NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 283 A real man needs one-on-one? (Ten thousand words chapter)

On the night of the 20th, in the Knicks' first round G1, the Magic entered a state of "silence in the game" in the second half.

With 1 minute and 12 seconds left in the third quarter, Li You was substituted. The Magic team who dug a hole in the first quarter stayed at the bottom of the hole. McGrady, who also took a rest, frowned and looked confused:

"All the words of the head coach are lies?!"

Coach Rivers was indeed a little embarrassed. Against the backdrop of the Knicks, the former best coach looked particularly helpless. The on-site director had captured the state where he opened his mouth several times but was speechless.

The two sides once again entered the rotation lineup. In the commentary box, Marv Albert started talking about Li You's MVP again:

"Not only in the regular season, but also in the playoffs every year, Lee's data will rise!"

"Under high usage rates, it is difficult for players to come close to Lee's performance. Many times we ignore his organizational ability. In fact, Lee is also underestimated."

"The undisputed MVP, Lee deserves unanimous votes and we can't ask for more from him."

The game is still going on. After the rotation of the lineup, the two sides continued to fight. Jeff Van Gundy chatted a few words about the content on the field and quickly took over the conversation:

"The Magic often rely on talent to play. Basketball games and anxious games may compete with talent, but more often than not, winning depends on the team's tactical execution."

"Lee can tell his teammates on the court where opportunities will arise in the next round. Once the tactics are clear, everyone will resolutely implement them."

"At this point, the Magic have a big gap. In the playoffs, McGrady is more focused on ending the offense. He failed to drive his teammates tonight."

Seeing his partner nodding, the bald young commander quickly added:

"Lee deserves a unanimous MVP vote, I agree with this view, we can't ask for more from him!"

During the chat between the two, at the end of the third quarter, the score reached 3:63, with a score difference of 85 points.

Reason tells Rivers that head coach should give up at the right time. It is difficult to equalize such a point difference, but every victory in the playoffs is very precious. He called for the rotation of the lineup and did not forget to provide chicken soup to the two cores:

"We will not give up the game, anything is possible in the playoffs!"

"."

Houston actually didn't pay much attention to what the head coach said. McGrady was also in a state of confusion.

The two are very happy with the Magic. Everyone on the team enjoys playing under Rivers. The head coach can always get along with the players.

It's just that after losing so much in this game, the players couldn't help but start to reflect on where they lost. At this time, no matter how thick the chicken soup is, no one can drink it.

On the Knicks bench, everyone had already begun to celebrate the victory. Like the New York fans at the scene, everyone was smiling.

The rotating lineup came on stage. Ewing sat next to Li You, covered his mouth, and started joking about tonight's opponent again:

"Fans only like to watch guys who play well, but such players cannot win championships."

"Today's stars were ordinary players in the past!"

Generally, retired old guys like to focus on the past and ignore the present. Ewing has been a bit like this recently. ESPN blasted McGrady's Excel, and the gorilla was not in a beautiful mood.

Naturally, Li You would not agree out loud, but he did not think highly of the Magic:

"They were just playing based on talent, and Allan also started to play "simple basketball." The poor execution of tactics was the reason why the opponents lost so much."

Perhaps due to the influence of the times, most teams' tactics are still a bit rough. McGrady could have played more pick-and-rolls, but instead chose to compete with Artest.

In the regular season, he will play smarter. Tonight, the top leader made 20 of 8 in the three quarters, 5 of 4 free throws, and only scored 20 points.

Li You sat on the bench and looked at Rivers, who was still directing passionately on the sidelines, and felt a bit of his coaching style - chicken-blood tactics!

In Madison Square Garden, the New York fans sitting behind the basket had already begun to play with the props in their hands. Their opponents didn't take many free throws, so they simply stood up and started shouting.

Many fans with children were asking the director to show them the camera. Everyone knew that the outcome of the game was decided.

In the last quarter, the main lineups of both sides played for more than 4 minutes, and the atmosphere team soon took over the game.

