NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 789 "Our Role Model" (Chapter without a main character)
On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, the Miami Herald once again "loaned out" money for tonight's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals:
"Time has taken away the athleticism of the Celtics' veterans, and the irreversible decline has forced the 'Big Five' to accept defeat once again."

"James, Wade, and Bosh will continue their performance from Game 1. Let's cheer for our guys! Season tickets for next season will be available for pre-order soon."

While Vanity Fair in New York was gossiping about the White House press conference, the general public had no interest in basketball. Miami seemed to have become a second "New York," going on a spending spree after the semifinals began.

The team's first championship in history has ignited great enthusiasm among local sports fans, and even veteran fans have started cheering for their team after seeing hope.

Heat legend and franchise point guard Tim Hardaway didn't miss a single home game. After easily advancing through the first round, Hardaway got cocky, immediately making boastful remarks after a blowout win against the Celtics in Game 1:

"I am absolutely certain that we will win the Heat's first championship this year! The boys have carried on the team's culture."

The Kidney Warrior is still on the coaching staff this season. Although he didn't take out loans like his former teammates, he was still all smiles in a recent interview. Mourning made no attempt to hide his admiration, repeatedly praising him:

"We've built up amazing chemistry in just one season! You know, that's no easy feat!"

"Everyone on the team is willing to make sacrifices for each other. There is no doubt that the Heat will succeed. We have all the conditions for success."

"."

The reason they've become so arrogant is mainly because they won Game 1 too easily, 91-107. The Heat not only easily protected their home court, but their opponents also suffered injuries. It's like God is on their side.

Rondo strained his shoulder during the game, and after recovering, Jermaine O'Neal's performance was lackluster. The veteran Shaq on the bench is still troubled by an Achilles tendon injury, and his return date has been pushed back to June.

The Celtics did perform well in the first round, but the veterans were far inferior to the young Heat. Garnett, who played center, was covered in sweat after three quarters.

It's not just a matter of physical fitness; Garnett's lateral speed has dropped significantly. This could be masked by the relatively low intensity of the regular season, but the night before last, Garnett was unable to protect the rim and was ultimately overwhelmed in his attempt to deal with the opponent's small lineup.

Kendrick Perkins, returning from injury, failed to earn the head coach's trust, playing only 12 minutes. After the game, the large player was furious about the loss, bluntly telling reporters:
"We lack trust in each other! We can't win like that."

"Our opponents were more coordinated than we thought; they used their offensive power to destroy our defenses."

The Celtics' locker room has been experiencing some issues since the All-Star break. Although there is no mole, various rumors have been circulating.

The main issue remains playing time. Tony Allen has taken away some of Ray Allen's opportunities, and head coach Rivers almost DNPed Perkins during the regular season in order to cope with small lineups.

The overweight player, who had gained weight again, complained several times about it. Most players' stats were declining, and he couldn't control his dissatisfaction.

After leaving the hotel and boarding the bus in the afternoon, Garnett looked serious with a dark expression. He didn't want to deceive himself; if they lost again tonight, they would face a do-or-die game back at home.

Even with his confidence, Garnett couldn't guarantee he could win two games in a row. Pierce, standing next to him, also had no smile on his face; the original leader was also feeling the pressure.

Unlike his two teammates, Ray Allen, who put on his headphones and enjoyed the music as soon as he got in the car, didn't seem too bothered. He will opt out of his contract at the end of the season!
This will be his last season with the Celtics. Ray Allen is just trying to play well and doesn't crave a championship as much as he used to.

On the way to the American Airlines Center, the car became increasingly quiet. Even Nate Robinson, who was usually quite mischievous, fell silent. As for Shaquille O'Neal, the old shark "dreamed out the window" after getting in the car.

Jermaine O'Neal seemed to want to say something, a conflicted look on his dark face, but he swallowed his words; he wasn't the leader of this team.

"Listen, guys! I want everyone to play with a sense of desperation. You're not rookies, you know how to adjust your competitive state."

