NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 472: Three Punches Open the Sky (6300 words chapter)
On November 2006, 11, in the game between the Timberwolves and the Lakers broadcast by ESPN, Kobe Bryant's performance once again made the commentators drop their jaws.

Everyone thought that the 81-point player would continue his excellent form from last season and start a scoring frenzy again, but Kobe made a 180-degree turn and started the assist mode.

出场36分钟，7中5，罚球7中7，17分4篮板6助攻2抢断5失误，延续复出后的状态，科比表现得平平无奇。

88:95, all the Lakers players were mobilized, and under the leadership of Kobe, they successfully won this victory at home that was broadcast live across the United States!

Fisher returned to the Lakers and played his familiar triangle offense again. The Lakers currently lead the Western Conference with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss.

Although Kobe's shots did not exceed 10 in the three games and his statistics dropped sharply compared to last season, Phil Jackson was very satisfied with it.

After defeating the Timberwolves last night, the old man from KFC said in the post-match press conference:

"This is the Kobe I expected. Basketball is for five people. As a core player, Kobe has done his job very well!"

"Like Kobe said, the numbers don't matter, and now we're off to a perfect start."

Although the victory was nice, many fans who wanted to see Kobe score were disappointed. Coupled with the fact that some people used the control variable method, a war broke out on Reddit recently.

"Fisher's return puts the Lakers on the right track. Kobe is just imitating Lee. He is not suitable for dominating the ball. The assist-to-turnover ratio is terrible."

The above statement comes from a column in the New York Times. Scoring too many points is just brushing off, and scoring too few points is just showing off. In the absence of explosive data at the beginning of the season, everyone can only have fun on their own.

Kobe, who has not yet fully recovered from knee surgery, doesn't care about outside comments. He is adapting to his new role.

Fisher's return is indeed a good thing. Kobe feels more comfortable without having to partner with Smush Parker in the backcourt.

Flying to Portland, away back-to-back challenge the Trail Blazers, during the afternoon warm-up, Kobe was interviewed and smiled rarely. He forgave the old fish and even took the initiative to praise his teammates:

"Derrick's return is a big help to the team. As for the score, I don't care at all!"

"I only took 7 shots, but I beat Garnett who took 18 shots. Now I just want to get back to the finals. I belong there."

Smile when winning, victory can cover up most problems. For the first time, Kobe feels hopeful about the new season!

In the stadium, the Lakers players who were warming up were also in a good mood. They got off to a perfect start even though no one was optimistic about them, which was a wonderful thing for everyone.

Old Fish was not polite and accepted all the praise from the sports reporter. He even took the initiative to express his opinion confidently in front of the Los Angeles Times reporter:
"I know how to win. I learned a lot in the Knicks. We can't be complacent now."

"I will continue to be a leader in the locker room during the long regular season and I will make sure everyone understands that we have to play for each other."

Every time he interviews Fisher, he mentions his championship. Kobe is not happy about this, but for the sake of winning, he is too lazy to argue with him:

"Just think of it as him really learning how to lead a team."

The Knicks have been on the road since the start of the new season, and this week they will play three consecutive away games against the Nuggets, Rockets, and Spurs.
For a veteran like Li You who has played in the league for 10 seasons, apart from feeling a little uncomfortable while flying, he has no other feelings.

After flying to Denver, Li You arrived at the Pepsi Center in the afternoon. The first thing he saw was the promotional posters of Iverson and Anthony.

Although the Nuggets have 0 wins and 2 losses since the start of the season, the market is very hot.

A strong team does not mean it can sell tickets. The 76ers have lost a lot, but their attendance has remained in the upper middle of the league in recent years, which is largely due to Iverson.

Tonight's game will still be broadcast by ESPN. The "old rivals" meet again, and many fans are paying attention to whether Iverson can break the curse.

In the stadium, the Knicks coaching staff stood on the sidelines, occasionally giving instructions, but most of the time, the players moved their bodies freely.

This season is the last year of Grant Hill's contract. After exercising the player option, Hill did not receive an offer from the Knicks. Obviously, general manager Donnie Walsh intends to optimize the veteran.

