NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 252: Highly praised and underestimated ([-]-word chapter)
On April 2002, 4, head coach Isiah Thomas experienced another painful moment.

Old unfortunate Reggie Miller made several famous plays tonight.

He broke into the paint with the ball and was intercepted by Li You. He was pulled by Reggie Miller and immediately jumped into the street.

During a fast break layup, Reggie Miller was blocked by Artest who was chasing him, and then the two collided into a ball and fell together in the front row of the audience.

When lobbing the ball inside, Reggie Miller passed the ball directly out of the baseline under Grant Hill's defense.

On a rare opportunity, Reggie Miller missed a jump shot from the left wing beyond the three-point line.

With 4 minutes and 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the delighted New York fans stood up and shouted:

"Defense!."

The defensive cheers were not given to the Knicks, but to the Pacers who were lagging behind by a big score.

Shouting and laughing at the same time, the joyful atmosphere at the scene finally allowed Reggie Miller to completely break the defense. Taking advantage of Li You's free throw, he quarreled with the fans in the front row, and was given a T by the referee.

No one stipulates that home team fans cannot cheer for the visiting team's defense. New York fans even shouted "MVP" for "Son of New York" Marbury.
At 67:88, after Li You made all three free throws, head coach Isiah Thomas immediately requested a timeout and comforted the emotional old Miller.

In the early 90s, Reggie Miller, who was at his peak, could explode when he was emotional, but the old man who was about to turn 37 could no longer trigger Buff when he was too emotional. He made frequent mistakes tonight.

The defensive intensity has begun to decline. After the timeout, the Pacers players had long faces.

Fortunately, in this attack, Jaylen Rose's pass from the right wing was of high quality. O'Neal, who received the ball in the low post on the right, turned and threw towards the baseline to help the Pacers score 2 points.

69:88, the score difference has always been hovering at 20 points, and Li You has already started to fish at this time.

In contrast, Grant Hill still plays hard and played 67 games in the regular season, which is still qualified. He got rid of his ankle injury this season and his data returned to normal levels.

The main reason why he struck hard in the playoffs was to regain face. Grant Hill, who had been lying on a championship, hoped to prove himself again.

Last year, I was too embarrassed to ask my singer wife to come to watch the game. This year, the data has rebounded, and Tamia has frequently appeared in Madison Square Garden.
Li You, who had already started dealing cards at the top of the arc, made a tactical gesture after passing the half court, indicating a flank single in this round.

Artest in the left corner immediately slipped across the baseline. At the same time, Grant Hill also quickly crossed the line and quickly ran to the left wing.

The pursuing Jaylen Rose was briefly delayed by Gasol at the left elbow, and Grant Hill easily received Li You's cross pass.

At the moment of catching the ball, facing Jaylen Rose who was chasing him again, Grant Hill swung right and left, released the ball with his left hand and immediately crossed over to break through.

Jaylen Rose hurriedly slid, and Grant Hill, who could not completely get rid of the defense, did not slow down, stared at the opponent, and went straight to the basket.

When approaching the paint area, Grant Hill took advantage of the trend and jumped. He used his back to push away the opponent, then grabbed the ball with his right hand, stretched out his long arm, and quickly placed the basket on the lower left side of the basket.

In the commentary box, Bob Costas was very happy to watch. He rarely gave live commentary anymore. Seeing Hill's excellent condition, he couldn't help but raise his voice a little higher:

"Hill puts it in!"

The explosive power has declined, but relying on his body shape and excellent hand skills, Grant Hill can still complete the singles task of the small forward.

His partner Mike Dunleavy noticed that the Knicks' defensive intensity was declining, and at this time he was looking for face for the Pacers:
"In the second half of the game, head coach Isiah Thomas' adjustments worked. They still have a chance in the following games."

Reggie Miller still didn't give up the game. He was still running hard at this time, slipped through the baseline and came to the right wing to catch the ball.

The defensive pressure dropped, Jamal Tinsley passed the ball well, and Reggie Miller finally caught the ball and hit a jumper.

At 72:90, after hitting his second three-pointer of the game, Reggie Miller once again loudly called on his teammates to retreat.

