NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 286: Facing the veteran, we strike hard (-word chapter)

On May 2003, 5, after the tiebreaker, the Pacers flew to Manhattan to start preparing for tomorrow's Eastern Conference semifinals.

Eliminating the Hornets in the first round would have been a good thing, but Reggie Miller came to Manhattan in a bad mood.

At the end of his career, although he won the "Ending Li You Winning Streak Award", every time he met the Knicks in the playoffs, the Pacers would lose.

When they first played against each other, Reggie Miller would still enter the state of "pre-match rhetoric", but as he grew older and continued to lose, the veteran completely lost his mind to talk loudly.

Head coach Isiah Thomas is very generous and immediately sent his blessings after arriving in Manhattan:

"Congratulations to Lee for winning MVP for three consecutive years. This is an achievement he deserves!"

"I'm very happy to see him get a unanimous vote this year, 73 wins, which is really an amazing record. The Knicks have surpassed the Bulls that year."

"I believe that within a few years, Lee will become the best player in history. For him, it is only a matter of time!"

Acting like a celebrity, Isiah Thomas smiled and answered during the interview that no one asked about the outcome of the game, which made him depressed, but he remained calm on the surface.

In contrast, Reggie Miller and Jaylen Rose both refused to be interviewed, citing the reason they were "fully preparing for the semifinals."

The New York sports media didn't bother to embarrass these two, because everyone has already loaned the championship these days.

Eastern Conference semifinal opponent? That's just for sending data!

Every time they come to Manhattan during the playoffs, everyone on the Pacers feels like they will be bombarded with news about Li You.

I watched the news this morning. Not surprisingly, NBC began to report aggressively again. In recent issues of newspapers and magazines, they once again praised Li You in all aspects.

Not surprisingly, Li You's news jokes will also appear on NBC's Saturday Night Show this week. It can be expected that the targets of ridicule will be the Pacers who played against this week and the Lakers who lost.

In last night's Eastern and Western Conference semifinals, the Nets successfully defeated the Pistons with Kidd's last-minute mid-range jumper!

76:74, in this defensive battle, the Nets finally had the last laugh.

Although Kidd can't take advantage every time he faces Li You, when he encounters other defenders, he can still prevent the opponent from pulling his hips even if he fights by himself.

Billups shot 12 of 3 and only scored 11 points. The Pistons, except for Hamilton, were all misfired.

Another Western Conference semifinal, 82:87, was also a defensive battle. In the end, the Spurs successfully protected their home court.

Kobe took crazy shots, shooting 38 of 16 from the field, 4 of 3 from beyond the arc, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 37 points;

O'Neal shot 20 of 10 and had a big double-double with 24 points and 21 rebounds.

The OK combination played normally, but the Spurs won. Ginobili, who came off the bench, performed well and contributed 15 points to the team!

After winning the game, Popovich's attitude became tougher and he took the initiative to brag about his thigh:

"Twenty-eight points cannot reflect Duncan's role. He sent out a game-high 28 assists and also completed 7 blocks!"

"Duncan completely dominated the game on both offense and defense. Maybe you are all optimistic about the Lakers, but we are number one in the Western Conference. We won 60 games this season!"

The Lakers had the advantage in rebounding, 57:45, but in terms of turnovers, the Spurs were even better, 19:11.

The sports media in San Antonio finally stopped criticizing Popovich. Winning at home and getting a good start is indeed a good sign!

On May 5th at Madison Square Garden, at 6:20 in the evening, the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Pacers and the Knicks officially started.

New York fans have been in a state of celebration these past two days. They came to the arena early tonight mainly to witness Li You's MVP.

Tonight's live DJ did not introduce the players, but just raised the volume and introduced them loudly:

"Let us welcome the 4-time championship, 4-time FMVP, and 4-time MVP winner, the superstar from the University of Connecticut and New York, Clay—Lee!"

After hearing a series of honors and the cheers of the fans at the scene, Reggie Miller, who had finished his appearance on the other side, had a pulled face and felt indescribably depressed.

