NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 345: The spirit is commendable (-word chapter)
On the night of June 2004, 6, the Lakers fans at Staples Center watched the home team struggling in pain, and the uniform cheers began to fade away.

Head coach Phil Jackson's continuous request for timeouts did not change the situation on the field. With the blessing of the home whistle, it actually made the game even more "ugly".

Whenever the Lakers are in trouble, they always give the ball to their most consistent scorer.

In the first half of the game, O'Neal scored in a sports match, but as the Knicks began to foul, scenes that allowed fans to see through the defense reoccurred.

Fat Shark missed the penalty.
Missing free throws will bring about many chain reactions, and the most common scene Lakers fans saw was Li You's continuous backcourt attacks.

In this regard, the Lakers could only foul, but as the team entered extra penalty mode prematurely, in some rounds they could only watch Li You send the ball into the basket all at once.

The Lakers tried to get veteran Brian Russell and also placed their hope on Kareem Rush, but both of them failed to make a difference in their limited playing time.

The "ugly" game made the Lakers players lose their spirits. After hitting a sports goal in the early stages, Kobe frequently led the Knicks in counterattacks.

With 3 minute and 1 seconds left in the third quarter, as Payton hit an open three-pointer on the left wing, the basketball flew over the top of the backboard and flew out of the baseline, and the Staples Arena was boiling:
"Shh!"

Fisher came on the stage, and Payton, who walked to the bench, lowered his head and was in a bad mood. After all, he was not a fixed-point shooter, but he missed two three-pointers after being left open. He was also very disappointed with his performance.

The mentality of the players on both sides was different. The Lakers couldn't stand it any longer. Kobe double-teamed Li You who was near the logo in advance.

Kobe Bryant on the outside just returned to defense, and the basketball flew into Mutombo's hands near the free throw line.

Laga Bell easily caught the ball on the right wing. Medvedenko had just stepped forward to help defend. When Stoudemire moved to the right block to catch the ball, O'Neal also moved quickly.

"Defense!."

Near the baseline on the right side, before Devin George could move to double-team, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped, blasted the ball on the spot and quickly turned around.

Fisher, who had just appeared on the stage, was a little nervous. The coaching staff did not give him any instructions. He noticed the movements behind him and simply shouted to Medvedenko to double-team him.

Although free throws are about to come, the atmosphere at the scene is not good. O'Neal is currently 6 of 2 and has not yet made two free throws.
Although no Knicks players interfered, there were boos in the arena as the second free throw went out.

O'Neal was so angry that he smashed the ball directly on the basketball stand. The referee stepped forward to warn him, and then ran towards the half court angrily.

As Mutombo passed down, Fisher quickly followed to the paint area to cut off the passing route, and O'Neal chased Li You.
The scene of the 300-pound fat man struggling to defend ignited the atmosphere. Lakers fans shouted loudly, but Li You did not accelerate with all his strength. Instead, he relied on O'Neal's belly to get to the basket and quickly slipped across the baseline.

"Oh!"

He regained control of the ball under the basket, and Li You, who deceived the defense, reached the lower left side of the basket in the blink of an eye, turned around and picked up the basket with the ball in his right hand!
On the Knicks bench, everyone burst into laughter. Obviously, Li You deliberately slipped O'Neal, breaking the opponent's illusion at the moment when the opponent thought the defense was successful.
"Damn it! Falk!."

The Lakers fans at the scene exclaimed. Li You rushed faster and faster, came to the right wing and drove straight to the basket against Fisher.

Just stuck in a position where he couldn't get up or down, Fisher could only call for a change of defense, but Medvedenko slid back and tried to step forward to delay, but found that Li You had already completed the retreat the moment he grabbed the ball with his right hand.

Fisher was just about to squeeze through the screen, but Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity and dribbled behind his back.

The anxious Kobe took over the ball before Fisher could dribble across the center line. He came to the right wing, faced Prince's defense, and accelerated the breakthrough with the ball in his right hand.

As Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, approached the center line, the defensive cheers sounded again.

