NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 473 Lost Respect (9000 words chapter)
On the morning of November 2006, 11, the NBA officially issued a fine for the fight at the Pepsi Center:
Denver Nuggets' Allen Iverson was suspended for 15 games, Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 12 games, and Nene Hilario was suspended for one game.

The Knicks' Rajon Rondo was also suspended for 15 games; JR Smith was suspended for 10 games, and Gazuric was suspended for 1 game.

Artest, who rushed into the venue, was suspended for 4 games, and Novak, who also entered illegally, was suspended for 1 game.

Steve Novak was banned from the game after he was included in the active list
A total of 8 players were suspended for 59 games. The players suffered losses of more than 130 million US dollars due to the suspension. The two teams were also fined 50 US dollars. The heavy punishment of the league shocked the commentators.

ESPN made a prediction on last night's PTI show, and Michael Wilbon would naturally speak for black players:
"This was just a normal conflict, except it happened live across America."

"The players shouldn't be heavily punished. We all know that among the four major sports leagues, NBA players have always been subject to stricter scrutiny."

After the league's penalty was announced this morning, basketball commentators immediately spoke out, saying that the punishment was too severe. Even some black political leaders came forward to try to reconcile the league and the players.

At the same time, some people pointed the finger at George Karl. The third quarter entered garbage time early, and the Knicks made the first substitution, but the Nuggets still played with their main players.

New York reporters even broke the news that during garbage time, George Karl yelled to his players:

“Don’t let them score easily.”

It was the head coach's indulgence that led to Iverson hugging and throwing Rondo. As for the rookie punching the superstar, New York's basketball commentators never mentioned it. In short, it was all the opponent's fault.

Neither team spoke out, only Iverson, who had a black eye, spoke out again:
"I just did what I had to do. I won't ask for forgiveness. That rookie showed me a lack of respect!"

Anthony, who attacked Rondo, was also hit by two punches. After being tackled by JR Smith, Anthony was thrown to the ground in the crowd at the baseline and was pinned down by the crowd that rushed over.

Fortunately, Finley remained calm, otherwise Raja Bell would also be suspended. As for Artest, he was just arguing with the atmosphere group of the Nuggets and was suspended for 4 games because he had a criminal record.
The Knicks team had already flown to Houston at this time. The previous fight also caused a huge response on the other side of the ocean, and Iverson's fans expressed their dissatisfaction on the Internet.

Not everyone loves winning. The lone hero Iverson has more basketball spirit. Although he is a little niche, he still has loyal fans after losing for so many years.

Iverson's highlights are very good to watch. The game content and data are not important. For young people, "posture" is the only criterion for judging a star!

The impact of the fight was even greater in the NBA circle. It was unimaginable for a first-year rookie to punch a veteran superstar.

You have to know that rookies are just bag-carrying brothers in the team. They can only respect the old seniors. The league also has a culture of respecting veterans, but Rondo broke this default rule.

When going to the Toyota Center for warm-up in the afternoon, Rondo, who had slight abrasions on his face, did not participate in the training and had to stay in the hotel. He will not be able to play for the next half month.

Naturally, sports reporters in Houston would not miss this opportunity. They all swarmed into the hotel and finally, with the arrangement of the staff, they interviewed Rondo and several others.

Rondo, who became the focus, didn't say much, and kept speaking politely until a reporter from the Houston Chronicle asked:

"We all want to know why you punched Iverson, who was a scoring champion and an All-Star player."

Rondo, who was wearing the Knicks' away training uniform, frowned and interrupted the other party's question before the other party finished speaking. He looked at everyone bringing the recording equipment in front of him and said without hesitation:
"He disrupted my offense with a non-basketball move. Why can't I fight back?"

"I know you guys want to say I lack respect for Iverson, but why should I respect him? To respect his 0-41 regular season record?"

"He's contributed to basketball? He's a champion? I'll win the championship before Iverson, maybe he should respect me."

The surrounding sports media were dumbfounded, but it was hard to refute the arrogant rookie's remarks.

After all, the Knicks are still extremely dominant this year, while the Nuggets will definitely have problems with their record after their main players were suspended.

