NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 780 The Ubiquitous "Simp" (Daily Life Chapter)
On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, the rebuilt Mavericks faced their final opponent on their Eastern Conference road trip: the 76ers.

Both teams made blockbuster trades before the trade deadline. Despite many commentators giving them very low ratings, both the Mavericks and the 76ers went on winning streaks after the trades.

The 76ers have seen a significant impact since acquiring Kobe Bryant, going on a winning streak to bring their record to 30 wins and 28 losses. If they can maintain this momentum, returning to the playoffs should not be a problem!

However, Philadelphia's biggest problem is its roster depth. While the starting lineup has Kobe Bryant and Elton Brand, the bench is simply empty.

Doug Collins, with his "clear thinking" in the commentary booth, looked like a legendary coach. However, after Kobe joined the team, the veteran coach's tactics became increasingly blatant.

"Give the ball to Kobe"

The 76ers didn't need to gel as well, and with Mamba's relentless offense, they went on a winning streak. This is a good thing, considering they've already given away their draft picks. Striving for the playoffs will at least make the fans happy.

In stark contrast to Philadelphia, Dallas, having absorbed the championship experience, displayed a more cohesive teamwork than commentators had anticipated.

Coach Carlisle continued to rely heavily on the bench, and the "two shorts" duo of Barea and Jason Terry shone brightly. Old Kidd was also in good form, and the Mavericks suddenly looked like they had a championship.

This is inseparable from Artest's support. Ever since Wade and Haslem gloated and mocked him, the former championship forward who had been slacking off has completely returned to basketball.

While this is related to the Texas system, Artest's decision to stop taking wild shots and his aggressive defense have increased the Mavericks' toughness.

Even when things get really tough, it's okay. No one in the locker room criticizes the veteran. With the help of his old teammates, Artest has returned to "normal," and his irritable temper has disappeared.

With two newly formed teams meeting, Philadelphia has been hyping up the game, with tickets selling out early. 76ers fans are all hoping that Kobe will put on a spectacular performance tonight!
Columnists for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News were particularly active after the trade, and CSN Philly, as the broadcaster, went on a spree of praising their "own kid," Kobe.

76ers home commentator Marc Zumoff even got into a heated argument with Knicks commentator Mike Breen because New York mocked the Mamba's abilities.
Commentator Eric Snow, a former 76ers player, joined in the praise to pander to the fans, even taking a jab at the fading Philadelphia star in the previous games:
“I know Iverson, he’s a fighter who gives his all on the court, but Kobe’s ability is on another level. The 76ers now have a true cornerstone!”

"."

These words angered Iverson's longtime fan of more than 10 years. There are similar fan clubs in Philadelphia, although the two are not comparable in size, "meetings" are a regular occurrence.

Eric Snow was criticized by fans after the game, with some older fans even bringing up old grievances, believing that Iverson's repeated losses were due to a lack of support from his teammates.

The Philadelphia basketball market is now completely revitalized, as lively as when Iverson won the scoring title. Young people are starting to believe in the Mamba, and Kobe is gaining respect in his hometown that he has never received before in his career!
Not only did Vanessa win the hearts of fans on the court, but she also brought her children to Philadelphia in her personal life. After Kobe experienced a low point in his career, the two seemed to have reconciled, which was widely reported by the Philadelphia media.

At 18:30 p.m., the Wells Fargo Center was packed to capacity, and the cheers were deafening as the DJ loudly introduced the home team members.

Wearing his white home jersey number 24, Kobe ran out of the player tunnel amidst cheers, constantly high-fiving his teammates. His dark face showed no smile, but his superstar aura was undeniable!

This season's 76ers jerseys have a retro feel, with white as the home color and red as the away color. The color scheme is very beautiful. Kobe, who took off his training clothes, was still wearing white elbow pads. Just this "skin" made many fans scream.

Compared to the high-profile home team players, the Mavericks players, wearing their away blue jerseys, were much more low-key.

