NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 223: Different Thoughts (9000 words chapter)
On May 2001, 5, as the finals were about to begin, NBC and the league also began to warm up for the game.

As usual, everyone from both teams will be interviewed to facilitate fans who only watch the finals.

The lineup structures of the Lakers and Knicks are somewhat similar. Ron Harper is the "mascot" of the Lakers this season, and Ewing also plays this role for the Knicks.

O'Neal and Kobe have maximum-salary contracts, and Li You and Grant Hill also have maximum-salary contracts.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, even if Ewing retires next season, as long as the Knicks use the Larry Bird clause to sign Alan Houston, the salary space will be completely blocked.

The situation of the Lakers is not much better. O'Neal's salary is not low, and it is not easy to add more All-Star players.

The winning window for the two teams will theoretically become smaller and smaller. After all, Li You and Kobe will continue to sign big contracts, and cap extensions are also included in the salary space.

Fortunately, the current lineups of both teams are very young. As long as they stay healthy, they can continue to dominate the league.

On the morning of the 30th, NBC reporter Rashad began interviewing everyone on the Lakers team one by one.

After resting for more than two days, Phil Jackson did not relax at all, nor did he compromise on training, striving to maintain the competitive state of the players.

Before the afternoon training session, Kobe warmed up early and sweat appeared on his head during the interview.

As a black man, Rashad liked the Lakers' "OK" team very much. After taking the initiative to say hello, the two sat down and asked with a smile:
"Kobe, this is your second time in the finals in your career. Can you talk about last year's loss?"

Hearing this question, Kobe looked serious, the smile on his face disappeared, and he solemnly replied:

"I have learned success from my failures, and last year's finals made me realize my shortcomings."

"I need to get stronger, I need to unite the team and I also learn how to play like a leader."

“The regular season wasn’t our real strength, we suffered from some injuries, but I think in the playoffs, we showed dominance!”

In the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers cut their teeth all the way. This experience naturally made Kobe more confident.

During the interview, he made a big boast. Kobe already regarded himself as the boss of the team.

Fortunately, thanks to Iverson's experience, Rashad didn't compare Kobe and Li You. It wasn't until he interviewed O'Neal that he asked about the MVP question:
"Shaq, we all know that you have been plagued by injuries this season. If you stay healthy, do you think you will win the MVP?"

Everyone on the Lakers has grown a beard, and O'Neal is no exception. After being injured in the first half of the season, due to the gradual reduction in training volume, his weight has increased compared to last season.

The obvious change is that his neck is shorter. O'Neal didn't care about his appearance. When he heard the question about MVP, he answered confidently again:
"Of course! There is no doubt that I will win the MVP two years in a row! Lee will not stand a chance."

"I'm very aware of my impact, and if I stay healthy, I even think the Lakers have a chance to break the Bulls' best record in history."

"."

Phil Jackson was very cautious when being interviewed. The champion coach did not boast, but simply stated with a smile:
"Basketball is round, and no one can say that they are sure to win, but the Lakers are in great shape and I see everyone's desire!"

"I believe we can defeat the defending champion. The Lakers are a more balanced team."

Everyone in the Lakers team is busy bragging and showing off their confidence, but Li You has been busy entertaining sponsors these days.

Under Armor plans to go on the market this year, and during the finals, it will launch professional basketball tights and put in a lot of advertising.

In the field of rugby, founder Kevin Plank personally opened up the market and has achieved good sales in the past five years. As for basketball tights, thanks to Li You's promotion, more people have accepted it.

"Gear Dogs" are very popular in New York, and the gang in Rucker Park are almost all heavily armed.
Hook is also very interested in the finals. With the huge advertising effect, he can cut a wave of leeks by changing the color!
Like the NBA, everyone is eager for a direct tiebreaker in the finals. The longer it lasts, the higher the popularity, and the better it is for advertising.

Li You's three-year contract with McDonald's is about to expire, and some food sponsor contracts are also facing renewal issues.

Everyone agreed to continue cooperation, but the contract amount still needs to be discussed further. Everyone is happy to hear about the finals.

Regardless of victory or defeat, if you step on this stage and have a national live broadcast, you will definitely not lose money.

Li You and O'Neal's advertisements will be swept across a certain period of time.

