NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 435 Who am I? Where am I? (Ten thousand words chapter)

2006年4月20号星期四，经过激烈争夺，05~06赛季球队战绩正式出炉。

Both the Eastern and Western leagues had the same record, and the final rankings exceeded the expectations of many football commentators.

The eight teams in the Eastern Conference entering the playoffs are:
The Knicks had 68 wins, the Pistons had 62 wins, the Heat had 51 wins, and the Cavaliers had 50 wins;
The Nets had 46 wins, the Bulls had 41 wins, the Wizards had 40 wins, and the 39ers had 76 wins.

The eight teams in the Western Conference entering the playoffs are:
The Spurs had 61 wins, the Suns had 49 wins, the Nuggets had 44 wins, and the Mavericks had 60 wins;
The Lakers had 44 wins, the Clippers had 44 wins, the Kings had 42 wins, and the Grizzlies had 41 wins.

After 18 years, the Nuggets won the Northwest Division championship for the first time. Although the record was mediocre, Carmelo Anthony still became a city hero.

The 76ers once again entered the playoffs, which was beyond the expectations of many football commentators. They did not expect that Iverson and Webber would only win 39 games.
You know, the sports media in Philadelphia have boasted more than once, "Allen Iverson in the best shape of his career", but this is the result?

Ranking second in points per game, Iverson led the team and almost missed the playoffs. Ball commentators who had early expected the 2ers to win 76 games were slapped in the face.

The competition in the Western Conference is extremely fierce. In the Pacific Division, the Suns are not very dominant, which allows the Lakers and Clippers to find opportunities.

Unfortunately, the two teams failed to overtake in the end. With the same record, the Lakers got fifth place based on the relationship between victory and defeat.

In the morning, the Los Angeles Times wildly praised the old man from KFC. The effect of his return was immediate and the champion coach lived up to his reputation!
In the Western Conference, the Timberwolves experienced a 14-game losing streak in the final stage, relying on the weak Rockets to end their embarrassing record.

The Rockets ended up with only 34 wins. Yao Ming also suffered a fracture in his left foot at the end of the regular season. The recovery period was 4 to 6 months. This injury may even affect this year's World Championships.

Superstars are not omnipotent. Garnett is still involved in trade rumors. As for McGrady, he may only have a role in selling tickets.

In the afternoon TNT program, the trio began to make new predictions for several playoff matchups.

In the studio, Kenny Smith did not deliberately attract attention. The huge difference in record shows the disparity in team strength:
"It's very difficult to have a situation where the bottom beats the top in this year's playoffs. I really can't think of anyone in the bottom half of the team who can complete this task."

"Maybe the Clippers can do it. Just look at the record. They are the same as the Nuggets. The two teams are equally strong."

Such comments obviously did not suit Charles Barkley's taste. He once again used his own unique theory and gave his answer seriously:
"Superstars can usually break out in desperate situations. Shaq relied on his stable free throws to win the championship."

"Iverson will seize this opportunity. He will prove himself in the series. He averages 33.0 points per game and ranks second in the regular season scoring list. The Knicks are in big trouble."

"."

Ernie Johnson on the side didn't want to talk. He lacked the talent to talk nonsense. Any fool knew the difference between 39 wins and 68 wins.

Neither partner said a word, and Charles Barkley didn't care and continued to add triumphantly:

"The Lakers with Kobe Bryant can do the same thing. He scored 81 points in the regular season this year. As the scoring leader this season, no one on the Mavericks can limit him!"

"Don't forget the role of Phil Jackson. I respect coach Avery Johnson, but he hasn't proven himself in the playoffs."

A well-founded point of view almost left the two people in the studio speechless. Kenny Smith thought for a while, and finally turned around and asked:
"Chuck, do you think Lee will deliver such data this year? The 68-win Knicks seem unstoppable. Maybe they will complete four consecutive championships again."

The depth of the lineup was disappointing. Despite the injuries, most commentators still firmly believed that the Knicks would win the championship.

"I have long said that no one can win all the time. This season, Li has shown a clear decline!"

"The playoffs are another stage. I believe in Allen Iverson. This is the best state of his career. I believe he can create miracles."

