NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 287 Reasonable Basketball (7000 words chapter)

On May 2003, 5, the NBA announced this season's All-Rookie Team:

The five members of the first team are:

Caron Butler, Drew Gooden, Nene Hilario, Amar'e Stoudemire, Yao Ming;

The five members of the second team are:

Jay Williams, JR Bremer, Manu Ginobili, Gordon Jirisek, Carlos Boozer.

Yao Ming was successfully selected to the All-Rookie Team, which also pleased Chinese fans on the other side of the ocean. The No. 1 pick has fulfilled his talent and established a firm foothold in the league!

It happened to be Saturday in China at this time. Before the CCTV channel broadcast the game between the Spurs and the Lakers in the morning, Yu Jia and Zhang Weiping were still talking about Yao Ming losing the Rookie of the Year award in the studio:

"If you ask Yao Ming to play for the Knicks, he can win the Rookie of the Year Award!"

"Amar'e Stoudemire is in really good shape and he dunks the ball when he gets it. The Knicks played so well in the regular season and the ball just swishes away. American sports reporters like this kind of team."

"But if you want to say that rookie Stoudemire is better than Yao Ming, that's not necessarily true. 73 wins is a huge bonus!"

Zhang Weiping criticized Yao Ming before the game, and also commented on Stoudemire as a rookie with rough skills. He summed it up in one sentence:

"Yao Ming is really good, Stoudemire has his back!"

The old man in the studio boasted fiercely. Yu Jia was a little embarrassed and quickly started to change the topic:

"73 wins, 3 consecutive MVPs, and the only player in history to win the MVP unanimously. This season, Li You won the scoring, steals, and assists titles!"

"Do you think he surpasses historical players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson?"

Since the increase in the number of broadcasts, not only Chinese fans have been dumbfounded, but the number of "winners" has increased dramatically, and "ten-year-old fans" have come uninvited!

Even the sports media were confused. This time it was really "even Michael Jordan can't do it"!

Zhang Weiping nodded repeatedly, and then introduced the news he had obtained:

"If you go to New York to read newspapers, Li You has already surpassed these two. However, most American reporters are relatively cautious. He will have to wait for another two years to become the best in history."

"American reporters don't like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This may involve off-court issues, but in fact Skyhook has 6 championships."

"But it is very possible for Li You to surpass these historical stars. At 25 years old, this age is really amazing!"

The game between the Lakers and the Spurs was about to begin, and the two began to talk back to the topic. As usual, Yu Jia turned around and asked:

"Director Zhang, what do you think of this Western Conference semifinals? The Spurs have won two home games, and the defending champion seems to be completely at a disadvantage."

Regardless of the technical statistics, Zhang Weiping opened his mouth when he mentioned this series:

"The Lakers are going to be finished! Even though Ginobili is a rookie, he actually has a lot of game experience. Compared with previous years, the Spurs' outside strength is much better."

"Phil Jackson should have lost control of the locker room. The Lakers are slow to start this season. O'Neal had surgery at the beginning of the season, and Kobe Bryant shot randomly. Without the home court advantage, there is a high probability that he will not be able to compete with his opponents in the playoffs."

"Kobe's statistics look good, but they are actually far behind MVP-level Li You!"

"The efficiency value that ESPN likes in the United States, Li You's lowest has been 99 since 30, and Kobe can't compare with it."

"Our ordinary fans' intuitive feeling is that Li You's playing looks reasonable and smooth. They say that Kobe is like Jordan, but Jordan really doesn't play like him."

"It's really impossible to shoot randomly against the defense. That's not how the triangle offense works!"

"If Kobe still takes more than 20 or nearly 30 shots in this Western Conference semifinals and plays unreasonably, the Lakers will lose!"

Yu Jia only felt that the tone of the old-timers changed too quickly. In the early years, he praised Kobe Bryant for playing like Jordan and having a bright future;

But since Phil Jackson led the Lakers to the Finals for several consecutive years but lost the championship, Zhang Weiping began to look down on the "OK" team, and O'Neal's free throws were criticized for many years.

