NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 717: Can't Carry. (Daily Chapter)
2010年5月16号星期日，当晚20点30分，东部决赛率先开战。

Both teams, which had rested for many days, seemed a bit slow to warm up after the opening. After more than three minutes of the game, the Cavaliers finally scored a goal from beyond the three-point line.

Champion guard Raja Bell received a pass from James on the right wing and made a jump shot. Head coach Mike Brown, who had been shouting on the sidelines, breathed a sigh of relief, then clapped his hands and continued to encourage loudly:

“Stay focused!!”

At Madison Square Garden, 2 New York fans started shouting loudly after the game started. The Cavaliers players on the court could only barely hear the head coach's instructions. Dwight Howard, who was retreating, clapped his hands in frustration and quickly returned to the basket.

The Cavaliers continued with the starting lineup after the All-Star Game. Channing Frye, who was in excellent form, and "Happy Beast" partnered up in the interior, protecting the rim with their height on the defensive end and acting as a space-type power forward on the offensive end.

This inside combination had the upper hand against the Hawks. Under the leadership of the two core players inside and outside, they "reaped a lot" from beyond the three-point line.

However, Channing Frye did not perform well at the start of the game tonight. Facing rookie Ibaka, he did not dominate. Instead, he had difficulty getting rebounds in the backcourt in the opening few rounds.

His shooting was unstable and the quality of pick-and-roll was mediocre. Rookie Ibaka rarely participated in pick-and-rolls in offensive rounds. When he saw Gasol had already stood still on the line, he immediately squeezed towards the basket.

Channing Frye, who had previously complained to the referee, held his breath and began to compete with the rookie at the bottom right of the basket.

On the left wing, Howard, who was briefly delayed, hurried back to Gasol's side, and the two of them pulled each other into the paint area. The "Happy Beast" was a little impatient with the pick-and-roll at the beginning of the game, and his movements became more and more aggressive.

"squeak!"

Raja Bell, who had returned to defend Li You, heard the whistle and turned his head to see Howard wearing a red arm guard, helplessly spreading his hands and showing a mouthful of white teeth. The "Happy Beast" was still complaining:
"I don't have any extra moves!"

Gasol, who was pushed out to the baseline, just raised his eyebrows. The "Happy Beast" was full of energy tonight and was a little overwhelmed on the defensive end. Fortunately, the opponent's touch near the basket didn't seem to be very good.

There were consecutive fouls after the opening, and the offense was not fully opened. While the Knicks were throwing the sideline ball, James, wearing a red headband, continued to loudly direct his teammates.

After leaving Marion open, the Chosen One can participate more in assisting defense, and Mike Brown insists on "reducing the burden" on the core.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid shouts that echoed throughout the arena, Mo Williams chased JR Smith to the top of the arc. He just stopped and saw his opponent take the ball and take off into the air, then threw it from outside the three-point line.

"Oh!!"

The three-pointer went into the net and the New York fans at the scene cheered loudly. The championship shooter who had missed two consecutive shots finally made the shot.

JR Smith patted his chest and Li You walked back to half court and high-fived to celebrate. At 9:12, the Knicks took the lead again.

This game was broadcast by ABC, and the Mike-Brin trio was still on the commentary stand. Seeing that Mo Williams and Channing Frye almost made a mistake in the pick-and-roll at the top of the arc, Mark Jackson made a tactful comment:
"The Cavaliers weren't able to get excited on offense, and I respect all teams, but they weren't really tested before this."

"."

He was almost intercepted by Li You. After the ball was kicked out of the sideline, Mo Williams came to the right wing and took the hand-to-hand pass from his teammate, and then immediately passed the ball to James in the right corner.

Except for Howard who was lurking near the lower left side of the basket, everyone else was concentrated outside the three-point line. After a simple tentative step, James, with the ball in his left hand, forced himself to accelerate, and continued to shoot, directly reaching the paint area.

Approaching the basket, he pulled the ball and pretended to turn towards the baseline. The slowing James failed to make Marion lose his position. The veteran was more difficult to deal with than he expected. He twisted again, moved to the top line, pretended to make a fadeaway jump shot, and then swung the ball hard.

The basketball flew straight to the left corner. Ibaka, who had just been away from the defender, suddenly jumped up to intercept it. The change in direction of the basketball caught Channing Frye off guard. He subconsciously tried to grab the ball, but although he succeeded, he stepped on the sideline.

The sudden mistake made head coach Mike Brown on the sidelines yell again. Brown was a little nervous, and the expected advantage did not appear.

Howard, who had been in position in advance, followed Gasol out of the three-point line. Raja Bell was unable to squeeze through the screen. Seeing Li You's left hand quickly in and out while moving, the "Happy Beast" slid hurriedly.

