NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 503 Fantasy and Reality (4200 words chapter)
On Sunday, May 2007, 5, Jeff Van Gundy was not as happy as he had imagined when he returned to Madison Square Garden.

Ignoring the gossip drama of the past few days, he devoted himself to the preparation for the game. His old partner Thibodeau kept cheering him on, but Van Gundy was still a little overwhelmed when the team encountered difficulties.

With the help of the coaching staff, the Cavaliers requested a timeout in time. The boiling atmosphere in the stadium finally allowed Van Gundy to come back to his senses. The game had just begun and there was still enough time.

At 10:15, the Cavaliers' timeout was more timely than usual, as Li You had just made his first three-pointer in the previous round.

With 7 minutes and 06 seconds left in the first quarter, Van Gundy, who was squatting in front of the Cavaliers, raised his voice involuntarily, with a hint of anxiety on his face:

"We played well! Keep up the confidence! Move faster on defense."

"Set up a good screen, OK? Do these basic tasks well, ensure the quality of the screen, seize the opportunity, we have to rely on defense to launch a counterattack!"

Entering the conference finals made the Cavaliers a little nervous. Everyone gathered around the coach, and the New York fans in the back were still cheering as if the game was already over.

Van Gundy, who loudly emphasized rebounding, drew basic plays on the tactical board, setting a T-screen for LeBron James to receive the ball, and the big man set a pick-and-roll to attack the basket.

It’s very simple, very basic, and there’s a high chance that you won’t go wrong, but the effectiveness is questionable.

Thibodeau, dressed in a black suit, noticed that his partner seemed to have forgotten about the substitution, and hurriedly called out to Gooden on the bench. After being called, the latter hurriedly took off his training suit, and the Cavaliers entered the rotation early.

LeBron James, wearing the blue away jersey, didn't think much about the coach's request. When the timeout came, he saw his good brother Ilgauskas being replaced, and then called out to Gooden who came on as a substitute:
"Stand firm and block the defense"

The noisy arena affected James' mood and he raised his voice involuntarily. He also forgot to comfort Howard who was restricted after the opening.

After almost a minute without any points, James already smelled a bad signal.

The director focused the camera on Hill who returned to the bench, and also caught a glimpse of Raja Bell who was dressed in a suit.

JR Smith, who took advantage of his teammates' injuries, made his comeback. Many sports media believed that there were significant conflicts between the new player and the old players, but there was no definite news in the Knicks locker room.

Hubie Brown, who was at the ABC commentary booth, noticed that both teams had made substitutions early, and immediately commented:
"Coach D'Antoni made his choice. The Knicks believe more in offense. Alexander Pavlovic will have a better chance when facing JR Smith."

"The Cavaliers' substitutions and adjustments are also very timely. They need tougher rebounds. Gooden can bring more energy, but the perimeter defense may be put to a greater test."

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers that resounded throughout the arena, the Cavaliers' sideline ball was kicked out, but James did not catch the ball immediately. Larry Hughes came to the Logo position to receive the pass.

The offensive tempo was slowed down after the opening. Larry Hughes, who was protecting the ball sideways, called out to his teammates loudly. As Pavlovic on the right wing accelerated to the right near the baseline, James also started immediately.

Without expecting JR Smith to switch defense, Artest, who was secretly pulling, chased after him immediately and then accelerated to the outside. At the same time, Gooden on the free throw line also moved up to prepare for a high pick-and-roll.

Although the tactics were simple and crude, the cooperation was very successful.

The moment James received the ball on the wing, he released it with his left hand and, with the help of Gooden's solid cover, accelerated his lateral movement.

Gasol's retreating defense gave him the opportunity to break through calmly. As James lowered his shoulders and broke through, Artest, who was bypassing the screen and continuing to defend, was also a beat slower.

Amid the cheers of New York fans, James, with all his strength, went straight to the basket. Seeing Chandler coming to help defend, he still chose to make a tough layup.

Squeezed by two big men at the lower left side of the basket, James pulled his arm sideways in the air and dodged in time, leaning against the defense and forcing the ball into the basket before Artest, who was blocking his shot from behind, could.

The interference from long arms still affected the shot. The basketball hit the rim after hitting the backboard, and the moment it bounced up, it was touched in by a big hand.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle the moment the ball went in. Howard noticed the instructions of the baseline referee and immediately raised his hands with an innocent look on his face. He did not interfere with the ball!
Cheers rang out again. Looking at Howard who was still explaining to the referee, Mike Breen in the commentary booth glanced at the technical statistics and said in time:

"3 out of 0, maybe LeBron James can consider a jump shot to finish the offense. Currently, there seems to be some problems with his finishing."

James, who almost fell out of the baseline, had a dark face. He suppressed his emotions, immediately called on his teammates to retreat, and at the same time patted Howard for encouragement.

