NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 692: "Lao Deng" is really hateful (daily chapter)

On Monday, December 2009, 12, approaching Christmas, the Cavaliers, who were also on a winning streak, had a record of 21 wins and 24 losses, firmly ranking second in the Eastern Conference.

The record is excellent and the two cores are stable, but not many commentators discuss LeBron James and Dwight Howard. With the same winning streak, Kobe is discussed more than the two.

It’s not because of Mamba’s impressive statistics that he’s been widely discussed, but mainly because of the Lakers’ reverse-version tactics.

James follows the trend. After Rasheed Wallace joined the team, the Cavaliers have become a three-point team, and the mid-range has been basically abandoned. Head coach Mike Brown made it clear that this is the correct basketball!

Kobe is different. The Lakers still use the triangle offense. Although the three-point shooting has increased a bit, Mamba has not given up his back-to-the-basket singles, and with occasional assists and rebounds, there are more and more doubts.

What’s interesting is that the more the critics question, the more the Lakers win. According to the current trend, the Lakers, who are on a winning streak, will face the Knicks, who are on a winning streak, on Christmas Day. Expectations for the Christmas battle are at their highest!
This phenomenon is caused by the welfare schedule arranged by the league. At least for the Knicks, three games in December are a bit too much.

Without the away game across half of the United States, the defending champions once again demonstrated their dominance.

After arriving in Phoenix, Dwight Howard was somewhat unhappy. In addition to Stephen A. Smith and other commentators taking the lead in lending the "DPOY" to Li You, O'Neal's sarcasm made him even more sad.

The "Happy Beast" still cannot understand why O'Neal has always looked down on him. The two had some disputes over the title of "Superman" in the shooting contest, but Howard thought the matter was over.

He still underestimated the old shark's narrow-mindedness. When interviewed by reporters before the game, O'Neal said sarcastically:
"A guy who has never even experienced the finals wants to get a title from me?"

"When he wins the championship, he will discuss this with me again. DPOY? I have MVP, I have FMVP. I am not a defender. That is not what a super center should do."

Perhaps because he is about to retire, O'Neal completely lost face this time. Anyone who is ridiculed will fight back. Howard, who is always happy, did not hold back this time. Under the instigation of the media, he refuted with reason and evidence:

"If I played in the Western Conference, I would have made it to the finals a long time ago! Some people just entered the league earlier and reaped the benefits of the division!"

"."

After Howard's remarks on Sunday, the relationship between the two completely deteriorated. All the basketball commentators were delighted and have been discussing the "Western Bonus" in the past two days.

Looking back at past playoffs, some commentators soon discovered that what "Happy Beast" said was correct. The Eastern Conference is seriously polarized, the teams in the upper half are very strong, and there have been the "Big Four" in the past two years.

In contrast, the Western Conference is not doing well. Although the Jazz and Rockets are stable, they have no superstars to lead the teams. The Spurs were strong at the time, but they were very weak in the finals.

The Trail Blazers have too many rookies and lack experience, the Nuggets are competitive only with the addition of championship guard Billups, and if the Lakers don't have Duncan, Kobe might not even have a chance to reach the conference finals.

Someone else mentioned the Mavericks, and the studio was filled with a joyful atmosphere. As the league's number one "softie", Nowitzki, who was eliminated in the first round, was the biggest joke of the playoffs.

In the end, everyone reached a consensus that what Howard said was indeed right, the "Western Dividend" really exists, and the Cavaliers are only one step away from the championship!

Compared with the gloomy "Happy Beast", LeBron James does not have these troubles. As the "second man" among active players and the future "successor to the face of the team", the chosen one has a very good reputation.

Those who didn't make it to the finals are always the strongest. James is far ahead in the discussion of "IF". He just needs to wait for Li You to complete his 8th consecutive championship and the league to be renewed, and then the Chosen One will reach the top!
Arriving at the American Airlines Center early, James took the initiative to visit the old Shark. O'Neal was very happy about the arrival of his little brother:
"King-James! I've said it before, LeBron can achieve great things! He will be the pride of black players!"

"Although I don't like Howard, the Cavaliers really have a chance this season. Roscoe is a perfect fit. I hope my little brother can perform better in the conference finals."

Facing a crowd of reporters, O'Neal hugged James and smiled and praised him, which made the latter in a good mood. He also felt that the Cavaliers were stronger this season:

"Everybody loves Shaq! Growing up, I witnessed the great rivalry between Shaq and Lee!"

"The championship is enough to prove how strong this guy is! I also fantasized about our cooperation. You know, no one would refuse to cooperate with the most dominant big man."

Reporters from Fox Sports and Yahoo Sports found loopholes in the words of the Chosen One and couldn’t wait to add fuel to the fire:
"Dwight Howard has always considered himself the most dominant big man in the league. LeBron, how would you describe your partner?"

