NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 368 "Selfish Basketball" (7200 words chapter)
The Miami Herald discussed the early season's biggest winners in early 2005, quoting the Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith's conclusion:

"The main theme of the 04-05 season is offense. There are currently 8 teams averaging more than 100 points per game. The Heat became the biggest winner through offseason transactions."

This special report was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and won unanimous praise from Heat fans. The 15-game winning streak is the best record of the team in recent years!

If you read too many articles about this kind of commercial exaggeration, fans will inevitably swell, and at the same time, they will raise their expectations for the team.

It was just the focus of the game on the night of the 5th. When the game entered the second half of the fourth quarter, some Heat fans began to leave early again.
Facts have proved that 15 consecutive victories have not changed the habitual nature of Miami fans. Most of them are still ordinary winning fans.

The director frequently pointed the camera at O'Neal on the Heat bench. With 3 minutes and 31 seconds left in the game, the Sharks left the field with six fouls and were glaring at the game angrily.

Originally, O'Neal was able to avoid fouling, but he had a mental problem after being thrown and hit in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, he frequently complained loudly to the referee, and in the end he could only regretfully exit the game.

We can't blame O'Neal. After the conflict on the court, the referee's whistle was particularly strict.

It was completely different from the first half of the game. The whistle was blown frequently due to excessive intervention, further disrupting the rhythm of the game.

Coach Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines stopped shouting loudly. Wade was constantly attacking when he was supporting the offense alone. Christian Laettner, who came off the bench, could not provide much energy on both offense and defense.

Seeing Li You's body swaying to the right, Wade hurriedly moved back, while Leitner saw Stoudemire speeding down and could only retreat and shrink for a while.

Many Heat fans no longer pay attention to the situation on the court. They watched this kind of response for more than a quarter and were completely numb.

Leitner hurriedly shrank toward the basket, and Li You, who was accelerating to break through the baseline, was very fast. Wade, who was chasing behind him, took off early and tried to fly into the air to wait for Li You to complete the block.

On the lower left side of the basket, Li You jumped into the air after the ball was combined. He noticed the movement on his side, faked a real pass, and the basketball flew from Wade's side to behind.

It was clear that there was still suspense in the game, but the fans defaulted to losing. Wade's eyes twitched slightly when he saw it. He didn't like such a scene.

Doug Collins knew the game was over and began to analyze in hindsight where the Heat lost.

Wade has already received his fifth foul, and the rookie is even more depressed.

Most of the Heat fans had left, and the shouts disappeared for a quarter. In this case, Wade's mentality exploded, this is their home court!

Without any interference, Li You made a steady jump shot from mid-range!
At 104:90, the point difference was still within the chaseable range.

After three quarters of the game, Wade stopped being stubborn and insisted on sticking to the defense. His body told himself that if he got too close, he would really be passed by in one step.

The left bottom corner was close to the sideline. After receiving the ball, Li You immediately released the ball with his right hand. Wade and Stoudemire came to him almost at the same time.

Li You, who was pursuing the defense, easily squeezed through the screen and followed his opponent to maintain a defensive position. The two entangled and came to the bottom left of the basket, and Wade suddenly turned around quickly.

Li You controlled the rebound, and Wade on the side was still complaining to the bottom line referee.

Li You suddenly accelerated by shaking right and left, lowering his shoulders. Wade just came up to defend him, so he increased his stride, leaned against the defense, and forced his way to the basket.

Before Leitner could stand still, Wade, who had switched to his left hand, accelerated with his shoulders slumped, and his wing penetrated the basket.

At the top of the arc, Fisher began to direct traffic again. Soon, Li You slipped across the baseline from right to left, and Laga Bell in the left corner went around the line and bounced to the right flank.

The fans left the field, and the two people in the commentary box began to summarize the game. Wade on the defensive end was not in such a good mood. Whenever he thought about the comments of the ball commentators after the game, he felt depressed.

After relying on the defense to complete the ball, Wade came to the front of Langfang. Wade twisted his body, grabbed the ball with his right hand and pulled back his arm, and forcibly threw the basketball towards the basket.

When Laettner saw Stoudemire lift up again, he could only loudly remind his teammates. Seeing the movement behind him, Wade cursed:
"Shet!"

On the right wing, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, slightly raised his center of gravity and quickly in and out.

Kevin Harlan noticed that more fans started to stand up, and couldn't help but sigh again:

Doug Collins has long been accustomed to the Heat's home atmosphere. Watching Li You start the pick-and-roll again, he joked:
"Maybe this is a good thing for Wade. He was guarding Lee the whole game. I believe he can gain a lot after this game."

