NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 66 Accompanied by Records
A game that was destined to win, and the Knicks ended up with injuries.

96:109 After a home win over the Celtics, New York's sports media doesn't care about wins and stats anymore.

Considering Ewing's knee injuries in the past, most of the New York reporters who came to the press conference room were secretly praying that Ewing's injury was just a minor injury.

After Jeff Van Gundy came to the press conference, he didn't hesitate, and said simply and neatly:
"Thank God! Pat just needs to rest for a while, and he will be able to recover. After the initial examination by the team doctor, there should be no structural damage."

"Unfortunately, maybe Pat is going to miss the All-Star Game, and he's prepared for that."

"Guys, give him some more time, you know, he's given his all for New York."

The New York media in the audience just breathed a sigh of relief, and then they all sighed when they heard the news that Ewing might withdraw from the All-Star Game.

Being selected as one of the top 50 superstars and the starting center of the Eastern All-Stars also made New York fans feel honored. It is really unlucky to suffer injuries suddenly at the highlight moment of life!
In the locker room, Ewing looked very frustrated. He really wanted to play in this year's All-Star Game.

"It's okay, Pat! It's just that we don't play the main game. The most important thing this year is the selection of the top 50 superstars. At that time, you can still participate in the event."

"It's also possible to be healthy before the All-Star break, don't be discouraged, Bro!"

Charles Oakley was not very good at comforting people, so he gave two dry words of comfort, and Starks also said a few words of relief, but Ewing still failed to recover.

No one wanted to see injuries, and everyone expressed comfort. Finally, assistant coach Thibodeau suggested:
"Pat, there are still 4 games before the All-Star Game, and there are three home games in early February. Don't fly to the away game tomorrow. Let's rest in New York and recuperate!"

Li You also felt that the gorilla was really unlucky. He managed to get away with O'Neill, but suddenly got injured.

After a while, everyone on the Knicks team had to fly to Cleveland. In the end, Ewing could only listen to everyone's opinions and stay in New York:

"Guys, play well, we just got the second position, don't lose again!"

Hearing the boss's advice, everyone immediately responded positively, patting their chests to guarantee the next 4 wins and 0 losses.

After getting on the plane, Larry Johnson leaned over to Li You, "Aunt" hasn't completely given up on the All-Stars yet:
"Li, you know, the All-Star reserve list will be announced in a few days. Without Pat, we can play faster!"

Alan Houston saw that "Big Mom" ​​was still fantasizing about being an All-Star, and immediately joked:

"If we got the second place earlier, maybe there is still something to do!"

"This year's Eastern Conference All-Star head coach has been postponed to Doug Collins of the Pistons. If he really wants to choose a substitute, the Pistons will most likely lock in another spot."

"Don't worry about Glenn Rice, we'll just win back at home in early February."

In the game lost to the Hornets, Glenn Rice's state exploded, and "Auntie" lost face in the matchup, so she wanted to get back the field.

Glenn Rice has a high probability of being selected as an All-Star, and Larry Johnson doesn't want to be inferior to the opponent, and is still making the final effort.

"I will start tomorrow night's game, and I will speed up the attacking rhythm. Don't worry, Larry, as long as the opportunity arises, I will definitely find you!"

Hearing Li You agreed, "Auntie" felt completely at ease.

Without Ewing, he can be regarded as the team's number one star, and it's time to enjoy the core treatment!

The 1997 All-Star Game will be held in Cleveland. As the host, the Cavaliers will naturally have players selected for the All-Star Game.

As the leading star of the Cavaliers, Trier Brandon has long wanted to play against Li You. Both of them will play No. 1. He always thinks that Li You stole his best of the week trophy!
The media in Cleveland followed suit and complained about it, but the influence was so bad that no one paid any attention to them at all.
Li You didn't know that the player who was facing him at night had already matched Lemon, but in the game, he felt that the opponent was playing blindly.

The Cleveland fans at the scene would cheer along at first, but in the second quarter, the home team only scored 14 points in a single quarter, and then lost their temper.

At 52:34, at halftime, the Knicks had already led by 18 points.

During the intermission, Larry Johnson was too depressed to speak:

"I thought you were here to help me!"

Li You did pass the ball, but "Auntie", like Alan Houston, felt too bad, so he hit the iron hard.

"Very good, don't relax in the second half, we must ensure the victory of the game, before the All-Star Game, keep the No.2 position!"

Jeff Van Gundy, who was in charge of the first half, was in a good mood. He didn't expect the game to go so smoothly. Li You and Starks completely let themselves go and released their offensive firepower.

Leading too much, no one cared about Jeff Van Gundy's nagging, everyone wanted to finish the game quickly, and then go home to rest, the schedule was too dense, and everyone couldn't stand it.
In the second half of the game, the Knicks also started to play blindly in individual rounds, but the pitfalls in the first half were too big, and with more and more shots, the point difference was further widened.

