NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 370 Season Sweep (7300 words chapter)
On February 2005, 2, the NBA announced last month's Player of the Month:
Li You of the Eastern Conference and Chris Webber of the Western Conference successfully won the award.

尼克斯队在1月份获得了14胜2负的战绩，李佑场均砍下36.4分5.0篮板10.2助攻2.1抢断0.5盖帽1.4失误；

Playing 36.3 minutes per game, taking 23.1 shots per game, shooting 53.3% from the field, taking 9.8 shots from outside the three-point line, and shooting 46.9% from three-point range;

He averaged 7.9 free throws per game and made 93.1% of his free throws.

国王队在1月取得了9胜4负的战绩，克里斯-韦伯场均贡献22.5分10.3篮板4.8助攻1.7抢断0.8盖帽3.2失误；

He averaged 19.7 shots per game, shooting 46.1% from the field, and averaged 4.4 free throws per game, shooting 89.5% from the field.

The two have almost the same playing time. If you cover up the names and only look at the shooting percentage, maybe Li You is more of a power forward than Chris Webber.
Ball commentators have become accustomed to Li You's efficient performance. If you look at the distribution of shots this season, there will be more shooting points near the free throw line, and most of the rest are concentrated in the paint area and outside the three-point line.

No matter how the outside world evaluates him, Li You did not increase his post-up play, and he rarely took shots in the mid-range. This offensive choice has greatly inspired many data experts.

After the end of this season, combined with the high-level data that was just born last year-win shares, perhaps Li You will set another outrageous record.

The New York Post did not report too much on small awards such as Best of the Month. In the opinion of most New York fans, Li You should win this award.
On the morning of the 1st, most New York fans were more concerned about other matters. The New York Post also briefly reported the news that fans were concerned about:

"Thank you to the Knicks for their contribution to tsunami relief. At some points, the championship team has a greater impact than us."

"Lee, will you cooperate with Ray Allen in the future?"

When attending the post-game press conference, the reporter from Yahoo Sports did not care about the Knicks losing. Instead, he asked very gossipy:

New York State Attorney General Spitzer recently mocked Bush's business policies during a speech on Wall Street.
As the Knicks are about to start a road trip in the Western Conference, New York fans have been unable to watch the game in person for more than a week, and young people have begun to comment on the game on the Internet.

The New York Times reported on the Knicks' trip to the White House, and Bush once again praised the championship team in his public speech:

"Since 98, Lee should be the NBA star most familiar to White House staff. I am willing to call him the biggest winner in the new century!"

On February 2, during the Knicks' back-to-back games against the Jazz, Carlos Boozer, who was caught in trade rumors, suddenly broke out.

"Of course, I always welcome good players to the Knicks."

In September last year, Facebook had more than 9 million users, and registration is still not open to the public. However, Li You was not affected too much. People who eat melons can learn about his life through this emerging social media.

In addition to the normal reporting of news and gossip, some members of the Donkey Party in the New York Times also did not forget to ridicule the Elephant Party members who followed the Knicks to the White House.

"Lee, head coach George Karl is trying to recruit Ray Allen and Michael Reed. He believes that the Nuggets' recent poor record is due to the lack of shooting guards!"

Li You had a question mark on his face when he heard the news, but no one in the audience refuted it, so it was obvious that it was true.

After hearing Li You's affirmative reply, many reporters hoped that the two would never cooperate. They even wanted to see the Knicks lose.

Although it was surpassed by "CSI" in ratings, the program was still very successful.

"And of course I want to thank the Knicks for providing entertainment for our troops overseas, and there's no doubt a lot of them enjoy the game of basketball."

The ESPN reporter quickly asked the question that everyone is concerned about:

"Ron Artest happily returns to Tarrytown Training Center."

"What can be expected is that Artest can always accompany Grant Hill and Pau Gasol, which is a good thing for the three of them."

Most sports media did not report this news much. After ESPN was complained by fans, sports commentators stopped speaking for the players.

