NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 556 The End of "Lao Deng" (Daily Chapter)
On Sunday, May 2008, 5, several Detroit newspapers reported that several veteran Pistons players were preparing to retire.

In San Antonio, after Bruce Bowen announced his retirement, Robert Horry also announced his farewell to basketball this weekend.

The sudden retirement wave in the playoffs caught many old fans off guard, and Horry's comments in an interview once again sparked heated discussions:
"No one likes to play in an environment where they can only lose and never win. San Antonio is good, but the failures in the finals hurt me."

"I understand Tim and I'm honored to have witnessed his Spurs era, but the environment of the league has changed. As a veteran, I just want to leave and start a new life."

Compared with Bruce Bowen, Lynch Hunter and others, Horry is still lucky, at least he has won a championship.

Although the Spurs' experience was a complete failure, compared with most role players in the league, Horry can definitely be called a success.

Such a successful player actually expressed such an opinion. Many basketball critics began to reflect again, thinking that the Knicks seemed to have won too much?
The two Western Conference semifinals that night attracted much attention. The Lakers and the Jazz fought into overtime. The cheers of more than 19000 Jazz fans in the Energy Solutions Arena made Kobe a little lost.

Perhaps affected by the finger injury, Kobe's shots became worse and worse in the game, which forced Phil Jackson to request a timeout in overtime.

"Oh!!"

The excited shouts couldn't stop. With 2 minutes and 59 seconds left in overtime, the Lakers missed four shots in a row and made a mistake.

108:112, the Jazz seized the opportunity and took the lead again.

On the ABC commentary booth, Mike Breen and Mark Jackson were still discussing Kobe's condition. After coming to the away game, the Lakers failed to play the expected dominance:

"Tim Duncan is doing well, but now it seems that he has some issues with his stamina."

Mike Breen's words were more tactful, but Mark Jackson didn't have so many concerns. He took advantage of the timeout to once again point the finger at Kobe:
"If Kobe wants to win this game, he has to step up at this point. He has to get his shooting touch back as soon as possible, or pass the ball to Duncan in time."

"They still have enough time, and hopefully Kobe can make the right choice."

The fans at the scene shouted happily as if they had already won the game. Kobe, who returned to the bench, couldn't help but gasp for breath. He didn't expect his shooting touch to be so poor in the fourth quarter.

If it weren't for Odom's offensive rebound with 2.5 seconds left and Fisher's block at the last moment, the Lakers would have lost the game.

"If we calm down, our opponents will make mistakes, and what we have to do is make them nervous and then take advantage of those easy scoring opportunities!"

"3 minutes, we have enough time to win the game!"

Phil Jackson, who was sitting in front of everyone, spoke loudly and slowly. The old KFC man looked around at everyone and found that everyone was nodding, then he showed a satisfied smile.

Duncan, who was at the center position, was also taking deep breaths. He missed a close shot, which made him feel a little regretful. He also wanted to win the game as soon as possible, so he took the initiative to point twice on the tactical board:
"We need to improve the screen position, keep the opposing big man away from the basket, and use free throws to stabilize the game if we can."

Duncan gave a brief instruction, and soon the assistant coach and the old man from KFC agreed. They then looked at Kobe's face, who gave an affirmative answer, and the timeout ended quickly.

Back to the first offense on the court, as Andrei Kirilenko blocked Kobe's breakthrough, the Energy Solutions Arena was boiling again!
Duncan grabbed the frontcourt rebound and the Lakers reorganized their offense. Then Kobe missed a jump shot from outside the three-point line. The cheers suddenly got louder and the Jazz began to launch a transition offense.

For several consecutive rounds, the two sides were in a tie. After Kobe finally hit a long two-pointer, Deron Williams assisted Andrei Kirilenko to score 2+1 at the basket.

Seeing Deron punching in front of him to celebrate, Kobe's face turned even darker. In the remaining time, the special Mamba completely took over the game!

In the end, the score was 115:123. Thanks to Kobe's 7 of 1 shots and 5 points in overtime, the Jazz defended their home court again and the two sides tied at 2:2.

Duncan only took one shot in overtime and the team scored 7 points. Losing in this way meant that the team had to fast track through the player tunnel after the game.

At the Energy Solutions Arena, Jazz fans were cheering for the home team. Deron Williams performed extremely well tonight. After winning the game with difficulty, he kept bumping chests with his teammates to celebrate.

