NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 873 Physical Fitness is the Foundation of Basketball (Chapter without Main Character)

On Wednesday, November 6, 2013, as the regular season progressed, the Thunder and the Heat once again became the focus of much media attention.

The combination of Kevin Durant and James Harden looks extremely compatible, and the Thunder have evolved into a "three-point shooting team," finishing their four games in three quarters.

Although the Heat's Big Three also achieved a four-game winning streak, a "conflict" occurred in last night's game against the Raptors, which is something that spectators love to watch.

After the start of the fourth quarter, both sides entered the rotation phase. James rejected Coach Spoelstra's arrangements during the game, and after the two argued, James even showed his displeasure on the spot.

In the four games, James did not play the power forward position. The Chosen One kept his word and stopped playing inside after losing weight.

Even more interestingly, during the post-game press conference after defeating the Raptors, James didn't give the team any face. When asked about the dispute, he simply shrugged and responded:

“During last year’s playoffs, I experienced back spasms. During the offseason, I consulted a professional medical team and ultimately decided to lose weight to prevent further injury.”

"I don't like playing the power forward position because it takes a huge toll on my body, and I have to fight big men in the paint more often."

"That's the reason for the argument. We're all trying to get better. As for the position issue, I'll talk to the coaching staff about it again."

"."

He put on a good show, but a report by the Miami Herald this morning exposed James's true colors.

The agent of LeBron James has refused to discuss a contract extension with the Heat, and Rich Paul has even publicly spoken out in support of James.

"LeBron will give his all for the team, but he only wants to play the small forward position."

"Players shouldn't have to pay the price for evading luxury taxes."

Rich Paul is clearly lying through his teeth. Letting Mike Miller go won't affect James's tactical role, and after hearing such a flimsy excuse, basketball commentators have reached a consensus:

"James will definitely leave Miami."

Some professional basketball commentators have even speculated that Pat Riley would cut his losses and trade LeBron James before the All-Star Weekend, without even waiting for the offseason.

The oily-headed guy is not one to suffer losses. When he formed the Big Three, he made all three of them take pay cuts. The results were not ideal, and he has not yet discussed renewing his contract with his original leader, Wade.

If a blockbuster trade occurs, all three players may be traded, and suddenly there will be more people discussing trades in the new season, and no one will care about the "boring" games anymore.

In the afternoon, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski updated his Twitter account with several posts, further "reflecting" the trade situation to fans.

It wasn't until this expert pointed it out that Miami fans realized James had planned this all along:

"In the final year of his contract, I have no doubt about James' professionalism, but trading him carries a huge risk."

"Most teams will remain on the sidelines until this young MVP makes a contract extension commitment. Perhaps only the Lakers are truly interested in him."

LeBron James has never commented on the offseason, but everyone believes that the chosen one wants to play in Los Angeles.

After holding a private wedding in September, Savannah moved with her children and recently opened a juice shop in Los Angeles.
This blatant manipulation infuriated Heat fans, but they were powerless against James. Loyalty had long been forgotten by the chosen one, and the young MVP was racing down the path of commercial basketball!
-

On Thursday, November 7th, local media in Oklahoma City again reported on news related to Durant:
"James Brown finished recording '60 Minutes' with Durant in Oklahoma City on Wednesday."

Fans were naturally delighted by the news. Appearing on CBS's major evening program is no easy feat, and Durant's loyalty has clearly earned him more recognition from mainstream media!

The new season has just begun, and another young MVP, Derrick Rose, has been injured. Although the Bulls have not released any accurate information, it is highly likely that he will miss the rest of the season.

The knee injury nearly ruined Rose, and the young man has been completely out of reach. Even local Chicago fans have begun to question why injuries always seem to plague their star player.

Before departing for Detroit after the Thunder's resounding victory over the Mavericks at home last night, Durant gave an interview to local media.

"This is definitely a completely new experience. You know, my mom was even more excited than I was when she heard I would be on this show."

“I don’t like ‘boasting,’ but I’m very sure about the future. I want to bring championships to Oklahoma City. Sports bring everyone together.”

