NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 848 Only Passion (Daily Life Chapter)
On Tuesday, December 25, 2012, Christmas Day, the "New F4" group received even more attention during their visit to New York.

Nash and Stoudemire both returned to the court, and although they were not in their best physical condition, they still managed to achieve a three-game winning streak in Howard's absence.

During the Christmas Day game, "Happy Beast" Andre Iguodala made his official comeback, and with Iguodala's increasingly good form, the four of them reunited, and the Los Angeles media naturally gave it a lot of hype.

Compared to previous years, the biggest change for the Lakers is the locker room atmosphere. After injuries occur, no one asks to play through the pain. Everyone understands each other, and even if they lose, the atmosphere remains happy.

Howard played a key role during this period. Putting aside the so-called "want to win," the "happy beast" provided the team with another kind of emotional value. Coupled with the support of the fans, the Lakers became more united.

Before the game started at noon, Howard, who had arrived at Madison Square Garden early, flashed a bright smile at the media and joked during the interview:

“I know what you want to ask, guys. As a locker room leader, I have no interest in criticizing my teammates like Kobe does.”

"The Lakers' record has indeed fallen short of expectations, but I don't think that matters. I've been emphasizing one thing to my teammates: playing with injuries is the most foolish choice!"

"There's still a long time left in the regular season, and we have the opportunity to continue improving. The finals are the ultimate goal, but before that, the more important task is to stay healthy."

"This is the new Lakers! Happy basketball! Say goodbye to the past!"

With a record of 12 wins and 15 losses, the Lakers' performance before Christmas was indeed not good, but considering the injury problems, most commentators still had high expectations.

After all, Iguodala, Stoudemire, and Howard are all very young, Nash can orchestrate the offense, and his teammates can help on the defensive end. The four complement each other, and theoretically they can achieve excellent results.

With the Lakers reunited, they have a clear advantage in the paint against an injury-plagued Knicks team, leading many commentators to believe it will be a closely contested game.

However, head coach Byron Scott, who arrived in New York, was very humble, repeatedly mentioning that "the team needs to learn from the defending champions."

The coaching staff was actually very worried about the backcourt defense. Nash, after his fracture, was basically "directing traffic." Although Iguodala was an excellent defender, the coaching staff knew that even the best defense would have difficulty limiting Li You's offense.
"Losing by a small margin is winning." During the adjustment period of the "new F4," Scott only hoped that the Christmas Day game, which was broadcast nationwide, could be done decently. He didn't want to lose by 58 points like the 76ers.

Before the game, there was a lot of mutual praise, but after the game started at 12 o'clock, the Lakers coaching staff didn't look too good. Brian Shaw even had a blank look in his eyes, and the situation was worse than expected.

With 6 minutes and 32 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lakers, who rushed back on defense, had a problem with their defensive matchup in this possession, leaving Nash stuck at the top of the key once again.

Both being veterans from the 96 draft class, Ray Allen, though also a leaky player, could still "struggle" a bit more often, while Nash was completely different; his aggressive defensive attitude couldn't compensate for his "weak" physique.

"Oh"

Amidst the low cheers of the New York fans, Li You, after pushing the ball and changing direction, quickly turned around near the free-throw line, instantly getting past Nash completely. The veteran could only turn his head to look at the basket.

Because of his poor defense, when Li Youduo turned and made a left-handed layup in the paint, Howard, who was helping to defend under the basket, was still a beat too slow.

Li You's excellent jumping ability allowed "Happy Beast" to hover in the air. However, after the physical collision, Li You twisted his body and pulled his left arm to the side, taking advantage of the brief time difference to release his shot a step slower. Howard's block was once again in vain.

The two landed almost simultaneously. As Howard turned to look at the basket, the basketball bounced off the backboard and swished through the net, sending cheers echoing throughout the arena once again.

His smile was gone, and he was always just a little short. Howard couldn't seem to get the timing right, and in some possessions, he would misjudge and leave his man open. This situation was exactly the same as when he was with the Cavaliers.

"I believe Nash did his best. The Lakers can't hide him every defensive possession. These points must be given to the Knicks."

"As long as he can contribute on the offensive end, Nash has accomplished his mission."

On the ABC commentary desk, Van Gundy continued to speak in support of Nash, saying that only by playing against each other could the difference in skill be seen.

Last season, the Suns' locker room "exploded," and when they played against the Knicks, Li You deliberately threw the game and still won by a large margin, making past games not very relevant.

Mike Breen glanced at Nash, who was making a rapid advance, and commented with considerable sympathy:
"Not everyone can overcome the ravages of time, and we should give more respect to such veterans."