With 16 wins and 30 losses, the Jazz have a high probability of missing the playoffs this year. Boozer's stay also makes Jazz fans happy. Everyone likes loyal players.
Li You was in poor condition tonight after being constantly on the plane. He had four games in a week and two consecutive away games back-to-back, and he was also a little unmotivated.

The operator of the Palace of Auburn Hills also settled with Artest's followers, compensated for the missing necklace, and also publicly expressed an apology.

“A lot of the lads would be proud of what New York has accomplished over the years.”

"."

"Do you think Ray Allen would consider joining the Nuggets and playing for George Karl again?"

Fox Sports broke the news that the Lakers plan to trade Divac and Caron Butler to acquire Boozer.

Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Antoine Jamison, Paul Pierce, Zazunas Ilgauskas, Pau Gasol, Ben Wallace .

After changing the head coach, the record has not improved much. Among the 03 rookies, Wade and James have left Anthony behind this season.

After the news came out, the Lakers did not deny it, and the Jazz did not react much.

"It turns out that the Bucks and George Karl made the wrong choice together that year, and I don't think the two will work together again."

However, after winning against the Knicks that night, Boozer took the initiative to express his position after the game:
"I love playing in Salt Lake City, I get more respect here!"

"He will not choose to join the Nuggets. As for playing for George Karl, forgive me for being blunt, this is even more unbelievable!"

With 18 wins and 26 losses, the Nuggets fell further behind after losing to the Knicks last night.

Such a straightforward answer caused everyone in the audience to burst into laughter. Many people also thought that George Karl was stupid for losing. How could Ray Allen play for him again.

The Knicks and the Players Association jointly applied to the league. A week later, David Stern lifted the ban on training, and Artest returned to the team in a low-key manner.

"There is no such possibility. I know Ray! He has done a good job with the SuperSonics and should be able to enter the top half this season."

No one empathizes with millionaires, and after realizing this, several mainstream media programs chose to ignore it, allowing fans to completely forget about it.

While the heat was still going on, Tang Jiade announced that he would marry his third wife. Recently, he was busy rehearsing the wedding. Ivana felt uncomfortable, so she accompanied Li You to Washington.

On February 2, the NBA announced the Denver All-Star Game substitute list:
The seven substitutes for the Eastern All-Star Team are:

"Although the team's record did not meet expectations, I will not leave the team and I do not want to betray the trust of Coach Sloan."

The thought of "George Karl lost stupidly last night" flashed away, and Li You replied with a certain tone:

Since the Knicks have won championships for many years in a row, the president has almost run out of words of thanks. In the end, Bush also blessed Ivana and was happy for his father's third marriage.
Tangade became the object of attention of the melon-eating crowd at the end of January. The third season of "The Apprentice" became very popular after it was aired.

The seven Western Conference All-Star substitutes are:

Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Shawn Marion, Rashard Lewis, Dirk Nowitzki.

Due to Pau Gasol's injury, David Stern designated Amar'e Stoudemire as his replacement for the All-Star Game.

After the list was announced, 76ers fans expressed their dissatisfaction. Allen Iverson was not selected?

With 139 million fan votes, Iverson ranked third in the voting for Eastern Conference defenders.

Although the 76ers have a poor record, Iverson should also be selected as an All-Star.

The Celtics are currently only one game ahead of the 76ers, but Pierce was promoted to the All-Star Game. Philadelphia fans are naturally dissatisfied with this.

Boston sports media quickly broke the news as to why Pierce was selected:
“The Celtics beat the Knicks this season.”

Yahoo Sports also followed the gossip, and Philadelphia fans were a little helpless to refute after seeing this news.

In the last match, Iverson failed to play due to a hip injury. Unexpectedly, this became the trigger for losing his All-Star position.
After losing his All-Star position, Iverson also broke the defense when being interviewed:

"I don't know why there is such a result. I have the support of the fans but not the recognition of the coaches?"

"Someone doesn't want me to appear on a bigger stage. I won't change myself. Now I just want to play quietly!"