At the three-point line, Kobe quickly dribbled the ball behind his back, then immediately combined the ball, ignoring O'Neal who had just completed a cross screen inside. After a feint, Kobe twisted his body and made a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line!
Prince stretched out his right arm and didn't do much. In the end, Kobe's hard shot hit another iron.
The basketball that hit the back edge of the basket flew towards the paint area, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You. He quickly led the ball forward. Li You accelerated along the right sideline and rushed across the half court.

Mutombo, who collected the rebound, was not in a hurry. He directly held the ball in his arms and waited for Li You to step forward to respond. The lead was huge, and the Knicks did not run away in the last few dozen seconds.

Time wasted, and Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, showed a fierce expression again. With six seconds left, he dribbled the ball with his hips and quickly changed direction in front of his body.

As Li You swayed to the right, he accelerated and ran back, approaching the left wing, and received the pass again.

At the top of the arc, Stoudemire stepped on the three-point line and stood still. Medvedenko behind him saw Li You dribbling the ball under his crotch, and his body swayed to the left and forward, and hurriedly slid to the right.

Li You looked at Phil Jackson on the sidelines and smiled. Even when his opponent couldn't make a free throw, his accurate shooting was enough for 5-on-8.

Seeing that Fisher failed to squeeze through, O'Neal, who was moving up from under the basket, was also anxious. Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated his breakthrough. The fat shark actually pounced on him, sliding quickly and defending with all his strength.

O'Neal, who was forced to turn back and run, had no time to angrily yell at his teammates, and loudly ordered everyone from behind to pursue and defend.

Kobe, who also quickly retreated from defense, only had eyes for the ball carrier at this time. He chased the paint area and jumped to block the shot. However, he saw Li You's right hand suddenly throw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

"Maybe Kobe should choose to attack the basket. The Lakers still have time."

Like the Lakers, the Knicks also began to adjust personnel in the second half of the third quarter to allow the main lineup to avoid foul trouble. After all, they still have to play the fourth quarter tonight.

In the commentary box, Rivers made a brief comment, but Michaels looked at the technical statistics and noticed that all the Lakers role players scored zero points. At this time, he could only say tactfully:

Only the New York fans wearing away jerseys in the back row were celebrating wildly. They hugged each other and jumped up and down, without caring about the feelings of the surrounding Lakers fans.

Prince from the left corner quickly slipped across the baseline and took away Devin George's defense. Mutombo came to the three-point line to cover.

O'Neal, who had been keeping his hands open, still did not lose his position at this time. When he was guarding the basket, he loudly called for his teammates to help defend.

When Fisher crossed the half court again, O'Neal got stuck in the low post on the left side, and Mutombo, who came on as a substitute, was called for a pulling foul by the referee.

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

At 85:62, the point difference reached 20+, leaving less and less time for the Lakers.

In a very small area, the moment his right hand touched the ball, he immediately led the ball forward. The sudden stop made O'Neal stay on the spot, and Li You quickly squeezed past.

Although the Lakers entered the rotation stage, they did not start the triangle offense as usual in several rounds.

"Kobe should not just look at the basket. Speeding up the offensive pace does not mean playing randomly. He should continue to trust his teammates!"

During the Lakers' last attack in the third quarter, everyone gave Kobe a break.

Phil Jackson looked serious. He patted the veteran on the shoulder and turned to look at the situation on the field.

When Kobe realized something was wrong, he just turned his head. Prince, who was quietly following behind him, immediately jumped up, grabbed the ball with both hands in the air, and quickly pushed the ball into the basket!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
After grabbing the basket and swinging for a while, Prince and Li You high-fived and celebrated with smiles on their faces after landing. Such a goal was so easy.

In the blink of an eye, before Medvedenko even had time to jump to block the shot, Li You, who drifted slightly to the right, had already made a jump shot from the right wing!
The Lakers fans behind the basket saw that the basketball had a straight trajectory. Some of them subconsciously spread their hands, while others opened their mouths with frustrated expressions.

