NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 475 "You're Smashed" (5500-word chapter)
On November 2006, 11, before Thanksgiving, NBA fans once again witnessed the decline of the Eastern Conference.

The Heat, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, are now 3-7, while the disbanded Pistons are now 4-7.
The Nets have recently suffered five consecutive losses. The ticket prices at the Continental Airlines Center have plummeted. Maybe in a few years, you can buy a ticket for $5.

The Bulls, who traded for Ben Wallace, also did not have an ideal start, and only the Knicks and Cavaliers continued their excellent competitive form.

Not long after Ben Wallace announced that he had sprained his right index finger and bruised his wrist, he suffered ligament damage and a fractured right hand. It's hard for the Bulls, who also have a record of 3 wins and 7 losses, to improve much.

After the Heat confirmed that O'Neal would be absent for at least a month due to a knee injury, the commentators were shocked and believed that the Knicks would win without any effort!

Last week, they first won against the Cavaliers and Wizards by 21 points, then beat the Heat by 40 points, and then beat the Celtics by 26 points back-to-back.

Putting aside the Celtics, who have been on a trend of diving for the No. 1 pick since the start of the new season, the remaining three teams are all potential playoff opponents.

This dominance left the commentators speechless. On Monday, the Rockets visited Madison Square Garden and lost 92:110, also cleanly.

本场比赛强势反弹的麦克格雷迪15中5，三分线外8中3，罚球10中7，高效砍下20分4篮板5助攻2抢断1盖帽4失误。

Although this was his best game in a while, the Rockets were forced to play three quarters. Yao Ming scored 26 points, but was shot through on the defensive end and was criticized after the game.

Before Thanksgiving, the Rockets returned to their home court and ended their season against the Knicks. McGrady returned to his previous form and became a superstar again.

The 7-4 start is much better than last season. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, McGrady began a new round of mouth cannon:

"I don't care about outside evaluation. Yao performed well. I don't mind him taking 25 shots."

"When I was in the Magic, I had no help. After I came to the Rockets, I was very happy to see Yao help the team. As for the statistics, I don't care at all."

"Now I just want to win. I'm a selfless player."

The main reason for accepting the interview is that Yao Ming performed too well, while McGrady was too poor, even the Chinese media couldn't hold it in. If the second-in-command was reliable, the Rockets would be the first in the Western Conference now!

Regarding the recent trade rumors about Garnett, McGrady did not forget to speak up for his good brother:
"I know KG, I know how loyal he is."

"Everyone is talking about his conflict with the coach, but it doesn't affect his choice. KG is a loyal person."

Garnett flew to Manhattan and didn't know his good friend had spoken for him. When he was warming up with the team in the afternoon, he just said polite words in the interview:
"The new season has just begun. I just want to focus on the current game. On Thanksgiving Day, a victory is the best gift for the fans!"

With 3 wins and 6 losses, the Timberwolves started the season with a losing record. It didn't look like they could win. Noticing that Garnett didn't have the same desire to perform as before, many reporters pointed the finger at head coach Casey.

The St. Paul Herald had previously mentioned that Casey had curbed Garnett's energy, the record was not ideal, and some impatient fans had called for a coaching change on Reddit.

New York is particularly lively every Thanksgiving, but Garnett doesn't like to play basketball here.

Warming up in silence in the arena, the championship banner above him constantly reminds him who is the biggest winner in the league. Although the sports media who like to attract attention will continue to make trouble, ordinary fans don't read the news at all.

The United States is a big country, and for most fans, national live broadcasts and the finals are the mainstream ways to learn about the home team other than the home team.

The championship represents exposure and revenue. As a big man, Garnett's sneaker sales did not meet expectations after signing with Adidas.

The so-called "Adidas 5 Tigers" were jokingly called the Alliance of Winners and Losers by fans.

"It's still better to live in New York. Although it's cold here, it's still more fun than Polis! The finals are a big stage, and I also helped the championship."

Trenton Hassell, with a shaved head, was bragging to rookie Randy Foye about the great moments he had experienced here. He is a man with a championship ring!
Randy Foye showed a longing expression on his slightly immature face, and he echoed from time to time, which made the silent Garnett's eyes twitch slightly. He was fed up with the Knicks' championship experience.

Garnett asked the trainer to stay away from the two of them and turned to the other side of the court. It wasn't that he wanted to complain, but the Timberwolves were really too weak:
"The players who played garbage time in the Knicks are the main players in the Timberwolves!"

Whenever Garnett thought of this, he wanted to question what the management was thinking. Relying on the atmosphere to win the championship?
"Lee recruited me back then, but I just wanted to be a hero in Cleveland!"

