NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 539: Beaten to faint? (Daily Chapter)
On Thursday, February 2008, 2, the All-Star Weekend was only a week away, but TNT's programming was already focusing on the frequent trades.

This season is considered the old guys' last carnival. Since Garnett started the "group trend", many players have let themselves go.

O'Neal's journey to the West again has brought this topic to a climax. Even the old sharks who are slacking off have to make a desperate effort, and all the enthusiasm of the young people has been snatched away.

During the show that night, the trio also connected with Suns general manager Steve Kerr. The two sides are in the same camp, and when talking about this topic, Kerr even spoke his "heartfelt words."

"We had a chance to get a quality player from New York, but there was a lot of opposition to the deal!"

"I don't want to deny it. The Suns don't want to see the defending champions continue to maintain their dominance, nor will they provide their opponents with high-quality players."

"After the Lakers got Tim Duncan, we also needed to strengthen our inside strength. O'Neal meets our tactical needs. More importantly, his attitude is beyond people's imagination."

"Shaq is very motivated since arriving in Phoenix, and our medical team has tailored a training program that is best suited to his body."

"That's how this deal came about, I believe the Suns will go one step further in the playoffs!"

Steve Kerr, who was connected on the line, kept a confident smile throughout the process and seemed very satisfied with the deal. As for the objection from Suns head coach Gentry, he automatically ignored it.

In Kerr's opinion, Stoudemire is not suitable for playing center. Although he received some guidance in New York in the past few years, his defense has begun to follow his defensive instincts in recent years.

The Suns' tactical system turned Stoudemire into a player who was good at offense but weak in defense. Kerr even wanted to complain that "New York is the biggest black shop in the league"!
Kenny Smith nodded repeatedly. He felt that there was nothing wrong with this operation. Instead of making a deal with the Knicks, it would be better to prevent them from strengthening their team:

"What do you think of the current Lakers? They played very well in the two away games after the trade, and Duncan seems to have integrated perfectly into the team."

Charles Barkley wanted to chime in in the studio, but seeing the look in his partner's eyes, he could only suppress his emotion and listen to Kerr's instructions again:

"I have to praise General Manager Kupchak's operation. Los Angeles let the MVP wear the Lakers jersey at a very small cost."

"But they also have big problems now. Finding an inside helper for Duncan should be their next priority."

The big man Chris Mihm was automatically ignored, and although Turiaf was in good shape, he was only a power forward.

"Before the trade deadline, I believe the Lakers will sign some veterans and become a championship contender again. I have to say that this is all due to Duncan."

Charles Barkley took over the conversation and gave a quick comment, then thought for a moment and added a few more words:
"I'm actually more concerned about the locker room situation and who will lead this team? In the two games I saw Kobe and Duncan sharing the ball unselfishly, but this is just the regular season."

"They have all experienced the finals and should clearly realize that someone must take on the responsibility of responding to the ball. It is difficult to deal with Lee by relying only on defense."

When talking about the Knicks, Steve Kerr rarely participated in the discussion. When the connection officially ended, Ernie Johnson suddenly announced a piece of news:
"Kevin Garnett suffered an abdominal muscle strain at the end of last night's game against the Clippers and is expected to miss this year's All-Star Weekend."

"It is said that Garnett was injured at the end of last month. The team's performance has fluctuated during this period of time. I hope he can recover as soon as possible."

The sudden injury information made Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith look at each other in bewilderment. They both said that Li You played too many games and would get injured sooner or later. As a result, this season's opponent was the first to collapse.

Thinking of those boring columns, Kenny Smith gave a wry smile while wishing them well and sighed again:
"It's incredible that Lee has remained healthy since entering the league, except for some injuries during his rookie season!"

"If he publishes a book about staying in shape this offseason, I'll definitely buy a few copies to show my support."

"."

There were only three games on Thursday night. The Cavaliers, who had defeated the Celtics again two days ago, lost on the road, 88:92. They failed to catch up at the critical moment and eventually gave up the victory.

After losing this game, the Rockets' record dropped to 27 wins and 22 losses. McGrady, who returned from injury, started to talk nonsense again after the game:

"No one's paying attention to us. I don't know why everyone is talking about the Lakers or the Suns."

"As long as I can stay healthy, the Rockets are a championship team. This year our roster is better and we should have more players in the All-Star Game."

Ever since he was "ridiculed" by Li You and Iverson was selected as an All-Star reserve, McGrady has become what he is now. He complains whenever he gets the chance, as if his position was stolen.

