NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 722 "Old Deng Basketball" (Daily Chapter)

On Saturday, May 2010, 5, the Quicken Loans Arena ushered in the "life and death battle" familiar to Cavaliers fans.

Cleveland fans are not interested in the "green light incident", they just want to see the home team win. This year is definitely a great opportunity to win the championship. It seems that God is taking care of this city!
The two teams that entered the Western Conference Finals seemed to have no competitiveness. The Lakers "exploded" on their own, and even if the Trail Blazers won unexpectedly, they were no match for the Cavaliers in terms of playoff experience.

As long as we can win the Eastern Conference Finals, a championship flag will be raised over the stadium!
Many Cavaliers fans even began to fantasize about "starting a dynasty", but after watching the game that night, they put the fantasy behind them.
After returning to the home court, fans wearing white cheering T-shirts turned the stadium into a sea of ​​white.

Perhaps influenced by the emotions of the fans, after poor three-point shooting at the beginning, the Cavaliers directly turned on the talented basketball mode.

LeBron James and Dwight Howard repeatedly went to the free throw line in the first half of the game. Their strong performance caused the Knicks to encounter foul trouble in the interior.

Gazuric and Ben Wallace both came on the court early, but neither of them was able to limit the "Happy Beast". Fortunately, Howard was in poor free throw form tonight, making 9 of 5 in the first half and wasting several opportunities.

Faced with the shrinking defense, James did not pass the ball. After repeatedly attacking the basket, he made 10 of 7 free throws. Under the leadership of the two core players, the Cavaliers made 24 free throws in the first half and the game was interrupted from time to time.

55:54, the Cavaliers made a crazy attack and both sides returned to the same starting line.

The Cavaliers fans were excited to catch up in the second quarter. When they saw the players walking towards the tunnel, they shouted the names of James and Howard, and continued to cheer:

"Hold on, LeBron! We're going to win the game!"

"."

Although Howard saw this scene as he walked towards the player tunnel, the "Happy Beast" did not show any jealousy on the surface. Instead, he grinned happily and followed the crowd in cheering:
"They're done! They lost the inside defense in just three quarters."

Unlike James who looked nervous, Howard, who had taken advantage, was as happy as ever. He prevented the Knicks from scoring more than 30 points in two quarters. The "Happy Beast" firmly believed that winning was only a matter of time.

Following behind his players, head coach Mike Brown secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His strategy tonight was to leave the weak side empty, guard the basket, and double-team Li You without thinking.

Judging from the content of the game in the first half, a lot of physical confrontations and free throws disrupted the Knicks' offensive rhythm. Although the Cavaliers almost collapsed in the first quarter, Mike Brown felt that he made the right bet!
The Cavaliers only scored 22 points in the first quarter, but scored 2 points in the second quarter. The entire Cavaliers team was encouraged and shouted after Howard when they returned to the locker room:

"I knew they had no other options except fouling! 1 point? I don't care about the difference at all. We're going to win tonight!"

Howard, wearing the white home jersey, shouted loudly again. Standing in front of everyone, he did not forget to pat his strong chest muscles twice. He felt even more relaxed after complaining. This was the game he was looking forward to.

"We can do better! 9 turnovers, we have to stay tough"

James, who returned to his seat, also spoke. The Chosen One looked at Channing Frye and others. Several drops of the ball were indeed fatal, otherwise the score would have been tied by now.

Maybe it's because he has watched too many documentaries about the Knicks, James always likes to nag about statistics during halftime, which is somewhat similar to Li You.

However, the two also have differences. Li You prefers to encourage his teammates and praise players who perform well, which is a regular operation. When controlling the rhythm of the game, the Knicks rarely make low-level mistakes.

The Cavaliers cannot compare with them in this regard. In terms of rhythm and mistakes, James can only strictly demand his teammates. Maintaining a higher level of concentration is the top priority for everyone on the Cavaliers.

"I'll pay attention to the rebounding. LeBron is right. We should have been ahead in the third quarter."

Channing Frye, whose shooting touch has improved, took the initiative to express his performance. He is currently 4 of 2 from beyond the three-point line. Like championship guard Raja Bell, he is very efficient in three-point shooting and is in much better condition than in the first two games.

Raja Bell, who continued to share his championship experience, also reminded LeBron James and said seriously:
"LeBron, once our shooting percentage drops, you need to take over the game immediately. 40% three-point shooting percentage, to be honest, we have to be prepared in advance."

The Cavaliers made 10 of 4 shots in the first half, relying on the outstanding performance of two shooters. The two core players of the Cavaliers focused on attacking the basket. James likes this mode very much.