Taking the initiative to speed up the offensive rhythm, Damon Jones hit the ball early against Fisher after halftime.

"what!"

In a frustrated mood, Wade no longer paid attention to the referee's whistle and tried to foul near the free throw line to disrupt the offense.

After the timeout, the front row seats were already partially empty. Seeing Wade causing Li You to foul and make one of two free throws, more fans began to stand up.

A simple and crude pick-and-roll was very effective. While Wade was still hesitating how to defend, Stoudemire was already stationed at the three-point line.

The moment the ball dropped, Wade immediately fouled. After the referee blew the whistle, he signaled Li You to take a free throw.

"This is Wade's third mistake in this quarter. The Heat's offensive intentions are too obvious, and Eddie Jones can try to take the ball."

There were no boos or defensive cheers. The Heat fans who were about to leave the game turned their heads and looked at it before continuing to line up and leave.
In the commentary box, Kevin Harlan couldn't comment on such a home atmosphere. Thinking of the end of his 15-game winning streak, he could understand the fans:
"The turning point of the game came in the third quarter. Facing a double-digit point difference, the Heat lost their composure and O'Neal failed to assume the task of leader."

With an anxious look on his face, the Heat simply passed the ball from the outside and went to the left wing, close to the sideline. After receiving the ball, Wade quickly changed direction in front of his body after releasing the ball with his right hand.

Leaning forward, Wade just raised his right arm, leaning against the defender Li You's ball protector to conceal his elbow, and suddenly pulled his crotch back when he pushed away the defense.

They're just a hair away from breaking the Knicks' winning streak this season.

Shaking his body to the right, Li You quickly changed direction and instantly broke through Wade, who was chasing him.

Seeing Li You make two free throws, head coach Stan Van Gundy requested a timeout, and he would have to struggle for a while longer.

Wade's center of gravity was unstable after being pushed, and he flew into the paint area due to inertia. He turned around and saw Li You joining the ball at the free throw line, and had no choice but to give up his defense.

Wade, who tried to bounce to the left wing, failed to get rid of Li You. As soon as he caught the ball outside the three-point line, he was cut off by Li You.

Laettner just turned his head, and Stoudemire, who was following up to catch the ball, took a step forward to grab the ball with his right hand, ignored the defense in front of him, took off with both feet and slammed the ball into the basket.

Li You, who blocked the shot early, forced Wade to take action, and the throw finally hit the backboard and bounced out of the frame.

"It is not easy to create a winning culture. This is O'Neal's first season with the Heat. I believe they will succeed."

Wade did not give up the game, nor did he want to leave the field early with six fouls. He restrained himself on the defensive end, but was delayed by Stoudemire on the left near the baseline.

Stoudemire, who completed the dunk, screamed excitedly again. Laettner was staggered and placed his hands on his hips under the basket with a helpless expression on his face.

108:91, there is not enough time left for the Heat.

Damon Jones, who was left open, finally hit an open three-pointer at the top of the arc. Looking back, Fisher also seized the open shot at the top of the arc.

At the last moment, the two sides reached a close, and Wade once again stood on the free throw line. At this time, many of the fans left in the American Airlines Arena were fans of Li You.
After making one of two free throws, Wade pulled out his jersey in frustration when he saw that Fisher was not attacking.

At 111:95, the final buzzer sounded, and there were scattered cheers in the American Airlines Arena.

Most of the Heat fans had left the stadium, and only Li You's fans were celebrating happily and shouting his name, trying to attract attention.

In the tunnel after losing, O'Neal did not shake hands, but left directly from the bench.

He lost face when the Heat fans left the game early, and he really didn't want to hear Li You's sarcasm.

出场36分钟，20中13，罚球8中4，30分13篮板2助攻1抢断3失误。

O'Neal, who scored a double-double, did not receive cheers from the fans. On both sides of the player tunnel, Heat fans seemed to be still immersed in the disappointment of having their winning streak terminated.

韦德出场41分钟，19中7，罚球8中5，19分6篮板7助攻1抢断5失误。

His performance was unremarkable. Wade was secretly sulking and reluctantly shook hands with Li You.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Without being disturbed, Li You's fans shouted happily, which made Wade's eyes twitch slightly, and he forced a smile and praised:

"I have scored 7+ points in 40 consecutive games. Congratulations. Maybe in a few days, I will see the birth of a new record."

"You know, Bro! I never care about these small records. I prefer competitive games."

Li You started the business exchange mode and taught Wade his winning experience.