After giving out a mouthful of poisonous milk, Charles Barkley felt completely comfortable. In the next few days, he will be the headline!
On the 21st, the NBA announced the data leaders for the 05-06 season before the start of the playoffs:
Kobe, who averaged 35.4 points per game, 2832 points in a single season and played 80 games, became the scoring leader this season;

Averaged 12.7 rebounds per game, and Garnett, who caught fish early, once again won the rebounding title;
Li You averaged 10.9 assists per game and won the assists title after playing in 82 games;
He averaged 2.54 steals per game and accumulated 208 steals in a single season. His data surpassed Gerald Wallace's 2.51. Li You won the steals title;

Averaging 3.29 blocks per game, Marcus Camby once again won the block title with his outstanding performance.

After the relevant data was released, ESPN quickly added:
In terms of efficiency value, Li You is far ahead with an inhuman 39.4, followed by Nowitzki with 2 in second place;

Li You's win shares have reached 20.6 this season. Nowitzki is still ranked second, with 2 being a career high!
After the specific data was released, the voices about Li You's declining physical condition became quieter. Although Excel was mediocre, overall it was still against the sky:

场均出场34.0分钟，场均拿到30.2分5.4篮板10.9助攻2.5抢断0.3盖帽1.9失误；

He averaged 17.4 shots per game and shot 56.2% from the field. He took 7.9 shots per game from beyond the three-point line and shot 46.4% from the field.

He averaged 7.5 free throws per game and made 93.6% of his free throws.

He hit 300 three-pointers in a single season. Although it has declined compared to the previous season, his three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage are still the first in the league.

As for the 180 Club, no one has discussed it anymore. With many years of Excel blessing, this is Li You's normal state.

Although Ray Allen failed to lead the Sonics into the playoffs this season, he personally created 269 three-pointers, which is also a career high.

Although this data is still somewhat behind the shrunken Li You, the voice of the two joining forces has been met with more refutations. Two three-point shooting masters should not play on the same team!
On Saturday the 22nd, the playoffs officially started, with a total of 4 games on that day:
Nets vs. Cavaliers, Bulls vs. Pistons in the Eastern Conference; Grizzlies vs. Spurs, Nuggets vs. Clippers in the Western Conference.

Pat Riley's 96-year-old mother passed away last night, and the championship coach confirmed in an interview that he would coach tomorrow night's game.

The 76ers who flew to Manhattan were once again bombarded by the New York media. Li You only won two awards, but the top two scorers became "data brushes."

When checking into the hotel in the afternoon, Iverson felt that this feeling was familiar. This year's playoffs are extremely important. If he is swept again, he will be kicked out of the team.

New York reporters who like to have fun have been waiting here early. Seeing Iverson in a white hip-hop outfit, they immediately gathered around him.

Iverson never showed timidity in front of the media. He maintained a arrogant attitude. When he saw the other party's joking eyes, he felt a little angry.

"Allen, welcome back to the playoffs and meet your old rivals again. Are you confident you can win this series?"

The reporter from the New York Post watched the TNT program and asked very targeted questions. Iverson didn't care and said seriously with his head held high:
"I know what you want to say. If there is a team in the league that can complete the black eight, it must be the 76ers!"

"."

Iverson wanted to continue to say a few words, but coach Cheeks on the other side immediately greeted him. Obviously the coaching staff did not want the players to talk loudly before the game.

Seeing Iverson leaving with his head high and chest high, several reporters looked at each other. They did not expect that the other party could speak so boldly.

In the game that night, only the Clippers succeeded in defeating them. At 87:89, Carmelo Anthony missed two jump shots, and the Nuggets unfortunately lost.

In the game between the Nets and the Cavaliers, LeBron James played for 48 minutes, 90:100, and the Cavaliers successfully protected the home court.

Vince Carter continued the style of several players in last year's playoffs, hitting 33 of 12, 8 of 1 from beyond the arc, 8 of 6 free throws, and scored a game-high 31 points.

However, when attending the press conference after the game, Dwight Howard, who scored 8 points and 12 rebounds, laughed and teased his opponent:
"We all know that Carter is not as tough as everyone thinks. In fact, he complained to the referee throughout the entire game tonight!"

After scoring a team-high 30 points, James was not in as good a mood as Howard. The steal leader was 9-of-1 tonight.

If it weren't for the fact that the opponent made 16 of 2 shots from behind the three-point line and his outside shooting was too tight, there is a high probability that the game would have lasted until the end.

Faced with praise from the Cleveland sports media, James finally just praised the coaching staff with a calm face:

"Coach Van Gundy has a great game plan for us and this is an expected win and we will end the series as quickly as possible."

On Sunday the 23rd, as most of last night's games showed a one-sided trend, football commentators began to look forward to tonight's showdown early.