Kobe Bryant, who was holding the ball in his right hand, accelerated his breakthrough and just passed the three-point line. Laga Bell came down from the right wing and pounced on the ball without any morals.

Kobe did not choose to pass the ball. Surrounded by the two, he suddenly leaned against the defense and turned around quickly. He feinted the ball at the free throw line, deceiving Prince's defense, and then was hit by a powerful cut from Laga Bell.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Devin George on the right wing was a little dissatisfied. He raised his hands for a long time, but the ball just couldn't get through.
The expressionless Kobe didn't look at his teammates, stood on the free throw line again, and made two free throws steadily.

With Li You's super long three-pointer, after three quarters, the score reached 89:64, and the Lakers fans at the scene realized that they were about to be swept.

打满第3节，科比单节6中2，罚球2中2，砍下6分；奥尼尔6中4，罚球8中2，砍下10分。

The OK combination took all the points in this quarter. After returning to the bench, there was no communication between the Lakers and only Phil Jackson sat in front of everyone and gave out chicken soup.

Once again, Li You's personal score exceeded the opponent's team score. In the commentary box, Michaels could only comment tactfully:

"The Lakers still have a chance, but they have to defend a few rounds, which is also a big test for their physical fitness."

10中7，三分线外5中3，罚球5中5，李佑单节砍下22分3篮板3助攻2抢断。

Rivers looked at the technical statistics in a daze, and after hearing his partner's words, he subconsciously said:
"There is no chance. Lee was in great form tonight and he will score 50 points soon."

Realizing that he had said the wrong thing, Rivers reacted quickly and immediately added:
"But the Lakers can continue to try to double-team Lee and let other players beat them. Maybe it will work wonders!"

"."

The two had an awkward chat in the commentary box. When the fourth quarter started, they noticed that Li You on the Knicks team had not rested. They looked at each other and felt that the game would be over soon.

Li You, who is full of physical fitness, led the bench lineup and did not give the Lakers any chance to travel during off-peak hours.

By killing the game early, Li You can still rest for a few minutes. In addition, G4 will be held in two days, so physical fitness is not a problem at all.

Lakers fans also did not give up the game, but O'Neal, who returned to the court early, no longer desperately wanted the ball and lost his fighting spirit first.

On the bench, Karl Malone looked numb while sitting in his seat, and his championship dream was shattered again.

The only noise left in the Staples Arena was the noise of the fans. Most Lakers fans simply couldn't accept this result. It was obviously a good opportunity, but why couldn't they make the shot?

"Shh!"

Payton, who was left open, hit a three-pointer from the left wing. Looking back, the Knicks made a simple breakthrough and scored. Li You attracted the defense and quickly moved the ball.

Laga Bell received a pass in the left corner and hit an open three-pointer, and boos resounded throughout the arena again.

O'Neal just received the ball with his back in the right block. The moment he faced the frame, Li You, who came up to help defend, cut the ball away. After controlling the ball, he quickly slipped across the baseline.

Payton's reminder had no effect, and the absent-minded O'Neal's attention dropped sharply.

The Lakers had no choice but to foul. Devin George raised his hands after pulling him, and he couldn't stand it anymore.

The Knicks suddenly launched a low post attack. Stoudemire, who received the ball with his back on the right side of the block, turned around and feinted towards the frame.

After releasing the ball with his right hand, he cross-stepped and broke through. Carrying Medvedenko, he jumped to the lower right side of the basket. Stoudemire deceived the opponent after feinting, and used the time difference to grab the ball with his right hand and swing his arm for a dunk!

"Boom!" The breakthrough dunk was successful.

Such a simple goal showed that the Lakers had no defense. Stoudemire screamed excitedly after the dunk, without caring about the emotions of the Lakers around him.

Kobe, who had completely lost his ability to pass the ball, began to take strong shots from outside the three-point line in order to chase points.

Kobe continuously assisted Li You to collect long rebounds, and after two consecutive transition attacks, Li You took the ball and rushed forward again, came to the paint area, swayed right and left, and quickly European-stepped Payton to get a layup!