Rondo said nothing more and was soon pulled away by the Knicks staff. On the other side, JR Smith, who was not being interviewed, continued to provoke and add drama to himself, and shouted:
"We must let those scum know that we are not to be trifled with. They have provoked the wrong people."

JR Smith, who was joining in the fun, was still shouting and was quickly controlled by the Knicks staff.

Seeing the two newbies showing no sign of repentance, many reporters looked at each other in bewilderment, with one thought in mind:
“Maybe Iverson is really out of fashion.”

The Knicks remained silent, and James Dolan and management did not appeal the fine, while the Nuggets continued to protest, believing that their opponents lacked respect.

In less than two days, fans of both teams fought fiercely on Reddit after the revision, and the result was naturally that New York fans won a great victory:
"What kind of champions are you? Are you worthy of respect?"

Iverson's status was completely gone after this game. It's rare in history that a superstar was punched by a first-year rookie.
There are also players who are not used to the Knicks' style. When the Rockets were warming up in the afternoon, McGrady, as the outdated "second man", took the initiative to speak up for Iverson and rebuked the defending champions:
"I've said before that the Knicks players have an arrogant attitude and their team culture has problems."

"Iverson is an idol of a generation, but they have no respect for him. I don't know why so many people admire the Knicks."

"Rondo and Smith should apologize to Iverson and Anthony. They ruined a national live broadcast. There should be no violence in basketball."

McGrady no longer had his usual sleepy look during the interview. He stared with his eyes wide open and shouted loudly, as if he could empathize with the other person.

This kind of output status made many reporters secretly happy, but when they interviewed Yao Ming, they heard a different answer:

"I think this is just an ordinary conflict. There is no need to elevate it to the level of respect."

Yao Ming has recently recovered from the defeat in the World Championships. If he still admired some stars when he first entered the league, he has now put this mentality behind him.

At present, Yao Ming just lamented that "choice is more important than hard work". After all, Tyson Chandler, who he played casually with back then, can expect to win the championship, while he still has to fight for the playoffs.
The halo of "second man" also disappeared in the eyes of the Chinese media. Wang Meng, who has been with the team, noticed that McGrady was still producing and couldn't help but curl his lips:

“Iverson is also a superstar?”

Mutombo didn't like Iverson's "no help" comment during an interview, when he was a star center in the Eastern Conference.

He contributed his final peak to the 76ers, but was not respected in return. Mutombo has already saved face for his former teammate by not complaining publicly.

In the locker room before the game, facing the siege of reporters, the champion center did not make too many comments, but just leaned back in his seat and said casually:

"Respect needs to be earned by oneself, at least in the past. As an old-school player, I won't talk about it."

Neither Alston nor Battier accepted the interview. After all, McGrady is still the nominal boss, and they cannot sing a different tune at this time.

It seems that he did not notice the emotions of his teammates. After the start of the season with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses, McGrady was a little inflated. Before the game started, he clapped his hands in the middle of the locker room in his training clothes and said:
"To win this game, we need to show them what respect is!"

The atmosphere group members had puzzled expressions on their faces, not knowing how the fight had involved McGrady. Head coach Mike Brown didn't say much, but gave a final reminder before going on stage:

"Remember to communicate on defense, and pay attention to switching after the pick-and-roll!"

"."

Today is Saturday on the other side of the ocean, and CCTV Sports will naturally broadcast the Rockets' game this morning. In the studio, Zhang Weiping was in a state of gloating, and he was still joking before the game started:

"Iverson lost not only his salary, but most importantly, he lost respect."

"Superstars have to have their own pomp and circumstance. Fighting with rookies during garbage time is too embarrassing. I think he will not be selected for this year's All-Star Game."

Yu Jia was somewhat helpless. This matter actually had nothing to do with them. When he saw the Knicks' starting lineup, he could only change the subject and sighed again:
"This is the defending champion. All players are capable. David Lee is also in the rotation inside. This last year's first-round pick has been in very good form recently."

Zhang Weiping also recovered from his state of watching the show. After seeing Yao Ming catch the ball and make a jump shot in the right blocking area near the paint area after the early cross screen in the first round, he also took over the conversation:

"Yao Ming has been in excellent form recently, but it's a pity that the Rockets don't have enough depth in their roster."