When interviewed, Deron, who was protecting his home court, was a little inflated. When talking about the team's performance in overtime, he jokingly said in front of the reporter:

"We know Kobe can't pass the ball. He likes to be a hero, but he is not Lee. The team's strategy was successful tonight!"

13中9，三分线外4中3，罚球8中8，29分3篮板14助攻2抢断1盖帽4失误，被问起自己的数据时，德隆表现得十分谦虚：

"In my opinion, I still make too many mistakes. Coach Sloan showed me a lot of Lee's videos, which helped me a lot!"

"As the team commander, I should control my mistakes. I will do better in the next game."

The Jazz were so excited that they kept waving to the fans. As they walked toward the player tunnel, Boozer high-fived the fans on both sides while muttering:

"I'm going to end this game! To hell with Los Angeles!"

The Jazz staff also felt the same way. No one has reported on them in the past few days, and most basketball commentators are discussing the Lakers' return to the finals.

After winning this game, everyone just felt happy, and those who "stick together" should not get any attention!
When attending the press conference after the game, Kobe returned to his expressionless look, and Duncan next to him also looked calm, as if the loss had no effect on him at all.

"Kobe, why did you shoot like crazy in overtime after your shooting percentage dropped in the fourth quarter? The Lakers have better options."

33中13，三分线外10中1，罚球10中6，33分8篮板10助攻1抢断3失误，科比的数据很好，就是命中率不足四成。

Hearing the question from the ESPN reporter, Kobe stared at him, once again showing his absolute confidence, and responded seriously:
"Because I firmly believe that the next shot will hit the target! I said, I never think about the statistics. This is how I play. I will keep attacking my opponent on the offensive end."

"."

This answer left many reporters speechless. "I just threw it" was basically unanswerable. The people at Fox Sports knew Kobe's character, so they simply asked Duncan at the side:

"Tim, should you have gotten more shots in overtime? We noticed you were just getting involved in screens more."

Duncan did not answer the question directly, but raised his eyebrows to everyone and said very confidently:

"There are many ways to win the game. This is just an attempt. It is better to lose in the semi-finals than in the finals. In the following games, the opponent will not have any chance."

Some Los Angeles reporters were delighted to hear such an answer. Sometimes they didn't want to see Kobe miss shots, and it was obvious that Duncan would take a shot later!
Kobe answered the subsequent questions one by one, and at the end of the press conference, seeing his new partner's calm expression, he finally took the initiative to take the blame:
"Bro, I screwed up, you know, sometimes I make some bad choices in the game."

Duncan did not blame his teammates. The two walked to the locker room, seemed to recall past experiences, and finally looked at Kobe and said seriously:

"The team needs someone to step up in the clutch, and I believe you can hit those response shots."

Kobe did not respond immediately to this trust. He smiled and patted his new partner. When he thought of his poor performance in overtime, he began to encourage himself secretly:

“I can definitely do it.”

In the game that was played simultaneously, the Suns once again protected their home court. The Hornets' outside line was collectively poor, and they only scored 82 points in the whole game, while the Suns scored 118 points.
Facing Chris Paul's attack, Steve Nash finally opened fire and played like a core guard.

There are rumors that head coach Gentry has a conflict with new general manager Steve Kerr and is likely to leave the team next season.

The TNT reporter wanted to gossip about this issue, but Nash denied it outright:
"Every player on the Suns team supports Coach Gentry, and we performed well in the playoffs. This is definitely a successful season."

Nash naturally meant what he said, but most sports reporters looked down on him, saying that the Suns were a "copy and paste" team and had no tactical system of their own.

After answering the routine questions, Nash smiled amid the cheers of the fans and signed autographs for the fans on both sides before walking into the player tunnel.

"I can score 35 points per game against Duncan, but these rubbish reporters can only make random comments!"

In the locker room, Stoudemire, who had taken off his jersey, was bragging loudly. As Duncan's old teammates retired, more and more media began to pay attention to the Spurs' former big man.

Stoudemire became outdated before he even had the chance to share his championship experience. No one cared about him. The "double-leak combination" was simply a humiliation.

After winning the game and returning to the locker room, O'Neal quickly took over the conversation, pretending to be a big boss, looking at the data and game results in his hands, and laughed loudly:

"Look at their news. My little brother is the most overrated player. No one cares about his inefficient performance. Reporters sometimes only watch the highlights."

