NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 445 "Help me quickly!" ( words chapter)

2006年5月17号星期三上午，NBA联盟公布了05~06赛季最佳阵容：
The first five players are:

You Lee, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’Neal;
The five members of the second team are:

Chauncey Billups, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Ben Wallace;
The five members of the third team are:

Steve Nash, Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest, Shawn Marion, Elton Brand.

After the list was announced, Allen Iverson, who was ranked second in the scoring list this season, was unfortunately not selected. The jade syndrome may be even more serious. Hill and Yao Ming played less than 2 games due to injuries and were ultimately not selected.

Spurs fans were naturally dissatisfied when they saw the news. The MVP of that season was only on the second team? This was a naked humiliation!

Anthony, who was also not selected, expressed his dissatisfaction immediately. Although 44 wins was an average record, he led the team to win the division championship after 18 years.

After achieving such an achievement, he didn’t even get a third place?

Unfortunately, complaining is of no avail, and the league will not re-elect. If you are not satisfied, you can only wait until next season to fight back.

In addition to the news about the best lineup, the gossip recently revealed by the Chicago Tribune also attracted attention.

Magic Johnson admitted in front of the media that he might join hands with two friends to buy a team, and he did not shy away from talking about his plans:
"If there is a suitable team, we will make a move!"

"For us, working together is the best situation. Michael can handle the basketball operations, and Charles can handle the sponsorship. He is good at dealing with people."

"If someone in the team needs to say something harsh, that can also be handed over to me."

The relevant news has been revealed more than once on TNT programs. Magic Johnson's words sound reasonable, but Michael Jordan's operation of the team reminds many people of the failed Wizards.

The New York sports media doesn't care about these things. Since the news broke that the Bulls might trade Tyson Chandler, many reporters have become more restrained.

After all, Chicago received the championship guard that year and laid the foundation for their dynasty. This time they are giving him away again, so they are naturally embarrassed to mock the news again.

Fortunately, there is still a lot of fun to come. The new MVP Tim Duncan is about to be eliminated. New York fans must like this news. The "thief" has been exposed!

There was only one game that night, and to the disappointment of the crowd, the Mavericks failed to seize the opportunity.

97:98, the Spurs returned to their home court and tenaciously tied the score to 2:3.

With 2 minutes left in the game, neither side had scored a point. The Spurs relied on defense to avoid a gentleman's sweep, but no one expected them to turn the tide.

Popovich was questioned again. In a life-and-death battle, his adjustment was to increase Duncan's playing time, as if he had returned to the previous seasons. The big thigh played for 44 minutes again tonight.

19中13，罚球15中10，36分12篮板4助攻1抢断3盖帽3失误，拿到大号两双，邓肯也算是展现了自己的统治力。

At the SBC Center, after the game, the San Antonio fans were in low spirits, but Duncan, who was being interviewed nearby, had a resolute look on his face:

"The series isn't over yet, we won't give up, in fact everyone's game is getting better and better!"

"I don't believe in historical data, I just want to focus on the game at hand."

As Duncan said, regardless of the rotation lineup, GDP played steadily, Parker contributed 27 points, and Ginobili also scored 18 points.

At the press conference, Popovich didn't want to complain in front of the media, but he couldn't help but be sarcastic when he was frequently questioned:
"Not every team is the Knicks. New York's luxury tax is half of our salary!"

"You never mention this, this is the difference between Tim and Lee!"

"Questioning Tim's MVP? He led the team to 61 wins in the Western Conference."

These words really lost some of their prestige. The experience of losing for many years has obviously affected Popovich's confidence. Perhaps in his mind, the Spurs have stopped here.
The Mavericks' victory was also reasonable. After all, their salary this year is only lower than that of the Knicks, and they also pay high luxury taxes, so it seems natural for them to reach the conference finals.

Nowitzki scored a team-high 31 points. This year was the peak of his career, but unfortunately he failed to win the MVP.