His achievements at the beginning of his career far exceed his. If possible, Reggie Miller would like to meet other opponents in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

As the lights came up in the arena, the cheers grew louder.

David Stern, who was wearing a black formal suit, and Li You, who was wearing a Knicks training uniform, stood in the middle of the field waiting for the arena to become quiet again.

There are three trophies already placed in front. As the staff pushed this year's bronze man up, David Stern picked up the microphone in his hand and said with a smile:

"2686 points, 876 assists, and 233 steals, leading the league in these three statistics!"

"Leading the team to 73 wins, the efficiency value in a single season reached a record high of 38.2. Lee once again set a new record!"

"Since 96, we have witnessed Lee's growth and the changes he has brought to the NBA. Under his leadership, the Knicks have become a dynasty team after the Bulls."

"Winning the championship for four consecutive years, this season, Lee became the fourth player in the NBA to win the MVP for three consecutive years!"

"The MVP winner of the 2002~2003 season is Clay-Lee! Congratulations to Lee! I am very happy to witness such a historical moment with the fans at the scene!"

Taking the trophy with a smile, Li You raised the trophy to greet the fans around him, and then placed the little bronze man in front of him, allowing the four trophies to fit together.

"Thank you to my family and friends, thank you to my teammates and coaching staff, and thank you to the Knicks!"

"Of course, what I want to thank most are the New York fans who have always supported me. These achievements also belong to you!"

"Let us continue to enjoy the joy of winning this season! Our work is far from over, it is time to once again create our best record in the playoffs!"

"Wow!"

Some New York fans who held up a whiteboard and marked 16 wins and 0 losses shouted happily. The loan was successful, and the habit became natural. Everyone believed in Li You's promise.

The faces of everyone on the Pacers were ugly. This feeling of being completely ignored made people feel angry. Even the somewhat Buddhist Jaylen Rose could not help but curse at this time:

"The best record in the world!"

The Eastern Conference semifinals between the Pacers and the Knicks will be broadcast by TNT, and the other set of duels will be broadcast by ESPN.

When the players from both sides were warming up for the final time, Marv Albert carefully introduced tonight's starting lineup in the commentary box:

"After the tiebreaker in the first round, the Pacers should be in excellent shape now."

"Head coach Isiah Thomas continued the starting lineup from the previous round."

"Jamal Tinsley and Reggie Miller partner in the backcourt, and the three frontcourt players are Jalen Rose, Jermaine O'Neal, and Brad Miller."

Partner Mike Fratello looked at this starting lineup and said with emotion:

"This series is a huge test for Reggie Miller. Facing the Knicks' young wings, this veteran's performance may affect the outcome of the game!"

Looking at Reggie Miller, who is about to turn 38, the two people in the commentary box did not talk too much about data issues. Everyone knew that this guy was old and the window to win the championship was almost closed.

For everyone in the Knicks, although their winning streak was interrupted twice by the Pacers this season, everyone is full of confidence when facing this team.

The defensive pressure on the wings is very small. As he gets older, Reggie Miller's physical condition also declines. Compared with McGrady in the first round, this player has relatively single skills and is indeed better defensive.

There is no need for encouragement from Li You and the coaching staff. In the past two days, everyone has been studying how to divide the data. The Pacers are a piece of cake.

After eating curry mutton for two days in a row, most of the goat went into Li You's stomach. To his relief, no one cared about Curly Boss's work at that time.

Arriving at the center of the field, Li You briefly fist-bumped with the Pacers' starting five to say hello.

Noticing that his old rival Reggie Miller looked serious and had a big face, Li You moved his wrist, turned his head and said with a smile:

"Be happy, man! It's rare to appear on the stage of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The most important thing at this time is to enjoy the game!"

Most of the Knicks' starting players standing near the center circle looked relaxed. Reggie Miller still didn't say a word after watching it. He had obviously entered a state of "silence."

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid the cheers and cheers, as the referee threw the ball up, Gasol pushed the ball to half court. The Knicks took control of the ball, and the fans began to cheer loudly again.

Slowly dribbling through half the court, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, actively waited for his opponent to double-team him. To his surprise, only Jamal Tinsley, a second-year rookie, was guarding him.