The 34-year-old Hill's performance has not declined much if we only look at his statistics. His scoring includes a lot of fast breaks and off-ball cuts. After being transformed, he has completely lost the playing style of a star player.

Although the team seems to have no intention of renewing the contract, Hill is not worried. At this age, he can only sign one more contract at most, and he will have no regrets if he retires.

If this is the last season of his career, Hill still hopes that he can make it to the All-Star Game again. Considering this, he joked during the warm-up:

"It's also a good thing that Iverson left the Eastern Conference. Fans will consider me more when voting."

Artest still looks down on Iverson who only knows how to cry. In late November, the All-Star voting channel will be opened, and he will only gloat over this:

"Maybe in the Western Conference, he won't be selected as an All-Star. You know, McGrady is more popular. He's not a very good player, but he has a lot of fans."

The two of them casually dribbled the ball and shot, occasionally discussing this year's All-Star Game. The starting lineup of the Western Conference All-Star Game was indeed very exciting.
In the last game against the Spurs, Li You just scored a season-high 33 points, and his performance of 17 out of 11 shots won high praise from commentators.

The number of shots of a traditional guard and the data of a combo guard, this is how Li You has performed in the regular season in recent years.

As for the Spurs surrendering too early and Li You playing only 34 minutes, this did not cause much discussion. After all, the two sides will meet again on Saturday, and after returning to their home court, Popovich has no reason to rotate early.

He was surrounded by sports media early on. Everyone was concerned about whether Iverson could make history tonight. ESPN reporters went straight to the point and asked the first question:
"Lee, do you think Iverson can break the curse tonight and get his first career win against the Knicks?"

Li You was speechless about the names like "curse" and "enemy", but he also knew that this was the gimmick of tonight's game, so he didn't spoil the fun and said solemnly:

"The Nuggets are a strong team. Although they lost two games in a row, they will definitely rebound from the bottom later."

"I hope Iverson can prove himself again, but I don't intend to give up the victory. As I said a long time ago, giving my all is the best respect."

The Fox Sports reporter continued to add fuel to the fire by mentioning Iverson's recent complaints:
"Iverson believes that the success of the Knicks is due to the concentration of excellent players. Lee, do you agree with him?"

Since joining the Nuggets, the highly-watched Iverson has frequently appeared on major sports programs. In an exclusive interview in October, he talked about his own failure and Li You's success.

Iverson found another excuse for himself. He thought that Larry Brown's transformation of him was a failure. He could have developed into a point guard, but he ended up accepting the role of shooting guard.

At the same time, looking back on his career in Philadelphia, Iverson expressed his respect for the fans and complained about the incompetence of the management.

This blame-shifting behavior was supported by Nuggets fans, but the Philadelphia sports media no longer had anything good to say about Iverson. Just as the new season began, a fierce battle broke out between the two sides.

"I have never denied this. After all, I can't win eight championships by myself. My teammates are of course the best in the league."

"I'm not interested in being a lone hero. I like working with great players. That's the secret to the Knicks' success!"

Li You's answer disappointed everyone. In recent years, the NBA has shown a trend of fan-oriented development, and the sports media prefers to see a confrontation between "old enemies".
This has never happened to Li You's teammates in the CBA. In recent years, the team's weakest period was when the rookie Gasol and the seriously injured Hill were at their weakest. Now everyone is in a period of growth.

The reporter from the Denver Post was a little inflated. Although they had lost two games in a row this season, they were still mysteriously confident about their star combination:

"Lee, do you think the Nuggets will be your future opponent? Facing two scoring champion-level star players, do the Knicks feel the pressure?"

"I think the Mavericks and Spurs have a better chance of reaching the finals."

After hearing Li You's words, the scene was suddenly filled with a joyful atmosphere. Complementing Iverson and aiming for the championship, this was heard so many times that some people actually believed it.

At 17:30, half an hour before the game started, the Pepsi Center was already full. Iverson's arrival stimulated the fans' enthusiasm for watching the game!
In the home team's locker room, as everyone was about to take the field, Carmelo Anthony, wearing a white headband, kept high-fiving and loudly told his teammates:

"Allen needs our support, we have to get him a win tonight!"

