NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 96 The Long-lost Christmas War in New York (daily chapter)

On December 1997, 12, Madison Square Garden also began to add Christmas elements.

Just like the major department stores in New York changing their Christmas-themed windows, although the Knicks do not have a mascot, during the intermission, the staff also began to throw Christmas gifts to the audience present.

At 25:56, after halftime, the New York fans at the scene were already in a carnival, and the Dallas Mavericks were blown away!

The jump shooting team sometimes doesn't make sense at all. After resting for more than a day, Alan Houston, who regained his touch again, broke out at halftime.

"It's good to see the lads getting back to form ahead of the Christmas game."

"The last Christmas game was two years ago, when we unfortunately lost to the Bulls. We will play at home this year. We hope to present a wonderful game for the fans!"

In the commentary, Walter Frazier did not talk deeply about the Christmas game that year. After all, in that season, the Knicks did not reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
"The Bulls are not in a good state recently. The general manager Klaus may send Pippen away before the All-Star Game, but I believe Michael will not agree."

"A lot of fans are concerned about this, but it's a good thing for the Knicks!"

"I'm sure fans in New York would love to see the Bulls weakened!"

The commentator Mike Breen also took advantage of the halftime time to chat about the recent hot gossip.

The conflict between Pippen and the team finally reached the point of tearing the skin apart. The league's most conscientious second-in-command publicly shouted:

"I've had enough of these disgusting trade rumors, let's end this farce!"

"I never want to play for the Bulls again, I will never wear a Bulls jersey again!"

He took the initiative to apply for a deal and publicly shouted. Pippen's remarks made Lezi fans very happy. As Christmas approached, everyone followed suit.

Michael Jordan is still working hard on the team's record. Although he is very dissatisfied with the choice of his teammates, Michael Jordan didn't say anything, and could only send chicken soup for the soul with the head coach.

The two people in the commentary booth kept gossiping, seeing the Bulls being unlucky, everyone cheered.

The huge point difference turned the second half into garbage time. Li You played half of the game before being substituted.

Everyone in the Mavericks team lost their minds about chasing points, and everyone wanted to end the game early and go home for the holidays.

Without the Christmas War mission, the Mavericks get three days off.

Throughout the second half, the New York fans who came to the scene cheered loudly.

In the end, 69:108, the Knicks beat their opponents and won the last game before the Christmas game.

"On the 25th, we will usher in the 41st Christmas game in team history."

"The Knicks are the team that has played the most Christmas games in the league, and I'm sure the fans are very happy about that."

Walter Fraser continued to preview the upcoming Christmas battle, with a hint of pride in his tone.

From 1950 to 1987, the Knicks participated in the Christmas game for 38 consecutive years. This is the only one in the league, which is in stark contrast to the Hornets who have never participated in the Christmas game.

Commentator Mike Breen added, smiling from the sidelines:
"This is also the first time in Li's career that he has experienced a Christmas game. I think everyone is looking forward to his performance!"

"."

The first time is always special. Although Li You didn't feel much about it, the New York media began to laugh at themselves again.

In the past, the Knicks had more losses and fewer wins in the Christmas game. The most impressive one is the 1984 Christmas game.

In the game against the Nets, New York's Bernard King scored 60 points and still lost.

Everyone expects the Knicks to defeat the Bulls and get the last prize in 1997!
As Christmas approached, Li You became more and more busy. He just watched the big boat with Mi Linda two days ago. The clichéd love movie moved the always sensible girl so much that her eyes turned red.

"You jump, I jump"

Basically every girl who has watched the movie will babble on this line.

On the morning of the 23rd, Christen Ritter went shopping on the street. Christen Ritter, who had just celebrated her birthday two days ago, ignored the cold weather in New York, covered herself tightly, and happily dragged Li You through Fifth Avenue.

After watching the huge Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, at night, I plunged into the movie theater and watched the big ship I was looking forward to.

