Moreover, the Grizzlies boast two league-top centers, Randolph and Gasol!
The Black and White Bears!
Fans speculated that Jokic would be crushed and shattered by the Black and White Bears, right?
Before the game, Li Feng pulled Jokic aside again and gave him a pep talk, urging him to step up.
win or lose, as long as they execute the tactics practiced in training, that's all that matters.
...
In the pre-game interviews, Li Feng specifically brought Jokic to the press conference.
"Mr. Li Feng, this game should be very difficult for the Knicks. The Grizzlies are a strong interior team. Do you think the Knicks have a chance to win?"
Li Feng replied calmly, "The Grizzlies' interior is indeed very strong, but we are not weak either. Furthermore, we have conducted targeted training and are not afraid of the Grizzlies at all!"
The reporter felt that the Knicks were no longer what they used to be and had no chance against the Grizzlies, so he said with a mocking tone, "Li Feng, you might be overthinking it. In the past few games, the Knicks' interior players have been pushed around by everyone. Forget about Randolph and Gasol; even Ho oyer seemed to transform into O'Neal."
As soon as he said this, Jokic, standing beside him, turned red and lowered his head in shame.
Li Feng would naturally not allow the reporter to humiliate his teammate!
*Smack!*
Li Feng slammed the table, startling all the reporters.
"What do you know? That was our tactical arrangement; we focused on the perimeter, so the interior shots were very few!"
Li Feng's words were a bit of a stretch, intended to defend Jokic.
Hearing this, Jokic felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He turned and nodded gratefully at Li Feng.
Seeing Li Feng's anger, the reporter dared not press the issue further.
...
At the Grizzlies' press conference, Randolph spoke without restraint and boasted.
"I will teach the Knicks' interior players a lesson in this game and let them know how good I am!"
It's understandable; after so many losses, the Knicks' interior was truly abysmal.
At 8 PM, the Grizzlies hosted the Knicks. The Grizzlies had won three consecutive games prior.
The Knicks' starting lineup had changed: Li Feng, Jokic, Green, Bill Walker, and Curry took the court.
The Grizzlies' starting five were Randolph, Marc Gasol, Conley, Tony Allen, and Rudy Gay.
The Grizzlies were in good form this season, and this lineup had been together for several years, consistently making the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the arrival of the small-ball era had diminished the Grizzlies' interior advantage.
At the tip-off, Randolph easily secured the first possession for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies' home crowd began to jeer, shouting at Randolph, "Crush the Knicks' interior, crush Jokic!"
Poor Jokic had truly become an interior player who was bullied by everyone.
Conley dribbled past half-court, and Li Feng stepped up to defend him tightly.
Randolph moved to the high post, blocking Li Feng.
Since Conley had decent three-point shooting ability, Jokic had to come out for a high screen.
Randolph immediately retreated into the paint, and Conley passed the ball to Randolph, who attacked the basket.
This was the Grizzlies' classic tactic and Randolph's preferred offensive method.
Just as Randolph drove to the basket, a figure suddenly blocked his path. *Bang!*
Randolph sent Green crashing to the floor.
*Beep!*
The referee blew his whistle, calling Green for offensive interference!
Green, disagreeing, jumped up and argued with the referee.
Li Feng quickly pulled him back, realizing that Green's temper was innate, and it seemed to flare up just after he became a starter today.
This was the treatment the Knicks received playing away. Green's help defense was actually quite effective, and it should have been an offensive foul.
There was nothing they could do but accept it.
The Grizzlies continued their offense with a 14-second shot clock.
Tony Allen inbounded the ball from the sideline, passing it directly to Marc Gasol.
Green stepped up to defend Gasol. Gasol, leveraging his height advantage over Green, attempted a post-up.
However, Green used his excellent lower body strength to throw Gasol off balance.
*Clang!*
Gasol's shot missed, but Randolph, pushing Jokic under the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound and scored!
From this sequence, Green's interior defense was excellent, both in man-to-man and help defense, truly top-tier.
Coach D'Antoni on the sideline nodded repeatedly, surprised by Green's defensive prowess!
Although the Grizzlies still scored, the Knicks' interior was no longer as weak as before.
It was normal for Jokic to struggle against Randolph; 18-year-old Jokic was still on the leaner side.
2-0, the Grizzlies took the lead.
Knicks' offense. Curry dribbled past half-court, guarded by Conley.
Conley's defense was good, and Curry didn't force a drive. Green came up to set a screen.
Green's screen was of high quality, his broad body solidly blocking Conley.
Curry quickly shifted sideways.
Marc Gasol knew Curry's three-point shot was potent, so he also came out to provide a high hedge.
