NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 273 True Star (-word chapter)

On December 2002, 12, New York fans at Madison Square Garden were still celebrating the team's record after the game.

Buy a ticket to watch the game and witness the birth of the record. The recent tickets will definitely not be a loss.

78:106. The Heat recently encountered the Knicks and lost consecutive games, and even Pat Riley was frequently ridiculed by the New York media.

The team lacked the true core of Mourning, and the championship coach was no longer good. With 8 wins and 20 losses, the Heat officially began their journey to the top pick.

In the on-site MSG commentary box, the two were still warming up for the upcoming Christmas game. The famous Walter Frazier said proudly:

"Participating in the Christmas game for 6 consecutive seasons, and this is also the 47th Christmas game in the history of the Knicks."

“As the team that has participated in the most Christmas games in the league, I’m proud of the boys!”

Marv Albert is still singing praises for the new record:

"24 consecutive wins at the start of the new season, an unparalleled achievement!"

"The record continues. Lee is so good. I think we will get the O'Brien Cup back this season!"

The two of them had a blast in the commentary box, and the sports media at the scene also surrounded Li You after the game.

With 24 consecutive victories, the defending champion Lakers have been completely overshadowed by the Knicks. Of course, the sports media will chase records, and no one wants to miss such a hot spot.

In addition to compliments, sports reporters also did not forget to warm up for the subsequent Christmas war.

ABC broadcasts very few regular season games, but the Knicks' Christmas Day game is planned. Everyone hopes that this national live broadcast will attract more people's attention.

Reporters from ESPN and TNT kept asking questions. When asked whether the record could be extended, Li You did not brag, but shrugged his shoulders and joked about the games of the past few days:

"If the Bucks weren't in average shape, maybe we would have stopped at 22 consecutive wins."

"Basketball is round and everything is possible. There is indeed some luck in records, but I will go all out for the Christmas game. Victory is a gift to the fans!"

Last week in the game against the Bucks, everyone in the Knicks was possessed by blacksmiths, and Li You was also blacksmithing.

Everyone was prepared to lose, but Ray Allen stood up!

After a hard-fought 4 quarters, Ray Allen made 17 of 3 shots and scored 10 points, leading the Knicks to continue their winning streak.

88:82, Li You just felt confused and reversed the game, and then won the game inexplicably.

The two teams almost smashed the Bucks' home basket. After the game, head coach George Karl suddenly broke the defense and publicly criticized Ray Allen after the game:

"The Bucks can't win when their core players are shooting but don't want to contribute on the defensive end!"

"This is the most ugly defeat I have ever seen. I don't see any desire to win in the players. We are just a bunch of cowards!"

The performance was so hip that Ray Allen didn't say anything after the game. Instead, Li You said a few words for his good brother:

"Ray should insist on being himself. He will never become the next one because he is already very good!"

“Every player has a bad day, and I didn’t perform well tonight, but basketball is about five people and it’s great to see our bench step up.”

Just because Li You said a few words of comfort, head coach George Karl has been going crazy recently. Not only did he attack Ray Allen, Li You was also constantly ridiculed by the old man.

The two sides have been at each other's throats recently, and only Lezi fans are enjoying watching it.

The TNT reporter naturally knew that Li You and George Karl were not dealing with each other recently, but this topic was almost going out of fashion, so he took the initiative to ask about MVP:

"Lee, you have led the team to 24 consecutive victories. Do you think you can continue to win the MVP this season?"

No matter how he is ranked, Li You has always ranked first in the MVP rankings.

"I don't know, the regular season has just begun. Our schedule in the first two months is very good, but it also means that the subsequent schedule will be very intensive."

"I don't care much about this award, because I want to win back the championship. The Knicks are ready for this!"

When the media voted, Li You didn't have much hope and answered very casually.

After the courtside interview ended, several New York sports reporters were still discussing in low voices:

"With another Player of the Month award in December, Lee should be able to win the MVP!"

The reporter from ESPN has been with the team more often this season. After hearing the discussion of several people, he looked at his colleagues around him and sighed secretly:

"It's a really difficult choice"

On the morning of December 12, Li You, who had already entered the Christmas vacation, rarely got up early for a morning run to exercise.