Unlike Van Gundy who was shouting loudly on the other side, D'Antoni, who was folding his arms on the sidelines, seemed confident and did not give any instructions after the start of the game.

"Let's go Knicks!."

When the Knicks kicked the ball out from the baseline, Larry Hughes took the initiative to entangle Li You. When the two rushed across half court, the Cavaliers took the initiative to switch to man-to-man defense.

JR Smith, who ran to the left corner early, received instructions from Gasol and immediately accelerated across the baseline to the opposite side.

As Gasol set up a pick-and-roll at the free throw line, Gooden, who was defending him, lowered his center of gravity and moved to the three-point line.

Noticing the position of his teammates, Larry Hughes gave up squeezing through the screen and tried to get close to Gasol and go around him, cooperating with Gooden to complete the double-team at the bottom line.

The moment the opponent was no longer pressing defense, Li You, holding the ball with his left hand, immediately changed direction in front of his body, and took advantage of the moment when Gasol stood still and his left hand touched the ball to lead the ball forward.

The basketball passed through the gap between the people, and before Gooden could reach out, Li You had already squeezed through between the two of them.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Larry Hughes, who was going around the baseline, helplessly watched Li You chase the ball in front of him. He stopped dribbling, took a step close to the paint area, and took off.

Howard, who came up to assist in defense, was still moving. Li You leaned forward in the air, held the ball with his left hand, and easily threw the ball to the backboard before the shot was blocked.

"Bang!"

Howard, standing helplessly under the basket, watched the basketball hit the backboard and go into the basket. The cheers in his ears made him feel irritated, and he couldn't help but look up at his two teammates who were defending on the line.

"The Cavaliers' defense is being broken down, and Li once again seized the fleeting opportunity!"

"Excellent breakthrough! Compared to Lee, James seems a little immature in grasping opportunities."

James on the court naturally couldn't hear Mike Breen's biased comments, and Van Gundy on the sidelines was reminding him to speed up the offensive tempo.

In the playoffs, dribbling guards like Eric Snow were DNPed, and James, who received the ball in the backcourt, pushed forward against the defense, while Artest stayed close to him, not caring about his own physical fitness at all.

James raised his screen position and initiated a pick-and-roll immediately, speeding up the offensive tempo, but Gooden's screen was squeezed past by Artest in time.

In the same 131 position, when Pavlovic moved towards the left corner, JR Smith took the initiative to defend.

Accelerating to break through to the left elbow area, facing Gasol who was retreating to defend, James found an open teammate in time.

Pavlovic received the ball and faked it, deceiving Smith who was returning to defense. He dribbled one step but did not break through, and missed the quick stop jump shot.

Before Gooden could squeeze into the basket, James was entangled by Artest again. Chandler and Howard at the bottom right of the basket did not jump up. Everyone watched Gasol easily grab the rebound. Grabbing the ball, turning around, Gasol threw the ball hard, and the basketball flew directly over the center line. Li You and Larry Hughes were sprinting at full speed.

Near the left wing, Li You jumped up to grab the ball in front of his opponent. The moment he caught the ball, he let go of it with his left hand and went straight to the basket despite the defense.

Larry Hughes, who was constantly sliding, did not lose his defensive position, but immediately fell back after colliding with Li You in the paint area.

Unable to jump up to block the shot due to his stagger, Hughes finally watched in frustration as Li Youman took three steps and then slammed it with his left hand!
"Oh!"

After completing the dunk, Li You landed and exerted force with his arms in front of the camera, moving his shoulders to show off his muscles, and the New York fans behind the basket shouted with joy.

"Foul! This is a foul!"

Larry Hughes, who served as a defensive tool, was completely broken this time. His defense failed after the opening. Facing the ridicule of the fans on the scene, he complained loudly to the referee as if to vent his emotions.

At 10:19, after Li Youlian scored 7 points, the score difference was about to reach double digits again.

Larry Hughes, who was pulled away by his teammates, stopped on the right wing again during the offense. The Cavaliers still set a pick-and-roll, and James from the top of the arc once again broke through the basket.

Without forcing an attack, James decisively passed the ball to Gooden who was at the free throw line. The latter did not take a jump shot after receiving the ball, but took one dribble and rushed to the basket.

The simple and rough attack was disrupted by Chandler. As Gooden missed the layup, Howard grabbed the rebound in the lower right side of the basket.

Howard immediately lowered his center of gravity after landing and jumped up to try to dunk, but Chandler twisted his body and stretched out his left arm to interfere again.

The dunk turned into a layup. In an attack that was close at hand, Howard, with his deformed movements, was unable to finish the shot, and the basketball bounced directly after hitting the backboard.

There was an instant scramble under the basket, and Gasol caught the ball from the crowd, and cheers rang out again.

