NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 250 Lower Limit and Upper Limit

On April 2002, 4, at Madison Square Garden, Pau Gasol received his second Rookie of the Month trophy.

The Knicks have a dense schedule in March, but Gasol's data is back to normal.

A large part of the reason is due to the injuries of opponents. Although the Knicks also have sick patients, the attendance rate of the starting lineup is still very good.

New York fans are naturally happy to have secured a spot in the playoffs early. Coupled with the successful suppression of the Nets, who also belong to the Atlantic Division, the division championship flag is about to be collected again.

Tonight's opponent is the Hornets again, and Baron Davis is never happy every time he comes to Madison Square Garden.

After losing the All-Star selection, the bearded guy got angry at Iverson, and the same happened with Paul Pierce, who entered the All-Star game as a replacement. These two were so aggressive!

What's interesting is that the records of the Hornets and Celtics are both better than the 76ers, and the two of them are trying to kick their opponents out of the playoffs.

Gasol, who won the trophy, was in great form tonight, and he became more and more comfortable eating cakes under the basket.

In the first half, the score was 50:50, and the battle was evenly matched. In the third quarter, Big Beard and David Wesley took the lead.
With 3 minutes and 5 seconds left in the third quarter, David Wesley used PJ Brown's cover on the right wing to briefly escape Li You's pursuit.

There was a slight pause at the three-point line, and then he immediately slumped his shoulders and accelerated. David Wesley's offensive choice was guessed by Kurt Thomas.

The first time he slid to the left rear, Kurt Thomas also did not forget to provide physical confrontation.

After the collision, David Wesley immediately slowed down and realized that Li You behind him was still chasing him. When he was completely covered, he gritted his teeth and slammed towards the basket.
The jump step close to the paint area successfully opened up a bit of shooting space, but when David Wesley completed the throw with his right hand, cheers could be heard in his ears.

"Snapped!"

Li You, who had been adjusting his pace for a long time, jumped up from behind to defend and immediately sent out a nail board!

After the basketball rebounded, it was controlled by Gasol under the basket. Then there was another long pass. Grant Hill, who quickly rushed across the half court, picked up the ball and rushed towards Byron David.

Although the defense was very timely, Gamal Mashburn was thrown away by Artest who came down the middle.

Approaching the right wing, Grant Hill pushed the ball forward. Artest, who rushed to the paint, received the ball and took three long steps to quickly complete a two-handed dunk!
At 57:67, the score difference reached 10 points, and the cheers could not stop for a while.

"Wow!"

The three-point shot stretched his hips, but Artest was extremely active in the fast break.

Head coach Paul Silas on the sidelines folded his arms helplessly, and the timeout had no effect.

Just like in previous games between the two sides, every time the Knicks make a strong effort in the third quarter and start to choke the backcourt, the Hornets will most likely shut down their offense.

Half a quarter of the game passed and he only scored 7 points. Baron Davis became anxious and no longer patiently looked for opportunities when he attacked again.

At the top of the arc, with the help of big man Magloire's screen, Baron Davis got rid of Hill's pursuit. After adjusting his steps, he immediately stopped and quickly shot a jumper.

Gasol's symbolic block failed to have much effect, but the basketball hit the back edge of the basket and bounced into Li You's hands.

Everyone in the Hornets responded to each other and retreated quickly. Baron Davis even attacked Li You, trying to delay the transition of offense.

When he was chasing to the side, the bearded man realized that Li You didn't want to advance quickly at all. He calmly completed the dribbling behind his back, and then relied on him to speed up the half court.

The top of the arc was far away from the three-point line. Baron Davis watched Li You quickly pass the ball to Gasol who was parked on the outside. While pulling the defense, he loudly reminded his teammates.

Gasol, who was standing at the three-point line, just turned sideways and grabbed the ball with his left hand in a hand-off motion. He pulled Li You to pretend to catch the ball and suddenly moved sideways and ran back.

Approaching the left wing, Li You received Gasol's pass and failed to escape the bearded man's pursuit. Gasol moved laterally again and came to Li You's right side, trying to continue the pick-and-roll.

After his body swayed to the right, Li You quickly released the ball with his left hand and made a mistake in defensive prediction. When Baron Davis slid to the left to squeeze through the screen, he instantly lost his defensive position.

Taking a step laterally and retreating, Li You didn't give his opponent much time to react. He drifted to the left and quickly made a jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

At 57:70, the point difference continued to widen.

The bearded man glanced at his big teammate who didn't react at all, and subconsciously roared twice. The feedback he received was that the New York fans at the scene were cheering louder and louder.

From halftime to passing, shaking, catching and shooting, the attack time has not reached 11 seconds. It is naturally frustrating to lose points very quickly.

