NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 544 The advantage is mine! (Daily chapter)

On Sunday, March 2008, 3, the NBA announced the Player of the Month for February:
LeBron James from the Eastern Conference and Kobe Bryant from the Western Conference successfully won the award.

The joining of Tim Duncan put the Lakers on the right track, and they achieved a record of 2 wins and 13 losses in February, and the team began to launch the final charge towards the first place.

科比场均出场39.5分钟，场均拿到27.2分5.0篮板5.9助攻2.1抢断0.7盖帽3.3失误；

He averaged 18.4 shots per game, shooting 50.7% from the field, and 4.4 shots per game from beyond the three-point line, with a three-point shooting percentage of about 33.3%;

He averaged 8.0 free throws per game and made 88.3% of his free throws.

When seeing this data, some online fans who have not paid attention to Kobe for a long time were also shocked. His efficiency is much higher than before. Such performance can even make it into the top 3 of the MVP rankings!

LeBron James, who won the Player of the Month award, had the same stats as Kobe Bryant. The Cavaliers lost after the trade, but still had a record of 2 wins and 10 losses in February.

场均出场41.5分钟，场均30.2分8.9篮板8.5助攻1.9抢断0.9盖帽2.8失误；

The shooting percentage was 49.8%, the three-point shooting percentage was 32.8%, and the free throw shooting percentage was 70.7%.

With nearly 4 more shots than Kobe, the two's stats are almost the same. James has found the playing style that suits him best and does not affect Howard, and his stats can still rise.

The efficient performance of the two also made the fans feel that the Player of the Month trophy was well deserved. As for Li You's data, the commentators are no longer paying attention to it, as the MVP has long been locked in.

In the past two years, the NBA league would tirelessly give Li You small trophies, but after giving him the Player of the Month award this season, there has not been much expression of gratitude, as more and more young players have begun to win awards.

Those who are familiar with the selection rules will easily find that this is a signal that Li You will once again hold the MVP trophy.

LeBron James, who won the Player of the Month Award for the second time, was cheered by Cavaliers fans at the Quicken Loans Arena that night.

Although the record is not as good as "Lao Deng", third place is not bad either, and the future is bright!
Howard has won the monthly player award this season, and James has won it twice. Although Li You is ahead of him in the scoring list and record, the "Chosen One" himself is very satisfied with such results.

With 39 wins and 20 losses, if nothing unexpected happens, the Cavaliers will secure the third place. There is a high probability that they will face the Celtics in the playoffs. The fans are full of confidence about this!

After all, it is better to face the "Big Four" than the Knicks. The Chosen One has never won against Li You.
It is almost a foregone conclusion that he will lead the team to 50 wins again, and Van Gundy has also proved his coaching ability. However, the championship coach has been in a bad mood recently and kept yelling after the game started.

With 23 wins and 35 losses, the Bulls seem to be in trouble again this season. Although they still have hope of making the playoffs, no one is optimistic that they can go further.

Ben Wallace eventually stayed with the team, but head coach Jim Boylan failed to solve the problems left by his predecessor after taking over. At the end of the season, the fire-fighting coach had to leave, and the Bulls will reorganize again in the offseason.

People are in high spirits when good things happen. Although the Cavaliers had injuries and their younger brother Gibson could not play, on this award-winning night, James was in full swing, shooting from inside and outside, constantly showing his talent!
If Howard hadn't made 6 of 1 free throws in the first half, the Cavaliers would have ended the suspense of the game. At 38:52, the Quicken Loans Arena was filled with James's shouting:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

14中8，罚球8中7，半场砍下23分的詹姆斯走向全通道的时候脸上带着笑容和球迷碰拳。

New kid Delonte West followed Howard all the way and started yelling when he entered the locker room:
"Maybe we can catch up to Boston. The old guys must be feeling the pressure!"

45 wins and 13 losses. Since the Celtics' schedule was not tight at the beginning of the season, the veterans were able to hold on, but as injuries occurred, the record fluctuated.

Delonte West played in Boston during his rookie season, but became dissatisfied after being traded. The expressive rookie shouted the slogan of "revenge" after joining the Cavaliers.

Cleveland fans like this, and everyone is very welcoming to West.

Howard returned to his seat and waved his fist in frustration. His muscles seemed to have taken away his shooting touch. Free throws were now all up to God. Tonight's poor performance was an unanswered prayer:
"Second place? It just means I have a home-court advantage. I don't mind playing away at North Shore Gardens!"

