NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 343: Collapse at first touch (-word chapter)

On the night of June 2004, 6, the game at Madison Square Garden made many commentators re-recognize the depth of the Knicks' lineup.

In the live commentary box, when the third quarter of the game was about to end, Doc Rivers couldn't help but sigh again:

"The Knicks' rotation is better than we realized."

"These players seem to be playing at 120 percent when they play next to Lee."

"Raga Bell and Prince both completed their tasks well on the defensive end. Even Stoudemire, whose playing time was limited, scored consecutive points in limited time."

"The locker room culture of the championship team affects the players. Perhaps this is the key to their success!"

Speaking these words in a hoarse voice, Rivers felt that he had learned something again. He attributed the Magic's failure to the lack of star quality and insufficient lineup depth.

Looking at D'Antoni smiling and pacing on the sidelines, Rivers secretly envied:

"What a lucky guy!"

The noise did not gradually decrease as the game time passed, and the game was also divided into different categories. New York fans were particularly happy to see the Lakers stretching their hips.

In the third quarter, Karl Malone took the initiative and made Kurt Thomas receive his fourth foul early.

Devin George stayed in the left corner as always, and Hill beside him did not look at him. Instead, he always paid attention to the movements inside and tried to pass the Lakers' passing route.

Michaels felt that what his partner said made sense, and the Knicks' rotation did perform well.

Mutombo and big man Wright, who came off the bench, were both tasked with fouling when they couldn't guard O'Neal.

Watching Gasol move early and come to the top of the arc to pick and roll, Malone moved numbly and quickly. He had been tortured to the point of losing his temper.

Drifting slightly to the left and behind, without any interference, Li You immediately raised his left arm in a simple celebration after completing the jump shot.

Li You did not waste time, and both sides still had a chance to make a final attack. In the commentary box, Michaels summarized the game in advance:

Fortunately, Kobe continued to work hard and occasionally hit a sports goal. Both Payton and Malone were completely misfired, and the defensive end was completely let go.

Kobe, whose center of gravity was continuously shifted, first pounced and then quickly slid to the right and back.

After taking over the defense in the second quarter, Kobe failed to find a suitable defensive distance and was constantly teased by Li You.

Playing time was reduced and his face became even uglier. Although Fisher, who came off the bench, was also working hard, Payton was really unhappy and was completely beaten on both offense and defense.

61:92, Kobe's face was dark, but there was nothing he could do about it. When he was close, he was beaten, and when he was far away, he watched as he stepped back and shot.

The Knicks can accept O'Neal scoring easily in the low post, but in most rounds they continue to defend forward and try to double-team in the low post to help defend.

Contrary to the expectations of the Knicks coaching staff, perhaps because they were behind by a big score, O'Neal was particularly focused and the foul tactics failed.

Kobe, who was deceived into the center of his body, was still sliding to the left rear. He didn't see Gasol behind him and sent another pass. When he reacted, Li You had already returned to the left wing to catch the ball.

Feinting the ball from the three-point line, Li You's realistic fake action immediately made Kobe attack.

The moment he sent the pass, Li You quickly moved sideways, pretended to cut in, and then suddenly stepped back.

Although Kobe is very stretched on both offense and defense, he is still the only outstanding player on the Lakers.

The laughter of the fans in the front row made Kobe a little excited again, and he no longer controlled the time. After Payton passed the half court in 8 seconds, he immediately asked for the ball on the right wing.

When Li You came to the left wing, he didn't look at Payton beside him. On the lower left side of the basket, O'Neal was still competing with Mutombo.

Except for Gasol's ability to control fouls, the big men who came off the bench didn't care about the number of fouls they committed, and several defenses sent O'Neal to the free throw line.

Near the left blocking area where he had just arrived, when he saw Gasol receiving the ball in an open position, Malone quickened his pace and quickly pounced on him.

"Although the Lakers performed well, they were still too slow and lost by a huge point difference. I believe coach Phil Jackson will make adjustments in G2."

On the offensive end, he has to absorb part of the ball, and on the defensive end, Kobe has to face Li You to limit the Knicks' scoring.

However, this did not change the situation on the field, nor did it change the fact that Malone's offensive state was poor.

Kobe's two free throws brought the score to 61:89. The New York fans at the scene cheered and celebrated to welcome the good start of the finals.

