NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 656 "A Champagne Session." (Daily Chapter)

At 2009:6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 19, the lights at Staples Center dimmed and a promotional video specially produced for the finals was projected.

Nearly 1 Los Angeles fans cheered loudly for the home team during the wonderful highlights. Shots featuring Duncan kept flashing by, and the atmosphere became increasingly heated.

Ariza was the first player to come out. As everyone came out one by one, the shouting could not stop. Duncan, who was the last one to trot onto the court, high-fived repeatedly and followed his teammates in a circle:
"Team"

The training uniforms were also changed to the home white. The ABC broadcaster kept the camera on Kobe, Duncan and Odom. In this life-and-death battle, it is expected that the playing time of the three will be completely maximized.

It was difficult for sports reporters to see much emotion on Duncan's face. No one knew what the MVP was thinking at the moment, and the discussion about his historical status had become more and more outrageous.

"Oh!!"

Unlike New York fans who have become accustomed to the finals, Los Angeles fans seem to be still immersed in the joy of reaching the finals. Few people are concerned about the results of the first two games. Everyone is enjoying this moment.

The lights came back on and the music changed, but the fans at the scene remained enthusiastic and continued to cheer loudly for the team.

On the other side of the court, Li You, who changed into the Knicks' away blue training suit, did not seem to have any pressure. He was shooting casually at the sideline and occasionally interacting with his teammates.

Most of the seats in the front row were occupied by young celebrities and star athletes in the Los Angeles sports circle. Jack Nicholson, a die-hard fan, was still there, but the old man looked unhappy and kept crossing his arms.

When the camera returned to the ABC commentary trio, Mike Breen first praised the Lakers' home atmosphere, then changed the subject and talked about the gossip of the past two days again:

"It is said that the Lakers held a players' meeting, and everyone reached a consensus at the meeting. We can expect some changes from them."

"Tonight's game will determine the course of this series, Jeff. What adjustments do you think the Lakers will make?"

The bald Van Gundy had already thought about these issues. After cooperating with the director to evaluate the core players of both sides, he gave his own opinions in a meaningful way:
"After the first two games, we once again witnessed the gap between Kobe and Lee. If the Lakers want to win, they must respond from the outside."

"I think the role players will get back to their normal form, take advantage of the open opportunities, and they have a chance to win this key game."

Hearing that Van Gundy was too lazy to talk about Kobe's performance, Mark Jackson on the other side smiled and took the initiative to speak well of Mamba:

"Kobe will perform better when he returns to his home court!"

"I am worried about the physical problem. The main players will play more minutes tonight, which will also be a challenge for Duncan."

"."

When the director showed the data of the core players of both teams to the fans in front of the TV, Kobe had been excluded. Now that Duncan is in the limelight, no one expects Mamba to perform better.

Fortunately, the broadcaster gave face to the MVP and did not start discussing the topic of Duncan surpassing Elgin Baylor's 8 failures like TNT did.

Rhythmic music began to sound. As 20 p.m. approached and the game was about to begin, many Lakers fans in the stadium began to shout loudly:
"Let's go, Lakers!"

Without the annoying laughter and amid the cheers, Kobe showed a determined look in his own half. When he saw Li You greeting everyone with a smile, he subconsciously gave him the "death stare".

The director naturally captured this scene. Unfortunately, Li You did not respond at all and seemed to have forgotten his "mortal enemy".

"Don't pay attention to those boring guys. I hope those reports don't affect your state!"

"It doesn't matter if we lose eight times. We all know that being able to reach the finals is already beyond most players."

Near the center circle, Li You had just bumped fists with Duncan, and immediately began to comfort his old rival in a serious manner. They both made 6 finals, but Kobe still had a ring, while this MVP got nothing. It was really miserable.

Chandler, who was about to jump ball, showed sympathy on his face. He didn't want to laugh at Duncan anymore. Noticing the other's expression, he also comforted him:
"We all respect what you've accomplished, man!"

The two men sang in unison and Duncan had no chance to interrupt. When he saw the referee who was about to throw the ball had a sympathetic look on his face, he was so angry that he glared at him on the spot. This made him more uncomfortable than trash talk!

Gasol wanted to say a few words of comfort as well, but when he saw Duncan's face change, he could only smile friendly for a moment.

As the 20 o'clock approached, an enraged Duncan jumped up and pushed the ball to half court amid cheers. For a moment, the noise in the stadium became louder. Odom quickly advanced and passed the ball to the left wing immediately.

With more than a day of rest, the Lakers were unable to make many adjustments, but the biggest change after returning to their home court was that the quality of their screens improved a lot.

Kobe, who received the ball at the top of the arc, signaled to Fisher to set a screen. Ariza on the wing immediately moved his feet and ran towards the blocking area. Duncan also stood still. With cross-position running, Fish successfully got rid of JR Smith.