On the left wing, Stoudemire actively set screens, and Nash, holding the ball with his left hand, was somewhat helpless as he saw Ibaka immediately retreating to defend.

After his passing lane was cut off, Nash could only continue to accelerate and break through. He was just half a body length ahead, but by the time he reached the left blocking area, Li You, who was chasing him, had completely covered him.

Under defensive pressure, Nash stopped driving to the basket and circling around like he had in previous possessions. This time, the veteran took the initiative to challenge, trying to break the deadlock with his individual skills.

After a sudden stop, he crashed into Li You. After the collision, Nash knew he was in trouble. His step back, which almost caused him to lose his balance, not only failed to shake off the defender, but also exposed the ball when he was about to collect it.

Before Nash could even raise the ball to feign a foul, with a "snap," he lost control of the ball. Li You, who had completed the steal, didn't even look at his opponent, grabbed the ball, and charged forward to launch another fast break.
Nash, who was a little unsteady, tried to chase and defend, but in the blink of an eye, Li You had crossed the mid-court line. The veteran eventually gave up on defense in frustration and stopped near the three-point line, letting the New York fans in the arena jeer and laugh.

Iguodala, who tried to chase back, gave up near the three-point line and watched as Li You took a step in the paint and backed down for a powerful dunk.

"Oh!!"

The cheers of joy echoed through the arena once again, and the Lakers called a timeout. Iguodala was patted twice by Li You and could only manage an awkward smile; the situation was worse than he had anticipated.

At 9:18, Coach Scott on the sidelines looked helpless. The most important pick-and-roll offense had failed, and he really didn't want Howard to attack relentlessly in the low post.

Back in his seat, "Happy Beast" volunteered, even though his back was still a little sore, because he didn't want to lose like Kobe:
"Give me the ball, guys, we need to close the gap as quickly as possible."

"."

Howard then gestured a couple of times on the tactics board, and after hearing Scott's instructions, he clapped his hands repeatedly, demonstrating his leadership qualities.

In the first possession after the timeout, Howard, who was actively calling for the ball in the low post on the left, immediately turned and faced the basket to attack. However, when he tried to push the ball to the basket with his left hand, he was blocked by Ibaka near the baseline.

Forced to squeeze to the lower left of the basket, drawing a foul while hanging between two players, Vucevic raised his hand. Watching Howard walk towards the free-throw line, Van Gundy said with mixed feelings:

"Dwight's low-post offense is very threatening, but the Lakers will have a hard time winning this game based on his performance alone."

"I'd rather see how he performs after a pick-and-roll."

Howard made one of two free throws. Returning to defense, Howard tried to motivate his teammates, shouting instructions under the basket. Stoudemire actively cooperated with Iguodala to double-team. On the left wing, after a pick-and-roll, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly accelerated and delivered a bounce pass with one hand. Ibaka, faking a screen, easily caught the ball at the free-throw line and made a mid-range jump shot with no one guarding him.

On the other end of the court, Nash, witnessing this scene, had mixed feelings; this was one of his most frequently used offensive tactics in the past.
When the Lakers attacked again, Iguodala forced his way into the basket from the right wing but missed the layup. Ibaka grabbed the rebound and turned to find Li You, and the Knicks sped up again.

Using the same tactic from a different angle, when Stoudemire helped defend again, Li You's bounce pass broke through the defense once more.

Howard aggressively boxed out Vucevic under the basket, keeping him firmly behind him, but the ball still swished through the net. He cursed under his breath in frustration, and the opposing team rallied.

Nash, who was invisible, passed the ball out early. Howard received the ball on the left low post and then placed it with his right hand, trying to complete a floater in the paint while holding off the defense.

Before the help defense arrived, Howard found Stoudemire cutting in, and quickly turned back to defend Ibaka under the basket, blocking the shot and drawing loud cheers from the New York fans in the arena.

A back injury caused Stoudemire to lose his former beastly explosiveness. Although he regained control of the ball immediately, his strong drive to the basket still failed to find the net.

Four players fiercely contested the basket, but Howard clapped his hands in frustration and tried to put the ball in the hoop twice, but to no avail. He could only watch as Vucevic held the ball tightly in his arms.

When Li You returned to the right flank, Iguodala, who had been lowering his center of gravity and glancing behind him, was caught off guard and was overtaken by Li You, who suddenly accelerated.

With a quick slide, Iguodala had just adjusted his center of gravity when Li You, who had made a quick behind-the-back dribble after the contact, successfully evaded the defense and broke through the middle. The Lakers' defense collapsed as he did so.