Taking advantage of the opponent's slippage, Li You feinted again, then released the ball with his left hand, pretending to break through.

With 46.2 seconds left in the third quarter, the referee did not hesitate to blow his whistle and tried to make up for the Lakers to prevent the point difference from being too large and affecting the game.

After the body collision, he saw Li You quickly hit the ball and retreated. Kobe failed to defend in time, but stayed in place and watched the shot.

Artest smiled and high-fived Prince in celebration. He returned to his seat and noticed that the second-year rookie was looking at him silently after he came on the court. Kobe frowned. The Knicks' defense was better than he thought. The ones in are more difficult to deal with.

At the moment when Malone also slid to help defend, Gasol did not stand still, but quickly walked down and went straight to the left near the baseline.

Up to this point in the game, Kobe has only rested for 2 minutes. The Lakers really cannot do without him.

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

Affected by the foul, at this time the Knicks had Gasol and Mutombo inside.

At the same time, Li You leaned against Kobe and pretended to speed up the breakthrough. When Malone's defense was about to be in place, he sent a ground pass.

Protecting the ball on the left side of his body, he quickly took a tentative step forward with his right foot to the left. Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity, and Kobe hurriedly moved back.

Kobe, who was full of fighting spirit, stared and noticed Gasol moving to stand on his right side. He immediately moved his steps and stepped forward to guard Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand.

Standing outside the three-point line, Li You didn't look at Kobe who was taking a free throw. He wanted to pay attention to Gary Payton on the side, but the veteran stayed away from him early.

"The Knicks' strategy is clear. They have been increasing the pace of their offense."

"Let's go Knicks!."

O'Neal, who also had an ugly face, saw that Li You and Hill began to shrink, and knew that the Knicks were preparing to surround him.

He wanted to ask Malone to do a baseline cross screen, but before O'Neal opened his mouth, Kobe, who received the ball away from the three-point line, swept the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly.

Continuously sliding to the left and back, Prince raised his left arm high while making small movements with his right hand, disrupting Kobe's dribbling rhythm.

In daily training, the Knicks' forward players will defend Li You like this. This is the most effective defensive method.

Kobe's dribbling center of gravity was higher than that of Li You, and his physical fitness was somewhat reduced. He was forced to slow down while slapping his arms away with his ball protector, and was unable to squeeze through the defense in time.

When O'Neal and Malone saw Kobe's emergency stop, they immediately shot towards the basket. They both knew they would not get the pass, so they could only rush for offensive rebounds.

The expected rebound did not appear. Instead, the referee signaled the sideline to serve. After Kobe made a feint, Prince cut the ball away, destroying the offense.

After completing an excellent defense, Prince didn't care about Kobe's eyes and followed the defense expressionlessly.

Even though he was right in front of the referee, Prince still pulled secretly and defended in a "hug style". Kobe was so angry that he immediately started pushing him.

Fortunately, the referee gave a warning, and Prince raised his arms to indicate that he was okay. Payton took a side kick, and Kobe caught the ball on the left wing.

Li You followed Payton to the left wing again, noticed that Kobe was dribbling toward the baseline, and immediately reminded Prince loudly.

Making the wrong offensive choice, under the interference of Prince's long arm, Kobe, who was holding the ball in his right hand, finally realized something was wrong and hurriedly dribbled behind his back to his left hand.

At this time, Malone also moved from the lower right side of the basket to the left corner to cover Kobe.

It's just that the space in this position is small. Although Kobe, who holds the ball in his left hand, briefly got rid of Prince, he had to lead the ball forward to prevent his opponent from taking the ball from behind.

But as Gasol also stepped in to help defend, he also extended his long arms to interfere. Kobe wanted to do an in and out, but he overestimated his ability to control the ball.

It swayed and crashed into Gasol's arms, and then lost control of the ball. Kobe yelled and moved the ball outside the three-point line, trying to pass the ball to Payton who came forward to respond.

It's just that the force of the ball was too small. At the top of the arc, Li You used his strength to steal the ball away.

Kobe Bryant, who was lying on the floor, was still complaining to the referee. Payton couldn't catch Li You and could only chase after him.

In a 1-on-0 frontcourt, Li You ignored Payton who was chasing behind him, soared into the air in the paint, grabbed the ball with one hand with his left hand, and succeeded in a gliding dunk.

"Wow!"