Jamal Tinsley struggled to provide physical confrontation when leading the defense, and at the same time continued to interfere.

After Li You dribbled the ball from behind at the top of the arc, he switched to his left hand and simply moved backwards to the logo position, completely widening the distance.

Seeing that this newbie was still jumping up, he quickly changed the direction of his hips, then lowered his center of gravity to accelerate the breakthrough. At the moment when he was close to the three-point line, Li You dribbled the ball with his hips again and immediately stopped.

Jamal Tings slid back and wanted to pounce again, but his feet were mixed and he suddenly sat on the floor.

Amid the cheers, Li You took advantage of the situation and changed direction. The moment he switched to his right hand, he immediately connected with the ball and made an emergency stop jumper from the three-point line!

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

After completing the goal, Li You just shook his head slightly. Jamal Tinsley, who was sitting on the floor, had his eyes straight again. He will definitely be on ESPN's Sports Center.
"Oh——!"

"What a terrible defensive choice. It's been a long time since anyone defended Lee like that."

The two people in the commentary box exclaimed at the same time, and Mike Dunleavy couldn't help but shake his head. A large number of facts proved that the aggressive defense was useless, and Li You would easily find the opportunity.

At 72:93, the point difference was widened again, and everyone in the Pacers was extremely frustrated at this time.

They have experienced too many moments like this throughout the game. Whenever they hope to narrow the point difference, they either make a mistake or their opponent makes a response shot.

Jaylen Rose was still misfired, and in desperation the Pacers began to rely on the big man to add 2 in the low post.

The Knicks also did not double-team. Gasol was forced to score in some rounds, but looking back, he was able to give some responses.

He passed the ball quickly on the line. On the right flank, Li You, who was running without the ball, pretended to catch the ball. Grant Hill, who was making a fake handoff, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and led the ball forward while immediately accelerating to break through.

Reggie Miller instantly lost half of his position and approached the paint area. Miller, the big man under the basket, subconsciously came up to help defend.

Grant Hill, who had just moved his feet and jumped to the basket, turned sideways and passed the ball between the two of them to Gasol, who was following up at the bottom left of the basket. After receiving the ball, he made a one-arm blast. buckle!
"what!"

He ate cakes frequently tonight, and Gasol didn't care if he was abusing the food. He just roared loudly after dunking.

The Pacers obviously regard him as a soft persimmon, and they played the most low-post offense tonight.

Li You clapped his hands and noticed that Isiah Thomas on the sidelines did not ask for a timeout. He knew that the opponent was going to fight to the end tonight.
The New York fans at the scene were very excited. They didn't like garbage time, and they started to cheer for the opponent's defense at the end of the game.

Until the end of the game, the Pacers did not make any substitutions, and the main lineups of both sides played until the end.

At 85:108, the Knicks finally beat their opponents by 23 points and easily won G1.

The New York fans cheered for their opponent's defense, which made everyone on the Pacers team turn away immediately after the game. Only Isiah Thomas, with a dark face, briefly shook hands with head coach Thibodeau.

Reggie Miller, who was walking toward the tunnel, looked up and saw New York fans wearing Knicks championship hats and No. 1 jerseys with their hands folded and shouting happily.
Madison Square Garden has completely become the least favorite away game for most players this season. The fans have amazing energy and can go crazy from all angles.

In the melon-cutting and vegetable-cutting competition, Grant Hill performed well in front of his singer wife. He smiled from ear to ear in an interview after the game:
"I'm very happy to be on the stage of the playoffs again. The team quickly got into the game tonight and everyone performed so well!"

17中9，罚球6中6，24分6篮板4助攻2抢断3失误，格兰特-希尔的数据和常规赛没太多变化。

The reporter from NBC could also feel Hill's high emotions. The score difference was too big. Naturally, he stopped talking about his opponent at this time. Instead, he gossiped and asked:
"Hill, what do you think of what Kareem said about Lee?"

"I don't understand that. The game of basketball is about putting the ball in the basket and going out to play and trying to win."

"Li reached four consecutive championships and became the All-Star vote winner for three consecutive years. This is enough to prove that most fans like him!"

