NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 395 "Changing the Track" (6000 words chapter)
Every June, sports media and cloud fans will cheer up. Even if they don’t usually pay attention to the NBA, they must take a look at the finals.

However, for many old fans, the games in recent years always have a sense of déjà vu.

Since 98, the Knicks have not missed the Finals. Putting aside the outdated Jazz, the remaining opponents besides the Lakers are the Spurs.
On the one hand, these three teams can be considered very successful, but on the other hand, it also shows that the NBA league seems to lack competitiveness.

However, how football commentators evaluate the game will not affect ordinary fans. After watching the ESPN program, most people will praise:
"What a beautiful game!"

Sport Center's daily top ten goals have entered the playoffs, and Li You can always be seen. After so many years, highlight fans have become die-hard fans.

Maybe these fans don't know how to analyze the game and don't bother to check the corresponding data, but as long as the posture is beautiful enough, they will be the main source of votes for Li You's All-Star voting.

After the G1 game of the Finals last night, most football commentators found an excuse for the Spurs:

"Continuous away games have made this team lose their vitality. The Spurs still have a chance to win on the road!"

Regarding the schedule, the Spurs will get more than two days of rest before the start of the G2 game.

If they want to win, Popovich must adjust in time. If there is another slow start, they will have to return to San Antonio with a score of 0:2.

"The newspapers in San Antonio are ready to report on the Spurs players training at 4 a.m. in the offseason."

The first few episodes are about daily life, while the last episode is unscripted and open to the public. In addition to analyzing the game, they also talk about team gossip.

"No one in the league cares about the Spurs' three All-Stars, and that's the truth."

Last night, O'Neal invited his teammate Damon Jones, and the program played 20 wonderful passes by Li You against Jones.
The two have been partners for some time, and Jones smiled happily when he saw his embarrassed appearance on the show.

"Lee, Shaq doesn't think Duncan is on the same level as you guys.

"But everyone knows that there is no comparison at all. Lee can continue to attack anyone one-on-one outside the three-point line, and most of the players on the rankings are like me. Most of our possessions are just catch-and-shoot."

"The Spurs didn't stand a chance. In fact, if we could beat the Knicks, the Heat would be the champions this year."

The Heat have already started fishing at this time, but O'Neal's personal show "Shaquille" on ESPN is still going on.

The ratings for the final episode were very good, even surpassing ABC's normal post-game analysis.

"I respect Reggie Miller, but he's never going to be in the conversation for the best of all time."

"After entering the league, Duncan has not received any individual honors except for the best team."

"."

"The NBA has never been about championships. What fans want to see is the process of chasing the championship!"

"This is the reality. Maybe those media reporters will still praise the losers now, but after their careers are over, only champions deserve respect."

At 86:114, the Knicks defeated the Spurs. With a huge point difference, the trio's chat became more and more crooked, and soon they started talking about O'Neal's remarks last night.

O'Neal obviously changed the track, "If you can't beat him, you will call X", and at the same time, he will increase the gold content of his championship.

"If I hadn't led the Lakers to defeat the Knicks, maybe I would have become the next Barkley."

During the regular season, the Knicks only accept local media in New York, but during the annual finals, the training center will be completely open.

On Tuesday the 7th, TNT was still reviewing last night’s game.

Charles Barkley was particularly unhappy. He often belittled O'Neal's championships on the show, and this time was no exception:

Charles Barkley remained silent. He had won the MVP, but Duncan had nothing.

"I believe everyone will continue to support Duncan. There is no doubt that this is also a success."

"."

"Like O'Neal's championship, he failed for a few years and finally got his chance."

The show was filmed at O'Neal's home. The shark, wearing a large black T-shirt, nodded solemnly, showing a regretful expression as he only missed the championship.
"I totally agree with that and the fact is that Duncan should not be compared to Lee."

James Dolan doesn't like to see sports media belittling the team. Most of the time, the media has to be "audited." Only in the finals can sports reporters ask questions more freely.

During the show, the two played X together and talked about the finals G1. Damon Jones said with confidence:
"They don't know Lee's strength at all. On the three-point shooting list, Joe Johnson's shooting percentage is as high as 47.8%, and Lee only ranks second."

Ernie Johnson felt that this topic was a bit unfriendly and took the initiative to answer:
"The honor will not affect Duncan's status in the hearts of San Antonio fans."

In the studio, Barkley's words made the two people on the side laugh. Kenny Smith did not take over the conversation, but suddenly asked:
"If Duncan ultimately fails to win a championship and fails to win an MVP, will his career be successful?"

A reporter from the Miami Herald who joined in the fun immediately asked:

"Charles Barkley didn't win a championship, and many people have forgotten how good he was."

