NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 399: Facial paralysis and tears (8000 words chapter)
On the morning of June 2005, 6, the CCTV studio on the other side of the ocean was also broadcasting this year's finals.

Thanks to Yao Ming's continued deepening influence, more and more fans are beginning to pay attention to the NBA.

Among them, McGrady's contribution is indispensable. On December 12 last year, the "10 seconds and 35 points award" was announced. The former "second man" in the league harvested a large number of Chinese fans.

McGrady also performed well in the playoffs. Although he stretched his hips in the tiebreaker in the first round, the fans didn't mind. Data is not as important as posture!

NBA fans have exploded this year, and attention to this year's finals has also increased.

G2 Li You's performance of scoring 50+ statistics shocked many new fans. When they learned that this was already the fifth time, more fans watched the "old" highlights.

The trend of the finals broadcast in the morning was somewhat unexpected. The Knicks gave up Li You's advantage in controlling the ball, increased rotation, and greatly increased the role of role players.

During the halftime break, invited guest Xu Jicheng was still criticizing the Spurs' defense, believing that the zone defense successfully restricted Li You.

As a result, the situation suddenly changed at the end of the third quarter, and the anxious game was broken by Li You's three consecutive three-pointers.

In the last two minutes or so, Ginobili was blocked consecutively, and the Spurs didn't even score a point.

At 81:72, the point difference was still within the catchable range, but in the studio, Xu Jicheng stopped talking about defense, changed directions, and began to brag about Li You's performance.

单节6中4，三分线外4中3，罚球4中4，15分3篮板5助攻2盖帽，李佑几乎砍下球队一半的分数。

三节战罢，李佑的数据来到了32分7篮板9助攻1抢断2盖帽1失误。

Considering that the Spurs have a seven-man rotation tonight and have to continue to work hard in the fourth quarter, Yu Jia in the studio also realized that they have a high possibility of witnessing a triple-double in the finals.

"Sports can be cruel sometimes, and the Knicks are constantly draining Duncan."

"Half a quarter of the game, I kept rushing for rebounds. Once my physical fitness dropped, I would continue to increase my speed."

"I can't remember how many times Duncan has been delayed in this game so far. Not only that, as long as the Spurs switch defense, there will be a 3-2 game under the basket."

"There was only a three-minute break in the three quarters. If Duncan couldn't hold on in the last quarter, I think the fans would understand."

Xu Jicheng's words were inspired by this. He remembered Yao Ming's efforts in the NBA, and he respected Duncan who fought through injuries.

Yu Jia was not so emotional, and Li You didn't have a strong sense of presence in the third quarter.

He took over the blame twice and made consecutive three-pointers and free throws in the second half. When I watched the game, I didn't have much impression. When I looked at the technical statistics, I found 15 points in a single quarter.
"I noticed that in the second half of the third quarter, the Knicks repeatedly used the same tactics in their positional offense."

"Is this the key to their lead? How do the Spurs adjust?"

A layman can also tell that Li You was trying to beat Duncan alone in every round in the final stage. Yu Jia's curious question was quickly answered:

"A zipper screen is added before the pick-and-roll. Many teams will use it, but the problem is how the defender handles the ball when Duncan changes defense after receiving the ball."

Xu Jicheng seemed to be thinking of the defender of the men's basketball team, and suddenly sighed and said:

"In the past, if someone told me that the No. 1 position could easily play an All-Star power forward, I would have a hard time believing it."

"But Li You did it. He can score easily against any defense one-on-one."

"The most terrifying thing is that he can solve problems outside the three-point line, which completely changed the Spurs' defense."

"The more physical fitness decreases, the easier the Knicks play. They also performed very well on the defensive end in this game. Kurt Thomas' position selection is better than Stoudemire."

"They solved the problem of rebounding in the backcourt and rarely missed anyone on the defensive end. This is the defending champion, a perfect combination of personal ability and team."

The fans in front of the TV were stunned. If they only watched the highlights, in fact, NBA players were all the same.

After all, the highlights cannot reflect much data. After watching too many wonderful goals, most fans are too lazy to think about the game.

After hearing this praise, many Rockets fans will have some questions in their minds:
"There are more champions. Is Li You stronger than McGrady?"

"."

