NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 344 "Good job!" (-word chapter)

2004年6月7号晚上，第三节比赛还剩1分21秒时，卡尔-马龙在封盖李佑上篮后痛苦倒地。

Phil Jackson on the sidelines was stunned for a moment. After the team doctor checked, he shook his head slightly. The old KFC man turned his head and looked at the bench to prevent the camera from capturing his frustrated expression.

Malone limped off the court and received applause from the New York fans. With a big lead, everyone became "gentlemen."

After being carried back to the bench, Malone, who was sweating profusely, had just sat down and immediately whispered to the coaching staff:
"Let me rest for a while, my body is fine!"

Phil Jackson shook his head. The game in the 4th quarter was meaningless. He had to accept the fact of the disastrous defeat. The Lakers pulled their hips.

Li You received an extra penalty, and when he stood at the free throw line, he turned to look at the Lakers bench. Malone's desire for the championship made Malone fight for his life, but desire could not change the fact that his physical function was declining.

In this series, Li You rarely moved around when attacking the frame because the Lakers' interior defense was too slow.

Compared with the Pistons' more mobile interior combination, Malone and O'Neal's defense only has attitude. They may be able to rely on their body to defend the low post. In pick-and-rolls, they can only pray that Payton or Kobe squeezes through the screen.

"Shaq, it's getting boring to play against you!"

The referee who had just served the ball immediately glared at O'Neal, who had broken the defense. Fortunately, they also found some whistles for the Lakers.
At 55:90, as Li Youjia made a free throw, Fisher, who caught the ball from the baseline, stopped attacking. 1.2 seconds passed in a flash, and the third quarter ended.

D'Antoni looked at Phil Jackson who left quickly, feeling some sympathy for the opponent's injury, but he was not polite during the interview.

At the end of the game, the arena was filled with jubilation. They were still two games away from the 8th championship.

"I just lost two away games. I will win the next three games! You have experienced such a schedule and you will do it again soon!"

Li You, who was wearing a towel, took the kettle and noticed that Kobe was still on the court. He shook his head slightly and said with certainty:

In more than three minutes, Kobe only scored 2 points on free throws. In the end, Phil Jackson couldn't stand it anymore and put Kobe on the bench after a timeout.

At the age of 41, it is indeed difficult for Malone to return as soon as possible after his injury. However, a veteran will not have much impact. The Lakers are just a loser this season.

He received 4 fouls in three quarters. Laga Bell fell into a ball with Kobe Bryant several times. Prince also completed the task well. His long arms made Kobe Bryant who initiated the pick-and-roll particularly uncomfortable.

The Knicks' defensive intensity on the perimeter did not drop throughout the game. Everyone took turns to confront each other. Kobe, who was double-teamed during the pick-and-roll, remained silent until the end of the third quarter.

Kobe asked to continue playing, but Phil Jackson just waved his hand. He was not in the mood to play any more. Now he just wants to get the injury report as soon as possible.

It's just that the schedule is not friendly. With more than a day of rest, it is difficult for the Lakers to make adjustments, and Malone's knee is not optimistic.

Facing a Western Conference team, Kobe has never encountered such a defense. DPOY gave up the offense and the feeling of being by his side for the entire game also gave him a headache.

"No one on the Lakers can limit Lee. We will continue this game strategy in the next game."

No one in the main lineup on the bench greeted Kobe. Everyone was absent-minded. They always felt that the Lakers were about to disintegrate.
出场37分钟，14中5，三分线外3中1，罚球5中5，16分4篮板5助攻2抢断4失误。

To be able to get playing time in the finals, the players who came on the bench naturally put in 12 points and wanted to use what they had learned throughout their lives to express themselves.

In garbage time, Kobe obviously wanted to find his shooting touch, but the Knicks' rotation had no intention of giving him a chance.

Rick Fox can't even play in garbage time. Unlike the young people of the Knicks who want to express themselves, the strength of individual Lakers players has declined sharply.

Beside the paint area, O'Neal was leaning on his knees and gasping for air. After taking a deep breath, he turned around and said:

"You can really sweep your opponents. They are weaker than I thought. No wonder Tony Parker can perform brilliantly."