Nash, returning to his left elbow, attempted to steal the ball, but when he saw it flying toward Ray Allen on the wing, he tried to get back on defense but was a step too slow. He symbolically raised his hand and ultimately watched the shot go by.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, the three-pointer swished through the net. Watching Ray Allen celebrate with a fist pump, Howard, who was preparing to inbound the ball, lost his composure, feeling that the entire quarter had been filled with defensive lapses.
In the following minutes, although Stoudemire finally found his touch and hit consecutive mid-range jump shots, the Lakers' defense still had huge problems.

Without offering any further help defense, Nash watched as Li You repeatedly tossed the ball into the basket in the paint, despite Iguodala's defense.

The response only prevented the score difference from widening further. When both sides entered the rotation period, Iguodala finally couldn't hold on and received his second personal foul.

When the invisible Jodie Meeks took over the defensive duties, he felt like he was back with the 76ers.

Nash, who was substituted by Lou Williams, stared blankly. After Jamison and others came on, the Lakers' defense completely collapsed.

At the end of the first quarter, the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was electric. The score was 19:37. The "new F4" were just as vulnerable as the old version!
Playing the entire first quarter, Li You scored 21 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and made 2 steals, shooting 8-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. However, he failed to fill the stat sheet, and the Lakers only managed a narrow 2-point victory.
-

On Wednesday, December 26th, after the Christmas Day game, no commentators discussed whether the Lakers could win the championship.

Because the Knicks' game was the first one yesterday and ended early, it generated the most discussion on social media, with netizens unusually reaching a consensus and arriving at a common conclusion:
"Steve Nash should retire!"

圣诞大战，李佑出场36分钟，18中14，三分线外3中2，罚球13中13，高效砍下43分10篮板12助攻4抢断1盖帽1失误的三双数据。

Despite not having much offense after the first quarter, Li You still led his team to a resounding victory over the Lakers, with a score of 92-128.

Once again, it has been proven that, apart from Lee Yu, none of the players from the 96 draft class can serve as the core players of a championship-contending team. The gap between the veterans and the younger players is simply too large, even casual fans who don't understand basketball can see it.

In another "battle to prove themselves as runners-up," the Heat lived up to expectations and successfully proved themselves!
The Thunder suffered a heartbreaking 96-102 defeat on the road.

Despite Durant's continued efficiency, scoring a game-high 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting, his partner Westbrook struggled, going 5-of-19 for 21 points and committing 5 turnovers.

What disappointed Thunder fans even more was that Harden seemed to have a conflict with head coach Brooks during the game, and he appeared to lack energy throughout the match.

In the other games, the Nets suffered a shock defeat, 96-92. Garnett suddenly disappeared in the fourth quarter and ultimately sent Rondo to the free-throw line, sealing the game.

Although this is related to his 42 minutes of playing time, post-game commentators unfairly blamed Harden, and New York fans on social media echoed this sentiment.

"Kevin Garnett should share his salary with Kirilenko!"

Last season, veterans had an excuse for their poor form due to the shortened schedule, but since the start of the new season, most of them have shown a visible decline.

There were several games that day, and the Spurs, who didn't participate in the Christmas Day game, received extra attention, with commentators eager to see Tim Duncan's performance.

Contrary to many people's expectations, the usually low-key Duncan was in surprisingly good form, holding his own against the frontcourt duo of David Lee and Tristan Thompson.

Young David Lee couldn't even gain an advantage in the low post, and the Raptors, who had been on a winning streak during this period, ultimately suffered a complete defeat on the road.

With a score of 87-96, the Spurs improved their record to 22 wins and 8 losses, further narrowing the gap in wins with the Thunder.

Popovich has been resting players excessively lately, ignoring warnings from the league. The veteran has consistently adhered to his well-defined rotation strategy. In a post-game interview, when asked again about the rotation, he firmly responded:

"The Spurs' core players are no longer young, and the league should give veterans some special treatment. Appropriate rotation is a form of protection."

"I believe we can get back to the finals, and we all want to help Tim regain his respect!"

-

On December 31, 2012, major sports media outlets wished Lee Woo a happy 35th birthday, and MSG also released a special program featuring the team.

The Knicks haven't had a game in the last few days, but Li You still showed up at the training ground as usual. This episode recorded the team's daily training.

This season, with a host of veteran players standing out, more and more people are curious about how Li You maintains his excellent physical condition. Cervasio asked him about it on a program, and the answer was surprisingly simple:
"There aren't many secrets. This is my 17th season. Maintaining excellent form is mostly about my love for basketball!"

Li You, whose muscles were bulging after completing his strength training, answered questions with a sincere expression. Seeing Chervasio nod, he added:
"Of course, my good form is also inseparable from the support of my 'family'. The Knicks have the most loyal fans in the world, and I just want to do my best to meet everyone's expectations!"

"."

(End of this chapter)