NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 448 "Please Me." (Daily Chapter)

Ever since the rise of the Knicks, the sports media in neighboring Philadelphia has been making some sarcastic remarks at the end of May in recent years.

In the early years when Stephen A. Smith was still a columnist, he promoted the Sons of Philadelphia every day. Those were days that made old fans very happy.

However, ever since this big mouth betrayed us, and the team always loses, the days of boasting are gone forever, and more commentators have begun to criticize the defending champions.

In the finals against the Spurs that year, Tim Duncan was injured, the French and Argentines surrendered too early, and the Philadelphia media began to advocate that the Knicks would affect competitiveness.

In this year's Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat's defeat in Game 2, Dwyane Wade, who was highly expected, could only score points by evading opponents, and the Philadelphia media was jealous again.

On Saturday, May 5, the Philadelphia Inquirer did something new, with several columnists simultaneously complaining about this year's playoffs:

"The competitiveness of the playoffs is gradually disappearing. Lee's rise has destroyed the basketball treasure left by Michael Jordan!"

A new perspective is used to explain why the 76ers have been dragging down the team over the years - Iverson's pure love for basketball cannot compete with Li You's utilitarian basketball.

The article can also be translated into a point of view that is easy for fans to understand - "It's not that we are too weak, but that the opponent has too many helpers!"

The vast majority of fans have a natural filter. Seeing Iverson was so sad, they all felt sorry for their idol. After reading the newspaper, they all went online to express their opinions:
"Iverson has tried his best. He has given everything for the team. Why do you still want to slander him?"

In just two days, the topic became more popular than the Western Conference Finals. Wade, an Iverson fan, suddenly gained more support, and no one blamed him for his poor performance in Game 2.
As the successor of Iverson's No. 3 jersey, Wade performed exceptionally poorly in Game 2. He dared to fight hard in garbage time and ultimately made 19 of 6 shots and 14 of 11 free throws, contributing a team-high 23 points.

出场40分钟，23分6篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽5失误的表现赛后被主流媒体一通输出，但不到两天，G3比赛开始前，口碑反转！
Celtics fans who had been fishing early, encouraged by several articles in the Boston Globe, also began to make excuses for Wade, accusing the Knicks of having problems with their home referees.

A group of fans praised Wade in various ways, but no one mentioned statistics and honors until Charles Barkley smiled and gave his opinion on TNT:

"Why are you looking for excuses? Dwyane Wade is just an ordinary star player. He is not the MVP. The reason he lost is that he lacks the strength to lead the team to win."

"."

This statement has the same meaning as the previous one "Iverson is just not capable", and a number of die-hard fans of Iverson expressed their disagreement, saying how could their idol be a "rookie"!
Perhaps because of the recent rumors that Michael Jordan was going to buy a stake in the Bobcats, some sports reporters began to reminisce about past games and brought up Michael Dunk again.

"The real best in history", "the man who made the NBA take off", "the representative of pure basketball in the 90s", "the savior of the Charlotte Bobcats".
Free flattery has appeared on sports programs again. Although Michael Jordan will never respond to these things, everyone still likes to exploit him.

A group of muscular guys fighting in the paint and frequently missing free throws was called high intensity, and it was the league’s golden age;

The Knicks have too many three-pointers and dunks, which has become a regression in basketball, lack of dominance, and the league has become soft.
It seems that it is only a matter of time before the fourth consecutive championship is won. For a while, the trend of reminiscing about the past has begun to sweep all major sports media, and old fans have also started to "IF". You can always see related comments under some news:

"If Michael Jordan in his prime came to this era, he could average 40 points per game, and Lee would not be his opponent at all!"

"If Michael Jordan hadn't retired in 93, he would have won eight championships!"

The old guy is not stupid. As the deputy GOAT, Michael Dunk's basic and advanced data are not inferior to Li You. The two have won and lost against each other. If he brags about Magic Johnson, he will probably be laughed at.

94:108, the Mavericks easily defeated the Suns in Game 2. As a result, except for local sports media represented by the Dallas Morning News discussing the game, most fans ignored them.

Mark Cuban realized that no one was discussing his team, so he just took to his blog to speak out:
"Dirk is going to dominate in the Finals!"

The New York media almost laughed their heads off after reading the relevant articles. The New York Post took out a loan in advance this morning and mocked its opponents:
“Who is Dirk Nowitzki?”

The schedule of the conference finals is very tight, and there is only one day of rest time for Game 3. The Knicks are not affected, after all, they played three quarters in the previous game.

85:116, the Heat lost by a large margin. Even if they flew back to Miami overnight, the room for adjustment was extremely limited.

