NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 531: The Collapse of the Alliance (Daily Chapter)
On Saturday, December 2007, 12, after just finishing the game in Philadelphia, the Knicks will face the 8ers at home tonight.

Four games a week, one back-to-back, the schedule is not dense, but it is not easy either. Fortunately, through training through games in November, Pau Gasol's condition has obviously improved.

New York fans didn't blame Gasol for his shooting percentage of less than 50% in the past month. The Spanish big man has played too many games in recent years.
Whenever he encounters a weak team, Li You usually tilts his tactics towards Gasol, using pick-and-rolls, low-post singles, and face-to-face attacks in the elbow area.

It took Gasol nearly 20 games to gradually regain his form. If it were any other team, with such a slow start, they would most likely finish at the bottom of the list.

Chandler, who won the America's Cup, does not have these troubles. He does not need to hold the ball at all. His job is to catch passes on offense, protect the rim on defense, and occasionally participate in pick-and-rolls. It is his job to provide high-quality screens.

Although it is an absolute blue-collar style of play, Chandler can always contribute double-double data in every game, which has surpassed most centers in the league.

At 19:30 p.m., more than fans poured into Madison Square Garden. Compared with last year, New York fans were more engaged.

Since the Celtics next door currently have 17 wins and 1 loss and are still closely following the Knicks, this has also brought some pressure to the die-hard fans. The two sides frequently confront each other, but both teams are very stable in beating the weak teams!
If you want to get 60+ wins in the regular season, a stable beating of weak teams is a prerequisite. Although the pre-season odds were not optimistic about Boston, the old guys did fight for their place this year.

As time went by, the 76ers regained their familiar feeling.

After the start of the fourth quarter, Reggie Evans was in the right blocking area and suffered his fifth foul when facing Gasol's strong attack with the ball. Head coach Maurice Cheeks subconsciously looked towards the bench.

Rookie Joakim Noah looked at his coach eagerly, but unfortunately, after discussing with the assistant coaches, head coach Cheeks made a gesture to the players and had no intention of making substitutions.

Reggie Evans was in great form tonight, having contributed four offensive rebounds so far and not losing too many backcourt rebounds.

"Oh!"

Watching Gasol make the free throw, Joakim Noah sighed in frustration. This was completely different from the rookie season he had imagined. With 5 wins and 14 losses, the 76ers lost miserably and he failed to gain more trust.

Although they were trailing by a large margin, this was still a critical moment for the 76ers. Louis Williams did not get a chance to play and he only played for less than 8 minutes in the transition period.

Noticing that the newbies were not cheering for their teammates as enthusiastically as before, Louis Williams tilted his head, covered his mouth and whispered:
"This is the NBA. Not everyone is as lucky as Rajon Rondo! You know, most players keep losing. It's totally different from what you see on TV."

Noah, who had a bun on his head, didn't feel any better after hearing the comfort. It was not only the loss that made him feel worse, but the feeling of his idol being shattered actually made him more uncomfortable.

When facing the Celtics at home on Wednesday, Noah got the chance and was happy to play against his idol after he came on the court. As a result, Garnett not only looked down on him, but also madly attacked the rookie.

Before the game, he wanted to get an autograph and take a photo, but during the game, Noah was completely broken by Garnett's incessant trash talk.

The two almost had a boxing match. Fortunately, Garnett retreated quickly, otherwise Noah would probably have been fined 20,000 US dollars.

Watching Andre Iguodala force his way to the basket from the right wing and miss his layup despite being blocked, Noah covered his mouth and complained in a low voice:
"How long are we going to keep losing? If we keep losing, we won't have a chance to make the playoffs!"

Noticing the serious expression on the newbie's face, Louis Williams didn't respond for a moment, but just made a "don't joke" look on his face.

When he first came to the 76ers, Louis Williams was still a little fan of Iverson. In the end, he witnessed his idol being "beaten" and abandoned by Philadelphia fans.

From that time on, the team entered a rebuilding period. Louis Williams knew clearly that he had no hope of making the playoffs. If he managed to squeeze in, he would most likely be eliminated in the first round.
"I think we still have a chance this year, so we have to try hard."

