NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 497 Pressure is not motivation (Daily Chapter)
On Saturday morning, April 2007, 4, the NBA announced the best defensive player (DPOY) of this season:
Marcus Camby, the shot block king of the Nuggets, defeated all opponents and won the award!

At 19:30 p.m. that evening at the Pepsi Center in Denver, in front of nearly 2 fans, Marcus Camby received the DPOY bronze statue, held the trophy high, and smiled brightly.

The series score is 1:1. For Nuggets fans, getting an away victory is extremely important. They see hope of winning the series.

"Thanks to my teammates for their support, this trophy belongs to everyone. Allen's arrival has activated the team, and we will make an impact for the championship!"

Marcus Camby made bold statements in front of the fans, and the director frequently focused the camera on the completely outdated Iverson. This year, he almost lost his playoff spot, and the reputation of the "Son of Philadelphia" once plummeted to the bottom.

Fortunately, after winning an away game in the playoffs, the Nuggets fans forgave Iverson. Mr. Big Scene seemed to be back, and everyone began to look forward to his performance again.

Iverson, wearing a white headband and fully armed, had a serious expression on his face. He high-fived his teammates repeatedly when he heard their words. In fact, he was under a lot of pressure as he had to prove that he was not a cancer.

This season, fewer and fewer people are talking about him, and Iverson knows that if this continues, he will be completely finished.

Black and red are still red, but when fans label a player as a "rookie", the attention level will plummet.

Who would worship a weak star player? Having good-looking skin doesn’t solve the problem.

Carmelo Anthony was in mixed emotions. This season could be considered a failure for him. He lost his All-Star spot and failed to win any individual awards.

Not only did Iverson's arrival fail to gain more attention, but Anthony was also blamed for the decline in the team's performance.

Analysts had high expectations when they formed the team, but by the end of the season, no one believed they could beat the Spurs.

Having the DPOY doesn't help, the fact is that the Nuggets' defense is really not that good.

During the pre-match warm-up, the director also focused the camera on the increasingly low-key Tim Duncan, who is known as an unstoppable historical power forward on both offense and defense, but Duncan has never won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Unlike Li You, this award always favors big men, but Duncan failed to impress the voting media.

Perhaps it was because the expectations were too high, or perhaps it was because the pressure was too great, Iverson showed his rookie nature after the start of the game, and missed shots again and again in the second quarter, giving the Spurs more opportunities.

Although Tim Duncan performed poorly on the offensive end, he limited Marcus Camby on the defensive end.

43:40, at the end of the first half, with Iverson's assist, the Spurs led by 3 points.

第2节7中1，半场10中3怒砍7分，艾弗森如此表现让百事中心球馆气氛拉胯，很多掘金队球迷无法接受他们的后场被对面打爆了的事实。

In the visiting team's locker room, Popovich saw that Duncan was in a bad mood. Apart from winning an MVP last year, this core player has achieved nothing in his career so far.

12中4，半场8分6篮板2助攻3盖帽3失误，邓肯交出一份不太理想的数据，教练组此时都在暗暗思量如何激活核心。

"Tim, don't worry about those awards. Now all we have to do is focus on the game. This year we have a chance to return to the finals."

"."

Popovich's consolation did not make Duncan feel better. He was mentally prepared for Marcus Camby to win the award.

But in the voting results, Tyson Chandler ranked second, surpassing him, which made Duncan unhappy.

It was a fake last year, but it was recognized this year. This kind of bullying voting is a bit too much.

Duncan nodded expressionlessly and said nothing. He felt bored every award season. If he had won the championship, he would not care about such a small trophy. Unfortunately, he did not.

After the coaching staff summarized the halftime game, Bruce Bowen took the initiative to comfort the boss. As a veteran with a worsening reputation, he likes San Antonio and the fans here accept him:
"After two seasons of preparation, we won't fail again, Tim. We will help you fulfill your wish."