I don't know how many people in the movie theater watched the movie repeatedly. As the memory in their minds became clearer, Li You couldn't be moved.

The little follower was so moved that he finally saw "Jack" sinking to the bottom and burst into tears.

After "jumping" into her arms at night, after experiencing a special first time, the girl also began to look forward to the future:
"If I were pork shreds, I'd jump right in. God, the movie is so exciting! Li, will we be together forever?"

Looking at the little follower who was lying on his body with longing looks, Li You stroked the other's smooth back, and drew a big cake very naturally:

"Of course, we will always be together and have a lovely baby in the future!"

"."

On the morning of the 24th, Christen Ritter said goodbye reluctantly. The family had just moved to New York recently, and she had to go home to spend the holidays with her parents.

After a whole night of tossing, Li You originally planned to rest this day. After all, there is still a game tomorrow, and the Christmas game at home cannot be stretched!

As a result, seeing the angry blond white rabbit in the afternoon, Li You tilted his head, knowing that he had to practice more tonight.

Ivana, who comes to Li You's place every now and then, has a lot of pocket money and doesn't need supplies like a little follower.

Instead, the little girl took the initiative to spend money. Like Mi Linda, she added a lot of clothes to Li You's closet.

I didn't go home on Christmas Eve, and Li You didn't ask about the other party's situation. It wasn't until dinner time that Ivana, who had changed into loose clothes, looked at Li You who was busy in the kitchen, and said in a low voice depressed:
"My father's new girlfriend is only 3 years older than me! He even brought her home!"

"."

Li You silently calculated, and silently said "a dedicated man" in his heart, and didn't answer the conversation. After a while, he turned his head and asked:

"Why don't you go to your friend's place? Tonight is Christmas Eve."

"They all want to see my jokes!"

Seeing the blond white rabbit whose anger value had risen significantly, Li You realized at this time that maybe that "new girlfriend" was still Ivana's superficial friend before:
"Not only to be your friend, but also to be your stepmother!"

On Christmas Day, the NBA has prepared two games for fans.

Bulls VS Knicks, Rockets VS Jazz.

The two teams that reached the finals last season both appeared on the stage of the Christmas game.

It's just that it's different from the previous lineup. In this year's Christmas game, there are fewer veteran players.

The situation of the Bulls is clear to the fans. The daily gossip about Pippen in the newspapers is about to be traded away. In the Christmas game, the conscientious second leader is still recovering from his injuries.

The Rockets Charles Barkley returned from injury, but Olajuwon was injured again. The old Big Three took turns to truce, and there were not many fits.

For the Knicks, Ewing was reimbursed for the regular season, and it was a rare Christmas game. The gorilla could only rest at home and watch the game in front of the TV.

Only the Utah Jazz has a complete lineup. Stockton is in a very good state after returning from injury.

Before Christmas, the Bulls had a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, and Michael Jordan once again won the Player of the Week.

场均贡献30.3分6.3篮板3.7助攻1.7抢断1.3盖帽2.7失误，再加上47.1%的投篮命中率，迈扣目前状态正佳。

It's just that everyone on the Bulls didn't accept too many interviews before the game, which made the New York media feel itchy.

Everyone wants to rush to the locker room to interview Pippen, and it would be even better if they could interview the big-mouthed Klaus!
As a result, Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson did not cooperate at all. The two refused strongly, which immediately angered the media:
"It is the duty of the players to cooperate with the media to complete the interview!"

"OK! I have the final say in the Bulls, you can interview me now!"

"."

If he failed to eat melons, the New York media did not give Michael a good face.

Everyone wanted to know more about the situation in the Bulls' locker room, but they found that Rodman, who has always been flamboyant, was also a lot more honest. This made many people mutter to themselves:
"Weak front office allows Michael Jordan to control the team!"

After the players from both sides completed their appearance ceremonies, Madison Square Garden was already boiling.

After two years, he met his old opponent in the Christmas game, just in time to catch up with the opponent's uneven lineup, and the New York fans who were present had long been fooled by the media.