From stealing the ball to dunking, it only took Li You less than 5 seconds. His violent counterattack silenced the Lakers bench. Only the New York fans were still cheering loudly.

"This is Kobe's third mistake. He shouldn't have dribbled the ball too much. This offensive choice is very bad."

"Second-year Prince's outstanding defense put Kobe in trouble several times. The Lakers coaching staff should not have expected this situation."

Rivers made comments immediately after reading the technical statistics. He criticized Kobe's offensive choices more than once tonight.

Phil Jackson sat expressionless in his seat. The camera frequently pointed at the champion coach, but the other party did not react much.

It's hard for Michaels to comment. After all, everyone on the Lakers except O'Neal has stretched their hips, and the Knicks' defense has become smaller and smaller, which fully proves this point.

In the Lakers' last attack, O'Neal caught the ball under the basket and was surrounded. When he turned around in the low post on the left, Hill had already helped defend the basket from the other corner.

At the same time, Li You also helped defend O'Neal early. O'Neal, who was playing high, had Mutombo's arms above his head.

With all his arms around his waist, O'Neal swung the ball behind the basket toward the right corner.

Devin George caught the ball, made an open three-pointer and finally hit a jumper.
61:94, after the third quarter, Phil Jackson stood up on the Lakers bench and immediately called out to the atmosphere team. He had had enough of this game.

The Lakers failed to win the next quarter, scoring 2 points in the second quarter and 22 points in the third quarter.

The old KFC man felt that tonight's game was a humiliation to him, so he directly threw the tactical board to the assistant coach.

Kobe was glared at by Phil Jackson. He wanted to ask the coach to let him continue to play, but looking at the cannibalistic look, he finally remained silent.

18中7，三分线外4中0，罚球6中4，18分3篮板3助攻1抢断3失误。

Kobe knew he didn't perform well, but he felt tonight was just a slow start.
奥尼尔拉着大脸，15中11，罚球10中7，砍下29分8篮板1助攻3失误。

Shark couldn't remember how many passes he had passed, but what he knew was that the Lakers' outside perimeter kept hitting the wall.
Instead of blaming Gary Payton or communicating too much with Malone, O'Neal just sat in his seat, silently drinking "oral liquid" and staring angrily at the people who were about to take the field.

The two veterans were silent, and Devin George didn't know what to say. He made 8 of 2, 4 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws. He scored 9 points. He was the only one of the five starting players to hit. three pointer
佩顿出场28分钟，5中1，三分线外2中0，罚球2中0，2分2篮板3助攻2失误。

卡尔马龙6中1，罚球2中1，砍下3分8篮板1助攻1失误的数据。

The starting five scored all the Lakers' points. Phil Jackson's brows never relaxed after looking at the technical statistics.

The coaching staff naturally knows how to adjust, but unfortunately, even Kobe, who has the best defense, is of no use against Li You.

The Lakers surrendered directly, and the Knicks naturally followed suit. The New York fans at the scene were very dissatisfied. Many people began to boo and shout, and then the noise became louder and louder:

"Where is shark?"

The shouts in the arena made O'Neal, who was sitting on the bench, squeeze the drink in his hand, cursed in anger, and then glared at Kobe.

Players on both sides no longer deliberately defended at this time. Looking at the back and forth on the court, Michaels began to talk about the next game:

"Doug, how do you think the Lakers should adjust? They got a lot of outside shooting opportunities tonight."

Rivers praised Laga Bell, who had just made a three-pointer. When he heard this question, he didn't think of many solutions and could only say this:

"Defense is the most important. They must effectively restrict Lee on the outside so that the second line of defense can be effective."

"If you double-team too early, the subsequent defensive rotations will have to be faster. This will also be a test for the veterans, but I believe the Lakers' defense will change in the G2 game."

出场33分钟，21中14，三分线外11中7，罚球10中10，45分6篮板10助攻3抢断1失误。

After looking at Li You's data again, Rivers stopped talking. He knew that the Lakers were completely finished.
The game went smoothly, and the final score was fixed at 85:118. The Knicks defeated the Lakers and easily protected their home court.

Phil Jackson had a sullen face, not letting himself show any emotion. He just came to the technical stage and saw the smiling D'Antoni, and couldn't help but twitching at the corner of his eyes.