Iverson, who had been silent in advance, was touched when he saw Anthony actively working for him. He was happier playing with real fans:
"The fans in Denver are watching us, let's end our losing streak!"

With a determined look on his face, Iverson took the initiative to gather his teammates in a circle and bump fists, then led everyone to quickly run towards the player tunnel.

Head coach George Karl was also being interviewed by ESPN under the basket at this time. When talking about the team's poor start, the famous coach smiled confidently:
"We never worry about the regular season. After Allen joins the team, we only think about the playoffs."

"That is a stage for superstars. Melo has reliable helpers. We will go one step further this year!"

The game was broadcast live across the United States, and the new season had just begun, so the Denver fans at the scene were particularly enthusiastic and started shouting as soon as the game started.

Iverson did not disappoint the fans' trust. He played at full speed in the first quarter. With his teammates deliberately passing the ball to him, he kept attacking Li You and cheered after scoring a goal!
However, as the game progressed, teammate CBA's situation gradually emerged, while the Knicks were not in a hurry, and Li You always steadily controlled the rhythm of the game.

31:23, at the end of the first quarter, the noise in the Pepsi Center became a little quieter.

Iverson scored the highest points on the team with 10 of 4 shots, 8 points, 1 assist and 1 turnover in a single quarter. Anthony made 6 of 3 shots and also scored 8 points. The two of them played the entire first quarter and accounted for most of the team's points.

Hubie Brown, on the ESPN commentary booth, looked at the technical statistics and could only comment euphemistically:

"Iverson needs to integrate into the team. He needs to get more people involved in the offense. Facing the defending champion, it will be difficult to defeat the opponent with just his personal ability."

In order to get Iverson, the Nuggets sent away Reuben Patterson, and the current starting No. 2 position has become Yassub Diawara. This year's non-draft player was directly invisible in the game.

Nene Hilario and Marcus Camby in the interior did not get much ball possession and spent most of the time running back and forth.

Mike Breen didn't care about the Nuggets' performance. He continued to blow the whistle during the intermission:
"The Knicks' transition offense was outstanding. Lee's pass successfully inspired his teammates, and all five starters scored."

"If the Nuggets want to tie the score difference, they should seize the opportunity during the rotation stage." In the second quarter, the Nuggets replaced Earl Boykins and Iverson in the backcourt, Anthony was replaced by Edondo Najera, and the inside line was still the starting duo.

The Knicks made a large-scale rotation, with Rondo and Raja Bell partnering in the backcourt, and the front three becoming Finley, Dio and Gazuric.

After the game started, Iverson hit a mid-range jump shot in the left elbow area. The Nuggets fans at the scene were too happy too early and soon faced a wave of misses.

Every attack started with Iverson. Nene failed to seize the opportunity for a jump shot, and Boykins also missed his shot. It was not until Camby caused a foul when fighting for the frontcourt rebound that the scoring drought was broken.

With 8 minutes and 19 seconds left in the first half, George Karl waved his hand, Anthony and Diawara immediately came to the sidelines, and Li You also stood in front of the technical table.

Both sides began to make personnel adjustments during the free throws.

39:26, Camby made one of two free throws, and the score difference was still 13 points.
"Defense!."

The emotions of the Nuggets fans at the scene were affected, and their shouts were no longer louder. The visible gap made many people lose their emotions.

Iverson kept clapping to encourage his teammates and retreated to the half court, shouting loudly to remind everyone to position themselves in time. When Li You rushed across the center line with the ball in his left hand, the Knicks were in 131 position again.

Raja Bell and Finley moved towards the bottom corner, and Dio on the free throw line began to move towards the top line.

Under Iverson's confident command, the Nuggets did not choose to double-team. Li You took advantage of Dio's quickened pace and immediately passed the ball to the defense. Then the two of them passed the ball to the defense, and Dio accelerated to the right wing.