Kyle Korver has already squeezed into the rotation lineup. Seeing that his teammates were silent, he took the initiative to "give a shot of chicken blood", but most of the atmosphere group had no reaction.

The 76ers lack a winning culture. They are beaten by the Knicks every year. Losing is a true reflection of them. As for winning? Maybe even the head coach has never thought about it.

Noah stared at the game, his mood getting worse and worse. When he heard the coach calling him, he realized that another 3 minutes had passed.

With 7 minutes and 26 points left in the game, the Knicks' main lineup failed to return, the score was 65:91, the game lost suspense, and Gasol's warm-up also ended.

In garbage time, Noah was actively running on the court, but David Lee didn't want to let him go. Both of them were very persistent in rebounding, and the scene was very interesting.
Under Rondo's instigation, the Knicks had a very high success rate in transition offense. The opponents became more and more frustrated, and there was even a scoring drought in garbage time.

With 1 minute and 46 seconds left in the game, Noah was so angry that he kept smashing the ball when he saw the little guy Barea make a blind shot. He had no place to use his strength and could only watch the players at the end of the bench beat them.

78:111, time was up, Madison Square Garden was boiling again, the Celtics had only won their opponents by 16 points, and this time they won again!
With 19 wins and 1 loss, the Knicks still maintain their first place thanks to more games.

Noah looked around with some envy. There was no such atmosphere in Philadelphia's home court. Fans in the back seats would even leave early from the stadium screaming. New York really gave him a feeling of a "basketball mecca".

伊戈达拉打了37分钟，11中5，三分线外6中3，罚球3中2，平平无奇贡献15分4篮板6助攻1抢断3失误的数据。

As the leader of the team, Philadelphia fans have placed high hopes on Iguodala, but at present, it seems that the "moneyball" Iguodala is not successful, giving people a feeling of "unable to swing".

Instead of comforting the atmosphere group immediately, Iguodala, who was wearing training clothes after the game, was the first to greet Li You.

Noticing the smile on the boss's face, Noah suddenly felt as if something in his heart was "broken". Where was the promised "revenge"?
Philadelphia's newspapers have always been shouting slogans loudly, which may fool new fans and novices, but the old fans and Iguodala are all lying.

"Lee, I will always support you. Players should be free to decide their own careers. We have to stick together!"

In front of the technical table, Iguodala took the initiative to step forward and bumped fists. Seeing the other party saying these words with a smile on his face, Li You also said with a smile:
"There's no need to care about what the newspapers say. Players just need to focus on basketball."

Ever since Michael Jordan took the initiative to express that he "doesn't like the current atmosphere in the league", many "veterans" have spoken out, and more and more players have come out to express their opinions.

Many people, led by Charles Barkley, insist that it is understandable for older players to pursue championships and support "banding together";
Isaiah Thomas, the loudmouth who has been silent for a few years, publicly ridiculed this behavior and also criticized the referee, saying that Dunk was taken care of back then and that the league had a star-making movement a long time ago.

Li You personally understands "sticking together", but he is loyal to the team, which makes many reporters feel that he is a true GOAT.

The New York sports media has deprived San Antonio of the "pure basketball trophy". In previous years, some people were advocating the Spurs, but after the betting scandal and group news, Li You is the most "pure".

Before the Christmas game, the stars and the commentators have already had a tendency to quarrel. If the Celtics' "Big Four" lose, the first round of boomerangs will be produced.
On the 6th floor of the stadium, a large number of reporters gathered in the John Condon Media Studio. Prince and Gasol, who performed outstandingly for the Knicks in this game, soon appeared in front of everyone.

ESPN reporters have been laughing recently. There is news only when there is debate. Although the website is updated faster and faster, they are very happy:
"Pau, congratulations on getting your first double-double of the season tonight. As your opponent in the finals, do you agree with Tim Duncan's current choice?"

