NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 243 The Era of Van Gundy ([-]-word chapter)
On Saturday, December 2001, 12, the Knicks played their last game before Christmas.

After a wave of winning streak, starting from mid-December, as Brevin Knight and Grant Hill suffered injuries in turn, the Knicks' record began to fluctuate.

Seizing the opportunity, the Eastern Conference teams also began to strike hard!
Antoine Walker has stepped up his shooting of three-pointers this season. In the game against the Knicks, he took 15 shots from beyond the arc.
"Lee can shoot three-pointers, and so can I!"

Antoine Walker, who has always adhered to this concept, was rewarded, and he led Pierce to blast the Knicks.

Then there was another game against the Pistons, and head coach Carlisle didn't show any mercy and continued to stick to his previous tactics.

Atkins and Collis Williams on the bench had dumplings, and the Knicks lost another game.

When they played against the Wizards again on the 14th, Hill suffered from ankle discomfort and had to sit out due to injury. Hamilton also broke out when facing rookie Trenton Hassell!

全场比赛24中14，怒砍34分5篮板7助攻1抢断1失误，汉密尔顿带着迈扣赢球，也让奇才队的战绩来到了10胜12负。

On Sunday the 16th, the Nets also succeeded in revenge. They shot 24 of 14 from beyond the three-point line in the entire game and shot 58.3% from three-point range.

114:104, even if they performed well, the Knicks still lost 4 consecutive games
Fortunately, the Hornets provided warmth next. Baron Davis faced Li You who scored 46 points and was extremely depressed after the game. Instead of being soft, he was completely beaten.

20号主场面对搬家的灰熊队，李佑也没手软，全场26中16，三分线外13中6，罚球10中8，再次轰下46分7篮板11助攻4抢断1盖帽3失误。

In the past two weeks of games, the playing time has soared to 41 minutes. Despite the losing streak, Li You's fans can proudly announce:
"The Knicks lost, but Li You didn't lose!"

Christmas is approaching, and in addition to the upcoming Christmas game, the NBA is also warming up for this year's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

After the start of the new season, Iverson's efficiency dropped further. He took a lot of shots, but in many cases his shooting percentage was less than [-]%.

Philadelphia fans who like to believe in the process only feel that the championship is getting further and further away from them. After the rule changes, it is too difficult to win with "four guarantees and one".

Iverson needs offensive space more than Li You. Everyone is circling the paint area. The inefficient +2 76ers record has begun to lag behind.

On the morning of the 22nd, in the TNT program, the trio no longer gloated. The Knicks' record reached 19 wins and 7 losses, still leading the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers were trumpeted in the past two days, but they lost to the Grizzlies last night with all the main lineup back, allowing the opponent to win their 7th win of the season.
The Lakers still have the same old problem. Three-pointers are inaccurate. Although O'Neal, who is frequently double-teamed, can always find open teammates, he is counterattacked when he fails to make a shot.

With 19 wins and 4 losses, the losing Lakers also continue to lead the Western Conference. As Kobe increases the number of shots, O'Neal's condition begins to decline, and there has even been a trend of failure in recent games.

In the studio, as a professional basketball program, Kenny Smith is introducing the high post tactics that the Knicks often use recently.

"In the case of injuries, the Knicks did not choose to continue to let rookie guards take on the task of organizing offense, but gave the ball more to the big players."

"I have to say that height is also a talent. At least Pau Gasol completed the task assigned by coach Van Gundy very well."

"A large number of offensive rounds are initiated from the elbow area. Li's more screens and reverse runs not only create some scoring opportunities for himself, but also make it easier for his teammates."

"Except for some mistakes, I think the Knicks are getting better and better. If they can make more open three-pointers, they may be able to avoid another losing streak in the future."

The tactical coordination drawn on the small whiteboard is that after halftime, Li You passed the ball to Gasol at the right elbow, then pretended to cover Artest, and suddenly cut in from the center.