Ricky Davis also joined the group, as if being recruited was a matter of honor. Everyone followed the leader's footsteps and moved to the other half of the court. Garnett only felt "magic sound piercing his ears":
"Shit! These spineless guys!"

Before the game started, Garnett couldn't hold it anymore. He showed a painful expression and tried hard to control his emotions. Sometimes he really wanted to punch his teammates!
The weaker the Eastern Conference teams are, the more comfortable Li You's life will be. As a veteran who has been in the league for 10 years, he should enjoy the current dividends.

At 19 p.m. that evening, Madison Square Garden was also filled with a festive atmosphere.

Andrew Cuomo, who won the New York Attorney General race with 58% of the votes over Jeanine Pirro at the beginning of the month, also appeared at the arena to have fun with the people and brought warmth to the young fans together with the Knicks team.

In recent years, elections have tended to be idolized. Spitzer always makes trouble for Wall Street and is currently the "honest boss" in the hearts of New York people.

Andrew Cuomo is not far behind. He has thick black hair and combs it back. When giving gifts, he will also give a head pat. His tough appearance and warm behavior form a big contrast.

“I’m so happy to spend Thanksgiving with you all in the holy land of basketball!”

"Basketball is more than just a sport. It is a symbol of unity and hope that brings communities together."

"I hope everyone feels the warmth and love from their family, friends and community on this special day!"

"I believe Lee will lead the team to victory again"

Andrew Cuomo, who spoke eloquently, received a lot of cheers. After all, newly-appointed government officials are the most popular.

In the past, New York citizens liked to join in the fun with the Yankees, but since the baseball team lost the championship and the basketball team lost, the situation has reversed.

Finally, Andrew Cuomo and Li You hugged each other and felt a little regretful. Although he has not served in the government in recent years, he is also aware that this wealthy superstar has deeper ties with the Elephant Party.

"Congratulations again, I think the people of New York made the best choice!"

Li You simply congratulated the Attorney General and did not have an in-depth discussion with him. Perhaps there will be more disagreements between the two sides in the future.
Unlike LeBron James, Garnett, as an old-school player, never treats his opponents as brothers on the court. At the end of the event, he secretly pouted and punched himself twice.

After warming up, Garnett kept bumping fists with his teammates, glaring and muttering, repeatedly reminding them:
"Defend, don't let them score easily, I don't want to see you slacking off!"

Mike James didn't dare to refute what the boss said. Thinking of tonight's matchup, he sighed with a sad face. He didn't want to defend Li You.
In the center of the court, Mark Blount stared at the basketball in the referee's hand with a serious expression. Amid cheers, Chandler jumped up and took the lead to push the ball away.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Garnett, who was retreating, gave loud instructions in the left blocking area, and Mike James clapped his hands to encourage himself. In the first round, Hill pretended to cut in with the help of Dio's screen, then ran back and bounced to catch the ball.

After Dio broke through, he went straight to the left corner. Facing Garnett who was switching defense, Hill released the ball with his left hand, pushed the ball, changed direction, lowered his shoulders and accelerated, and forced a breakthrough.

Garnett slid swiftly to make room for a breakthrough, and at the moment when Hill was about to dunk with his right hand in the paint, he jumped up to interfere.

Amid the low cheers of the fans at the scene, the basketball hit the rim and bounced out. Garnett, who had just landed, jumped up again, grabbed the rebound before Chandler, twisted his body and threw the ball to Mike James.

Receiving the ball outside the three-point line and hearing the shouts of head coach Casey on the sidelines, Mike James continued to accelerate with the ball in his right hand.

Prince was chasing and defending from behind, but Mike James who rushed to the top of the arc was not affected. He pushed the ball and changed direction while moving, changed the rhythm and switched to his left hand, lowered his shoulders and accelerated to break through.

Li You did not stick to the opponent too closely, but continued to defend him half a body length behind, and jumped up to block the opponent the moment he took three steps forward.

Near the lower left side of the basket, Mike James tried to lean over and make a layup, but was eventually pinned down by Li Youkong who arrived later than him!
"what!"

As he fell out of the baseline, Mike James screamed, but the referee ignored him. After landing, Li You controlled the ball and rushed across half court.

Garnett, who wanted to follow up from behind, had to retreat again. Before he could direct the defense, a loophole appeared in the position. Li You, who rushed across the center line and held the ball in his right hand, suddenly swung the ball hard.

Trenton Hassell, who was about to assist in defense, stopped subconsciously, and the basketball did not pass through the defense, but bounced back into Li You's hands.