In the eyes of the vast majority of Chinese Rockets fans, McGrady and Li You are the same stars.

The American sports media is not clear about this news. For professional football commentators who have entered the Excel era, the two teams were tit-for-tat in the finals and their tactical literacy was extremely high.

The SBC Center Arena was a little quiet. The fourth quarter of the game was about to begin. Only Hubie Brown in the ABC commentary box praised loudly:

"This game is a clash between two master tacticians, each targeting the other's weaknesses."

"The Spurs continue to learn from their defeats, and the Knicks took advantage of their own advantages and continued to consume their opponents with more physical energy."

"This is a triple test of patience, consciousness, and body. There is no doubt that the Knicks have the upper hand."

Listening to the old man next to him blowing hard, Michaels was a little confused:

"Is the competition really so high-end?"

On the Knicks bench, Li You was writing on the tactical board, and at the same time kept telling Stoudemire who was about to appear:
"Don't surrender too early. The referee will catch your illegal cover. Stand still in time and stay patient."

Gasol had to rest after playing the third quarter due to injury. Kurt Thomas was also on the bench. He had to control the number of fouls and not leave the game early.

Stoudemire, who had been holding back for a while, could only nod his head at this time. Fortunately, the tactics were not complicated and only tested his timing of hand-to-hand ball coverage.

D'Antoni clapped his hands with a smile on the side, and the assistant coach only handed out water to the players. Everyone was entrusted with making on-the-spot details adjustments to Li You.
In order to equalize the score difference as soon as possible, Popovich did not replace Duncan, but replaced Parker with Brent Barry.

Horry was also present, and the Spurs, who were fighting desperately, used a lineup of one large and four small, one inside and four outside, to maintain offensive space.

Fisher let out a sigh of relief when he saw the opponent's adjustment. He really didn't want to face Parker:
"Lee, leave Barry to me! I promise not to let him score easily!"

Noisy noises began to appear in the arena again. Li You looked at the rejuvenated old fish and gave him a simple thumbs up.

"Defense!."

The Knicks took the lead in attacking, the Spurs no longer led the defense, and Fisher calmly passed the half court.

Bowen followed Li You to the left flank, and then started a new round of pursuit.

Li You accelerated towards the baseline, then quickly slipped from left to right, and made a cross screen with Laga Bell right under the basket.

Ginobili did not choose to switch defense. Bowen was still chasing behind him. Near the baseline on the left, Li You flicked out diagonally.

Bowen, who was chasing after him fiercely, caught up with Li You in the paint area. At the top of the arc, Stoudemire had already received the pass.

After handing over the ball, Fisher ran to the right corner and left wing. Prince's off-ball screen did not create an opportunity, and then moved to the elbow area.

Bowen and Horry, who were constantly pulling on the defense, looked at each other. As Li You tried to use the screen to get to the top line, Horry immediately changed defense.

When Li You received the pass from Stoudemire at the top of the arc, Horry failed to squeeze through in time, and it was Duncan who immediately assisted in defense.

After continuous screens, as Prince bounced out and Stoudemire went down, the Spurs almost formed a double encirclement.

Some Spurs fans cheered as it looked like a successful defense.

Li You, who was moving laterally with the ball in his left hand, suddenly went in and out when facing Duncan who was defending.

The body swayed forward and to the right, forcing Duncan to subconsciously slide backwards to observe the opponent's movements. The moment he completed the sway, Li You suddenly increased his dribbling intensity.

With the help of the basketball's rebound, Li You blasted the ball with one hand and then quickly retreated.

Arriving outside the left wing in an instant, Li You ignored the defense of the two men in front of him, facing the defense and drifting to the left and behind for a jump shot!

Duncan and Horry, who jumped to block the shot at the same time, stared with wide eyes as the basketball passed over their fingertips.

"Shua" the three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

At 84:72, the SBC Center Arena became quiet again, and some fans in the front row stood up with eyes wide open:
"Can we get in here?"

Li You, who had fallen down and unloaded his strength, lay on the floor and motioned to the referee to strike. Seemingly considering that the score difference was too large, the linesman hesitated for a moment and motioned for the game to continue.

D'Antoni on the sidelines was very dissatisfied. Taking advantage of the Knicks' retreat, he complained loudly to the referee to put pressure on him.