The German is a man of few words, and there aren't many stories about him. When he beat the Timberwolves, no one praised him. Fortunately, he has made it through this season, and he took this opportunity to make a strong statement in front of the media:
"I don't care about the MVP! I want to bring the championship to the team."

"One thing a lot of people forget is that the Mavericks have never lost consecutive regular season games to the Knicks in recent years."

“We are also a 60-win team this year!”

Perhaps influenced by the Dallas Morning News' daily "aiming for the championship", Nowitzki, who got the match point, became a little inflated and took out the finals in advance.

No one in the audience objected. After all, the Suns looked weak no matter how you looked at them, and their defense was entirely supported by their opponents.

He was selected to the All-Defensive First Team for six consecutive seasons and the All-NBA First Team for nine consecutive seasons. Starting from the 6-9 season, Li You seemed to have entered a state of both offense and defense.

On Thursday, the 18th, TNT's program continued to warm up for the Western Conference semifinals that night. The Suns had the match point and they had the opportunity to end the series.

Steve Nash is the only player in the league after Li You to enter the 180 club this season. The Suns have always been unpopular, but as they were about to make it to the divisional finals, the commentators had to start discussing.

In the studio, the director showed the data of Li You and Nash. In comparison, the two do have many similarities.

However, Nash obviously still failed to change the stereotype, and Charles Barkley bluntly pointed out the "water" in the data:
"You know why everyone is down on Steve Nash? Because he's just a copycat. I don't want to count how many assists Shawn Marion gave him."

"The fact is that the Suns are not a championship-contending team. We were able to reach the finals that year because of our excellent offense and defense."

"Kevin Johnson is better than Nash. If he came to this era, he could easily get a 30+10 double-double."

Kenny Smith, who was sitting on the far left, curled his lips quietly. In the long history of the NBA, there are currently only three players who can average 30 points and 10 assists per game:
Oscar Robertson, Nate Archibald, Lee Yu-
30+10 is never an easy thing. Oscar Robertson achieved this achievement in five seasons of his career, Nate Archibald only once, and Li You four times.

Considering that the first two belong to the ancient basketball era, Li You’s achievements are already amazing.

"Chuck, we all know how difficult it is to get 30+10. There is no need to compare Steve Nash with Lee. In fact, he is indeed an excellent point guard."

"The 180 Club is not an easy thing. His shooting ability and passing vision are underestimated."

"What coach Popovich said makes sense. Sometimes a championship is also a test of the depth of the lineup. The Suns have the lowest salary, and being able to reach the conference finals is the biggest success."

Hearing Kenny Smith's words, Ernie Johnson also sighed:
"The finals will most likely be a meeting between the top two teams in terms of salary, which may not be a good thing for the NBA."

"The championship effect makes the Knicks stronger and stronger, and Michael Finley's joining is the best proof of that."

Charles Barkley smiled when he noticed his two partners automatically ignored the Heat, and took this opportunity to start a new chapter:
"O'Neal failed to return to the finals after leaving Kobe, and both failed to prove themselves after separation."

"If the Heat lose again this year, maybe O'Neal will miss the time when he and Kobe teamed up. At least they won a championship."

"."

Perhaps the large amount of attention affected Nash. The Suns, who continued with a maximum seven-man rotation that night, failed to seize the opportunity and lost the away game 102:116. The two sides will face a seventh game.

The Clippers' Elton Brand almost turned into "O'Neal" in this series, completely dominating the inside.

纳什16中6，砍下17分2篮板11助攻的两双表现无法带领球队赢球。

After the game, a reporter from the Arizona Republic interviewed Stoudemire, and the Suns fans started to "IF". They really need a championship center!

"Steve is a big-game player like Lee, so I'm not worried about his performance."

"The tie-break game is all about details. I have confidence in my teammates. My championship experience can help the team at this time!"

In the interview in the locker room after the game, Stoudemire was so serious that Marion, who played for 45 minutes tonight, almost rolled his eyes and secretly complained in his heart:

“Can championship experience solve the problem of personnel shortage?”

Eddie House and James Jones are the only two players who entered the rotation of the Suns. Head coach Gentry completely gave up the center.