At home on 82nd Street in Manhattan, the bonfire in the fireplace was still burning. Li You, who was sullenly awakened, pulled Scarlett around him and finally woke up.

Scarlett, who just celebrated her 18th birthday not long ago, officially became a big girl and no longer has to carry her little brother with her little tail.

Last night, in order to help the girl improve her acting skills and expand her acting career, surrounded by two people, the girl awakened some strange attributes.

On the other side of the big bed, Christen-Litte also woke up in a daze. When she saw the girl coming to her side again, she subconsciously buried her head in her arms.

Soon, Scarlett let out a low cry, and slowly woke up. She realized that she was caught in the middle, her face turned red, and before she could speak, she soon groaned again.

After getting up at noon, I took a shower and looked at the marks on my neck. It seemed that I was reminded of the crazy practice last night. The girl who was dressed still looked slightly red.

Lunch was prepared by the invited Russian chef. Although there were not many people in the family, the food was extremely rich.

Christen Ritter, who was wearing loose pajamas, had already sat in front of the dining table. When she saw Scarlett lingering, she said hello calmly:

"Good morning, come and eat! I'm going to starve to death!"

Li You cooperated with the fat Russian chef to bring the soup to the table, kissed the girl lowly, and then introduced:

"The dishes have been improved and should be more in line with American tastes."

After unlocking a lot of knowledge, Scarlett finally came back to her senses after sitting down. The little follower came to her side, blinked her big eyes and asked curiously:

"Is Tokyo fun? I haven't been there yet!"

In September, she went to Japan to shoot a new movie. Scarlett, who was in the transition period, hoped to broaden her acting career. However, when she thought about filming, she finally said gloomily:

"The crew's budget is too small. Not only is the filming busy, I don't even have time to go shopping there!"

Kristen Ritter, who just celebrated her birthday two days ago, looked at Li You again and said coquettishly:

"Clay, how about we go to Tokyo in the summer?"

Li You was baking bread for the two of them. He heard Tokyo shake his head, and then said quickly:

"I have to go to Manchester and there should be a lot of work to do this summer."

The little follower didn't care. He looked at the "Box Office Poison" beside him and started joking:

"How about the movie? This is your first movie as an adult!"

When it came to the movie, Scarlett completely broke away from her embarrassment and said even more depressedly:

"It is said that it has a budget of 400 million, but I feel a bit bad. It seems that no one wants to watch this kind of clichéd romance movie, and there may be another problem at the box office."

Noticing that both of them were looking at him, Li You shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly:

"Sending money to Hollywood is not my pursuit. The movie will definitely be a hit!"

"Don't forget, everyone likes pretty girls!"

Looking at Li You who was blinking, Christen Ritter also chuckled, took the initiative to lean into Scarlett's ear and teased:

"Your figure is getting better and better. Will you stay here tonight?"

Although she wanted to find an excuse, the girl with a slightly warm body finally nodded slightly. She liked such an exciting life.

On Christmas Eve on the 24th, Li You attended a dinner hosted by Mayor Bloomberg at his mansion.

Not long ago, he attended a fundraising dinner held by the Elephant Party in New York City to raise funds for the 2004 campaign.

After the confession was made, the attitude of the Xiang Party members present tonight became amiable when they saw Li You.

The Christmas dinner is mainly to relieve the pressure on New York's public finances. The billionaire mayor has not been having a good time recently.

Compared to the Elephant Party gathering that Mr. President attended not long ago, tonight there are more people from Wall Street.

Although the Citadel hedge fund is headquartered in Chicago, Ken Griffin and Anne Dias are having a fierce fight, and Christmas has also come to New York.

After greeting the familiar New York celebrities, Li You also approached the two of them.

Diaz, who was wearing a red dress, was still very conspicuous tonight. When he saw Li You, he hugged Ken Griffin beside him and said sweetly:

"Li, we plan to officially get married next year, but we haven't decided where to hold the wedding yet!"