The Knicks have rested for more than three days and have basically returned to their best condition. During the pre-game warm-up in the afternoon, Kurt Thomas, who was on crutches, was also present.

When asked about his recovery from injury, Kurt Thomas did not hide anything and expressed his gratitude to Li You with a smile:
"You know, the team is competing for four consecutive championships, but Lee told me not to force myself. He would rather I get back to health."

"It's dangerous and we're tired of logging! This is what family means. Everyone wants to contribute to the championship. Under Lee's leadership, we will bring the O'Brien Cup back to New York again."

Regarding injuries, Hill has the most say. When asked about inside issues, he also praised Li You:

"Playing with injuries can affect a player's career, and since I came to New York, everyone on the team has been very caring about me and let me not have to think about these issues."

"The same goes for Kurt. Lee will not sacrifice everyone's health for the sake of the championship. We are ready and young players will take on more responsibilities."

Hill said these words with a serious expression, showing his attitude that even if he encounters difficulties in the playoffs, he does not want to see his teammates playing with injuries.

Li You, who was receiving the award, was wearing a decent dark blue formal suit, holding two crystal trophies in front of the media, smiling, and allowing them to take pictures.

When they sat down in their seats, some media reporters in the audience could not wait. Yahoo Sports was the first to raise their hands and asked:

"Lee, do you regret losing the scoring title? Kobe's scoring average this season has exceeded yours last season."

Regarding this commonplace question, Li You just smiled and shook his head, pointed to the trophy on the table, and continued to joke:
"I'm focusing more on other aspects. In fact, I feel like my body is in the best shape of my career this season."

"It just so happens that my opponent is the same tonight. Everyone can support the game tonight."

The data has dropped a bit. Many reporters have not watched the entire Knicks game. Until now, many people still accept the view of "physical decline".

"Allen Iverson thinks he can lead the team to victory. Lee, how would you evaluate this old rival?"

ESPN, as the broadcaster, the reporters who came to the scene were more concerned about whether the game was exciting. They hoped to create an atmosphere of "rival rivalry" for tonight's game.

"No one can predict the outcome of a basketball game. I really appreciate Iverson's confidence!"

"Since entering the league, although he has been at a disadvantage in past duels, he is in great shape this season, averaging 33 points per game, which is also an amazing achievement."

Li You said these words sincerely, and many reporters in the audience looked strange. No matter what they heard, they felt something was wrong:

"This is a mockery!"

Soon everyone turned the topic to his physical condition. Li You was also a little helpless about this. No one believed him when he told the truth. He was indeed at the best of his career.

His talent panel just updated the latest data last night. Currently, there are only two talents he obtained last year that have not yet been digested. From a numerical point of view, he is no longer a human being:

Speed: 97, Defensive Agility: 95;

Breakthrough layup: 98, Breakthrough dunk: 96,

Speed ​​with the ball: 96, fouls drawn: 95;

Ball control: 97, passing vision: 97,

Passing IQ: 98, Passing Accuracy: 99;

Offensive rebounds: 65, defensive rebounds: 79.

[Movement]: 96, [Breakthrough]: 96,

[Organization]: 98, [Rebounds]: 72.

[Close shot]: 99,

[Vacant mid-range shot]: 97,

[Open three-pointers]: 98,

[Stamina]: 99 (+1),
[Strength]: 92, [Bounce Power] 96,

[Assistant Defense IQ]: 96,

[Acceleration ability]: 95.

While answering the questions, Li You breathed out a panel that others could not see in front of him, with a bright smile on his face.

Except for the slight increase in weight to 100Kg, which was a bit excessive, he was very satisfied with the rest of the slight improvement. When a reporter from TNT asked about the competition again, Li You simply smiled and said:

"In the first game, I will set a tone for this year's playoffs. I will go all out to win four consecutive championships!"

"."

Although the Knicks' playoff ticket prices have soared again, they still cannot stop the enthusiastic New York fans. At 6 o'clock on Sunday night, a large number of fans have gathered outside the arena and started to enjoy themselves.

Some people who came to Manhattan specifically to watch the game crowded into the team store, and there was another wave of playoff peripheral products.

Unlike the fans in the arena who shouted "Knicks in four", half an hour before the game started, Hubie Brown was very cautious in the ESPN commentary booth when previewing the game:

"The inside combination of Chris Webber and Samuel Dalembert is likely to cause trouble for the Knicks inside."

"Iverson is in very good shape this season, but his record has been affected by injuries. In fact, the 76ers' lineup has good talent."

