NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 604 "Efforts do not equal recognition" (no protagonist chapter)

2008年12月11号星期四，当晚凯尔特人队124:86大胜奇才队后，成功拿到了13连胜！

Seven players on the team scored in double figures, and no player took more than 14 shots. The "Big Four" and the deep lineup depth were clearly revealed, so much so that after the game, Pierce said in an interview:

"We won the game before we even got into the game!"

"."

The big win over the Wizards was not surprising. After all, after Arenas suited up, the team dived for the No. 4 pick and currently has only a 16- record.

The commentators knew they would lose, but they didn't expect the Celtics to win so easily. They were simply a carbon copy of the Knicks.

Being able to crush weak teams with ease is the hallmark of a defending champion. If you study it carefully, you will find that the Knicks' back-to-back record is not that good, but they are the most consistent in crushing weak teams in the league.

Although the Celtics had an excellent record last season, they did not fully demonstrate this quality. Now that they have made their best start in recent years, basketball critics have commented on social media:
"Another championship-level team has been born."

Playing for only 30 minutes, Ray Allen made 13 of 8 shots, 7 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and 3 of 2 free throws, scoring a game-high 22 points and performing extremely well.

However, when attending the post-match press conference, unlike Pierce who also scored 22 points but became more and more inflated, Ray Allen was still the same and did not feel happy about the results:

"It was just an ordinary regular season game. Our opponents suffered injuries. Winning is not worthy of praise."

"We still haven't done anything. I hope everyone can maintain this state. The team needs home-court advantage in the playoffs."

Pierce, who was about to give a big praise, was a little unhappy after hearing this. If he didn't campaign hard at this time, how could the fans vote for them?

"The Celtics will continue their winning streak! I feel great, we are better than last year!"

"."

When asked about the winning streak, Pierce boasted again that after the Pacers' Troy Murphy tipped in the buzzer beater against the Lakers in the final moments and the Knicks lost to the Nets away, the Celtics were the only ones to maintain their winning streak.

The "Big Four" have been in the limelight recently, and Pierce is still working hard for the trophy. Now he desperately needs the support of the fans, and naturally he doesn't like Ray Allen's cold water operation.

As there is a back-to-back game at home tomorrow, the two did not accept any more personal interviews after the press conference. Pierce, who was wearing a loose formal suit, saw his teammates' calm appearance and could not help but complain in a low voice:

"Ray, you have to learn to speak up for yourself. The league has changed. If you just play hard, you won't get any attention."

"If they want to hear us talk about the record, then we can talk to them. Only then will there be news about us in the newspaper the next day."

"You don't want to be ignored! Does anyone remember that you made it to the Western Conference Finals in the past?"

The external environment does make old-school players feel unfamiliar. The emergence of advanced data and more cloud-based commentary have made the media only focus on those with better data. Ray Allen has naturally experienced this:

"What do you want to say? We will definitely lose the game and wait for these bored reporters to laugh at us?"

"I'm not Kobe, I can't say that, and I'm not interested in pandering to that behavior."

Seeing Ray Allen continue to pace without any emotion after saying this, Pierce felt even worse. He just likes to get attention. What's the point of winning without showing off?
"You're always like this! You don't say anything, and they just report it randomly. Kobe is indeed like a clown, but he succeeded and everyone pays attention to him!"

"Is anyone still reporting on Iverson? He lost again, but there is no news because he lost his confidence. Man, you have to adapt to the league. Everyone needs more attention."

Pierce spoke with a dry mouth and a hoarse voice. He was afraid that he would "disappear" silently like Iverson.

Pierce dedicated almost his entire career to the Celtics. Only after the "Big Four" formed a team did he enjoy the joy of victory. He didn't want to become obsolete in silence.

More than one person has said these words to him. Ray Allen shook his head as usual, then quickened his pace and responded seriously again:
"I would rather be forgotten than be a clown for people's entertainment!"

"Everyone is talking about Lee's Presidential Medal of Freedom right now, and I don't think too many people will pay attention to our news."

"."