The trade hasn't happened yet, and Duncan, as the party involved, has never given a positive response, but sports reporters tacitly assumed that Duncan had defected to the enemy, and they even helped prepare the chips for the Lakers.

Bynum, who had a huge conflict with Kobe, was undoubtedly the target of the trade. Duncan's departure gave the Spurs a young big man, and sports reporters called it "loyalty and righteousness."

"I'm not quite sure what the details are yet, you know, the deal didn't happen."

Noticing that many reporters were still looking at him, Gasol shrugged helplessly and added reluctantly:

"As a professional player, I can understand making such a choice for the championship, but I prefer to stay in one team throughout my career."

"Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson did this. They were my basketball mentors."

After hearing this answer, some reporters smiled, and the Spanish big man laughed at his opponent, saying that there will be new content tomorrow!
Before everyone wanted to continue gossiping, the Knicks' press officer decisively picked a New York reporter. In fact, local fans didn't care much about these things. They wanted to know more about the inside gossip:
"Tayshawn, we got some news that if Ron returns, the coaching staff will let him start as a substitute. Does this mean that the competition between you two has begun?"

The quiet Prince has finally come to the fore this season. In the starting lineup, Li You even gives him individual singles opportunities.

It is sometimes difficult to find the game state as soon as possible when playing as a substitute. Prince is very calm about the competition. He does not want to give up his position as soon as the coach asks, so his attitude in answering questions is also very firm:
"Every player who enters the league will face competition, and I feel very lucky to be able to compete for a starting position on a championship team."

"I will follow the arrangements of coach D'Antoni. The Knicks are a big family, and competition among brothers can inspire better performance."

"I'm ready for this!"

With his arms resting on the table, Prince said this with a smile on his face. The reporters in the audience all understood that he would not give up his starting position.

On Monday, December 12th, the Nets faced the Knicks for the first time at the Izod Center.

With 9 wins and 12 losses, the performance of Lawrence Frank, the "puppet coach", is unlikely to satisfy the fans, which has led to more and more news reports about the Knicks in New Jersey.

Sports journalists here called the competition between Prince and Artest "happy troubles", and when evaluating the home team, one article's point of view was widely recognized:

"Cursed Black Mamba!"

Vince Carter has become out of fashion so quickly that he has even surpassed Allen Iverson. After all, the latter has more "dirty stuff" and no one even discusses Carter's losses.

Ever since being bestowed with this honorary title by Li You, Carter has never recovered. Not only has his career run into problems, his family life has also become a mess, and he has now divorced his wife.

After renewing his contract with the Nets during the offseason, Carter made bold statements in front of the fans. However, at the beginning of the new season, Kidd was in poor condition and suffered some injuries, and the team started poorly again. Whenever Carter wanted to cheer up, there would always be extra factors. In the second round of the game that night, during a backcourt rebound, the Black Mamba stepped on his teammate's foot.
Malik Allen looked helpless as he watched his teammate fall to the ground in pain, holding his ankle. On the other side, Jefferson hurried to the baseline.

In the commentary booth, Ian Eagle, who was wearing glasses, almost sighed on the spot. Since leaving New York and coming here in 02, the games he commented on always lost. Nets fans called him "Mr. Doom":
"It seems that Carter will have a hard time staying in the game. Kidd just returned from injury tonight. This is too bad!"

Old partner Jim Spanaker also began to shake his head. Not only is he a member of the Duke University Hall of Fame, but as a New Jersey native, he has been serving as a live commentator for the Nets since his retirement:

"Even though I don't like the Celtics, I have to praise their team-building ideas."

"The Nets are clearly in trouble. Kidd can no longer help the team go further through defense. Maybe we should make a change too!"

"I like Carter's loyalty, so I don't want to see his peak years come during the team's low years."

The game continued, Antoine White came off the bench, and as time passed, the Nets kept missing shots, and the fans turned against them again.
Although this situation happens every year, Kidd still couldn't accept it. In this attack, he took Li You to the right flank to "watch the show" early on.

