NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 365 Pretending to be X is also a technical job (daily chapter)
On Thursday, December 2004, 12, Christmas was approaching, and the American sports media was still discussing the past fun.

Due to the appeal of the players union, Ben Wallace's suspension was finally lifted, but Rasheed Wallace was unlucky and was still suspended for 6 games.

Suspension means loss. Rashid did not dare to name David Stern. During this period, he could only complain to the media in a weird way:
"I swear, I didn't do anything, I just stood on the technical stage and shouted a few times!"

"."

When his teammates stepped forward to break up the fight, Rashid was actually watching the show with schadenfreude, but he was no longer in the mood after the league announced the penalty results.

Obviously, David Stern also has his own stubborn prejudices, and he will naturally not be polite to "T-eating experts".

In the past few days, a wave of protests broke out among New York fans. Some began to chant not to go to the game, and some clamored for the league to protect the rights of fans.

Two Pistons fans involved, John Ackerman and William Paulson, also sued Artest.

There were also lawyers who were not too concerned about the fuss and provided legal assistance. In short, this funny farce lasted for a week and it has not ended yet.

The Knicks suffered a big loss because David Stern adjusted the terms of beer sales and limited the quantity sold.

All relevant practitioners in the NBA have to serve the fans. TNT did not mention punishment at all, nor did they discuss the Auburn Hills Palace incident too much, because they know that fans who are biased will complain.

"At present, I have no news of conflicts in the Knicks locker room. Unlike the Raptors, Lee leads this team very well."

Nacho, who was wearing a black jacket, also felt that those Nicos were not serious people, and they stared at each other with some malice.

Gentry seems to want to turn the Suns into a "bankrupt version" of the Knicks. Naturally, the New York media will not look favorably on the opponent, and they have also called the opponent a "thief".
Ernie Johnson didn't want to give Barkley a chance to continue talking loudly, so he immediately took over:

Charles Barkley has some prejudices against the skinny Nash and still insists on his previous views:
"The Suns didn't have any chance. The playoffs are different from the regular season. I can't imagine the Spurs losing to a team like this."

Although he lost two games in a row, Li You still cut melons and vegetables as usual. Counting the game against the Jazz, he has scored 40+ in three consecutive games.

Today's TNT program discusses whether the Suns can copy the Knicks and win the championship.

This deal is not favored by anyone. Mourning seems to have no intention of playing for the Raptors, and the Kidney Fighter still wants to return to the Heat.

Old Mike, who was sitting by the window, was reading the newspaper leisurely in his glasses and taking a sip of whiskey from time to time.

James Dolan almost cursed. You know, Madison Square Garden's alcohol business is very good, and several teams with good attendance also complained.

"Duncan can destroy their inside line, do you expect Marion to complete the task of protecting the basket?"

Seeing that Christmas is coming, New York fans have calmed down and started to welcome the Christmas war happily!
With 20 wins and 3 losses, the Knicks are still first in the league, followed by the Spurs with 20 wins and 6 losses.

It's just that in the NBA league, even "copy and paste" is no problem. Nash has performed outstandingly in this tactical system, and the MVP rankings do not lie.

In the Eastern Conference, the Heat are gaining momentum and currently have a record of 20 wins and 7 losses. In the Western Conference, the Suns are ranked behind the Spurs, with 19 wins and 6 losses.

First, the Mavericks scored 124 points, and then the Celtics scored 118 points. The penalty was flexibly called, and the proud perimeter defense was useless.

"It is said that the Suns have set their sights on Stoudemire. Under the same system, if this transaction can happen, it will be a great reinforcement for the Suns."

It has been snowing recently in New York, and the lowest temperature has reached about minus 10 degrees.

It's only a few minutes away from the New York Stock Exchange, and the atmosphere of the entire neighborhood is quite different from Brooklyn and Queens.

Every Thursday, TNT's program always gets refreshed, but this time the trio did not go against the alliance.

