NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 116 Opening a New Era
On June 1998, 6, after the end of G8 of the finals that night, the major sports media climaxed in situ:

"The curse from the finals!"

"Karl Malone is not a qualified leader."

"A magical three-pointer, the youngest 40-pointer in the NBA playoffs."

"Furious Jerry Sloan and disappointed Salt Lake City fans."

"With the bonus from New York, the famous Knicks headed to Salt Lake City."

"To win the away game, the Knicks are ready."

"The big heart attribute of a champion point guard!"

"THE BLOCK!"

"."

On the morning of June 6, the paper media in Salt Lake City collectively broke their defenses, and the Salt Lake Tribune even more rarely denied Karl Malone.

The Mormon Church's "Desalt Morning Post" also deliberately set aside a part of the content for Karl Malone who pulled the cross.

"Salt Lake City Weekly" sports columnist Bill Frost is full of firepower, madly spraying Karl Malone for ruining the Jazz's championship.

If you turn on the broadcast media again, commentary programs such as KFNZ-AM's "NBA Today" and "Jazz Hotline" have been sprayed from the end of last night's game until the next morning.

26 of 12, 13 of 10 free throws, 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers. Karl Malone performed very well throughout the game. Unfortunately, he lost the most critical 2 points.

At the press conference after the game, Karl Malone was very rarely absent. Stockton was still supporting his teammates, but the media in Salt Lake City couldn't stand it.

In the 1997 Finals, Karl Malone missed two free throws at the last minute, and Michael Jordan beat the Jazz at the United Center.

No one expected that in this year's finals, Karl Malone reenacted the classic moment, making two free throws and hitting the iron with one free throw to enter overtime.

Finally grabbed the offensive rebound, but was fatally blocked by the defender? !
What the Jazz lost this year was not an away victory, but a more important match point. The big score came to 1:3, which means that the series is almost over:
"There are no more miracles!"

"Karl Malone can't perform miracles."

The Hilton Salt Lake City Center Hotel has been buzzing since this morning.

Early in the morning, Charles Dolan, who fully owned the Knicks, flew to Salt Lake City with the team's management and several celebrities.

The team uniform team also began to get busy, getting match points, championship T-shirts, champagne for celebration and other items also need to be prepared in advance.

After breakfast, there was no need to take video lessons and we just had a small party in the hotel.

Old Charles and his son James Dolan chatted with everyone in the team with a smile.

Cablevision just fully owned the Knicks last year, and it has a high probability of winning the championship this year. Old Charles, who has received metaphysical bonuses, is in a very good mood.

As the helm of the family business, Charles Sr. also took this opportunity to let his son leave a good impression on everyone. From the rich second-generation playboy to the CEO, the span is a bit big
Old Charles, who was dressed in a black formal suit, smiled and patted Ewing. After a few words of pleasantries, the two quickly moved to Li You's side. At this time, his eldest son James Dolan was still bragging:

"Don't worry, Li! You will get a big contract. Grunfeld has done a good job in the past two years. Don't worry about the labor agreement."

"No one can criticize the Knicks in the future. I know some media don't get along well with Pat, but you don't have to worry about that."

"In the future, I will prohibit these unscrupulous media from interviewing us. We have our own MSG, and we can speak for ourselves!"

"After winning the championship, where do you want to hold a party? I know"

James Dolan, who was still talking endlessly, was photographed, turned his head and saw that it was his father, and the bragging stopped.

Helplessly staring at his son, the bad idea of ​​banning the media from interviewing players made old Charles' eyelids twitch
"Perfect performance! Don't be under pressure, and don't worry about the collective bargaining agreement. Lee, you are the future of the team. New York has always loved guards!"

Old Charles winked at Li You and at the same time tilted his head to look at the Knicks stars.

Dick McGuire, Dick Barnett, Walter Fred and Earl Monroe are all backcourt players.

Hearing that the two bosses mentioned the labor agreement, Li You smiled and expressed his desire to stay in the team:

"I am very happy in the team, and I also like life in New York. The pressure is on the opponent. Tomorrow night, we will win the championship!"