There is nothing to analyze in the game. The fundamental problem is that the Spurs cannot guard Li You. No matter how they change their formation, it turns out to be in vain.

Damon Jones shot 43.2% from three-point range this season, which is the best performance of his career based on large sample data.

"He actually never beat the better Knicks team in the Finals."

Talking about this big mouth, O'Neal smiled even more happily. At the end of the show, Shark once again made a prediction for the finals:
"If the Spurs fail to win on the road, the Knicks will win the final 4:1."

"They always talk about boring sportsmanship, but they don't talk about the impact of championships."

In the afternoon, after today's training session ended at the Tarrytown Training Center, reporters quickly gathered around Li You.

"Has he won a championship? Has he won an MVP? His statistics lead everyone?"

The Knicks had nearly a week to rest before the Finals, and they performed very well in the first game.

At the end of his career, Shark also has a tendency to have a big mouth, just like Reggie Miller. Maybe within a few years, both of them will appear on TV shows.

When O'Neal talked about the championship, he showed a proud expression, perhaps because of the last episode, and then added completely unrestrainedly:
"It's weird in the league now, where the guy who loses gets praised."

"If Duncan doesn't win a championship in his career, do you think he can enter the discussion of being the best in history?"

Many reporters present seemed to agree with O'Neill's point of view, but Li You still had to speak out:

"Champions are only part of the evaluation of players. Without championships, of course, you can also enter the discussion of the best in history."

"It's a very subjective thing, and for Spurs fans, they should remember every player who contributed to the team."

The ESPN reporter obviously heard Li You's voiceover. Every player can be discussed, but ranking 100th is completely different from ranking 10th.
"Lee, why do so many players around the league lack respect for the Spurs? Do you agree with Shaq's point of view?"

The effect of O'Neal's program was talked about a lot. Li You just watched the relevant news, heard the question went off topic, and continued to talk:
"Every team in the league respects their opponents, and of course everyone respects the Spurs."

"But everyone has a different understanding of basketball. The Spurs play more as a team. Maybe O'Neal values ​​personal data."

Realizing that everyone still wanted to gossip, Li You had to interrupt:
"No one wants to talk about the finals? G2 is the day after tomorrow. You seem to like O'Neal's program more?"

The Yahoo Sports reporter shrugged and asked:
"Li, will you lose in G2?"

"No, we have to protect our home court."

Li You answered the question honestly, and everyone chuckled, and continued to gossip.

On June 6, Bloomberg’s article made the melon-eaters happy:

“Bloomberg faces humiliating political defeat.”

After all, the West Side Stadium project is still in the dust, and the 2012 Olympics will no longer be a problem in New York.
The Dolan family's money-making prowess has done everything from public opinion to complete reversal of public committee votes.

For most of the year, the stadium projects promoted by Bloomberg were in vain, and the Knicks continued to monopolize regional sports.

James Dolan has completely escaped from this incident. Although there is still controversy within the family about the sale of the satellite business, it is an internal conflict between his son and his father.

Before the start of G2 of the Finals, James Dolan, who was interviewed, loaned money to New York fans:

"The Super Bowl can't come to New York every year. As long as Lee stays healthy, the Knicks can appear in the Finals every year."

“I don’t like lying to people, which is why I’m against the stadium project.”

The curly-haired boss didn't hide his emotions. He was wearing a blue Knicks T-shirt, grinning widely, and his smile was particularly bright.

After the victory over the Spurs, D'Antoni was also very busy. His book has not yet been published, but it has already been well received. The sports media want to see the tactician's analysis of the game.

In every interview in the past two days, D'Antoni would talk about his tactical system and tell everyone the "secret" of the Knicks scoring more than 110 points in consecutive seasons.

A defeat caused Popovich's reputation to plummet. Although he won the best coach award, many people believed that this was a charity from D'Antoni.

But personal honors are not important at this time. In order to satisfy his thighs, Popovich has continuously introduced Duncan's sacrifices to the team in the past two days.

A determined look can deceive fans, but it won't make the Spurs' strength soar.

Duncan performed well in G1. During the afternoon warm-up, his facial paralysis returned to his usual state.

While kicking his legs to practice free throws, Popovich tried to make himself more confident and humorously introduced to the media reporters:

"I know what you want to ask. We will resolutely implement double teams tonight."

"No one stipulates that winning a championship is considered a success, and no one stipulates that players must produce good statistics."

"We will show the fans the purest basketball. Every player is the protagonist in the game. This is the charm of basketball."

Popovich has been saying this for a season. Since the emergence of "selfish basketball", there have been more and more anti-honor and anti-data situations.

The kickoff was at 20: that night. Just like Popovich said, every player of the Spurs was the protagonist after they came on the court.

While trying to reduce the number of rounds, under the leadership of Ginobili and Duncan, the Spurs finally played a smooth offense.

