NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 689 "Somewhat proficient in boxing and kicking" (Daily Chapter)
On Sunday, November 2009, 11, the Celtics' new Big Four visited New York for the first time this season.

Since Rajon Rondo joined the team, the Celtics have changed a lot. The Boston Timberwolves have become a thing of the past, and the Boston Knicks have made their debut in a different way.

Celtics fans are very supportive of the team's changes. After all, in everyone's opinion, the old way is not working, and it is never a bad thing to emulate the defending champions!
Combined with the team configuration, the fans have great expectations. The current record is still ideal, with 9 wins and 4 losses. Although there has been a "pain period", everything is moving in a good direction.

The only one who may be dissatisfied is Kevin Garnett. He almost changed his role in the team, and the percentage of his best jump shot also decreased.

When the game started at 20 p.m. that night, Harden had a sullen face and ended up making only 5 of 1 shots in the first half. Such a performance made the New York fans at the scene very happy!

Especially before the end of the first half, rookie Ibaka, who came off the bench, blocked Garnett's shot at the free throw line, and Madison Square Garden immediately boiled over.

On the ESPN commentary booth, Mike Breen smiled and said nothing when he heard Jeff Van Gundy's comments on Harden's performance, allowing the championship coach to make subjective comments:

"In my opinion, it is a pity that many players have not kept up with the development of modern basketball. Garnett has the ability to make himself better!"

"As a power forward, compared to Dirk Nowitzki, he needs to give more responses on the offensive end."

"The pick-and-roll freed up Garnett, but there weren't many of these plays in the first half. I think the Celtics will adjust in time. They have to play more transition offense."

56:58, Paul Pierce was in great form tonight, scoring 17 points efficiently in the first half, making consecutive one-on-one jump shots outside the three-point line and 4 three-pointers to help the team keep the score close.

After looking at the technical statistics, Mike Breen took over the conversation and talked about the Celtics' key players in the first half, and he did not hesitate to praise them:
"After coach Rivers adjusted the tactics, Pierce's performance in the new season has been even better. He has already made key shots in the final moments of two games this season."

“Maybe that’s what Celtics fans want to see!”

"."

Garnett didn't care whether the fans agreed or not. At this time, in the visiting team's locker room, Rondo stood in front of everyone, writing and drawing on the tactical board with head coach Rivers, muttering:

"We need to start double-teaming immediately! Kevin, in the third quarter, you have to take on more help defense tasks. Patrick, when you help defend, pay attention to your back."

"Ray and I will help guard Gasol when Lee passes the ball. Pau, you also need to pay attention to your position and the baseline cut behind you."

Head coach Rivers originally wanted to continue switching defenses, but Rondo denied the corresponding tactics and firmly believed that double-teaming should be used in the third quarter to let Li You pass the ball.

The Celtics had different expressions at this time. Ray Allen and Pierce had no objection and even agreed with it. Perkins glanced at the boss and was observing Garnett's attitude.

"Hey! We performed well, don't worry about the hit rate, what I saw was a 2-point deficit!"

"It's a tough time. On the court, we have to support each other and everyone has to make some sacrifices to win."

Rivers clapped his hands and then shouted encouragement in a hoarse voice. He believed that the team needed this victory and that they must accumulate a winning mentality if they wanted to defeat the defending champions.

Several assistant coaches noticed Garnett nodding and breathed a sigh of relief. He only took five shots in the first half, and Harden, who was recovering, was obviously targeted.
Garnett, with a long black face and a goatee, was a little upset after the coach finished his instructions. Before going on the court, he noticed that Perkins was hesitant to speak, and immediately said angrily:

"I don't want to see Lee score easily again!"

"Remember! Pull him down if you have the chance and let him know that we are not easy to mess with!"

"."

Hearing Garnett start to yell, Perkins nodded and patted his chest to make a promise, but he secretly complained in his heart. Except for fast breaks, Li You rarely dribbled hard with the ball.
Madison Square Garden was still noisy at this time. It was rare for an opponent to be able to fight back and forth with the home team, which made the New York fans even happier. They bought high-priced tickets, and the ideal situation was to win without garbage time.

"Defense!."

Led by the old DJ, the fans at the scene all shouted loudly. Li You, who appeared on the court again, did not seem to be sweating. After adjusting the arm guard on his left hand, he smiled and clapped his hands.

JR Smith, who started tonight, worked particularly hard. He was almost squeezed out of position by the newbie. At this time, he wanted to pounce on Ray Allen who was on the opposite side.

The Celtics' first attack was still to create opportunities for the shooter, sliding across the baseline from right to left. Ray Allen, with the help of Perkins' cover, tried to get rid of the defense, but when he saw "Tiffany" squeeze by, he immediately changed direction.

Cutting to the free throw line, Ray Allen failed to catch the ball and immediately moved sideways, setting a screen for Pierce on the right wing.