The 76ers players didn't smile, while the Mavericks players were laughing and chatting non-stop, even their star player Nowitzki had a smile on his face, and the whole team was in a joyful atmosphere.

In the commentary booth, Mark Zumov, wearing black-rimmed glasses, seemed captivated by Kobe's "championship aura," and couldn't stop praising him before the game:
"Kobe changed the spirit of the 76ers! It's unbelievable that he did it in just one week!"

"Holiday, as a rookie, told me that training sessions are much more effective now than before. Everyone is influenced by Kobe, which is what the 76ers have always lacked."

Newspapers and insiders have been reporting wildly about Kobe Bryant's dominance on the training court lately, and Eric Snow, taking advantage of his partner's words, also started gossiping about his own inside information:

"Kobe's championship experience has benefited the young players! With a leader like him, the 76ers will soon be back in the Finals!"

"It's not just training sessions; under Kobe's influence, many people have given up having fun, and now everyone is fully committed to basketball games. He changed everything."

The two couldn't stop bragging, but Philadelphia fans loved it. Their neighbor New York was winning every day, and they wanted to experience the joy of winning too!
At 19 p.m., the game officially started as Elton Brand jumped for the ball. Kobe, who was running to half-court, immediately directed the rookie and signaled for a low-post play.

Spencer Hawes attempted to use a cross screen on the baseline to switch Nowitzki to his defense, but Chandler quickly squeezed past him and immediately secured a strong defensive position.

Facing the defense of the championship center, Elton Brand, as always, "softened," missing a turnaround jump shot on the right low post. Artest boxed out Kobe and successfully secured the defensive rebound.

Lacking a small forward, the 76ers fielded a three-guard lineup, with Jodie Meeks playing shooting guard. Head coach Doug Collins also followed the trend, implementing a multi-ball system.

Kobe, retreating on defense, shouted instructions again, and his teammates quickly returned to their half of the court. Nowitzki had just positioned himself on the right side of the court when he received the ball with his back to the basket, then smoothly released the ball with his right hand and turned to break through.

After shaking off the defense, Nowitzki leaned back and watched as the ball swished through the net.

"Shh!"

The boos that echoed throughout the arena didn't dampen the Germans' spirits. The Mavericks quickly retreated on defense, and the 76ers inbounded the ball from the baseline. Holiday, who had advanced past half-court, was then pressured by Kidd.

The rookie saw Kobe make a quick cross-court cut from left to right and instinctively passed the ball, but Artest seized the opportunity to push past Mamba and successfully steal the ball.

Kobe wanted to chase back, but Kidd, who had successfully retrieved the ball after crossing half-court, didn't hold onto it and delivered another bounce pass, easily finding Rodrigo Beaubois heading towards the basket.

The 76ers couldn't catch up and watched as their opponents glided in for a dunk!
The French rookie, who has recovered from injury, is in good form and has won the trust of the head coach. He also gave a thumbs-up to the two veterans as he ran towards the halfway line.

When the 76ers attacked again, Spencer Hawes, who received the ball on the left side of the court, was still observing the situation when Kidd on the wing suddenly came up to help defend and tried to pass the ball back to the top line, but he made another mistake.

Kidd, who successfully intercepted the ball, didn't rush to switch offense. He waited for the 76ers to get back on defense before calmly starting a pick-and-roll.

As Nowitzki faked a screen at the top of the key and bounced out, Kidd, with Holiday hanging on, broke into the paint. The veteran made a pass that looked like a throw, but by the time Brand, who was helping to defend, realized something was wrong, Chandler had already taken off.

"what!"

After completing a powerful two-handed dunk, the championship forward roared and pounded his chest, not forgetting to loudly taunt his old rival as he retreated on defense:
"You can't do anything!"

Chandler has a wealth of experience playing against the 76ers; he knows his opponents very well and has never taken this team seriously.