At 58:58, halftime ended, relying on active defensive rotations and efficient scoring, the Spurs withstood the pressure. Duncan didn't take many shots, 5 of 4, 8 of 6 free throws, and scored 14 points;
吉诺比利5中4，三分线外3中2，罚球2中2，贡献了12分。

Except for Parker, all the role players on the field performed well. They made 6 turnovers in the half, indicating that the Spurs have returned to their normal state.

During the halftime break, Madison Square Garden was still lively, and the New York fans at the scene did not care about the score. Everyone knew that the third quarter was the key to the game.

Fans rocked to the music, and cheers continued during the halftime show and sponsor events.

D'Antoni, who was being interviewed, could not see any pressure on his face. Instead, he praised his opponent's performance:
"Both sides played a perfect game, and the Spurs made timely adjustments."

"Physical fitness is key. They were more energetic tonight. They made 17 free throws in the half and made 12 of 4 from the three-point line. We can only respect this performance."

"I doubt that the Spurs can maintain such defensive intensity. Rapid rotation of help defense will consume their physical energy."

"We all know that Li will exert his strength in the third quarter. The game has just begun and everything is as planned!"

"."

Before the start of the second half of the game, Fisher kept bumping fists with everyone, adding drama to himself from time to time, and loudly encouraged:
"They are going to collapse. Their opponents cannot maintain such efficiency!"

"."

At the water dispenser, Varejao jumped up and down and praised loudly. The two sang and sang along, and the atmosphere team laughed and bet that the Spurs would pull in the first few minutes.

Unlike the serious-faced Fisher, Stoudemire was a little uncomfortable and received three fouls in the half, which seriously affected his playing time.

After the start of the third quarter, Li You continued to lead the defense, and Parker, who received the ball from the baseline, cautiously crossed the half court.

"Defense!."

The noise soon turned into uniform defensive cheers. In the first round, the Spurs again gave the ball to Duncan in the right block early.

After the baseline cross screen, Gasol defended in front of Duncan.

Without any extra movement, he turned around to face the frame and released the ball with his right hand. Duncan drove to the basket and when approaching the paint area, he failed to squeeze through the defense. He immediately stopped the ball, switched to his left hand, and continued to play.

Gasol always raised his right arm high and did not make any extra moves. When Prince on the outside saw Duncan leaning on the ball, he immediately retreated to help defend.

Taking advantage of his opponent's slide to the block, Duncan returned the ball to Bowen on the left wing.

After receiving the ball, he immediately feinted and deceived Prince's center of gravity. Bowen released the ball with his left hand, broke through smoothly and went straight to the basket.

Perhaps it was Bowen's outstanding performance in the first half that gave him confidence, and his sudden breakthrough with the ball got rid of the defense immediately.

Not feeling the defensive pressure on his side, Bowen broke into the paint and took three long steps to complete the basket.

Right in front of the basket, the moment the basketball was released, Bowen didn't have time to be happy. Prince, who was chasing from behind again, used his long arm to slap the ball onto the backboard.

After rebounding, the basketball was finally picked up by Li You in the paint area. Parker stepped forward to delay, and everyone in the Spurs hurriedly ran back to the half court.

The two sides pulled each other down, and the Spurs matched up in time. Amidst the cheers, Li You, who came to the right wing, signaled a pick-and-roll.

Kurt Thomas moved up, and Duncan followed him to the three-point line.

As Li You dribbled the ball behind his back twice in a row, with the help of the screen, he held the ball in his right hand and forced a breakthrough. Duncan immediately slid to help defend.

Before approaching the blocking area, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly while running, leaned against Parker who was chasing him behind him, and turned around after hitting the ball.

The moment he picked up the ball with his left hand, while Duncan stepped forward to double-team, Li You immediately distributed the ball to Kurt Thomas, who bounced to the elbow area.

The latter caught the ball completely unguarded and made a jump shot from the right elbow.

Muhammad was still struggling with Gasol under the basket, but his height disadvantage meant that it would not help if he was stuck in position.

On the lower right side of the basket, Gasol grabbed the rebound directly over the opponent's head.

Seeing Ginobili shrinking his defense inside, Gasol did not give the ball to the bottom corner, but twisted and threw the ball to the top of the key and beyond the three-point line.

Kurt Thomas, who missed the shot, did not just stand there stupidly. Seeing Li You move, he took advantage of the situation and made an off-ball screen.

Parker realized that his defense was out of position and wanted to pursue him, but he could only hit Kurt Thomas.

The top of the arc was still one step away from the three-point line. Li You received the pass and threw the ball without making any adjustments!

"Whoa!" Hit a three-pointer from a long distance.

At 58:61, cheers echoed through the stadium again, and the game was still at the familiar rhythm of the fans.