On Monday, May 5, after the Spurs tied the score at 22:3 last Friday, both teams in the Western Conference semifinals faced a seventh game.

The Heat team has already flown to Manhattan. The Eastern Conference Finals will officially start tomorrow night. After nearly a week of rest, Pat Riley has adopted a "high-pressure" policy and has been training in secret.

Fortunately, the greasy-haired boss allowed the players' families to follow the team, and Wade's wife Theo Vaughn took this opportunity to come to New York.

When he arrived at the Gansevoort Meatpacking Hotel on Ninth Avenue in the afternoon, the petty O'Neal was in a bad mood. He didn't like the media making fun of his championship!

Gary Payton and Antoine Walker were all flipping through magazines. The coaching staff did not allow players to talk too much to the media, which made several veterans feel uncomfortable.

Theo Vaughan frowned as he read the news in the newspaper. His husband was being neglected. Recently, the New York media has focused on Li You's life.

Recently, reporters took photos of Li You and Katheryn Winnick having lunch together at a restaurant in Tarrytown. The New York Daily News gossiped about how many children Li You will have in the future.
Family members and players will not live together. Wade saw his childhood friend frowning and immediately spoke to comfort him:

"Let's go to another hotel later. Don't read these boring news. Maybe we won't come back to this city. I don't like playing here at all."

After entering the NBA, the two were hailed as a model couple. Theo Vaughn looked at her confident husband and smiled:
"My Mr. Champion, I also want to go back to Miami as soon as possible."

Wade actually secretly read the newspaper. He had an impression of Katheryn Winnick. She seemed to have played a small role in the second season of CSI: NY last year.

Since becoming a big star, Wade felt that he got married too early. He wanted to let go of himself but had to consider Theo Vaughn. He hugged his wife and got on the elevator, with a lot of thoughts in his mind:

“Maybe I should live my life more fully”

"."

2006 is an even-numbered year, and ESPN and ABC will be responsible for broadcasting the Eastern Conference Finals, while TNT will be responsible for broadcasting the Western Conference Finals.

After the Knicks' daily training ended in the afternoon, it was not yet 16:. ESPN reporters have become accustomed to the current schedule. D'Antoni has not conducted any high-pressure training in recent days.

After the simple training match, Li Youhan did not play. In fact, he spent most of his time passing the ball and directing the movement, which was completely different from the impression of many reporters that he "dominated his teammates".

On the contrary, Artest prefers to show himself. He rebounded strongly after a one-year suspension, and being selected into the best team is a huge encouragement.

D'Antoni did not forbid the players to be interviewed. After the training session, there were many reporters surrounding Artest. They could always get the information they wanted here.

"The Flash? Go ask that rookie who is the fastest player in the league?"

"I don't like him. We've been watching the Heat's playoff tapes these days. This guy is completely dependent on the referees. Lee never gets that many free throws."

"I hope he doesn't go to see a psychiatrist after losing the game this year. Maybe he should go and comfort his idol."

Artest was a little inflated and grinned. He has been smiling since Iverson was exposed to have jade syndrome. The Philadelphia media always likes to expose his past. This time Iverson is also sick!
Li You and Hill, who were also interviewed on the sidelines of the training ground, were more serious. In addition to wishing Iverson a speedy recovery, they also talked more about the game:

"The Heat are really getting better. Maybe they'll stick to the zone defense and test our shooting."

"Grant may be left open, but I believe that big data can also be wrong, and we are prepared for this."

Wearing a grey short-sleeved T-shirt, Li You's chest muscles were clearly visible, and the sports reporters from Dallas were secretly amazed. In comparison, Harris and Terry looked a little thin.

Hearing Li You talking about the game plan, Grant Hill shrugged his shoulders, smiled and joked about his own shooting:
"I accept this kind of test, but it doesn't make me feel pressured, after all, I still have a group of teammates behind me."

"Maybe we'll go a little smaller. We've been fighting O'Neal for years, and the Knicks are definitely the team that knows him best in the league."