"The pace of modern basketball offense and defense is too fast. The Knicks' money was well spent. With a salary of 9746 million, they are the highest in the league. This is the champion!"

The Rockets' salary this year is 6384 million, filling the salary cap without paying luxury tax, ranking 14th in the league. It can only be said that the future is promising.
In the Toyota Center, nearly 19000 Rockets fans were cheering loudly in coordination with the DJ. Yao Ming, who was retreating, was in a good mood. Facing Chandler, he had absolute confidence!
Alston and McGrady partnered in the backcourt, and the frontcourt was Battier and Chuck Hayes who had just joined the team.

On the Knicks side, Prince and Dio partnered up in the frontcourt, and both teams had one big and four small players.

"Defense!."

Amid the defensive shouts, McGrady, who retreated to the left wing, shouted loudly, reminding Alston not to lose his position. The Knicks were still in a 131 position, with Chandler alone under the basket.

The suspension did not affect everyone's mood. Dio, who got the starting position again, was in a good mood. He took the initiative to move up from the free throw line and reminded Prince to move to the right corner.

While pretending to receive the ball and Alstom turned his head to observe the defense, Dio immediately turned a corner and headed straight to the right wing. At the same time, Li You suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction, instantly switching to his left hand to fly close to the ground.

Amid the low cheers of the fans at the scene, Alstom was passed by one step, and his loss of position on the three-point line allowed Li You to cut into the paint area from the middle in the blink of an eye.

Yao Ming could only move his feet under the basket. Just as he got to the front of the basket, Li You threw the ball to the upper right side of the basket while moving.

There was no time to return to defense, and Yao Ming finally watched Chandler jump high, grab the ball in the air, and dunk with both hands!

"Oh!"

2:2, the wonderful aerial relay made the Knicks' atmosphere team cheer loudly, and Barea cheered especially excitedly.

Rondo was suspended, and the direct beneficiary was Barea. It was impossible for Li You to score 48 points. The Puerto Rican was so happy that he almost couldn't sleep these two days.
McGrady became a little angry when he saw Li You's relaxed look. In the offensive round, he asked for the ball early without waiting for Alstom to cross half court and dribbled to the left wing himself.

When Yao Ming came forward for a screen, he dribbled the ball behind his back and switched to his right hand. McGrady accelerated laterally and quickly cut into the middle while Hill was unable to squeeze through in time.

Chandler switched defense early, and then he slid continuously to help defend the basket. Hill, who was chasing him, cut off the passing route. When McGrady broke through to the front of the basket, Dio also retreated.

Without waiting for the three to form a siege, McGrady lowered his shoulders and accelerated and passed the ball to Hayes near the baseline on the right side. The latter received the ball and used the momentum to shoot under the basket.

It seemed like a great opportunity, but as soon as Hayes passed the ball with his right hand, he was pinned down by Dio who turned around and jumped high to assist in defense!
As Dio regained control of the ball and found Li You to receive the ball, the Knicks immediately launched a transition offense.

Yao Ming had just reached the center line when Li You, who was accelerating along the left sideline, had already rushed to the left wing against Alstom.

The streetball king accelerated his retreat and wanted to establish a defensive position on the three-point line, but was directly shaken off by Li You's drastic change of direction while moving.

He quickly adjusted the focus of defense and Alstom chased to the paint area, but Li You turned around like a top, instantly shook off the defense, passed the ball to the lower left side of the basket, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and made a layup.

"Shh!"

The boos were soon drowned out by cheers and applause, and even Zhang Weiping in the CCTV studio followed suit and exclaimed:
"If Alston and McGrady were replaced by Li You in the backcourt, Yao Ming should be able to win the championship. His personal ability is too far behind."

The Streetball King felt resentful every time he met Li You. He tried to make friendly gestures more than once, but the Knicks didn't even give him a chance to get to the water dispenser. He felt that this was caused by Li You.

While glaring at his opponent, Alston actually saw the back of Li You's head. After entering the alliance, the two had never spoken to each other.
When the Rockets attacked again, Yao Ming successfully trapped Chandler behind him in the low post on the left side.

