Chapter 66 Accompanying Records (Part 2)

A game that was destined to be won, but the Knicks suffered injuries.

96:109, after defeating the Celtics at home, the New York sports media no longer cares about wins and statistics.

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

After Jeff Van Gundy came to the press conference, he did not hesitate and said simply:

"Thank God! Pat only needs to rest for a period of time to recover. After a preliminary examination by the team doctor, there should be no structural damage."

"Unfortunately, maybe Pat will miss the All-Star Game, but he has already made preparations for this."

"Guys, give him some more time, you know, he has given everything to New York."

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

Being selected into the top 50 superstars and being selected as the starting center for the Eastern Conference All-Stars also makes New York fans feel proud. However, at the highlight of life, he suddenly suffered injuries. This is really unlucky!

In the locker room, Ewing seemed very frustrated. He wanted to play in this year's All-Star Game so much.

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

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

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

No one wants to see injuries, so everyone expressed their condolences. Finally, assistant coach Thibodeau suggested:

"Pat, there are still 4 games before the All-Star Game, and there are three home games in early February. Don't fly to away games tomorrow. Just rest and recuperate in New York!"

Li You also felt that the gorilla was really unlucky. He managed to survive O'Neal, but was suddenly injured. He would have been equally aggrieved.

In a little while, everyone in the Knicks team would have to fly to Cleveland. In the end, Ewing had no choice but to listen to everyone's opinions and stay in New York:

"Guys, perform well, we just got the second place, don't lose again!"

After hearing the boss's instructions, everyone immediately responded positively, patting their chests and promising 4 wins and 0 losses in the future.

After getting on the plane, Larry Johnson came close to Li You. "Auntie" hadn't given up on the All-Stars yet:

"Lee, you know, the All-Star substitute list will be announced in a few days. Without Pat, we can play faster!"

When Alan Houston saw that "Big Mom" ​​was still dreaming about becoming an All-Star, he immediately joked:

"If we had finished second earlier, maybe there would still be a chance for this!"

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

"Don't worry about Glenn Rice. It will be fine if we win at home in early February."

In the game they lost to the Hornets, Glenn Rice was in great form. "Auntie" lost face in the matchup and wanted to get back on the field.

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

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

Hearing Li You's immediate agreement, "Aunt" felt completely comfortable.

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

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

As the star of the Cavaliers, Terril Brandon has long wanted to play against Li You. Both of them play the No. 1 position. He always thought that Li You stole his Best of the Week trophy!

The media in Cleveland also followed the trend and complained about this, but the impact was so bad that no one paid any attention to them.

Li You didn't know that the player he was playing against in the evening had already picked a lemon, but during the game, he felt that the opponent was playing blindly.

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

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

During halftime, Larry Johnson was so depressed that he didn’t want to talk:

"I thought you were here to help me!"

Li You did pass the ball, but "Auntie", like Alan Houston, had a poor touch and was a loser.

"Very good, don't relax in the second half, we have to ensure victory in the game and keep the second place before the All-Star Game!"

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

The lead was too big, and no one paid attention to Jeff Van Gundy's nagging. Everyone wanted to finish the game quickly and then go home to rest. The schedule was too intensive and no one could stand it anymore.

In the second half of the game, the Knicks also started to play blindly in individual rounds, but the pitfalls in the first half were too big, and as the shots got harder and harder, the point difference was further widened.

Cavaliers fans were dumbfounded. This was completely different from what they imagined!

108:78, looking at the huge 30-point difference, everyone in the Cavaliers almost shut themselves down.

Losing this game, the Cavaliers' record dropped to 25 wins and 18 losses, falling to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

After the game, Li You found that his opponent, Trier Brandon, was still glaring at him. He couldn't help but feel a little confused. In the end, he simply gave the opponent a slap on the back of his head and turned towards the players' tunnel:

"Is a passerby also here to join in the fun?"

"."

