NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 702 "Best" Puzzle (Daily Chapter)

On Friday, March 2010, 3, the NBA regular season entered its final stage and teams aiming for the playoffs began a new round of sprints.

The Celtics, as a championship-contending team, are no exception. Head coach Rivers has stated more than once that he wants his players to unite and work hard for a better ranking.

Garnett's fans disagreed with this and blamed championship guard Rajon Rondo for the poor performance.
35 wins and 23 losses, compared with the previous two seasons, the record in the same period has not improved but declined. In this regard, those who support the championship guard said that this is a running-in period, while those who are just watching for fun think that this is all a "New York conspiracy"!
The "conspiracy theory" was put forward by the Chicago media. Ever since the Chicago Tribune was swept by the Knicks this season, it has been "on full blast", intensively "touching" the media every day.

The content of the reports on the Knicks and Lee Yoo's personal news was more than that on the Bulls and Rose. In this regard, local fans not only did not object, but many even called for "strengthening the intensity".
It's not just Chicago, neighboring Philadelphia has basically become a "megaphone".

The 76ers really can't be praised anymore, with 20 wins and 40 losses. Iguodala is not as good as Iverson in leading the team, and his low-key personality makes the Philadelphia sports media too lazy to even criticize him.

In order to support the "New York conspiracy" promoted by Chicago, several columns in the Philadelphia Herald shared with fans how the "championship experience" had changed the league.

Finally, several columnists came to the conclusion:

"The Knicks control their opponents through trades. Every player who leaves New York is a cancer in the locker room!"

The two sides started arguing on social media early in the morning. Since the advent of Twitter, the level of commentators has become higher and higher. Led by opinion leaders, fans of various teams have started to complain.

Interestingly, everyone’s complaints are almost the same - after absorbing Knicks players, there are always problems in the locker room.

In this regard, players from New York have spoken out, and the remarks made by champion guard Sprewell, who has been silent for many years, on social media have once again set off the entire circle:

"Who are those who have never achieved success to question my championship experience?"

“It’s those guys who have accomplished nothing that should reflect on themselves!”

Although the championship guard did not mention any names, most commentators believed that he was referring to Garnett. Recently, Boston reporters have been holding "meetings" with Rondo every day, and the fundamental reason is Rondo's attitude.

That night, the Celtics came to Philadelphia to continue their road trip. A group of sports reporters wanted to watch the fun and started fanning the flames before the game.

After arriving at the arena and completing warm-up activities, Rondo was surrounded by the crowd. The ESPN reporter immediately asked the topic that everyone was concerned about:

"Rajon, what do you think about the Celtics' poor record? Are you having a difficult time in the locker room as some people have described?"

Rondo has been angry since last month for not being selected for the All-Star Game. Garnett's unwillingness to cooperate in some games made the newbie even more angry.

"We are going through the pain, I know what is the right basketball, as the team leader, I have to keep everyone on the right path."

Rondo said this with a sullen face, and it seemed that he heard a confident tone. The reporter from Yahoo Sports also quickly asked:
"Is Kevin Garnett the reason for the poor performance? His condition has not improved recently."

Although the two have argued many times in the locker room, Rondo is not interested in revealing the internal situation to reporters, so he answered the question with polite words:

"Losing is a problem for all of us. We were not resolute enough in our tactical execution and failed to seize open shots. This is the NBA and we have to learn to accept it."

"."

Garnett, who returned to the locker room early, was also in a bad mood. It was difficult for him to get 50 wins this season. Apart from the injury, Garnett believed that Rondo's arrival destroyed the team's chemistry!

In addition, the championship guard never asked him for advice with an open mind, and the embarrassed Harden felt more and more that there was an "undercover" in the locker room. A team that had won 60 games had turned into this.

Before the trade deadline, the Celtics sent away Eddie House and three other players in exchange for Nate Robinson and the atmosphere group from the Suns.

