NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 437: The Supreme Honor Deprived (Daily Chapter)
2006年4月27号星期四，NBA联盟公布了05~06赛季的J-沃尔特-肯尼迪公民奖：

Kevin Garnett, who went fishing early, successfully won the prize.

The award, named after the league's second commissioner, recognizes a player or coach for outstanding service and dedication to the community.

Garnett, who had been invisible since the beginning of the playoffs, rarely appeared in front of the media. When he accepted the award, he also gave Timberwolves fans a reassurance:

“I’m glad I can help make a difference in the community and I’m lucky to be able to provide support.”

"The Timberwolves are my forever home. I will never leave here. I won the MVP on this team and we once stood on the stage of the conference finals."

"As long as the fans keep supporting us, I am confident that I can lead the team to win the championship!"

Garnett smiled while holding the trophy, as if he had forgotten his previous losing streak and the conflict with Coach Casey. His bold words made the reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer smile from ear to ear.

The local sports media still strongly support their own stars. There are a limited number of superstars, and Garnett is the MVP. It will be difficult for the Timberwolves to find such a core again.

Entering the offseason early, Garnett did not relax his requirements for himself and went to the Target Center to check in for training every day.

Although the press conference was also held here, most reporters were not aware of Garnett's recent schedule, and whether he was working hard was not important. They were more concerned about gossip:
"Kevin, if Allen Iverson was traded by the 76ers, would you recruit him?"

84:124, the 76ers lost again by a large margin last night, and there are more and more rumors about Iverson's trade.

This gap is unacceptable to Philadelphia fans. They no longer have any illusions about Iverson. The gap in star quality is greater than they imagined.

Garnett obviously also paid attention to last night's game, and felt a little sympathetic towards Iverson's collapse after losing:
"We shouldn't use one series to deny a great player."

Thinking of his own experience this year, Garnett, who felt the same way, lost his smile and added in a serious tone:

"I know Allen. He is a real fighter. It takes a lot of hard work for a small guy to achieve what he has achieved."

"He is the leader of the 76ers. I don't want to recruit him. In my opinion, it is an act of disrespect to him."

"Winning or losing is not that important, and the league is not just about championships. Iverson has brought many good memories to Philadelphia fans, and that's enough."

Garnett responded to the reporter's questions with more polite words. Seeing that Iverson was likely to be abandoned by the team, he suddenly remembered what Li You had said to him:

"Don't let loyalty get you down."

ESPN's Pardon the Interrupt show at 17:30 every night has very good ratings. Since 2001, each episode has been watched by more than 100 million people.

With the help of Li You, Iverson appeared on the show continuously, his popularity exploded and he became the focus of heated discussion among fans.

That night, in the sports news headlines segment, the news of the Game 2 defeat and Allen Iverson being put on the shelf appeared on the show again.

In the past, the three of them were always arguing and quarreling in the studio, but this time they reached a consensus. After the show started, Michael Wilbon apologized to the audience with a serious face:
"I once considered Allen Iverson to be a player like Lee in my Washington Post column. I now take back those views."

"Allen Iverson will never be Lee. Maybe he can continue to complain to the fans, but he can't lead the 76ers to win the championship."

"Lee has proved one thing to us with his actions, Iverson should not be compared with him!"

This bald black man used to be an Iverson fan. He praised Iverson's performance more than once in his column in the Washington Post. "Indomitable Fighter" was the title he gave to Iverson.

58-year-old Tony Kornheiser was born in New York. He is a real New York sports fan. The bald white old man with a white beard smiled happily when he heard his partner apologize.

At the beginning of the show, the two had argued many times about the two guards from the 96 class, Iverson and Li You. Kornheiser noticed that his partner was a little upset and immediately followed up with a joke:
"I know you don't like statistics, but statistics can sometimes tell a lot. Allen Iverson never got close to Lee."

"Even in his career when he was the scoring champion, Iverson's win shares were only 11.8, which I think was the peak of his career."

"Statistics can be deceiving sometimes. This year, Allen Iverson deceived many fans. His statistics were good, and he was second in the scoring list, but his influence on the game was declining."

"Interestingly, during Iverson's peak season, Lee's win shares were 22.0."

