NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 326 The Troubles of Deep Lineup (Daily Chapter)

On the night of April 2004, 4, in the commentary box at Madison Square Garden, Kevin Harlan kept nodding his head as he listened to Rivers's talk on paper.

Since the game had long since lost its suspense, the two entered into gossip mode in the second half of the third quarter.

Perhaps because he wanted to follow the Jeff Van Gundy route, Rivers worked very hard tonight to analyze the game and did a very thorough preparation. He spoke clearly and logically:

"When every team plays the Knicks, the number of possessions goes up to around 80."

"This is not their subjective intention, but they involuntarily follow the opponent's rhythm."

"Compared with last season, the number of possessions played by the Knicks has actually dropped a bit, but this does not mean that their game rhythm has slowed down!"

"Using excellent defense to force opponents to make mistakes and then counterattacking quickly, the discipline of this team is underestimated. They rotate the lineup and perform equally well."

Rivers speaks from his heart. When he coached the Magic last season, although they were swept 4-0, he really worked hard to study the Knicks.

It's just that this kind of team cannot be copied. Basketball IQ exists. Most players can't see some fleeting opportunities.

Just like the Nets led by Kidd, an excellent point guard not only knows what tactics he wants to play, but also what kind of coordination his opponent will play.

"Wow!"

On the Knicks bench, the assistant coach continued to instruct the players. D'Antoni hung up the entire game. When the main lineup came off, he just clapped his hands with a smile and said:

"Perfect game! We played a perfect performance tonight!"

This caused everyone to lose their mood after the second half of the game started, and they were all waiting to be replaced.

"The Knicks' rotation is so good, and this is especially important in the playoffs!"

"They are performing better this season and are more mature than last year. There may be some injury risks in the substitute lineup, but this will not affect the team's offense."

Everyone in the Celtics went to the all-hands tunnel early. After losing a game by 30 points, they were naturally in a bad mood and lost all face.

17中5，三分线外6中2，罚球8中8，拿到20分7篮板3助攻5失误的数据。

"Lee is also the first player in NBA history to take at least 13 shots in a single game in the playoffs. This is an incredible performance."

Li You, who holds the ball in his left hand, immediately accelerated the moment the opponent came up to defend him, relying on the defense to quickly approach the three-point line.

Li You, who had already changed into training clothes, waved to the fans behind him and sat down to watch the game quietly. He only played 33 minutes in this game and did not encounter any challenges.

"But Lee is unique, I just did some minor work."

Cheers instantly echoed throughout the arena, and New York fans shouted happily. At this time, Li You had already set a new playoff record.

In desperation, he could only step forward and defend, constantly interfering, trying to disrupt Li You's dribbling rhythm.

At the top of the arc, he dribbled the ball behind his back and switched to his right hand. Atkins quickly changed direction in front of him, but Li You completed the steal face to face.

No one cares about this kind of tendentious explanation. Since the regular season data rankings were announced, everyone knows that Li You's failure to win the award is not a problem between him and the Knicks.

Gasol is also used to a relaxed playoff schedule. Since he joined the Knicks, the team has not encountered many challenges in the Eastern Conference.

Amid the cheers of the fans, the final score was fixed at 86:116. The Knicks defeated their opponents and easily won G1.

Several people were chatting in low voices, and Artest was smiling from ear to ear. He got the DPOY and gave his opponent a big defeat. This is indeed the perfect script!

Pierce, who returned to the bench, lowered his head and looked at the floor without saying a word.

“14中14，三分线外3中3，罚球4中4，35分4篮板10助攻4抢断没有失误，李佑打破了1975年拉里-麦克内尔创下的季后赛全中纪录。”

He won the championship with 73 wins. If he wins another 72 games this season and wins the championship, D'Antoni will undoubtedly join the ranks of super coaches.

In the third quarter of the game, Pierce stopped directing his teammates and stopped talking to Artest. He looked frustrated and his enthusiasm dropped sharply.

The fourth quarter of the game completely turned into performance time, Stoudemire frequently dunked, completely igniting the atmosphere.

At this time, there were only 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the third quarter, and the Knicks were ready to start rotating, waiting for their opponents to give up in a timeout.

In the second half, his opponent had already admitted defeat and he did not throw any more punches.