Ginobili served as the No. 1 position and seemed to be stimulated by the previous round. This offense was particularly impatient.

Horry faked a screen at the top of the arc and immediately shot out. Li You chased to Ginobili's side without any hindrance.

He stopped and started quickly, accelerated in a straight line simply and rudely, and rushed into the paint area. Ginobili's one-handed throw with his left hand, which he tried to rely on the defense, was interfered by Li You.

Stoudemire originally wanted to help defend, but when he turned to grab the rebound, there were some problems with his position. He could only watch Duncan fight for the offensive rebound.

Grabbing the rebound, he immediately threw the ball to Brent Barry, who moved to the right wing.

The latter feinted after catching the ball, deceiving Fisher who was rushing to defend him. Then he released the ball with his right hand, took a horizontal move to completely dodge the defense, and made a steady jump shot.

This time the rebound just popped up, and Li You in the paint grabbed the rebound in front of Ginobili.

"Shh!"

After catching the ball, Fisher slowly dribbled across half court and was booed by Spurs fans.

Soon it was the same tactic again. Li You changed direction and used the cover to shuttle through the half court.

Bowen chased for most of the game, and at this time he couldn't stand it anymore.

In the left elbow area, Prince's screen failed to have much effect, allowing Bowen to squeeze through in time and pursue the right flank.

Li You had just received a hand-off pass from Stoudemire, and Duncan slipped and delayed, trying to cooperate with his teammates to complete the double-team.

One left and one right, facing the encirclement of two people, Li You took a step laterally, suddenly stopped, and then turned around with his left foot as the axis.

Bowen, who had just caught up to his side, instantly lost his defensive position and watched Li You grab the ball with his left hand and move towards the top of the key.

Duncan had realized that the defense was wrong and wanted to defend in time, but Li You, who got rid of the defense, threw the ball towards the basket.

The Spurs' defense was completely torn apart. Amar'e Stoudemire, who was coming down, took a step forward and jumped high, grabbing the ball with both hands and throwing his arms for a slam!

"Boom!" The alley-oop dunk was successful.

On the Knicks bench, everyone ignored the shouts and curses of the Spurs fans, threw up their towels, and celebrated happily.

In the subsequent game, Duncan grabbed consecutive offensive rebounds, but Barry failed to force the old fish. Duncan missed the free throw, leaving Popovich on the sidelines in despair.

D'Antoni was also a little dissatisfied. Without Kurt Thomas to help him get stuck, Stoudemire made consecutive mistakes.

With 4 minutes and 8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mustache asked for a timeout again.

Less than half a quarter later, Duncan had already grabbed three offensive rebounds. Although he failed to convert into points, Michaels still expressed his respect:

"Unfortunately, Duncan's body has not recovered to its best condition. He has tried his best in this game."

Hubie Brown thought that the Knicks were about to get the match point, and felt a little regretful. He simply commented:

"This is the finals and injuries are part of the game."

"The Knicks were the better team, Lee activated everyone, and it was a team win."

After the timeout, Parker returned, the Knicks attacked, and Fisher assisted.

Watching Li You pick up the offensive rebound, everyone on the Spurs broke through the defense and Parker committed another foul.
The sideline ball was kicked out, and Li You was flanked at the top of the arc. Fisher, the right wing, caught the ball and threw it again.

As the basketball drew a huge arc and accurately fell into the basket, many Spurs fans began to yell and curse, and some young fans also began to shed tears.

Fisher didn't take into account the opponent's emotions. He hit the three-pointer and shouted repeatedly, banging and beating his chest.

If you had just turned on the TV and seen his performance, you might have thought that Laoyu had made the shot that sealed the victory.
Horry's three-pointer also failed to change the trend of the game. He was no longer magical tonight and was left open many times.

When Duncan catches the ball in the low post, he will be double-teamed by the defense. The Spurs get more opportunities from the outside, but they hit the iron time and time again, allowing the Knicks to easily attack in transition.

After Ginobili hit a three-pointer, the Spurs slowed down their defense. Li You, who suddenly picked up speed, caught the opportunity and fired directly from the left wing.