Wearing a pink hoodie, Durant finished speaking with a bright smile, and continued to cheer on the local media reporters while talking about the hurricane disaster. His sincere attitude deeply moved the reporters.

After boarding the plane, the atmosphere in the Thunder's locker room was particularly good. Although James Harden did not receive a maximum contract, firing his agent and saving a large amount of money still made the young players very happy.

To improve his basketball skills, Harden has recently been learning advanced "flopping" techniques from Kevin Martin. After opening the door to a new world, he's been so engrossed in studying the rules that he's practically getting up at 4 a.m.
Having fully recovered from heart surgery, Jeff Green is in much better physical condition for the new season. He cracked a joke, and as he sat back down, he picked up this week's Sports Illustrated and gossiped:

"The Heat are falling apart? The Knicks are guaranteed a spot in the Finals this season; no team in the East can compete with them."

Before Durant could speak, Harden, sitting behind him, revealed a heartbreaking truth:
"In my memory, Lee played in the Finals every year, and in the past they had no rivals in the East."

"If a trade happens, maybe Anthony can replace James?"

The Nets have been in good form since the start of the new season. Recently, new head coach Jason Kidd pulled a little stunt, instructing Joe Johnson to "hurt" the Jazz during a game.
While "Hit me" helped the Nets gain a brief timeout, the league later punished Kidd for intentionally splashing water, fining him $5000.

Durant also saw the news, and many netizens on Twitter joked about Kidd. But when they thought of Carmelo Anthony, who was trying to win the MVP award, the young man started to mock him again.

"Dude, Rookie of the Year and MVP are worlds apart!"

"Oh"

The young Thunder players all joined in with their strange shouts, and even Vince Carter laughed when he saw this. He felt the call of the Finals again this season, and if he stayed healthy, he wanted to "go for it" one more time.

-

On Saturday, November 9th, the Warriors will play the Grizzlies on the road. Due to the recent "big news" involving the Nuggets, commentators have also started to pay attention to Stephen Curry, who is performing better and better.

Earlier this month, an unnamed source revealed that the Nuggets' malicious foul on Curry last year was instigated by head coach George Karl.

Although the old man refused to admit it, Nene, who joined the Wizards, made his position clear by remaining silent when talking about the matter.

Mark Jackson has also been arguing with the Denver media these past few days. When talking about last year's playoffs, they mocked the Warriors for being like a high school team and maliciously ridiculed Curry's "sissy basketball".

The head coach and the commentator have completely different jobs. Mark Jackson had nowhere to vent his frustration, and ultimately the pressure from the management was channeled into the team's intense training.

Both teams are currently 3-3. Rudy Gay, who suffered an injury in last year's playoffs, has fully recovered, and the addition of Mike Miller during the offseason has improved the Grizzlies' offensive spacing.

After the game started at 19 p.m., head coach Dave Joerger began to frown. The players were performing well, but this was not the game he had expected.

The offensive trend has ultimately affected the Grizzlies, and their targeted offseason reinforcements have further weakened their defense.

The weight-loss-enhanced Draymond Green has earned trust in the playoffs and has performed well as a starter throughout the new season, but he simply couldn't keep up against Zach Randolph tonight.
"Oh!"

Cheers erupted again at the FedEx Forum as enthusiastic Memphis fans loudly mocked rookie Green, who was pushed to the basket.

Randolph, after completing a powerful attack, didn't forget to passionately pound his chest as he retreated on defense. The big black guy is currently crushing the weak!

Looking towards the bench, Green noticed the coach waving to new recruit Jermaine O'Neal and immediately cursed under his breath; he really didn't want to be substituted so early.

The Warriors' offense still started off off the ball. When the ball bounced off the baseline to the right wing, Klay Thompson received the ball, faked a move, and accelerated to cut in.

Green's fake screen on the wing worked; Randolph couldn't help, but Thompson, despite Gay's interference, didn't force a shot and instead passed to Curry on the other end of the court. With Barnes' cross screen, Curry briefly shook off his defender.