Kevin Harlan nodded secretly when he saw Stoudemire active on the court, and then asked routinely:

Seeing Li You controlling the ball, another burst of cheers erupted in the stadium.

In the commentary box, Rivers seemed to recall last year's playoff experience. After being silent for a while, he suddenly said:

"I don't think the East teams can trouble the Knicks!"

Even if they are only a 36-win team, entering the playoffs still requires face!

Head coach John Carroll maintained his demeanor. After shaking hands with D'Antoni, he even sighed:

"The Knicks under your coaching are so good! They have won 70+ games for two consecutive seasons. No one can break this record in the future!"

Rivers talked a lot about the situation, but could not give a specific plan. Thinking that the Celtics would probably change their head coach after losing, something suddenly moved in his heart:

"Perhaps this is also my chance!"

After trying some things in the new season, the Magic suffered injuries and suffered a losing streak. Rivers was fired by the management before he could show off his talents.

Kevin Harlan did not notice the sourness in his partner's words. Instead, he felt that what the best coach had said made sense:

"Bad dribbling! Atkins made the wrong offensive choice!"

“The series has just begun, how should the Celtics adjust?”

The Celtics played well in the second quarter, scoring 2 points in a single quarter, but the point difference was widened.

When the ball was combined outside the three-point line, Li You opened up a huge space for his shot. He ignored the little man in front of him and jumped up to block the shot. He leaned back slightly and shot a quick jump shot!

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

Once was a fluke, but twice meant he was really good. When he heard the other party's compliments, D'Antoni laughed loudly, patted his opponent, and said quite proudly:

"Success in the NBA is easy, just coach a superstar!"

As team leaders, he and Atkins contributed 9 turnovers. Just by relying on transition offense, the Knicks maintained the point difference.

No one on the Celtics side was double-teaming to help with defense anymore. Everyone was waiting for Coach Carroll to time out. They had had enough of this game.

On the left wing, Atkins couldn't help turning his head to look at his teammates, but no one paid him any attention.

The two entangled and came to the three-point line. Li You, who was leaning forward to accelerate, suddenly stopped suddenly, dribbled behind his back quickly, and completed a step back at the same time.

Kevin Harlan read out the information prepared at halftime in a brisk tone. When he noticed that his partner was silent, he couldn't help but add:

"This is Lee, the best player in the league. In my heart, he is still the MVP this season!"

At 61:88, head coach John Carroll next to him had no choice but to request a timeout. Tonight's game was painful to watch.

Feeling the lively atmosphere at the scene, Walter McCarty showed an envious expression. If possible, he would also like to come back here and become the champion of the atmosphere group.

Carroll thought that D'Antoni would most likely win the best coach award, and couldn't help but nod in agreement, saying that hugging someone's thighs is the most effective way of coaching.

Before Li You, who attended the press conference, had even sat down, the New York media in the audience started cheering and booing.

Although tonight is just a small record, the New York media likes it. In the next few days, it will be over!

After a business exchange of blows, the TNT reporter asked an inappropriate question:

"Li, you have set many records since entering the league!"

"At this point in your career, it seems there is no challenge anymore. Will too many wins cause trouble to you?"

Li You suddenly felt a little baffled after hearing this question. Are you still having trouble winning?

"No, I have been enjoying victory. I like the feeling of winning. I hate losing!"

"I'm a professional player, in other words, playing basketball is my job."

"The content of this job is to make the fans who support me happy and the team that pays high wages to be satisfied, so as to achieve a win-win situation."

"Unless the New York fans tell me they want to watch them lose, winning is all we're going to do."

"No need to ask me whether I will retire, I still have a long career! Winning will never bother me."

After Li You answered the question seriously, he laughed, and then joked to everyone in the audience:

"No one really likes losing, right? Maybe you should interview the Knicks' opponents. Maybe they will have different answers."

"what!"

Some New York sportswriters laughed immediately, knowing that no one likes to lose.

For professional players, basketball is work. Li You will not talk about things like sportsmanship in front of the media because that is the basic requirement for professional players.

Players need to take care of their bodies, train on time to maintain their condition, take care of the fans' emotions, and be responsible for the team that pays high salaries.

Li You is about to receive a super maximum salary, and the entire New York sports league expresses support!

Although he likes young blond girls, is good friends with many girls, and is said to have held a silver party, these are not important, because competitive sports rely on performance.

