On the evening of May 3, 2004, at Madison Square Garden, New York fans witnessed the Nets' fierce resistance.

Perhaps because of the previous two consecutive years of being swept, the Nets played clearly with emotions tonight.

After setting the tone for the game in the first quarter, Kenyon Martin, led by Kidd, led the charge and determined not to let the Knicks have an easy chance to score.

Unlike the Celtics' performance of the fish belly that surrendered at halftime, even if they kept behind, the Nets' defense never slackened.

The big delay couldn't keep up with Li You, so he simply pulled his hands neatly, broke through to the basket and couldn't block, and finally chose to hold someone in the air and foul.

In this case, the big man Collins received five fouls in the third quarter of the game.

When he was substituted, Collins played just 13 minutes

The referee blew the whistle frequently, and the game was not smooth, which made the New York fans on the scene very dissatisfied, in their opinion, 20 points behind, it was time to surrender the performance!

In the fourth quarter, the Nets simply switched to Rodney Rodgers and continued to bet on the forward player's projection.

The result was disappointing, and he hit two more in a row after coming on, which forced Kidd to carry the attack on his own.

With 3 minutes and 16 seconds left in the game, the game was long gone, but most of the Nets' starting lineup was there, and Kidd would not admit defeat even if he was killed tonight.

On the ESPN commentary booth, Doug Collins also praised the Nets' spirit of the game:

"Regardless of the outcome of this series, the Nets have shown their fans how hungry they are to win!"

"I'm sure this team will be successful and Kidd is a good leader."

In the compliment, at the top of the arc, Kidd accelerated the breakthrough with the ball in his right hand with the help of Kenyon Martin's cover.

Under the interference of Lee You, who was chasing after him, Kidd suddenly made a sudden stop in the paint area, stepped sideways and then drifted to the right to shoot a jumper.

Kenyon Martin struggled for the rebound, but the action was too big, and he and Gasol pushed each other, and the referee caught him again.

"Squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Kenyon Martin, who had received his sixth foul, pulled out his shirt in frustration and wiped his face, then walked to the bench with his head held high.

"Shh

Boos and shouts resounded in the stadium, what was the spirit of losing?

Most fans prefer to see their opponents frustrated, and Kenyon Martin's poor performance and his high spirits are naturally unpopular.

At 73:99, the game was out of suspense, and Kidd was still telling Aaron Williams, who had just debuted.

The Nets scored just 37 points in the half, and the Knicks scored 52 points defensively.

The Nets played well tonight, but they couldn't keep up with the response ball, and after playing 18:27 in the third quarter, they still didn't give up in the fourth quarter.

Michaels heard his partner slam the Nets' mental attributes, and it was difficult to pick up the conversation, and in his opinion, the gap between the core players of the two teams was too obvious.

Li You did not shoot crazy when he was trapped, but took the initiative to slow down the pace of the game and distribute the ball reasonably.

Every now and then, take advantage of the Nets' defensive holes and score through transition offense and one-on-one.

Kidd didn't have to be trapped, and Lee's defensive strategy was to shoot and cut off the passing route as much as possible.

With easy scoring opportunities, Kidd is currently 4-of-13, 1-of-5 from beyond the three-point line, 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, and has 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 8 assists and 4 turnovers.

Seeing Li You's baseline catch, Michaels euphemistically commented on the Nets' scorer:

"Coach Frank should be ready for the rest of the game, and the Nets have to hit those response shots."

"Jefferson didn't play in the last series against Artest, and they had a big problem scoring."

Jefferson, who was still on the court, was completely invisible in the fourth quarter, shooting 3-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line, scoring 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 turnovers.

The foul count also came to 5 early, and Jefferson was stalked by Artest, and the offensive end showed a particularly stretched hip.

The New York fans at the scene felt that the game was not good-looking, the Nets always fouled, the game time was extended, and the big lead did not get the pleasure it deserved:

“Let's go Knicks！.”

Angry cheers resounded through the arena, and the Nets' stalking completely angered the fans at the scene.

Kidd's face was expressionless, seeing Li You's relaxed expression, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly, and the opponent was more patient than he imagined.

Li You actually enjoyed this kind of game, the more the opponent resisted, the more excited he became, the point difference did not matter, he enjoyed this relatively difficult winning process.

After carrying 5 fouls, Kidd no longer defended at this time, and at the top of the arc, he waved his hand to direct the opponent to follow the defense.

