The Knicks management did not respond, as it was the Finals period and they would not engage in a war of words with the media.
Sometimes, winning can solve all problems.
For instance, after losing two away games, the Thunder, from their coach to their players, were heavily criticized by the media and fans.
However, after winning the crucial Game 5, the fans showered the Thunder with praise.
This is the media, these are the fans.
One win and you're lauded to the heavens; one loss and you're buried in the dirt.
...
After two days of rest, the entire New York team flew to Oklahoma City to prepare for Game 6 of the Finals.
The Thunder had the match point; by rights, they should have been excited and thrilled.
But everyone on the team felt uneasy.
This was because the Knicks' substitutions in the previous game were truly bizarre.
Durant, in particular, refused all interviews after winning Game 5.
He watched the game film twice and realized that Yi Jianlian and the other two were indeed showing signs of fatigue.
Durant couldn't figure out what was going on.
Before Game 6, D'Antoni had a long discussion with Li Feng.
"Li Feng, how are Yi Jianlian and the other two?"
Li Feng nodded, "They should have recovered quite a bit. But I think they should play for the first quarter, then rest again, and return in the third quarter."
D'Antoni was baffled.
"This... why?"
"It's like this, Coach. This way, we can catch the Thunder off guard."
D'Antoni gave a wry smile, "We can't afford to lose this game. The Thunder already have the match point."
Li Feng nodded, "I know, Coach. I'll take full responsibility; we will definitely win this game!"
Seeing Li Feng's confidence, Coach D'Antoni agreed.
At 8 PM, Ford Center Arena.
The Thunder hosted the Knicks for Game 6 of the Finals.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
The Thunder's starting five were Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Perkins, and Sefolosha.
In the first quarter, Li Feng was exceptionally active, abandoning his usual style and launching a fierce offensive.
The Thunder were caught off guard, wondering why Li Feng was playing with such intensity.
In the first five minutes of the first quarter, Li Feng took 6 shots, accounting for almost all of the team's attempts.
Li Feng made 5 out of 6 shots, scoring 11 points. Bill Walker scored 2 points, and Yao Ming scored 2 points.
Knicks led 15-8, a 7-point lead.
The Thunder fans were stunned.
During the timeout, Brooks loudly emphasized, "We've been fooled. Li Feng is the main scorer today. We must double-team him, double-team him!"
However, after the timeout, Li Feng suddenly stopped attacking.
As soon as they crossed half-court, Li Feng would run to the corner, and the Thunder's Westbrook and Sefolosha had no choice but to follow him to the corner.
This left the other Knicks players in a 4-on-3 situation, which was incredibly easy.
Bill Walker transformed into Durant, Lowry into Harden, and Yi Jianlian into Ibaka, dominating the game on both offense and defense!
At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had a surprising 15-point lead, 36-21!
The initial onslaught had completely dazed the Thunder.
D'Antoni watched from the sidelines, almost bursting into laughter.
Li Feng was truly a strategic genius, using deception and reality to keep the Thunder in a state of constant indecision, making them utterly miserable.
The second quarter began with both teams fielding their bench players.
Harden led the bench unit, tasked with closing the gap, a task he was capable of.
However, just two minutes into the second quarter, the Thunder had cut the deficit by 5 points, and Li Feng returned to the court!
Upon seeing Li Feng, Harden's heart sank.
After returning, Li Feng continued to play aggressive help defense, directing his teammates to intercept Harden's passing lanes.
Simultaneously, on offense, Li Feng resumed his scoring spree.
Thunder head coach Brooks was dumbfounded. After all, Li Feng had played the entire first quarter; how could he still have such abundant energy?
In fact, although Li Feng played the entire first quarter, he had strategically managed his stamina.
In the first five minutes of the first quarter, Li Feng scored, but after being double-teamed, he began to rest in the corner.
Li Feng had learned from the experience of Chairman Mao leading his troops through the four crossings of the Chishui River, a classic campaign in military history that left the enemy utterly bewildered.
So, even though Li Feng played the entire first quarter, he was effectively resting for the latter half of the quarter.
After all, he had two players shadowing him in the corner, so why not?
When Li Feng returned to the court in the second quarter, he contained Harden and extended the lead once more.