Time flies, 87:109, the Knicks finally defeated the Magic, ushering in a good start.

Sean Kemp fell out of the normal rotation and only played 12 minutes tonight. He still looked calm after losing, and took the initiative to say hello to Li You and Ewing after the game.

The veteran may have accepted the reality that if he chooses a big contract, he will lose the championship, and he is completely relieved at the end of his career.

In contrast, McGrady seemed very unwilling, wrapped in a towel and walked to the tunnel early.

It's really hard to accept that after playing the best form of his career in the regular season, he lost in this way in the playoffs.

李佑出场35分钟，19中11，三分线外8中4，罚球6中6，砍下32分4篮板13助攻2抢断2失误的数据。

As a rookie coach, D'Antoni was still relatively conservative in hiring during the playoffs. However, Li You did not consume much, and he received far fewer balls than he expected.

In the post-match interview, Craig Sagel saw Li You looking like he was not even sweating, and he also smiled and joked:

"Li, are you ready for this year's speech? This is the 3rd consecutive MVP!"

"I haven't received the notification yet. Is this inside information?"

Li You looked overjoyed, causing several people to laugh.

There have been many interviews, and the relationship between everyone is quite close. The staff of TNT also congratulated Li You by the way, and everyone chatted for a while before starting to trade business.

After losing by a big score, McGrady did not enter the state of "talking nonsense after the game".

Attending the press conference, a reporter from TNT took the initiative to mention Excel:

"Tracy, we noticed that compared to the regular season, your performance tonight declined significantly. Is this the reason why the Magic lost?"

Just after he sat down in his seat, McGrady was still a little annoyed when he heard the data question:

"You should watch the game. Many times the opponent uses double teams to limit my offense."

"My shooting touch has indeed been affected to some extent, but the series has just begun and I will find my form again!"

Houston, who attended the press conference together, looked like a Buddhist. He was too familiar with the Knicks, and there was a huge gap in the tactical reserves of the two teams.

Regarding his partner's stubborn remarks, Houston shook his head secretly. Although the New York media did not embarrass him, he secretly laughed at himself:

"Black Eight Miracle?"

On the morning of April 4, the NBA announced this season’s Most Improved Player (MIP):

Gilbert Arenas of the Warriors won the award with a crushing vote share.

82场首发，场均18.3分4.7篮板6.3助攻1.5抢断3.5失误，阿里纳斯完成蜕变！

When receiving the trophy, some loud-mouthed Arenas did not forget to advertise himself:

"I don't think I am worse than anyone else. As long as there is a suitable stage, I can also lead the team to the championship!"

"Maybe I won't be able to play as terrifyingly efficient as Lee, but I will definitely not lose to other star outside players."

As a second-round pick, Arenas, who is in a contract year, urgently needs to get himself the next big contract!

When asked about his offseason choices, Arenas, holding the trophy, smiled and once again stirred up the heat:

"If I played next to Shaq, I could also put up the numbers of Kobe Bryant!"

"I hope to join a playoff team. Of course, I can also grow with the team. I enjoy the process of chasing the championship."

In the game that ended last night, the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 117:98.

In the same start as the Knicks, the Lakers established an absolute lead at 39:23 in the first quarter.

The reason why Arenas is so popular with Kobe is mainly because the All-Star guard performed very well last night:

出场45分钟，30中16，三分线外3中1，罚球6中6，39分5篮板8助攻1抢断1失误，科比打出了完美表现。

Whether Arenas can produce such data next to O'Neal is not clear to the sports media. What everyone knows is that after one game, the Lakers returned to the championship!

奥尼尔出场44分钟，17中11，罚球13中10，拿到了32分10篮板2助攻5盖帽3失误的两双数据。

After winning an away game, O'Neal was interviewed confidently after the game:

"I didn't feel any defense tonight! This is the playoffs, the Lakers are back!"

The sports media in Los Angeles were relatively cautious and had not yet won a championship, but in the newspapers the next day, columns began to boast that Phil Jackson had become a famous coach again.

