NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 725: "Sharing the Pot" Conference (Daily Chapter)

On Monday, May 2010, 5, the "blame-sharing" meeting in Cleveland was still going on, and local sports media continued to speak out on social platforms:
“Who has more problems in losing the conference finals?”

Most of the comments on Twitter blamed head coach Mike Brown for using Channing Frye in the second half, while some believed that Afflalo should have been given more opportunities.

JJ Hickson's absence was also mentioned by fans, and Delonte West's missed shots in the first half also became an excuse, as if the coach could help the team win the game by giving a few people a chance.

In short, those who don’t play are always the best!

James' fans also spoke out for their idol. In the fourth quarter, Howard was double-teamed as soon as he received the ball. As a result, the "Happy Beast" refused to pass the ball and missed his free throws, which seriously affected the rhythm of the game.
Howard's fans are also unhappy about this accusation. In fact, the "Happy Beast" is more popular than James and almost won the vote king that year!

In addition, Howard is more active and approachable in his daily life. He also fought back after being criticized by James' fans:

"Why does James always have to adjust after receiving the ball? All the three-point opportunities created by Howard are wasted."

The two sides quarreled fiercely and even put the blame on Channing Frye. He had the height advantage, but could only shoot three-pointers and was chased on the defensive end. He must have been a "fruit basket" for the coach if he was given such an important position!

Rasheed Wallace's fans are also complaining that the veteran was not trusted in crucial games, the opponent rotated 11 players, and Mike Brown was a "coward". This kind of coach ruined Wallace's championship.

The news of "holding a meeting" for players first came from New York. Although New York fans and media were pioneers in this regard, the most fierce "firepower" came from several surrounding teams!

Until now, Celtics fans are still holding "criticism meetings", while Philadelphia fans are "offseason champions" every year, constantly imagining the future and reasonably shifting the blame.
The same is true for the Brooklyn Nets, who are about to move. When a new owner takes over the team, the core content of the “criticism meeting” is to belittle the existing “scraps”.

The most comprehensive "meeting" was held in Chicago, where local sports media took the lead in the "meeting" and even joined fans in recruiting Wade and Bosh. The "sinners" would be sent away, and the Bulls were about to rise!

The one who pushed the "meeting" to the top was agent Goodwin. Ever since "Happy Beast" fired the other party, the Goodwin brothers have had a hard time.

Previously, James' agent Leon Rose spread rumors that Goodwin's brother had a close relationship with the mother of the Chosen One, which caused a rift between the two parties and Goodwin lost trust!

When Howard fired Goodwin, Leon Rose's team also made a lot of efforts. The other party had a better relationship with Cavaliers owner Gilbert and kept reporting on him.

The excuse that "Happy Beast"'s excessive commercial activities affected his physical condition made the team unhappy, and coupled with the loss of DPOY, Goodwin lost his job. At this time, seeing that the Cavaliers were trailing 0:3, he also spoke out:
"LeBron James has always been planning to leave. He has always wanted to play in a big city. He hopes to become a superstar like Lee."

"Dwight Howard was suppressed by James' team. He was never the team's first choice. After signing with Adidas, he, like James, was eager to play in a big city and get incentive clauses."

"This team has no loyalty. They have never established a winning culture and have no intention of establishing one. This year, the 'fig leaf' was just torn off."

"."

After posting multiple updates on Twitter this morning, Goodwin felt relieved after seeing the message in the comment section. Leon Rose and the bunch of CAA Sports shit don’t think they’ll have an easy time!
The Cavaliers fans are very familiar with the "Battle of Honor". Most of the fans are not in the mood to discuss the result of the game. A comeback against the odds is simply impossible, and they will most likely be swept again.

On social media, Cavaliers fans are very pessimistic about the team's future. Although the current lineup is good, what's the point if they can't get past the Knicks?
Of course, there are also rational fans who call on everyone to remain patient. Li Youdu is 32 years old, and time is still on their side. Decline is only a matter of time, and no one can resist the invasion of time.