Although Alston's pass was a little slow, Yao Ming only took one step up the line after receiving the ball, stepped into the paint area, and after receiving the ball, he leaned back slightly and made a jump shot to score another 2 points.

Receiving the ball in the sweet spot, Li You's height advantage was magnified. He made a gesture to go around, and then took the initiative to speed up the offensive tempo.

Dio ran to the right corner early, and as the Knicks pulled away one by one, Chandler, who had rushed across half court, stopped early and stood at the top of the arc away from the three-point line to set up a pick-and-roll.

After crossing the center line, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly slowed down and changed direction with his hips. Alstom hurriedly slid to the left.

As soon as the two bodies collided, Li You turned around quickly, and the basketball seemed to stick to his hand after being thrown out. In the blink of an eye, his left hand touched the ball again and continued to accelerate laterally.

Yao Ming, who was standing on the three-point line, could only slide to delay. At the same time, McGrady on the left wing also retreated and tried to double-team him in advance.

When the two were about to form a siege, Li You shook his wrist, and the pocket pass on the move instantly penetrated the defense, and the basketball bounced and found Hill who cut into the basket.

The latter increased his stride, grabbed the ball before it went out of bounds, and threw it towards the backboard!

6:4, Hill breathed a sigh of relief after scoring.

With less than 9 seconds left, the Rockets had to serve the ball again. Amid the shouts of the fans, McGrady, who received the ball in advance, accelerated laterally at the top of the arc with the help of Yao Ming's screen.

Noticing Chandler retreating early and briefly breaking away from the defense as he moved closer to the right elbow, McGrady suddenly stopped, ignoring Hill who was defending him, and immediately missed a jump shot.

Li You followed Alston and stood on the left wing. Prince in the left corner retreated in time and took advantage of Chandler and Dio to pick up the ball as soon as possible.

After the opening, Battier hesitated after squatting in the corner for a while, but finally rushed straight to Li You who was accelerating along the right sideline, cutting off the passing route.

The Rockets' defense had problems, and Prince, who was sprinting with the ball, was left unguarded for a moment. Yao Ming, who was retreating, watched Prince make a one-handed slam dunk!
"what!"

After completing the dunk, Prince roared under the basket. D'Antoni on the sidelines stood up and applauded with a smile. It was another 8-second attack.

Head coach Mike Brown showed the side of him that was criticized by Chinese fans. He was yelling on the sidelines and making downward gestures with both hands, signaling the players to stay calm.

Dribbling guard Alston passed the ball early again and ran to the left corner with Li You.

At the top of the arc, McGrady moved laterally with the help of Yao Ming's pick-and-roll, but was unable to break free of the defense and passed the ball to Battier on the left wing.

The latter received the ball, took the initiative to pass it forward, and then ran to the right wing again. At the same time, Hayes followed up and continued to screen for McGrady.

Yao Ming was entangled with Chandler at the lower right corner of the basket. He wanted the ball but found that his teammates were double-teamed. The ball was passed again at the top of the arc. McGrady passed the ball to Hayes who was in the open position. Hayes received the ball inside the three-point line on the left wing. Without looking at the frame, Hayes asked Alston to pass the ball.

After a series of ineffective passes from the outside, with half of the attack time passing, an anxious Alstom, in order to get rid of Li You, made an emergency stop and then accelerated again when he was close to the line.

Amid the exclamations of the fans, Alston's fake move stole the ball from his teammates. Hayes immediately passed the ball to Li You.
Everyone on the Rockets team was confused, and it was too late for Hayes to chase and defend. He received the ball and rushed across the center line. It was 1 against 0. Li You was very fast, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and made a gliding slam dunk!

8:4, consecutive fast break dunks made the Rockets atmosphere team lose their emotions.

At this time in the CCTV studio, Yu Jia seemed to recall the scene of the Rockets losing by a large margin last season, and could only comment euphemistically:
"McGrady must find his shooting touch as soon as possible"

What the fans expected did not happen. McGrady tried to respond by making a pick-and-roll but missed a long two-point jump shot from the right wing.

Yao Ming fought hard, but Chandler still protected the rebound. By the time Li You received the ball, the two big men were left behind again.