At the beginning of June, the 6th labor agreement negotiation broke down, and the lockout was almost a foregone conclusion. After it was exposed that the management and the league wanted to limit the wages of players, it caused quite a shock.

This time, Old Charles took the famous players to express condolences to the Knicks in advance, and also expressed his stance to the players:
"No matter how the labor agreement changes, if we win the championship, the team will not treat everyone badly, and we don't have to worry about contracts. We have money!"

Unlike other small ball markets, when the Knicks win the championship, season ticket sales will increase. In addition to old fans who will spend money, the new generation of fans will not be stingy with their wallets.

尤因这时候已经笑成了花，昨晚的比赛18中7，罚球8中6，拿到20分12篮板3助攻2盖帽3失误。

His shooting percentage was less than [-]%, but he received countless praises, missed free throws, and no one criticized him. The title of "the league's first center" once again fell on his head.

The legendary Willis Reid is still exhorting Ewing:

"Don't be careless, Pat! End the series as soon as possible, and don't underestimate the veterans on the opposite side. They also want the championship."

"Believe me, after winning the championship, the media won't consume you anymore!"

"."

The general manager Grunfeld and the team staff chatted with the old Charles and the players for a long time before leaving. At this time, several celebrities also completely let go.

Bill Bradley, who was wearing a gray loose formal suit, looked at Li You and Walter Frazier chatting animatedly, and suddenly said with a smile:
"I'm going to run for the Donkey Party nomination in 2000, Lee, young people like you, remember to do me a favor then."

Walter Frazier was a little surprised to hear that, the championship player, years of political accumulation, did make Bill Bradley more popular than ever:

"Deep participation in politics is not a good choice!"

Bill Bradley saw everyone looking at him, shrugged his shoulders and said relaxedly:
"I love politics, I love policy!"

The status of a senator can no longer satisfy this person, and Li You learned that the situation of the other party is not good through the news in the newspaper:
"Dangerous, I'm tired of logging! It's my honor to be able to help."

For this old friend who turned to the political arena, several celebrities also expressed their support, and several people in Oakley complained loudly about the living conditions of the black people at the bottom
The atmosphere team of the Knicks couldn't get in the conversation at this time, and the old guys talked about topics that were beyond their cognition.

On the night of June 6th, at the Delta Center Arena, G10 of the finals had already started, and Spike Lee continued to confront the Jazz fans in the front row.

Ray Allen and coach Calhoun took Travis Knight and several people sat near the front row.

Although the Jazz may still win a victory, everyone does not want to miss Li You's moment of winning the championship.

The University of Connecticut plans to hold a separate graduation ceremony for Li You. After that, as long as the grades are passable, there will be no problem with the law school.

Head coach Calhoun, who was sitting in his seat with a beer, heard the shouts from the Jazz fans around him, and said to Ray Allen beside him with a smile:

"I knew that Lee could succeed in New York. A good point guard is the biggest reinforcement for the Knicks. The two sides achieve each other."

"Ray, Milwaukee is not for you, and you have a one-year contract, you have to think about it."

Ever since his idol Michael was eliminated by Li You, Ray Allen has chosen Lemon.

Of course he understood what Coach Calhoun meant, but he didn't like the Knicks' style of play:
"I want to stay in Milwaukee. I have already got the core position. Although it is only a small ball market, the management has not given up the championship."

Seeing Ray Allen's serious look, head coach Calhoun shook his head slightly, and then suddenly sighed:

"If you were selected by the Celtics, it might not be a good thing. I don't see their hope of rising in recent years."

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

The halftime game is coming to an end, and although the home team is behind, the Jazz fans are still screaming.

Alan Houston's movement was affected by an ankle injury, and it was difficult to run out of space tonight. When the Jazz double-teamed Li You frantically, it was more of a support point.

Just after halftime, Li You came to the left wing, and Stockton and Hornacek came up late.

At the same time, Brian Russell also moved quickly to the top of the arc to guard against Alan Houston.

