NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 628: "AI" cannot give an "answer" (7700 words chapter)
On Thursday, April 2009, 4, at 16 p.m., NBA TV officially launched its Eastern Conference playoff preview program, which also served as a warm-up for subsequent broadcasts this year.

In odd-numbered years, TNT will be responsible for the Eastern Conference Finals. Considering that the Western Conference is not competitive this year, great efforts have been made in this year's broadcast to provide fans with a better viewing experience!
Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello will handle the playoff broadcasts;
Craig Sager, David Aldridge, Cheryl Miller, Mark Fein and Pam Oliver are handling early game interviews.

TNT gave a preview early in the morning, and this time the playoff broadcast was considered a "win", with most fans paying more attention to the Eastern Conference games.

After Turner Sports officially took over the operation of NBA TV last year, the studio, like TNT, moved to Atlanta.

Although the program's ratings are not as high as ESPN's, as the official TV station, there are still many fans who love this program. Of course, this does not include Los Angeles fans, because the program staff are all "Lee fans."

The host, Ahmed Rashad, used to be the host of NBA Inside Stuff and worked at NBC for many years. He started in 90 and praised Michael Jordan and Li You successively.
After the program was officially restructured this year, the permanent guests are all Li You’s old rivals, Chris Webber, Steve Smith, Eric Snow, and Gary Payton.

Of the above four people, Webber often mocks Kobe, and Steve always recalls his confrontation with Li You when he was on the Hawks and Spurs;

Eric Snow would often complain that it wasn't that he was too bad, but that Li You was too good. Gary Payton occasionally made sarcastic remarks, but most of the time he was just bragging, and he also boasted about how he had beaten the Knicks twice.
After the show was broadcast this year, it received complaints from Kobe's die-hard fans, who believed that the content was unfair, but unfortunately, several people refused to change it.

It is impossible to expect these veterans to praise the new generation of players. After all, they have lost a lot. Only by praising their opponents to the sky can they prove that they are not that weak.
The veterans who hold the power of discourse guide the direction of public opinion, which indirectly leads to the lack of popularity of LeBron James and Dwight Howard, as the old guys are unable to empathize with the newbies.

The regular season ended, and the leaders in various statistics were naturally born. At the beginning of the show, Steve Smith, who was wearing a striped suit in the studio, exclaimed loudly in front of several people:
"74 games, 2840 points, 412 three-pointers, 38.4 points per game, Lee's performance is incredible."

"There is no doubt that the playoffs will still belong to Lee, and I can't think of any way for his opponents to do that."

Eric Snow, who was standing by, also showed a serious look on his face. As soon as his partner finished speaking, he immediately added:

"In my opinion, it is a miracle to hit 5 three-pointers in every game. Considering that Lee played very little in some games, the new record is not his limit."

Ahmed Rashad, who was sitting in the middle, turned his head to look at the two people on his right, smiled, and motioned for them to speak. Chris Webber immediately spread his hands and joked to the camera:

"What can I say, man? Now I just want to wish Allen good luck! If I were him, I definitely wouldn't want to face Lee again!"

"Lee will definitely destroy him in the matchup. I can understand the feelings of Detroit fans. No one wants to witness this scene on the spot."

All three of them were blowing the trumpet. The bald Gary Payton said "Yee" in a pretentious manner, and then he started to find fault as usual, showing the superiority of the old-school players:

"69 wins, 67 wins, the record is very good, but I still have to say that the current league is too soft. Some teams don't want to win at all. They have lost their passion for basketball!"

Payton, who has a high-pitched voice, appeared a little angry in front of the camera. After a brief pause, he complained about the fishing team's record:

"The Wizards only won 18 games and the Kings only won 17. God, this is an insult to basketball. Every opponent can win against them!"

"There are six teams in the entire Western Conference with less than 6 wins. We didn't play like this in the past."

The other three guests agreed at the same time. Ahmed Rashad smiled again, and then followed the current events to tease the league's news:
"The president told us that the NBA has successfully weathered the economic crisis this season, and our attendance is still better than the 06-07 season, which is the third best result in history!"