In addition to increasing the depth of the lineup, the more important purpose of this deal is to undermine Garnett's voice in the locker room. Without the support of his younger brother, Rondo's wings are hard again.
"Is this the Eastern Conference? Damn it, I've been here for half a month, and all I hear is news about Lee and the Knicks?"

Nate Robinson, who watched the news early in the morning, finally expressed his confusion before the game.

When he was playing for the Suns, the dunk king didn't really pay attention to the news from the East Coast. After all, it was far away and the number of times they played against each other in a season was limited.

But after arriving in Boston, Nate Robinson finally understood why Lee You was so popular. Sports journalists here rely on the "GOAT" to make a living, and most of them wish they could live in New York and gossip every day.
The team's record is not good, and the locker room is divided. In this regard, the original leader Paul Pierce is also a little tired. After hearing the problem, he explained helplessly:
"We are so close. New Jersey, Philadelphia and Boston have all been influenced by New York basketball. You can understand it after seeing those billboards."

Hook has been advertising like crazy recently. Last month, several issues of Sports Illustrated were all about the story of Li You and his sneakers.

He personally participated in the design, incorporated New York city elements, used incomprehensible new materials to create the midsole, and used confusing flying lines to create the upper.
After reading the magazine, fans expressed their gratitude, and many people shouted "It's too cheap" on social media. Li You once again sought benefits for his family!
When talking about advertisements, Marbury couldn't help but think of his sneaker brand that was about to go bankrupt, and his dark face was full of anger.

Li You's latest signature shoes are sold for US$399 and there are queues to buy them, while his own brand is not even sold for dozens of dollars.

"I've said it before, New York players are all cancer! Only idiots believe in the championship puzzle!"

Marbury started to speak sourly again. Seeing Nate Robinson's suspicious look, he became even more angry. He turned his head to look at his old teammate and complained again:

"That rookie messed up the locker room"

Ray Allen, who had been reluctant to participate in the discussion, suddenly interrupted Marbury and said calmly:
"Don't complain about your teammates in the locker room. Rajon just wants to win. If there is a problem, we can solve it face to face. Kevin, what do you think?"

I don't know when it started, but after winning the game, some people in the locker room also complained. Garnett knew he had lost control, but when he thought about the "culprit" being recognized by the coach, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction:

"Ray is right, it's dangerous and tiring! I don't want to hear any more news about the locker room appearing in the newspapers or on Twitter!"

"I'd rather put on my boxing gloves and have a man fight to sort this out!"

"."

Perkins and Glen Davis looked at each other, and as they looked at their boss who said this through gritted teeth, they both felt that perhaps the boxing match was not far away.

At 19:30 p.m. that night, after the game started, head coach Rivers was idle on the bench. The camera scanned him many times, but the outdated best coach always sat firmly in his seat.

After the opening, Rondo frequently found Ray Allen, catching the ball and shooting after the screen, breaking through and laying up, and his tactics were continuously successful. For a while, there was jubilation on the Celtics bench.

Garnett also scored consecutive dunks. Rondo broke through to the basket and made a fake pass. The realistic fake moves caused the Philadelphia fans at the scene to exclaim. They were too familiar with this move!
After the pick-and-roll, he caught the ball and shot a jump shot, and cut into the basket with a fake screen. Harden scored consecutively in the second half of the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics easily suppressed the 29ers at 25:76.

Although he shot 2 for 0 and only scored 2 points from free throws, Rondo made 6 assists in a single quarter. When he returned to the bench, Rivers applauded and praised him:
"Good job!"

Suppressing the opponent is a good thing, but during the intermission, Rondo took over the tactical board very naturally, lowered his head to write and draw, and when he looked up and didn't see Garnett, he immediately shouted with a sullen face:
"Hey! Don't make me invite you!"

Garnett, who had been holding back for a long time, finally exploded and rushed over with a "Nico-style" attack. Before Rivers could react, the two had already pushed each other. After Rondo was pulled apart, he shouted angrily:
"You have no right to criticize my basketball philosophy! I have three fucking rings."

