NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 526: Net Points Competition ( Words)

On Thursday, November 2007, 11, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon issued the same cry:
"The Cavaliers need to recruit a third All-Star."

Last night, the Cavaliers completed the opening game of the new season. Unfortunately, facing the Mavericks who were back-to-back, they lost at home 96:84.

Local sports reporters and column writers, who have always been very tolerant of LeBron James, spoke out after the game and criticized the performance of the Chosen One.

This situation has never happened in the past few years. As for why the commentators are suddenly nervous, it is mainly because the turmoil of the opening game has not yet passed.

Also yesterday, the last day of October, all New York print media reported Li You’s promise, and even the Wall Street Journal followed suit and published a series of articles.

While the mainstream media in New York is discussing how many championships the Knicks will win in the next eight years, the Wall Street Journal has calculated for fans how much profit Li You will bring to the team.

The former article was very popular. After all, surpassing the Celtics and becoming a truly powerful team fits the New York fans' self-image.

The latter was criticized by many financial practitioners. Although Li You earned a lot, it could not alleviate unemployment. This method of shifting contradictions was really bad.

The looming subprime mortgage crisis has begun to sweep Wall Street. Internationally, Swiss banks have not only laid off employees but have also adjusted their risk assessments of related fund bonds.

Basketball is good, but workers care more about their jobs!
In times of economic downturn, the entertainment industry will actually flourish. Fans who are carrying loans may not have the money to go to the game in person, but they will feel excited when they see the news.

Sports represent health and struggle. The pursuit of championships can even inspire cities. Mayor Bloomberg also happily ate melons at a dinner party at his home recently and took the initiative to express his views:
"If the Knicks start pre-selling future season tickets, I'll buy 8 years"

The above news are all from New York newspapers in the past two days. If it happened in another city, there would naturally not be such a reaction.

New Jersey next door had already surrendered, and Philadelphia not far away no longer called on fans to believe in the process. Only the Boston media launched a counterattack again.

Early in the morning, the article in the Globe began to promote the team's glorious and brilliant history, and by the way, called on fans to cheer for the home team. The simple point of view translated is:

"We have to fight for the 17th championship!"

From 1959 to 1966, the Celtics won eight consecutive championships. Looking back, they won one more championship. Looking back, they almost dominated from 8 to 68.

Although this history is called "ancient basketball" by New York fans, a champion is a champion, and the flag above the arena does not lie.

16 championships seemed like a lot before, but the Knicks quickly narrowed the gap at the rate of hanging a banner every year. Although there is still some gap, New York fans have begun to borrow money.

When Li You announced that his career would last eight years instead of four, surpassing his old rival next door was already a foregone conclusion in the minds of New York sports fans.

In contrast, Cleveland's sportswriters were in a bad mood. They were eager to break the "curse" and wrote toughly, but they felt that they were not as strong as New York.
If he really runs for eight years and the chosen one becomes the next Allen Iverson, then everything will be over.

This former All-Star is living proof that not every player can take failure so easily.

What makes Cleveland fans even more disappointed is that they haven't won a single game since 03. Facing the Knicks, they were 0-16 in the regular season and lost all the games in the playoffs.

All signs indicate that LeBron James is very likely to become the next Allen Iverson. They will replace Philadelphia and become a joke in New York in the future.
In this situation, in the opening game of the new season, James shot 13 of 4 and scored 10 points, which angered the commentators and fans.

They hope that the chosen one can realize his talent as soon as possible. No one wants to become Philadelphia, and no one wants to be treated as a joke by New York.

At first, the Knicks fans held up signs and taunted the Philadelphia fans, and they were having fun watching the show. But when it comes to their home court, the fans don’t want to see such a scene.

The Cleveland Clinic Training Center officially opened this year. This training ground named after the medical center is located in Independence, not far from the city center, and the training facilities are very luxurious.

Unlike the Tarrytown training center built earlier by the Knicks, this training hall is more modern. Two full-size indoor basketball courts are just standard features, and sports-related medical equipment is the focus.

Sports science has also been booming in recent years, and technology is also a kind of strength. Dwight Howard has a deep understanding of this, and his growth is inseparable from these.