"I don't care about their championship banners. Have they won one in the last 10 years? If historical records are any indication, the Knicks should be going fishing every year now."

The inflated Howard talked about the Boston media's way of exaggerating, which caused everyone to laugh. Ever since they defeated the Celtics, they have looked down on those "Old Dengs" who stick together.

Howard even imitated Garnett, pounding his chest twice, staring at James and saying:

"Get that damn basketball in the hoop, everybody gotta fight!"

James grinned at his partner's imitation show. He did have a psychological advantage against the Celtics. Although this was not in line with the coach's plan, it was the best result at the moment:
"Third place isn't bad, 22 games left, take care of yourself, Bro!"

Ilgauskas was patted on the shoulder by his warm-hearted "little brother" and immediately looked at James. Noticing Gooden who was silent on the side, the veteran eased the atmosphere in the locker room:

"LeBron is right, we have to get into playoff shape early, and if we don't have a chance to get home-court advantage, then we have to focus on our bodies."

Although Gooden was frequently used as a bargaining chip and was extremely dissatisfied, as long as he was still playing for the Cavaliers, he had no choice but to compromise, tilt his head in the direction of Big Brother, and then gave his own advice:

"We should listen to the coach and polish our defense. We have a lineup advantage this year."

Compared with the Celtics, the Cavaliers seem to have more people playing on the bench. Although Gooden has no confidence in dealing with the Knicks, the Cavaliers have accumulated advantages over other teams.

Wally Szczerbiak, who just joined the team, has not been able to get a word in. He accompanied Durant in training in the Supersonics, and here he helps the Chosen One to support the offense on the bench.

Although the roles don't seem to have changed much, the Sonics have low tactical requirements and rely entirely on stars. The Cavaliers have a complete tactical system, and Szczerbiak is still adapting to the team:

“Who will we face in the first round?”

Another veteran player who stayed on the team, Donye Marshall, shook his long hair after hearing the question, and then whispered about the situation in the Eastern Conference again:
“You may not know it when you’re in Boston, but the teams in the top half of the playoffs can easily get past the first round.”

"So now everyone is only thinking about the opponents behind them."

"."

The competitive environment is very different from that of the Western Conference. Szczerbiak raised his eyebrows. The situation in the Eastern Conference playoffs made him feel uncomfortable. The polarization seemed too serious.

After the start of the second half, LeBron James continued to play with even more firepower, which completely brought the atmosphere of the Quicken Loans Arena to a climax.

84:110, at the end of the game, Luol Deng, who made 13 of 3 shots, had a dark face. After a simple greeting, he quickly left the court.

Ben Wallace had been sitting on the bench for a long time. He stood up with his lips pursed. Without even looking at Howard who was celebrating happily, he turned around and walked towards the player tunnel. He felt depressed and muttered:
"Damn you rookie!"

Howard made 11 of 4 free throws, but grabbed 13 rebounds. Ben Wallace was almost completely suppressed, which is why the Bulls wanted to send him away. His decline could not keep up with the team's rhythm.

James, who was being interviewed, did not mind the veteran's behavior and spoke boldly in front of the reporter:
"After the trade, the team is getting better and better. If we only get third place in the Eastern Conference, we can accept it."

"You know, the Cavaliers are a young team. Maybe the veterans are more experienced, but our talent is unstoppable!"

"The Cavaliers will gradually get into playoff form, and everyone is ready."

This is the first time in recent years that James has boasted in front of reporters. In the past, when facing the Knicks, the Chosen One was very humble.

"The advantage is mine." This is the confidence that the Chosen One reveals to the fans.

Most Cleveland fans like to hear such bold words. The Knicks can only be strong for a few more years and then they will be able to break the curse. Time is on their side!

"Oh!"

In the boiling arena, perhaps only Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff were the calmest. The championship coach was somewhat silent after the trade.

Originally he missed Li You a little, but after getting the "advice", Van Gundy couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in his heart.

Li You draws his own tactics, controls the game himself, and now wants to arrange his career. Van Gundy will never accept this. Now he just wants to deal with the "Big Four" and win a game in the divisional finals.

Appearing at the press conference for the first time after the trade, Van Gundy looked serious and did not directly answer some questions, but he clearly refused to be a "commentary booth":

"I'm still young and I love this job very much. I have no plans to do commentary in the future."

“Champions are not a fluke. Maybe you are optimistic about Boston, but young people can always create miracles. I believe you should be very familiar with this!”

