NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 558: No more championship coaches. (Van Gundy chapter)

On Sunday, May 2008, 5, as championship coach Jeff Van Gundy blasted the Game 18 referee in front of the media, the Eastern Conference semifinals Game 6 became more and more popular!
The NBA league actually has a scripted arrangement. In certain games, the league will pay special attention to some teams.

Since the rise of television broadcasting, as a mature commercial league, the NBA has to be responsible for advertisers. If the ratings drop, advertisers will not buy it and the sponsors will not be interested in the game.

NBC gave up the broadcasting agreement because of a sharp decline in advertising revenue. After TNT and ESPN/ABC took over, the ratings were poor in the first few years, which led to excessive intervention of referees in the game.

Only the most innocent children will believe that the NBA is a pure competitive sport. Old fans know that only big markets can truly enjoy "fair treatment."

Cleveland fans were collectively defeated after the game as they encountered a foul crisis in their own home court.

Complaint calls, letters, and emails continued to fly to the league. In order to give fans an explanation, the referee report finally appeared this morning, and the relevant content clearly admitted the mistake:
"Foul at 4:8 in the 57th quarter. The referee's decision was confirmed to be wrong after reviewing it. Kendrick Perkins first pulled Dwight Howard."

"At 4 minutes and 2 seconds in the fourth quarter, Kevin Garnett's defensive position was not problematic and LeBron James committed an offensive foul."

The content of the report is very interesting. To sum up, the referee did make a mistake, but both sides missed and misjudged the calls, which had no clear impact on the outcome of the game. The league will continue to improve the penalty standards in the future.

After seeing the official announcement, the Cavaliers fans became even more angry. Is it "fair" that they have to play a seventh game away from home? Did the league treat Cleveland as a fool?
For a while, local sports media started a war of words again, and Twitter became the best platform. The more intense the quarrel, the more people came to watch. In just two days, the number of users experienced another explosion.

Bill Simmons, Boston's most famous columnist, personally stepped in to lead the discussion. Due to character limits, he could only update a short sentence on Twitter:

“The tough Boston Celtics never make excuses.”

Just one sentence almost caused the comment function, which had just been opened, to crash. People were agreeing, insulting, watching the show, and chatting about S in the comment section.

A local Cleveland media person who had just registered on Twitter also responded quickly:
"Basketball doesn't lie! Justice will prevail!"

Supporters of both sides came out and started to confront each other on the Internet. The "grouping" still depended on the referee. Some spectators stood on the side of the Cavaliers. The "Big Four" were naturally annoying.

Against this backdrop, the competition, which started at 15:30 that afternoon, became increasingly popular.

ABC, as the broadcaster, is already very happy. If all the games were swept like the Knicks did, advertisers would have run away long ago. A Game 7 would attract more people to watch the game.

At 14:30 in the afternoon, Boston fans began to gather near the arena. ABC sent out its best broadcasting team. In the back studio, host Stuart Scott took the lead in fanning the flames:
"We've been discussing this for two days, and now this strange point of view comes up again. Is Coach Van Gundy's success a coincidence?"

"I'm sorry, I have great respect for Coach Van Gundy, he is the founder of the New York dynasty, he discovered Lee, he led the New York team to 60 wins and also maintained many records."

"But looking back at all this, it is not difficult to find that the biggest factor in the Knicks' success may be Lee's joining. You know, in the 96 playoffs, New York lost to Chicago in the semifinals."

After saying this, Scott smiled darkly, pushed up his glasses, and looked at his partner on the other side. The bald Jon Barry cursed in his heart, saying that he would offend others no matter what he said:
"The Cavaliers lost Game 6. In my opinion, it was more because of the young players' lack of experience. You know, they were leading by half the game!"

"LeBron James is not Lee, nor is he Michael Jordan. He is just a young man who is showing his talent. In such a tense environment, it is understandable that he performs poorly."

Scott was a little disappointed, this didn't answer his question at all, and then he looked at his other partner.

Michael Wilbon smiled in front of the camera. He had some health problems in recent years, which caused him to gain some weight.

This makes his bald head look a bit greasy, but his big mouth remains unchanged, and he is like a veteran basketball commentator:
"I agree with Jon and I have great respect for Coach Van Gundy, and as you all know, I always praised that Knicks team when I was at the Washington Post."

"But we also need to respect the objective facts. Coach Van Gundy was not as successful in Cleveland as he was in New York. He began to stay away from the finals and was unable to lead his team to beat the Knicks."

