On June 4, 2001, the Knicks departed for Los Angeles for the next three games at the Staples Center.

G3 will officially start tomorrow night at 19:30, leaving little time for the two teams to rest.

Most of the Knicks who appeared at JFK International Airport were carrying a bunch of luggage, and the staff also followed all the staff, and a large number of people were blocked by media reporters.

Li You only carried a small bag, classic canvas shoes, light-colored jeans, and only wore a white printed shirt on his upper body.

For the reporter's interview, Li Youlai did not refuse, and the New York Post reporter took this opportunity to give the Lakers another eye medicine:

"When it comes to the away game, the referee will definitely help, Lee, we all support you, the league will never blow too much, the championship belongs to New York."

There are also a bunch of reporters from the New York Times who accompany the team, most of the errand jobs are newcomers, and they may still believe that the NBA has no script, and several new reporters also responded:

"The league will most likely give the other side some face, but the Lakers are not our opponents at all, if Grant can play the whole game, we can even sweep them!"

“.”

The reporters around Li You were all smiling, and some people have achieved four consecutive championships, but after 85 years, no team in modern basketball has achieved this achievement.

The closest is the Bulls led by Michael Jordan, if Mai Dunk does not retire, it is very likely to achieve this achievement, the "If" theory has not stopped, but after this year, the topic may be ended.

The Knicks also have a hidden danger that they will no longer be able to recruit All-Star players after the three salary caps are full.

The young people in the team will most likely have another choice when their contracts expire, and if the championship is there, there should be other pursuits, and they can be the boss, who is willing to sacrifice data to be a tool man.

The New York media also knows that the window for winning the championship is getting smaller and smaller, and it will be difficult to maintain the three maximum salaries after Li You's next maximum salary contract takes effect.

It is impossible to take a salary cut, and with what Lee Woo has achieved so far with the Knicks, it is basically all the way to the top salary until retirement.

No matter what the future holds, everyone feels that it is cool first, after all, there are too many uncertainties, and it is already God blessed to be able to maintain a high attendance rate in the past few years.

"Come on! Bro！ Don't worry about the game, even if we lose away, we can still get back to Madison Square Garden. ”

Spike Lee came to Lee Yo and hugged him, and after watching the ball for so many years, the longtime fan had expected the away road to be extremely difficult.

Li You smiled and patted the other party, and did not talk about the game, but joked:

'If we win away from home, you'll regret not being with the team.

Everyone laughed again, no matter what the away result was, winning two home games was the biggest guarantee, and everyone was in a very good mood.

When boarding the plane, the camera did not stop, and there were fans discussing it casually, and the number of viewers of G2 exceeded 20 million, and the finals were a carnival feast for sports media.

As soon as Jeff Van Gundy got on the plane, he whispered to the coaching staff about the next game plan.

The bald young coach has been a bit fluttery lately, and many sports media have dubbed him the greatest head coach of modern basketball.

It seems that there is only a matter of time left for the leader of Qiansheng to surpass the past, no one questions him anymore, and everyone is singing praises for him!

In the G2 game, the Knicks made 8 of 25 from beyond the three-point line, hit three-pointers in their early threes, and shot poorly, and Li You alone contributed half.

The defensive end is hard, the offensive end is bound to have an impact, and the outside projection Lakers are even more stretched, whether it is production or shooting, the Knicks are far ahead.

Assistant coach Thibodeau noticed that Van Gundy was a little absent-minded and whispered again:

"I have to keep the players on the lookout for fouls, especially inside fouls, and I have to control the number of fouls."

"Ben's rebounding is still very important, and we have to prepare more interior rotations in advance."

Jeff Van Gundy came back to his senses and then nodded, in fact, he was ready to lose:

"We don't have to put too much pressure on the players, as long as we can win one game, we have a good chance of ending the series."

On the other side, assistant coach Don Chaney heard the confident tone of the bald young marshal, and was a little surprised, three consecutive away games, the more difficult it is to drag the schedule back, the coaching staff is afraid that the league will add drama, but this one doesn't care.

Perceiving everyone's expressions, Jeff Van Gundy adjusted his tone again and said seriously:

"We can also increase Lee's playing time when necessary, and it's not a problem to play the whole game, and in this year's playoffs, we have consumed very little!"