For Pat Riley, the good news is that the Heat made 2 of 16 three-pointers in Game 7, but the bad news is that most of the 7 three-pointers were concentrated in the second half and on one person.

Antoine Walker was in great form in garbage time, playing 39 minutes, making 16 of 8 shots, 7 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and contributing 20 points, the second highest on the team!
O'Neal only played for 26 minutes. After smashing things in the locker room and inviting Wade to fight him, the fat man surrendered early in the second half. He knew his old rival too well and there was no way he could catch up after 15 points.

When they returned to Miami, the greasy-haired boss held an in-flight meeting with everyone on the plane, and then started closed training the next day after landing.

After the news of compensating the Knicks for damaged items in the locker room was released, the first news the Miami Herald received was that there was infighting within the team.

Fortunately, during the afternoon warm-up, Pat Riley took the initiative to accept an interview to appease the fans, and confidently declared that they had found the secret to winning:

"I don't want to emphasize that the playoffs all start with winning away games, but we are very confident about the next two home games!"

"The failure did not affect the players' emotions, but instead stimulated their fighting spirit."

The "Zun Wade Meeting" once again confirmed Wade's core position, and O'Neal is no longer the first choice in offense. The Heat will reduce slow-paced rounds initiated from the low post.

Each team's team meeting has a different format, but the same thing is that veterans and core players have more say.

Since Wade reaffirmed his leadership position on the plane, coupled with Pat Riley's chicken soup, he felt his blood boiling and the frustration of losing was also left behind.

On a stage like the divisional finals, he was given "unlimited firing rights", which showed his teammates' trust in him!
There is no championship banner over the American Airlines Arena. Compared with the Knicks, the Heat's ancestors were not wealthy, and a winning culture has not yet been formed here.

Miami's fans are not as loyal as those in New York. At Madison Square Garden, no one will leave early, and even after the game, the happy people will continue to party outside the stadium.

Wade was concentrating on warming up in the gym in the afternoon and was sweating all over. In the life-and-death battle, he had his own stage.

A group of sports reporters gathered at the sidelines after the warm-up. Looking at Wade's determined expression, the ESPN reporter quickly asked:
"Wade, it is said that after the team meeting, head coach Pat Riley gave you unlimited firing rights. What adjustments will you make for tonight's game?"

Wade did not deny the news. Noticing the expectant eyes of the Miami sports reporters, he responded seriously to them:

"I just did what I wanted to do. Through the previous two games, I had adapted to the other side's defense."

"The coaching staff has been watching videos with us these past two days. Spoelstra has given me a lot of advice. I will try to shoot more and play smarter."

Eric Spoelstra is a video analyst for the Heat. He knows the Knicks very well and watches a bunch of game videos every year.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I watched, it was useless in the game. The core of the opponent was a hexagonal warrior who could break through, pass and shoot, and the zone defense did not play any role.

Facing the questions from sports reporters, Wade spoke freely. The Miami sports reporters were very pleased to see that the young leader had not lost confidence.

When the Knicks were warming up, everyone was talking and laughing. The continuous crushing of the game was the best encouragement. Even rookies like Varejao and David Lee were inflated:

"O'Neal is no better than that!"

Hill has not been well-received recently because he has completely changed from a versatile scorer to a fast-break specialist.
Even when he falls into positional offense, Hill mostly cuts in to catch the ball and breaks through to pass the ball, occasionally making an open three-pointer.

He didn't play like this when he first joined the Knicks. Hill's changes in recent years have also become "black material". Li You's "wasteful teammates" has been confirmed, and a good all-around scorer has become a role player.

Perhaps because there were too many dunks in this year's series, the Fox Sports reporter couldn't help but ask Hill a strange question when he interviewed him:
"Hill, why do you always dunk in this year's playoffs? I mean, why is your tactical position getting lower and lower?"

Hill, who was originally smiling, was confused when he heard this. He is the second leading scorer of the Knicks, averaging 16.0 points per game with a shooting percentage of nearly %, almost the best form of his career.

"My job is to get the ball into the basket, and I think I did a pretty good job! Dunking is also an efficient way to score, and it has nothing to do with tactical position."

A Yahoo Sports reporter has also been nostalgic recently, and seems to miss the "Jordan successor" of the Pistons back then. He frowned and asked Hill:
"Why not add some low-post offense? When facing Williams and Wade, you can post up or attack them one-on-one with the ball!"

The Knicks only have Gasol who has some specific low-post tactics. The rest of the team has basically become moneyball players. Hill was confused and finally told the truth:

"Low-post tactics will affect the team's offensive rhythm. I am not Pau, who has a huge height advantage under the basket."