"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is great, but basketball games in every era have different playing styles. Lee just amplified his own strengths. The 180 Club is not an achievement that ordinary players can achieve."

Grant Hill shrugged in the end, teasing the celebrity in a subtle way.

Among the Knicks, the most talked-about thing is that both Li You and Hill are very efficient, with both shooting percentages exceeding [-]% in the regular season.

今晚李佑出场了39分钟，22中13，三分线外9中4，罚球6中6，砍下36分4篮板10助攻3抢断3失误的两双数据。

No matter what the outside world thinks, I still throw it away.
Attending the press conference after the game were Li You and Gasol. Both were dressed in light gray formal suits. As soon as they sat down in their seats, a reporter from the Philadelphia Daily News was the first to ask:

"Lee, this season, you have attempted 739 shots from beyond the three-point line. This is a crazy statistic!"

"Will too many three-pointers affect your teammates? Pau Gasol only averages 8.6 rebounds per game."

When the 76ers failed to make the playoffs, this local Philadelphia daily that often reports on sports and entertainment news came to New York for fun.
The Knicks' press officer was a little dissatisfied. Li You just tilted his head at the staff and said he had no problem, and then calmly replied:

"739 shots, but I also hit 317 three-pointers."

"A large number of outside shots will indeed produce long rebounds, but the Knicks' 61 wins and second-best record in the league shows that there are no problems with the team's tactical play."

"We will only fight for victory, and our tactics and team data are all in service of this."

The number of shots this year was indeed outrageous, but the New York media thought it was okay. At this time, they immediately changed the subject and asked:

"Lee, make some predictions about the next game. Can the Knicks sweep their opponents?"

步行者队的随队记者心中不爽，今晚雷吉-米勒16中5，三分线外6中2，罚球6中4，16分4篮板2助攻4失误。

The Knicks took turns taking care of him, but the old Miller couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't make shots and couldn't defend. This was a true portrayal of his game.

"The coaching staff and everyone on the team hopes to end the series as soon as possible so that we can get more rest time."

"Spider-Man is coming out soon, and I plan to go to the premiere!"

Li You also laughed and digressed, and soon the questions asked on the spot became more and more crooked. The New York media had already assumed that the Pacers would be swept out of the game.
Finally, the New York Times reporter brought the topic back, looked at the young Gasol and asked with a smile:
"Pau! In the first playoff game of your career, are you satisfied with your performance?"

13中6，罚球5中4，16分9篮板3助攻1盖帽4失误。

Although he scored in double figures, the content of the game failed to fully meet Gasol's expectations:

"I need to be more physical and I think I can get better."

"I like the atmosphere of the Knicks and I'm happy to get a playoff win."

Gasol answered the question seriously. Although he didn't have much vocabulary, everyone in the audience understood it clearly. The New York media all nodded with satisfaction. This is indeed the outstanding big man everyone expected.

In the other three playoff games on the 20th, the Celtics and Magic fought to the end.

In the end, 90:86, the Magic won a valuable away victory.

McGrady and Alan Houston were in average condition, but Paul Pierce and Antoine Vanwok also showed crotch tension.

22中9，罚球7中4，麦克格雷迪砍下22分3篮板6助攻3失误；

21中9，罚球5中4，阿兰-休斯顿同样砍下22分。

After winning an away game, head coach Rivers even expressed his confidence after the game:
"You know, the competition in the playoffs is all about talent. I believe in Allan and Tracy!"

Alan Houston has played in 71 games this year. Although he lacks motivation, he is definitely a powerful helper beside McGrady.

The Celtics, who are playing at home, are very aggressive in three-point shooting, and Antoine Walker also has some hints of a "magic ball" style of play. He loses even more and still can't make a shot.
The Western Conference did not have a situation where the following was defeated.

At 86:89, the Jazz lost again, and the Kings struggled to defend their home court.

Karl Malone was still able to contribute 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Stockton also had 10 points and 12 assists, but the Jazz still had the same problem with outside shooting.

For both of them, the window to win the championship seems to have closed, and the Jazz only have feelings left at this time.