Iverson constantly adjusted his center of gravity and slid in time. Facing Li You who was moving laterally, he stepped forward from time to time and pretended to cut the ball, trying to disrupt the dribbling rhythm.

There was no complicated shaking. The moment he reached the left wing, Li You suddenly changed direction under his hips, switched to his right hand to lower his center of gravity, and accelerated against Iverson.

Li You increased his stride while walking and gradually gained more than half of his body position. Iverson, who was sliding desperately, opened his eyes wide, as if he couldn't believe that he was broken through so easily.

When approaching the free throw line, Iverson was about to lose his defensive position, so he hurriedly pulled secretly, but as soon as he moved his hands, Li You immediately pulled back under his crotch.

Due to inertia, Iverson failed to adjust his center of gravity in time and was instantly shaken into the paint area. Camby, who came to assist in defense in the interior, had no time to defend. The two watched Li You take a mid-range jump shot.

The basketball went into the net. On the Knicks bench, JR Smith and others cheered loudly. After a moment of silence in the Pepsi Center, only the noise remained.

Seeing the score difference getting bigger and bigger, Anthony didn't hesitate anymore. He asked for the ball in the right elbow area in the first offensive round. Facing Finley, he took a simple tentative step with his left foot and immediately broke through.

The strong attack under the basket caused a foul. Coach George Karl on the sidelines applauded and then loudly reminded Iverson:
"Pay attention to defense!"

Iverson saw the head coach pointing at his teammates and knew that this meant a double-team. Thinking of his own ineffective one-on-one defense, he could only nod in agreement.

41:28, Anthony made two free throws and the Nuggets responded in time.

Li You, who received the ball at the baseline, made the same tactical gesture, dribbled across half court, and slowly moved toward the top of the arc. As Finley moved, Anthony suddenly stepped forward to assist in defense.

Without waiting for a double-team to form, Li You passed the ball to Dio, who received the ball with his back to the basket, twisted his body, and threw the ball to the right corner.

The unguarded Finley just came to the baseline position. After receiving the ball, he made no adjustments and made another open three-pointer!
"Shh!"

The opponent scored easily. The Nuggets fans at the scene could no longer hold back. The booing resounded throughout the arena. Nene raised his hand to indicate that it was his fault. He didn't expect Dio to throw the ball without looking at anyone.
In the offensive round, Anthony wanted to repeat the same trick, but this time Finley did not give his opponent an easy chance to catch the ball. The two of them pulled each other and Iverson did not pass the ball again.

Calling Camby to the top of the arc for screen, Iverson did not wait for his teammates to stand still. He slid his body to the right while suddenly increasing his dribbling speed and continuously changing direction in front of his body.

Holding the ball in his right hand, he lowered his shoulders and accelerated, briefly shaking off Li You. He stopped immediately after passing the three-point line, faced Li You's side defense, and made a decisive jump shot, but it missed.

The moment the opponent shot, Finley blocked Anthony behind him, and Dio was also pulling with Nene under the basket. Finally, the basketball hit the front and was caught by Gazuric.

Iverson realized something was wrong, but he could only watch the basketball being thrown out. Before he could pull it back, Li You rushed past him.
Amid the boos of the Nuggets fans at the scene, Li You rushed across the center line and easily picked up the ball, ignoring the pursuit and defense behind him. He jumped into the air just after passing the free throw line, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and dunked it with one hand!

At 46:28, head coach George Karl frowned and requested a timeout again.

Nothing seemed to have changed. Iverson returned to his seat with a sullen face and angrily threw the towel handed to him by his teammates on the floor. His facial expression began to distort.

The Knicks were all smiling. JR Smith jumped into the court with a towel on his face, high-fived everyone and kept talking about his opponent:

"I knew the Nuggets were no good. Oh! Iverson is a clown! 0 wins and 41 losses!"

"."

Rondo also showed his surprise. He was really surprised tonight. He could naturally see that Li You didn't care about Iverson at all and suppressed his opponent on both offense and defense.

As for the sycophant David Lee, he was already so inflated that he started to yell:
"Lee beat them! The scoring champion is no longer good, it's our turn to play!"

