 28th, ball commentators began to discuss the 76ers' strength again.

At 94:89, the 76ers became the first team to advance to the semifinals.

生死战，麦克格雷迪出场44分钟，26中10，砍下25分3篮板8助攻2抢断；

Iverson played 47 minutes, made 29 of 10 shots and scored 33 points.

After the game, the two commiserated with each other again, and there was another round of commercial exchanges.

"It's great to play against Tracy, he is the most talented player I have ever faced!"

With a smile on his face after winning, and his opponent's efficiency was not very high, Iverson was in a particularly good mood after the game.

Although he was swept out of the first round, McGrady was also satisfied with the team's results and also made a strong boast:
"I believe the 76ers can win the championship. They are underestimated. Iverson is definitely an MVP-level player. He is so good!"

"."

The two seemed to have become close friends after the game.

The sports commentators also started to tell lies, once again emphasizing the dominance of the 76ers and bringing out a bunch of awards, which looked really bluffing.

In the first two days of the game, the Kings defeated the Suns 90:116.

Despite winning by big margins, both the Kings and Knicks are currently labeled as unstable.

On a night when the hand feels bad, it is normal to score 80+. Once the game is downwind, it is possible to score 110+.

This state has also turned many football commentators into idiots.

As for head coach Isiah Thomas, he only feels that the Knicks' offense is becoming more and more stable, and he really can't empathize with the ball commentators.

In the afternoon, when the Pacers were warming up at the Conseco Arena, Isiah Thomas returned to his previous "elegant and easy-going" state during an interview:
"The team still has a lot to learn from the defending champions. This playoffs is also a valuable experience for young players."

"We will still defend our home court. The nearly 6 fans here tonight are our best sixth man!"

The surrounding sports media found that Isiah Thomas seemed to be giving up, and it was hard for everyone to continue to add insult to injury for such a result.

The head coach lacks confidence, and the Pacers players are naturally not in high spirits.

During the regular season, he averaged 92.6 points per game. Currently, he is performing normally. Even if they are mentally prepared, many players still feel desperate.

Perhaps for the Western Conference teams, the Knicks' offense has a lot of moisture, but in the Eastern Conference, this is real dominance!
Although Reggie Miller, who is about to turn 36, continues to encourage his teammates in the locker room, it is useless to be the boss.

In basketball games, the ball still counts. Everyone knows that the big brother's defensive end cannot restrain the Knicks' backcourt, and the offensive end will explode and slump in the fourth quarter.

Counting on Reggie Miller to raise the ceiling is completely unreliable at the moment. Even if he has the fighting spirit and loses every game by a big score, it will be completely numb at this time.

Out of respect for the veteran, the TNT reporter finally just conducted a routine interview with Reggie Miller. Facing the camera, the veteran still showed his determination not to admit defeat:
"I don't care if my opponent gets a match point. The series is not over yet. As long as we protect the two home courts, the two sides will get back to the same starting line."

"Maybe you all think the Pacers will lose tonight, but basketball is round and anything is possible!"

"."

For this kind of cruel game, Li You was too lazy to brag before the game. None of the players he faced were All-Star players, so winning the game didn't give him much sense of accomplishment.

On the contrary, Ewing especially likes to be interviewed. Although he plays very little time, he still does not lose confidence in boasting:

"Yes, the Knicks can advance to the semifinals tonight!"

"I don't like what the critics are saying about us. This season, the Miami Heat have been the best defensive team, but they're going to be eliminated."

"It's impossible to evaluate a team's true strength by just looking at the data. The Knicks are the defending champions. We have seen too many big scenes. This is our advantage!"

The "smooth" Ewing was very confident when talking about the team's strength, and it was difficult for sports reporters to refute it. After all, the Knicks did play a break-up offensive performance.

The official kickoff was at 21 o'clock that night. Before the game started, the Pacers fans who came to Conseco Arena still had expectations. However, as the offense misfired in the second quarter, the arena became quiet.