Although they lost the opening game, Howard performed well. Not only did he grab 13 rebounds, he also efficiently contributed 16 points and 3 blocks!
However, no matter how good his performance is, it cannot attract too much attention from commentators. After all, he is only the second player, and the team leader is the real core.

Howard, who completed the early contract extension and signed a big contract, was actually a little concerned about the outside world's evaluation. After reading the newspaper in the morning, the happy "big boy" felt a little unhappy because no one praised his performance.

As they will face the Knicks at home tomorrow night, Van Gundy and the coaching staff have intensified training considering the fans' feelings.

The original intention was to get the players back to game form as quickly as possible through high-intensity training, but many players were not motivated. The older brother Larry Hughes was not very active. Fortunately, the newbies were very motivated.

After the training session ended at 11 a.m., Howard didn't react much to Larry Hughes who left early, but James began to frown and said meaningfully in the locker room:

"Danger, Tim! We need to trust each other. We should practice more this afternoon. The team needs better results now."

"."

James reiterated the general direction set by the coaching staff. He agreed very much with Van Gundy's point of view. If they could get first place in the Eastern Conference, there would be a high probability that they would watch the Knicks and Boston fight each other.

As long as the Cavaliers can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they might face a tired opponent and replicate the Knicks' experience, this would be the perfect plan for this season.

Different players naturally have different attitudes towards extra training. Larry Hughes didn't say anything sarcastic, but turned around and left, saying that he just wanted to punch out and leave.

Faced with such a situation, James could only speak out and his good brother Ilgauskas was the first to respond actively. This year's selected rookie Allen Afflalo also agreed and said excitedly:
"I agree, the coach is right, and I also want to contribute to the team."

Afflalo performed well at UCLA and even set a single-season three-point shooting record, which is why the Cavaliers selected him. Good shooting and flawless defense are what the team needs.

As for why the newbie responded so positively, it was naturally because James hinted that he could replace the big brother and get the starting position. The chosen one no longer wanted to see the open shot miss.
Pavlovic, who is still recovering from injury, said polite words to his teammates but he didn't take it seriously in his heart. Last season's Eastern Conference Finals shattered all his fantasies. The gap was too big!

Howard didn't care about the extra practice. He just saw everyone gathered around James and immediately changed the subject with a smile:

"The reports these days are so boring. No one is paying attention to us. Tomorrow night's game is not even broadcast live across the US. Our odds are higher than Boston's!"

According to the pre-season odds, the Spurs fell to fifth and the Cavaliers rushed to third. Analysts expected that both James and Howard would have a breakout season, and their hard power had already surpassed the outdated Duncan trio.

Daniel Gibson had already managed to squeeze into the starting lineup thanks to the support of his boss. When he heard this topic, he subconsciously flattered him:
"The old guys don't stand a chance, LeBron can crush them!"

James has become stronger and has been slowly gaining muscle. After the America's Cup, he did not relax his requirements on himself, but took the initiative to increase the intensity of his training.

This is also the reason for his poor performance in the preseason and the opening game. He has not yet fully adapted to the changes in his muscles, and his shooting is poor, but his finishing at the basket is better.

After hearing the atmosphere team flattering him and talking about the games of the past two days, James did not interrupt. He looked at his increasingly muscular partner, and finally stood up and bumped fists, saying:

"We have to beat them! The fans need confidence."

Howard, who had already changed his clothes and was thinking about where to have lunch, came back to his senses after hearing this. He smiled and bumped his fists, showing his white teeth, and said with a confident smile:

"Yee! That's it, I don't want anyone to steal the attention!"

"."

On Thursday night, TNT's program was broadcast as usual. Tomorrow the Celtics will have their first game of the season, and everyone is looking forward to it.

Of course, Li You's big double-double in the opening game has also been discussed recently. Prince, Raja Bell, Dio, and David Lee performed better than the commentators expected.

It was still a three-quarter game. Nowitzki and Gasol, who were participating in the European Championships, both performed poorly in the opening game. The former made 15 of 5 shots and the latter made 13 of 4 shots. The two big men frequently faced each other and both missed shots.