Compared to the previous bald young coach, the old KFC man disliked the mustache in front of him even more. His proud record of 72 wins, the best in history, was gone.
Jeff Van Gundy led the Knicks to four consecutive championships, while D'Antoni broke the best record in history and created the largest point differential in history.

The two of them broke all the Bulls' records one after another, which made most football commentators believe that Phil Jackson, the championship coach, has completely expired.

“It’s a very exciting game, I look forward to our match the day after tomorrow!”

D'Antoni took the initiative to shake hands, but when he said these words, Phil Jackson's expression changed. He always felt that his opponent was mocking him.

After shaking hands, he turned around and left. The old KFC man and everyone on the Lakers team walked quickly to the tunnel. They only had a day or so to rest.

After the game, the cheers in the arena were still endless. Michelle Tafoya, wearing a dark blue professional suit, came to Li You and interviewed with a smile:
"Lee, congratulations on winning tonight's game by a big score. Does this mean the Knicks have an absolute advantage?"

After resting for a while, there was no sweat on Li You's head. After hearing the question, he answered unceremoniously:
"Yes, we are stronger and the Knicks do have an absolute advantage!

"I think the Pistons' defense is better than that of the Lakers. The opponent's defense is too slow and the defense is not oppressive enough. This is the reason for the big score win."

"During a game, I usually don't think about the first line of defense, but when I met the Lakers, I didn't even think about the subsequent defense."

"As long as we strictly implement the game plan formulated by the coaching staff, we can win step by step. I hope that the opponent can persist until the fourth quarter in the next game."

"."

Michelle Tafoya could only smile politely, Li You said it unceremoniously, but it was true.

Behind him, Artest continuously punched the fans. At this time, he leaned in front of the camera and shouted:
"They are too weak! We will win the championship!"

On Sunday, June 6, after Li You beat the "old man" violently, the commentators were unanimous in singing praises for the Knicks.

No one believed that the Lakers could win the series. The Knicks' defense restricted Payton and Kobe. No matter how many points O'Neal scored, he could not change the trend of the game.

变成工具人的加索尔全场9中5，砍下14分8篮板3助攻1抢断1盖帽，尼克斯队的“四保一”非常成功。

In the TNT program, Gasol's performance was analyzed and Kobe's offensive choices were criticized.

In the end, Charles Barkley stopped speaking for the veteran and said bluntly for the first time:
"Gary Payton is no longer a qualified starting guard for a championship team."

"After his physical fitness declined, he was unable to support his rich defensive experience. Li was right. With a simple pick-and-roll, he could penetrate the Lakers' defense."

After a pause, seeing both partners looking at him, Charles Barkley sighed in the studio and continued:

"I know Karl Malone, he's a tough guy, but unfortunately, he can't keep up with the pace of modern basketball."

"This was a failed combination. The Lakers had no chance and their depth was lacking compared to the Knicks' rotation."

"O'Neal is not a qualified leader. On such a stage, Kobe will even play emotionally."

"If they keep playing like this, the Knicks will sweep the Lakers and win the championship."

Seeing the end of the veteran, Kenny Smith also lamented:
"I agree with what Lee said. In G3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons showed excellent defense."

"It should be said that in the four-game series, the Pistons have always done a good job on the defensive end. They restricted the performance of the Knicks' role players."

"The Lakers made it too easy for their opponents in comparison, and I wanted to see Malone and Payton hit those shots that were left open."

Ernie Johnson saw the two partners reaching an agreement, looked at the two with a smile and finally asked:

"How do you think the Lakers will adjust in G2?"

Barkley remained silent, and Kenny Smith said helplessly:
"Unless Kobe can break through the Knicks' perimeter defense and relieve O'Neal of the pressure, the Lakers will still lose by a big margin."

"After all, they can't expect the veterans to break out. Coach Phil Jackson has to prepare for the worst."

"."

On the morning of June 6, several Philadelphia sports media reported Iverson’s interview. When asked about this year’s finals, the little guard calmly stated:
"Teams in the Western Conference have no idea what we've been through over the years."

"Times have never changed, and big men have never been the dominant players in the league."

"I don't like the Knicks, but the Lakers have no chance this year."

Local Orlando sports media also reported McGrady’s views on this year’s finals:

"Kobe is my good brother, but I have to say that he is very lucky. If I play for the Lakers, maybe I can also win the championship." "But in the Eastern Conference, I don't have such an opportunity. The Knicks have four An All-Star player, this is proof of his strength.”