At the left elbow, Fisher had just received the ball, and Kobe had already run to the left wing with Li You. JR Smith, who had lost his defensive position, was a little annoyed, and relied on his better athletic ability to chase and defend again.

When Fisher came to the free throw line with the ball in his left hand and made a quick stop jump shot, Fisher had to twist his body. Fortunately, he was left-handed and successfully dodged JR Smith's block.

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the backboard and went into the net. After landing, Fisher let out a long breath and then immediately clenched his fist to celebrate.

He made a shot in the first round, and the noise in the stadium became louder. Duncan, who was retreating, saw Gasol stop on the line and immediately shouted to Odom to chase him.

Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated sideways and just got rid of the defense when the whistle sounded. Odom thought it was him, but when he saw the referee's gesture, he realized that Ariza had just stood up from the floor.

Gasol glared when he heard the "illegal screen". Before he could even exert any strength, his opponent sat on the floor:

"Flop, sir! He's just exaggerating."

Gasol came close to the referee and complained in a low voice that getting fouled too early would affect his already poor defensive condition. D'Antoni on the sidelines also walked over to the linesman to communicate. The signal was too obvious.

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers, the Lakers kicked off again. Fisher still passed the ball after crossing half court. With Odom receiving the ball on the left wing, Duncan, who was squeezed into the blocking area, successfully received the high pass.

When Odom cut in without the ball, the Lakers took turns on the line. Kobe did not try to be brave and take Li You to support like he did in the previous two games, but continued to stand at the top of the arc to direct his teammates.

Turning around to face the basket, swaying to the right and then to the left, Duncan quickly released the ball and forced his way to the basket. When he was close to the paint area, he stopped suddenly, took the initiative to fight back after a fake dribble, and faced Chandler's block with his left hand toss the ball to the backboard.

The basketball hit the backboard again and the cheers got louder. Seeing this, Van Gundy didn't make any specific comments, but laughed and joked:
"I like to see the Lakers perform like this. They have to turn their home-court advantage into points. With 67 wins, they are capable of fighting against the defending champions."

The referee gave the signal right after the start of the game. Mark Jackson also knew what it meant. He noticed that Li You's tactical gesture after crossing half court was still a pick-and-roll, and immediately added:

"It seems that Lee adjusted his offensive strategy! Gasol found an open teammate."

After the fake screen, Li You came to the free throw line, and Gasol easily got an open opportunity with a precise ground pass, but Kobe's timely retreat delayed the attack. When the basketball flew to the right wing, the Lakers did not choose to continue defending, and watched Prince miss the jump shot outside the three-point line.

From the pick-and-roll to the quick ball transfer, the Knicks proceeded very smoothly. The shots missed and the long rebound was picked up by Fisher. Instead of rushing to attack, they took the initiative to slow down the pace.

Li You, who was retreating, began to call his teammates, signaling JR Smith to go to the top line in the next round. When the Lakers played the same tactic again, Duncan also encountered interference from the assist defense in the low post on the left side.

The ball went in and out, and amid cheers, Fisher received the ball on the left wing and broke through, passing the ball directly to Kobe outside the three-point line.

He received the ball at the top of the arc and shouted even louder. Fish cut in from the middle and threw the ball to the left corner. Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, waved his hand to indicate that no screen was needed. He dribbled between his legs and immediately lowered his shoulders to accelerate.

"Oh"

Amidst the low gasps, Kobe still couldn't get rid of Li You's defense and began to slow down before he even reached the left elbow area.

Fortunately, Li You's defensive movements were much more restrained. Kobe, who was protecting the ball sideways, began to play continuously. When he forced his way to the paint area, he turned sideways to his right hand, shook his shoulders, and used his left foot as the axis to pull the ball in a big way.

The swaying Kobe seemed to sense Li You's defensive movement. He suddenly turned around quickly and did not choose to throw the ball directly. Instead, he raised the ball again for a fake shot.

Seeing that Li You had stopped Kobe from passing the ball, many Lakers fans cheered again. To everyone's surprise, Mamba did not choose to pass the ball, but twisted his body and forced a jump to interfere with the extreme fade away.

"Swish"

The basketball went into the net, and Kobe, who had fallen to the ground, immediately got up and celebrated with his teeth bared. He had missed all these shots on the road, and he finally found his offensive feeling again.

Phil Jackson on the sidelines frowned slightly when he saw this scene, but soon applauded, and the defensive intensity seemed to drop a little.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers from the defense, Li You came to the top of the arc again and made the same tactical gesture. Gasol and Chandler moved up at the same time, and under the double screen, Ariza lost his defensive position again.

Duncan quickly slid to the right and switched defense immediately, trying to cooperate with his teammates to double-team him.

Ariza, who was chasing, saw Li You crashing into the defense and rushing forward, and hurriedly chased after him. The two seemed to have completed the encirclement, and cheers arose again for a while, waiting for Li You to be forced to stop the ball.