The New York media did not pay attention to each other's news, and the Knicks were preparing for Li You's MVP award ceremony.

Although the NBA has not yet announced the award results, everyone knows that Li You will definitely win the award.

That night, the Eastern Conference also had the 76ers and Nets in G2 and G1, and the Nets beat their opponents.

The "four guarantees and one" 76ers were unable to restrict the Nets, who were blooming at many points.

In G2 that night, the Nets once again played a smooth offense. Kenyon Martin turned into a beast, scoring a team-high 21 points and also contributed 15 rebounds.

基德也化身成组织大师，10中6，高效砍下14分6篮板14助攻3抢断4失误。

90:109, the Nets easily won at home, and the series score reached 2:0.

If there are no surprises, the Nets will face the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the two sides are also old rivals.

Although he has not yet won the match point, Kidd felt a little inflated after the game. During the interview, he began to appeal to the fans:

"We will reach the Eastern Conference finals this season. I hope more Nets fans can come to the home court to support the team!"

Kidd said these words very seriously, but the New Jersey sports media looked at each other and did not respond.

Since 96, New Jersey's print media has reported more news about the Knicks, and everyone likes to take advantage of the heat next door.

Seeing this scene, Kidd became even more depressed. He couldn't take off the hat of the second team.

On April 4, the NBA announced this season’s Sixth Man of the Year (SMOY)

Bobby Jackson of the Kings successfully won this award.

It is indeed a pity that the Bucks' Michael Reid failed to win the award. The team's record did drag down the players.

There is almost no difference in scoring between the two. Bobby Jackson averages 15.2 points per game and Michael Reed averages 15.1 points per game. Reed has a higher offensive efficiency!

In terms of attendance, the former only played 59 games, while the latter played 82 games.

Ray Allen, who came to New York to watch the game, took the initiative to accept an interview and posted a message:

"I feel bad for Michael, we could have made the playoffs and this award belongs to him!"

"If someone hadn't destroyed the locker room, maybe the Bucks would still be fighting for a championship right now."

"Gary Payton is not staying in Milwaukee, I'm serious, someone made a stupid trade."

Ray Allen's upright output makes the sports media secretly happy. If Payton really runs away in the offseason, everyone can watch George Karl's jokes!

During the Knicks' afternoon training session, everyone congratulated D'Antoni in advance. Tomorrow night, Mustache will receive the award at home.

D'Antoni handed over all training sessions to the assistant coach, who was only responsible for derivative tactics.

Although the back screen tactic for the big man in the V-shaped offense is not often used, the tactic developed by D'Antoni has been welcomed by the players.

Walking around the sidelines with his hands behind his back, D'Antoni strolled around during training sessions and clapped his hands from time to time. Such a state made Ewing a little jealous.

The gorilla's job is to guide Gasol's low-post offense, which is relatively easy. Compared with the chief trainer, he does not need to consider the player's physical condition.

Li You usually leads the bench in training sessions, and the assistant coach's task is to guide Stoudemire in the details of pick-and-rolls and correct defensive habits.

It would stop after two rounds, and overall the training session was a bit boring.

After the tactics class, Stoudemire was yelling from the sidelines, but Jackson really enjoyed playing with Li You.

The bench lineup can also beat the starting lineup. Fortunately, there are no major conflicts within the Knicks. Otherwise, Li You would also be able to shout:

"You need me so much!"

Ewing didn't like the new high school students very much. After the players were almost gone, he finally complained to Li You:

"He should go to college. Such basic things should not be learned in the league!"

"Even if we win Rookie of the Year, it's all thanks to our record."

Stoudemire passed through the second half of the game with a lot of power, his data reached double figures, and Excel became much more beautiful.

D'Antoni likes to take care of this newbie, so there will naturally be some complaints in the locker room.

Li You feels that there is nothing wrong with gaining honors. Even if the newbie is not in the team's plan, it can still add some trading weight:

"Times have changed, Pat! Players' salaries are getting higher and higher, so they naturally have to make money early."