James is used to the championship guard's self-righteous "weakness". He patted his chest and responded seriously:

"I know, just leave it to me, Bro!"

The big names were discussing heatedly, and Mo Williams, who disappeared again, was a little frustrated. Every time he faced Li You, his performance was very bad, and this series was no exception.

Rasheed Wallace likes this kind of locker room atmosphere. The Cavaliers don't have a softie like Lynch Hunter. In response, the mediocre veteran also clapped his hands and encouraged:
"Hold on, guys! Stay strong, we've turned the game around, won at home, and the championship is within our reach."

After making effective adjustments, Mike Brown straightened his back after returning to the locker room. It was rare for Black Bread to give clear instructions in the midfield. After serving the chicken soup, he looked at his thigh and continued to arrange:

"We have the advantage. We need to be patient in every round and try to get the ball to LeBron as soon as possible."

"."

The tactic of giving the ball to James is very useful in the playoffs. Mo Williams made 4 of 1 shots in the first half and scored 3 points from free throws. He played more of a dribbling guard tonight.

The coach gave instructions and Mo Williams nodded to show that he understood. Soon the atmosphere in the locker room became cheerful again. This home whistle was really reassuring!

In the visiting team's locker room, Ibaka was in a bad mood after receiving three fouls early on. He didn't expect to be "taken care of" when playing in Cleveland. James set a pick-and-roll and chased him, and the rookie couldn't stand it.

Although this was related to Channing Frye's shooting condition, Ibaka still felt uncomfortable for not being able to perform the switching defense task well.

"Every rookie makes mistakes. It's better to have a hard time in the conference finals than in the finals. Bro, you just need to show your physical talent."

Before going on the court, Li You patted the rookie with a relaxed look and gave him some simple encouragement, to which Ibaka quickly responded:
"I won't make the same mistake again, Boss!"

"No, what I mean is that you have to make the other person understand that you are not someone to be trifled with."

Li You spoke the encouraging words in Spanish, and the latter part was in English. Ben Wallace in front became excited when he heard this. He was fed up with the pick-and-roll defense, and then added viciously:
"No one can bully us! Remember, rookie! Only tough guys can win the championship. The referee can blow the whistle, and we can naturally choose to foul."

"."

Ibaka opened his mouth, but the flatterer Matthews on the other side responded actively, once again showing his loyalty, and whispered with a vicious expression on his black face:

"I told you, if that guy breaks in, I'll make him lie on the floor!"

James, who has begun to realize his talent, has a tendency to be "unstoppable". He has a strong body, is not afraid of confrontation when breaking through the frame, and has a smooth touch when finishing at the basket.

The quality of the Cavaliers' screens increased dramatically tonight, and it became increasingly difficult for Marion and his teammates to squeeze through.

Ben Wallace continued to share his championship experience, and the Knicks could not make many adjustments. On the defensive end, limiting Howard was also a big problem as the opponent was too strong.

When the players from both teams reentered the arena, the Cavaliers fans at the scene shouted loudly, and when the Knicks kicked the ball out from the baseline, the shouts became louder and louder:

"Defense!."

In the ESPN commentary booth, Jeff Van Gundy was a little proud. Although he left the Cavaliers, the defensive system was still there. He had made all the adjustments made by Mike Brown: "In my opinion, letting Bell defend Lee is still not the best choice. LeBron should take over this task!"

“But Coach Mike Brown chose to go to the line to help defend, which can also make the most of this defensive system.”

"The matchup that changed the course of the game was Channing Frye. The big man performed well on both offense and defense tonight. I am still optimistic about his performance in the second half."

Noticing that Lee You no longer started the pick-and-roll, Gasol began to receive the ball near the free throw line again, and Mark Jackson followed up with a comment:
"It's time to test the Cavaliers' defensive rotation. In the first two games, they always lost in the third quarter."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li You, who had slipped across the baseline and came to the right corner, suddenly accelerated, received the ball at the top of the arc and came to Marion on the right wing to quickly pass the ball, and immediately moved after a simple screen.

James switched defense tacitly while sliding and reminding his teammates to return to defense. When he reached the top of the arc, the Chosen One knew clearly that half of the attack time was over, so he started the close defense mode again.

Taking advantage of his height and lowering his center of gravity, James turned his body sideways, trying to let Li You break through with the ball in his left hand.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations of the Cavaliers fans, Li You suddenly accelerated and instantly gained half a body position. James felt a tightness in his chest as he slid, and he gritted his teeth and retreated.

When the two were entangled and squeezed into the paint area, James' defense successfully slowed down Li You. The Chosen Son, who became more and more excited in defense, was about to cut the ball, but Li You suddenly stopped and dribbled the ball behind his back.