When talking about baseball, Kornheiser prefers Excel. Since the advent of advanced data, he has been the most staunch supporter and also known as "Lee Woo Blower".
Whether it's for the show effect or he really likes Iverson, Wilbon has feelings for him after praising him for so many years. If the 76ers really trade their core player during the offseason, he will also "lose" accordingly.

As the "censor" of the show, Tony Reilly would correct the mistakes of the two at the end of the show in the early days. With his popularity in recent years, he also became one of the hosts of this show.

Also born in New York, 28-year-old Tony Reilly has been a fan of Li You since he came into contact with New York sports after graduating from college. He also came into contact with Li You when he was writing for New York radio station WPIX-TV a few years ago.

In the past, he rarely participated in their "arguments". As the five-year debate came to an end, Tony Reilly couldn't help but chime in:
"In fact, Iverson has never been a high-quality idol, and his performance on the court has overshadowed his news off the court."

"Victory sometimes overshadows Lee's love for basketball."

Michael Wilbon interrupted in time. Their show was only 30 minutes long and they couldn't go on any longer:
"Tony, remember to deduct 10 points from yourself. We should end this topic!"

After this show, it’s Sports Center again at 18:.

Iverson, who has been out of fashion in recent years, has become completely popular. Perhaps this is the best gift Li You gave him before leaving the Eastern Conference.

On the 28th, the 76ers had rested for two days after returning to Philadelphia. In just two days, everyone experienced the power of the media.

Although they didn't make the playoffs in the first two years, Iverson's reputation was still good. Injuries and lack of helpers can be reasons for losing, but his indomitable spirit is even more worthy of praise.

As a result, he led the team back to the playoffs this year. However, after two consecutive big losses, Iverson's rating plummeted, and some extreme commentators even started to bring up old issues.

The label of "data brush" is almost confirmed. After all, he was second in the regular season scoring list, but his performance in the playoffs was so poor that even Philadelphia fans could not accept it.

G2出场38分钟，17中6，三分线外3中0，罚球17中14，26分2篮板7助攻1抢断7失误，艾弗森的整体表现还不错。

There was silence after each film session, and head coach Cheeks no longer got angry. Since the big loss in Game 2, the coaching staff no longer emphasized tactics too much.

After the afternoon training, Iverson was the first to leave. Webber didn't say anything. The person who was finally interviewed was Andre Iguodala, the future core player:
"We'll be fine. Trade? We all love Allen. He's a leader. He's led the team to the conference finals."

Philadelphia reporters naturally didn't buy into the empty talk, and soon someone asked a very targeted question:

"Andre, what we want to know more is how the team will limit Li!"

Iguodala was silent for a while, then finally smiled and talked about the good side of the last game:
"Regardless of the outcome, in Game 2 we only allowed Lee to take six shots from beyond the three-point line. The defensive strategy formulated by the coaching staff worked."

"We still have a chance when we return home. We need the support of our fans for tomorrow night's game."

出场35分钟，17中11，三分线外6中3，罚球8中7，32分5篮板12助攻3抢断1盖帽2失误，李佑第二场确实在三分线外出手不多。

This answer naturally did not satisfy everyone. Iguodala sighed in his heart. What else could he say about something that was impossible to do?

It was Saturday the 29th, and since Philadelphia and New York were very close, and Iverson had become very popular recently, the Knicks players would naturally not miss this opportunity.

At 19 p.m. that evening, with still an hour before the game started, a large number of fans wearing Knicks' blue away jerseys gathered outside the Wachovia Center.

Every person who bought a ticket to watch the game had a smile on their face, which was in stark contrast to the sullen faces of the Philadelphia fans.

Li You, who has already finished warming up in the stadium, is also being interviewed. He has been very low-key these days. Iverson has become a fat man. He plans to give the opponent the last stick tonight.
ESPN reporters gathered around Li You early. As the broadcaster, they were not afraid of making trouble and hoped that even the bullying match could produce explosive news:

"Lee, have you paid attention to the recent trade rumors? What do you think about Iverson leaving Philadelphia?"

The sports media around them all brought their recording devices in front of them. Looking at everyone's expectant gazes, Li You said with a smile:
"A player really shouldn't be judged by one series. Champions sometimes need patience. I would rather see Iverson stay."

"I like to compete with excellent players. Iverson is just 30 years old. As a guard, he is about to reach the peak of his career. I believe that the process will eventually pay off."

