NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 282: Nice posture is of no use (7600 words chapter)

On April 2003, 4, at 20:20 that night, the Knicks also ushered in the first round of the playoffs.

Before the game, the Magic also entered a state of "big words". After 96, this was the first time the two teams met in the playoffs.

Although the Magic have a mediocre record this season, McGrady has played the best data of his career!

Head coach Doc Rivers made it clear early in the interview before the game:

"We need to control the pace of the game and at the same time try to give our core players more offensive opportunities!"

Translated from this paragraph, the ball is given to McGrady. The first offensive option is tired, and then the ball is given to Houston.

The reason for the record fluctuations is not only injuries but also the relatively rigid tactics. After taking over the team, after three seasons, the chicken soup gradually failed, and most teams have figured out the Magic's play style.

Rivers’ head coach’s confidence lies in McGrady’s performance this season:

场均32.1分6.5篮板5.5助攻1.4抢断2.7失误，投篮命中率为45.7%，三分球命中率为38.6%。

Houston did not affect McGrady's shots. The Magic have completely turned into a perimeter team, with the two swapping shots.

Half an hour before the game started, Madison Square Garden was already buzzing.

This game was broadcast by TNT. In the commentary box, Marv Albert was introducing the Magic's starting lineup tonight:

"Allan seemed to be in good physical condition tonight, and his partner in the backcourt is Jacqui Vaughn."

"The three frontcourt players are Tracy McGrady, Drew Gooden and Andrew De Klerk."

"After trading for Gooden, the Magic thought he could become the next Shaquille O'Neal. Jeff, what do you think of that?"

Hearing his partner ask a serious question, Jeff Van Gundy, who was wearing a white shirt, almost stopped in the commentary box:

"Drew Gooden is still a rookie and he still needs to continue to polish his skills."

"He has excellent touch, but his finishing efficiency at the basket needs to be improved!"

The bald young marshal talked about the situation again. The next O'Neal, in his opinion, this thing is impossible to happen.

Marv Albert also smiled, and then quickly talked about Li You's even more outrageous efficiency value this season:

"Tonight's game, two players with an efficiency value of over 30 meet, it will definitely be a wonderful game!"

Jeff Van Gundy showed his professionalism at this time and quickly gave advice:

"McGrady should reduce his shots from 16 to 23 feet. Although he has a good shooting percentage in this area, he is easily restricted when facing the Knicks' wing defense."

"He needs to hit the basket or take some three-pointers resolutely, which can further improve his efficiency!"

The two began to analyze McGrady's scoring composition for the fans in the commentary box. During the warm-up, the New York fans at the scene also saw McGrady's slutty outfit tonight.

Unlike Li You who likes to wear arm and knee pads, McGrady only wears an elbow pad on his left arm, but wears a white leg pad on his calf.

This thing is a personalized piece of equipment, and it does have a protective effect, but it is mostly used to install X.

Paired with the Magic's wide blue away jersey, McGrady was particularly eye-catching during the warm-up, which is why he received so many All-Star votes.

Of course, dressing up like this is considered "provocative" in Artest's eyes:

"Don't let this guy have an easy time tonight!"

Artest, who was warming up, complained depressedly to Jackson on the side, obviously not wanting to see his opponent in the limelight.

Li You and Ewing were also chatting with Houston. Returning to Madison Square Garden, their old teammates were in a good mood:

"It's such an exaggeration! I thought that the efficiency value of 35 was already difficult to surpass, but I didn't expect that it would improve again this season!"

Houston has also watched the news recently. ESPN's data experts have praised Li You to the sky. In the past few days, he has repeatedly told fans how strong his efficiency value of 38 is.

Ewing laughed out loud and took the initiative to remind Houston:

"Don't forget that this is just the regular season. Lee's data can actually be better!"

"It is possible that his data will decline after he is 30 years old. The Knicks should have no rivals in the past few years!"

Li You noticed that Houston was still wearing protective gear on his knees, and reminded him again:

"You should do a detailed examination in the offseason and listen to the opinions of different medical teams, but in this series, we will not show mercy."