When Rondo passed the ball, Pierce was unable to get rid of Prince, who simply took two steps back, motioned to move away, and then called on Garnett for a pick-and-roll.

Facing Gasol who switched defense, after the pick-and-roll, Pierce accelerated with his left hand holding the ball and lowered his shoulder, pretending to break through. When approaching the free throw line, he immediately slowed down and leaned against Prince who was chasing him from behind.

As Garnett moved down and took away the defense, Pierce, who had an explosive shooting touch in the first half, changed direction in front of his body, took a step sideways with the ball in his right hand, jumped up, twisted his body in the air, and missed the jump shot.

"Oh!"

He made 6 of 4 shots in the first half and missed the mid-range shot. After trying again in the third quarter, Pierce clapped his hands in frustration. It was clearly a good opportunity.

Chandler caught the rebound and the stadium was filled with cheers. When Li You received the ball and dribbled across half court, Gasol came to the left wing for a screen and Garnett immediately stepped forward.

He raised his right arm, lowered his center of gravity, and just stepped on the three-point line. He was about to reach out, but while moving, Li You suddenly accelerated and turned around.

It seemed like he was being double-teamed, but the moment his right hand touched the ball, Li You increased his dribbling speed, dodged Rondo's cut, accelerated suddenly, and went straight through the three players on the line.

Pierce had already retreated from the left corner to the basket, and Perkins, who had been instructed, hurriedly moved under the basket. The two thought that Li You would pass the ball, but they didn't expect that after two steps, he would fly into the air in front of them.

When Perkins reacted, he had no time to jump. He wanted to reach out and pull, but he was caught by Li You's ball protector in mid-air.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Li You, who was doing the "pole vault", rode directly on Perkins' head, pulled his left arm back, paused briefly, and then slammed the ball with great force!
"boom!"

The basket made a loud bang. Under the impact, Perkins was still retreating. As a result, Li You pulled the basket to relieve the force. Inadvertently, the fat black man hadn't reacted yet and his nose hit his knee. He was hit again and fell to the ground with his face covered.

"Oh!!"

The cheers got louder as fans in the front row behind the basket stood up and cheered as Li You actually "dunked" his opponent.

From the dunk to the fall, everything happened so fast. After Li You landed, he pounded his chest in front of the camera and roared loudly to show his tough guy temperament. Only then did Pierce and Garnett, who were stunned in place, react.

"Hell!!"

Garnett cursed and tried to rush forward to argue, but was pushed by JR Smith who rushed over to celebrate and staggered. When Chandler also squeezed over, Garnett turned around and yelled to the referee:
"Shit, free throw?! He did it on purpose!"

Pierce ran towards his fallen teammate, Rondo and Ray Allen also rushed over immediately, one on two, Garnett began to move back, and when he retreated to the middle position, he was hugged by head coach Rivers and charged again. "Shut up! Nico!"

JR Smith, who was shouting at the top of his lungs, found that his opponent was "fighting and retreating", and he couldn't help but become completely excited. After being hugged by Chandler, he still refused to give in, and the two of them had a passionate argument.

After Garnett calmed down, head coach Rivers immediately spread his hands to the referee. On the other side, D'Antoni also walked over with a serious expression, dissatisfied with Perkins' intention to move and pull.

The two head coaches argued for a long time, and the referee had to review the game. In the commentary booth, Jeff Van Gundy saw Perkins covering his face and returning to the bench, and praised the brave black fat man:
"In my opinion, this is not a good defensive choice, but Perkins' courage deserves encouragement!"

"The Celtics were very confrontational in the first half, and although it affected some open jump shots, the game strategy was successful, and now the Knicks will respond."

The referee did not change the decision. After Perkins blocked his bleeding nose, he returned to the court with the encouragement of the Celtics' atmosphere team.

Although Garnett wanted to vent his anger, his poor shooting touch made him miss another elbow jump shot.

Returning to defense amidst low curses, Garnett was in the same position this time and he intentionally "closed the door". As a result, Li You, holding the ball with his left hand, quickly went in and out, lowered his shoulders and accelerated, and forced his way through from the right side of Harden.

Reaching out to pull again, Garnett wanted to repeat the trick when they made physical contact, but Li You suddenly stopped, bumped into his arms, and stepped back to shoot a jump shot.

Harden was forced to bend over on the spot and couldn't even make any defensive moves. Li Youchang made an easy two-point jump shot!

"Are you okay, Bro? You look like you're in pain."

Li You showed a friendly smile and comforted Garnett who was squatting on the ground with his hands covering his ribs. The latter shook his hands toughly, glared, and then turned his head to complain to the referee again.

Unfortunately, neither the linesman nor the baseline referee saw the foul.

Everything happened too fast. Li You's "iron elbow" that he had honed for 13 seasons had reached perfection and was completely integrated into his body's instincts.