"."

A joyful atmosphere suddenly appeared in the studio. In fact, the statistics were correct, but the polarization in the league was particularly serious this season, and teams like the Nets and Wizards, whose attendance rates were poor, were averaged out.

The director also once again showed the fans in front of the TV the situation of this season's playoffs:

In the Eastern Conference, half of the teams have around 30 wins, but at the end of the season, the competition for playoff spots is not fierce, otherwise the Pistons would most likely not be able to catch the last train.

69-win Knicks vs. 37-win Pistons, 67-win Cavaliers vs. 38-win Bulls;
60胜的凯尔特人队VS40胜的76人队，45胜的老鹰队VS44胜的热火队。

There are three 60-win teams in the top half, which makes the Western Conference look weaker in comparison, with the Lakers dominating the conference:
67-win Lakers vs. 44-win Suns, 51-win Nuggets vs. 45-win Rockets;
50-win Trail Blazers vs. 48-win Jazz, 50-win Mavericks vs. 48-win Hornets.

The Spurs ended up with only 43 wins, lost consecutive games at the end of the regular season, and ultimately missed the playoffs. The fans in San Antonio were so frustrated that many of them followed Popovich's call and began calling for Duncan to return home.

The competition among the six teams led by the Kings is also extremely fierce. Everyone is playing badly just to accumulate talent, which makes the gap between the playoff teams and the fishing teams huge.

Both the Eastern and Western Conferences are polarized, and this is reflected in attendance, where the winner takes all and the underdogs are getting weaker and weaker.

"What do you think about the MVP? LeBron James has won the Player of the Month award three times this season and led his team to 67 wins. His personal statistics and record are also very good."

"."

Since the four games on Saturday were between the top two teams in the East and the third and fourth teams in the West, Ahmed Rashad also had to warm up for the Cavaliers. After praising them, Gary Payton spoke first:
"If there is no Lee, I will vote for James. The best record in team history is excellent. From this point of view, his performance is better than Kobe."

“Losing the trophy may not be a bad thing. It will give the youngster extra motivation and I look forward to seeing him challenge the defending champion.”

Chris Webber laughed again. Whenever he talked about the Lakers, he was always sarcastic. This time was no exception. He took over the conversation and mocked secretly:
"James should not be compared with Kobe. The best player of the Lakers is Tim Duncan. I will vote for the young man and hope he can lead the team to break the championship curse of Cleveland."

Soon several people joined in on the topic. Eric Snow did not forget to praise Wade. The Flash played in 80 games, averaging 30.5 points per game, which was an outstanding performance.

When talking about Saturday's first-round matchup, Steve Smith suddenly claimed that he had received some gossip and gossiped on the show:

"Someone told me that after the end of last season, the Pistons had already split up, and Rasheed Wallace might be looking to leave, and some teams have already contacted him."

Some people speculated that it was the Celtics, some thought it was the Lakers, but no one said it was the Knicks. Gary Payton seemed to recall some unpleasant experiences and spoke sourly again:
"If I were Rasheed, I would choose to play in the West."

Chris Webber deliberately teased the other party halfway through the conversation and asked back with a smile:
"Why not go to the Knicks? I think this is the most suitable destination. The defending champions are making an effort to win their eighth consecutive championship."

Payton, feeling sour in his heart, quickly brought up the "dignity of veterans", "no respect for collecting rings", and "champions have no effect on veterans".
For a moment, the studio was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and everyone once again felt that Li You's rejection of the veteran was the "right" thing to do.

On Friday, April 4, the John Condon Media Studio on the sixth floor of Madison Square Garden was bustling in the morning.

The one who is close to the water gets the moon first. The headquarters is not far away, so the award ceremony is very convenient. In the presence of a large number of sports reporters, Li You and Chandler, dressed in black suits and "red scarves", received the crystal trophy.

Although the trophy was customized by the players' union and the workmanship was a bit rough, Chandler, who won the award, smiled happily.

He averaged 13.6 rebounds per game this season, beating Howard to win the award. He failed to "brush" the opponent last year, but he made a comeback this year.