With 3 minutes left in the half, watching Reggie Miller's smooth breakthrough on the right wing being directly intercepted by Li You, the boos at the scene were mostly muted.

Continuously accelerating along the left sideline, Li You instantly got rid of Reggie Miller's pursuit. As he rushed faster and faster, he left most of the Pacers' defenders behind.

At this time, only the young Crosier desperately returned to the paint area. Facing Li You, who was striding straight into the basket, he subconsciously began to adjust his body's center of gravity.

Cutting in at a 45-degree angle from the left and holding the ball in his right hand, Li You was extremely fast and came to the paint area. Facing Crohill who was slowing down, he took a big step with his right foot while shaking his body to the right.

While the opponent was sliding to the left, Li You suddenly changed direction and stepped forward with his left foot.

Taking a big European step, Crohill stood dumbly under the basket and watched as Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand and easily picked up the basket from the lower left side of the basket!
At 43:35, most of the quarter has passed, and the Pacers have only scored 11 points. The fans at the scene were silent.

Li You's fast break speed has improved a lot compared to previous seasons. Marv Albert felt the most and kept praising:

"From a functional guard who was thin and relied on three-pointers when he first entered the league, he is now the core player supporting the Knicks on both offense and defense."

"Li's progress is obvious. He never relaxes in improving his technique and body!"

In the commentary box, Hubie Brown saw that the Pacers were misfiring and knew that the game was about to end. At this time, he could only follow the topic and said:

"Behind the MVP, players need to put in huge efforts. Lee has set a good example for young players. I am happy to witness his growth."

After Li You withdrew from defense, he gestured to Lewis again, reminding him that it was most likely Crosier's turn to be the weak one in this round.
Grant Hill looked at Jaylen Rose standing in front of him on the left wing and stopped moving. He immediately noticed the change in his opponent's mentality and became more active in defense for a while.

Best was led by Li You after halftime. On the right flank, he wanted to pass the ball to O'Neal in the low post, but was interfered by Ben Wallace's semi-forward defense and was unable to deliver the ball.

In desperation, he went back to the old routine and quickly moved the ball up the line. Jaylen Rose came to the top of the key to respond, moved to the left wing, and lobbed the ball to Crohill.

Facing Lewis's defense, Crohill once again simply and roughly released the ball with his left hand and beat the basket.

It's just that this time there was no foul, and the interference-induced layup went too far, as if it was a rebound pass to Ben Wallace at the other end.
Seeing this situation, Isiah Thomas on the sidelines glared at his players again, and then shouted a reminder to retreat.

Li You, who caught the ball, was not in a hurry to attack and slowly dribbled across the center line. The defensive shouts in the stadium became smaller and smaller:

"Defense!."

Ben Wallace quickly came outside the three-point line to perform a high pick-and-roll. Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, was not guarded. He quickly pushed the ball to change direction. After switching to his left hand, he immediately dribbled the ball with his crotch.

Although Best predicted it successfully, he was briefly delayed when he slid to the left, and Li You, who had gained half a body, broke through with his shoulder.

O'Neal Jr. could only slide and delay, but when he saw Li You pushing the ball again and changing direction, he could only adjust his center of gravity.

At this time, Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand and almost hit O'Neal Jr.'s arms. After the two bodies collided, Li You relied on the defense to continue accelerating.

O'Neal, who raised his right hand high, could only slide back to the right, trying to completely cover Li You with his body.

Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, the two men soon arrived in the paint area. During the march, Li You suddenly exerted force, bumped into the opponent and took a large step to the right.

After being hit, O'Neal Jr. couldn't keep up with Li You's rhythm for a while. He was close to the basket and tried hard to jump to block the shot, but he could only watch Li You drifting to the right and behind to calmly take a jump shot!
"Shua!" The two-pointer was hit steadily.

45:35, the point difference came to 10 points.

"Shh!"