A super long three-pointer hit the basket. As soon as Bowen landed, he saw Li You squeeze past him and picked up a long rebound in the left block. He broke the defense and was charged with a foul.

"Shh!"

The boos were mixed with some cheers. Li You achieved a triple-double. Michaels was reminded by the director and immediately congratulated:
"Achieved a triple-double in the finals for the second time in his career. Lee gave us a wonderful game tonight!"

After the sideline kick was taken, Parker double-teamed Li You at the top of the arc early.

On the left wing, when Laga Bell received the ball, Duncan could no longer defend him and watched as he took an open three-point jumper!
As the basketball hit the net, the SBC Center became increasingly quiet. Only the Knicks bench was still cheering loudly.

After the score was scored, Horry was hit by a three-pointer from the left wing, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You.

Everyone in the Knicks team ran towards the half court, and the wings accelerated along the sideline to open up the offensive space.

Duncan, who was stuck under the basket just now, felt his legs were heavy. Seeing Stoudemire rushing faster and faster, he could only grit his teeth and retreat.

Li You, who attracted a large number of defenders, rushed through the center line and flicked his right wrist, sending a precise long pass. Stoudemire, who had just crossed the three-point line, took the ball and rushed forward with three strides. He scored 2 more points with a one-handed dunk without any defense.

Popovich's timeout did not have any effect. The Spurs' three-pointers were still hitting. Duncan made one of two free throws and Ginobili also missed a free throw.

After spending most of the quarter, with the return of Gasol and Kurt Thomas, the Knicks returned to their shooting state.

Seizing the opportunity, Li You rushed to the basket, attacked Duncan, and continued to assist the rebound.

The Spurs, who rotated with seven players, failed to score a point in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The game time passed, and Popovich stopped shouting on the sidelines and stood there blankly, watching Gasol tip the ball over Duncan's head.

In Ginobili's last attack, he made a strong three-pointer from the right wing and was directly blocked by Li You. As the ball was taken from the sideline, Parker missed a long-range three-pointer and the game ended.

单节32:19，最终比分定格在113:91，系列赛大比分来到3:1。

Fisher rushed to Li You's side immediately, saw the camera lens, punched his fist and roared:

"Yes!!"

Laoyu, wearing the away blue jersey, tried hard to act like Li You's right-hand man.

Amid the boos, Li You just smiled and kept high-fiving his teammates.

Stewart Scott immediately squeezed beside Li You. The black reporter showed an excited look on his face and asked loudly:

"Lee, congratulations on winning this crucial game. Are the Knicks ready to receive the award on the road?"

"SBC Center is my lucky place and I love receiving awards here."

"It's unfortunate that the wishes of New York fans were not fulfilled and the series will not return to Madison Square Garden."

Li You said these words confidently and wiped the sweat from his head. Scott liked this answer and continued to ask:
"Talk about the triple-double tonight! It was an incredible performance."

"The opponent was double-teaming throughout the game. This is an opportunity for us. All I have to do is trust my teammates."

“I’m glad everyone responded tonight, it’s a team win!”

Li You answered lightly, but the sports reporters surrounding him showed admiration.

In the eyes of many reporters, Li You should be the player who has encountered the most double-teams in the history of the Finals. The Spurs used Duncan like crazy again.

出场45分钟，16中8，罚球12中6，22分15篮板2助攻1失误。

Duncan, who had posted a double-double, had already walked back to the locker room and slumped in his seat.
Seeing his teammates all around him with their heads lowered, Duncan felt that this scene seemed familiar.

He reached the finals for the third time in his career. Although the 3-year-old Duncan thinks he is still young, he is not arrogant enough to win a championship like Li You.

With the season ending in this way, Duncan just felt angry in his heart. Looking at Parker who was already crying, he cheered up and said in a deep voice:

"The series is not over yet, we still have a chance, whoever wants to give up now can say it loudly!"

"."

Parker wiped away tears and tried to control his emotions. He had tried his best for 40 minutes.

Popovich returned to the locker room and could only deliver thick chicken soup dryly.

Behind with a big score of 1:3, the coaching staff knew that the series was over.

On the morning of Tuesday the 14th, U.S. time, after G4 of the finals, the football commentators began to discuss the topic of GOAT again.

The seventh career championship is just around the corner, and the triple-double data seems mediocre.