Payton, who turned into a wooden stake, didn't even hold his hands to foul. After Phil Jackson requested a timeout, the veteran returned to the bench and covered his face with his hands.

Several assists brought Li You's score to 50. In the Staples Arena, a large number of fans had turned their backs and started cheering loudly to celebrate the Knicks getting the match point.

O'Neal and Payton did not appear again. Soon, coach D'Antoni also requested a timeout, and Li You also came off the court to rest.

The 4th quarter lasted just over 3 minutes, and the Lakers surrendered again. Only Kobe remained on the court and continued to lead the Knicks in their counterattack.

"This is really a game that exceeded everyone's expectations. The Knicks showed us modern basketball. They are no longer limited to low-post attacks, more screens, and faster counterattacks!"

"I think this is something that practitioners should think about together. Do big men still represent the future? How can we build a championship team in the future?"

As Kobe continued to work hard, Rivers did not commentate on the game every round, but talked about things off the court.

Although Michaels used to commentate on the NFL, he also knew the special nature of Li You. After hearing these words, he subconsciously sighed:

"Genius players can change an era, and Li has done just that!"

"At the age of 26, the future belongs to Lee. Although he will sign a salary with the highest salary in the league during the offseason, I believe the Knicks will not skimp on the luxury tax!"

James Dolan really doesn't care about spending money. Just from the benefits brought by championships in the past few years, even if he pays the luxury tax for a few more years, he will still make a lot of money.
The curly-haired boss sitting under the basket was hugging general manager Glenn Field and grinning widely. He would pump his fist in celebration every time he scored.

From time to time, the on-site director would show the camera to the two of them, and during a timeout, the camera would be focused on Magic Johnson and Lakers owner Buss.

The expressions of the two sides were completely different. The former was smiling so brightly that his mouth almost reached the back of his head, while the latter had a big face. The two of them whispered a few words from time to time, without a trace of smile on their faces.

The Lakers have been paying luxury taxes over the years. Fortunately, winning a championship can be regarded as an explanation. However, as O'Neal asks for a big contract, Buss will also face a choice:

"Are we going to keep the older fat sharks?"

With 3 minutes and 21 seconds left in the game, Kobe was also replaced.

出场42分钟，25中9，三分线外7中1，罚球13中11，30分4篮板3助攻1抢断4失误。

After returning to the home court and rebounding, he scored the highest score of the team. Kobe, who was sitting in his seat, was still unconvinced. This was far from the home court he imagined.

奥尼尔14中8，罚球12中3，砍下19分11篮板2助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误，胖鲨鱼在最关键的比赛中罚球拉胯，此时已经自闭。

One was watching the game with his head held high and expressionless, while the other was wearing a towel and lowering his head in frustration. The OK team, which scored 49 points together, seemed to be about to disintegrate.

During the last timeout, Phil Jackson threw the tactical board to the assistant coach again, and the championship coach stopped pretending. He was extremely disappointed with tonight's game.

Just thinking of D'Antoni smiling broadly makes the old KFC man feel irritated. In the past few years, he has been humiliated continuously and has lost all his dignity.
Finally, amid boos, the game time ran out, 116:88, and the Knicks defeated their opponents, bringing the series score to 3:0.

Li You, who had already changed into his training clothes, stood up and let out a sigh, while the New York fans sitting in the back continued to celebrate wildly.

Several players off the court high-fived Li You and others in celebration. As they walked towards the tunnel, everyone in the Knicks team was laughing. In two days, they will win the O'Brien Cup!

出场37分钟，26中18，三分线外10中6，罚球8中8，50分8篮板8助攻4抢断1盖帽，没有失误。

Li You, who scored 50 points, completely broke the defense of the Lakers fans at the scene. Many people on both sides of the player tunnel were shouting and cursing.

The Lakers did not enjoy the preferential treatment from the fans. O'Neal, who was wearing a towel, was also booed by the fans.

Kobe, who scored the highest score on the team, was finally interviewed by courtside reporter Stewart on the sidelines.