The three of them joked with each other, and soon the referee called the players from both sides to the center of the field. Coach D'Antoni was still sitting firmly on the bench.

Mustache has been waiting for the league to award him the award these days. There is no suspense about the best coach!

McGrady is still very competitive. He planned to compete with Li You. He didn't say hello before the game started, and he looked very high-spirited.

McGrady, who was chewing gum, soon noticed the unfriendly gaze of Artest, who was glaring at him.

The New York fans at the scene stood up, and many began to wave the orange handkerchiefs in their hands. At the same time, they also shouted loudly along with the DJ:

"Let's go Knicks!."

Gasol successfully jumped to the ball, and the stadium immediately erupted in cheers.

Jacqui Vaughn did not choose to lead the defense, but followed his teammates and ran back to the half court early.

The Knicks quickly completed their positioning. With the two big men stopping at the elbow, both wings also ran to the bottom corner.

Gasol noticed that McGrady's defensive position was higher, almost standing in the blocking area. He was obviously ready to help defend. At this time, he simply took the initiative to move up and came to the left wing outside the three-point line and played high. Pick and roll.

Kurt Thomas saw his teammates' movements and immediately began to move toward the right side near the baseline.

The Knicks moved very quickly. Li You, who was close to the left wing, quickly dribbled the ball behind his back. After switching to his left hand, he used Gasol's screen to briefly get rid of Jacqui Vaughn's pursuit.

De Klerk could naturally see Gasol speed up after completing the pick-and-roll, but according to the pre-game plan, he chose to speed up and go up with a big delay.

Li You took the initiative to slow down and waited for his opponent to double-team. Before the two were about to form a circle, he flicked his left wrist and passed the ball to the ground to find Gasol who was close to the free throw line.

McGrady was also well prepared. As a player who started out as a defensive player, he naturally has excellent awareness of assisting defense. When Gasol received the ball, he moved ahead and assisted in defense.

He raised his hands and stepped forward to interfere. Facing McGrady's defense, Gasol received the ball and immediately threw the ball to the left corner.

When Artest received the ball, there was no one in front of him to defend him. Faced with such a big open space, he made a slight adjustment and immediately shot a jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

"Wow!"

The New York fans at the scene cheered and cooperated regularly, which seemed to indicate that the players were in excellent condition tonight.

The difference from last season is that Artest, who was completely left open, was more accurate in his three-pointers.

After the opening, the Magic seemed to want to test the shooting touch of the role players, and the Knicks' response was to shoot resolutely.

Coach Rivers immediately stood up from his seat and shouted in his hoarse voice:

"Hey! Hold on!"

Jacqui Vaughn heard the coach's instructions and was not in a hurry to hand over the ball after passing half court.

Li You led the defense with great pressure. When Houston bounced the ball out from the right wing, Jacqui Vaughn failed to pass the ball immediately, and Grant Hill soon stepped forward to entangle him.

After protecting the ball sideways, completing the turn, and switching to his left hand, Jacqui Vaughn was forced to pout. McGrady was still struggling with Artest at this time, and the two were entangled from the blocking position to the wing.

According to the tactical requirements, McGrady failed to receive the pass in time, and McGrady took the initiative to come to the three-point line to screen and roll his teammates.

The four people huddled together, but the tactics still failed. Li You squeezed through the low-quality screen and continued to chase Jacqui Vaughn. In desperation, McGrady could only bounce outside and far away from the three-point line before receiving the pass. ball.

Everyone on the Magic team also opened up space at this time. Jacqui Vaughn led Li You and ran to the left corner, while Gooden quickly lifted up in an attempt to provide a screen.

Just as he ran to the free throw line, McGrady immediately waved his hand, then lowered his center of gravity. Facing Artest's defense, he quickly completed the dribble under his crotch with his left hand.

Taking advantage of Artest's slight move back, McGrady, who was close to the three-point line, suddenly connected with the ball, rising from the top of the arc and directly outside the three-point line!

With his excellent take-off height, Artest's shot block didn't have much effect, but McGrady's shot finally hit the target.

The basketball hit the back edge of the basket, then flew over the top edge of the backboard and out of the baseline with a bang.