The same goes for Artest. The championship forward not only didn't take the 76ers seriously, but he even looked down on Kobe, who was next to him. On the defensive end, he would hug Kobe as soon as he received the ball, making it difficult for Kobe to easily reach the sweet spot.

Kobe, who received the ball on the right wing, was pushed off balance by Artest. The referee made no call, and Kobe glared at his opponent before immediately driving to the basket.

The weight-loss champion forward successfully limited the post-surgery Mamba. Kobe was unable to gain much space, and after a sudden stop, he immediately twisted his body and began to post up the ball repeatedly.

"Oh!" Amid cheers from the fans, Kobe swayed his shoulders, then quickly turned towards the baseline and unleashed his signature fadeaway jumper, successfully assisting Chandler under the basket.

Unable to retreat on defense in time, during the transition offense, Kidd found Nowitzki on the left wing. The German caught the ball and threw it, and the basketball arced through the net!
With the score at 7-0, head coach Doug Collins on the sidelines couldn't help but shout loudly, "This game doesn't look right!"
The 76ers frequently fell into half-court offense and started setting pick-and-rolls, but unfortunately Kobe was not in good form tonight and was repeatedly interfered with by Artest who forced his way past him.

Thanks to the responses from role players, Philadelphia managed to maintain the point difference, while Mamba seemed to have disappeared again.

Before the official timeout, the championship forward pulled Kobe down near the free-throw line. Amid boos, Artest stood up, stared at the Mamba face-to-face, and loudly mocked him:

"Don't try to act like a superstar in front of me! You can't do anything without an MVP!"

"."

Kobe, with a dark expression, shook his head, seemingly too lazy to pay attention to Artest. As a result, he was pushed by the championship forward and stumbled, and the referee blew the whistle repeatedly.

Seeing the two pushing each other, the old Kidd grinned, and for a moment the players from both sides crowded around the two.

Wells Fargo Center erupted again. Regardless of the outcome, this game was much more exciting than ever before. Every game saw someone challenging Kobe, making the ticket sales a huge profit!
After the conflict, Kobe finally regained his touch, but by the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks, with multiple players contributing, had extended their lead.

At 32:22, Eric Snow, watching Artest waving his arms and cheering, seemed to recall some "painful" memories and stopped praising him, subconsciously sighing:
"I see the Knicks' shadow in this Mavericks team."

-

On Wednesday, March 2nd, the 76ers' crushing defeat at home delighted New York fans, with the New York fan club even replacing Carmelo Anthony with Kobe Bryant and giving him a good "beating".

During the afternoon's First Take program, Stephen A. Smith once again displayed his usual smug expression, making a sarcastic remark:

"Philadelphia needs to wake up from its dream! Kobe? If he can lead the team to a championship, the Lakers won't give up on him!"

"Listen, the 76ers won't have a championship for the next few years because Lee will continue to dominate them!"

"Kobe is a joke. He can only imitate. Just look at his advanced stats to see how bad he's been these past few years."

111:93，76人队输得痛快，科比全场27中11，三分线外7中2，罚球14中12，贡献了全场最高的36分.
Because of the blockbuster trade, the NBA's buzz has skyrocketed, and Skip Bayliss hasn't heard his partner bragging about it for a while. Seeing his partner enthusiastically praising Li You, he had to interrupt:
"The 76ers will make the playoffs!"

"Playoffs? What does that mean? Can Kobe lead this team to a championship? Eighth place, they'll be swept out by the Heat!"

The Knicks have been on a losing streak on the road recently, and they seem poised to snatch the number one draft pick, but Stephen A. Smith doesn't seem to care. He continues to ask questions with an air of superiority, leaving his partner shrug and gesturing in disbelief.

"I think Meta is fine. Like he said after the game, he has eight rings, and he only respects ability!"

"."

That evening, the Knicks returned to their home court for their first nationally televised game in March.

The Hornets are still striving for a better playoff seed, which makes Chris Paul feel a little bittersweet. Apart from Anthony, Wade and James seem to be on the verge of success, which makes him even more eager for a championship.