The Philadelphia fans at the scene were stunned. It was a rare scene of internal strife when the team was leading.

In the end, it was Pierce who controlled the two men. The native leader pulled Garnett to comfort him in a low voice, but Harden continued to yell in a rage:

"Damn it, Nico! I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

The referee who witnessed this scene was also stunned until Rivers roared with a red face and ended the conflict. After the game resumed, the Philadelphia fans at the scene cheered for the first time.

It’s not because the game was exciting, but because they saw a “big show”.

During the game, the rookie Jrue Holiday turned his head to look at Rondo from time to time, his dark face full of admiration. The championship guard was so powerful that he could even confront the league's tough guy Kevin Garnett!
When Andre Iguodala returned to the court, the low-key leader looked helpless. He had some problems with his personal condition tonight, his teammates were not focused enough, and he made consecutive mistakes and was booed by the fans.

At the end of the first half, 53:44, the strife-ridden Celtics expanded their lead thanks to Rondo's connection.

It was his first time experiencing such a game. Elton Brand cursed in frustration as he walked towards the staff tunnel. Sometimes he really wanted to go back to the Western Conference to play, at least there were "normal games".

On Monday, March 3, the Knicks will face the Hawks at home. The recent schedule has been busy, and after losing back-to-back games, New York fans hope to end the losing streak.

With 56 wins and 6 losses, after losing to the Raptors and Nets respectively, the Knicks still rank first in the league.

The team established a leading advantage in the direct dialogue with the Cavaliers last Monday, but Chandler's back injury recurred after the win and he was recently put on the observation list again.

Howard also suffered an injury. He strained his shoulder during a rebounding scramble, which indirectly led to the Cavaliers' subsequent loss to the Bucks. The gap in wins between the two teams remained unchanged.

The Hawks are still making their final efforts. Currently, they have squeezed out the Celtics and successfully ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference.

With 39 wins and 22 losses, head coach Mike Woodson is proud. What’s the use of the “Big Four”? They were still defeated by the united Hawks!
I thought the fourth place would get extra attention, but the New York media seemed to have forgotten the Hawks. Recently, the media has been hotly discussing Li You's wealth.

On Wednesday, Forbes will release the latest global wealth rankings. Insiders revealed that Li You, who focuses on basketball, has seen his personal wealth increase again. In response to this, many fans proudly puffed out their chests!
When he arrived at the stadium early in the afternoon to warm up, there were a large number of reporters watching. They seemed to notice that Li You was in a good mood, and immediately squeezed next to him after the warm-up.

The reporters from Vanity Fair actually don’t like to interview in this kind of environment, but Li You rarely accepts exclusive interviews. If he wants to publish an article, he has to compete with sports reporters.

In contrast, several young reporters from the Wall Street Journal have a good relationship with Li You. Since the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office changed its leader, Ax Capital has used the media to speak out. The two sides get along well. When the young man saw Li You looking at him, he immediately asked the question that everyone was concerned about:

"Lee, we have some interesting news. With the rise in the share prices of several investment banks, your personal wealth seems to have reached the staggering figure of $120 billion?"

"God!"

"120 million!"

Upon hearing this huge number, many reporters exclaimed in surprise. Although it was due to stocks, it was still too much, so much that no one could imagine.

"I haven't really paid attention to personal finances. You know, at some level, wealth is just a number."

"Now I am not interested in money. On the contrary, my achievements in basketball will make me happier!"

Li You said this with a smile, and the reporters around him were silent for a moment. This X-man was so pretentious that they were speechless. At the same time, some people also doubted whether basketball was really that happy?
Unlike sports reporters, Vanity Fair prefers private life gossip. While everyone was silent, they immediately handed over the recording equipment:

"Lee, which female companion are you planning to bring to the party that the High Line board is throwing for you?"