Iverson, who was wearing a wide sweatshirt, didn't show much emotion on his face. His failure to qualify for the playoffs in recent years, coupled with the "rebellion" of Philadelphia fans, caused him to lose his previous unruly temperament.

Iguodala was identified by the 76ers as the new core of the team. Although the younger brother was very well-behaved in front of him, Iverson knew that perhaps his time in Philadelphia was running out.

Although he was selected as an All-Star, Stoudemire was still a little unhappy. Among the 15 players, all were starters, and he was the only one who was selected as a substitute.

When challenging the Suns away from home on the night of the 4th, Stoudemire once again showed great enthusiasm for the game.

At the end of the half, 53:52, the Knicks only led by 1 point.

拉加-贝尔4中1，对面的乔-约翰逊7中1，两人在三分线外都是3中0。

The game was fast-paced, with both sides having only 5 turnovers in the half.

纳什10中4，三分线外1中1，拿到9分1篮板6助攻1失误；

李佑10中6，三分线外2中1，罚球6中5，砍下18分3篮板5助攻1抢断1盖帽。

In the TNT commentary box, Kevin Harlan was talking about the MVP rankings:
"Halfway through the season, many sports commentators think Nash has a chance to win the MVP."

"After joining the Suns this season, the team has undergone tremendous changes under his leadership."

"With 35 wins and 13 losses, the gap between them and the Spurs is not big. As long as they maintain their current form, there is still the possibility of overtaking their opponents after the All-Star Game."

Doug Collins was not blindly optimistic, but commented cautiously:

"Dale Davis does provide solid rebounding for this team, but the veteran has a limited role on the offensive end."

"I'm more worried about Nash's body. In the few games where he was injured, the Suns failed to win a game."

"If they cannot stay healthy, the Suns may suddenly fall behind after the All-Star break. As for MVP, Tim Duncan is currently the closest to Lee."

"But I'm not optimistic about them. Duncan and O'Neal are very good, but the Knicks have a better record. Lee's data has reached the best of his career."

The Suns, who rely heavily on shooting, shot 14 of 4 from three-point range in the first half, while the Knicks made 10 of 3.

Nash wanted to win this game very much, and he was particularly active on the defensive end. Under his leadership, the Suns rarely had problems retreating from defense.

After the start of the third quarter, Nash, who caught the ball from the baseline, greeted his teammates early again.

A senior and a junior, Marion serves as a power forward. Hearing the reminder from his teammates, he came to the top of the arc early to cover.

In the cheers of the fans, after a simple pick-and-roll, as Marion bounced out, Nash, who was holding the ball in his right hand and pretending to break through, immediately passed the ball behind his back.

Kurt Thomas, who was guarding the three-point line, did not stick to the defense and watched as Marion stuck out his butt and pushed the ball weirdly for a jump shot.
"state!"

Continuing his poor shooting feel in the first half, Marion waved his hand as he watched the basketball hit the basket, turned around and retreated quickly.

Veteran Dale Davis also had no chance to compete for offensive rebounds. The basketball bounced too far and was picked up by Prince who returned to the right elbow.

"Defense!."

Li You caught the ball, the Knicks launched a transition attack, and the Western Arena defensive cheers rang out.

On the offensive end, Joe Johnson and Richardson of the Suns usually stand in the bottom corner, but on the defensive end tonight, they stayed on top of the line in most possessions.

The Knicks did not launch a "V-shaped" offense frequently. The two of them cooperated with Nash to attack Li You in the half.

Marion, who returned to half court early, was worried that he would be beaten by the basket. When he saw Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas crossing the baseline, he hurried past the defense and allowed Davis to continue to defend.

Li You, who came to the top of the arc, noticed that there was no misalignment under the basket. After decelerating, he suddenly sent the ball forward with his left hand.

Always maintaining a defensive distance, Nash instinctively stretched out his hand. Li You reacted faster. As soon as the basketball came to the opponent, he pulled back diagonally with his right hand.