D'Antoni chuckled, looking very proud, took the phone and said loudly:
"110 points is not the limit for us, the series will be over soon!"

Malone, who has returned to the locker room early, can still play some role on the offensive end, and can also deliver the ball to O'Neal through high and low post coordination.

Stewart, a black reporter on the sidelines, seemed to be affected by the fanatical atmosphere at the scene. He raised his voice and asked loudly:
"Mike, after winning two consecutive big scores, will the Knicks continue their hot streak in the next away game?"

In the past, Phil Jackson would give some superficial words of comfort because the team needed Kobe, but this time the old KFC man said nothing, folding his arms and silently waiting for the game to end.

The difference between the finals and the regular season is that the fans are extra dedicated during garbage time.

But the assistant coaches took a look at Kobe's technical statistics and secretly shook their heads. The data broke their only illusions. There was a huge difference in strength.
Although he didn't care about the statistics, Kobe also knew that his performance was not good. He suffered a lot of double-teams and a lot of physical contact that disrupted the offensive rhythm.

The game only entered a state of mutual brushing at this time. Under the leadership of Fisher, the Lakers finally played some smooth offense.

A fat man weighing more than 300 pounds is running back and forth, and he can still persist until now while carrying the offense. There is really nothing to say about O'Neal's talent.

The fans in the back holding the "Knicks In Four" whiteboard waved it repeatedly. During the pause, the director showed the camera. All the fans around stood up and shouted excitedly.

O'Neal sat in his seat with his head in his hands and had no interest in fighting with Kobe anymore. He knew that he had to win G3, otherwise the series would be over soon.

On the contrary, because O'Neal was off the game, all defensive resources were tilted towards Kobe.

77:114, the Knicks scored another victory, and the score reached 2:0.

Madison Square Garden Arena, New York fans happily celebrated the arrival of the championship in advance.

Seeing that his old friend was not doing well, the gorilla was in a very beautiful mood:

Although the mid-range jumper was weak in the two games, Malone is still more reliable than Medvedenko. This is the consensus of the Lakers coaching staff.

"They have no hope. Malone is injured and cannot recover quickly. It seems that we can go 16:0 again this year."

Li You patted the ball and teased the fat shark who was sweating profusely. As he got older, O'Neal, who was relatively slim in the past two years, gained weight again.

Hill and others next to him also had smiles on their faces. They had noticed this problem during the video class. If Parker was more stable, maybe the Lakers would fall in the semifinals again.

The fans on both sides didn't care about the Lakers walking towards the tunnel. Rookies were not worthy of ridicule. This year's opponents were so weak.

"You know the referee won't always be on your side!"

After seeing that his opponent was a paper tiger, head coach D'Antoni actively rotated tonight and always maintained an extremely aggressive defense.

On the Knicks' bench, Ewing was wearing a beige suit and was so fat that his neck was gone. He was smiling and giving Li You water.

"I want to say sorry to the New York fans, it will be difficult for us to return to Madison Square Garden this year!"

"."

Since New York and Los Angeles are far away, the Lakers need to fly back home overnight. They need to adjust their status as soon as possible to welcome G3 the day after tomorrow.

O'Neal, who had to catch a flight, didn't say much when attending the press conference. He just emphasized that the Lakers would protect their home court.

大多体育媒体也没为难这位核心，奥尼尔出场34分钟，18中10，罚球8中4，砍下24分10篮板3助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误。

There was only less than two minutes of rest in the three quarters, and he scored an efficient double-double. Everyone knew that O'Neal did his best.

Li You, who attended the press conference, once again enjoyed a flood of flattery. His sixth championship is beckoning to him. During the offseason, he will undoubtedly enter the discussion of being the best in history.

On the morning of June 6th, the Knicks are also preparing to fly to Los Angeles. If all goes well, they will win the O'Brien Cup at Staples Center on Saturday the 8th.

James Dolan and the team management also traveled together. Although the atmosphere of winning the cup in the away game was a bit worse, thinking about the scene of three consecutive away games that year and winning this time, I felt very happy.