"Don't worry about the problems in the locker room. At least the team can meet our contract in the past few years. That's enough!"

"."

That night, the Pistons narrowly defeated the Celtics at home 89:94, and the series score reached 2:0.

In another game, the Lakers lost by a huge score of 91:119, but the Timberwolves successfully regained a victory.

In 46 minutes of playing time, Kobe made 28 of 9 shots and scored 27 points with a shooting percentage of just over %.

O'Neal performed stably, and sports commentators naturally criticized Kobe after the game, and Phil Jackson also turned into a KFC old man.

On April 4, the NBA announced the best coach of the season:

Mike D'Antoni, who coached the Knicks and won 73 games, won this award without any suspense!

Phil Jackson, the championship coach, has been repeatedly questioned. In contrast, D'Antoni has become the hottest super coach in the league!

At 19:30 that night, in Madison Square Garden, in front of more than fans, D'Antoni, wearing a black striped formal suit and red tie, received the trophy from the league staff with a smile on his face.

The New York fans at the scene stood up and screamed, and the players on both sides also applauded.

Rivers kept clapping his hands, but felt a little envious in his heart.

In this era of thigh competition, the Magic's legs don't seem thick enough.

Although D'Antoni, who is about to turn 52, winning the award is not as shocked as Jeff Van Gundy, his 73 wins are the only one in history.

Tonight's game was broadcast by ESPN, and the broadcaster frequently focused the camera on the best coach who returned to his seat and leaned back tactically.

The game officially started at 20 o'clock. After learning from the experience and lessons of the previous game, McGrady did not take the lead and returned to the regular season style of play, initiating more pick-and-rolls.

Houston also reduced its post-ups and relied more on screens to catch the ball and complete its offense through jump shots.

The Knicks' outside shooting was a bit slow and they failed to seize open opportunities. For a while, the two sides went back and forth.

At halftime, at 48:54, the Magic were only 6 points behind, which made Coach Rivers completely relieved.

As he walked towards the tunnel, Rivers kept cheering the players up and looked very excited.

In the ESPN commentary booth, Nessler looked at the technical statistics and immediately praised McGrady's performance in the first half:

"With 18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, McGrady found his shooting touch tonight."

"Continuing this performance in the second half, I believe the Magic have a chance to reverse the game!"

14 of 7, 4 of 2 from beyond the arc, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 18 points with a % shooting rate. McGrady's inefficient long two-point shooting rate tonight was very good.

Partner Tom Tolbert on the side was not so optimistic, but seriously commented:

"The Knicks couldn't capitalize on some simple open shots in the half, but their tactics were successful."

"According to the trend of the regular season, they will habitually exert their strength in the third quarter, and the Magic must be prepared."

After the start of the third quarter, Armstrong started directly and caught the ball from the baseline. Defensive shouts immediately sounded in the arena:

"Defense!."

Under the leadership of Li You, Armstrong's advancement was not fast, but the Magic's big man provided a screen for McGrady in advance, and the latter bounced diagonally out near the baseline on the right side.

With the help of Gooden's secondary screen on the left elbow of the free throw line, McGrady smoothly came to the left wing to catch the ball.

Artest had just chased up, Gooden moved to cover, and McGrady, who released the ball with his left hand, pulled the defense laterally.

The Knicks' defense also made adjustments. Kurt Thomas switched to the defense early in an attempt to complete the double-team.

Unlike Li You, McGrady, who is tall and long-armed, could not squeeze through double teams with his speed and body, but he could easily find his teammates.

Gooden, who hit consecutive mid-range jumpers in the first half, caught the ball near the free throw line again. Without any hesitation, Gooden quickly made a jump shot!

"state!"

Although De Klerk fought hard under the basket, Gasol, who is tall and has long arms, steadily collected the rebound.

Everyone on the Magic team quickly retreated, and Armstrong immediately stepped forward to interfere with Li You who was catching the ball.

The veteran is constantly moving and is more aggressive defensively than Jacqui Vaughn. Once he circled the ball behind his back, Li You, who switched to his left hand, rushed past the half court. Gasol and Kurt Thomas were still standing at the left and right elbows.