Jefferson was interfered by Prince's long arm from the right rear side of his body when he made a quick stop jump shot in the left blocking zone, and the ball finally hit the rim and bounced out. Kidd and Li You started almost at the same time, both heading straight for where the basketball would land.

"Oh!"

Near the right blocking area, Li You took the lead in protecting the rebound. For a moment, cheers rang out in the arena again. Kidd's eyes twitched slightly. This was what he didn't like about New Jersey fans:

"What's there to cheer about!"

Perhaps because he had not yet adjusted to the first game after returning from injury, Kidd retreated quickly and even established a defensive position near the left wing in advance.

He just stopped and Li You, who was chasing after him, also slowed down, as if he was observing the defense, and then suddenly pretended to pass the ball.

There was still a long step away from the three-point line, but Kidd was still deceived. He hurriedly moved his steps, and the moment he got closer, Li You pushed the ball with a big change of direction and passed him with one step.

Cheers rang out again, Kidd chased after him again, but he didn't expect Li Youyun to take a step and stop immediately. He tried hard to control his body, but he still rear-ended him.
At the referee's whistle, Kidd leaned back, Li You tilted his body, leaned forward, and threw the ball into the basket with his right hand.

Kidd subconsciously looked at the basket and couldn't help but stand there in a daze. With a bang, the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket. For a moment, the cheers in his ears became louder!

"What the hell!"

He was so angry that he immediately punched. Although Li You recommended him to be the captain of the men's basketball team, Kidd found it difficult to control his emotions every time he played at home.

He cursed inwardly and started yelling at the sideline referee. When Kidd thought about the current trend of "banding together", his anger grew even stronger. His future was bleak.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

By the time Li You stood on the free throw line, the shouting in the stadium was getting louder and louder. Jefferson's face was dark next to the paint area. The game had just begun, and he was fed up with this home atmosphere.

2:10, four points in one go, the score difference widened instantly.
The injury seemed to have taken away Kidd's offense. In the next few minutes, Li You always stood outside the three-point line with his old rival to direct traffic.

The pick-and-roll was all about retreating defense, and after a few UCLA cuts, the big man made a pass error, and Kidd completely stopped attacking for a while.
The Nets' score slowly rose. Without Carter, Jefferson took on the offensive responsibility and missed shots frequently, allowing the Knicks to gradually widen the gap.

When head coach Lawrence Frank requested a timeout, Kidd began to take on the coaching tasks again, made some arrangements, but returned to the court but did not do anything.

It seemed that there was no difference from the past. At the end of the first quarter, the home team Nets fell behind again with 34:17.

"After the start of the new season, our games always have slow start situations. Coach Lawrence Frank and his coaching staff must solve this problem as soon as possible."

"Lee's condition is so good that I can't even describe it. He gives me the feeling that every shot he makes will go in."

"If the team doesn't make changes, it will be difficult for us to beat them. After moving to Brooklyn, I don't want to see the home court filled with New York fans."

Jim Spanaker had no choice but to comment on the game. He has deep feelings for the Nets, but he has become increasingly disappointed in recent years. The next door has almost sucked away all the fans in the surrounding area.

"Our home stadium is full of traitors," Ian Eagle wanted to say this during the broadcast, but he finally controlled his emotions and made another promise:
"The game has just begun, we still have a chance, Kidd needs to show his aggressiveness!"

"."

At 22:40, the game was over. Kidd and Carter attended the press conference. Both of them had sullen faces and looked like they didn't want to talk.

116:81, the Nets surrendered early. The only thing worth mentioning about the game was that Kidd scored a triple-double!

9中3，三分线外3中1，罚球4中4，11分10篮板10助攻1抢断3失误，基德尽力了
Although he delivered a good data, the focus of sports reporters after the game was not his performance. After "digging", many reporters recently got some inside information:
"It is said that the Lakers recruited you during the offseason. Carter, why did you reject this invitation?"

Carter was a little depressed when he mentioned this. Kobe almost took away his exclusive title. After 81 points, the opponent became the "Special Mamba", but he was unable to recover:
"I'm not interested in playing in Los Angeles. You won't see two Mambas on one team!"