Several members of the coaching staff looked at each other, thinking that there was some clever plan, but it turned out to be a dead thigh.

Assistant coach Thibodeau felt that it made a lot of sense, and subconsciously nodded his head, and began to praise in his heart:

"Sure enough, this is the strongest tactic of the champion coach!"

“.”

Although TNT can't broadcast the finals, this big hot spot has not been missed in these episodes, and the topic that the three of them have been discussing recently is why O'Neal is always being swept away.

Losing two games in a row, Charles Barkley has become a wall-to-wall grass, and the show threw out a surprising point:

"I insist I'm right, the days of the super center are over!"

"Mai Buckle beat the big guys, Lee did it, modern basketball is improving, and the tactics of the past are no longer able to win."

"Shaq is hard to defend against pick-and-rolls, unless he is back to his Magic size, Lee can attack and wear him down through pick-and-rolls, and as the series goes on, he won't always shoot 60 percent."

Kenny Smith didn't show a change of face, and when he heard this theory, he asked rhetorically:

"Maybe you have a point, but there is only one Mai Buckle in the Alliance, and now, there is only one Li in the Alliance!"

"There are fewer good outside players than big guys, and I mean the outside core who can lead the team to win."

"I have a lot of respect for the players who work hard in the NBA, but in the whole league, no one can play Lee's efficiency."

"Lee made it to the 180 club this year, and if that's your theory, it's not convincing at all."

"Imagine swapping Lee for another outside star player, would the Knicks still be able to beat the Lakers? The result is bound to be negative. ”

The trio have discussed this issue many times in the past two days, and Kenny Smith's so-called outside star players are All-Stars who are shooting in their early 40 percent.

It is easy to offend fans in an in-depth chat, and host Ernnie Johnson can only change the topic again and say:

"Basketball is round, anything is possible, that's why we love watching the NBA, and if the Knicks win four in a row, will Lee be the best player of all time?"

Charles Barkley still wanted to continue the discussion of the previous question, and at this time he could only say unsatisfied:

"I would still rank Lee second in history, he is only 23 years old, as long as he plays for a few more years and accumulates some honors, it is only a matter of time before he surpasses Mai Buckle."

"But it's hard for the Knicks to maintain their current roster, and they've accumulated a lot of talent, but the ball and the numbers are limited."

"New York doesn't care about the luxury tax, but it can't solve the problem of tactical position, and this is Lee's team and it's not going to change for many years to come."

Kenny Smith chuckled and asked rhetorically:

"Will Lee be a hindrance to the Knicks' lineup? I think a lot of people love playing with him! ”

Charles Barkley was not afraid of offending people, grinning at the camera and continuing with a serious expression:

"Lee's success is based on other people's compromises, I don't like to work with strong players, I prefer to have the final say in the dressing room!"

"There's only one boss on the team, why not me?"

“.”

The Lakers, who flew back to Los Angeles overnight, were naturally in no mood to watch TNT's gossip show.

Phil Jackson has some headaches, and it is indeed "basketball reasons" that Kobe Bryant wants to get a higher tactical position.

Li You's ridicule in the game didn't lie nonsense, the core players of the team will not become defensive tools.

The coaching staff usually takes the load off the superstars, even if the core players are good on the defensive end, and at most they take over the defense when it matters most.

Kobe Bryant didn't say anything during the game, but he already had an opinion in his heart, and he hoped to get the same shot as he did in the Western Conference playoffs.

And for the Lakers coaching staff, most of the outside players in the Western Conference are stretched hips, and the Spurs' outside line is a typical example

Fisher made a big splash in the Western Conference Finals and even hit a new career playoff high, but when it came to the Finals, he immediately wilted.

Phil Jackson would prefer to see O'Neal stabilize the game, Kobe Bryant can play explosively, the tactical status of the two has changed, and the coaching staff will also put a question mark on whether they can win.

After the morning video session, Phil Jackson sent Bryant some "thick chicken soup" in an attempt to appease the outside core:

"Winning means sacrifice, we all know that the ball is limited, and if someone focuses on attacking, naturally someone has to focus on defense."