O'Neal, shaking his head, stood up and imitated Kobe's posture. After sitting down again, he mocked again amid the laughter:
"If a real superstar's hit rate does not reach 40%, he will most likely receive more criticism, but Kobe will not face this because he is the team's second option."

"It was like this before, and it's like this now. In a few days, I will put an end to them with my own hands!"

The old Shark was boasting, and the locker room was full of flattery. Barbosa also followed suit to belittle Kobe. He was given special treatment in the America's Cup, and now he just wanted to strike hard. Nash, who returned to the locker room, did not participate in this topic. The situation of the Suns was not as good as he said. This signing caused a rift between the coaching staff and the management.

Many basketball commentators are saying that the current league belongs to the "veterans", but few people remember that Nash is also from the class of 96.

"The finals?"

Listening quietly to his teammates bragging and talking about the finals, Nash also felt a little longing. He is not young anymore and he would be satisfied with just one experience.

On Monday, May 5, ESPN's morning show once again helped fans review the NBA's best lineup of the season:
The best five players are:

You Li, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard;
The five best second team players are:

Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, Amar'e Stoudemire;
The top five players in the third team are:

Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming.

The Cavaliers' double first-team combination was recognized by basketball critics, who also praised Van Gundy's team-building ideas. It seemed that the "Big Four" were no match for them.

The show was full of praise and also continued to warm up for tonight's Eastern Conference semifinals. The Cavaliers are currently leading with a big score of 2:1. As long as they can defend one more home court, they will be able to eliminate their opponents!

The team's outstanding performance made Cleveland excited. At the Quicken Loans Arena, Cavaliers fans gathered outside the court early, and there were more and more calls for eliminating the "Big Four" and launching an attack on the championship.

Before the game started that night, Jeff Van Gundy was full of energy and the worry on his face had disappeared. He looked extremely confident and was particularly strong when facing the reporters:

"Basketball games are not won by piling up stars! The Celtics have an excellent lineup, but they have too little time to get used to each other."

"If we only talk about playoff experience, our young players are not inferior to our opponents. Their absolute talent plus rich game experience are the reason why we can beat our opponents!"

"We will not miss this opportunity in tonight's game. I saw the extremely enthusiastic Cleveland fans. They are the best sixth man for the Cavaliers."

When it comes to polite talk, Van Gundy becomes more and more confident. As long as they win the game tonight and get the match point, the series will be over. As a championship coach, he will not give the opponent a chance to turn the tables!
The atmosphere in the Cavaliers' locker room is getting better and better. James greeted his teammates cordially. His offensive efficiency was poor in the series, but he also successfully limited Pierce on his opposite number.

In the defensive battle, Howard became the focus. His excellent physical fitness crushed the old man. Coupled with Ilgauskas' central support, the Cavaliers have completely gained the upper hand.

"They're done! Guys, we're going to put an end to those old guys! The whole city is supporting the team, there's no reason for us to lose tonight!"

James, who had changed into his training clothes, was giving out chicken soup in front of everyone, and when he said this, an excited look appeared on his face.

Daniel Gibson and the others naturally responded actively. Howard also made strange noises and even hummed an off-tune tune, grinning and laughing:
"Double team! Let these old guys have a taste of our power!"

In the chaotic atmosphere, everyone's emotions were getting higher and higher. When assistant coach Thibodeau entered the locker room, he was relieved to see the players' confident appearance:
"Don't make mistakes! Attack the basket firmly. Remember, this is our home court. Go and win."

"Oh!!"

With the dual encouragement of fans and chicken soup, in the game that night, Gooden and Gibson on the Cavaliers bench both exploded, relying on suffocating defense, and won another game at home.

75:87, the moment the game ended, the cheers almost broke through the Quicken Loans Arena, the score was 3:1, they had secured the victory!

Many fans were shouting Van Gundy's name. The champion coach suppressed his excitement and came to the technical table to shake hands with Rivers cordially:

“It was such a great game!”

Although it was due to the home court whistle, the 12 points in the fourth quarter made head coach Rivers look gloomy. This was completely different from what he expected. The Cavaliers' defense was ridiculously strong.

"Congratulations, but the series isn't over yet."

Forcefully forcing a smile, Rivers responded forcefully, and when he saw Van Gundy grinning smugly, he turned away in anger.
On the bench, hearing the fans shouting the name of his old partner, Thibodeau did not feel jealous, but relieved. It was the best outcome that Van Gundy could continue to lead the Cavaliers.

