NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 821 The Long Peak Period (Daily Chapter)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012. The season was coming to an end, and all nationally televised games had concluded the previous Sunday, with all teams already in playoff mode.

Unlike previous years, due to the extremely dense schedule, almost all teams have canceled their daily training sessions in order to keep their starting lineups healthy.

Under such circumstances, the newly formed Nets team is no exception. Garnett is already running out of steam, and head coach Avery Johnson doesn't want his defensive anchor to falter at crucial moments.

With careful calculations, Garnett's individual stats have declined significantly, while his teammate Carmelo Anthony's stats have risen again on the Excel scale!
Despite impressive statistics, the Nets failed to secure many victories and remained unable to break into the top half of the standings, much to Harden's dissatisfaction.

That night was another game against the Knicks. After defeating the Heat and Celtics this week, their record has stabilized at third place in the Eastern Conference. With few games left, their ranking is unlikely to change.

After the game started at 20 p.m., Anthony, who was trying to continue his pursuit of the scoring title, was ready to go all out. However, when he returned to his seat at the end of the first quarter, he looked blankly at Garnett, just like him.
Although the Nets moved, the broadcast team remained the same. Ian Eagle and Jim Spanakel were familiar faces to Li You, and seeing the familiar score, they both remarked with nostalgia:

"If Lee can maintain the form he had in April over the past few months, the scoring title will be a sure thing!"

Wearing black-rimmed glasses, Igor had long since given up. Over the years, he had witnessed the Nets being brutally beaten. Spanakel, whose hair had turned mostly white, was also somewhat numb, adding:
"Clearly, Lee is starting to prepare for the playoffs. The Nets should avoid the Knicks, who are sixth, which likely means we won't have home-court advantage."

Spanakl started broadcasting Nets games in 98 and had a deep affection for the team, but unfortunately, that was just when the Knicks were rising to prominence.

Even though the team had a good record during the Kidd era, most Nets fans didn't want to look back at the playoffs, and turning against their home team became a regular occurrence.

History is likely to repeat itself this season. Since April, Spanakel has been subtly suggesting things during almost every match commentary. If it weren't for saving face, he might even have shouted it out on the live stream:

"Dropping to 7th place would be better than our current position!"

39-22. The Barclays Center was filled with the excited shouts of New York fans. This score felt all too familiar.
Li You played the entire first quarter, shooting 8-for-10 from the field, 4-for-4 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, totaling 22 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. His performance was average, resulting in a tie with the Nets.

Jay-Z and his group will not appear whenever the Knicks are playing.

My solo concert will also be held in this venue this year. Even though the tickets sold out early, it still won't change my frustration while watching the game.

Ray Allen, who missed back-to-back games due to an ankle injury, had mixed feelings watching Garnett still fuming on the court. The Nets were ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference, and Garnett played a decisive role.

But even with his mental attributes at their peak, Garnett had no chance in the playoffs. Analysts didn't even bother to analyze it, and the result was inevitably a sweep!
With a deficit of nearly 20 points, Anthony seemed to let his guard down again when he returned to the court, losing focus on defense and allowing Marion to quietly cut to the basket and score easily on two consecutive possessions.

"shush"

Some Brooklyn fans booed, but the boos were quickly drowned out.

Mike Bibby, who was signed by the team at the end of the season, also seemed a bit unmotivated, demanding the ball when he crossed half-court, and Anthony started "scoring mode" again.
On the right side of the court, as Anthony received the ball, everyone spread out. DeShawn Stevenson maintained his receiving hand position outside the three-point line, but unfortunately, the team's star was focused on his jab step and didn't even look at the wing.

With a series of quick probing steps, Anthony pretended to pass the ball, and taking advantage of Marion's shift in weight, he pulled the ball up with a powerful dribble!

Perhaps due to the interference from the long arms, the basketball bounced off the rim again. Humphries and Garnett both fought hard for the rebound, but after Gasol tipped the ball over, Ibaka snatched it away.

Avery Johnson shouted loudly from the sidelines, reminding his players to retreat and defend as soon as possible. Cheers rang out again, and Li You, who had received possession of the ball, calmly advanced with the ball.

On the left wing, Mike Bibby noticed that Ibaka was speeding across half-court and then slowing down, seemingly to continue the pick-and-roll. This forced Bibby to move his feet and try to get into position to squeeze past the screen.

Ignoring his opponent's positioning, Li You suddenly pushed the ball with his left hand to change direction while moving, lowered his center of gravity and accelerated with all his might. After colliding with Mike Bibby, who was making a screen, he stumbled and lost his defensive position at the top of the arc.

Amidst the cheers of New York fans, Li You, who was "flying close to the ground," arrived in the paint in the blink of an eye. After a quick step, he took off and grabbed the ball with his right hand, facing two help defenders in the paint, and slammed it down with great force!