On the morning of the 18th, Chinese sports media focused on Yao Ming's playoff debut.

86:96, the Spurs suppressed their opponents throughout the game and narrowly defeated the Rockets!

邓肯表现的极为出色，出场40分钟，19中12，罚球6中4，砍下28分10篮板4助攻1抢断2盖帽1失误的全能数据。

姚明出场37分钟，14中6，罚球2中2，拿到14分11篮板2助攻1盖帽1失误。

Before the start of this game, the Chinese sports media naturally touted it a lot, and even cited the Spurs' performance in the finals as evidence.

Many Chinese fans had great expectations before the game. They ignored the Spurs' record and firmly believed that Francis and Yao Ming would beat their opponents inside and outside!

结果和球迷期待的完全不同，弗朗西斯15中6，拿到17分7篮板4助攻1抢断6失误的数据；

Mobley made 14 of 5 shots and scored 10 points. The Rockets did not defeat their opponents, but were suppressed throughout the game.

"Yao Ming is isolated and helpless, and the Rockets suffer their first defeat in the playoffs!"

Sina Sports published an article after the game, highly praising Yao Ming's performance and criticizing Francis and Mobley!

As for Mike Brown, he has changed from a famous coach to a "brown bread".

Hook announced early this year that Li You's Asia Guild would visit BJ and Shanghai in China.

No matter how fiercely the media hypes them, the experiences of Wang Zhizhi, Battelle, and Yao Ming in recent years have told fans that being in the NBA is a difficult thing.

The "winner honey" has been buzzing for a long time. After reading too many short essays, everyone wants to take a look at Li You.

In another Western Conference playoff game, Old Man Basketball taught the newbies another lesson!

84:99, the Lakers easily defeated the Nuggets!

Facing the inside combination of Marcus Camby and Nene, Karl Malone and O'Neal completely defeated their opponents.

Carmelo Anthony made 17 of 5 free throws and 8 of 6 free throws, scoring 16 points. He was suppressed by the Lakers' perimeter throughout the game.

Although Kobe and Payton were a little slow and their performance was mediocre, the Lakers relied on their outstanding performance inside to get through the third quarter.

After the game, Phil Jackson also confidently stated in an interview:

"The playoffs are a completely different field. Our opponents may be very talented, but we have more experience!"

"The veterans will not let the fans down, and the lack of home field advantage will not bother us!"

The old man from KFC had something to say. Apparently he didn't take his opponent seriously!

After winning 72 games, the New York media repeatedly emphasized the Knicks' dominance and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Phil Jackson followed suit and obviously had his sights set on the finals.

The Eastern Conference matchup between the Pacers and Bucks was also one-sided:

80:104, the Pacers defeated their opponents, and Reggie Miller's championship dream continues!

On the evening of April 4, Li You hosted his agent Mark Bartelstein at his home in Manhattan.

Mark Bartelstein successfully signed University of Connecticut's championship center Okafor Emeka Okafor.

At the same time, Ben Gordon was also acquired by Mark Bartelstein. Although Kwame Brown failed to realize his talent, big men like Okafor who have been baptized in college games have a high probability of success.

People are in high spirits during happy events. Mark Bartelstein was eating delicious steak while chatting about the latest gossip:

"Maiko plans to go to China in his own name, and your schedule happens to be staggered. After all, you have to play in the finals!"

“Hook plans to hold more events to warm up your personal brand, which is also a good thing for you.”

"Perhaps some people don't like that you ruined Michael's career. If you two travel together, no one knows what will happen."

Fans are everywhere. Some Wall Street traders are staunch Michael Jordan fans, and they are not interested in Li You.

These people aren't even interested in the Knicks, they just like the Bulls. This was pure "winning honey" back then.

However, most of those older fans are outdated. Currently, Li You's fanatic fans are young. Over the past few years, he has also accumulated a lot of "winning honey".

The two sides had quarreled on some forums, but McQueen fans were at a disadvantage. Rookie Li You stepped on McQueen to win the championship, and then achieved four consecutive championships!

With such an achievement, Michael Jordan's die-hard fans can only say "IF". As far as championships are concerned, Li You has already surpassed Michael Jordan by a head.

Li You knows the general schedule of the other party. After leaving for China in May, he will be busy with the Bobcats.

He was quite satisfied with the arrangement of the hook. Thinking of the event, Li You simply warned:

"Let the organizers pay attention to the ticket prices. We are not just going to make money and leave."

