NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 292 Li You Confidant Award (Daily Chapter)

On the night of May 2003, 5, Nets fans once again witnessed the home team's defeat.

In the live ABC commentary booth, before the game ended, Tolbert talked more about how the Nets should strengthen:

"They need to add an outside scorer or an inside barrier."

"A good scorer can free up Kidd's organizational talents, and the interior barrier can better protect the rim."

"Jefferson and Martin are excellent, but they are not enough to support the team's offense."

"Maybe they can compete defensively with the Pistons, but when meeting a superstar like Lee, the more important thing is to respond on the offensive end."

Although the series is not over yet, Tolbert G4 will no longer be commentating, so he will continue to output his own opinions at this time.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the defensive intensity of the rotating lineup dropped, and the Nets' offense finally returned to normal levels.

The commentator Nesler looked at the situation on the field and took over the conversation at this time:

"It's hard for a player to come close to Lee's impact on the offensive end. Even if he only needs to stand on the outside, the opponent needs to send out the best outside defender to mark him."

"The big man whose lateral movement speed has decreased is even more unable to keep up with his offensive rhythm. Mutombo's performance tonight was just average. He can no longer assume the task of assisting defense."

"The rule changes also benefit outside scorers like Lee!"

"After adding 3 seconds of defense, although the league allows zone defense, it is also a good thing for players like Lee who are good at seizing opportunities."

"The Nets really need reinforcements in the offseason. It's really difficult for teams in the Eastern Conference to defeat the Knicks and enter the finals."

Nesler's words will most likely resonate with the Nets fans in front of the TV. At this time, the live director frequently pointed the camera at Kidd's right hand.

The price of hammering the wall was that his right hand was visibly swollen, but Kidd in the camera didn't seem to care about the injury on his hand. He looked extremely depressed and kept looking down at the floor.

At the Continental Arena, the New York fans who bought tickets to watch the game cheered happily.

Some people who had fun did not forget to continue to mock the Lakers who were eliminated. There were still many people holding posters and whiteboards.

At the end of the game, Kidd quickly walked towards the tunnel again. Tonight's game seemed like a nightmare.

At 107:84, the Knicks successfully won the match point, and the series score reached 3:0.

During this series, sideline reporter Stuer Scott has been reporting on the Nets.

At this time, no one on the Nets wanted to be interviewed. Even head coach Scott waved his hand secretly, indicating to give him some time.

The fixed process didn't work, so the black reporter had no choice but to interview the Knicks.

Three games into the Eastern Conference finals, Kidd was in the player tunnel, and he didn't even get to interview the "league's number one point guard" on the sidelines.

In tonight's game, Li You's performance was actually average. His shooting touch from beyond the three-point line was a bit bad:

出场39分钟，22中12，三分线外7中3，罚球10中9，36分5篮板11助攻2抢断2失误。

He took more mid-range shots. With Li You's assist, Gasol performed very well. Excel was particularly gorgeous:

出场37分钟，17中10，罚球8中6，26分15篮板4助攻1抢断2盖帽1失误，篮板球中有4个是前场篮板。

When Gasol was being interviewed, some New York fans at the scene were still cheering and celebrating. After losing by a big score, there were no boos in the arena.

This away atmosphere also made Gasol smile brightly. In 7 home games, Stewart experienced this kind of conference finals for the first time:

"Pau, let's talk about your performance tonight. 26 points and 15 rebounds. You completely dominated the paint!"

When the reporter asked the question, Gasol just scratched his head and said simply:

"I missed some jump shots, but luckily the rebounds were pretty good and I just kept my focus."

At this time, Stewart also gave up on the feelings of Nets fans and asked seriously again:

"Let's talk about your secret to winning by a big score. In the second quarter, you only allowed the Nets to score 2 points. What adjustments did the team make?"

Gasol's business bragging skills were not good enough, so he told the truth in front of the camera:

"The coach told us to stay focused. We took a big lead in the second quarter. Maybe that's why Li played longer. He played the entire first half of the game tonight."

"All we have to do after coming on the field is to follow Lee's instructions. He will remind us on both offense and defense. When everyone knows what tactics the opponent is going to play, the game becomes very simple."

Stuart adjusted his glasses subconsciously and put on a smile. He felt that this answer was particularly hurtful. He quickly changed the topic, but secretly complained in his heart:

"Nets fans don't think I did it on purpose, right?"

Kidd did not attend the post-game press conference due to a right hand injury.

Kidders and Kenyon Martin were not made things difficult by the sports media, and many people seemed to have expected such a result.

Li You, who attended the press conference, was rarely asked about tonight's game. The reporter from ESPN seemed to want to continue to make trouble and suddenly brought up old scores:

"Lee, have you been paying attention to the Western Conference Finals? How would you evaluate the Spurs' home court?"

