NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 289 The best point guard? (Ten thousand words chapter)

On Sunday, May 2003, 5, at 18:19 that night, half an hour before the official kick-off of the game, Madison Square Garden was already boiling.

The New York fans at the scene were cheering mainly because Spike Lee, who was sitting in the front row, was walking around the sidelines wearing a printed T-shirt.

Tonight's game was broadcast by ABC. The sideline reporter Michelle Tafia was wearing a white professional suit and had medium-length hair above her ears. She smiled in front of the camera and shared the news she got at the scene:

"The atmosphere tonight was great! New York fans came to the arena early to cheer for the home team."

As soon as he finished speaking, Spike Lee walked over to the camera and shouted:

"Where is Shark?"

Spike Lee, who was wearing glasses, had a large orange handkerchief wrapped around his head. After shouting, he continued to walk to the sidelines. The camera quickly captured the pattern on the T-shirt.

On the front is the phrase "Missing Person" and a print of O'Neal's pained expression when he was fouled, while on the back is a photo of Kobe laughing.

Obviously, New York fans believed the gossip in the New York Post to be true. Since the Lakers lost, there have been more and more baseless news:

"Kobe Bryant wants to get rid of O'Neal"

This news is extremely false. First of all, it doesn't make sense logically. The winners of FMVP and MVP must be the team boss. Kobe and O'Neal are one level behind.

However, this kind of column is extremely popular. Fans like this story about O'Neal being picked on by his younger brother!

Fans holding whiteboards and posters were also shouting and making noises. In order to attract the director's attention and appear on TV, the crazy fans had already begun to enjoy themselves.

Most of the Knicks' front row tickets are dedicated to well-known artists, most of whom are New York singers or actors, and the tickets are mostly booked by brokerage companies.

Unlike the financial professionals who like to sit close to the front row, these guys are sometimes very expressive. The more games are broadcast live across the United States, the more they like to jump up and down.

Another courtside reporter, Stuart Scott, saw this chaotic scene of demons, subconsciously adjusted his glasses, raised his voice, and introduced the Nets' situation to the camera.

This well-known black reporter only joined ESPN last year, and he cherishes this opportunity on a stage like the conference finals.

Only halfway through the introduction, the shouting at the scene became louder and louder. Stewart almost couldn't hold back and hurriedly concluded:

"The two teams have received the same rest time. Coach Scott has developed more targeted tactics in the past few days. We can look forward to the performance of the Nets tonight!"

When the two sides finished warming up, Kidd discovered something that particularly annoyed him. Everyone ignored the Nets.

After the Lakers were eliminated, the championship seemed to have been determined, and the arrogant New York fans didn't even have the intention to mock him.

Kidd, who looked serious, didn't even say hello to Li You during the warm-up.

"The Clay Man also has three-point fire." He had just opened up a new track and proclaimed himself "the league's number one point guard", but he was ignored.

In the ABC live commentary box, the commentator is still Brad Nesler.

The commentator, who wears a beige formal suit and has a slicked back hair, is often criticized by fans for not being passionate enough, but the broadcasters of the Eastern Conference Finals and Finals have no intention of changing the commentary team:

"The Nets did not adjust their starting lineup tonight, and the backcourt is still Jason Kidd and Corey Kidders."

"The three frontcourt players are Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin, and Jason Collins."

"I like Kidd's confidence very much. Tom, who do you think is the better point guard between him and Lee?"

Upon hearing his partner's question, bald Tom Tolbert responded seriously:

"The two have completely different playing styles. In my opinion, Lee is unpredictable. Many players have said that they cannot predict Lee's offensive and defensive choices."

"But Kidd is different. He prefers to control the rhythm of the game. His excellent basketball IQ allows him to bring bonuses to the team on both offense and defense."

"This is also the secret to the Nets' success. The point guard is the brains on the court. I have to say that both of them do this very well."

"In comparison, I still prefer Li. His skills are more comprehensive and he has no blind spots on both offense and defense. This is why he has achieved such success."

Tolbert can also be regarded as Li Youchui, and fans can often hear his praises on ESPN programs.

Li You had already taken off his training clothes and was shooting warm-up shots with his teammates.

On the bench, coach D'Antoni was still the same as before, smiling and leaning back, waiting for the game to start.

When the referee called the players from both sides to the center of the field, head coach Scott also pulled Kidd and kept talking. They were very eager for an away victory!

"Let's go Knicks!."