This is simply an unreasonable disaster. No one knows whether David Stern will always insist on such adjustments. In this regard, the bosses have also begun to speak out.

"He is in good shape this year, and considering the Heat's status, the big man should be retained."

Seeing the disdainful expression on his partner's face, Kenny Smith began to shake his head again, and then repeated what he had just said:

Fans are disgusted and the ratings will definitely drop. In the end, they will lose.

"."

"I didn't say the Suns will win the championship next year, I'm talking about the future. Nash has just joined the team and they still need to continue to strengthen."

The cafe is still open, but the people looking at it don't look like nice people.

In the Happy Coffee Shop at 70 Pine Street, Artest and his followers were a little restless.

The New York Times mocked the Suns more than once as "academics" and believed that Gentry copied D'Antoni's tactics.

In the new season, the conflict between Carter and the Raptors deepened. In the end, the dunk king left Toronto and joined the Nets.

The sports media stopped mentioning the incident, everyone rallied to support the fans, and the Knicks were hammered, losing two straight before Christmas.

"Nash is not Lee. He has not proven himself at the critical moment!"

Charles Barkley stopped criticizing Nash and simply said firmly:

Getting high scores is indeed related to playing the No. 2 position. The more simple and crude scoring method made the commentators call it outrageous.

"Even if the Suns trade for Stoudemire, they won't be able to reach the Finals."

His players are still on the bench, and Stoudemire's agent will naturally spread the word. In this regard, many teams have begun to explore the possibility of trading, with the Suns being the most active.

ESPN spoke out for Artest and received a lot of complaints from fans. If nothing goes wrong, host Sanders and studio guests will be replaced next season.

Not long ago, the Nets sent Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams and two first-round picks in exchange for Vince Carter.

Charles Barkley is not stupid. He maintained an attitude with the league after the incident:

"I believe the league will impose a fair penalty."

Four teams stood out at the end of 2004, and the MVP rankings were also dominated by the team's core players.

"I don't think the Knicks will trade Stoudemire this season."

In the evening, alcohol is also sold here. The business of this unique coffee shop has not been very good since 2001.

One stared at everyone with an expressionless face, while the other, a fat black man with scars on his face who didn't look at them at all, complained in a low voice with some grievance:

"Boss, let's go! I don't want compensation!"

"Alexander, shut your stinky mouth!"

Hearing Artest's low curse, several black followers dressed in hip-hop attire, wearing wide sweatshirts and small hats, all became obedient.

Two fat guys and two thin guys. The fat black guy named Alexander Song is Artest’s unreachable relative and the leader of his followers.
At 17:30, the store door was pushed open, and soon the sound of young girls playing around appeared in the coffee shop.

Scarlett wore a red horn-buttoned coat, a red beanie, and her slim-fitting jeans still showed off her good figure.

As soon as she entered the coffee shop, she asked for a hot drink. Behind her, Kristen-Litte, who was dressed the same but changed her coat into blue, couldn't stop laughing.

Her body looked a little bloated, obviously because she wore more clothes to protect herself from the cold. The little follower laughed at Scarlett for wanting to be elegant rather than warm.

The two sat near the bar without looking at the situation in the store. Li You behind was held by Jin and Milinda, and the three of them were all wearing heavy black windbreakers.

Jin took Li You's coat, and Milinda took off her coat and threw it aside casually. Her blond hair and blue formal dress made her look a bit powerful.

"Ron, why don't you say anything? I've also seen the news. Don't worry about the lawsuits. If the players union can't do anything, I will help."

In order to keep warm, Li You had to wear a black cashmere sweater, but in daily life his dress is still different from that of most NBA stars. After all, the mainstream dress is still hip-hop.

Artest nodded silently, James Dolan was unhappy because of the drink problem, and the protests from New York fans made him feel a little uncomfortable.

The most important thing is that in order to attract attention, some reporters began to dig up his family history. Many relatives are still in jail. Naturally, the fans who watched the news did not have good things to say about this.