Humphries twisted and dodged in mid-air, as if startled. Garnett moved to the left side of the basket, raised his left arm, and jumped with all his might to try to intercept.
"Oh"

As Harden's body leaned back after the mid-air collision and he was dunked on, some Brooklyn fans couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

With a loud bang, the rim shattered, and Garnett, having landed, lost his balance and fell flat on his face. Humphries, meanwhile, staggered around and let out a long sigh of relief.

The Knicks' bench erupted again. Lance Stephenson hugged Anthony Davis and shouted excitedly, while Kyrie Irving, as always, held his head in his hands. The experience was completely different from the highlights.

As Garnett was being helped to his feet by his teammates, he turned around and saw Li You still pounding his chest. Looking at Humphries' cowardly appearance and Anthony's nonchalant expression, Garnett's face turned ashen with anger.

Despite the Nets' timely adjustments and resolute double-teaming in the subsequent game, Danny Green, who rarely starts, was surprisingly accurate, hitting three-pointers from both wings in succession, and the point difference completely exceeded 20 points.
However, this did not stop Anthony from showcasing his "kaleidoscope" skills, pulling up for a jump shot, hitting a three-pointer, and driving hard to the basket only to be blocked by Ibaka before grabbing the offensive rebound and scoring.

As time went by and his personal stats continued to climb, Anthony finally scored 30 points in the fourth quarter before being substituted off the court, seemingly unsatisfied.

When the buzzer sounded at 118:95, the cheers were deafening. Anyone unfamiliar with the New York basketball market would likely have assumed the home team had won by a large margin.
Forced to finish the game in three quarters, Garnett once again rushed through the player tunnel, not exchanging pleasantries with his former teammates, and strode away alone with a pursed mouth.

"New York doesn't welcome cowards!"

"Go tell Li to thank him for giving the MVP to you, you softie!"

"Clown, keep glaring like that. The whole nation should see your ugly antics."

"."

The player tunnel was lined with New York fan club members. When they won, they cheered loudly, and everyone leaned out to shout at Garnett.

This happens at almost every home game. Garnett finally couldn't hold back this time. Even as security personnel pulled him away, he still shouted at the fans.

Carmelo Anthony, who scored 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting, seemed oblivious to his teammate's emotions. During a sideline interview, he confidently addressed the rankings issue, stating:

"We have no interest in choosing positions. We will give our all in every game, and it doesn't matter who our opponent is!"

"The playoffs are another stage; anything can happen in a series."

In the Nets' locker room, Steve Novak was still comforting his teammates, while Garnett sulked and remained silent. Seeing his returning partner with a smile on his face, Garnett said angrily:

"Listen, we lost the game. Sixth place doesn't mean success. Many times we performed like a pile of dog shit!"

"Those statistics are useless after a loss."

Anthony, who had been in a good mood, immediately lost his smile after hearing this lecture. Without looking at the others, he turned and replied:

"I didn't give up on the game. Even in the fourth quarter, I was still trying to score. That's how I impacted the game!"

The two had completely different understandings of the game, and their argument grew louder and louder until Avery Johnson returned to the locker room and brought the situation under control.

Veteran Mike Bibby was stunned. He noticed something was wrong in the locker room when he first joined the team. He thought the Nets were "doing great things," but now it seems that not breaking up is a success.

-

On Wednesday, April 25th, after three consecutive away games, the Knicks finally had their last two regular season games.

The Clippers had a slow start to the season but improved significantly. After a major roster overhaul, they finally managed to squeeze into the top half of the standings at the end of the season.

Although the trade with the Wizards caused some fluctuations in their record, they ultimately secured their fourth place in the Western Conference.

In the game at 20 p.m. that night, neither Li You nor Chris Paul played. Chalmers started as the point guard again, and Prince, who signed a new contract with the Clippers, also performed well.

Rookie Nikola Vucevic, who only officially returned to the team last month, started tonight, partnering with Morris in the frontcourt. After being repeatedly attacked, he received "good-natured laughter".

Also receiving "encouragement" was Boris Diaw, who had become quite overweight. With the NBA out-clause in place, the Frenchman could have returned earlier, but D'Antoni preferred to lose weight before returning to the team.

Unfortunately, losing weight proved too difficult. Despite his extra-large belly, Dior thrived in the French league but eventually returned to New York with a protruding belly.

Since both JR Smith and Diaw returned after the March 1st playoff roster registration deadline, they will be unable to participate in the playoffs.

The coaching staff did not feel regretful about this, after all, there were just too many players this season.

The second half of the game had a somewhat lackluster feel, with more and more players being rotated out, which caused the two commentators to stop paying attention to the situation on the field.
"Li's scoring this season should stop at 1650 points in 59 games. It's a bit of a pity that he missed the scoring title with an average of 28.0 points per game."

Mike Breen is back to "calculating" his stats, averaging 27.966 points per game. Although that becomes 28.0 after rounding, as long as Durant scores a few more points in the next two games, the trophy is practically his.

