NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 366 The Disadvantages of Happy Basketball (7000-word chapter)
Familiar venues, familiar fans, Jeff Van Gundy, who led the Cavaliers to the Christmas Day game, showed a nostalgic look during the halftime interview.

During Pat Riley's time, New York fans would still boo, but over the years, no matter how picky the fans are, the most they can do is curse the referees. The Knicks have successfully shaped their own team culture.

Jeff Van Gundy is also a little proud. After all, he has achieved success here and led the Cavaliers to a great start this year, which can be regarded as proving himself again.

Sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya did not notice that the bald man next to her was distracted. Because the cheerleaders were interacting with the fans, she had to raise her voice:

"The Cavaliers seemed to have gotten off to a good start in the first half. Your offense looked very efficient tonight. Is this the game plan the coaching staff made before the game?"

In recent years, the number of rounds in the league has been around 80. After the start of this season, the Cavaliers' number of rounds was still below the average, but tonight they played very well, taking 40 shots in the half.

Jeff Van Gundy came back to his senses with a smile on his face, and then answered affirmatively:

“We just took more chances in transition, which is how we score best!”

"We were indeed well prepared before the game, but the team will gradually slow down in the second half. I hope the team can strengthen its defense."

The Cavaliers only took two shots from beyond the three-point line in the half, and most of their offense was concentrated near the basket and paint area.

40 of 21, with a shooting percentage of 52.3%. This performance naturally made Van Gundy feel good.

At 53:58, although they were 5 points behind, considering the state of the players at half-time, this point difference was negligible.

In the commentary box, Hubie Brown was also reluctant to comment on the Knicks' choice. The veteran coach just commented tactfully:
"The Cavaliers got a lot of mid-range jump shot opportunities. Maybe the Knicks will take the initiative to change their defensive strategy in the second half."

After hearing the coach's comments, Mike Tirico gave a different point of view:
"Maybe Coach D'Antoni wants to test the opponent's jump shot tonight."

"LeBron James' impact still puts pressure on the Knicks' defense."

After the start of the second half, the Cavaliers took the lead in attacking. McGinnis was still the same, handing over the ball after halftime, and then running to the right wing to open up space.

James, who caught the ball early, began to direct his teammates to position themselves. Ilgauskas raised the screen and Newbell slipped across the baseline from right to left.

Near the baseline on the left, Howard stood still to cover his teammates. Prince, who was pursuing the defense, did not follow the corner. Instead, he huddled inside the three-point line and looked at the movement up the line.

The Cavaliers' offense is very simple. James, holding the ball in his right hand, accelerates laterally, and Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas shrink toward the basket at the same time.

Gasol and Gasol also turned around and defended. James broke through to the paint area and was quickly surrounded by three people.

Instead of passing the ball to Howard who was near the basket, he jumped up and swung the ball backwards to find Ilgauskas near the free throw line.

The latter caught the ball, faced the defending Gasol, and made a mid-range jumper.

There was another scramble at the basket, and Howard tried to squeeze past Kurt Thomas. Because his movement was too big, the bottom line referee caught him and immediately called a foul.

Without making too many excuses, Howard smiled and shrugged at the referee. He didn't care about the whistle.

The happy big boy is still immersed in the joy of the Christmas war
James frowned slightly, and his shooting percentage of over 50% failed to change the opponent's defensive strategy.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The sound of cheering resounded throughout the arena again. After receiving the baseline ball, Li You was not in a hurry to attack. He noticed that the Cavaliers had changed to man-to-man defense and immediately called the big man to come up.

Being able to lead at half-time, in addition to better control of mistakes, 13 of 6 three-pointers also played a huge role.

After halftime, Li You gave the ball to Gasol at the left elbow early. Laga Bell in the left corner slipped across the baseline. At the same time, Prince in the right corner moved to the wing.

After the ball was handed over, Li You feinted toward the top of the arc and then accelerated and ran back. He failed to get rid of McGinnis' defense on the left wing. After stopping, he swayed upwards to the line again.

When Li You, who was running back again, moved to the left sideline, he suddenly accelerated and cut in. Gasol, who had been holding the ball up, sent a ground pass.

Given the lead time, Li You took a big step when he caught the ball. He jumped with both feet at the bottom left of the basket, close to the paint area.

McGinnis, who was chasing after him, immediately jumped up high, and Howard, who quickly helped defend to the basket, also jumped up to try to block the shot.

Li You, who was holding the ball in the air, suddenly connected the ball, then used his body strength again, glided to the lower right side of the basket, completely dodged the defense, and before landing, casually threw the ball toward the backboard.