Wade became more and more uncomfortable being pulled back, and could only smile. Finally, he reluctantly got rid of Li You and walked quickly to the players' tunnel.

Turning to look at Li You who was being interviewed, Wade was a little envious. Tonight was a nationally broadcast game. This was the moment he had been looking forward to for a long time, but it was a pity that he lost.
斯塔德迈尔今晚表现得特别高效，17中13，罚球6中4，砍下30分11篮板1助攻1抢断3失误的数据。

What is certain is that among the top 2 goals in ESPN's Sport Center program on the second day, there must be the alley-oop dunk over the Shark.

The cautious O'Neal didn't even attend the press conference, which made Stoudemire burst out laughing. Although he got a T, he continued to tease sharks at the press conference:

"If you want to gain my respect, then you have to beat me. O'Neal is old. He can't run anymore. He can only rely on experience to play."

"With Lee here, I just have to throw myself in the air and my opponent can't stop me from scoring!"

Compared with New York, the weather in Miami is much better. Before flying to New Orleans, the Knicks attended a local charity event.

With 26 wins and 8 losses, the Heat are still ranked second in the Eastern Conference. After ending their opponent's winning streak, the Knicks' record has reached 28 wins and 4 losses, maintaining the first place in the league.

On Thursday the 6th, in addition to reporting on charity events, TNT also did not forget to poke fun at the Heat, who lost last night.

In the studio, Charles Barkley smiled brightly. Talking about last night’s game, he taunted loudly:
"This is the earliest fan I have ever seen admit defeat. Even in Philadelphia, local fans would not do such a thing."

"Shaquille O'Neal failed to change the culture of the team, and like he said, this is Wade's team."

"This rookie cannot bear this responsibility. He is not Li. He won the championship in his second year. It is difficult for him to replicate such an experience."

If a rookie player wants to win the championship, the essential condition is to have a reliable big brother in the team.

Magic Johnson and Li You have both achieved this achievement. Due to the Heat's outstanding performance this season, Wade naturally has high expectations.

However, after the winning streak was ended, the ball commentators calmed down again. Compared to Li You, although Wade is excellent, he has technical shortcomings.

Kenny Smith also agrees with this view, but he still has great expectations for the Heat:
"With 15 consecutive wins, it's a good thing that the record is terminated. The Heat players don't have to play under pressure."

"The thing that surprised me about last night was the pick-and-roll between Lee and Stoudemire, they were just unstoppable."

"With poor outside shooting performance, Lee dominated the game in another way. His finishing at the basket was so good."

26中16，三分线外6中2，罚球9中8，42分6篮板12助攻2抢断2失误。

Li You scored 40+ double-doubles in three consecutive games, setting another minor record.

After the director gave this data, Ernie Johnson added:
"The age of 25 to 30 should be the rising period for players. Li is obviously still polishing his best skills."

Charles Barkley has no interest in continuing to brag. The gap in wins is not big. The Spurs' current record is 26 wins and 7 losses:
"If the Knicks cannot take an overwhelming lead this year, maybe Tim Duncan will win his first career MVP!"

Kenny Smith has a question mark on his face. In terms of personal data, Li You is far ahead of Duncan:

"Why? The league's best record and outstanding statistics. If we lose this award for two consecutive years, there is definitely something wrong with the selection mechanism!"

After hearing his partner’s words, Charles Barkley was still very convincing:
"Maybe people are tired of Lee's high scores!"

"."

当天晚上的三场比赛，98:111，马刺队小胜步行者队，依旧紧紧咬住胜场差距。邓肯出场38分钟，20中10，罚球11中7，砍下27分12篮板1抢断5盖帽2失误的数据。

When asked about the MVP award selection after the game, Duncan rarely took the initiative to express his position:
"I prefer winning to personal data. I know how to lead the team during this period."

"We are No. 1 in the Western Conference, my teammates have grown, and we will reach the Finals again this year."

"As for MVP, of course I want it, but I want to win the O'Brien Cup and FMVP trophies even more."

Inside players and backcourt players will have a slight disadvantage compared to the data. In this regard, Popovich is also trying to get Duncan to increase the number of shots.

If you want to win the award, data is indispensable, but compared to Li You's Excel, Duncan is still a little short of it. In this regard, Popovich also put forward his own theory:
"In a basketball game, it is selfish for a player to score more than 30 points!"

"I know fans love gorgeous statistics, but Tim is a selfless leader and he deserves MVP!"

On January 1, as Popovich's "selfish theory" swept the league, ball commentators began to discuss the correctness of this theory again.

