NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 606: Champions intrigue, is the "scenery" here unique? (Daily Chapter)
2008年12月21号星期日，按照计划，本来ESPN大力宣传的是25胜2负的凯尔特人队能否延续连胜。

As a result, before the game started, many sports reporters updated Twitter, and the news on social media "overshadowed" the game.

The news revealed by colleagues was relatively tactful, but a Yahoo Sports reporter confidently gave his own conclusion:
"Lee lost control of the locker room, and as an opinion leader World Peace opposed the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

"."

As this tweet began to spread on the Internet, more and more sports journalists began to let themselves go, and news of infighting among the defending champions began to emerge.

The spectators watching the game on TV soon discovered that during the broadcast, many New York fans at Madison Square Garden took out their mobile phones, and ABC keenly captured these moments.

For Li You, "senior smartphones" have little appeal, but young people have a tendency to "bury their heads in their phones" and they really like to interact with their idols up close.

Just like the gossip drama "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" that swept the United States last year, fans of stars like to know this kind of life gossip.

Although most sports fans are men, at certain moments they are no different from the girls at home who love gossip. Some young people in the screaming seats in the back row even screamed out loud.

In the middle of the first quarter of the game, as the spectators at the back began to spread the news, the news of "Artest opposed Li You" soon swept most of the stadium.

Sports reporters on the scene love this speed of dissemination. They don’t need to go back to write articles or prepare photos. They can just type on their mobile phones and the news can be viewed by tens of thousands of people!
Such a public opinion environment was unimaginable in the past, and it even gave many journalists the illusion that:
"We can decide the outcome of the game, too!"

The first quarter entered the official timeout. After almost 6 minutes of play, at 14:22, all the Celtics players who walked to the bench had sullen faces. The opponent was actually more accurate than them!
On the Knicks side, Li You, who had returned to the court, had been interviewed by ABC before the game and had no idea what was happening in the locker room. He noticed that the top of the arena was getting noisy and took a look out of curiosity.

ABC captured Li You's profile immediately. At the same time, reporters at the scene updated their Twitter accounts again:

"Lee looked a little melancholy, he didn't seem to understand why his teammates would go against him."

"Leading by 8 points and with his teammates maintaining extremely high efficiency, Li still did not smile. He encountered a major crisis in his career!"

"Lee seems to be deliberately avoiding Elizabeth Olsen's gaze. The 19-year-old girl may end up being the real winner."

"."

Not all fans will buy tickets to support the game in person, and not all fans are willing to stay in front of the TV to watch games with more and more advertisements.

When these spectators were browsing Twitter and saw these "live text broadcasts", they were immediately attracted. The gossip seemed to be more interesting than the focus battle. The only pity was that there were "no pictures".

The broadcasters can use the language of the camera, but Mike Breen, Van Gundy and Mark Jackson still have to analyze the game honestly:
"I think Garnett can try the three-pointer from the top of the arc. He did a great job shooting from outside after the pick-and-roll tonight."

Van Gundy suggested seriously, thinking of the Celtics' efficient performance, and exclaimed loudly:

"Ray Allen and Pierce continued their good form. I like their offensive choices. Compared with last year, the two performed smarter and solved the problem of responding to the ball several times by cutting with the ball."

Mark Jackson glanced at his partner dressed in a red scarf. He actually wanted to gossip, but making fake news on a live broadcast across the United States would cause trouble. He could only add regretfully:

"Lee found David Lee several times. I was surprised by the performance of this potential rookie. He finished very well at the basket!"

Although it was suspected that the Knicks were packaging the rookie and then selling him at a high price, Mark Jackson still gave praise and support. After all, there are not many players who can "not lose" to Garnett.

The broadcaster didn't seem to pay much attention to the Celtics' bench, but at this time, head coach Rivers' face turned red, and his voice became hoarse due to continuous shouting:
"Keep the faith, OK? They're not going to make the shots all the time, trust each other!"

"Go 'bite' him, Stephen! Don't let Lee take easy shots, pay attention to where the rebound lands, remember, we're playing well, this is our game rhythm."

Rivers showed his confidence by high-fiving in front of everyone, trying to encourage his teammates in this way. He really felt that everyone performed well enough.

"Defense!."

In the first round after the timeout, the Celtics attacked. Amid the cheers from the defense, Marbury on the left wing again called on Garnett to go up for a pick-and-roll.