At the top of the arc, sensing that the big men behind them did not choose to delay, Gasol and Kurt Thomas simply moved toward the basket.

After Jamal Tinsley noticed the movement behind him, he took the initiative to defend. Li You quickly dribbled the ball behind his back, switched to his left hand and leaned on the opponent to pull the ball back.

His shoulders swayed back, and then Li You lowered his center of gravity and leaned forward suddenly to accelerate.

Jamal Tinsley made a wrong defensive prediction and wanted to slide to the left. At this time, he quickly adjusted his center of gravity and moved desperately to the right.

After taking a big step, Li You exploded the ball at the three-point line and stopped suddenly. He opened up the shooting space and quickly retreated.

Jamal Tinsley jumped on the defense too early. When he was falling, he could only watch Li You lean back slightly and make a jump shot from outside the three-point line!

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

Amidst the cheers of the fans, Li You, who retreated from defense, did not look at the new opponent. Instead, he took this opportunity to turn to Isiah Thomas on the sidelines and reminded:

"You really should double team me!"

During the regular season, when the two teams played against each other, the Pacers kept double-teaming, but after Reggie Miller returned from injury, the double-teaming became much less frequent.

Perhaps to take care of the main attacker, neither Jaylen Rose nor Miller Sr. seems to be planning to get too involved in defense tonight.

Isiah Thomas just smiled and then made tactical gestures to his players.

In the Pacers' first offensive round, they still gave old Miller a zipper cutout.

It's just that the veteran couldn't get rid of Grant Hill who was chasing behind him with the help of the big man's screen.

After the ball bounced to the top of the arc, Jamal Tinsley on the left wing still protected the ball sideways and did not choose to pass the ball immediately.

Jaylen Rose in the left corner quickly slipped across the baseline. At the same time, O'Neal Jr. and Brad Miller near the baseline on the right screened each other under the basket.

Quickly reaching the low post on the left, O'Neal Jr. wanted to turn his back and ask for the ball, but Gasol's defensive end suddenly came forward. The two pulled him apart, and O'Neal had to move to the left blocking area.

Under the interference of Li You, Jamal Tinsley had no choice but to increase the arc before sending the pass.

The ball was slow and had a high arc. The moment O'Neal caught the ball, Gasol almost poked the ball away.

After catching the ball and turning around, O'Neal Jr. quickly released the ball with his right hand after the triple threat, took a dribble step to the line, then quickly turned toward the baseline and completed the ball at the same time.

Gasol did not defend out of position and continued to raise his right arm high. O'Neal, who came to the lower left side of the basket, did not choose to feint at this time, but grabbed the ball with his left hand and threw it directly.

"state!"

The movement was smooth, but it looked like he had lost control of his body. The basketball knocked out of the basket, and Kurt Thomas grabbed the rebound in front of Brad Miller.

The attack failed, and the Pacers retreated quickly, with no intention of rushing for offensive rebounds. Reggie Miller kept calling on his teammates to complete the defensive matchup.

The Knicks switched offense very quickly, Li You responded, and everyone accelerated and rushed through the half court.

Grant Hill ran the fastest and left Reggie Miller behind. Just as he expected, the basketball quickly flew in front of him.

Li You sent a long pass before it passed the center line. After receiving the ball, Grant Hill leaned on the chasing old Miller and grabbed the ball with his left hand to pick up the basket!

Such an easy goal also made Grant Hill give a thumbs up when he retreated from defense.

When the Pacers attacked again, Jamal Tinsley quickly made a tactical gesture, and then immediately changed his routine, trying to create a mid-range jumper opportunity for Jaylen Rose.

O'Neal ran to the right near the baseline and made a screen. Kurt Thomas immediately chose to switch defense. When Jaylen Rose received the ball in the right elbow area, he immediately lifted the ball to the lower right side of the basket. O'Neal Jr.

There was a huge mismatch, Artest was behind him, and Gasol immediately moved to the basket to help defend.

Although Brad Miller got an open opportunity under the basket, O'Neal Jr., who was double-teamed, failed to pass the ball in time.