Li You, who was wearing a black formal suit, looked at Ken Griffin with his slicked back hair and was a little surprised. He originally thought that the two would not get married, but chose to get along as friends.

Friends can cooperate, but once you actually get married, there will be a lot of trouble.

However, seeing the two of them looking very sweet, Li You still blessed him:

"You will definitely have a cute little guy in the future. Choose a location and don't forget to notify me. I have to prepare a big gift!"

Anne Dias looked at Li You, then smiled and joked:

"Have you changed your mind? I quite like the position of football director."

Noticing that the French blonde beauty was ogling him again, Li You could only change the subject:

"Whether Ken will agree to it or not, he must be reluctant to leave you!"

"Honey, I don't want to see you working in England!"

Ken Griffin joked, lowered his head and kissed his beautiful wife, and the three of them looked at each other and smiled.

In February next year, Red Football Capital will increase its shareholding ratio and officially start acquisitions. The time to divide the meat is coming soon.

On Christmas Day on the 25th, Manhattan seemed to be getting rid of the horror of last year, and there were many more tourists than last year.

In the morning, Li You took Jin and Milinda shopping. It was a rare holiday for the two of them, so they went shopping non-stop after returning to Manhattan.

Since the Christmas game kicked off at 18: that night, Li You had to come to the arena early to warm up in the afternoon.

Everyone on the Nets was quite excited to participate in the Christmas game. Although it was an away game, Kidd confidently encouraged his teammates in an interview before the game:

"We like to show ourselves on a stage like this, a Christmas game, victory is the best gift, and we played for the fans tonight."

"The opponent is in good shape, but we have also had a winning streak recently!"

The Nets currently have a record of 19 wins and 9 losses, and Kidd didn't brag about it. Their current competitive state is indeed excellent.

This season, rookie Richard Jefferson has secured his starting position. He smiled from ear to ear during the interview before the game. In addition to praising the team, he also did not forget to praise his boss:

"Everyone underestimates Kidd, and I know the impact he brings to the team."

"It only took one season for the Nets to reach second place in the Eastern Conference. Lee is outstanding, but Kidd should also receive more attention!"

The sports media have not forgotten Pau Gasol, who is also a second-year rookie. Compared with Jefferson, Gasol's statistics are even better.

In an interview before the game, Pau Gasol was very humble. After hearing everyone's praise, he just said cheerfully:

"I am a technical big man, but after more than a season of training, I feel that I am more adapted to the league."

"Ewing has been a great help to the rookies in the team this season. He is a legendary center. We are all very happy to accept his guidance."

"."

During the game that night, there were also many Christmas elements in the Madison Square Garden Arena.

New York fans who arrived early actively participated in small activities organized by sponsors, and the atmosphere was particularly joyful.

Like major shopping malls in Manhattan, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" was played in the arena at this time.

This 94 hit single has a huge sales increase every Christmas.

ABC took this Christmas game very seriously, and the on-site commentator became Bradley Nessler, with Bill Walton as his partner.

Chief sideline reporter Michelle Tafea also came to the arena.

However, the combination of the three seems not to be popular with fans.

After the game started, although Bradley Nessler actively provided commentary, his partner Bill Walton often failed to pick up the conversation.

There were some minor problems with the pairing of the two, but it did not affect the quality of the game.

At the end of the first half, Kidd used Kenyon Martin's cover on the right elbow of the free throw line and once again went straight inside and caused a foul on Pau Gasol's beater.

Coach Scott on the sidelines kept clapping his hands and had a satisfied smile on his face. Kidd was extremely proactive on the offensive end during the half game.

After making two free throws, the Nets tied the score again. The New York fans at the scene did not boo and continued to shout happily.

At 54:54, the two sides were tied at half-time.

半场8中5，罚球6中6，基德拿到了16分3篮板7助攻3失误。

Frequently hitting long two-pointers that were left open, Kidd performed very well on the offensive end tonight.

On the contrary, the newbie Jefferson scored zero points at halftime, and Artest's defensive power at home doubled.

The game was lively, and the New York fans who occasionally changed their tastes were also happy to watch. As for the outcome, the old fans knew that the team would exert its strength again in the third quarter.