When Li You continued to accelerate and rushed across the center line with the ball in his right hand, Alstom was almost thrown away by the change of direction of the ball. Battier, who retreated to the left wing, hurriedly adjusted direction.

When Battier heard his teammates' reminders, he could only watch Li You slow down slightly, and then throw the ball in the opposite direction.

Relying on his speed to get rid of Hayes, Dio continued to accelerate, and went straight to the basket from the right wing. After receiving the ball, he took three steps forward and slammed it with one hand!
Lee You clapped his hands as he retreated. All five players on the court scored points. For a moment, the Knicks bench was in high spirits. Raja Bell even threw his towel and started to cheer:
"Dunk it again!"

After taking a look at Hayes who was working hard to retreat on defense, McGrady's face turned grim, his eyes widened and he shouted loudly. He was very dissatisfied with this defense.

The Rockets did not speed up and tried to continue playing from the low post, but when Alston passed the ball to Yao Ming, Li You on the left wing came to assist in defense.

As the basketball returned to Alstom's hands, the latter released the ball with his right hand, broke through and went straight to the basket, but was eventually blocked by Li You who was chasing him.

Hill got ahead of McGrady, successfully controlled the basketball in the paint area, and then rushed with the ball.

Alstom, who was knocked out of the baseline, was still complaining to the referee. Before Yao Ming could greet his teammates, Li You shook off the two of them.

Three-line fast break, Li You lagged behind, Prince rushed through the center line early and went straight to the basket from the right wing. On the other side, Hill, who kept pushing the ball and changing direction, approached the top of the arc and made a side pass.

There was still some distance from the three-point line, close to the right sideline, and Li You, who was unguarded, received the ball without making any adjustments. He stopped suddenly and threw the ball!
"Got it! That's a beautiful shot!"

As the basketball went into the net, Zhang Weiping in the CCTV studio smiled and exclaimed in admiration. In just a few years, long-range three-pointers have become a reasonable shooting option.

The cheers from the Toyota Center could also be heard in the studio. Yu Jia sighed inwardly as he watched Yao Ming running back and forth, and could only briefly comment:

"The Rockets also need this kind of offense. So far, they haven't had a single fast break opportunity."

13:4, the game has completely entered the Knicks' rhythm.

In the subsequent games, Rockets fans watching on TV felt more and more uncomfortable. Yao Ming responded near the basket, but his outside shots were silent.

Some rounds were scored and missed, Alston missed a three-pointer, and after receiving the ball, he broke through and made a quick stop jump shot but missed.

The Knicks protected the rebounds very well and frequently launched transition attacks, causing the Rockets to either commit fouls or watch the Rockets make layups.
The timeout didn't have any effect. McGrady seemed to have lost his aggressiveness. Under his leadership, the Knicks, who entered the rotation early, counterattacked at an unslow pace.

With 1 minute and 29 seconds left in the first quarter, McGrady missed another three-pointer from the right wing, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You near the left elbow.

Luther Head, who came on as a substitute, was dribbled past by Li You's back-and-forth pass. When the Rockets chased him to the right wing, they were unable to retreat in time.

As Li You slowed down and pretended to pass the ball with his left hand, he looked up at the frame. Luther Head subconsciously jumped up, but was passed by in one step.

With no one guarding him, Li You cut into the basket from the right wing. Without waiting for the defender to catch up, he passed the ball in advance while moving and made a steal.

McGrady, who came back to defend, could only watch Li You casually throw the ball towards the backboard with his right hand, and the basketball finally hit the backboard and fell into the basket.

32:17, the point difference is still widening.

In the last few rounds, Yao Ming missed his jump shot, and David Lee, who came off the bench, grabbed consecutive offensive rebounds and continued to expand the score with Raja Bell.

With Mutombo, who was substituted in, making one of two free throws, the score was fixed at 37:18.

At the Toyota Center, some fans who arrived late had confused looks on their faces. The game that started at 17:30 was no longer suspenseful so quickly?
The Knicks were all smiling on the bench, they took an early lead and were able to clock out early tonight, so everyone had a chance to play.