Approaching the three-point line, Li You quickly adjusted his pace and suddenly stopped, ignoring Howard's jumping block, and made a quick jump shot!
James, who had just retreated back to the half court, turned his head helplessly to look at the basket. Just as he expected, the basketball went into the net. Amid cheers, the Cavaliers immediately requested a timeout.

9:15, the score difference was not big, but Howard clapped his hands in frustration as he walked to the bench. He was "slipped away" at the start of the night.
"LeBron James should reduce his low-post attacks. Maybe he wants to lead his teammates first, but the Knicks are clearly ready."

Jeff Van Gundy felt that the Cavaliers were getting inflated after watching half a quarter. In the first two rounds, they relied on talent to crush their opponents. This method of attracting double-teaming has been proven to be effective, but tonight, Marion did not have much disadvantage in the matchup.

The Knicks' consecutive three-pointers were familiar to Mike Breen. In the past two seasons, Li You rarely exploded at the start of the home court:
"It looks like the Cavaliers are in trouble! We can wait and see if head coach Mike Brown will change his defensive strategy."

Holding the tactical board and talking non-stop, Mike Brown was a little nervous about being behind temporarily. He did not emphasize shooting like he did in the first two rounds of the series, but drew a tactic for Howard and reminded him loudly:
"Rebound! Don't let your opponent easily counterattack."

The coaching staff has repeatedly emphasized for nearly a week how to curb transition offense. Although they performed well in the first half of the game, they became nervous once they fell behind.

The Cavaliers encouraged each other. Before going on the court, Raja Bell turned his head and whispered to James:
"Bro, you have to take over the game immediately and don't let the score difference reach double digits."

The championship guard said it more tactfully, but the implicit meaning was "don't expect role players to make consecutive hits in response." James was a little depressed about this. This was so tactful and self-righteous that he was speechless.

In the first round after the timeout, James and Howard launched a signature pick-and-roll on the left wing, Gasol followed up, and the "Happy Beast" pushed hard and squeezed to the basket.

With his passing route cut off, James made an emergency stop and dribbled behind his back, then chose to pass the ball sideways. Channing Frye took advantage of his height advantage and successfully got the ball into the paint after receiving it.

The poor quality of the pass forced Howard to adjust the ball. Fortunately, he was close enough to the basket, so he insisted on defending and threw the ball with one hand with his right hand, using his long arms and tilting his body.

11:15, the tactic was successful, the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket. Head coach Mike Brown breathed a sigh of relief again, feeling a lot more at ease.

Howard was still complaining about Gasol's defensive action as he retreated. The Knicks were about to serve the ball from the baseline. When Li You rushed across half court, Marion immediately stepped forward to set a fake screen and then accelerated to shoot out.

James, who was about to switch defense, had to cheer up. He watched Li You slow down and come to the right wing, and stuck to him immediately.

Suddenly, his center of gravity lowered, and Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, instantly increased his stride, trying to break through by force, and quickly slid to the left rear. James' feet moved, and then a physical collision occurred.

The two big men of the Cavaliers followed suit and Li You had already turned around with the help of James' gyroscope. "Oh!"

The hidden pass caused cheers from New York fans. In the paint area, when Channing Frye discovered that the basketball had disappeared, Ibaka, who received the ball near the left baseline, had already dribbled up and slammed it with both hands!

James, who was trying to take over the game, asked for the ball early on the offensive end. After initiating another pick-and-roll, he held the ball in his right hand and forced a breakthrough at the top of the arc.

Seeing Channing Frye was left open in the right corner, James still did not choose to pass the ball. He took off with Marion hanging on him. He was disturbed by Ibaka in the air and his layup hit the rim and went out.

Howard tried hard to hit the ball out, but Li You intercepted it in the air in front of Mo Williams.

Cheers rang out again. Li You jumped high and turned nimbly after landing. He swung the ball and easily passed the defense on his side.

The Cavaliers who wanted to return to defense gave up before they even crossed half court. Li You fast-attacked like a tiger. In the blink of an eye, he had already soared into the air in the paint area, swung the ball in the air, and made a windmill slam dunk!
At 11:19, Li You's continuous chest beating made Madison Square Garden completely boil, and the shouting could not be stopped.

Howard, who was getting impatient, tried to get the ball in the low post, but Gasol's interference from the front made Mo Williams hesitate.

Entering the positional offense again, after receiving the ball on the left wing, James began to direct his teammates to take position, while signaling Channing Frye to provide cover.

In a pick-and-roll on the right wing, James, who was surrounded by two players, decisively passed the ball. Channing Frye, who came to the top of the arc with a fake screen, did not hesitate and missed the shot after receiving the ball.

Howard, who was pushing hard under the basket, could only watch Li You pick up the long rebound ball again. The "Happy Beast" cursed softly and accelerated back to defense.

The Cavaliers had just returned to the half court and had just taken their positions when Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction at the top of the arc, accelerated a second time, and instantly broke through Raja Bell's defense.