However, in G3 of the Western Conference semifinals, the game trend was still different from what Zhang Weiping said.

The Spurs were misfiring from the outside, but Kobe continued to take shots. In the end, 95:110, the Lakers, who returned to their home court, pulled one back!

The home court advantage in this era is real. Just like Artest of the Knicks rarely gets into foul trouble at home, Kobe Bryant also beat the Spurs' perimeter when he returned to the home court.

23中10，三分线外4中2，罚球19中17，39分4篮板4助攻1抢断4失误。

At the end of the game, after seeing Kobe's statistics, Zhang Weiping said another sentence when summarizing the game:

"If you play unreasonably, your efficiency will drop in the playoffs. If you beat the Lakers like this, they won't get far!"

The Spurs' role players occasionally eat a meal of dumplings, while the Knicks' role players are still hitting hard!

Eastern Conference Semifinals G2, 88:109, the Knicks defeated the Pacers.

On the night of the 10th, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Conseco Arena in Polis, more than 5 fans saw the home team being "beaten" again.

In the first half of the game, with O'Neal's outstanding performance, the Pacers withstood the pressure.

At 53:48, the Knicks only led by 5 points.

Not long after the game started in the third quarter, Pacers fans felt that something was wrong. O'Neal Jr. could not catch the ball, and Jaylen Rose started to hit the ball again.

Fortunately, the Knicks missed two open shots, and the point difference between the two sides remained unchanged at this time.

When the Pacers attacked this time, the cheers from the fans were also chaotic.

When Jamal Tinsley passed the half court, he was suppressed by Li You and was forced to protect the ball sideways, pouting frequently.

As long as he fails to rely on speed to get rid of the defense in the first place and faces interference from Li You after leading the defense, it will be difficult for Jamal Tinsley to quickly organize an offense.

In desperation, the ball was handed over early in the half, and the big man Miller came to the top of the arc to respond, preparing to pass the ball to his teammates.

Jamal Tinsley cut in without the ball in the middle, led Li You to the right corner, and then stood still.

Jaylen Rose first pretended to cut in from the left wing, and then suddenly turned and ran up the line to accelerate.

Artest controlled the fouls well in the first half and only received one foul. In the third quarter, he regained his defensive intensity and relied on his excellent lateral speed to defend the opponent tightly.

He couldn't get rid of the defense even after being pulled down. Jaylen Rose couldn't complete the hand-to-hand with his teammates for a while. The big man Miller failed to send the pass in time, and Gasol behind him also started to interfere.

Jaylen Rose had no choice but to run to the right wing, and Reggie Miller quickly accelerated and moved up the line from the left corner.

Grant Hill was also struggling to catch up, but the old Miller was experienced and failed to get rid of the defense. He fell to the ground. The referee immediately blew the whistle and the Pacers got a sideline ball opportunity.

Such a scene made D'Antoni smile and shake his head on the sidelines. He did not complain to the referee, but just clapped his hands and gave the players a thumbs up:

"Good job!"

The big man Miller kicked the ball from the sideline, and Jamal Tinsley hurried to the left wing to respond. As soon as he received the pass, he was defended by Li You.

The newbie didn't dare to sweep the ball as a triple threat at this time. He was intercepted twice in the first half. After receiving the ball, he immediately turned sideways to protect the ball.

O'Neal Jr. was still fighting hand-to-hand with Kurt Thomas, and was bothered by the small movements behind him. Coupled with the fact that he was frequently defended in front of him, O'Neal's movements became larger and larger.

Fortunately, I saw that O'Neal was stuck in position, the referee would not blow the whistle, and he was pushed to the left blocking area. O'Neal, who was far away from the basket, finally received the pass.

Quickly releasing the ball with his left hand and hitting twice in a row, O'Neal Jr.'s shoulders shook, and then he quickly turned toward the baseline and hit Kurt Thomas' blocked shot and a fadeaway jumper!