However, Curry was also excellent at exploiting mismatches. Facing Gasol, he used a step-back jumper!
*Swish!*
He hit a three-pointer!
This clean and decisive three-pointer silenced the Grizzlies' home crowd.
Curry and Green high-fived and cheered.
In his past life, Green was the best passer to Curry, their chemistry innate.
Grizzlies head coach Hollins was shocked.
He knew Curry's three-point shot was deadly and had prepared extensively.
But the screen-and-roll between Green and Curry was too precise and impossible to defend!
The Grizzlies players were also startled by Curry's three-pointer.
Conley dribbled past half-court, facing Li Feng. He called for another screen, with Gasol coming to block Li Feng.
Perhaps stimulated by Curry, Conley also wanted to attempt a surprise three-pointer.
Unexpectedly, Jokic instantly lunged forward!
Conley lacked Curry's ability to escape instantly, so he had to use his speed to drive to the basket.
Jokic, being tall and strong, couldn't keep up with Conley's speed.
However, Bill Walker was actively involved in help defense, arriving in the paint early and positioning himself in front of Conley.
*Bang!*
Conley sent Bill Walker crashing to the floor.
The referee hesitated for a moment before calling Conley for an offensive foul.
Perhaps the referee didn't want to make it too obvious.
Green and Li Feng helped Bill Walker up, patting him on the back and praising him, "Good defense!"
The game continued, with possession changing hands, and the Knicks on offense.
This time, Li Feng had the ball, facing Tony Allen's defense. He didn't force a shot but signaled for Jokic to set a screen.
Their pick-and-roll had been practiced countless times in training and needed to be honed in actual games.
Jokic screened Tony Allen, and Li Feng drove to the baseline.
Randolph, as a center, wasn't slow either. He spread his arms, blocking Li Feng's shooting space and preventing him from taking a shot.
Jokic suddenly retreated, stepping back to the three-point line.
Tony Allen hesitated for a moment, and Li Feng's pass came through.
Jokic received the ball at the three-point line and shot!
*Clang!*
Unfortunately, the three-pointer missed.
But Li Feng leaped higher than Randolph and Gasol, soaring through the air to grab the rebound.
As soon as he landed, Li Feng flicked his right wrist, passing the ball back to Jokic, and shouted, "Again!"
Jokic didn't hesitate and took a second shot!
*Swish!*
This time, he didn't let Li Feng's offensive rebound go to waste, hitting a three-pointer!
Jokic was ecstatic; this was his first three-pointer since joining the Knicks.
His teammates ran over to high-five Jokic and encourage him.
However, D'Antoni wore no smile. He felt that even if Jokic could hit threes, he would only be a three-point specialist.
He was nowhere near Yao Ming!
But Li Feng knew what he was doing. The reason he wanted Jokic to shoot more threes was to build his confidence first.
Besides, in this era of small ball, it wasn't strange for a center to shoot threes. Yao Ming also shot two or three threes per game.
6-2!
The Knicks, playing as the visitors, took the lead!
The Grizzlies players were starting to panic.
Conley dribbled the ball up the court. He gave up his own offense and directly passed to Randolph.
Randolph backed down Jokic and hit a fadeaway hook shot!
There was nothing that could be done; there was a significant gap in strength and skill between the two.
6-4!
In the following few possessions, both teams showcased their strengths.
Curry and Jokic, along with Li Feng, increased their long-range shooting, while the Grizzlies focused on interior play.
After more than five minutes of the first quarter, the score was 12-10, with the Knicks leading.
Grizzlies head coach's brows were furrowed. He knew the Knicks' offense was perimeter-oriented and had made thorough preparations.
But the chemistry between Green and Curry was too good, and the pick-and-roll between Li Feng and Jokic was also very smooth.
This meant the Grizzlies had no advantage.
Scoring two points laboriously inside while giving up a three-pointer from the outside was a disadvantage.
If it were last season, they could have double-teamed Li Feng.
But this season, Curry's three-point shooting was comparable to Li Feng's, making double-teaming ineffective. They could only rely on constant switching and active man-to-man defense to limit the perimeter.
After a timeout, the game resumed with no substitutions from either side.
Jokic remained on the court, indicating that coach D'Antoni had gained some confidence in him.
In previous games, he had consistently played as a reserve.
Grizzlies' offense.
The ball again found its way to Randolph.
Randolph feigned an attack, drawing Green into a double-team, and then passed the ball to an open Marc Gasol.
This was the benefit of having a twin-tower frontcourt.
Passing inside to inside was extremely difficult to defend.
Marc Gasol hit a bank shot, scoring two more points.