Aaron Williams, who had just made his debut, followed Gasol to the top of the arc.

With Lee Yoo in his left hand pushing the ball and using the cover to get rid of Kidd, Williams, who was delayed, tried to steal and try to disrupt the rhythm of the dribble with a body collision.

Lee Woo moved sideways to accelerate, helping Williams to try to get out of the defense, Gasol quickly went down, and Kidd switched defenses while cutting off the passing route.

Failed to squeeze through the delay, and when he came to the right flank, Li You immediately made a sharp stop, and his right hand exploded the ball vigorously, and he quickly crossed and pulled back.

Williams hurriedly adjusted the center of gravity of his body, and saw Li You's crotch change direction again, and subconsciously slid to the left rear.

After completing the change of direction, Li You pretended to lean out to accelerate, deceived the opponent's center of gravity, immediately closed the ball with his feet, returned to outside the three-point line, and made a quick jump shot!

"Huh!" Three-pointers hollow into the net.

The New York fans in the arena shouted with joy that the difference in points didn't matter, everyone just wanted to see the opponent's incompetent and furious look.

Williams glanced at Kidd helplessly and spread his hands slightly, he did his best, but in tonight's game, when he encountered a small opportunity to play big, Li Youzhu was ridiculously accurate

At 73:102, Coach Frank crossed his arms on the sidelines, and he tried to make a substitution, but Kidd insisted on playing the full game.

For the rest of the game, Kidd still maintained a positive attitude and commanded his teammates loudly.

It's just that the Nets are extremely lacking in scoring means, with two rebounds, strong offense in the low post, and a low offensive success rate, which allowed the Knicks to seize some opportunities to switch offense.

Until the buzz of the final game, the Nets didn't give up.

"Shh

The opponent resisted stubbornly, the game was not good-looking, and everyone naturally wanted to spray everyone in the Nets.

79:108, despite losing by 29 points, Kidd didn't care, clapping his hands to encourage his teammates while walking briskly to the players' tunnel.

Obviously, the opponent didn't plan to let the Knicks win easily, but Lee Woo was unaffected, and he was happy with the content of tonight's game, except for the free throws that were a little boring.

Hill Blacksmith possessed, didn't seem to be ready, there was a small problem with the finish under the basket, and when he returned to the bench, he couldn't help but quip:

"I almost forgot how to play in the playoffs, and the Nets reminded me that Kidd did a good job!"

Kidd is like "Coach Kei", and Grant Hill teases Kidd for even calling a timeout, which makes several people chuckle.

The Knicks coaching staff usually sets the general direction, Lee Woo controls the game, and the Nets become Kidd's big deal.

Li You, who is being interviewed by ESPN, is also admiring his opponent's performance tonight:

"It's the game I'm looking forward to, the stats don't tell the impact Kidd had on the game, and tonight their defense was fantastic!"

Li You, who crossed his waist, briefly introduced the opponent's defensive strategy, and when asked about the trend of the series later, he immediately replied with a smile:

"The Nets are strong, their overall defense is fantastic, but that doesn't affect the Knicks winning."

"I like to compete against opponents who have a fighting spirit, and it brings out a better version of myself!"

Played 38 minutes, 13-of-22, 5-of-9 from beyond the three-point line, 10-of-10 from the free throw line, 41 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 1 turnover.

Li You, who handed over this data, did take the initiative to exert his strength, and the two pairs of data of 40+ completely crushed Kidd.

At the end of the interview, Li You continued to wave to the fans, he is not an impulsive young man, and he can enjoy this kind of game.

On the morning of May 4, the New York Times had a column mocking the Nets' game strategy:

"Shatter the rookie coach's illusion that defense can't beat the Knicks."

Coach Frank didn't say much after the game, Kidd was in complete control of the game and all he could do was perfect the game for his players.

At this time, most of the sports media gathered in Minnesota, and today the league officially presented Kevin Garnett with the award.

Garnett, dressed in a formal suit, gave himself two punches after receiving the trophy at the press conference, holding the trophy and pulling his neck and screaming excitedly.

Everyone could see that Garnett was very emotional, and in the speech that followed, the tough guy thanked his family, teammates, coaching staff, and fans with tears in his eyes.

After some thanks, the group of relatives and friends also began to shed tears, and Garnett said excitedly:

"For me, basketball isn't just a sport, and basketball isn't just a job!"

"Basketball is like air, I rely on it every day, for me, that's what basketball is all about, basketball is my life!"