The shooting posture was chic and beautiful. After the shot, McGrady smiled at Artest and still looked extremely confident.

"Can I pretend to be X when I'm blacksmithing?"

Artest was confused and immediately became a little angry, but he calmed down again after seeing Li You's tactical gestures after receiving the ball from the baseline.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The cheers sounded again, and head coach Rivers on the sidelines also gestured to his players to indicate a change in defensive strategy.

The Knicks played the same tactic. Gasol continued to move up the pick-and-roll, but Jacqui Vaughn still couldn't squeeze through the screen.

However, this time the big man De Klerk accelerated his retreat after a symbolic delay. Li You paused slightly at the three-point line and immediately accelerated his cut.

McGrady's defense was very fast, and he immediately cooperated with his teammates to double-team Li You. As soon as he moved, the basketball quickly flew to the left corner.

Artest, who had been instructed long ago, didn't make any adjustments this time, and took a quick jump shot after catching the ball!

"Whoa!" Another three-pointer!

0:6, two rounds, extremely simple tactical coordination, the Knicks scored consecutive points.

Artest, who once again hit a three-pointer, beat his chest and glared at McGrady, who underestimated him. There are not many opponents who let him go this season.

The atmosphere in Madison Square Garden suddenly exploded. In the commentary box, Jeff Van Gundy couldn't help but raise his voice:

"With a 33.8% three-point shooting percentage, Artest has not improved much compared to last season, but this year he is very confident in making open three-pointers."

"The Magic need to respond as soon as possible. In the next round, there is a high probability that Lee will take the initiative to attack!"

Despite falling behind at the start, the Magic were still controlling the rhythm under the command of head coach Rivers.

Playing a cover tactic near the baseline, Houston, who slid down the baseline from left to right, successfully caught the ball in the right block.

The left hand immediately released the ball, and while receiving the ball, he completed a sudden breakthrough. Grant Hill blocked the breakthrough position, and stopped the ball in the paint. Without a good chance, Houston returned the ball to Jacqui Vaughn on the outside.

After reorganizing the offense, McGrady was stalked by Artest again. The two pulled him down and moved to the left flank.

Pretending to turn his back to ask for the ball, McGrady suddenly accelerated and ran towards the basket. At this time, Gooden just lifted up to free up the space under the basket.

After the first opportunity, Jacqui Vaughn failed to pass the ball in time. When Artest chased to his side again, McGrady came to the lower left side of the basket and then received a low-quality pass from his teammate. Loft.

He had no choice but to adjust at the moment of catching the ball. After grabbing the ball with his left hand, McGrady released the ball, took the initiative to bump into Artest with his body, then grabbed the ball with his left hand, took a long step, and tried to complete a reverse layup.

He moved quickly from receiving the ball to laying up, but McGrady still underestimated Gasol. The moment he jumped up to lay up, he was blocked by Gasol.

"what!"

McGrady, who was blocked, screamed, and then quickly reacted. After landing, he regained control of the ball. He tried to get up again, but Artest, who had quick eyes and quick hands, grabbed the ball.

The paint area was crowded at this time, and before McGrady could fully exert his strength, Artest snatched the ball away from his arms.

Both of them lost their center of gravity and fell to the floor. Before falling to the ground, Artest threw the ball to Li You, and then the stadium cheered again.

The moment he caught the ball, Li You turned around and circled the ball behind his back with his right hand. He nimbly dodged Jacqui Vaughn who was rushing to defend him. He scooped up the ball with his left hand. The ball protector used his strength again and accelerated with all his strength to completely throw off the defense.

Jacqui Vaughn lost his defensive position after being pushed. Hearing the shouts of the head coach, he continued to pursue the defense.

Houston also accelerated his retreat on the other side, and when Li You rushed to the top of the arc, he caught up with him in time.

Before he could commit a foul, Houston saw Li You throw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

The ball speed is not fast, which just gives Grant Hill a chance to accelerate.

After rushing to the three-point line, he adjusted his steps and rushed up in three big steps. When the basketball was falling, he fished the ball in the air. Without any interference, Grant Hill slammed the basket with both hands!