The Detroit media, who have always disliked the Knicks, also followed suit and mocked:

"Faced with such a Lakers team, as long as the Pistons can enter the finals, the championship will be ours!"

Teams in the Eastern Conference complained one after another. Columns complained that the Lakers were too weak and that the Knicks took a big advantage.
The Lakers took a day off and re-watched the G1 video, and then everyone was silent again.

The New York Times column no longer ridicules the Lakers too much, the opponent is too weak!

Yesterday morning's articles ridiculed Phil Jackson's tactical arrangements, and some articles this morning mocked the arrogant Kobe:

"The best shooting guard in the league?"

Under the constant defense of the Knicks' perimeter group, Kobe's shooting percentage was less than 40%, and his performance was naturally unworthy of his reputation.

When he came to the arena to warm up in the afternoon, Kobe was interviewed and expressed his confidence:
"I don't care about the outside world's evaluation. I have already said that I never play for data."

"I'm not even interested in looking at those boring technical statistics after the game."

"Fitting percentage, this has never been a question for me. I am a scorer and I will always believe in my shooting because I know how hard I have worked for it!"

Saying these words expressionlessly, Kobe found that the Los Angeles Times reporter who had always supported him also showed a disappointed expression.

Realizing that everyone wanted to continue asking questions, Kobe chose to turn away and leave. No matter how much he talked, it was useless. He would prove himself with actions!
Phil Jackson did not allow Payton and Malone to be interviewed. The veteran needed to save face.

When asked how he would adjust tonight's game, the old KFC man simply said:
"Share the ball more and attack at a faster pace. The Lakers will expand their rotations and players will step up to help O'Neal share the offensive pressure!"

"."

The G2 game will officially start at 20:. Although it is Monday, this will not affect the enthusiasm of New York fans to watch the game.

One game less. According to the current trend, there is a high probability that the Knicks will not be able to return to their home court.

Sweeping opponents in the playoffs for two consecutive years has also troubled some New York fans. There are too few home games!

Fortunately, the G4 game is on the weekend again, and die-hard fans have already started booking flights to Los Angeles. They don’t want to miss this year’s awards ceremony.

Before the game started, in the ABC broadcast booth, Michaels noticed that neither side had changed the starting lineup, and immediately asked his partner:
"Will the Lakers execute a double-team defense from the start?"

Rivers immediately shook his head and said very firmly:

"No, the Pistons have implemented this defensive strategy before. They tried to use zone defense to restrict Lee."

"The Pistons' defense is extremely good, but Lee doesn't need the ball in his hands. I believe the Lakers have watched the tape of the Eastern Conference Finals."

"Head coach Phil Jackson should let Kobe play against Lee."

As tactician Rivers expected, the Lakers did change their matchup, and the Knicks also changed their defensive strategy.

After the game started, the Lakers first tried to control the rhythm. However, after continuous strikes, the Knicks took the lead, and Kobe couldn't hold back and began to take the lead in the charge.

Attacking too hastily fell into the Knicks' defensive trap, and Phil Jackson's timeout failed to change Kobe's offensive options.

At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers double-teamed Li You prematurely. On the right side of the block, before Devin George could slide up, Li You passed the ball to Hill on the right wing at the top of the key.

The latter received the ball, and Stoudemire, who had just appeared on the scene, immediately stepped forward to screen.

Devin George, who was sliding in to help defend, had just reached the three-point line. Hill swung left and right, quickly swept the ball, and without using a screen, released the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly.

Stoudemire followed, and Medvedenko, who came on as a substitute, hesitated, but when he saw Hill throw away the defense and go straight to the basket, he could only quickly help defend.

Before approaching the paint area, Hill took advantage of the situation and threw the ball directly in front of the basket.

Medvedenko and O'Neal, who returned to the basket, could only watch Stoudemire jump up, grab the ball with both hands, and quickly press the ball into the basket!
A simple breakthrough penetrated the Lakers' defense. The Knicks' offense showed no signs of slowing down, but was getting faster and faster.

After Fisher received the ball from the baseline, he was entangled by Li You. He cautiously passed the half court, and the Logo position immediately bounced the ball to Kobe on the left wing.

