NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 330 "Life" and "Career" (Daily Chapter)

On the night of May 2004, 5, New York fans witnessed the Nets' strong resistance at Madison Square Garden.

Perhaps because of the consecutive sweeps in the past two years, the Nets obviously played with emotion tonight.

After setting the tone of the game in the first quarter, under the leadership of Kidd, Kenyon Martin took the lead and refused to let the Knicks have an easy chance to score.

Different from the Celtics' performance of surrendering at halftime, the Nets' defense never relaxed even if they were always lagging behind.

There was a big delay and Li You couldn't keep up, so he simply pulled his hands and broke through to the basket without being able to block the shot. In the end, he chose to foul someone in the air.

Under such circumstances, big man Collins received 5 fouls in three quarters.

When he was substituted, Collins played only 13 minutes.

The referee blew the whistle frequently and the game was not played smoothly. This made the New York fans at the scene very dissatisfied. In their view, if they were behind by 20 points, it was time to surrender and perform!

In the fourth quarter of the game, the Nets just replaced Rodney Rogers and continued to bet on the striker's shooting.

The result was disappointing. After coming on the stage, he hit two irons in a row, which forced Kidd to carry the offense on his own.

With 3 minutes and 16 seconds left in the game, the game has long since lost suspense, but most of the Nets' starting lineup is there, and Kidd will not admit defeat even if he fights to death tonight.

The New York fans at the scene felt that the game was not good to watch. The Nets always committed fouls, the game time was stretched, and the big lead did not get the pleasure it deserved:

The Nets didn't give up until the final buzzer sounded.

It's just that the Nets are extremely lacking in scoring methods, such as secondary rebounds, low post attacks, and low offensive success rate, allowing the Knicks to seize some transition attack opportunities.

The Nets only scored 37 points at halftime, allowing the Knicks to score 52 points through defense.

After receiving 5 fouls, Kidd no longer defended at this time. He was at the top of the arc and waved his hand to direct his opponent to follow him.

"I'm sure this team will be successful and Kidd is a qualified leader."

After completing the change of direction, Li You pretended to lean out and accelerate, deceiving the opponent's center of gravity. He immediately put his feet together to connect the ball, returned to the three-point line, and shot a quick jump shot!

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

When Michaels heard his partner boasting about the Nets' mental attributes, it was hard for him to take over the conversation. In his opinion, the gap between the two teams' core players was too obvious.

The number of fouls also reached 5 early. Jefferson was stalked by Artest, and his offensive performance was particularly stretched.

In the next game, Kidd still maintained a positive attitude towards the game and loudly ordered his teammates.

"Shh!"

Williams glanced at Kidd helplessly and spread his hands slightly. He did try his best, but in tonight's game, when faced with a small chance to beat a big one, Li You was ridiculously accurate.

73:102, Coach Frank folded his arms on the sidelines. He wanted to make a substitution, but Kidd insisted on playing the whole game.

Unable to overcome the delay, Li You immediately stopped when he came to the right flank, blasted the ball with his right hand, and quickly crossed and pulled back.

Li You moved laterally to speed up, supporting Williams in an attempt to get rid of the defense. Gasol quickly moved down, and Kidd cut off the passing route while changing defense.

Li You actually enjoys this kind of game. The more his opponent resists, the more excited he becomes. The point difference is not important. He enjoys this relatively difficult process of winning.

Li You was double-teamed and did not take crazy shots. Instead, he took the initiative to slow down the pace of the game and distribute the ball reasonably.

Williams hurriedly adjusted his body's center of gravity, and when he saw Li You's hips changing direction again, he subconsciously slid to the left and back.

Seize the Nets' defensive holes from time to time and score points through transition attacks and one-on-ones.

Kenyon Martin struggled to grab a rebound, but he made too many moves. He and Gasol pushed each other, and the referee caught him again.

Kidd's face was expressionless. Seeing Li You's relaxed expression, his eyes twitched slightly. His opponent was more patient than he thought.

Angry cheers resounded throughout the arena, and the Nets' persistence completely angered the fans at the scene.

The boos and yells resounded throughout the arena. What was the air of losing?

Most fans prefer to see their opponents frustrated, and Kenyon Martin, who leaves the field arrogantly despite poor performance, is naturally unpopular.

The New York fans in the arena were shouting with joy. The score difference was not important. Everyone just wanted to see their opponents incompetent and furious.

"Coach Frank should prepare for the next game. The Nets must hit those responsive shots."