This tactic was successfully executed after the opening. David Lee, who was guarding Garnett, was a little nervous. He saw Garnett quickly move sideways after the fake screen and bounce out again at the top of the arc, and he couldn't help but rush forward immediately.

Marbury did not feel the defensive pressure from Li You. Even when he was leading by half a body length, he still did not choose to break through. Instead, he waited for the right moment, stopped suddenly, turned around, and quickly passed the ball back.

When Garnett received the ball at the top of the arc, David Lee's defense was already in place. He took a simple tentative step, then suddenly raised the ball and threw it!

"state!"

Garnett missed the first long two-point jump shot and showed a "fierce" expression. He clapped his hands with a grin to express his regret, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You again.

Ray Allen and Pierce, who were lurking in the bottom corner and wing to create space for their teammates, did not rush for rebounds. They quickly retreated along the left sideline. Only Perkins was still struggling with Chandler.

Before the two big guys rushed across half court, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand and had a high center of gravity, had already followed his opponents to the vicinity of the logo.

Marbury did not defend immediately because he was too far away from the three-point line. He did not want to give Li You space to accelerate. He kept controlling the defensive distance, staring at Chandler from time to time, and strictly guarding against high-post pick-and-rolls.

Garnett, who had already quickly retreated to the lower left side of the basket, began to loudly instruct his teammates to get into position as quickly as possible, while clapping his hands to encourage his old teammates:
"That's it, Stephen."

A loud voice is very effective on the court. Marbury felt full of energy, and then suddenly his heart turned cold. Li You, who seemed to be observing the defense, suddenly passed the ball and symbolically jumped up to block the shot, but the basketball passed over his palm.

"Que?"

Mark Jackson in the commentary booth subconsciously questioned, but Mike Breen on the side was well prepared. The moment the shot was made, he immediately shouted loudly:

"Three——! God——Lee! What a shot!"

The long-range three-pointer went into the net. Seeing Chandler retreating before he even crossed half court, Van Gundy glanced at his partner and then laughed and joked:
"30 feet, why are you surprised? You should have seen it many times in the past two months."

Mark Jackson raised his eyebrows helplessly. It was hard for him to comment on Li You's use of long-range three-pointers as a regular offensive method. The New York fans at the scene were obviously used to it. He could only sigh:
"I feel sorry for the Boston players. They are in great shape, with an 18-game winning streak. If that ends here, it would undoubtedly be a blow."

After the pick-and-roll, Marbury accelerated laterally with the ball in his right hand, from the top of the arc to the right elbow area. He did not choose to pass the ball, but instead made a quick stop jump shot facing Li You's defense.

The drifting jump shot was hit, and there was jubilation on the Celtics bench, with Tony Allen and others cheering.

A quick serve from the baseline, Gartner had just directed his teammates to complete the defensive position, when Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand at the top of the arc, suddenly stopped, exploded the ball and turned around, instantly becoming a "ground fly", and Marbury lost most of his body position.

On the right wing, Pierce immediately slid and tried to help defend. As soon as his feet moved, Li You passed the ball even faster and Prince outside the three-point line easily caught the ball.

When Pierce returned to defense in time, Li You did not stop, but immediately cut into the middle, and then suddenly accelerated at the baseline and ran towards the right corner.

Chandler set a screen near the right baseline, and Marbury lost his defensive position. Perkins didn't react at all and just stared at Li You to catch the ball.

Li You received the ball again from the corner and easily got rid of the defense by just "going around the stakes". Prince was disturbed by Pierce and the quality of his pass was not high, but Marbury, who was chasing him, still failed to block it in time.

Marbury jumped up to defend and flew out of the sideline. Li You adjusted slightly but threw the ball out even faster. The two landed almost at the same time and the basketball went into the net again.

"Oh!!"

Cheers and applause rang out instantly, and many fans in the front row stood up and applauded.

Although Li You has missed several away games recently, he looks to be in even better shape and has obviously not relaxed his demands on himself, which made the New York fans at the scene feel relieved.

Ray Allen accelerated out with the help of Perkins' screen near the left baseline. When he successfully caught the ball, he raised the ball and faked it, deceiving the center of gravity of Raja Bell who was chasing him.

Holding the ball in his left hand, he accelerated through and stopped suddenly in the blocking area. Ray Allen made a jump shot before the defense could rush forward!
Compared with the opening, the Celtics' offense was getting faster and faster. Li You could feel the opponent becoming anxious and accelerated their offense.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Chandler just rushed across half court and stood on the right wing to provide screen. Marbury directed his teammates to block the ball down the line and tried to bypass it in advance.