After cutting in, it attracted the attention of two players and gave Artest on the left wing a chance. The latter could easily receive Gasol's cross pass and then complete a jump shot.

In most rounds, relying on Li You's containment, similar tactics can always be successful.

But having an open opportunity does not mean scoring. Artest's shooting percentage of over [-]% from beyond the three-point line is often just a shot.
During last week's losing streak, TNT produced a highlight reel of Artest's open shots, which really entertained many fans.

Compared with unreliable shots, it is often better to have a tank breakthrough, so that Artest can at least stand on the free throw line.

The same tactic is often used by the Kings. This extremely old-fashioned tactic has appeared as early as the 60s.

NBA head coaches are proficient in all basic tactics, but official games are not basketball training after all. If you want to achieve decent cooperation, you still have to look at the players' ability to adapt to changes on the court.

Although Charles Barkley has been teasing Artest recently, everyone is not blind. On the defensive end, the rookie will definitely spare no effort.

In more than a month of games, Artest has received two flagrant fouls and left the game with six fouls in four games.

In Madison Square Garden, as long as the whistleblowing standards are relaxed, forwards who like low post singles will usually lose their chain when encountering Artest's brutal defense.

Charles Barkley did not criticize Artest anymore, but commented on Gasol, who has been playing better and better recently:
"Pau Gasol should win the Rookie of the Month award this month, but I'm not optimistic about his performance in the Christmas game."

"Shaq likes big men like this. Gasol can't limit him in the low post. If he wants to go further, I think he should gain weight!"

"Compared to other high school rookies, Gasol is excellent in tactical execution, but in the NBA, if he wants to fully gain a foothold, he must strengthen his confrontation."

When Ernie Johnson heard this point of view, he did not agree with it. Instead, he pulled out technical statistics and gave an example:
"The number of possessions the Knicks play is around 88, and it is difficult for a heavy-weight center to keep up with this pace of the game."

"Do you think Lee is going to slow down and go more positional? That's not going to happen at all."

"Ewing needs to accommodate Lee in the later stages, because in many games he can shoot 45% of his three-pointers."

"Everyone needs to adapt to Lee because he is more efficient and can score more points with less shots."

Charles Barkley obviously knew this. He smiled and did not refute again, and started to talk again:
"Coaching Lee is definitely not a pleasant thing. Like Kidd, he likes to control the team and drag the game into his own rhythm."

"I understand coach Van Gundy. Lee is not a dunk. Although he is young, he does not need other people to remind him. He knows how to win."

"If one day Coach Van Gundy announces his departure, I welcome him to TNT!"

Kenny Smith watched this big mouth start to go off topic again, and simply joked:

"Coach Van Gundy has won 4 championship rings. Maybe you should fulfill your promise and join the Knicks for two seasons. Did Lee reject you?"

"."

On the night of the 22nd, Michael Jordan once again visited Madison Square Garden.

The Wizards also suffered injuries, with Hamilton suffering a broken nose and missing the game due to injury.

It goes without saying that McDunner's desire to win is useless, but the so-called winning spirit is often useless in basketball games.

Not every player has the discipline to practice. It is still difficult for the Wizards' backcourt to organize a decent offense. After many tactical routines, the ball is still given to Michael Jordan.

The mental victory method is not suitable for the Wizards. The old guys have weak legs and feet, and it is expected that the record is not ideal.

Mark Bartelstein was so angry at the way Michael led the team. As the agent of No. [-] pick Kwame Brown, he naturally had to speak for his players:
"Brown needs more game time. He should learn in the game instead of only playing 10 minutes of garbage time every night."

"What's even more unbelievable is that no one on the Wizards even told him how to play the right way!"

Fans who follow Wizards news can always see agent Mark Bartelstein complaining constantly.

The No. [-] pick can only play garbage time, and the Wizards' record itself is poor. Ball commentators have recently criticized McDunner's "ball dominance" behavior.

Mark Bartelstein almost pointed at his nose and said that McQuack delayed the rookie's growth. This has made the relationship between the two tense recently, and no one wants to give in.