The pass was almost intercepted. In the right corner, Curry controlled the ball and faced Conley's defense. He forced his way through with the ball with his left hand, took a step, suddenly turned around, and then quickly stepped back to the three-point line.

"Oh"

Amidst the low cheers of the fans in the arena, Curry threw the ball with his body tilted to the side. Conley, who hurriedly extended his right arm, instinctively turned his head, and the basketball swished through the net.

Curry, who had retreated on defense, smiled, patted his chest, and pointed to the sky with one finger. Although there weren't any great signings during the offseason, the coaching staff has given him unlimited shooting opportunities in the new season.

While he doesn't abuse his privileges, once he found his shooting touch, Curry's shot selection became much more unrestrained, and no one accused him of "throwing shots recklessly" anymore.

11:12, the Warriors are still keeping the score close.

The Grizzlies managed a rare smooth offense in the first quarter, with Randolph taking possession of the ball from Gay and relentlessly attacking the paint, shooting 5-for-10 and scoring 12 points in the first quarter alone.

During the rotation phase, thanks to the outstanding performances of Wayne Ellington and others, the Grizzlies, playing at home, maintained their dominance over their opponents.

Curry was extremely efficient in the first half, shooting 5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-6 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, scoring 17 points. However, in the second half, the young player couldn't withstand the opponent's relentless pressure.

After the Grizzlies scored 36 points in the third quarter, the Warriors conceded defeat in the final quarter.

90:108，下半场8中2只拿到5分的库里只能一脸无奈的和对手简单致意。

Losing the rebounding battle by 10, Mark Jackson was very dissatisfied with the team's interior lineup, as Draymond Green was still too inexperienced against the Grizzlies' interior defense.

Andris Biedrins, who had long been on the trading block by the Warriors, was getting in the way. Looking at the shaky big man, Mark Jackson wished he could just add two draft picks and trade him away.
Marc Gasol, who exploded in the second half, smiled broadly during an interview. When asked about his 0-for-3 performance from three-point range, he confidently replied:
"I will continue to take shots. The coaching staff has adjusted the game strategy for the new season, and we need to optimize our offensive space. Of course, defense is still the foundation of the team."

"On offense, I've talked a lot with Pau, and his advice to me is to increase my three-point shooting."

When asked about his brother's shoulder injury, Marc Gasol shrugged and said with a hint of helplessness:

“At 33, Pau has played too many matches. I just hope he can recover as soon as possible.”

"."

At the press conference, Curry didn't want to respond to the recent controversy, since sending out a veteran coach is definitely not a good thing for the players.

Unfortunately, the sports reporters present didn't seem to care about Curry's feelings at all. Under a barrage of questions, the young man finally snapped, simply shrugging his shoulders and giving a brief response:

"I don't know if my opponents in last year's playoffs intentionally made those moves to hurt me. You know, the playoffs are over, and talking about it now won't help."

"My physical condition is better this season. The semifinals are not the Warriors' limit. We are confident that we can do even better!"

"Right now I just want to thank God and thank the league for introducing the foot-planting rule so early on, which has protected a lot of players."

"Honestly, I don't like it when opponents compare me to a high school student, and the Warriors' tactical system is more complex than many people think."

"As the team leader, I can't control what others think, but I can ensure a pure basketball culture for the Warriors."

When the young Curry left the media room, he felt utterly exhausted. Without even thinking, he could guess what kind of news these boring reporters would write.

The thought of having to deal with the sarcastic remarks of veteran coach George Karl for some time to come made Curry secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

-

On Sunday, November 10th, at 7:30 PM, the Staples Center was packed. After the game started, ABC would occasionally point their cameras at two men in formal attire on the bench.

Steve Nash was sidelined after playing only two games due to a nerve problem in his back, and is expected to be out for 2 to 4 weeks.
Despite suffering a knee sprain, Amar'e Stoudemire played in all his previous games, but the injury will likely keep him out for at least two weeks.

