NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 857 He's really no good at it. (Daily Chapter)
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, major media outlets across the United States were reporting on the outstanding performance of the newly elected MVP the previous night.

Compared to the two previous young MVPs, LeBron James's performance is more "legendary".

Overtime, triple-double, and a game-winning shot – the chosen one lived up to the fans' expectations, proving with his actions that he is truly the second best player in the league!
This season, LeBron James' efficiency rating, win shares, RPM, and BPM (which Reference.com just launched) have all reached career highs.

Li You, who doesn't consider retiring in a few years, believes that among active players, James's Excel dominance is off the charts!
Durant, who joined the 180 Club this season, also excels in advanced stats, though he is slightly inferior overall. However, his overall stats are still worthy of the MVP title.

With Derrick Rose sidelined by injuries, two rising small forwards seem poised to take his place.

Carmelo Anthony, also a top small forward, may not have the same sarcastic remarks as his good friend, but after defeating the Hawks 4-1 in the first round, he often complained to the media that he was underrated. He is also an MVP-caliber star player.

However, unlike their neighbors, the New York media doesn't glorify mental attributes. After reviewing Anthony's statistics, New York basketball commentators reached a common conclusion:
"Carmelo Anthony is not even as good as Kobe Bryant, and he's underrated? He's just a clown in the 'circus'!"

After complaining for half a week, they were ridiculed by the New York Daily News and the New York Post every day. The New York Fan Club even made a video reading the comments, and the comments section on YouTube is full of mockery.

In this basketball atmosphere, even casual fans who only follow the playoffs have joined the criticism. They feel like something is missing from their lives if they don't criticize Anthony every day. This top small forward has become a sensation!

Carmelo Anthony sent his best wishes to his good friend who won the MVP award last night, but the thought of having to play at Madison Square Garden made him feel even worse.

Having both teams in the same city avoids wasting time traveling, which is theoretically a good thing, but none of the Nets players like this aspect of the game.

Garnett, whose career was completely over, performed well in the first round. Before the semifinals began, Garnett did not forget to call on Brooklyn fans to support the team.

But no matter how much the star players responded, no one from the local Brooklyn fans stood up, and all they got in return was more ridicule.

The New York Knicks fan club has already begun mobilizing loyal Knicks fans to storm the Barclays Center. During the pre-sale period, everyone was posting their purchase records on Reddit.

Old Deng may not be able to participate in these boring activities, but young people are having a blast. Home game tickets are too expensive, but going to away games can save money and avoid too much travel expenses. Just watch the game!

At the urging of young fans, going to the Barclays Center to watch a game has even become a family activity. Before the series even started, new recruit Joe Johnson was already exhausted, as the basketball environment was worse than he had anticipated.
Fortunately, some players on the Nets are already used to this environment. Former NBA star Jason Kidd, who recently returned from injury, was unaffected in an interview and even joked about himself:
"This won't affect me. You know, when I played in New Jersey, the fans in New York showed their loyalty."

"If Barclays Center were to suddenly become the Knicks' home arena during the playoffs, I would only feel a sense of familiarity and nostalgia."

"I just want to thank God that I was able to compete against Lee again in the last year of my career!"

Kidd knew that as long as he praised Li You a few more times, Li You wouldn't embarrass him. As long as he could finish this series gracefully and gain the GOAT's recognition, his career would be completely fulfilling.
However, Garnett looked down on this "negative" attitude towards the game. After arriving at Madison Square Garden early in the afternoon, Garnett started a pep talk in the locker room.

With two hours to go before the match, perhaps due to the chokehold incident with Sprewell years ago, Carlesimo has rarely interfered in team affairs since taking over as head coach. He gave a pre-match interview but did not return to the locker room.

As the locker room leader, Garnett didn't want to "gracefully pad his ego" like Kidd; he wanted to win as long as there was even the slightest chance.
"You all saw how those sons of bitches from the New York fan club humiliated us. In this series, everyone must respond!"

A fierce look appeared on his dark face. Having been insulted for half a month, Hardt glared at the crowd and, without waiting for a response, continued shouting:
"We have enough talent, and we want to say 'no' to that disgusting basketball environment!"

"No one can predict the outcome of a match in advance. We must attack them from the start and bite like a dog on the defensive end."

Kirilenko was baffled. In his opinion, if they hadn't talked big and acted arrogantly before the match, their opponents wouldn't have paid any attention to them.

Joe Johnson, who had remained silent, had a glint in his eye. He had a premonition that he was about to receive an "important task." Before he could think further, Garnett reminded him:
"Joe! Back down Ray Allen! Listen to this, he can't stop you. Tonight, you'll be our ace!"

