NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 477: The Unyielding "Old Deng" (Daily Chapter)

As Christmas approaches, players who have been injured since the start of the new season are gradually returning.

For Knicks fans, Gasol's official return from injury is a happy thing. The reunion of the twin towers has been anticipated by basketball critics for more than a month.

MSG also recently launched a new program, Madison Square Garden 50 Historical Shots, which is used to review the history of the team and has been well received during this period.

Grant Hill also guest-starred as the host for two episodes, and the veteran has already entered the retirement rhythm ahead of schedule.

On Friday, December 12th, the Knicks suffered a series of defeats. The Grizzlies, who were about to be sold, lost by 15 points, the Hawks lost another 51 points, and the Bucks lost by 42 points.

The Wizards and Celtics were the few teams that put up a fight, but they still clocked out after three quarters and ultimately lost by 22 points.

With 23 consecutive wins at the start, the Knicks’ chances of winning the championship are getting louder and louder!

The team will face the Pacers on the road tomorrow. Gasol, who has just returned from injury, also accepted an exclusive interview with a Spanish program on MSG.

As the World Championship MVP, Gasol was called "the league's best center" by many basketball commentators when O'Neal was out.

This time he has to play at the No. 4 position after returning from injury, so many basketball commentators are also discussing whether the current lineup can adapt.

D'Antoni discussed the lineup issue a long time ago. The mustache was still bragging not long ago, and he was not worried at all that getting the twin towers would change the team's current offensive rhythm:
"Why worry about that? I'm more concerned about the two big guys providing Lee with higher quality screens."

"Pau just needs to deal with those annoying double-teams at the free throw line, and Lee will do the rest."

"Maintaining a big man on the court during the rotation phase can also better protect the basket. Tyson has excellent athletic ability. The combination of the two will turn the team's restricted area into a no-fly zone."

After the MSG program adjustment, the Knicks have basically become a basketball reality show. Last month, everyone's commemorations of Red Cardinal were somewhat restrained, but have become more and more inflated in recent times.

上周六的时候，基德对阵凯尔特人队时，来了个11中1，怒砍5分6篮板7助攻2抢断4失误
Even with Carter swinging his gun, the Nets still had no choice but to lose. This game that gave the Celtics warmth was seized upon by MSG's show to mock them:
"The Nets are moving to Brooklyn, which is a really good thing for them, but New York fans won't go to their games!"

"We'd rather pay $100 for a screaming seat at Madison Square Garden than pay $5 to watch the Nets suck."

"."

The Nets are moving, and a new arena is going to be built in Brooklyn, and Chelsea Piers will be developed at the same time. The New York State Government has approved it, and this is a major project that will drive employment.

But MSG's butt is crooked. Teams in the same city are usually sworn enemies. Without waiting for the other side to grab the market, the Dolan family opened fire again and directly labeled the Nets as a "third-rate team."

The two sides have been arguing since last week, and with the fans following suit, Kidd broke down and cursed the referee after losing to the Pistons on Monday, and was eventually fined $2.
Most players can't stand the enthusiasm of New York fans. After the 2006 No. draft pick was beaten earlier this month, he was affectionately called "Spaghetti" by everyone.

The newbie who was madly ridiculed almost cried on the spot.

One fan can outweigh ten haters. The reason why Li You has a bad reputation is not only because he wins too many times, but also inseparable from the efforts of New York media and fans.

At 19 p.m. that evening, the Conseco Fieldhouse was not full, but as the game progressed, more than Pacers fans burst into huge cheers.

During the rotation phase of the second quarter, the Knicks, with a complete lineup, used Rondo, Raja Bell, Artest, Dio and Gasol for the first time.

Leading by only 6 points in the first quarter, Danny Granger narrowed the gap in the blink of an eye with a three-pointer and a fast break after a steal.

30:29, Rondo clapped his hands in frustration after making a pass error, and quickly made tactical gestures after receiving the ball at the baseline.

Veteran Darrell Armstrong has always performed poorly against Li You. At this time, he relied on shrinking defense to make Rondo uncomfortable.

In the pick-and-roll on the right wing, Jeff Foster chose to retreat and defend, sticking closely to Gasol who was coming down. Armstrong bypassed the screen and went offline to block Rondo's breakthrough route.

In the left blocking area, Rondo had no choice but to slow down. This time he did not pass the ball back to the top of the arc. The Lithuanian genius player Sarunas Jaskevicius had cut off his passing route.

When Armstrong took the initiative to interfere, Rondo stopped and could only dribble the ball, turn around, and then immediately throw the ball to Gasol at the lower left side of the basket.