"What Shaq can't do, everyone can only rely on you, Kobe, believe me, win the championship, and the doubts of the outside world will disappear."

'Now all we have to do is play for each other and after watching the footage, I'm sure you can see that we are capable of winning.

“.”

The champion coach babbled a lot, and even cited the example of Mai Buckle, although Kobe Bryant was fooled into a lot of relief, and finally put forward his own conditions:

"I want to be able to take over the game in the second and fourth quarters, I don't worry about fouls, as long as I get to the free throw line, I promise to hit all the free throws."

Looking at Kobe's serious expression, Phil Jackson finally nodded slightly, it is not bad to arrange the game in this way, and it can indeed make up for O'Neal's shortcomings.

The boss was frequently targeted by opponents on the field and led the team to lose all the time, and after O'Neal returned to Los Angeles, he was naturally questioned.

Combined with the experience of being often swept in the past few years of his career, ESPN has cooperated with the Lakers in the past two days.

After Magic Johnson joined ESPN, he also had the potential to have a big mouth, and O'Neal, who was repeatedly ridiculed, was also a little nervous at this time.

The Lakers' afternoon training session was still focused on stretching and recovery, and after the end, Kobe Bryant did not give an interview, and he didn't like these wall grasses who didn't understand the ball to evaluate themselves over and over again.

Many sports media surrounded O'Neal, and ESPN's reporters were not polite, and immediately asked about tomorrow's game:

"Shaq, if G3 loses at home, the Lakers' Finals journey will also be over."

Halfway through the question, O'Neill interrupted with some impatience:

"We'll win three home games and get match point, and while I don't like to pick up the prize on the road, the championship has to belong to the Lakers."

The Los Angeles Times reporter asked a much friendlier question:

"What changes will the team make in the upcoming home games? Shaq, can you talk about the morning video lesson? ”

Hearing this question, O'Neal remembered Phil Jackson's advice, and then thought of giving the ball to his younger brother, and felt a little uncomfortable in his heart:

'That's Phil's job, you can ask him, I'm giving it my all every game and I'm going to accept whatever the coaching staff does for the win.'

Without waiting for the melon-eating crowd to continue to ask questions, the staff of the Lakers pulled O'Neal away, and the Yahoo Sports reporter was a little unhappy, and couldn't help but complain to his peers around him:

"Lee won't refuse our interviews, the Lakers always like to put on a show!"

“.”

On the afternoon of June 5, the Knicks began to warm up early at Staples Arena.

The media in Los Angeles did not miss this opportunity and followed everyone to watch Li You's warm-up activities.

It is said that we have Kobe, but the Los Angeles media also likes the relatively gorgeous Lee You.

is also a warm-up, Li You can always play some new tricks, and occasionally show off his Logo three-point shot.

Watching Li You throw the ball into the basket near the players' tunnel, the media reporters at the scene all exclaimed, and then chattered and discussed.

Grant Hill, who was interviewed on the sidelines, was accustomed to Li You's ultra-long range, and at this time he joked with a smile:

"I wouldn't be surprised if one day I saw a long-range three-pointer become Lee's regular offense!"

"In training, Lee's projection also has a shooting rate of nearly 40 percent."

Hearing the crowd whispering, Grant Hill said earnestly:

"I'm not exaggerating, Lee is a cross-generational athlete who offers another way to play for future small players."

The mustachioed Grant Hill is still loved by the media, and even though he doesn't have much playing time, everyone still prefers to interview him.

Although Artest has performed well on the defensive end, most sports reporters have not paid attention to the newcomer, except for the New York media.

Ben Wallace was treated in the same way, with no criticism or praise, and "Little Ben" was unhappy with it, but he was powerless to change his stereotype.

Lost draft, short insider, and tool man are still his labels.

After coming to Los Angeles, Ewing did not forget to continue to pretend to be X, acting as an assistant coach during the warm-up, shouting loudly in the arena, and by the way, he also shared his low footsteps with the young big man in the atmosphere group.

Alan Houston, who was also being interviewed on the other side, suddenly turned into a straight boy, and when asked how to defend O'Neal, he generously said:

"We've exhausted all the means, but Shaq always scores, and in that case, we have to do our best to defend the perimeter players."

