NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 547: Greetings from New York (Daily Chapter)

On April 2008, 4, the long-silent Philadelphia fans erupted again and sent the home team off to New York.
At the beginning of the season, the 76ers had a poor record, and head coach Cheeks had a tendency to give up, but there were too many teams diving for the No. pick, and at the end of the season, they found themselves only one step away from the playoffs.

At the call of local sports media and fans, the 76ers fought back in the final stages. Although they were almost defeated by the Pacers, they finally caught the last train!
In the last game, although the Pacers defeated the Knicks at home, their record of 34 wins still made their "efforts" in vain.

Coach Carlisle is likely to leave the team. After missing the playoffs for several consecutive years, the management must give an explanation to the fans.

The 76ers players who boarded the plane had different expressions. There was no joy on Louis Williams' face, and Iguodala, as the team leader, did not encourage his teammates. Both of them remained silent.

On the contrary, rookie Joakim Noah is particularly excited. Being able to play in the playoffs in his first season in his career is an invaluable experience!

Feeling the dull atmosphere, the newbie couldn't help but complain to the boss in a low voice. It was obviously a good thing, why did everyone have such an expression:

"This is the playoffs. It is said that many players have only played a few times in their entire careers. Why are people like this?"

The excitement on Joakim Noah's face was hard to conceal. He kept watching game videos and gave tickets to his relatives and friends over the past few days.

What surprised him was that many players on the team gave him the tickets for free, and no one planned to invite friends and family to watch the game. This made Noah a little confused, but secretly happy.

After getting on the plane, Iguodala started reading the newspaper. Iguodala is very popular in the team. When he heard the new question next to him, he patiently answered:
"You know, man, Philadelphia and New York are very close, and there will be a lot of New York fans at our home games."

"It's happened in the past, and it's never a good experience! Enjoy the playoffs, rookie, and once you go through it a few times, you'll understand how we feel."

Louis Williams, who was sitting in the front, turned his head. He witnessed Iverson being "beaten" with his own eyes. He had no hope for the playoffs:
"Lower your expectations! You have to understand one thing, a team that can win 60+ games cannot possibly lose in the first round!"

"Sorry, last year was an exception. The Mavericks played like shit. Their experience is not of reference value."

These words cooled down the "boiling" emotions. Joakim Noah grumbled helplessly for a few times, but in the end he did not refute, but just added stubbornly:
"Just winning one game is enough. We have to give back to the fans for their support"

Iguodala stopped talking and put on his headphones. The newbie still had fantasies. Look at Dalembert, the big guy has long been numb. Everyone knows that the playoffs are just a formality.

"8-time scoring champion"

I don't know when the Philadelphia Inquirer started to become "shaped like New York", and a lot of news in the sports section is about the Knicks.

Seeing that the column articles were all meaningless praises of Li You, Iguodala lost interest after taking a few glances. He didn't even get such treatment in Philadelphia. The basketball atmosphere of this city has been assimilated by the one next door.

The NBA league officially announced the leaders in various statistics this season at 0: today. The competition for the scoring champion is particularly fierce this time!
In terms of individual player total scores, Li You ranked first with 2381 points, LeBron James ranked second with 2320 points, and Kobe Bryant ranked third with 2313 points.

Since Kobe played 80 games in the regular season, James played 77 games, and Li You played 79 games, Li You won the award again in the end with a slight advantage in average points per game.

In the last few regular season games, James rested for one game, but he did not hesitate to take shots in most of the other games. It was just that the basketball was not going well, and in the end he helped his teammates consolidate their rebounding advantage.

Averaging 30.1 points per game, Li You won the scoring title for the 8th time in his career;

Averaging 13.2 rebounds per game, Dwight Howard was named the rebounding champion;

Chris Paul won the assists title with an average of 11.6 assists per game;
Averaging 3.6 blocks per game, Marcus Camby has won the block title for three consecutive years;
With an average of 2.7 steals per game, the steals title was also taken by Chris Paul.

For New Orleans fans, this season is a happy one. Paul's outstanding performance has made him the first "Queen Bee" after the move, and fans also have high expectations for the playoffs.