Li You briefly fist bumped with everyone on the Nets, while Kenyon Martin kept staring at everyone on the Knicks. The beastly power forward seemed to want to complete his revenge.

As Gasol successfully dialed the basketball, the cheers started again. Kidd returned to the half court early and directed his teammates to complete the matchup.

The two sides have played against each other frequently in the past two seasons and are very familiar with each other. In the first round after an opening, the Nets shrunk very small.

Artest and Grant Hill, who were running towards the left and right corners, were left open for a while, while Jefferson and Kidders moved closer to the blocking area.

Kenyon Martin was guarding Kurt Thomas in the right elbow area. At this time, he was always aiming at Li You who was on the line. The Knicks usually started in the pick-and-roll, so he needed to be prepared defensively in advance.

When Gasol moved up at the left elbow, Kidd and big man Collins moved up the line to defend at the same time.

Before the pick-and-roll happened, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, moved laterally, pulling the defense outwards and immediately sent a ground pass.

When Gasol received the ball, he was just near the free throw line, and Kenyon Martin and Kidders started to move at the same time.

One of the two helped defend in front of Gasol, and the other retracted toward the basket, trying to cut off Kurt Thomas' route to catch the ball.

In the right corner, Grant Hill was left open, and Gasol threw the ball to his teammates immediately.

The latter caught the ball and immediately released the ball with his left hand. It was fully accelerated without any interference. Kurt Thomas just rushed to the basket and Kidders was completely blocked.

When Kenyon Martin wanted to return to the basket, Grant Hill, who accelerated from the bottom corner and cut into the basket, stepped close to the paint area, then jumped into the air, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and succeeded in a one-handed split!

"Wow!"

It started with a dunk, and the New York fans immediately cheered loudly. At the same time, they sat back in their seats, shook their handkerchiefs, and shouted loudly for the defense:

"Defense!."

After completing the dunk, Grant Hill quickly retreated from the defense and celebrated by high-fiving the blocking defender Kurt Thomas.

Every time they play against the Nets, the opponent will definitely test their shooting touch. The Knicks also adopt the same game strategy. Li You just delays Kidd's advancement, and the latter hands over the ball immediately after halftime.

Giving the ball to Kenyon Martin at the left elbow, Kidd cut through the middle without the ball and then ran to the right corner.

At this time, Jefferson quickly slipped across the baseline from the left corner. With the help of the big man Collins' screen near the baseline, he reached the basket and accelerated from the center.

After a zipper screen, Jefferson couldn't get rid of Artest's pursuit. Kenyon Martin sent the pass and moved up to help his teammates complete the pick-and-roll.

Jefferson, holding the ball in his left hand, took a step laterally with the help of a screen. Artest bypassed Kenyon Martin and walked down the line to block.

Kenyon Martin, who sent the pass, quickly moved after completing the pick-and-roll and came to the right elbow area.

When given the opportunity to make a long two-point jumper, Jefferson did not hesitate. He dribbled vigorously on the spot and immediately combined the ball. The long two-pointer from the left wing quickly jumped out:

"state!"

The rebound popped up, and Gasol grabbed the backboard easily in front of the big man Collins.

After missing the jump shot, Kidd loudly called on his teammates to retreat, and players from both sides accelerated across the half court.

In the logo position, Kidd established a defensive position while turning his head to constantly observe the situation on the court.

After passing half the court, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, paused slightly for a moment, then immediately accelerated laterally.

Kurt Thomas and Gasol, who ran across half court, stopped at a position far away from the top of the arc, and the other stepped on the three-point line on the left wing.

Kidd prepared and squeezed through the first screen. He realized that his defense was about to be out of position and kept reminding him loudly:

"Come up to help defend!"

Kenyon Martin and Kidd both quickened their pace. Li You, who was close to the left wing, saw the big man Collins also raised his right arm to meet him, and sent another ground pass.

Gasol received the ball in almost the same position. Gasol, who received the ball near the free throw line, did not choose to pass the ball anymore. Instead, he immediately released the ball and rushed straight to the basket in three strides.

Jefferson, who retreated to the paint area, simply fouled early and didn't give Gasol a chance to catch the shot.

The referee blew the whistle, the Knicks got a sideline ball, and the smooth attack was interrupted. The arena soon erupted in boos.

In the commentary box, Nesler saw it clearly. The Nets' defensive strategy was very simple, with crazy double-teaming:

"Looks like Coach Scott is going to use the Knicks' role players to beat them!"