What surprised most commentators was the game between the SuperSonics and the Spurs.

89:110, the Spurs scored 3 points in the third quarter and beat their opponents wildly!
Facing Gary Payton, rookie Tony Parker had no stage fright, shooting 12 of 9 and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. He scored 21 points in the first playoff game of his career.

邓肯更是拿到了21分10篮板10助攻5盖帽5失误的三双数据。

Popovich, who has been sticking with it for many years, seems to have come to his senses, and the Spurs showed their dominance.

On the morning of April 4st, the NBA announced the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) for the 21-01 season:
Ben Wallace of the Pistons successfully won the award!
In terms of vote share, Ben Wallace crushed Kevin Garnett and Mutombo.

Ben Wallace has completed his transformation in the Pistons, leading rebounds, blocks, and DPOY. This season he has completely evolved into "Big Ben."

Whether it is his influence on the court or defensive efficiency data, "Big Ben"'s performance is consistent, and he certainly deserves the award.

It's just that for the melon-eating masses, the gossip about the 76ers that day was even more attractive.

After missing the playoffs, someone naturally had to take the blame. While admitting failure, head coach Larry Brown also did not forget to criticize Iverson:
"This year is indeed a failed season. It was affected by injuries and more due to the adjustment of the lineup."

"Iverson needs to work harder and fully integrate into the team. He should attend training on time like everyone else!"

"."

After these words were reported, the sports media was abuzz again. Several mainstream media in Philadelphia were crazy about it. 76ers fans also began to express their dissatisfaction with Iverson after hearing the coach's words.

As a famous academic coach, Larry Brown is still very prestigious. The two had conflicts before, but these words broke up.

The management of the 76ers also changed. At this time, there was no one to mediate between the two parties. In order to explain the misunderstanding, Iverson finally chose to hold a press conference.

The sports media who are ready to take advantage of me have crowded into Philadelphia. Even if there is no playoffs, Iverson is still a "traffic hot spot."

Iverson, who attended the press conference, was still dressed in hip-hop.

Wearing a white baseball cap and a white large short-sleeved T-shirt, he sat in his seat and faced the media below, still showing his unruly side.

At the beginning of the press conference, everyone could still listen calmly to Iverson's speech, but soon someone impatiently asked:

"Allen, can you explain why you didn't attend training on time?"

"Is this why you didn't make the playoffs this season?"

Seemingly thinking of some bad memories, Iverson suddenly became emotional and angrily shouted in a unique RAP tone:
"You're talking to me now about training instead of games?"

"Why talk about training? I give my all in every game, and I will treat every game as the last game of my career!"

"Training? Have you seen me play? Have you seen my game? Why don't you talk about the game?"

Soon a reporter from the audience interrupted aggressively:

"Coach Larry Brown thinks you should fit in with the team."

It seemed that the jar was completely broken. Iverson suddenly became extremely angry and asked loudly:
"Hey, hey! Tell me, how can I make my teammates better through training?"

"I'm the leading scorer! They should have adapted to playing with me!"

"."

In the end, Iverson talked about training more than 20 times in this press conference and repeatedly "RAP", which completely annoyed the media at the scene.

It was on this day that the former son and hero of Philadelphia became a cancer on the team and an ineffective brusher who did not practice.

No one cares about the truth anymore, the media only believes in their own judgment.

Even local sports reporters in Philadelphia were disappointed. They did not expect that the core players who had high hopes would perform like this.

The popularity of DPOY and the playoffs was sucked away by Iverson, and everyone was talking about the contradiction between the famous coach and the scoring champion.

On the TNT show, after warming up for the four games that night, the trio also talked about this big melon.

As a star of the 76ers, Charles Barkley pretended to show disappointment and said in a heavy tone:
"Of course players don't have to train. We all know that superstars have such a privilege."

"But the premise is that you need to be successful, and you can't let the fans down, because everyone buys tickets to watch the game, not to witness your failure."

"I will not discuss Iverson and Lee again. They are not players of the same level. I admit that I overestimated Iverson." Kenny Smith did not want to be complained again, so he changed the subject with a smile:

"Will Lee also miss training? To change the question, has he been training hard?"