Before Joe Johnson could agree, Harden assigned tasks again. After going around assigning them, Kidd stood up with a smile and said:

"Kevin, what kind of role do you want to play?"

"Don't rush to answer, Bro. There's no need to be malicious. We don't have much time left in the league. Getting back into the semifinals and enjoying the game might be the better option."

"Guys, give it your all to repay the fans who support us. In a match like this, winning or losing isn't that important."

Anthony, who had been silent until now, stood up and applauded, interrupting Kidd's statement. His good brother had scored 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists last night, and he had to prove himself too!

At 15:30 p.m., the Maiqu Plaza Garden Stadium was still packed to capacity. The game had just started, and the cheers from the crowd grew louder and louder.

During the Nets' offensive possession, Anthony drove to the basket after a triple threat on the right side, only to be blocked by Ibaka's help defense.

"what!"

Staggering slightly as he veered off the line, Anthony yelled and immediately turned to complain to the referee, prompting cheers and laughter from the New York fans.

On the ABC commentary booth, both Mike Brin and Jeff Van Gundy praised the defense, with the aging championship coach making a pointed comment:
"More and more teams are choosing to lower their height, but rim protection still requires big men."

"Challenging the Knicks' interior defense is not a smart choice. In fact, New York's defensive stats rank fourth in the league this season, and often their excellent defense is overshadowed by their explosive offense."

Garnett was "stubborn" before the game, but during the game, when he saw Ibaka set a screen, he could only loudly remind Kidd to squeeze through as quickly as possible.

Both veterans' legs and feet are showing signs of aging. Li You, holding the ball with his left hand, easily got rid of Kidd by using a screen and moving laterally. Before Garnett could bend down, he lowered his center of gravity, quickly pushed the ball, and squeezed through the gaps in the crowd in the blink of an eye.

Garnett stood like a wooden stake near the three-point line, and could only turn his head to look at Kirilenko as he was outmaneuvered by Li You.

The basketball, flying through the air, was passed and tossed, and Kirilenko, who had stopped, could only watch as Gasol behind him caught the ball in mid-air and slammed it into the basket with one hand!
Although the game lasted less than three minutes, Mike Breen felt that the Nets' defense against Li You was not as good as that of rookie Jrue Holiday in the first round:

"What a brilliant dribbling move! God seems to favor Lee. Time has only made the greatest player in history even more skilled!"

"."

The game continued, and Kidd kept signaling to Anthony to move and receive the ball. He noticed that the Knicks' defense was very compact, and they didn't seem to care about Garnett and Kirilenko, the two players who provided space.

Moving laterally to the left elbow area, Anthony still stuck out his butt to get the ball, but under Marion's relentless pressure, Kidd simply passed the ball to Joe Johnson on the right wing.

Perhaps the pre-game encouragement had some effect. Joe Johnson, who passed the ball with his right hand and made a step-back drive, took the initiative to challenge Ray Allen in the restricted area. After forcefully pushing past him, he stepped back and made a jump shot!

Garnett's strong scoring prompted him to clench his fist in celebration as he retreated on defense, but he lost his way again on defensive possessions.

Using the same tactic, Li You, holding the ball with his left hand, suddenly made a large in-and-out move, accelerating twice to decisively break through Garnett's right side.

Staggering and pulling, Kirilenko caught air, and saw Li You suddenly cut in from the left wing under the basket. He hurriedly moved but it was too late.

Ignoring his opponent's attempt to get up and block, Li You took a step forward in front of the paint and took off. In mid-air, he pulled his left arm back and slammed the ball down on Kirilenko!

"OH! God—Lee!"

"The rim is still shaking!"

The rim slammed open, and Mike Breen in the commentary booth yelled with joy, instantly sending the entire arena into a frenzy.

Kirilenko, who nearly fell over, could only lean against the basketball hoop and curse under his breath. He should have suggested that he defend the pick-and-roll himself; his stubbornness and recklessness were simply no match for the opponent.
Anthony, who had raised his position to receive the ball, suddenly accelerated and stopped after a crossover in front of the left wing, and hit a long two-pointer over Marion's long arms.

After making the shot, Anthony immediately smiled, but his good mood vanished when he saw Spike Lee on the sidelines leading the mockery.

During the defensive possession, Kidd saw Lee Yu slow down at the top of the key, made a tactical hand gesture, and immediately turned to remind his teammates behind him to switch on defense.

Anthony heard the instructions but didn't pay attention. When Marion moved laterally from the right baseline and Ray Allen accelerated and popped out near the baseline, Ibaka's screen completely blocked Joe Johnson.
Kirilenko was a step too slow when he switched onto the defense. After a desperate attempt to defend, he could only watch as Ray Allen received the ball on the right wing and, with no one guarding him, made a three-pointer.