Standing at the front, Rivers, dressed in training gear, gave a loud pep talk in his hoarse voice, then paused briefly before looking around at everyone and continuing:

"The playoffs always start with winning on the road. Tonight, what we need to do is control the pace and not let our opponents easily counterattack again."

"As for the media reports, I believe no one will take them to heart. Remember, winning the championship will make us the real winners!"

"."

Rivers kept encouraging everyone. For him, it was too late to make tactical adjustments at this point. The only thing he could do was to inspire the players' desire for victory.

Garnett, the team's leader, quickly followed suit, expressing his determination to win the game. Pierce also urged his teammates to maintain their confidence, saying that one game doesn't prove anything.

Amidst a sea of ​​self-indulgent "chicken soup" quotes, only Rondo, with a dark expression, loudly issued his instructions:

"I will control the number of possessions and avoid making any more basic mistakes. I hope to see the team commit no more than 10 turnovers."

"Our opponents are more athletic than us. We need to use our brains and avoid making the same mistakes we made in Game 1."

Seeing the players "reflecting on themselves," head coach Rivers smiled with satisfaction. No one was criticizing the coaching staff; most media reporters were only trying to "criticize" them.

-

Before the game started at 19 p.m. that night, TNT's cameras followed three young Heat players.

Noticing that LeBron James wasn't throwing magnesium powder at the scorer's table, commentator Kevin Harlan couldn't help but sigh:
"After Game 1, James declared that the Celtics were a role model for the three of them, which shows that he truly respects his opponents."

Reggie Miller strongly dislikes "Big Three basketball." In the last game, James, Wade, and Bosh claimed that their idea of ​​forming a team was influenced by the Celtics' Big Three.

There's nothing wrong with forming a three-person team; they even believe that pursuing greatness means forming a "three-person team," a view that no one can refute, given that dual-core lineups have been consistently defeated in the past.

"Age should not be an excuse for losing! I believe Garnett and I share the same thought."

"I'm really looking forward to his response tonight; the Heat need to be careful."

Miller is praising Harden again. He doesn't want to see the Heat win the championship. The "Big Three" basketball has made his past experiences a joke, and some young fans are already mocking his persistence.

The American Airlines Arena had turned into a sea of ​​white, with Miami fans displaying tremendous enthusiasm and everyone anticipating a crushing victory!

After the game officially started at 19 p.m., Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was playing as a "fake starter," jumped for the ball. Amid cheers, James quickly dribbled across half-court and then immediately initiated a pick-and-roll with his teammate at the top of the key.

Pierce tried hard to chase after the screen, but James, holding the ball in his right hand, moved lightly, moved laterally, and suddenly accelerated to cut in, attracting O'Neal's help defense, and immediately threw the ball out.

"Oh"

Amid gasps of surprise, Ilgauskas, who was preparing to retrieve the ball in mid-air, was interfered with by Garnett. Fortunately, he managed to maintain possession after landing and launched a high shot. Jermaine O'Neal helped defend under the basket, and the ball bounced off the rim and went out.

After securing the rebound, Garnett immediately glared at his opponent after passing the ball, repeatedly patting his chest to display his tough-guy demeanor.

Rondo took control of the game's pace from the start, noticing the Heat's players' timely matchups, particularly in the left elbow area, and began to execute his usual routines.

After a simple screen, Garnett immediately broke up the defense and didn't push into the paint. When he moved to the left side of the court, Rondo, who was almost double-teamed by Randy Foye and Bosh, immediately returned the ball.

Garnett faked a shot, and seeing Bosh returning to defense, he simply raised his right hand, quickly adjusted his rhythm, and decisively jumped and missed!
Wade secured the rebound, rushing to the paint. He then accelerated at full speed in the backcourt, the Flash moving incredibly fast as he chased the retreating defender across half-court.

On the left wing, Wade, slowing down, suddenly changed direction in front of Ray Allen, lowering his center of gravity and switching to his left hand in an instant. He then accelerated again, still holding onto the defense, and drove into the three-point line. Noticing Garnett moving his feet under the basket, Wade didn't slow down. As he approached the basket, he jumped with both feet, curled up in mid-air, and glided to the lower right side of the basket before throwing the ball towards the backboard with his right hand!
"A terrifying drive! Dwyane Wade has shown his aggression!"