In the commentary box, Bill Walton took a look at the technical statistics, and then simply commented:

"It seems that the Knicks are not completely nervous yet. Lee was a little slow in the first half, but I believe he will get back to his form soon."

Nessler praised coach Scott’s defensive strategy:

"Facing the Knicks' pick-and-roll offense, the Nets' big men performed well in the first half. I believe they will continue this defensive strategy in the second half."

半场10中6，三分线外4中1，罚球4中4，李佑拿到17分2篮板6助攻2抢断2失误。

Although this kind of data is very good, everyone is used to the efficient performance in the past. When they see Li You shooting from outside the three-point line, they subconsciously feel that it is ordinary.

Unlike the home commentators, the two people in the commentary box seemed to emphasize their neutral status too much, and their comments were quite satisfactory.

After the second half of the game started, coach D'Antoni remained the same, smiling and sitting in his seat.

"Defense!."

The defensive shouts resounded throughout the arena, and the Nets, who took the lead in attacking, soon discovered that the Knicks continued the game strategy of the first half.

Li You, who was leading the defense, still kept a distance from Kidd, and the rest of the Knicks players still stood around the paint area.

In the entire first half, the Nets only took one shot from outside the three-point line. They responded with a long two-pointer, and the two sides played back and forth.

When Kidd saw this defensive positioning, he knew his opponents didn't believe they could continue to hit those shots.

At the top of the arc, Kidd directed the traffic. When Lucios Harris received the ball on the right wing, his opponent Grant Hill also shot to prevent the breakthrough.

After a moment of hesitation, Harris chose to pass the ball back, and then Jide gave the ball to Jefferson on the left wing.

With continuous passes on the line, the Knicks' defensive formation is still the same. Only when the opponent receives the ball, the opposing players will step forward to defend.

After a few quick passes, Kidd finally called Kenyon Martin, and while Jefferson was running towards the left corner, he immediately started a pick-and-roll on the left wing.

Kurt Thomas stayed behind. Kenyon Martin faked a screen and accelerated down the field. Li You easily squeezed through the screen and continued to pursue the defense from his side.

Kidd, who was holding the ball in his left hand, leaned against Li You while observing the situation on the court. He noticed that everyone on the Knicks team was shrinking, and he distributed the ball to Jefferson in the left corner.

Although it was an open opportunity, Jefferson hesitated after receiving the ball. The opportunity passed in a flash, and Artest defended again.

More than half of the attack time passed. In desperation, Jefferson released the ball with his right hand and tried to go to the line to break through.

Artest slid quickly, and the two collided. Jefferson was almost forced to stop the ball. He noticed that there were people inside, and without waiting for the blocking area, he subconsciously gave the ball to Kidd outside the three-point line.

The quality of the pass, which was almost a throw away, was extremely poor. Li You predicted the opponent's passing route, and Li You grabbed the ball in front of Kidd and poked it away.

Kidd immediately turned around and tried to snatch the ball back. The two collided on the left wing. In the end, Li You got stuck and stabbed the ball again.

He was hit and slowed down immediately. Kidd tried to catch up again, but Li You had already grabbed the ball with his right hand, strode quickly across the half court!

"Wow!"

Amid the cheers of the New York fans at the scene, Li You rushed faster and faster, completely throwing away Kidd behind him, rushed into the paint area and soared into the air, turning back and dunking gracefully!

Partners were not allowed to talk in the commentary box, so Bill Walton was the first to speak:

"Excellent defensive anticipation! Apart from Artest, the Knicks' defense is definitely underestimated!"

Kidd, who was chasing until half-court, didn't look at Li You who was pretending to be an X under the basket. He came to the bottom line and loudly reminded his teammates:

"Offensive, we have to hit those shots!"

The boss warned him solemnly, and Jefferson, who was catching the ball, quickly patted his chest to apologize.

When the Nets attacked again, Kidd felt a little dizzy looking at the Knicks' defensive formation. Having learned the lessons of the past, Kidd decisively called Jason Collins to the right wing.