Charles Barkley curled his lips, seemingly dissatisfied with his partner's timid choice:

"At the beginning of the season, we could see that his physical condition was average. He probably didn't touch the ball during the offseason."

"But at the end of the season, the scoring leader of the 180 club with 61 wins, is training still important? What's more, I learned that the Knicks practice shooting every day. This was initiated by Lee."

"Iverson disappointed the fans who supported him. The 76ers did not enter the playoffs and they only won 40 games."

"I respect every team, but in a competitive environment like the Eastern Conference, results like this prove that Coach Larry Brown's words are correct."

Ernie Johnson also didn’t want to get involved in the quarrel between the famous coach and the star player, so he also changed the subject:

"Next, let's talk about Lee's scoring composition this season. His true shooting percentage is 67.2%, ranking first in the league. This performance is really terrifying!"

Charles Barkley also looked at the statistics, then grinned and output again:

"Yes, Lee's true shooting percentage ranks first, and Iverson's true shooting percentage is 48.9%. Has he entered the top 100?"

"If I were Iverson, I would honestly play according to the coach's requirements and actively cooperate with my teammates to complete training."

Kenny Smith started to cover his face with his hands, and Ernie Johnson also smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"If you get complained again, you're going to find a job with the Knicks!"

The cold data completely destroyed Iverson's reputation. The media can portray him as a hero, but they can also trample him under their feet.

On the morning of the 22nd, most sports media were digging into the negative news about Iverson.

Dressing in strange clothes, disrespecting league rules, discord with teammates, having conflicts with the head coach, being a big name off the court and ignoring the fans, being a ball hog on the court and inefficiently collecting statistics
It only took one day for the image of "cancer" to become deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Hot articles are emerging one after another, and all kinds of short essays are similar. Traditional paper media are working hard, online media is joining in the fun, videos of press conferences are also going viral, and the masses are also starting to add fuel to the flames.

In the morning, when Li You came to the Tarrytown Training Center, he took the newspaper from the equipment manager Old Mike, glanced at it twice, and raised his eyebrows and said unexpectedly:
"How many people has this guy offended? Even the local media in Philadelphia didn't say anything good."

Old Mike shook his head, and then said meaningfully:

"I don't know, but after seeing these news, the truth is no longer important. Li, you should also pay attention to your image."

"Don't forget what happened to John and Pat back then. Sports media only pursue big news, but after four consecutive championships, the New York media will always support you!"

"But other cities are different. Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indiana, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, these places will definitely not welcome you unless you choose to join them."

Li You hugged old Mike and walked to the locker room with a smile, joking to himself:

"I never act like a big name. New York fans know that I like signing autographs and taking photos. When I'm away from home, as long as the fans don't go too far, I'm also very kind."

"But you are right, I should win more championships, then everyone will like me more!"

"."

At the end of the morning training session, everyone in the Knicks team was also discussing last night's game.

Artest likes to judge people by their appearance, and he especially likes tough guys. At this time, he made two remarks:
"Nowitzki is better than I thought. He was able to score 30 points under the Timberwolves' defense!"

"This guy looks like a weakling. I didn't expect him to be so powerful."

昨晚的比赛中，硬汉加内特18中6，砍下19分21篮板6助攻1抢断2盖帽3失误的大号两双。

“软蛋”诺维斯基19中10，砍下30分15篮板2抢断3盖帽3失误的两双数据。

The Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves, and Nowitzki's performance exceeded everyone's expectations.

Stephen Jackson glanced at his good brother, and then said casually:
"A basketball game, not a boxing match. The German's shooting talent is very good, but I don't like the way he plays."

The two talked too fast and mixed in some slang. Gasol didn't understand it very well, but he was envious of Nowitzki's three-point shooting ability, which he had experienced personally.

Grant Hill was still reading the newspaper carefully at this time, and noticed that the New York Times was also joining in the fun, mocking Iverson, and comparing him with Li You, interpreting "high-quality idols."
"It's terrible. In one day, Allen Iverson's evaluation has changed like this. Does the media want to destroy him?"