Cavaliers fans were dumbfounded, it was completely different from what they imagined!

108:78, looking at the huge difference of 30 points, everyone in the Cavaliers almost shut themselves up
Losing this game, the Cavaliers' record came to 25 wins and 18 losses, falling to the ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

After the game, Li You found that Trier Brandon, who was facing him, was still glaring at him. He couldn't help but feel a little baffled. In the end, he simply turned his head back to the opponent and walked towards the player channel:

"Passerby A is also here to join in the fun?"

"."

On January 1, after returning to New York, the Knicks canceled the training session again, and the back-to-back was too exhausting.

The January schedule is all over, and the Knicks' record has now reached 1 wins and 35 losses, firmly occupying the second place in the Eastern Conference.

The NBA also announced the All-Star substitute list on this day. The seven Eastern Conference substitutes are:

Glenn Rice, Vin Baker, Trier Brandon, Tim Hardaway, Kristen Laettner, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber.

The seven substitutes in the Western Conference are:

Shaquille O'Neal, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Latrell Sprewell, Eddie Jones, Mitch Richmond, Tom Gugliotta.

After the list was announced, the sports media in New York ridiculed Trier Brandon:
"If he wasn't in the Cavaliers, he would have no chance to be selected for the All-Star bench this year!"

Ewing withdrew from the All-Star Game due to injury, and was replaced by Mutombo. The No. 2 Knicks in the Eastern Conference were not selected for the All-Star Game, and the New York media was blown away.
For two days in a row, the sports sections of several mainstream paper media were full of yin and yang satirical results of the selection of the All-Star substitute.

By the way, another wave of Jeff Van Gundy was sprayed, the rookie assistant coach didn't have any face at all, the Heat ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference, and Tim Hardaway was still selected as an All-Star.

和骑士队的虐菜比赛，李佑砍下24分5篮板10助攻3抢断2失误的数据，高效表现也拉高了一些当月数据。

1月共有16场比赛，李佑场均出场31.3分钟，场均拿到16.8分3.1篮板7.8助攻1.7抢断2.1失误；

He averaged 11.8 shots per game, shooting 46.8% from the field, 5.6 shots from beyond the three-point line, 38.2% from three-pointers, 4.0 free throws per game, and 90.7% from free throws.

With the data of the All-Star point guard, there are more and more articles in the newspapers satirizing the selection results of the All-Star substitute. Everyone thinks that the league deliberately suppressed New York.
On the morning of February 2st, Li You came to the arena early to conduct basic training step by step.

After Ewing was injured, the coaching staff canceled the morning training session. The too intensive schedule at the end of January did put a lot of effort on the body.

"Li, you still have to pay attention to your body. There has been a wave of injuries recently. An injury at this time will definitely affect the state of the second half of the journey."

"The second position is very good. If the playoffs go well, we will meet the Bulls in the finals. If we can reach the conference finals, the fans in New York must be very happy."

The equipment manager, Old Mike, helped Li You prepare training equipment, and recalled the team's tragic history by the way.
Larry Johnson, who had changed into his training clothes, came to the arena and saw Li You chatting with Old Mike, and immediately joked:
"How does it feel to lose the rookie of the month? I didn't expect Marbury's data to be so good. The performance of the recent rookie players is too exaggerated."

In the morning, the league just announced the best rookie of the month. Marbury and Li You of the Timberwolves had similar shooting percentages, but played a lot more.

场均出场38分钟，拿到20.9分2.8篮板8.5助攻1.0抢断3.0失误，马布里也打出了全明星控卫的数据。

"The award is not just awarded to me. 20+8 is definitely well deserved. Of course, our record is better. For me, winning the best rookie of the month is enough."

Li You didn't pick Lemon, but almost forgot about Marbury. After returning from injury, this cute newcomer has gained a firm foothold in the Timberwolves.

After Charlie Ward came to the training ground, he heard Li You and "Auntie" talking about the topic of the best of the month and the All-Stars, and his heart suddenly turned sour.

In just three months of limited playing time, Li You became the Knicks' No. [-] scorer, and Charlie Ward felt that he had no future in New York.
Most of the people who consciously practice more are in the atmosphere group. The newcomer Walter McCarty also picked up Lemon recently. He is also a rookie. Li You's statistics are all in the sky:
"Li, maybe there will be injuries among the All-Star substitute players, you still have a chance!"

The atmosphere group also followed to draw big cakes, but Li You didn't care about it, and followed everyone's nonsense:
"AMVP, this is indeed a good award!"

For Li You, the All-Star award can only help him increase his popularity, and winning the division championship is the most important thing.

With the All-Star game approaching, most players are starting to prepare for vacation. After all, only a small number of players are selected for the All-Star game. Life is bigger than basketball, and enjoying the vacation with peace of mind is the choice of most players.

On February 2, the Knicks once again ushered in a challenge from the Hornets at home.