Gasol raised his arms to interfere, but Artest kept moving his hands. When the two were surrounded, O'Neal, who was hesitant on the offensive end, was cut off before he could lift the ball.

The moment the ball dropped, Artest poked forward, and Kurt Thomas twisted to control the ball.

Head coach Isiah Thomas shouted to the players on the sidelines. When Li You received the pass, he also tried to speed up and chase the opponent across the half court.

The Pacers loudly reminded each other that their efforts to retreat paid off, and Jamal Tinsley stepped forward to defend again.

Li You, who advanced with the ball in his right hand, first dribbled the ball from his hips. The moment he switched to his left hand, his body swayed forward to the left. His body paused slightly, and his left hand went in and out, and his body swayed again.

He swung right and left, pretending to break through, and while the opponent was sliding to the left, Li You suddenly changed direction, adjusted his steps and instantly switched to his right hand, accelerating the breakthrough and easily passed Jamal Tinsley beside him.

"Oh!"

The beautiful pass made the fans cheer again. Cutting in from the middle, Li You attracted the help of Brad Miller under the basket.

After taking three long steps, he pretended to lay up. Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand in the air and waited for the opponent to block the shot. Then with a flick of his wrist, the basketball flew directly to Gasol on the lower left side of the basket.

The latter received the ball completely unguarded, and Gasol took advantage of the situation and slammed the basket with both hands!

"Boom!" He succeeded in eating the cake under the basket.

At 0:7, they scored consecutively in the opening game. This scene soon made Madison Square Garden abuzz. The fans were familiar with this rhythm - abuse of food.

In the commentary box, Marv Albert watched with great joy. Although it was only the first few rounds, he felt that the Pacers were no match at all:

"There seem to be some problems with the game strategy developed by Isiah Thomas, but they seem to have to finish scoring first!"

"Being behind at the start is definitely not good news for them!"

Mike Fratello can also see that there is indeed some gap in the strength of the two teams, but he has always praised the veteran:

"There is nothing wrong with the Pacers' game strategy. They should really start from the inside first!"

As soon as the words fell, it was Brad Miller who opened up the situation for the Pacers. The big man received a pass from Jamal Tinsley after picking and rolling at the top of the arc.

One step inside the three-point line, and the long two-point jump shot was made decisively!

"Whoa!" The two-point ball hit the net.

After getting the score, head coach Isiah Thomas on the sidelines kept giving high-fives and encouragement.

Quickly sending the baseline, Li You accelerated after receiving the ball, and the Knicks quickly caught up with the Pacers' defense.

Holding the ball with his left hand, Li You came to the left wing. The Pacers had just completed their defensive matchup at this time, and Gasol moved up the pick-and-roll.

Under the false screen, Gasol passed down early, and the big man Miller was tossed around and quickly moved to the basket.

Li You first dribbled the ball quickly behind his back. When he switched to his right hand, he observed the defense. No one was double-teaming him. He dribbled the ball quickly with his hips. His body swayed to the left and forward. The moment he switched to his left hand, he immediately changed the direction of his body.

Jamal Tinsley reacted quickly, but the basketball seemed to be stuck to Li You's hand. The extremely fast change of direction caused him to lose his defensive position in the blink of an eye.

Accelerating from the center, Li You quickly caught up with Gasol, who used his teammates' bodies to block the defense. He rushed up in three strides and grabbed the ball with his right hand to easily pick the basket!

The breakthrough speed was so fast that O'Neal Jr., who was helping to defend the basket on the other side, could not react in time. He moved to the basket and watched the basketball fall into the basket.

"Wow!"

New York fans have been watching Li You get double-teamed this season, and it is not uncommon to see fancy dribbling. It is rare to encounter a team that is stubborn in defense. For a while, their enthusiasm was high and their shouts became louder and louder.

At 2:9, sensing that the pace of the game was accelerating, head coach Isiah Thomas made another downward gesture.