"Pippen's injury has allowed the Bulls to use more twin-tower lineups."

"Just like the previous regular season, tonight is still Ron Harper and Michael Jordan in the backcourt, with Dennis Rodman, Tony Kukic and Luke Longley inside."

In the MSG live commentary, Mike Breen briefly introduced the Bulls' starting situation, and then Walter Fraser simply added:

"Veteran Buck Williams continues to start, tonight's game, our rebounding will be a huge test!"

In the final warm-up stage, Michael Jordan was in a good mood and greeted everyone on the Knicks team with a smile.

The bad things in the locker room did not affect Mikou's confidence, but after 2 minutes of the game, the smile on his face completely disappeared.

"Michael Jordan! A 16-foot jumper hits the iron! Charles toughly protects the rebound, and our chance is here!"

The commentator Mike Breen saw Li You quickly cross the half court after receiving the ball, and subconsciously raised the volume.

The scene began to cheer again, along the right sideline, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, continued to accelerate, while Harper was chasing and defending with all his strength.

The big men of the Bulls had no choice but to run back and forth. Li You, who advanced to the frontcourt, glanced at the follow-up situation of his teammates, and then slowly slowed down.

The following Knicks team cleared the side, and everyone ran to the left half, approaching the three-point line. Li You quickly lowered the center of gravity of his body, and then quickly in and out.

Swaying left and right, Li You, who held the ball in his right hand, pretended to speed up his breakthrough. While Harper slid backwards to the left, he did not forget to hide and pull with his right hand.

It's just that Li You didn't choose to break through. He deceived the opponent's defensive center of gravity, and immediately dribbled the ball behind his back quickly. The moment he switched to his left hand, he returned to the three-point line, then quickly combined the ball, and threw it!

"Shua!" Converted to a three-pointer and then advanced!
"Wow!"

Seeing Harper stuck in place, the New York fans shouted happily, and Walter Fraser also exclaimed in the commentary:
"Unbelievable! After the opening, Li showed an amazing shooting state!"

第1节比赛还剩10分01秒，尼克斯队靠着李佑的两次转换三分球和拉里-约翰逊的偷鸡上篮打出了一波8:0。

Phil Jackson couldn't sit still at this time. He walked to the sidelines and made tactical gestures, signaling to hit the ball inside.

Soon the Bulls responded. Langley hit the left low post with his back, came to the basket, turned quickly towards the baseline, hit the board and put the basket.

Compared with the inside line of the Knicks, the Bulls have an absolute height advantage!Holding high and playing high, Buck Williams really can't help it.

Fortunately, everyone was mentally prepared and quickly sent the baseline ball. When Li You and Harper were entangled, everyone had already rushed through the half.

When he came to the top of the arc, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, protected the ball sideways, while Harper gave a physical confrontation from his side, and at the same time kept cutting the ball.

I didn't care about this defensive method, and noticed that Alan Houston quickly slipped across the baseline from left to right, and with the help of Oakley's cover, he immediately bounced out to the right flank, and Li You immediately sent a cross pass.

Perhaps it was unexpected that Alan Houston would attack so resolutely. Michael Jordan, who was chasing and defending, was a bit slow and only had time to block the shot, but it didn't play any role.

"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

"Oh!!"

Hitting consecutive three-pointers completely ignited the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden, and the New York fans who were extremely involved in this game shouted excitedly.

At 2:11, the Knicks continued to expand their lead.

Because of the need to protect rebounds, the work of assisting in double-teaming fell on Li You.

When Michael Jordan received the ball at the elbow to the left of the free throw line, Li You at the top of the arc shrank quickly, and Alan Houston was dead behind.

Facing the double-team defense of the two, Michael Jordan, who received the ball, did not forcefully attack, but quickly returned the ball to Harper.