As Parker and Ginobili also spoke up, Duncan breathed a sigh of relief. It was not pleasant to be looked down upon. He didn't want to lose again:
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, we will win the game and get the match point away from home."

In the home team's locker room, head coach George Karl was almost furious at Iverson's missed shots. He understood why the 76ers could never break through the ceiling.

The offense is poor and the defense is also unsatisfactory. Once Iverson is unable to hit those return balls, the little guy who dares to fight and fight becomes a drag on the court.

"Don't think too much, stay focused! We take the initiative"

Steve Blake, who partnered with Iverson in the backcourt, sighed secretly when he heard the coach's chicken soup. He was not good at defense, and there was a reason why he was teased as the "double-leaky backcourt."

In the second half of the game, the Spurs firmly suppressed their opponents. Although Iverson's condition improved, the Nuggets were unable to narrow the gap.

In the end, 96:90, the Spurs regained the initiative and the score was 2:1.

Boos gradually began to appear in the Pepsi Center. Even after the game was over, many Nuggets fans were still expressing their dissatisfaction. Iverson's performance was really disappointing.

He played for 45 minutes, made 20 of 7 shots, 3 of 0 from beyond the three-point line, 9 of 6 free throws, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers, with a shooting percentage of less than %. Iverson's performance was mediocre.

After the game, ESPN reporters found Iverson, who wanted to go to the player tunnel, and talked about tonight's game again amid the boos:
"We have received news that the Knicks have advanced."

"Allen, how would you evaluate your performance? Do you think the Nuggets still have a chance to get revenge in the finals?"

The bold words seemed to have turned into delusion. Iverson, who was in a bad mood, glared at the sports reporter in front of him, pulled off his headband and responded expressionlessly:
"I don't care about the opponent's performance, now I just want to play well in the next game."

"You want to laugh at my statistics, I don't care about them at all. The moment I step onto the court I will give it my all. You can say whatever you want, I just want to speak with basketball."

This season, Iverson averaged 26.3 points per game, which was a significant decline. Most sports reporters had already lost respect for him. When they heard this kind of talk, they immediately asked again:
"If the Nuggets are eliminated in the first round, does that mean the failure of you and Anthony?"

"."

Without answering any more questions, Iverson turned and left. He knew the other party's tactics well and he had no interest in losing his temper with the reporter again.

When attending the press conference, Duncan's mood improved. He made 21 of 9 shots, 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks and 3 turnovers. Although he was not very satisfied with his data, winning was a good thing.

Sitting on the stage, Duncan didn't talk much about tonight's game, because most reporters were still gossiping about the Mavericks who lost last night:
"If the Warriors beat the Mavericks, the Spurs will have a chance to reach the finals again! Duncan, what would you say about Nowitzki's performance?"

In the eyes of many basketball commentators, the Spurs are too lucky this year. Once the Mavericks lose, other teams in the Western Conference will have no competitiveness and the Suns will not be able to stop them at all.

"I don't want to talk about other opponents. We just took the initiative back. I just want to focus on the game the day after tomorrow."

"As for Nowitzki, he led the team to 68 wins, which is an amazing record. He was just too nervous and playing under pressure affected his performance."

"But I believe he will handle everything. I know his strength."

Duncan spoke nicely, but most reporters did not buy it. The Mavericks were defeated 91:109 on the road. A team with 68 wins lost by 18 points. This was an unimaginable situation.

On April 4, the Knicks flew back to Manhattan. As the Heat and Raptors were still entangled, they got more than a week of rest before the semi-finals began.

In the first round of four games, only Game 4 was a difficult win, 115:96, and it was also the only game with a score of less than 120 points.

As soon as I got off the plane in the morning, a large number of sports reporters swarmed in. Defeating the Wizards who were short of players was not a big deal. Tonight's Game 4 between the Mavericks and the Warriors was the focus of everyone's attention.