"Tom, see? There has never been any problem with our tactical system. In just a few years, we will be able to break the Cleveland curse!"

When entering the player tunnel, Van Gundy couldn't wait to blow X with his partner. He seemed extremely excited. His persistence and hard work paid off.

Thibodeau patted his old partner on the shoulder and couldn't help but smile. He was the only one in the current coaching staff who could understand this feeling. The success of the Cavaliers made the two of them feel particularly accomplished:

“Yes, we made the right choice!”

"."

The atmosphere at the Quicken Loans Arena was hot. Meanwhile, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which could accommodate more than 2 fans and was playing in the Eastern Conference semifinals, some fans had already left early.

The attendance of Game 4 was a bit poor. Ever since Rodney Stuckey gave a "poor performance" in the last game, most Pistons fans were discouraged and the team was completely finished!

The Detroit Free Press and several mainstream media outlets are still "singing praises" for general manager Joe Dumars, but paid columnists have already shifted the blame to head coach Saunders.

In fact, this routine has been played out by Philadelphia. The slogan "Trust the process" has become a joke for the New York team to laugh at each other.
With 1 minute and 20 seconds left in the game, there was no more booing in the Palace of Auburn Hills. Hamilton, who made another free throw, was also replaced and the game entered the countdown.

"It's a shame that the Pistons, who had an excellent regular season record, can only be eliminated in the semifinals again this year."

"Injury became a turning point in the series. I don't know where this team will go in the future, but at this moment I just want to pay tribute to them."

In the TNT commentary booth, Doug Collins made his final comments with a serious expression. In his opinion, these two home games were simply Rodney Stuckey's nightmare.

"Li made 13 assists in three quarters and grabbed 7 rebounds. His defensive performance tonight was impressive!"

Kevin Harlan commented on his personal performance in a light tone, reconfirmed the statistics, and almost laughed out loud. After adjusting his mood, he continued:

"He fouled out in the third quarter, made 6 of 8 shots, and scored 2 points from free throws. I believe that after this series, Rodney Stuckey will grow rapidly."

"."

The Pistons fans in front of the TV had probably already changed the channel. At the Palace of Auburn Hills, the screaming seats in the back were empty. It seemed that only the Knicks' bench was cheering and celebrating in the entire arena.

As the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, the free throw battle finally ended with a score of 113:84. The Knicks defeated their opponents and swept the Pistons 4:0 to advance easily.

"Shhh!!"

Seeing the small Barea throwing the ball into the air, the angry Pistons fans at the scene burst into boos again, and many people started swearing.

Li You, who changed into training clothes early, had a smile on his face and kept high-fiving his teammates on the bench to celebrate. Rondo, wearing an orange headband, was a little excited as he was going to play in the divisional finals again.

After a set of fancy gestures, Rondo couldn't hold back the smile on his face anymore. He took the initiative to hug Li You and expressed his gratitude loudly:
"Now I just want to thank you, Boss. Although I am a rookie, I know how difficult the regional finals are. I learned a lot!"

Li You punched the rookie in the chest, turned his head to look at the Pistons fans who were starting to attack from behind the bench, and laughed and joked:
"If you can make 33% of your three-point shots in your four years as a rookie, you will win four rings!"

"Don't be stressed, man! Even if you can't reach this level, I can make you the best point guard in the league!"

Unlike when he first entered the league, after hearing these words, Rondo subconsciously nodded seriously. He completely believed what Li You said, and he was absolutely sure that no team in the league could beat the Knicks.

Every atmosphere group received kind encouragement from Li You. After all, everyone had worked hard for a quarter and they always had to drink some "chicken soup" after the game.

On the Pistons bench, Rasheed Wallace was wearing a towel, sitting in his seat, leaning on his knees with his hands, looking autistic.

"Do you still want to play in the damn New York, Bro? I've had enough. If they continue to win this year, I swear, I won't watch any NBA games in the next three years!"

Lynch Hunter's defense was completely broken, and his black face was full of anger. Wallace looked up at his teammates and said self-deprecatingly:
"Going to New York? Do you think Li really welcomes the old guy? Damn it, he's the old guy's nightmare!"

Lynch Hunter, who had thought about hugging thighs more than once, immediately lost his temper when he heard the fact that was exposed, and he looked extremely frustrated:
“Why am I going through this?”

(End of this chapter)