NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 494 Li You's Respect (4600 words chapter)
Head coach Eddie Jordan led the Wizards to New York for the first time in the playoffs after taking over the team.

Madison Square Garden is known as the Holy Land of Basketball. This season, it has become a veritable devil's home court. The fanatical atmosphere on the scene has greatly reduced the coaching staff's contingency plans.

In fact, New York fans really disliked the first-round matchup because most of them couldn't even name their opponent.

Some fans have not even watched a complete regular season game between the Knicks and the Wizards. After all, the two teams only play against each other twice in New York in a season.

Facing such a weak team, they won every game. Naturally, no one cared about such an opponent. Only Arenas, the incompetent big mouth, was impressive, but that was all.

After the game started at 21:19 on the evening of the 30st, head coach Eddie Jordan paced back and forth on the sidelines, shouting loudly from time to time, but it did not have any effect.

The team fell behind by double digits in the first quarter, and although they replaced the main lineup early in the second quarter, the situation on the field did not change at all.

Starting from 8 minutes and 33 seconds, 2 minutes later, the Wizards' score remained at 29, and the timeout just now did not play any role.

Hubie Brown, on the ABC commentary booth, saw the Wizards' dilemma. The team lacked height on the court, and Antawn Jamison was unable to play the role of a space four:
"Eddie Jordan's tactics were successful, but Jarvis Hayes seemed to lack the confidence to hit those open three-pointers."

"With the rebounds completely suppressed, it is difficult for them to launch an effective counterattack and they must cherish the opportunity to easily score."

The frontcourt of Jarvis Hayes, Antawn Jamison, and Etan Thomas was almost completely suppressed, and Mike Breen revealed a gloating tone:

"The Wizards have not been able to perform up to expectations except for controlling their turnovers well."

Antawn Jamison just missed a pull-up jump shot from the left wing and had no choice but to retreat amid the cheers of New York fans. He was completely suppressed from the start and it was a depressing game.

Antonio Daniels is also an old friend of Li You. The two had played against each other when he was a substitute for the Spurs, but New York fans don't have much impression of him.

"DeShawn!"

Hearing his teammates shouting his name loudly, DeShawn Stevenson, who was retreating to the right wing, stopped in a hurry and double-teamed Li You who was at the top of the arc.

As Li You passed the ball, Hill, who was unguarded on the right wing, received the ball and accelerated to break through facing Antawn Jamison who was rotating to assist in defense.

Hill released the ball with his left hand quickly. Although Antawn Jamison slid in time, he still lost half of his body position.

In the paint area right in front of the basket, Hill made a fake pass against the defense, and Gasol received the pass from behind at the bottom right side of the basket and easily made a layup.

29:47, the point difference is still widening.

"Defense!."

Defensive cheers mixed with cheers rang out again in the arena. The Wizards retreated quickly, but were unable to limit the Knicks' offense, which was no different from the situation in the regular season.

Antonio Daniels, following instructions from the coach, continued to speed up the offensive tempo, but faced with Li You's defense, he was unable to accelerate to his full potential.

Daniels turned his back and switched to his left hand, and was about to approach the center line. Before he could stick out his butt to protect the ball, Li You suddenly rushed up and cut the ball off.

"Oh!"

For a moment, the New York fans at the scene began to cheer loudly again. Daniels rushed forward in a panic to grab the ball, and finally the two of them pulled the basketball and were knocked out of the sideline.

The referee hesitated for a moment, but finally gave the ball to the Wizards. This game was ridiculously unexciting, and it was their task to hold on until the third quarter.

There were scattered boos in the stadium again. Daniels noticed that Li You was too lazy to even complain. He just squeezed beside him and waited for the ball to be kicked off. His scalp tingled for a moment. He couldn't complete the coach's instructions.

After receiving the ball, Daniels accelerated and sprinted with the ball in his left hand. He finally crossed the center line. He didn't even dare to make tactical gestures when he turned sideways to protect the ball. The hand protecting the ball kept in contact with Li You.

"Illegal defense!"

Head coach Eddie Jordan had been putting pressure on the referee since the start of the game. His own No. 1 player was suppressed to the point where he couldn't dribble steadily and could only hope for the referee's whistle.

It’s just that the referee didn’t say anything at all. Some small actions are allowed in New York, and the 42-win record is inseparable from their support.

Near the baseline on the right side, Antawn Jamison quickly slipped across the baseline. Etan Thomas' screen on the other side didn't have much effect, and Chandler switched out in time.

Due to Li You's interference, Daniels' ground pass was of poor quality, and Antawn Jamison, who received the ball in the right blocking area, failed to catch the ball and make a jump shot.

Chandler left Antawn Jamison's left hand open, turned sideways and raised his left arm. The poor attack on his weak side prevented Jamison from changing direction, and he simply accelerated in a straight line after releasing the ball.

Etan Thomas moved to the lower right side of the basket and was left open by Gasol. Chandler quickly slid to cover him, and Jamison had no choice but to rush into the arms of the two big men.

"squeak!"

Jamison fell to the ground due to the block, and the baseline referee called a foul on Chandler, who clapped his hands with a little regret, but he was still blamed by the opponent.