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the basket. Howard looked at his teammates, heard Van Gundy's shout, and quickly patted his chest to indicate that it was his problem.

Perhaps it was the cheers of the New York fans that made the rookie particularly excited. Howard was active on the defensive end tonight, but he appeared in the wrong position on many possessions.

53:60, the score difference is still not big.

半场詹姆斯7中4，罚球4中3，拿到11分的同时还有5篮板和7助攻。

Although there were three turnovers, the Cavaliers continued to give the ball to James.

Switching to the right wing, the same tactic was used. Ilgauskas faked a screen and then passed down. James' ground pass found his teammate.

Receiving the ball in the paint just in front of the basket, Ilgauskas bent down to release the ball. Realizing that the Knicks were shrinking in defense, he distributed the ball to Howard on the left near the baseline.

The intention of passing the ball was too obvious. Kurt Thomas stretched his right arm and just destroyed the ball. After completing the steal, he immediately controlled the ball.

D'Antoni on the sidelines clapped his hands, and after Li You caught the ball, he slowly crossed the half court again.

Laga Bell and Prince came to the left and right wings, and the Cavaliers still chose to defend man-to-man.

In the right elbow area, Gasol moved up to the three-point line and successfully covered McGinnis' pursuit with a solid screen.

Li You, who held the ball in his right hand, was not very fast. When Gasol passed down, he was still observing the defense.

McGinnis had just come up from the side to defend, and Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, leaned against the defense and accelerated a second time.

Howard, who was shrinking his defense towards the basket, couldn't hold back and immediately slid to help defend.

Li You leaned on Howard and continued to accelerate. When he reached the bottom line, McGinnis also stepped forward to block it.

Right below the basket, Howard, who was exerting horizontal force, did not interfere with his hands in front of the referee, but tried to use his body to squeeze Li You out of the baseline.
After slowing down, Li You leaned on the defense. Just before the two were about to form a circle, he suddenly leaned forward. With a flick of his right wrist, the basketball flew past Howard.

Gasol, who had already reached the basket, caught the ball without interference. He grabbed the ball with his right hand and dunked with one arm!

At 53:62, the Knicks continued to score.

The score difference was about to reach double digits, and the cheers became louder and louder. Van Gundy on the sidelines reminded the players to hold on. When McGinnis passed the half court, Newbell slipped across the baseline from right to left.

James ran from the other side to the right near the baseline. When Nubell caught the ball with his back, he used Howard's screen to bounce out to the right elbow area.

McGinnis led Li You and ran to the left corner. The moment James caught the ball, the Knicks' interior began to shrink again.

Instead of passing the ball, James drifted slightly to the left. After receiving the ball, James faced the defense and made a floating jumper.

When Gasol collected the rebound and passed the ball to Li You, the Cavaliers had already begun to retreat quickly.

After receiving the ball, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly increased his speed and chased his opponent across the center line without anyone to defend him.

Forming a third-line fast break, the Knicks' two wings ran close to the left and right sidelines early to open up space. When McGinnis noticed that Li You had slowed down, it was already too late.

Still some distance from the three-point line, Li You suddenly stopped, not giving his opponent a chance to defend, and switched offense to make a jump shot.

James, who was running back to half court, subconsciously turned his head to look at the frame, and the basketball hit the net!

"Wow!"

At 53:65, a wave of 7:0 was played. The cheers were about to break through the arena, and Van Gundy had no choice but to pause.

The offense suddenly lost power. In the commentary box, Hubie Brown couldn't help but chuckle:
"This is a young team. LeBron should be more decisive in key responses."

Mike Tirico has watched too many Knicks games and naturally knows what a double-digit point difference means:
"The Cavaliers' shooting percentage began to decline. It seems that coach D'Antoni did make the right choice."

Although the Cavaliers' offense was patient after the timeout, James broke through in the middle. When he saw Li Youxie defending near the free throw line, he still gave the ball to McGinnis on the right wing.

The latter hesitated a little after receiving the ball, and when he took the jump shot, he was interfered by Prince who came up in rotation.

A long rebound popped up, and Li You grabbed the basketball in front of James.

The Knicks began to accelerate, and Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, rushed through the half court against James' defense.

Gasol, who was trailing behind, took advantage of the situation and stood up on the left wing. He covered the ball in a high position. Li You, who was circling the ball from behind, moved away from the pursuit of his teammates by his side.

At the top of the arc, Li You made an emergency stop and converted a three-pointer, but after the long rebound popped up, Prince grabbed the offensive rebound in the right block.