The Pacers began to pass the ball patiently again, first creating opportunities for old Miller to screen, and then using cross-screens on the bottom line to try to let O'Neal Jr. catch the ball in the low post on the left. Kurt Thomas went around to defend and disrupted the opponent's offensive rhythm. On the left wing, Reggie Miller passed the ball to Jamal Tinsley again.

At the top of the arc, Jamal Tinsley did not call for a pick-and-roll, but instead gave the ball to Jaylen Rose, who bounced to the right wing to receive the ball.

Although Artest was slow to pursue the defense, Jaylen Rose failed to receive the pass immediately.

The opportunity passed in a flash, and the defense was back to his side. With only 10 seconds left in the attack time, Jaylen Rose had no choice but to release the ball with his right hand and break through, going straight inside against Artest's defense.

Under the interference, Jaylen Rose relied on Artest's right hand to pick up the basket and it was ridiculously crooked.

The basketball hit the backboard and bounced into Gasol's hands under the basket.

After getting the rebound, he immediately swung the ball hard and the basketball flew forward. Li You and Jamal Tinsley chased the ball at the same time.

Li You, who controlled the ball before his opponent, grabbed the ball with his left hand and crossed the three-point line.

During the march, he first leaned against Jamal Tinsley, his left hand moved around the ball under his crotch, pulled the ball back and quickly twisted around. Li You, who rushed up in three strides, shook away the defense, grabbed the ball with his left hand, leaned forward and picked up the basket. !

Jamal Tinsley, who retreated from defense, became the atmosphere team and became a sparring partner in this round.

Li You shook his head and retreated. On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team waved towels and cheered. Everyone couldn't wait and wanted to hit hard!

Jamal Tinsley looked helplessly at the coach on the sidelines. He followed the instructions in the offensive round and continued to control the rhythm of the game.

In this round, Reggie Miller did not pass the ball patiently according to the tactics. He bounced the ball from the right wing. After a feint, he faced the defense and forced a jump shot!

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

At 5:11, the Pacers also responded.

Big Brother's goal had just helped everyone stabilize their emotions. Looking back, during the semi-switch attack, Reggie Miller was forced to the basket by Grant Hill who received the ball from the left wing, and he was forced to pay a foul.

There was no shaky breakthrough, showing that Grant Hill was extremely confident and started to hit hard against the veteran...

Grant Hill made two free throws and helped the team expand the point difference.

Although the Pacers tried their best to slow down the game, as the starting players took turns and made several transition attacks, the point difference gradually reached double digits.

The Knicks naturally play faster and faster. They immediately scramble for offensive rebounds after hitting the iron, and accelerate and rush after completing their defense.

There are not even complicated tactics, many times it is just relying on personal ability to create opportunities.

O'Neal Jr. has become the team's main attack point during this period. This time, Gasol was fouled under the basket and made two free throws to help the team score points.

Looking back, Gasol caught the ball in the right block and then feinted towards the frame, deceiving the big man Miller's center of gravity. He held the ball in his right hand and accelerated along the baseline to break through.

Encountering the help of O'Neal Jr.'s defense at the basket, he squeezed to the lower left side of the basket against the defense. When the referee blew the whistle, he grabbed the ball with his right hand and turned over to pick up the basket!

Mike Fratello didn't seem to expect the Knicks to score so easily:

"In addition to strengthening defense, the Pacers should also resume their regular season style of play. Brad Miller should dominate the ball more. He has the ability!"

"Jamal Tinsley usually doesn't do well against Lee's defense, and their big men have to step up in time."

Marv Albert was still praising the Knicks' performance, and Gasol made a free throw. He couldn't help but praise again:

"In the first quarter of the game, the Knicks fully demonstrated their talent, and the players on the court were very confident!"

To relieve the pressure on the organization, the Pacers did start to give the ball to Brad Miller. A cool behind-the-head pass in the right block found Jaylen Rose, who cut from right to left.

The latter caught the ball and went straight to the basket, but was blocked by Artest, who was well prepared.

The two fell to the floor with a plop. The referee did not blow the whistle. At the bottom left of the basket, Kurt Thomas regained control of the ball and swung the ball hard again.