Yao Ming doesn't quite understand his partner's feelings. Based on attendance, it would be difficult for McGrady to be selected, not to mention that many votes came from him, so it shouldn't be so unacceptable for him to be eliminated.
With O'Neal's trip to the West, the Western Conference seems to have become a stage for big men again. In response, the sports media is more concerned about Yao Ming's situation:
"Yao, according to the Rockets' current record, you are likely to face the Lakers and the Suns in the first round."

"In this case, do you have the confidence to lead the Rockets past the first round?"

McGrady glared at the Yahoo Sports reporter in dissatisfaction. He was treated as the "second in command". Yao Ming, however, did not think much about it. After becoming familiar with the league, he boasted naturally:

“Basketball games are hard to predict, but I am confident that I will go one better in the new year!”

"We have overcome the injury difficulties, the team is getting better and better, and my skills are more perfect than in previous years. The Rockets will achieve better results this year."

At this time, the Chinese media once again felt the influence brought by O'Neal. Although the Shark is old, he is the only active player besides Li You who has won MVP and FMVP.

Although Duncan and Garnett have won awards, one was a loser in the finals and the other was a rookie in the finals, and they cannot be compared with O'Neal at all.

As for Kobe, apart from the scoring title, the best lineup, the AMVP, the "81-point dragon-slaying award", the "Most Michael Dunk Award", and the "Lee You Recognition Award", he doesn't even have an MVP.
Special Mamba belongs to the second tier and can only be called a championship guard.

The "Shaq-Yao showdown" seems to be happening again. Many reporters are looking forward to it. It's nice to change their taste by looking at the big guy occasionally.

On Friday, the 8th, the Spurs visited the Knicks for the first time after the deal was reached. New York sports reporters arrived at Madison Square Garden early and didn't want to miss even the morning warm-up.

Popovich seemed to be deeply hit. In just a week, his hair became much thinner, his face showed deep fatigue, and dark circles under his eyes were visible to the naked eye.

Although he welcomed Andrew Bynum, Popovich still missed his big brother more. After years of getting along, the two have become each other's family.

Unable to bear the thought of Kobe stealing the spotlight again, Bynum wanted to perform bravely after the trade, but his knee contusion worsened again after only one game, so he could only rely on his "big mouth" to respond:
"I've always wanted to leave Los Angeles. The Lakers' locker room is terrible. If I had gotten the opportunity earlier, maybe I would have realized my talent now."

"Kobe has no leadership, his personality is very weird, and sometimes he is very arrogant. If he had Lee's efficiency, we would have no problem with it."

"But look at his numbers, they're just second-rate, and he's trying to get involved in a trade, and I don't know why Lakers fans have forgotten about it, but I'll keep reminding them."

Bynum, shaking his head, revealed that Kobe's humiliation of him made the relationship between the two extremely bad. Whenever he had the chance, he would step on his former teammate.

Kwame Brown, wearing the Spurs jersey, had a bitter face. The atmosphere in the locker room of the new team was not very good. When Bruce Bowen broke through the defense, he even took it out on them.

"Relax, man, you have to adapt to the locker room. Bruce is actually a very easy-to-talk guy."

Tony Parker took the initiative to help his new teammates "break the ice". Now that Duncan is gone, he is the real core of the team. Although the French feel regretful, they are also secretly happy.

Looking at the other person's smiling face, Kwame Brown remembered that his goddess Eva had been snatched away, and some of the Lakers' atmosphere group had been cut. For his own future, he could only work hard to integrate into the team:
"Yee! I know, I just wonder why those excited fans would burn Duncan's jersey. It's crazy! To be honest, I was scared."

The jersey burning activity is still going on. The better Duncan lives in Los Angeles, the more the Spurs fans burn. Kwame Brown witnessed it once and was stunned.

"Who knows what those guys are thinking, Tim could even wait until the offseason to leave, anyway, don't mind those crazy fans, most of the community is very friendly."

Parker shook his head after gossiping in a low voice. The Spurs currently have 30 wins and 17 losses, which is not as good as in previous years. Therefore, he must support the team in the second half, which is a huge test for the Frenchman.

Ginobili, another old partner of Duncan, has been in a low mood. Without Duncan's "head-patting move", he always feels a little uncomfortable.

After hearing the call from assistant coach Budenholzer, the Argentine stopped shooting and warming up. When he came to the opponent, he heard the instructions:
"Manu, you continue to start tonight. We have to cheer up thoroughly. The team will transform immediately. This is also your chance!"

"."

Ginobili nodded, asked a few simple questions and resumed training. He didn't know whether this transformation would be successful, but as long as he could win in New York, he would do his best.

At 19:30 p.m., Madison Square Garden is more lively than ever, and those who enjoy having fun can't wait!