Perhaps considering that the Lakers were about to be swept, the black reporter asked very wisely:

"Kobe, it's a pity that you failed to protect the home court tonight. I think fans are more concerned about the Lakers' lineup next season."

"Will you keep the current lineup again and challenge for the championship again?"

Perhaps it was the boos from the fans after the game that stimulated Kobe. When he heard this question, he immediately answered angrily:

"I don't know, I tried my best, I dedicated all my time to basketball."

"And some people are completely satisfied after winning a championship. I hope my teammates can be full of desire. I will not think about the future. The series is not over yet!"

"."

When Li You, dressed in a light gray formal suit, appeared in the media room, many sports reporters in the audience cheered loudly.

In the conference finals, he relied on his personal ability to defeat the Pistons in the third quarter. In the finals, Li You followed suit and defeated the Lakers in one quarter based on his personal ability.

Regardless of the Lakers' somewhat stretched defense, most sports reporters like this.

ESPN reporters like to see outrageous statistics, and they were the first to raise their hands and ask:

"Li, congratulations on setting a new 50-point record in the finals. What are your expectations for the next game?"

Having scored 4 points in the Finals four times in his career, Li You improved his record and became the player with the most 50+ points in the history of the NBA Finals.

This record is outrageous. In the long history, including Li You, there are only 50 players who scored 6 points in the finals.

Li You is already a little numb to this kind of record, but he is about to win his sixth championship, and his mood is naturally very beautiful:

"I don't mind lifting the trophy at Staples. The atmosphere in the arena tonight was pretty good. Thank you to the fans who came to support me."

"I promise everyone that we will lift the trophy on Saturday!"

The sports reporters in New York were overjoyed. They could brag to their heart's content during the offseason. Everyone was flattering, and the exchange of business bragging made the Lakers staff feel uncomfortable.

When O'Neal arrived at the scene, sports reporters in Los Angeles expected Shark to speak boldly and never admit defeat, but they did not expect this shark to surrender:

"I don't know what to do to win. I'm working hard on defense. I can grab 4 offensive rebounds in every game." "I can't do more on both offense and defense."

The Los Angeles Times reporter didn’t want to hear these complaints and asked angrily:
"Why do we lose every game by a big score? The fourth quarter always turns into garbage time. I don't think Lakers fans will accept such a defeat!"

Although he was aware of the anger of the reporters in the audience, O'Neal was still in no mood to speak grandly:

"I don't know, I thought we had a lot of good chances on the outside, but unfortunately, they didn't translate into points."

"I'm still the best big man on the court, but I may not be able to beat my opponent on my own."

Soon all kinds of sarcastic questions were thrown at O'Neal. The latter was rude and did not show a trace of fighting spirit. He was basically expressing his position to everyone:
"I can't win, I tried my best!"

"The best team in history - the New York Knicks!"

"22 points in a single quarter, the basketball god comes to Los Angeles!"

"The best in history, Clay-Lee changed the basketball game!"

"GOAT!"

On June 6, the New York Times and several mainstream print media began to aggressively criticize Li You, with each column's title becoming more exaggerated than the last.

In the 1993th quarter of G4 of the 4 Finals, Michael Jordan scored 22 points in a single quarter to help the Bulls win;

In the 2004rd quarter of G3 of the 3 Finals, Li You also scored 22 points in a single quarter to help the Knicks get the match point.

History is a circle, and it will always repeat the same stories, but fans never tire of it. Extreme personal abilities will always attract a lot of winning fans.

Many Eastern Conference teams are upset, and even local sports media are following IF
The Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post angrily criticized the Lakers, and both parties reached a consensus:

'Three ugly games'

New York's sports media likes to quote Li You's photos after dunking, capturing some frustrated Lakers fans, which can put people who buy newspapers in a good mood.

The Los Angeles Times posted a photo of everyone on the Lakers team walking down the tunnel with their heads down.

There was no tactical analysis, only emotional output. There was no discussion of why the Lakers lost. Some were just angry comments that O'Neal had no fighting spirit and Kobe was a brainless brush.