The eight Western Conference playoff teams are:
The 56-win Lakers, 55-win Hornets, 53-win Suns, 52-win Jazz;
The Rockets with 52 wins, the Mavericks with 50 wins, the Nuggets with 48 wins, and the Spurs with 48 wins.

Although the Warriors also won 48 games, the Spurs still squeezed into the playoffs when comparing the win-loss record. The competition in the Western Conference is very fierce.

The eight Eastern Conference playoff teams are:
The 69-win Knicks, the 63-win Celtics, the 58-win Cavaliers, the 56-win Pistons;
40胜的奇才队、38胜的猛龙队、37胜的老鹰队，36胜的76人队。

If they get 36 wins in the Western Conference, they will be ranked 13th after the Kings, but the competitive environment here is polarized, with both the strongest and the weakest.

The last team in the league this season is the Heat with 15 wins. Pat Riley announced that he would leave the position of head coach as soon as the regular season ended. As for his successor, it has not yet been announced.

After the small awards were announced, naturally some people were happy and some were sad. The next issue of Sports Illustrated will report extensively on Chris Paul. As the iconic star of Li You's training camp, the Queen Bee will be very popular this year!

Howard won the rebounding title with the help of his teammates. The Cleveland sports media was happy but also felt sorry for James. The Chosen One was just one step away from getting a "heavyweight honor."

The Cavaliers will face the Raptors in the first round, which is a friendly matchup. Chris Bosh and Spaghetti, who were not selected for the All-Star Game, are in urgent need of proving themselves.

Canadian sports journalists have begun to mobilize fans. They have entered the playoffs for two consecutive years. Considering that Vince Carter is out of date, they have no choice but to win this time!

In the first round of this year's playoffs, TNT will be responsible for broadcasting the Eastern Conference, while ESPN will be responsible for broadcasting the Western Conference. The broadcasters started warming up early.

In the past two days, the most discussed topic was the matchup between the Lakers and the Spurs. After Duncan left the team, he faced his old team in the playoffs and returned to San Antonio. Will the local fans "forgive" this big guy?
There will be a total of four games on Saturday, April 4th. Fans who want to watch grudge matches will have to wait another day. In addition to the Lakers, three teams in the upper half of the Western Conference will appear tonight.

NBA Countdown provides fans with the latest information one hour before the game, and also analyzes and predicts the game that night.

ESPN moved its studio back to its headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut this season, and the show's staff has been adjusted, with fewer big mouths talking nonsense and invited analysts to be more cautious in their comments.

Hannah Storm is a veteran female reporter and sports commentator. The ratings of her show this year are pretty good. The only drawback is that it is sometimes difficult for her to control the atmosphere in the studio.

Invited that day were Chris Mullin and Jalen Rose, who had been teammates on the Pacers and had suffered a brutal beating from the Knicks together.

Originally they were going to talk about the matchup between the Hornets and the Nuggets, but the topic got more and more off topic, and when they mentioned Iverson, they couldn't help but talk about Li You.
"Chris Paul's skills are very similar to Lee's, but he lacks some killer qualities. Paul in his rookie period has not reached Lee's level."

"Can you imagine Paul's buzzer beater against the Bulls? He can't even lead the team to Game 7. He will be taught a lesson by those old guys. Michael Jordan will defeat him!"

"Defeat him both mentally and physically!"

Jalen Rose, wearing glasses and shaking his head, speaks without thinking. Perhaps the highlight of his career is playing with the Bulls to a Game 7.

Chris Mullin, with gray hair, didn't give the host a chance. After his old teammate finished blowing the whistle, he continued blowing the whistle. He is also good at reminiscing about the past:

"Defense in the past is very different from what it is now. I recognize Chris Paul's ability to lead a team, but in terms of absolute strength, he still has a gap with second-year Lee."

"He can't make those exaggerated three-point shots, and his dribbling jump shot is not even as good as Lee's freshman level."

"One thing we don't talk about very often is that being able to shoot accurately is a talent, and Lee showed that in his rookie season, and now he has completely changed the sport."