This thing greatly affects the viewing experience in front of the TV. After all, a pause suddenly changes to Li You eating hamburgers and O'Neal selling dog food. Too many pauses will indeed consume the audience's patience.

On the morning of the 31st, when everyone from the Lakers arrived in New York, they found that the whole city was celebrating the finals. On the way to the hotel, fans wearing Knicks jerseys or T-shirts could be seen everywhere.

The influence brought by the three consecutive championships is still fermenting. Most people like to win. The Knicks' "winning honey" has increased sharply in recent years.
In the evening, as NBC began to broadcast player interviews and continued to warm up for the finals, Kobe became tired of watching the show.

"With more scientific training and more professional equipment, I will do my best to let everyone feel the joy brought by basketball!"

"I like the stage of the finals. Here I can show myself to fans all over the world. This is a very wonderful thing."

"Winning has always been my constant pursuit, and the Knicks are ready!"

"."

Unlike players who like to grow beards to look mature, Li You is no different from when he was 19, just with a different hairstyle.

Li You's voice came from the TV. Kobe watched it carefully for a while, but found that he was not mentioned at all, only O'Neal was mentioned in certain topics.

Jim Gray, who interviewed Li You, obviously regarded O'Neal as his only opponent. The MVPs faced off again in the finals, which was considered a gimmick this year.

Phil Jackson knocked on the door and entered. Looking at the sulky Kobe, he suddenly said:
"Kobe, this is reality, if we keep losing, we're still going to be ridiculed in the offseason."

"No one will remember you. Look at Allen Iverson. Is anyone still talking about him now?"

"If you want to achieve an achievement like McNugget, you have to win. Only victory will be remembered."

As if recalling his experiences over the years, Kobe nodded vigorously, and Phil Jackson stepped forward and patted his shoulder, urging him again:

"Remember, basketball belongs to 5 people, we have to play for each other!"

"."

After entering the finals for many consecutive years, Ben Wallace has finally gotten rid of his transparent status in previous years.

Although they don't like some of Jeff Van Gundy's choices, given the current situation, most sports media still give "small money" enough face.

After all, the Knicks' interior defense relies entirely on Ben Wallace and Kurt Thomas. In the finals, unless they are troubled by fouls, they will still be facing O'Neal most of the time.

Ben Wallace is a little dissatisfied with the fact that the front office and coaching staff want to select a big man in the draft.

For him, this choice lacked respect, and when the New York media shouted "the next Ewing", they never considered him. The combination of these two things made Ben Wallace naturally not in a beautiful mood.

Undrafted and small, the prejudice still exists. Jeff Van Gundy has never regarded Ben Wallace as the core inside player. Everyone knows that the bald young coach likes Tyson Chandler.
After reaching the finals again, Ben Wallace did not forget to express his opinion in an interview:
"I know how hard I have worked to reach my current level. In this year's finals, I hope everyone can get to know me again."

"I am confident that I will become the best post player in the league!"

This statement did not attract much attention. After all, it is impossible for O'Neal to be restricted by single defense.
Alan Houston, who played a lot of games last year, was in a contract year. He rested his body in the regular season and showed some strength in the playoffs. When it came to the finals, he didn't say anything, but his agent was very active:
"There is no doubt that Allan will sign a big contract. He is the best backcourt player in the league!"

There is no shortage of market for Alan Houston, and the Knicks will most likely offer a big contract. Although this will block the salary space, there is no better player on the market.

Reaching the finals was like accomplishing a goal, and the players began to voice their demands.

Some people hope for a higher tactical status, and some hope to earn more dollars. But for Jeff Van Gundy, he has only one goal:
"Become a legend in coaching!"

The bald young marshal has no worries about work at the moment. These few championships are enough for him to last a lifetime.

Three consecutive championships, a high winning rate, and a white man. With the combination of these three factors, all teams in the league will open the door for him.

By achieving four consecutive championships, Jeff Van Gundy has the opportunity to surpass Phil Jackson, an achievement that neither opponent has achieved.

There is still one year left on the contract, and Jeff Van Gundy doesn't care. No matter where he goes, he will get the maximum salary.

If you change a team, you can even get more rights!
During the warm-up on the afternoon of June 6st, Jeff Van Gundy showed his confidence during an interview:
"In my opinion, the Knicks have a chance to achieve what the Celtics did."