“.”

There was a round of applause, and Garnett's words were a little provocative.

After all, Li You is very honest with the media, and has emphasized many times that he is a professional player, and basketball is just a job he loves.

After giving his speech, Garnett pursed his lips with tears in his eyes, raised the trophy, and roared loudly again!

The tough guy cried, and the sports reporters at the scene pressed the shutter in their hands one after another to record the historical moment.

Garnett will be turning 28 in a few days, and this will be his best birthday present.

Many sports reporters secretly calculated their age, only to find that Garnett is not much older than Li You, and a proper future can be expected!

Different players have different personalities, and Lee Woo has always had a maturity that is not appropriate for his age, which has made many sports media talk about it.

In the second year of his career, he led the "Iron Knicks" to overthrow the Bulls, and the old guys on the team recognized Li You, which most rookies could not do.

Most players who leave the Knicks will say good things about Lee Yo, and championship guard Sprewell often talks about Lee Yo.

Garnett's personality is the opposite of Lee's, he is passionate about basketball, and although he fights and retreats on the court and beats up rookies, the MVP award is well deserved from the perspective of basketball prowess.

At 20 o'clock that night, half an hour before the start of the game, the target center arena was already full.

After introducing the Kings, cheers grew louder as the home team's players took the stage.

Timberwolves fans are cheering on Garnett, and they want to see their favorite star get honored.

Garnett, who was wearing a training uniform, was the last to appear, and a neat shout rang out in the arena:

“MVP！ MVP！ MVP！ ”

Patting his chest, Garnett kept waving his left arm to greet the fans, and the smile on his face could not be contained.

President David Stern also liked the atmosphere of the scene, standing in the center of the venue, smiling and taking the microphone, and said loudly:

"Thank you Minnesota fans, tonight we will witness the birth of another MVP!"

“.”

Unlike Lee's flashy introductory words, Garnett's current highest honor is MVP.

Fortunately, the fans at the scene didn't care about this, and when Garnett received the trophy from the president, the cheers resounded in the stadium again.

Garnett, who was holding the trophy, was very excited, and he couldn't control his emotions, so he took the microphone and shouted:

“Yee！”

After a heartfelt thank-you, Garnett emotionally assured the fans:

"I'm never going to leave the Timberwolves, I'm not going to join another team for a championship!"

"I love Minnesota, basketball shouldn't be just championships, and I'll give my loyalty in return for your support!"

The Timberwolves have risen strongly this season, and Garnett's words have also reddened the eyes of some emotional fans.

The atmosphere was particularly touching, but on this milestone night, the Kings did not give face.

At 34:27, Mike Bibby was 5-of-7 in the single quarter, 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point line, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line, scoring 14 points in a single quarter!

Although the Timberwolves tied the gap in the subsequent game, Garnett and Sprewell played undercover in the fourth quarter.

Cassell and Mike Bibby scored back-to-back points, and in the end, it was the Kings' role players who performed better.

At 104:98, the Kings managed to get an away win.

Cassel scored a game-high 40 points on 15-of-25 shooting, 7-of-11 from beyond the three-point line, and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line!

Garnett finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 6 turnovers on 6-of-21 shooting and 4-of-4 free throws.

The new MVP was heavily packed, and Garnett ultimately lost the game.

As for champion guard Sprewell, he was 2-of-14 from the field, 1-of-7 from beyond the three-point line, and slashed 5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 1 turnover

After the game, the atmosphere in the target center was no longer hot, looking at the people of the Kings who were laughing and celebrating, Garnett's face was dark, and he couldn't help but curse:

"Hell!"

No one wants a defeat in their own highlights, and champion defender Sprewell was still very confident in an interview despite his poor performance:

"It's not a big deal to lose a home game, we'll win away from home!"

"Championship experience has taught me that you just need to stay calm to win."

"It's great to see Kevin win the award, I know he doesn't want to lose, but this is the playoffs and I'm going to use my championship experience to help him get through it!"

In the home team's dressing room, Cassel was still very low-key, and Sprewell shouted an X to media reporters.

Garnett, who returned to the locker room, was a little unhappy in his heart, and when he heard the "championship experience", the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

No longer looking at Sprewell's triumphant appearance, Garnett calmed his emotions:

"The team needs him! We will definitely be able to regain the initiative. ”

On the morning of the 5th, in addition to discussing the MVP loss, the ball critics also complained about the game between the Pistons and the Pacers.