Completely unable to hold on any longer, the Pacers fans booed fiercely. With the current state of the team, such a point difference is disappointing.
No more mindless double-teaming, but he was beaten by Li You from the beginning. A slightly frustrated O'Neal subconsciously looked at the head coach, only to find that Isiah Thomas had calmed down and sat back on the bench.

Reggie Miller tried to arouse the fighting spirit of his teammates, but the offensive end went back and forth, and in the end he took over.
On the contrary, the Knicks completely relaxed. In several consecutive rounds, Grant Hill simply reversed and cut into the basket, which caused Li You's assists to start to rise again.Just after making two free throws, Reggie Miller, who was retreating from defense, was still directing his teammates to get into position. Alan Houston suddenly accelerated and cut in from the right wing.

Li You had just started a pick-and-roll with Lewis on the left elbow, and briefly got rid of Best's entanglement. With a flick of his left wrist, he hit the ground and passed the ball straight to the basket.

After Alan Houston caught the ball, he immediately stopped and feinted. He deceived Reggie Miller from the lower right side of the basket, leaned against the opponent's board and released the basket!
"Squeak!" The whistle sounded and the ball was scored.

"what!"

In response to the success, Alan Houston stood under the basket and shouted at Reggie Miller, and then laughed and high-fived Li You in celebration.

Extremely simple cooperation allowed the Knicks to score efficiently. Hubie Brown felt the increasingly quiet atmosphere and commented briefly again:

"The Pacers should stick to their G2 game strategy. They had frequent communication problems on the defensive end tonight."

Marv Albert only felt that the overall situation of the game was decided. When he noticed that the head coaches of both teams had returned to the bench, he could only say politely:
"I hope the young players of the Pacers can grow up quickly!"

In the last minute or so, it was still difficult for the Pacers to score, and they could only rely on free throws to score.

At 56:41, at the end of the half, the Conseco Arena seemed to turn into a "library."

The beaming Ewing laughed and hugged Li You's shoulders, and everyone walked towards the players' tunnel laughing.

There were no boos or yells. Pacers fans seemed to be used to it after falling to their old rivals for several years in a row.

In the second half of the game, perhaps because he couldn't stand O'Neal's "soft" performance, Isiah Thomas simply put on a "five-small" lineup.

Al Harrington was called upon at the last moment, and the offensive end was hit hard, but the defensive end was blown away again.

Grant Hill, who was holding the ball with his left hand, dribbled the ball from the left wing and quickly changed direction. He grabbed half of his body and then went straight to the basket, causing Harrington to foul and then sent the ball into the basket.
Jaylen Rose put his hands on his hips, Harrington's eyes widened under the basket, and Isiah Thomas showed pain again.

Less than 3 minutes into the game, Harrington was immediately replaced. Taking advantage of Hill's free throw, the Pacers added veteran Derek McKay.

Groom Albert felt that this was a substitution made out of anger and it was difficult to comment on it, so he could only change the subject and said:
"If they win this game, the Knicks will get another week or so of rest, which is definitely good news for them."

After looking through the schedule, Hubie Brown also smiled and added:
"You can use this time to refine the lineup. Grant Hill has played too few games this year."

The veteran Mike Kai, who moved slower laterally, came on the scene and spit out cakes under the basket, then retreated to face the high pick-and-roll, but failed to delay in time.

At the top of the arc, inside the three-point line, Mikey watched Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, use Ben Wallace's screen to get rid of the defense. He took a big step and then made an emergency stop for a jump shot.

"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team shouted happily, victory was close at hand.

Reggie Miller, who had regained his touch, quickly succeeded in a strong shot from the left wing, but after a few rounds, as the response ball missed, the point difference widened again.

Using the same tactics as the Pacers, Li You, who quickly slid down the baseline from left to right, relied on Ben Wallace's screen on the right elbow to receive Grant Hill's pass. Veteran Mikey quickly delayed.