When the Wizards came to Madison Square Garden early to warm up in the afternoon, Li You was forced to act as the peacemaker.
McQueen, who has recently started losing again, is not in a good mood. He has indeed saved the Wizards' box office revenue, but according to the current trend, it is still unknown whether they can make the playoffs.

Looking at Mai Dun, who was chewing gum and meticulously completing the shot, Li You, who was wearing a blue long-sleeved training uniform of the Knicks, patted the ball casually and reluctantly persuaded:

"No one wants to interfere with your control of the team, but rookies need playing time, and you can't expect Kwame Brown to adapt to the game seamlessly."

"25 minutes of playing time, playing two transition periods, should not affect the team."

Agents help players fight for their interests. Even if McQueen was not in a good mood, he did not argue with Mark Bartelstein:

"Do you want me to teach him how to play from scratch?"

"He should ask the assistant coach how to train. If he can get 10 points and 10 rebounds in a game, he will have 25 minutes of playing time."

"Maybe you really should teach him how to play. Don't forget that he is only a high school student. He has not experienced the basic tactical training of college basketball and has not played many official games."

When Maikou heard Li You's words, he was speechless for a moment. He chose the No. [-] pick by himself. If he really wanted to train rookies, he should really teach them himself.
Li You noticed that Kwame Brown on the other side of the court was like a doormat, and knew that this newbie must have been "educated" by Oakley.

Seeing that Maikun started shooting with a face again, Li You didn't care. He was able to help out for the sake of the same agent:
"Save your energy, you will lose tonight anyway, go home early for Christmas!"

Seeing Li You turn around to bat the ball and leave, Maikou couldn't help but shout:
"Shet! Tonight, one on one, I can beat you bastard!"

"."

After the game started at 20 o'clock that night, the New York fans were particularly enthusiastic due to the influence of Christmas. They watched McNut hitting the iron and kept cheering.

Grant Hill is back from injury. He has always been recovering from minor injuries. He has been resting for nearly two weeks and is naturally very physically fit.

Due to the injury of interior lineman Laettner, the Wizards' starting frontcourt became Michael Jordan, Poupeye Jones, and Jasidi White.

The starting backcourt is Chris Whitney and Hubert Davis.

Entering the rotation, Brandon Haywood ate up Kwame Brown's playing time, and Tyronn Lue also got more opportunities.

Head coach Doug Collins did not expect the Knicks to be in such good shape after the start of the first quarter. After calling two timeouts, he simply folded his arms and stood on the sidelines watching the ball silently.

With 4 minutes and 39 seconds left in the first quarter, the Knicks played the same tactical combination.

Li You handed over the ball immediately after halftime. When Gasol received the ball at the right elbow area, Kurt Thomas moved from the left elbow area to the right near the baseline.

Artest, who had poor touch, squatted in the left corner, close to the right sideline. Grant Hill pretended to pass the ball and then moved quickly laterally.

The chasing Hubert Davis was shaken and fell half a body behind. At this time, he hurriedly followed suit.

The little Chris Whitney, who was continuously cut into the basket by Li You, followed Li You while always paying attention to the movements behind him.

Grant Hill was really covering this time. The moment he stood still, Li You first pretended to cut in and then suddenly moved quickly laterally.

Instinctively sliding backward, Whitney lost his defensive position in an instant. Hubert Davis, who was guarding him, failed to form a tacit understanding with his teammates and had no intention of switching to defense.

There was a loophole in the defense of the two. Li You quickly moved to the top of the arc. Gasol kept raising the ball sideways. At this time, he easily threw the ball into Li You's hands.

With no one guarding him, Li You quickly made a three-pointer from the top of the arc!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

At 11:20, the point difference widened again. Maikun, who was watching the show in the corner, was very dissatisfied with the defense and started nagging again.

It's just that in the past, the two of them were in the atmosphere team. When they entered the starting lineup, they just had to catch up and get on the shelf. Everyone has tried their best.