At 76:81, the Pacers protected their home court, and the game was watched at a new low.

The Pistons' modest number of turnovers, with only 73 and a whopping 17 turnovers, was also one of the reasons for their defeat.

The Pacers played a fast-paced game, with 83 rounds, but they just couldn't shoot in the face of tough defense!

Such a situation can also be explained by the "lack of star quality".

Miller Sr. played 32 minutes, 1-of-7 shooting, contributing 6 points;

Stephen Jackson took the ball to 6-of-22 shooting, 1-of-6 from beyond the three-point line and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line to score 17 points in an inefficient manner.

O'Neal Jr. scored a team-high 21 points on 7-of-20 shooting and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line, while also grabbing 14 rebounds.

The Pacers shot just over 30% from the field and almost smashed the basket at their home court!

The Pistons' Hamilton scored a team-high 23 points on 10-of-20 shooting;

Billups contributed 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, and "Big Ben" was 5-of-11 for a double-double of 11 points, 22 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks and 1 turnover.

Rashid Wallace, who had high hopes from the fans, was 1-of-7 from the field and scored just four points.

Carlisle is the head coach of the predecessor, and the two sides also have a little grudge after Larry Brown took over.

Although he lost, Larry Brown didn't care, and said confidently after the game:

"The Pistons played a perfect game, we just had a little bit of turnovers, but I liked the team's defense!"

'Our goal is to get an away win, it's going to be a long series and my players are ready.'

The New York Post believes that the other round of the Eastern Conference semifinals will be rookies pecking at each other, and several articles are mocking the two teams for only playing "savage basketball".

The New York Times didn't pay attention to the two rookies, and it seemed that the press release was prepared early, and this morning it was a big job:

"The selection mechanism needs to be reformed, and there is a huge gap between the new MVP and Lee!"

Li You didn't win the award, and New York fans always felt that the body was being disturbed, so most of the print media were catering to the preferences of fans and began to output wildly.

In the morning, on TNT's show, the trio warmed up for G2 for the Lakers and Spurs tonight.

When talking about the Lakers' lack of inclusion in the MVP shortlist, Charles Barkley grinned and laughed at himself:

"That's what it was like to end my career when I joined a championship team."

"I've been through that, when the Rockets didn't play what the fans expected, and it's the same with the Lakers now, who deserve more wins."

Kenny Smith rarely saw his partner admit to "hugging", and immediately said with a smile:

"Expected performance, you mean champions? Chuck, we all know that sometimes it takes some luck to be a champion. ”

Charles Barkley showed a serious expression and denied the claim of luck:

"No, the only reason we didn't win the championship was because we weren't strong enough."

"I had a good team setup when I got the MVP with the Suns, and I kept thinking that if I could score more points and defend a few rounds, maybe the championship would be mine."

Seeing that the two were chatting more and more crookedly, Ernnie Johnson immediately spoke out to bring the topic back:

"Do you think the Lakers can get a win on the road, Gary Payton didn't play well in the last game, and there is a possibility that he will bounce back strongly tonight."

Kenny Smith didn't have a good opinion of the veteran, and after a glance at each other, he could only talk about the scene:

"I believe in Payton's experience and he'll adjust his form in time."

“.”

Before the game began, most commentators were still more optimistic about the Lakers, and the Spurs had too few star players.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, in that night's game, Parker, who was in the third grade, blew Peyton again!

At 17:33, at the end of the first quarter of the game, the SBC Center Arena was completely boiling.

The Spurs led by 16 points, and Duncan, who walked to the bench, touched Parker's head even more affectionately, and the whole person looked very happy.

7 of 11 in the single quarter, 2 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, Parker scored 16 points!

Payton was 0 in 1, and the score in the first quarter of the game was zero, and he had lost his "glove" style.

Phil Jackson was also a little confused, he didn't expect Payton to pull his hips so much in the face of Meng Xin.

Later in the game, the Lakers began to give the ball to O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant also began to take the ball.

Although it played 23:12 in the third quarter, the Lakers had no choice but to lose as the offensive end of the game was dumb in the final quarter.

At 85:95, the Spurs scored another game, and the series score came to 2:0.

In 41 minutes of play, Parker scored a team-high 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting, with 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 turnover.

Duncan was 7-of-13 from the field and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line for 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 4 turnovers.

Coupled with Ginobili on the bench 6-of-8, cutting 15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 turnover, the GDP combination has shown a hint of style.

