NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 393 "Looking at adversity——?" (7400 words chapter)
On June 2005, 6, as the International Olympic Committee deadline approached, the battle over the New York West End stadium project also reached a critical moment.

At the end of May, the International Olympic Committee issued a "warning" to state legislative leaders:
"Failure to complete approval of the Westside Stadium by the end of this week will disqualify New York from hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics."

Next Monday, the International Olympic Committee will receive an assessment. If MSG succeeds, then the Jets will move and New York will host the Olympics.

Governor Pataki and New York Mayor Bloomberg are also calling on citizens:
"Building a stadium is the right choice for New York, and it also has extraordinary significance for the state of New York!"

"Bringing the Olympics back to the United States will not only have profound benefits for the city and surrounding areas, but it will also inspire everyone's passion for sports!"

“When the stadium is built, the Super Bowl will come to New York!”

The remarks made by the two in an interview yesterday were quickly opposed by the Dolan family.

After the Knicks reached the Finals, James Dolan even directly shouted to the outside world:
“We don’t need a Super Bowl because every year the Knicks show up in the Finals and fans get to watch the best basketball players on the planet at Madison Square Garden!”

"MSG will allow New York fans to enjoy the joy of victory. Sports should be pure. Stadiums in the West End will not bring economic benefits to the citizens at all."

"Cablevision will sue this project, and we have reached a preliminary consensus with the state judge!"

Stoudemire was not reused in the playoffs, and Li You encountered a double-team. How to deal with 4-on-3 is a problem the Knicks have to face.

Duncan, who also suffered from plantar fasciitis, seemed to be getting better and better with each passing day, but Gasol's performance failed to meet the expectations of ball commentators.

Coupled with being selected as an All-Star, Stoudemire is even more confident.

"No matter who of these two teams enters the finals, the championship will eventually belong to New York!"

出场36分钟，15中10，三分线外6中4，罚球17中15，吉诺比利砍下39分4篮板6助攻2抢断1失误的全能数据。

"Bruce Bowen's purpose is not to defend, he has been trying to hurt me!"

90:103, the Spurs got the match point.

The Jets players expressed their desire to go home to the public. For the Knicks, Li You, who was interviewed, could only express his position:
"We have to focus on the next games, but Mr. Dolan is right about one thing. The Knicks have entered the Finals for eight consecutive years."

In the second half, Ray Allen was defended 8-for-1 and scored 4 points. While taking the blame for the loss, his friendship with Bowen was completely broken.

"This is the Spurs' season, and it feels great to be teammates with these great players!"

For the coaching staff, offense is not a problem. Li You can always respond. How to avoid fouls on the defensive end and protect rebounds is the top priority.

"."

However, most of the column articles are about loans, and football commentators look down on the two teams in the Western Conference finals:

Kurt Thomas' more solid defense also overwhelmed Stoudemire.

"I have discussed the choice with my agent a long time ago, and I still maintain my previous view. The Knicks will always be my first choice."

The two sides were tied at halftime, but the Sonics suddenly misfired in the third quarter, and the Spurs relied on Ginobili's 14 points in a single quarter to seal the victory.

"I have the ability to score 25+10 in a game, and everyone knows my talent."

In an interview with ESPN, the long-haired Ginobili was also very happy and proactively promised the fans:
"We will win the championship. Compared to two years ago, everyone is more mature and we have all grown up a lot."

"If he were a man, he would have a boxing match with me after the game instead of ruining the game with these little tricks on the pitch."

"Bruce Bowen has left the Sonics with injuries and Tim Duncan has no leadership qualities."

The New York Post brought the latest feuding trends between the two sides to the melon-eaters in the newspaper early in the morning.

As the team's sixth man, Stoudemire is a little depressed. D'Antoni will not use a small lineup in the playoffs, and the only task he is given is to score.

June 6th will usher in G6 of the finals, and this is also the day when the Olympic Venues Committee releases the 1 City Report.