The NBA has also followed suit, and the ABC broadcasters have also begun preparing for rehearsals. Everyone knows that there is not much suspense in the series. It all depends on whether the Lakers can fight for honor.
In the morning ABC program, host Mike Tirico and guests Tolbert and Byron Scott reviewed last night's game and discussed the Lakers' injury problem.

Scott analyzed a Knicks offense. After a "V-shaped" stance, a double screen was put on the line, and Li You moved laterally and went straight to the basket:

"The Lakers have made targeted adjustments. In order to make up for the slow pace of defense inside, Devin George has assisted in defense in advance."

In the footage, Devin George in the left corner moved to the left near the baseline very early, and when Li You broke through, he quickly rushed to the basket.

"But unfortunately, Li's speed was too fast, and the delay on the line did not have any effect. A reverse layup just happened to get out of the way of the defense to complete the score."

"Actually, Lee has many options. Artest didn't shoot well from beyond the three-point line last night. During the rotation, Li You usually gives the ball to Laga Bell in such rounds."

"With 8 of 4 three-pointers in a single game, LaGar Bell's performance reminded me of Rashard Lewis and Stephen Jackson."

"Players with shooting skills can always show their worth next to Lee. After the finals, Laga Bell will definitely sign a good contract."

Scott returned to his seat, and after hearing these words, Tolbert also said seriously:

"Perhaps this is the Knicks' secret to winning, forward players with shooting ability and good defense, and big men who can handle the ball after the pick-and-roll."

"As long as these two configurations reach the league average, Lee can win the game with efficient offense."

When Mike Tirico heard what the two said, he suddenly asked curiously:

"Why haven't other teams in the league created the same lineup structure? Someone must have discovered this idea of ​​team building."

Byron Sturcott looked strange, glanced at the two of them, and said self-deprecatingly:
"Actually, I imitated this idea of ​​team building when I was coaching the Nets. Unfortunately, in the end we could only stop in the Eastern Conference Finals."

"Kidd can raise the team's defense to a higher level, and he can also lead the team to play an efficient transition offense, but he cannot efficiently absorb a large amount of the ball."

"Efficiency is key. When you face a strong team inside, the outside core must be efficient enough to win the game."

"Lee is not omnipotent. When Gasol and Artest were unable to complete their jobs as rookies, the Knicks would also lose against insiders like O'Neal."

When Tolbert heard this, he naturally started to blow X:

"Byron is right. More importantly, Lee is unique in NBA history."

"Perhaps everyone thinks that his data this season seems to have dropped a bit, but his efficiency value is still 37.0."

"This value is only lost to Li last season, and it is still ahead of other stars."

"In the next 20 years, no one will perform like Lee. Lee is the best in history!"

The tactical analysis turned into a bragging conference. The host Mike Tirico watched the two people start to brag about Li You with a calm demeanor, and he couldn't help but secretly complain:
"Have you been recharged too?!"

ABC and ESPN directly loaned Li You's dominance to the show.

The title of the best in history has been pinned on Li You. Only TNT sang the opposite in the show. Charles Barkley can always find some angle to complain about Li You's data:
"How many fast-break goals did Lee score last night? He scored a lot of points just by taking advantage of the Lakers' mistakes."

"I saw many possessions during the game where the Lakers gave up on defense and watched Lee counterattack and score."

"I won't question Lee's ability, but I don't want to discuss his data in this series!"

Kenny Smith immediately broke down the trouble after hearing his partner's words, jokingly said:

"Could it be that the Lakers didn't give up on defense and they just couldn't run anymore?"

"You can't ask Payton to perform on both offense and defense like he did when he was young. Malone is about to be 41 years old, and he can't run all over the court."

"Lee frequently attacks the basket because he is aware of the Lakers' defensive problems. This is the finals and scoring 40+ points in two consecutive games is not an easy thing."

出场34分钟，22中15，三分线外5中2，罚球9中9，41分5篮板11助攻3抢断1盖帽，没有失误。

The director kept showing Li You's data, and also marked the shooting point, and the paint area turned red.
Ernie Johnson saw that the two wanted to argue again and immediately reminded him:

"It's time for us to talk about the Lakers. We just got the news that Karl Malone will not play tomorrow night's game."

"How do you think coach Phil Jackson should adjust?"

