NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 507: Ordinary Defeat (Daily Chapter)

On Sunday, May 2007, 5, in Game 27 of the Western Conference Finals, the Jazz returned to their home court and successfully pulled one back.

The Spurs' performance was disappointing. They won the first two games easily but ended up suffering a crushing defeat on the road. This was completely different from the Knicks' winning momentum.

The vast majority of basketball critics have already determined that this year's finals will be between the Spurs and the Knicks again. Everyone expected Tim Duncan to go one step further, but after watching this game, they all fell silent.

Although the Delta Center was renamed the Energy Solutions Arena this season, the home atmosphere here has not changed much. Instead, it has aroused the enthusiasm of the fans in the conference finals.

80:109, the Jazz defeated the Spurs, and nearly 2 Jazz fans continued to cheer for their home team after the game.

The game started at 20:30. More than two hours later, the Spurs players could only lower their heads and walk towards the player tunnel.

After the loss, Popovich and Sloan exchanged a few simple greetings before leaving the court with frowns on their faces. The team's 20 turnovers were hard to be satisfied with, and Duncan alone contributed 8 of them.

3 points in the third quarter, 20 points in the fourth quarter, and 16 points in the second half made the Spurs look like a championship team.

Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who attended the press conference after the game, did not show much joy. It is not easy to maintain such efficient performance.

19中10，三分线外5中4，罚球8中7，德隆高效砍下31分1篮板8助攻5抢断1盖帽2失误的数据；
19中12，布泽尔也拿到27分12篮板2助攻2抢断1失误的高效两双。

Despite the win, most sports reporters were still more optimistic about the Spurs. After congratulating them, Yahoo Sports' questions began to deviate from the topic:
"Will the Jazz recruit Kobe Bryant? Many people think this will take the team to the next level."

The questions from the young white reporter made Deron frown on the stage. Although he was a rookie, he was also an All-Star. He had no interest in discussing these boring gossips in the conference finals:
"I don't know why you guys keep talking about Kobe, he's no different than any of those guys that went home in the first round."

"I'm not interested in teaming up with him either. The Jazz are on the rise, and the conference finals are just the beginning!"

Noticing the impatient look on the young man's face, Boozer at the side tried to ease the atmosphere with a smile. He knew what the onlookers were concerned about, so he decisively smoothed things over:
"Deron is right, we just need to focus on the current game and we need to win at home."

"As for trades, you should ask Kevin O'Connor. He has built a championship roster for the Jazz, and maybe there will be big moves in the offseason."

The two sang in unison and quickly brought the question back to the game, until the TNT reporter asked again:

"Williams, did you pay attention to the Eastern Conference Finals last night? Rajon Rondo got a near triple-double in the game. Will you become competitors in the future?"

10中6，罚球4中4，16分9篮板10助攻2抢断3失误，获得26分钟出场时间的朗多在G3表现得极为出色。

After a day of fermentation, this newbie was highly praised by basketball commentators and became a super rookie after Deron Williams and Chris Paul.

“I really paid attention to this game and it’s exciting to see the rookie players show themselves in the conference finals.”

Deron Williams smiled and complimented, then thought of the highlights he had watched and added two more sentences:
"It's a blessing to play next to Lee. Lee is the real GOAT and a role model for all small players."

"His basketball skills are worth learning repeatedly for everyone. I see the shadow of Lee in Rondo. I look forward to us competing on a higher stage."

The reporters in the audience seemed very satisfied with this answer. Currently, all the top point guards are Li You’s “apprentices”. Rondo’s statistics are naturally due to the guidance of the GOAT!
On the Spurs side, Duncan and Parker attended the press conference. They didn't give much explanation for tonight's loss. "Too many mistakes" was the best answer.

Although the Spurs' regular season record this season is not ideal, Parker is the biggest winner in the team. He is engaged to Eva and now he can look forward to the finals. The Frenchman feels a little proud.

Unlike his silent partner, Parker took the initiative to lend money and boasted with a smile on his face:
"I want to praise the Jazz for their home atmosphere, but we will have match point in the next game."

"I know my own strengths very well. I am a big-game player. If I meet my old rival again, I will perform even better!"

As the Spurs advanced, Parker was the team's top scorer. Many times, when the team couldn't score, Duncan had to give him the ball.

Parker was looked down upon by his good brother back then, but now he has become the absolute core of the team and has completely completed the counterattack!

Duncan still didn't say anything, but just looked at his proud partner with a bit of speechlessness in his heart. He was always outshined by the newbie on the opposing team. Even in the finals, he still had to help with defense.

After the press conference, the Spurs team quickly returned to the bus, and the secretly proud Parker was criticized by Popovich again:

"I don't want to see you get taught a lesson by those rookies again. Don't make excuses. You know what will happen in the finals."