Approaching the right wing, Li You caught the ball and released the ball with his right hand to accelerate the breakthrough. He quickly changed direction at the three-point line, grabbed the ball with his left hand and pressed his shoulder to break through and penetrate into the basket.

Just after he broke through into the paint and attracted Reggie Miller's defense, Li You threw the ball up. Grant Hill, who followed behind, jumped high, grabbed the ball with both hands, and dunked back!

13:29，第1节比赛还剩2分08秒，麦迪逊广场花园尽是欢呼声。

Isiah Thomas on the sidelines turned to look at the substitutes, and then stared at the movements of the court with a serious expression. The timeout did not work, and there was no good choice for substitutions.

The Pacers' offense was defended for nearly 24 seconds. Finally, Jaylen Rose succeeded with a three-pointer from the right wing.

When returning to defense, the Pacers suddenly changed their defensive strategy. Old Miller attacked in advance, and Li You immediately released the ball as soon as he passed the center line.

When Grant Hill caught the ball on the left wing, Jaylen Rose rotated to defend, and then the basketball flew straight to the left corner.

Artest, who was left open, adjusted slightly after receiving the ball, and then made a steady jump shot!

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

The Pacers also began to speed up the pace of the game, but the big man Miller's handoff at the elbow did not create opportunities for his teammates.

Originally wanting to play high-low cooperation, O'Neal was tightly guarded by Kurt Thomas.

For a while, three people on the outside passed the ball continuously, and the pursuit was close to 24 seconds. Finally, Jamal Tinsley had no choice but to take over. After the pick-and-roll, he tilted his body and shot a three-pointer while riding an arrow and fell into the basket.

"Shh!"

The lucky goal was met with loud boos from the New York fans. On the Pacers bench, the atmosphere team let out a sigh of relief, and the game almost collapsed.

Loudly greeting his teammates to complete the defensive matchup, Li You called for Kurt Thomas to cover on the right wing. When he was about to run in front of him, he immediately gave his teammates a look.

Kurt Thomas accelerated down the line after a fake screen. Jamal Tinsley failed to keep up with Li You's offensive rhythm and was stuck for half of his body.

O'Neal, who was following the defense, was in a dilemma at this time. He was in an awkward position. The opponent was still hesitating. Li You flicked his right wrist and sent a ground pass.

The basketball passed through the crotch of O'Neill, who was sliding to help defend. The fans in the front row could see it clearly, and the cheers echoed throughout the arena again.

After receiving the ball in the paint, Kurt Thomas took a step forward and immediately took off. Although he was fouled by the big man Miller in the air, the basketball that escaped his hands after being pulled eventually stumbled and fell into the basket.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Kurt Thomas punched and roared after landing.

Taking advantage of the free throws, head coach D'Antoni also stood up and called for the rotating lineup to come on, and Li You came off the court to rest.

At 19:35, there was not much time left in the first quarter. In the last few rounds, the two sides exchanged two irons, and the point difference was fixed at 1 points.

During the break, the Pacers bench became increasingly quiet, with only Isiah Thomas holding the tactical board and loudly encouraging the players.

Reggie Miller made 3 of 1 shots and scored 3 points. All his shots came from outside the three-point line. At this time, he was sitting in his seat, pursed his lips and said nothing. He knew that he was playing poorly.

"Share the ball! Don't think you can be the hero, we need to get the ball moving!"

Noticing the coach's gaze, Jaylen Rose nodded and scored 4 points on 1-of-3. The only goal was a lucky shot.

O'Neal Jr. scored 6 points for the Pacers. The offense under the basket is still an advantage, but it is difficult to feed the ball from outside.

On the one hand, he pulled the players and kept exhorting them, and on the other hand, he carried out rotations step by step.

In the commentary box, Marv Albert saw the Knicks players standing on the sidelines early, smiled and briefly commented:

"It seems that Coach D'Antoni is fully prepared for tonight's game. With a double-digit lead, the boys on the bench also got more opportunities."

Mike Fratello could clearly see the suppression of talent. He just sympathized with Reggie Miller and couldn't help but sigh and said:

"If you want to win a championship at the end of your career, unless the Pacers can bring in a talented young player."