McGrady made 6 of 0 shots, 2 of 0 shots from beyond the three-point line, 0 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in the first quarter, and successfully led the Rockets to a deficit. He is destined to be the main contributor to the Knicks' victory tonight.

In the CCTV studio, Zhang Weiping could only sigh and find excuses for the home team when he saw the director repeatedly pointing the camera at McCready:

"It seems that McGrady has not recovered from his back injury yet. He hasn't found his touch on his jump shot."

"The Rockets still have a chance. Yao Ming made 7 of 5 shots and scored 10 points. As long as they can make shots from the outside, the game can be caught up."

In the first quarter, the Knicks took a total of 24 shots, while the Rockets only took 17.

In the second quarter, the game was forced to speed up. Luther Head performed well in the random shots. McGrady, who only rested for more than a minute in the first quarter, also scored consecutive goals at this time.

However, the score difference kept fluctuating around 17 points. The Rockets, who accelerated their game, failed to seize the opportunity and were scored consecutively by Finley. Barea also scored during the chaos.

With 5 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first half, Li Youcai and the main lineup returned, and time passed quickly as they poked each other.

68:46, a 22-point difference, indicates that there is no suspense in the game anymore.

出场17分钟，10中7，三分线外4中2，罚球2中2，18分3篮板6助攻2抢断1盖帽，李佑填满数据栏。

出场21分钟，11中3，三分线外4中1，罚球1中0，7分1篮板3助攻1失误，麦克格雷迪无奈带崩比赛。

This focus game that attracted much attention from Chinese fans entered garbage time early in the second half. Fans in front of the TV could only listen to Yu Jia and Zhang Weiping's imagination of the future:

"If they stay healthy, the Rockets have a chance to make it to the finals!"

"."

Every year they paint a rosy picture for the fans, but at the end of the third quarter, the score difference reached 30 points and most fans couldn't hold it anymore.

In the Rockets' bench lineup, Juwan Howard was beaten by David Lee, and Mutombo was unable to support the team's rebounding. In the Toyota Center, some season ticket holders left early.

124:91, when the final buzzer sounded, McGrady, with a dark face, ran straight to the player tunnel without looking back.

Yao Ming scored a team-high 17 points with 12 of 4 shots and 4 of 26 free throws. His teammates were dejected. Al Thornton was replaced early and the streetball king, who had only 2 points, sat in his seat in frustration.

Amid the scattered cheers, Li You smiled and shook hands with the Rockets. Looking at Mutombo's gloomy face, he stepped forward and joked:
"Remember to say hello to Tracy for me. Everyone showed great respect to him tonight. 33 points. We really gave it our all!"

"Lee, don't pay attention to his mouth, you know, he's just trying to canvass votes for himself."

Mutombo showed a wry smile on his face and helped his teammates explain, but the veteran knew that as long as McGrady continued to speak out, there would be a high probability of another crushing defeat next time.

Yao Ming was not in a good mood at the moment. Looking at Chandler who was smiling like a flower, he felt bad for a moment. He made 8 of 5 shots, had 10 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks, and the opponent easily got a double-double, but was replaced early.

"How do you feel after losing weight? You should ask the coaching staff to play only 30 minutes a game."

Li You and the thinner Yao Ming in front of him bumped fists. Yao Ming smiled after hearing the question and lowered his head and whispered:
"It became difficult to box out, otherwise I wouldn't have let Chandler grab three offensive rebounds."

Since his injury, Yao Ming has started to lose weight. There was not much effect during the World Championships, but after a few months of adjustment, his weight started to drop.

As for the issue of playing time, Yao Ming still obeyed the instructions. Mike Brown treated him well. He knew that the coach was under pressure this year and ensuring a playoff spot was still the top priority.

After a brief exchange between the two, Li You waved to the fans and left the stadium. They would have to fly to San Antonio overnight and the back-to-back game would continue.

Yao Ming, who was walking slowly toward the player tunnel, looked at Gasol and Chandler behind Li You with some envy. Mutombo stepped forward, patted their shoulders, and gave a simple consolation:

"Don't think too much, Yao! Basketball is a game for five people. Although I like the Rockets very much, it is difficult for us to pursue the championship now."

"."

On November 11, the game between the Knicks and the Spurs was broadcast live across the United States by ABC.