Mike Breen on the side, as a die-hard Knicks fan, didn't care about his opponent at all. After hearing the coach's serious comments, he added tactfully:

"John Salmons and Andre Iguodala also performed well in the regular season. If Iverson can break out, maybe they can really create miracles."

In the noisy arena, it seems that only Hubie Brown is still looking forward to tonight's game, and the rest have begun to enjoy the victory in advance.
As the game time approached, in the tunnel of the home team's players, Li You rarely invited everyone to deliver chicken soup in a low voice:

"The playoffs are all about responding, not giving your opponent any hope and crushing them from the start of the game."

"We need to end the game as soon as possible to accumulate energy for the subsequent schedule. Believe in each other, we can win the championship again!"

The crowd hugged each other, and Artest seemed to be impatient, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"W-vomit-shred!"

After everyone shouted "tired", everyone ran to the tunnel, and soon everyone's ears were filled with the excited shouts of New York fans.

On the bench of the away team, Iverson looked a little ugly when he heard the DJ shouting "Seven championships, best in history". This was an honor obtained by stepping on the stars of the Eastern Conference.

Wearing the 76ers' classic black skin for the away game, with a headband on his head and a black armband on his right arm, Iverson was fully armed and was extremely serious during the warm-up.

On the other side, the Knicks wore a white home jersey with an orange number. Li You had no headband and had "white silk" on his left leg. He was also fully armed, smiling and dunking with his teammates to complete the warm-up.

The on-site director frequently pointed the camera at the two people, and the "old enemies" of the 96th class met again!
Tonight, the Knicks still continued their twin-tower lineup, and Gazulic continued to serve as the starting center. The team did not suffer in terms of height.

"Let's go Knicks!."

When the referee signaled the players from both sides to come to the center of the field, everyone in the stadium stood up and shouted loudly, not forgetting to wave the orange handkerchiefs in their hands.

On the sidelines, head coach Cheeks tried to keep his face paralyzed while facing the camera, but D'Antoni, who was leaning back in his seat, smiled proudly. This matchup was stable!
Iguodala felt that the atmosphere at the scene was suddenly a little nervous. This was the first time in his career that he had experienced the playoffs. Seeing Artest staring at him, he could only respond with his eyes.

Iverson, who stayed in the backcourt, stared at the basketball in the hands of the referee. As Dalembert successfully moved the ball back to half court, the cheers quickly turned into defensive cheers:

"Defense!."

Before even half-court dribble with the ball, Iverson was defended by Li You. He protected the ball sideways, turned his back and switched to his left hand, rushed through the center line, and immediately called on his teammates to pull away.

After receiving the instruction, John Salmons first ran to the left corner, and then quickly slipped across the baseline. As Webb came to the left elbow, everyone on the 76ers opened up in sequence.

Facing the opponent's partial 2-on-2, when Iverson threw the ball to Webber, Gasol, who followed him, immediately defended from behind.

There is no complicated defensive strategy. After the opening, the Knicks simply marked people. Iverson tried to use reverse running to get rid of Li You, but his sudden stop and cut after swaying laterally had no effect.

Weber was unable to play the ball for a while. In order to avoid making mistakes, Iverson could only return to the three-point line before receiving the pass from his teammate.

Staying away from the three-point line, when Iverson released the ball with his right hand, he simply waved his hand to indicate that it was all open.

His teammates retreated to the left near the baseline, and Iverson was the only one on the line. Facing the stubborn Li You, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity, leaned forward and accelerated, pretending to break through.

The body followed and swayed to the right. The moment Iverson saw Li You moving, he immediately stopped with his hips, switched to his left hand, raised his center of gravity, and tried to sway again. Facing the opponent's change of direction, Li You once again made a correct prediction and successfully blocked Iverson's breakthrough route, forcing the opponent to cut in from the flank against the defense.

"Oh!"

Amid the cheers of the fans, Iverson, who broke through to the front of the basket, tried to lean on the defense, drifting to the right and throwing the ball toward the basket!
The unbalanced shot was eventually interfered by Li You's jump, and the basketball knocked out of the frame. Gazulic grabbed the backboard in front of Dalembert and successfully collected the backboard.

Seeing Iverson leading the defense in time, the familiar matchup made the fans who wanted to watch the game start to cheer loudly.

Li You, who responded, kept accelerating along the left sideline at a very fast speed. While Iverson stepped forward to delay, he also loudly ordered his teammates to retreat as soon as possible.