"Efficient scoring is our goal. If we pay attention to data analysis, we will choose to shoot within 15 feet in many games."

“It’s no secret, but it’s more efficient to play this way.”

G2的比赛李佑只打了27分钟，15中10，三分线外8中4，罚球6中6，拿到30分4篮板10助攻2抢断1盖帽1失误的两双数据。

A group of sports reporters angrily accused the opponent of being too weak, but in the past two days everyone has developed amnesia and the Heat have become a strong team contending for the championship again.

At this time, Li You appreciated the sports media's ability to change their faces. These guys insisted that Wade would rebound, which raised the opponent's level again.

"Dwyane Wade has unlimited firepower after returning to his home court. Coach Pat Riley has untied the shackles on him. Lee, how should the Knicks respond?"

The TNT reporter said this in a serious tone, as if Wade's previous cross was a tactical issue. Li You also cooperated very well, showing a listening attitude, and then said seriously:

“We’re not going to make any adjustments, maybe add some rotations so we can avoid foul crises.”

"."

The topic came to an abrupt end, and even the thick-skinned reporters could not hold it in any longer, with many people complaining about the Heat in their hearts.

Although the sports media forcefully creates opponents, Li You will not expose this fact. He is not Mike Dunk. After all, news reports are the source of happiness in life:
"I believe in the big data. Wade will definitely rebound. We are all prepared for this. Of course, Shaq's free throws are likely to remain the same."

Seeing Li You's serious statement, all the sports reporters were silent again. In the current version, everyone still spoke the truth. In the end, the TNT reporter was more entertaining:
"Lee, how would you rate your technical deficiencies? You know, we rarely see you finish in the low post."

The game turned into a competition of "slam dunks and three-pointers". Facing accusations of lack of technical skills, Li You fist-bumped with his teammates and sighed:
"I'm not an omnipotent God. For a 6-foot-3 point guard with an average wingspan, this technique is too difficult."

"Instead of making up for my shortcomings, I'm better off playing to my strengths. I've been constantly honing my shooting and ball-handling skills, and a stable 30-foot shot is what I pursue."

"Leave the post-up skills to those more talented players! I can't play like Michael Dunk, after all, my talent is far inferior to his."

"."

Several reporters from TNT were also stunned. They looked at the strong muscles that could not be hidden on Li You's body and were speechless for a moment.

However, after careful consideration, a sense of recognition arose in my heart.

D'Antoni didn't care what everyone was talking about. Li You and his friends returned to the locker room. The mustache greeted the reporters with a smile. As they got closer to their fourth consecutive championship, he became more humble:
"The Heat are an excellent team and we are ready to face difficulties!"

At 20 p.m. that evening, 2 Miami fans poured into the American Airlines Arena. Some fanatical fans had white paint on their faces and kept shouting to cheer for the team after the game started.

Wade's jump shot rebounded and after adjustments, he continued to respond with long two-pointers from the top of the arc.

Unlimited firing rights allowed Wade to take over the ball frequently. Except for O'Neal's still poor free throws, the Heat performed at their best in the series.

At halftime, the two sides were tied. In the third quarter, James Posey also stepped up. If it weren't for the low hit rate of 18 out of 9 free throws in a single quarter, perhaps they would have taken the lead.

"Boo!" Amid the boos that resounded throughout the arena, Artest almost broke through the defense and received five fouls in three quarters.

Apart from an elbow to Wade that resulted in a flagrant foul, he didn't gain any advantage in the several defensive matchups.

"Wallace is right, blowing on it is a foul! Damn the rules!"

Without complaining to the referee, Artest returned to his seat, put on a towel and yelled viciously. He had mocked the Pistons before, but now he felt the pain.

82:82, the two sides were still tied. D'Antoni kept putting pressure on the referee, but Wade's combination of breakthrough and shooting could not be restricted.

"Stick to the game strategy, no one can beat us in the crucial 4th quarter!"

D'Antoni, sitting in front of everyone, held the tactical board and loudly gave chicken soup, then drew the positions and gave simple instructions:

"Raise the screen position, they are tired, Lee, kill the game outside the three-point line, rebound, remember to pay attention to the long rebound!"

Unlike the frustrated Artest, Lee was still confident of winning the game even though the opponent had entered an 8-on-5 situation. The reason was simple: he was in better physical condition.

"Be patient, receive the ball at the top of the arc, and slide to the baseline when you have the chance. The quality of their defense is still declining."

Li You nodded first, then stood up and said a few words to Prince and Raja Bell who came on as substitutes. Gasol and Dio, who had entered the rotation early, were well prepared.