"state!"

Obviously, the previous confrontation affected the shooting feel. The basketball knocked out of the frame, and Gasol, who retreated to the paint area, once again protected the backboard.

Li You caught the ball and everyone in the Knicks accelerated across the half court.

Jamal Tinsley could only continue to lead the defense, but found that Li You advanced very slowly this time.

Kurt Thomas saw Li You raising his eyebrows at this time, and quickly moved from the left elbow to the top of the arc to the three-point line for a high pick-and-roll.

Sensing the movement behind him, Jamal Tinsley hurried forward to defend and prepare to squeeze through the screen, while loudly reminding his teammates to help defend.

In the logo position, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, took advantage of the opponent's defense and quickly pushed the ball to change direction. After switching to his left hand, he squeezed past Kurt Thomas with the help of a screen.

Unable to squeeze through the screen in time, Jamal Tinsley shouted a reminder, and O'Neal quickly moved to the three-point line near the left wing.

Lowering his center of gravity to accelerate the breakthrough, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly dribbled the ball from his hips when he was close to the three-point line. While his body swayed to the right and forward, he exerted force on his feet and took a step in the opposite direction.

O'Neal Jr. followed his body's instinctive reaction and moved a step to the back left. Then he could only watch as Li You retreated, combined the ball with the ball, and shot a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line!

Jamal Tinsley, who was chasing after him, jumped up to interfere, but it didn't have much effect.

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

At 56:48, the score difference widened again.

"Shh!"

Pacers fans burst into boos, but the sound was much quieter than in the first half.

Head coach Isiah Thomas saw O'Neal's eyes asking for help and just continued to make steady gestures.

It was difficult for the inside player to catch the ball. In desperation, Reggie Miller bounced to the right wing and then released the ball with his left hand and easily broke through.

After stumbling to break through to the paint area, the old Miller hit the iron again against the defense's drifting jumper.

This time the basketball hit the front of the basket and was turned around by Grant Hill who completed the defense.

Everyone in the Pacers could only retreat quickly, and players from both sides accelerated towards the half court.

Holding the ball with his left hand, he advanced past the center line and reached the top of the arc. Grant Hill began to move toward the left wing.

Jamal Tinsley defended next to Li You and failed to complete the hand-to-hand pass. He came to the left wing and Grant Hill dribbled the ball behind him and switched to his right hand.

At the top of the arc, Li You leaned against the defense to receive the pass, then immediately turned around and attacked facing the frame.

The Pacers had just completed their defense at this time, with the big men stationed near the baseline on the left and right, and Miller and Jaylen Rose also stationed on the left and right wings.

After receiving the ball, Li You protected the ball on the right side of his body and took continuous tentative steps to the side with his left foot. Jamal Tinsley lowered his center of gravity and continued to interfere.

Suddenly, he quickly swept the ball to the left. Li You placed the ball almost on the floor. Jamal Tinsley instinctively moved a step to the back and right.

Seizing the opportunity, Li You exerted force on his feet and pulled the ball back to the right. While lifting the ball, he leaned back slightly and made a quick jump shot to meet the block!

"Whoa!" Another three-pointer was scored.

At 59:48, the boos in the arena were mostly muted. Li You smiled again when he saw the big man Miller breaking the defense and smashing the baseline ball.

"I told you a long time ago that you should double-team me!"

Li You, who retreated from defense, loudly reminded coach Isiah Thomas on the sidelines.

Thomas had a long face when he heard this. Tonight's game was actually double-teamed, but the Knicks' role players performed well in the first half. In the second half, they wanted to change their defensive strategy.

After not scoring for several consecutive rounds, the Pacers once again handed the ball to O'Neal who came up to the right block.

This time, he did not choose to post up, but faced the frame and continued to dribble under the crotch. When he switched to his left hand, O'Neal pretended to break through, and then relied on the defense to quickly turn towards the basket.