When a reporter from Yahoo Sports heard this answer, he suddenly asked:

"How will the team limit Kobe in the next series, he scored 30 points in the last game!"

Alan Houston touched his chin as if thinking about the answer, and then replied casually:

'Kobe is good, but we don't have a special defensive plan, he can score but he can't change the situation on the field.

"The Knicks aren't the Spurs either, and our perimeter defense is better!"

"Maybe he can score 40 points in a game, but from a series perspective, it's okay for the team to break out."

"We've played against McDunk, and with Kobe's current efficiency, it's not going to change our defensive strategy."

Alan Houston commented on the Lakers' outside line with a smile, and the Los Angeles reporter was furious:

"Too much deception!"

President David Stern also flew to Los Angeles, and the Staples Center was fully booked by the time the game started at 7 p.m. that night.

Mr. President had a smile on his face, and he sat in the front row with Old Bass, talking and laughing.

For the ratings of the first two games, the league is naturally very satisfied, and although NBC seems to be withdrawing from the next broadcast contract, as long as the existing ratings are maintained, the pick-up man will also offer a big contract.

A high broadcast contract will also improve the treatment of players, which is a win-win result.

Before the game even started, the noise at the scene became louder and louder.

Traditionally, NBC broadcasters will show the cityscape outside the arena before the game, but the footage is hardly different from last year, and the audience in front of the TV will only complain about too many commercials.

On the live commentary seat, Doug Collins kept talking to the camera:

"The Lakers have to keep this home court, warm up before the game, Lee is in very good shape, if you want to win the game tonight, in terms of responding to the ball, someone has to step up!"

"The G2 Knicks' outside shooting form has declined, but they will still shoot resolutely, and how to defend the three-point shot is also a huge test for the Lakers."

Marv Albert noticed that Lee Youzheng was greeting the fans in the front row, without a trace of nervousness, and immediately added:

"The rotation is also very important, and with the seven-man rotation, O'Neal has always had some fitness issues in the fourth quarter."

"Back at home, head coach Phil Jackson may have to make a readjustment."

Nicholson, who sat in his exclusive seat, was particularly involved in the game, and after the appearance ceremony, he nagged loudly on the sidelines:

"You don't want to claim the award in Los Angeles, the Lakers will win three games in a row! Three games! ”

Li You had just said hello to Denzel Washington when he turned his head to see the hardcore lake honey yelling at him.

"Don't worry, I don't like to receive awards away from home, I prefer to hear the fans cheering!"

Li You joked and bumped fists with the Oscar-winning actor, there were a lot of "Lake Honey" tonight, and the chanting singer even came.

Jeff Van Gundy posed on the sidelines in a modest black suit, and although he expected a home whistle for tonight's game, he couldn't help but admonish in the final warm-up stage:

"Guys, stay calm, whenever the opportunity arises, we will make a decisive move!"

"Don't worry about the referee's whistle, it's my job!"

Maybe it was because he thought that he could get the match point by winning one more game, but the bald young marshal suddenly became nagging, and he was only one win away from the legendary coach!

Everyone on the Lakers who came to the center of the court pulled their faces, and O'Neal stood in the middle line early, waiting to jump the ball with Ewing.

The fans at the scene also got up and shouted, and the cheering sound resounded in the stadium for a while.

O'Neal, who had a successful jump shot, quickly rushed across the halfcourt, and Fisher immediately gave the ball to Kobe Bryant, and then ran to the bottom left corner with Li You.

In the first round, it was no longer O'Neal who asked for the ball with his back in the low post, but came to the right elbow position and took the initiative to block and dismantle.

Bryant briefly escaped Alan Houston's chase after a quick forward change of direction and switched to his left hand, and then hit a pull-up jumper near the free throw line.

The rebound popped up and was immediately picked up by Ewing under the retracted basket, and Lakers fans sighed as they watched the Knicks launch a transition offense.

Li You, who received the ball, accelerated and rushed to catch up with the Lakers who retreated, Fisher desperately gave a physical confrontation, and noticed that the Lakers completed the position, and Li You slowed down at the top of the arc.

“Defense！.”

The defensive shouts became louder and louder, and when he noticed that there was no one to wrap up, Li You lowered his center of gravity slightly, and after dribbling the ball under his crotch, he switched to his left hand and immediately accelerated.