Li You, who was dribbling horizontally, only took one big step before throwing the ball towards the basket. Ben Wallace, who was quickly moving down the court, jumped high, grabbed the ball in the air and then slammed the basket with both hands!
"Boom!" The empty catch dunk was successful!
Mikey, who was still skating, could only watch the Knicks laughing and celebrating.

There was no timeout, and the Pacers fans at the scene could only watch the home team score intermittently, and the Knicks would counterattack from time to time.
By the end of the third quarter, the noise had completely died down.

A single quarter was 29:18, and after three quarters, it was 87:59. Just like the previous two games, the fourth quarter was garbage time again.

In the life-or-death battle, Reggie Miller didn't take a break, but faced Artest's entanglement in the last quarter and had no sense of touch.

Repeated running can still get opportunities for outside shooting, but it is too much physical confrontation, and Reggie Miller's three-pointers continue to hit.

Watching Billups also score a three-pointer in transition, Isiah Thomas on the sidelines crossed his arms, expressionless, and still did not request a timeout.

It wasn't until half the game passed and the rookies pecked each other that the Pacers requested a timeout.

Li You also changed into training clothes at this time, and there was still an 18-point point difference, so he didn't need to play anymore.

In the commentary box, the two of them also saw that Li You had changed his clothes. Groom Albert noticed that Reggie Miller had reappeared and sighed helplessly:
"For a veteran, Reggie Miller has tried his best, but this season, they can only regretfully retire."

Hubie Brown also noticed that Ewing was still sitting firmly on the bench and simply sent his blessing:

"Veterans all deserve respect. Ewing's persistence has led to the team's rise. I hope Reggie Miller can also win a championship at the end of his career."

Reggie Miller was replaced with only 1 minute and 02 seconds left in the game. Naturally, he was unwilling to bid farewell to the season in this way.

He shot 9 of 2, 6 of 1 from beyond the arc, and 2 of 2 free throws. He took crazy shots and only scored 7 points in the fourth quarter. When he returned to the bench, Reggie Miller covered his head with a towel and shut up.
On the Knicks bench, Grant Hill was the happiest.

Although he only played 22 minutes in this game, making 11 of 6 shots and scoring 15 points, his breakthrough into the first round still made Hill smile.

Alan Houston looked at his old teammates who were in a good mood, and also smiled and said:

"The playoffs have just begun. There is a high probability that we can reach the finals this year."

After being dormant with the Pistons for many years, Grant Hill finally fully realized the joy of Alan Houston:

"The finals? Looking forward to it very much!"

The two whispered in their seats. On the other side, Ewing saw Reggie Miller covering his head and grinned again:

"Being able to see Miller eliminated like this, I have no regrets in this year's playoffs!"

When Li You heard Ewing whispering, he could only shake his head slightly. He missed the buzzer-beater that year. Reggie Miller mocked Ewing after the game. The gorilla has held a grudge for many years.
The game time ran out, and finally, at 109:86, the Knicks swept the Pacers 3:0 and easily advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Conseco Arena became noisy again. Some young Pacers fans seemed unable to accept this result and began to boo helplessly.

Head coach Isiah Thomas was very personable and restored his signature smile. He shook hands with Jeff Van Gundy in front of the technical stage.

The bald young coach who hung up did not say much. He understood the difficulty of the rookie coach:
"Next season, the Pacers will rise again, and I see your talent."

As if thinking of O'Neal's "poor performance" in the series, Isiah Thomas raised his eyebrows, calmed down his emotions and spoke about the scene:

"Excellent series, I believe the Knicks have a chance to win another championship!"

"."

After the game, as if he didn't want to see Li You and Ewing, Reggie Miller, wearing a towel, shook hands and left quickly.

O'Neal, who didn't get playing time in the second half of the game, kept hugging and greeting everyone in the Knicks team.

For this young player who has just won the starting position, he may be satisfied with being able to reach the playoffs.

At the press conference after the game, Grant Hill, who reached the semifinals for the first time, kept smiling throughout the whole process and kept praising the team:
"It's great to be on a bigger stage, thank you to the Knicks!"