At 0:8, Hill's alley-oop dunk once again ignited the atmosphere of the arena.

On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team was waving towels and shouting and celebrating happily. McGrady, who was still in the backcourt, kept complaining to the referee:

"It was a foul! They knocked me to the floor!"

The gum disappeared from his mouth in the excitement. McGrady obviously didn't like the scale of the whistle tonight.

"Sissy pants! Keep up your jump shots!"

Artest's trash talk is a bit hurtful, and this word is just enough to irritate McGrady, who likes to wear leggings.

Rivers on the sidelines saw his core players starting to bully each other, and couldn't help shouting to remind McGrady to calm down.

It was de Klerk who helped the Magic open up the situation. An angry McGrady drove to the basket and was double-teamed. The latter succeeded in an open jump shot near the right baseline. Everyone on the Magic team was still retreating on defense, but Li You, who was receiving the ball from the baseline without anyone to defend him, suddenly accelerated.

When Jacqui Vaughn realized something was wrong, Li You had already rushed through half court. Kurt Thomas stopped and stood far away from the three-point line at the top of the arc, taking advantage of the situation to make a high pick-and-roll.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, quickly changed direction and broke away from the defense in an instant. Facing Gooden who was stopped at the three-point line and trying to help defend, he made a large in and out movement.

Guden was shaken so much that he subconsciously slid to the right, and then watched Li You sway left and right, squeezing past him.

"Wow!"

Amidst the cheers, Li You went straight to the basket, jumped with both feet in the paint area without any guard, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and succeeded in a tomahawk dunk!

At 2:10, head coach Rivers opened his mouth. In the end, he did not choose to pause. Instead, he kept clapping his hands and continued shouting:

"Let's go!"

Li You looked calm after completing the dunk. The discipline of the two teams was not at the same level. Only a few minutes into the game, this kind of defensive mistake occurred early.

The Magic attacked again. On the right wing, McGrady used Gooden's screen to try to get rid of the defense, but Kurt Thomas completely let go of the defender and completed the switch immediately.

Due to the big delay, McGrady failed to squeeze through the defense and was almost double-teamed by Artest who was chasing him from behind.

Before the two formed a circle, McGrady quickly distributed the ball to the unguarded Gooden.

The latter caught the ball at the free throw line and hit an open jump shot.

Gasol easily protected the rebound under the basket, Grant Hill stepped forward to respond, and the Knicks launched another transition attack.

When he rushed to the top of the arc, he noticed that most of the Magic team had retreated, and Grant Hill began to slow down.

At the same time, Li You, who rushed through half court without the ball, came to the right wing, pretended to move towards the top of the arc, completed the hand-to-hand pass, and then suddenly accelerated and ran back.

Driving up the line to defend Jacqui Vaughan, he watched helplessly as the basketball flew past him and accurately landed in the hands of Li You near the right sideline.

The moment he caught the ball, he raised the ball and feinted. Jacqui Vaughn suddenly flew out and flew directly to the audience. Li You steadily released the ball with his left hand, took a step laterally, and calmly made a jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!

At 2:13, head coach Rivers failed to resist this time and quickly requested a timeout. It was a nightmare start.

Although the game had only started not long ago, the New York fans at the scene felt that this scene was very familiar. During the timeout, many people stood up and twisted around, seemingly beginning to celebrate the victory of the game.

In the commentary box, Marv Albert looked at the Knicks who were walking to the bench, high-fiving each other in celebration, and subconsciously blew an X:

"Lee has already sent out 3 assists since the opening, and the Knicks haven't missed a shot yet. This is the dominance of the 73-win team!"

Jeff Van Gundy also saw the gap between the two teams, and briefly commented:

"The Magic need to improve their defensive discipline and make timely counterattacks when retreating."

"They can even foul early and drag the game into a positional attack. McGrady should also avoid getting entangled with Artest. He should do what he is good at!"

The bald young marshal did not expect that the game would be one-sided.

After the timeout, the Magic deployed another singles tactic. Houston made a post-up single in the left block and made a turnaround jumper toward the baseline.