"A lot of players in the league now want to get together, but I won't do that. I don't want to join forces with other star players for the championship."

Kidd was in a bad mood. After hearing his partner's words, he immediately took over the conversation, looked at the reporters below the stage, and said seriously:
"They will set a bad example for young people. If 30-year-old All-Stars can't win a championship together, then young people may also start to form teams in the future."

"Basketball shouldn't be like this. Like Lee, I am an old-school player. If we can't win the championship as a core player, the championship loses its meaning."

"."

The reporters in the audience nodded. The captain still had some class. Kidd's words showed the belief of an old-school star. As for whether he would be slapped in the face in the future, that was not something they considered.

Kidd and Carter also joined the discussion of "banding together". As the Christmas game approaches, the related topic becomes more and more popular.

The Supersonics team, which officially arrived in New York for the new season, were not interested in participating in this topic. After all, they were too young and had no say in the league.

With 5 wins and 17 losses, the Supersonics have begun to dive for the top pick, and basically lose every game.

The NBA league is very caring towards the new generation of stars. In this year's Christmas game, the Supersonics and the Trail Blazers also occupied a spot. However, the focus of the matchup between the two was greatly reduced because of Oden's injury.

On Wednesday afternoon, Durant attracted a lot of attention when he appeared at the Garden Arena wearing a green backpack.

Li You also took good care of the newbies and took the initiative to come to the locker room to visit Durant who had participated in the training camp. With the witness of reporters, the two of them gave each other a friendly fist bump.

“Kevin performed very well. It can be seen that he has been honing his skills. I am glad that the previous communication can help him!”

Durant has been questioned recently because of his low efficiency, poor shooting in some games, and poor playing style. Li You stood up and spoke out this time. The newbie was very grateful and bowed his head in front of the reporter and said:
"Lee taught me a lot of skills, he is the real GOAT!"

"Basketball doesn't lie. Compared to the Celtics, I support the Knicks more. I want to play like Lee. In the future, I will lead the SuperSonics to win the championship."

Sports reporters in Seattle have been worried about the team moving, but when they heard Durant express his "loyalty", everyone couldn't help but smile. This is the real core!
Yahoo Sports is very concerned about this "generation-changing genius", but they don't mind making things difficult for Durant:

"Kevin, if you keep losing like Allen Iverson, will that change your mind in the future?"

As a newbie, it was difficult for him to answer questions about seniors, but Li You smiled and patted Durant, who was a little nervous and embarrassed, and said meaningfully:
"God always takes care of some kids. Look at Kevin's height. This is his unique talent. He is not the same type of player as Allen."

"Maybe I will meet him in the finals in the future. We all know that young people will definitely take over the next era!"

Hearing this beautiful blessing, Durant couldn't hide the smile on his somewhat immature face. Although the goddess had it again, he temporarily forgave Li You:
“I don’t know if I can do it, but I will try my best to achieve this goal.”

"Although I am young, I don't like the current atmosphere of the league. I will never join a rival team. I want to win the championship through hard work!"

The Sonics were beaten by the Spurs not long ago. Although Duncan did not laugh at the newbies, Durant did not forget it and quietly mocked his seniors.
Looking at the confident Durant, Li You smiled and nodded in approval. He believed that this leek would not let him down!

Before the game, the two of them were bragging about each other's business. After the game started at 19:30, Durant found that his opponent actually helped defend him.
A lot of card-swiping and assisting defense and physical confrontation made Durant feel a little uncomfortable. When he encountered Li You who switched defense, he could only pull up for a jump shot for a while.

87:117. After the loss, New York fans applauded Durant. After all, it was the first time for many fans to witness a player of this height having such dribbling skills.

Durant was somewhat envious of the lively atmosphere of Madison Square Garden, but he still felt a little regretful that he couldn't see the goddess in tonight's game.

Walking slowly toward the player tunnel, Durant looked at Li You who was surrounded by reporters on the field, and thought of the blessing again. For a moment, he secretly encouraged himself:

"In three years, I will win the championship!"

(End of this chapter)