D'Antoni on the sidelines was very satisfied with the defense. He smiled and clapped his hands in encouragement. Jamison, holding his butt, kept taking deep breaths at the free throw line. He didn't complain anymore because the referee ignored him.

At 31:47, Jamison made two free throws and finally helped the team break the scoring drought.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid cheers, Daniels quickly retreated. Li You, who had rushed across the center line, suddenly passed the ball from behind near the logo, and instantly blocked half of his body position when he switched to his right hand.

Without time to slide to interfere, Daniels watched Li You easily throw the ball to Gasol at the top of the arc.

The Knicks were in position 131. As Li You pretended to receive the ball and suddenly ran back, Artest on the left wing also began to move towards the bottom corner.

Jamison was behind Gasol, nervously and loudly directing his teammates. The opponent had been targeting him since the beginning of the game, and he needed help from his teammates.

Li You accelerated sideways and received a pass from Gasol near the left wing. Without waiting for Daniels to catch up, he released the ball with his left hand and accelerated the breakthrough.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Daniels, who was chasing after the player, was almost shaken by Li You's sudden quick stop and crossover step.

When Gasol moved forward to screen, Jamison could only watch his teammate being easily gotten rid of by Li You, and had no choice but to switch defense again.

The moment Li You reached the top of the arc with the ball in his right hand with the help of a screen, he paused slightly facing Jamison who was switching defense, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, instantly increased his stride, and forced a breakthrough in the middle.

The hesitant Jamison lost his defensive position almost in the blink of an eye. The Wizards began to shrink towards the basket. Li You broke into the paint area and took a step forward.

Etan Thomas, who was assisting in the basket, instinctively stopped and leaned back to make room. He watched Li You pull his right arm back, hover in the air, and then dunk with great force!

"boom!"

The basketball instantly hit the basket, and Etan Thomas involuntarily took another step back. He clearly saw the basketball deform, and he couldn't help but whisper:
"What the hell."

The tomahawk dunk with a flat rim once again ignited the atmosphere in the arena. Most New York fans didn't remember Etan Thomas' name, but that didn't stop them from cheering:

"Lee scared you, coward!"

Etan Thomas, with his furrowed hair, had no reaction to the fans' mockery. He was just an ordinary substitute. If Brendan Haywood hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have gotten this position. Daniels was completely numb. Li You, who had just finished the dunk, stood at the baseline waiting for him to catch the ball. After a struggle, the Wizards were forced to play a positional offense.

Jamison signaled to his teammates to cover him near the right baseline, and Jarvis Hayes moved towards the baseline on the right wing.

The simple zipper cooperation did not play any role, and Artest, who was switched to defend, hugged Jamison and jumped out together.

Daniels, who was protecting the ball sideways, failed to pass the ball. Amid the cheers from the defense, he wanted to wave his hand to direct his teammates to cut across, but Li You's pressing forced him to turn his back.

As Jamison moved laterally from right to left on the top line, Daniels still couldn't find an opportunity. After dribbling behind his back, he wanted to pass the ball to Jarvis Hayes near the right sideline.

Gasol's shrinking defense gave the opponent an opportunity. When Jarvis Hayes moved to the upper line, Daniels' overly obvious side pass was caught by Li Youhou.

The moment the basketball left his hand, Li You stretched out his left arm and poked it, easily disrupting the pass while secretly swinging his right arm.

"Oh!"

Cheers rang out again. Daniels, who lost the ball, not only failed to pull it away successfully, but was pushed by Li You and staggered.

"Shit! This is a foul!"

No one on the Wizards team was chasing them, and they all complained loudly to the linesman. Li You chased the ball easily, 1 vs 0 in the frontcourt, and with no one interfering, he jumped with both feet in the paint area, turned 360 degrees in the air, grabbed the ball with his right hand and dunked with one arm!
At 31:51, the score difference finally reached 20 points, and the fancy dunk almost made the shouts break through the stadium.

The referee was irritated by the Wizards' complaints. In fact, he couldn't hear what the other team was shouting, but he knew it was definitely not good, so he gave DeShawn Stevenson a T.
Although he was restrained by his teammates, Stevenson still refused to give in and chased the referee to vent his emotions. Head coach Eddie Jordan was also a little frustrated and spread his hands.

Due to changes in ABC this season, the number of live broadcasts across the United States has decreased, and Hubie Brown has not been able to commentate on too many Knicks games. The feeling of watching videos is completely different from watching the live game.

Watching Li You take the technical free throw, Hubie Brown in the commentary booth was somewhat helpless and could only comment euphemistically:
"Anas' absence has a big impact on the Wizards. It's difficult for Daniels to launch an effective offense against Lee."

"The Wizards' tactics were completely restricted. Jamison had difficulty getting easy shots, and he hasn't been able to launch an effective counterattack since the start of the game."

As the Knicks' commentator, Mike Breen knew that the Knicks would be crushed by the Wizards. After hearing the old coach's comments, he smiled and took over the conversation:

"How is Eddie Jordan going to adjust in the second half? Now they're down by 21 points, and the Knicks have never lost when they're ahead by more than 15 points."