In the offensive round, McDuck once again caught the ball in the right block that he was familiar with. What was different from the past was that the Knicks had a circle of people standing in the paint area.

Everyone on the Wizards tried hard to open up the offensive space for McDuck. When Artest quickly turned up the line in a post-up game, he was assisted by Grant Hill.

I wanted to throw the ball to Davis on the outside, but Maidu's pass was a bit hasty, and Davis, who received the ball, did not take the initiative to meet him.

By the time Davis reacted at the top of the arc, Li You had already rushed forward and took the opportunity to poke the ball away from the opponent's head.

Amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, it was another 1 vs. 0 in the frontcourt. After grabbing the ball, Li You went straight to the basket, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and succeeded in a gliding dunk!

Fortunately, Davis quickly slipped down the baseline and took a chance. He received Whitney's cross pass from the left wing and hit a three-pointer to help the Wizards stabilize their mood.

At 14:22, the point difference narrowed to 8 points, and Maidu began to loudly instruct his teammates to defend.

The Knicks repeatedly played the same tactic. Li You looked at McDunner, who was still directing traffic, and gave the ball to Gasol in the left elbow area, then quickly moved to the right elbow area.

As Li You moved, he winked at Grant Hill. The moment he came to stand at the elbow, Li You suddenly accelerated his shot.

Under the false screen, the little Whitney subconsciously followed Li You and slid, and McDuck was also attracted. Grant Hill inadvertently accelerated the cut, and Pau Gasol immediately threw the ball inward.

Maidun, who lost his defensive position, could only watch Grant Hill catch the ball, grab the ball with his right hand, and lean forward to pick the basket!

"Whoa!" The two-pointer made steady progress.

Seeing the sudden silence, Li You clapped his hands in joy. The old guy's lateral speed had dropped drastically. It was impossible to expect Oakley to make up defense.

Once he noticed the loopholes in the opponent's defense, as Li You shouted to everyone on the court, everyone took turns to rush to the basket.

Although there were passing errors in some rounds, the Wizards failed to seize the opportunity and could not increase their counterattack speed.

In addition to hitting three goals after the opening, McDunner failed again on the offensive end. On defense, he was elbowed by Artest who was cutting to the basket.
At the end of the first quarter, at 1:20, the fun-loving fans at Madison Square Garden were smiling.

Back on the bench, Maikou was sweating profusely while holding his ribs. He indeed had a strong desire to win and insisted on playing the entire first quarter, and he spared no effort on the defensive end.

Doug Collins could naturally see that Li You was provoking the Wizards' defense. The same tactic was used 4 times in a row:
"McDunner, take a rest! You have to trust your teammates, your knees can't support you for the whole game."

After hearing the coach's words and noticing that Oakley was also gasping for air, McQueen nodded silently and began to replenish water without saying a word.

With a big lead, the Knicks stopped throwing three-pointers and started to defend and counterattack again.

Tyronn Lue finally experienced the feeling of Fisher defending Li You. Once he rushed up, Ladu couldn't hold him back, so he could only lie on the floor and try to get some whistles.
With 2 minutes and 8 seconds left in the second quarter, Haywood put the basket under the basket and was interfered by the big man Wright. He collected the rebound and Li You came to the basket to receive the ball and rushed forward with the ball.

Tyronn Lue, who was chasing after him, was shaken away by a large change of direction in front of his body. When Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand, he was already slumping and accelerating.

Tyronn Lue, who lost his defensive position, turned around and pounced without stopping his hand movements. He tried to commit a tactical foul, but was staggered and finally screamed and lay on the floor.

The referee didn't say anything, and the Wizards were still retreating on defense. They soon discovered that Li You was holding the ball in his left hand and rushing faster and faster, rushing to the basket first and second.

Haywood was blinded when he returned to defense. He subconsciously stopped in the paint and watched Li You grab the ball with his left hand and hit the board for a layup.