Cheers erupted once again in the arena. Old Kidd looked helplessly at Anthony, who was running around aimlessly with Marion. Even though he knew what his opponent was trying to do, it was still useless.
The game proceeded extremely smoothly, except that Anthony would encounter help defense every time he tried to post up, and after his outside shots were frequently missed and counterattacks were launched, Garnett and Kirilenko began to increase their attacks under the basket.

Everyone on the Nets team was trying, and before they knew it, the pace of the game was getting faster and faster.

When substitute Danny Green hit another three-pointer after coming off the bench, head coach Carlesimo had no choice but to call a timeout.

“Anthony has brought the offense to a standstill; what he needs to do is speed up his ball handling.”

"His inefficient mid-range jump shot is hard to counter the Knicks' increasingly efficient offense. This isn't the Western Conference playoffs, and he has to change some of his bad playing habits."

In Van Gundy's view, the "bow and shove" style of play is an outdated offensive system. When he was coaching the Cavaliers, he even stopped Howard's low-post training. Now, seeing this retro style of play again, he can only shake his head repeatedly.

"Maybe this is the kind of offense Carmelo Anthony is good at! I think the problem is on the defensive end; the Nets' defense looks inconsistent."

Mike Breen commented with a smile that, unlike the Bulls' lackluster offense, the Knicks wouldn't give their opponents many opportunities, and he firmly believed that the game would soon be decided.

After the timeout, the Nets made another adjustment. Garnett, no longer trying to be aggressive, attempted to defend the paint, but Gasol began to attack aggressively in the low post.

As his opponent turned and attempted a left-handed hook shot towards the baseline, Garnett watched expressionlessly as the ball swished through the hoop. "Ah!"

With his new short haircut, Gasol pounded his chest repeatedly and roared passionately at Harden, making the atmosphere at the scene even more heated.

On the offensive possession, Anthony called for the ball from CJ Watson before even crossing half-court, forcing the latter to relinquish possession.

After dribbling past half-court, Anthony suddenly slowed down. Without making many adjustments, he made a jump shot over Jimmy Butler at the top of the arc.

As he retreated on defense, Anthony smiled again and loudly called out to his teammates to defend him, but Li You suddenly stopped at the top of the arc and used a crossover step to pull back and instantly shake off Watson, who was leading the defense.

Watching the short player who had just entered the game stand there helplessly, Mike Breen in the commentary booth shouted passionately when the three-pointer went in:
"Lee, the fake, the three—BANG!"

"."

Anthony's eyes twitched slightly. He remained silent during the offensive possession, continuing to call for the ball early. Under Butler's pressure, he overpowered the right wing, faked a shot, and then missed the layup.

Li You picked up the rebound, and on the bench, Kidd loudly reminded his teammates to double-team in advance, but the Nets players, who had just run back to half-court, still matched up against each other as usual.

On the right wing, before even approaching the three-point line, Li You makes a large behind-the-back turn while moving, and the instant he switches to his right hand, he crosses back with another step.

After losing his balance, CJ Watson stared blankly as Lee Yoo made a jump shot right in front of him.

"Lee creates space—another one!"

The consecutive three-pointers sent the New York fans in the arena into a frenzy of cheers. Mike Breen, no longer pretending, reverted to his usual self as a home commentator, shouting a cheer and then adding a sarcastic remark:

"Anthony has clearly overestimated himself; he shouldn't challenge the GOAT."

The leader continued to call for the ball, and the Nets could only watch as Anthony backed down in the right-side paint area, squeezed his way to the paint, and attempted a turnaround jump shot that missed.

Andre Blatche and Kevin Garnett, who had just come off the bench, fought hard for the rebound, and Anthony also tried to save face. Before everyone could get into a scramble, Butler swatted the ball to the outside first.

Li You rushed forward with the ball, prompting Watson to chase and pull on the ball, but the referee made no call. At that moment, the referee seemed to have become a fan, jogging along the sideline.

Just as everyone expected, Li You, who was close to the left wing, took the initiative to challenge the defender and then stepped back to dodge the defense and force a jump shot.

The basketball arced through the air and swished through the net again, as Mike Breen joined the New York fans in their excited shouts:
"Lee from downtown again! BANG!"

CJ Watson was completely stunned. With Kidd off the court, the opposing team dropped their act. Just as they were about to inbound the ball, they suddenly heard referee Danny Crawford chuckling to Li You:

"Lee, I know you can hit three-pointers, I won't let that kid on the other side ruin your performance!"