At the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, Li You was having breakfast and looking at the Los Angeles Times in a good mood.

In recent years, there have been more and more articles expressing emotions in newspapers, and the NBA has also become a "fandom" trend.

Compared with the past, column authors would list some practical content and analyze tactics. In recent years, due to the impact of the Internet, print media has also become "fast food" and has begun to cater to the emotions of fans.

Not finding any useful content, Li You flipped through the newspaper and threw it aside.

Scarlett was reading the newspaper at the dining table and kept laughing. She was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a blue Knicks jacket.

The neutral dress of the red-haired girl looked a bit casual, but it still attracted the attention of many people.

On the other side, Hill's singer wife Tamia also giggled while reading the newspaper. Back then, the Los Angeles media ridiculed Hill's three-pointers, and things have changed. Now it's the New York media's turn to hit hard.

In the key game, the Lakers made 20 of 4 shots from beyond the three-point line, almost smashing their own basket.

"The articles in the newspapers are getting boring and they are all trying to inflame the fans."

"The Olympics are still a few months away. If we start discussing it now, will these media have no news to report?"

Hill also threw the newspaper aside early. He didn't like to brag about it in advance. Tamia on the side glanced at her husband and said with some expansion:
"What does it matter? The championship is ours anyway. I think the newspaper looks good!"

Men and women have always had different concerns. Hill did not refute, but just ate the bread and whispered:

"Sometimes championships require luck. We are very strong, but we have also had good luck in the past two years."

Li You knew that Hill was talking about Malone's injury. If the veteran stays healthy and adds a whistle after returning to the home court, it will indeed be a tough battle.

"Clay! What's the big contract? A lot of people are talking about it."

Scarlett has been staying with her mother in Los Angeles recently. During the Finals, many sports media began to discuss the impact of Li You's next contract on the Knicks.

"At most, the starting salary is 35% of the salary cap. After deducting taxes, you don't get much!"

After hearing the answer, the girl who was not good at math didn't know how much it was, so she couldn't help but pinch Li You quietly.

A player's salary accounts for 35% of the team's salary, which is a huge burden for most teams.

But the Knicks are different. Even if the salary cap is full, the veteran players in the team can be renewed and the mid-level exception can be used to strengthen the lineup.

Gasol's Spanish girlfriend Sylvia also came with him during the Finals.

After quietly calculating the amount, Sylvia's eyes showed a large amount of beauty.

Gasol knew what his girlfriend was worried about, turned around and whispered:

"Don't worry, this will not affect my contract. The team made a promise to me long ago!"

Artest was still taking care of his "seven aunts and eight aunts". In order to show off during the finals, he arranged air tickets and hotels, and invited a group of relatives and friends to watch the game.

At the dining table on the other side, a group of relatives and friends were blowing X crazily:

"Ron is already a big star! Kobe Bryant of the Lakers can't break through his defense."

"This is DPOY! Kobe is overrated. If he were in the Eastern Conference, he would enjoy the same treatment as Iverson."

"Ron is a real man. That guy says he doesn't care about data every day, but he ends up playing garbage time!"

Being blown away by everyone, Artest no longer felt any pain in his body. He just felt that the money was well spent. However, when he heard that everyone wanted to spend more, the corner of his mouth suddenly twitched:

"My salary seems a bit low"

The Knicks had a step-by-step video class in the morning and exercise in the afternoon.

NBA league staff began to prepare for the awards ceremony the day after tomorrow.

Next is the Lakers' home court. Even if they lose in G4, everyone believes that the Knicks will definitely be able to seal the victory in G5.

It would have been easier to prepare for the awards ceremony earlier, but such a move angered Lakers fans.

After going shopping with the girl in the evening, Scarlett returned to the hotel and quietly complained about her recent trip:

"I didn't like those boring political rallies at all, and my mother always wanted me to support Donkey Kerry in front of the media."

In the dim room, the girl who took off her coat nestled in Li You's arms and gossiped about her participation in the rally. Many Hollywood stars came to support her.