With the offensive space compressed, Armstrong was pulled back to assist defense just after he received the ball. As the basketball was thrown outside the three-point line again, Rondo hesitated again.
Amid the booing of the Pacers fans at the scene, Rondo missed an open jump shot and the long rebound was picked up by Harrington.

When the first pass found Danny Granger, who had just crossed the center line, Artest, who was chasing him, made a brutal charge. Granger rushed out of the sideline and hit the technical table before stopping.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations, Danny Granger came to Artest angrily and shouted angrily:

"WF! You wanna fight!"

Artest raised his arms to show his friendliness, but he immediately responded with a squint at the newbie and yelled:

"Have some respect, man! I'm teaching you how to play basketball properly."

Rick Carlisle was worried that Granger, who was in good form, would make a mistake under impulse, so he rushed to the technical table and worked with his teammates to separate the two. However, Stephen Jackson laughed and said:
"Rookie! Show him some color!"

Artest laughed and cursed in Jackson's direction, not caring about the referee's whistle for a technical foul. When he retreated to the half court to wait for free throws, he leaned on his knees and shouted to Rondo beside him:
"Pass the ball early! Or throw it in when you're open, you're ruining the offensive rhythm!"

The team lost points as soon as it came on the court. Rondo, who recently returned, even had some of his playing time taken away by Barea. When he heard his teammates' words, he could only nod silently.

"Ron is just a little impatient, control the game at your own pace."

The shaved Gasol looked very kind. He patted Rondo on the shoulder and comforted him. Apart from his poor positional offense, Rondo was more reliable than Barea on defense.

Everyone on the Knicks knows that D'Antoni wants to train Rondo to be the engine of the second lineup, and currently everyone is relatively tolerant of the newbie.

On the bench, Li You, who was wearing an away training suit, saw Rondo's dark face and knew that the newbie would most likely be silent again tonight.

After a heated argument with the referee at the technical table, D'Antoni smiled and sat back in his seat, asking Li You beside him:
"Lee, how do you think Rondo performed?"

"He is too concerned about tactical coordination. Armstrong is 38 years old. He can easily break through the opponent's defense. There is no need to play so complicated."

Li You raised his eyebrows towards the court, indicating that the Pacers' defense is currently a paper tiger, and the same goes for the Lithuanian genius, who is still adapting to NBA confrontation.

"He'll realize that and see that he's ahead of a lot of point guards."

D'Antoni folded his arms and praised, then watched Granger hit another long two-pointer without paying any attention. He chatted with the coaching staff beside him and took a look at the technical statistics.

The Knicks, who were rotating according to the clock, failed to show off this time. Granger completely exploded and scored points in succession. Armstrong shot from beyond the three-point line to overtake the score. The two of them ignited the atmosphere on the scene.

In the end, the game became a Knicks loss but Lee Yu did not. 108:112, with Jermaine O'Neal's stable free throws in the fourth quarter, the Pacers once again won the "End Lee Yu's Winning Streak Award".

12 wins and 13 losses, although the record is mediocre, but at this moment the Conseco Fieldhouse was completely boiling. At the end of the game, all the Pacers fans at the scene stood up and cheered loudly.

Chris Dennery, who had just served as the home commentator last year, tore off his tie and shouted excitedly with headphones on:
"God, we beat the defending champions! Danny Granger is our hero! He was so great off the bench tonight. Maybe we can get back to the playoffs this season."

Danny Granger became famous in one battle. Facing the Knicks' perimeter defense, he played for 29 minutes, made 11 of 8 shots, 5 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and 6 of 6 free throws, scoring a team-high 25 points.

Coming to the technical desk, D'Antoni didn't care about the loss. He maintained the demeanor of a championship coach and praised Carlisle with a smile:
"Great job! I didn't think you guys would stick with Harrington."

"Actually, you guys inspired me. It was hard for us to handle two big guys. Fortunately, God was on our side tonight."

The team was quickly changed from a twin tower at the beginning to a lineup of one big and four small players. Rick Carlisle took the initiative to speed up and won the victory, with a particularly bright smile on his face.

The media reporters at the scene all focused their cameras on Li You and Danny Granger who were fist-bumping. Noticing that more and more people were gathering to watch, Li You simply patted the newbie on the shoulder and praised everyone:
"Believe me, Granger will become a big star. He has the ability!"

"Thanks, Bro! I'll play hard for this."

Danny Granger was very excited when he talked to Li You for the first time. After winning the "Li You Recognition Award", his mouth almost stretched to the back of his head.

Reporters in Indiana understand Li You's style and always feel that the old rival who holds a grudge is not so kind. The last person to receive the recognition award, Reggie Miller, lost in the playoffs.

Danny Granger happily returned to the locker room. Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal led the applause and then asked the newbie:
"It does feel good to win, rookie, what did Lee say to you?"