As the cheers rose again, Li You immediately stopped at the top of the arc. Without any interference, he quickly converted a three-pointer and made a jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

Mike James, who had fallen to the floor, had just returned to half court and soon saw Garnett's "death stare".

"Defense!" Amid the cheers of defense, the Timberwolves' offense tried to start from Garnett who was constantly blocking the low post on the left side. After Mike James lobbed the ball, Li You followed to assist in defense.

After receiving the ball, he immediately passed it back to his teammate. In the moment of hesitation, Li You had already returned to defense and continued to shrink within the three-point line, symbolically raising his left arm.

Instead of choosing to attack, Ricky Davis came to the top of the arc to respond. At the same time, Mark Blount followed to the top of the arc to perform a pick-and-roll.

When Hill squeezed through the screen, Ricky Davis, who had the ball in his right hand, immediately passed the ball to Mark Blount who was following closely.

The latter received the ball and attacked the basket directly in the paint area right in front of the basket, but was eventually interfered by Chandler who turned around to block the shot, and the basketball bounced into the air during his failed dunk.

At the lower left side of the basket, Garnett squeezed in and grabbed the frontcourt rebound, then was surrounded by Chandler and Dio.

Noticing Li You's movement, Garnett threw the ball to Mike James on the outside again, but he still did not choose to catch the ball and jump shot. Finally, he released the ball with his right hand and broke through the crowd and missed the layup.

Garnett's face turned dark with anger at the outrageous offensive choice. Before he could curse, Chandler grabbed the rebound and made a long throw.

Garnett chased after him with big strides, and except for Mike James who fell to the ground, the Timberwolves retreated at a very fast speed.

However, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, rushed faster and faster. When he was close to the three-point line at the top of the arc, facing Ricky Davis who came to assist in defense, he made a secret ground pass while moving to find Hill who was following closely.

After receiving the ball, there was no one guarding him. Hill took three steps forward, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and easily made a one-handed dunk at the bottom left side of the basket!
"Too fast! Among the starting lineup, there are 4 players who can hold the ball and initiate offense. This is the Knicks' counterattack."

"I agree with coach Van Gundy. If we want to defeat the defending champions, we must play extreme defense. Mike James should adapt to the intensity of the game as soon as possible."

The Cavaliers lost last week, but they scored 91 points in the entire game. Hubie Brown agreed with Van Gundy's theory of defense first after the game, and cutting off the connection between Li You and his teammates was also repeatedly mentioned by many basketball commentators.

Garnett received the ball in the left blocking area and immediately made a jump shot. In the commentary booth, Mike Breen took this topic to praise:
"Defense is important, and the offense must also respond as quickly as possible."

"Facing the Knicks who insist on switching defense on the perimeter, scorers like Ricky Davis must find their offensive form as soon as possible."

During ESPN's nationwide live broadcast before Thanksgiving, the two people in the commentary booth did not tilt their butts. Although the Timberwolves had a poor record, they continued to praise the team.

The Knicks' offensive tempo has been getting faster and faster recently. Looking at the double screen that had completed its positioning early, Garnett, who was retreating, just greeted his opponent, and Li You at the top of the arc dribbled the ball behind him and shook off the defense.

Chandler's solid screen made Mike James unable to defend. Although Mark Blount slid to the left in time, he was passed by Li You with a change of direction while moving.

Watching Li You squeeze through the crowd, Garnett, who was near the left elbow, quickly assisted in defending the basket.

Another change of direction in the paint area slowed Li You down, and Garnett, who had successfully chased him, jumped high, stretched out his left arm, and tried to wait for a layup in the air.

The expected block did not happen. Li You jumped up to dribble the ball and swung the ball behind his back in the air at the moment of body collision. As the two men landed, Dio, who was unguarded, made a layup from the bottom left of the basket.

"Keep trying, man! Otherwise you're going to lose Thanksgiving by 30 points."

Li You patted Garnett, who was glaring and posing, and casually teased the Timberwolves' strength, which made the latter furious and he immediately retorted:

"Why are you passing the ball? I know you're worried about being blocked! I'll beat you up!"

"Don't think I'm going to be like those wimps and try to make fun of you. I'm the MVP!"

Garnett became more and more excited as he spoke, spitting all over the place, and shouted loudly behind Li You. But when he saw Dio's mocking smile, he almost exploded with anger. He felt insulted.

Soon, tough guy Garnett changed his target. Facing Dio's chattering, he immediately turned towards the baseline after receiving the ball in the same position. After turning around and making a jump shot, he beat his chest wildly:

"Watch out, wimp! I'm going to beat you to pieces!"