The cheers became particularly harsh. Sitting on the bench, Mike's face was dark. Doug Collins was also a little embarrassed. He didn't expect the Knicks to hit hard.

At 17:30 in a single quarter, halftime ended at 37:64, and Maidu didn’t have to play in the third quarter.
Although it was a game of abuse, the opponent was Michael Jordan. New York fans were naturally very happy to see the Wizards being defeated.

In the end, in this pre-Christmas game, the Knicks defeated their opponents 83:112!
Kwame Brown, the doormat, finally exceeded 10 minutes of playing time, which was close to the garbage time of two quarters. The rookie also gained 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

A tragic defeat also gave many sports media a new topic:

"Can Michael Jordan lead the team to the playoffs?" Before Christmas, the Knicks ushered in the holiday, and everyone was relieved from the boring shooting training every day.

Artest also has idol baggage. Even though the New York media has been speaking for him, TNT always makes fun of him, which still makes him lose face.

The most unlucky Stephen Jackson is troubled by a hamstring injury and will most likely have to wait until after the All-Star Game to return.

This Christmas, Grant Hill also invited everyone from the Knicks to a Christmas party.

Such an event is naturally organized to take care of the two European players Gasol and Fordsis.

On the 23rd, most fans were still looking forward to the Christmas Day game in which Mars collided with the Earth. However, the Lakers officially announced that O'Neal would miss the Christmas Day game due to a toe injury.

Lakers fans who saw the news were naturally very disappointed. It was a rare encounter with the "weak" Knicks team, but O'Neal himself fell first.
The Lakers were missing their core players, and Artest was in high spirits at this time. Before attending the Christmas party, he confidently expressed his stance in an interview with the New York Post:
"In the Christmas game, I will completely lock Kobe on the defensive end. Without O'Neal, the Lakers have no chance!"

"I don't care about my offensive performance, I know what I need to do to win."

As if feeling that it would be difficult for him to hit more than 35% of his three-point field goals this season, Artest began to change the subject and portray himself as a defensive master.
The New York media was just like this. They were already prepared to lose, but now everyone became energetic again.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, several print media sports sections began to celebrate the victory of the Christmas war in advance.
Some columns also didn't forget to ridicule Kobe. No one took this second-in-command seriously:
"Without O'Neal, Kobe Bryant can't support the Lakers' offense!"

O'Neal, who suddenly suffered an injury, was very low-key, but Shaq was a bit petty and did not speak for his younger brother. He was extremely low-key and did not even accept interviews with the media.

Phil Jackson, as always, supported his players. After hearing the words of the "megaphone", he began to praise Kobe's performance again:

"Kobe reminds me of McQueen. They both have a strong desire to win. This spirit of pursuing victory has always inspired the team."

"I believe in Kobe's ability. He is underestimated. He has the ability to lead the Lakers to victory!"

"."

Naturally, the Los Angeles Times was not to be outdone. It quoted Phil Jackson's comments and boasted about Kobe's progress this season, and also gave him a title:
"The best shooting guard in the league!"

The game hasn't even started yet, and a new round of verbal sparring sessions between the two sides has also started.

On the morning of the 25th, although the weather was cold, Li You did not forget his sponsor's instructions and still got up early and took Happy the husky for a morning run.

Happy is also a big star among dogs. Perhaps the cold weather awakened his blood, and his eyes became much clearer when running.
Hook has also recently begun to preview Li You's new sneakers, which will be officially released before the All-Star Game.

Buying sneakers will give you a limited edition star card. For fans who want to support Li You, there is a high probability that they will be severely cut.

In the morning, the Knicks team went out collectively to send warmth to poor communities, express condolences to the families of the victims, and donate some sports equipment.

In the afternoon, everyone will prepare in advance and come to the Madison Square Garden Arena to warm up and attend the pre-game press conference.

During the interview, Li You didn't say anything. After all, the opponent's MVP was gone, and there was no opponent of the same level. At this time, he could only give a simple blessing:
"It's a shame to see Shaq suffer an injury and I hope he can get healthy as soon as possible."