"Well, he said I would be a big star, I know it was just a polite remark"

Danny Granger was about to add more words after taking off his jersey, but Stephen Jackson stood up and spread his hands to him:

"Good luck, rookie!"

"?"

With a question mark on his face, Danny Granger looked at the grinning Stephen Jackson and was confused for a moment.

On Saturday the 16th, ESPN reported the news of the Knicks' loss early in the morning, and even invited the out-of-date Larry Brown to the morning show.

After leaving the coaching position due to health reasons, Larry Brown has been very low-key in recent years. Although there are rumors that he is seeking a head coaching position, no one in the league has extended an olive branch.

As a professional, and unlike those boastful commentators, Larry Brown answered the question of the Knicks' loss from another perspective:
“李拿到33分4篮板13助攻，但步行者队却在三分线外23中12，他们大个子没能经受住考验。”

"I understand the Knicks' signings. Lee is about to turn 29. These championship players are no longer young. They must slow down in the future."

"In fact, during the years when the Knicks won the championship, the league became older, and as talented young people emerged, they would face the same dilemma."

This was the first time Stephen A. Smith heard such an explanation. Seeing Larry Brown's unfathomable expression, he couldn't help but ask out loud out of curiosity:
"Do you think the Knicks will be less dominant after trading for Chandler?"

As if he had seen through his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, Larry Brown once again showed off his theory:

"No, I'd still give it an A, the problem is everyone is copying the Knicks."

"I don't think the twin towers combination will succeed. Their offensive space has become smaller, Grant is not good at three-pointers, and Prince's shooting is not stable."

"If I were the head coach, I would stick with the zone defense and put someone full court to cover Lee."

"The Pistons were close to creating this unique defensive lineup, but unfortunately they couldn't stick with it. I'm sorry to see Ben leave."

After a roundabout way, Stephen A. Smith finally understood that the famous coach next to him was advertising himself, and his target seemed to be the Chicago Bulls.
Stephen A. Smith talked endlessly about his own tactical system. He couldn't say much on the show, and could only mutter to himself:
"Doesn't this old guy want to admit defeat?"

"."

Michael Jordan, who came to Manhattan with the Bobcats, also appeared at Madison Square Garden that night.

A recent MSG program also included footage of Michael Dunk playing here. The generous New York fans have already forgiven him for the beating he received back then.

At 19 p.m., Michael Jordan, wearing an AJ training suit, stood up and waved to the New York fans at the scene, and soon received applause.

With 6 wins and 16 losses, the team's record plummeted after the small Knight was injured. After Adam Morrison was identified as a "fake player", the team was unable to rebound strongly.

This game was destined to be a game without much suspense, but Michael Dunk was very relaxed. He took the initiative to accept an interview with a New York reporter before the game and talked about the recent ESPN investigation report:
“It does feel a lot different coming to Madison Square Garden in a different capacity.”

"I am indeed old. The ESPN survey is right. Young people born after 85 identify more with Lee. He has set a good example for young people!"

In the questionnaire survey initiated by ESPN, not only the fans but also the young players born after 85 prefer Li You.

The situation in the anonymous survey is very interesting. Most of the role players have a very good impression of Li You. Even if Li You has never spoken to them at all, his championship experience across the league still played a role.

Among the All-Star players, most of the young players in the past two years recognized Li You, while the older All-Stars had nothing good to say about him. The word most mentioned by the "old Dengs" was "lineup bonus."

Iverson, who did not want to reveal his name, once again "IF" himself:
“If I were in New York, I could be successful.”

Talking about the recent MSG show, Michael Jordan also expressed his gratitude. New York rarely teases him. This kind of respect is unique. When hearing the question of who will win the championship, Michael Jordan smiled with relief:
"I think Lee can still lead the team to win the championship this year. The operations of the Knicks in recent years are worth learning from."

"A lot of people forget that the players on this roster were drafted by the team."

"The Bobcats will also focus on the draft in the future, and we will discover our own stars."

Hearing this answer, the New York Times reporter could only smile awkwardly. In fact, they have been making fun of McArthur's judgment of people. New York was the first media to call Adam Morrison a fake.
After the interview, Maikou took the initiative to step forward and greet Li You. After a few pleasantries, he made a phone gesture.

Grant Hill noticed that Beyoncé was the only one on the sidelines. Combining this with the information he had received, he showed a look of concern on his face and stepped forward and whispered:

"Jay-Z asked Michael Jordan to come forward? Your conflict has not been resolved yet?"

The cheers in the arena continued. Li You casually dribbled the ball. Knowing that Hill's singer wife had inside information, he did not explain further:

"Conflict? That's just a business issue. Don't worry, Grant, we just need to focus on the game!"

"."

(End of this chapter)