It was almost a one-on-three situation under the basket. Kevin Harlan exclaimed in admiration when he saw the brilliant shot. Wade didn't celebrate, but landed with a slight smile and quickly retreated on defense, showing his superstar aura.

Just like in Game 1, Ray Allen's defense had some issues. Reggie Miller, seeing him being outmaneuvered by speed in these possessions, could only offer a mild critique:

"That's why it's important to control the pace of the game. Once such a transition offense occurs, Wade and James can always find scoring opportunities."

In the subsequent games, Garnett, just like in Game 1, frequently took tough jump shots, while Pierce also went silent under James's pursuit and defense. Apart from one three-pointer with a pick-and-roll defense on the wing, he was mostly invisible.

The Heat brought in Joel Anthony early to wear down Jermaine O'Neal, and the resulting entanglement made it difficult for O'Neal to receive the ball easily and finish plays.

Coach Rivers on the sidelines was also a bit numb. If it weren't for Rondo and Ray Allen's drives and shots, and the occasional trip to the free-throw line, the game would have collapsed again.

With 4 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter, Garnett finally made a jump shot in the left side of the court, and the bench erupted in cheers. But the joy lasted less than 10 seconds before Bosh responded with a three-pointer.

As the washed-up Dragon King retreated on defense, he swung his left wrist arrogantly, his dark face full of excitement. Bosh really liked his opponent's offensive choices.

Mike Bibby, who came off the bench for the Heat, quickly showed his excellent form, receiving assists from James and Wade and hitting consecutive three-pointers from the left wing.

The second timeout failed to solve the Celtics' offensive problems. Towards the end of the first quarter, Shaq stared intently at the situation on the court as James once again overpowered his way to the basket for a layup.

When McGrady entered the game, there was little time left in the first quarter. He turned and made a jump shot over Tony Allen in the right-side paint, reigniting the atmosphere in the arena.

Mike Miller, who was retreating on defense, excitedly waved his arms and interacted with the fans, and for a moment, the cheers almost broke the silence of the arena.

At 20:32, the end of the first quarter, the Celtics looked helpless, seemingly following the same "script" as Game 1.

Coach Spoelstra was not careless either, and in less than 3 minutes during the rotation, he brought back the three-man lineup. The Celtics' veterans tried hard to keep up with the pace of the game, but they were still overwhelmed and knocked down.

An excited Wade and James then showcased their transition three-pointers, though both missed, but Bosh still managed to grab the long rebound.

After receiving the ball again in the left elbow area, Bosh made a strong drive with his left hand, and once again used his speed to draw a foul from Garnett. When the referee blew the whistle, the once-mighty "Dragon King" near the baseline looked up and roared:

"what!!"

Watching his opponent excitedly thump his chest, Garnett's face darkened even more. In this crucial game, he was like a blacksmith, increasingly anxious.

Pierce, who had been missing several shots, quickly led the Heat to several fast breaks. After James drove hard to the basket and completed a 2+1 play, American Airlines Arena turned into a sea of ​​joy. The veterans were getting blown out!
In the final moments of the first half, Wade pulled up for a jump shot after a screen on the left wing and made it, a buzzer-beating three-pointer that extinguished the Celtics' bench's spirits.

Everyone watched as the Flash raised his index finger at them, making a "shut up" gesture.
With the score at 36:59, the game was no longer in doubt, and Heat fans began celebrating their victory prematurely!

With 2 out of 9 shots made and a mere 4 points, Garnett's performance in the first half was extremely lackluster, aside from one highlight-reel block.
Pierce scored only 5 points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range, completely overshadowed by the chosen one.
Ray Allen scored a team-high 12 points on 3-of-7 shooting, 1-of-3 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. His offensive performance was decent, while his defense held Dwyane Wade to 7-of-13 shooting for 16 points.
After the start of the second half, the Celtics quickly surrendered. The "Big Five" who were substituted off the court were all expressionless, and head coach Rivers also had a "wandering" look in his eyes while sitting on the bench.