At 6:24 into the second quarter, the score was 49-33, with the Knicks leading by 16 points.
D'Antoni began substituting again, concerned about Li Feng's stamina, and he subbed Li Feng out.
The Thunder, on the other hand, had already fielded their full starting lineup.
But the Knicks had entirely subbed out their starters for reserves!
Brooks was again confused. He rubbed his chin and turned to look at D'Antoni.
He wondered why this old fellow wasn't playing by the book.
The Thunder starters were indeed fierce, especially Durant, who was playing with a fire in his eyes.
The Knicks fielding their bench players was clearly a move to toy with the Thunder, and Durant felt he had to teach them a lesson.
Swish!
Pull-up jump shot!
Swish!
Stand-still three-pointer!
Bang!
Slam dunk!
Durant was practically unstoppable, the Grim Reaper had arrived!
Westbrook also played well, using his explosiveness to repeatedly break through the Knicks' defense, either scoring himself or passing to teammates.
In less than 4 minutes, the Thunder had narrowed the gap to just 1 point.
56-55, the Knicks' lead had evaporated, leaving them with only a single point advantage.
D'Antoni quickly called a timeout. The Thunder's offensive firepower was too intense; if he didn't call a timeout, they would surely stage a major comeback.
However, Li Feng remained calm. He stood on the sidelines, high-fiving his substitute teammates and encouraging them.
D'Antoni pulled Li Feng aside and quietly asked, "Do you really not need to put Yi Jianlian and the other two on the court?"
"No need. Yao Ming and I are enough!"
Yao Ming had rested for over 8 minutes in the second quarter, and only played a little over 7 minutes in the first quarter, so he was extremely well-rested.
With just over 2 minutes left in the second quarter, Li Feng and Yao Ming re-entered the game!
Durant's heart tightened, but seeing that Yi Jianlian and the other two were still not on the court, he felt a little less worried.
Li Feng and Yao Ming, along with the reserves, held their own against the Thunder's starting lineup.
In terms of overall strength, the Thunder were clearly superior, but Li Feng and Yao Ming had already agreed to fight hard to hold their own through the first half.
The next two minutes were the most intense of the game.
Knicks offensive possession.
Li Feng dribbled the ball from the backcourt. The Thunder immediately double-teamed him; their defense was ferocious.
Frankly, the Thunder's strategy was to shut down Li Feng and Yao Ming, gambling that the other three reserves would not perform well!
Facing the double-team, Li Feng didn't force the issue. Instead, he lobbed the ball to Billups near the half-court line.
Although Billups was aging, he was a clutch player with extensive experience. Upon receiving the ball, he used the advantage of having players around him to drive straight to the paint, feigning a jump shot.
Ibaka and Perkins had no choice but to come out and help defend.
However, Billups' eyes were on the right, but he tossed the ball to the left.
Yao Ming caught the ball, let out a roar, and executed a powerful dunk!
Durant shook his head in frustration. The Knicks were playing too smartly, making it impossible for the Thunder to defend effectively.
58-55, the Knicks led by 3 points again.
However, on the ensuing possession, Durant caught the ball at the 45-degree angle. Facing Marion's defense, he executed a clean pull-up three-pointer, swish!
Durant efficiently responded with a three-pointer.
58 all!
The Thunder home crowd erupted in cheers, chanting Durant's name in unison!
The Grim Reaper's scythe swung, unstoppable!
Li Feng calmly signaled to his teammates, urging them to stay composed.
As long as they could keep the score close in the first half, it would be a victory!
Knicks offensive possession.
This time, Li Feng did not have the ball. He let Billups handle the ball progression.
But the Thunder did not ease up on their double-teaming of Li Feng; two players stayed glued to him.
Billups called for a screen. Novak came out to block Durant, and then Billups drove towards the baseline.
Ibaka immediately moved to cut him off.
At this moment, Marion was unguarded and immediately cut towards the basket.
Billups, quick-handed, flicked the ball in.
Marion caught the ball and was about to dunk when Perkins rushed over and fouled him, pulling him to the ground.
Beep...
The referee's whistle blew, calling a foul on Perkins. Marion stepped up to the free-throw line.
Li Feng nodded continuously, giving Marion a thumbs-up and complimenting his excellent cut.
As long as the Knicks could keep scoring, they had nothing to fear!