In the first half, Ginobili scored 7 points in 6 of 2, 2 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 5 of 19 free throws, helping the team withstand the Sonics' counterattack.

"Does this affect your decision, we all know that the Knicks will exercise the team option next season, will you still stay in New York?"

Whether the Olympics can be held depends on the competition between the two sides in the past few days. In this regard, many people in the sports world have begun to protest against the Dolan family. The reason is also very simple:
“No one has a monopoly on New York’s sports market!”

Winning the division championship trophy and entering the finals again, there is a lot of related news.

Ray Allen made 11 of 7 in the half, 3 of 1 from beyond the arc, and scored 15 points, leading the Sonics to a climax.

After getting the information they wanted, the ABC staff is in a good mood. Maybe the Knicks will make big moves in the offseason!
When interviewing Gasol, the most asked question was his physical condition.

In the battle of Tianwangshan in the Western Conference finals that night, Ginobili broke out again.

Most Knicks fans actually don't want the team to move. Although Madison Square Garden's facilities are old and parking is difficult to watch games, it is still the holy land of basketball in everyone's mind.

Even if Gasol himself is in average condition, he still gets a lot of playing time.

There is a game between the Spurs and the SuperSonics tonight, but considering that Ray Allen cannot break through Bowen's defense, the Spurs will most likely appear in the finals.

After staying in New York for three seasons, Stoudemire also transformed from a high school student back then to a veteran player who is good at playing X:
"At the moment I'm only focused on the finals and I won't think about these issues."

The SBC Center Arena continued to applaud Ginobili's outstanding performance after the game.

Stoudemire believes in his physical talent. He also scored 30+ points in the regular season.

Different players have different feelings about the game. Ginobili felt that the Spurs played well, but Ray Allen broke the defense when he attended the press conference after the game:

On Friday, June 6, at the Tarrytown Training Center, ABC began interviewing everyone on the Knicks team, as they began to warm up for the finals over the weekend.

ABC has been here every year recently during the finals, setting up the media room with ease and asking very targeted questions:
"Amare, we noticed that your agent is very active. He thinks you should get more playing time and get the starting position."

The Dolan family is fighting to the death, and the Public Authority Control Board is still seeking a vote.

"I love New York. I feel at home in this city."

"Pau! Fans are very concerned about your physical condition. The Olympic schedule seems to have increased the burden on your body."

"Will you stick to your previous attitude for the next Men's Basketball World Championship?"

Gasol is not worried about his contract. He can adapt to more tactics, so he did not beat around the bush when answering questions:
"I recovered very well. After entering the playoffs, I was able to get some rest time after each round."

"We had almost a week to recover before the finals, which helped me a lot."

"I will still participate in the national team competition. I want to bring my championship experience back to Spain, which can help the team."

After growing his hair and beard, Gasol looked much more mature. In fact, this was only the fourth season of his career.

About to achieve his third consecutive championship, Gasol will also become the leader of the Spanish men's basketball team.

When Li You, who was wearing training clothes, came to the media room and saw the familiar black cloth in the background, he couldn't help but tease the ABC interview team:
"You should really consider changing the context. If the Spurs advance, maybe San Antonio fans will feel like they are back in 03."

Several staff members laughed. In the past few years, the Knicks' opponents in the finals were either the Lakers or the Spurs. There was indeed a feeling of déjà vu.

When interviewing Li You, the questions were much more casual. Having reached the finals for 8 consecutive years, Li You has tied the record set by his predecessors.

"Li, have you paid attention to Ginobili's performance in the playoffs this year?"

The Argentinian rookie is actually the same year as Li You, and they are similar in age. The opponent's current style of play is also a combo guard.

"Of course, after Ginobili led the team to the championship in the Olympics and became an All-Star, he is still underestimated."

"We will watch a lot of games these days to find his weaknesses. Opponents need to go through consecutive away games, which is good news for the Knicks."