Seeing Van Gundy, with dark circles under his eyes, pretending to be cool on the stage, some reporters couldn't help but nod their heads. They had indeed witnessed the whole process of Li You's heavy punch to the old man's basketball. Van Gundy's words were very convincing. No one refuted him. Van Gundy felt happy for a while and subconsciously smoothed the wrinkles on his suit. At this moment, he was still the youngest coach to win four consecutive championships:

"I'll make it!"

Monday the 3rd, because of another back-to-back away game at the end of last month, Li You simply returned to Peninsula Manor on Sunday.

Li You was in a good mood after getting up early in the morning to make breakfast. The two energetic little ones were running around around the dining table, making the two middle-aged female housekeepers nervous.

The 2-year-old Alvin has become even cuter, with brown hair and big eyes. He doesn’t cry or make a fuss, and even babbles and smiles when being hugged.

Due to work, Kim doesn't have much time to take care of her children, but she loves her son very much. On the contrary, Scarlett is always angry with Zell who cries a lot. In the words of the succubus:

"Boys should be sensible."

But the little guy is cute, and a group of people will care about him as soon as he cries. It is probably because he likes to be a "conspicuous person", and the succubus can't do anything about it.

After kissing the little one who followed him twice, Li You looked at the sleepy Scarlett, then glanced at the energetic Kristen Ritter, and walked over to her and whispered jokingly:
"Did you sleep poorly last night?"

She raised her head and kissed him. After being kissed, the succubus sat on the chair contentedly. She kissed the little guy twice more and said depressedly:
"I've been having some insomnia lately. Maybe I've been reading too many newspapers. The Wall Street Journal's report is completely opposite to what it was a few months ago."

The real estate market was booming in the past two years, but now reporters have revealed that many people cannot afford their mortgages, and a large number of houses have been sold, including some high-quality assets.

Scarlett's own wallet was fine, but her family was troubled. Even though her father took over the project of transforming the Peninsula Manor's sea island, he was unable to recover his previous investment.

"Honey, I haven't heard from Goldman Sachs. Is that a good thing?"

The little follower was carefree. She didn't give much money to her family and didn't invest at all. She was responsible for dressing up beautifully and taking care of the store every day, and taking pictures by the way.

"Of course it's a good thing. Remember to go to the cafe more often in the next few months!"

Li You kissed the little follower who blinked his big eyes. Since emails might be monitored, the most primitive way was used to deliver some messages. Happy Cafe was the best meeting place.

The succubus sighed while tearing the bread. Sometimes she regretted accepting her mother's guidance, but it was difficult for her to refuse the care of her family. Maybe she could be freer if she lost this time.

Feeling a comfortable massage on her shoulder, Scarlett immediately leaned her head on Li You. She heard the caring comforting voice in her ears, and her mood improved. She subconsciously pulled the big hand onto the huge white body.

After her soft body was kneaded, she let out a long sigh. Before the succubus could act coquettishly, she suddenly found Zell looking at her obediently in the seat. She quickly pulled her nightgown, turned her head and glared at her, threateningly:
"Eat your meal obediently! Don't cry today."

"."

The Knicks suffered two consecutive losses at the end of last month, losing to the Raptors and Magic respectively.

The outbursts of Spaghetti and Lewis were beyond the expectations of New York fans. The violent three-pointers made many people feel "crisis", and the New York fans were also worried about being hit in the face by a boomerang.

51 wins and 8 losses. Although the team has already secured a spot in the playoffs, the fans watching the game were even more engaged after returning to their home court.

When the team is leading the Celtics in the record, Li You will "slack off" appropriately in away games. This overall basketball approach will inspire his teammates' sense of responsibility and allow the atmosphere group to be more involved in the game.

At 19:30 p.m., Madison Square Garden was packed. After the away game, the holiday began, and D'Antoni left the game early again tonight.

The Hornets flew here from Washington in the middle of the night. They are currently on an away trip in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 39 wins and 19 losses. After losing to the Wizards last night, their record has been overtaken by the Lakers.

The noisy arena gave head coach Byron Scott a headache. The outside public opinion made him feel pressured. Falling behind in the second half was definitely not the result he wanted:

"Shoot! David! Stop passing the ball!"

Yelling at David West who was retreating, Byron Scott couldn't hold back after seeing the inside pass go wrong. It would be hard to explain after three consecutive losses at home.
"Oh!"

During the transition offense, the stadium was filled with loud noises again. Seeing Li You rushing across half court and making a big in and out with his left hand to trick Paul away, the shouting became even louder for a while.