Before the Frenchman could respond, everyone started to make noises. Bruce Bowen didn't smile like his teammates did. He noticed Duncan's silence and made up his mind again:
“No more shameful losses”

Robert Horry noticed that his teammates also stopped smiling. He did not regret joining the Spurs, but he felt very sorry for not being successful here:
"It's our turn to perform, Bruce, this is my last chance to win the championship."

Bruce Bowen heard his teammates whispering and nodded. It was a little dim inside the bus. The two veterans stopped talking but made the same decision. They didn't want to miss this opportunity again.

On Monday, May 5, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Cleveland, "big star" Rondo started his wake-up service early in the morning.

After being verbally abused by several "old guys", Rondo had to swallow his anger and squeezed orange juice in the room, and then asked the waiter for a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The largest daily newspaper in Cleveland and northeastern Ohio covered the conference finals in detail, but most of the columns praised the performances of LeBron James and Lee Woo.

117:88, although the G3 game is over, there are more and more articles analyzing the future development direction of the Cavaliers.

Howard's disappearance and Van Gundy's tactical system became the main reasons for the loss. As for James' shooting problem, most columnists believe that the Chosen One can improve it.

After all, James is not yet 23 years old, his shooting can still be improved, and time is on his side. He can outlast the old man and get rid of Li You. The future definitely belongs to the Cavaliers.

"The last pick in the first round surpassed all the players in the same class under Lee's guidance. Maybe we can also learn from the direction of the Knicks."

"."

Reading the article in the newspaper, Rondo felt a little depressed. A rookie like him had no chance to communicate with the boss at all.

His mediocre performance in the regular season and the first few rounds of the playoffs even led the New York media to discuss the possibility of trading him. Rondo would not deny that high-quality training games helped, but his achievements were all due to himself!

Holding juice and newspapers, he knocked on Li You's door. The moment the door opened, Rondo had to smile and greet him warmly:
"Boss, this is today's newspaper."

Li You, who was naked, took the orange juice and drank it in one gulp. He greeted the newbie to come in and picked up the newspaper, and praised him:
"Good job. The orange juice tastes better and better. It seems you have mastered the ratio of adding water perfectly!"

Rondo was too tired to complain. He had been doing this job for a season and practice makes perfect. This kind of praise was not what he wanted to hear.

"Coach Malone showed me a lot of videos of the Spurs. I think we can change our defensive strategy when the time comes."

Li You didn't care when he heard the newbie's words. He looked at the news about the donkey party in the newspaper and responded casually: "Don't worry about the finals. The Spurs are weaker. Coach D'Antoni will make the best arrangements. In fact, they can't match our offense at all."

"I'll take care of the French guy, and as for Duncan, Paul and Tyson will like this opponent."

"Just enjoy the attention that comes with being on the highest stage. There are too few live broadcasts across the U.S. this year. The finals will allow more fans to get to know you."

"As long as you perform well, you will get a big contract after the four years as a rookie. Mr. Dolan plans to continue to increase ticket prices, and Downey will not be stingy. He likes young people with potential."

Rondo opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He excitedly watched the video and studied the opponent's tactics, but all these efforts seemed to be in vain.

Apparently Li You is more concerned about the live broadcast across the United States. The two do not seem to be on the same channel.
At 8 o'clock, breakfast time, Rondo silently listened to his teammates bragging. JR Smith has been in an excited state these days, and scrambled eggs and potato pancakes can't stop him:
"Look at the newspapers in Cleveland, these guys are starting to talk about what's going to happen seven years from now. Honestly, I like their attitude!"

"I think Lee should average a triple-double in the finals. The Spurs have no chance. Tim Duncan doesn't deserve the MVP."

"No matter how badly he played, no one criticized him. The sports journalists were too lenient with him."

At the same table, Artest heard this and did not refute it. Instead, he followed suit and continued to belittle his opponent:
"If the Spurs were in the Eastern Conference, they would end up like the Heat and have no chance of reaching the Finals."

"Offense and defense? Tim Duncan is an overrated big man. He doesn't have the strength of O'Neal."

"He's just like Kobe, he's never been a Finals-level player, and he has no effect other than bringing down the ratings."

Chandler was also very happy to have made it to the finals for the first time in his career. Hearing what the two were saying, he also joined in the discussion and complained about the newspaper article:

"I think the Spurs and the Cavaliers are at about the same level, and we should be able to sweep them later!"

"Duncan is indeed stronger than that rookie, but he can't suppress the inside. I watched the Western Conference Finals and the intensity was too low."