Tolbert is not optimistic about the Nets' defensive continuity and said bluntly:

"There is still a long time in the game, and they can't maintain this kind of defensive intensity all the time."

"Not to mention that if the Knicks' role players can seize those open opportunities, they can take the lead soon."

"Kidd needs to solve the most critical scoring problem and adhere to this defensive strategy. They need to respond to the ball."

Realizing that his opponent was double-teaming again, Li You took advantage of Kurt Thomas's sideline pass and began to loudly remind his teammates to move.

Gasol quickly moved to the left block, and Artest, who received the instruction, immediately ran from the left corner to the opposite side.

Kidd realized that Li You wanted a local two-on-two, and immediately called on his teammates to shrink their defense.

The two directed traffic together. Kurt Thomas was just about to serve when Li You signaled from the sidelines for a substitution to serve.

Kurt Thomas immediately ran to the basket, and Li You took the basketball from the referee's hand.

Kidd secretly yelled, but before he had time to remind his teammates, Li You gave the ball to Gasol, who was moving up.

After completing the serve, Li You accelerated back to the court. The moment Kidd came up to guard, his body swayed towards the top of the arc and then turned around and ran back.

Gasol turned his body sideways and sent a hand-to-hand pass at the three-point line while setting a screen.

Kidd's pursuit was delayed, and he could only watch as Li You caught the ball and lowered his center of gravity. Holding the ball in his left hand, he simply accelerated in a straight line and easily squeezed past the big man.

Collins had no time to slide back to the right. In the blink of an eye, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, broke through close to the paint area.

Kenyon Martin was still standing blankly in the right block, preparing to return to the basket when Li You took two steps, took off with his left foot and picked the basket with his left hand.

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the board high into the frame, and Li You sneaked in for a layup and scored easily.

"What the hell!"

Knowing clearly what his opponent wanted to do, but still unable to do anything, Kidd cursed, his expression becoming more serious.

"I know what you're thinking!"

After receiving the ball from the bottom line, Kidd heard Li You's voice in his ears. The superficial brother shouted back while dribbling the ball:

"I was thinking you were going to lose!"

They communicated verbally, but Kidd moved very quickly after halftime and immediately gave the ball to Collins on the right elbow.

The Nets are also in a "V-shaped" position, but unlike the Knicks, who started their attack with Li You, Kidd cut in from the center without the ball and then quickly ran to the left wing.

Kidders started from the right corner at this time, trying to step forward to receive the hand-to-hand pass from his big teammate.

Grant Hill kept chasing him, but Collins was conservative and failed to complete the pass immediately.

Kidders still didn't receive the pass after running back. In desperation, he immediately cut around his teammates in the middle without the ball and ran towards the left corner.

Seeing that the tactic was not working, Kidd loudly reminded his teammates again. Collins made a simple cross pass. Kenyon Martin received the ball near the free throw line. The big man Collins began to move towards the basket.

When Kenyon Martin caught the ball at the free throw line, he didn't intend to attack. When Li You saw Kidd moving laterally, he immediately walked down the line and bypassed it, allowing Kidd to successfully catch the ball.

Kurt Thomas had already begun to move towards the basket to prevent Kenyon Martin from passing down. After Li You bypassed the screen, he also blocked the direction of Kidd's pass.

The Nets' cooperation failed again. Kidd realized that tonight's opponent was testing his pull-up jump shot, and this attack was particularly determined.

Li You, who came off the line, did not get too close to the defense. Kidd seized the opportunity, took a big step at the right elbow area, then immediately stopped and made a quick jump shot!

"Whoa!" The two-point ball hit the net.

He scored on his first emergency stop jump shot. Kidd's morale was greatly boosted, he kept clapping his hands, quickly retreated from the defense, and continued to give loud instructions.

Li You had no intention of changing his defensive strategy, and he was not in a hurry to advance this attack. Instead, he continued to observe the opponent's defensive position.

Artest moved to the left wing, and Jefferson still stayed within the three-point line.

In the right corner, Kidders did the same and continued to empty Grant Hill in the right corner.

Approaching the three-point line at the top of the arc, facing Kidd's defense, Li You slowed down and pulled the ball back with his left hand, quickly moving sideways to protect the ball.

Noticing that there were no big players covering him, Kidd took the initiative to strengthen the confrontation and interfered at the same time without worrying about being passed by in one step.

Taking advantage of the opponent's move, Li You swayed his shoulders backwards and suddenly lowered his center of gravity, accelerating his breakthrough.