The anxious Hornets subconsciously accelerated their offensive pace. As a result, the Knicks entered a fast-break state of fierceness.
Head coach Thibodeau sat quietly on the bench, looking at the growing point difference, he knew that he had won another victory tonight.

At 12:30 of a single quarter, at the end of the third quarter, at 3:52, only the happy shouts of New York fans were left in Madison Square Garden.

After scoring zero points in a single quarter, Baron Davis' eyes widened again when he returned to the bench.

This familiar scene has been experienced many times this season.

In the MSG commentary box, Mike Breen knew that the team would definitely win. At this time, he talked about the Knicks' record:
"There are 4 games in April. Judging from the schedule, there are two back-to-back games, but the opponents are not playoff teams."

"It seems we still have a chance to win 60 games this season!"

"Lee is indeed outstanding. After he joined the Knicks, his record has been very stable. It seems that we have a chance to tie some historical records!"

When Walter Fraser heard these words, he immediately complained proudly:
"If it weren't for the shortened season, maybe the Knicks would have completed 6 consecutive seasons with a record of 60 wins."

"But time is on our side. I believe Lee will lead the team to set a record that belongs to the Knicks!"

Starting from the 85-86 season, the Lakers achieved 4+ wins for 60 consecutive seasons.

从79~80赛季开始，7年内，凯尔特人队6次60+胜场，两个3连60+。

In the shortened season, the Knicks' record was affected, and the New York media was previously an "If" winner.

If they win another 60 games this season, the Knicks will be able to pay off some of their loans.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, head coach Paul Silas took the initiative to request a timeout and replace the main lineup.

The Hornets still need to fight for a playoff spot, so naturally they will not overly exhaust their main lineup in such a game.

In the end, 84:103, the Knicks defeated their opponents and continued their attack on 60 wins!
In March, he missed 3 games in the middle of the month. By the end of the month, Grant Hill returned to form.

出场34分钟，17中9，罚球6中5，23分6篮板4助攻2抢断1盖帽2失误。

Despite his high shooting percentage, Hill's scoring in each game was mediocre, and he only scored 34 points once this season.

Compared with Li You who easily scored 30+, Grant Hill, who only relied on +2, was far less explosive in scoring.

However, New York fans are very satisfied with this performance. He scored 20 points with a [-]% shooting rate, which is in line with the fans' expectations for Hill.

Tamia, who comes to Madison Square Garden to watch games when she has time, stood up and applauded her husband as always. Compared with Detroit, New York has a better environment.

Grant Hill, who was interviewed after the game, did not forget about the record. He also took the initiative to express his position at this time:
"It's easy to play next to Lee. Although the schedule is a bit intensive, we are confident of winning 60 games."

"." Starting on April 4th, the Knicks started their journey to the Western Conference again.

The Trail Blazers and SuperSonics have also suffered injuries, and Lewis has missed 10 games this season.

In two games, the opponent's score was just over 80, and the Knicks won the game again relying on relatively excellent shooting.

On the night of the 7th, when they challenged the Kings away from home, the Knicks possessed by the blacksmith suffered a disastrous defeat.

88:116, his physical fitness was affected, his defense was stretched, and he was double-killed by the Kings this season.

After being clocked out in three quarters by his opponent and losing the game, most sports media when interviewing Li You asked about the scoring leader:
"Lee, there are still 6 games left. If Iverson returns from injury, will it put pressure on you?"

A reporter from TNT asked this question, and Li Youcai, who attended the press conference, realized that the pressure he mentioned was referring to the average points per game:
"No, there's no pressure. I never cared about numbers."

"Scoring is very easy for me. In a game, I only need to complete four finishes at the basket and hit four three-pointers to get 20 points."

"Add some free throws and fast breaks, and it's actually a very simple thing to get 30 points."

"I don't need too many shots at all. I hope my teammates can perform well."

"We have to go all out in the next six games. I hope the Knicks can reach 6 wins this season."

Li You calmly stated his scoring method and pretended to be an X. The reporters in the audience were speechless, and many even thought it made sense.
The ESPN reporter didn’t forget Iverson’s Excel and started asking questions again:
"The 76ers may miss the playoffs. Iverson takes crazy shots in many games. Lee, how would you evaluate your opponent?"

The local sports media in Sacramento are a little dissatisfied. They are the protagonists tonight!
When he heard the other party mention the 76ers again, Li You simply shook his head and changed the subject and said:

"I never considered the 76ers to be our opponent, and I had no interest in paying attention to the way Iverson played."

"Maybe he's chasing victory, but there are a lot of players in the league who are better than him."

