NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 830 "The Eye of Death" (Daily Life Chapter)

Friday, June 1, 2012, Madison Square Garden was exceptionally lively that evening. Shortly after the game started at 8:30 p.m., New York fans were already in a frenzy.

During a timeout in the ESPN commentary booth, Jeff Van Gundy smiled, the familiar arena evoking a sense of nostalgia. He then remarked with some emotion:
"After surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 237 playoff appearances, Lee has set a new record once again!"

"With 2347 assists, Lee has officially surpassed Magic Johnson to top the playoff assists list! We will continue to witness greatness in the years to come."

Long-standing records were broken one after another, which is also a form of victory. The promotion in New York lasted for a whole month, and the ticket prices for nearby events rose accordingly. Everyone was especially excited to witness the birth of the record.

Tonight's game is especially important for the Heat, but for the ticketed New York fans, witnessing a record is the biggest goal, and victory is an inevitable outcome.

The Heat players looked serious, but the atmosphere in the arena became noisy and boisterous. Nobody cared about these young players, after all, these three didn't even have an MVP award, so they were really "not up to par".
With 5 minutes and 29 seconds left in the first quarter, head coach Spoelstra called for Bosh to replace Haslem. This was a must-win game, and the coaching staff was persuaded to play despite their injuries.

The 2 New York fans in attendance were applauding and cheering. With Li You surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson this season, he has further dominated the league in terms of Excel, which is naturally welcomed by Knicks fans.

The lively atmosphere was completely out of place with the situation on the Heat's side, and Mike Breen, without considering the visiting players' feelings, added with a smile:

"Don't forget that Li is already far ahead in the playoff steals list, with 500 steals before the end of this season, which is equally incredible!"

“We can’t predict what kind of statistics Lee Woo will achieve when he retires, but I think everyone, like me, is very honored to witness these great records.”

The Knicks didn't make any tactical arrangements at this time. D'Antoni, along with his coaching staff and the fans, clapped with smiles on their faces. Li You also looked at the fans and patted his chest repeatedly, making the atmosphere at the scene even more heated.

When the timeout ended, the Heat players returned to the court with long faces; no one would be happy to be underestimated.

James even leaned on his knees and stared intently at the frontcourt. Soon, ESPN broadcasters captured the "death stare" of the chosen one, an aura never before seen.
"Let's go, Knicks!"

The cheers that echoed through the arena resounded again. Wade, who had not yet scored since the start of the game, had to cheer up. When Li Youyun crossed half-court, he called his teammates to double-team him.

The ball was moved very quickly, and when Ray Allen on the right wing found Marion at the bottom corner, the latter immediately accelerated and cut in from right to left.

Bosh timely collapsed the middle, which allowed Marion to easily find Gasol cutting in. Gasol received the ball and prepared to dunk, but James suddenly leaped high from the other side.

"OH! Blocked by James!"

The powerful block made Mike Breen exclaim in surprise. After landing, James took control of the ball and charged forward. The Chosen One was incredibly fast and immediately found Wade.

The latter received the ball and advanced, rushing across half-court and noticing Li You's position. Before even getting close to the three-point line, he threw the ball towards the upper right side of the basket!

The classic James-Wade connection drew cheers from the Heat's bench. James, who completed the alley-oop, remained expressionless, simply high-fiving his partner before quickly retreating on defense.

"A crazy comeback! The Heat need more of these plays."

Van Gundy praised loudly, saying that the speed from Wade receiving the ball and advancing to James taking off was incredible. Mike Breen also recognized the young man's advantage and commented:
"Neither team had much room to make mistakes. The Heat were determined to double-team from the start, and so far their tactics have been successful!"

"."

The following minutes of the game were a showcase for James: a face-up jumper in the elbow area, a spin move towards the baseline in the low post, a fake, and a twisting motion to finish the attack.

Even when he noticed the veteran's stamina was declining, James still made a baseline cut, and even if his pass was a beat too slow, the Chosen One was still able to score while on defense.