With the help of the pick-and-roll, Kidd, who was holding the ball in his right hand, briefly escaped and went off the line to defend Li You.

Taking a big step forward from the three-point line, Kidd immediately stopped and made a decisive jump shot!

"state!"

The basketball hit the back edge of the basket and was grabbed by Gasol the moment it bounced. The Nets quickly retreated in response to each other, and Li You, who received the ball, accelerated across the half court.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The cheering on the scene became louder and louder, and Kidd continued to direct his teammates to quickly defend and counterpoint.

The two teams coincidentally chose the same defensive method. Li You looked at the Nets' position and immediately called Gasol for a pick-and-roll.

Approaching the left wing, Gasol stood still. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, quickly dribbled the ball under his hips. As his body swayed to the left, he picked up the ball with his right hand and left behind to circle the ball.

Kidd, who still wanted to squeeze through the screen, quickly adjusted his center of gravity. At the same time, big man Jason Collins also stepped forward to delay.

Li You suddenly accelerated his dribbling speed and switched to his left hand. He immediately lowered his center of gravity, quickly pushed the ball to change direction, and squeezed out of the gap when the opponent's defense failed to form an encirclement.

Huge cheers erupted in the arena. Kenyon Martin reacted quickly and quickly pursued the defense from the right elbow to the basket.

Noticing the opponent's defense, Li You slowed down while traveling and took the initiative to lean towards the opponent. Kenyon Martin was knocked slightly, and then quickly jumped up to block the shot.

Right in front of the basket, Li You, who jumped with his left foot, grabbed the ball with his left hand, successfully stole a step, leaned out in the air, and threw the ball towards the backboard before the opponent blocked the shot!

Kenyon Martin's block immediately hit Li You's left arm, the referee blew the whistle, and the basketball hit the backboard and hit the net.

"Wow!"

Seeing Li You pass the Nets' entire defense, the Madison Square Garden Arena was boiling again.

Although Nesler's reaction in the commentary box was a little slow, he soon followed up and praised loudly:

"Unbelievable! K-Mart was knocked away, and Lee tore the Nets' defense apart!"

Facing Kidd, the Knicks big man chose to retreat. When Li You held the ball, the Nets big man had no choice but to delay his move.

The same defensive strategy, but the final effect is completely different.

Li You hit the target steadily with extra penalties. When retreating from defense, don’t forget to give guidance to your superficial brothers:

"You've got to keep shooting! Three-pointers might change our defense."

"As long as you miss the shot, we will still score!"

Kidd, who received the ball from the baseline, simply showed his cards. To break the zone defense, it is better to strengthen the defense and play more transition offense.

Both of them knew the other's plan, but as the game progressed, Kidd's face became increasingly ugly.

Li You did not push hard to switch offense, but started to play tactical routines meticulously.

The Nets, who were making consecutive jump shots, relied on Kenyon Martin's impact on the basket to get a second tip-in.

Looking back, Li You passed half court. Kidd noticed that there was no big man behind him and immediately knew that he was going to play a low attack.

Seeing the tactical gesture and the baseline cross screen, Gasol came to the low post on the right and successfully blocked Kenyon Martin who was changing defense behind him. Li You immediately sent the pass.

After Gasol received the ball, Grant Hill in the right corner immediately accelerated and slipped across the baseline, while Li You stopped on the right wing.

Big man Jason Collins followed Kurt Thomas to the free throw line, and for a moment the Knicks almost cleared one side, watching Gasol play in isolation.

After releasing the ball with his left hand, Gasol leaned on the opponent and continued to feint to get to the line. After reaching the paint area, he immediately turned around quickly with his right foot as the axis, and while joining the ball, he switched to his right hand. Gasol took advantage of his height advantage to hit the basket. Successful hook shot from the lower right.

At 58:65, watching the point difference slowly widen, head coach Scott still did not request a timeout from the sidelines.

After missing the basket in several rounds, Kidd continued to hit the paint without taking the lead. After passing the half court, he quickly signaled for Harris to cover.

After successfully playing a roll-up tactic, Harris used the big man's screen on the right elbow of the free throw line to receive a pass from Kidd and quickly made a jump shot near the free throw line.