The Lakers announced the injury. Charles Barkley looked at his two partners, turned to the camera and said with a smile:

"There is no room for adjustment. There is no doubt that the Knicks will have another big win!"

"."

After the news was announced that Karl Malone would not be able to play in G3, football commentators naturally made one-sided predictions.

Although the veteran, like Payton, performed poorly on the offensive end and did not play much role on the defensive end, the Lakers' rotation was even worse.

When Kobe Bryant refused to be interviewed, Payton expressed his position to the Los Angeles Times media before the afternoon training session:
"The series has just begun, we know how to play in adversity!"

"Everyone is full of desire for the championship. I hope the fans can give the team more support in tomorrow night's game!"

In the G2 game, Payton made 8 of 2 shots, scored 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 turnovers. Several sports reporters were silent when they heard the veteran calling for fans' support.

Lakers fans have broken through the defense, and some young people have begun to export veterans on the Internet. Naturally, such performance will not be recognized by the fans.

After knowing that he was showing off his hips and saying nice words, Payton turned around and left. No one from the Lakers was interviewed again. The old KFC man said that this was a secret training of the Lakers.
After flying to Los Angeles in the afternoon, everyone from the Knicks team came to the hotel to check in, but they did not receive special treatment.

Compared to some irritable Detroit fans, Lakers fans seem to have lost.

On the contrary, many Li You fans brought star cards to support the Knicks.

On the afternoon of June 6, when he came to the arena early to warm up, a large number of sports reporters gathered around Li You.

For tonight's game at 19 o'clock, many people believe that the Knicks will win.

Recently, the NBA league released news confirming that some rules will be modified next season and additional terms will be added for talented players.

All sports media who got the news knew that this matter was related to Li You.

Cancellation of Handcheck was something James Dolan proposed. At that time, the league did not give a definite answer. Now, it seems that this rule will be officially implemented next season.

ESPN reporters were very concerned about this issue and took the initiative to ask Li You:

"Li, if the handcheck rule is cancelled, will this have an impact on you? I mean, will you set a new scoring high next season?"

Li You, who was wearing training clothes, was in a good mood after exercising his body. He immediately joked after hearing this question:

"I never think about scoring. For me it's the simplest thing. It has nothing to do with the rules."

"If the referee blows the ball strictly, maybe many players will be strengthened. This is a good thing for the fans and they can enjoy more exciting games."

"As for scoring a new high? If the Knicks need me to score to win, then I'm going to do whatever I can, and it should be up to our opponent."

In the arena, everyone in the Knicks team was shooting to warm up. Many sports reporters subconsciously looked at the crowd, and then the same emotion emerged in their hearts:

"No one seems to be their match!"

The reporter from Yahoo Sports was more concerned about tonight’s game and took this opportunity to quickly ask:
"Lee, do you feel some pressure when you come to the Lakers' home court? You know the last time you played against each other, the Knicks failed to win a victory here."

"No, there's no pressure, I feel like I'm in great shape."

"The Knicks will still beat their opponents. Of course, we may encounter some minor difficulties, but at the right time, I will take over the game and end the suspense!"

Li You winked at everyone, and then said in a low voice as if he wanted to keep it secret:
"We may increase rotations in the first half. Don't forget to take some nice photos for me in the third quarter!"

"You all know that I like to go strong in the second half!"

The Los Angeles Times reporter at the back of the crowd saw everyone laughing, and suddenly felt a little unhappy. His opponents had already revealed their cards, and they were completely humiliated!

Although the score was 0:2 behind, the Staples Arena was still full for that night's game, with fans entering the venue early.

The stars sat in the front row, and the on-site director frequently showed the camera to Magic Johnson.

Magic Johnson, who was dressed casually, did not show his signature smile as usual, but greeted the Lakers with a serious expression.

Old Buss sitting next to Magic didn't smile either. He lost too many games in the first two games.

Putting aside the self-confidence of some fans, Lakers fans who firmly believe that the two teams are chasing four can see the gap between the two teams as long as they are not blind.

Nicholson was sitting in his exclusive seat. The lively entrance ceremony did not change his mood. During the final warm-up, he kept shouting to Li You:

"You have no chance! We will win 3 games in a row!"