When he wins, Artest is a big star and is loved by the fans. He shakes his fist and causes losses to the team. The management and fans immediately turn against him.

The pressure brought by the public opinion environment has made Artest very silent recently. He is even more worried that the team will trade him:
"Li, does the management have any other plans?"

"No one will trade DPOY at this time. Of course, if you want to win back trust, you have to express yourself well. This is New York, and many people actually want to see your jokes!"

Li You answered casually. After sitting down, Milinda handed over a cup of coffee. Seeing that the five people opposite were reserved and silent, they also joked:
"Clay is right, I will help you sue the operator of the Pistons Arena. After all, you can't get beaten in vain if you lose some property."

Alexander first glanced at the boss, then secretly glanced at Li You and his party, then nodded hurriedly and said quickly:
"Just throw it away. It's my fault this time."

Li You shook his head and had a hard time commenting on this spineless follower:

"After waiting for a week, the Pistons did not offer any compensation other than banning fans from entering the stadium. They were thinking too well."

"Milinda will help you get an explanation. Don't worry, we won't charge you legal fees!"

Distributing records, raising followers, and supporting relatives and friends. Since NBA salaries are paid in stages, Li You knew that Artest would most likely have no money, so he gave them reassurance in advance.

A few people nodded happily, and then they started to flatter each other. Artest felt that he had lost all face. After thanking him repeatedly, he hurriedly pulled everyone away.
When Jin sat down next to Li You with a cup of coffee, he wrinkled his nose and said helplessly:
"The smell of leaves, you should ask him to move out of Queens."

On the other side, Nacho, who was serving Old Mike a drink, also said:

"Vicious dogs are not worthy of trust!"

Li You shrugged his shoulders and caught a lot of NBA players. He had no interest in interfering in his personal life:
"It's not like we want to do business with them. It's just a matter of effort. They are all adults and they have to be responsible for their own actions. You can suck them if you want. I have no interest in intervening in these bad things."

"Alyce, did the cafe make money this year?"

Seeing Li You turn around to ask, Christen-Litte said enthusiastically:
"It has already started to make a profit! I have adjusted my taste recently and the business will get better and better in the future."

The obvious change is that the coffee has become bitter, and even the snacks for breakfast and lunch no longer taste too sweet.

Li You nodded while drinking coffee. He bought this store a long time ago. Although the business was not running smoothly, he finally got on the right track after several years of losses.

Kristen Little can get some of the profits, and the little follower is also very interested in it.

Scarlett, who had lost all the coldness in her body, took advantage of Milinda and others to get food and got into Li You's arms. Kristen Ritter had her birthday not long ago, and she has been in New York recently.

"Clay, how are we going to spend Christmas this year? Are we going back to Peninsula Manor?"

Li You lowered his head and kissed the girl in his arms, then whispered into her ear.

Scarlett's face turned red and she glared at Li You. She still couldn't let go of this extraordinarily ridiculous game. She rolled her eyes and finally said in a low and ambiguous voice with her own hoarse voice:

"I want to stay up there!"

On Christmas Eve, December 12, most teams in the league carried out warm-hearted activities.

The sports media no longer focused on the Palace of Auburn Hills incident, and everyone unanimously praised the team's care for the local community.

Everyone on the Cavaliers in Cleveland had a very happy Christmas Eve this year, with 16 wins and 10 losses. According to the current trend, they have a chance to enter the playoffs.

Happy basketball has swept Cleveland, and fans also like big boy Howard!

More and more sports media are singing praises for Van Gundy. Facts have proved that taking the No. 1 pick is the most correct decision.

In comparison, the Lakers, who also participated in the Christmas game, were not so happy.

Before Christmas, they defeated the Hornets, who had 2 wins and 22 losses, and their record came to 14 wins and 11 losses.

Compared to the past, the Lakers have lost their dominance. The Spurs and Suns also won and still steadily suppressed the former championship teams.

Kobe was not happy after winning, because the Heat had a better record. O'Neal would mock him every now and then, but he could never respond.