No one believed that the Spurs could comeback after falling behind 1:3. Super stars like Li You would not give their opponents any chance.

In G4, Li You played for 43 minutes, almost the entire game. Considering that G5 was held on the 16th, naturally no one blamed D'Antoni for sticking to his opponent.

23中13，三分线外9中5，罚球10中10，41分12篮板13助攻2抢断3盖帽2失误。

This was the first 40+ triple-double in the history of the NBA Finals, which made most sports media climax.

The TNT program did not boast about Li You's Excel like the counterparts next door. The trio was more discussing how the Spurs lost.

Charles Barkley didn't seem to understand Popovich's tactical arrangement, and commented again in hindsight:

"Why must Lee be double-teamed? Why must Duncan be involved in pick-and-roll defense?"

"Tim Duncan needs help, you can't let a superstar focus on defense."

Kenny Smith interrupted his partner, and the director also played several offensive rounds.

In one round, Li You shook off the defense, received a hand-to-hand pass from Gasol at the top of the arc, and easily hit a long three-pointer;

One round was in the first half of the game. Duncan didn't have a big delay. Bowen was crushed on the wing and broke through. Li You made an emergency stop at the free throw line, knocked away the defense, and then stepped to the paint area and succeeded with a one-handed throw with his right hand.

Seeing the disapproving expression on Barkley's face, Kenny Smith said seriously:
"The Spurs have no choice but to let the isolation play go. One-on-one Lee will tear apart any defense."

"If Duncan doesn't delay, Lee's three-pointer may make the game lose suspense in the first half."

"Times have changed. Look at these two teams. They use space lineups half the time. The Spurs took 26 shots from outside the three-point line."

"Like you said, Duncan needs help, but Bowen can't maintain a high-intensity defense the whole game."

"I respect Ray Allen very much, but that defensive method doesn't work for Lee. Their ability to combine the ball is completely different."

When Ernie Johnson saw that Barkley still wanted to refute, he immediately changed the subject and said:

"This year's finals are more exciting than last year. I agree with Kenny that Lee changed modern basketball."

"The Spurs can attack the Mavericks and defeat the SuperSonics on defense."

"But the Knicks are different from other teams in the league. They have a more complete system and a deeper rotation."

"Being behind 1:3, maybe what we should discuss is how the Spurs should adjust."

Charles Barkley wanted to continue to criticize Popovich’s employees. When he heard his partner’s reminder, he curled his lips and whispered:
"Adjustment? If Li loses the finals this year, I will probably laugh at him for the rest of my life."

"Leading 3:1, the Spurs have no chance. If nothing else happens, Lee will work hard in the second half of the next game."

Kenny Smith laughed. It was not a big deal to watch the excitement, but he hoped that Li You would be reversed. This kind of fun will not be out of date in the next ten years:

"The good news for the Knicks is that they are about to win their ninth championship in franchise history."

"The bad news is that under the new collective bargaining agreement, their salary cap is already full, Stoudemire is still looking for a starting position, and it will be difficult for them to keep this All-Star."

Ernie Johnson also knows this, but he is still optimistic about this team:

"After Coach D'Antoni takes over the team, he is about to win three consecutive championships."

"The Knicks still have a chance to defend the title next season. Considering that Lee is 1 year younger than Duncan, the competition between the two may last throughout their careers."

"."

The New York media has flown to San Antonio, and David Stern and league staff have also taken the trophy to begin rehearsing the awards ceremony.

Spurs fans will witness the birth of a championship at the SBC Center Arena again.

Although the Knicks management has been involved in a sexual harassment scandal in recent days, this incident has not affected the team for the time being.

On Thursday the 16th, Game 5 of the Finals was about to begin that night. During the afternoon warm-up, a large number of sports reporters gathered around D'Antoni.

With three consecutive championships, Mustache is about to be promoted to a famous coach in history!
The Yahoo Sports reporter’s question was very professional. When asked about the tactical adjustments in the last game, D’Antoni said very proudly:
"The Spurs like to switch defenses, and our adjustment is to let the forward players punish their defenders."

"Rebounds are key. We grabbed more rebounds in the last game, and Li personally contributed 5 offensive rebounds."