The basketball returned to Li You's hands at the top of the arc. James quickly lowered his center of gravity and stretched out his right arm to interfere.

Protecting the ball on the left side of his body, Li You lowered his body and quickly took a tentative step forward to the left with his right foot.

Seeming to be particularly confident in his body, James suddenly changed his defensive strategy, turned his body sideways and actively defended, giving way to a breakthrough route.

The opponent's feet moved. Li You exerted force with his back foot and quickly released the ball with his left hand. He broke through with his shoulders and took a big step forward. He immediately crossed and pulled back.

James, who was sliding to the right and back, was attacked by his supporting foot in front of the defense. The moment his opponent adjusted his body's center of gravity, Li You dribbled with his hips again.

James, who had just returned to a parallel stance, saw Li You straighten his body and pretend to hit the ball with his right hand, and involuntarily leaned forward.

Taking this opportunity, Li You led the ball forward again, accelerating twice and completely passing the defense.

Amid the exclamations of the fans, James, who reacted quickly, also slid quickly, using his huge strides to catch up to his side again.

James, who was trying hard to block the shot, failed to control his body. Li You suddenly stopped and caused a rear-end collision.
After the two collided, Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand, leaned forward, and used the rebound force to throw the ball toward the basket in the paint.

James leaned back and failed to make any defensive moves. After controlling his body, he saw the basketball draw a huge arc and accurately fall into the basket.

"squeak!"

“wow”

When the referee blew the whistle, the New York fans at the scene cheered loudly. James, who had completely come to his senses, shook his head helplessly. He had so little experience in the game that he was cheated multiple times in one round.
“Nice try!”

Li You, who stood at the free throw line, briefly praised his defense in this round. Before James could say anything, Howard, who was standing next to the paint area, said happily:
"So cool! The ball seems to stick to your hand!"

"."

James, who wanted to respond out loud, suddenly lost his mood. He really didn't like the star-chasing look of his teammates.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Amid the shouts, Li Youjia made a solid free throw. Van Gundy on the sidelines once again gestured to attack the basket, reminding the players to score quickly.

At 53:68, in the key round, Ilgauskas, who received a pass from James, hit a jumper near the baseline on the right side.

Howard relied on his enthusiasm to grab an offensive rebound this time, and finally defied the defense for a second attack to help the team break the scoring drought.

The Cavaliers just wanted to change their defensive strategy, but Li You began to give the ball to Gasol in the low post.

Skillfully played a partial 2-on-2 on the left wing. As Ilgauskas was attracted by Li You who slipped to the baseline, Gasol suddenly released the ball and arched it to the basket, causing the opponent's thug to foul.

On the Cavaliers bench, Thibodeau couldn't help shaking his head secretly when he saw the rhythm of the game changing again. Obviously, the opponent did not want to give the Cavaliers an easy fast break opportunity.

Contrary to what happened in the first half, the Cavaliers couldn't help but shoot from the outside.

In the middle of the third quarter, after McGinnis hit a three-pointer, James' three-pointer was solid again. Watching the third-line fast break, Prince rushed across the half court silently, and after receiving the ball, the civilian made a layup.

James, who retreated, couldn't help but give himself a moment. He realized that the Cavaliers were collapsing.
After McGinnis, who was left empty, struck again, the Cavaliers were forced to make adjustments, with Charlie Ward and Gooden coming on the scene.

The Knicks also began to make substitutions. Fisher and Stoudemire came to the court, and Gasol and Laga Bell came off the court to rest.

The defensive intensity dropped, James drove to the basket and succeeded. Looking back, Stoudemire also finished at the basket after picking and rolling.

After a few rounds, Van Gundy realized that James' pursuit of Li You without the ball had a stretched defensive effect, so he replaced Nubel in a timeout and brought on Lucios Harris.

This substitution adjustment seemed to have worked. At this time, the third quarter of the game had reached the end, and the two sides poked at each other again.

Howard became the target of the defensive end, and the rookie was in a dilemma for several rounds.

Stoudemire was particularly active after coming on the court. When he saw the left wing Li You receiving the ball, he immediately stepped forward to pick and roll.

When Harris saw Li You releasing the ball with his left hand, he struggled to squeeze through the screen. Li You, who was leaning forward to speed up, saw that his teammates were not in a hurry, dribbled behind his back to his right hand, and then circled the ball sharply.

Stepping on the three-point line, Li You dodged the defense and raised his center of gravity to look up at the frame. Howard couldn't help but move forward.

Stoudemire just accelerated down the line, and Li You's ground pass with his left hand passed through Howard's crotch, rebounded and flew accurately into the paint area.