"Tim Duncan abandoned you!"

After the game started, the shouting made the Spurs players a little off defense. Bruce Bowen seemed to be affected and missed both shots from beyond the three-point line.

The director also frequently pointed the camera at Popovich. The old man's face became even uglier, and he wished he could rush to the audience and shut the mouths of those who were making fun of him!

What does it feel like to be the core? Parker felt like he was going to collapse
When facing some teams, we can still play our usual routines, but when facing old rivals like the Knicks, both sides know each other too well and even small mistakes will be magnified.

Shortly after the start of the game, because Li You led the defense and Parker passed the ball early, the Frenchman passed the ball to Kwame Brown in the right elbow area, indicating a hand-to-hand pass.

As a result, the big man seemed to be too nervous. He passed the ball sideways, missed Parker's counter-run and failed to pass the ball in time. After he moved up and raised the ball, he was still observing the defense when Gasol in front of him poked the ball away. Seeing the basketball suddenly fly out, Parker, who had just moved to the top of the arc, cursed in his heart, and started at the same time as Li You, and then was squeezed behind.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Parker, who was fighting for the ball, finally fell to the ground and watched Li You take control of the ball. After crossing the center line, his speed increased, and he made a gliding slam dunk with no one defending him!
"Shet!"

Parker cursed as he was pulled up by his teammates. He was unlucky every time he came to New York, but it was rare for him to collapse at the beginning. Tonight, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
In the next few minutes, on the Spurs bench, the assistant coaches watched the two big men on the opposite side wreak havoc in the interior and fight for offensive rebounds one after another. For a while, they could only look at each other in bewilderment.

The Knicks showed "savage basketball" in the first quarter, rushing and grabbing the ball as soon as they got it, throwing it as soon as they received it, and stealing it again after missing the shot. They suppressed the Spurs and only made two transition attacks.

Under adversity, Parker's pull-up jump shot after the pick-and-roll was also inaccurate. In order to avoid fouls, he watched Li You break through easily several times in the second half of the first quarter.
At 14:39, relying on Ginobili's performance, the Spurs barely maintained the score difference.

On the ESPN commentary stand, Hubie Brown, who came to New York specially, only made two comments after the game started, and then he spoke less and less. The old coach looked at the technical statistics and finally sighed:

"This is the influence of Tim Duncan. Maybe we are all used to his performance in the Spurs, and until this moment, we really understand how important he is to the team."

In the overwhelming victory, Mike Brin also saw the talent suppression, and added with a smile:
"Perhaps in the future we can only expect Andrew Bynum to realize his talent. If the Spurs want to rise again, Parker and Ginobili also need to perform better."

Robert Horry on the bench had a numb look on his face. Like Bowen, he knew the team was completely finished after Duncan left.

The coaching staff's advice went in one ear and out the other. When Horry was about to go on the court, he took the initiative to pat Bowen who was looking down. The two have decided to officially retire during the offseason and say goodbye to sad basketball.

"Tim Duncan abandoned you!"

"."

The bigger the score difference, the happier the shouting. During the halftime break, more and more fans shouted along with the music, and the Spurs players who tried to warm up and find their touch kept missing shots.

In the end, the Spurs lost by 76 points, 135:59. At the end of the game, Popovich was stunned and could only hear the shouting getting louder and louder:

"Tim Duncan abandoned you!"

Popovich walked to the technical table in a daze. He saw D'Antoni's smiling face, but couldn't hear what the other party was saying. He numbly withdrew his left hand, took two steps, and suddenly fell to the ground.

"OMG! Doctor!"

D'Antoni stopped and rushed to Popovich, shouting and waving to the staff of both teams.

The alliance staff in front of the technical desk were also shocked and they all gathered around.

Li You also stopped chatting with Kwame Brown. Seeing that more and more people were watching, he quickly ran over to separate them and shouted,

"Calm down and give yourself some space! Let the coach get some air, and the medical staff come in first."

"God, I feel like I'm losing my breath."

"Move aside, Swordsman!"

The scene was in chaos. Budenholzer, who was at the outermost edge, seemed to be stunned. He stared blankly at Popovich being carried away. He was patted on the shoulder twice before he came to his senses:

"I believe that coach Popovich will get through this"

Seeing Li You say these words with a sad look on his face, Budenholzer was completely dumbfounded, his lips trembling a little, staring with his eyes wide open and whispering:

"Greg isn't breathing?"

Li You didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He patted the other person twice again, then pointed at the Spurs' medical staff who were surrounded, and reminded them while explaining:

"I think it's just a fainting caused by high blood pressure. Don't worry. We should help them now."