Instantly losing most of his defensive position and seeing that Kidd was about to be thrown away, Jefferson quickly moved towards the free throw line. At the same time, Kenyon Martin inside also accelerated to the paint area.

If he takes two more steps forward, Li You will dive into the three-man defense, suddenly stop at the three-point line, and then pass the ball to Artest near the left sideline.

When the latter caught the ball, there was no one in front of him to defend him. Without making many adjustments, Artest just raised the ball and threw it!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!

At 2:7, the Nets' defense did not play much role, and the Knicks scored consecutively.

"Wow!"

Cheers resounded throughout the arena, and the players were in excellent condition, which completely relieved the Knicks fans at the scene.

In the offensive round, the Nets played the same tactic. After 14 seconds, Kidd completed the handover and the ball again.

Also near the right elbow area, Li You continued to go down the line to block the ball route. Kenyon Martin, who followed down the line, did not get a chance, but Kidd's emergency stop jumper scored another 2 points!

Seeing the boss's continuous responses, the atmosphere team on the Nets bench also threw up the towel.

In the following minutes, the offensive rhythm of both sides was not fast. Kidd failed to feed the big man several times and simply let Kenyon Martin attack in the low post.

On the Knicks' side, Li You was constantly being flanked, while Gasol and Grant Hill took advantage of the opportunity to play more and less to continuously score points at the basket.

After hitting two consecutive goals under the basket, Kenyon Martin was tightly guarded by Kurt Thomas when he caught the ball in the low post on the right side.

When stuck, he would be defended from the front. Kenyon Martin didn't want to go too far away from the basket to complete the attack, but in the end he had to come to the right elbow to catch the ball.

Seeing that his opponent did not choose to stick to the defense, Kenyon Martin simply released the ball with his right hand, took two big steps and then leaned on the defense to jump up and drive straight to the basket.

Poor offensive choice. Just after reaching the lower right side of the basket, Kenyon Martin tried to carry the defense and complete the rebound, but was blocked by Gasol who returned to defense.

The basketball was shot onto the backboard while it was still rising. After the rebound, Li You retreated to the paint area and controlled the ball.

A rare opportunity to switch offense, Li You immediately released the ball with his left hand and continued to accelerate, carrying Kidd through the half court.

Jefferson retreated quickly, but at this time he focused more on Li You. When Artest, the left wing, received the pass, he couldn't help but quickly adjust his body's center of gravity.

The opponent received a foul very early. After receiving the ball, Artest released the ball with his left hand and rushed towards the basket. Finally, looking at Jefferson, he tilted his body to the lower left side of the basket and sent the ball into the basket.

At 8:13, the Knicks maintained their lead.

As if he felt that his shooting touch was very good, Kidd took the initiative to attack. After passing the ball continuously from the outside, the left wing used Collins's cover to get rid of Li You's defense again.

Gasol moved quickly towards the basket, Li You walked down the line and passed through, taking a step forward from the three-point line. Kidd seized the opportunity to make another emergency stop and hit a long two-point jumper from the left wing.

The basketball hit the back edge of the basket and bounced directly into the hands of Gasol who retreated to the basket. He grabbed the rebound and twisted around to throw the ball forward.

Li You grabbed the ball in front of Kidd, and the two had already crossed the midline.

After releasing the ball with his left hand, he leaned on his opponent and continued to accelerate. Li You hung on the defense and drove straight to the basket. He realized that he could no longer withstand it. Kidd decisively pulled and fouled in advance.

"Shh!"

Despite being booed, Kidd breathed a sigh of relief and there was no room for mistakes tonight.

"Excellent defensive choice. If it were one second later, Lee would have completed the shot with a high probability. Kidd performed so well tonight!"

Tolbert praised out loud, and Nesler on the side wanted to add a few words, but the Knicks' Grant Hill quickly made a sideline pass.

Seeing Li You catching the ball on the left wing, still a long way from the three-point line, he suddenly pulled out the cold arrow. Nessler subconsciously raised his voice:

"God! Lee's 26-foot jumper?"

Kidd watched Li You start pacing backcourt after taking a confident shot. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the basket, and then saw the basketball hollow into the net.

"Oh!"

There were exclamations and cheers at the same time. Although they have witnessed many such shots this season, New York fans will still be amazed every time Li You scores in this way. At 8:16, the point difference was a bit dangerous. Coach Scott immediately requested a timeout. The Nets were very cautious tonight.