Seeing Armstrong on defense constantly cutting the ball, Grant Hill in the left corner quickly slipped across the baseline, and everyone in the Knicks took turns.

At this time, McGrady followed Artest and moved to the right wing. At this time, he could only remind his teammates loudly.

Li You, who had been protecting the ball sideways, stepped forward to cover the ball when Gasol stepped forward. He blasted the ball with his left hand, shook his shoulder back, then quickly scooped up the ball, holding the ball with his left hand and leaning forward to accelerate.

Armstrong was deceived by the fake move and was unable to squeeze through the screen in time. The big man De Klerk could only step forward to delay the defense.

Faced with a huge delay, Li You continued to accelerate, grabbing the ball before the opponent could slide, and then jumped forward to bypass the delay.

De Klerk noticed that Li You was already close to the left sideline. At this time, he simply continued to slide in an attempt to block the breakthrough route.

It's just that the big man didn't expect that Li You, who had seized the position, suddenly dribbled the ball vigorously, then quickly retreated, and instantly reached the left corner, while his body was still drifting and he shot a jumper!

Not keeping up with Li You's offensive rhythm at all, De Klerk could only turn his head and watch the basketball fall into the basket.

"Wow!"

At 48:57, the point difference widened, and the fans cheered again.

Looking back, McGrady, who was in excellent form, no longer called the pick-and-roll when receiving the ball from the right wing.

After releasing the ball with his right hand, he quickly dribbled behind his back. Taking advantage of Artest's interference, McGrady quickly changed the direction of his hips, dribbled the ball vigorously with his right hand, and then directly pulled it out from beyond the three-point line.

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

Artest was also dumbfounded. He was completely unreasonable and just relied on his jumping ability to make a strong shot.

When returning to defense, he rubbed his nose with his left hand, and McGrady began to show off again, high-fiving and reminding his teammates loudly.

Li You, who received the ball from the baseline, advanced very quickly. While his opponent was still directing traffic, the Knicks had already passed the half court.

Unable to complete the defensive matchup in time, the Magic simply resorted to double-teaming. Houston stepped forward to help defend early, and Li You immediately threw the ball to Grant Hill on the right wing.

The moment he caught the ball, Gooden slid quickly on the right elbow, delaying Hill's breakthrough in time.

Houston hurriedly defended to Kurt Thomas' side, and the two moved toward the basket together.

Attracting the Magic's defensive attention, Grant Hill simply relied on the defense to circle around the basket, and then passed the ball to Gasol on the left elbow.

After completing the pass, Hill ran to the left corner, and Houston also completed the defensive matchup again.

At this time, Artest accelerated up the line without the ball, received the pass away from the three-point line, took two horizontal steps, and immediately gave the ball back to Li You who was connecting at the top of the key.

McGrady immediately changed defense and defended to Li You's side again.

The opponent didn't seem to notice Gasol moving up. While his teammates were standing still, Li You paused slightly, quickly moved in and out with his left hand, and suddenly accelerated with a slight shake of his body.

After a sudden stop and start, McGrady tried to pursue him again, but he bumped into Gasol.

Approaching the left wing, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, was still accelerating. De Klerk, who had come up after a delay, subconsciously moved to the right rear. Then he saw Li You hit the ball and stopped suddenly and quickly retreated.

On the left wing, he completely got rid of the defense. Li You drifted to the left and made a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line!

"Whoa!" Another three-pointer!

Seeing the big man completely frozen in place, Tolbert could only sigh in the commentary box:

"When you encounter a player like Li, the defensive requirements for a big man are too high!"

"In this series, Sean Kemp didn't even get many chances to play, and the same goes for Garrity, who has excellent shooting ability."

"The Magic should resolutely double-team. They need to continue their defensive strategy."

51:60, just after looking at the scoreboard, Nessler wanted to say a few words, but before he could say anything, he saw McGrady on the left wing angrily hitting McGrady who was blocking a pull-up jumper.