Mark Bartelstein nodded. Li You has excellent professionalism, which is why many brands like to cooperate with him.

Some NBA stars also play big names, and there are many who attend events with big faces. In contrast, Li You has not had much airs over the years, and he does his best in both activities and advertisements.

For this, Mark Bartelstein just feels lucky, after all, the job of wiping the butt belongs to the agent.

Thinking of his player Kwame Brown telling him that he no longer planned to play for the Wizards, Mark Bartelstein suddenly sighed:

"Professional players really shouldn't be emotional, Lee, have the Knicks considered Kwame Brown?"

Li You shrugged. They did discuss a trade with the Wizards, but the other side did not accept the plan of big man Wright and draft picks:

"I can't do anything about this, but don't worry. Maybe other teams will introduce this potential rookie and let him adjust his mentality. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared!"

"."

On the morning of April 4, as the Rockets lost again last night, the Chinese sports media became more and more disappointed. The news content of Sina Sports basically changed to "Teammates CBA".

连输两场比赛，G2姚明表现平平，18中8，罚球7中6，砍下21分7篮板3助攻4失误。

As if to appease the fans, Yao Ming took the initiative in an interview:

"This is my first time experiencing the playoffs. The Spurs are very strong and I still have a lot to learn."

Physical problems and lack of confrontation are issues that Yao Ming urgently needs to solve.

The Spurs have a lot of experience dealing with big men, and they have been beaten by outside players for so many years. Popovich has also summed up how to deal with this situation.

Coach Mike Brown's strategy of handing the ball to Francis completely failed.

Most of the first-round games were one-sided, with the Eastern Conference Pistons and Nets also easily defeating their opponents.

Wade was severely beaten after meeting Kidd. The Nets have reached the conference finals for two consecutive seasons. As long as they don't meet the Knicks, it will be very easy for the second team to deal with the newbies.

On the night of the 20th, the Knicks also ushered in the G2 game.

During the two days of rest, the coaching staff made no special arrangements. The strength gap between the two sides was too big, so it was enough to double-team Pierce when necessary.

The Celtics did not have any rhetoric before the game. The opponent seemed to be just going through the motions and lacked energy during the game.

The New York fans at the scene were particularly happy. They didn't care who the opponent was. When it came to a rape match, they preferred to see the helpless look of their opponent.

After the game started, every time Pierce hit the iron, a huge cheer erupted in the arena.

In G1, Pierce would still direct his teammates. In tonight's game, when the challenge began, all five players on the field were silent, and there was no communication between them at all.

With 3 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter, Atkins started a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc again.

There was not much time to attack. The little guard had just gotten rid of Li You and was still some distance from the three-point line. He immediately stopped and shot a jumper.

"state!"

The basketball hit the backboard and bounced into the hands of Kurt Thomas.

The shot went a bit too far, which made Coach Carroll on the sidelines twitch his lips helplessly.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Li You stepped forward to respond, and cheers resounded throughout the arena again.

Atkins returned to the half court early to establish a defensive position. His teammates had long lost their mood, and he stopped calling for double teams.

Soon, Kurt Thomas came to stand at the top of the arc, and after halftime, Li You quickly circled the ball behind his back with his left hand.

Noticing that Atkins squeezed through the screen, the moment he switched to his right hand, he immediately turned quickly with his left foot as the axis. Li You easily got rid of the defense, retrieved the ball with his left hand, and accelerated to break through from his teammate's side.

McCarty's defense was just a show-off. Li Youchen accelerated his shoulders and broke into the paint area in the blink of an eye. Facing Blount who came up to help defend, he threw the ball to the upper right side of the basket.

With no one guarding him, Gasol jumped up, grabbed the ball with both hands, and pushed the ball directly into the basket!

"Boom!" The alley-oop dunk was successful.

At 12:23, the score difference reached double digits again, and Madison Square Garden was filled with joy.

In the commentary box, Kevin Harlan glanced at the technical statistics and noticed that this was Li You's fifth assist. He couldn't help but sigh again:

"It seems that Lee switched the game mode tonight and sent out wonderful passes continuously after the start!"

"There seems to be a problem in the Celtics locker room, and their energy on the court is obviously lacking."