On the other side, Iguodala didn't get the instructions and followed Artest across the half court. The boss really worked hard tonight and didn't use defensive tools.
When the 76ers had just retreated to the three-point line, Li You, who came to the left wing, suddenly stopped, dribbled behind his back to his right hand, lowered his center of gravity, and pretended to break through.

The moment Li You's body swayed forward to the right, Iverson quickly slid back to the left following the sudden stop, and then was pulled back by the cross step and was shaken out of position.

Without giving his opponent a chance to adjust his center of gravity, the moment Li You touched the ball with his left hand at the three-point line, he changed direction with his hips, then he accelerated with his shoulders down and forced a breakthrough against the defense.

Iverson, who was still adjusting his body, first felt a tightness in his chest, and then he was pushed away by the ball protector. It was too late to try to pull him away, and in the end he could only watch Li You forcefully squeeze through.

Dalembert, who had just returned to the basket, hurriedly slid to the left front of the basket, trying to block the breakthrough route, but he did not expect Li You to take off early in front of him.

Facing the sudden defense, Li You jumped into the air with both feet. Li You held the ball with his right hand and turned 180 degrees. The moment his body collided, he flashed to the lower left of the basket.

Amid the screams of the fans at the scene, Li You acrobatically completed the rebound and layup!
"Bang!"

As the basketball fell into the basket, Madison Square Garden was completely boiling. Looking at Li You who was making a listening gesture under the basket, the cheers almost broke through the arena.

Dalembert's dark face was full of surprise. He seemed to have not recovered yet. He couldn't believe that Li You scored like this.
Iverson's face turned dark when he caught the ball from the baseline. Li You's explosive power exceeded his expectations. He had not played in the playoffs for several years, so he was indeed a little careless.

Being led by the defense again, Iverson did not rush to advance. Iverson observed the defensive position in advance, and finally rushed through the center line against the defense.

At the top of the arc, Iverson, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped suddenly, then quickly dribbled with his hips. When he switched to his right hand, he pulled the ball back slightly, and immediately leaned forward to accelerate after dribbling in the air.

He wanted to use his speed to break through Li You's defense, but the two came into contact with each other on the three-point line. Faced with Li You who slipped in time, Iverson was forced to slow down.

Barely approaching the free throw line, Iverson immediately dribbled the ball from his hips, then combined the ball with the ball, faced the block, and forced a fadeaway jumper.

Seeing the rebound easily collected by Gasol, head coach Cheeks on the sidelines couldn't hold back. It seemed that he didn't want to see this kind of person beating around, and immediately shouted at the players:
"Retreat! Pass the ball!"

Li You, who caught the ball again, didn't wait to cross the half court and immediately threw the ball to Hill who was close to the left wing. The latter received the ball and put the ball with his left hand to face Salmons in an attempt to force a breakthrough.

The coach's reminder worked. Salmons slid out in time, and Hill, who was blocked, did not force the attack. He stopped the ball and switched to his right hand, returning to the three-point line.

When Li You reached the top of the arc, the Knicks' two big men had already rushed to the baseline. As Hill returned the ball, Artest on the other side also began to move toward the left corner.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Seeing the two facing each other again, cheers resounded throughout the stadium. Li You, who caught the ball, released the ball with his right hand. Facing Iverson's interference, he turned sideways and protected the ball while moving to the right wing.

Iverson pushed hard from behind, but Li You didn't feel much. He lowered his center of gravity suddenly, and while shaking his shoulders back, he pretended to touch the ball with his left hand, then quickly twisted around and led the ball forward with his right hand.

Facing the sudden acceleration, Iverson made a mistake in his defensive prediction. It was too late to slide to the left and back, and he was squeezed by Li You again.

In a somewhat embarrassed pursuit, Iverson tried his best to get to Li You's side and tried to pull on his right elbow area, but was staggered by the sudden pull back.

The moment he switched to his left hand, Li You didn't pause. He stopped suddenly and accelerated twice. He rushed into the paint area with Iverson on his back, jumped away from the defense while running, and then threw the ball to the basket with his left hand!

"squeak!"

At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, the basketball went hollow into the net, and Iverson's tugging on his side had no effect.

Seeing Li You high-fiving everyone in celebration, Mike Breen in the commentary box was already laughing. He didn’t care about the emotions of the 76ers fans and boasted happily:
"Perhaps it is the illusion brought to opponents by the regular season. It is impossible to limit Li one-on-one!"