"Just like when Lee was drafted by the Knicks, the Pacers also need that kind of luck."

首节比赛，李佑出场11分钟，5中4，三分线外2中1，罚球2中2，11分1篮板5助攻。

When Groom Albert saw the technical statistics, he felt that there was a high probability that the idea of ​​​​a partner would never be realized. In recent years, it has been difficult to find talented rookies with low picks.

After the start of the second quarter, the Pacers replaced big man Miller and took Crohill.

The expected strong rebound did not appear, and Crohill, who came on the rotation, also followed Bang Bang.

After more than two minutes, the Knicks attacked and Jackson hit a three-pointer from the left wing.

The Pacers seized a rare opportunity to switch offense. Jaylen Rose, who received a long rebound, quickly hit the ball. Reggie Miller picked up the ball before speeding up and sprinting, breaking through to the basket and layup with his right hand.

"Oh!"

A burst of exclamations erupted in the arena. Prince quietly came back from the defense. As soon as the basketball was released, he nailed the block.

Reggie Miller, who fell out of the baseline, could only watch as Prince regained control of the ball.

The Knicks played more and less. The little Knight received the ball and broke through the ball from the right wing. Stoudemire, who followed up in the middle, faced Crohill's block and grabbed the ball with his right hand and dunked with one arm!

After replacing the bench lineup, the Knicks' score continued to rise steadily, but the Pacers began to take turns to strike again.

Head coach Isiah Thomas roared loudly on the sidelines, and the players finally reacted and started attacking the basket more.

After several consecutive rounds of free throws, the score difference finally did not exceed 20 points.

The performance of the Pacers made the New York fans at the scene even more happy. Their opponents were completely suppressed. On record night, the home team will most likely win another big victory!

In the second half of the second quarter, Li Youhe returned to the starting lineup.

The fans celebrated the victory in advance. Many people waved the orange handkerchiefs in their hands, and the fans holding the whiteboard also started to get up and twist.

The completely suppressed Pacers could only watch the Knicks easily score points and take a big lead. Li You also began to give cakes to his teammates.

Neither side asked for a timeout, and the half ended quickly, at 40:64, and the game lost suspense.

By the third quarter of the game, except for O'Neal who could score steadily under the basket, the Pacers still failed to find their shooting touch.

Head coach Isiah Thomas also returned to the bench early and took the initiative to replace the starting lineup with 3 minute and 1 seconds left in the third quarter.

Garbage time came earlier than fans expected, and the atmosphere team took over the game.

The on-site director frequently focused on the Knicks bench. Li You was chatting and laughing with his teammates in a low voice, and seemed to be in a good mood.

出场27分钟，14中8，三分线外7中3，罚球5中5，24分3篮板10助攻1抢断没有失误。

Li You handed over a double-double, and Mike Fratello in the commentary box praised:

"Lee controlled the game perfectly in G2. The Pacers should consider changing their defensive strategy."

"The excellent explosive power allows Li to easily get rid of the defense. Once the players on the line lose their defensive position, the chain reaction will be that the inside players must help defend."

"If the Pacers can't solve their problems on the defensive end, this series may be over soon."

Groom Albert thought there was nothing wrong with sweeping his opponents. While explaining the game, he also started chatting about gossip:

"The lottery ceremony will be held in the middle of the month. If the Pacers continue to lose this season, they can also consider trading for talented rookies."

"This is a big year for the draft. Dwyane Wade is known as the next Lee. He also plays a combo guard style!"

"In this year's Elite Eight match between Marquette and Kentucky, Wade scored 29 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 blocks!"

Mike Fratello also nodded. The two chatted more and more, and soon they started talking about Wade entering the league and playing against Li You.

The 4th quarter passed quickly, and the game ended quickly amid the cheers of New York fans.

88:114, the Knicks defeated the Pacers and ushered in a good start to the semifinals.

Madison Square Garden is still noisy, Li You played too little time tonight, and the fans are still shouting his name after the game.

When Craig Sagel interviewed Li You on the sidelines, he didn't talk about this game. There was really nothing to say about the 26-point difference.