Constantly clapping his hands to encourage his players, head coach Scott loudly delivered chicken soup before the players sat down:

"Hang in there, keep our defensive strategy, be patient and wait for the opportunity!"

The 8-point difference is not much, but Kidd always feels powerless when he returns to the bench.

Although the game only lasted 5 minutes, he could feel that his teammates' attention was declining and more energy was needed to help defend, which extremely tested the team's tacit understanding.

The desire to win made Kidd take the initiative to speak out. Without even being reminded by the head coach, he took the tactical board and said loudly:

"The passing routes can all be predicted. Don't give the opponent's big man a chance to easily score points at the basket. Make a foul and establish a defensive position in advance. Don't let them score easily again!"

Scott clapped his hands and nodded, and continued to remind everyone in cooperation with Kidd.

After the timeout, the Nets made an excellent tactical cooperation, and the two big men provided high-quality screens for Kidders.

Kidd quickly dealt the card at the top of the arc and blocked the area on the right side. The Knicks failed to change defense in time. Kidders received the ball and made a jump shot.

The rebound popped up and was protected by Gasol. Kidd, who retreated from defense, clapped his hands to encourage his teammates, indicating that this was an excellent offense.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The opponent failed to make a shot in response, and the Knicks fans at the scene got excited again, and their cheers became louder and louder.

The Nets established a defensive position in advance, and the four people still surrounded the paint area.

He advanced with the ball in his right hand. After halftime, Kidd came up to defend. While Li You was protecting the ball sideways, the Knicks' two wings began to move upward.

Giving the ball to Grant Hill on the right wing, Li You ran towards the right corner.

Kurt Thomas raised a fake screen in the right elbow area, and Grant Hill did not choose to attack. After dribbling laterally, he passed the ball to Artest who stepped forward to receive the ball.

Soon, Li You returned to the right wing and caught the ball again, while Artest ran to the right corner.

Jefferson did not blindly double-team, but pursued the defense in time. Li You, who regained the ball, once again observed the Nets' position, circled the perimeter, and the opponent became man-to-man.

Seeing Li You wave his hand, Artest, who ran to the bottom corner, quickly slipped across the baseline. Kidd realized that the right area was completely cleared, and immediately pressed his left forearm against Li You's waist, exerting force while trying to sense the offensive trend.

Holding the ball with his left hand and turning it sideways, Li You took the initiative and pushed Kidd toward the right elbow area.

Collins near the left elbow was confused because his defensive formation was disrupted. When Kidd shouted and waved, his reaction was a beat slower.

Although there is no help in defense, the brothers on the surface are also heavy defenders, so they simply put their arms behind their backs to support them.

After being hit hard twice in succession, Kidd cursed secretly. At this time, Li You blasted the ball with his left hand, and with the force of the rebound, he suddenly turned around quickly with his right foot as the axis.

His body was slightly tilted back by the previous back blow. Kidd didn't react for a moment, and he suddenly lost his defensive position and stayed in place.

The basketball flew to the right front of his body, and his right hand took advantage of the situation to catch the ball. Li You shook off the defense and went straight to the basket.

Kenyon Martin reacted quickly. When he saw Li You rushing into the paint area, he immediately jumped up!

He deceived his opponent without any fake moves. He took a heavy step with his right foot while he was moving. When his opponent jumped up to block the shot, Li You changed direction under the basket and took a big hip step forward with his left foot just to dodge the defense.

A large European step made Kenyon Martin's defense useless. Amid the cheers of the fans, Li You twisted to the front of the basket and easily picked up the basket with his left hand!

"OH——!"

"What a play by Clay-Lee!"

Nesler was rarely excited in the commentary box and shouted loudly along with the fans. Tolbert on the side also praised loudly:

"Excellent footwork, Lee once again showed his rich offensive methods! What a wonderful goal!"

After landing, Kenyon Martin had a question mark on his face. He seemed to have difficulty understanding Li You's body control. He really didn't like being a backdrop.

At 8:18, the score difference just came to double digits.

Kidd was a little anxious. This time he advanced to the left wing and immediately used Collins' pick-and-roll at the three-point line. He held the ball in his right hand and drove straight to the basket from the center.

Gasol retreated from the defense early, and Li You, who bypassed the screen, was also chasing after him. Kenyon Martin did not choose to open up space for the boss at this time, but accelerated from the right elbow area to the basket.

For a moment, the paint area directly in front of the basket was full of people. Among the people, Kidd made a fake pass, jumped up and swung the ball behind his head with his right hand.