With a smile on his black face, James was not bothered by the question, but responded very naturally:

"I think it's a sign of confidence! It's a way for young players to motivate themselves!"

"You know, in fact, we haven't achieved anything yet. The Cavaliers haven't even won a division championship yet. This season, Dwight and I are still working hard for it."

“I would never call myself ‘the best’ until I’ve achieved something.”

Hearing James' humble statement, the old shark laughed. He liked to see people making sarcastic remarks about his old partner. If Mamba was the best, wouldn't he become "second in command"?
A group of sports reporters also smiled and expressed their approval. When asked about the contract extension, James, who led the team to a good record, reiterated his identity:
"I am a kid from Akron. I have no reason to leave my hometown team. My wish has always been to bring a championship to Cleveland. I want to break the curse for this city with my own hands!"

"."

He couldn't help but straighten his chest. Although his agent repeatedly persuaded Cleveland that it was not conducive to business development, James was very eager for the highest honor, the "One Man One City Award".

Making plans after winning the championship is the best of both worlds. The Chosen One has already made preliminary plans for the future.

Although this game was not broadcast live nationwide, the American Airlines Arena was still packed. Although the Suns' record of 14 wins and 13 losses did not meet fans' expectations, the "grudge game" still attracted more fans.

The old Shark belittled his opponent before the game and was not polite during the game, frequently positioning himself in the low post. Although he was 37 years old, in some rounds, O'Neal was still able to hold his own with his outstanding raw talent.

In the first half of the game, Howard lost the ball under the basket many times. Although the "Happy Beast" was determined to make Old Deng look bad, his teammates did not give him much support.

Fortunately, in the third quarter, as O'Neal's physical strength declined, he basically gave up on defense after the pick-and-roll. Under the guidance of James, the "Happy Beast" repeatedly performed aerial operations.

In some rounds, relying on his physical advantage, he could get to the free throw line by slamming down from the low post. After the Cavaliers took the lead, Howard smiled happily and even taunted in the face during a free throw:

"Most dominant big man? My free throw shooting seems to be better!!"

"."

He deliberately made the free throw quickly, then the "Happy Beast" grinned and retreated, but he didn't have time to be happy for too long because O'Neal caught up with him and rushed into him violently.

"Oh!!"

Amid the cheers of the fans, the two big men got tangled up, with O'Neal blasting "Happy Beast" wildly. Howard couldn't stop yelling even after being pulled apart, and once again shouted:
"The person you should thank most is the referee! You should give the referee a ring! 'Cheating Superman'!"

"."

Howard was expelled for these words, but the "Happy Beast" didn't care and kept yelling as he walked towards the player tunnel. O'Neal was furious and soon led the Cavaliers to extend the score to 16 points.

Big brother Ilgauskas and Delonte West performed well after coming off the bench. After the third quarter, head coach Mike Brown felt that the red tie on his chest was even brighter. He is already a "quasi-champion coach"!
The Suns, who had no intention of continuing the fight, eventually lost again, 109:89. The Cavaliers continued their winning streak and secured second place in the Eastern Conference before the All-Star Game.

At the end of the game, witnessed by a crowd of fans, James and O'Neal exchanged jerseys with a smile, and the two hugged each other warmly, seemingly forgetting the conflict with Howard.

The Chosen One was in a good mood, holding up his jersey to canvass for votes for the old Shark. The second round of voting is about to end, and O'Neal still has to work harder to have a chance to get into the starting lineup:

"At 37 years old, Shaq has the potential to be selected for the All-NBA Team. I hope my fans can vote for him too!"

"."

At this time, Kobe was smiling happily at his home in Los Angeles. Seeing his old partner mess up the game, he could not suppress his joy.

Vanessa plans to take her daughter to New York for Christmas this year. She is actually a little dissatisfied with the league's schedule. The weather in the Big Apple is not as good as that in the City of Angels.

"I don't like Howard, but this guy did a good thing!"

Hearing Kobe's nagging, Vanessa nodded helplessly. In her opinion, Howard was always sarcastic to her husband and was not a good person either.

Kobe didn't care that he didn't get much response. He was looking forward to the jokes from the old Shark more and more. For the first time, his impression of Howard changed:
"Although this guy talks nonsense, he is willing to fight back. At least he is not a wimp."

On Tuesday, the 22nd, the Knicks had their last game before Christmas, and their opponent was again the Bulls.

The team's current record is 27 wins and 0 losses. Although the welfare schedule has helped, it is also inseparable from the good condition of the players. After the teams started to double-team again, the success rate of local 4-on-3 has become higher and higher.

Recently, Li You's personal data has declined, but his assists, steals, blocks and other data have begun to rise, just like Stephen A. Smith preaches every day:

"The 32-year-old God-Lee has reached the peak of his career on the defensive end!"