The defense immediately contracted, and Mo Williams on the right wing even swiped his card to assist in defense, making a short pass horizontally. After receiving the pass, JR Smith did not make any adjustments, but just threw the ball!
"oh!!"

The three-pointer went in, and JR Smith roared loudly with the fans. Such a good state made the Cavaliers atmosphere team look at each other in bewilderment. On the bench, Afflalo whispered helplessly:
"I knew this would happen!"

Delonte West and Anthony Parker also lost the excitement they had at the beginning of the game. They were too familiar with this scene. They were behind by double digits and struggled to catch up. In the second half, they were swept by Li You and the game was over.

The team lost four games in a row during the regular season. Daniel Gibson, who was dressed in formal attire, saw his boss being carried down after breaking through, and he complained to the referee along with everyone else.

Two free throws helped the team "stop the bleeding". On the defensive end, Marion missed a three-pointer from the top of the arc. It was a rare opportunity for transition offense. James had already started, but Mo Williams, who picked up a long rebound, was directly intercepted by Li You.

After successfully "stealing the ball" from behind, Li You turned around and pretended to accelerate to break through amid cheers. He suddenly passed the ball from behind and cut into the paint area where Marion was unguarded and met Channing Frye to deliver the ball into the basket.

At 13:24, the Cavaliers requested a timeout again.

The Knicks bench was filled with jubilation. Ben Wallace, who was the leader of the atmosphere group, roared passionately, punched the rookie's chest hard, and shouted in encouragement:

"That's it. Defend, rebound, and leave the rest to Lee! You don't have to worry about anything else."

He suddenly entered the starting lineup in the crucial game, facing outstanding inside players like Channing Frye and Howard. Ibaka performed well in this quarter, at least he didn't commit stupid fouls.

Li You, who was sweating a little, was also high-fiving everyone. Although assistant coach Charles Oakley was wearing a formal suit, he seemed to have gone back in time. He stepped forward with a big grin and high-fived everyone, muttering non-stop:
"Who can stop us from winning?"

"I just don't want to lose the home advantage. The youngsters performed well."

Li You smiled and patted the old guy. As he walked towards the bench, the New York fans at the scene began to shout "MVP" again. The 60-win team looked equally vulnerable, and three-point shots were all ineffective in Madison Square Garden.

D'Antoni, who was in a tactical retreat most of the time, was always idle. Mike Brown on the Cavaliers bench was a little numb at this time. After hesitating for a moment, he still made a substitution:
"Rashid"

Upon hearing his name, Rasheed Wallace immediately took off his coat. The veteran looked serious as he was ready to take on the task at the critical moment.

After the timeout, the Cavaliers still maintained a space lineup, but they did not initiate pick-and-rolls in the offensive rounds. Instead, they let Rasheed Wallace receive the ball with his back to the basket in the left blocking area.

Consecutive turnaround straight-arm jump shots helped the team stop the bleeding. Rasheed Wallace clenched his fist to celebrate after scoring. On the defensive end, the left wing encountered a pick-and-roll and the veteran was directly broken through by Li You.

Ibaka's screen quality was average, but Raja Bell, who was chasing him, still failed to stop the pass and watched Li You stop suddenly in the paint and throw the ball.

At the bottom right of the basket, Howard looked at the basketball that was rising in arc and subconsciously stuck to Gasol behind him. As a result, after bouncing twice, the basketball "crawled" into the basket.
"Shet!"

With a low curse, Howard felt that the arc was wrong no matter how he looked at it, but the ball still went in, and their defense was broken again.

The impatient Cavaliers tried to force a basket, but Howard missed the shot with two players on his shoulders. He then grabbed the frontcourt rebound, but was sent to the free throw line by Gasol, who made 2 of 1 free throws.

The big man started to double-team him when he encountered a pick-and-roll, and Rasheed Wallace, who was guarding the basket, watched Gasol hit consecutive jump shots at the free throw line.

"what!"

Although he didn't dunk, Gasol, who had a tough jump shot, didn't forget to beat his chest to celebrate. The noise in the arena was getting louder and louder. Head coach Mike Brown felt numb for a moment when he saw his opponent blooming in multiple places.

In the last minute or so, when entering the rotation stage, Dio and Chalmers, who came off the bench, also contributed, and the Cavaliers, with a stumbling +1, barely maintained the score difference.

He scored his second field goal in the first quarter, and James' jump shot from the free throw line in the final moments barely saved face.

23:37, the team was 14 points behind at the start, and the team shot 6 out of 1 from beyond the three-point line. James walked to the bench with emotions surging in his heart, and felt that he could not lead the team. The doubts from previous years resurfaced in his mind:
"Why did we miss the mark again?"

“Why do opponents always make jump shots?”

"."

(End of this chapter)