Despite the Knicks' response, what surprised the New York fans was that James's shooting touch remained hot even in the second quarter!
With 1 minute and 27 seconds left in the first half, Bosh missed a hook shot on the left low post, but then the chosen one appeared out of nowhere, rushing through the crowd and managing to tip the ball into the basket with difficulty.

The chosen one, who had fallen to the baseline, immediately got up and continued to call on his teammates to retreat and defend.

As the game progressed, many New York fans at the stadium realized that James seemed to have really turned on "full power mode," scoring almost every basket when defended one-on-one.

When the home team launched a counterattack, James's driving free throws effectively controlled the pace of the game.

Even head coach Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines looked surprised. After James delayed Li You and returned to the paint to protect the rebound, D'Antoni crossed his arms and began to think about the game plan for the second half.

"Oh!"

Amid gasps of surprise, James, who had just managed to grab the rebound, lost possession of the ball. In the ensuing chaos, just as Bosh was about to swat the ball away, Li You suddenly appeared in the paint to receive it and slammed it home over everyone!

The basketball bounced off the rim and onto the floor. A sweating James angrily retrieved the ball and threw it towards the basketball hoop, barely managing to control his emotions before loudly reprimanding Bosh and the others:

"Stay focused!"

He single-handedly carried the Heat's offense, but his teammates still couldn't step up, causing the score difference to fluctuate around 6 points.

For a team like the Knicks, which relies heavily on three-pointers, a single-digit point difference is negligible. They could easily be overtaken if they're not careful, which is making James anxious.

Amid cheers from the defense, James, who had squeezed into the left-side defensive zone, once again turned his back to receive the ball. Randy Foye, knowing that the chosen one was in hot form, proactively lobbed the ball to the far end.

James took a step back, jumped to catch the ball, quickly turned towards the baseline, and floated his body to make a jump shot, leaving Marion wide-eyed.

Wade, who was on defense, did not notice the movement behind him and was still trying to apply pressure near the logo. However, Li You slowed down and turned to the side as soon as he crossed half-court, and then immediately threw the ball to the left wing.

Randy Foye, who was chasing, was pushed away by Gasol. Bosh hurriedly reached out, but Ray Allen still took the ball and threw it!
As the three-pointer went in, cheers erupted again. Battier saw James mutter another curse and didn't know how to comfort him.

The pick-and-roll on the wing created a mismatch opportunity for Bosh, but James didn't pass the ball. Instead, he used Ibaka to dribble between his legs, shift his weight, and then forcefully drove to the basket with the ball in his right hand.

James drove to the basket and drew another foul, his headband knocked off as he took several deep breaths. With halftime almost over, Van Gundy glanced at the stats and praised him again:

"An incredible performance! LeBron played the 'Lee-style offense' tonight, carrying the team single-handedly!"

He went 12-for-14 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and made both free throws, bringing his free throw percentage to 6-for-8. He scored 31 points in the first half, showcasing his pure talent as the chosen one.

Although he had seen similar statistics from Li You countless times, Mike Brin couldn't help but admire them:
"James made a huge contribution on both ends of the court! This may be the best half of his career."

"."

Bosh's double-team gave the Knicks another 4-on-3 opportunity. Gasol, who received the ball at the free-throw line, noticed Battier collapsing to contest the shot again and decisively passed the ball to Marion in the right corner.

Although he missed both of his previous shots, the veteran didn't hesitate when he got an open shot and the basketball went in cleanly.

With the score gap narrowing again, Wade couldn't hold on any longer. If his partner couldn't suppress the opponent even in this form, what if his performance faltered in the second half? Wouldn't they be reversed again?

Fortunately, both teams missed shots in the last two possessions, and the score was 56-52 at halftime. The cheers at Madison Square Garden continued unabated, as if the Knicks were in the lead.