After hearing that Li You was sure that the Spurs would enter the finals, the staff soon asked out of curiosity:
"Why not the Sonics?"

"Because Lewis' injury makes it difficult for them to deal with three All-Stars, I don't think Duncan will waste this opportunity."

Li You answered calmly, and no one objected, and they soon started talking about their expectations for the finals.

In the Western Conference finals that night, the Spurs did not win the game as overwhelmingly as Li You predicted.

The battle with the Sonics again reached the 4th quarter. With 14.4 seconds left in the game, Antonio Daniels made two free throws, and the score reached 96:96.

Seeing that the Sonics were about to drag the series into a tiebreaker, in the last attack, Ginobili assisted Duncan in the basket and scored 2 points!
With Ray Allen's three-pointer in the last 0.5 seconds, the Spurs huddled together, Duncan beat the opponent, and they entered the finals again.

In the Seattle Center Arena, Sonics fans could only boo.

Ray Allen still failed to reach the finals. In the player tunnel early after the game, he didn't want to see Bowen's "innocent face" again.

At the award ceremony, Popovich was also very excited when he won the trophy. Duncan promised the fans for the first time in the playoffs:
"We won't lose anymore! There will be an O'Brien Trophy in San Antonio!"

"."

Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan hugged each other and celebrated the team's return to the Finals. Although they had to continue flying to the away game, their hearts were burning.

Losing to the Knicks during the rebuilding period made everyone feel angry, and the desire to win made many people feel full of energy.

On Sunday, June 6th, everyone on the Spurs team who flew to Manhattan once again felt the malice of this city.

Although the West End Stadium project is still fiercely contested, and relevant news can be seen in mainstream newspapers, the more news is still about the discussion of the team's ninth championship.

D'Antoni, who has always been low-key, took advantage of the opportunity of the finals to start promoting his planned new book:

"The Law of Victory."

Popovich was so angry at the ABC interview in the past two days. D'Antoni talked about his tactical concepts in front of the camera, but in fact the basis of these tactics is "give the ball to Lee."

When he was a rookie coach, Popovich also implemented such a tactic, but it turned out that "giving the ball to Duncan" not only failed to win the championship, but also suffered thigh injuries.

When he saw the news from the New York Times early in the morning, Popovich felt speechless:
“Mike D’Antoni—The Champion Coach Who Changed Modern Basketball.”

Every coach who wins a championship deserves respect, and once he achieves three consecutive championships, he will enter the discussion of historical coaches.

Popovich banned players from watching local New York TV shows in the hotel, and NY Sport disparaged the Spurs:
"With three All-Stars, the Spurs are still not dominant!"

Feeling angry, at the end of the afternoon training session, Popovich began to complain uncontrollably during the interview:

"This is why I don't like coming to New York. Arrogance, arrogance, and prejudice. Basketball here is full of utilitarian atmosphere!"

"I respect the defending champions, but obviously the opponents don't respect the Spurs."

"The Spurs are not here to witness their title defense. We are the Avengers. We need to pay the price for underestimating our opponents!"

"."

As the broadcaster of the Finals, ABC also labeled the Spurs as the "Avengers" when promoting the Spurs, calling them the "old enemies" of the Knicks.

On Monday the 6th, at 21:1 that night, the finals G will officially begin.

Although the game is very late, New York fans don't care. The high ticket prices will not be an obstacle. June every year is a time for fans to gather.

An hour before the start of the game, the players entered the stadium. Everyone on the Spurs team, who had been flying away from home, were all dressed in formal attire. There was no tired look on their faces, and everyone had a determined look in their eyes.

Duncan is still the same. The others are well-dressed, but his formal suit is particularly baggy, without a tie, and the collar of his white shirt is open.
Some of the old player tunnels reminded him of his losing experiences over the years. Facing the scolding camera next to him, Duncan waved his hand and said in a deep voice:
"Hello, New York! I'm back!"