The 18-point difference also made Anthony break down on the spot. He didn't even know how he lost. He clearly played according to the requirements of the coaching staff, but still lost by so much.

After George Karl finished explaining the tactics, Anthony stood up and shouted to his teammates:

"Give me the ball!"

After the timeout, the Knicks' main lineup returned. The depressed Iverson did not attack in front of him. Anthony faced Artest's defense, took a tentative step and made a jump shot in the right blocking area.

Looking back, after just completing the defensive position, Li You dribbled the ball between his legs twice at the top of the arc, switched to his left hand, lowered his shoulder and accelerated, and forced a breakthrough again while carrying Iverson.

Without waiting for Diawara on the left wing to step up to assist in defense, Li You leaned against the defense near the elbow area and suddenly turned around. The moment he reached the paint area, he grabbed the ball with his right hand and threw it towards the basket.

Iverson didn't even have time to make a defensive move before the basketball went into the net.
After Anthony broke through the basket in the right blocking zone and turned around to shoot but missed, Chandler grabbed the rebound and Hill responded with another transition attack.

The Nuggets failed to retreat in time this time, and Nene was left behind by Prince. Despite shouting loudly, Anthony still ran straight towards Li You on the right wing.

With no one to help defend, Hill made a straight pass through the center line to assist Prince in a fast break dunk!
50:30, the score difference reached 20 points, and the Pepsi Center fell silent.

In the last few minutes of the first half, Iverson missed shots in the free throws and finally disappeared. The Nuggets barely kept up the score thanks to Anthony's repeated attacks on the basket and second-chance rebounds.

In the last attack, Diawara, who was serving from the baseline, wanted to find Iverson who was rushing across half court. After a long throw, the Nuggets fans at the scene exclaimed again.

"Oh!"

Iverson just turned around after receiving the ball, and Li You suddenly rushed up to cut off the ball, then chased the ball, rushed across half court, took three steps forward, and then shot an arrow while riding a horse!
The timer light behind the basket came on, and as if anticipating what was about to happen, the Pepsi Center suddenly became quiet.

The Nuggets team watched Li You twist his body and raise his hands to celebrate in advance. The fans at the scene watched the basketball go into the net, and then sporadic boos were heard in the stadium.

66:41, the first half ended and the game lost its suspense.

In a single quarter, he made 6 of 1 shots and 4 of 3 free throws. Iverson failed to stand up at the critical moment and only scored 5 points, which made Hubie Brown in the commentary booth sigh secretly:

"It seems that the Nuggets still need to continue to run in, and coach George Karl still has a lot of problems to solve."

10中8，三分线外3中2，罚球2中2，20分3篮板7助攻1抢断，李佑的高效表现让迈克-布林吹的停不下来：

"Lee showed his dominance once again. It seems that Iverson can't break the curse tonight."

"Continue to attack the 11th championship in team history, Li will create miracles again!"

Although this was a nationally televised game, the game entered garbage time in the latter part of the third quarter.

The Knicks began to make large-scale rotations, but the Nuggets did not withdraw their main lineup. Iverson and Anthony were both there, and they continued to find their form.

When Li You returned to the bench, he chatted with Hill about the All-Star campaign. The two of them were talking and laughing, which seemed to stimulate Iverson on the court.

During the fast break, Rondo shook off Iverson and tried to complete a dunk, but was grabbed by the neck and pulled down.

"Fuck it! Show some respect!"

Iverson glared at Rondo who staggered to his feet. The latter heard the shouting and was filled with rage. This was garbage time.

It seemed that he did not expect the rookie to dare to attack him. When Rondo hit Iverson in the face with a back fist and a straight punch in succession, the big star staggered.

"Oh!"

Amid the fans' exclamations, Anthony rushed forward and punched Rondo in the face. Before he could continue punching, JR Smith rushed up from behind and jumped on him and threw him to the ground.

Both sides threw punches one after another. Before the referee could react, the players who rushed up had already fought each other. The two people in the commentary booth exclaimed at the same time:

"God! How did the game suddenly turn out like this!"

(End of this chapter)