The Mavericks' core players played poorly, and the result was naturally a crushing defeat, 85:116. The familiar score difference made it difficult for commentators to evaluate the team.

The director deliberately put Li You and Marbury together. Li You, who was wearing a white Knicks jersey, had his first game data below him, while there was a question mark on Marbury's side.

31分钟，14中10，三分球6中3，罚球7中7，30分3篮板16助攻2抢断1盖帽2失误。

Throughout the game, the Knicks took 89 shots and all players exploded. Li You's 16 assists even tied the number of assists for the entire Mavericks team. If you watched the game, you would find that it was one-sided throughout.

After showing some data, when the camera returned to the studio, Charles Barkley praised Marbury seriously:

"I think it's going to be hard for Stephon Marbury to match Lee's numbers, but thankfully now that he's not with the Hawks, he doesn't have to be a scorer."

"He just needs to find the chemistry he had with Kevin Garnett in his rookie season to help the team."

"No one will deny his ability. When he played with Garnett, the team had a lot of off-ball tactics and he was able to catch the ball and shoot. Now he has to get it back."

Kenny Smith seemed to remember the 100 tactics that coach Rivers claimed. He smiled and seemed to have great expectations. He couldn't wait to take over the conversation:
"Yes, Chuck is right, the pick-and-roll between Marbury and Garnett made that Timberwolves team unstoppable!"

"He doesn't need to rely on his absolute personal ability to drive the offense like Lee did. Don't forget that Garnett is an all-around forward. The two of them partnering up again can lighten the burden for each other."

"I'm more interested in how the Celtics will position Ray Allen. It would be a huge waste to turn him into a three-point shooter like Raja Bell."

Coach Rivers didn't reveal much information before the game. In the preseason, the "Big Four" didn't spend much time together. After hearing the two's opinions, Ernie Johnson pondered for a moment before saying:
"The competition in the Eastern Conference will be particularly fierce this year, and it is extremely important for the older teams to get the home-court advantage."

"History has proven this. I think the Celtics don't want to go through what the Bulls experienced. I believe that coach Rivers will not be stingy with the playing time of the four players."

The reason for mentioning playing time is mainly because Li You has played more than 36 minutes too few times in recent seasons. D'Antoni prefers large-scale rotations, which is completely different from the situation of many teams in the league.

The important challenge facing the Celtics is injury management. Once the "old men" are injured, they will not be able to play as bravely as the Knicks.

"I got the news that Garnett took on the responsibility of leadership and organized a mini training camp during the offseason."

Charles Barkley was somewhat proud of his inside information. He noticed his two partners listening intently and added:
"Garnett told me he was ready to average 40 minutes per game and he didn't think the minutes would affect his health."

"The Celtics will get into shape from the beginning of the season. Garnett is not Kobe, and he can better control the locker room."

Talking about the Lakers' opening game, neither of them wanted to take over the conversation. 95:92, amid the boos at home, the Rockets defeated their opponent with Battier's three-pointer.

愤怒的科比再次展现了自己的得分能力，32中13，三分线外3中1，罚球27中18，45分8篮板4助攻4抢断1盖帽5失误。

The Rockets made 31 free throws and won the game. Some fans on Reddit mocked "Ball don't lie".
After the loss, Kobe's face was dark and sports reporters were all laughing at him. Fortunately, everyone is looking forward to the debut of the "Big Four" recently, otherwise the special Black Mamba would be ridiculed again.

Ernie Johnson was used to his partner's instigation. Without even looking at him, he turned to Kenny Smith on the left and asked:
"Kenny, as a member of the championship team, what other qualities do you think are needed to win the championship besides the lineup?"

"I think the most important thing is unity. The locker room is very important. We are all adults, so sometimes it is difficult to unite as one."

Kenny Smith glanced at his partner on the other side with a smile on his face. When Barkley mentioned the championship experience, he looked furious. But before he could interrupt, the voice rang out again:

"Perhaps this is why everyone is not optimistic about the Celtics. Garnett is not Lee. He cannot convince his teammates with his absolute strength."

"The good thing is that they now have a common goal, which can help the locker room."