"Our core lineup is very young and we have enough talent. I am very happy that we can reach the finals stage with all our members healthy."

"We have worked hard this season to get to this day, and I believe the Knicks can create miracles."

The New York Times reporter was beaming when he heard this, and reporters from several other sports media also followed suit:

"This is the confidence of the strongest current champion coach!"

The finals G1 will officially start at 21 o'clock. Before the game, Li You has to continue to greet the sponsors and celebrities who come to watch the game.

The ticket for the exclusive seat was given to Bloomberg. This billionaire is not short of money, but he just wants face. This location also has an exclusive soda and snack service.
Tickets worth tens of thousands of dollars were exchanged for a small investment and favors from Akers Capital, which was not a loss at all.

Old Charles also invited a lot of people in the box. After winning the game, although the big boy took over the team, the father naturally had to make good use of such a big party like the finals.

There is less than half an hour before the game starts, and Madison Square Garden is already full. A lot of front row tickets have been bought by management companies. There are also some chanting singers who have paid their own money to make an appearance.
Ewing was laughing and chatting with acquaintances on the sidelines before the game, but when he got to the bigger stage, he had to continue to pretend.

Many fans were already waving their handkerchiefs and shouting along with the music. In the NBC commentary box, Marv Albert, who served as the on-site commentator, was also a little excited:
"I love the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden. The fans have been waiting for tonight's game!"

Doug Collins did not make too many predictions about the series before the game. At this time, he continued to introduce the advantages of both sides:

"There is no doubt that the Lakers have absolute dominance in the paint!"

"The Knicks have the strongest backcourt in the league. The tactics of the two sides are very different, but on the defensive end, they will both withstand a huge test."

The two analyzed the situation, and soon the lights dimmed. After the visiting team players came on the stage, the noise became louder and louder as the home team players came on the stage one by one.

The broadcasters also began to announce the starting lineups of both teams. The head coaches of both teams did not make any changes. The Lakers continued to use the starting lineup from the previous playoffs:

"The two backcourt players are Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant, and the three frontcourt players are Rick Fox, Horace Grant, and Shaquille O'Neal."

Regarding this starting lineup, Doug Collins briefly commented:

"Grant won't play too much, and the Lakers need to provide O'Neal with better offensive space."

"Robert Horry is going to play a key role tonight too!"

After Li You, wearing a blue training uniform, appeared on the stage, shouts began to ring through the arena.

Compared to the serious-looking Lakers team members, Li You was smiling and high-fiving his teammates one by one.

Grant Hill is still trying to calm down his emotions. He is still a little nervous playing in the finals for the first time in his career.

Sitting on the bench, Jeff Van Gundy was holding a Pepsi. Instead of greeting the players, he happily drank Happy Water.
In the final warm-up period, Phil Jackson was still telling his players:
"Fisher, pay attention to defense! We need to communicate, change defenses quickly, and trust each other, okay?"

Hearing the words of the head coach, Fisher nodded quickly. In order to reduce the burden on Kobe, he will focus on guarding Li You tonight.

After watching the game videos for many days, Fisher could only encourage himself secretly, adjusted his headband, jumped up and down, and tried to move his body.

As the referee called for both sides to come to the center of the court, Li You smiled and briefly fist bumped with everyone on the Lakers team. O'Neal pulled a face and stared at the basketball in the referee's hand with unusual concentration.

As Ewing failed to jump the ball, O'Neal easily moved the ball to half court, and the shouts rang out again:
"Defense!."

As soon as Fisher took control of the ball, Li You stepped forward to lead the defense. He took two steps and immediately gave the ball to Grant at the top of the key without waiting for half-court.

Wearing glasses, he seems to be very capable, but in fact his scoring ability has deteriorated greatly. Lewis completely shrank inside the three-point line to prevent his opponents from shooting.

He gestured with the ball and hurriedly passed the ball to Kobe on the right wing. O'Neal suddenly arched, stuck Ewing behind him, and turned his back to the right low to ask for the ball.

Kobe was severely guarded by Alan Houston, but Ewing was firmly supported and sent a lob pass. Then without the ball, Kobe immediately slipped to the baseline, running from right to left, towards the left corner.