No matter how the opponent adjusts, the Knicks have a way to deal with it. What Grant Hill said is true. The rotation lineup is definitely the main reason for creating the 58 and 59 records.

In recent years, there have been Spanish commentaries for the conference finals and the finals, and Gasol has received more attention.

Fisher looked at the reporters surrounding Gasol with some envy in his heart. The Knicks had too many players. Although the championship was good, he wanted to show off more:

"Matt, I guarantee that if we change teams, we will definitely get more attention and more playing time."

"That's why Candice wants me to return to Los Angeles. You don't want to disappoint Govan, do you?"

Walking towards the locker room, Old Fish and Barnes started chatting. The latter thought of his beloved girlfriend and nodded subconsciously. He really wanted to show himself:

"I'll think about it, thanks, Bro!"

A smile appeared on Old Fish's face. Los Angeles is his turf, and he began to look forward to this year's offseason.

The Eastern Conference Finals will kick off at 5 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, May 23rd.

In two seventh-game series last night, the Mavericks and the Suns won in the end, and the new MVP Duncan ended his journey this season.

The San Antonio sports media and fans, whose defense was broken, put the blame on Popovich. Whenever they were looking forward to winning the championship, this "bad coach" would always give them a heavy blow.

When Pat Riley came to the stadium to warm up in the afternoon, he became the focus of media reporters again. Unlike Popovich, the greasy-haired guy has proved himself.

The current Heat lineup was completely built by him. Reporters who are superstitious about famous coaches believe that Pat Riley's coaching level is better than Stan Van Gundy!
The New York media rarely say bad things about Pat Riley. After all, they made it to the finals that year, and that was a sweet memory.

Pat Riley, with his hair thinning a bit and his hairstyle meticulously done, looked serious during the interview, and took this opportunity to put pressure on tonight's referees:
"I know New York's home court, but like the fans, I want to see more exciting games!"

"We have customized several different tactics to limit Lee these days. If anyone can end the Knicks' dominance, I believe it must be the Heat."

"The desire for the championship will make my players burst out with more energy. Tonight's game will be a man-to-man contest!"

Under the new rules, it is very friendly to offensive teams, but when facing the Knicks, sometimes the referees will make double calls, making the game more difficult.

Pat Riley has noticed this a long time ago. He hopes the referees can help the Heat, which is why he has been giving interviews frequently recently.

O'Neal finally got the chance to exercise. During the interview, he pointed the finger at TNT's program and demonstrated his dominance:

"My predictions are correct. Look at this arena, Madison Square Garden. I am on the Eastern Conference Finals stage again."

"Some people can only stop in the first round without me. This is the gap between the core and the puzzle. Don't question my championship anymore. Now I am only 4 wins away from the finals!"

After lowering his head and speaking in a deep voice, O'Neal finally felt relieved. After years of beatings, the conference finals was also a success for him.

Wade did not make any big statements and was very focused during the warm-up. If he wanted to win the series, getting an away victory would be the ideal situation and he did not want to miss this opportunity.

With less than an hour left before the game started, New York fans were already queuing outside the stadium to enter.

Some fans with orange camouflage on their faces held up huge portraits of O'Neal and Wade with painful expressions. The game hadn't even started yet, but the people who were having fun were already laughing.

Theo Vaughn and the families of the Heat players sat near the front row. Unlike the Miami fans, who are often fence-sitters, New York fans are very loyal.

The Knicks are about to tie the Celtics' record of reaching the conference finals for 10 consecutive seasons. The unusually noisy arena still made the Heat players' families feel uncomfortable, and the self-entertaining fans took out loans in advance. Everyone believes that the Knicks will surpass the Celtics next door sooner or later.

The entrance ceremony lit up the stadium, and before the game even started, shouts of “MVP” came one after another.

Mike Breen, who was on the ESPN commentary booth, was aware that the fans were mocking Duncan, saying that this year's MVP was too weak to make it to the semifinals:
"The Heat continued their starting lineup, with the front three still being Antoine Walker, Udonis Haslem and Shaquille O'Neal."