Kobe didn't have any rhetoric before the game, but he was still holding back his anger. With the blessing of home court advantage, he firmly believed that he could bottom out and rebound! After the game started at 19 o'clock, Medvedenko, who entered the starting lineup, performed well, which enabled the Lakers to change their previous slow state.

Although Kobe's jump shot is mediocre, he can always get free throws and help the team score consecutive points.

On the contrary, O'Neal did not rush to attack, but moved the ball more, allowing Devin George to score points.

Two early fouls did not affect the Knicks' defensive intensity. D'Antoni began to rotate with 3 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, the Knicks did not get their main lineup back in advance. Except for Li You's early appearance, the main lineup gradually returned in the second half of the game.

At the end of the half, the score reached 54:48, and the Lakers were only 6 points behind.

The single-digit point difference made Kobe a little excited. When he walked to the player tunnel, he pumped his fist repeatedly, as if to cheer himself up.

13中5，三分线外3中1，罚球7中6，17分2篮板1助攻2失误。

Kobe, who scored the highest score on the team, was in excellent form tonight and started scoring mode early.

Although lagging behind, Staples Arena was also excited at this time. In the commentary box, Doc Rivers also began to praise Kobe's performance:

"Continuously attacking the basket, Kobe showed his own aggressiveness. The Lakers need his performance like this."

"Head coach Phil Jackson made timely adjustments. If they continue this state in the second half of the game, they will have a chance to overtake the score."

Michaels didn't call X. The scale of the call was obviously different from before. He was a little worried about O'Neal's free throw:

"8 of 4 in the half and 4 of 1 free throws. O'Neal failed to continue his previous efficient free throw performance. The Knicks may adopt a different defensive strategy in the second half."

The two analyzed the situation without mentioning the Knicks' lead. After all, the Lakers fans in front of the TV needed encouragement.
After the second half of the game started, cheers resounded throughout the stadium again.

The Lakers took the lead in attacking. Payton, who received the ball from the baseline, was relieved when he saw that Li You was no longer pressing fiercely. After returning to the home court, the pressure dropped sharply.

Kobe, who performed well in the first half, took the initiative to catch the ball outside the three-point line on the right wing when Payton dribbled across the center line.

After sending the pass, Payton took Li You and ran to the left wing to "watch the show."

Medvedenko also stopped on the left near the baseline, and O'Neal immediately raised the screen.

When Kobe approached the three-point line, Devin George quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, opening up space for the two to attack.

As Kobe Bryant used the screen to hold the ball with his right hand to accelerate the breakthrough, Gasol quickly followed O'Neal beside him.

Artest didn't cut the ball from behind, but just squeezed in beside Kobe to interfere.

Kobe, who relied on the defense, kept accelerating. He took three long steps and then went to the lower right side of the basket and soared into the air. After gliding in the air, he made a fake pass.

A pass was sent from the lower left side of the basket. After receiving the ball in the paint, O'Neal faced Gasol's interference, knocked away the defense and threw the ball into the basket.

At 54:50, the Lakers narrowed the point difference, and O'Neal, who hit the shot, took strides excitedly, and cheers echoed throughout the arena.

After delivering a beautiful assist, Kobe also pumped his fist and roared, and then took the initiative to defend Li You.

Constantly giving physical confrontation, cutting the ball from time to time to interfere, and being thrown away, Kobe immediately stretched out his hand to pull, trying to disrupt Li You's offensive rhythm.

Near the midline, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly turned around quickly. Kobe, who had just been chasing him, had no time to adjust his center of gravity and was thrown half a body away again.

The moment he switched to his right hand, Li You immediately lowered his shoulders and accelerated, crushing him through half the court.

On the Knicks' side, as Li You approached the three-point line, Artest and Hill on the left and right wings began to move toward the bottom corner.

Kurt Thomas, who is near the baseline on the left, slowly moves up the baseline, always observing Li You's movements.

Against Kobe's defense, Li You accelerated and sprinted, approaching the three-point line and suddenly dribbling from behind.