Hubie Brown on the side was a little speechless. After the opening, Iverson, who was second in the scoring list, was a little embarrassed on both ends of the offense and defense:
"Coach Cheeks must adjust his defensive strategy in time. Maybe changing the opposing defensive talents is the right choice."

As Li Youjia made a steady free throw, several members of the Barnes atmosphere team on the Knicks bench also began to yell at Iverson.

Body collisions began to occur from the backcourt. Iverson found out that he could not use his speed to get rid of Li You. After rushing through the half court, he gave the ball to Weber at the right elbow early.

The latter caught the ball with his back, and Iverson, who was on the three-point line, first pretended to cut in from the middle, and then suddenly accelerated laterally and ran back.

Weber noticed that Li You was still close to his teammate and did not risk passing the ball. Instead, he turned his head and motioned for Iverson to return to the three-point line.

Back running again, the right wing caught the ball away from the three-point line. Iverson looked at Li You in front of him and couldn't help but curse in his heart. Then he immediately lobbed the ball and moved to the left block to ask for the ball with his back. Weber.

The basketball came out of his hands, and when he saw Li You retreating, Iverson realized something was wrong. Webb helplessly watched as Li You intercepted the ball in front of him, and the Knicks launched another transition attack.

Li You, who rushed after getting the ball, faced Iverson's delay. His right hand circled the ball behind his back, grabbed the ball in front of his opponent, and continued to accelerate along the left sideline.

"Oh!"

Cheers erupted again in the arena. Before the rest of the 76ers could react, Li You had already rushed to the left wing with Iverson on his back.

Before Weber could cross the center line, he saw Li You slowing down as he approached the three-point line and dribbling with his hips. The moment he switched to his right hand, he circled the ball behind his back again.

Noticing that Iverson was out of position defensively, Webber subconsciously stopped and stopped pursuing the defense.
On the left wing, Li You, who had finished circling the ball behind his back, retreated as if dancing. Ignoring Iverson's reluctant defense beside him, the left wing made a quick three-point jumper from a long distance!
The basketball went hollow into the net, and Mike Breen in the commentary box also shouted excitedly along with the fans:
"OH! What a shot!"

Looking at Li You, who was expressionless and raising his left arm fingers to compare with a gun, painful memories from the past began to appear in Iverson's mind:
"Shet!"

With a low curse, Iverson quickly ran toward the baseline. After catching the ball, Iverson began to accelerate as hard as he could, carrying Li You and rushing across the half court.

Many fans were still cheering loudly, as if they wanted to see Iverson continue to respond. Webber came to the free throw line and shouted for the ball, which stopped his teammates' reckless attack.

After the handover, Iverson tried to use the screen to complete the UCLA cut-in. Weber still did not choose to pass the ball. To be on the safe side, he finally handed the ball to Salmons at the top of the key.

Cutting to the basket, Iverson did not stop, using Dalembert's screen near the baseline on the left to accelerate toward the left corner.

After briefly throwing away Li You, Iverson ran up the line and approached the left sideline. Iverson successfully received a pass from his teammate.

In the fleeting opportunity, Iverson did not catch the ball decisively and make a jump shot. When he saw Li You chasing him, he feinted and released the ball with his left hand, lowering his center of gravity and breaking through smoothly.

Iverson, who was accelerating desperately, was still unable to grab a favorable position when facing the fast-sliding Li You. When approaching the paint area, he simply turned around with the defensive top.

Arriving in the paint area in an instant, Iverson grabbed the ball with his right hand and threw it toward the basket.

The graceful turn and throw was pushed down by Li You who jumped up to block the shot. Before Iverson could react, the basketball flew to the floor with a "pop" sound.

"Oh!"

Amidst the cheers, Hill immediately controlled the ball and rushed after getting the ball. The Knicks launched another transition attack.

The ball changed direction to throw away the defense. Hill, holding the ball in his left hand, rushed faster and faster. He noticed that Iguodala behind him was accelerating to chase back. When he passed the three-point line, he decisively sent a pass from behind.

The basketball flew to Artest who was following behind. The latter caught the ball and faced Iguodala who was twisting to defend. He rushed up in three strides and faced the defense, tilting his body to put the ball in.

At 0:10, head coach Cheeks looked extremely ugly and reluctantly requested a timeout.

The arena was filled with the excited shouts of New York fans. Artest first bumped chests with Hill in celebration, and when he walked to the bench, he beat his chest excitedly and shouted:
"**! I'm going to tear that clown apart!"