Even after returning to the bus, Pierce still maintained his "emoji" look. The atmosphere group was enjoying the victory, and even Rivers was happy about the winning streak:
"hey-hey!"

"We did it! We surpassed all our opponents even though no one was optimistic about us. I hope we can keep winning and expand our lead before the All-Star Game!"

"I'm so proud of you!"

Glen Davis screamed when he heard the encouragement from the head coach. Tony Allen was also a little moved. The head coach really gave them opportunities. The atmosphere group all felt the "family-like warmth" in the team.

Garnett, who was sitting at the back, also had a smile on his face. Actually, his physical condition was not very good and he was a little tired, but affected by his emotions, he pounded his chest to show his respect to everyone.

Seeing his teammates happy, Marbury felt comfortable. The side effects of core technology seemed insignificant in the face of victory. He liked to hear praise:
"We can always win, Bro!"

21 wins and 2 losses, such a wonderful start to the new season. Marbury has never felt this kind of feeling of victory before, and now he just feels full of joy.

The next encounter with the Knicks will be on the 21st. Before that, the schedule is not tight. The atmosphere in the bus is "hot". Garnett, who was infected, couldn't help but brag:

"To hell with that shitty medal! When we win the championship, the first black president in history will invite us to the White House."

The real boss of the team began to make crazy promises. As emotions surged, everyone felt their hearts burning with excitement. The real champion had to be summoned by the black president.

TNT broadcast the game between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz that night, but since Oden was injured in New York, he became a glass man again and was absent from the national live broadcast, making the game boring.

In the studio after the game, the trio briefly commented on the game and then began to review the recent "happy moments", with unlucky Al Horford and Derrick Rose on the list again.

In the game between the Knicks and the Hawks, every time Horford switched defense on Li You, he was either broken through or shot in the face. His attempt to limit the pick-and-roll by switching defense completely failed.

After Howard served as a background board many times in a game, Horford was not spared and became the "source of joy" for fans recently.

As for the rookie Rose, his personal performance was mainly poor. The United Center was rarely full. The Bulls fans who were looking forward to "revenge" witnessed the whole process of the rookie being beaten.

整场比赛13中4，三分球3中0，罚球6中3，罗斯只拿到11分4篮板5助攻4失误的数据，并且几次上演突破上篮被李佑大帽的场面
Soon the three of them talked about last night's game. Charles Barkley was full of admiration and praised Vince Carter for the first time this season:

"The Black Mamba has bared his fangs! I like Carter's recent performance. Many people forget how good he is!"

整场比赛出手32次，卡特从比赛开始就进入了“曼巴模式”，最终32中11，三分球14中5，罚球12中8，砍下37分7篮板5助攻2抢断4失误。

98:106, the Knicks' first score of the new season was less than points, Lee Woo-jin Blacksmith was possessed, and the winning streak was ended.
Kenny Smith couldn't comment on this game. Carter took too many shots, and Li You made 26 of 12 shots, also scoring 37 points. Both teams didn't play very well, but the Knicks played worse in back-to-back games:

"I think coach D'Antoni should reduce some of the three-point shooting tactics. A large number of three-pointers are inaccurate, which is the fundamental reason for their loss."

"The Nets took 27 shots from beyond the three-point line, while the Knicks took 38 shots. Lee and Carter accounted for almost half of the three-point shots, which was unimaginable in the past."

"Data experts may approve of this offensive choice, but basketball is not a simple math problem. Often, inaccuracies can be contagious!"

Ernie Johnson, who was sitting between the two, smiled. In his opinion, the Knicks just hadn't played against the wind for too long and the role players were not doing well.

However, the fans are so fierce now that as a basketball commentator, I can only criticize it in a tactful way: "I agree with Kenny's point of view. This extreme tactic will undermine the stability of the team. The Celtics, who have maintained their winning streak, do not rely entirely on three-pointers. Perhaps this is the reason why they have achieved such an excellent record."