The SuperSonics lost to their opponent last night against the Wizards, with a record of 23 wins and 8 losses.

Ray Allen is very satisfied with the team's record in the new season, but most sports media don't pay attention to them.

昨晚的比赛雷-阿伦铁匠附体，刘易斯26中14，三分线外10中5，罚球4中2，拿到了35分11篮板1盖帽4失误的数据。

After finishing the road trip and flying back to Seattle, Ray Allen turned into an upright boy again in an interview:

"I don't understand why high scores after winning are criticized!"

"Selfish? If getting 60 points can help the team win, why not score?"

"Obviously Coach Popovich is trying to help Duncan win the MVP, but don't forget, they are only one game ahead of the Sonics."

"Tim Duncan is excellent, but he is not a scorer. Don't try to cover up his shortcomings. I prefer a level playing field."

"People always ignore me and Rashad, but we are actually better than most teams in the league."

"If Lee leads the team to the league's first record this year, I think he should win the MVP. If Tim Duncan is considered, maybe the commentators should also pay attention to my performance!"

Of course, the Seattle Post will speak for the home team, not to mention that Lewis has just scored a 30+10 double-double and his opponent is in a weird mood. The column in the newspaper will naturally counterattack.

On Saturday, the New York Times also mocked its old rival:
"If Tim Duncan could perform like Lee in the Finals, maybe the Spurs would have won two championships."

"."

Popovich has poked a hornet's nest this time, and many local media followed suit with sarcastic ridicule.

For some small-market teams, if the star player can average 30 points per game, regardless of the record, there is a high probability that the tickets will be sold.

As a business league, the NBA is a basketball reality show, and the vast majority of ordinary fans come to appreciate the individual performances of superstars.

No matter how the outside world evaluates him, Popovich still repeatedly emphasizes his theory and calls Duncan a "selfless leader."

On Saturday, January 1, before the game started that night, D'Antoni also talked about hot topics in recent days in an interview:

"Superstars lead teams in different ways. As coaches, we have to create suitable tactics based on the characteristics of the players."

"Duncan may fit into the Spurs' system, but Lee represents a system in his own right!"

"In the Knicks, what the coaching staff has to do is to ensure the condition of other players. We never worry about Lee. I know that as long as the ball is given to him, it means victory."

"Victory is sometimes so simple. Why should I interfere too much with victory? I prefer to sit aside and quietly enjoy Li's performance!"

At the end of the sentence, D'Antoni even laughed out loud, and then asked the media reporters surrounding him:
"Do you like watching Lee play? I think the answer is yes."

The reporter from Yahoo Sports was unable to refute, and even more could not comment on the "I just hung up" remarks.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally a few people from Fox Sports whispered:

"If I had to watch a game, I would definitely choose the Knicks."

"."

The Hornets currently have a record of 2 wins and 29 losses. As long as David Stern nods, they will have a high probability of getting the first pick in this year's draft.

Losing is a true reflection of them. Baron Davis returned from injury, but the feedback he received was that the management was ready to trade him.

There are also benefits to being bad. JR Smith has gradually emerged in such an environment. This shooting guard with strong physical fitness is currently loved by local fans.

After the game started, both sides were undefended and started poking each other early.

It's just that the bearded Davis is suffering. He went 7 for 1 in the first quarter and seems to have not fully recovered from the injury.

At the end of the half, the score reached 57:47, and the point difference was exactly double digits.

12中3，怒砍6分5篮板6助攻2失误，拜伦-戴维斯延续了最近糟糕的表现。

The Hornets fans at the scene didn't care either. The team's current state is "lose is win", and those who bought tickets to watch the game were all here to witness Li You's record.

After the start of the second half, the defensive intensity further dropped, Li You also began to let loose, and Davis gradually regained his touch.

The two frequently provided wonderful assists, and at the same time they did not forget to score individual points.

Watching the score keep rising, cheers came one after another in the New Orleans Arena.

Davis broke through the middle and threw the ball to the upper right side of the basket. PJ Brown jumped high and pressed the ball into the basket with both hands.

Li You initiated a pick-and-roll on the left wing, suddenly changed direction, got rid of Davis's defense, attracted PJ Brown's help, passed the ball under his crotch while traveling, and found Stoudemire who was passing down.

The latter took off immediately after receiving the ball, jumped with both feet before approaching the paint area, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and succeeded in a tomahawk dunk!

After passing halftime, Baron Davis suddenly shot a cold arrow from the top of the arc and hit a long-range three-point jumper.

Li You, who caught the ball from the baseline, crossed the half court and quickly in and out with the ball in his left hand.