Li You was not sure whether the Timberwolves players were in good form. At this time, the self-igniting Garnett had already exploded. After returning to defense, he took up position, kept high-fiving, and a determined look appeared on his face.

Although Dio didn't quite understand why his opponent was so excited, the Frenchman also liked to watch the fun. While Garnett was posing, he accelerated to the left wing and took the initiative to receive the ball outside the three-point line.

As Li You passed the ball forward and quickly passed it to him, Garnett immediately switched defense, stepped on the three-point line, lowered his center of gravity, pulled up his shorts, clapped his hands and shouted:

“Come on!”

Garnett's shouting stopped abruptly as he shouted. The left wing was still two steps away from the three-point line. Li You received the ball again, stopped suddenly, raised the ball and threw it!
After making the move, Li You turned around confidently, with a smile on his face, and paced back while spreading his hands.

Garnett stood there in a daze. When he heard the cheers and laughter from the New York fans, his face turned dark. He was humiliated again!
At 4:10, head coach Casey on the sidelines fell silent early on.

Garnett aggressively positioned himself in the low post on the left side, and while Dio was moving around in front of him, he turned nimbly and got to the basket in an instant. The expected pass did not happen, and he turned his head to look up the line, cursing in anger.

Mike James's overly obvious pass was intercepted by Li You. Amid cheers, he made another gliding slam dunk in the frontcourt with 1 against 0.

Garnett, who had lost his composure, asked for the ball early in the offense, turned toward the baseline, released the ball with his left hand, and forced his way to the lower left side of the basket.

Faced with Chandler's help defense, Garnett did not choose to pass the ball. After a fake dribble, he tried to lift the ball again, but Dio took the opportunity to cut the ball off.

In the chaos, the basketball hit Garnett's foot and went out of bounds, and cheers broke out in the stadium again.

On the Timberwolves bench, Randy Foye and everyone in the atmosphere group were silent, as the pace of the game was completely controlled by the opponent.

Faced with the same tactics, Garnett was eager to defend for his teammates. After going online for double screen, Mark Blount slid in time to delay, and the big man raised his left arm to try to give physical confrontation.

Holding the ball in his right hand, Li You accelerated sideways and came to the right wing. After a sudden stop, he dribbled the ball behind his back twice in a row at an extremely fast speed. Taking advantage of Mark Blount's parallel position, he suddenly led the ball forward.

Watching the basketball pass through the big man's crotch, Li You successfully chased the ball in the right elbow area, and cheers resounded throughout the stadium.

Garnett wanted to assist in defense, but Li You scooped up the ball and stopped suddenly. With no one guarding him, he made a steady jump shot from the elbow!

At 4:14, the Timberwolves requested a timeout.

Mark Blount looked at Garnett, who angrily threw his drink when he returned to the bench, with a very ugly expression on his face. He became the "soft persimmon" in the team.

The joy of a basketball game is usually built on the pain of the opponent. Steve Novak, who was on the active list again, had no sympathy and was flattering the opponent:

"Cool, Lee! Maybe we can finish our opponent in one quarter!"

“I knew there was a gap between MVPs.”

"Towel Man" David Lee didn't get a word in for a while. He didn't expect the newbie to integrate into the Knicks' team culture so quickly.

Barea and others also followed suit and shouted loudly. They were beating their opponents live on the national broadcast. Before Thanksgiving, they could show their faces again.

Coach Casey said a lot on the bench, but D'Antoni just clapped and cheered, and then went back to the idle state.
In the subsequent games, Trenton Hassell continued to be invisible, and the furious Garnett frequently asked for the ball.

The Timberwolves failed to cut off the connection between Li You and his teammates. Instead, they were unable to implement their own tactics and had to rely on individual singles.

Ricky Davis suddenly found his touch and hit long two-pointers in two consecutive rounds. He turned around and double-teamed the opponent in advance, but Prince responded easily with a series of shots and breakthroughs.

In the second half of the first quarter, Marko Jaric, who was substituted in by the Timberwolves, also disappeared and did not score for more than two minutes. Garnett, who was out of defense, could only yell at his teammates to commit fouls.

Entering the free throw state early, when Li You stood on the free throw line, the gym soon rang with happy shouts:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

In the last minute or so, Garnett led the team to barely keep the score close with free throws.

At 15:36, at the end of the first quarter, Garnett stood at the center line, looking at the scoreboard, and his enthusiasm for the game almost disappeared.

Dio, who was dragging behind and heading to the bench, played the entire first quarter. Seeing that the Wolf King was no longer active, he couldn't help but tease as he passed by:
“Man, you’re busted.”

(End of this chapter)