The basketball hit the back edge of the basket and instantly bounced into the hands of Li You who had retreated to the free throw line.

Before Armstrong could react, Li You had already released the ball with his left hand and accelerated with all his strength. The veteran was very experienced. He lost his defensive position and immediately pulled behind him, then raised his hand to indicate a foul.

After failing to make a response shot, McGrady, chewing gum, frowned and shouted at the Knicks:

"Put away those pick-and-rolls! Let's have a man's showdown!"

As soon as Li You heard this, a teasing smile appeared on his face. Grant Hill also smiled and shook his head. Artest on the side was even more happy:

"You should go to hell Rucker Park and show off. No wonder you were eliminated in the first round last year!"

Artest's words immediately angered McGrady, and the two soon exchanged greetings. Before the Knicks sent a sideline, the referee had to step forward to separate the two sides and give a verbal warning.

At this time, Houston quickly reminded his teammates that fooling around will only lead to losing, and there is no reason for the lagging team to beat around the bush.

After taking the sideline ball, Li You caught the ball and dribbled it across half court. He noticed that Houston was moving and preparing to double-team in advance, so he simply gave the ball to Gasol in the left block.

The Knicks were still in a V-shaped position. After completing the pass, Li You first loudly reminded Artest, and then immediately ran to the left corner.

No longer exchanging insults with his opponent, Artest aimed toward the line. McGrady saw Li You running behind him and stood still, and his attention was temporarily diverted.

After receiving the prompt, Artest quickly cut along the baseline, ignoring Armstrong who was switching defense at his side, and rushed to the basket while hanging on to the smaller man.

Before De Klerk noticed what was happening behind him, Gasol easily dumped the ball.

With his height advantage, Artest jumped up to catch the ball, then jumped to the lower left side of the basket, knocked away the defensive basket and hit a layup!

He slapped the bicep of his right arm vigorously, and after hearing the cheers of the fans at the scene, Artest grinned at McGrady again:

"One-on-one, I broke your defense!"

"."

Armstrong looked at the head coach depressedly. He really tried his best, but defense is never a one-person affair.

When the Magic attacked again, Houston quickly directed his teammates to use a simple zipper tactic.

Quickly slipping across the baseline from the right corner, with the help of De Klerk's cover on the right near the baseline, Houston quickly bounced out from the basket, preparing to receive the ball at the top of the key.

Grant Hill was a little slow in pursuit, but Li You, who was parked on the left flank, caught sight of what was going on behind him.

Armstrong was instructed to protect the ball on the wing early. When he saw Houston getting rid of the defense, he immediately sent a cross pass.

As soon as the basketball was released, Li You pounced forward, cut the ball off with his left hand, and knocked Armstrong away from his side.

Houston saw Li You quickly grabbing the ball and rushing towards the half court, and at this time, it could only focus on the pursuit.

1 vs 0 in the frontcourt, Li You rushed faster and faster, ignoring the defense behind him. After taking three long steps, he soared into the paint area, grabbed the ball with his right hand and succeeded in a gliding dunk!

At 51:64, the score difference reached double digits.

Li You, who completed the dunk, smiled and patted Houston who was chasing the basket. Rivers immediately requested a timeout when he saw this scene.

In the commentary box, Nessler kept laughing as he watched. This kind of round happened several times in the last game:

"It seems that Lee has completely mastered the opponent's tactics, and the Knicks seem to have suppressed their opponents again!"

Tolbert has long seen the gap in tactical literacy between the two sides:

"A lot of times basketball can really turn into one-on-one situations, but the Knicks prefer to create mismatches."

"The Magic need to play smarter and they need to score as quickly as possible."

After the timeout, the Magic arranged another singles tactic for McGrady.

Armstrong gave the ball to Gooden at the right elbow early, and then immediately ran to the baseline to cover McGrady near the baseline on the right.

Artest did not move when he saw this situation. Li You immediately switched to McGrady's side.

At this time, the Magic quickly cleared one side, Armstrong led Artest to the left corner, and everyone pulled away in turn.