Kurt Thomas was well prepared. The opponent interfered when the ball was combined, which disrupted the offensive rhythm. O'Neal's right-hand throw came out of the frame again.

Gasol protected the rebound, and the cheers from Conseco Arena completely disappeared. The Pacers fans just felt that the game was about to end.

Amid the noise, Li You received the ball and slowly moved across the half court. When he came to the right wing, the Pacers' defensive formation began to shift to the left as Gasol raised the screen.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, was close to the three-point line. Jamal Tinsley began to lower his center of gravity. The big man Miller also followed up, preparing to cooperate with his teammates in double-teaming.

Noticing that Jaylen Rose started to move towards the paint area, before the pick-and-roll happened, Li You suddenly jumped up and threw the ball with one hand with his right hand.

The basketball flew straight to the left corner. The ball was too fast and it was too late for Jaylen Rose to pursue him.

Everyone on the Pacers watched as Artest caught the ball in the left corner and made a steady jump shot!

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

At 62:48, three consecutive three-pointers made the arena completely quiet. Head coach Isiah Thomas was expressionless and asked for a timeout.

Artest jumped up and down with excitement, raised his right arm and held up three fingers and ran directly to the Knicks bench.

Everyone in the atmosphere group also cheered loudly. With a 14-point lead, with more effort, it was time for them to harvest data in the fourth quarter.

In the live TNT commentary box, Jeff Van Gundy received another invitation for this crucial game. When the bald young coach saw this situation, he knew that the Pacers were definitely gone:

"They should resolutely implement the defensive strategy. When there is a discrepancy in the game plan, the leader players need to judge the situation on the field themselves."

"Obviously no one in the Pacers can take on such a task. Lee is good at seizing fleeting opportunities, and in the playoffs, the game may be decided in a few rounds."

"Now what the Pacers need to consider is how to score a response and how to prevent the point difference from widening. Their problems on the offensive end are bigger than on the defensive end!"

Jeff Van Gundy talked eloquently, and Marv Albert nodded repeatedly. Compared to Mike Fratello who always said good things about veterans, the bald young coach didn't care at all.

"Jeff, do you think the Pacers still have a chance to turn the game around and even win this series?"

Hearing his partner's question, Jeff Van Gundy answered confidently and unceremoniously:

"Lee took control of the game. It was difficult for the Pacers to complete the reversal. The ability of both sides to respond to the ball was not at the same level."

"The most important thing is that the gap in defensive resources between the two sides is actually even greater. Jermaine O'Neal may be able to get good data, but he cannot change the situation on the court."

"Unfortunately, Reggie Miller, who is about to turn 38, can no longer carry the Pacers' offense. They have performed very well to reach the semifinals!"

The bald young coach's prediction was absolutely correct. After the timeout, the Knicks took a big lead and the Knicks' role players began to hit hard again.

Kurt Thomas and Gasol frequently took advantage of each other, and Grant Hill succeeded in stealing layups in two consecutive rounds.

Not only did Artest completely restrict Jaylen Rose, he even had a one-stop dunk scene with face-to-face steals.

In addition, the missed three-pointers also responded, and Artest also scored consecutive points for a period of time.

All Li You has to do is catch the ball and dribble across half the court, send out passes, watch his teammates score points, defend hard, and organize transition attacks.

With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the 06rd quarter, Li You made a three-pointer. Old Miller collected a long rebound and the Pacers also had a chance to switch offense.

After the strike, Li You retreated at full speed. When he retreated to the paint area, the Pacers hit one on two in the frontcourt.

Jamal Tinsley accelerated the breakthrough with the ball in his left hand, attracting Li You to move, and immediately distributed the ball to the old Miller who cut in from the right wing to follow up.

Contrary to their expectations, Li You reacted very quickly. After receiving the ball, Reggie Miller took three long steps and wanted to do a one-handed chop to vent his frustration!

Taking off with his left foot and grabbing the ball with his right hand, Reggie Miller soared into the air. Only when he was flying into the air did he realize that Li You, who had lost his defensive position, came first. After catching up, he also jumped high.