The chasing Grant Hill failed to defend in time, but Pau Gasol once again jumped up with his long arms to interfere.

"state!"

The basketball came out of the frame again, and Harris slapped his thigh angrily. This time, Kenyon Martin was blocked by Kurt Thomas in advance and failed to grab the rebound. He quickly retreated with his teammates.

Kidd noticed that Li You suddenly accelerated after receiving the ball. After being thrown away, he immediately loudly reminded his teammates.

Kenyon Martin, who was still immersed in his rush, retreated to the paint area. When he turned around, he saw Li You jumping to the basket.

Subconsciously reaching out to block the shot, Kenyon Martin realized something was wrong, but Li You took the initiative to stick to it. The two collided and the basketball was thrown to the basket.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Coach Scott on the sidelines held his forehead helplessly. Before the half of the game, Kenyon Martin received his fourth foul.

At 58:67, watching Li You make two free throws, Kidd also began to worry. Without the transition attack, the Nets relied on low-post scoring which was really stretched.

Although Jefferson succeeded in forcing Artest to throw, but looking back, when Li You and Kurt Thomas once again initiated a pick-and-roll on the left wing, Kenyon Martin did not dare to reach out.

Seeing Li You suddenly stop and start while moving, turning his hip in the left block to accelerate, and sneaking in again to pick up the basket, head coach Scott had no choice but to ask for a timeout.

At 58:69, the Nets were completely suppressed, and the happy New York fans immediately shouted excitedly:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Kidd was so angry that he didn't want to speak, especially when he saw Li You walking towards the bench with his hands high in the air and high-fiving him, and subconsciously cursed:

"What the hell!"

Kenyon Martin's defensive habits are not very good. He clearly heard Kidd's reminder in the last round, but still ended up with a foul.

Everyone in the Nets looked at the boss's angry appearance and remained silent for a while.

The national live broadcast was suppressed in all aspects, and the commentators after the game were not merciful. At the end of this year, the Nets will still have to hang on to the title of the Knicks' second team.

After the timeout, Kenyon Martin was still on the court. The opponent committed four fouls. Without Li You's reminder, Grant Hill also began to rush towards the basket.

The restrained Kenyon Martin did not commit a foul, but he was easily scored by the Knicks in a few rounds, which made Kidd jump in a hurry.

Fortunately, the referee gave face and rushed in with the ball after the pick-and-roll. Kidd also caused Li You to foul and responded with a free throw.

The defensive strategy changed during the defensive round. Jefferson suddenly let go of his opponent Artest and cooperated with Kidd to double-team early.

At the top of the arc, Li You easily passed the ball to Artest on the left wing. The latter received the ball in an open position and made a jump shot!

Seeing Artest glaring at him, Jefferson looked helplessly at his boss, and Kidd stopped talking.

In the second half of the third quarter, head coach Scott was forced to replace Aaron Williams early.

In the first round of his debut, facing the pick-and-roll of Li You and Kurt Thomas, Williams tried his best to grab the ball, while Kidd quickly changed defense to try to cut off the passing route.

Before Kidd could return to defend against the double team again, Li You, who was pulling the defender laterally, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, leaned forward and accelerated, and Williams immediately slid to the left and back.

Li You cross-stepped back and returned to the three-point line. Without giving his opponent time to react, he quickly made a jump shot after combining the ball!

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

67:81，第3节比赛还剩2分33秒，分差再次被扩大。

Constantly changing defensive methods, in the end they were all alone, and everyone in the Nets was a little frustrated.

Harris, who worked hard for a while, finally hit a long two-pointer from the right wing, but the response came too late.

The big man Collins was tortured for a quarter. He failed to defend in time on the right wing when guarding the pick-and-roll. He watched Li You circle the ball from behind and then suddenly stopped and made a long-distance three-point jumper!

"Shua!" The three-pointer was hit steadily.

In the last few rounds, Kidd continued to make free throws for the Nets, and Williams made a tip-in;

The Knicks continued to pick and roll, Kurt Thomas and Pau Gasol were eating at the basket, and the point difference never narrowed.