Gasol was deceived, and Kurt Thomas, who came back from the defense, was one position behind. Kenyon Martin thought he would receive the pass, but he didn't expect that Li You suddenly stopped and jumped up quickly and stretched out his right arm to intercept. .

Although he failed to complete the steal directly, Li You still touched the basketball and changed direction.

Kenyon Martin, who followed up, was hit by the basketball before he could react and subconsciously covered his nose.

The basketball changed direction again and was finally picked up by Li You, who then rushed with the ball.

The two wings of the Nets retreated early until halftime, and Kidd was also chasing behind them.

Li You noticed that Jefferson retreated to the paint area immediately and did not choose to slow down. After crossing the free throw line, he simply and roughly rushed up in three big steps, holding the ball and going straight to the basket!

The two collided in the air. Jefferson didn't want to lose 2+1 and wanted to foul directly.

Just watching Li You fall slower, grab the ball with one hand with his right hand, turn sideways in the air without looking at the basket, Jefferson barely hit the shoulder, and the referee immediately blew the whistle.

"squeak!"

Just before landing, Li You curled up in the air and used his strength again. With his back to the defense, he casually threw the ball toward the basket with his right hand.

Jefferson, who had already landed on the ground, opened his mouth wide and looked up as the basketball hit the rim twice and finally fell into the net.

"Wow!"

The acrobatic goal completely ignited the atmosphere of the stadium, and the audience behind the basket stood up and applauded continuously.

Kidd, who was chasing him to the free throw line, was so angry that he didn't want to speak. Jefferson received two fouls in the first half of the game. The rookie could have avoided such a situation.

Li You briefly high-fived his teammates to celebrate, and then smiled at Kidd, who was returning to defense:

"The game has just begun, you guys still have a chance!"

"."

Really not wanting to pay attention to Li You, Kidd simply took advantage of the extra penalty to call his teammates and give him instructions again.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Li You stood on the free throw line, and the shouts resounded through the arena again. He made a steady hit with the extra free throw. D'Antoni, who stood up to watch the ball on the sidelines, kept clapping his hands. The Knicks had another perfect start.

At 8:21, the point difference widened again.

After receiving two fouls early, head coach Scott did not choose to substitute, but in the following minutes, Jefferson was tied up on the defensive end.

The rookie seemed particularly worried about receiving his third foul, and for a while he became a breakthrough point for the Knicks. Grant Hill took the initiative to pinch the weak persimmon in the low post.

After the point difference reached double digits, the Knicks played rougher, and after the fight, the Nets also had some opportunities to switch offense.

This time the Knicks attacked, under Kidd's loud command, the Nets maintained their defensive formation very well and always circled the paint area.

Faced with this kind of "shoot me to death" defense, there was no good opportunity to continuously pass the ball from the outside. Li You directly retreated from the right wing against the defensive drift and hit a three-pointer.

Kidd collected a long rebound near the elbow area, and then rushed with the ball. Li You ran back to the half court early, while Grant Hill and Artest also quickly chased back.

Although Kidd accelerated with all his strength, when he came to the paint area, Li You, who had established a defensive position in advance, came forward. Hill and Artest on both sides also took the initiative to shrink.

The three of them were surrounded, but his teammates failed to follow up in time. Kidd did not risk passing the ball, but circled around and returned to the three-point line.

Although Kidders then hit a shot from the free throw line, Kidd frowned when he retreated. From the beginning to now, the transition offense has not been very successful.

At 15:28, with 2 minutes and 02 seconds left in the first quarter, Gasol attacked in the low post on the right side and caused a foul on Collins's beater.

Coach Scott immediately replaced Jefferson with Rodney Rogers.

He did not receive his third personal foul but also contributed 3 points. Jefferson barely completed his task.

Lucious Harris replaced the mediocre Kidders, and the Nets took the initiative to rotate.

In the commentary box, Tolbert was still talking about the opportunities the Nets had missed in the past few minutes:

"Their big men need to be more aggressive. Collins and Kenyon Martin have to work hard to attack the basket. Being able to get free throws is also a good offensive option."

"Kidd also needs to regain his shooting touch. Lee's defense is very targeted. As the team leader, he needs to hit those open pull-up jumpers."

"Double-digit margins are very dangerous, and if Mutombo is healthy, he should be able to contribute."

The director also frequently focused the camera on Mutombo, who was silently watching the ball on the bench.