Before returning to the locker room, Li You also gave an interview to Doris Burke, and the reporter was surprised by James's incredible performance:
"Li, we're down at halftime again. Unlike Game 2, James looks unstoppable tonight. He's already scored 31 points with an astonishing 85.7% shooting percentage!"

Will you change your defensive strategy in the second half?

With 6 of 9 field goals made, 2 of 4 from three-point range, and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, Li You only managed 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover in the first half. However, upon hearing these "amazing" stats, he simply responded with a smile.

"I don't think the coaching staff will change their game plan. In fact, the Knicks have the advantage!"

“If I remember correctly, Wade should have gone 1-for-6 in the first half. He and Bosh scored a total of 10 points, which proves that our defense worked.”

"Everything is going as the coaching staff expected. Hopefully, LeBron can continue his good form in the second half. You know, we prefer to exert our strength in the second half."

If it were any other player, Doris Burke might have thought this was just bragging, since the opponents were "going crazy," but Li You said it was all in the plan, and the New York reporter nodded repeatedly, even showing an expectant look.

The New York fans in the arena felt the same way. James' "full-power mode" was very strong, but if you watch the Finals for a few more years, you'll find that this kind of performance is almost the norm for Li You.
The crowd, now ecstatic, paid no attention to their opponents' performance and chanted "Lee" to celebrate the new record, ready to share it on social media!
In the home team's locker room, Marion looked helpless. The veteran spread his hands in front of his teammates, taking the blame for the situation:
"I really had no way to deal with him. This guy was shooting like crazy tonight, his hands were on fire!"

The Knicks' outside shooting slowed down for a period of time, mainly because their opponents were too accurate, and if they didn't respond, they would be countered. This situation didn't change until the end of the first half.

The rookies remained silent; James had genuinely surprised them. Ray Allen, however, shook his head and calmly replied:

"Catch, shoot! We have more opportunities; two-pointers can't kill the game." If James goes on a scoring spree with three-pointers and maintains that shooting percentage, the game is likely over. Gasol also doesn't think two-pointers are a big deal; the Spanish big man even joked:

"This all-out mode looks pretty good, a bit like Lee's performance in the finals."

Davis, the bearded man, was also taken aback by James's hot streak, but considering the 4-point deficit, he felt the opponent had no chance, and grinned widely, starting to boast again:
"Their shooting percentage will drop, and Lee will start to explode! Watch out for fouls, guys, don't get four fouls too early. Rookies aren't suited for tonight's game."

After a discussion, the rookies breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were still leading by a large margin after losing the game, what everyone was more looking forward to was taking the match point and advancing directly to the finals.

After a brief exchange, D'Antoni and Li You returned to the locker room without making any tactical adjustments. Mike Malone seemed a little worried, but Malone confidently concluded by saying:
"James can't kill the game unless he can also explode from beyond the three-point line!"

"."

At the start of the third quarter, the Knicks coaching staff breathed a sigh of relief when James missed a step-back jumper on the right side of the court.

Ibaka smiled as he grabbed the rebound. He had been under considerable pressure after giving away points in the first half while switching on defense.

The waves of cheers and encouragement forced Coach Spoelstra to raise his voice on the sidelines. Behind Wade, who was on defense, the Heat players began to line up around the paint area again.

From the start, the Heat stuck to this basic "5 against 1" defensive strategy. No matter which direction the player moved, the player in the elbow area would help defend Li You. The Heat hoped that the player left open would miss the shot and then launch a counterattack.

Seeing Li You slow down, Coach Spoelstra, who was eager to help defend, was still loudly reminding his players. Wade also turned his head from time to time to observe the defensive positions and coordinate the double-team.

In front of the logo, Li You pretended to turn his head, seemingly calling for his teammates. His slowed crossover also made Wade increase his observation frequency.

When Wade’s attention was refocused on the front, his body reacted instinctively, but he was still a step too slow. Li You, who had switched from crossover to his left hand, suddenly sped up his pace, completed the step-back in an instant, and launched a drifting jump shot!
"OH—!"