Grant also began to move to the left near the baseline at this time, leaving the top position of the arc to Fisher.

In addition, Rick Fox also stood on the left wing, and the Lakers cleared one side at the beginning. After O'Neal turned to play, everyone began to move to the right wing, ready to respond at any time.

After catching the ball, he turned around. After releasing the ball with his left hand, O'Neal opened the way with his shoulder. When he bumped into Ewing, he turned towards the baseline. After pushing away the opponent, he switched to his right hand and easily completed the throw!

"Shua!" The two-pointer went into the net hollowly.

From the speed of movement to the strength of confrontation, Ewing, who has become the mascot this season, is at a disadvantage in everything.

After scoring, O'Neal seemed to have found the feeling of being a loser in the Western Conference playoffs, and a happy smile appeared on his face. This was exactly what he thought before the game!
"Let's go Knicks!."

New York fans have become accustomed to the scene of the super center beating up the gorilla, and they continue to shout loudly.

Quickly sent a baseline ball, Li You caught the ball, and Fisher hurriedly stepped forward to lead the defense.

Completely different from the Western Conference defenders he faced before, Li You accelerated after catching the ball. When he was close to the midline, he quickly dribbled the ball behind his back. After an emergency stop, he switched to his left hand and continued to accelerate with his shoulders down.

Fisher could only slide passively, and in the blink of an eye, Li You passed halftime.

You Yin stopped outside the three-point line at this time. Fisher glanced at the movement behind him, and saw Li You suddenly pushing the ball in a different direction, and hurriedly slid to the left rear.

The moment he deceived the opponent's defensive center of gravity, Li You switched to his right hand and turned around sharply. He leaned against Ewing's body, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and accelerated to break through from the left.

Li You got rid of the defense so easily, and cheers broke out all over the place. O'Neal was still squatting on the free throw line, seemingly waiting for Fisher to continue to complete the defense.
When Li You caught the ball, he saw the opponent's defensive movements and immediately began to adjust his steps. He suddenly stopped at the three-point line, then picked up and threw!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!

"Wow!"

The cheers of the fans were heard in his ears, and O'Neal realized that he had made a defensive mistake. Perhaps he was used to abuse, and the Sharks were still stuck in the pick-and-roll.

The position of the free throw line does have some defensive effect, but for Li You, such an opportunity will most likely result in points.

Phil Jackson frowned when he saw it on the sidelines. Compared with the Spurs' perimeter, they can wait for the opponent to strike, but when they encounter the Knicks' backcourt, they have to defend:
"Fisher, squeeze over! Shaq, defend!" Among the Lakers, only Phil Jackson could yell at O'Neal to defend.

He glared at Li You dejectedly. O'Neal didn't like guarding the pick-and-roll at all. Soon after halftime, he changed direction and started asking for the ball with his back in the low post on the left side.

Still passing the ball quickly up the line, this time Rick Fox came to the left wing with the ball in his left hand. Faced with Grant Hill's pressing attack, he failed to complete the pass immediately.

Although Ewing pulled and pulled, it didn't have much effect. When the opponent sent a lob pass, O'Neal easily caught the ball.

O'Neal's body swayed up the line. The moment he caught the ball, while releasing the ball with his left hand, he suddenly turned around quickly, hit Ewing's defensive center, and took two steps to hit the basket hard!

A leaping step passed Ewing, O'Neal rushed into the reasonable collision area, exploded directly, and slammed the basket with both hands!

"Exaggerated athletic ability! Shaq actually broke through to the basket and completed a dunk. What a wonderful offensive performance!"

The flexibility that was completely inconsistent with his body shape made groom Albert couldn't help but admire him. Doug Collins saw Ewing's physical condition and couldn't help but briefly remind him:

"Coach Van Gundy can consider starting the rotation early!"

Seeing O'Neal's strange scream, boos began to appear in the arena, but the Knicks were not affected in any way and continued to serve baseline kicks quickly.

After receiving the ball, Li You did not increase his speed. He held the ball in his left hand and slowly advanced along the left sideline.

Fisher did not step forward to press for meaninglessly, but glanced back from time to time, for fear of accidentally losing his defensive position again.