After a sudden stop, he slightly raised his body's center of gravity, and while Kobe was sliding backwards, Li You changed direction with his hips again, made a sudden stop and started, and accelerated a second time with the ball in his right hand.

Kobe, who originally wanted to defend himself, could only adjust his body weight again and instinctively slid to the right and back.

The two bodies just collided at the free throw line, and Li You suddenly circled the ball and squeezed past Kobe's left side.

Kobe, who was still trying to turn around to block the shot, had no time to make a defensive move. Li You rode a horse and shot an arrow while traveling. After switching to his left hand, he drifted to the left and rear and threw the ball toward the basket.

Li You completed the extremely awkward move smoothly. O'Neal under the basket could only watch the basketball draw an arc and fall into the basket accurately.

At 56:50, Li You responded easily.

"Shh!"

There seemed to be a bad premonition, and the boos in the arena became louder and louder.

When the Lakers attacked again, Kobe tried to do the same, but Artest suddenly followed the defense and rushed outside the three-point line, destroying the catch.

After half-turning, he switched to his left hand. Payton moved sideways to protect the ball and quickly came to the left wing. O'Neal under the basket immediately directed Medvedenko to step forward to cover.

Medvedenko, who performed well in the first half, quickly came to the three-point line on the left wing to cover.

Payton tried to get rid of the defense, but Li You, who had been prepared for it, quickly squeezed through the screen without making many defensive moves, and stayed close to Payton's side.

Kurt Thomas also made a fake move to help defend, always paying attention to Medvedenko's movements while taking steps.

The cautious Payton sent a ground pass early. Medvedenko, who received the ball at the free throw line, did not choose to shoot, but released the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly.

Kurt Thomas quickly slid to help defend, raised his left arm after a physical confrontation in the paint, and made no more unnecessary movements.

The defensive throw finally hit the basket. Gasol was kicked hard by O'Neal and failed to collect the rebound. Instead, he took advantage of the situation and moved the ball to the outside.

Li You reacted quickly, got ahead of Payton, and controlled the ball in the paint area. He did not rush to attack, but slowly dribbled across the half court.

"Defense!."

Unable to complete the offense, the Lakers fans began to shout in unison again, and the defensive cheers resounded throughout the arena.

Payton always maintained a defensive distance and glanced behind him from time to time. Devin George, who retreated to the right wing, hesitated. Seeing Artest standing still, he finally stopped.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, was also observing the defense when he came to the logo position. The two sides had just stood still and were not double-teamed. They immediately lowered their center of gravity and leaned forward to accelerate.

The moment Payton was close to the defense, Li You quickly dribbled the ball with his hips. While the opponent twisted to adjust his defense and reset his footsteps, Li You completed the change of direction with his hips again.

After two beautiful dribbling moves to dodge the defense, Lakers fans exclaimed:
"Oh!"

Li You held the ball in his left hand and accelerated the breakthrough. Payton, who had lost his defensive position, hurriedly pulled concealed.

Just as he reached the three-point line, Li You leaned forward, stepped forward with his left foot and suddenly blasted the ball with his left hand.

Payton, who suddenly stopped suddenly and slid desperately, lost his defensive position in an instant. Under the inertia, he came in front of Li You and wanted to jump up to block the shot, but his body did not obey the control and could only stay in place.

After the emergency stop, Li You calmly retreated, returned to the three-point line, and shot a quick jumper from the top of the arc!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

At 59:50, looking at the nearly double-digit score difference, boos resounded throughout the arena again.

The Lakers fans behind the basket began to cover their faces the moment Li You made the shot, and their frustration began to emerge uncontrollably from the bottom of their hearts.

"Shet!"

Payton slapped his thigh depressedly, but Li You's seemingly complicated dribbling movements were fast.

The attack was completed in less than 4 seconds. Counting more than seven seconds of dribbling, one attack did not take more than 12 seconds.

A simple and crude single shot sent the ball into the basket. Phil Jackson on the sidelines looked a little anxious and loudly reminded the players to double-team in time.

At the critical moment, Kobe was more determined to get the ball. He got the ball without waiting for halftime. When he came to the right wing, he once again directed O'Neal to pick and roll.