The latter didn't choose to shoot after receiving the ball, but quickly released the ball, and broke through with the ball in his right hand, and went straight to the basket!
Harper's breakthrough pick was finally interfered by Buck Williams, the ball knocked out of the frame, Longley grabbed the rebound and easily made up the ball.

"Shhh!!"

The Bulls scored easily, and there were boos everywhere. Phil Jackson saw that the team was on track, and sat back on the bench with a smile.

"Attack! Pay attention to the card position!"

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines saw the team start to lose rebounds again, so he could only remind him loudly.

The Knicks' offense was flying, and after Li You hit two consecutive three-pointers, Harper stuck to it. All the pick-and-rolls and false screens, the Bulls were all delayed.

Larry Johnson's hand-off pass will also allow Rodman to cover and switch defenses, and cooperate with Harper to double-team.

But such an aggressive defensive approach quickly allowed Larry Johnson and Oakley to score consecutively easily.

This time it was another big delay by Rodman. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, quickly moved to the left side at the top of the arc, simply pulling the defense.

When the two were about to form a siege, Li You suddenly joined the ball and turned around, quickly returning the ball to "Aunt" at the top of the arc.

Larry Johnson didn't hesitate either. After receiving the ball, there was no one in front of him, and he immediately shot a jumper from outside the three-point line!

"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

"Nice goal! Larry responds from the outside!"

The commentator Mike Brin's tone was a little surprised. The Knicks' three-pointers tonight were too fierce.

After making a three-pointer, Larry Johnson immediately grinned and bumped fists with Li You.

"Auntie" is not stupid. The Bulls had two big men in the paint. Longley started the game by squatting in the hole to defend. Kukci also tried to stay in the penalty area as much as possible and let Oakley make a mid-range shot.

This situation has been expected before the game, and the best solution is to shoot the opponent dead from the outside!
In the subsequent game, Michael Jordan tried to share the ball after hitting the iron, and the Bulls desperately rushed for offensive rebounds.

After the Knicks lost rebounds in a row, they were robbed of their anger. Oakley and Larry Johnson stopped taking rebounds. They wrestled and blocked, allowing Li You and Alan Houston to go inside to collect rebounds.

With 1 minutes and 4 seconds left in the first quarter of the game, Michael Jordan was in the left block position, facing Alan Houston, turned over and hit the iron with a fallback jumper.

"state!"

The rebound popped out, and Larry Johnson and Rodman both fell to the ground at the bottom left of the basket.

On the lower right side of the basket, Oakley and Buck Williams grabbed Kukchi and Longley tightly. Li You grabbed the rebound in front of Harper and received the rebound in the paint area directly in front of the basket.

After controlling the ball, Li You turned around and immediately accelerated forward with the ball in his left hand.

On the other side, Alan Houston, who was still stuck with Michael Jordan just now, also rushed forward at this time.

The 4 rushed across the center line quickly, and Michael Jordan could only stop when he saw Alan Houston stopped on the right flank.

But Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, didn't slow down. Against Harper's defense, he came to the paint area and immediately charged in three big steps!

Harper did not lose his defensive position. He jumped up and the two confronted in the air. Li You tilted his body, grabbed the ball with his left hand, tried to dodge the block, and just before it hit the ground, he casually threw the ball to the basket!

"squeak!"

"Boom!"

The whistle sounded and the ball went in. After the basketball hit the board high, it fell into the basket with precision.

Li You, who had lost his center of gravity, almost threw himself on the street, turned his head and saw the basketball entering the frame, and then threw his fist expressionlessly in celebration.

The teammates who had just crossed the half court also stepped forward to pat Li You, and cheers resounded throughout the arena again.

When Li You got to the free throw line, the New York fans couldn't hold back any longer, and shouted happily:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Li Youjia made a steady free throw, and Madison Square Garden boiled again.

At 12:21, Li You's 2+1 opened the gap again.

Although the speed-up Knicks will also hit the iron, they still withstood the Bulls' rush for rebounds.

At the end of the first quarter, Michael Jordan hit the first sports goal of the game.