"Compared to the Lakers' home court in last year's Finals, who do you think will be more challenging?"

Li You has also watched the news in the past two days, but he is really not interested in looking at technical statistics. He roughly understands that the Spurs won 20+ free throws:

"In fact, every team has a big advantage at home, which is a good thing. It shows that our regular season record plays a role."

"As for the Spurs and Lakers, based on my experience, it's still more difficult to play at home in Los Angeles."

"The reason is also very simple. When we played the Spurs in the shortened season, the Knicks won the championship, but we lost last year."

TNT reporters don’t care about this issue, they want to know Li You’s prediction.

The development direction of this year’s playoffs is exactly what Li You predicted before:

"Lee, who do you think will win in the Western Conference finals?"

Still not asked about this game, Li You was also happy to see this situation, pretending to be thinking, and then answered seriously:

"If both sides stay healthy, maybe there will be a tiebreaker in the Western Conference Finals."

"Van Exel has strengthened the Mavericks' bench. I like Nash's game very much and I recommend that he increase the number of shots."

"As for the Spurs, as long as Tim Duncan can perform stably, they will be a team capable of competing for the championship."

"Both teams may be very good, but they won't cause too much trouble to the 73-win Knicks. Basketball is for five people, and we are stronger."

Although Li You boasted, all the sports media in the audience could not find a reason to refute it. The best record in history should indeed show dominance!

On May 5, as the NBA lottery draw ceremony ended, LeBron James' popularity was replaced by the conference finals.

基德在G3表现一般，出场40分钟，18中5，三分线外5中0，罚球10中7，砍下17分5篮板10助攻1断4失误。

In the TNT program, in addition to warming up for tonight's Western Conference Finals broadcast, the trio also discussed the performance of Jason Kidd, the "league's No. 1 point guard" in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Charles Barkley didn't care about Kidd's emotions at all, grinning and outputting:

"If the Nets had a dominant big man, maybe Kidd could beat the Knicks."

"When Kidd becomes the team's main attacker, the Nets can only be completely dominated by the Knicks like other teams."

"I think Lee didn't work hard in this series. When he realized that he didn't feel good shooting outside the three-point line, he would continuously break through to the inside."

"Kidd failed to restrain Lee. In this direct dialogue, he completely lost!"

In the Nets' G3 life-and-death battle, although Kidd got a double-double, his reputation plummeted after the game. Kenny Smith understood the players as always:

"It's not Kidd's fault, he can't do better. Among the Nets' big men, Collins and Mutombo's lateral speed is too slow, which is their fatal weakness."

"Every time we defend the pick-and-roll, it's a huge test for the Nets."

"Look at the performance of Gasol and Hill. They can always score easily, but Kenyon Martin cannot play like he did in the regular season. It is difficult to receive Kidd's pass in the position he is good at."

"In the offseason, if Eastern Conference teams want to compete for the championship, in addition to strengthening outside defenders, they should also give up big men who are too slow to move laterally on the inside."

When Ernie Johnson heard this topic, he suddenly became very interested and gossiped:

"Kenny, do you think those more traditional big men can't get contracts in the Eastern Conference?"

Charles Barkley immediately answered the question and boasted rather proudly:

"Those tall, bulky players are really not suitable for today's basketball, but they can still get a contract because the Western Conference team will sign them to play against Shaq."

"Future big men should play like me. They are agile, have excellent shooting ability, can complete offense in the low post, and can fire from the mid-range or beyond the three-point line."

"If I were in this era, I would be more dominant. I could switch on Lee and at least make some interference instead of being turned into a wooden stake and just providing material for our program."

Kenny Smith saw his partner looking like he was "born 10 years too early" and immediately joked:

"If you play for the 76ers in this era, even if you are paired with Iverson, Lee can still sweep you!"

"No outside player can restrict him. Li's body is very strong. Although he is not tall, this is his advantage when faced with double teams."

"In the end, you still can't win the championship!"

When the championship issue was brought up, Charles Barkley glared at his partner, and then said with a smile:

"I will let the 76ers trade Iverson. It is enough for me to be on the team. I am not Shaq. I just need an obedient little brother!"

The laughter of three people came from the studio, and O'Neal said that he did not have the ball, which was repeatedly laughed at by them.

On the night of the 23rd, in G3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks, who returned home, relied on Van Exel's outstanding performance in the first half to successfully suppress the Spurs.

At 36:46, the Mavericks' offensive performance was average, but the Spurs made 10 turnovers in the half, which was a big gift.

In the second half of the game, the Mavericks fans were dumbfounded. Duncan and Parker turned on the violent mode and helped the team continue to score points!

半场8中5，扔进3记三分球的范埃克赛尔在下半场却彻底哑火，7中1，只拿了3分。

In the end, the Spurs completed their counterattack and successfully won the away game at 90:83!