"Thank you very much, Lee, I really appreciate your help"

Budenholzer thanked him loudly with a look of gratitude, and then left in a hurry. Li You felt a little guilty when he heard this, after all, it was he who directed the "tragedy".

Just thinking about the San Antonio media and Popovich's criticism of his "commercial basketball" a few years ago, Li You immediately put aside his guilt:
“Good people will be blessed by God!”

On Saturday, February 2, the New York media unanimously praised Li You for his calm performance last night. Popovich was rushed to the hospital and was rescued. The Daily News even used an exaggerated headline:
"10 seconds between life and death, Lee saved Popovich's life!"

As for why the old man fainted in Madison Square Garden, the New York media have suffered from amnesia and no one mentioned the fact that he beat the opponent by 59 points.

A columnist for the San Antonio Express-News denounced the basketball atmosphere in New York, and Spurs fans also complained on Reddit that the Knicks shouldn't have won so much. Some even thought that Li You did it on purpose!

New York fans naturally have to refute the opponent's slander, "Going all out is the greatest respect" and "The holy land of basketball respects every opponent."
The two sides quarreled fiercely on the Internet. On Sunday, NBC's morning news also began to report on the incident, and the matter quickly went viral.

The Knicks have finished their back-to-back away games and returned to New York. They only have one away game left before the All-Star Weekend.

The Lakers, who were still on an away trip in the Eastern Conference, were soon surrounded by local reporters in Charlotte. The news of Popovich's hospitalization almost swept across the United States, and everyone wanted to see Duncan's attitude at this time.

Unfortunately, the reporters soon discovered that Duncan was not on the Lakers team. Phil Jackson stood up and the old KFC man explained seriously:

"Tim has already flown to New York. We all know the relationship between him and coach Popovich."

"Stop reporting those boring news and let's get our attention back to the game."

Kobe did not accept any interviews either. The Lakers have been on a winning streak recently. Duncan's arrival has indeed helped a lot, and the locker room has returned to calm.

"I read the news and it's unbelievable. Maybe Popovich will say goodbye to the NBA. The home court in New York is really terrible."

Old Fish showed a look of deep understanding and started gossiping. Odom seemed to remember the experience of being beaten in the East. He glanced at Kobe and whispered:

"It is said that Li deliberately humiliated his opponent by a large score."

Soon, several people gathered around Old Fish to gossip. Even Kobe came over quietly. Then his eyes twitched slightly, and he seriously suspected that there was a traitor among the Lakers:
"Lee never does such boring things. JR Smith, I looked at the technical statistics. This guy made 6 three-pointers in garbage time!"

"As long as the Knicks lead their opponents, role players usually get more opportunities. Lee likes to share data. You know, in my two years in New York, my three-point shooting percentage exceeded 40%!"

Vujacic stole a glance at Kobe, who had a dark complexion. After being glared at by him, he smoothed his long hair awkwardly, but he felt a little yearning in his heart:

“New York Basketball.”

On Wednesday, February 2, attention to the game dropped sharply after head coach Rivers confirmed that Ray Allen and Garnett would not be included in the team's active roster that night.

The second game against the Knicks lost suspense due to injuries. Ray Allen was in good physical condition, and Garnett withdrew from the All-Star Game, so he qualified as a replacement.

With the Celtics scoring only 40 points in the first half, head coach Rivers knew the game was over.

Walter Frazier was beaming in the MSG commentary booth. The opponent next door collapsed on his own. Tonight was a simple win:
"After winning this game, our record is 47 wins and 6 losses, which basically secures our place in the playoffs. In my opinion, there is no doubt that we will be No. in the league!"

"Congratulations to Lee for winning the MVP again. I really can't think of a reason not to vote for him. The GOAT still rules the league."

If they lose this game, the Celtics' record will be fixed at 40 wins and 10 losses. Although it is excellent, it is still not as good as the Knicks. Mike Breen is also smiling at this time:

"Securing the first place means we will get the home-court advantage in the playoffs for 10 consecutive years!"

"This record is still going on, it's incredible, I find it hard to imagine that any team will be able to break such an outrageous record in the future."

"."

The two were bragging in the commentary booth. In the visiting team's locker room, Marbury and Pierce both had sullen faces. Garnett, who had strained his abdominal muscles, was full of energy and waved his fist while giving a speech in front of everyone.

Ray Allen, dressed in a black suit, did not respond positively. He sat quietly in his seat, looking at the blank whiteboard opposite him. He recalled his coach's reaction after a recent loss and complained helplessly:

"How many of the 100 tactics are left now?"

(End of this chapter)