Before getting on the bus outside the airport, Li You, who was wearing a gray body-shaping suit and a sports outfit, was blocked by the crowd again.

The script is about to break. If the Mavericks lose again tonight, the previous publicity will become a complete joke. Sports reporters are exhausted just thinking about this situation.

The Yahoo Sports reporter was eager to publish a column about the Mavericks' loss in advance. When he saw Li You take off his headphones, he immediately asked:
"Lee, if the Mavericks lose tonight, will you be disappointed? How do you feel about losing to such an opponent in the MVP competition?"

The Wizards were obviously completely forgotten. No one paid attention to Arenas's bold words "I will never be eliminated in the first round again". Li You understood the feelings of the spectators and joked with a smile: "It's just a loss in an away game. I believe Nowitzki will explode tonight."

"As for the MVP, that's a regular season award, and the Mavericks got 68 wins, so they deserve a trophy."

"I'm not interested in winning an award every year. Players also need a goal. This trophy is the best encouragement. Compared to winning the award myself, I would rather see my opponent appear in the finals with the trophy."

"."

3 consecutive MVPs, unanimous MVP, most sports reporters are speechless when thinking of the honors Li You has won before. This is indeed an incredible victory.

"Lee, which team do you think will win tonight? I heard that Monta Ellis received your text message. Does this mean that you think the Warriors will win more?"

The TNT reporter also hoped that the Germans would fail. Li You noticed that everyone was gloating, so he raised his eyebrows helplessly and responded simply:

"Challenging a 68-win team and not falling behind in the game is something that deserves encouragement regardless of the outcome."

"Baron, Stephen and Matt are my good brothers, and I am very happy to see them get attention with the Warriors."

Artest, who was passing by, did not forget to make some sarcastic remarks before getting on the bus. No one was discussing the first round of the game, and he also wanted to add some drama to himself:

"Stephen and Matt have championship experience. Don't underestimate them. They know how to win better than most players in the league."

"The German is already scared. He is not Lee. He cannot play under such pressure. Many players know that this year's MVP is a joke!"

Hill in the back gave his teammates a wry smile and pushed them. After all, there was Finley on the team. After finishing the interview and getting on the bus, the Knicks team also started to eat melons:
"Don't pay attention to what Ron said. This is the current public opinion environment. Losing a game is like losing the entire round."

Finley, who was sitting next to Hill, had no smile on his dark face. He sent a text message to his former teammate, but received no reply. The Mavericks seemed to have a problem with their mentality:

"I just wondered if they would still accept me back if I lost the game."

"You know, a lot of teams don't like Knicks players, and it's said that Kevin Garnett and Hassell had a falling out."

Before the Timberwolves' fishing trip, Garnett and Hassell, who shared his championship experience, had a quarrel. The St. Paul Pioneer did not report the details, but the league's internal gossip was that the two punched each other.
On the other side, Gasol almost laughed out loud when he heard this topic. Basketball commentators sometimes compare him with Garnett.

Because of his frequent high-post possession in the past two seasons, Gasol's reputation sometimes has problems. Garnett, who plays in the same style, is better. The Wolf King is better at expressing himself:
"Don't worry, Michael! I think the Mavericks won't be stingy with a mid-level contract. They need the help of veterans."

Finley forced a smile on his dark face, nodded, and looked at Li You who was sitting with the coaching staff in front of him. Although Li You kept praising Nowitzki, he always felt awkward:
"Is this another form of taunting?!"

"."

At 19:30 that evening, the Game 4 between the Mavericks and the Warriors, broadcast by TNT, had the highest ratings of the first round.

Everyone knew that once the Warriors got the match point, a dark eight would no longer be a dream. More than 2 Warriors fans cheered desperately at the Oracle Arena.

It is difficult to have such an atmosphere in most home stadiums in the league. It took Madison Square Garden nearly 11 years to transform into a devil's home stadium, and the Warriors fans who are about to witness the black eighth victory are completely crazy tonight.