The Knicks have blossomed a bit at this time, and Starks, who just replaced him, also scored.

At 16:28, the first quarter ended and the Knicks had a 12-point lead.

"Lee's performance was outstanding. He had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. He made no turnovers. He completely activated the team's offense."

The commentator Mike Breen looked at the technical statistics, and immediately started blowing, leading by a big score, which also made Walter Fraser swell and said:
"The Bulls have no chance. With a double-digit lead, the Knicks haven't lost a game this season!"

7 of 4, 4 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 1 of 1 free throw. Li You on the bench is quite satisfied with his performance, and his explosive power has improved, making it easier for him to face Harper.

"I said a long time ago that we should play this way, fall into the position and attack, and always be controlled by the Bulls."

"Without Pippen and fewer transitions, we're going to win tonight!"

Larry Johnson wiped off his sweat, and instead of chasing and defending the dunk, he simply wrestled with Rodman. "Auntie" thought it was not difficult, after all, he could put the opponent in the mid-range shot.

Larry Johnson's words also made Alan Houston nod in agreement.

In the first quarter, he made 6 of 1 dunks and only scored 2 points. If the opponent hadn't grabbed 5 offensive rebounds, he felt that the Bulls would have lost more:

"Without Pippen, the Bulls are counting on Kukic outside, which is a good thing for us."

Hearing his teammates discussing the game, Li You didn't speak, but also showed a relaxed look on his face.

The most conscientious second player in the league is still very important to the Bulls, who can provide help on both offense and defense and reduce the burden on Mikou.

It's just that infighting is also part of the game. In tonight's Christmas game, the Knicks are going to strike hard!
Jeff Van Gundy was afraid of being robbed by the opponent, so he played Ben Wallace and Chris Dudley at the beginning of the second quarter. The two had no other task after they came on the court, but to protect the rebound.

Being able to appear in the Christmas game, Ben Wallace was so excited that he made a quick grab after entering the field.

The Bulls' substitute insider Joe Klein didn't pay attention to the undrafted pick. After 3 minutes of the game, he lost two backcourt rebounds
Phil Jackson frowned, considering the huge point difference, he won Longley early.

Langley was in very good form tonight. In the first quarter, he made 3 of 2 and scored 6 points. He was not relentless in his early appearance.

It's just that the Knicks' bench lineup is also dominated by jump shots. Starks will always perform brilliantly when encountering a downwind situation.

During Michael Jordan's early appearance, Starks also scored consecutive goals. The two sides fought each other for a few minutes, and the New York fans at the scene yelled again.

Michael Jordan is in the block position on the right side, playing Starks with a back single, turning around at the bottom line, and succeeding in a fallback jumper.

Looking back, on the right flank, Starks used Chris Dudley's screen to get rid of Cole's pursuit and responded from outside the three-point line.

For a while, the two sides played lively, scoring consecutive points in the half of the game, and after the return of the Knicks' main lineup, the firepower remained undiminished.

The Bulls rushed to grab rebounds when they hit the iron, and the Knicks continued to get stuck, trying to let Li You and Alan Houston get the ball and advance.

Both sides tried hard to pull each other into their own rhythm of the game. In the end, the Bulls were forced to follow suit. At 28:28 in a single quarter, the Knicks continued to play efficient offense.

At 44:56, the difference of 12 points made the noise in Madison Square Garden grow louder and louder.

In the second quarter, Michael Jordan, who suddenly found his touch, became stronger again in the second half. Without Pippen, the Knicks can safely and boldly double-team.

The sudden increase in the intensity of the game immediately caused the Bulls to make consecutive mistakes. Several internal passes and internal cooperation ended in fumbles.

Encountered double-teaming again, Michael Jordan gave the ball to Cole, who replaced him, and the latter caught the ball at the top of the arc and hit the iron!
The long rebound was accepted by Li You again. In order to disrupt the conversion offense, Cole was forced to make a tactical foul.