Amid gasps of surprise, the basketball swished through the net. Wade, who had just hurriedly stretched out his arm, felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at Li You, who was still in shooting position in front of him. That familiar feeling had returned.

Madison Square Garden suddenly erupted, as if receiving some kind of signal. The New York fans in the arena began to raise their voices, which made the Heat players nervous during their offensive possession.

James received the ball at the top of the key, signaled to his teammates to spread out, then waved to Bosh. As the big man moved towards the top line, Wade, near the right corner, understood and accelerated to cut in.

Marion, who was guarding the basket, only saw a blur before the basketball flew straight to the basket. Wade, who received the ball, knew that Li You was chasing him and increased his stride, trying to finish with a reverse layup.

In the blink of an eye, Wade arrived at the lower left side of the basket. The moment he twisted his body and stretched out his right arm, Li You, who had leaped into the air, pressed down on the ball and completed the block before the basketball could fly towards the backboard.

"Li's accurate prediction! This is the Knicks' chance to take the lead!"

Seeing Li You accelerate with the ball, Mike Breen raised his voice, and the entire arena erupted again. In an instant, the Heat players who were retreating on defense all rushed towards the right sideline.
Coach Spoelstra's voice was drowned out by the loud shouts. By the time James turned to look at the other end of the half, Ray Allen had already received the ball on the left wing and was about to throw it up.

56-58, in just one minute, the Knicks took the lead.

"Shet!"

Seeing Ray Allen celebrate by pounding his chest, James, who was inbounding the ball from the baseline, angrily slammed the ball down. After barely calming down, the Chosen One began directing his teammates again.

James' attempts to receive the ball in the left and right sections of the court were repeatedly blocked by Marion's fronting, and by the time the Heat started moving the ball again, most of the offensive time had already passed.

James returned to the right wing to take over the ball, dribbled between his legs to his left hand, and then drove straight to the basket.

The obvious offensive intent prompted Ibaka to provide timely help defense on the left side of the court. James, who was on the move, took a slow three-step, tilted his body, and launched a floater. The basketball bounced off the backboard and went in, successfully tying the score.

James, who was retreating on defense, shouted repeatedly to signal his teammates to get into position in time, but Wade, who was on the line, could no longer hold back. When he saw Li You slow down and bend his knees near the logo, he instinctively lunged forward.

In a flash, Li You changed direction with his crotch and accelerated the instant he switched to his right hand. Wade hurriedly slid, but his body's instinctive reaction made a big mistake, and he stumbled from the sudden stop and crotch movement.
"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Wade, leaning on the floor with his right hand, tried to make a defensive move, but his body wouldn't obey him. He watched as Li You smoothly stepped back and launched another long-range three-pointer!

The Knicks fans in the arena raised their arms high, and the moment the basketball slammed into the hoop, the frenzied shouts filled the entire arena once again.

On the bench, Davis was jumping and hopping around with the rookies, while the bearded man was yelling at the top of his lungs:

"God has come!"

The boiling arena made the Heat players even more nervous. When Li You signaled to his teammates to change the defensive formation, James, who was dribbling the ball on the left wing, had to pass the ball when he was surrounded by three people.

When Bosh handed the ball to Wade, Wade tried to get past the delay, but Li You poked him from behind, causing Wade to lose control of the ball and helplessly watch as Ibaka picked it up.

Frustrated, Wade quickly retreated on defense and immediately called for his teammates to double-team and delay the attack.

With the Heat constantly moving the ball around, they could only keep scrambling to defend, but thanks to their excellent movement, they prevented the Knicks from finding another easy scoring opportunity.

When Li You returned to the top of the key to receive the pass, Ibaka's handoff was tackled by Wade and went out of bounds.