"A win is the Knicks' gift to the fans this Christmas!"

For the Lakers, O'Neal did not come to New York with the team, and Kobe became the team leader.

The official kickoff was at 20:30 that night. In an interview before the game, Kobe also expressed his confidence:
"I'm very happy to be able to participate in the Christmas game. Although Shaq is not here, I will lead the team to victory. I hope Lakers fans will like this gift!"

"."

Sitting in his seat in the locker room, Kobe smiled brightly and felt extremely comfortable. This was his team and everyone was paying attention to him. This feeling was addictive.

An hour before the game started, NBC's back studio began to warm up the game. The Christmas game ended earlier, with the Raptors easily defeating the 94ers at 82:76.

In the live commentary box in front, Marv Albert was introducing the Lakers' starting lineup:

"After O'Neal was injured, the Lakers' starting frontcourt tonight is Rick Fox, Samaki Walker, and Stanislav Medvedenko."

"The backcourt combination is still Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant."

"This lineup does not have many inside advantages. The Lakers' offense will rely more on Kobe to a large extent."

Also participating in the commentary tonight was the former head coach of the Trail Blazers, Mike Dunleavy. Looking at the Lakers' roster, he shook his head secretly, but on the surface he analyzed it seriously:

"I believe Kobe will respond. He is in great shape this season!"

There were also many Christmas decorations in Madison Square Garden. Before the game started, the scene became lively with the cheerleader girls twisting and turning.

They only play the Lakers twice a season. If they win the Christmas game at home, the away win or loss will automatically be ignored by New York fans.

The lively scene also made Kobe warm up. This was the first time he had led a team to experience such a big scene alone.

Li You was still greeting his friends sitting in the front row, and Grant Hill patted the ball and expressed condolences to the referee on duty tonight.

Artest kept staring at Kobe, seemingly aware of the unfriendly look, and Kobe finally just gave him a slap on the back of his head.
Phil Jackson was still a little worried. Before the game, he pulled everyone together and started shouting.

On the other side, Jeff Van Gundy sat on the bench and drank a sugar-free Pepsi. Facing the director's camera, he smiled confidently from time to time.

When the players from both sides came to the center circle, Gasol successfully jumped the ball, and the cheers and cheers immediately rang through the arena:

"Let's go Knicks!."

Li You, who was catching the ball, noticed that the defender in front of him was Kobe. After observing the matchup on the court, he immediately made tactical gestures and handed the ball over immediately after passing half the court.

In the left corner, Artest noticed that the defender in front of him had become Fisher. He saw the tactical gesture and stood still.

In the left elbow area, when Gasol received the ball, Grant Hill on the right wing loudly reminded Kurt Thomas to move.

After handing over the ball, Li You first pretended to pass the ball to the ball, then suddenly swayed sideways, cut in from the middle, and quickly ran to the left corner.

Recognizing the Knicks' tactics, Kobe saw Artest also starting to try to set off the screen, and simply walked to the line to block Li You's receiving route.

Li You used the screen to reach the left corner and swayed up the line. Kobe subconsciously followed and slid to the left, but with his back to the basketball, he didn't notice Gasol turned around and raised his hands high, quickly throwing the ball to the left corner. horn.

Li You's body swayed, and the basketball flew into his hands at the moment Kobe was sliding. He didn't give the opponent time to react, and immediately shot a jump shot after catching the ball!
Artest "pushed" Fisher away, and Kobe, who had lost his focus on defense, had no time to block the shot. The two were still watching the ball, and Li You had already confidently returned to defense along the sideline.
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Even if they know what tactics the Knicks want to play, they still cannot defend in many cases.

Phil Jackson quickly shouted a reminder and signaled Fisher to steady his rhythm.

When it was the Lakers' turn to attack, Fisher also handed over the ball after halftime, and then ran to the left corner.

Kobe came to the right wing, and Samaki Walker also moved up the pick-and-roll.