Knicks' offense. Li Feng and Jokic engaged in another pick-and-roll.
The Grizzlies' defensive intensity increased. Tony Allen stuck close to Jokic, denying him any shooting opportunities.
However, Li Feng made an off-ball cut, shaking off Randolph, and drove into the paint.
Jokic waved his hand, delivering a surgical pass to Li Feng!
This was Jokic's talent!
His playmaking ability was even superior to that of Pau Gasol back in the day.
Li Feng caught the ball and executed a lightning-fast floater!
The play was so fast that Tony Allen didn't even have time to react.
D'Antoni nodded slightly. He seemed to understand why Li Feng had such high regard for Jokic.
In the subsequent few possessions, the Knicks maintained a slight advantage, consistently leading on the scoreboard.
However, the Grizzlies played a steady and tenacious game, preventing the score from widening.
With over eight minutes left in the first quarter, both teams began to substitute their reserve players.
Jeremy Lin came on the court with the second unit.
Yi Jianlian, Chandler, Shumpert, and Novak entered the game.
The Grizzlies' bench unit was also strong, with Prince, Ellington, Bayless, and Quincy all being tough players.
Yi Jianlian, being on the bench, still felt a bit awkward.
Being naturally introverted, being suddenly placed on the bench left him very frustrated.
Li Feng noticed Yi Jianlian's less-than-ideal mood but hadn't had a chance to explain.
Furthermore, Li Feng also wanted to see if Yi Jianlian's mental maturity was sufficient.
If Yi Jianlian threw a childish tantrum and didn't play well, it would indicate that he was not yet ready for a significant role.
However, Yi Jianlian's performance greatly satisfied Li Feng.
Despite his somewhat subdued emotions, Yi Jianlian played with great effort on the court, diligently and without any slack.
D'Antoni shared the same thoughts as Li Feng, observing his performance for a while before finally feeling reassured.
Initially, Jeremy Lin led the bench unit to an advantage.
However, Quincy, a Grizzlies reserve player, was a reckless character.
During one of Jeremy Lin's drives, he swung his arm and struck Jeremy Lin's ribs.
Jeremy Lin, in pain, bent down, and the team doctor quickly came to check on him.
The slow-motion replay showed that the hit was very forceful, and Jeremy Lin's ribs might have been fractured.
Jeremy Lin was helped off the court by his teammates and would not be able to play for the rest of the game.
Quincy was particularly detestable, feigning ignorance after the foul, which enraged the Knicks players. Yi Jianlian was about to rush over to confront him, but Shumpert and Chandler restrained him.
The referees were also excessive, only calling a common foul on Quincy.
Although he restrained himself at the time, in the subsequent game, the Knicks players retaliated against Quincy.
During a rebound scramble, Yi Jianlian targeted Quincy's waist and rammed into him fiercely.
"Ah!"
Quincy screamed in pain, flew out of bounds sideways, and landed on the floor, unable to get up.
The team doctor came to check on him and indicated that Quincy also needed observation and could not play in this game.
In a similar situation, the referee called a flagrant 1 foul on Yi Jianlian, awarding two free throws and possession.
Despite the unfairness, they could only accept it.
With Jeremy Lin unable to play, the Knicks' bench strength diminished, lacking a primary playmaker.
Li Feng only rested for a little over two minutes before being forced back onto the court to lead the reserves against the Grizzlies.
Under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks' reserves completely overwhelmed the Grizzlies.
Moreover, Yi Jianlian's retaliatory foul had intimidated the Grizzlies' bench players, who no longer dared to make any significant moves.
With four minutes and more into the second quarter, the score was 41-32, with the Knicks leading by nine points.
Grizzlies head coach Hollins quickly brought back his starting lineup, otherwise, they would have been blown out.
Hollins had some tricks up his sleeve. After his starters returned, he adopted a strategy of extending the defensive line.
Jokic and Green had average driving abilities at this point, so with the extended defensive line, the Knicks' shooting percentage declined.
The Grizzlies' interior took advantage of this opportunity to narrow the gap.
Despite Green's diligent help defense, he was no match for the Grizzlies' twin towers.
Jokic's defense remained weak. He couldn't withstand Randolph or Gasol, and they scored at will, easily finding openings in the paint.
Moreover, by the ninth minute of the second quarter, Jokic had accumulated four fouls and had to be substituted.
The Grizzlies' adjustments yielded excellent results, and by halftime, the Grizzlies had surprisingly taken the lead.
59-57, the Grizzlies led by two points.
Li Feng was not anxious or disappointed; he was satisfied with the Knicks' overall performance today.