In the game against the Hornets, Kobe played 45 minutes and made 26 of 9 shots, 4 of 1 from beyond the arc, 15 of 10 free throws, and scored 29 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. The field goal percentage was less than %, and the true shooting percentage was not more than %. In response, O'Neal, who was paying attention to his old partner, mocked in a sinister way:

"Second-year Wade is the second-best backcourt player after Lee among active players!"

"He was better than Kobe, who was also a sophomore at the time."

"Facing a weak team trying to get more data and increase their own efficiency, I know Kobe's tricks, but unfortunately, without me, he can only play inefficiently."

"Kobe is not a leader, he will never win the MVP!"

Before the Christmas game, O'Neal started to express his anger, mocking Kobe by name. Of course, Shark also didn't forget to call his old club blind, and also praised Pat Riley.
Li You didn't pay attention to these reports. Lakers fans like to speculate, but he knows that this team has lost its competitiveness. No matter how much the media hypes it, it is not worth paying attention to.

In the afternoon, Li You picked up Ivana, and the two of them were going to visit her mother. Tang Jiade was planning to propose, and no one could change this.

It seems like heavy snow is coming to Manhattan, and the scattered snowflakes falling from the sky bring a festive atmosphere.

Ivana, who also lives in the Upper East Side, is not far from Li You’s home.

Looking at the elegant old woman who went out to greet him, Li You couldn't help but pull at Ivana next to him, who quickly gave him a gift:

"The snacks at Mar-a-Lago are all your favorites, and the head chef will never forget your taste!"

Ivana was very happy after accepting the small gift. She stepped forward to kiss her daughter, and then raised her head to kiss Li You.

After the housekeeper took the clothes, the three of them came to the living room on the first floor, and soon Ivana gossiped:
"I knew Tangade would marry that little model. The promises were all false. She must want to have children!"

Ivana's stepmother is only 7 years older than Li You, and he never participates in this topic.

The mother and daughter chatted about their ambitions as a young model, and finally reached a consensus that the other party just wanted to share the property!

Li You looked at this Louis XIII-style living room in a daze, and Ivana soon changed the topic to this:
"Clay, if you have the chance to help a bunch of little Donalds, it's time for you and Ivana to have a baby."

Looking at Li You, who could only nod and keep responding, Ivana quietly twisted.

Giving birth to a child at the age of 23 was not part of the plan. Seeing the two people's little actions, Ivana didn't care and continued to nag.

After having dinner and watching TV programs, the two people who stayed here overnight went to bed early.

The soundproofing of this house is not very good, and it is not easy for Li You to engage in fierce competition in the bathroom. He can only simply control the ball and control a pair of whites at will.

The busy work made Ivana completely lose weight, and her breathing became a little short after the kiss. In the end, she did not pat her big hands away, but instead squeezed into her arms and whispered:
"My aunt told me that there is no problem with the loan. You can activate it at any time next year."

After quietly paying attention to the news in the UK, Ivana knew that although Manchester United's shareholders meeting rejected the acquisition, the largest shareholder Magnier did not express much.

The British media believes that red football capital is likely to take over Manchester United. As for the Glazer family, they are ultimately unable to resist.

Wall Street also reported that the Ziff brothers and Ken Griffin rejected Glazer. Ivana knew that Li You had enough funds, so this time she just took everyone to "share the meat".

"Thank you Ms. Elizabeth for me! I will need this money soon."

Li You thanked him and began to explore at the same time. When he held his waist, he couldn't help but chuckled:

"I've lost so much weight!"

Very satisfied with her figure, Ivana chuckled, then held the edge, showed the knowledge behind her, and whispered with a red face:

"Be careful! I don't want anyone to hear you!"

On Christmas Day, the 25th, the Knicks will face the Cavaliers at 12:30 noon.

Li You, who practiced extra last night, came to Madison Square Garden Arena early to warm up.

This Christmas game will be broadcast by ABC, and ESPN has started to warm up the game very early.