Although the sports reporters at the scene congratulated Chandler, they were more concerned about the upcoming "grudge game", especially after Iverson made his "retirement statement", everyone became more interested.

"Tyson, it is said that Rasheed Wallace is interested in coming to New York to play. Do you welcome him?"

Every season, there are veterans who want to come to New York. Chandler has seen clearly that the team does not welcome old men at all:

"If this is true, I would welcome it. You know, he is an All-Star forward with rich experience. No one would refuse to partner with him."

With a happy smile on his face, Chandler seemed to really welcome the other party's arrival, but most reporters were in a state of listening with one ear and letting it out with the other. This matter still depends on Li You.
Unfortunately, when hearing the topic of trade, Li You "passed the buck" and brought up general manager Donnie Walsh. Everyone had to give up after hearing that, and soon the TNT reporter asked about the showdown tomorrow afternoon.

The game will be broadcast live nationwide on ABC at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Plus, his opponent is Iverson, so everyone wants to know Li You's attitude towards the game.

"Allen is an underrated player. Don't forget, he was the first draft pick in 96!"

"Some young fans may not have seen how he played in the past. I have nothing but respect for an opponent like Allen. I will definitely go all out in tomorrow afternoon's game!"

"We are not young anymore. I will treat this encounter as our last."

Seeing Li You say these words solemnly, all the reporters in the audience had a thought in their minds: "Iverson is finished", and then they showed excitement on their faces. ESPN didn't even pretend:

"Lee, how many points will you score against Iverson? If the opponent double-teams you, will it affect this matchup?"

"Entering the playoffs, I want to focus more on defense! Allen is the engine of the Pistons, I must limit his performance, as for scoring, I won't consider it!"

"I never consider myself a scorer, I just do what I have to do when the team is looking to win."

Seeing Li You's more serious look, everyone began to observe a moment of silence for Iverson. This was simply too much and it was obvious that he was going to beat the opponent.

It’s no use for the Son of Philadelphia to surrender, this is unilateral “bullying”.

This statement was leaked by a reporter on Twitter in the afternoon, and Iverson's die-hard fans were completely shocked:

"The pigeons are finished!"

After 48 losses in the regular season, fans thought that the relationship between the two would ease a little. After all, Iverson was so miserable, and Li You shouldn't give him another blow.

But the reality is too cruel, Li You still seems to be planning to strike hard, which has led many fans to call on Iverson on social media to "avoid the fight" and focus on organizing the offense during the game.
When the Pistons flew to Manhattan in the afternoon, Iverson was in a sullen mood. Not only was there another matchup, but news had also come out that his security guard had beaten someone up not long ago.

Game 1 will be held tomorrow afternoon. Iverson, who wanted to focus on the game, was annoyed by the sports reporters. He refused all interviews and locked himself in the room early.

Rodney Stuckey secretly curled his lips when he saw this behavior. Head coach Michael Curry was unable to convince Iverson, and under the persuasion of everyone, he had no choice but to accept the substitute status.

Because of this incident, a crack appeared in the relationship between the two. Now seeing Big Brother in trouble, Starkey was secretly happy in his heart.

"Listen, we have to stick together and stop talking nonsense in front of the reporters!"

After checking in, Rasheed Wallace glared at several newbies as he got on the elevator.

Although Iverson always has problems in training sessions and is unwilling to make sacrifices for the team, he is relatively generous in life. After a season together, he has to help his teammates overcome difficulties.

"Who cares what we say? 69 wins, 38.4 points per game, Lee could even average 40. I just feel bad for him."

With a mocking look in his eyes, Rodney Stuckey said a few words and then fell silent. No one in the team believed that they could win. In this situation, it was meaningless to emphasize those things anymore.

Hamilton is no longer interested in encouraging his teammates. He expressed his support when Iverson first came to the team, but in the end there was unhappiness between the two sides. This playoffs was more like an explanation.

In the depressing atmosphere, several people also returned to their rooms early, turned on their mobile phones, and browsed around on social media, and they found that everyone was "pitying" Iverson.