O'Neal, who had just passed half the court and squeezed inside, improved his receiving position.

After receiving the pass in the left block, before O'Neal released the ball, Stoudemire cooperated with Gasol to come to the paint area to block the line.

Seeing the opportunity, O'Neal immediately gave the ball to the unguarded Medvedenko.

The latter came to the lower right side of the basket and wanted to press the ball into the basket, but Stoudemire reacted faster and came first, jumping up early in the air and pressing the ball on the backboard.

"what!"

Medvedenko couldn't help but scream, but Stoudemire, who controlled the rebound, didn't pause and immediately gave the ball to Li You who responded.

The Knicks began to accelerate towards the half court, but the Lakers, who had only passed the ball twice, had no choice but to quickly retreat on defense.

Coming to the left wing, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped and dribbled the ball behind his back. Fisher quickly stopped and waved his right arm, trying to interfere.

During the transition attack, before the Lakers had time to help defend, Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity, swayed to the right, and then quickly changed direction with his hips.

While grabbing the ball with his left hand and leading the ball forward, Li You sunk his shoulders and accelerated, driving straight into the basket from the left wing.

Fisher made excellent defensive predictions, but there was nothing he could do in the face of Li You's crushing breakthrough.

Li You stepped forward to join the ball in the blocking area, then dropped his shoulder and directly knocked Fisher away.

The latter fell down as soon as he touched it. Amidst the screams of his opponent, Li You was not disturbed in any way. He grabbed the ball with his left hand and leaned forward to pick the basket!

"Bang!"

Medvedenko, who returned to the basket, could only watch the basketball hit the board high and go into the basket.

"Wow!"

Cheers resounded throughout the arena again, the Knicks had launched their signature counterattack, and the Lakers' defense was collapsing.

At 17:30, with 34.6 seconds left in the first quarter, the Knicks continued to expand their lead.

Phil Jackson did replace young people, but there was no response on the offensive end, and he didn't have much effect on the defensive end.

The bottom line referee signaled Fisher to stop complaining. He could see clearly that Li You was just fighting normally.

Speaking of misfortune, Fisher rubbed his chest, feeling as if he had been hit by a car. It was not his fault that Payton stretched his hips offensively, as he spent too much on the defensive end.

In the Lakers' last attack, Fisher still handed over the ball early. Prince, who came on the bench, continued to chase Kobe, forcing the opponent to receive the ball on the right wing away from the three-point line.

Putting the ball with his right hand, Kobe was also observing the defense and noticed that everyone was pulling away. He pretended to break through and immediately changed the direction of his hips.

Taking advantage of Prince sliding to the right, Kobe increased his dribbling speed and quickly changed direction in front of his body.

Re-adjusting his body's center of gravity, Prince accelerated and slid to the left rear. Kobe, who was unable to get rid of the defense, came to the right block and immediately stopped.

After blasting the ball on the spot, he switched to his left hand and moved sideways to protect the ball. Kobe continued to hit hard, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to confuse the defense, and then quickly turned towards the baseline to join the ball.

Watching Prince make the right defensive choice, he jumped high and tried to block the shot with his left arm. Kobe leaned back in mid-air, raised the arc at the same time, and took a decisive shot!
"state!"

It was a rare singles opportunity, but the basketball still hit the basket. Although O'Neal hit the rebound, Stoudemire ultimately controlled the ball.

Annoyed, Kobe gritted his teeth and stepped forward to delay Li You from catching the ball.

Dribbling unhurriedly across the half court, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, noticed that there were more than 8 seconds left in the attack time, so he took the initiative to use his strength, leaned forward to accelerate, and knocked away Kobe.

The opponent moved backwards, Li You took advantage of the situation to stop suddenly and quickly pulled his hips back.

"oh!!"

New York fans who like to watch the excitement began to stand up and cheer, and as the offensive time passed, the shouts became louder and louder.

Kobe kept his eyes on the ball and kept a defensive distance.

Li You straightened up and took a slight step forward to the left before suddenly dribbling the ball with his hips.

The moment he switched to his right hand again, without much shaking, Li You led the ball forward and accelerated the breakthrough.

Making correct defensive predictions, Kobe kept sliding to the left and back, and the confrontation on his side did not affect Li You.

Slightly slowing down, in the paint area directly in front of the basket, Li You took another step forward and bumped away from Kobe on his side with his shoulder.