If it were a few years ago, Charles Barkley would probably accuse Li You of taking the lead in throwing the ball recklessly, which is also the view of the mainstream media, but winning too much has begun to make traditional basketball commentators lose confidence.

As a well-known loudmouth, Charles Barkley did not agree with his partner's words. Facing the camera, he widened his eyes and made an assumption:
"What would happen if the Knicks could make three-pointers the vast majority of their games?"

"I know the Lakers are still sticking to the triangle offense, and the Celtics also have a lot of high-low tactics, but we don't know what kind of performance they can play in the playoffs."

"I support Lee, maybe he can break the three-point shooting record he has created for many years!"

"Even if he shot 13 of 5, Lee's shooting performance was still above the league average. He was so good that we all had higher expectations of him."

"."

Somewhat surprised by his partner's performance, Kenny Smith didn't expect that Big Mouth had completely turned into "Li Chui". As soon as the other party finished speaking, he immediately teased:

"It seems that you support Lee to win the MVP again? I think LeBron James and Kobe Bryant need this award more."

Although the Cavaliers lost the game, James did not lose. He still ranks second in the MVP rankings. As for Kobe, he is just a runner-up every day. It will still be difficult for him to win the award unless he proves himself again.

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"Their record is better? Their statistics are better? We can't give sympathy votes to players just because they work hard!"

"If Kobe can limit Lee one-on-one in the Christmas game and lead the team to victory, I guarantee that I will call for him to vote. What he has to do first is to prove that he is the best player on the team."

Talking about this old topic, Charles Barkley talked endlessly and even automatically ignored James. After all, the chosen one is not as popular as the Mamba.

Watching the two people arguing again, Ernie Johnson sighed in his heart. In fact, he wanted to discuss Li You's award, but this topic was a bit sensitive and many black fans expressed their dissatisfaction.

Thinking of the recent storm of public opinion, the senior TNT host finally chose to avoid it.

The Knicks begin their Western Conference road trip on Saturday, first facing the Kings, who are 6-17 and ready to tank, and then facing the tepid Suns on Monday.

Since there are only two games next week, Li You simply missed them. He took advantage of the award ceremony on Thursday to go to Washington and take care of the Happy restaurant which had just opened.

No matter how the outside world doubted it, the Knicks continued to throw three-pointers crazily. Facing the bottom team, Rondo even got his first triple-double in his career, with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 4 turnovers!

105:90, after the game on Saturday, Knicks fans launched another strong attack on social media, starting to madly confront the "one-game theory haters"!
Rondo's agent Bill Duffy also immediately praised his players on social media and "secretly" recruited them:
"There is no doubt that Rondo can serve as a core guard. He is a natural conductor on the court. His championship experience can transform a team."

This is not the first time that Bill Duffy has advertised, and the Knicks don't care about it. Whoever wants a championship guard has to pay the price.

In Monday's game, Rondo failed to continue his magical performance. Chalmers, who came off the bench, also performed poorly and was instead controlled by the experienced Nash to find the rhythm of the game.

David Lee, who started consecutively, was also beaten by Stoudemire, and Chandler fouled out at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

In the end, O'Neal showed his great power and was not afraid of "Hack-a-Shaq". He made 12 of 6 shots and 18 of 11 free throws, scoring a game-high 24 points and also got 14 rebounds.

98:109, after winning, the Suns fans were overjoyed. After almost 12 years, they finally defeated New York.
The substitute combination of Fernandez and Barbosa performed well. In comparison, JR Smith was ineffective again, and his "away game bug" performance has become a routine.

After the game, the cheers at the American Airlines Arena continued. O'Neal, who was sweating profusely, smiled happily. He was very satisfied with his physical condition, but he regretfully said in an interview:
"I love the Christmas game, but I'd rather play against my little brother on that day."

The Lakers' good form made O'Neal jealous. In fact, he was worried that the Knicks would lose the Christmas game. He really couldn't bear to see Kobe win the MVP:

"This should be the best physical condition in recent years. I must thank our medical team. The victory over the Knicks is not worth celebrating. Congratulations to my good brother Lee, it is an achievement he deserves!"