Some fans began to speculate how many points the son of Philadelphia could score against Li You, while some people ridiculed Iverson as a cancer. After leaving the Nuggets, Billups led the team to second place in the Western Conference.

Some fans even started to attack him personally, saying that Iverson had brought shame to black people and that he was no longer qualified to represent black basketball.
After dinner, the atmosphere in the Pistons was still dull. The coaching staff restricted the players from going out and refused to be interviewed, which made Iverson return to his room early. NBA TV started to preview the Western Conference games in the evening. Iverson frequently heard Kobe's name, which made him even more depressed. He never thought that he would become a laughing stock one day.

"Tracy McGrady believes too many injuries have hurt his passion for the game!"

"The Rockets, who are suffering from injuries, may lose in the first round again"

Watching the show numbly, when he heard McGrady's name, Iverson suddenly remembered the moments when the two of them were full of vigor and vitality a few years ago, but now everything is gone.

The game will start tomorrow afternoon and he should go to bed early, but Iverson couldn't sleep again. He made tough statements but started to worry about his performance in his heart.

Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, Iverson couldn't help but recall the good times he had in Philadelphia. Thinking back to the Eastern Conference Finals that year, he couldn't help but curse:
"Why is this happening?!"

Although it was an afternoon game on Saturday, April 4, New York fans were not affected. After the weather warmed up, many fans simply wore this year's new T-shirts to the stadium to watch the game.

The new T-shirt only has two lines of English words "New York" and "World Champion" on the chest. Since I have already bought the high-priced ticket, I naturally don't mind spending US$39.9 to buy a champion T-shirt.

There was no suspense in this game in the eyes of the commentators, but ABC still sent out its most popular combination to try to bring a better viewing experience to the fans.

Back at the familiar Madison Square Garden, Jeff Van Gundy kept talking before the game. The Cavaliers performed too well, which made the championship coach start to turn back and praise the Knicks' dominance:
"A lot of people think Iverson should be on the bench, but I think that's a cop out!"

"Iverson really can't limit Lee, but he can use his speed to create better scoring opportunities for his teammates. It's all about response. I hope to see him give an answer."

Mark Jackson felt a little sympathetic towards Iverson. Ever since he saw the pre-match speech and the news from MSG that Li You had been training hard these days, he felt that this series might be a "tragedy":
"I'm more looking forward to the help from other members of the Pistons. Hamilton has the ability to carry the offense, and Rasheed Wallace also has a big advantage in the matchup."

"The Knicks have confirmed that Pau Gasol will not return in the first round, and the Pistons have a chance to win the game."

With half an hour left before the game started, the two kept making excuses for the Pistons. The arena gradually became noisy, and New York fans even encouraged their old rivals:
"AI, Welcome Back to New York!"

Fans holding white boards twisted their bodies to the music. It has been a few years since they last saw Iverson in the playoffs, and many people missed the Son of Philadelphia very much.

When the players of both teams were warming up for the last time, Kwame Brown saw that Li You on the opposite side had changed his usual appearance and started to dunk continuously. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, and when he looked at Iverson, he sighed secretly.

The game was about to start. All the Pistons players who returned to the bench were silent. Kwame Brown heard the shouting behind him and covered his mouth and sighed to Will Bynum beside him:

"Man, I have a bad feeling!"

"."

Will Bynum didn't say anything with a helpless look on his black face. Everyone knew that Li You was "bullying", but no one was willing to admit defeat. In the league, wimps are not respected.

JR Smith, who started for the first time in the playoffs, hugged everyone he met, regardless of his opponents' unhappy faces, and kept laughing and calling "Bro".

Antonio McDyess on the opposite side had a look of dissatisfaction on his face; the attitude of the fans at the scene made him feel like a clown.

Prince and Dio are not so arrogant. The opponents will definitely continue to fight for rebounds. Lacking the height advantage, both of them have to put all their strength into protecting the rebounds.