Giving out the "Li You Recognition Award", Li You's boasting made everyone look strange. They always felt that this was a mockery of the opponent. After all, Iverson's Excellence could not support such praise.

Artest was somewhat envious of the black and red Iverson. He didn't expect that the other party would become the focus of media attention after losing the game.

While the reporter was interviewing the Knicks atmosphere team, Artest thought of Iverson, who has been frequently on the headlines in the sports news these days, and suddenly said something sarcastic:
"I don't understand why everyone is paying attention to a loser who has already proven himself to be a playoff softie!"

"Honestly, I don't like seeing his name appear with Lee. The 76ers should have sent him away a long time ago."

These remarks made many people laugh out loud. In fact, no one expected that Iverson would return to their sight in such a manner.

Dio, who got the starting position tonight, also received attention. Compared with his teammates who took advantage of the situation, the Frenchman was already tired of this round of games:

"Adjustment? I will follow the coach's instructions. They will continue to double-team, and my job is to pass the ball."

The New York media always felt that Dior seemed a little fatter than when he first arrived in New York.
The Knicks were all laughing and preparing to go back to the locker room. Finally, Fisher showed his leadership qualities and made a firm statement during an interview:
"This is a crucial match. In order to get the match point as early as possible, Li will have more playing time."

Seeing Old Fish proudly announcing the news, several Philadelphia sports media felt uncomfortable:
"Why are you so proud of yourself as a substitute?!"

After the game started at 20 p.m. that night, the 76ers continued with their previous starting lineup. Although nearly 2 people poured into the Wachovia Center, the atmosphere was somewhat depressing.

After actively changing the lineup, head coach D'Antoni was idle again at the beginning of the game. On the other side, head coach Cheeks did not seem to be worried about the game and returned to the bench early.

After an efficient performance in the first quarter, Iverson did not show any mercy in the second quarter, taking advantage of several Knicks mistakes to continuously narrow the gap.

58:47, at the end of the first half, the Knicks led by only 11 points.

"Shh!"

Seeing the Knicks players talking and laughing as they walked towards the player tunnel, boos were heard again in the arena.

On the other side, Iverson was also cheering for his teammates, high-fiving them, clapping his hands to encourage them, and when he entered the player tunnel, he loudly gave them chicken soup:

"We did a great job, only making 5 mistakes in the first half. Hang in there and protect our home court!"

Iverson made 14 of 6 shots, 3 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 7 of 7 free throws, scoring 20 points efficiently. He played the entire first half and showed his best performance in the series!
伊戈达拉也增加了自己的侵略性，9中3，三分线外4中1，7分5篮板3助攻1抢断1失误，成功交出一份全能数据。

Looking at the boss who was constantly encouraging everyone, Iguodala felt a little nervous. The opponent was going to exert force again in the third quarter.
After a short break, as the second half of the game began, the Philadelphia fans at the scene weakly followed the DJ and shouted: "Defense!"

The Knicks took the lead in attacking, and Iverson took the initiative to defend Li You who received the ball at the baseline. He was ready to play the full 48 minutes tonight.

The defensive cheers did not affect the mood of the Knicks players. As Dio reached the free throw line early, Li You handed the ball over early.

Hill moved slowly on the left wing, gave Li You an off-ball screen, and then accelerated to the top of the arc.

Salmons and Iverson chased Li You together. Hill, who was unguarded, immediately released the ball with his right hand after receiving the short pass and broke through.

Facing Webber who was delayed in switching defense, Hill easily found Dio who was running. The latter received the ball and attracted the defense of Dalembert under the basket, then he raised the ball and faked a shot under the basket.

While the opponent was moving, Dio passed the ball to Gasol at the lower right side of the basket with his left hand the moment he received the ball. The latter received the ball and easily made a layup.

60:47, with continuous quick passes, the Knicks scored easily again.

This situation has occurred many times in the first half, and the scene of passing the ball into the basket has made the Philadelphia fans at the scene numb.
As they watched Iverson, who was being defended by Li You, struggling to cross half court, the uniform cheers became quieter and quieter.

Webber first received the ball in the right elbow area, and in the right corner, Iguodala accelerated toward the upper line and immediately turned his back after receiving a hand-to-hand pass on the right wing.

Holding the ball in his right hand, Iguodala broke through the basket. Although he failed to shake off Artest's pursuit, his breakthrough was very determined.