Grant Hill first blocked the shot, then turned around and collected the rebound after landing.

Jeff Van Gundy shook his head inwardly. He looked down on Rivers' arrangement.

Houston accelerated its retreat. When Grant Hill reached the top of the arc with the ball, Li You moved to the free throw line, and Gasol raised the pick-and-roll, he couldn't help but remind his teammates loudly:

"Switch to defense!"

Houston has played this three-man pick-and-roll too many times before with the Knicks.

Gilicek and Jacqui Vaughn did complete the switch, and the two cut off the passing lane.

But the quality of Gasol's screen was very good. Houston itself failed to keep up with Grant Hill and watched the opponent drive straight to the basket.

Gooden gave up the defender behind him and hurriedly moved towards the basket. In the paint area, Grant Hill passed the ball to Kurt Thomas who was near the baseline on the right side. The latter caught the ball and made a mid-range jump shot!

"Good job!"

The beautiful cooperation also made Li You clapped his hands, smiled and shouted encouragement. Compared with his opponents, the Knicks' opening tactical routines were all successful.

In the next round, McGrady finally found his shooting touch. Facing Artest's top defense, he caught the ball from the left wing and faced the frame to attack.

Noticing that the Knicks' defensive formation began to shrink again, after continuously testing with his right foot, McGrady faced the defense and made a pull-up jumper.

At 4:15, on the Magic bench, the atmosphere team finally cheered.

McGrady was no longer sleepy at this time. When he retreated, he shouted to his teammates. He was really anxious.

The Knicks played the same tactic, this time with Kurt Thomas raising the screen to the right wing. Li You quickly pushed the ball to change direction. When switching to his left hand, his teammates stood still and just squeezed past the opponent. Get off the defense.

Jacqui Vaughn lost his defensive position, and Gooden quickly slid to the right and reached the three-point line for a delay.

While traveling, Li You quickly dribbled the ball under his hips. While completing the change of direction, he led the ball forward with his right hand, and then passed directly between the two.

Gooden could only turn his head. De Klerk, who was under the basket, didn't know how to defend for a moment and subconsciously moved into the paint area. Then he saw Li You casually throw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

With no time to return to defense, De Klerk turned his head and watched Gasol fish the ball from the air, slamming it into the basket with both hands!

"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!

The cheers in the stadium made McGrady numb. It was beyond his expectation that his opponent scored easily and he was constipated.

Before the game, head coach Rivers firmly believed that the Knicks' offense would be hindered by dragging them into position to attack, but the result was exactly the opposite.

At 4:17, all five starting players scored, and Li You once again high-fived his teammates to celebrate.

In the next game, McGrady entered the "stand-up singles" state, making pull-up jumpers, breaking through the frame and getting to the free throw line to help the Magic score points.

It's just that this kind of offense is exactly what the Knicks want to see. Everyone just needs to quietly admire this guy catching the ball and attacking in the left and right blocks.

The Magic's score slowly increased. After each difficult goal was easily answered, the head coach Rivers roared loudly on the sidelines.

McGrady, who scored 4 points in a row, caught the ball on the right wing this time, then immediately released the ball with his left hand and drove to the basket.

The balanced left and right hands make McGrady's breakthrough smooth, and his extremely fast first step allows him to successfully seize the position.

Realizing that he had lost his defensive position, Artest took the initiative to run into his opponent while sliding.

The two bodies collided, and McGrady also lost his center of gravity, and finally both fell in the paint area.

"Shet! This isn't a basketball move!"

McGrady fell to the floor and complained loudly to the referee.

After receiving his first personal foul, Artest just smiled, was pulled up by the crowd, and quickly rushed to McGrady's side.

The two fought again, and the referee had to issue a warning. This situation made the fans at the scene extremely excited.

When Jacqui Vaughan received the ball from the sideline at the top of the arc, Li You did not choose to defend and looked to his right side with his peripheral vision.

Sure enough, the angry McGrady bounced to the left wing again. Jacqui Vaughn quickly sent a cross pass. Li You, who had been prepared for it, suddenly burst out and blocked the ball with his right hand, then moved forward sharply. Lead the ball.