Li You saw Iverson staying in the backcourt, smiled, stood near the center circle and greeted Hamilton. Noticing the serious-looking Rasheed Wallace, he comforted his opponent again:
"Don't pay attention to what the reporters say. I respect any opponent. Man, we are not young anymore. Let's just enjoy the game now."

With a sullen face and keeping silent, Rasheed Wallace always felt that he was being mocked. The behavior of the New York fans at the scene made him furious. This was even more excessive than last year!
"Let's go Knicks!."

When rookie Wilson Chandler heard the shouts echoing throughout the stadium, he couldn't help but have an illusion that New York fans seemed to be more enthusiastic than last season, and all of this seemed to be brought by Iverson.

After a moment of distraction, Chandler had already passed the ball away. As Li You received the ball, the shouting became louder, especially when they saw Iverson taking the initiative to come forward, even the fans in the back row stood up and cheered.

Trying to make up for his physical shortcomings with aggressiveness, Iverson, with an expressionless face, quickly stepped up to defend, turned his body sideways, and stretched out his right arm to interfere.

As soon as his old opponent moved, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, simply took a step back, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated forcefully. As soon as the two men's bodies came into contact, Iverson was immediately squeezed past.

Amid cheers, Iverson tried hard not to lose his defensive position as he approached the free throw line. He wanted to cut the ball immediately, but Li You suddenly stopped and pulled back under his crotch.

Without time to adjust, Iverson immediately lost half of his body position and instantly switched to his left hand. At the moment when the opponent rushed to defend, Li You reset his steps and accelerated again.

McDyess, who was at the bottom right of the basket, felt that Li You broke into the paint area in the blink of an eye. At the reminder of Rasheed Wallace, he quickly retreated to the front of the basket.

Before the two big guys could close in on him, Li You had already taken a step into the air and instantly squeezed in between the two of them. He stretched out his arms, completely dodging the block, and with a twist of his wrist, the basketball flew towards the backboard.

"Oh!!"

The basketball hit the backboard and fell accurately into the basket. Cheers resounded throughout the stadium again. The two big men who fell to the ground looked at each other in silence. They could only watch Li You standing near the baseline waiting for Iverson to catch the ball.

"Lee showed his aggressiveness at the start of the game. Iverson didn't seem ready yet, so the Pistons really chose to attack from the inside."

In the ABC commentary booth, Mike Breen did not see the expected response and felt a little regretful for a moment.

The Pistons played their signature play on offense, with Hamilton receiving the ball in the left blocking area and then passing it back to his teammates at the free throw line.

Rasheed Wallace, who received the ball, did not hesitate. He used his height advantage to make a straight-arm jump shot near the left blocking area.

Head coach Michael Curry on the sidelines showed a satisfied expression and kept shouting to his players, reminding them to return to defense as soon as possible.

The coach's words had some effect. When Wallace, who had just scored, returned to the lower left side of the basket, McDyess, who was switching defense, was forcibly "overtaken" by Li You on the right wing.

Chandler's high-quality screen prevented Iverson from squeezing through in time. The big man who switched defense lost half of his body position with almost an acceleration, which forced Wallace to shrink towards the basket again.

Iverson, who was chasing him, also came to the paint area. Surrounded by three players, Li You threw the ball to the left corner with one hand, and then kept moving towards the direction of the basketball.

The two big guys were stunned under the basket, but Iverson did not give up defending. He just took a step after receiving the ball, then passed the ball between his legs, and stopped in place, just "blocking" Iverson.

Iverson watched helplessly as Li You received the ball in the left corner and threw it away casually before he could even stand firmly. He subconsciously turned his head and the basketball went into the net.

The simple and rough attack took less than 10 seconds. Looking at Li You who continued to defend Iverson, Jeff Van Gundy boasted again:
"This is the gap between the Pistons and the defending champions. They lost their defense. They lacked continuity on the defensive end in many games this season."

"Lee took advantage of this. Iverson had to squeeze through the delay as soon as possible. At the same time, he also needed the cooperation of his teammates."

JR Smith, who was desperately chasing and defending, blocked Hamilton's pass in the first place. The cautious Iverson did not force the lob, but called on McDyess to come forward for a screen.