"Excellent rebounding allows us to have more possessions, coupled with Lee's control of turnovers, this is the secret to our victory."

Li You was still practicing three-pointers on the side, and Hill moved his body accordingly. He seemed to be thinking of the video lessons of the past few days, and said with emotion:
"More and more teams are starting to imitate us and the gap is getting smaller."

"The new rules seem to have brought the league into a period of rapid development. I don't know what the tactics will be like in the future?"

In this year's finals, both teams showed no mercy from beyond the three-point line. Both teams had their moments of iron-making, and there were also games that suddenly broke out and took away the victory.

Li You did not expect that Popovich would follow suit, but he had simple expectations for the future:

"If the fans like it, then the league will insist on strengthening the perimeter."

"If the whistle for cover is relaxed, the game will become easier. At least I can save some energy and don't have to be chased."

Hill showed a puzzled expression and thought for a while before understanding what he said:

"David Stern would never relax such a rule unless the league wanted to see the birth of a second Celtics team."

"."

The atmosphere team began to celebrate the victory of tonight's game in advance. Varejao also appeared in the finals as a water cooler player, which made him very satisfied.

Barnes and Laga Bale have been quietly discussing their next contract for the past few days.

The two of them will earn US$70 and US$130 million this season. They will definitely get more in the new contract. After two years, they finally waited for the harvest moment.

Mutombo's mid-level contract has also expired. Considering his age, the veteran also knows that the Knicks will no longer be generous with big contracts.

Noticing Ewing's frown, Mutombo leaned over and comforted him in a low voice:
"What happened at the Gold Club is over, and no one is accusing you this time. There's no need to worry."

"I plan to see how things go and maybe retire directly next season."

The gorilla looked at his old friend who was still in good shape and suggested in a low voice:

"It's okay to play for another two years. Charles won't get playing time in the end, but he can still sign a good contract."

"Have some confidence in yourself, no one is more experienced than you."

Mutombo shook his head. He didn't want to sit on the bench anymore. Playing 20 minutes in a game was his goal. He wanted to use his remaining heat.

At 20 o'clock that night, the SBC Center Arena lost the warm atmosphere of the previous two days.

After the game started, the scores of the two teams increased alternately.

Li You didn't speed up and followed the Spurs in a positional attack.

Kurt Thomas changed his sluggish performance in the first two away games. His mid-range jumper after the pick-and-roll made Li You's assists increase rapidly.

Although Gasol has not returned to his best condition, in addition to coming to the upper line to provide support, Li You will get the ball immediately as long as he is in the low post.

Both sides rarely made mistakes, the pace of the game was very slow, and after three-pointers were hit, they invariably took fewer shots, and for a while the game became a "rookie pecking each other."

At the end of the half, the score reached 50:46, and the Knicks only led by 4 points.

When the second half started, Duncan was the first to lose patience.

Perhaps unwilling to lose like this, Duncan began to keep asking for the ball, trying to change the game with personal offense.

He fights fiercely for offensive rebounds, catches and shoots from mid-range after pick-and-rolls, and takes the ball in the low post to attack the basket.

As time passed by during the game, Duncan gradually began to beat the iron, and the cheers in the arena also disappeared.

With 3 minute and 1 seconds left in the third quarter, Duncan caught the ball in the low post on the left. As Li You quickly assisted in defense, the basketball flew back to the left wing Ginobili.

The latter caught the ball and saw Li You sliding back to defend. After a feint, he released the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly.

Ginobili had just made two big moves, but was caught by Li You. There was a physical confrontation in the paint area and the basketball was stabbed away.

He poked the ball with his left hand, jumped forward, and regained control of the ball with his right hand. Li You broke away from the defense in an instant.

Noticing that no one was chasing him, Li You started to slow down through the three-point line, and finally made a civilian layup.

"Shh!"

At 72:61, the double-digit point difference made Popovich request another timeout.

Duncan felt particularly uncomfortable when he saw Li You laughing and banging his chest in celebration with the Knicks atmosphere team.

Returning to his seat, Duncan, who was gasping for air, looked at the way everyone around him bowed his head and said nothing, and his emotions surged for a moment.

Before going on the field, Duncan quietly wiped the corners of his eyes and kept encouraging himself:
"There is still time for the game."

(End of this chapter)