"The Knicks have made some adjustments to their lineup, with Diaw starting again. Will the Heat have an advantage in the paint?"

Hubie Brown, wearing headphones, shook his head slightly. Compared with the Cavaliers, the Heat's rebounding was not dominant. He also guessed some of D'Antoni's thoughts:
"Obviously the Knicks will continue their previous defensive strategy. Once O'Neal receives the ball in the low post, he will definitely be double-teamed."

"Both sides will test each other's shooting after the opening. Considering the Knicks' state in the first quarter, Wade of the Heat must stand out as soon as possible."

When the players of both teams were warming up for the last time, the director also focused the camera on Li You and O'Neal. The former was running around with the ball with a relaxed look on his face, while the latter was actively shooting near the free throw line.

D'Antoni was still the same, wearing a black striped suit with a red scarf, and his mustache was not decorated too much. He sat on the bench early with several members of the coaching staff;

Pat Riley was also wearing a black suit, but the greasy-haired guy chose a dark red spotted tie in the Heat's color scheme. He used the last few minutes to pull Jason Williams aside and give him instructions.

Maybe the chicken soup from the greasy-haired boss really worked. After the game started at 20 p.m., the Heat got into the game state early.

There were no complicated tactics. For many consecutive rounds in the half-court offense, Wade started from the basket, and with the help of Haslem's screen at the free throw line, he went to the top of the arc to receive the ball.

Facing Hill's pursuit, Wade broke into the basket, made a quick stop jump shot, and scored points continuously.

The Heat continued to respond on the offensive end with Wade's impact. O'Neal, who frequently received the ball in the low post on the left side, also passed the ball in time after being double-teamed, and made several outside shots.

The 23-zone defense also made the Heat pay a price. Two players double-teamed the team and the weak side rotated to defend. Artest's three-pointer and Hill's breakthrough also scored consecutive points.

With both teams having extremely high shooting percentages, there were not many opportunities for transition offense, but the tempo of the game was gradually accelerating.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers of the defense, Wade and Hill on the right side kept pulling each other near the baseline, and Haslem started from the right elbow area and provided timely screen for his teammates.

His teammates stood still, and Wade accelerated toward the top line. He noticed that Li You blocked Jason Williams' right-hand pass, stopped suddenly at the elbow, and then moved sideways to run toward the free throw line.

Williams at the top of the arc took the opportunity to turn around and protect the ball, then changed direction and threw the ball out.

O'Neal stopped near the left elbow area. Wade, who was moving sideways, received the ball and immediately released it with his left hand, using the fat man's big body to shake off Hill who was chasing him.

Without waiting for Gasol to assist in defense, Wade came to his teammate's side and suddenly stopped, drifted to the left and missed the jump shot!

This was the first missed shot in the game, and the Heat did not rush for the frontcourt rebound. Everyone retreated immediately. Dio under the basket easily grabbed the rebound, and Li You, who received the ball, made a tactical gesture early.

After a perfect start, Pat Riley on the sidelines seemed a little excited. Regardless of whether the players could hear him, he gestured and reminded everyone loudly:

"Go double-team!"

After receiving the instructions, Jason Williams hurried to defend Li You who had just crossed the center line. Before he could step forward to interfere, the basketball had already flown to the right wing and Hill easily caught the ball.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid cheers, Li You waved to Artest to signal him to cross positions, then quickly ran to the left wing. Artest, who reached the top of the arc, also received a short pass from Hill.

The three Knicks players on the line stood separately, and when Artest passed the ball back to Li You, in addition to Wade and Williams on the line, Antoine Walker also moved to the left blocking area.

Hill on the right wing was left open again, and O'Neal and Haslem under the basket also turned their attention to Li You.

Wade controlled the defensive distance and stared at Li You who was far away from the three-point line. Williams was also moving towards the free throw line. The Heat began to pile up defenders in the left half.