"Li! Congratulations again to you for winning the first unanimous MVP in NBA history!"

"Let's talk to the fans about the future. What are your expectations for the trend of this series?"

Li You, who was wearing training clothes, could only talk about the situation when he heard this question. His old opponent was "silent before and after the game." There was no trash talk during the game, and he didn't want to add insult to injury:

"The Pacers are a good team, but we want to build an advantage as quickly as possible to prepare for the conference finals later."

"To be honest, we actually spent a lot of energy in the regular season, so we need more rest time in the playoffs."

"Fortunately, we have the best coaching staff in the league and our game plan was very successful!"

Craig Sager, who was wearing a white formal suit, smiled and nodded, then suddenly changed the subject and asked:

"Lee, are you paying attention to Dwyane Wade, who is participating in this year's draft? His draft template is you, and it is said that he is still a fan of yours!"

"I believe Wade will have an outstanding career. I look forward to playing against him next season and welcome him to the NBA!"

Li You smiled and talked about the scene again. On the other side, the Pacers had already walked to the player tunnel.

Reggie Miller turned his head and glanced at Li You, who was still being interviewed, and couldn't help but sigh secretly:

“Another failed year?”

On May 5, the Knicks' victory did not attract much attention. Most commentators were still discussing Li You's MVP.

As the lottery ceremony approaches, mainstream sports programs have also begun to encourage new players to catch up on Li You's popularity and discuss the annual fixed topics:

"Who will be the next Lee?"

There are many talented players in this year's draft. Coupled with the popularity brought by Li You's three consecutive MVP awards, fans also like this topic more.

In the semifinals that night, the Nets and Pistons battled to the end again.

With Jefferson's free throws, the Nets once again narrowly defeated their opponents at 88:86.

After winning two consecutive away games, the series score reached 2:0, and the Eastern Conference finals are already beckoning to the Nets!

比卢普斯又是铁匠附体，13中4，拿到15分1篮板10助攻4失误的数据。

Although "Big Ben" grabbed 19 rebounds, the Pistons lost 15 rebounds to their opponents.

The situation in the Eastern Conference Finals has become clear, and there is a high probability that the Nets and Knicks will meet again.

This is a good thing for both sides. The close proximity of the two teams is conducive to the players' physical recovery.

In another Western Conference semifinal, 95:114, Bruce Bowen played magically from beyond the three-point line to help the Spurs win easily.

Bowen, who turned into a sharpshooter with 8 of 7 shots from beyond the arc, scored a team-high 27 points!

湖人队中，科比24中9，砍下27分6篮板1助攻5失误的数据；

奥尼尔稳定发挥14中10，罚球11中7，拿到27分10篮板1助攻3失误的两双数据。

He was suppressed by his opponents throughout the whole process and fell behind 0:2. During the interview, Phil Jackson lost his demeanor as a championship coach and just repeatedly emphasized:

"Back in Los Angeles, we will protect our home court!"

On May 5, the Lakers successfully regained the spotlight, and ball commentators began to discuss the possibility of the defending champion being eliminated.

Popovich transformed into a famous coach in this series. When he went to the away game, he also expressed his stance confidently to the San Antonio fans:

"Victory belongs to the Spurs! We will reach the Finals again this year!"

That night, the Knicks also ushered in G2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

At the end of the first quarter in Madison Square Garden, New York fans were excited again.

15:32, a familiar start, indicating another big victory tonight!

In the Pacers' starting lineup, O'Neal Jr. made 8 of 4, contributed 8 points, and scored half of the team's points.

Returning to the bench, looking at the two big brothers in silence, O'Neal was numb.

On the other side, on the Knicks bench, several players in the rotation stood up, eager to hit hard!

Li You didn't expect that this round of the series would be so easy. At this time, he was wearing a towel and taking small sips to replenish water.

Ewing had just finished delivering chicken soup to the atmosphere team. Seeing D'Antoni still leaning back tactically, he felt envious and whispered to Li You in a low voice:

"Li, it seems we can reconsider our opponents in the finals!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)