"Shhh!!"

The fans booed and re-attacked. Li You advanced to the left, Oakley raised the screen, and the old guy successfully delayed Cole who was chasing.

Kukchi took a step back to help the defense, but watched Li You get rid of the defense with the ball in his left hand, and made a jump shot from outside the three-point line!

"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

Phil Jackson on the sidelines looked a little ugly, +2 didn't hold up to +3
Seeing Li You raised his left arm and put up three fingers to retreat quickly, the cheers grew louder and Madison Square Garden went into a frenzy.

With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the third quarter, Alan Houston received the ball from the right flank outside the three-point line, made a breakthrough after a feint, and finally faced Michael Jordan in the block position and scored an emergency stop jumper .

Such a goal made the New York fans shout wildly, and the cry of "Fake Jordan" sounded again.

After stacking several layers of anger buffs, Midu stopped passing the ball again, and scored another 10 points even with penalty shots.

At 21:26 in a single quarter, after three quarters, 65:82, the Knicks have led by 17 points.

In the last quarter of the game, Michael Jordan played with a straight face for 6 minutes. Seeing that the point difference did not shrink, Phil Jackson simply switched to the atmosphere group.

Michael Jordan only rested for 2 minutes in the second quarter, and the coaching staff was also worried about the only thigh injury.

"Tonight's Knicks team reminds me of the Knicks in the 70s. We still managed to beat the defending champion despite not having an advantage in the paint!"

Although the game is not over yet, Walter Fraser in the commentary has already begun to celebrate the victory.

The commentator Mike Breen noticed that Li You was still on the field, and said with a smile:

"Lee's performance tonight was too good. Whenever the Bulls started, they could always respond from beyond the three-point line!"

"Oh! Tonight we will witness the birth of a new record!"

Ben Wallace, who had just appeared on the stage, caught a rebound and let Li You easily catch the ball. At this time, the New York fans on the scene also cheered.

Although it was not a goal, everyone knew that Li You set a new record again!
“31分10篮板10助攻1抢断2失误，今晚我们见证了圣诞大战的三双数据！”

"Congratulations also to Li, 19 years and 359 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to get a triple-double!"

No one cared about the details, the commentator Mike Breen introduced with a smile, and the two people in the commentary booth were already in high spirits.

In 37 minutes, he made 23 of 11 shots, 11 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 5 of 4 free throws. Li You increased his outstanding hands and was still efficient.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

When Li You was substituted, Madison Square Garden, MVP shouts sounded again.

On the Bulls bench, Michael Jordan lost his good mood, chewed his gum, and watched Li You and the Knicks fist bump without saying a word.

The boss is angry again. This season, Maikou has implemented a high-pressure strategy on the training ground, and the atmosphere team dare not make a sound. I only hope that the training will not be used as a trap
At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 90:104, and they won the Christmas game. There were huge cheers again!

Li You, who had already changed into his training uniform, smiled and hugged everyone in the Bulls team. The relationship between the two teams was actually pretty good, and they had fun together off the court.

Michael Jordan pulled his face and said nothing, but after Li You hugged him, he suddenly teased in a low voice:
"Black Jesus? Merry Christmas!"

"."

The triple-double record in the Christmas game made the New York media collectively climax, and took advantage of this opportunity to canvass Li You frantically.

As the All-Star Game is approaching, the Knicks, as the host team, naturally hope that someone can win the vote. In the post-game press conference, this is also a frequently mentioned question:
"It is a great honor to be selected as an All-Star, and I can only thank every fan for voting."

Li You, who was in a good mood, automatically ignored the nonsense, and simply gave his own response.

"Li, what did you and Mike talk about after the game? You seem to have a very happy chat. Can you tell me about it?"

Li You suddenly thought of Maikou who was laughed angrily, straightened the microphone, and immediately said with a smile:
"Mike sent Christmas greetings, thank him for his encouragement, the future really belongs to young people!"

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(End of this chapter)