Coach Byron Scott has no good solutions for the two injured players and can only observe them for now. If their physical condition deteriorates, a pre-All-Star trade could still salvage the situation.
Lou Williams, who started the game, was in excellent form, and new addition Nick Young also had a good performance in the opening minutes.

In contrast, Shawn Williams, who partnered with Howard in the frontcourt, struggled to contain Kevin Love's offense. Within a few possessions, Love was firing on all cylinders, quickly getting into the game.

On a defensive possession, Derrick Williams received the ball on the right wing. The rookie attempted to drive to the basket, but his right-hand pass was intercepted face-to-face by Iguodala.

"Oh!!"

Staples Center erupted instantly. Iguodala, who was facing a 1-on-0 situation in the frontcourt, took off early, swung the ball around in the air, and slammed it into the basket!

After landing, Iguodala immediately ran back to his half of the court, and didn't forget to interact with the Hollywood stars in the front row. This is the reason why he renewed his contract early. Playing in Los Angeles feels much better than in Philadelphia.

On the ABC commentary desk, Jeff Van Gundy, watching Derrick Williams disappear on offense, offered a subtle comment:
"Compared to Kyrie, Williams seems to still be adjusting to the pace of the league. He is not well-suited for the small forward position, which will expose more disadvantages for him in matchups."

"The Timberwolves have been in excellent form since the start of the season, and they have a chance to realize their potential this season."

With a record of 5 wins and 2 losses, the Timberwolves have shown a completely different kind of vitality compared to previous years when they were poised to be the number one draft pick right from the start of the season.

Nikola Pekovic made things difficult for Howard, requiring him to put in considerable effort every time he fought for a rebound. Fortunately, the opponent wasn't very fast, allowing "Happy Beast" to showcase his low-post skills on offensive possessions.

Howard received the ball in the left-side blocking area, immediately turned to face the basket, faked to the right and drove to the left, put the ball with his left hand and drove straight to the basket. After the contact, he immediately took a step, used his shoulder to push away the opponent, and then burst into action with the ball!

"what!!"

Howard roared with passion after completing a powerful two-handed dunk, a moment that reminded many veteran fans of Shaquille O'Neal in his prime. The atmosphere at the stadium instantly heated up, with shouts that never stopped.

Despite the Lakers' offensive rhythm being off and their reliance on individual attacks, they gradually managed to suppress their opponents thanks to their absolute talent.

Andre Iguodala had the most outstanding performance. The versatile forward transformed into a playmaking forward in the second half, successfully helping Nick Young regain his shooting touch.

Late in the third quarter, as Lou Williams drew a foul on a fast break, Dwight Howard joined in the cheers, shouting along with the fans.
"Yee! Let's go!"

Howard, jumping and leaping, grinned broadly, revealing a set of white teeth. Although it might not seem very sophisticated, Lakers fans love this kind of "Superman."

The children sitting in the front row screamed along, and Howard's antics completely ignited the atmosphere.

The Timberwolves conceded defeat in the fourth quarter, with a barrage of three-pointers extinguishing their hopes of a comeback. Rubio, who was substituted out, covered his face with a towel as he returned to his seat, repeatedly left wide open, and was unable to respond.

As the buzzer sounded, the score was 90-115, with the Lakers securing a decisive victory, and cheers echoed throughout the arena.

14中8，罚球11中6，22分14篮板2盖帽2失误，砍下两双的霍华德赛后不断和对手拥抱致意，从背伤恢复过来的“快乐兽”新赛季状态非常出色。

The fans' cheers thrilled Howard, who squeezed next to Iguodala who was being interviewed, and the "Happy Beast" shouted loudly at the camera:
"This is my house!"

"The Lakers don't need the Mamba! Listen to LeBron, Andre is better than you."

Iguodala smiled as his teammates yelled in surprise. While trade rumors were indeed circulating, he remained confident in Jim Buss's promise to him, stating confidently when answering related questions:
"The team's chemistry is better now. I don't want to talk about injuries. These difficulties won't defeat us."

"This Lakers team has outstanding talent, and Amar'e's championship experience is also helping everyone. We have the opportunity to fulfill our championship promise."

"."

(End of this chapter)