"Oh!"

The sudden steal also made the fans at the scene scream in surprise, and then the cheers echoed through the stadium again.

Jacqui Vaughn could only watch as Li You rushed faster and faster, and finally gave up the pursuit.

1 versus 0 in the frontcourt, Li You was very fast. He jumped with both feet in the paint area, changed hands in the air, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and pushed the ball hard into the basket!

"Show time!"

In the commentary box, Groom Albert cheered happily.

At 8:21, Jeff Van Gundy looked at the point difference and said nothing more. He knew that the Magic would probably lose.

The game continued, and coach Rivers did not ask for a timeout. Houston also scored some points for the Magic, but with Gooden's players in the open, the Knicks launched a continuous transition attack.

With 2 minutes and 32 seconds left in the first quarter, taking advantage of Li You's free throw, Armstrong replaced the invisible Jacqui Vaughn.

Coach Rivers wanted to strengthen the offense, but although the former best sixth man made decisive shots, he also failed to score a point in more than two minutes on the court.

Scored repeatedly by the same simple tactics of the Knicks, McGrady completely broke the defense. The defensive end continued to help, losing his defensive position, and allowed Artest to find an opportunity to get a free throw.

With 36.2 seconds left in the first quarter, the Magic completed an excellent defense. They switched defenses continuously and never allowed the Knicks to find an easy scoring opportunity.

The attack time continued to be consumed, and finally Li You received the ball at the top of the arc. McGrady did not dare to get too close, but just raised his right arm and lowered his body center of gravity to interfere.

Li You, holding the ball with his left hand, slowly approached the three-pointer. At the moment when the opponent wanted to defend, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity and dribbled the ball quickly with his left hand.

McGrady hurriedly slid to the left and back, and Li You changed the direction of his hips again. While shaking his body to the left and front, he pretended to accelerate and break through.

Being attacked and supported in front of the defense, McGrady tried hard to adjust his body's center of gravity, but was still a beat slow. When he twisted and slid, Li You blasted the ball with his left hand, exerted force with his feet, and stepped back sharply!

Completely losing defense, McGrady couldn't even block the shot and watched Li You make a long-distance three-point jumper!

"I got it!"

Before landing, Li You said something, and then without looking at the basket, he turned around and retreated after landing.

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

"What the hell!"

There were cheers in his ears, and McGrady cursed, with a frustrated look on his face again.

At 16:36, the huge 20-point difference made D'Antoni on the sidelines raise his hands in the air and celebrate.

In the last attack, McGrady wasted time holding the ball with his left hand at the top of the key, with a very cool posture, but Artest was unmoved.

It was also a continuous hip dribble. Under interference, McGrady did not lose his offensive rhythm. When he switched to his right hand, he paused slightly and then suddenly accelerated.

After taking a step past the three-point line, McGrady immediately stopped and then made a cool jumper.

"Wow!"

At the end of the first quarter, the cheers couldn't stop for a while, and McGrady walked to the bench and stopped talking. He really tried his best.

He made 7 of 3 free throws, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 8 points. He contributed half of the points.

5 of 2 and 6 points were scored. Houston looked at the score with mixed emotions and sighed secretly.

On the Knicks bench, everyone was laughing and celebrating happily, and the game was over as soon as it started.

Groom Albert was happy to see it, and regardless of his neutral status, he continued to brag:

"This is Li. Data sometimes cannot reflect his true performance. He is better than the data shows!"

"The game is completely under his control. The Magic still have a lot to learn!"

6中5，三分线外3中2，罚球2中2，14分1篮板5助攻1抢断，打满首节，李佑再次交出了无可挑剔的数据。

Jeff Van Gundy noticed that D'Antoni threw the tactical board to the assistant coach. After patting Li You, he backed away from the tactics. He felt sour for a moment:

"You don't have any tactical ideas of your own!"

With such a huge lead, the bald young commander had to follow suit and praise:

"The Knicks were very well prepared tonight and deserve the title of Coach of the Year!"

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　　It has been reduced a bit and will be updated with 10,000 words tonight~

　　

　

(End of this chapter)