The noise in the stadium was not too loud. A few people had a brief exchange on the sidelines and quickly determined the game strategy.

On the ESPN commentary booth, Mike Breen was still loudly praising Wade's performance in the crucial game:
“36分4篮板4助攻1抢断3失误，德怀恩-韦德的表现太出色了，或许今晚他们可以保护下主场！”

He only rested for one minute in the three quarters. He made 20 of 10 shots and 19 of 16 free throws. Wade, who had unlimited firing rights, kept shooting and withstood the pressure with his outstanding personal performance.

With 9 of 5 shots and 11 of 2 free throws, O'Neal only contributed a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in three quarters. If his free throws had been more accurate, the score would have been completely different.

The Heat's explosive free throws made Hubie Brown somewhat silent after taking 41 free throws in three quarters. What made him feel even more outrageous was that the Knicks easily withstood the challenge:

"This is the strength of the defending champion. I have to say that Li led his teammates very well. He made 11 assists in three quarters. He is an incredible two-way guard!"

"Let's go Heat!"

The Heat took the lead in attacking. James Posey, who performed well, replaced Haslem. The other four players were all in the starting lineup. Pat Riley had already used the strongest tactics at this time.

The 24-year-old Wade didn't feel tired at all at this time. His physical decline was masked by his excitement. The score was close for the first time in the series, and victory seemed to be beckoning to him.

When Jason Williams dribbled across half court, Raja Bell stepped forward to interfere. O'Neal was standing at the free throw line at this time, and Wade was pulling with Li You at the bottom right side of the basket.

Antoine Walker and James Posey had already stopped at the left and right corners. As Wade accelerated and caught the ball from the outside in the middle, Jason Williams, who received the ball, immediately moved to the right wing.

After receiving the ball at the top of the arc and facing Li You's defense, O'Neal took the initiative to go to the three-point line and set up a pick-and-roll without Wade's command.

There were only a few rounds of tonight's game in which the offense was launched in the low post. O'Neal, who was focused on catching dunks, frequently set screens, and his physical strength began to decline at this time.

Wade did not rush to release the ball. After observing that there was still no one double-teaming him, he released the ball with his right hand, then quickly dribbled behind his back to change direction, and accelerated laterally to try to get rid of the defense.

The solid screen prevented Li You from squeezing through at the first time, but Gasol cooperated well and retreated in time to cut off the opponent's passing route and prevented O'Neal from getting a chance to score.

When Wade came near the left elbow area, he suddenly stopped confidently, then raised the ball and faked a shot. Li You, who was chasing him from the side, did not act rashly. The latter paused, tilted his body and made a jump shot!

"Swish!" Another shot from mid-range.

"what!"

After scoring the goal, Wade roared loudly and the excited Heat fans began to celebrate wildly. Seeing her husband's outstanding performance, Theo Vaughn, who was near the front row, punched the air repeatedly.

Li You, who received the ball at the baseline, looked at Wade glaring at him and a smile appeared on his face. This game was indeed more interesting than before.

"Defense!."

The heart-wrenching defensive cheers rang out again in the American Airlines Arena, and the Miami fans stood up and tried to use their voices to help the team.

Wade led the defense with all his strength, and while sliding he did not forget to interfere. The referee was wearing a white jersey tonight!

The Knicks players also stood outside the three-point line, with Dio standing on the right wing, and Raja Bell and Prince standing in the bottom corners on the left and right.

Noticing the movement behind him, Wade kept reminding O'Neal, who was defending him, to move, while he himself was also preparing to squeeze through the screen.

As Gasol came to stand outside the three-point line, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, immediately moved the ball behind his back. O'Neal, with his eyes wide open, immediately moved forward to assist in defense.

Li You accelerated laterally after touching the ball with his left hand and lowered his center of gravity, almost crashing into O'Neal's arms. As Wade squeezed through the screen and chased after him with gritted teeth, the three of them quickly rushed past the left wing.

Gasol, who was unguarded, rushed to the basket at this time, and O'Neal, who had completed his assisting defense mission, hurriedly moved to the paint area.

Wade tried to squeeze in front of him, but before he could get close to the left blocking area, Li You suddenly dribbled the ball between his legs and stepped back the moment he switched to his right hand.

There was no time to adjust his center of gravity. Wade stared helplessly at Li You who was back outside the three-point line in an instant, and jumped up to defend.

Near the left sideline, Li You, with his body leaning backward, ignored the defense, raised the arc, and made a quick jump shot!
Without even looking at Wade who landed in front of him, Li You gestured with his right hand while turning around to defend. As the basketball went into the net, the American Airlines Arena suddenly became quiet, with only the Knicks bench cheering loudly.