For Li You, playing at the home court he is most familiar with, even if he comes to the finals, he doesn't have as many feelings as Duncan.

As usual, Li Youhe, who was wearing a blue striped formal suit, greeted the staff after entering the venue. Even though there were more cameras, it did not affect him.

The ABC staff followed Li You and hurriedly asked before entering the locker room: "Li, have you met Duncan since he came to New York? This is the third time you have met in the finals."

"I love the Avengers and I'll buy Duncan a drink after the series."

"Victory's champagne always tastes good, he will love it!"

After Li You responded briefly, he smiled and waved to everyone, and walked quickly to the players' tunnel. The Knicks staff clapped and applauded, and they could share some "championship champagne" with the Spurs.
Madison Square Garden also gets rowdy as game time approaches.

In the live ABC commentary box, Michaels, wearing headphones, said with some nostalgia:

"This is my last time commentating on the NBA Finals, and I'm very happy to see the Spurs reach the Finals."

Hubie Brown was in a good mood. Hearing what his partner said, he introduced:
"Duncan has reached the finals for the third time in his career and has been very successful since entering the league, but he needs to seize the opportunity."

"Even if the core players of both teams are very young, no one can predict what will happen in the future."

"I like Popovich's personnel adjustments. Staying healthy in the playoffs is the most important. Now, what the Spurs have to do is go all out to defeat their opponents."

Michaels looked through the information he had compiled, looked at Ginobili's technical statistics, and asked again:

"Facing the Knicks, will Ginobili continue his magical performance tonight?"

"It's hard to say that Raja Bell will guard him tightly. Both teams know each other well. It is indeed difficult to maintain an efficient performance like the Western Conference Finals."

New York fans did not boo when the visiting team players came out. In the eyes of many fans, although the Spurs had three All-Stars, they were still no match for the Lakers.

As the DJ kept shouting the names of the home team players, Li You came on the stage last, and the scene was completely boiling.

The lights came on and the director focused the camera on Popovich and D'Antoni. This was the second showdown between the two sides.

Mustache seemed not to feel the pressure, still sitting firmly on the bench, smiling brightly in front of the camera.

While the players were warming up, Popovich kept talking next to Parker, obviously worried about the game.

Both teams continued the starting lineup that advanced to the finals:
Parker and Ginobili partnered in the backcourt, and the three frontcourt players were Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, and Nazr Muhammad.

After the All-Star break, due to Duncan's injury, the Spurs received unanimous praise for the trade of Muhammad from the Hawks.

Although the fans' favorite "Black Rose" Malik Rose was given away, this transaction reduced the team's internal burden.

At the end of the warm-up, the referee called both sides to the center circle. Muhammad was obviously a little nervous, and the big black man also lowered his head when fist bumping with Li You.

As a rookie, he witnessed the process of Iverson being "persecuted" by Li You. Muhammad actually knows the Knicks better than everyone else on the Spurs.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amidst the cheers that resounded throughout the arena, Gasol moved the ball to half court before Duncan.

Looking at the expressionless Bowen in front of him, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand and slowly dribbling across the midline, observed the opponent's defensive matchup.

Just like the coaching staff's plan, Parker was protected and followed by Lagar Bell in the left corner, while Ginobili guarded in front of Prince.

Duncan is responsible for marking Gasol in the left elbow area, and Muhammad guards behind Kurt Thomas in the right elbow area.

Popovich obviously believes that Bowen, who is about to turn 34, once again sent out the best defender on the team.

Amidst the cheers, Li You moved to the left flank. At the same time, Gasol also moved up to cover.

When approaching the three-point line, Duncan did not position himself according to the conventional defensive method. While pulling Gasol, he moved ahead, opened his arms, and established a defensive position.

Before the screen could occur, Gasol moved ahead and quickly moved laterally toward the free throw line.