Perkins, who had just rushed across half court, tried to establish a defensive position near the three-point line after receiving instructions, but Li You, who was not delayed, was extremely fast, and the meaty guy overestimated himself.

Marbury was "pushed away" by Chandler and had no time to form a double-team. While moving, Li You first pushed the ball and changed direction, and at the moment he bumped into Perkins, he suddenly turned around quickly.

Perkins, who had just tried to turn sideways and prepare for a slide, wanted to turn his center of gravity, but his body couldn't keep up with his brain, and he fell backwards to the floor.
"Oh!" The exclamation sounded again, and Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, rushed into the paint area in the blink of an eye. When he took off into the air, Garnett once again showed his tough guy temperament at the bottom left of the basket and immediately jumped high.

Garnett flew in the air with his hands raised high, flying horizontally to the right side of the basket, only to see Li You, who was holding the ball with one hand, change hands in the air, just avoiding the block, and shouted helplessly:
"what"

In a flash, Li You, who switched to his left hand, stretched his body again and quickly slammed the ball into the basket. The cheers could not be stopped for a while. Garnett landed, gasping for breath and punching in frustration.

At 18:30, the score difference widened a little bit. Head coach Rivers on the sidelines looked at the bench, then turned his head again with an expressionless face.

Having Garnett play at the 5th position can completely open up the offensive space, but considering the recent fatigue of the real core, in the end no substitution was made.

Pierce was in the left block zone, holding the ball with his back to the basket, suddenly turned toward the baseline, then stepped back and made a jump shot;
Looking back, facing the sudden three-person defense, Li You found Raja Bell on the left wing. Facing Garnett's rotation defense, he broke through with the ball and missed the layup, but David Lee successfully made a tip-in.

As Perkins was fouled on the second rebound, the Knicks began to rotate their lineup. When Artest, who had been sitting on the bench, came on the court, boos suddenly appeared in Madison Square Garden:

"shush"

The sound was not loud, but everyone on the Knicks bench had different expressions. On the Celtics side, several people on the court were also a little surprised. Like Li You, several of them did not pay attention to the pre-match news.

Artest, who looked a little uneasy, became "sly", and when he bumped fists with Li You outside the three-point line, he wanted to explain, but his relatives and friends in the gym began to fight back, which made him just open his mouth but not say anything.

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"What's up, Bro?"

"."

Facing Li You's curious gaze, Artest shook his head and laughed dryly.

The game was still going on. Head coach Rivers was directing the game passionately, while D'Antoni was still smiling and hanging up his phone. The shooting percentages of both teams began to decline at the same time, and they missed free throws in the last few minutes.

Although they played efficient offense, they were still unable to tie the score. An impatient Marbury started his highly aggressive defense when facing Li You's final attack.

They wanted to "frisk" him near the logo, trying to disrupt the offensive rhythm with physical confrontation.
Active defense was useless. Instead, Li You, who held the ball with his left hand, seized the opportunity, dribbled with a jump step, and suddenly changed direction, and Marbury was passed by him in an instant.

On the Celtics bench, Eddie House covered his face with his hands. Just as he expected, Scalabrine, who had just replaced him, was like a wooden stake in the lower right side of the basket.

While walking, Li You suddenly slowed down when facing the big guy, swayed his body to the right, then increased his stride, stepped his left foot forward to the left, and easily dodged the defense with a large European step.

Scalabrine and Garnett twisted their bodies and jumped up at the same time to block the shot, and Marbury, who was chasing after them, also jumped up from behind.

Surrounded by three people, right in front of the basket, Li You in the air suddenly curled up his body, then held the ball with his left hand, glided to the lower left side of the basket, stretched out his arm, and threw the ball high up at a negative angle.

Several people in the air watched the basketball fly out from behind the backboard, bounce twice on the basket, and finally fall into the basket.
"OMG! Lee scored an incredible goal!"

In the boiling stadium, Mike Breen also found it outrageous. He didn't even see how Li You dodged the defense and threw the ball out. At this moment, he could only admire loudly.

Van Gundy watched Ray Allen miss the long three-pointer from the baseline, checked the score, and commented in an inexplicable tone:

"As long as Lee can maintain this state! Off-court factors can't stop the Knicks from continuing to win."

27:40, despite an almost perfect performance in the first quarter, the Celtics were still trailing by 13 points.