Perhaps because they were too focused on defense, the two players on the line did not hear Haslem's reminder. Dio, who was at the bottom right of the basket, quietly moved his feet and squeezed behind Williams.

Gasol took advantage of O'Neal's inattention and slipped to the basket to provide off-ball screen. Wade looked at Li You who suddenly threw the ball towards the basket and subconsciously turned his head.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Hill from the right wing went straight to the basket. The screens of his two teammates blocked the defense. He jumped high without any interference, grabbed the ball with both hands at the upper right side of the basket, and dunked with both hands!
"Excellent teamwork! Hill cuts into the basket and scores again. The Heat should adjust their defensive strategy!"

In the commentary booth, Mike Breen shouted happily. Hubie Brown, who was standing by, looked at Li You, who nodded with his index finger and smiled, and praised the attack again:
"Maybe the Knicks coaching staff was well prepared, but Lee's reaction was too quick and the Heat's defensive strategy failed again."

Such zone defense can reduce O'Neal's burden, and the Heat's efficient scoring curbed the transition offense, but they still failed to widen the gap.

27:27, with 1 minute and 02 seconds left in the first quarter, the two sides were tied again.

The Heat did not change their offensive strategy. O'Neal continued to ask for the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the left side, and Haslem also went to the free throw line as soon as possible.

When Wade slipped from right to left across the baseline and came to the left wing, he threw the ball immediately after catching it. O'Neal took the ball with his back, observed the defense, and then released the ball with his right hand and continued to shoot.

Dio did not give the opponent the opportunity to approach the paint area, and he provided timely assistance and cooperated with Gasol in double-teaming.

One of them raised his hands high while the other made a move to interfere. O'Neal, who had only scored one goal in open play before, did not choose to pass the ball this time. Instead, he took a sudden step forward after receiving the ball.

He squeezed through two people and was double-teamed again in the paint area right in front of the basket. While protecting the ball, O'Neal did not forget to raise the ball and fake a dribble, then he hung on defense and tried to force a layup.

Before the basketball left his hand, the referee blew the whistle and called a hand-pulling foul on Dio. O'Neal walked to the free throw line with his eyes wide open. He made several great passes, but he still couldn't change the defense.

"Shh!"

The New York fans at the scene were not happy with the penalty, but Dio just curled his lips and smiled, which was also the game plan.

The boos soon turned into cheers. O'Neal took a long look at the free throw but missed it. He quickened the pace for the second free throw, but it hit the rim and bounced out again.

Watching Gasol get the rebound, Pat Riley paced back and forth on the sidelines and sighed secretly. These easy scoring opportunities should not be missed.

In the transition offense, the Heat turned into man-to-man defense. Wade advanced early to delay, and was crushed by Li Youtank in the opening fast break, and Jason Williams was no longer in the position.
He retreated in time. O'Neal was still giving orders loudly under the basket. On the left wing, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated again and rushed across the three-point line against Wade.

It seemed to have turned into a familiar 2-on-2 situation. O'Neal was a little nervous and secretly pulled Gasol to prevent a pick-and-roll.

Haslem, who was guarding Dio near the free throw line, wanted to assist in defense in the paint area, but just as he moved his feet, Li You suddenly stopped and dribbled the ball behind his back.

Watching Li You in front of him suddenly speed up his dribbling speed, change direction between his hips, and dribble behind his back again while completing a step back, Wade no longer adjusted his center of gravity, but followed his body's instinct and jumped up to defend!

The jump shot with the body slightly leaning back allowed Li You to shoot without much interference. The basketball passed over the opponent's fingertips, and then both of them fell to the floor at the same time.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, the basketball went into the net, and cheers filled the stadium again.

Wade was depressed when he saw Li You being pulled up by the Knicks. According to the game plan made before the game, he tried his best to drive the opponent to the inside or force the opponent to take difficult shots.

He did what the coach asked him to do, but before he knew it, Li You scored again.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Listening to the shouting, O'Neal frowned and watched Li You make the free throw next to the paint area. While serving the ball, the fat man also made tactical gestures to his teammates in advance.