McGrady wanted to catch the ball with his back, but Li You went around to defend early and used his body to block the opponent behind him.

Moving backward, McGrady tried to take the opportunity to catch the ball in the low post, but Li You quickly turned around and cut off the opponent's passing route again.

On the right elbow area, Gooden was a little embarrassed to grab the ball. He watched Li You and McGrady pull at each other and couldn't find a passing opportunity at all.

Realizing that the offense had completely stalled, McGrady quickly accelerated to the right wing and caught the ball away from the three-point line.

"Defense!."

After 14 seconds of attack time, the New York fans watched enthusiastically and the defensive cheers became louder and louder.

The opponent caught the ball outside the three-point line, and Li You continued to defend, turned sideways, and took the initiative to give McGrady a chance to release the ball with his right hand.

After making continuous tests and seeing that Li You was unmoved, McGrady finally chose to release the ball with his right hand, facing the defense and speeding up the breakthrough.

Li You, who was well prepared, kept sliding and at the same time giving physical confrontation, trying to squeeze the opponent outwards. The two bodies collided, and McGrady was forced to slow down.

There was a sudden sudden stop. McGrady wanted to dribble the ball with his hips. As soon as the basketball came to him, he was stabbed away by Li You.

Reacting quickly, McGrady hurriedly turned around to catch the ball, and then encountered Li You's close defense again.

There was not much offensive time left, and in the end McGrady could only force the ball to the basket against the defense.

The basketball didn't touch anything and fell straight into Gasol's hands under the basket. Soon, a burst of laughter and cheers broke out in the arena.

Li You made a tactical gesture, and after Grant Hill stepped forward to respond, he turned to tease McGrady:

"One-on-one, did you spend 24 seconds alone?"

"."

Before McGrady could respond, Li You accelerated across the half court and quickly ran to the right wing.

The one-on-one that Lezi fans loved to see appeared again. Li You received the ball from the right wing, and Li You also quickly swept the ball and made continuous tentative steps with his right foot.

Using the same defensive strategy, McGrady also defended sideways. The opponent moved his feet, and Li You immediately released the ball with his right hand to accelerate the breakthrough.

With excellent explosive power and a lower center of gravity, Li You instantly grabbed half of his body. McCready took a longer stride and tried his best to slide to the left and back to ensure that he did not lose his defensive position.

Breaking through to a position close to the paint area, Li You suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back while moving. The moment he switched to his left hand, he turned sharply toward the baseline, combined the ball with the flow, exerted force with his feet, and shot a drifting fadeaway jumper!

Continuously sliding to make a defensive move, McGrady discovered that Li You jumped very high, leaned back significantly, and leaned forward to block the shot, but in the end he only hit his forearm.

"And One!"

Li You shouted in the air, and the referee immediately blew the whistle, and then the basketball hit the net!

"Wow!"

The cheers almost broke through the arena. When Li You shook his head and walked to the free throw line, the fans in the front row cheered loudly and did not forget to express the depressed McGrady:

"Go home! Playoff softie!"

Being reversed last year is the painful experience that McGrady least wants to recall now. After being criticized by the fans, he could only akimbo and curse:

"Shet!"

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Standing on the free throw line, the New York fans at the scene began to shout in unison again. Li Youjia made a solid free throw. On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team also jumped up and down, cheering loudly.

At 51:67, the point difference widened again, and the Magic once again played simple and crude "superstar basketball."

A predictable offense is naturally easy to defend. McGrady finally chose to face the difficulty and began to attack Artest again.

The game quickly entered the Knicks' rhythm, and the tactical coordination was successful.

In individual rounds, McGrady succeeded in a pull-up jump shot, but was unable to narrow the point difference. With an anxious mentality, the offense became more simple and crude, and he began to attack the basket continuously.

Coach Rivers on the sidelines also noticed that the Magic's offensive rhythm was getting slower and slower, and kept reminding his players loudly, but except for Houston's successful mid-range jump shot around the screen in two rounds, no one else could touch the ball.