出场42分钟，蒂姆-邓肯填满数据栏，19中12，罚球14中10，拿到34分24篮板6助攻2抢断6盖帽7失误的超大号两双数据！

出场37分钟，帕克23中13，砍下29分8篮板3助攻2抢断2失误。

Mavericks' trio underperforms and gets blown out by two

Rebounds were 59:33, and the Spurs grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and lost 26 rebounds. Naturally, the Mavericks could not win the game.

The violent performance of his thighs also made Popovich ecstatic, and he even praised him repeatedly after the game:

"Tim is so good, I can't even describe his performance. He completely dominated the game on both offense and defense!"

"We were 10 points behind at halftime. It was Tim who inspired everyone. I'm proud of him. He deserves more attention!"

The Mavericks made 19 of 9 three-pointers, a shooting percentage close to %. The loss was due to a poor shooting percentage in the paint.

The two teams played at a fast pace, and the Mavericks had 87 rounds. Coach Nelson did not make excuses after the game, but continued to encourage the players: "We need to play tougher, and we must protect it well." Backcourt rebound.”

"I'm not worried about the players' shooting touch. A downturn in one game doesn't explain too many problems."

"The Spurs responded. It's our turn to show our attitude in the next game. We will protect our home court!"

The Spurs took back the initiative, and the sports media in San Antonio were also excited. Although the series was not over yet, sports reporters on local sports programs already shouted slogans:

"Complete revenge! Win the championship for David!"

On May 5, the Eastern Conference finals ushered in G24. Since the Knicks had already obtained the match point, the attention of this game dropped a little.

As the broadcaster, ESPN still has to prepare for the division championship award ceremony later.

In the studio behind, host Mike Tirico's invited guest Sean Elliott is warming up for tonight's game.

Elliott turned to the commentary world after retiring from the Spurs. He also played against Li You in the Finals. Coupled with the Spurs' excellent record this year, he got this job.

Elliot suddenly sighed after talking about the situation when he played against Li You:

"Compared to his rookie season, Lee has made great progress!"

"The body doesn't lie, and the data can also show how good he is."

"I still remember when Lee was a rookie and he wasn't as strong as he is now, and I was impressed by his ball-handling skills at that time."

"But Lee is completely different now. No team will let him frequently play one-on-one on the wing, and he will not get the opportunity to show off his beautiful dribbling in the playoffs."

"Under a lot of physical confrontation, Li's output and efficiency have increased. This is incredible!"

"I believe he must have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes. When I saw the book "Win" published by him and Tim Grover, Manhattan at Four in the Morning, it made me realize that success is not a fluke!"

The Spurs legend is still in shape, and he showed a sincere expression after saying these words, which will convince anyone who hears it.

Host Mike Tirico also nodded repeatedly after hearing this. He has also read the book:

"Li is indeed an outstanding role model. His physical training is definitely worth learning from all players!"

"It's a pity that Kidd has been unable to find his shooting touch in this series. Maybe this is also related to Lee's defense."

"The defensive efficiency of both players is in the top 20 in the league. I believe that after this year's conference finals, Kidd will work hard to improve his shooting."

"The Nets still have a chance, and the team is still on the rise."

"Sean, you have played against Li. Which do you think is more important, technique or body?"

After hearing the question, Elliot didn't hesitate and answered immediately:

"Obviously he has an excellent body. If you want to gain a foothold in the NBA and make a name for yourself, your body is very important."

"Many fans have not noticed one detail. The Knicks' regular season schedule this season is not friendly. They have experienced five games a week several times."

"Regardless of the strength of the opponents, just such an intensive schedule can be overwhelming for many people's bodies."

"Even professional players will have muscle soreness and other problems the next day after a game."

"The most terrifying thing about Li is that no matter what kind of schedule, he can show outstanding form."

"Maybe his shooting percentage will drop in some games, but he can also lead the team to victory through defense."

"Young players should learn from Li how to polish their bodies and improve their skills on this basis. This is the reason for Li's success."

Mike Tirico nodded again, then recommended with a smile:

"It's true as Sean said, the book "Win" made me understand a different Li!"

"."

The warm-up before the game has turned into a X-playing conference. As for the books, of course they have been recharged!

The 24th happens to be Saturday, and there are a few more Knicks fans here tonight.

Everyone comes here to watch the game mainly because they want to witness the Knicks win the division championship trophy.

Before the game started, the New York fans took back the initiative. The fans wearing the Knicks' No. 1 jerseys screamed and screamed.

The Lezi people did not give up this opportunity and continued to hold up the OK group's missing persons poster, trying to attract the attention of the on-site director.

Li You was naturally in a good mood during the warm-up. He won the division championship and had new talents emerging.