The inference of the "rational party" is well-founded. The 34-year-old Michael Jordan has declined to the level of an ordinary All-Star, and Li You is likely to be the same. Otherwise, why did this year's divisional finals lose their aggressiveness?
Even Li You's praise for Gasol and Marion after the game was interpreted as a "sign of decline". The GOAT has begun to "pressure" his teammates. The future must belong to the young people!

Before Game 4 even started, the Cavaliers fans had already surrendered. All the commentators were congratulating the Knicks in advance for reaching the finals for the 13th consecutive season, but very few were discussing the content of the game.

-

At 19:30 p.m. that evening, after the game started, the Cavaliers fans at the scene discovered that some of the front row seats were occupied by New York fans.

Wearing Knicks championship hats and blue No. 1 away jerseys, the New York fans who came specially to witness the division championship award ceremony were extremely enthusiastic and kept cheering for the home team.

Winning also has its troubles. It is difficult for New York fans to witness the award ceremony at home. In this regard, some fans even called for losing a game and "going home" to receive the award.
The finals haven't started yet, and New York fans have started complaining about the league's schedule again. After the "Greenlight Incident", the Lakers are just here to serve as a background board. If you want to watch the award ceremony, the distance is too far!

At the end of the first half, the score was 56:49. After scoring 22 points in the first quarter, the Cavaliers recovered in the second quarter, but still fell behind.

In the ESPN commentary booth, the three did not comment too much on the game. The Cavaliers made 19 free throws in the first half, and there is a high probability that they will go for 40 shots tonight.

Unlucky Chalmers received three fouls in just 5 minutes of playing time, and Mo Williams had to rely on the rookie to "take care of" him during the rotation period.

"I'm more curious about how many points Lee will score in the fourth quarter tonight? He seemed to be still focused on organizing the offense in the first half."

Mike Breen smiled and asked his partner. Jeff Van Gundy, the former champion coach, looked relaxed. After a little thought, he answered in a brisk tone:
"It depends on the game status of the rest of the Knicks!"

"We're always used to Lee scoring 40 points, but one of the keys to the Knicks' victory is rebounding."

"I know Lee, he knows the team's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. I'm glad to see that he activated Gasol and the forwards in this series. I think this is the right choice."

Mark Jackson seemed to recall the Eastern Conference semifinals that year, when they had pushed the Bulls into a desperate situation, but in the end the rebounds were snatched away and they were tragically reversed:

"I agree with this point of view. Lee is not lost in the praise. He is still the strongest brain of the Knicks!"

"Young players should focus on the content of the game, the data table will not make them improve."

"."

I don't know when it started, but people always praise Li You for slacking off. People with imaginations can always interpret Li You's decisions from various angles and finally form a perfect logical loop.

At this time, Mike Breen felt that Li You was "catching a big fish", activating his teammates, and accumulating strength for the finals. The 8th consecutive championship was completely secured:

"This is the GOAT's control of the game! Lee completely dominated this series!"

In the visiting team's locker room, Li You naturally had no idea what the commentator had imagined. The opponent's double-teaming dampened his enthusiasm for the game.

Mike Brown's strategy actually worked. He double-teamed the opponent in the pick-and-roll, had defenders around him when he moved without the ball, and had help defense as soon as he got into position.

In nearly half of the rounds, the Knicks played four against three, so it was not surprising that role players exploded. In the current lineup, there are still many people who can handle the ball.

In the first half, Li Youhan took only 11 shots, and he didn't play. On the defensive end, he didn't need to match up with the opponent's core. During the halftime break, he followed D'Antoni to give chicken soup:
"Our chance is here again! Maybe I should say sorry to Rasheed Wallace in advance. This guy is the loophole of the Cavaliers."

"Keep attacking their bigs so we can keep responding from beyond the arc!"