"Let's go Knicks!."

Under the interference of Li You, who was chasing behind him, Kidd suddenly stopped in the paint, stepped sideways, drifted to the right and shot a jumper.

At 73:99, the game was no longer suspense, and Kidd was still telling Aaron Williams, who had just appeared.

The referee blew the whistle, and Kenyon Martin, who received his 6th personal foul, depressedly pulled out his jersey and wiped his face, then walked to the bench with his head held high.

在有轻松得分机会的情况下，基德目前13中4，三分线外5中1，罚球6中4，砍下13分5篮板1抢断8助攻4失误的数据。

The Nets performed very well tonight, but they just couldn't keep up with the ball in response. After 3:18 in the 27rd quarter, they still didn't give up in the 4th quarter.

Aaron Williams, who had just appeared, followed Gasol to the top of the key.

The opponent resisted tenaciously and the game was not fun to watch. Naturally, everyone wanted to criticize the Nets.

Although he lost by 79 points at 108:29, Kidd didn't care. He clapped his hands to encourage his teammates and walked quickly to the tunnel.

Kidd did not encounter a double-team. Li You's defensive strategy was to shoot to prevent breakthroughs and try to cut off passing routes.

Amid the praise, at the top of the arc, Kidd used Kenyon Martin's screen to hold the ball with his right hand and accelerate the breakthrough.

In the ESPN commentary box, Doug Collins also praised the Nets' playing spirit:

"No matter what the outcome of this series is, the Nets have shown their fans their desire to win!"

"squeak!"

"Jefferson did not perform as well as he did in the previous series when facing Artest, and they had a big problem with their scoring."

Seeing Li You catch the ball from the baseline, Michaels tactfully commented on the Nets scorer:

还在场上的杰弗森第四节彻底隐身了，12中3，罚球7中4，砍下10分3篮板1助攻3失误。

As Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, pushed the ball to change direction and used the screen to get rid of Kidd, Williams, who came up after a delay, worked hard to grab the ball and tried to use body collision to disrupt the dribbling rhythm.

"Shh!"

Obviously, the opponent did not intend to let the Knicks win easily, but Li You was not affected. Apart from the boring free throws, he was very satisfied with the content of tonight's game.

Blacksmith Hill was possessed and seemed unprepared. There was a small problem in finishing at the basket. When he returned to the bench, he couldn't help but joked:

"I almost forgot how to play in the playoffs. The Nets reminded me. Kidd did a great job!"

Kidd seemed to have transformed into "Coach Kidd." Grant Hill teased Kidd for calling a timeout himself, which made several people laugh.

There are also different schools of idle coaches. The Knicks coaching staff usually sets the general direction, with Li You controlling the game, while the Nets have become Kidd.

Li You, who was being interviewed by ESPN, was also praising the performance of his opponent tonight:

"This is the game I'm looking forward to. The data can't reflect Kidd's impact on the game. Their defense was great tonight!"

Li You, with his hands on his hips, briefly introduced the opponent's defensive strategy. When asked about the trend of the following series, he immediately answered with a smile:

"The Nets are very strong and their overall defense is very good, but this will not affect the Knicks' victory."

"I like to compete with opponents who have fighting spirit, which can inspire a better version of myself!"

出场38分钟，22中13，三分线外9中5，罚球10中10，41分5篮板11助攻2抢断1失误。

Li You, who handed over this data, really took the initiative to exert his strength. With a double-double of 40+, he completely crushed Kidd.

At the end of the interview, Li You continued to wave to the fans. He is not an impulsive young man. He can also enjoy this kind of game.

On the morning of May 5, the New York Times had a column that mocked the Nets’ game strategy:

“Breaking Rookie Coach’s Illusions – Defense Can’t Win Against the Knicks.”

Coach Frank actually didn't say much after the game. Kidd was in complete control of the game. All he could do was improve the game for the players.

At this time, most sports media gathered in Minnesota, and today the league officially awarded Kevin Garnett the award.

Garnett, who was dressed in formal attire, punched himself twice after receiving the trophy at the press conference, held the trophy, stretched his neck and shouted excitedly.

Everyone could see that Garnett was very emotional. In the subsequent speech, with tears in his eyes, the tough guy thanked his family, teammates, coaching staff, and fans.

After thanking each other, the group of relatives and friends also began to shed tears, and Garnett said excitedly:

"For me, basketball is more than a sport, and basketball is more than a job!"