Kidd only felt that this year's conference finals were like a nightmare. He even suspected that he had fallen into a time loop. The Nets always collapsed inadvertently.

Coach D'Antoni put on a new "skin" tonight, with his hair and beard carefully trimmed.

Wearing a crisp black formal suit, a white shirt, and a "red scarf," the game hadn't even started yet. D'Antoni changed from his normal routine and instead of leaning back tactically, he walked back and forth on the sidelines.

D'Antoni is also a little excited about his first championship trophy since coaching. He was still under some pressure before, but after these rounds of playoffs, Mustache is completely relieved.

After the game started, D'Antoni was still standing on the sidelines. Unlike Coach Scott on the other side, all he needed to do was clap and applaud:

"Very good, Lee! Keep up the pace!"

"It's okay, Li! Keep taking action!"

"."

Amid the applause of coach D'Antoni, everyone in the Knicks struck hard, and the Nets' defense collapsed again in the half.

57:40, halftime, Continental Airlines Arena has become the home court of the Knicks.

After the second half started, D'Antoni did not sit down and continued to smile and applaud.

On the other hand, Coach Scott was numb and returned to the bench with his arms folded, looking straight at the players on the field.

It was no different from the first three games. After three quarters, 85:64, the score difference came to 21 points.

Although the Nets struck hard in the fourth quarter, hindsight could not affect the outcome of the game.

At 109:93, the game ended, and the Continental Arena was filled with excitement again. Knicks fans were cheering and celebrating.

D'Antoni patted his coat lightly, straightened his clothes, and then happily walked to the technical stage. Looking at Scott with a wry smile on his face, he said modestly:

"This is really a wonderful series. The Nets are the strongest opponent we have ever encountered!"

Although he knew that the mustache in front of him wanted to say something for the occasion, Scott felt that it was mocking him. Fortunately, his face was dark and he could not see his emotions:

"Congratulations Knicks! You are the better team!"

The two shook hands and greeted Li You. After coach Scott said hello to Li You, he immediately turned away and went straight to the player tunnel.

Kidd pulled a long face at this time, trying to keep his face expressionless, and kept hugging and greeting everyone in the Knicks team.

Li You had just comforted Jefferson and Kidders, patted Kenyon Martin, and then moved to his apparent brother.

Sports reporters gathered around the two, watching the two best backcourt players in the Eastern Conference hugging each other, and everyone clicked the shutter in their hands.

"There will always be failure before success. This is also the charm of competitive sports!"

"I love playing against the Nets. You know, Kidd, the tactical confrontation is sometimes more interesting than the boring one-on-one."

"I believe you can also feel this feeling. I really hope we can continue to play against each other next season!"

Li You pulled Kidd and said what was in his heart with a smile, acting like you can understand me.

Kidd never wanted to meet Li You again, so he forced a smile:

"Lee, go win the championship! Next season, I will win it back."

After saying this, Kidd couldn't hold back any longer and hurriedly turned around and left quickly, completely ignoring the pleadings from the surrounding sports media.

Although he lost the conference finals for two consecutive years, Kidd has also gained something. He has received the "Li You Confidant Award".

The award ceremony in the regional finals was a bit crude, and Li You had no feeling for the award.

Coach D'Antoni and several newbies stood at the front, while Li You and Ewing stayed at the back wearing division champion hats.

Stewart was the host of the award ceremony. When interviewing D'Antoni, Mustache said excitedly:

"The playoffs are a completely different stage, and I'm happy to see the team achieve such results!"

"Seventy-three wins actually put a lot of pressure on us, but the boys withstood it."

"I would like to thank Lee, he is a great leader and it is an honor to coach such a player."

"I also want to thank everyone at the Knicks and the fans in New York. This is the best road trip I have ever experienced!"

"Wow!"

After saying these words, D'Antoni took the trophy and raised it high. The cheers in the arena couldn't stop for a while.

Li You was cheering from behind, and while his teammates were being interviewed, a thought came to his mind, and feedback appeared in his mind:

[Jason Kidd’s excellent rebounding awareness]

Ewing saw Li You next to him smiling brightly, and he also laughed. Thinking of the finals later, he suddenly said nostalgically:

"It's the Spurs again, our opponents have always been these people in the past few years!"

"David Robinson will retire at the end of this season. Unfortunately, there is a high probability that he will not win the championship!"

The gorilla began to gloat, and Li You nodded, looked at his teammates who were being interviewed in front of him, and said confidently:

"He will definitely not win the championship. With 73 wins, I don't want to be ridiculed for a few years after losing!"

"."

　Thank you book friends for your subscription support (﹃)

　　I couldn't catch any fish in the morning.

　　Ahem, I moved last night’s to noon.

　　Fortunately, it’s the weekend soon, so I can write more~

　　

　

(End of this chapter)