In addition to the double-teaming reason, there were also some off-court factors, but most commentators ignored them. As Christmas approached and they played consecutive home games, Li You once again fought with the girls.

If you want to know how the family prepares for Christmas, just follow You Tobe and social media. Succubus Scarlett and her friends will share some videos from time to time after Halloween.

With so many children, there are basically festivals every month. In short, the consecutive home games allow Li You to focus more on life. Some reporters also took photos of Li You and Georgina attending a "family gathering".

In the last national live broadcast on Thursday, the Bulls were blown out at home, 119:83, and angry Chicago fans blasted Rose after the game.

18中5，罚球7中4，14分4篮板5助攻1抢断3失误，菜鸟罗斯虽然命中率不怎么样，整体表现其实已经很好了。

But the Chicago fans who had been ridiculed for years did not buy it. What they wanted to see was victory. In the second game, the Chicago Tribune once again painted a big rosy picture for the fans:

"Ending New York's winning streak in the holy land of basketball is the best gift the Bulls can give to their fans!"

The columns of the Earth critics are no different from those in New York, they are all "loans". The only difference is that the Knicks really won the game, while the Bulls had a poor record and it was an empty victory.

At the 19:30 game, Derrick Rose, who came to Madison Square Garden for the first time in the new season, had a different feeling. The New York fans who were incited showed their "malice" towards Chicago:
"Take off the No. 1 jersey! You are not worthy of wearing this number!"

"You should thank Sprewell! Chicago failed the championship guard"

"Poor dribbling, take off your ridiculous screen"

Joakim Noah, who was also caught in the crossfire, felt confused. It was not like this last season. At that time, there were still people cheering for the Bulls' wonderful goals, but now there are only curses.

As for the rookie Rose, he was a little confused since the beginning of the game. He was booed as soon as he got the ball, and he committed a foul as soon as he started. In less than half a quarter, he had already made two turnovers.

Although he got rid of Li You's pursuit during this dribbling attack, he was interfered by Chandler under the basket in mid-air after he jumped in the paint area. After trying hard to dodge, Rose fell to the floor again.

"Shit! You can't do this!"

Rose, who usually doesn't have much emotion during the game, stood up and complained to the baseline referee with his hands spread out. There was a physical collision and his arms were pressed down. It was an obvious foul right in front of him, but the referee once again turned a blind eye.

At this time, cheers were already resounding throughout the stadium. Rose was unable to retreat, allowing Li You to rush faster and faster.

Facing John Salmons who was returning to defense, Li You rushed across the three-point line, made a big loop and passed the ball while moving, easily passed the defense and made another one-arm dunk!
After chasing back, Noah stopped in frustration. Thibodeau requested a timeout. The champion assistant coach was so angry at the performance of his players that his face turned red. At 4:18, half of the game had passed and the Bulls had only 4 points.
"Don't pay attention to those noises! You guys look like a bunch of wimps running around mindlessly on the field!"

"This is New York, stop complaining to the referee, that's my job"

The bald Thibodeau threw the tactical board in front of everyone. It was the first time the boys saw their coach get angry, and they didn't dare to say a word for a while.

There was jubilation on the Knicks bench. With the current score, it would soon be everyone's turn to appear. Even Danny Green from the towel group showed an expectant look, as he really needed playing time.

"I don't think I need to give any more instructions, we played a perfect game!"

D'Antoni, who had been AFK recently, once again smiled and praised everyone. Assistant coach Mike Malone, who was holding the tactical board at the side, was extremely envious. The old man had gained weight. The job of the head coach was really desirable.

The game lost suspense in the first quarter, but Li You did not relax. In the following time, the rookie Rose missed shots, failed to commit fouls when breaking through, and made consecutive mistakes due to his mentality.

It was originally a three-quarter game, but in order to train Rose's mentality, after Li You returned to the bench, Thibodeau folded his arms on the sidelines and watched Rose fight hard in garbage time.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, the game ended with a score of 80:124. All players scored points. The Knicks defeated the Bulls and ended their schedule before Christmas.

The Bulls' team reporters were somewhat disappointed. Rose played for 41 minutes and made 21 of 7 shots. Although he scored 20 points, most of the points were concentrated in the fourth quarter.

Experiencing such an away atmosphere for the first time, the rookie Rose was sweating profusely. He really tried his best, with 40+ minutes of playing time, and in the last period he almost had a leg cramp.

"Listen, if you want to pursue greatness, you must adapt to playing in Madison Square Garden. New York never sympathizes with the weak, they only cheer for victory!"

"."

Walking into the player tunnel and hearing the coach's encouragement, Rose nodded vigorously, and a feeling of gratitude emerged in his heart again. Thibodeau was really good to him. When he thought of Li You smiling and targeting him, he secretly complained in his heart:
"Shit! These old guys are so abominable!"

(End of this chapter)