The topic didn't last for a few minutes, and Charles Barkley started his own show. He had no championship experience, and he stared at me and made a lot of nonsense before adding fuel to the fire:

"Lee is a lesson for all players in the locker room, and the Knicks rarely reveal inside information."

"I have always suggested that Kobe call Lee and ask for advice on this matter. The Lakers' locker room is too bad and they have never been able to unite."

"."

Tonight, Friday, November 11nd, the "Big Four" will officially debut, and the spectators can't wait. The preseason games are simply not enough to satisfy everyone's curiosity.

The Lakers players who flew to Phoenix did not attract any attention. In the era of giants, Kobe suddenly became out of date, no one cared about his gossip, and Los Angeles did not have the strength to compete for the championship.

It was also an away game. At 19:30 p.m. that evening, the Quicken Loans Arena was packed and many sports media also came to the city.

Although it was not broadcast live nationwide, Cavaliers fans were particularly devoted once the game started. They desperately needed a victory to boost their confidence.

"Defense!."

The neat and powerful defensive cheers did not make Fred McLeod in the commentary booth feel better.

He just became the Cavaliers' TV commentator last year. After experiencing the "bad beating" in the Eastern Conference Finals, it is difficult for Fred McLeod to commentate on the Knicks' games with a normal mind.

There is no change in the starting lineup. Just like last season, Larry Hughes took over the defensive responsibility and was responsible for guarding the core.

It is rare to see an opponent's offensive time exceed 12 seconds. Austin Carr, a former Cavaliers player and guest commentator tonight, wore headphones and had an excited look on his dark face. He exclaimed loudly:
"I love Gibson's performance, what he lacks in physicality he makes up for with his positive attitude!"

Struggling to squeeze through the screen, facing the Knicks' sudden three-person pick-and-roll, Raja Bell at the free throw line did not screen Chandler, and his quick outside shot was discovered, so Gibson chased to the top of the arc in the first time.

Chandler, who completed the pick-and-roll, rushed to the basket and moved sideways. Li You, who was close to the right wing, noticed Howard's defensive position and did not risk passing the ball. The opponent's rebound speed would most likely disrupt the offense.

Seeing that the defense was working, the shouting became louder. James, who was squatting in the right corner, hesitated a little. He wanted to improve his defensive position, but was shaken by Prince's fake cut and immediately retracted his feet.

Larry Hughes rushed to the ball in time, and while defending closely, he stretched out his left arm to interfere. Seeing Li You dribbling behind his back, he secretly pulled with his right hand to prevent himself from being passed by one step.

Li You took a step back slightly and switched to his left hand, ignoring the opponent's arm. He changed direction under his hips instantly while pulling, then leaned forward and accelerated.

Larry Hughes completed the footwork change on the spot, but he didn't notice the details. Li You had already jumped out from his side, and he slid to the left rear desperately under instinctive reaction.

The seemingly flawless defense made the Cavaliers fans cheer loudly, and they once again disrupted the opponent's tactics.
But as Li You completed the crossover step and pulled back on the three-point line, Larry Hughes staggered and stood inside the three-point line, and the shouting turned into a low cry.

Without any interference from defense, Li You easily received the ball outside the three-point line and then made a quick jump shot!
"OH—! The bottom!"

The three-pointer went into the net and Fred McLeod yelled in frustration in the commentary booth. No matter how many times you witness this situation, you will always feel it is outrageous.

Austin Carr, who was shouting "No" on the side, was still making excuses for the home team players and praised the "excellent" defense:

"Larry did a good job of limiting Lee's penetration. Look at his footwork, so nimble and light, we can take such a difficult score."

At 19:12, with 7 minutes and 01 second left in the first quarter, Van Gundy on the sidelines did not request a timeout, but waved his hand to instruct the players to attack with all their might.

Gibson dribbled the ball across half court and quickly passed it to James at the top of the arc. The moment he got the ball, Howard stepped forward to provide cover.

Amid the cheers of the fans, James took advantage of his teammates' high-quality pick-and-roll, moved sideways with the ball in his left hand to get rid of the defense, then suddenly increased his stride and went straight to the basket towards the retreating Chandler.