The two were very close, but Li You had the advantage of playing more games, so he simply took a break in the end, allowing the younger player to win the award.

In other statistics, Li You still leads the league in assists and steals, with 665 assists and 158 steals, and has already secured two trophies.

Walter Frazier didn't care about these "side hustles," after all, Li You had too many trophies; he was more concerned about the core players' competitive form.
“These honors are not that important to Li now. What I find incredible is that Li has been in the ‘180 Club’ for 12 consecutive seasons!”

"At 34 years old, Li shows no signs of declining performance. His greatness continues, and perhaps even a century from now, no one will be able to break this record."

Starting in 01, Li You showed signs of being "inhuman." Looking back now, all sports commentators find it outrageous, as his peak period was excessively long.
While the two were still discussing the stats, the Clippers couldn't withstand a flurry of attacks, and the point difference suddenly reached 12 points in the final quarter.

Despite getting a lot of playing time, Irving didn't lose his rhythm as easily as he did at the beginning of the season. With just over three minutes left, the rookie led his teammates to successfully suppress the opponent and extend the victory to the end.

93-104, the last home game ended, and the New York fans in the stadium stood up and cheered loudly. Considering the age issue, such a result is completely acceptable.

Dredric Irving, sitting near the front row, clapped excitedly as he watched his rookie perform better and better. He said that rookies may have better stats on bad teams, but championship experience can take them further!

Among the starting lineup this season, Li You and Marion have the best attendance rates, Ray Allen has played 53 games, and Gasol has played 51 games. Compared with the younger players, the veteran Deng does seem to lack energy.

Dressed in a black casual suit, Li You smiled and waved to the fans, interacting with them. When interviewed by MSG, he responded casually to questions about the team's ranking:

"Third place isn't bad! We'll most likely face the Bulls in the semifinals. Coach Thibodeau is back in New York, and I think he'll enjoy this series!"

When asked about the trophy, Lee Woo once again offered his congratulations:

"This is a regular season for the young players, and they performed even better and deserve more encouragement!"

"Hopefully, the scoring title will inspire Durant, and I also hope to see the Thunder fulfill their potential in the Finals."

"."

-

4月26号星期四，当天13场比赛结束后，2011~12赛季战绩排名也正式出炉：
The eight Eastern Conference playoff teams are:

The Heat with 52 wins, the Bulls with 49 wins, the Knicks with 46 wins, and the Cavaliers with 43 wins;
The Pacers had 42 wins, the Nets had 40 wins, the Hawks had 39 wins, and the Celtics had 38 wins.

The eight Western Conference playoff teams are:

The Thunder have 50 wins, the Lakers have 44 wins, the Grizzlies have 41 wins, and the Clippers have 40 wins.
The Rockets have 39 wins, the Spurs have 38 wins, the Mavericks have 37 wins, and the Nuggets have 36 wins.

The East is stronger than the West remains unchanged. The Grizzlies have risen in the Southwest Division, the Spurs almost missed the playoffs due to a losing streak at the end of the season, and the Rockets' record fluctuated after their players returned.

The defending champion Mavericks disappointed the commentators the most. The veterans seemed to have given up, Kidd stopped talking about winning the championship again, and even Nowitzki seemed to have lost his motivation.

In contrast, the Knicks were highly motivated, and many players realized issues that had rarely been considered before:
How does Li keep his teammates eager to succeed?

With little time to rest, the playoffs will officially begin on Saturday. Most teams will still be unable to organize much training, and they will have to continue to fight for the championship for another two months.

On Friday the 27th, the NBA announced the leaders in various statistical categories:
With a decimal point advantage and an average of 28.0 points per game, Durant successfully won the scoring title this season;
With an average of 14.5 rebounds per game, Dwight Howard has reclaimed the rebounding title.

With an average of 11.3 assists per game, Li You once again won the assist title;
With an average of 2.7 steals per game, Li You also won the steals title.

With an average of 2.2 blocks per game, JaVale McGee won his first career block title.

The "small trophy" can no longer excite New York fans, but the situation in Oklahoma City is completely different. Durant still has a chance to win the MVP this season, and after winning the scoring title, the local fans are ecstatic.

The Thunder also arranged a relatively grand award ceremony, and when NBA Vice President Stu Jackson appeared, Oklahoma City sports reporters all looked pleasantly surprised.

Everyone thought this was a sign of MVP status. Durant, dressed in a blue suit and wearing glasses, was also pleasantly surprised. When Stu Jackson handed him the trophy with a smile, the young man couldn't help but grin.

Everyone in the audience started applauding and cheering. Seeing this, Durant felt like he had reached the pinnacle of his life, and in his excitement, he immediately took out a loan.
"Thank you everyone, God, this has been an incredible season for me, and I will lead the Thunder to bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to Oklahoma City!"

"."

(End of this chapter)