霍华德G3又来了一次9中4，罚球6中3，砍下11分8篮板1助攻2盖帽3失误的数据。

Chandler was very happy to see the rookie who was troubled by fouls in his own home court and couldn't even score a layup.

Gasol, Hill, Prince, Raja Bell, Dio, Finley and others were discussing where to go on vacation. Li You and D'Antoni sat together, and the coaching staff did not talk about the game.

David Lee was eating voraciously. He was also responsible for distributing jerseys and carrying bags. Seeing Rondo's poor appetite, he felt sour in his heart and joked:
"You will definitely get more playing time tonight, big star. Don't forget to take care of me in the future. I will be satisfied if you can get a double-double."

Looking at the sycophant eating voraciously in front of him, Rondo was speechless. Most of the players on the Knicks only cared about statistics. This was completely different from the championship team he had imagined, and he still hadn't adapted to it until now.

At 20 p.m. that evening, at the Quicken Loans Arena, the emotions of 2 Cavaliers fans were not affected at all, and they continued to cheer for the home team after the game started.

This series did not attract much attention, and the predictions for the matchup between the 73-win team and the rookies were overwhelmingly one-sided, and the three games proved this.

However, for Cavaliers fans, this year's divisional finals is just the beginning. Considering that there are no other opponents in the East, there will be many opportunities to continue to compete with the Knicks in the future.

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines could clearly feel that Li You's aggressiveness had declined. Rondo and the rotation lineup performed well in the last game, and the playing time of the Knicks' main players dropped sharply.

The situation remained unchanged tonight. Artest, who was working hard on defense, chased James relentlessly from the start, and the Cavaliers' big men still caused crazy delays in defending the pick-and-roll.

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers, Van Gundy shouted at Larry Hughes to get through the screen as quickly as possible, but Chandler's pick-and-roll at the top of the arc was so solid that Ilgauskas had to slide up.

There was a large delay. Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, moved sideways. Ilgauskas slid desperately and saw Chandler coming down, so he quickly began to retreat.

Larry Hughes, who was chasing and defending, was a beat slow and failed to squeeze to Li You's side in time. Without waiting for him to put up a physical confrontation, Li You paused slightly and chased the big man to force his way to the basket.

Although Howard, who was near the right baseline, had moved his feet, Ilgauskas, who had just retreated to the paint area, was still in a dilemma.

Watching Li You throwing the ball as if passing or shooting while moving, the big guy jumped up instinctively.

The basketball had a high arc and successfully passed over his fingertips. Chandler rushed to the basket tacitly and jumped high. He grabbed the ball with his right hand at the upper right side of the basket and slammed it!

14:10, with 8 minutes and 05 seconds left in the first quarter, both sides played efficient offense.

After the opening, James scored 4 points in a row with mid-range jump shots and continued to speed up the offensive rhythm. He passed the ball immediately after crossing half court, and then immediately received the ball on the right wing and initiated a pick-and-roll.

Ilgauskas broke the screen directly, and facing Chandler's delay and Artest's pursuit, James, holding the ball in his left hand, found his teammates again through a ground pass.

In the left blocking zone, Ilgauskas received the ball and made a jump shot, but he failed to maintain his previous touch and the basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

"Oh!"

The Cavaliers fans at the scene sighed. Howard, who got the rebound, failed to seize the opportunity and the second rebound was snatched away by Gasol.

Watching Li You dribbling across half court calmly, James, who was retreating, subconsciously reminded his big brother to move up to defend.

Larry Hughes still failed to squeeze through Gasol's high pick-and-roll in time, and Howard was delayed to the three-point line and had to restrain some of his defensive actions.

While moving, he took the ball forward with his left hand, and with a big pull of his right hand, Li You instantly shook off the defense.

Noticing that Howard changed his center of gravity and forced a slide, Li You suddenly changed direction in front of his body. The sudden increase in dribbling rhythm made the big man unable to react. When he heard the exclamation, he had already lost his defensive position.

In the blink of an eye, Li You switched to his left hand, lowered his shoulders and accelerated to cut into the basket. Howard in the paint area had no time to chase and jump, and watched his opponent grab the ball with his left hand and dunk with one arm!

"Shh!"

Boos filled the arena, and Van Gundy asked for a timeout with a blank expression, and the opponent regained his momentum.
The Cavaliers' offense did not improve much after the timeout. Although James changed his defense in some rounds, Pavlovic failed to seize the opportunity.

The score gap gradually widened, and at the end of the first quarter, the score was 32:17, and the Cavaliers were behind by double digits again.

Rajon Rondo didn't get a chance to play for the time being, and his overwhelming performance reminded the newbie of Li You's words in the morning:
“Basketball is so simple.”

(End of this chapter)