Hearing Grant Hill's emotion, Li You just said calmly:

"As long as he wins a championship, everyone will fall in love with him again, and not following the rules will become a star's personality."

"Well, maybe if he wins the division championship, he will have a chance to reverse his evaluation."

Knight, the little man in the atmosphere group, twitched his eyes slightly when he heard this. If he remembered correctly, the Knicks and 76ers are both in the Atlantic Division. Iverson has never defeated Li You once:
"It seems that this big star is going to be completely out of date!"

The Pacers who were still in New York were not in the mood to take advantage of the situation. The G1 game almost made several people angry, and the entire team was ridiculed by ESPN for two days.

Through the Sport Center program, those who have not watched the game also know the cool behavior of New York fans to cheer their opponents' defense.

After the kickoff at 20:30 that night, the New York fans once again became fun-loving people, constantly provoking the old unlucky Reggie Miller.

They were counterattacked in the last game. Tonight, the Pacers struggled for 24 seconds, trying to slow down the pace of the game and drag the Knicks into a position battle.

At 39:48, at the end of the half, the Pacers' game strategy seemed to be working.

Scored less than 50 points, something New York fans have witnessed many times this season.

In the first half of the game, Artest made 8 of 1 offensively and scored 2 points.

Although they did not lead by double digits, it did not affect the mood of the New York fans. They danced to the music during the halftime break. After the start of the third quarter, the mood did not diminish, and the shouts became a little louder:
"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, Jamal Tinsley carefully protected the ball. Facing Li You's leading defense, he dribbled through the half court in 8 seconds.

Hearing Reggie Miller shouting to his teammates, Artest, who was facing him, knew that the Pacers would most likely use a roll-up tactic.

After quickly slipping across the baseline from right to left, Reggie Miller used the cover of the big Miller near the baseline on the left to quickly bounce out to the right block to catch the ball.

Immediately releasing the ball with his right hand, Reggie Miller broke through Artest who was chasing him.

Attracting the attention of Kurt Thomas under the basket, Reggie Miller made a fake pass and immediately found O'Neal on the right near the baseline. The latter caught the ball and quickly made a jump shot!
At 41:48, after the start of the second half, the Pacers immediately narrowed the point difference.

There were no boos. The New York fans, who were in a state of confused confidence, still cheered happily, and then cheered for the team's victory:

"Let's go Knicks!."

After receiving the ball from the baseline, Li You quickly advanced with the ball, circling the ball behind his back while moving. After switching to his right hand, he rushed through the half court against Jamal Tinsley's defense.

Stopping at the logo position, Li You observed his opponent's position and immediately made a tactical gesture to indicate that he would no longer play pick-and-roll.

In the first half of the game, the opponent did a very good job of delaying and double-teaming. Li You was not interested in forcing the shot against the two of them.
After Kurt Thomas saw the tactical gesture, he quickly moved up to the left elbow area.

At this time, the Knicks used the most frequently used "V" position.

Artest, who had a poor shooting touch, was standing obediently in the right corner. When Grant Hill saw Li You quickly passing the ball to Gasol who was lifting the ball from the right elbow, Grant Hill also began to prepare to cut in. .

After the handover, Li You immediately accelerated without the ball. With the help of Kurt Thomas's screen, he circled and made a simple UCLA cut.

Jamal Tinsley was well prepared and went to the other side to quickly pursue the defense around the screen.

There was no easy scoring opportunity under the basket, so Gasol simply gave the ball to Kurt Thomas who was moving up.

At this time, Li You accelerated to the left corner again and provided a back screen for Grant Hill.

Reggie Miller also reacted quickly, instructing his younger brother to switch defenses, and immediately chased Hill who cut horizontally to the basket.

This was a misplaced attack opportunity, but Kurt Thomas failed to put the ball into the basket immediately, which forced Hill to run to the right corner again.

After a season of hard work, he understood the shortcomings of his teammates. The moment he failed to complete the offense, Gasol stepped up his pace.

Reggie Miller was still directing his teammates, but Li You slapped away the opponent's pulling arm, and with the help of Gasol's lower screen, he accelerated and bounced to the left flank.