The ball came to the player. Stoudemire took a step after catching the ball. He jumped with both feet and ignored Gooden in front of him. He grabbed the ball with his right hand, pulled his arm back, and performed a powerful tomahawk dunk!
"boom!"

The basket squeaked, and Gooden, who had just jumped into the air, staggered when he landed, then stumbled and fell into the camera behind him.

The wonderful dunk instantly ignited the atmosphere of the scene, and the shouts almost broke through the arena.

"What an amazing athletic ability! It's hard to defend in pick-and-rolls like this. Stoudemire's finishing at the basket is very good."

Mike Tirico subconsciously praised loudly. Hubie Brown saw that the point difference had widened again and knew that the game was over:
"Lee perfectly controlled the tempo of the game. If nothing else happens, the Knicks will get more opportunities to switch offense in the next game time."

Behind by a big score, Howard still had a smile on his face and ran back and forth.

Seeing Li You hit a three-pointer from the left wing against Harris' defense, he even screamed in front of the fans.
At the end of the third quarter, the score reached 3:73, and the last quarter will become an exhibition match again.

James, who returned to the bench, couldn't stand it any longer. The first Christmas game of his career was ruined by Happy Basketball!
Howard performed pretty well, making 6 of 4 free throws, 4 of 2 free throws, 10 points, 11 rebounds and 1 turnover. He had a double-double in three quarters.

The rookie didn't seem to care about the outcome of the game. Van Gundy wasn't arranging tactics, so Howard bumped James next to him with his shoulder:
"Smile, LeBron! New York fans love us!"

"."

Taking a deep breath, James forced a smile, but cursed in his heart:
"Damn it!"

In the fourth quarter, Li You was still on the court and the Knicks played with two point guards.

The two sides went back and forth, and Stoudemire completed dunks under the basket in several consecutive rounds, which made the atmosphere more and more lively.

For the Cavaliers, James also completed an aerial connection with his good partner Howard, and also showed off his tomahawk dunk during the fast break.

This Christmas battle ended in a lively manner, with both sides’ atmosphere groups making their debut.

100:120, the Knicks finally won easily, ending their two-game losing streak.

After the game, LeBron James maintained his demeanor and took the initiative to chat with Li You.

Just as he turned to leave and was about to walk towards the tunnel, James heard Howard's excited voice behind him:
"Lee, can I get your jersey? This is my first Christmas game and it's a dream game!"

It was also the first time for Li You to encounter such an opponent. Usually when losing by a big score, the opponent would make a big face.

However, Li You agreed to Howard's request and signed an autograph for the happy boy:

"Come on, Bro! The future must belong to young people like you!"

"."

第一次参加圣诞大战，詹姆斯18中9，三分线外2中0，罚球7中6，拿到24分8篮板12助攻1抢断5失误的数据。

Seemingly feeling that Howard had lost all the team's strength, James quickly quickened his pace and jogged back to the locker room.

D'Antoni was interviewed on the sidelines after the game. His mustache was wearing a red scarf again tonight.

Michelle Tafia noticed D'Antoni's happy mood and followed suit:
"Congratulations, Mike! After coaching the Knicks, you won all three Christmas Day games."

"Let's talk about tonight's game, 120 points, this is amazing!"

"I'm also surprised that Lee has scored 40 points in four consecutive games. He is better than we thought."

"This is not his upper limit. What we have to do in the next game is to get the ball into Lee's hands."

"The coaching staff will not interfere with his choice, all we have to do is sit back and enjoy his performance!"

D'Antoni smiled brightly, and Li You's combo guard attributes indeed exceeded his imagination.

出场40分钟，25中15，三分线外12中7，罚球7中6，43分6篮板10助攻1抢断1失误。

Li You, who posted a double-double, continued his previous efficient performance.

On the 26th, in addition to singing praises for Li You, the sports media also once again gossiped about the feud between O'Neal and Kobe.

At 104:102, after a hard-fought overtime, Kobe finally missed the buzzer-beater and the Heat successfully won the game.

O'Neal committed six fouls and left the game during regular time. In overtime, Wade and Eddie Jones became the protagonists for the Heat;
Kobe Bryant of the Lakers went 3-for-0 in overtime and scored zero points. Odom made 3-for-3 and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. He scored 8 points and also scored all the points in overtime.

After the game, O'Neal burst into laughter. He defeated his opponent relying on his younger brother. After the game, he couldn't wait to taunt:

"The referees can't help Kobe. That's just him. He can only attack by himself. Phil is right, he is the player who destroys the system."