While moving, he suddenly turned around, and Iguodala, who took the ball in the paint area, secretly passed the ball to Dalembert who was lying in ambush at the bottom left of the basket.

The latter received the ball, faced with Gasol who raised his hands under the basket, he faked the ball and then shot the ball against the defense and made a layup!

"Oh!"

The timely response made the fans at the scene cheer, and head coach Cheeks standing on the sidelines also loudly praised Iguodala's pass.

Iverson, who was retreating, also celebrated by pumping his fist, standing on the top three-point line, clapping his hands, and shouting encouragement:

"Come on! Bro! That's it! Guard the next turn."

Everyone on the 76ers team responded. The score difference was still within reach and no one wanted to lose this crucial game.

Gasol under the basket began to direct Dio to the left corner. The away game made him lose some of his aggressiveness. He rarely attacked in the low post tonight, but was more focused on assisting in catching dunks.

In order not to give the opponent a chance to double-team, Li You passed the ball to Hill on the right wing early. As Li You ran towards the blocking area, Artest in the right corner also came to the three-point line to provide screen.

Seeing Li You suddenly accelerate, Iverson chased him in time, and Gasol delayed the opponent near the paint area at the bottom right of the basket, which created a loophole in the 76ers' defense.

Hill started moving toward the top of the arc, dribbled twice, and immediately passed the ball to Dio who was running to the left wing.

Webber, who was on the opposite side, hesitated and just followed the ball's movements without defending. When the basketball flew directly to the left corner, the outdated power forward showed excellent defensive awareness.

At the left bottom corner, the moment Li You received the ball, Weber immediately moved and then flew out of the baseline.
The timely interference bought time for Iverson who was chasing behind. Facing the small man who came to defend, Li You immediately passed the ball back to Dio on the left wing, and then ran to the top line again.

Although he received the ball in an open position, Dio did not shoot. Instead, he turned sideways to protect the ball and completed a hand-to-hand pass with Li You again.

Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, Iverson was briefly delayed. After receiving the ball, he dribbled sideways. Li You quickly passed the ball on the left wing and made a quick stop jump shot!

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

63:49, the 76ers' defense didn't seem to play much of a role.

Seeing that the score gap was widening again, the Philadelphia fans at the scene seemed to be unable to hold back, and the only sound in the arena was the DJ's cheering.

After turning around continuously, Iverson switched to his right hand and accelerated quickly, quickly passed the center line, and then immediately passed the ball to Salmons who was waiting at the top of the arc.

After handing the ball over, Iverson immediately ran to the right wing. When Iguodala began to move toward the baseline and slipped across the baseline, the two big men of the 76ers also came to the left and right elbow areas.

Without anyone reminding them, the Knicks players on the court knew that the other side was going to cut across the line.

When Iverson accelerated to the left wing and successfully received the ball, Dio switched defense immediately, and Gasol followed and guarded behind Webber in the left elbow area.

Dalembert watched Li You in front of him squeeze into the basket and jump up and down, as if to remind Iverson that this was a mismatch, but unfortunately the latter did not take the risk to pass the ball.

In a 2-on-2 situation, Iverson did not use Webber's screen. After two consecutive tentative steps with his right foot, he took advantage of Dio's body weight moving backward and made a quick jump shot from the left wing!
"Bang!" The basketball knocked out of the frame.

Amid the boos of the fans, Dio got ahead of Webber to protect the long rebound, took control of the ball and rushed forward.

All the Knicks players rushed to the opponent's half. Li You rushed very fast. As soon as he crossed half court, he raised his left hand and made a tactical gesture.

Artest ran directly to the left corner, Gasol stopped at the right elbow, and Hill noticed that Li You and Iverson were crowded near the paint area at the left elbow, and then stopped at the right wing.

Dio, who was dragging the ball behind, threw the ball to Gasol as soon as he approached the three-point line.

Webber had been defending at the top of the arc. When he saw Dio suddenly speeding towards him, he quickly turned around and retreated.

The two had just squeezed through the free throw line when Li You suddenly started, and with the help of Dio's screen, he instantly got rid of the defense and easily reached the top of the arc.

As Gasol made a short pass from the right elbow, Iverson, who was chasing him, could only watch Li You catch the ball in front of him and drift for a jump shot!