"Basketball is like air. I rely on it every day. To me, this is the meaning of basketball. Basketball is my life!"

"."

There was a burst of warm applause, and Garnett's words were somewhat provocative.

After all, Li You is very honest with the media and has emphasized many times that he is a professional player and basketball is just a job he loves.

After delivering his speech, Garnett had tears in his eyes, pursed his lips, raised the trophy, and roared loudly again!

The tough guy shed tears, and the sports reporters at the scene pressed their shutters one after another to record the historical moment.

Garnett will celebrate his 28th birthday in a few days, and this will be his best birthday present.

Many sports reporters secretly calculated their ages and discovered that Garnett was not much older than Li You and had a promising future!

Different players have different personalities, and Li You has always been mature beyond his age, which many sports media are talking about.

In the second year of his career, he led the "iron-blooded Knicks" to overthrow the Bulls. The old guys on the team all recognized Li You, which is something that most rookies cannot do.

Most players who left the Knicks would say good things about Li You, and championship guard Sprewell often talked about Li You.

Garnett's personality is completely opposite to that of Li You. He is passionate about basketball. Although he fights and retreats on the court and beats rookies, from the perspective of basketball strength, the MVP award is well deserved.

At 20: that night, half an hour before the start of the game, the Target Center Arena was already full.

After the Kings were introduced, the cheers grew louder as the home team players came on the stage.

Timberwolves fans are cheering loudly for Garnett. Everyone wants to see their favorite star receive the honor.

Garnett, who was wearing training clothes, was the last one to appear on the court, and a chorus of cheers rang out in the arena:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Patting his chest, Garnett kept waving his left arm to greet the fans, and the smile on his face could no longer be stretched.

President David Stern also liked the atmosphere of the scene. He stood in the middle of the venue with a smile and took the microphone and said loudly:

"Thank you to the Minnesota fans, tonight we will witness the birth of another MVP!"

"."

Unlike Li You's gorgeous introduction, Garnett's highest honor currently is MVP.

Fortunately, the fans at the scene didn't care about this. Seeing Garnett receiving the trophy from the president, cheers resounded throughout the arena again.

Garnett was very excited when he won the trophy. He couldn't control his emotions. He took the microphone and shouted again:

"Yee!"

After a sincere thank you, Garnett emotionally assured the fans:

"I will never leave the Timberwolves, and I will not join another team for the championship!" "I love Minnesota, basketball should not only have championships, and I will repay your support with my loyalty!"

The Timberwolves have risen strongly this season, and Garnett's words also made some emotional fans red-eyed.

The atmosphere was particularly touching, but on this milestone night, the Kings failed to show any respect.

34:27，迈克-毕比单节7中5，三分线外4中3，罚球2中1，单节轰下了14分！

Although the Timberwolves tied the point difference in the following game, Garnett and Sprewell played undercover in the fourth quarter.

Cassell and Mike Bibby scored consecutively, but in the end it was the Kings' role players who performed better.

104:98, the Kings successfully won an away victory.

卡塞尔25中15，三分线外11中7，罚球3中3，轰下全场最高的40分！

加内特21中6，罚球4中4，拿到16分18篮板7助攻1抢断1盖帽6失误。

The new MVP was heavily double-teamed, and Garnett ultimately regretted losing.

至于冠军后卫斯普雷威尔，全场14中2，三分线外7中1，怒砍5分5篮板4助攻1抢断1盖帽1失误

After the game, the atmosphere at the Target Center was no longer heated. Looking at the Kings team members laughing and celebrating, Garnett's face turned dark and he couldn't help but curse:

"What the hell!"

No one wants to face a defeat at their highlight moment. Although champion defender Sprewell performed poorly, he was still very confident in an interview:

"Losing a home game is no big deal, we will win away games too!"

"Championship experience tells me that I just need to stay calm at this time to win."

"I'm happy to see Kevin win the award. I know he doesn't want to lose, but this is the playoffs. I will use my championship experience to help him tide over the difficulties!"

In the home team's locker room, Cassel remained very low-key, while Sprewell boasted loudly to reporters.

When Garnett returned to the locker room, he felt a little unhappy. When he heard "championship experience", his lips twitched slightly.

No longer looking at Sprewell's triumphant look, Garnett calmed down his emotions:

"The team needs him! We will definitely be able to regain the initiative."

On the morning of the 5th, in addition to discussing the MVP's loss, the ball commentators also complained about the game between the Pistons and the Pacers.

76:81, the Pacers protected the home court, and the ratings of this game hit a new low.