When Li You was about to be double-teamed, Alan Houston quickly cut in the middle and took away the defense. Larry Johnson, who was emptied, quickly walked to the right flank and easily received Li You's flick.

With no defense in front of him, Larry Johnson made a steady jumper after aiming at the basket!

"Shua!" The open three-pointer hit again!
The "Auntie" who stretched her hips in the shooting state in the last game finally found her shooting touch tonight.

Larry Johnson grinned widely, beat his chest, retreated to halftime, and high-fived Li You again to celebrate.

At 49:43, with 52 seconds left in the half, the Knicks once again widened the point difference.

"Shhh!!"

Huge boos resounded through the arena again, and Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines shouted excitedly. Since the meeting with the management, the bald young coach is completely at ease.

As long as he wins this championship, he will be able to get a contract that fits the status of a champion coach!

Regardless of whether the players can hear it, Jeff Van Gundy can't wait to play in person, shouting from the sidelines:

"Pay attention to defense! Protect the rebound, Pat, stay at the basket!"

The Jazz attacked, and Karl Malone went down after a pick-and-roll in the elbow area on the right side of the free throw line, received a pass from Stockton, and went straight to the basket.

Facing Ewing, who was shrinking defensively, and Oakley, who was cutting the ball from his side, at the bottom right of the basket, Malone made a layup and knocked out.

"Oh!!"

Every time Malone misses, the Jazz fans at the scene will sigh. This situation also makes Karl Malone a little frustrated.

Grabbing the rebound, Ewing immediately threw the ball to Li You, and the Knicks began to accelerate towards the opponent's half.

Under the loud reminder of head coach Jerry Sloan, everyone in the Jazz quickly completed their defense.

Continuously accelerating along the right sideline, Li You came to the right flank against Stockton's defense.

With the ball in his left hand, Li You approached the three-point line and began to protect the ball sideways, while looking up to observe the position on the court.

No more double-teaming, Ewing quickly came to the line to perform a pick-and-roll, standing still on the left flank, Li You immediately pretended to break through on the left, and quickly circled the ball behind his back when Stockton desperately squeezed past.

Grabbing the ball with his right hand, Li You dexterously dodged the defense, and then went straight to the basket from the right at 45 degrees. The big man Foster of the Jazz quickly slid back to the left after changing defense.

The two people in the right block had just had physical contact, and Li You, who was walking, suddenly circled the ball with one hand under his crotch, and then thrust his body forward violently. !
Foster's reaction was half a beat slow, and when he reacted to the block, the basketball had already hit the backboard.

"Boom!"

After hitting the board high, the basketball fell into the net accurately.

"Shhh!!"

The boos were mixed with Fuck's voice, and the Jazz fans at the scene were very excited when they saw Li You score.
"The Jazz should continue their previous defense. Lee's shooting touch dropped tonight. Foster should continue to use tough defense to stop this attack!"

In the NBC commentary seat, Doug Collins couldn't help shaking his head. Without confrontation, Li You scored points. In his opinion, the Jazz's defense was lax again.

Isaiah Thomas didn't look at the technical statistics either, he just praised Li You's offensive choice with a smile:

"The opportunity is fleeting, and Lee knows how the opponent will defend him, so he changes the rhythm in the breakthrough."

"Rhythm is very important. Blindly fast, sometimes you can't get rid of the defense. Keep calm on the court at all times. This is also a talent!"

At the last moment of the half, Hornacek missed a three-pointer from the left wing, and the boos at the Delta Center were getting louder and louder.

At 51:43, the halftime game ended, and the Knicks with more points blossomed led by 8 points.

Bob Costas feels the Jazz aren't playing desperate basketball:
"The double-teaming of Lee was strengthened after the opening, but after other Knicks players responded, the Jazz seemed unprepared."

"They didn't play with a sense of desperation, maybe because of their age, most of the opportunities to switch offenses were not grasped."

Isiah Thomas laughed and said sarcastic remarks again at this time:

"Not every player is suitable for such a big stage as the finals, and not every player will completely explode in a desperate situation."