72:88, with such a score difference, the atmosphere became more and more joyful.

Leading by a big score, D'Antoni did not fight against the main force. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, the rotation lineup came on again.

Perhaps due to a broken mentality, after playing for more than three minutes, the Nets' offense showed no improvement. They neither grabbed three points nor strengthened their defense.

Until Kidd came on the stage again and took the initiative to speed up the offensive rhythm, the game completely collapsed.

In the second half of the 4th quarter, the Knicks, familiar to New York fans, were back. The two sides played lively, and there were alley-oops from time to time.

Kenyon Martin also showed off his beast body, and Stoudemire also completed an every-man dunk in his first Christmas game.

With 2 minutes and 01 seconds left in the game, head coach Scott took the initiative to take a timeout and replaced him at the end of the bench to let the atmosphere team show off.

For the Knicks, Matt Barnes also got some playing time.

In the end, 96:116, the Knicks defeated the second team and won their 25th consecutive victory!

出场38分钟，21中13，三分线外10中4，罚球10中10，40分5篮板11助攻4抢断2失误。

Li You scored a mediocre 40-point double-double. Bill Walton in the commentary box looked at the technical statistics and sighed:

"With 40 points, I don't even think Lee performed that well."

"This is not the first time this illusion has occurred. Perhaps we are all used to the strict requirements on him."

The whole game was a bit disjointed. Nessler glanced at his partner and didn't know what to say. Finally, he praised dryly:

"I will vote for Lee, all the All-Star votes and MVP votes for him!"

"He completely tore apart the opponent's defense in the third quarter and completely controlled the rhythm of the game. This season, Li is the best player!"

The joyous atmosphere at Madison Square Garden made Kidd increasingly depressed.

There were no Nets fans in the arena, not one wearing his jersey.

The Christmas game can be regarded as a gift to the fans. After the game, the players from both sides shook hands briefly and finally expressed their gratitude to the fans.

Except for the slightly stronger defensive intensity in the third quarter, most of the time tonight, it was still a battle of offense. The game was pretty good to watch, and the fans who bought high-priced tickets felt that it was not a loss!

Kidd simply said hello and left the game. Li You knew that his brother was in a bad mood, so in an interview after the game, he gave him his consolation prize:

"This is the 47th Christmas Day game for the Knicks. I'm happy to have a victory!"

"The Nets are a strong opponent, and Kidd is very smart. He can always drag the opponent into his rhythm of the game."

"We have also done a lot of work before the game. This is a team victory!"

Michelle Tafia, who became the chief off-field reporter this season, seemed not satisfied with Li You’s remarks and continued to ask:

"25 consecutive wins, Lee, congratulations on setting a new record again. We all know that the Knicks will experience consecutive away games in the Western Conference. Do you think the team can continue to win?"

The next three away games are the Rockets, Mavericks, and Spurs, two of which are back-to-back games.

When Li You heard this question, he was no longer polite, but said seriously:

"We will fly to Houston for the next game. You know, facing Yao, we all have extra motivation!"

"I hope the team can end the December schedule with an undefeated record and the Knicks will win 12 consecutive games."

"I lost the championship. I hope New York fans will like this gift!"

In the three Christmas games on Christmas Day, the Magic team playing at home also won.

At 99:104, McGrady, Houston, and Mike Miller struck hard, and the Pistons unfortunately lost.

麦克格雷迪26中14贡献36分、休斯顿拿到22分、米勒也有15分入账。

Kemp stretched his hips as always, but Magic fans saw hope. The new Big Three were unstoppable!

At 105:99, the Lakers, playing at home, finally lost to the Kings.

The OK combination both stretched their hips and gave Lakers fans a big gift on Christmas.

出场46分钟，科比拼尽全力，24中7，砍下27分15篮板6助攻2抢断1盖帽6失误；

奥尼尔出场41分钟，19中8，罚球16中11，拿到27分17篮板5助攻3盖帽2失误。

The two showed off their hips, and after the game Phil Jackson could only continue to be the peacemaker:

"We just couldn't shoot. We grabbed 61 rebounds tonight!"