Without giving Nash a chance to readjust his center of gravity, Li You lowered his shoulders and accelerated, gaining half a body position and forcing a breakthrough in the middle.

Joe Johnson on the right flank couldn't see that his teammate was being beaten again, and wanted to move to help defend, but Li You squeezed past too fast this time, and just moved his feet, but it was already too late.

Amid the exclamations of Suns fans, Li You broke through from the center and went straight to the basket. Right in front of the basket, he held the ball with his right hand and easily picked up the basket!
Marion and Davis did not shrink this time. The Knicks' big men continued to take advantage of the situation during the half. The midfielder had just adjusted their defensive strategy, but it didn't seem to have much effect in the first round.

At 55:52, Li You scored easily, and another burst of boos broke out in the stadium. Nash could only pat his chest, indicating that it was his fault.

The three-pointer in the half was inaccurate. Nash did not choose to pass the ball without hesitation. After quickly dribbling through the half, he came to the left wing early to initiate a pick-and-roll.

Dribbling from behind to his right hand, he noticed Li You on his side squeezed through the screen. Nash, holding the ball in his right hand, dribbled horizontally, and then immediately threw the ball to Davis.

Speeding up and running back, Nash took the pass from hand to hand, holding the ball with his left hand and driving toward the basket from the wing.

Li You continued to chase behind him, but Nash was not fast. He sensed the defense and did not make a hasty layup attack. After approaching the lower left side of the basket, he slipped across the baseline and started circling.

Near the bottom line on the right side, Nash, holding the ball in his left hand, shook his shoulders, suddenly stopped and pretended to turn around, and then twisted around again to accelerate again.

Arriving in the paint area directly in front of the basket again, Nash noticed that Li You was still chasing after him, so he made up his mind to lean on the defense and suddenly stopped.

Taking advantage of Li You's body leaning forward slightly, Nash used his rebound strength to exert force with his feet, drifting near the basket and shooting backwards!

The basketball finally bounced off the rim twice and fell into the net. It was a difficult goal and the Suns fans cheered.

Quickly standing up from the floor, Nash quickly retreated with his teammates.

After taking the baseline ball, Li You accelerated, and Amar'e Stoudemire, who ran to the frontcourt, took a stand at the three-point line early.

Observing the movement behind him, Nash moved ahead and tried to squeeze through the screen.

Approaching the pick-and-roll position, Li You lowered his center of gravity and swung his body forward to the left, then quickly dribbled the ball behind his back, switched to his right hand and accelerated laterally.

Nash did squeeze through the screen, but was stuck by Li You and could only slide instinctively.

Richardson on the right wing saw that his teammate was about to lose position again and hurriedly slid to help defend.

The two tried to close the door to defend near the elbow area. During the move, Li You, who was holding the ball with his right hand, suddenly circled the ball with his crotch.

The basketball flew out from under his crotch and also flew past the two people. Li You suddenly knocked away from the two people, completely getting rid of the defense, and once again controlled the ball with his right hand in the paint area.

Marion, who retreated to the basket, ignored Kurt Thomas beside him at this time, moved ahead, came to the basket, and jumped to block the shot.

Right in front of the basket, Li You, who was jumping with both feet, saw Marion raising his arms high and making a "blocking" motion. They flew into the air and their bodies collided and then twisted again.

Seeing Li You suddenly turn 180 degrees, Marion, who had already begun to fall, decisively pulled his right hand in an attempt to disrupt the attack.

Amidst the exclamations of the fans, Li You was not affected too much. Before falling, he threw the ball towards the backboard with his right hand.

"squeak!"

At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, the basketball hit the board and accurately hit the basket.

The acrobatic goals brought a sudden silence to the Western Arena, and then the roar nearly broke through the arena.

In the commentary box, although Kevin Harlan had watched Li You perform many times, he still praised loudly at this time:

"Lee once again demonstrated his unparalleled movement control skills! What an exaggerated goal!"

"After the start of the second half, Lee seemed to have completely found his match form."