Lying on the floor, the Flash clenched his fist in celebration, even refusing his partner's help, and rolled over to do push-ups.
This familiar scene made Li You laugh on the spot. Although the shot clock was less than 3 seconds long, seeing Wade's angry face and James's dark complexion, he still couldn't help but tease him:
"You guys saw what happened to the guy who did push-ups here last time, guys. I'll still be making shots here!"

"You can't scare me! You can't decide my future, this twisted basketball needs to end!"

Wade's previous series of long-range three-pointers broke through the defense, and now, covered in sweat, he shouted loudly at Li You. The New York fans who saw this cheered even louder.

Ray Allen felt a sense of familiarity seeing the young man break down. He walked over with a smile and separated Wade, who was still shouting. The smiles of the two made the Flash feel like a clown.

Gasol, who had moved to the right sideline, relaxed and directed Ibaka to take cover near the paint area.

After watching the excitement, the referee blew his whistle, and Ray Allen accelerated from the left side of the defensive zone around the baseline towards the right corner.

At the same time, Wade desperately tried to pull away Li You, who was poised to break through the middle, and when Gasol passed the ball, James also made a big, all-out effort to defend.

He twisted his body at the top of the arc to receive the ball. The ball was positioned slightly high, allowing Li You to raise it smoothly. Without looking at the basket, he leaned back and quickly flicked the ball out.

Wade and James, who were flying through the air, were stunned. They could see it clearly; it was absolutely a random, blind shot. The frenzied shouts that echoed throughout the arena reminded them that the ball had gone in again!

"My God! An incredible shot! Unbelievable, how did Li do that!"

Mike Brin, who was shouting and yelling, also found it outrageous, while Van Gundy, standing next to him, stared wide-eyed and subconsciously joined in the shouting:
"Incredible! Lee has officially taken over the game! The basketball god has descended upon New York once again."

58-64, the Knicks lead by 6 points. A crazy three-pointer forced the Heat to call a timeout. Coach Spoelstra, with his hands on his hips on the sidelines, stared intently at the Knicks rookies rushing onto the court. This game shouldn't be like this!
After the timeout, on the offensive possession, James once again faced Marion one-on-one in the right elbow area. After turning and getting past the defender, his close-range floater in the paint unfortunately missed.

The Heat had no chance on the rebound. Bosh was tightly guarded by Gasol, and Ibaka jumped high and easily grabbed the rebound.

The Heat players, who had just retreated to their half-court, were double-teamed again at Wade's call. James, who was guarding two players on the wing, no longer left Marion open and joined in the desperate defense.

Battier was also actively helping out, and even after being faked out by Ray Allen, he continued to interfere from the side. Under his tenacious defense, Gasol finally came to the top of the key to receive the pass, making it easier for Li You to "take the blame".
With the shot clock about to expire, Wade desperately squeezed in front of Li You, and under pressure, Gasol simply threw the ball towards the sideline.

The referee quickly moved aside, and Wade quickened his pace to try to push Li You to the sideline. However, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. Li You, who was receiving the ball near the left sideline, jumped on one foot and threw the ball out with his left hand.

The basketball arced through the air and swished through the hoop amidst cheers from the fans, sending the New York crowd into a frenzy of celebration.

On the Heat's bench, McGrady covered his face with his hands. The chosen one had made it into the zone, but Li You's shooting became increasingly absurd, managing to pull the game back into play.
With the point difference approaching double digits, the Knicks' defense regained its vitality. Facing multiple defenders, James once again found Battier, who was wide open on the opposite corner. After receiving the ball, he was unguarded, but still missed the shot.

When Li You retrieved the long rebound, Madison Square Garden was filled with an atmosphere of "let him throw it."
Seemingly knowing what the fans were thinking, Li You, who was accelerating along the left sideline, suddenly slowed down just past half-court. The greater distance than before left Wade stunned, frozen in place, watching the shot go by.

"Oh!!"

Li You's raised hands sent everyone into a frenzy of cheers. Coach Spoelstra on the sidelines looked numb, all confidence gone, and a thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind:
"It's completely over."

(End of this chapter)