"My numbers in the Olympics were good, but I was surrounded by great players at the time. Any professional player would find it incredible that Lee could put up the same numbers in the playoffs."

Chris Mullin, who participated in the Dream Team, had a shooting percentage of 61.9% and a three-point shooting percentage of 53.8%, but these were only the data from the two starting games.

The old guy was bragging about himself without realizing it. If you don't know him well, you might be shocked to hear his words.
As the host, Hannah Storm had to interrupt the two people's bragging and bring the topic back to the topic, asking the question that fans are more concerned about:
"The gap between the Hornets and the Nuggets is not that big. Facing Allen Iverson, do you think Chris Paul can lead his team to victory?"

Chris Mullin gave the topic to his partner. After a little thought, he gave his answer directly:
"I think the key to victory is that the Nuggets can limit the pick-and-roll of the Hornets, and the matchup between Paul and Iverson, both of whom have their own advantages." "The Nuggets' defense is worrying. They lose 107 points per game, and this defensive data ranks 29th."

"Only the Warriors are worse defensively than them, and the playoffs are all about defense."

"."

In the game that night, just as the commentators had predicted before the game, the Nuggets showed extremely poor strength on the defensive end.

106:116, the Hornets easily defeated their opponents at home and won this focus battle.

Iverson and Anthony both scored 30 points, but they were unable to stop the pick-and-roll between Paul, West and Kurt Thomas. Even Varejao, who came off the bench, was able to score frequently.

At the end of the game, New Orleans fans were cheering for the home team. It was their first playoff win since moving, which was definitely worth celebrating!

Anthony felt bad watching his younger brother happily being interviewed on the sidelines. After his idol came to the team, the Nuggets did not undergo any transformation. Instead, there were signs of a decline.

"This is only the first game! We have to stay focused, Bro! Don't doubt yourself, ok?"

After entering the locker room, Iverson glared at everyone and loudly reminded them that losing to a rookie was shameful for him, and they clapped their hands and kept giving out chicken soup.

Anthony returned to his seat and glanced around secretly, and found that his teammates were in a bad mood. Marcus Camby seemed to be in a trance. He made 9 of 3 shots and scored 8 points as the block leader tonight.

Anthony had a bad feeling about this series. As he looked at his idol who was giving him chicken soup, the thought that had occurred during the All-Star Weekend came to his mind again:
“Maybe the problem isn’t on my end?”

On Sunday, April 4, in the four games that ended last night, all the teams in the upper half won without exception.

Due to Yao Ming's back injury, he was forced to miss the rematch with the Jazz. McGrady played for 41 minutes, made 21 of 7 shots, 5 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and tried his best to get 20 points but still lost.

Bobby Jackson is a nightmare as a starter, and Dikembe Mutombo also has a hard time supporting the Rockets' inside line. If nothing unexpected happens, the Jazz will advance easily.

The Suns, who added O'Neal, did not give their old rivals the Mavericks any chance. The score was 91:109. Dampier, the top center in the Western Conference, was completely suppressed by the old shark.

In the only game of the Eastern Conference, the Wizards surrendered after three quarters. The intensity of the regular season even made some fans in front of the TV drowsy.

Fortunately, there are still highlights tonight. Both the "Big Four" and the "Grudge Game" are worth watching. As for the Knicks game, old fans know that it will definitely be a big win when they wake up the next day!
The 76ers, who had already stayed in the hotel for a night, once again felt the familiar contempt. No one reported on them. Apart from routine interviews, the newspapers were gossiping about the first playoff game in the neighboring city.

Since the "grouping" began, Li You's reputation has risen at an exaggerated rate, and the perfect "One Man One City Award" is a model for modern players.

However, sometimes there will be a situation where "one fan is against ten haters", and the questions asked by New York reporters are always unfriendly and even make people feel uncomfortable.

When Andre Miller came to Madison Square Garden to warm up again in the afternoon, he encountered trouble. The New York media, who like to dig up old stories, started gossiping about the past:
"Miller, do you regret rejecting Lee's offer? You had the opportunity to accomplish something great."