At this time, Lewis moved quickly from the left corner to a position close to the sideline. After the fake screen, he continued to move laterally and quickly bounced out to the left flank.

Grant also defended, intending to cooperate with Fisher to double-team Li You, but before the two could form a circle, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and quickly completed a large dribble behind his back.

Suddenly speeding up his dribbling rhythm, the basketball passed through his crotch and suddenly appeared in front of Li You on his right.

Before Fisher and Grant could react, Li You jumped forward and while grabbing the ball with his right hand, he passed directly between them.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations, Li You completely got rid of the defense and went straight to the basket. Facing O'Neal who came to help defend, he did not stop, but jumped and rushed forward.

O'Neal, who was covered in flesh, failed to fully take off, and the two bodies collided in the air. O'Neal, who realized that they could not separate, simply pulled him.

Grabbing the ball with his left hand, Li You used force in the air, twisted his body with the force of the rebound, and threw the ball toward the backboard. At the same time, he did not forget to shout:
"My bowl!"

"Squeak! Bang!"

At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, the basketball was hit high into the basket, and Madison Square Garden suddenly boiled.

"Lee's breakthrough was too fast. Shaq was able to react and did his best. Of course, I also suggest that head coach Phil Jackson consider rotation as soon as possible."

"Grant is not a good choice to defend the pick-and-roll."

Marv Albert also joked, and Doug Collins laughed lowly. He also discovered that the two teams did have many similarities.

Fisher's eyes were wide open at the three-point line. The speed was so scary that he didn't even see clearly how the basketball passed through the defense.
Li You easily hit the free throw, and the atmosphere team on the sidelines also cheered. The Lakers' perimeter defense was nothing more than that.

4:6, the same two rounds, but the Knicks were slightly ahead.

"Defense!."

Li You's wonderful goal made the New York fans' defensive shouts even louder.

O'Neal, who had a good touch, wanted to continue asking for the ball in the low post, but this time Ewing suddenly started to move forward in the left block.

Kobe, who came to the left wing, noticed after receiving the ball that there was no good passing opportunity, and immediately signaled O'Neal to lift the screen.

Giving up the low post attack, O'Neal also moved to the elbow area.

After hanging up for a moment, O'Neal immediately followed the pass. Kobe wanted to complete the pass, but Ewing insisted on delaying the pass and cooperated with the pursuing Alan Houston to double-team.

Kobe, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated the breakthrough, trying to get rid of the defense. As a result, he suddenly tripped on Ewing's feet, staggered, and lost control of the ball. The basketball was immediately cut away by Alan Houston.

Fisher only felt Li You at the top of the arc bounce out with a "bang". He fully reacted and gritted his teeth and chased after him.
The fast break was as fierce as a tiger. Alan Houston swung the ball hard. Li You rushed across the half court to get the ball at the three-point line. He took two dribbles and three strides and rushed directly. He grabbed the ball with his right hand and dunked with one arm!
They are also heavy defenders. Seeing Fisher unable to catch up with Li You without the ball, Marv Albert subconsciously praised:
"God! Lee showed his impact again, he's so fast!"

Before 4 seconds came, the ball went in. Fisher served from the baseline. Looking at Li You in front of him, he felt more and more outrageous.
In the rest of the game, the Lakers continued to drill inside, and the Knicks threw away whenever they had the chance.

Phil Jackson chose to slow down, and Jeff Van Gundy continued to hang up and watch the Knicks pay close attention to transition.

With 1 minutes and 6 seconds left in the first quarter, Ewing sent O'Neal to the free throw line again, took two fouls, completed his mission, and walked to the bench with a smile while applauding.

The New York fans at the scene also gave the Gorilla applause, and Ben Wallace came on as a substitute.

After taking aim at the free throw line for a long time, O'Neal stuck his butt out and hit the second free throw again.
After grabbing the rebound, Ben Wallace immediately gave the ball to Grant Hill who was receiving the ball, and then everyone rushed towards the opponent's half.

Moving laterally at the top of the arc, Li You pretended to pass the ball to the ball, and then moved without the ball and continued running to the right wing.

Rick Fox was distracted, and Grant Hill, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly changed direction quickly and went straight to the basket from the top of the arc!

O'Neal, who had just retreated to the paint area, moved to help defend. Taking into account the foul, he failed to interfere in time.