McGrady, who headed towards the basket, was indeed able to get free throws, but as the game progressed, he also began to make mistakes.

With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the third quarter, in the left block, after receiving the ball with his back, McGrady turned towards the baseline and then quickly released the ball with his left hand.

Accelerating the breakthrough along the baseline, Artest continued to fight physically even though he lost his defensive position.

The two rushed to the basket, and Gasol and Kurt Thomas also returned to the paint area. Surrounded by the three, McGrady, who jumped on both feet, flashed and moved in the air, and then was grabbed by Kurt Thomas. Pressed down.

"what!"

The moment the shot was blocked, McGrady yelled and then fell to the floor. The referee did not indicate. Artest immediately accelerated after taking control of the ball.

Approaching the left sideline, Li You caught the ball, pushed the ball in a different direction, switched to his right hand, dodged Armstrong, and then suddenly pulled the ball back and directly sent a ground-breaking pass that ran throughout the field.

Grant Hill caught the ball in front of Houston, approached the paint area, took three long steps, and was immediately pulled by Houston behind him.

Throwing the ball to the basket, Grant Hill shouted:

"And one!"

The referee blew the whistle, the basketball stumbled and fell into the basket, and Madison Square Garden was boiling again.

Grant Hill smiled and patted Houston behind him, who had received his fourth foul. As he walked to the free throw line, he also high-fived his teammates one by one in celebration.

After the extra free throw hit, the cheers in the arena couldn't stop. Coach Reeves subconsciously opened his mouth and looked directly at everyone on the court.

At 63:83, after McGrady fought alone, the score difference came to 20 points.

In the last minute or so of the third quarter, Gooden and De Klerk, who had worked hard for a quarter, finally hit open jumpers.

But as Gasol and Kurt Thomas took the cake one after another, the point difference still did not narrow.

After three quarters, 69:89, the game seemed to have lost its suspense again.

D'Antoni smiled and patted everyone. He didn't call a timeout in this game and hung up the entire game.

There was another jubilation on the Knicks bench. On the other side, when he returned to his seat, McGrady threw the towel angrily.

他确实尽力了，7中3，三分线外2中1，罚球6中4，砍下11分2篮板3失误。

One person scored half of the team's points, but unfortunately this performance could not save the game.

After the start of the fourth quarter, the Magic did not rotate. With a huge point difference, head coach Rivers planned to give it a try!

The Knicks' rotation lasted less than three minutes, and Li You and others also returned.

McGrady, who had completely entered a one-on-one state, was still scoring points, but the Magic's defense gradually collapsed.

In the commentary box, Nessler watched the Knicks' consecutive easy transition offense layups to score points, and he couldn't help but begin to summarize the game:

"Basketball belongs to 5 people! After returning to the home court, head coach Rivers needs to adjust his tactical strategy in time."

"McGrady should also take on the responsibility of a leader. He should not only score by himself, but also lead his teammates more."

Tolbert looked at the technical statistics and found that Gooden had made 8 of 2 shots in the second half and scored 4 points.

"I stick to my point. The Magic need to play smarter. Don't forget they are facing a 73-win team!"

Coach Rivers never replaced the main lineup, and the two sides fought to the end.

The final buzzer sounded, 92:117, the Knicks defeated their opponents, and the series score reached 2:0.

李佑出场时间来到了39分钟，23中13，三分线外10中5，罚球7中7，38分5篮板12助攻3抢断2失误。

Excel was added to the game in the 4th quarter, and Li You’s personal data became beautiful again.

At the end of the game, the New York fans seemed to find it unsatisfying. Many fans were still cheering and shouting, attacking McGrady who was walking towards the tunnel.

Houston showed a wry smile and took the initiative to bump fists with Li You in greeting:

"Remember to explain to Trish the Knicks' basketball philosophy!"

"One on one? This guy is so cute sometimes!"

Seeing Li You talking and laughing, Houston couldn't hold back anymore:

"I finally understand why many players don't like you. Congratulations on having another mortal enemy!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)