Without the pressure of winning, the Knicks' locker room atmosphere was relaxed, and the rotation players had more and more opportunities. Ibaka even squeezed into the starting lineup, and Ben Wallace became the main substitute.

JR Smith struggled with his shooting in the first quarter, but the Knicks still managed to take an easy lead thanks to transition offense and excellent offensive rebounding.

Paul, sitting on the bench, was a bit frustrated. He went 0-for-2, and although he dished out 5 assists, he had zero points. The more Paul held onto the ball, the more pressure Li You was able to put on him.
At 25:30, the score difference was small, but Madison Square Garden was filled with jubilation. Baron Davis, who came off the bench, grinned from ear to ear, clearly in a great mood!
Danny Green had thought that the team's atmosphere might improve after Chalmers left, but he didn't expect that after the Beard came, the "licking" was even more intense!

If he hadn't experienced the game firsthand, and only watched Baron Davis's post-game interview, he would have thought Li You scored 50+ points in every game.
In the second quarter, the Knicks' height dropped drastically, and their frontcourt duo became Diaw and Ben Wallace, with Thaddeus Young playing the small forward position. The lineup didn't look very good, but they still managed to go on a scoring run.

After arriving in New York, he finally got to eat dumplings. Facing Jarrett Jack, Baron Davis kept driving and shooting, and even made a three-pointer in transition!

Carl Landry repeatedly missed rebounds, leading to second-chance opportunities, and Danny Green also capitalized on his chances from beyond the three-point line. Coach D'Antoni on the sidelines nodded repeatedly, the rookie not disappointing the coaching staff's expectations.

After a 12-2 run, Monty Williams had no choice but to call a timeout, and the defending champions returned to their home court full of energy.
"Well done, Bro!"

Wearing his training uniform, Li You smiled and gave Davis a high-five. Davis grinned and started showing off again:
"I'm about to become a championship-winning guard; that little black guy on the other side can't stop me."

Upon arriving in New York, the bearded man quickly learned how to "take out loans," using it with remarkable ease, leaving Danny Green behind him speechless with astonishment.

In the later stages of the game, the Hornets tried to fight back, but unfortunately, in the crucial third quarter, Chris Paul went 0 for 3, and after the quarter ended 20-33, the game became garbage time.

9中2，4分3篮板10助攻1抢断3失误，保罗表现拉胯，最后一节坐在座位上默默看球。

At the end of the game, the score was 88-118, and the Knicks won again at home, followed by another round of jubilation.

After the loss, the Hornets' record is 35 wins and 27 losses, which doesn't look great, but they still have a chance to squeeze into the top half of the standings, as the strength of the Western Conference has declined significantly this year.

仅仅出场28分钟，15中10，三分线外9中6，罚球4中4，李佑贡献了全场最高的30分。

In a post-game interview with ESPN, Li You also spoke highly of the new signing, seemingly forgetting about Baron Davis's serious physical decline:

"We will have many young players in this year's draft, and Byron's experience can help them!"

"As an excellent point guard, he can control the pace of the game."

On the other side, Baron Davis, covered in sweat, started his usual boasting during an interview, a serious expression on his face:
“Playing alongside Lee is something every player dreams of! It’s also always been my dream to compete with the GOAT, and I will share that championship experience with my children.”

"Lee even reignited my passion for basketball. You know, I had a tough time with the Clippers, and God brought me here. Lee saved my career!"

"I even feel like I'm in better physical condition, it's unbelievable. Maybe this is Lee's magic, he's the god of basketball."

Danny Green, listening from behind, felt a chill run down his spine. Harden was preaching like this, and Chalmers was nowhere near as good as the Beard in this regard!

However, seeing Li You and Davis chatting and laughing as they walked towards the locker room, Danny Green, following behind, had a sudden thought. Considering the team's future, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"I've learned something! No one will be able to compete with me in the future."

"."

(End of this chapter)