In the front row, Heat's all-time great point guard Tim Hardaway was still enthusiastically interacting with the team. During the break, he even raised both hands and gave a series of high-fives, loudly praising Hardaway:

"That's it! Kick their asses hard!"

"."

During garbage time, the fans in the arena can still enjoy McGrady's excellent performance, with rhythmic breakthroughs and mesmerizing pull-up jumpers. Although the speed has slowed down a lot, his skills and ball sense are still there.

Completely relaxed, McGrady even used a screen at the top of the key to cut through the middle and finish with a one-handed dunk, sending the "washed-up second man" roaring with passion into the boiling arena:

"No one can stop me!"

McGrady's passionate punch sent the Heat's bench into a frenzy, with James jumping and dancing, pulling everyone along in a joyful celebration.

Finally, when the buzzer sounded, the score was 85-112. The Celtics' veterans were once again blown out, and the game ended quickly in the player tunnel.

靠着第3节的高效表现，出战33分钟的詹姆斯18中11，三分线外5中2，罚球7中5，贡献29分5篮板4助攻1抢断2失误的数据。

In an interview with TNT, the chosen one, who scored the highest in the competition, smiled broadly and commented that his opponent was as humble as ever:
"Every player has bad nights, we were just the luckier ones!"

"Like I said, Garnett and his teammates have always been our role models."

"Everyone knows that no one can achieve what Lee did, but most players in the past were content with the status quo. Only Garnett took the initiative to challenge himself and changed the established model of basketball!"

"This also motivates us. Everyone on the Heat will show them respect, and I believe our opponents will be happy for us too."

Wade and his friends behind him were laughing and joking around. Garnett was right, it's definitely better to form a team early. They didn't take any detours, all thanks to the guidance of the former MVP!

-

Thursday, May 5th, had no matches scheduled. In the afternoon, TNT's program reviewed the semi-final matches.

In the Eastern Conference, MVP Derrick Rose had a poor performance in Game 2, shooting 9-for-27 from the field, 1-for-8 from three-point range, and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line, scoring an inefficient 23 points and committing 8 turnovers.
The Cavaliers won easily despite a poor performance, bringing the series to 1-1. Deron Williams and Dwight Howard quietly regained control of the game.

In the Western Conference, the Thunder's "three referees" were criticized, but they still won two games at home, taking a 2-0 lead over the Rockets. Yao Ming performed well, but Durant was on fire.

In another game, the highly anticipated Mavericks failed to continue their magical performance after winning Game 1. Stoudemire had a strong outburst, scoring 38 points and grabbing 16 rebounds for a double-double, leading the team to victory.

The score is currently tied 1-1, and commentators believe that a Game 7 is very likely, with Artest's shooting form remaining "unpredictable".

After the director reviewed the game, when the camera returned to the studio, the trio gave a brief commentary and then started gossiping. Although the semi-final was great, the player who had been generating more buzz these past few days was Isaiah Thomas, the legend.

On June 30th, Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh's contract will officially expire, and James Dolan has confirmed that he will retire. Isaiah Thomas has recently regained his energy.

Recently, a column in the Los Angeles Times explained the struggles of older athletes from a scientific perspective, with irreversible joint problems becoming a hot topic among fans.

Isaiah Thomas, appearing on an ESPN program, used himself as an example, then confidently boasted:
“I will help Lee resolve this problem; New York still needs a champion.”

"I've talked to Dolan about this. Bringing in another All-Star caliber scorer would help relieve some of the pressure on Lee, and I've already developed a plan for that."

"Believe me, this will be big news, and New York fans will be excited about it."

After the show ended, sources revealed that Isaiah Thomas and Carmelo Anthony had recently been in close communication.
The news was utterly false, yet many still believed it. When the trio discussed the topic, Charles Barkley grinned broadly, as if he had heard the funniest joke, and openly mocked them, saying:
"Isaiah Thomas hasn't realized one thing: Lee never mentioned that his physical condition was declining!"

"As the team's general manager, Li shouldn't allow others to interfere; the old man should just watch the game quietly."

(End of this chapter)