After winning two home games, Duncan was in a very good mood, and in an interview after the game, he also confidently stated:

"I loved tonight's game, Toney and Manu are both underrated players and I think Spurs have finished rebuilding!"

The San Antonio fans were all in a state of winning and grinning, and O'Neal was an early player in the losing game.

He was 15-of-21 from the field, 2-of-7 from the free-throw line, with 32 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 3 turnovers, six of which were frontcourt rebounds.

O'Neill, who played 44 minutes, felt that he had done his best, and when he attended the press conference, he couldn't help but complain twice:

'It's not the level we should be at and we can't start with a double-digit deficit on a stage like the semi-finals.

"We'll recalibrate when we get back home, and the series has just begun!"

Bryant finished with a team-high 15 points on 7-of-17 shooting, along with five rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two turnovers.

Taking the initiative to pass the ball to the sharks, Kobe Bryant really wanted to win the game.

also played 44 minutes, Malone made 5 of 8 shots, got 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block and 5 turnovers;

Payton continued his slump with just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.

After two consecutive performances, Phil Jackson didn't seem to plan to use Fisher more, and said calmly after the game:

"Two games doesn't tell the story, Payton will adjust his physical condition, he's an experienced veteran and the coaching staff believes in his ability."

On the morning of May 6, the Lakers' hip-pulling performance made New York fans happy.

Even though it's Thursday, some fungi have come to the subway near the stadium to work early.

Many New York fans feel that the Spurs will most likely eliminate the Lakers in one go, and at this time, the old is the same, and the "missing person" returns.

After a two-day break, the Knicks prepared for the game step by step.

G1 Gasol performed well, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, scoring 26 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers.

At the Tarytown Training Center, Gasol was surrounded by sports reporters after the morning video session.

When asked about tonight's game, Gasol replied with confidence:

"Even though I'm a technical player, I'm also not afraid to fight, and I use my physical strengths to help the team on the inside."

The New York Post reporter was not interested in the Eastern Conference teams and quite naturally took out the Finals:

"Pau, which team would you rather face in the Finals?"

"The Western Conference team is very strong, but I personally prefer to meet the Lakers, and I stand by that, of course, it's just my personal wishes."

Li You has been busy arguing with the hook in the past two days, terminating the contract ahead of schedule and signing a lifelong contract, both parties have their own interests and demands, and they are still communicating.

Agent Mark Battlestein has been following up on this big thing with "money", and the real American knife is more attractive than the championship.

In the afternoon, I was going to the stadium to warm up in advance, and many reporters hurriedly surrounded Li You and D'Antoni when they saw the last two appeared.

D'Antoni smiled and patted Lee on the shoulder before walking away, and the TNT reporter couldn't wait to ask the question:

"Lee, Garnett thinks there's something wrong with your basketball attitude, what do you think about that?"

Li You had a question mark on his face, he was not interested in watching other people's award ceremonies, let alone knowing what Garnett said.

Soon, the "microphones" began to add fuel and vinegar to relay Garnett's mockery of Lee Woo's "utilitarian" basketball at the MVP award ceremony.

Knowing the ability of these reporters to make something out of nothing, Li You shook his head helplessly and replied simply:

"Every player has a different basketball philosophy, Kevin is very good, and I appreciate his passion for basketball."

"Kevin's point of view is fine, but I only play for the fans and the win, and I've expressed that opinion early on."

"Ticket prices for the Knicks are going up every year, and it's not easy for a lot of fans to come to Madison Square Garden to see a game."

'So, I'm going to keep my body in shape and play the full 82 games and that's what I give back to the fans.'

"I may not be able to keep my love alive all the time in my long career, but as a professional player, I'm going to keep winning for the New York fans, and that should be everyone's favorite gift."

Many reporters agreed with Lee, and ESPN's reporters continued to ask:

"Lee, do you think the Timberwolves will win the championship?"

"They shouldn't have any championship hopes for the next 10 years, and you all know why, don't you?"

Li You raised his eyebrows, revealing an expression that everyone understands, and the sports media in New York applauded that the future belongs to the Knicks!

After Lee Woo, who was preparing for the meal, left the siege, some sports reporters were still discussing Garnett's remarks, and the New York Times team reporter said disdainfully:

"If Garnett wants to join the Knicks for a championship one day, New York doesn't welcome him!"

"Losers always like to talk about boring things, and New York just needs to win!"

“.”

(End of chapter)