"It feels great to play with Lee. Many times I just need to run to the basket to score. He is the MVP. It is a wonderful thing to play with the best players in the league!"

Jeff Van Gundy on the side was also smiling from ear to ear. The Heat were counterattacked by the Raptors, and their opponents in the next round seemed to be easier.

Facing many reporters in the audience, Jeff Van Gundy simply expressed his stance confidently:
"We are confident that we will reach the finals again this year, and the whole team is ready!"

"."

In the game that was held simultaneously that day, the Bucks also advanced, sweeping the Hornets 3:0.

In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bucks will face the 76ers. In order to reach the Eastern Conference finals, both sides will try their best.

In the Western Conference, the Timberwolves and Mavericks both came back at home.

Nowitzki, who played the entire game, rebounded strongly, shooting 19 of 9 and scoring a double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds.

Nelson's persistence paid off, and the Chinese media could only sigh secretly, as Wang Zhizhi failed to get playing time again.

On April 4, the NBA announced this season’s sportsmanship awards:

David Robinson of the Spurs successfully won the award.

In addition to the recently announced Rookie of the Year - Mike Miller of the Magic, all major awards have been awarded.

Li You, who returned to New York, also began to prepare for the subsequent MVP press conference. The New York media could not wait for this.

That night, at 79:89, the Raptors completed a counterattack and successfully eliminated the Heat with a downfall.

On May 5, the Eastern Conference Semifinals G6 will be held at Madison Square Garden.

As the time came to May, general manager Glenfield also began to prepare for this year's draw.

Although the Knicks' own first-round pick is destined to be the 29th pick, the Bulls' first-round protection period has expired, and everyone is looking forward to this!
In 2001, the year of the draft, the most popular players were three high school big men.

Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, Eddie Curry.

The three of them are all 2+ tall men with outstanding talents. High school players have successively made a name for themselves in the league, and high school rookies have also been accepted by everyone.

The New York fans were smiling, but the Chicago fans were about to break their defense.

Eddy Curry, who grew up in the South Side of Chicago, is deeply loved by fans. They originally had a chance to draft this hometown big man, but now they can only watch the Knicks accept their first-round pick.
On the morning of the 1st, after the video session at the Tarrytown Training Center, Jeff Van Gundy, who returned to the office, also looked at the scouting report in his hand.

Gorilla's retirement comes just in time for the big draft year, which is very important for the Knicks, who desperately need the next Ewing.

Looking at the information of the three high school students in his hand, Jeff Van Gundy nodded secretly, their talents are outstanding!

There is a high probability that the No. 5 pick will not be available, but the top [-] picks should not be a problem.

The Knicks' scouts focused on Tyson Chandler, who showed more talent on the defensive end than the other two high school students.

The bald young coach becomes more and more satisfied as he watches. In three seasons, he is confident that he can train this 2-meter big man into an interior defensive gate.

Assistant coach Thibodeau is also very satisfied with Tyson Chandler. In the Knicks, the big man's task is to defend and rebound. This newbie fits perfectly!

Several members of the coaching staff were discussing in low voices. After general manager Glenfield came to the office, he handed Van Gundy another piece of information:
"Jeff, look at this rookie. He also performed very well in the Spanish League."

Jeff Van Gundy frowned when he saw Pau Gasol's information. It was excellent, but it didn't fit in with his team building ideas:

"We need big men with excellent defensive abilities. With Lee, Houston, and Grant, the inside players are destined not to get many opportunities."

"Maybe he is very good, but it will take some time for European big men to adapt to the NBA, which is not in line with the team's pursuit."

The bald young marshal declined politely. General Manager Glenfield shook his head helplessly and simply reminded:

"Gasol performed well on the offensive end in the Spanish League. The management likes this big man very much. He is a handsome guy!"

"."

　Thank you book friends for your subscription support (﹃)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)