In this game, Glenn Rice continued his fiery state, and veteran New York player Anthony Mason Jr. also wanted to prove himself at Madison Square Garden.

But in the face of the sudden rain of three-pointers, everyone in the Hornets was completely dumbfounded.

Jeff Van Gundy lost control of the team. The Knicks took 33 shots from beyond the three-point line that night and hit 14 goals. After the game, the number of possessions also came to 93 times.

99:110, the Knicks simply completed their revenge!
Even though the game is over, the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden is still hot, and commentator John Andaris shouted excitedly:

"Crazy shooting, crazy rhythm, unbelievable, we played such a game!"

The commentator Marv Albert looked at the technical statistics and subconsciously raised the volume:

"Rebounds 34:50, not only offense, we have an overall advantage tonight! I love Charles, he grabbed 21 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds!"

"The offensive and defensive balance, I must praise Lee, he is simply a master of rhythm, the Knicks completely controlled the game tonight!"

In 39 minutes of the first game, Li You made 20 of 10 shots, 10 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 4 free throws. He scored a game-high 28 points and also sent 11 assists.

"Li, congratulations. This is the fifth time you have scored 5+20 this season. Do you feel sorry for losing this year's All-Star selection?"

Li You, who maintained a smiling face, froze. He suspected that the reporter who interviewed him on the spot was a reporter from the New York Post, who even helped him get an All-Star loan in advance.
"I'm still a rookie. The victory of the game is due to the coaching staff. Before the game, we made a detailed game plan!"

"."

On February 2, the Rockets officially announced that due to injuries, Charles Barkley will miss this year's All-Star Game.

The room leak happened to be raining all night. The Rockets were a guest in New York that night. The game lasted 7 minutes and 42 seconds, and Drexler was injured and left the game.

The old Big Three lost two at once, Olajuwon seemed to lose his mood suddenly, and the Rockets suddenly stretched in the third quarter.

At 16:26 in a single quarter, the Knicks easily secured the victory.

In the end, at 95:108, the Knicks at home once again completed their revenge.

Rudy Tomjanovich, who was elected as the head coach of the Western Conference All-Star, didn't care about the outcome of the game.

It's just that after the team doctor determined that Drexler was going to miss the All-Star Game and it would take at least two weeks to fully recover, Tang Shuai's face was ugly, and he didn't even smile at the media in the press conference afterwards.

The elderly Big Three were most afraid of injuries, but the worst still happened
The Rockets were not the only ones who were unlucky. The Heat also confirmed Mourning's injury. In the end, they had no choice but to announce that Mourning would miss this year's All-Star Game.

Injuries to star players have also made the NBA a bit overwhelmed. Everyone wants to make this All-Star game a good one for the 50 superstar event. Without star players, there is not enough star flavor!

On the morning of the 5th, as the NBA announced the replacement list, fans in New York were also excited.

Li You successfully entered the All-Star bench as a replacement!
The NBA also took this opportunity to announce a record:
At 19 years and 036 days, Li You became the youngest All-Star player in history!

At the same time, Li You also tied the team history record of the Knicks. Like the team star Willis Reed, he was selected as an All-Star in his first year as a rookie!

On February 1997, 2, that day happened to be New Year's Eve. In order to celebrate Li You's selection as an All-Star, the Knicks took this opportunity to hold a New Year's Eve Party.

Although the event was a combination of Chinese and Western, and it was nondescript, many Chinese fans actively participated. With the blessing of various records, Li You's popularity in New York exploded!

At the community event in the afternoon, Ewing watched Li You making dumplings in different ways, and the New York fans who had never seen such a scene shouted and shouted, and for a while, his heart was full of lemons.
There was also a game against the Spurs in the evening, but everyone didn't care, it was another game that was destined to win.

Everyone in the Knicks team happily followed suit. The shape of the dumplings is not important, the main thing is to enjoy the process.
Jeff Van Gundy, who was already bald, didn't care about the fact that Li You made his own decisions in these two games and didn't play according to the tactical requirements:

"Li, on such an important festival, we should give a speech!"

Smiling and handing the microphone to Li You, Jeff Van Gundy beckoned everyone to be quiet for a while.

Li You, who was wearing a white apron, looked around the crowd and noticed that many Chinese fans were looking at him. He immediately smiled and said loudly in Chinese:
“I still prefer dumplings with pork and celery filling!”

The Chinese fans at the scene burst into laughter, and Mandarin shortened the distance between everyone.

The New York fans who didn't know why didn't care what Li You said, and also booed and cheered along with the children in the community.

Li You had a smile on his face. He felt that this was the happiest day he had ever been in the Knicks team. Looking at the dumpling in his hand, he also had mixed emotions in his heart:

"It's delicious but dumplings. On New Year's Eve, it's really nostalgic."

　Thank you book friends for your collection (﹃)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)