"You have to know that he is the founder of this team. No one in the league knows Lee better than him. As a result, we all see that the Cavaliers keep losing."

"Maybe we should re-examine Lee's experience. You know, he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year in the league. In my opinion, only Magic Johnson's rookie season was better than Lee's."

"Lee is not Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson to win the championship, but Lee made Van Gundy the head coach."

Michael Wilbon, shaking his head, officially fired at the championship coach. Although he did not explicitly question the so-called coaching level, the implication of his words was that Van Gundy was currying favor with him.

Jon Barry glanced at his partner secretly. People in the industry knew that if you said something bad about Li You, you would basically not get first-hand information, but Michael Wilbon was the first to openly lick his reputation.
Scott finally showed a satisfied smile on his dark face. This was the answer he was expecting. After receiving the director's prompt, he faced the camera and gave another preview:

"The Cavaliers' closed training has just ended, and coach Van Gundy is currently allowing players to be interviewed. Jon, which team do you think has the advantage in tonight's game?"

Jon Barry had to give his opinion seriously without any hesitation:
"Anything is possible in a tiebreaker. The state of the players is very important in a decisive game. The Cavaliers are younger and have a physical advantage, but the away environment can easily affect the emotions of the young men."

"If the game enters the fourth quarter, I expect LeBron James to stand up!"

"Just like Lee's buzzer-beater against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, James needs to make his signature play in the playoffs to officially announce that the era of the youngsters has arrived."

Michael Wilbon immediately gave a different perspective, no matter who his partner supported, he would sing the opposite tune:
"The Celtics are clearly more advantageous back at home. Boston fans will become their best sixth man. The veterans will not miss this opportunity!"

"I have to give credit to Kevin Garnett for his tough performance. He was outstanding and inspired the whole team with his energy."

"."

The analysis in the studio was still going on. Michelle Tafoya had already interviewed Van Gundy before the game. The $5 fine did not make the champion coach calm down. He barely controlled his emotions:

"I didn't pay attention to the referee's report after the game because the game was over!"

"I have been telling my players to stay focused these past two days. Basketball doesn't lie. The boys are in great shape and everyone is eager to win."

Michelle Tafoya did not make things difficult for the championship coach. After all, this was the last game, and no matter whether they won or lost, there would definitely be a big news after the game.

In the home team's locker room, Rivers was also making the final mobilization. This game was too important. If he lost in the semifinals, he would be completely finished and the Celtics would definitely fire him.

"Hey! Listen, think back to your past experiences, think about those days when you kept losing, think about those media reporters who looked down on you!"

"Now you have the opportunity to change everything. You are only one victory away from creating a miracle. There is no reason for us to lose. We must win!"

“Win the semifinals, win the divisional finals, and finally win the championship! Then receive all the praise and say goodbye to the failed past.”

"."

When it comes to excitement, Rivers even opened the collar of his white shirt, looked at everyone's eyes, and the chicken soup master raised his arms and shouted:

"No one can stop us, no one!"

"Come on, Let's go!"

Marbury was the first to be ignited by the "chicken soup". He had lost too many times. After hearing what his coach said, he now just wanted to prove himself. He wanted to take back the title of "Son of New York".

"We will win! We will always win!"

Looking at Marbury shouting loudly, Garnett quickly responded and shouted along with him. For a moment, the locker room was in an uproar, and the excited emotions made up for the physical disadvantage.

Ray Allen was not as excited as his teammates, but he also clapped his hands at this time. He also could not accept the result of the team being eliminated in the semifinals.

With the greeting of "Let's go'", Rivers became more and more excited. He did not discuss the tactical details. Now he just wanted to give some chicken soup for the soul. He decided to leave the game to the players.

At 15:28 p.m., the TD Garden was already boiling with sports reporters gathering in Boston, and the time to eat spectators was about to come.

The noise in the arena made LeBron James, who was near the center circle, a little nervous. This was his first time encountering a Game 7 since entering the league, and the old guys on the opposing team were glaring at him.

The smile disappeared from Howard's face as he was preparing for the jump ball. They had clearly already got the match point, so why did it end up like this?

As time came, Howard and Garnett jumped up and the Cavaliers got the ball. The Boston fans at the scene immediately responded:
"Shhh!!"