Since rookie Ibaka received three fouls early on, most of his playing time was taken up by Dio. The Frenchman saw Li You's gaze and immediately spread his hands and joked:
“Will this guy give me a punch?”

"Oh"

Everyone started to cheer. In the first half, Wallace was on the verge of breaking through the defense. The veterans couldn't defend him and could only pull him back after being broken through. The rookie Matthews was almost thrown to the ground by the opponent. At this time, he shouted loudly:

"Let me teach him a lesson! Maybe the referee will kick us out together, and then the Cavaliers will be completely finished!"

Gazuric, who was just playing a supporting role, also shouted that he wanted to contribute his strength. Wallace did perform well. The veteran played a big role tonight. It was a good choice to take the opponent away. In the end, Ben Wallace was experienced and understood the opponent's temper better. He gave advice:

"Let this idiot complain to the referee! At most 5 rounds, the referee can give him a technical foul! No referee will deliberately take care of him."

"."

Rasheed Wallace has become much less irritable in recent years, but the referees still remember his "roaring move". In fact, the scale of penalties sometimes depends on personal perception, and impression points are also very important.

The Knicks planned to take Wallace off the court. In the home team's locker room, the break was almost over, and head coach Mike Brown kept giving instructions and continued to encourage him:
"We still have a lot of time left! Let's continue to start with defense."

Brown was "scared" and adjusted his game strategy tonight. After the team missed shots from beyond the three-point line, they started the iron-blooded two-point mode, and both Wallace and Howard got opportunities to attack in the low post.

This did suppress the transition offense, but +2 could not withstand the opponent's three-pointer. The Cavaliers made 6 of 1 three-pointers in the first half. James was very dissatisfied with this. They all crowded under the basket. How could the Cavaliers win?

When everyone stood up, James, who had shouted the slogan, fell silent. Howard also lost his smile and followed behind with a serious expression. He didn't want to end the season in this way.

At the Quicken Loans Center, the Cavaliers fans remained enthusiastic as the second half of the game began and continued to cheer for the home team.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers from the defense, the Knicks took the lead in attacking with a two-on-two attack on the left wing. As Howard rushed over to try to delay Li You, he passed the ball behind his back with his left hand and penetrated the defense.

Raja Bell, who was chasing the defense, wanted to return to defense, but Gasol made an iron-blooded jump shot near the free throw line, and the basketball went into the net. The big man beat his chest and roared.

In the offensive round, amid the cheers that resounded throughout the stadium, Rasheed Wallace, who started the second half, faced Ibaka with his back to the basket in the left blocking area. After the play, he turned toward the baseline and responded with a straight-arm jump shot.

The veteran had an angry look on his face and pumped his fist in celebration. After returning to half court, he clapped his hands repeatedly, and then watched Gasol "deal the cards" easily at the top of the arc.

Suddenly moving sideways and accelerating, Li You went straight to the basket from the left wing, easily shaking off his old teammate behind him, and facing Wallace who was moving under the basket, he threw the ball into the air with his left hand.

Rasheed Wallace only had time to twist his body, and Ibaka had already jumped into the air at the bottom right side of the basket, facing the veteran and dunking with both hands!
"what!"

Ibaka also yelled when he landed, and tried to push Wallace away. However, the rookie's move successfully angered the veteran, who immediately pushed him hard and yelled in anger:

"Have some respect! Nico!"

After the referee intervened and separated the two sides, the Cavaliers fans at the scene booed and then shouted loudly. When James' breakthrough layup was blocked by Marion, the noise became even louder.

James, who was returning to defense, was also a little annoyed, especially when he saw Marion trying to get the ball with his back to the basket, he became even more furious.

In the left blocking area, the Chosen One thought that Li You would not pass the ball, but let the veteran set a pick-and-roll, but contrary to his expectations, Marion actually succeeded in getting the ball.