At the end of the third quarter, the two sides were tied at 77:77, and the game was extremely intense.

Before the fourth quarter began, Nowitzki, who was sitting on the bench, kept wiping his sweat and taking deep breaths to try to calm himself. Even though he blocked most interviews, he still felt tremendous pressure.

Head coach Avery Johnson also had trouble controlling his emotions. The small coach stared at his players and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Forget the score! We are the stronger team and everyone needs to fight!"

On the other side, head coach Nelson was also trying his best to cheer up his players. The unpleasant breakup made him want revenge now:
"They can't do it! They are completely finished! Now the Mavericks have only fear in their eyes. We are only 12 minutes away from victory!"

"."

Influenced by the atmosphere on the scene, Byron Davis felt full of energy. Stephen Jackson and Jason Richardson also roared loudly before going on the court.

In the most crucial quarter of the game, Nowitzki, who had only rested for one minute after the opening, failed to continue his previous efficient performance and missed shots at critical moments.

With 23.9 seconds left in the game, Matt Barnes hit a crucial three-pointer, and the Oracle Arena was instantly boiling.

The former atmosphere group of the Knicks roared after the goal and mocked Nowitzki loudly:

"Poor clown, I'm the fucking champion!"

93:99, a 6-point difference, everyone on the Mavericks felt desperate.

Although Nowitzki made two consecutive three-pointers from outside the three-point line in the final moments, the Warriors stabilized the situation with free throws from Jason Richardson and Byron Davis.

Devin Harris's mistake in the final moments completely ruined the chance of a comeback. When the final buzzer sounded, the Oracle Arena completely exploded and everyone was celebrating wildly.

99:103, the Warriors protected two home courts, the score came to 3:1, victory was waving to them.

Stephen Jackson showed no mercy in the fourth quarter, making 3 of 2 shots, 2 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 7 points.

After tearing off his headband and celebrating with his teammates, Stephen Jackson noticed Nowitzki staring at the scoreboard with a disdainful smile on his face and rushed over and shouted at the top of his voice:

"Soft!"

"Give the trophy back to Li, you don't deserve this award!"

Nowitzki broke down on the spot and immediately rushed over to argue, yelling and cursing. Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry also failed to control their emotions and rushed forward to fight with the Warriors.

The Oracle Arena was boiling again. The Warriors fans at the scene felt their blood boiling and they couldn't wait to rush into the venue to join in a big fight.

The referee and coaching staff also rushed into the venue. Under the escort of security personnel, Nowitzki lowered his head and was surrounded by his teammates as he walked towards the player tunnel.

"Soft!"

The Warriors fans on both sides jumped and shouted desperately. No one wanted to miss this kind of fun.

Nowitzki scored 9 points in the quarter, including 3 of 5 shots and 2 of 8 shots from beyond the three-point line. However, his performance in the fourth quarter was not up to standard. Kevin Harlan, who was in the commentary booth, sighed helplessly while looking at the technical statistics:

"Unfortunately, Nowitzki failed to turn pressure into motivation tonight. I think there was a problem with his offensive choice in the last quarter."

"He played for 47 minutes, maybe his physical condition limited his performance."

Doug Collins, who was standing by, felt the enthusiastic atmosphere and was affected by it, and suddenly added fuel to the fire:

"I don't want to make excuses for the MVP. I can't imagine Lee playing like Nowitzki in such a crucial game."

"So far in the series, Nowitzki's shooting percentage has never exceeded 50%. He has no dominance in the low post, and the weakness mentioned by Lee is still being targeted."

"Lee averaged 34.8 points in the first round, which was a statistic he got when he played for 31.5 minutes. It is worth mentioning that in the face of the opponent's tight defense, his shooting percentage was 64.4%."

"If the Mavericks are eliminated in the first round, Nowitzki will make the MVP a joke. He has failed Lee's expectations!"

"."

(End of this chapter)