Diaw, who felt the atmosphere of the playoffs in Madison Square Garden for the first time, widened his eyes and trotted forward to high-five Li You in celebration, so he kept mumbling:
"That's crazy! Is this the playoffs?"

Iverson, who returned to the bench, was breathing heavily. The nightmare start made him a little overwhelmed. Coach Cheeks held the tactical board and yelled at everyone:
"Stop playing in isolation, Chris, go catch the ball in the elbow area, everyone move, don't stand still waiting for the ball to fly into your hands!"

Iguodala couldn't hear what the coach was saying and looked at the tactical board with a confused expression. The boiling arena made his heart beat faster.

Before anyone could react, the timeout had expired. Coach Cheeks kept high-fiving his players, and the coaching staff also shouted reminders.

Returning to the court, Iguodala ran towards the half court. Now he plays completely instinctively. Tactics? what is that.
"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, Webber once again came to the right elbow area to catch the ball with his back, and then immediately turned around to face the frame and attack. Facing Gasol's defense, he continued to test with his right foot, and then made a pull-up jumper.

At 2:10, the 76ers broke their scoring drought, and boos resounded throughout the arena again.

Iverson retreated from the defense early and returned to the half court, constantly high-fiving his teammates to encourage him. When he saw Li You passing the midline, he lowered his center of gravity again and assumed a defensive posture.

There was still no double-team. Salmons, who was following Hill on the left wing, seemed to be blinded. Iguodala also followed Artest mechanically and ran to the right corner.

There was no time to direct his teammates. Looking at Li You who suddenly stopped in front of him and dribbled to his left hand, Iverson quickly concentrated.

Without any interference, Li You calmly changed direction with his hips, slightly raised his body's center of gravity, and then accelerated in a straight line simply and roughly.

Iverson, who was staring at the ball, instinctively slid to the left when he reacted. Then he was hit by Li You who squeezed past and staggered.
Weber seemed to have adapted to this situation. He slid from the lower left side of the basket to the paint area in time. Before he could raise his hand to block the shot, Li You took advantage of the situation and threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket.

There was no time to turn around and block the shot. Weber could only watch Gasol behind him grab the ball with his right hand in the air and smash the ball into the basket!
"what!"

The beautiful alley-oop once again made the arena boil, and the excited shouts made everyone on the 76ers team stunned. Iguodala looked at the head coach shouting angrily, but could not hear the specific arrangements.

Faced with Li You's pressing defense, Iverson had to release the ball early, and continuously failed to pass the ball from the outside. Salmons finally made an emergency stop jumper from the left wing.

Dalembert got the rebound, but Gazulic was not slow to respond. He took off a second time and barely kept the ball in his arms.

Amidst the cheers that resounded throughout the arena, Li You, who was responding, slowly moved across the half court and signaled Gasol to receive the ball with his back in the left block. When he approached the wing, he immediately threw the ball to the opponent.

The moment Gasol caught the ball, Li You pretended to cut in, tricking Iverson into sliding. He immediately stopped and accelerated to run back.

Near the left sideline, Li You easily received Gasol's back pass. When Iverson chased in front of him again, he protected the ball on the left side of his body, and then quickly swept the ball from left to right.

A large tentative step made Iverson move back. The moment Li You put his foot back, without giving his opponent time to react, he suddenly shot a pull-up jumper from outside the three-point line!

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

At 2:15, on the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team shouted happily, garbage time was getting closer and closer.

At the critical moment, it was Iverson who stepped forward and used Weber's hand-to-hand screen on the left elbow to catch the ball and make a jump shot to help the team narrow the point difference.

Looking back, Iguodala began to double-team early at the call of his teammates. As Artest received the ball on the right wing and made a jump shot, the long rebound was picked up by Hill.

In the left elbow area, Hill directly returned the ball to Li You outside the three-point line.

As Gazulic raised the screen, Li You, who released the ball with his left hand, suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back as his teammates stood still, and then led the ball forward with his right hand.

Iverson was unable to squeeze through the strong screen in time. When Li You accelerated laterally, deftly shook off the defense and successfully chased the ball on the east wing, Dalembert still stopped at the top of the arc.

Seeing Li You hit the ball and hit a drift jumper, everyone on the Knicks team raised their arms and began to celebrate in advance.

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly, and the head coach Cheeks on the sidelines looked at it with eyes wide open.