"Without me, Kobe will never be able to win the championship. Wade is so good and our combination will be successful!"

出场50分钟，科比30中12，三分线外13中5，罚球13中13，拿到42分三篮板6助攻1抢断9失误的数据。

Except for too many mistakes, Kobe performed well. He simply responded to the ridicule of his old partner:

"I will lead the Lakers to the Finals!"

19中11，罚球7中2，出场39分钟的奥尼尔拿到了24分11篮板3助攻3盖帽1失误的数据；
韦德26中10，罚球10中9，砍下29分3篮板10助攻两抢断1盖帽4失误。

The record has reached 22 wins and 7 losses, and major sports media have begun to warm up the game between the Heat and the Knicks in January next year.

The ratings for the Christmas game were very good. Taking this opportunity, David Stern also gave the players union some reassurance:
"We must insist on civilized competition. The incident at the Palace of Auburn Hills will not affect the final negotiations!"

"."

For other teams, Christmas is a time to rest and adjust.

In the evening, the Spurs and Suns defeated their opponents with big scores, and the two teams were in pursuit.

On the 27th, the Knicks challenged the Magic away from home. In this game, under the leadership of Li You, the team once again scored 110+.

117:101, Alan Houston was confirmed to be out for the season, and the Magic lost again.

On December 12, the Knicks played their last game of 29 at home.

Championship guard Sprewell is still bargaining with the Timberwolves management.

"Madman" even shouted to the media that if he couldn't get a big contract, it would be better to retire directly.

No one believes that Sprewell would make such a choice. Who would be stuck with millions of dollars?
Visiting New York again, Sprewell showed no mercy, but Kevin Garnett was in poor condition.

Even if he roars repeatedly, the iron-blooded jumper is still clanging.

87:110, the Knicks clocked in the third quarter and won the game early.

After the loss, the Timberwolves' record reached 16 wins and 11 losses, and compared with the leading teams, they have begun to lag behind.

The Knicks' record reached 26 wins and 3 losses. Although the Spurs and Suns were still chasing after them, they still secured the first place in the league in 2004 after winning consecutive games.

Garnett was possessed by a blacksmith, while Gasol was unlucky. He sprained his right ankle at the end of the third quarter.

At the end of the game, Sprewell seemed to still miss his championship and kept looking up at the championship banner above the arena.

Garnett no longer has any illusions about this superficial brother. He has long had enough of "championship experience."
Not paying attention to the emotions of his teammates, Sprewell came to Li You and hugged him in greeting, and then sent his blessings:

"Happy birthday, Lee! You look great and will be setting another record soon!"

"You know, I never cared about that, I preferred being on the bench in the fourth quarter."

Li You patted the champion guard. Of course he was telling the truth. Garnett, who became more and more determined tonight, played 41 minutes tonight.

There was no suspense about the outcome, and the Timberwolves' main lineup still played for half of the fourth quarter.

Garnett saw the two of them chatting aside and didn't come forward to talk. After a brief greeting, he left silently.

On both sides of the player tunnel, New York fans were still shouting "thief". Many fans still couldn't let go of Li You's failure to win the MVP last season.

Garnett lowered his head and cursed secretly, but he also knew that he had received dividends for being the MVP, so he naturally could not respond strongly to the fans' taunts.

After everyone in the Knicks returned to the locker room, the medical team confirmed that Gasol would most likely miss the next week's game.

The atmosphere team sent their blessings, and Stoudemire was secretly happy.

After Li You and D'Antoni entered the locker room and confirmed their injuries, the coaching staff shook their heads helplessly.

"Amare, perform well in the training session. We will try a new starting lineup for next week's game."

"My request to you is very simple, pick and roll well, Lee will make it easy for you to score!"

Hearing D'Antoni's words, Stoudemire nodded repeatedly. This is the reward he deserves:
"I know what to do and don't have to worry about my knees. After the minimally invasive surgery, I feel in better shape!"

Beating his knees, Stoudemire showed a confident smile.

Big men Wright and Mutombo also have no objections to D'Antoni's choice.

The former is basically flat, while Mutombo lacks motivation, has declined on the offensive end, and cannot keep up with the current pace of the game even as he gets older.

While everyone was getting ready to take a shower, D'Antoni patted Li You on the shoulder again:

"Li, make the game simpler. We just need to maintain our home advantage!"

Li You knew what the coaching staff was worried about. Gasol was not a flying style of play, and the sprained foot was indeed not a good omen:

"The pick-and-roll is enough. I'm trying to get Stoudemire a Player of the Week award!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)