Li You swayed to the right and then to the left, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated, pretending to break through. When Paul slid to catch up in time, he suddenly stopped and dribbled the ball behind his back.

The Hornets' defense had just completed the matchup, and Peja Stojakovic had to follow Prince to the right corner. After receiving the instructions, Morris Peterson also followed Raja Bell.

Paul noticed the movement behind him and thought that Li You was waiting for the big man to come up. He was distracted for a moment and the basketball in front of him suddenly changed direction.

Li You dribbled the ball between his legs and switched to his left hand. Without waiting for Chandler to set the screen, he instantly changed direction in front of his body. Paul instinctively reached out his hand, but it was empty. The unnecessary defensive action made him lose his position immediately.

Watching Li You squeeze past him with the ball in his right hand and accelerating, Paul wanted to remind Kurt Thomas, but in the paint area, he could only open his mouth because of the step-and-shoot shot he made while moving.

Perhaps the continuous away games made him a little tired. In the first official match of the season, Paul didn't know whether Li You had become faster or he was in poor physical condition.
"MVP second also needs to stay focused. Do you want to be a background player in the Sports Centre?"

While serving the ball from the baseline, Li You teased the newbie beside him. Paul was a little annoyed. This time he dribbled with significantly more force and sprinted even faster.

After receiving instructions from the head coach, they became more determined in offense, still using the pick-and-roll with David West at the top of the arc and their signature combination, and Paul briefly broke away from the entanglement.

Facing Gasol's seemingly pure defense, Paul, holding the ball in his left hand, pretended to pass the ball on the ground while moving. He shook his left wrist, and the basketball bounced back quickly, and with the force of the rebound, it suddenly went straight into the basket.

"Oh!"

The New York fans in the front row could see clearly that the shake was extremely confusing. At the same time, Paul was so fast that he broke through Gasol's defense in almost the blink of an eye.

When approaching the lower left side of the basket, Paul did not slow down. He took a step forward and jumped with his left foot. He leaned forward, completely shook off Gasol, held the ball with his left hand, and tried to lay up the ball.

The basketball flew out of his hands. Paul in the air heard cheers again, and then a strong force hit him from behind, and then his eyes went black.

"Snapped!"

Li You, who was chasing after Paul, also leaned forward when he flew into the air. He was the first to arrive and pressed the ball on the backboard with his left hand. Paul, who lost his balance, immediately fell out of the baseline.

There was no time to complain to the referee. When Paul stood up, Li You had already rushed across half court. The Knicks switched offense very quickly. After receiving the ball, Prince immediately found his teammate on the left wing.

Raja Bell didn't even look at the frame after receiving the ball. When the big man rushed into the paint area, he passed the ball to Li You who was "lagging behind".

Paul, who had caught up in the half court, had no time to defend and was still one step away from the three-point line. Li You caught the ball at the top of the arc and threw it.

"Oh!"

The basketball went into the net and cheers resounded throughout the stadium again. At 13:21, Li Youlian scored 5 points and the score gap was instantly widened.

With 6 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first quarter, coach Scott requested a timeout. It was too difficult to win tonight, and Paul was completely at a disadvantage.
The offensive problem was briefly solved after the timeout, and the Hornets stabilized their position as David West once again hit his signature mid-range jumper at the free throw line.

But tonight Peja was possessed by the blacksmith. As time went on, he missed shots from beyond the three-point line. After being counterattacked many times, he gave the Knicks free throws with more than three minutes left in the first quarter.

Paul watched the score difference gradually widen, and he became anxious. Li You seized the opportunity again. He was at the top of the arc, turned around suddenly, and then broke through with the ball in his right hand.

Only half a body length behind, Paul slid desperately, but was squeezed into the paint area by Li You, and then the assisting Varejao gave him another free throw.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

This game was hailed by the New York media as "a direct confrontation between MVPs". The fans at the scene read the newspapers and cheered even more happily when they saw that the Hornets had no power to fight back.

With 1 minute and 58 seconds left in the first quarter, Paul, who was somewhat out of defense, took a shot directly from outside the three-point line. He was caught by the referee and had to leave the court early.

At 19:33, Li You continued to shoot free throws. Coach Scott on the sidelines sighed inwardly and took the initiative to hug his disciple:
"Chris, you did a great job! You are the MVP of the Hornets"

Paul forced a smile and nodded, then walked to the bench with some frustration. He returned to his seat and took the towel. Looking at the energetic Li You, another thought came to his mind:
“Will there really be a decline in the future?”

(End of this chapter)