Prince cut off the opponent's passing route from behind, and Chandler, who was prepared, slid in time, but James was very fast, passed the ball while moving, and broke through the defense at the bottom left of the basket.

Faced with the interference of long arms, James finally drifted his body, threw the ball to the backboard with his left hand, and the basketball finally went into the basket accurately.

"Oh!" Cheers rang out again. Completely different from the last game, James was in much better shape tonight. Facing his teammates from the national team, he also found the right way to score.

James clapped his hands repeatedly when he returned to defense. His strong body amplified his threat of breakthrough. Although he did not like the head coach's rigid tactics, Van Gundy did not make any mistakes in his physical guidance.

The Cavaliers had just stopped when Li You rushed across half court with the ball. Gasol tacitly raised his screen position, leaving Larry Hughes chasing after him.

Howard, who switched defense, also used his experience to provide timely assistance, but he was almost broken through by Li You's sudden change of direction while moving.

While the big man was bending over and sliding, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly accelerated again. Seeing that his teammate was about to be broken through, Gibson on the right wing hurriedly swiped his card to assist in defense.

Suddenly, near the top of the arc and the three-point line, the Cavaliers gathered three defensive players around Li You. Amid the exclamations of the fans, the basketball suddenly flashed out from among the players.

Raja Bell quietly cut in from the right wing, easily got rid of the defense, successfully chased the ball and went straight to the basket. Without waiting for Ilgauskas to assist, he swung his right arm and made a one-arm dunk!

"Too fast! The opponents' coordination was very tacit, and every player knew what he should do."

Fred McLeod did not praise the attack, but just couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks. From the perspective of pure entertainment, the Knicks were much better than the home team.

The Cavaliers' offensive speed was not slow either. Gibson received the ball early and waited for his opportunity at the free throw line.

As Howard came online to complete the pick-and-roll, James moved laterally to the right wing, and the small man immediately set a screen, allowing his teammates to attack the basket.

Exactly the same tactics, as James threw the ball high, the basketball flew towards the basket, and Howard jumped confidently.

He thought he could easily get the ball with his speed, but when he got into the air, he found that Li You, who was switching defense, touched the ball almost at the same time as him.
"Oh!"

Amid the cheers of the fans, Howard, who tried to scoop the ball with both hands, failed to control the ball. Li You blocked the ball head-on and slapped it out. Prince retreated in time and picked up the ball immediately.

"Shet!"

James, who made a great pass, cursed and retreated. It was obviously a great opportunity, but the big man was blocked by the guard?
Howard lost his balance and almost fell out of the baseline. He couldn't help but complain to the referee, thinking that Li You made some small movements of his arms, which interfered with his jump, but the referee did not respond. The Knicks had already launched a counterattack.

Prince passed the ball quickly, and Li You seized the opportunity when his opponent failed to match up in time, and rushed across the half court in the blink of an eye along the left sideline.

James noticed that his younger brother Gibson was running around with Gasol, and his older brother Larry Hughes was guarding Prince's side. In the chaos, he could only step forward to delay it as soon as possible.

The left wing could not get close to the three-point line. As James slowed down and tried to match up, Li You suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back and lowered his center of gravity instantly.

Switching to his right hand and pretending to accelerate, Li You took advantage of his opponent's sliding to circle the ball behind his back again, and suddenly stopped and started again. For a moment, James was unable to keep up with the rhythm and had to lose half of his body position.

Seeing Li You suddenly stop and pass the ball on the wing, James turned around and jumped up to defend, and then flew out of the sideline.
There was jubilation on the Knicks bench. The moment he shook off his opponent, Li You made a steady jump shot.

Howard, who had just returned to the top of the arc, watched helplessly as the basketball flew towards the basket and went into the net again. He waved his hands in frustration for a moment, and then the Cavaliers also requested a timeout.

22:14, the score gap seems to be widening again.

Frowning, Van Gundy did not blame James for his reckless defensive choice. In fact, as long as they get close to the three-point line, most players will be nervous when facing Li You, which will directly affect the defense.