Reporters from ESPN were very cautious due to complaints from fans for supporting Artest, but reporters from TNT didn't care at all and seized the opportunity to bring up the old story again:
"Lee, what do you think about Commissioner David Stern's rejection of the players union's appeal?"

Li You, who had finished warming up, was wearing white tights. His muscles expanded after exercise, making him look particularly strong:

"I support Chairman Billy Hunter's view that a ban of 35 to 45 games is more appropriate."

"Both sides are at fault in this matter. Ron should not have thrown a punch. As NBA players, we all know how important the fans are."

"But the Pistons' operators also have problems. This is not the first time that fans have thrown debris at players. We will also appeal against this."

"Everyone needs to pay for their mistakes. Ron lost most of his salary this year, and the operators cannot blame us at will!"

Most sports reporters did not expect that Li You would really sue the operator. Everyone wanted to discuss this topic in detail, but Li You did not reveal much.

The reporter from ABC didn’t want to talk too much about the Palace of Auburn Hills incident, so he quickly asked again:

"Tonight is the first time the Cavaliers led by LeBron James will participate in the Christmas Day game. Lee, what are your expectations for tonight's opponent?"

"I hope they can enjoy the game. Coach Van Gundy is very good. We all know LeBron's talent. In a few years, they will definitely succeed."

"."

Thinking that Li You will be 27 years old soon, the Yahoo Sports reporter felt that these words were very reasonable, and everyone felt that this was a blessing.

Li You didn't explain too much. As he got older, football commentators began counting his decline on their fingers.

There are many comments like “32 is not enough”, “There are only 6 years left at most”, and “The No. 1 position usually declines the most”, but Li You is too lazy to respond to them.

His body is getting stronger and stronger. If given a time limit, Li You thinks he can play until he loses interest in basketball.
Howard was very happy to come to Manhattan and exclaimed during the interview.

"Happy big boy" has become Howard's label. Inspired by his influence, everyone on the Cavaliers began to enjoy the festive atmosphere after arriving in Manhattan.

The midday game did not affect the mood of New York fans. After the protest, everyone continued to buy tickets to watch the game.

For New York fans, they actually want to see the game between the Heat and the Knicks today. Unfortunately, the league likes to play grudge games, and a good opponent was taken away by the Lakers.
After the game started, coach D'Antoni sat firmly on the bench as always.

After the suspension was lifted, Mustache did not make too many adjustments to the lineup, and Prince appeared in the starting lineup.

If the opponent frequently double-teams Li You, the solution given by the coaching staff is to pass the ball and shoot in an open position.

It doesn't matter if you can't make the shot. Speed ​​up the game and continue to increase the number of rounds. Li You can always find a one-on-one opportunity if he hits blindly.
After the start of the first quarter, the cheers of Madison Square Garden kept ringing. The Knicks' offense was very decisive, which allowed the opposite Cavaliers to also play a beautiful transition attack.

After Kurt Thomas made a jump shot in the right block, Howard grabbed the rebound. James accelerated from the backcourt and counterattacked for a layup!

After a quick baseline kick, Li You rushed across half court. The Cavaliers failed to match up in time. As Raja Bell on the right wing received the pass, James, who jumped to block the shot, was still a step slower.

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

"Wow!"

At 20:23, the scores of both sides increased alternately, dunks and three-pointers continued to appear, and the atmosphere in the arena became more and more enthusiastic.

In the ABC commentary box, Hubie Brown, who has announced his retirement, commented seriously:
"This is the offensive rhythm the Knicks like. Lee's passing vision is very good, and he can always find these fleeting opportunities."

Mike Tirico, who was on the sidelines, respected the old coach very much and immediately added:
"The Cavaliers should pay attention to the problem of returning to defense. Coach Van Gundy probably won't like this kind of defense."

James took the initiative to pat his chest to indicate that it was his problem. He wanted to pretend to be sexy, but he was shot in the face instead.

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, McGinnis gave the ball to James before halftime.