Fisher blocked the breakout in time and kept sliding to the right rear.

The two had just come to the free throw line, Li You suddenly stopped and pulled back under his hips, and the ball protector slapped away the opponent's pull, shaking out the space to shoot and immediately close the ball.

What Li You didn't expect was that Fisher fell backwards exaggeratedly, slid directly on the floor 2 meters away, and finally rolled backwards, fell next to O'Neal under the basket, and screamed in pain:

"Ahh

The referee immediately blew the whistle and gestured to signal Li You to attack and foul.

“Wow！”

The Lakers fans at the scene cheered loudly, but Li You was amused by Fisher's exaggerated acting skills, and this "dismount" seemed to indicate the scale of confrontation in this game.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was on the sidelines, didn't hold back, so exaggerated and faked the fall, and immediately complained loudly to the linesman:

"He flew two meters away, and Li just slapped off his arm, but there was no pushing and shoving, this is definitely a fake fall!"

Naturally, the referee didn't say anything, and the game quickly returned to normal.

It seems that there is no change from the first two games, and after Kobe Bryant hit the iron in the opening game, he honestly fed O'Neal the ball.

The Lakers still focus on the interior and rely on the sharks to score points.

On the Knicks' side, Li You was still hit by a lot of pinch shots, forcing him to play the ball early to slow down the offensive tempo.

The score alternated and the game seemed uneventful, but soon Ewing received his first personal foul – an illegal cover.

The referee's blowing penalty scale was extremely strict, and before the half-quarter of the game, the gorilla went off the court early.

With 3:42 left in the first quarter, Lee Woo hit a three-pointer on the right wing in the last round, and in the defensive round, Fisher slipped from left to right and cut into the block, and Lee Woo received his second foul.

Jeff Van Gundy was depressed and replaced Billups, and despite the boos of the audience, Li You walked to the bench with a relaxed expression, unaffected by the referee.

The bald young marshal patted Li You on the shoulder, and when he returned to his seat, Ewing complained in a low voice:

"The foul was played sooner than I expected, and I knew the league was going to take care of the Lakers."

At 17:18, Li You looked at the scoreboard, but his mood was not as bad as that of a gorilla, and he covered his mouth and responded in a low voice:

"Unless the opponent finds his touch outside the three-point line, with the current scoring efficiency, even if the game is at the last minute, the point difference is still within the trailable range."

In the battle of life and death, as the game progressed, O'Neal's free throws on the court were also accurate.

The Lakers thought that Lee Yoo would build a huge lead after he left the court, but with Billups and Artest on the court following up with three-pointers, the difference could not widen.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was fixed at 24:25, and the Lakers only led by one point.

O'Neal was the best player, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to score 14 points in a single quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, it was Kobe's turn to break out, and the "inefficient" long two-point shot in a row helped the Lakers continue to score points!

Kobe Bryant changed direction sharply at the top of the arc, dribbled a step after switching to his left hand, and hit a stop-and-go jump shot one step away from the three-point line!

“Wow！”

The Staples Arena was also completely boiling, and Kobe, who hit consecutive shots, bared his teeth and punched vigorously to vent his excitement.

The Lakers played lively, and the Knicks responded to the ball not badly, seizing the opportunity and responding from the outside.

At the end of the half, the score was fixed at 50:55, and the Lakers fans at the scene were only 5 points away.

9-of-15, Bryant scored 22 points in the half, and Phil Jackson also showed a relieved smile.

On the NBC commentary bench, Marv Albert commented euphemistically at this time:

"Lee needs to be aware of fouls, and unnecessary fouls will affect his playing time and then his game form."

"The Lakers showed determination to win at halftime, and Phil Jackson made timely adjustments!"

Doug Collins didn't want to say too much either, and tonight's whistle was a little flexible:

"A five-point margin is not safe, and for the Knicks, it may only take two rounds to overtake the score."

"The most important thing is the response ball in the final stages of the game!"

The two discussed it, and did not mention the outcome of the game, but just analyzed the state of the players.