The crazy rush for frontcourt rebounds worked, and the Cavaliers retreated calmly at this time. Van Gundy became impatient after not scoring for a long time, and shouted loudly for Larry Hughes to continue defending.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid the cheers, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, did not wait for Gasol to move his feet at the free throw line. He dribbled the ball with a jump step, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, and instantly increased his pace to force a breakthrough at the top of the arc.

Seeing his teammate had lost half of his body position, Pavlovic hurried to assist in defense, leaving JR Smith who was moving to the left corner open.

The ball arrived, Li You quickly passed the ball, and JR Smith received the ball and made a drifting jump shot!

"OH! Wide open! That's good!"

The attack was completed in the blink of an eye, and the basketball went into the net. Mike Bullin paused for a moment before shouting. JR Smith's unadjusted deformed shot was beyond his expectations.

"Maybe the Cavaliers need a timeout. The current score difference is very dangerous. Coach Van Gundy needs to get his players to respond as soon as possible."

As soon as Hubie Brown finished speaking, the Cavaliers requested a timeout. Van Gundy had lost his composure. It was a nightmare 3 minutes.

10:22, JR Smith, who scored the goal, jumped and celebrated with the fans.

Daniel Gibson, who performed well in the last round of games, was not called up by the coaching staff. The rookie looked at Van Gundy eagerly, but with defense as the priority, the rookie was not trusted.

Back on the court, the screen failed and the ball bounced out to the right wing. James was unable to shake off Artest and eventually passed the ball to Pavlovic who was in the right blocking area with his back to the basket.

Amid the cheers of the defense, JR Smith stuck close to his opponent, constantly making interference with his arms, and using his height advantage, Pavlovic released the ball with his right hand and attacked with it.

Squeezing under the basket, Pavlovic tried to pass the ball to Howard with the help of Chandler.

Pavlovic made a pass, but the position was too low. Howard, who was trying to grab the rebound under the basket, dropped the ball.
"oh!!"

Amid the booing, the smile on Howard's face disappeared. This game was indeed at the rhythm they were familiar with, but the Knicks were not the Pistons, and the defense seemed to be ineffective.

After receiving the ball at the baseline, Li You accelerated and rushed forward at an extremely fast speed, giving the Cavaliers no chance to respond.

Larry Hughes could only slide continuously, and just as he reached the top of the arc, he encountered Chandler's solid pick-and-roll.

As Li You accelerated his lateral movement with the ball in his right hand, Howard switched to defense immediately.

When the two came to the right wing, Howard didn't dare to get too close and made a decisive defensive choice. He turned his body sideways, raised his left arm, let go of Li You's left hand, and trusted his lateral movement.

Chandler stopped at the free throw line at this time. Larry Hughes was so busy pulling that he didn't have time to observe the defense when cheers rang in his ears again.

Faced with Howard's concession, Li You instantly changed direction of the ball, then accelerated in a straight line with the ball in his left hand.

The well-prepared defense didn't work at all. Howard didn't even have time to remind his teammates in the inside. He slid to the right and was thrown away in the blink of an eye. He couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Li You accelerated calmly and flew close to the ground. He passed the ball early and rushed forward with three steps, ignoring Gooden who was bravely assisting in defense under the basket.

Li You briefly hovered in the air and grabbed the ball with his right hand. He swung his arm sideways and dunked. He jumped up in a hurry. Just as Gooden stretched out his left arm, he felt a tightness in his chest and was knocked out.
"OH——!"

The basket roared, and two people in the commentary booth screamed at the same time. All the Knicks team members excitedly stepped forward to high-five Li You to celebrate. Artest gloated at the fallen Gooden and taunted loudly:
"Who the hell do you think you are! Get out of the way next time."

The furious Gooden didn't need his teammates to pull him back. He immediately stood up and rushed over to argue, complaining non-stop:

"Damn the referee!"

After showing off in front of the baseline referee, Gooden was pulled away on the spot and received a technical foul. If it weren't for the Cavaliers coaching staff pulling him back, Gooden, who almost made a "counting money" gesture, would probably have left the court directly.

Watching Li You make the free throw steadily, Van Gundy on the sidelines stared with wide eyes, and Thibodeau sitting on the bench also frowned.

The hand-to-hand combat with the Pistons in the last round seemed to give them unrealistic fantasies. The excellent defense was easily broken through by Li You, which was completely different from the expected game plan.

In the remaining few minutes, the Cavaliers kept missing shots and frequently fell into positional offense, but they did not limit the Knicks' scoring. Although they also "shot and grabbed", the Knicks had the advantage in rebounding.

It wasn't until James' free throw and substitute Marshall's three-pointer that the Cavaliers broke their scoring drought.

At 15:37, at the end of the first quarter, James walked to the bench, ignored Van Gundy, and sat down on his seat. The boiling arena made him more irritated:

"What a damn plan!"

(End of this chapter)