The Pistons did not have many rounds, only 73, and a whopping 17 turnovers were also one of the reasons for their failure.

The Pacers played at a fast pace and the number of rounds reached 83, but they just couldn't make a shot when facing a tough defense!

This situation can also be explained as "insufficient star quality".

Miller played 32 minutes, made 7 of 1 shots, and contributed 6 points;

扛起球权的斯蒂芬-杰克逊22中6，三分线外6中1，罚球5中4，低效拿到17分。

小奥尼尔20中7，罚球9中7，拿到了全队最高的21分，并且还抓下了14个篮板球。

The Pacers' team-wide shooting percentage was just over 30%, and they almost smashed their home court basket!

Hamilton shot 20 of 10 for the Pistons and scored a team-high 23 points;

比卢普斯13中6，贡献了18分，“大本”11中5，拿到11分22篮板5助攻1抢断5盖帽1失误的两双数据。

Rasheed Wallace, who has high hopes from the fans, made 7 of 1 shots and only scored 4 points.

Carlisle's head coach is considered his predecessor, and the two sides had some minor grievances after Larry Brown took over.

Although he lost, Larry Brown didn't care. After the game, he said confidently:

"The Pistons played a perfect game, we just made a few mistakes, but I like the team's defense!"

"Our goal is to get an away win. It's going to be a long series and my players are ready."

The New York Post believed that the other round of the Eastern Conference semifinals was just a competition between rookies, and several articles ridiculed the two teams for only playing "barbaric basketball."

The New York Times didn't pay attention to the two rookies. It seemed that they had prepared a press release early, and this morning they did a big job:

"The selection mechanism needs to be reformed. There is a huge gap between the new MVP and Li!"

Li You didn't win the award, and New York fans always felt that the party was spoiled by others. Therefore, most of the paper media catered to the fans' preferences and began to output wildly.

In the morning, on TNT's program, the trio warmed up for tonight's G2 game between the Lakers and Spurs.

When talking about the fact that no one on the Lakers team is on the MVP candidate list, Charles Barkley grinned and laughed at himself:

"This is the result of joining a contending team for the championship at the end of your career."

"I have experienced this. At that time, the Rockets failed to perform as the fans expected. The same is true for the Lakers now. They should have won more games."

It was rare for Kenny Smith to see his partner admit to "being together" and he immediately said with a smile:

"Expected performance, you mean championship? Chuck, we all know that championships sometimes require some luck."

Charles Barkley showed a serious expression and denied the idea of ​​luck:

"No, the only reason why we can't win the championship is because we are not strong enough."

"When I won the MVP in the Suns, the team configuration was very good. I always thought that if I could score more points and defend a few rounds, maybe the championship would be mine."

Seeing that the conversation between the two was getting worse and worse, Ernie Johnson immediately spoke up to bring the topic back:

"Do you think the Lakers can get an away victory? Gary Payton had a poor performance in the last game and may rebound strongly tonight."

Kenny Smith couldn't comment very well on this veteran. After looking at each other, he could only say something about the situation:

"I believe in Payton's game experience and he will adjust his condition in time."

"."

Before the game started, most commentators were still more optimistic about the Lakers. The Spurs had too few star players.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, in that night's game, third-year Parker defeated Payton again!

At 17:33, at the end of the first quarter, the SBC Center Arena was completely boiling.

The Spurs led by 16 points. Duncan walked to the bench and touched Parker's head affectionately, looking very happy.

单节11中7，三分线外4中2，帕克爆砍16分！

Payton went 1-for-0 and scored zero points in the first quarter, losing his "glove" style.

Phil Jackson was also a little confused. He didn't expect Payton to stretch his hips like this when facing a newbie.

In the following game, the Lakers began to give the ball to O'Neal, and Kobe also began to take the ball.

Although they scored 3:23 in the third quarter, as the offensive end of the game misfired in the final quarter, the Lakers had no choice but to lose.

At 85:95, the Spurs scored another victory, and the series score reached 2:0.

出场41分钟，帕克23中13，砍下全队最高的30分，技术统计上还有2篮板5助攻3抢断1失误；

邓肯13中7，罚球14中10，拿到24分7篮板3助攻1盖帽4失误；

再加上替补席上的吉诺比利8中6，砍下15分5篮板6助攻2抢断1失误，GDP组合已经展露出了一丝风采。

After winning two home games, Duncan was in a very good mood. He also expressed his confidence in the interview after the game:

"I liked tonight's game. Tony and Manu are both underrated players. I think the Spurs have completed their rebuild!"