"."

Andre Miller looked at the New York Times reporter with a question mark on his face. This happened many years ago. He didn't want to be a substitute. Was it wrong for him not to go to New York?

"No one turns down a starting spot, I just want to win the championship with my own efforts."

"But now you have nothing. You haven't achieved the results you expected in Denver or Philadelphia."

After hearing this, Andre Miller's eyes twitched slightly and he began to suspect that the other party just wanted to make things difficult for him. For role players, the playoffs can be considered a success!
At 20 p.m., half an hour before the game, Madison Square Garden instantly became boiling as the home team players came on the court.

The low-key Iguodala began the final warm-up with a serious expression, but when he noticed the whiteboard in the hands of a New York fan wearing a white T-shirt near the front row, he couldn't help but curse:
"Shet!"

"Welcome To New York!"

A large number of fans held up white boards with colorful fonts and twisted their bodies happily. For loyal fans, Philadelphia is definitely a good opponent. It only takes a little time to go to the away game to watch it.

What made Iguodala even more unbearable was that when Li You came over to say hello, a look of nostalgia appeared on his face, as if he was recalling those "exciting" games of the past.

Near the center circle, Li You, dressed in training clothes, greeted his familiar old friends without any nervousness:
"We are back in the playoffs and we are facing the Knicks again. I think you must have remembered the confrontation back then. It was a time worth recalling!"

Louis Williams saw Li You coming over and patting the ball and ran away. The fact that his idol was broken left a deep impression on him. Iguodala forced a smile and raised his hand to bump fists:

"We're going to double-team you! You know, miracles always happen in the playoffs!"

"No, look at the flag in the sky. For so many years, we are the only ones who have created miracles. Enjoy the game, Bro!"

After saying this, Li You raised his eyebrows and left with a smile. Iguodala, who was speechless, felt even worse. He always felt that something was going to happen tonight.

Three days of rest was enough for both teams to recover, but the gap in strength could not be bridged. The 76ers had not won a single game since 96.
In the TNT commentary booth, after getting the starting lineups of the two teams, Doug Collins instinctively started to complain:
"How do Dalembert and Reggie Evans limit the pick-and-roll? This lineup has been losing by a large margin in the regular season. Andre Miller has a hard time limiting Lee."

"Maybe Coach Cheeks should try to lower his head. Every game is very important and the 76ers have little room for error."

Kevin Harlan was speechless as he looked at his serious partner. "You didn't think the 76ers would win, did you?" He had a question mark on his face and said euphemistically when introducing the lineup:
"If Willie Green can find his game form as soon as possible, the 76ers have a high chance of dragging the game into the fourth quarter."

"I respect this team, but it's a pity that Philadelphia is lagging behind in all aspects of the regular season data. Maybe they should try to give the rookies more playing time. This is a rare opportunity."

Although the commentators are required to remain neutral, everyone is aware of the situation in the Eastern Conference, and using meaningless clichés will only make the fans feel nagging.

At 20:30, the game started on time. Chandler, feeling depressed, jumped higher and pushed the ball back to the half court. The familiar cheers from the 76ers team followed:

"Let's go Knicks!."

New York fans also have rich playoff experience. Fans on one side wore white cheering T-shirts, and fans on the other side wore orange T-shirts.

The shouting seemed to break through the old arena, and the sound made the retreating 76ers feel uncomfortable. They hadn't played in the playoffs for several years.

At the top of the arc, Andre Miller just stopped and saw Chandler standing behind him. He subconsciously moved forward, and the moment he changed his center of gravity, Li You suddenly accelerated.

Holding the ball in his left hand, he accelerated the breakthrough, Li You started, Chandler followed, and the fake screen made Dalembert, who was preparing to assist in defense, unprepared.

The big man's awkward defensive position made head coach Cheeks on the sidelines shout loudly, but the players on the court couldn't hear the reminder at all, and Li You broke through to the free throw line in an instant.

As the basketball was thrown, Dalembert turned around and watched Chandler grab the ball in the air and dunk it with both hands!

"what!"

(End of this chapter)