The quality of the screen was mediocre, allowing Artest to squeeze through the screen immediately. At the same time, Kurt Thomas was also delayed in cooperating with the double team.

Before Kobe could accelerate, he was already surrounded by the two men. It seemed that he did not expect that the Knicks' defense would be so fierce in the opening game.

Forced to stop the ball, before Kobe could find his teammates, the basketball in his hand was forcefully pulled away by Artest.
"Wow!"

It was a steal with great visual impact, and New York fans also cheered. After completing the steal, Artest did not give Kobe a chance to pursue him. He took two big steps and threw the ball forward.

Grant Hill, who started quickly, grabbed the ball with his right hand and accelerated in a straight line. Against Fox who was returning to defend, he rushed into the paint area, jumped away from his opponent, and hit the board with his right hand to lay up the basket!
Mike Dunleavy naturally did a lot of homework before the game. When he saw such an iconic goal, he immediately praised loudly:

"Too fast! This is the Knicks' counterattack. They have won many games this season by relying on this kind of transition attack."

When Marv Albert saw the Lakers attacking again, Kobe changed the pick and roll, only to be double-teamed again.

After running into Gasol's arms, Kobe subconsciously wanted to speed up and squeeze through, but Artest suddenly cut the ball from behind, and Kobe, who was holding the ball in his left hand, was forced to stop the ball again.

Learning his lesson, Kobe hurriedly gave the ball to Medvedenko.

The quality of the pass was not high. The new big man bent down to catch the ball. Facing the help of the defense, Kurt Thomas suddenly hit the basket and accidentally hit the basketball on his foot, directly going out of the baseline.
Such a performance immediately caused a burst of laughter from the New York fans at the scene. Seeing that the Lakers were unable to organize an effective offense, the cheers and cheers became louder.

Li You first clapped his hands, affirming the defense, took the baseline ball, raised three fingers again, and made the same tactical gesture.

Kobe stared at Li You's movements fiercely. This was not the start he had imagined.
The angry expression failed to bring any bonus. After dribbling behind his back, Li You switched to his left hand and faced the defense, turning on the "bulldozer" mode and rushing through the half court.

It was still a handover after halftime, the same tactic, Gasol changed direction and received the ball with his back.

Learning from his experience, Kobe did not go around the line again, but followed Li You who cut through the middle and ran to the right corner.

Artest was not polite and immediately set a screen, successfully delaying Kobe, causing Fisher to quickly change defense and follow Li You to the right wing.

This time the cooperation was really hand-to-hand to catch the ball. Gasol stretched out his right arm, turned sideways to complete the pass and made a screen at the same time.

Fisher, who was delayed, hurriedly reminded Medvedenko loudly to switch defense. Li You didn't give his opponent a chance. After receiving the ball, he just took a step laterally, stopped immediately near the top of the arc, and quickly shot a jumper from outside the three-point line!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Medvedenko, who only made some defensive moves, was also a little confused. Watching the game video, he couldn't appreciate the speed of Li You's shots.
At 0:8, less than 1 minute into the game, the Lakers fell behind by 8 points. Phil Jackson on the sidelines subconsciously held his forehead and once again reminded the players to hold on.

Encountering Artest's persistent pursuit and the Knicks' big man's big delay, Kobe finally enjoyed Li You's defensive treatment.

Patiently passing the ball still failed to get rid of Artest. When the attack time was close to 20 seconds, Kobe was surrounded by two people in the left block again.

Although the pass was sent, Samaki Walker, who received the ball, made a jump shot from the free throw line.
Gasol successfully protected the backcourt rebound and immediately threw the ball forward before the Lakers could retreat.

Fisher arched fiercely at his side, but it did not affect Li You who was fishing for the ball at all.

The two struggled through the half-court, and the New York fans had already begun to celebrate the goal in this round.

Just as the fans imagined, Li You did not slow down and rushed to the paint area with Fisher on his side. Then he made a large circle to dodge the defense, came to the lower left side of the basket, and turned around to pick up the basket!
At 0:10, Madison Square Garden was filled with excitement. Unexpectedly, the opponent was really vulnerable.