"Sir, you're right, but I think you could give me a free throw later."

Lee Yu, who was retreating on defense, responded in a low voice with a smile. CJ Watson, who heard the conversation between the two, froze on the spot until Garnett shouted loudly and he came back to his senses.

Towards the end of the first quarter, Li You suddenly erupted, and the Nets couldn't withstand the offensive surge, helplessly watching the point difference widen.

At 21:36, the end of the first quarter, the New York fans in the arena began celebrating the victory ahead of schedule.

During the break, head coach Carlesimo kept giving instructions, and Garnett, who played the entire first quarter, also glared at him.

CJ Watson, however, seemed listless. Before the game, veteran Jason Kidd kept offering words of encouragement, but the young man couldn't take it in, muttering dejectedly:

"Dude, the referees are on their side."

There used to be a balance whistle, but ever since the referees' union realized that such calls were ineffective, everyone stopped pretending as long as Lee Woo was in good form.

Old Kidd heard his teammates complaining, but a strange expression appeared on his face. Finally, he patted the young man on the shoulder and said in a relaxed tone:

"You're only just realizing this? Go enjoy the game!"

-

On Thursday, May 9, TNT reporters captured a harmonious scene at Madison Square Garden before the start of the game that evening.

During the pre-match warm-up, Kidd and Li You chatted happily, creating a joyful atmosphere.

"The last showdown between championship guards! I love this kind of game. Watching Kidd, I feel like I could play until I'm 40!"

Wearing a white training uniform, Li You smiled and joked with his old rivals in front of the camera. Kidd grinned back, forgetting about Garnett and Anthony, and chimed in with a boast:
"40 years old is not Li's limit! We all know how much God favors him."

"Lee's decision to retire in 2016 was clearly to make way for younger players. I think everyone should cherish this time, and in the future, everyone will miss the NBA with Lee."

"."

The two exchanged compliments, while Garnett and Anthony returned to the locker room early. The score was 98-122. Game 1 was a narrow defeat, but neither of them accepted the loss with the same dignity as Kidd.

After the interview, the veteran Kidd bid farewell with lingering enthusiasm, leaving rookies like Irving, Butler, and Harris looking bewildered.

Among well-known veteran players, there are very few as "friendly" as Kidd.

In last night's Eastern Conference semifinals game, the Heat lost at home. LeBron James scored a game-high 36 points, shooting 14-for-20 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range.

Compared to Anthony's 24 points on 9-of-23 shooting in Game 1, the difference is obvious. A TNT reporter, discussing the two small forwards, jokingly added fuel to the fire:
"Li, what are your thoughts on the two players in the same position? After Durant and James both won the MVP, does Anthony have a chance to lift the trophy?"

"The answer lies in the data. I like the newly launched BPM. Although the data model is still being improved, it can interpret the game from another perspective."

Taking this opportunity, Li You once again promoted his company's data model. Seeing that some reporters were still trying to stir things up, he shook his head slightly and continued:
"The data doesn't lie; MVP players always dominate most of the statistics!"

"The same goes for Shaq, Duncan, Nowitzki, and Garnett; the data reflects their strength."

"I know what you're trying to say. A player who puts up impressive stats isn't necessarily dominant, and I won't argue with that. But a player who doesn't even have impressive stats is definitely not going to be an MVP."

"Now, I think everyone knows the answer to the question."

"."

Perhaps the "megaphone" worked, because after the game started at 19 p.m., Carmelo Anthony also went into "full mode" and tried to refute Li You through his actual performance.

上半场14中6高效砍下14分后，第三节遭遇尼克斯队一波流后，安东尼的命中率也跟着直线下滑，11中2怒砍8分带崩比赛。

When the score was 81-131, Anthony remained seated for a long time without getting up. The large loss was not really his fault; it was mainly because the rotation lineup was broken.

Garnett was the first to get up and leave. As he approached the player tunnel, draped in a towel, he was met with loud jeers from New York fans on both sides.

"Coward! Go thank Li. Without Li, who would care about a bunch of losers like you?"

"You made Ray lose so many rings! Rondo should have smashed your balls in back then!"

"Give that cancer Anthony a few punches and we'll forgive you!"

"Big box office? You're an expired product."

Kidd, who was following behind, felt a little sad seeing this scene. In the face of absolute strength, pretending to be a tough guy is useless, especially at this age. Li You can humiliate his opponent at will.

Back in the locker room, Garnett covered his face with his hands, and everyone remained silent. Finally, CJ Watson asked in a low voice:

"Kevin, are you going to tweet again urging Brooklyn fans to come and support us in person?"

"Shit! New Yorkers are all shit!"

"."

(End of this chapter)