Without giving O'Neal, who returned to the basket, a chance to jump up and block the shot, he grabbed the ball with his right hand and Li You quickly threw the ball toward the basket!
"Whoa!" The ball went in and the light came on, and the first quarter was over.

At 17:32, the double-digit lead made the Madison Square Garden Arena boil again.

Being "eaten alive" one-on-one, Kobe, who was rubbing his chest, could only look at the back of Li You's head and secretly sulked.
O'Neal, who was already out of breath, was no longer in the mood to glare at Kobe. He repeatedly turned back and ran, which had destroyed his offensive rhythm.

In the noisy arena, New York fans were talking and laughing, and the game was easier than they imagined.

After playing the first quarter, he made 4 of 0 free throws and 2 of 1 free throws. Kobe, who struggled to share the ball, only scored 1 point in the end.
O'Neal made 6 of 4 free throws and 4 of 2 free throws, scoring 10 points. The OK combination scored half of the Lakers' points.

As long as he can pass the ball in, O'Neal can score in the low post, but if O'Neal improves his receiving position, he will immediately be double-teamed by outside defense.

In the commentary box, Rivers carefully recalled the situation in the first quarter, combined with the previous game, and suddenly said with emotion:

"The Knicks' defensive approach reminds me of that Jazz team."

"It's difficult to restrict O'Neal, but the Jazz used Stockton's help to control the ball. This tactic was very effective."

"To even the point difference, the Lakers have to hit those open shots, and they need to give O'Neal some support."

Michaels also carefully looked at the technical statistics and found that the expected defensive effect did not appear:
"Almost all of Li's points in the first quarter were in the paint. He was so comprehensive that his shots while on the move were almost impossible to defend."

"God is not on the side of the Lakers. Lee is still feeling hot tonight!"

After playing the first quarter, Li You made 8 of 6 and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 16 points.

He didn't do too much positional offense, and a large part of his scoring came from 1-on-1 breakthroughs in transition offense.

In the limited positional offense, Li You just attracted the defense and patiently passed the ball. Hill and Gasol became the main scorers in the positional offense.

In the second quarter of the game, Payton and Malone were still on the bench, and the Lakers continued their young lineup at the end of the first quarter.

For the Knicks, Li You didn't take a break and continued to play with the substitute lineup.

In the Lakers' first offensive round, Fisher just crossed the half court, turned his body and sent a cross pass with his right hand, and was directly intercepted by Li You.

The overly obvious intention of passing the ball made Li You's chip shot clean and neat. While blocking the ball with his left hand, he poked the ball forward.

After knocking away the pulling Fisher, Li You quickly controlled the ball, going 1-on-0 in the frontcourt. He crossed the free throw line and immediately jumped into the air. He grabbed the ball with his right hand and succeeded in a gliding dunk!
"what!"

After completing a steal and dunk, Li You stood under the basket and beat his chest and roared. The fans in the front row followed and shouted wildly. Fisher, who returned to the baseline position, was paralyzed.
When the Lakers attacked again, in order to avoid mistakes, Kobe simply went to the left wing far away from the three-point line to catch the ball.

The pass was sent before halftime, and Fisher took Li You and ran to the right wing to open up space.

O'Neal took the initiative to step forward to pick and roll, but Lagar Bell quickly squeezed through the screen, almost lying behind Kobe.

With a plop, they both fell to the ground after stumbling. Kobe fell hard, but he did not look at Laga Bell's provocative eyes. He was pulled up by his teammates and came to the sideline to prepare to catch the ball again.

Amid the boos, a chorus of shouts soon rang out:
"O'Neal wants to trade you!"

Kobe had no expression on his face, lowered his head and bit the jersey in his mouth, breathing heavily, trying to calm the emotions surging in his heart.

The Knicks' defense is extremely aggressive, and this time it was Li You who defended Kobe.

After receiving the ball from the left wing, Kobe stopped calling for a pick-and-roll, jumped and dribbled the ball with his jersey in his mouth, and then crossed back and pulled back.

Seeing that Li You was unmoved and continued to stick to the defense, Kobe dribbled the ball quickly with his hips and failed to get rid of the defense. He held the ball in his right hand and tried to crush the breakthrough.

Continuously sliding to the left and back, Li You provided physical confrontation and also made covert interference with his right hand.