Since joining the Nets, he was injured within a few games of the regular season. Perhaps due to the influence of his age, his recovery from the injury was not as good as expected.

During the playoffs, he fell out of the rotation. There is a high probability that the All-Star center will be outdated.

Nesler seemed to be thinking of the playoffs between the Knicks and the 76ers that year, and he joked:

"Mutombo had a chance to reach the Finals after joining the 76ers. Iverson won the scoring title that season, but in the end, Lee completely shattered their championship dream in the conference finals."

"I don't know what choices Mutombo will make during the offseason. Ewing might recruit this veteran!"

In the last 2 minutes of the first quarter, Kidd subconsciously accelerated the offensive rhythm. Rogers, who came off the bench, contributed scoring, but Kidd himself completely lost his shooting touch.

After being beaten into a transition attack by Li You, he forced a three-pointer and made teammate Harris, who had just appeared, pay a foul and sent Li You to the free throw line.

At 19:34, at the end of the first quarter, everyone on the Nets was in a low mood and fell behind by 15 points. This was a big hole.

The Knicks only rotated the lineup within a minute, and D'Antoni was relatively conservative in his selection.

But after getting a 15-point lead, the bench lineup can also get more playing time.

打满首节，李佑7中5，三分线外2中1，罚球3中3，14分2篮板3助攻1抢断。

Before returning to the bench, Li You noticed that Kidd had been standing next to Scott, and knew that his superficial brother would definitely have a lot of playing time tonight.

Just as he expected, Kenyon Martin was still on the field after the start of the second quarter.

Facing Stoudemire's defense, Kenyon Martin relied on his rich game experience to attack the basket in both rounds, helping the team score points quickly.

Looking back, on the offensive end, Jackson first responded from outside the three-point line, and then Stoudemire attacked the basket in the middle and stood on the free throw line.

Kidd, who was sitting on the bench, found it difficult for the team to chase points.

After sitting for less than three minutes, Kidd returned to the court, and Li You was naturally the same as above.

Taking the initiative to increase his aggressiveness, Kidd no longer hesitated on the offensive end. In the first round after coming on the court, he was left open after the pick-and-roll, and he made a quick jump shot from outside the three-point line on the right wing!

Aaron Williams' screen quality was good, and Li You stepped off the line to block the breakthrough. Kidd, who was completely open, hit another iron.

"Wow!"

Cheers resounded throughout the arena, and after hitting two jumpers shortly after the game started, Kidd's personal offense suddenly came to a complete standstill.

The long basketball was picked up by Jackson, and the Nets could only retreat quickly. After receiving the ball, Li You accelerated across the half court.

At this time, the Knicks did not use conventional tactics. A cross-screen was made on the bottom line. Stoudemire came to the lower left side of the basket, and Li You immediately sent a through ball.

The latter caught the ball and leaned against the defense and immediately exploded. Aaron Williams, who came up through the switch of defense, wanted to complete a dunk.

Under the interference, the basketball finally knocked out of the frame. The big man Wright seemed to be prepared. Kenyon Martin kept pulling, but Wright still stabbed the ball over the opponent's head and into the basket.

Li You, who retreated from defense, applauded and indicated that it was a beautiful tip-in.

Realizing that he might not be able to regain his shooting touch, Kidd began to direct Rogers to post up in the low post.

In a short period of time, Prince faced the opponent's tough attacks in several rounds. The newbie did not suffer any loss and even restricted the opponent's attacks.

In the next few consecutive rounds, players from both sides fought hard. Li You and Kidd directed their teammates to get in position to score points. As a result, the score remained unchanged for more than two minutes.

After missing consecutive post-up singles, Rogers quickly changed his offensive routine. With the help of the big man's cover, he came to the left wing to catch the ball and immediately threw it with open hands!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

This is also the first time the Nets hit a three-pointer in this game.

Before everyone on the bench had time to be happy, the Knicks, who were quick to serve the baseline ball, played a beautiful half-switch attack.

Stoudemire ran forward hard and noticed that Li You behind him was gradually catching up. He simply stopped outside the three-point line and made a simple high pick-and-roll.

It was completely a fake screen. Stoudemire's pass was not timed correctly, but it immediately took away Kenyon Martin's defense. The rookie's pass was very fast.

Kidd, who has been crowded on the right side of Li You's body, can only take the initiative to strengthen the confrontation at this time, and at the same time interfere with the dribbling rhythm.

Realizing that there was no one to defend him, Li You quickly dribbled the ball behind his back near the top of the arc, stopped suddenly and switched the ball to his right hand.