Duncan immediately switched defense at this time, and Bowen continued to guard the right side of Li You's body, appropriately opening some distance and cutting off the passing route.

The opponent is obviously practicing the corresponding two-handed tactics, and can double-team and help defend at any time, trying to disrupt Li You's offense.

Seeing Duncan still slowly moving upwards, the moment the defensive pressure on his side eased, Li You suddenly changed direction, accelerated his dribbling speed and swayed to the right.

Bowen was able to slide backwards in an attempt to block the breakthrough route, and Duncan on the left immediately pounced on him.

Taking advantage of the moment when his opponent moved his feet and switched to his right hand, Li You quickly dribbled the ball with his hips, stopped suddenly and completed the change of direction behind his back.

The suddenly accelerated dribbling speed made Li You's shaking very confusing. Duncan stopped subconsciously, and then saw Li You shake off the defense and retreat laterally.

Bowen, who slid inside the three-point line, realized something was wrong, but Li You shot too fast from the left wing and jumped on the ball. The basketball had already flown towards the basket.

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

The cheers and applause made Duncan subconsciously look at Popovich on the sidelines. It can restrict Ray Allen, but it doesn't seem to be easy to apply to Li You.

"Defense!."

Popovich on the sidelines showed tactical gestures to the players, indicating that they should proceed as planned, and at the same time shouted to Parker to hold on.

Li You is only responsible for marking Parker tonight, leading the defense to delay the opponent's advancement.

With rumored girlfriend Eva watching the game in the front row, Parker wanted to show off, but Popovich asked him to hand over the ball early.

On the left wing, Parker threw the ball to Duncan who was holding the ball in the blocking area, and then immediately ran towards the right corner with Li You.

Duncan moved sideways upwards, Ginobili passed the ball to the forward at the top of the arc, and Prince squeezed through the screen to destroy the opponent's breakthrough.

It was opened in time, and Duncan was already at the free throw line when he received a pass from Ginobili again.

Facing Kurt Thomas, who was sliding up again, he raised the ball and feinted, immediately released the ball with his right hand, and broke through smoothly.

Relying on the defense to squeeze into the paint area, the moment Gasol helped defend the basket, Duncan immediately distributed the ball to Muhammad on the lower right side of the basket.

As Gasol twisted around to interfere, the moment his left hand scraped the ball, he immediately changed the direction of the pass.

Li You, who contracted the right corner inside the three-point line, caught the ball immediately.

Bowen, who was outside the three-point line, wanted to step forward to delay, but Li You circled the ball from behind and passed him directly.

Pushing the ball again to change direction, Li You got rid of the defense and rushed faster and faster, rushing through the middle of the court in the blink of an eye.

"Oh!"

When Laga Bell and Prince participated in the fast break, they all ran to the bottom corner and took the initiative to open up the offensive space.

Ginobili, who retreated from defense on the other side, gave up his opponent and went straight to the basket from the right wing.

Bowen chased after him fiercely and realized that he was completely out of position. He kept shouting loudly to signal Ginobili to foul quickly.

After crossing the three-point line and approaching the paint area, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand while walking, suddenly moved forward to lead the ball.

The basketball flew in front of Ginobili, which made the latter stagger. The moment he slowed down, the basketball returned to Li You's hands.

Taking advantage of the force of the rebound, Li You swayed his body forward to the right and took a long step forward with his left foot.

The sudden European step shook Ginobili's feet. He staggered and watched as Li You carried the ball with his left hand to the bottom of the basket and hit the rebound for a layup!
At 0:5, there was a counterattack at the beginning, and the cheers couldn't stop for a while.

"Incredible physical coordination!"

"Lee scored so fast from half court to the basket!"

Michaels could only follow the praise, while Hubie Brown continued to encourage the Spurs:

"They must reduce such mistakes. Once the Heat make more than 15 mistakes in the Eastern Conference Finals, they will usher in a disastrous defeat."