"Lee! Another three! Good!"

As the three-pointer went into the net, Mike Breen shouted in the ESPN commentary booth, and the familiar third quarter appeared again.

"Shh!"

The boos in the arena were getting louder and louder. Hubie Brown, watching Iverson struggling to advance, could only sigh again:

"Don't forget that Lee is the best three-point shooter in NBA history. He only made 300 three-pointers in the regular season this year, but this statistic is still the best in the league."

"The Knicks have a rich tactical reserve, and obviously the 76ers didn't expect this tonight."

Li You didn't give the opponent any chance to play iron-blooded basketball at all. Tonight, his shots were fast and accurate, and each score seemed extremely easy. At the same time, he also consumed Iverson's physical energy.

While the two were talking, Iguodala received the ball on the right wing again, and with the help of Webber's screen, he went straight to the basket from the right wing.

This time Artest held his position tightly, not giving his opponent a chance to turn around while moving. Finally, Iguodala rushed to the basket, leaned against the defense, leaned his body and shot with his right hand, but missed.

Gasol grabbed the rebound under the basket and immediately passed the ball to Li You who was outside the three-point line.

Holding the ball in his left hand, Li You continued to accelerate along the left sideline. When he crossed the center line, Iverson had already retreated to the left wing. At the same time, Salmons in the middle also surrounded him.

Without waiting for the two to completely form a siege, Li You suddenly lowered his shoulders and accelerated, and at the moment of compressing the defense, he immediately dribbled the ball behind his back.

The left wing was still some distance away from the three-point line. Seeing Li You suddenly stop and pass the ball, twisting his body and drifting to shoot a jump shot, Salmons on the side widened his eyes and stood there stupidly.

"Bang!"

"Lee from downtown! What a shot!"

The Wachovia Center seemed to have turned into a library, with only Mike Breen in the commentary booth shouting excitedly.

Head coach Cheeks immediately requested a timeout. The 76ers atmosphere team stood up silently and looked at Li You who was pointing to the sky with one hand in the middle of the court. Everyone lost their emotions.

69:49, a 20-point difference, the game seemed to be over.

There were no boos, and the noise gradually died down. The fans in the front row watched Iverson walk to the bench in silence. He used to be their hero, but now many people wanted to get rid of him.

He made 9 of 6 three-point shots, and apart from two long three-point shots at the end of the quarter, Li You's shooting was so accurate that Hubie Brown shook his head and sighed:

"There is no miracle. With a huge 20-point difference, it will be difficult for the 76ers to catch up with the current state."

"Basketball games are sometimes so cruel. Facing Lee's unreasonable shooting, perhaps we can only pray to God."

After the timeout, Iverson did pray to God, but his two consecutive mid-range jump shots that failed to make the stadium even more silent.

"Shh!"

The Knicks continued to pass the ball outside the three-point line. With Webber cooperating with Iverson on the left wing to double-team Li You, Dio received a ground pass from the free throw line and went straight to the basket.

Dalembert was concerned about Gasol behind him and watched Dio make a layup with his left hand.

Webber just made two points in the low post on the left side, but when he turned around, he was penetrated by the pick-and-roll on the defensive end.
Faced with the same tactics, Iguodala chose to retreat to the basket to help defend Dio who broke through the middle. As the basketball flew to the left corner, Artest, who was unguarded, stuck his butt out and made a steady jump shot.

Seeing Artest happily bumping chests with Dio in celebration, Iverson, who was preparing to receive the ball at the baseline, stopped shouting.

The double-team was penetrated by the defense, and in the transition offense, Li You would occasionally reward himself with a three-pointer. The 76ers could only rely on counterattacks to score points for a few minutes, and their positional offense frequently missed shots.

As time went by, the Wachovia Center became quieter and quieter. The Philadelphia fans sitting at the back left the stadium silently. They could not accept such humiliation.

As the third quarter was about to end, Li You picked up the rebound, turned around, dribbled two steps, rode like an arrow, and threw the ball into the basket at will.

The moment the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket, boos resounded throughout the arena.
94:67, the game entered garbage time.

In the silent atmosphere, the Knicks laughed happily and came forward to celebrate with Li You. Iverson, who returned to the bench, held his head in his hands and almost cried on the spot:

“I really tried my best.”

(End of this chapter)