Involuntarily speeding up the offensive rhythm, after passing the half court, Iverson from the left wing rushed to the basket and passed the ball to Dalembert on the lower right side of the basket, but Gazulic took advantage of the chaos and stole it.

Everyone on the 76ers desperately returned to defense. During the transition attack, Li You rushed across the center line and pushed the ball to change direction. He switched to his right hand and continued to accelerate while carrying Iverson.

The moment the top of the arc passed the three-point line, everyone on the 76ers team who had just retreated to half court retreated into the paint area.

Iguodala seemed to have completely forgotten about his opponent. It was not until Li You jumped up to pass the ball and the basketball flew to the right corner that he realized that he had made a mistake.

In the same position, Artest received the ball and adjusted. With no one guarding him, he made a solid three-point jumper from the right corner!

Coach Cheeks asked for a timeout again, and several people who returned to their seats gasped for air. They seemed unable to keep up with their opponents' game rhythm.

The boiling arena made Hubie Brown sigh secretly in the commentary box. Maybe he shouldn't have too many expectations:

"The gap between the two sides is bigger than I thought. This is the dominance of the defending champion."

Mike Breen subconsciously raised his volume, noticed that neither side had made any substitutions, and continued to play X:
"Lee once again fulfilled his promise. He was on full fire after the start of tonight's game. There was nothing the 76ers could do!"

In the first round after the timeout, it was Iverson's personal single again. He stopped in the left block and made a step-back drift jumper to help the team score points.

Li You suddenly picked up speed, and Iverson chased him back to the half court. Before he could direct the defense, he lost his defensive position due to the double screen of the two big men on the line.

He moved the ball behind his back to his left hand. Li You, who was accelerating laterally, made an emergency stop when facing Weber, who came up to help defend, and bombed the ball on the left wing.

After two extremely fast dribblings, Li You suddenly stepped back to join the ball.

Weber, who raised his right arm, didn't make much defensive reaction and watched Li You make a slightly drifting jumper.

"Whoa!" Another three-pointer!

Looking at Li You who was still one step away from the three-point line, Weber was filled with frustration, and the taunting in his ears made him completely break his defense:

"Go home, you weakling!"

In the offensive round, Weber sent an assist at the free throw line, and Dalembert took the cake under the basket;

On the defensive end, there was a simple pick-and-roll on the left wing. Weber watched Li You hit the ball and found Gasol on the free throw line. The latter received the ball and was unguarded and responded with a mid-range jumper.

The 76ers passed the ball hand-to-hand from the outside. Iguodala rushed to the basket from the right wing and rushed into the crowd. Under the interference of Artest, Gasol sent a big block.

After switching offense, Li You rewarded himself with a super long three-pointer from the right wing. The New York fans at the scene sighed with regret.

The pace of the game is getting faster and faster, the 76ers score piecemeal, and Iverson and Iguodala lead the Knicks to play a wave of transition offense from time to time.

It wasn't until Iverson missed a long three-pointer at the end of the first quarter that the cheers erupting in the arena made Iguodala come back to his senses.

At 16:40, the game ended just as it started.
打满首节，李佑8中7，三分线外5中4，罚球3中3，21分1篮板4助攻1抢断1盖帽；

In the live ESPN commentary box, Mike Breen, who was looking at the technical statistics, had already entered a mindless state:
"Lee shows us once again why he is the best ever! Incredible shooting!"

"Charging for four consecutive championships, Lee has entered another level in the playoffs!"

同样打满首节，8中2，三分线外1中0，罚球2中0，4分1篮板1助攻2失误；

Iverson's technical statistics made Hubie Brown silent for a while:
"A disastrous performance. Fortunately, there are still three games in the series, and the 3ers need to make timely adjustments."

Madison Square Garden was already in complete excitement. After the start of the second quarter, James Dolan, who was sitting under the basket, couldn't help but grin when he saw Li You and Iverson on the court at the same time.

The booing got louder and louder. Iverson glared at Li You who was catching the ball on the baseline, as if asking, "Why are you still there?"

After receiving Dior's serve, Li You slowly dribbled the ball across the court. Sensing Iverson's emotions, a smile appeared on his face and he whispered:
“Welcome back to the playoffs, man!”

"."

Iguodala, who was replaced by Kyler Korver, was completely numb when he noticed the situation on the court. He made 4 of 1 in the first quarter and contributed 2 points.

After falling behind by 24 points in one quarter of the game, Iguodala's illusions about the playoffs were shattered, and a frustrated look appeared on his face:

"Who am I? Where am I?"

(End of this chapter)