Bryant, who was 8-of-11 from the field in the first quarter, did not reduce his desire to attack after the start of the second half.

just missed a few rounds of consecutive jump shots, watching Li You, who picked up a long rebound, counterattacked, Phil Jackson on the sidelines couldn't help but remind loudly:

"Pass! Give the ball to the inside! ”

It's just that at this time, Kobe Bryant has already entered the state, and it is useless to pause, just keep shooting, and the two of them are still strong under the basket.

Under the unreasonable offensive choice, Li You suddenly entered the state of "fast attack fierce as a tiger", and easily counterattacked and scored in several rounds in a row.

The margin narrowed step by step, and with 12.3 seconds left in the third quarter, the score came to 76-75 with Lewis's fast-break two-handed dunk.

With Fisher missing a three-pointer, the Staples arena suddenly fell silent, and only the crowd on the Knicks bench cheered loudly.

Jeff Van Gundy punches excitedly, and the break is crazy to send chicken soup!

It's just that after the game started, the bald young marshal first complained loudly in anger, then hugged his arms and was silent, and finally returned to the bench, helplessly beckoning Langley and Cooke to come on.

The game wasn't decided until the final minute, and when the final hum sounded, Staples Arena was boiling again.

At 100:104, the Lakers successfully protected their home court, and the series score came to 1:2.

“Ye！！”

Kobe Bryant hugged O'Neal excitedly, and his performance in the second half was really stretched, almost breaking the game in a wave.

Fisher also followed suit with a series of punches, constantly hugging his teammates and venting his excitement.

Although Li You played for a sparse time, he did not compete with the referee after the game, but handed over the game ball with a smile, and waved to the Knicks fans who were present by the way.

Played 37 minutes, 12-of-25, 5-of-12 from beyond the three-point line, 6-of-8 from the free throw line, 35 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers.

The efficiency declined, but Li You still handed over a pair of data.

Jeff Van Gundy was not interested in shaking hands with Phil Jackson after the game, and was hugged by Li You, walked to the players' tunnel, and was still shouting excitedly:

"Ugly victory! You stole our victory! I want to give feedback to the Alliance! The referees have to give me an explanation! ”

“.”

After the game, Jeff Van Gundy declined to be interviewed, apparently.

When Li You and Ewing attended the press conference, the gorilla did not have a good face, and took the opportunity to answer sarcastically:

"Close to Hollywood, this is Lakers basketball!"

The reporter in Los Angeles didn't care, just if the victory was in hand, the TNT reporter noticed that Li You didn't seem to have much emotion, and took the initiative to ask:

"Lee, how would you rate tonight's game? The Knicks seem to be affected by the blowing scale? ”

Li You shook his head, didn't care about the eyes of everyone in the audience, and replied in a relaxed tone:

'The scale of the penalty and the injuries are all part of the game, and as a team leader I think about how to get the away win.

“.”

After the G3 game, commentators said nothing about the penalty issue, the sports media chanted "the Lakers start to fight back", the NBA league announced that the viewership was up again, and the discussion of the Finals also increased.

After a break of more than two days, on the evening of the 8th, G4 of the finals, shortly after the start of the game, Jeff Van Gundy angrily attacked the referee.

Seemingly finding the right way to defend, with 4:01 left in the first quarter, Fisher caused an offensive foul and sent Lee Woo off early.

“Wow！”

The Staples Arena was full of cheers, and in the commentary seat, Doug Collins looked at Fisher, who was waving his fist in celebration, and praised with a smile:

"Brilliant defense, Fisher has been so good in these two games!"

"He's always in the right defensive position, and it looks like the Lakers have found the secret to winning."

Marv-Albert was a little unhappy in his heart, and without explaining too much about this round, he made a euphemistic suggestion:

"The referees should relax some of the confrontation scales, and after coming to Los Angeles, the blowing penalty seems too cautious, and the Knicks should also adjust in time."

Back on the bench, Li You and everyone briefly bumped fists, Ewing only felt that the video lessons of the past two days had been watched in vain, and he covered his mouth and complained in a low voice:

"There were a few more people on the court than we did, and I knew the league wasn't going to let the series end easily!"

Li You patted the gorilla, did not respond soundly, touched his chin and watched the game in deep thought:

"Maybe it's better to beat a blind chicken?"

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(End of chapter)