A simple Flex tactic, but the effect was surprisingly good. Li You briefly broke away from the defense, and Kurt Thomas sent a simple cross pass.

The passing position was slightly higher, but Li You didn't care. He immediately turned around after receiving the ball, drifted slightly to the right, and made a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Reggie Miller had just caught up to Li You at this time, and the action of raising his hands did not play any defensive role in front of the floating shot.

"Your movement speed is getting slower and slower. My suggestion is not to switch defenses. This may still have some effect!"

While Li You retreated, he leaned in front of the old unfortunate man and chatted. It's no wonder that New York fans always like to tease Reggie Miller. The other party was making a big face at this time, which was indeed very interesting.

Reggie Miller, who was running toward the half court, ignored Li You and just looked at the fans in the front row who raised their hands in the air and celebrated happily, his face even more ugly.
At 41:51, the point difference came to double digits.

In the commentary box, Mike Dunleavy had done enough homework before the game. At this time, he did not criticize Miller's defense, but said in an inexplicable tone:
"Brad Miller should choose to switch instead of running with Gasol."

"Jermaine O'Neal should have chosen to press the defense instead of watching Kurt Thomas pass the ball easily."

"I believe coach Isiah Thomas warned the players in the video session, but on the court, they all forgot these details."

Bob Costas watched the Pacers fail to find Reggie Miller right away, and then asked Jermaine O'Neal to receive the ball in the low post on the right. For a moment, he felt that such an offense was pointless. beauty
Gasol, who was changing defense, was pushed to the basket, but O'Neal's left-hand shot from near the basket missed the frame.

Kurt Thomas stuck the big man Miller tightly, and even pulled and pulled him to prevent the opponent from completing the rebound. Gasol took off the second time and finally held the rebound in his arms.

The Pacers' two big men wanted to continue delaying the game, but head coach Isiah Thomas on the sidelines began to yell angrily, reminding his players to retreat.

Li You, who received the ball near the baseline, bypassed Gasol, received the ball, led the ball forward, and then accelerated with all his strength.

Jamal Tinsley, who was pursuing the defense, wanted to take advantage of Li You to switch to his right hand and block him near the right sideline. However, when the tank advanced, he could only slide desperately, and finally let Li You rush forward.

The two rushed across half court and when they approached the right wing, Jamal Tinsley had already lost half of his position.

Li You didn't force the attack. He grabbed the position and threw the ball towards Grant Hill who was following up in the middle.

The latter caught the ball, faced Jaylen Rose who was retreating on defense, took a step in the paint, then jumped into the air, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, and quickly reached out to pick the basket.

From receiving the ball to rushing to the basket, Grant Hill did not slow down at all. The moment he reached the lower right side of the basket, with a flick of his wrist, the basketball hit the board and entered the basket.

Jaylen Rose, who was still sliding, stopped dejectedly in the paint area. He watched Hill stagger slightly as he landed, quickly retreated from defense, and when he returned to the baseline to serve, he smashed the basketball angrily.

"Wow!"

The greater the opponent's reaction, the louder the noise at the scene. Sitting on the bench, head coach Thibodeau watched Li You rely on his personal speed to forcefully launch a transition attack. Although he felt that the game was stable, he did not feel any sense of accomplishment.

Just like after the "V" was placed in the last round, the Knicks played a very fast Flex screen. This thing was played on the spot.

As the game progressed, when Li You provocatively played the same tactics and continued to score, all Coach Thibodeau could do was stand up, imitate Van Gundy, shout twice, and then clap his hands:

"Good job! Good job!"

Thibodeau showed a confident smile and showed the style of a famous coach. On the other side, Isiah Thomas only felt more and more painful and almost lost his own players on the spot.

He saw clearly from the sidelines that the Knicks just changed direction and replaced a big man who passed the ball at the top of the arc, but there was no reaction from several people on the court.

With 3 minutes and 6 seconds left in the third quarter, Jaylen Rose drove to the basket with Artest in the middle. Gasol, who was being defended, relied on his long arms to easily block the shot. Madison Square Garden It's boiling again!
Grant Hill controlled the ball, moved the ball behind his back to his left hand, and accelerated along the left sideline.