Doug Collins noticed that Nash and Richardson were still standing outside the three-point line in a daze, and couldn't help but joked:
"Making the right defensive choices doesn't mean stopping Lee from scoring."

Quentin Richardson was traded by the Knicks, but New York fans have long forgotten this player who has played some famous games.

Facing the Knicks, Richardson wanted to prove himself, but his shooting was not up to par tonight. After making midfield adjustments, head coach Gentry decided not to fire from the outside.
He simply high-fived his teammates to celebrate. Li You stood on the free throw line and made an extra free throw to make a solid hit.

58:54, seeing the point difference widening, Nash, who caught the ball from the baseline, still chose to attack on his own.

On the left wing, Davis' solid pick-and-roll finally allowed Nash to escape Li You's pursuit.

Stoudemire chose to switch defense immediately, and Li You followed the opponent to the basket, cutting off Nash's passing route.

With a small opportunity, Nash, holding the ball in his left hand, continuously dribbled the ball from his hips and shifted his center of gravity. The moment the basketball returned to his left hand, the direction of his body suddenly changed.

As soon as Stoudemire moved back, Nash, who was pretending to break through, immediately stopped and made a drift jumper to the right after joining the ball.

Davis tried to use his height advantage to rush for offensive rebounds, but Li You was already prepared and pulled his whole body into the opponent's arms.

Unable to fully take off, Davis watched Li You leap high in front of him, grabbed the rebound, and rushed after landing with the ball.

Before he could commit a tactical foul, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, rushed faster and faster and had already crossed the three-point line.

At the same time, Stoudemire also took big steps and rushed forward desperately.

Nash, who retreated from defense, was in a state of one defense and two defense for a while. When he was still hesitating, Li You, who rushed through the center line, threw the ball directly to the upper right side of the basket.

The ball came to everyone, and Stoudemire, who was completely unguarded, rushed to the basket, grabbed the ball with both hands, and pushed the ball into the basket while drifting!

Under the inertia, Stoudemire stumbled a little after completing the dunk. After straightening his body, he immediately shouted excitedly:

"what!"

Coach Gentry, who was on the sidelines, saw that the players had just retreated to half court. He could only cross his arms for a moment and reminded Nash to continue attacking.

In the first half, the Suns shot too many corner three-pointers, allowing the out-of-form Knicks to rely on counterattacks to seize the score.

Nash strictly abides by the coach's tactical arrangements, continuing personal singles while reminding his teammates to cut to the basket.

In the subsequent game, Stoudemire showed his excellent physical fitness. Davis, who had old arms and legs, was blocked twice by the young man.
Marion, who cut to the basket, was also disturbed.

The Suns' offensive method, which gave up outside shooting, became extremely one-dimensional. They failed to finish efficiently at the basket, and instead were used by the Knicks in transition.

Richardson hit a long two-pointer from the left corner. Seeing the long rebound being collected by Li You, everyone in the Suns instinctively retreated quickly.

Marion didn't forget to call his teammates for a defensive confrontation. When they retreated to half court, they all huddled at the three-point line.

At the top of the arc, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, pushed the ball to change direction, accelerated a second time, and held the ball in his right hand to burst through the middle.

Seeing that Nash was stuck half of his body, the Suns' defense all shrank into the paint area.

Near the free throw line, Li You distributed the ball to Laga Bell on the right wing near the sideline.

After receiving the ball, no one was guarding him. Laga Bell, who calmly adjusted, converted the three-pointer and hit it steadily!
At 69:60, seeing that the score difference was about to reach double digits, head coach Gentry immediately requested a timeout.

With 3 minutes and 6 seconds left in the third quarter, the sound in the Western Arena was much quieter.

Some fans who were holding white boards to cheer for Nash seemed to have lost their emotions. They haven't beaten the Knicks since 96, and tonight seems to be continuing the tradition.
Nash failed to become the team's hero, and even his "ceremonial" free throws fluctuated.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Knicks hit the iron from beyond the three-point line and allowed the Suns to make two beautiful counterattacks.