Under the tug, Kobe could only slap his arm off with his ball protector, which disrupted his dribbling rhythm. When he saw Li You cutting the ball with his left hand, he quickly stopped and pulled the ball backwards.

Taking advantage of Li You's defense again, Kobe did not choose to pass the ball. At this time, he only had eyes on the basket. He leaned against the defense and quickly turned around. After joining the ball, he made a drifting fadeaway jumper!

"state!"

With a cool posture, the basketball hit the back edge and bounced directly into Stoudemire's hands.

Turning around to catch the ball, Li You didn't give Kobe, who was still posing, time to react, quickly pushed the ball to change direction, and then accelerated and sprinted with the ball in his left hand.

Kobe spit out his jersey and was thrown away two positions in an instant. He was chasing after him hard from behind, but he could only watch as Li You rushed faster and faster.

Fisher on the other side retreated to half-court early and tried to defend against interference at the three-point line. However, Li You pushed the ball again and changed direction.

After dodging the defense, Li You did not slow down. He ignored Fisher's pull beside him, rushed up with three big steps, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and swung his arm for a slam!
"Boom!" The conversion dunk was successful!
"Oh!"

Seeing the pulling Fisher lose his center of gravity and rush out of the baseline, the New York fans at the scene shouted happily.

Li You moved his shoulders and looked at Kobe who retreated back to defense and chuckled:
"You can still get off work early tonight!"

"."

Kobe, who was serving from the baseline, stared and said nothing, while head coach Phil Jackson on the sidelines loudly reminded him to give the ball to the inside.

In the subsequent game, Kobe obeyed the command and gave the ball to O'Neal.

After encountering double-teams several times, Fisher failed to respond in time and was beaten by the Knicks in transition.

Seeing O'Neal's cannibalistic look, the Lakers took the lead in requesting a timeout.

Gary Payton, who reappeared, seemed to have completely lost his confidence. He received the ball in the open outside the three-point line several times and did not choose to shoot. Instead, he broke through with the ball.
Seeing Payton being knocked to the ground by Li You's hat, Rivers said with some sympathy in the commentary box:
"The gap between the two sides is too big. The Knicks are using their strong bodies to destroy the Lakers."

"I think head coach Phil Jackson should ask for a timeout at this time, stop talking about tactical issues, and let the players be aggressive."

The Knicks' third-line fast break attracted Li You, who was defending, to assist Gasol, who was dragging him down from behind, and succeeded in a dunk!
Looking back, Kobe Bryant, who was on the left wing, broke through smoothly. He was pushed to the baseline and before he could exert any force, Artest hit him directly into the sideline camera.

"Wow!"

The fans in the front row kept cheering and booing, and Artest, who received a foul, also showed a proud expression:

"Soft! Try me!"

Artest, who was moving his body, saw Kobe stand up and immediately yelled at the opponent. The latter couldn't hold himself any longer and rushed forward to argue with his fists.
Kobe's actions made the New York fans at the scene even happier, and the noise in the arena was even louder. In the end, the referee stopped Kobe in time.

Out of control, Kobe turned on the scorer mode again, helping the Knicks to an 8-0 climax.
Although O'Neal contributed dunks repeatedly, the points difference became wider and wider.

At the end of the half, a shot in the paint missed, Gasol collected the rebound, and O'Neal could only watch the long pass fly across the half court.

Controlling the ball near the midline, Li You threw the ball out with his left hand. After it hit the floor and bounced, the basketball spun and flew into the hands of Hill who rushed past the left wing.

With no one guarding him, Hill took off with both feet in the paint. Hill turned the ball around and smashed the ball into the basket with his right hand!

"Boom!" Big Windmill dunked successfully!

"Wow!"

The cheers in the arena made O'Neal's eyes widen as he stopped near the free throw line. He couldn't run anymore and didn't want to run anymore.

In the last attack, Malone hit a jumper from the right elbow area, and everyone on the Lakers bowed their heads and walked towards the tunnel.

35:62, after a violent counterattack, the Lakers fell behind again
Li You walked towards the players' tunnel with a smile on his face and kept waving his arms. The cheers in the stadium came one after another.

Kobe, who was dragged at the very back, looked blank, as if he could not accept this result. After walking into the passage, he kicked over the guardrail:

"Shet! Why is this happening!"

(End of this chapter)