Before he could defend hard, James felt a tightness in his chest. Marion had already started to attack continuously and then suddenly turned towards the baseline.

"Oh!"

The backward jump shot with the body tilted was not graceful enough, and many fans exclaimed, and watched the basketball fall into the basket helplessly. For a moment, Marion also patted his chest, and when he retreated, he did not forget to bump chests with Li You to celebrate.

"Shet!!"

James cursed in anger. Since the last game, he found that the Cavaliers were "cash machines per capita". The opponents were full of confidence and came to single him out.
When Howard received the ball in the low post on the right side, he involuntarily sped up the offensive rhythm, swaying left and right, releasing the ball with his right hand, and the "Happy Beast" tried to go to the baseline and squeeze to the basket.

After continuous physical confrontations, Howard pushed Gasol away, but when he took the ball and forced his way up, Ibaka, who also squeezed under the basket, jumped up to block the shot!

Under the interference, the dunk that was sure to win hit the rim and Gasol hit the ball out of the paint area. As Li You controlled the ball, JR Smith and Marion both began to accelerate along the sideline.

James, who was retreating, saw his teammates being left behind, so he returned to the half court and began to shrink towards the paint area. As a result, Li You passed the ball early to the right corner, and Marion caught the ball and threw it.

"Shhh!!"

The iron tree blossomed, boos resounded throughout the arena, and Marion successfully hit the first three-pointer of the game. The veteran was so confident that he turned around and shouted to the Cavaliers bench:

"I'm going to beat you softies to pieces!"

After G3, Marion performed poorly from beyond the three-point line, but after winning the game, the veteran was very confident and boasted that he could defend the No. 5 position and that limiting Howard was not a problem.

Cleveland's basketball commentators couldn't stand this and encouraged local fans to play for the veteran. As a result, Marion even used his back-to-the-basket singles tonight and, with the support of Li You, began to let the ball speak for itself.

Head coach Mike Brown continued to loudly remind his players to stay calm. Raja Bell missed his final three-pointer, and Wallace, who rushed to grab the frontcourt rebound, was cut off by Ibaka.

The referee did not call a foul. After completing the defense, Ibaka rushed to half court and shook his head next to the veteran. Wallace was so angry that his movements became more and more exaggerated when defending.

JR Smith stopped at the free throw line, pulled back from his hips to shake off Mo Williams, and screamed after hitting a jump shot;

James made a turnaround jump shot in the left blocking zone and retreated silently. On the defensive end, Li You was seen running back without the ball on the left wing, breaking away from the defense, and when he received the ball and cut in, Howard followed and retreated.

In the left blocking area, Li You suddenly stopped, stepped back and made a jump shot to easily score 2 points. Howard returned to the basket and smashed the ball in frustration. Gasol "dealt the cards" again, pulling the team's defense.

He tried hard to complete the response ball, but as the game time passed, the score difference gradually widened and the referee started to blow the whistle again.

In the second half of the third quarter, after Dio came on the court, he cooperated with Li You in pick-and-rolls for several consecutive rounds. Wallace committed a foul and was broken through again, and the veteran became more and more irritable.

After being tricked by Dio with a fake hand-off during the defensive round, Wallace was completely enraged by the Frenchman's cut-in and pulled him directly, and the referee blew the whistle immediately.

"Softie! Where are you going next season?"

"Shut your stinky mouth!"

Marion and Wallace had an argument, and head coach Mike Brown was worried about a conflict, so he quickly replaced the veteran, but this move made Wallace even more depressed.

83:69, the score difference was not big, but Wallace, who returned to the bench, threw his headband to the floor in frustration.

Amid the assistant coach's consolation, Wallace grabbed a towel and smeared it on his face. The veteran could hardly control his emotions, and Lynch Hunter's words seemed to turn into a curse.

Rasheed Wallace shed tears of grievance. He knew that the game was gone and his career would end:
"This damn basketball game!"

(End of this chapter)