"22 offensive rebounds, the loss was just because we didn't feel good and failed to seize the opportunity."

The defeat by the Kings was broadcast live across the United States, and the sports media naturally followed suit. When asked about the internal conflicts within the team, Phil Jackson immediately laughed:

"I have long said that there are only some basketball differences in the Lakers. Shaq and Kobe have a very good relationship!"

"Believe me, the Lakers will eventually defend their title!"

With 11 wins and 19 losses, the sports media didn't know whether they could complete the title defense, but everyone heard the scattered boos in the Staples Arena.

Leaving aside the championship, two months into the season, Kobe and O'Neal have already fallen out of the MVP ranks.

The Knicks have to go through three consecutive away games in the Western Conference. With no time to enjoy the Christmas vacation, everyone has to pack their bags and prepare to fly to Houston.

After getting on the plane, Artest ran around and shouted:

"When we meet Yao, we have to let Li get some data. It is said that many fans in China are paying attention to this game."

Stephen Jackson threw his coat aside, wearing a black sweater and black casual pants, dressed in pitch black, and approached Li You:

"How about getting 60 points, Li, it won't be difficult for you!"

Grant Hill, who was sitting next to Li You and reading a magazine, also turned his head and said with a smile:

"If you feel good about shooting, you should be able to get 30+ in less than 60 shots. I think this is a good idea."

"Chinese fans should like it!"

Gasol heard the discussion from behind and couldn't help but nodded, handed Li You a newspaper, and introduced:

"ESPN's broadcast, everyone is looking forward to this game."

The New York media did not specifically report on Yao Ming, but they praised Stoudemire!

The rookie is still adapting to the game so far. Sometimes he doesn't have much playing time. He lost the Rookie of the Year Award for two consecutive months, which made the New York media anxious.

Li You hadn't spoken yet, but as the atmosphere team also joined in, everyone gathered in a circle and couldn't stop talking.

Hearing Stoudemire start shouting about beating up Yao Ming, Li You couldn't help but touch his chin:

"If we really defeat this guy, maybe "Li Youhei" will appear early in China?"

The Rockets, who are still preparing for the game in Houston, have become extremely popular recently!

As Yao Ming gradually adapted to the league's rhythm and his scoring also increased, Rockets owner Alexander couldn't help laughing.

Although it is not as good as big ball markets like New York and Los Angeles, Alexander knows that he has chosen a money tree!

Every game, there are Chinese fans present, and everyone enthusiastically holds the whiteboard and cheers for Yao Ming.

After the game, the sports media swarmed in, not only benefiting Yao Ming, but also the entire Rockets team received huge exposure.

The team owner was overjoyed, and Yao Ming, who was preparing for the game recently, felt a lot of pressure.

When he was in China, he watched some games here and there, but Yao Ming had not yet experienced Li You's influence.

But after coming to the United States, the mainstream sports media circled around Li You, and Yao Ming knew what a true star was.

After the training session on the afternoon of the 26th, after Yao Ming completed interviews with sports media, the translator Colin Pan beside him said excitedly:

“Finally we can play against the Knicks!”

"Yao, can you help me get Lee's autograph? Since Upper Deck launched Lee's star card, it has become more and more difficult to get autographs!"

"Be happy, don't worry about the result of the game, that's Lee! The superstar who defeated Michael Jordan and won 4 consecutive championships!"

Seeing that Yao Ming was still frowning, Colin Pan walked around again and finally whispered:

"You don't want to beat the Knicks, do you?"

"Don't expect Francis to be able to restrain Li, the gap between the two is too big!"

Yao Ming looked at his friend next to him who had turned into a chatterbox, and finally said helplessly:

"I'm just worried that I won't perform well. The country has great expectations for me. There isn't much news about Lee, and the fans may not know much about him."

Colin Pan still didn't quite understand what Yao Ming meant. In his opinion, it was normal for the Rockets to lose to the championship team.

Seeing that his friend seemed a little confused, Yao Ming sat on the chair next to him and sighed secretly:

"If we lose by a big score, there will be boring problems after the game."

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(End of this chapter)