Old Miller, who was about to throw his arm for a dunk, widened his eyes and watched Li You's left hand press the ball.

The two competed in the air, and Reggie Miller immediately lost his center of gravity and fell to the floor with a plop.

"Oh!"

The block with great visual impact made Pacers fans exclaim loudly.

He stopped the ball in the air, and after landing, Li You controlled the ball. He led the ball forward with his left hand, picked up the ball with his right hand and accelerated across the half court.

Jamal Tinsley was completely confused. He was unable to catch up with Li You for a while, and the Knicks played more and less in the frontcourt.

What made the Pacers' frontcourt people dumbfounded was that Li You started to slow down as soon as he crossed the center line, then immediately stopped at the top of the arc, and confidently shot a jumper from outside the three-point line!

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

This is naturally not a reasonable offensive choice, but groom Albert loudly praised it in the commentary box:

"What a wonderful round! In the third quarter, Lee dominated the Pacers on both offense and defense!"

On the other side of the ocean, it happened to be Sunday. CCTV Sports also broadcast the game simultaneously. In this round, Zhang Weiping also made the same evaluation:

"What a shot! So beautiful! After blocking the shot, he hit a chasing three-pointer. Li You played so reasonably!"

The bald young marshal is used to Li You's offensive choices, while Yu Jia in the studio is still accepting it. Hearing the senior's praise, he could only look at him helplessly:

"Is this still a neutral explanation?"

At 81:60, the score difference reached 21 points, and the Conseco Arena seemed to have become a "library".

Li You, who hit a three-pointer, high-fived his teammates to celebrate. Reggie Miller, who stood up from the floor and came over, saw the fans in the front row starting to hold their heads in disappointment, and couldn't help but curse inwardly in frustration:

"Shet! Why is it always like this?"

In the last minute or so, Jaylen Rose, who continued to hit the ball, scored 2 points on free throws. Looking back, Kurt Thomas hit consecutive mid-range jumpers from the free throw line.

34:14 in a single quarter, and after three quarters, 87:62, the game lost its suspense.

In the fourth quarter, although the Pacers fought hard to catch up, they ran out of time.

The Knicks' rotation also performed very well, and Li You did not appear again.

出场30分钟，17中11，三分线外9中5，罚球5中4，31分4篮板11助攻2抢断1盖帽2失误。

Another double-double was delivered. At the end of the game, Li You stood up with a smile and fist bumped with the atmosphere team.

At 111:90, the Knicks defeated their opponents, and the series score reached 3:0.

In Conseco Arena, most Pacers fans left silently.

Many people already knew that the home team could not win, but they still had certain illusions before the game started.

It's just that reality is too cruel, and the Knicks broke out in another wave of trouble in the third quarter and took away the game.

The smile on head coach Isiah Thomas's face had long since disappeared, and he didn't say a word when he came to the technical stage to shake hands with D'Antoni.

The famous player shook hands and turned to leave. With this way of bidding farewell to the season, his position as head coach was no longer secure.

The person being interviewed on the sidelines tonight was Kurt Thomas, who made 12 of 8 shots and had a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds!

When a reporter from TNT asked about the secret of being so efficient tonight, Kurt Thomas put his hands on his hips and said seriously to the camera:

"Strictly implement the coaching staff's arrangements and do your job well. Li will create open shooting opportunities for me. All I have to do is send the ball into the basket!"

"Under Lee's control, in three games, our tactical discipline was better than our opponents! This is the secret to the Knicks' high efficiency!"

On the morning of May 5th, the Eastern Conference semifinals will continue, and Pacers fans will have to witness their opponents advance at home.

When the Knicks warmed up in advance in the afternoon, Li You also accepted an interview with TNT.

There is no suspense anymore in the series, and most sports reporters no longer ask questions about the outcome:

"Lee, have you paid attention to the Lakers' game? Coach Popovich thinks that the opponent's home referee has been having problems with his calls."