In social occasions in New York, Li You rarely greeted the "old guys" in the past, as both sides looked down on each other in their hearts.

What’s interesting is that when wealth increases, many people will take the initiative to extend olive branches.

The success of the High Line Park provided a new venue for socializing celebrities, and Barry Diller took this opportunity to invite Li You to join.

The old man is not only very prestigious in the board of directors, but is also considered a "powerful person" in Hollywood.

Even though the party is still a few months away, many of those who were invited have already started promoting it.

Like the "outdated presidential debate" held at Radio City Music Hall in January, New York always has a way of making some boring things happen.

"I haven't thought about it yet. There's no rule that you can only bring one female companion, right? I like to share the joy of success with more people!"

Seeing Li You winking cheekily, several reporters were completely speechless. The football team was almost formed, but the man in front of them was still single.
Sports reporters didn't want to gossip about this. After everyone came to their senses, they immediately conveyed the latest news from next door:
"Lee, after the Celtics game last Friday, it was said that Garnett had invited Rondo to a boxing match."

Upon hearing the news, Li You couldn't hold it in for a moment and laughed softly with his hands covering his mouth. It was hard for people to understand his sense of humor, but many reporters were infected and chuckled as well.

"I don't know what happened, but I have to say something for my little brother!"

"Rajon is a genius! His understanding of basketball has surpassed many people, and he has made a huge contribution to the Knicks' championship."

"I hope to see them get along. Kevin needs help. I look forward to meeting the Celtics again in the playoffs."

Li You is really happy. The schedule has been tight recently. In fact, gossip is more interesting than basketball games. He firmly believes that Garnett cannot stop the championship experience from continuing to spread.

Reporters in Philadelphia next door were also in a good mood. Although the 76ers lost consecutive games, the Knicks also lost. As long as the old rivals didn't win, they were happy:
"This is the first time this season that we have suffered two consecutive losses. Lee, should you reduce those crazy three-pointers? Many people are criticizing your offensive choices."

No matter what the record is, a "meeting" will be held when they lose. JR Smith and Matthews, who have recently entered a period of iron shooting, have become the targets of criticism.

Including Li You, the three of them took 28 shots in the game against the Raptors, which is an extremely outrageous number. After all, many teams only take about 15 shots from beyond the three-point line in a game.

When some teams that followed up with three-pointers increased their shots to 20+, the Knicks had already broken through 30+, and more and more three-pointers were made.
"Our goal has never been a win record. In a long season, there will always be fluctuations in form."

"The best option is to stick with it. I'm not worried about my teammates. They work harder than most players in the league!"

"Every player who has experienced the Knicks locker room culture is the best piece of the championship puzzle. No one knows how to win the trophy better than us."

When talking about his teammates' competitive state, Li You almost patted his chest to guarantee that there is a detailed Excel for every game, and the playing time will be decided after evaluation.

Although coach D'Antoni has his own preferences, the "form" has given more people opportunities.

Wesley Matthews has already succeeded, and Matt Bartelstein even helped the newbie find several different offers. What makes the atmosphere group jealous is that the Trail Blazers seem to be planning to strike hard.

If he performs well in the playoffs, Matthews, who has only played one season with the Knicks, will most likely get a big contract.

When Li You was surrounded by reporters, Danny Green, who was still practicing shooting on the court, was already sweating profusely, and Ibaka was also taking a deep breath on the free throw line. The two were almost confused recently.
The Knicks not only have basketball skills, but also new technologies for physical training.

The relatively dense schedule forced everyone in the atmosphere group to accept it, and everyone needed to be in better shape to win trust.

Charles Oakley, with a white beard, was still cheering Ibaka on at this time, and regardless of whether the newbie could understand him or not, he shouted at a fast speed:
"All you have to do is rebound and defend, play next to Lee, don't need those crappy low-post skills, have a consistent jump shot like me, and you can get into the 8-man rotation!"

"."