Grant Hill seized the opportunity and threw the ball to the upper right side of the basket. Ben Wallace jumped up to get the ball and dunked the ball with both hands!

At 13:18, the Knicks scored easily again.

Phil Jackson frowned and immediately requested a timeout. No matter how much you watch the video, it is useless. This kind of offense depends entirely on the player's personal ability.

The Knicks' quick strikes in individual rounds also allowed the Lakers to seize some counterattack opportunities, and Kobe and Fox also scored.

But the pace of the game is not what the Lakers like. Seeing this, Doug Collins can only admire:

"Lee controlled the rhythm of the game from the beginning. In contrast, the Lakers fell into a passive position. Maybe they should also take the initiative to speed up."

Groom Albert liked to see such a game scene. He noticed that Horry came on the stage early and started joking again:

"If you want to defend Lee's offense, no one in the league can do it. To strengthen the offensive space, it seems that coach Phil Jackson plans to continue to let O'Neal focus on the offense."

In the first round after the timeout, "Little Ben" hit the top in the left block, but it still didn't have much effect. After O'Neal relied on the hit, he turned around and threw the iron towards the baseline.

"Wow!"

Finally missed a field goal in a sports game, and the New York fans cheered.

Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound, and after Li You responded, he found that the defender next to him had become Kobe.

"Little Fish" couldn't stand it any longer, and Phil Jackson had no clue, so he asked Fisher to guard Artest who came on the stage.

Kobe stared and continued to fight physically, but Li You advanced very quickly, came to the left wing, dribbled behind his back quickly, stopped suddenly and switched to his right hand.

Ben Wallace immediately stepped forward to pick and roll, and O'Neal was forced to follow. Kobe glanced behind him, but Li You suddenly swayed to the right and changed his direction significantly.

Kobe subconsciously slid to the right and back, but still couldn't keep up with Li You's shoulder-heavy acceleration.

In the blink of an eye, O'Neal, who had just stopped, watched as Li You held the ball in his left hand, flew close to the ground, and went straight to the basket again.

Horry, who was squatting in the right corner, turned his head, only to find that Li You had already taken off in the paint area. He took three long steps and then switched to his right hand. He stretched his body in the air, grabbed the ball with one hand, and succeeded with a powerful chop!
"what!"

The lightning-fast breakthrough also made Li You roar with excitement after landing.

Looking back, the angry O'Neal attacked Ben Wallace in the low post and scored 2 points and an extra penalty.

"Don't worry, he can't make the free throw!"

O'Neal was not in the mood to pay attention to Li You. This season, he specially practiced free throws. He started to take a deep breath when he stood on the free throw line. After receiving a pass from the referee, he stuck out his butt and aimed at the frame.

The free throw time was too long and failed to guarantee a hit rate. The basketball hit the rim twice. In the end, Ben Wallace successfully protected the backboard.

Grinning at O'Neal, the free throw seemed no different than last season.

Falling into a positional attack, Li You, who advanced past half court, waited for his teammates to be fully positioned. Ben Wallace quickly lifted up again. Fisher followed Artest to the free throw line and immediately understood the tactical intention. .

Although he couldn't completely get rid of Kobe's pursuit in the high pick-and-roll, Li You, who held the ball in his right hand, was extremely fast. He first moved laterally to pull the defense, noticed O'Neal's delay in coming up, and immediately accelerated to break through.

At this time, Artest moved laterally and made a back screen, delaying O'Neal and immediately flicking out.

Kobe quickly changed positions, and Fisher immediately cut off Li You's passing route. O'Neal continued to pursue the defense, but was delayed and completely lost his defensive position.

The defensive response between the three was extremely tacit, and they had obviously practiced the corresponding defensive tactics. However, Li You, who had found an opening, suddenly increased his stride, took two steps and took off with his right foot, leaned forward greatly, and leaned forward to pick the basket!

The basketball passed over the fingertips of O'Neal, who was struggling to block the shot, flew to the top of the backboard, and fell accurately into the basket after hitting the board.

After completing the layup, Li You smiled at a few people, circled the baseline and then trotted back to the half court.

Such an awkward layup made Phil Jackson shake his head on the sidelines. His exaggerated body coordination made it difficult for defenders to predict Li You's timing.