At the top of the arc, the big man had just stood still when Iverson immediately accelerated sideways with the ball in his right hand, and faced Li You who was defending around the lower line, and he attacked very resolutely.

Without waiting for a physical collision to happen in the right elbow area, Iverson suddenly stopped, dribbled the ball behind his back and quickly stepped back. However, the imagined opportunity did not appear, and the moment he shot the basketball, Li You jumped up and interfered.

He dodged the block with a leaning jump shot, but the basketball hit the rim and bounced out. Rasheed Wallace failed to get to the basket in time, and Chandler successfully protected the backcourt rebound.

“Move!”

The head coach's hoarse shouting showed how fast the opponent's counterattack was. They kept accelerating along the left sideline, and Li You rushed across the center line against Iverson.

Wallace was retreating quickly with big strides and had not yet returned to the paint area. Li You, who was approaching the three-point line, had already begun to slow down. Seeing Iverson moving backwards, he stopped suddenly and suddenly dribbled the ball with great force.

At the moment of lowering his center of gravity, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, rushed past Iverson. The latter staggered and almost fell to the ground. He tried to reach out and pull, but couldn't even touch the jersey.

Amid the exclamations of New York fans, the brave Rasheed Wallace jumped high when he returned to the basket!
Unfortunately, he was unable to fully jump and was "ridden" by his opponent in mid-air. Wallace's body leaned back involuntarily, and his outstretched right arm was of no use. Li You pulled back his left arm, swung his arm and dunked while defending!

"boom!"

The basket exploded instantly, and the dunk caused Rasheed Wallace to fall to the ground after landing. The big man seemed to be dazed and lay near the baseline for a long time without getting up.

"what!!"

Seeing Li You punching himself twice to show his tough guy temperament, the fans behind were shouting desperately. The fans who bought high-priced tickets for the first time felt that there was a reason why the playoff tickets were "a little" more expensive.

On the Pistons' bench, several members of the atmosphere group leaned back involuntarily, then looked at each other and lowered their heads silently without saying a word.

Just like the New York fans at the scene, everyone on the Knicks bench was so excited by this individual gliding slam dunk that they jumped up and down, and the boss took the lead in the charge!
As the game progressed, it seemed as if we had returned to the regular season. Rasheed Wallace's pick-and-roll routine was strictly guarded, and he scored in and out. Iverson still couldn't find the touch for his mid-range breakthrough and layup.

Furious, Wallace yelled on the court, but the Knicks counterattacked too quickly and he missed the three-pointer. Instead, his opponent picked up the frontcourt rebound.

In this round, McDyess couldn't hold back. Li You, who picked up the second rebound, first stopped suddenly at the three-point line, then held the ball in his right hand, lowered his shoulders and accelerated, and Iverson was broken through again.

Without caring about the player behind him, McDyess quickly filled the position and watched the basketball fly high. Before he could reach out, Chandler had already grabbed the ball with both hands and dunked it with great force!
"what!"

Seeing their opponent beating his chest and screaming, all the Pistons players on the court fell silent. When it was time to serve the ball from the baseline, Iverson was again defended by Li Youling. In order to speed up, he suddenly passed the ball.

Just after crossing the center line, Hamilton turned around and JR Smith poked the ball away. After chasing the ball, he accelerated as fast as he could. Iverson, who made a mistake, hurried back to defend the basket.

"oh!!"

Seeing that JR Smith, who was close to the basket, did not choose to layup, but instead threw the ball behind him, the New York fans at the scene cheered.

The quality of the pass was not high. Iverson, who was defending two players, immediately jumped high and tried to disrupt the aerial relay with a foul. However, although Li You, who was flying in the air, leaned back, he was not affected after the collision.

The moment Li You exerted force with his right arm, Iverson was knocked flying, the basketball hit the basket hard, and the Son of Philadelphia fell heavily to the ground.

"what!!"

Madison Square Garden was in an uproar when Iverson rolled twice after landing. Iverson, curled up on the floor, had a blank mind and groaned in pain:
"Uh-huh."

(End of this chapter)