James hurriedly adjusted his center of gravity and was attacked on his front supporting foot the moment he got close again. He forced himself to twist his body, but Li You gave him half a body distance.

Just in front of the basket, as Howard was about to move, Li You, who stopped and stood up quickly, had already pushed James aside and quickly stepped forward to shoot.

The "Happy Beast" hurriedly got into position, and while struggling with Gasol, the basketball went into the net.

"Damn it! Again! But I've seen through your moves."

Howard, holding the ball, grinned and acted cool. If it were the first two games when the team was trailing by double digits at halftime, the "Happy Beast" would never have had such an attitude.

"shush"

Boos broke out again in the stadium, and James was still reminding the referee that Li You had a small move in his final shot. In the offensive round, the Cavaliers also became patient and tried to use cross screens to let Howard face the rookie.

The referee who blew the balance whistle ignored the scramble under the basket. Howard failed to get the ball in the low post on the left side, and James immediately called on Channing Frye to set a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc.

While his teammates were squeezing Marion away, James, holding the ball in his right hand, lowered his center of gravity, suddenly increased his stride, and rushed to the basket carrying Ibaka.

Amid the cheers, the Chosen One did not disappoint the fans. He took a step forward and broke through the defense, and made a shot from the bottom right side of the basket!

"Shet!"

On the bench, Charles Oakley stood up and cursed, then came to D'Antoni and roared at the rookie. His punching action was directly warned by the sideline referee.

While retreating, James shook his head proudly. In Cleveland, no rookie can limit him!

As time went on, there were more and more physical confrontations between the two sides. Suddenly, both sides began to miss shots in turn. When James seized the opportunity to launch a transition offense, some fans in the front row suddenly exclaimed.

James had just crossed the three-point line and wanted to continue accelerating, but Marion pulled him directly, and the two of them rushed out of the baseline and fell into the crowd together.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

The referee called a common foul, which made head coach Mike Brown on the sidelines so angry that he kept shouting. Brown didn't like the scale of the calls in this quarter.

"I know you can't defend me!"

James, who was pulled up by his teammates, did not lose his composure. He continued to shake his head and shout loudly, which made the atmosphere even more heated and the Cavaliers fans cheered loudly.

Howard was not to be outdone. He asked for the ball again, walked to the line after facing the frame, carried Gasol, took three big steps to the front of the basket, and made a one-handed shot!

"Yee!"

Roaring loudly, the "Happy Beast" jumped up and down to show off. When he returned to the basket, he wanted to give passionate commands, but the defense was sloppy and Mo Williams failed to swipe to assist in defense.

I watched helplessly as Li You broke through the middle and squeezed past Raja Bell. Howard and Channing Frye moved at the same time under the basket. When they jumped up to block the shot, Li You had already taken to the air and pulled his right arm back in the air.

After a brief build-up of strength, Howard swung his arm to dunk. He turned his head helplessly and watched Li You sneak into the basket between two people!
"what!!"

Gasol and several other players under the basket hugged Li You and celebrated loudly and passionately, which made Howard clapped his hands in frustration. He might have to be a background board again.

After missing the shot, both teams suddenly started to hit the response ball, and both sides chose to break through and attack the basket at the same time.

James began to take over the defense, trying to use his strong body to suppress Li You. During the confrontation, the two pulled and pushed each other, and in some rounds they were "fallen down".

Ibaka, who showed his "blood", was no longer a "good boy". Facing James' repeated strong attacks, he finally broke out and directly dragged the chosen one to the ground.

After Ibaka was replaced after receiving his fourth foul early, Ben Wallace, who came on as a substitute, also showed good athletic condition and the intensity of the game continued to rise.

When Howard dribbled past Ben and was pushed out to the baseline, the Quicken Loans Arena became frenzied.

The "Happy Beast", with no smile on his face, immediately rushed up to the glaring Old Deng, cursing him non-stop.

James, who rushed to the basket, was a little overwhelmed. He could feel that the game was getting out of control. Seeing Howard actually wanted to punch, he immediately rushed forward to stop his partner.

"Let me go, damn it, Nico!"

Howard yelled and cursed loudly, and was punched twice by his teammates in the chaos. James' headband was knocked off. He found that Ben Wallace was still "charging" on the opposite side, and pushed his partner to the bench in annoyance.

The boos in the arena were getting louder and louder. James saw Ben Wallace grinning smugly, and also saw Li You returning to the sidelines early with a smile on his face to replenish his water. He suddenly became angry:

"These damn old guys!"

"."

(End of this chapter)