After sharing her recent boring life, Scarlett was in a good mood. She noticed that Li You was still staring at the ABC channel news on the TV, rolled her eyes, and whispered in his ear.

"What's the trouble?"

Li You, who had diverted his attention, no longer paid attention to the news about the general election, and reached out to hold the soft hand.

The girl blushed slightly and whispered, and the two of them laughed.

Soon, the long body went straight in, and Li You did not relax. He will continue to practice tonight and strive to show his best condition in the G4 game!
On June 6, after two days of fermentation, ball commentators finally placed the blame for the Lakers' defeat on Kobe.

In the morning, TNT's program was still warming up for tonight's game. In the studio, while chatting, Charles Barkley angrily criticized Kobe:

"I don't understand Kobe's offensive choices. He seems to want to prove something in the game."

"But this is the finals and Kobe seems to have forgotten that!"

"The Knicks can put the ball in Lee's hands, why do the Lakers always let Kobe finish the offense?"

Kenny Smith glanced at his partner, then shrugged and said helplessly:

"Maybe O'Neal can't easily catch the ball in the offensive area where he is good at. I even think he lacks fighting spirit."

"The Lakers' loss is obviously not the fault of one person. Coach Phil Jackson is also responsible. Maybe he should use Fisher more."

There are too many people who can take the blame, and Ernie Johnson doesn’t want to discuss this topic now:

"Do you think the Knicks can close out the series tonight?"

"If they continue to win by a large margin, the Knicks may set a new record."

Charles Barkley also stopped outputting. Thinking of the state of the Lakers, he immediately gave an affirmative answer:

"There is no suspense. Maybe the Lakers will get some free throws, but this can't change the trend of the game."

"It's unbelievable that as an outside player, Lee's shooting percentage in the finals will be over 60%."

"The Lakers defense is like shit!"

"."

ESPN made the same prediction, but in their programs, they more often cooperated with ABC in boasting Li You's statistics.

The beautiful Excel has become the biggest highlight of this year's finals. As a broadcaster, ABC has been educating fans in the past two days about how outrageous Li You's data is.

The purpose of this is to attract cloud fans to pay attention to the game that has no suspense.
During the warm-up in the afternoon, no one on the Knicks team had any nervousness. They had won three consecutive games by big margins, giving everyone endless confidence.

In order to deal with the Lakers' double-team defense, Li You has carried out targeted additional training in the past two days.

During the interview, Li You expressed his stance confidently and once again promised the fans:

"No matter how our opponents adjust, we will win the O'Brien Cup tonight!"

"Unfortunately, the Lakers have suffered injuries. I very much look forward to meeting them again in the Finals next season."

The reporter from the Los Angeles Times twitched his eyes slightly and mocked, "Everyone loves to abuse food."
ESPN reporters also felt that there was no suspense in tonight’s game, so they simply asked some questions in advance:
"Lee, we all know that you have faced the Lakers in the Finals for several consecutive years. How would you evaluate the current team?"

About to win the championship, Li You didn't want to ridicule the old man anymore, so he naturally wanted to say something nice at this time:

"In the NBA, besides winning and losing, there are many things that deserve our respect."

"Karl Malone is about to be 41 years old. He has dedicated everything to basketball. Payton is the same. I can see that he is hungry for championships."

"The two veterans inspired me and that's why I was able to perform well in the finals."

"I still remember when I first came into the league, every time the Knicks faced the Sonics they would lose."

"Peyton made me understand how important defense is. I have always aspired to become an excellent defender like him. In the future, I hope to win a DPOY trophy."

"I like this Lakers team very much, so I will still go all out in tonight's game and show respect to them with high scores!"

"."

Hearing Li You talk about sportsmanship, the surrounding sports media felt a strange emotion in their hearts.

The NBA does not pay attention to "praiseworthy spirit". If you want to gain honors, you need data and wins.

Everyone felt that Li You was mocking him, but they couldn't tell what was wrong.

In the end, the New York sports media couldn't stand it anymore and started laughing. Several reporters from the Los Angeles Times immediately turned away in anger.