The fans in San Antonio were all smiling after winning, and O'Neal was in the tunnel early after losing.

21中15，罚球7中2，32分15篮板1助攻1盖帽3失误，其中6个是前场篮板。

O'Neal, who played 44 minutes, felt that he had done his best. When attending the press conference, he couldn't help but complain twice:

"This is not the level we should be at. In a stage like the semi-finals, we cannot be behind by double digits at the beginning."

"We will re-adjust ourselves when we return home, and the series has just begun!"

科比17中7，拿到全队第二高的15分，另外还有5篮板8助攻1抢断2失误。

Taking the initiative to pass the ball to the Sharks, Kobe really wanted to win the game.

同样出场44分钟，马龙8中5，拿到13分9篮板的1盖帽5失误的数据；

Payton continued his sluggish performance, shooting 10 of 3 and scoring only 7 points.

After two consecutive performances with stretched hips, Phil Jackson seemed not to plan to use Fisher more. After the game, he expressed his position calmly:

"Two games cannot explain the problem. Payton will adjust his physical condition. He is an experienced veteran and the coaching staff believes in his abilities."

On the morning of May 5, the Lakers' hip-stretching performance made New York fans happy.

Even though today is Thursday, some musicians came to the subway station near the arena early to freshen up.

Many New York fans feel that the Spurs will most likely eliminate the Lakers in one fell swoop. At this time, old things are being reorganized, and the "missing person" is back.

After two days of rest, the Knicks prepared for the game step by step.

G1加索尔表现出色，18中10，罚球8中6，砍下26分10篮板3助攻1抢断2盖帽3失误的全能数据。

At the Tarrytown Training Center, Gasol was surrounded by sports reporters after the morning video session.

When asked about tonight's game, Gasol replied very confidently:

"Although I am a technical player, I am also not afraid of confrontation. I will use my physical advantages to help the team in the interior."

The New York Post reporter was not interested in the Eastern Conference teams and very naturally loaned out the Finals:

"Pau, which team do you prefer to face in the finals?"

"The teams in the Western Conference are very strong, but I personally prefer to meet the Lakers. I insist on this view. Of course, this is just my personal wish."

Li You has been busy arguing with Hook for the past two days, terminating the contract early and signing a lifetime contract. Both parties have their own interests and are still communicating.

Agent Mark Bartelstein has been following up on this major event with "money prospects". Compared with the championship, the real beauty is more attractive.

We were going to the arena to warm up in advance in the afternoon. Many reporters hurriedly gathered around when they saw Li You and D'Antoni appearing at the end.

D'Antoni smiled and patted Li You on the shoulder and left quickly. The TNT reporter couldn't wait to ask questions:

"Lee, Garnett thinks there is something wrong with your basketball attitude. What do you think about this?"

Li You had a question mark on his face. He was not interested in watching other people's award ceremonies, let alone knowing what Garnett said.

Soon, the "mouthpieces" began to add insult to injury and recount Garnett's mockery of Li You's "utilitarian" basketball at the MVP award ceremony.

Understanding the ability of these reporters to make things out of nothing, Li You shook his head helplessly and simply replied:

"Every player has a different basketball philosophy. Kevin is very good and I also appreciate his passion for basketball."

"Kevin's point is fine, but I only play for the fans and to win, and I made that point very early on."

"Knicks ticket prices are increasing every year, and for many fans, coming to Madison Square Garden to watch a game is not an easy thing to do."

"So, I will always maintain my physical condition and play 82 games, which is my reward to the fans."

"I may not be able to maintain my love throughout my long career, but as a professional player, I will persist in bringing victory to New York fans. This should be everyone's favorite gift."

Many reporters agreed with Li You's point of view. ESPN's reporter continued to ask:

"Lee, do you think the Timberwolves are going to win the championship?"

"They should have no hope of winning the championship in the next 10 years. As for the reason, you all know it, don't you?"

Li You raised his eyebrows, showing an expression that everyone understood. The New York sports media followed suit and cheered, the future belongs to the Knicks!

After Li You, who was preparing to have lunch, left the siege, some sports reporters were still discussing Garnett's remarks. The team reporter from the New York Times disdainfully said:

"If one day Garnett wants to join the Knicks for the championship, New York will not welcome him!"

"Losers always like to talk about boring things. New York just needs to win!"

"."

(End of this chapter)