Li You, who scored a difficult goal, did not participate in the defense at the last moment. Instead, he paced slowly, patted his chest and pointed to the sky with one hand, continuing to show his tough guy temperament.

This action made Garnett on the bench very angry. He always felt that this scene was familiar. When he saw Li You celebrating with his teammates and then shouting "ferociously", his eyes twitched for a moment:

"Shet!!"

Pierce, who walked to the bench, also felt frustrated. He made 6 of 3 shots and 2 of 2 free throws. He and Garnett contributed 16 points together and performed extremely efficiently, but they still fell behind.

Except for the drop in shooting percentage in the second half of the first quarter, the team performed extremely well with only two turnovers. Marbury felt that he had done his best. When he returned to his seat, he couldn't help but ask the head coach for help:
"What should I do? Coach, why is this happening?"

"."

Rivers didn't say anything. The pre-match arrangements didn't work at all. After the game started, a wave of offense almost took them away. They were 13 points behind and even felt fortunate.

9 of 7 shots, 5 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 4 free throws, 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. With such performance from Li You, the coaching staff really didn't know how to guide Marbury.

Substitute Eddie House? No one would make this choice. Substituting a smaller player means more help defense.

During the rotation phase, Ray Allen, who was sitting on the bench, looked at his depressed teammates and felt helpless for a while. The 18-game winning streak was good, but he had already prepared to lose:
"We still have a chance, this is only the first quarter!"

Pierce remained silent. If it was another team, a double-digit point difference would not have made him frustrated, but after being "beaten" for so many years, he really couldn't control his emotions:
“Ray, maybe you’re right, we haven’t done anything yet.”

"?"

Ray Allen's face was full of surprise. When he needed fighting spirit the most, he actually became cowardly. He was so angry that he continued to chew gum and stopped talking to the wimp.

During the rotation phase, the Knicks gave their opponents enough opportunities, resulting in the Celtics missing several three-pointers.

When the main lineup returned again, Ray Allen continued his efficient performance, making 3 of 2 shots, 2 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, contributing 7 points in a single quarter.

But at the end of the first half, the score was fixed at 53:68. The Celtics made only 2 of 7 three-pointers in the second quarter, wasting the best chance to catch up.

The Christmas elements made Madison Square Garden more lively, and the cheerful music made many fans start twisting their bodies and enjoying the halftime show.

Garnett felt his legs getting heavy as he walked into the player tunnel. Too much delay had greatly consumed his energy, and Li You's tough performance made him even more furious.

When he returned to the locker room, Garnett quickly sat down, lowered his head and took a few deep breaths, and then suddenly heard the assistant coach's voice:

"Our opponents are in trouble!"

"Doug is right, as long as we unite together, we can defeat them."

Pierce looked up and took the phone handed to him by the atmosphere team. Hearing everyone chattering about the Twitter news, he widened his eyes and couldn't help but feel happy:
“I knew God would not forget us!”

"Maybe many people have had problems with Li for a long time! Shit, I knew it! No one would really like that egomaniac!"

Pierce, grinning like a flower, felt as if the day had dawned at this moment. There was no better news than this. He knew his opponent. Li You would never allow anyone to tell him what to do.

The Knicks' big brother was purged just as he was enjoying the bonus brought by the championship. Thinking of the old things, Garnett also felt that his partner was right, and he was overjoyed for a while:

"They're splitting up!"

"A locker room that is maintained by interests is doomed to fail. Hey! Listen, guys, it's dangerous! We have to show everyone what the right basketball is."

Garnett gave out chicken soup, and at that moment he felt full of energy. God was indeed still blessing him, and his prayers were finally answered.

Soon, Marbury also joined the ranks of those denouncing Li You, and the atmosphere in the Celtics locker room became increasingly heated.

In the third quarter, as Li You made another effort, including free throws and shots, the score difference was widened to 3 points, and the game basically entered garbage time.

Madison Square Garden was filled with jubilation. When Li You walked to the bench, he found that his opponent actually had a smile on his face. He was speechless for a moment. How could he be happy that his winning streak was ended?
During the halftime break, no one on the Knicks side gossiped, but there was also a "ghost" in the locker room. As the fourth quarter started, Chalmers quietly sat next to the boss and whispered:

"Boss, in the pre-match interview, Meta doesn't want you to get the medal. Reporters may ask about this later."

"?"

(End of this chapter)