"Patience! We are in good shape! Play to our strengths"

Noticing the head coach's eyes looking at him, James returned to his seat and nodded, indicating that he needed to attack the basket, assist Howard with rebounds, and get tough frontcourt rebounds to suppress the opponent's transition offense.

Gooden, who was on the bench, thought the coach would make a substitution, but he didn't get the instructions he wanted until the timeout was over.

In the first round after the timeout, Gibson passed the ball early again, and Li You came to the left wing and watched James on the other side complete the pick-and-roll.

Ilgauskas broke the screen immediately after setting it, but the good big brother failed to delay Prince, who squeezed through in time, which made James, who was holding the ball in his left hand, a little uncomfortable.

Amid cheers, James exhaled and rushed forward with his head down, carrying the defense to the paint area, jumped and knocked Prince away, then shot with his left hand!

The weak side hand failed to complete the finish, and the ball hit the rim and bounced out. Howard's fight worked, and Chandler, who got the rebound, couldn't pass the ball easily.

"Defense!."

When the team fell into positional offense, the Cavaliers fans saw the Knicks slowing down and started cheering loudly again. D'Antoni on the sidelines didn't care about the atmosphere and also waved his hand to remind the players.

There was no screen. The moment the opponent matched up in time, the two big men who were reminded ran directly to the baseline, and the wingers calmly stopped outside the three-point line near the sideline.

James then stopped and turned to look at the top of the arc, but he was unable to notice that his big brother had lost his position due to Li You's premature change of direction after a cross-crotch dribble.

He did not sprint at full speed. As Li You switched to his right hand, he lowered his shoulders and accelerated. Larry Hughes chased him again, adjusted his stride while moving, slowed down, and then accelerated again.

With the change of rhythm, Li You easily blocked half a body distance, and without waiting for the Cavaliers' help defense to arrive, he stopped suddenly at the free throw line, actively broke through the defense, took a step sideways to the right elbow area, and made a drifting jump shot!

"Whoa!" The two-pointer was hit steadily.

At 24:14, the Quicken Loans Arena was filled with boos. Li You retreated while shaking his head. Anyone could see that Larry Hughes' defense was ineffective.

In the offensive round, Howard carried Gasol in the low post on the left side and jumped to the front of the basket. He changed his movements and made a strong attack.

Looking back, the excited Howard also disrupted the connection between Chandler and Li You and directly kicked the ball out of the sideline.

“Yee!!”

Nodding repeatedly and beating his chest, Howard yelled and looked at everyone, pointing at his eyes, indicating that the three-person pick-and-roll was ineffective against him.

The opponent's targeted defense tonight was very good. It was obvious that the coaching staff put in a lot of effort and disrupted the team's tactics several times. However, D'Antoni still didn't react much and was still smiling.

Chandler set a screen at the top of the arc, and Li You came to the right wing and received the baseline ball thrown by Gasol outside the three-point line.

Halfway through the attack time, James took the initiative to switch defense, trying to limit the attack with his body shape, protecting the ball on the right side of his body, and Li You took a quick tentative step diagonally with his left foot.

James raised his right arm and turned his body slightly to the side, adjusting his center of gravity to allow Li You to break through. However, the moment he moved, the attacker in front of him suddenly jumped up, and he could only cut the ball subconsciously.

Li You kicked the ball from the side, just avoiding the opponent's cut ball. He leaned back slightly and made another jump shot facing the defense!

“Lee!”

"NO! He's gone video game!"

The goal was scored cleanly and neatly, causing Fred McLeod in the commentary booth to shout out again, saying that if the opponent couldn't come up with a tactic, they would just use the star to play one-on-one, and they wouldn't even use a second run tactic. It was simple and crude but extremely effective.

James, wearing a white headband, didn't bother to look back. The low cry in his ear indicated that the ball had gone in again.

"LeBron needs to respond in time. The 11-point difference is too dangerous. We have to make sure the difference is within 10 points."

As soon as Austin Karl finished speaking, the Knicks suddenly changed their defensive strategy. Gasol forced a delay and James found his teammates in time.