Perkins under the basket felt that the atmosphere was not right. It was not like this in the first half. The fat black man saw the boss grinning and hurried forward to comfort him.

"Damn it! Show them what you can do!"

Holding his younger brother, Garnett warned him harshly again. He had been unhappy since the start of the new season, and now he felt furious. It seemed that he did not see Perkins' evasive look at halftime.

It was still Pierce who carried the team's offense. He broke through the frame on the right wing, broke through the defense, and made a step-back jump shot.

Looking back, in the positional attack, Garnett shouted loudly, but Chandler's solid cover prevented Rondo from completing the pursuit and defense.

Seeing Perkins at the top of the arc being accelerated twice by Li You and easily breaking through, Garnett hurriedly moved his feet at the bottom right of the basket. When Li You threw the ball with his left hand, Harden realized something was wrong.

Gasol, who was not guarded, jumped high, scooped up the ball from behind Garnett, and slammed it down with both hands!

"what!!"

Seeing the Spanish big man beating his chest repeatedly in front of him, Garnett's face turned even darker. While serving the ball, he glared at his younger brother.
In the next few minutes, Ray Allen, who gradually regained his touch, made consecutive shots and free throws, but Pierce began to miss shots. Li You continued to feed the ball to the big man, and Prince, who was left open, also began to hit three-pointers in the bottom corner.

The Celtics played particularly tough in the first half, but gradually softened at this time. Chandler's offensive rebound boosted the morale of the Knicks.

The timeout did not help Garnett regain his shooting touch. In several second attacks, Li You made sudden attacks and the score difference widened.

When Eddie House replaced Rondo, who was in poor form, the little guy's first round on the court, from the left wing, he watched Li You take a tentative step and then take a dry jump shot.

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

Watching Li You laughing and interacting with the fans in the front row, Eddie House said nothing, but just pouted helplessly at the bench. He had originally planned to "travel during off-peak hours."

Head coach Rivers folded his arms with a frown on his face. Garnett's strong attack under the basket was blocked by Gasol and he still missed. Madison Square Garden was completely boiling. The poor performance of the outdated MVP made the New York fans excited.

Marion, who came off the bench, also "ended" Pierce's two attacks. When the third quarter was about to end, there was no sound from the Celtics bench.

When Ray Allen missed a long-range three-pointer, Garnett walked quickly to the sidelines with a sullen look on his face. With 18:35 left in the quarter, a familiar wave of momentum brought the score difference to 19 points.

5 out of 0 shots in a single quarter, no free throws. During his playing time, Rondo did not hesitate to pass the ball, but Garnett, who was in poor physical condition, still scored zero goals in this quarter.
In the last quarter, as the Knicks widened the gap, head coach Rivers did not replace the main players, and the Celtics surrendered early.

导播一直将镜头对准加内特，前领袖全场比赛10中1，5分5篮板1抢断2失误，这是加盟绿军以来表现最差的比赛。

Hardt, with an expressionless face, pursed his lips and stared as the score gap grew larger. When the game ended, he was the first to stand up and walked quickly towards the player tunnel.

The focus game at the end of the month, 97:120, the Celtics lost in the second half.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The happy New York fans took advantage of the interview with Li You to shout loudly again. When asked about the change in the second half, they immediately shared their thoughts on the game:

"We like tough confrontations! In physical confrontations, I feel like I can get into the game faster."

"This season, the Celtics are stronger. The outside line led by Rondo and Ray is more threatening than in the past two seasons. As the season progresses, I believe they will get better and better!"

"."

Garnett failed to attend the post-game press conference. As the new leader, Rondo and native leader Pierce appeared in front of reporters.

When asked about the reason for the loss in the second half, Rondo did not talk about the tactical issues. He spread his hands slightly, showing a helpless look, and responded meaningfully:
"My experience with the Knicks taught me that a team's playing temperament is determined by its leader!"

“I failed to take that responsibility, and obviously, we backed down.”

Pierce looked at Rondo. He knew that the opponent was dissatisfied with Garnett's "adding drama". The small action failed to take the lead, but instead collapsed in the second half.

When asked the same question, the original leader Pierce still gave face to Garnett and did not talk about the "spiritual temperament" issue. Instead, he seriously summarized:
"I think we should really add some three-pointers. With 24 shots, we have the ability to do better!"

On Friday, the 27th, after back-to-back away victories over the Warriors and Kings, the Knicks faced their last away game of their Western Conference trip.

After 15 consecutive wins at the start of the new season, the Knicks have caused the price of away tickets to rise again. Before the game, even the local sports media in Denver were praising them.

During the early afternoon warm-up, Anthony was in a bad mood. The small market made him lose too much attention. When the reporter asked about the Knicks' winning streak, he immediately said sarcastically:
"That's New York! That's why they win"

(End of this chapter)