On January 30, after returning to New York, the Knicks canceled training sessions again. Back-to-back sessions were too energy-consuming.

The January schedule is all over, and the Knicks' record now reaches 35 wins and 10 losses, firmly occupying the second place in the Eastern Conference.

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

Glenn Rice, Vin Baker, Terrell Brandon, Tim Hardaway, Christian Laettner, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber.

The seven substitutes in the Western Conference are:

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

.

After the list was announced, the New York sports media satirized Trill Brandon:

"If he was not on the Cavaliers, he would have no chance of being selected for the All-Star bench this year!"

Ewing withdrew from the All-Star Game due to injury and was replaced by Mutombo. No one from the Knicks, ranked second in the Eastern Conference, was selected for the All-Star Game. The New York media suddenly went crazy.

For two consecutive days, several mainstream print media sports sections satirized the selection results of the All-Star reserves.

By the way, I criticized Jeff Van Gundy again. The rookie assistant coach has no reputation at all. The Heat are ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference, and Tim Hardaway is still selected as an All-Star.

In a brutal game against the Cavaliers, Li You scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals and 2 turnovers. His efficient performance also improved some of his statistics for the month.

There were 16 games in January. Li You averaged 31.3 minutes per game, 16.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.1 turnovers per game;

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

With the data of this All-Star point guard, there are more and more articles in newspapers that satirize the results of the selection of All-Star substitutes. Everyone thinks that the league is deliberately suppressing New York.

On the morning of February 1st, Li You came to the arena early and conducted basic training step by step.

After Ewing was injured, the coaching staff canceled the morning training session. The too-intensive schedule at the end of January really put a huge strain on the body.

"Li, you still have to pay attention to your health. There has been a wave of injuries recently. If you get injured at this time, it will definitely affect your condition in the second half of the season."

"The second position is very good. If the playoffs go well, we won't meet the Bulls until the finals. If we can reach the conference finals, New York fans will definitely be overjoyed."

Equipment manager Old Mike helped Li You prepare training equipment, and also recalled the team's sad history.

After changing into training clothes, Larry Johnson came to the gym. When he saw Li Youzheng chatting with old Mike, he immediately joked:

"How does it feel to lose the Rookie of the Month? I didn't expect Marbury's data to be so good. The recent performance of rookie players is too exaggerated."

The league just announced the Rookie of the Month this morning. Marbury and Li You of the Timberwolves have about the same shooting percentage, but they play a lot more time.

He averaged 38 minutes per game, 20.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.0 turnovers. Marbury also played All-Star point guard numbers.

"The award is not just awarded to me. 20+8 is definitely deserved. Of course, our record is better. For me, winning Rookie of the Month once is enough."

Li You didn't miss the lemon, but almost forgot about Marbury. After returning from injury, this cute rookie also established a foothold in the Timberwolves.

After Charlie Ward came to the training ground and heard Li You and "Auntie" talking about the topic of Player of the Month and All-Star, he felt sour in his heart.

With limited playing time, Li You became the Knicks' second-leading scorer in just three months. Charlie Ward felt that his future in New York was bleak.

Most of the people who consciously practice more are in the atmosphere group. Newbie Walter McCarty also recently had a lemon. They are also rookies. Li You's statistics are astronomical:

"Li, maybe there will be injuries among the All-Star substitutes, and you still have a chance!"

The atmosphere team also followed suit, but Li You didn't care about this and just chatted along with everyone:

"AMVP, this is indeed a good award!"

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

As the All-Star Game approaches, most players are beginning to prepare for vacation. After all, only a few are selected for the All-Star Game. Life is bigger than basketball. Enjoying the vacation with peace of mind is the choice of most players.

On February 3, the Knicks once again faced the challenge of the Hornets at home.

In this game, Glen Rice continued his hot form, and old New York player Anthony Mason Jr. also wanted to prove himself in Madison Square Garden.

But faced with the sudden three-point rain, everyone in the Hornets team was completely stunned.
To be continued...