Taking advantage of his teammates to stand still, Kobe immediately dribbled the ball from his hip, switched to his left hand and squeezed past O'Neal.

Artest restrained some defensive moves and failed to catch up in time. O'Neal accelerated down the lane and took away Gasol's defense.

A fleeting opportunity, two big steps, Kobe took one step inside the three-point line, suddenly stopped, and quickly shot a jumper!
"Whoa!" The two-pointer hit steadily.

At 59:52, Kobe, who hit the shot, showed a fierce expression, raised his right arm, and punched again in celebration.

This performance also gave hope to the Lakers fans at the scene, and everyone cheered loudly for Kobe.

While the opponent was still posing, the Knicks suddenly drove out of the baseline quickly, and Li You took the ball and rushed forward.

There was a communication error between Payton and Kobe. Seeing that Li You was about to cross the center line, Kobe gritted his teeth and chased after him.

O'Neal accelerated across the half court and retreated to the paint area in time. He turned around and discovered that Gasol was still at the midline.
Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated diagonally, ignoring Kobe who was chasing him, and quickly rushed across the center line. When the opponent came to his side, he suddenly stopped.

Quickly dribbling the ball with his hips, the moment Kobe cut the ball, Li You took advantage of the situation and changed direction, holding the ball with his left hand and accelerating again.

Kobe, who had cut into the air, hurriedly pursued the defense. In the blink of an eye, the two were entangled and close to the three-point line. During the march, Li You suddenly raised his center of gravity, exerted force on his feet, and took a large step back.

Outside the three-point line, near the left sideline, Li You feinted the ball, and Kobe, who was thrown away, immediately pounced from his side.

Only when he was flying in the air did he realize that the defensive prediction was wrong. Kobe flew past him. Taking advantage of the time difference, Li You adjusted slightly and made another jump shot!

Gasol just reached the logo position and simply raised his arms to celebrate in advance.

As the basketball hollowed into the net, boos nearly broke through the arena.

"He got it! Clay—Lee!!"

"OMG!"

In the commentary box, Michaels was also dumbfounded. He even called God several times, but still felt it was outrageous.

At 62:52, the point difference reached double digits. Phil Jackson immediately requested a timeout. He had to interrupt this offensive momentum.

Rivers seemed pleased with it. Instead of speaking for the Lakers, he cheerfully said:
"The Pistons failed to respond in time in the Eastern Conference Finals and ultimately lost their key home court."

"Now, it's time to test the Lakers!"

The old man from KFC was holding the tactical board and gesturing and talking, but Kobe was staring and sulking secretly. He was still annoyed about his defense just now.

Some cheers could be heard faintly in the arena, which also made Kobe a little jealous. No fans had ever cheered for him in away games.
After the timeout ended and he returned to the court, Kobe didn't remember what the coach said, but it didn't matter to him. All he needed to do was attack.

When Payton quickly crossed the half court, the Knicks suddenly changed their defensive strategy. Li You shrank inside the three-point line, and the three people on the line were vaguely surrounded by the paint area.

Suddenly guarding the 32 zone defense for a round, Kobe on the right wing did not notice these changes and hurriedly asked for the ball.

Although Payton warned loudly, Kobe, who was receiving the ball, just wanted to respond as soon as possible. Taking advantage of Artest's lack of defense, he immediately released the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly.

It was only when Kobe dribbled the ball to the right block that something was wrong.

Kurt Thomas stepped forward to help defend against double teams, and Artest suddenly increased his defensive intensity and cooperated with his teammates to block passing routes.

In front of him was a big man with his hands raised, and to his side was a defender cutting the ball. Kobe, who suddenly stopped the ball, was unable to find Medvedenko who was open under the basket in time. Finally, he protected the ball and turned around, passing the ball back to the top line.

Payton began to move ahead of time to respond, but Li You, who was well prepared, correctly predicted Kobe's ball route.

Lakers fans at the scene exclaimed when they saw Kobe throwing the ball into Li You's arms.

Payton didn't even have time to pull for a foul. Li You, who had completed the steal, suddenly threw the ball forward, then accelerated with all his strength and got rid of the defense in an instant.