Wade did not take the initiative to receive the ball, but stopped near the right baseline. O'Neal turned his back to the ball in the low post on the left side, and Antoine Walker threw the ball on the left wing.

Still starting from the low post, O'Neal just released the ball with his right hand, and Artest, who was on the line, immediately moved back to assist in defense, raised the ball to avoid stealing the ball, and then threw the ball to the outside.

Antoine Walker did not hesitate, faced the defense and made a decisive jump shot!
30:31, on the Heat bench, Gary Payton was muttering to himself and waving the towel wildly. The veteran was very excited. It was rare for the team to be in such good shape.

Observing that the opponent continued to defend man-to-man, Li You simply stopped near the logo and started to control the time.

Wade took the initiative to turn sideways and let go of Li You's right hand. O'Neal under the basket continued to instruct his teammates on the line to retreat.

With only 10 seconds left in the attack time, Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity, secretly turned his hips to exert force, led the ball forward with his right hand, and accelerated in a straight line.

Wade, who was well prepared, quickly slid to the left and back, approaching the three-point line, and Li You suddenly stopped.

Slightly raising his center of gravity, the moment Li You straightened his body slightly, the Heat's defensive contraction also stopped.

Before Wade could make any defensive move, Li You stopped and started suddenly, accelerated again, turned his hips and accelerated again, and completely shook off the defense when he led the ball forward.

In the blink of an eye, he broke through into the paint area. The Heat team, who had "failed to close the door", could only watch Li You jump with both feet right in front of the basket and soar into the air.

Wade, who was defending from behind, had no time to pull him back, and the experienced O'Neal simply gave up his position. Only Haslem, who was at the bottom right of the basket, jumped up to interfere.

With his head level with the basket and pausing briefly, Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand and pulled his arm back, instantly breaking through the defense in front of him. Haslem lost his balance in the air before he could reach the highest point.

Li You swung his arm to dunk, the basket exploded, and Haslem, who fell to the ground, could hear the excited shouts of the fans.

"Oh!"

While there was still time, without even bothering to pull up his teammates, Wade quickly passed the ball from the baseline, relied on his speed to the right wing, and carried Li Youqiang to the basket.

Although he was blocked in the end, the referee blew the whistle and Wade, who had successfully made the foul, went to the free throw line and gasped for breath.

After making one of two free throws, Wade waved his hands in frustration. The first quarter ended with the score at 31:33, and the Heat were only 2 points behind.

Looking at the technical statistics that the Heat made 20 of 13 shots, with a hit rate of nearly %, Hubie Brown couldn't help but comment:

"Such a perfect start but still falling behind, this is the defending champion! However, Hill's defense against Wade was not successful, maybe the Knicks will change the matchup soon."

Wade played the entire first quarter, making 7 of 6 shots and 2 of 1 free throws, scoring 13 points efficiently. Although O'Neal made 2 of 1 shots and only scored 2 points, he made 4 assists.

On the Heat bench, Pat Riley was very satisfied with his players' performance in the first quarter. When rotating the lineup, he simply kept Antoine Walker, who was in good form.

The greasy-haired boss originally wanted to take the Knicks by surprise, but when he saw the Knicks' lineup, he couldn't help but frown again.

Gary Payton and Wade form the backcourt, while James Posey, Antoine Walker and Haslem form the frontcourt;
The Knicks' Raja Bell, Michael Finley, Prince and Diaw appeared on the court, and both sides lowered their heights at the same time.
"Defense!."

The Heat took the lead in attacking, and with the defense cheering, Antoine Walker set a cross screen at the baseline and came to the right blocking area to receive the pass from Payton.

Facing Prince's continuous left-handed release of the ball and the moment he squeezed into the paint area, Antoine Walker was immediately surrounded by many people. He didn't even have time to make any extra tactical moves before the basketball was cut off.

Dio controlled the ball and advanced with big strides in the middle. Wade cursed softly and called on his teammates to retreat again.