Approaching the right blocking area and attracting two defenders, Ilgauskas took a decisive jump shot in a wide-open space after receiving a ground pass from James.

Gasol did not make any effective interference, but the opponent still missed the attack, the basketball hit the rim and bounced out, and Chandler again rushed in front of Howard to protect the rebound.

"Shh!"

Amid the boos that resounded throughout the stadium, Li You dribbled across half court again and was then surrounded by two people. James cooperated with his big brother to double-team him in advance, and Prince on the right wing got the chance.

Facing Ilgauskas' rotation defense, Prince's ground pass broke through the defense. Gasol received the ball at the bottom right of the basket and faced Howard's replacement and made another short pass.

This time the Cavaliers failed to rotate again. Howard turned around and tried to continue defending, but was forced to commit a foul, sending Chandler to the free throw line.

The ball was passed continuously and was faster than the person. James, who had just returned to defense, couldn't help feeling frustrated. The opponent's "unsolvable" offense would not have much effect no matter how many times he watched the video.

As Chandler made both free throws, the score difference widened again. As time passed, the Quicken Loans Center gradually became quiet.

James attempted a mid-range jump shot and made the shot. In turn, Larry Hughes, who was somewhat broken in defense, was fouled. Then, with a sideline ball, Li You assisted Gasol to score a jump shot from the free throw line.

Ilgauskas failed to return to defense in time, but Van Gundy on the sidelines still did not make a substitution. This time the big man failed to live up to the trust and failed to score two points in the single play under the basket.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Li You finally missed a drifting jump shot at the free throw line, but the frontcourt rebound was grabbed by Chandler, and Howard had no choice but to pay for his second personal foul.

After being replaced by Gooden, Howard returned to his seat secretly happy but also depressed. He was extremely sure that he was the defensive cornerstone of the team because the game was broken by the opponent's pick-and-roll again.

In two consecutive rounds, James and Li You both stood on the free throw line, and soon Ilgauskas also left the court with two fouls.

When Donyell Marshall came on the court in the last two minutes of the first quarter, he failed to withstand the rush of the Knicks' big men. As the Cavaliers fell into a disadvantage in rebounding, the few transition offenses of the Cavaliers completely disappeared.

"Shh!"

At the end of the first quarter, boos appeared again in the stadium, 38:23. This scene is too familiar to the Cavaliers fans. There is a high probability that they will lose again tonight.

"In my opinion, the two teams have almost the same tactical system. The difference is that it is difficult for us to limit Lee's offense."

"Larry tried his best, but he is not suitable for defending Lee. If we want better results, maybe we need to make lineup adjustments before the All-Star Weekend!"

Austin Carr in the commentary booth was not polite. He expressed his views tactfully and personally supported sending away the former steals leader.

He played the entire first quarter, made 8 of 6 shots, 4 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 4 free throws, 19 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 1 block. After Li You handed in this data, it indirectly determined whether Larry Hughes would stay or go.

Fred McLeod was not as direct as his predecessors on the Cavaliers. He praised Hughes' defense and stopped discussing the matter:

"James was in great shape tonight, which is a good thing for the Cavaliers. At least we don't have to worry about his physical condition anymore."

James, who scored 7 points with 4 of 4 shots and 3 of 11 free throws, was in a bad mood at the time. He could also feel the emotions of the fans at the scene. Seeing Van Gundy's trust in his big brother, he felt a little unhappy.

The team did not send the opponent away as he requested, and the management ignored his opinion. James raised the kettle, concealed his emotions, and began to comfort himself in his heart:
“Losing might be a good thing”

On Saturday, November 11, basketball critics were discussing the performance of the "Big Four" last night. The Celtics defeated the Wizards 3:79 and demonstrated their dominance.

After three quarters, the score difference was 29 points, which was familiar to many fans. It was simply a replica of the Knicks!

The same game ended last night, 114:91, the Knicks won by 23 points, and the Cavaliers fought back until the fourth quarter. In the end, Boston sports reporters concluded:
"The Knicks' dominance is declining"

The absence of Grant Hill, coupled with Artest still recovering, means the team has fewer ball-handlers and its tactics have become monotonous.