The Knicks canceled training in the morning and went to the SBC Center to warm up early in the afternoon. The fight began to cool down, and a group of sports reporters finally interviewed Li You.

In back-to-back games, Li You showed no signs of fatigue. During the warm-up, he even took the initiative to lead the atmosphere group in a three-man match.

When everyone was interviewing on the sidelines, they carefully observed that there was not much sweat on his head. Looking at Li You's increasingly muscular figure, many reporters secretly exclaimed that it was outrageous.

"Lee, can you talk about the previous conflict? Because of the suspension, the Nuggets have lost consecutive games recently, and Iverson insisted that you lacked respect for him."

ESPN reporters wanted to drag Li You back for an interview, but the Knicks blocked many interviews due to their tight schedule.

Even if Li You attended the press conference, he could only ask questions about the game.

"Maybe we have some differences in our understanding of respect. For me, the best respect is for the opponent to give his all!"

"I like playing against good players and I enjoy the feeling of the game being decided right down to the last minute."

Li You showed a nostalgic look on his face. Although it was good to clock in for three quarters, he had experienced this kind of game too many times, so he had no choice but to train hard.
"We beat the Nuggets by 43 points. Even though the game was interrupted, it did not affect everyone's enthusiasm for the game. All the players on the court gave their all. This is the best respect!"

"."

Everyone was speechless for a moment. Although they said that, everyone felt that Li You was humiliating his opponent again.

Seeing the sports reporter suddenly silent, Li You took the initiative to speak and asked with a smile:

"Do you expect me to cooperate with Iverson to get better stats? He is my old enemy, I just want to suppress him on both offense and defense!"

"Of course not, we love this kind of matchup!"

"Lee is right, this is indeed the best respect. I think Iverson was just angry for a moment, and he will calm down."

"."

The surrounding sports media all agreed unanimously. They also didn't like the "honesty mutual brushing". Anyway, the victim was Iverson, so everyone just needed to watch the fun.

With a smile on his face, Li You was even in the mood to ask Gasol and Hill who were passing by to join in the topic.

"As the defending champion, the greatest respect is to go all out. This is our team culture!"

Although he felt that Iverson was very unlucky, Hill could only agree with everyone in a serious tone. Gasol did the same, and emphasized with a serious expression:
"Not only in official matches, but also in daily training, everyone has to compete for playing time. I don't know why the opponents have such a big reaction."

In the second game against the Spurs that night, Duncan made 16 of 13 shots and 12 of 4 free throws, scoring 30 points efficiently, but ultimately lost the game.

108:94, relying on the opponent's three-point shooting rate of less than 7%, the Knicks celebrated their th consecutive victory!

At the SBC Center, the booing continued even after the game. Parker and Ginobili's inefficient performances wasted Duncan's performance, and many fans also booed their home team.

If the free throws had been more accurate, the Spurs would not have scored only 4 points in the fourth quarter. Duncan felt a little guilty about this and took the blame during an interview.

When the ABC reporter asked about the previous fight, Duncan, who was expressionless, suddenly "added insult to injury" and took the initiative to ridicule himself:
"That was the biggest score difference in the finals that year. I didn't feel humiliated. On a stage like that, both sides gave their all."

"I know the Knicks, I know Lee, they respect their opponents very much."

"As for that conflict, I don't want to comment. Everyone has a different understanding of respect. There's nothing much to say about it."

When the staff around heard this answer, they were a little surprised. Obviously, Duncan didn't like the Nuggets players who dared to fight hard in garbage time.

On November 11, the NBA announced the Player of the Week for Week 12 of the new season:
Prince of the Knicks and Yao Ming of the Rockets won the awards.

Although McGrady performed poorly in the "strong dialogue", the Rockets achieved a record of 3 wins and 1 loss this week.

场均24.8分10.3篮板2.0助攻2.5盖帽4.3失误，投篮命中率为54.9%，罚球命中率为80.8%。

After Yao Ming handed in a double-double, McGrady's reputation on the other side of the ocean gradually declined. Fans who like to surf the Internet gave him high praise:
"Yao Ming tried his best, teammate CBA!"

(End of this chapter)