Kurt Thomas is also considered an old rival of Duncan. He took advantage of the opponent's baseline kick and continued to squeeze in the opponent's side:
"Avengers, come and attack me. You can't win FMVP by passing the ball!"

"."

The fans in the front row obviously noticed the two people's little moves and started to boo for a while.

Muhammad, who received the ball, wanted to do a high-low combination at the free throw line, but due to Gasol's interference, he finally chose to give the ball to Ginobili.

The hand-to-hand pass moved to the left wing again, and Ginobili immediately threw the ball to Duncan in the low post.

The moment he caught the ball, Duncan turned towards the baseline, took a big step against the defense, and then turned up the baseline again.

Although Duncan moves very quickly, Gasol has already returned to the basket.

Almost reaching the opponent's arms, Duncan spotted Prince moving toward the basket and immediately threw the ball to the outside.

The excessive passing force caused the basketball to fly very far, and Ginobili kept retreating.

The moment he caught the ball away from the three-point line, before he could get the ball to his chest, Prince, who was chasing after him, used his long arm to stab the ball with his left hand and directly completed the steal.

After regaining control of the ball, Prince accelerated and sprinted with the ball in his right hand, and Ginobili immediately chased him to his side.

When the two sides struggled to cross the half court, Li You on the other side started early and instantly got rid of Parker behind him without the ball.

Li You, who is as fierce as a tiger in fast break, has already cut to the basket when Prince is close to the three-point line.

Prince, who was leaning on the defense, threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket with his right hand.

The force of throwing the ball with one hand was too great. Fortunately, Li You jumped high enough and with his head flat on the basket, he pulled back his left arm and immediately exerted force while his body was still leaning back, smashing the ball into the basket with one hand!

"Wow!"

The exaggerated alley-oop made many fans stand up and shout involuntarily to vent their excitement.

At 0:7, Popovich on the sidelines was so angry that he couldn't get angry at his thigh, so he could only roar at Parker for a while.
"Eva is cheering for the goal she just scored. Maybe she likes New York basketball."

Parker, who was still advancing with the ball, heard Li You's whisper and subconsciously looked to the sidelines.

He wanted to slow down and use his body to knock Li You away, but he lost his center of gravity after the body collision between Parker, who was exerting his strength, and Li You, who was fiercely attacking.
Popovich on the sidelines watched Li You risk a steal, cut the ball off with his right hand, and immediately yelled to the referee that it was a foul.

Parker, who fell to the floor, did not hear the referee's whistle and could only watch Li You cut into the basket from the right wing and gliding dunk!
At 0:9, when the score difference was about to reach double digits, Popovich did not ask for a timeout when looking at the game time and continued to signal to give the ball to Duncan.

Parker concentrated, pursed his lips and stopped talking to Li You. He gave the ball to Duncan in the right block early, then cut into the basket and ran to the left corner.

Facing the defense of Kurt Thomas, he turned around and attacked from behind, taking continuous probing steps. Duncan took advantage of the opponent's center of gravity to shift back and decisively made a jump shot!
The cheers started again, the rebound was collected by Gasol, Li You took over and faced Parker's leading defense, and dribbled through the half court unhurriedly.

Li You had just approached the three-point line, and Bowen on the right flank immediately stepped forward to help defend against double teams.

The moment the opponent came to his side, Li You moved sideways to protect the ball and moved outward, immediately passing the ball to Prince.

Muhammad tried to rotate to help defend, but Prince on the three-point line faked a pass. The moment the latter stopped, he decisively shot a jumper from the right wing!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

At 0:12, Popovich reluctantly requested a timeout. Everyone on the Spurs was confused. They failed to score a point and fell behind by double digits.
"Good job!"

Li You smiled and high-fived his teammates to celebrate. His opponent made a mistake and made a perfect start. It was easier than expected.

As he walked to the bench, memories surged in Li You's mind:

"Duncan in adversity?"

(End of this chapter)