But as Li You and Stoudemire began to stand on the free throw line, the point difference gradually widened.

At 35:23 in a single quarter, after three quarters, the score reached 88:75.

On the Suns bench, looking at Nash's silence, Joe Johnson also let out a sigh of relief.

6 of 3, scored 6 points, Joe Johnson felt that he performed well. He believed that the team's loss of offensive rhythm was the reason for lagging behind:
"We still have enough time, Steve, this is not the rhythm we like, we have to hit shots from the outside!"

Hearing his teammates' words, Nash nodded, and he planned to observe for a few more minutes.

After the start of the 4th quarter, Nash on the bench was speechless when he saw that Li You came on the court again without rest.

In the first offensive round, the Knicks attacked with double screens on the line, and Li You cut horizontally from right to left.

Although Fisher, who was directing traffic, passed the ball half a beat late, Li You, who received the ball, still forced a jumper!

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

Leandro Barbosa, who came on as a substitute, looked to the sidelines subconsciously, but coach Gentry gave no instructions.

Jim Jackson, who came on as a substitute, made a pass error and Li You, who completed the steal, rushed across the half court along the left sideline.

Barbosa had just stepped forward to defend. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated with his shoulder and led the ball forward. The ball protector slapped the opponent's arm and successfully gained half of his body.

Realizing that he had made the wrong choice, Barbosa no longer made any unnecessary moves and just slid back to the right desperately.

On the three-point line on the left wing, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly while moving, pulled his hips back, shook off the defense, reset his steps to join the ball, and raised the ball to feint.

Barbossa, who was deceived, pounced forward, flew into the air and tried to twist his body, but it was too late.

The moment he caught the defense, Li You exerted his strength and made a jump shot after the referee blew the whistle!

"boom!"

The arc is slightly flat, and the basketball hits the back edge and bounces into the basket.

"Shh!"

"Man, quick reflexes, good defense!"

Li You walked to the free throw line and patted Barbosa. The rookie asked Michael Jordan to put in a good word through William Wesley.

The two had a small encounter at McQueen's party, but at that time Barbosa had just arrived in the United States and was asking for help, and he acted like a "follower" to his agent.
Barbosa did not respond like those unruly rookies, but showed a flattering smile on his face.

At 95:75, as Li You made a free throw, Nash, who was still observing on the bench, was dumbfounded. After three rounds, the score difference reached 20 points.
Coach Gentry realized too late that he had made the wrong substitution choice.

Although Nash came on early, the point difference never narrowed, and the Suns, who were forced to start shooting, suffered an efficient counterattack by the Knicks.

In the end, the game ended quickly as Suns fans sighed in despair.

At 116:99, the Knicks once again completed the season sweep and continued their unbeaten record against the Suns.

出场40分钟，23中13，三分线外9中4，罚球12中10，40分7篮板10助攻3抢断1盖帽1失误。

After filling up the data column and handing over a double-double, Li You hugged a somewhat disappointed Nash after the game and gave a simple encouragement:

"This is your first season joining the Suns. Keep this up and you will definitely get the MVP in the end!"

In the MVP rankings, Nash has reached the second position, but after losing two games in a row, he knows very well how the ball commentators will evaluate:
"Wish me luck! Hopefully we can meet in the finals this year."

Nash left disappointed, and he eagerly hoped that the management could strengthen the existing lineup again.

After the national broadcast, the sports media automatically eliminated Nash.

On Saturday, February 2th, Stoudemire, who played efficiently in the last game, had a hip stretch.

With Chris Webber injured, the Kings won another game.

Although he lost, D'Antoni was very happy and had no injuries, which was in line with the expectations of the coaching staff.

On Monday the 7th, after the Knicks defeated the Clippers in an away game, their road trip in the Western Conference ended.

After the game, D'Antoni, who was interviewed, confidently stated:
"Despite the injuries to the team, we can still win 60+ games this year!"

"."

(End of this chapter)