Ibaka had no choice but to agree after vaguely understanding most of what he said. The old man said it simply, but jump shots can only be practiced hard. Playing in Spain does not have such intensity.

Danny Green, who has too white skin, has never received much recognition, but Matthews has shown him how to win trust, he just needs to stick with it.

When returning to the locker room, Li You did not forget to encourage the atmosphere group, talked about the recent schedule, and made a promise:

"Back-to-back games are an opportunity to show ourselves. Believe me, no one can tell us what to do. The championship is the best proof!"

Before Chalmers could even blow the X, Matthews once again demonstrated his loyalty:
"I will not let Lee down! My hit rate has dropped, but I am willing to continue practicing. Being able to participate in the championship is a test from God for me!"

"."

Thaddeus Young cursed the bootlicker in his heart, but showed excitement on his dark face. He followed suit and Chalmers was not to be outdone, saying that he wanted to continue leading the bench.

Dio, who was about to enjoy his coffee, suddenly felt that the drink in his hand was not fragrant anymore. The Frenchman had trained his muscles so much this season that he couldn't move anymore and subconsciously looked at Gasol.

“We have to get the championship for Lee!”

Seeing the passionate expression of the Spanish big man, Dio and his team were numb. A series of consecutive defeats did not stimulate Li You, but instead dragged them into the training hall again.

When the sycophant Gazuric and his friends started to brag, the tough guy Chandler yelled at the Eagles' wimps to be taught a lesson, Dio noticed Li You's gaze and had to make a firm statement:
"Tonight I'll end my losing streak, and I'll take care of my opponent on the road in the West!"

The Knicks will have to play consecutive away games in the Western Conference, and some of them are back-to-back games. Li You has been slacking off on the plane. If the Knicks want to win, they have to rely on their teammates to perform actively.

Encouraged by Li You, everyone was full of fighting spirit and wanted to take off immediately. The heated atmosphere did not diminish until before the game. Dio looked at the cold coffee in the cup and secretly complained for a while:

"We have to hold on for another month!"

On Wednesday, March 3, the Knicks, who ended their losing streak, started their road trip, and the Celtics, who completed their internal boxing match, welcomed consecutive home games.

That night, Rondo and Garnett did not appear in the game against the Grizzlies. According to inside information, the champion guard fought back angrily after being hit, and hit Kevin Durant with a straight punch.
As both teams were hurt, the two were suspended internally. The Celtics lost miserably to the Grizzlies at home 112:89.

The fun in Boston spread throughout the league, and Wade was the one who felt it the most. The Heat defeated the Clippers tonight, and after the game all the reporters went to interview the championship forward.

In the American Airlines Arena, Artest and David Lee did not forget to wave to the fans. Unlike Wade, the two showed their "loyalty" in front of the media more than once.

When asked about his little brother's experience, Artest was a little angry and said loudly to the reporter:
"Kevin Garnett is a wimp. He should fully embrace the championship experience that Rajon brings!"

"We won three championships together. The Celtics should not dwell on the past. My little brother can lead this team in the future."

When Wade passed by, he wanted to show his presence and was about to hug David Lee from behind, but he heard his good partner say confidently:
"The record doesn't lie! We have injected championship experience into the Heat!"

"Only by partnering with Lee can one understand the true meaning of modern basketball. I hope that under my guidance, Wade can be as successful as Lee. I am confident that I can lead the Heat to win the championship."

"In the future, I hope my jersey can appear above the stadium"

Wade's smile was stiff when he was squeezed between the two people, but in front of the reporters, he had to continue smiling and show his harmonious side.

The Flash responded casually, turned his head to look at David Lee who was talking nonstop, and glanced at Artest who was speaking up for his little brother.

Thinking of the oily-head calling the two the best championship puzzle pieces, Wade felt extremely aggrieved and complained again in his heart:
"Damn the leadership team! Damn the championship experience!"

"."

(End of this chapter)