Just as he was approaching the blocking area, Li You suddenly turned around and squeezed into the paint area between the two people.

Ariza, who was chasing and defending, and Duncan, who was twisting his body, jumped at the same time, but Li You in the air stretched out his right arm, flicked his wrist and threw the ball out.

"shush"

Amid the boos that echoed throughout the arena, Chandler followed up and immediately dunked the ball with both hands, then pounded his chest repeatedly after easily catching the ball.

The game continued. After the cross screen at the baseline, Duncan came to the right blocking area and received the pass from Fisher again. The moment he received the ball, he immediately turned towards the baseline, then forced a breakthrough along the baseline with the ball in his right hand.

Noticing Gasol moving towards the basket, Duncan immediately passed the ball to the left corner in both directions. Odom chose to shoot in an open position, pulled Gasol back to defense, and broke through with his right hand.

After taking two big steps, Odom immediately stopped and broke free from the defense and made another jump shot.

The smooth offense ignited the atmosphere on the scene. Although the game had just begun, many Lakers fans shouted happily when they saw Odom celebrating passionately.

"The right offensive choice! The Lakers, who returned to their home court, seemed to remember how they won 67 games. It seems that they have made a perfect start."

Mark Jackson expected the Lakers to pull back, but Van Gundy remained the same. Noticing Li You waving his hand, he added:
"The opponent is intentionally leaving some positions open. It's time to test the defending champions."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li You changed direction with his hips and suddenly pretended to break through with the ball in his right hand. At the moment Ariza slid to the left and rear into the three-point line, he suddenly stopped the ball and retracted his feet.

Li You faced the defense, leaned back slightly, and made a quick jump shot with the ball outside the three-point line!
5:8, the score difference was narrowed in an instant.

The Lakers team began to get nervous again, and when Ariza missed a jump shot from outside the three-point line on the right wing, the fans at the scene also exclaimed.

In the transition offense, Li You picked up the long rebound and rushed across the center line. Without waiting for the encirclement, he swung the ball behind his back. JR Smith, who was unguarded, missed the ball.

Odom, who got the rebound, also started a counterattack, but soon Phil Jackson on the sidelines loudly signaled everyone to slow down.

The offense was transformed into a positional offense. After continuous passing of the ball, Kobe received the ball at the top of the arc again, took continuous tentative steps with his right foot, and then quickly released the ball.

Holding the ball in his right hand, Kobe took two big steps and just after entering the three-point line, he suddenly stopped, drifted to the right in the air, faced Li You's defense, turned around and made a forced jump shot.

Seeing Mamba's "ferocious" expression, the atmosphere group on the Lakers bench stood up to celebrate.

In the Knicks' offensive round, there was a simple pick-and-roll at the top of the arc, and Li You once again found Gasol who had come down to the free throw line early.

Although Fisher slid to help defend, Gasol made a steady mid-range shot as soon as he got to the side.

As time went on, the Lakers maintained their efficient performance, especially Kobe. Whenever the Knicks narrowed the gap, he would always respond with one difficult jump shot after another.

At the end of the first quarter, the Staples Center was completely boiling, and Kobe, who was in good form, received a hand-to-hand pass from Duncan at the top of the arc.

Holding the ball in his right hand and accelerating as fast as he could, Kobe cut in from the right wing, took three steps forward and tried with all his might to swing his arm to dunk. However, Li You, who was defending him, got there first, stretched out his left arm, and successfully intercepted the ball in the air.

After the confrontation, Kobe lost his balance and fell to the ground, but he calmed down again. After being pulled up by his teammates, he whispered confidently:

"You can't limit me anymore!"

The Lakers fans behind them all started to cheer loudly. Li You really didn't expect Kobe to regain his confidence. He glanced at the score and smiled again. While the opponent was hitting the baseline ball, he casually responded:
"Man, you seem to have lost your explosiveness. 30 points! That's your limit."

The baseline referee heard the conversation between the two and deliberately delayed time, wanting to hear how Kobe would respond. Unfortunately, Mamba was very calm, asked for the ball directly, gave the ball to Duncan, and immediately accelerated to the three-point line.

The right wing received the ball again, Kobe took a series of tentative steps, suddenly jumped up and threw the ball, and the basketball went into the net, and the Staples Center was boiling again.

The Mamba bared his teeth and punched continuously, and the game seemed to have become his performance moment. Although he missed a few shots in the last two minutes, his consecutive difficult jump shots restored his confidence.

At 28:32, at the end of the first quarter, Kobe made 10 of 6 shots, 2 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 17 points.

Amid the cheers that resounded throughout the arena, Mamba walked to the bench, clenched his fists in celebration, roared passionately, and vented his depressed emotions while shouting:
"Come on, 30 minutes?!"

(End of this chapter)