"."

Hubie Brown glanced at the self-satisfied Mike Breen and spoke some polite words in a dull manner. He knew that he would witness another big victory tonight.

The angry mood did not help the Wizards' offense. With the same tactic, Antawn Jamison bounced out but was tightly guarded by Artest, and then cut across to the left wing.

When receiving the ball, facing Artest who was bending over to interfere, Antawn Jamison took a series of tentative steps with his right foot, and finally missed the jump shot again.

In addition to making two shots during the rotation phase, Jamison was possessed by a blacksmith. Seeing Li You pick up a long rebound, he accelerated and rushed again, breaking his defense for a while.

After pushing the ball and changing direction, Li You continued to accelerate along the left sideline. He rushed faster and faster, Daniels gritted his teeth and chased him from behind, and Stevenson on the other side also chased him fiercely.

There was no sign of slowing down. When he rushed to the lower right side of the basket, Li You jumped into the air with Daniels pulling him, jumped up to block Stevenson, and grabbed the ball with his left hand and swung sideways.

"what!"

The collision in the air instantly caused Stevenson to lose his balance, his chest felt tight, and he screamed and fell out of the baseline.
Daniels helplessly watched Li You throw the ball towards the backboard with his left hand before landing. The referee blew the whistle and the basketball finally hit the backboard and went into the basket.

As the referee signaled that the goal was valid and Daniels committed a defensive foul, cheers resounded throughout the stadium again.

After being pulled up by his teammates, Stevenson was still holding his ribs in pain. He noticed Li You moving his shoulders and walking towards the free throw line, and his eyes widened for a moment.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Li You made the free throw steadily, the shouting couldn't stop, and the New York fans at the scene knew that victory was no longer in suspense.

31:54, the Wizards did not request a timeout. Head coach Eddie Jordan frowned and watched his players miss shots.

Etan Thomas received a pass from Daniels in the paint area right in front of the basket, but his shot was blocked by Chandler and missed.

He retreated in time and it was a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. Jamison was delayed and got out, but Li You passed the ball under his crotch and got out through the gap between people.

Li You scooped the ball with his right hand and went straight to the basket. As soon as Etan Thomas moved his feet, the basketball was thrown to the upper right side of the basket. Chandler, who was unguarded, scooped the ball with both hands in the air and dunked it hard!

Daniels threw the ball to Stevenson on the left wing without waiting for the ball to cross half court. Stevenson immediately released the ball with his left hand and broke through. With Hill's interference, his long two-point shot was unsuccessful.

Gasol easily caught the rebound and made a long pass. Daniels, who had just crossed the center line, chased him in frustration. He stopped before reaching the three-point line and watched Li You glide and dunk.

The Wizards' offense turned into a mess, and the Knicks' continuous counterattacks widened the gap.

It was not until the last moment of the first half that Jamison's offense of just throwing the ball finally paid off, and he broke the scoring drought again with a combination of shots and free throws.

On the last attack, Daniels broke through the defense and sent Li You to the free throw line amid the boos of New York fans, and the Wizards' nightmare half finally ended.

36:68, at the end of the first half, head coach Eddie Jordan turned and left, and the loudmouth Arenas also walked quickly towards the player tunnel with a blank expression.

Unlike the regular season, Rondo's playing time was compressed to 21 minutes, and Li You took over the game early.

14中10，三分线外3中1，罚球8中8，半场29分4篮板5助攻2抢断，李佑交出完美数据。

During the Knicks' first playoff game, ABC specially added an interview. Michelle Tafoya was waiting for Li You near the baseline. The crazy shouting at the scene forced her to raise her voice:
"Lee, congratulations on taking a 32-point lead at halftime!"

"This is the first playoff game after we won all our home games. How do you feel at the scene?"

The New York fans in the back were still making loud noises. Li You lowered his head and didn't hear the question clearly. He could only smile and say something polite:
"This is my first time meeting the Wizards in the playoffs. They have suffered injuries and played like this in the first half. I have nothing but respect for them!"

"We will not relax and will still go all out in the second half. We will not underestimate any opponent in the playoffs."

"."

The Knicks' atmosphere team was shouting as they passed by. They didn't get many chances in the first half. It seemed that D'Antoni was too cautious in the playoffs.

All the Wizards players who returned to the locker room lowered their heads. Frustration spread in the room and no one spoke.

Li You punched hard and continued to attack the basket. He was penetrated like a sieve in the half court. Antoine Jamison completely lost his temper. This low-key scorer sighed in frustration at this time. He was too iron:
17中5，三分线外4中0，罚球6中4，14分4篮板1失误。

Jamison was naturally aware that his 9-of-3 performance in the second quarter hurt the team, but he really couldn't make any bold statements at this time.

"We still have a chance. Maybe the opponent will relax and reduce the point difference to less than 20 points first."

Arenas, the team leader, saw that his partner was ready to surrender and said something dryly. Jamison raised his head and did not refute, but whispered:
"Everyone knows that Lee will explode in the third quarter."

(End of this chapter)