Seeing that Li You wanted to continue talking about "sportsmanship", everyone hurriedly interrupted. They were all ordinary people, and they still preferred to use Excel and honor to brag.

That night, the number of New York fans increased again in Staples Arena.

The fans who came to watch the game on Saturday jumped up and down holding Li You's super-large star card.

Before the game even started, the New York fans in the back cheered themselves up again and celebrated the victory in advance.

The celebrities sitting in the front row were not affected too much, since it was broadcast live across the United States anyway.
After the players from both sides finished their appearances, Kobe, who had been outplayed continuously for the past two days, still looked full of fighting spirit.

On the contrary, O'Neal and several veterans were obviously absent-minded, and they were a little perfunctory during the warm-up.

Coach Phil Jackson did not hold the players in conversation like he did in previous games.

Before the game started, An An An was sitting on the bench. When the on-site director showed the camera, the old KFC man had no expression on his face, without much emotion.

After the game started at 19 o'clock, the Knicks changed their previous tactics and began to play the Lakers' familiar offense.
Gasol began to finish more, and the Knicks once again showed their energy, frequently rushing for offensive rebounds.

After the opening, the two sides fought continuously. As O'Neal knocked away the defense under the basket and succeeded in a dunk, Gasol responded with a jump shot in the paint area, and the game gradually got on track.

In the offensive round, Li You quickly crossed the half court, and Hill in the right corner immediately accelerated and came to the right wing to catch the ball.

When Li You ran to the right corner, Hill gave the ball to Gasol who was backing up to ask for the ball.

Phil Jackson on the sidelines was so angry that he couldn't help but stand up and turned to look at D'Antoni who was pacing on the sidelines.

In the first few rounds after the opening, the Knicks used the starting gesture of the triangle offense. The old KFC man thought this was his opponent humiliating him!
Gasol, who received the ball in the low post on the right, faced O'Neal's top defense and kept hitting the ball with his left hand.

Although he didn't hit his opponent, he turned forward and suddenly turned quickly toward the baseline. Gasol deceived O'Neal's center of gravity, and immediately completed the throw when he switched to his right hand!

"Bang!" The two-point ball hit the board and hit the frame.

Although this kind of round does not appear often in the series, Gasol is no longer the skinny rookie he was back then. In this round of the series, his shooting percentage has always been maintained at 50%.

On the Knicks bench, Ewing stood up and clapped repeatedly, loudly encouraging Gasol's attack just now. Without the pressure of victory or defeat, the players played more confidently.

Kobe, who was criticized by ball commentators, did not choose to pass the ball, but believed in his shooting touch.

Maintaining the same offensive mode as the previous three games, Kobe holds the ball and everyone on the Lakers is waiting to grab the board.

Several people on the court were no longer expecting Kobe to pass the ball, and O'Neal didn't bother to complain after the game.

The defensive intensity is visible to the naked eye. Under the command of Li You, the Knicks continue to run some dazzling tactics.

The game became better, both sides continued to score goals, and there were no more strikes and frequent fouls. In the Staples Arena, the Lakers fans did not buy it and kept booing.

The first quarter of the game passed quickly, 30:26, and the offensive battle was enjoyable for the New York fans at the scene.

During the rotation stage, the Knicks made large-scale substitutions again. Kobe continued to lead the team without rest.

A familiar scene soon appeared again. When the scoring mode was turned on, Kobe suddenly used iron oxide and led the Knicks to a 6:0 run.
"Shh!"

Watching Li You pick up a long rebound, he ran from the backcourt, knocked Fisher away, and successfully put the basket under the basket. The boos in the arena became louder and louder.

Coach Phil Jackson asked for another timeout and looked at Kobe walking off the court without saying a word.

Writing and drawing on the tactical board, after the timeout, Phil Jackson returned to his seat with his arms folded, his expression becoming calmer, and a thought kept popping up in his mind:
"Maybe taking over the Lakers was the wrong choice!"

"."

(End of this chapter)