The fans' boos had no effect. The whole game was 1 on 0. Li You, who rushed to the paint area, took off with both feet, changed hands in the air, stretched his body, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and smashed the ball into the basket!

"Boom!" The conversion dunk was successful!
64:52. Seeing Li You twisting his neck in a relaxed posture under the basket, some fans couldn't stand it any longer, and the shouts and curses became more and more loud.
Phil Jackson was almost furious because of Kobe's mistake. He suppressed his anger and reminded Payton to pass the ball inside with his eyes wide open.

Li You didn't put much defensive pressure on Payton. When he came to the left wing, as his opponent threw the ball to O'Neal in the low post, Li You followed the ball and moved towards the baseline.

The moment O'Neal caught the ball, Li You immediately cut the ball hard. When the referee blew the whistle, O'Neal, who was still holding the basketball, threw the ball.

Seeing the referee pointing to the free throw line, coach D'Antoni immediately went to the linesman and complained twice.

"That was a stupid choice, Shaq. The baseline ball suits you better!"

"Shut up!"

Li You made sarcastic remarks outside the three-point line. Kurt Thomas and Don followed suit and said "missed the free throw." Hill stood by the paint area and turned around and joked:

"I swear! This is our fast break opportunity!"

O'Neal, who received the referee's pass, gestured for a long time, and amidst the complaints from everyone in the Knicks team, he made the first free throw.
Wiping the non-existent sweat on his head, the nervous O'Neal speeded up the free throw rhythm, but the basketball still missed the basket.

"Shet!"

Gasol grabbed the rebound and immediately threw the ball to Li You on the right wing.

After catching the ball, Li You turned around and led forward. Payton tried to step forward to delay, but found that the basketball had flown behind him.

"Oh!"

The ball passed, and the Lakers fans screamed again. Several people sitting in the front row looked at Li You speeding up and sprinting outside the sideline, and they all subconsciously leaned back.

Payton did not touch Li You's body and tried to pursue the defense again. Li You had already returned to the court and rushed through the half court with the ball in his right hand.

Although O'Neal tried hard to retreat, he couldn't go back. He could only hope that Kobe would give Li You a hard blow.
Holding his breath and burying his head, he chased Kobe back to the basket and jumped up high. The clay figure also had a three-pointer. At this time, he just wanted to pull Li You down.

Li You, who deliberately slowed down, took off with both feet when approaching the paint area and suddenly twisted his body in the air.

Although Kobe jumped to block the shot prematurely, he bumped into Li You, but failed to pull him in time. Instead, he lost his center of gravity. He pulled with his right hand before landing, but it didn't have much effect.
"squeak!"

The moment the referee blew the whistle, Li You, who turned 180 degrees in the air, came to the front of the basket and lightly threw the ball into the basket with his right hand.

"Wow!"

The wonderful goal immediately caused the Knicks fans behind to yell wildly, and the boos were mostly muted for a while.

Kobe, who exerted too much force and fell to the floor, could only stare directly at Li You.

"The next game is garbage time. I really plan to score 50 points tonight!"

Li You finished his next sentence and walked slowly to the free throw line. Kobe, who was sitting on the floor, was pulled up by his teammates and was furious.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Although the number of people was small, the New York fans who came to the scene shouted at the top of their lungs, and they just shouted out the atmosphere of the home court.

As Li Youjia hit the free throw, the shouts of MVP were even louder, and some players switched sides.

At 67:52, Phil Jackson requested a timeout again. Li You scored 13 points in a row, and the Lakers bench was silent again.

There was something wrong with the atmosphere at Staples Center. The Lakers showed signs of collapse, and some fans who broke the defense yelled and cursed indiscriminately.

The musicians cheered along with the New York fans behind them, and everyone shouted "Knicks in Four" in unison.
D'Antoni's smile turned into squinting eyes at this time, and he hugged several people who came off the court. On the bench, the atmosphere team also stepped forward to high-five in celebration.

"Good job!"

When D'Antoni hugged Li You and shouted these words, several assistant coaches felt a little complicated.

Ewing was still giving Gasol blood, but Mike Malone, who was holding the tactical board, had some thoughts in his mind:
"Give the ball to the core, is this the famous coach's tactic?!"

(End of this chapter)