The organization forward came online again. As Howard moved up the pick-and-roll, James came to the left wing and accelerated laterally. Prince stepped off the line to pursue the defense.

There was a physical collision between the two at the free throw line. James still broke through the inside line, attracted the help of Gasol under the basket, and immediately gave the ball to Ilgauskas on the right near the baseline.

The latter caught the ball, made slight adjustments, and made a mid-range jumper.

Prince and James huddled together, Howard was pulled by Kurt Thomas, and the final rebound was easily collected by Gasol.

When Li You caught the ball outside the three-point line, he just accelerated when McGinnis next to him immediately fouled.

"Shh!"

The defensive intensity on both sides was not strong, but the Cavaliers relied on such defensive methods to still enter a state of extra penalties.

Taking this opportunity, the Cavaliers replaced dribbling guards Charlie Ward and Gooden, the Knicks also brought on Fisher and Stoudemire, and Raja Bell and Gasol took a rest.

Unlike Howard's excitement, Fisher also experienced many Christmas games with the Lakers. He looked serious after coming on the court, gave himself two hard blows, and looked like a defensive warrior.

It's just that New York fans witnessed the scene where he was passed by Devin Harris in one step, and they all know the strength of Laoyu.

"Let's go Knicks!."

After catching the ball at the baseline, Fisher didn't rush to dribble across the half court and showed tactical gestures to act like a brain on the court.

It's still the Knicks' regular tactic, with Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas standing on the left and right at the elbow.

As Fisher came to the logo position, Li You on the right flank immediately started and cut in horizontally from the top line.

"S-shaped" movement, when Li You bounced to the right wing, he successfully got rid of James, who was chasing him. The latter could only loudly remind Howard to change defense.

Fisher, who was directing the traffic, dealt the cards easily. Li You just turned his body sideways, drifted slightly to the left and back when receiving the ball, and quickly shot a jump shot without any adjustment!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!

Fisher laughed and immediately stepped forward to high-five Li You to celebrate. Then he gave himself two more high-fives and took the initiative to defend Charlie Ward.

"Oh!"

After this performance, the New York fans at the scene shouted louder. Fisher had found his own way to pretend to be X.
Li You didn't know what to say when he saw Fisher, who was working hard on defense and performing to his heart's content. His attitude was indeed fine, and it should be a good thing for the team.

James once again caught the ball in advance. Amid the cheers of the New York fans at the scene, facing Li You's defense, he immediately chose a post-up single.

Turning his body sideways, James carefully protected the ball, came to the left block, and continued to hit hard.

While Li You was defending, he was also sensing his opponent's offensive trends. When James was relying heavily on the attack, his left hand suddenly interfered.

Failing to turn toward the baseline in time, James just pulled the ball backwards, instantly disrupting the offensive rhythm.

When Li You defended again, James was squeezed close to the three-point line.

He regained control of the ball and tried to rely on the defense to turn toward the baseline. James was halfway through the action when he realized that Li You's thigh was blocking the defense.

Unable to fully exert his strength, James almost lost control of the ball when he wanted to grab the ball with his left hand, and finally had no choice but to stop the ball near the left baseline.

The ball was given to Gooden who responded, and the latter caught the ball and made a jumper. Stoudemire grabbed the rebound, and Fisher responded and launched another counterattack.

Van Gundy on the sidelines loudly reminded James to confront him in time, but the latter still habitually retreated to the three-point line.

Fisher, who had been paying attention to Li You's movements, took the opportunity to send a cross pass, approaching the left wing, still a big step away from the three-point line. After receiving the ball, Li You immediately combined the ball and took advantage of the situation to make a jump shot!

James, who had worked hard to defend, had just turned his head after landing, and the cheers of the fans could be heard in his ears.

Before Li You could start celebrating, Fisher, who was near the logo, had already turned around and raised his hands to signal the fans to cheer up.
"Wow!"

The cheers became louder and louder. Li You twitched the corner of his mouth and secretly complained:

"It's been 3 games! X has made you pretend!"

(End of this chapter)