When the reporter next to him took the lead and talked about the recent MVP issue, O'Neal couldn't wait to give his own opinion, grinning and laughing:
"If Kobe wins, I will auction off my MVP trophy. I can't accept a role player getting this award!"

"You heard it right. He was a role player in the past, and nothing has changed now. Tim Duncan is the real core. My little brother can only play next to the MVP."

"."

On Tuesday, O'Neal's public mockery of his former partner was reported by many sports media, but only the Los Angeles Times supported Mamba as always.

That night, the Lakers challenged the Heat away. In the final moments, Wade made one of two free throws, and Kobe failed to make a buzzer-beater. The score was 87:88, and Los Angeles suffered its fourth loss of the new season.

Duncan seemed a little tired, making 11 of 5 free throws throughout the game, Kobe made 24 of 12 and scored 28 points, but Wade on the opposite side performed better:
25中13，三分线外4中2，罚球10中7，35分6篮板3助攻3抢断2盖帽5失误，闪电侠拿到全场最高分。

The hard-fought victory caused cheers to ripple through the American Airlines Arena. With 12 wins and 12 losses, the Heat had a mediocre record, but Wade was particularly excited after winning. After successfully defending Kobe, he rushed directly to the technical desk:
“This is my house!”

Pointing at the floor with both hands, Wade shouted passionately. Kobe, who had lost the game, had a dark face. He simply shook hands and left quickly.

Wade is also in full swing in the new season. If it weren't for Li You, his multiple 30+ performances would definitely be discussed by more commentators instead of being reduced to a background board like now.

Seeing his good brother James steal the show, Wade felt a little aggrieved. When he heard the question about MVP during an interview on the sidelines, he immediately put his hands on his hips and said seriously:

"If we're only discussing individual performances, I should be discussed more!"

"MVP? I only support Lee! Maybe Kobe tried hard, but he couldn't limit me. I scored 35 points, as you can see, I performed better than him!"

"."

Kobe, who was attending the press conference, felt even worse when he heard various "disrespectful" questions. With such an outstanding record of 21 wins and 4 losses, he was not recognized.

If Kobe didn't want to meet these reporters at all, he would be fined if he refused the interview. After being asked impatiently, he simply said in a sullen voice:
"The Lakers are ranked third in the league, with a small margin of victory. We are first in the Western Conference. You should show respect instead of asking boring questions!"

"Go watch the video, I've won the championship, you should respect me!"

The more Kobe "resisted", the more excited some reporters became. Soon TNT changed the subject and asked maliciously about the Christmas game:
"Kobe, will you beat Lee on Christmas Day? How many points can you score in the matchup?"

"I'm going to win the game. I never play for stats, whatever you want to write."

Seeing Kobe leave the court in anger, the reporters in the audience were even happier. They had been fanning the flames since the beginning of the month. They were looking forward to the direct dialogue next week and had prepared their manuscripts in advance.
As the Lakers were preparing for an away game against the Magic, the atmosphere was very quiet when they boarded the bus. Kobe was sulking again, and it was finally Fish who consoled him:
"I don't think the trophy is important, Bro. This is the closest we've been to a championship in recent years. Everyone believes in you."

Fisher was considered a leader in the locker room, but Kobe was furious and didn't show any respect to his old teammate. He remained silent. He couldn't put down the trophy and thought it was all the fault of unscrupulous reporters:
“Why doesn’t anyone recognize me?”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom Award Ceremony will be held in the East Hall of the White House at 17 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday the 10th. After Li You and his party underwent security checks in advance, they were arranged to stay at the Blair House.

He was not supposed to live here, but some personal "friendship" played a role, and Li You lived here for a few days with peace of mind.
It is usually a place where dignitaries from various countries are received, and the president will also stay here before taking office. The girls as family members are a little curious about the new environment, but at night, they feel bored.

Ivana was still choosing the last dress. Melinda watched the young girl change clothes with great interest and immediately joked:

"Clay should like the red one, it looks sexier!"

"."

(End of this chapter)