Li You had already passed the half court, noticed Grant Hill cutting in from the left wing, and immediately began to slow down. When receiving the pass on the right wing, Jamal Tinsley also chased to his side.

Li You raised the ball and feinted, mobilizing the opponent's defensive focus, and then quickly swept the ball. When Li You released the ball with his right hand, he exerted force with his feet, took advantage of the situation to complete the sideways step, drifted slightly to the right, and quickly shot a jump shot in response to the block!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

Unable to keep up with the offensive rhythm, Jamal Tinsley was completely confused. For a new player, this offensive choice was too outrageous.

"God! This is Lee's third three-pointer in this quarter!"

Bob Costas could only sigh. He had seen too many unreasonable shots, and he just felt that they were ordinary.
At 50:65, the point difference gradually widened, and the Pacers still did not request a timeout.

Mike Dunleavy wanted to make a few comments, but when rookie Jamal Tinsley caught the ball near the three-point line, he was suddenly slapped away by Li You.

Looking at Jamal Tinsley who was staggered by the knock, Mike Dunleavy subconsciously exclaimed:
"OH! Lee made the steal! He's going to kill the game in the 3rd quarter!"

Completely unguarded, after stealing the ball, Li You rushed to the paint area and took off with both feet. He jumped high into the air and swung the ball around. Then he grabbed the ball with his right hand and smashed the ball into the basket!

"Boom!" The windmill dunked successfully!

"what!!"

Standing under the basket, Li You roared at the camera. He didn't feel embarrassed to steal Mengxin, but felt more and more comfortable.

Completely unable to hold himself any longer, Isiah Thomas watched Jamal Tinsley straighten up and stand stupidly on the three-point line. He first called a timeout, and then output like crazy:

"Farke! Are you all thinking shit! Why did you catch the ball so far away!"

"When the score is behind, serve as you please! Who taught you to play like this!"

The signature smile was gone from his face, and Isiah Thomas stared, angrily yelling at O'Neal who was serving the ball and Jamal Tinsley who was receiving the ball.

After one pass of output, the two were so sprayed that they couldn't even lift their heads, and their eyes were red when they returned to the bench.
The New York fans in the front row behind the Pacers laughed.

Popcorn and beer are on sale tonight, and the outcome doesn't seem to matter. Everyone just wants to see their opponent suffer misfortune.

After the timeout, the Pacers offense was still the same and the defense was still unstoppable.

Seeing Li You sliding down the baseline and bouncing to the right wing, receiving a hand-to-hand pass from Gasol, and making a blind pass, the Pacers bench was completely silent.

Head coach Isiah Thomas was not in the mood to play any more. He turned around and returned to the bench with an expressionless face, entering drama mode.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was fixed at 3:59.

Unlike G1, the Knicks also made many mistakes in the fourth quarter.

However, the Pacers did not seize the opportunity. After holding on for most of the quarter, as Reggie Miller was replaced, the outcome was no longer in suspense.

Li You, who was substituted, was in a good mood and comforted Artest, who was crazy about ironing:

"Ron, the offensive choices later are very smart, but I think you should continue to practice shooting."

"After the game, just shoot a few times and get a feel for it. There's no reason why you can't make even one three-pointer in a game!"

12 of 2, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. When Artest heard that he wanted to practice shooting, he felt his scalp was numb. Finally, he looked at Li You's serious eyes and laughed dryly:
“Next game I’ll be able to hit those open jumpers.”

"."

There was no timeout, the game time flew by, another huge cheer erupted from Madison Square Garden, and the game was officially over.

80:99, the Knicks once again defeated the Pacers and successfully got the match point!
After two consecutive defeats and being wildly ridiculed by the opponent's fans, everyone in the Pacers quickly left the field.

Coach Thibodeau saw Li You wrapped in a towel on the sidelines and stood up to high-five the fans to greet Li You. He fully understood the feeling of the bald young coach:
"It turns out that the basketball game is so simple."

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(End of this chapter)