Saw the morning papers, Celtics fans rejoicing, those columnists were right, 100 plays are better than "give the ball to Lee".
新赛季第2场比赛，李佑打了36分钟，最终爆砍43分4篮板10助攻1抢断2盖帽1失误的两双数据，让拉里-休斯结束了自己的骑士队生涯。

Cleveland fans have nothing but blessings for the Cavaliers' "selling" behavior, and everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the third All-Star.

The European Championships made Gasol's state particularly low, but at the end of the training session that afternoon, Li You took the initiative to help his old teammate reduce the burden. Facing questions from the New York media, he joked:

"Pau is not a robot, he plays too many games!"

"This is an opportunity for Tyson and me. Scoring champion, rebounding champion? We can share the pressure for our teammates."

Although the New York Times has grown tired of boasting about statistics in recent years, seeing Li You's "fighting spirit" when talking about these small honors still makes me feel good:

“李，凯文-加内特在昨晚的比赛中拿到22分20篮板5助攻3抢断3盖帽3失误的数据，这是否意味着对手已经走上正轨？”

With 16 of 9 shots and an efficient big double-double, Garnett seemed to be extremely adaptable to the new system, showing his MVP style on both offense and defense.

"Strong opponents are a good thing, which can provide fans with more exciting games!"

"The ticket prices are high, and everyone should come to watch the game to enjoy the fun of pure basketball. They are a good opponent. Like you, I am looking forward to the next game."

Li You spoke in a relaxed tone, and the New York sports reporters felt inexplicably relieved. Boston's boasting was well-founded, and they were "convinced" after reading it.
Other Knicks players did not accept interviews. The bad things that happened during the offseason made general manager Downey determined to teach everyone a lesson. The impetuous emotions brought about by the overpriced contract must be digested in time.

No matter how much the fans next door praise him, Li You can always lead his team to easily beat the weaker teams. On Sunday, the Timberwolves visited Madison Square Garden and ended up scoring only 72 points.

After a day of rest on Tuesday, the Magic, who had turned into a jump-shooting team, also failed to perform in the Garden, with the Knicks once again defeating their opponents 81:115.

In contrast, the Celtics next door did not win as much as the Boston sports reporters hyped them up, and they narrowly beat the Raptors by 3 points on the road, which made Wednesday's game a hot topic.

The two teams will not play each other until the end of the month, but the media on both sides have already started to argue with each other, comparing the goal difference, and the fans are also following suit.
In this case, the Nuggets became the weight in the comparison of strength. That night, the unlucky Iverson suffered a heavy blow from his opponent.

90:120, the Celtics defeated their opponents and once again demonstrated their dominance.

At the TD Garden, the Boston fans watching the game were extremely excited. A 30-point win was something that hadn't happened in years. They had finally made it!
The enthusiastic home atmosphere was not a good thing for the visiting players. Iverson was upset after losing the game. He was humiliated again.
Perhaps because of the loss, Iverson did not say any polite words at the press conference after the game. He once again showed his rebellious side and mocked his opponent tonight:

"A bunch of losers got together on a team and they threw away their honor, and I would never do that."

"I will respect Lee, but I will never respect these guys. Basketball doesn't lie!"

Anthony was also in a bad mood after losing the game. He encountered frequent help defense tonight, shot 13 of 3, and scored 11 points. He lost all his face. When he heard his idol speak, he also said with a sullen face:
"That's not how basketball should be. I will not abandon my city."

"."

Although the two seemed to favor New York, unfortunately, the Nuggets were beaten again in a back-to-back game the next day.

With Iverson's 25-of-8 performance, the Knicks beat their neighbor 82:119 by a small margin.
On Friday the 9th, the Celtics still played at home. Facing a weak team like the Hawks, Paul Pierce was particularly inflated.

Pierce took the initiative to accept an interview before the game. He did not talk about tonight's game, but instead made fun of the Nuggets who lost:
"Even if the Celtics didn't have a good record before, at least I beat Lee in the Eastern Conference."

"Who cares about their respect? We're going to get our 17th championship banner soon, maybe they should think about how to get a championship for Denver."

"."

(End of this chapter)