Realizing that the atmosphere on the court was not right, Duncan clapped his hands repeatedly to signal his teammates to steady themselves:

"Stay focused! The game has just begun!"

Parker was tightly guarded, and Duncan no longer counted on him. He caught the ball at the left elbow and immediately called Ginobili.

The pick-and-roll effect between the two was excellent in the first half. After receiving the pass this time, Ginobili, who was holding the ball with his left hand, failed to get rid of Laga Bell.

Kurt Thomas adjusted calmly, and when Ginobili sent the pass, he immediately slid to the free throw line.

Duncan, who caught the ball again, simply took a tentative step when facing the defense. The moment he retracted his right foot, he made a decisive mid-range jumper.

Muhammad was stuck behind Gasol and could only watch his opponent easily grab the backboard.

Duncan, who returned to defense, was a little annoyed. He shook his arm and noticed that Li You was not advancing quickly. The two big men of the Knicks stood up in advance and immediately reminded Parker loudly.

When Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, came to the left wing, Gasol stepped forward to pick and roll.

Duncan, who had been prepared, naturally changed positions in advance, and Parker, who had been instructed, was also ready to double-team.

Gasol, who was on a fake screen, stood still symbolically, and then immediately broke away and moved laterally.

Li You, who lowered his center of gravity, held the ball in his left hand and pretended to break through. The moment he collided with Duncan who came up after a delay, he turned around.

Parker on his side subconsciously bent down to cut the ball. Under the blockage of the two men, Li You's speed was not affected much. He ignored Parker's thugs, led the ball forward, and accelerated toward the basket.

Although Duncan was very agile, he was still thrown away by Li You by two positions in the blink of an eye.

Parker made the wrong defensive choice and tried to pursue the defense for a second time, but he could only watch as Li You forced a layup against Bowen who came up to help defend.

Retracting from the baseline position to the basket, Bowen ran for a distance, but when he jumped into the air, he was hit by Li You and his chest felt tight.

There was no time to pull. Under the huge impact, Bowen leaned back and watched Li You tilt his body. He placed the basket with his left hand at the bottom left of the basket and succeeded!
At 58:63, Li You, who was standing on the baseline, shook his head slightly, and Madison Square Garden was completely boiling.

One on three scored, Hubie Brown said in admiration in the ABC commentary box:

"The most incredible thing to me is Lee's physical fitness. In most cases, his performance in the second half is better than the first half."

"As a rookie, you can still see the impact of declining physical fitness, but now Li is tireless."

Michaels only felt that the Spurs were going to lose. He had witnessed such games too many times.

The Spurs naturally gave the ball to Duncan again at the critical moment.

In the left blocking area, Duncan, who received the ball with his back, turned around, swayed right and left when facing the frame, and released the ball with his left hand to break through.

Kurt Thomas was half a body behind. Watching Duncan come to the lower left side of the basket, Gasol helped defend the basket in time.

Encountered two people's block, Duncan grabbed the ball with his left hand at the baseline position and threw the ball to Muhammad who cut to the basket with one hand.

The latter paused for a moment after receiving the ball, and when he tried to exert his strength again, he was blocked by Gasol who twisted around.

"Wow!"

The wonderful block made the fans cheer, and Prince shrank from the bottom corner to control the ball in time.

Seeing that Li You had rushed close to the midline, Prince immediately threw the ball towards the half court.

The advanced pass flew directly to the three-point line. Li You at the top of the arc caught the ball in front of Parker. After landing, he circled the ball behind his back to complete the change of direction.

Parker, who was trying to retreat, quickly twisted his body, but Li You, who switched to his right hand, plunged hard.

The two entangled and came to the paint area. While walking, Li You suddenly circled the ball from behind and took three long steps diagonally.

Unable to keep up with the rhythm in time, Parker, who was squeezed past, could only watch Li You get rid of the defense completely, rush to the lower left side of the basket, and dunk in reverse!
"Oh!"

The slightly fancy dunk action made the fans shout excitedly.

At 58:65, the third quarter of the game had just begun, and Li You had another great performance.

Popovich did not ask for a timeout. Duncan looked serious and asked for the ball again during the offense.

The low post on the left attracted Prince's defense, and Duncan promptly distributed the ball to Bowen on the left wing.

The latter caught the ball without hesitation and succeeded in a three-point jumper!
Bowen hit the shot and punched repeatedly, but in the next few minutes, as Duncan continued to hit the iron, the point difference widened again.

With 3 minutes and 6 seconds left in the third quarter, Popovich requested a timeout.

66:76, the score difference came to just 10 points.

His thigh suddenly became mute, and only Popovich shouted loudly from the Spurs bench:

"Hold on, your opponent won't always be so efficient!"

"."

(End of this chapter)