"Excellent team defense, wonderful transition attack! Lee controlled the tempo from the start of the game!"

The groom Albert was also happy, his tone became lighter and lighter, and he entered the Li You playing mode again.

Phil Jackson did not hesitate to take a timeout. Looking at everyone walking to the bench with expressions of disbelief, he simply threw the tactical board angrily and cursed:
"The game has just started. If you don't want to play, just come down!"

"."

Kobe stared angrily, while Phil Jackson drew on the tactical board and loudly reminded everyone how to catch the ball.

The timeout time has come, but it seems that they are still worried about the team's offense, and the coaching staff keeps talking to the players.

On the other side, Li You just patted Artest on the shoulder before going on the court and whispered:
"If you let him score 0 points in the first quarter, he won't have to practice shooting any more tomorrow."

Artest was so excited that he threw away the hair tie on his head and said excitedly:
"I will handle it!"

In the subsequent games, Kobe, who enjoyed the treatment of a leader, was frantically attacked by the Knicks.

As long as they are near the elbow area, the big man will cooperate with double teams. The Lakers succeeded in taking advantage of Samakhi Walker in individual rounds, but it did not affect the Knicks' defensive strategy.

With 1 minutes and 2 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lakers' offense consumed another 01 seconds. Kobe, who was double-teamed, threw the ball to Fox who was connecting at the top of the key.

After the latter caught the ball and took a quick test step, seeing Hill still shrinking inside the three-point line, Fox immediately made a jump shot!

"state!"

The long rebound popped up and was immediately picked up by Li You in the right block.

Everyone on the Lakers tried their best to retreat, but Li You passed the half court leisurely.

Pau Gasol had already reached the right side near the baseline. When he saw Li You slowing down on the left wing, he immediately moved up the line.

Kobe noticed the movement behind him and hurriedly reminded Medvedenko loudly.

The two anticipated Li You's offensive options and tried to work together to double-team at the top of the key.

Sensing the defensive movement behind him, Pau Gasol suddenly moved quickly, immediately went down to the left elbow area, received Li You's ground pass, adjusted slightly, and made another mid-range jumper.

"Wow!"

The cheers couldn't stop. For several consecutive rounds, Kurt Thomas and Pau Gasol took turns making jump shots near the free throw line.

Facing the Lakers' inside line, the two also became gods of war.
At 11:28, Phil Jackson had returned to the bench at this time, and the game was over.

Horry, who came off the bench, followed up with jump shots during this period, and the timeout had no effect. On the Lakers' bench, the atmosphere team could only watch the game quietly. There is a high probability that they will be blown away tonight.

In the last minute or so of the first quarter, Fisher and Fox's strong three-pointers helped the Lakers save some face, but New York fans didn't care about this, and many people began to celebrate the victory in advance.

As Grant Hill made two free throws at the end of the first quarter, the score reached 1:17.

Kobe tried hard to control his emotions. On the surface, he pursed his lips and showed no expression, but in his heart he was extremely depressed:
"Why is this!?"

Artest jumped up and down and ran to the bench. When he heard the fans shouting his name, he started beating his chest again:
"I did it! I did it!"

4中0，0分2篮板3助攻2失误，成为领袖的科比，首节没能挺身而出。

Li You and Grant Hill high-fived and celebrated. The two just smiled. The game was easier than expected.

Pau Gasol, who returned to the bench, was also in high spirits and kept high-fiving everyone. He had been preparing for this game for a long time, but he defeated his opponent in one quarter.

In the commentary box, both of them noticed that Jeff Van Gundy was smiling, looking calm and clapped his hands to encourage him, and they were filled with emotion for a moment.

Mike Dunleavy thought about the Knicks' smooth offense in the first quarter and loudly praised the bald young coach:

"This is the era of head coach Van Gundy. Judging from the preparations for this game, Phil Jackson was completely suppressed!"

"."

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