Taking advantage of Kidd's defense again, Li You quickly changed direction with his hips, and while grabbing the ball with his left hand, the two bodies collided.

Li You lowered his center of gravity and lowered his shoulders to accelerate. At the same time, he slapped Kidd's pull away with his right hand and accelerated to cut in despite the defense.

Kidd only felt that he was about to lose his defensive position again, so he moved more with his hands and broke through to the free throw line. Li You dribbled the ball behind his back again, switched to his right hand and turned quickly with his left foot as the axis.

While combining the ball, he just avoided Kidd's chip shot. Li You raised the ball and feinted. Kidd subconsciously jumped up and tried his best to turn his body sideways in the air, but Li You still missed the time.

At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, Li You took a jumper from Kidd's defensive free throw line!

"Whoa!" The whistle sounded and the ball was scored.

"Wow!"

Cheers erupted in the arena again. Li You shook his shoulders. Seeing Kidd standing aside, he immediately joked:

"The best point guard in the league?"

"."

Trying to calm down his emotions, Kidd was still very angry. Scott on the sidelines kept clapping his hands and shouting:

"Calm down! We still have a lot of time!"

At 26:41, Li Youjia made a free throw and the point difference returned to 15 points.

Kidd, who was playing with emotion, quickly entered a state of ironing. Instead of seizing the opportunity to patiently pass the ball to connect the Nets' offense, he chose to trust his pull-up jump shot.

After a long two-pointer on the left wing, Kidd hit an iron on the right elbow area.

Soon, Kidd, who was approaching the paint area and broke through to the lower right side of the basket, still missed the shot.

The boss hit the triathlon angrily, and everyone on the Nets bench was silent for a moment.

This time the Knicks' transition attack, Jackson finally seized the opportunity, ran to the left corner and received Li You's throw at the top of the key.

Unguarded, Jackson's three-pointer hit the net.

Although two opportunities were wasted, the rotation finally completed the task and successfully widened the point difference.

With 7 minutes and 12 seconds left in the half, the main lineups of both sides returned. With a score difference of nearly 20 points, Li You also entered a fishing state, waiting for his opponent to double-team him.

Kidd, who was struggling continuously, also regained his composure, and the Nets, who missed jump shots, began to attack the basket continuously.

Relying on several free throws to maintain the point difference, Kenyon Martin also used secondary rebounds to help the team score points again.

In the last attack before halftime, Kidders hit a three-pointer.

But at this time, the cheers in Madison Square Garden couldn't stop, and the New York fans didn't care at all about this lucky shot.

At 40:60, halftime ended, the Knicks led by 20 points, and the game seemed to have no suspense.

上半场基德11中2，怒砍4分4篮板4助攻1抢断2失误。

The superficial brother looked particularly ugly. His poor performance was the reason why the team fell behind by a big score.

In the second quarter, Li You made a splash. He made 4 of 2 in a single quarter and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 7 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in a single quarter. His performance in this quarter alone has already exceeded the score of his brothers.

Everyone in the Knicks team was smiling as they walked towards the tunnel, and everyone in the atmosphere group was in high spirits. Everyone will get a lot of playing time tonight.

Seeing Li You and his teammates returning to the locker room talking and laughing, courtside reporter Michelle Tafia also said seriously to the camera:

"The Knicks performed perfectly at halftime. Lee scored 21 points and sent 6 assists!"

"Everyone in the locker room seemed extremely confident. In the second half of the game, Coach D'Antoni seemed to be rotating the lineup earlier."

The two people in the ABC commentary box nodded after hearing the report and did not discuss the game anymore. Nessler glanced at his partner and said somewhat cautiously:

"It seems that there is a big gap between the two sides. The score difference is 20 points at halftime. This is beyond my expectation!"

Tolbert was not afraid of offending Kidd. Even though it was broadcast live across the United States, he still commented mercilessly:

"I like Kidd's confidence, but he showed more arrogance tonight!"

"The best point guard in the league? Lee gave the answer with his actual performance tonight!"

"Point God! Lee is the best point guard currently in service. Perhaps by the end of this season, he will become the best point guard in history!"

"."

　Thank you book friends for your subscription support (﹃)

　　QAQ I haven’t finished writing the next chapter, so I’ll update it in the morning.

　　I won’t stay up late to practice immortality today.

　　Will update as usual tomorrow at noon~

　　Tentacle monsters are not easy to deal with!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)