Rivers watched Pierce finally succeed in a step-back jumper in the right block and commented:

"Coach Carroll should have requested a timeout at this point."

"There is no need to explain tactical coordination, he needs to inspire the players' desire!"

At this time, the head coach should really "let's go", but unfortunately, in the next few rounds, the Celtics were still the same.

Vershko and Pierce continued to fight, and the score stopped at 14 points.

On the contrary, the Knicks suddenly broke out. This attack continued from the previous round. Li You easily broke through Atkins at the top of the key.

Seeing Li You holding the ball in his right hand approaching the right block, Pierce couldn't hold back and quickly slid near the right corner, delaying his move.

Without waiting for the opponent's defense to come to him, Li You immediately distributed the ball to Artest in the right corner.

The latter caught the ball, noticed that Pierce was shrinking toward the basket, and simply adjusted it before making a steady jump shot!

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

At 14:29, Artest hit two consecutive three-pointers. He was so excited that he beat his chest repeatedly and yelled at Pierce.

There was a defensive communication error, and Atkins looked helplessly at Pierce, who also remained silent. The Celtics continued to work step by step.

It wasn't until the last few rounds of the first quarter that Ricky Davis came on to help the team score points again.

Davis had just hit a long two-point jumper on the right wing using a pick-and-roll;

Looking back, Grant Hill posted up Davis in the left block, turned toward the baseline to join the ball, and hit the board on the lower left side of the basket for a layup.

Once again showing excellent defense, Pierce and Davis failed to complete the attack. Atkins received the ball at the last moment, and McCarty, who was left open on the left wing, took over.

The ridiculously deflected three-pointer allowed Grant Hill to pick up a long rebound, accelerate along the left sideline, move laterally after halftime, and quickly reach the top of the key.

The Knicks counterattacked very quickly. The two big men ran to the baseline position early. At the same time, on the right wing, Li You first moved toward the top of the arc and then accelerated and ran back.

Atkins made an excellent defense and followed up with a quick slide. However, when Li You made an emergency stop and ran back to catch the ball again, the small defender still lost his defensive position.

The moment he received a pass from Hill on the right wing, Li You first feinted with the ball, then took a horizontal test step with his right foot.

Atkins subconsciously took a step back, and then could only watch as Li You made a pull-up jumper!

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

At 18:36, with Atkins missing a long three-pointer in the last 2.1 seconds, the Celtics fell behind by 18 points in the first quarter.

Pierce walked to the bench with some regrets. This kind of match without any resistance made him lose his energy.

What made him even more speechless was that the Knicks would really double-team him and not give him any chance at all.

As the leader of the team, Pierce should have given chicken soup to his teammates when he returned to the bench, but due to his broken mentality, he returned to his seat and entered a state of silence.

打满首节，5中5，其中三分线外1中1，11分2篮板6助攻1抢断，李佑填满数据栏。

Kurt Thomas also performed very well, relying on 6 of 4 jump shots after the pick-and-roll, easily scoring 8 points.

The stadium was still noisy, and most of the fans had begun to enjoy the game, twisting their bodies to the music, jumping up and waving from time to time, trying to attract the director's attention.

Stoudemire sat on the bench in formal attire tonight. During the past two days of training, his knee has become uncomfortable again. For insurance reasons, the coaching staff has placed him on the injured list.

"There's nothing wrong with my body and I woke up this morning feeling great!"

Due to competition, whenever Kurt Thomas performs well, Stoudemire will feel pressure and he also wants to enter the starting lineup.

When Ewing heard Mengxin's low voice complaining, he immediately said seriously:

"There are no issues with Mr. Scott's diagnosis. You don't want to undergo minimally invasive surgery during the playoffs and the coaching staff will use it with caution."

“Remember, your career has just begun, all you have to do is be patient!”

Gasol and Stoudemire are both coached by Ewing. The Gorillas are actually very satisfied with these two big players and think they have a bright future.

Li You also noticed Stoudemire's complaints recently.

Kurt Thomas has remained healthy throughout the season and has overwhelmed the opponent. In this regard, Li You also believes that there is no problem with the current rotation:

"Pat is right. We don't have any pressure in the first round. Health is the most important thing. Amare, stay patient!"

Hearing these words, Stoudemire looked at Li You who returned to his seat, nodded helplessly, but could only complain in his heart:

"How long will I have to be a substitute?"

(End of this chapter)