At 15:22, the point difference tended to be widened, which made the New York fans excited and the defensive shouts became louder and louder.

The Lakers' offensive rhythm was not fast. Ben Wallace, who was desperately trying to defend in front, could only watch O'Neal turn around deftly, touch the basket, catch the ball and dunk successfully.

Kobe, who sent out the assist, let out a sigh of relief. Such a pass was extremely risky, but fortunately, he could score if he passed it to the basket.

The scores of both sides began to rise alternately again. The Knicks' single defense strategy was not effective. Even if they could not catch the ball comfortably, O'Neal could still crush and score points due to his size advantage.

With 1 minutes and 2 seconds left in the first quarter, Li You missed his first sports goal. He hit a three-pointer from the right wing. The long rebound was collected by Fox, and then he immediately threw the ball towards the half court.

Fisher started early, rushed quickly, grabbed the ball from the three-point line, and immediately rushed to the basket without paying attention to the situation behind him.

Kobe shouted a reminder, and Fisher turned his head and saw Li You rising into the air. He subconsciously dodged in the air, and only after starting to fall did he throw the basketball with his right hand towards the basket.

"Snapped!"

Li You, who jumped high, was not affected. He sent a volleyball hat with his left hand and swatted the ball down.

After landing, Fisher was knocked to the ground by the basketball before he could stand firm. Li You quickly retrieved the ball and then threw the ball forward.

After receiving the ball, Alan Houston came to the right wing and immediately stopped. Ignoring Fox's defense, he made another jump shot from outside the three-point line!

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

After continuous hitting, he finally hit a sports goal. Alan Houston was so excited that he pumped his fist in celebration.

The New York fans at the scene were not happy for a few seconds. After passing the ball continuously, Fox responded with a three-pointer from the left wing!
Li You suddenly accelerated the offensive rhythm, threw away Kobe, held the ball from the backcourt and drove to the basket, causing Kobe to foul and get to the free throw line.

After making two free throws, Kobe was not polite. Facing Alan Houston's defense in the right block, he turned his back to the baseline and hit another iron.

There was no time to vent his depressed mood, and Li You retreated to the basket to protect the rebound and launched a transition attack again.

Fighting back to defend, O'Neal found that Li You, who was holding the ball in the middle, was rushing faster and faster, and was about to cross the three-point line. Fox simply pulled him and sent a free throw.
"Wow!"

Li You made two free throws, and the first quarter was about to end.

As Fisher missed the last three-pointer, the score was fixed at 24:31.

After playing the first quarter, 7 of 5 and 5 of 2 free throws, O'Neal scored 12 points.

In addition to a fierce offensive attack in the positional battle, O'Neal followed the Knicks and ran around blindly.
Also playing the first quarter, Li You scored 6 points in a single quarter, scoring 5 of 2, 1 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 5 of 16 free throws.

In most rounds, the Lakers did not double-team, which resulted in Li You having only 2 assists in the first quarter.

In the Madison Square Garden Arena, the score is leading, and the New York fans are happy. The atmosphere is getting more and more heated, and many people are still waving orange handkerchiefs in their hands.

Looking at the technical statistics, Marv Albert noticed that Kobe and Alan Houston were both 4-for-1, but Horry and Lewis were the second scoring points:

"It can be seen that both sides are fully prepared for the restriction of the second scoring point!"

Doug Collins noticed that the Lakers seemed to only replace Fisher in the second quarter and brought in Brian Shaw. He knew that the Lakers were stuck with the main force again.

Phil Jackson didn't care about being behind. After several seasons of training, the Lakers are no longer a "nice team."

As the players walked towards the court, Phil Jackson made a gesture and continued to remind loudly:
"Be tough! We need tough defense!"

On the other side of the bench, Jeff Van Gundy was also shouting at Kurt Thomas, who was about to appear:
"Don't let the opponent score easily again. We are ahead. Give them some color!"

Li You looked at the bald young handsome man pumping his fist excitedly, and patted Billups on the shoulder:

"Bro, if you want to get a big contract, show your abilities in the finals!"

Billups, who has been a little transparent all season, nodded fiercely, and the time has come to fight:
"I'm ready!"

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(End of this chapter)