"The Kings currently have 57 wins, and I want to praise their performance tonight."

After getting the answer they wanted, the reporters in the audience smiled happily. In the next week, everyone will be able to export balloon stars again!

On April 4, the Knicks ushered in their last regular season game of the season.

At the end of the half, at 39:53, the Nets were already 14 points behind.

Richard Jefferson, who came off the bench tonight, is no longer magical. Perhaps because of back-to-back games, everyone in the Nets lacks energy.

昨晚篮网队和活塞队的比赛中，基德16中3，怒砍7分6篮板11助攻3抢断1失误。

103:98, the Nets finally lost at home.

Perhaps because he felt that there was no hope for the No. [-] spot in the Eastern Conference, the triple-double master began to fail at the end of the season.
The Knicks had another five-game winning streak in the final stage, and their current record is 5 wins and 60 losses.

In the last home game of the regular season, New York fans were cheering to celebrate the team's 60th win for the third consecutive season.

Especially seeing the second-place Nets pulling their hips so hard, everyone felt that the finals were beckoning to them again!

In the MSG commentary box, Walter Frazier smiled from ear to ear. He entered the rebuilding period, but his record was not affected in any way:
"I don't like it when commentators compare Lee to some players."

"Lee is unique in the league. He has led the team to 3 wins for three consecutive years. This is definitely an amazing achievement."

Commentator Mike Breen also secretly said it was a pity at this time. The New York media loan still makes sense. If the season was not shortened, maybe they could really achieve the achievement of 6 wins in six consecutive years:
"Star players can guarantee the team's lower limit, but Li's lower limit is higher than the upper limit of many players. This is the ability of a superstar!"

"."

In the second half of the game, both sides started to fish, and neither victory nor defeat could affect the rankings.

The Knicks won 61 games, but were double-killed by the Kings this season. Even if the opponent loses tonight, they will still be ranked second in the league.

Even if the Nets win, they cannot change their ranking and are still second in the Eastern Conference.
Everyone lacked motivation. After entering the 4th quarter of the game, the substitute lineup came on the scene, and both sides called it quits.

Stephen Jackson, who was sitting on the bench, was the most depressed. His hamstring injury cost him the season. It was rare for him to enter the playoffs, but he could only continue to sit on the bench.

Artest is also in a bad mood. Ben Wallace may get DPOY this season.
The joyful atmosphere at Madison Square Garden also affected Li You, who won 61 games and had a better record than he expected.

Near the end of the game, head coach Thibodeau also hugged Li You in greeting.

Although he has been idle for two months, his results of ranking first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league still make Thibodeau a little excited:
"Awesome, Lee! I can't believe we actually got 60/wins!"

The coaching staff also stepped forward to hug Li You. Jeff Van Gundy's departure did not have any impact on the team.

There was not much excitement. Li You just smiled and briefly encouraged everyone:
"It's just 60 wins. In fact, I hope to break the record set by the Bulls one day! Thank you everyone for your efforts this season."

The bald young coach resigned, and the coaching staff did bear a lot of pressure. Being able to tie the record set by the Celtics this time can be regarded as living up to the expectations of the fans.

终场的嗡鸣声响起，92:99，2001~2002赛季，尼克斯队最终收获了61胜21负的战绩！

In Madison Square Garden, all the New York fans stood up, clapped, and cheered loudly.

Victory is what fans pursue, and buying tickets to watch the game is a pleasure.

No one felt that the tickets in their hands were a loss, and everyone began to look forward to the subsequent playoffs. The feeling of winning is fascinating!
Pau Gasol also couldn't stop laughing. Although he didn't understand the language many times, he could feel the fans' love for him.

It's a perfect start for a first-year rookie.

Feeling the lively atmosphere at the scene, Kidd suddenly thought that if he met the Knicks in the playoffs, there would be a high probability that the home game would become an away game.

Thinking of this, his face became even uglier for a moment. Being criticized by football commentators every day, Kidd and Li You simply hugged each other in greeting, and then complimented expressionlessly:

"Li, congratulations in advance for winning the MVP!"

The two fist bumped in celebration, and Li You laughed and patted his brother on the shoulder:

"Thanks, Bro! I'm starting to look forward to our meeting in the playoffs!"

The corner of his eye twitched slightly, Kidd thought of his home environment, without any expectation in his heart.
As the opponent left the court, everyone on the Knicks team raised their hands high and kept high-fiving to greet the fans.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Hearing the shouts getting louder and louder, Li You also smiled and waved to the fans again. At the same time, with a thought in his mind, he drew the Atlantic Division championship reward:

[Jason Kidd’s extraordinary passing vision]

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(End of this chapter)