Amidst the boos, a somewhat nervous James was in a pick-and-roll with his teammates at the top of the arc, but Pierce seized the opportunity to squeeze past him and steal the ball from behind. Cheers immediately resounded throughout the arena. Pierce gritted his teeth and rushed forward after stealing the ball. James, who lost the ball, reacted very quickly and rushed into the paint area and flew into the air. He was the first to arrive and blocked the shot from behind.

"Oh"

Seeing both players fall out of the baseline, some fans couldn't help but cheer, but the referee didn't say anything. It was obvious that he relaxed the penalty standards tonight.

The first round set the tone for the game, with brutal screens and tough delays. James was surrounded and blocked when he made a pick-and-roll, and Howard also wrestled with Perkins in the penalty area.

As Pierce successfully played two singles to help the team get into the game, the Cavaliers soon ran into trouble and did not score for nearly 3 minutes.

Every missed shot would cause cheers. Van Gundy on the sidelines could no longer hold back and could no longer maintain the airs of a championship coach. He wished he could go on the court and play himself, and he loudly reminded his players in every round.

The same thing happened to Rivers on the other side. He walked back and forth on the sidelines, screaming from time to time. He didn't want to leave!

Howard made one of two free throws to help the Cavaliers open the scoring game, and soon James started scoring again, combining breakthroughs and shots to keep the score close.

By the end of the first quarter, thanks to Pierce's outburst, the score was 1:16 and the Celtics temporarily took the lead.

The violent atmosphere on the scene made the two people in the ABC commentary booth particularly engaged. Mark Jackson also praised the "devil's home court" at this time:
"Boston fans are awesome, they made the Cavaliers lose themselves in the roar! Pierce carried the offense well, and the Celtics seemed to have made the right adjustments!"

Let Pierce play singles while others wait to receive dunks or rush for rebounds. Such a simple tactic has produced amazing results. All the fancy screens and moves in the past disappeared tonight.

Mike Breen didn't expect the Cavaliers to fall behind. After seeing the technical statistics, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Howard needs to pay attention to his free throws. In a tiebreaker, every point will affect the outcome of the game."

Before the second quarter, Jeff Van Gundy tried to stay calm in front of the camera. When asked about tactical adjustments, he instinctively gave some chicken soup:
"Rebounding is very important, the boys did a great job! Stay focused, we have to seize those easy scoring opportunities!"

"."

During the rotation phase, the Cavaliers only replaced Gibson, and the rest of the main lineup was still there. Tonight was the time to play the full 48 minutes, and the Celtics' veterans also gritted their teeth and persevered.

James and Pierce were at loggerheads, and both of them kept helping the team score points. Every goal they scored would cause bursts of exclamations. The score gap could not be widened at all, and Howard also began to fight desperately.

By the end of the first half, the score difference was narrowed to 46:48, and the NDRC became increasingly noisy.

The lenient refereeing standards turned the second half of the game into a complete melee, with tugging becoming the main theme of the game. As time passed, all the players on both teams became more and more nervous.

When the game entered the fourth quarter, Van Gundy's voice was hoarse on the sidelines, and Rivers on the other side even had sweat on his head.

The score difference has been around 2 points. Every time the Cavaliers took the lead, the Celtics would always respond. Neither side had players who could continue to explode, and the alternating rising scores made the players even more nervous.

With 16.5 seconds left in the game, James stood on the free throw line again and made both free throws, successfully tying the score.

Rivers used the last timeout as the head coach. He looked at the players walking to the bench and applauded to encourage them. Without any special tactics, he took out the prepared tactical board and said loudly to Pierce:
"Pau, we have enough time to end the game, be patient! We won't pick and roll for you, one-on-one, deal with them!"

"I can do it! I swear, I can do it!"

Pierce, sweating profusely, agreed immediately. It was not until this round of series that Rivers really found his instruction manual. Now he has to prove himself.

Ray Allen didn't get many opportunities tonight. The Celtics didn't want to give the opponent long rebounds, so they reduced the tactical proportion of three-pointers.

The timeout ended quickly. Marbury looked at his old teammates and Garnett, greeted everyone, gave some simple encouragement, and quickly walked into the court. At this moment, he was also a little nervous.

There was enough time to easily kick the ball out from the sideline, and by the time Pierce came to the left wing with the ball in his left hand, Garnett was already standing at the free throw line, and everyone cleared one side.

The timer went by very quickly. Facing James' defense, Pierce on the three-point line dribbled the ball between his legs continuously and suddenly raised his center of gravity to pretend a breakthrough. After the physical confrontation, he immediately stopped.