After physical activity, he pretended to break through on the left side. Taking advantage of the opponent's sliding step, he immediately changed direction with his hips. Li You squeezed past Davis and made another sudden stop at the three-point line.

Davis, who was still sliding, was taken a big step away by Li You's sudden crotch pull. He made a symbolic save, and finally watched Li You make a jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!

The two sides were back and forth, and the game was very lively. Dunks, three-pointers, and cool breakthroughs made the cheers stop for a while.

31:27 in a single quarter, 88:74 after three quarters, the game is still playable
Although head coach Byron Scott doubted that Li You controlled points and brushed up the statistics, the players were in excellent condition and naturally had to go all out.

In the last quarter of the game, Baron Davis completely found his touch, shooting inside and outside, leading the team to chase points!
Stoudemire is still in excellent condition and cooperates with Li You to constantly respond.

The point difference stretched until the end of the game. In the end, 118:105, the Hornets lost again and continued to dive for the top pick.

拜伦-戴维斯全场25中10，三分线外8中3，罚球5中3，砍下26分8篮板14助攻1抢断4失误的数据；
李佑出场39分钟，24中14，三分线外13中7，罚球7中6，拿到41分7篮板10助攻3抢断1盖帽2失误。

After the game, the two hugged and greeted each other, with the bearded man beaming and not feeling depressed at all:

"This is the best game I've played since returning from injury! Lee, congratulations on tying the record set by Michael Jordan!"

"Thanks, Bro! It was indeed a great game, and I think the Hornets will regret trading you."

Li You showed a "you are so strong" expression and patted the other party's shoulder. Everything was said without saying anything. For the two of them, this was a win-win situation!

Byron Scott, who was on the sidelines, noticed that D'Antoni, who had been on the phone the whole time, stood up at this time, and couldn't help but secretly complain:
"Coaching the Knicks, it's such an easy job."

Bearded Davis gained confidence, Li You gained records, Hornets fans were happy to watch, and New York fans were crazy about X.

Some people are happy and some are sad. Kobe, who is still recovering from his injury, is unhappy again.

After the game last night, when Baron Davis attended the press conference, he took the initiative to brag about Li You:
"I haven't played against Michael Jordan in his prime, but in my opinion, Lee has surpassed him!"

"He's only 6-foot-4, he's about the same size as me, and in this league of giants, Lee is so special."

"Actually, I hope to see Lee break Michael Jordan's record tonight!"

The bearded man didn't mention him at all, which made Kobe, who was recovering at home and paying attention to the record, particularly unhappy. It was obviously him who tied the record first.
The Lakers, who are missing Kobe Bryant, have been winning games recently. Due to flying to Polis on Monday, the Lakers only had a video session on Sunday.

ESPN did not forget about Kobe and blocked him outside the training ground again.

When the other party asked about the record, Kobe responded impatiently:

"I'm only focused on winning, I'm not interested in pursuing those eye-catching statistics anymore!"

"."

On Sunday, January 1th, the Knicks will have back-to-back games.

At Madison Square Garden, Stoudemire won his Player of the Week trophy.

场均27.0分11.0篮板2.0助攻1.0抢断1.0盖帽2.3失误。

The field goal percentage was 58.5% and the free throw percentage was 79.5%.

The New York fans at the scene applauded the newbie. It turns out that if you have talent, you can do whatever you want.

As long as there's a Knicks game, the highlight of the day will inevitably include a Stoudemire dunk.

The 12-19 Trail Blazers have begun to fall behind, but their game state was very good that night.

It was another offensive battle that fans loved, 105:117. While the Knicks continued to win, Li You also quietly broke the record.

At the end of the game, the fans who witnessed the new record were still cheering loudly for Li You.

The sports media in New York were all smiles, and "selfish basketball" was even more discussed.

Li You, who played 39 minutes, did not sweat much on his head. With the growth of game experience, he has mastered the technique of controlling points.

Coupled with some 5-on-8 experience, Li You feels that his control over the game is much better than in previous years.

Waving to the fans, as soon as Li You came to the sidelines, a reporter from the New York Times couldn't wait to ask:
"Lee, congratulations on breaking Michael Jordan's record with 10 consecutive 40+ games. I don't think anyone will be able to achieve such an achievement in the next 50 years."

"Will you continue this performance in the following games?"

Seeing everyone's expectant eyes, Li You chuckled and joked to himself:
"It depends on the opponent, of course, if a 'selfish' performance can win, I think I will stick with it!"

"You know me, scoring is the easiest thing for me."

"."

(End of this chapter)