"Being behind by 8 points at halftime, it's a pity. I think Jazz fans will be at home tonight to witness the Knicks win their third championship in team history."

During the halftime break, in the Knicks locker room, Jeff Van Gundy was so excited that he kept sending out chicken soup:

"There are only 24 minutes left before the championship, don't give your opponent any hope, hold on, we will win the championship tonight!"

"Believe me, the opponents are desperate. They can't counterattack effectively. We just need to maintain this defensive intensity to have a chance to win the game."

Seeing Jeff Van Gundy walking around in front of the whiteboard and constantly nagging loudly, Li You, who was sitting in the seat, raised his eyebrows, and whispered to Alan Houston beside him:

"It seems that our head coach has been promised, the champion coach, there is a big contract waiting for him."

Alan Houston is also in a good mood, and Charles Sr. also gave him a guarantee that the Knicks will offer him a handsome contract:

"Maybe the same salary as Phil Jackson!"

When the two were teasing the bald young marshal in a low voice, Ewing also started to give a passionate speech. The gorilla was very excited at this time, and several veterans also yelled.

Unlike Li You, who joined the Knicks after several years, Ewing, Oakley, and Starks have experienced too many failures. Seeing that the championship is about to be won, everyone is very excited.

After the start of the second half, the overexcited Knicks were banging their heads, while Karl Malone of the Jazz suddenly lost their aggressiveness.

In the case of 12 of 5 in the half, Malone suddenly no longer stuck hard in the third quarter, and no longer rushed to the basket.

Disappointed Jazz fans booed louder and louder. After the Knicks regained their touch, the point difference quickly reached double digits.

At 23:20 in a single quarter, after three quarters, at 74:63, the Knicks led by 11 points.

In the fourth quarter of the game, every time the Knicks scored a goal, Spike Lee on the sidelines would arrogantly raise his hands in front of the away fans.

The old Charles, who was watching the game in the box with the celebrities, was also smiling. At the end of the fourth quarter, the point difference did not narrow, and the league staff also began to prepare for the award ceremony in advance.

In the front row of the audience, David Stern looked calm. The labor agreement negotiations broke down, and the lockout has entered the countdown.

It's a three-lose situation for the league
Everyone on the Jazz held on until the end, and as the final buzz sounded, the Delta Center arena was booed everywhere.

96:85, without any twists and turns, the Knicks suppressed the Jazz and successfully won the game!

Li You threw the ball into the sky casually, raised a finger in front of the media rushing to surround him, and shouted loudly with a smile:

"The first championship, this is just the beginning!"

Compared to Li You's reserved smile, Ewing and Oakley hugged each other and beat each other's chests excitedly. Starks also hugged everyone he met and yelled unconsciously.

Jeff Van Gundy even raised his hands high and punched wildly. His shirt was ripped out of his trousers. The bald young marshal didn't care and shouted excitedly:
"We are champions! We are champions!"

A small number of New York fans were also bouncing and cheering loudly in the auditorium. At this moment, no one cared about the boos in the arena, they just felt extremely happy.

The camera has been following Li You. Although his performance tonight is mediocre, everyone knows that the Most Valuable Player award in the finals will not fall to anyone.

Stockton also showed frustration on his face. The veteran point guard immediately found Li You and gave him a simple hug:

"Congratulations, Lee, it's a pleasure to play against you in the finals."

The surrounding media didn't hold back the film, they kept shooting, everyone surrounded the two of them, the camera continued to slap their faces, Li You didn't care about the surrounding environment, just smiled and patted the veteran on the shoulder:

"I look forward to the next finals where we can continue to play against each other!"

"."

In the Delta Center arena, the boos and shouts continued, and in the front row of the audience, Coach Calhoun also stood up and applauded with everyone.

Seeing Li You and Stockton greet each other, he once again sighed to Ray Allen beside him:
"A new era has opened, and perhaps tonight we have witnessed a historic moment!"

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(End of this chapter)