James slid in time and continued to slide when he saw Pierce accelerate again to break through. Pierce, who squeezed out half a body distance, did not force the attack, but suddenly changed direction under his hips.

"oh!!"

The moment he shook off the defense, cheers broke out in the stadium. As James stopped and moved sideways, Pierce took advantage of the situation to turn around and completely passed the defense.

At the bottom left of the basket, Pierce leaned forward, held the ball with his left hand, ignored Howard's assisting defense, and leaned forward to make a layup!
The TD Garden Arena suddenly became extremely quiet. The basketball flew towards the backboard and finally hit the rim and bounced out. Before Ilgauskas, who had squeezed into the inside, could rush to grab the ball, the referee blew the whistle a beat late.

"Fake!!"

Van Gundy on the sidelines jumped up and down, his face flushed with anger, and he rushed to the sideline referee, complaining loudly:
"My players didn't commit any fouls! Damn it! You should go watch the replay now! Don't explain to me, watch the replay!"

The coaches of both teams crowded around the technical table. Rivers noticed that the referee was about to change his decision, so he immediately rushed over and shouted:
"Hey! My player was knocked down. What are you hesitating about? Pay attention to the movement of his left arm. It's clearly pressing down!"

Howard, James and others also surrounded the referee. Garnett and Pierce tried to separate the two sides. The players on both sides knew how important this penalty was, and they almost started a boxing match after they started to quarrel with each other.

After watching the replay for more than two minutes and determining the remaining game time, when the referee announced that the original decision would be upheld, the NDRC Garden Arena was instantly boiling:
"oh!!"

There were 3.7 seconds left after the clock returned. As long as Pierce made both free throws, they had a great chance of completing the reversal.

Van Gundy, who was pulled back to the coaching seat, had already forgotten the image of a championship coach. His hair on both sides began to deform, but he still complained to the referee.

"Calm down, man! We still have time, enough time to win the game!"

Thibodeau held his partner tightly and kept muttering to himself. When Pierce made both free throws, Van Gundy cursed angrily and the Cavaliers called their last timeout.

"oh!!!"

Everyone on the Cavaliers' bench stood up, and the Boston fans in the back were cheering loudly, with some people even muttering non-stop.

Van Gundy, who had just calmed down, sat in front of everyone. The moment he took out the tactical board, his brain suddenly became uncontrollable and all his confidence disappeared. He instinctively doubted whether the tactics would work.

James, sweating profusely, discovered that his coach had lost consciousness. Fortunately, Thibodeau reminded him in time, and Van Gundy finally came back to his senses:

"Double screen, LeBron, you make the final attack and catch the ball at the top of the arc"

It was a very routine tactical routine. 3.7 seconds was enough to complete a dribble shot or a dribbling breakthrough. Howard wanted to say something, but James interrupted loudly and immediately responded:
“I can do that.”

When the timeout ended, the NDRC was boiling again, and when the fans discovered that the Cavaliers' sideline ball tactics had been exposed, they shouted excitedly.

There was a crazy delay, and Garnett felt that he had all his strength. He rushed out of the three-point line after chasing James. Seeing that he was about to make a mistake, Delonte West hurriedly kicked the ball to the far end.

When James was forced to receive the ball away from the three-point line, Garnett, who was entangled in defense like an octopus, did not give his opponent any chance and slid quickly.

The two rushed to the left wing, and James was forced to drift and shoot. When the basketball hit the back edge of the basket, the time ran out.
"what!!!"

The atmosphere team all rushed into the venue, squeezed next to Garnett, hugged him and shouted continuously. Rivers was so excited that his face turned black and red. After hugging the coaching staff behind him, he punched repeatedly.

On the other side of the court, Van Gundy stood there in a daze, as if he still couldn't believe that the Cavaliers had been reversed, 95:97, the game was over.

Maybe it was because the Celtics hadn't won a playoff game in many years, the Boston fans at the scene were shouting excitedly, as if they had already won the championship.

Van Gundy stared at the Celtics celebrating wildly. At this moment, he suddenly recalled the 98 Eastern Conference Finals. After Li You defeated the Bulls, he also celebrated like this:
"It's over, Tom, it's over, I'm a joke"

Looking at his distraught partner, Thibodeau could only pat his shoulder, and watching the Celtics celebrating wildly, with a look of nostalgia on his face, he whispered to comfort him:
“It’s just one playoff round.”

(End of this chapter)