Since the Knicks won three games too easily, the coaching staff did start preparing for the Eastern Conference Finals ahead of schedule.

However, Li You didn't pay much attention to the situation in the Western Conference. He just watched the result of the game. The score between the two sides came to 2:2, and the Lakers protected their home court:

"Referees are also part of the game. We strive for ranking in the regular season so that we can enjoy the home court advantage in the playoffs."

"I didn't pay attention to the details of the game, but I think the Spurs have a chance to eliminate their opponent. They have one more home court than the opponent!"

Soon a reporter informed Li You of the details of the game. David Robinson left the game with six fouls in 14 minutes, and the Lakers committed 6 free throws in one game.

科比24中10，三分线外4中1，罚球17中14，拿到35分；

奥尼尔17中6，罚球23中17，砍下29分17篮板的大号两双数据。

When asked how to evaluate the performance of the two, Li You just shrugged and commented jokingly:

"Shaq's free throw was pretty good, otherwise the Spurs should have gotten the match point!"

"."

The Pacers have been completely overlooked, and critics won't criticize the soon-to-be 38-year-old veteran.

Many people only have respect for the old Miller. He dedicated his entire career to the Pacers and was unable to win the championship, but Reggie Miller tried his best.

Before the game started that night, Grant Hill praised the veteran in an interview:

"The outcome of the game sometimes doesn't matter. Miller represents a spirit and inspires many young players!"

"But on the basketball court, no matter what the opponent's physical condition is, I will go all out. This is also a way for me to show respect!"

Reggie Miller's performance in this series was very disgraceful. After noticing that the veteran's physical condition had stretched his hips after the tiebreaker, Grant Hill would take the initiative to attack with his back in the low post in some offensive rounds.

The effect is naturally very good, but this method of "calling names" to pinch the weak persimmons has also been met with some boring doubts.

Head coach D'Antoni also made it clear in a recent interview and bluntly expressed his tactical philosophy:

"On the court, the Knicks are looking for more mismatch opportunities, and all tactics serve this purpose."

"Lee is so good. Under his control, the team's offense becomes reasonable and efficient!"

"I know everyone likes to see stars duel. If the opponent does not double-team Lee, I will let him perform more singles."

"Unfortunately, we have not encountered such an opponent yet!"

Before the game, D'Antoni said this with a smile, and then started to back off tactically. The Pacers team reporters were so angry that some even talked behind their backs:

"We have players like Lee, and the championship belongs to the Pacers!"

After falling behind by a big margin in the series, Indiana's sports media began to discuss more about the team's team building ideas.

Facts have proved that no player can resist the invasion of time, and Reggie Miller can no longer carry the team's offense.

After the G4 game started that night, the Pacers fans at the scene quickly lost their mood.

As if trapped in a time loop, the home team was still repeating the previous game.

The first quarter ended at 34:20. Looking at the double-digit point difference, the Pacers' atmosphere team was silent.

Unable to score, unable to defend, double-teaming Li You, the Knicks' role players responded.

Li You was sitting on the bench and had already put on his coat. He knew that the opponent's defense had completely collapsed.

The NBA is about to announce the All-Defensive Team. Artest has been very excited these past two days. At this time, he is still saying X while sitting on the bench:

"So what if I get DPOY? I will be eliminated by the Nets soon!"

"This award belongs to me next year!"

Ewing didn't look at Artest, who was bragging. When he returned to his seat, he also talked about the opponent behind him:

"I didn't expect the Nets to reach the conference finals this season. These guys really performed well."

At the beginning of the game, Li You sat in his seat with his arms folded and leaned back tactically. He was naturally very satisfied with his opponent in the Eastern Conference finals:

"I can enjoy 7 home games again, and I don't have to fly anymore. In the next few years, I really hope to keep encountering the Nets in the conference finals."

"."

　Thank you book friends for your subscription support

　　

　

(End of this chapter)