Both sides were moving very fast. When Wade, who was chasing and defending, came to the left wing, he saw that Li You seemed to want to speed up and cut in, so he subconsciously slid along.

Li You just moved his feet when he suddenly stopped, jumped out quickly, received the ball on the left wing, and raised the ball for a fake shot. Wade was tricked into jumping up, and then watched Li You dribble sideways and quickly jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

31:36, the score difference was widened again.

帕特-莱利有些绷不住了，他一直默默计算数据，7中5，三分线外5中3，罚球3中3，16分2篮板5助攻1抢断。

Li You obviously sped up his pace of the game, and the double-team was losing its effect, which was close to half of the team's points.

Facing the defense of Raja Bell, dribbling guard Gary Payton also released the ball early, and the quality of his screen declined. Wade, who slipped across the baseline, failed to shake off Li You in time.

Near the left baseline, Wade received the ball and put it in his right hand, exerting force on his body and hitting it hard.

Amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, Li You would interfere from time to time to disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm.

After a few attempts, he found that it had no effect. Wade quickly turned around and tried to lean forward to speed up, but was caught by Li Youhou and the ball was knocked away by his left hand.

The fans sitting in the front row watched Wade in the red jersey and Li You in the white jersey dive for the ball at the same time, and they all stood up and made way for them.

Wade grabbed the basketball first and wanted to control the ball, but he found himself losing balance and wanted to throw the ball at Li You the moment he flew out of the sideline.

Wade twisted his body and threw the ball, but Li You seemed to be prepared and stopped near the sideline, then held the ball in his arms.
Wade fell on the seat with a thud, and before he could regret it, Li You had already crossed the center line.

"Shet!"

There was no time to chase him, and Wade stood up and saw Li You rush to the right wing, push the ball to his left hand while moving, and break through to the basket while hanging on Gary Payton.

Payton, who returned to defense in time, was knocked to the ground near the free throw line, and Haslem, who had just returned to the basket, didn't even have time to jump before he saw Li You take off into the air again.

Haslem instinctively reached out to interfere, and then he heard the basket explode.

Watching Li You grabbing the rim with his left hand and shaking it to relieve the pressure, James Posey, who was returning to defense, stared with wide eyes and a look of surprise on his dark face:

“It clearly broke out in the third quarter!”

At 31:38, Pat Riley on the sidelines did not request a timeout, but instead signaled Payton to steady the pace.

The Heat attacked, Wade stopped under the basket, and while Antoine Walker was standing at the free throw line, he immediately accelerated and shot out.

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive cheers that resounded throughout the arena, Wade was unable to shake off Li You in time, and Payton did not pass the ball immediately. For safety reasons, he could only receive the ball far away from the three-point line.

Antoine Walker hurriedly raised his screen position, and before Wade had time to "drift", he was surrounded by Prince and Li You.

Pat Riley on the sidelines realized that Wade was going to make a mistake and complained loudly to the linesman. Fortunately, Wade squeezed through the gap and passed the ball to Antoine Walker who was on the left wing.
With no one guarding him, Walker missed his jump shot, and the New York fans at the scene cheered again.

The long rebound was picked up by Raja Bell, who passed the ball directly to Finley.

Finley kept accelerating along the left sideline. His advancement speed was not fast. When he came to the left wing, there was no one to match him for a while. Payton and Wade followed Li You.
With the ball completely left open, Finley simply stopped, stepped aside outside the three-point line, and made a decisive jump shot, but it missed.

Before the Heat had time to rejoice, Dio jumped up behind Haslem and almost poked the ball into the basket from the opponent's hand.
At 31:40, Pat Riley immediately requested a timeout, his small lineup looked very unsuccessful.

Seeing Li You and his friends high-fiving each other in celebration, Madison Square Garden was boiling again. The greasy-haired boss did not immediately arrange tactics, but yelled at the referee:

"That was a foul! Look at the score! You can't favor New York!"

Looking at Pat Riley, who was wide-eyed and roaring angrily, several referees understood what he meant:
"Help me quickly."

(End of this chapter)