85:84, the Knicks took the lead again.

Pat Riley on the sidelines yelled and clapped, signaling to Wade that this was a good defense. The fans at the scene also booed, but many people felt uneasy.

The cheers resounded throughout the arena, and with the same tactics, Wade once again came to the top of the arc to receive the ball.

Perhaps he was a little impatient and stopped observing the defense. Wade accelerated laterally with the ball in his left hand. As a result, this time O'Neal's screen was directly squeezed by Li You.

Jason Williams in the left corner quickly accelerated and slid across the baseline. All the Heat players cleared one side, and the left half of the court was Wade's sweet spot.

Near the blocking area, Wade suddenly stopped, leaned against the defense and shook his shoulders backwards. Before he could turn around and pull the ball, Li You poked the ball away with his left hand.

"Oh!"

With a cry of surprise, he quickly caught up with the basketball and regained control of the ball. From the left sideline, Wade, who was attacking facing the basket, swayed his body to the right front while quickly changing direction in front of his body.

He switched to his left hand and tried to fly close to the ground and break through along the baseline, but Li You slid swiftly again and reached the left side near the baseline, and Wade, who slowed down, was unable to squeeze through.

After an abrupt stop and turning around, the moment his right hand touched the ball, Wade turned his body sideways and continued to play. Under the watchful eyes of the baseline referee, Li You gradually kept his opponent away from the basket.
Wade sensed something was wrong and realized that the offensive time was almost up, so he hit the ball hard again, then immediately turned toward the baseline, dribbling the ball while dribbling.

He wanted to break through the defense, but Li You stuck to him and not only did he not jump, but he blocked his shooting space.

The Heat players seemed to be confused as well, and no one came to take the blame. In the end, Wade, who had been faking the ball several times, leaned forward to shoot, but due to interference, the shot hit the side of the backboard and bounced out of the baseline.

"Excellent defense, Lee froze Wade in this round, he dribbled too long!"

Mike Breen was amused. Hubie Brown, who was watching Li You catching the ball at the baseline, added:

"It seems that Lee took over the defense again in the last quarter. Wade had to play smarter. They were only behind by 1 point."

"Shh!"

Boos broke out again in the stadium, and some bad memories began to appear in the minds of the fans. Such scenes always make people feel familiar.

After a series of behind-the-back passes, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly accelerated and rushed across half court against Wade, then stopped suddenly at the Logo position to create space.

As Gasol raised his screen position again, O'Neal followed suit.

Although he realized it was another pick-and-roll, Wade was still unsure which side to defend.

When Li You changed direction and switched to his left hand to pass the ball behind his back, Wade immediately accelerated and slid to the left. As soon as his feet moved, the basketball in front of him suddenly disappeared.

With an extremely quick change of direction in front of his body to shake off the defense, Li You used Gasol's screen to accelerate sideways with the ball in his left hand.

Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, O'Neal, who came to assist in defense, was passed by Li You with a change of direction. The fat man didn't even have time to pull him before Li You slipped through the gap between the crowd.

Wade, who made a defensive misjudgment, wanted to continue chasing back, and James Posey also returned to the basket to try to block the shot, but Li You, who had completely gotten rid of the defense, cut in from the middle and rushed faster and faster.

In the paint area right in front of the basket, Li You took three steps and jumped into the air. James Posey, who was returning to defense, flew sideways in the air and tried to pull him directly.

Exclamations were heard again in the American Airlines Arena. Li You raised his left arm and grabbed the ball. As the opponent rushed over, he paused slightly in the air and turned the dunk into a layup with a pull.

James Posey gritted his teeth and tried to pull his shoulder to disrupt the goal in the air, but Li You twisted his body and resisted the pull. After hovering for a short time, he threw the ball to the backboard.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle immediately, and the basketball hit the backboard and fell into the basket. James Posey staggered after landing and looked up at Li You, his whole body in a state of astonishment:
"Is this still possible?"

The Knicks players came forward to high-five and celebrate. O'Neal, who was gasping for breath, remained silent again. It seemed like he had returned to a familiar scene.

Looking at Li You walking towards the free throw line, Wade wanted to say some trash talk but couldn't. He knew how difficult it was to score a goal like that, a layup.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

There were also Knicks fans at the event, and they seemed to think they were about to see a great show, with a small number of them shouting out the home team spirit.

Li You, who was patting the ball, found that his opponent had lost his arrogance and smiled again. He didn't care whether the other party could hear him clearly or not, and said loudly:

"Come on, guys, please me!"

"?"

(End of this chapter)