Marion, having taken a hard hit, took a deep breath and made one of two free throws.
59-58, the Knicks led by 1 point.
Thunder offensive possession. Westbrook drove to the paint again, stopped abruptly, and executed a zombie-like jump shot.
Westbrook had a good touch, making the two-point shot.
The teams traded blows, playing a fiercely contested game. By the end of the first half, the Thunder led by 3 points.
67-64.
Although the Knicks were trailing, Li Feng was not worried at all. He walked towards the sideline with a smile, high-fiving his teammates in celebration.
Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry wore grim expressions and did not greet Li Feng, sitting silently to the side.
Upon returning to the locker room, the three remained silent.
They were angry with Li Feng.
In such an important game, why were they benched for an entire quarter? What was the meaning of this?
The previous game's decision could be understood; the three were indeed exhausted.
But today, all three were full of energy, ready for a fierce battle, yet the coach made such arrangements.
Who did the coach listen to? It was no secret that he listened to Li Feng.
Li Feng obviously noticed the three's dissatisfaction with him, but he offered no explanation, continuing to joke with his other teammates.
Finally, Lowry couldn't hold back and asked, "Brother Feng, do you know why the coach didn't let us play in the second quarter?"
Li Feng looked at Lowry, shrugged, and replied, "Probably to let you unleash your energy in the second half."
"Unleash our energy in the second half?"
"That's right. We went all out in the first half to prevent the score from widening. It's your turn to seal the deal in the second half. Do you have the confidence?"
Upon hearing that they were to finish the game in the second half, the spirits of the three players immediately lifted.
"No problem! Brother Feng, leave it to us!"
"I'll give it my all with them!"
...
Yao Ming walked over with a smile, patted their shoulders, and said earnestly, "Li Feng played almost the entire first half just to hold off the Thunder. Do you know how tired he is? You shouldn't resent him."
Only then did the three notice that Li Feng's face was a little pale, and he was having the team doctor give his legs a relaxing massage.
"Brother Feng, just now we..."
Li Feng waved his hand with a smile, "Don't say any more. It's all up to you in the second half! For victory, for the Knicks!"
"Knicks will win!"
"Knicks will win!"
...
The Knicks players' morale was once again boosted. United as one, they vowed to win this game!
Commentators Zhang Zhi and Yu Jia were also puzzled on the sidelines.
"Coach Zhang, why are Yi Jianlian and the other two suddenly not being used? Is there a physical issue?"
"Probably not. I saw the three of them sitting on the bench and they weren't taken by the medical staff for examination. They're probably just not being played by the coach."
"In such an important game, suspending three main players is absurd. Unless these three made some mistake, how could this happen?"
"The Finals are about surprise tactics. Perhaps the coach has other arrangements. Looking at it now, trailing by 3 points at halftime, the Knicks still have a chance. It all depends on how they play in the second half."
...
The second half of the game began, and the players from both teams returned to the court.
The Thunder's main players were all curious. As soon as they stepped onto the court, their gazes swept towards the Knicks' side.
Seeing Yi Jianlian and the other two back on the court, they were even more perplexed.
"Westbrook, Sefolosha, their main players are all on the court. Our defense can't just focus on Li Feng; we need to guard the others as well."
"Okay, got it."
The Thunder players remained calm and did not underestimate their opponents. After all, they only had a 3-point lead at halftime, and who knew what would happen in the second half.
Thunder offensive possession. Westbrook dribbled past half-court, and Lowry stepped up to defend him.
Having not played at all in the second quarter, coupled with the 15-minute halftime break, Lowry was extremely well-rested and full of energy.
Westbrook tried to use his speed to break through Lowry's defense but was unsuccessful.
Seeing Durant positioned well, he had no choice but to pass the ball to him.
As Durant made his move against Bill Walker, Yi Jianlian suddenly lunged forward, and the two double-teamed Durant.
If it were in the past, Durant wouldn't have been afraid and could have directly pulled up for a shot.
But now, Yi Jianlian possessed Ibaka's athleticism and amazing leaping ability, and with Bill Walker also there, he truly had no opportunity to shoot.
With no other option, he passed the ball to Ibaka.
Unexpectedly, Yi Jianlian suddenly jumped, smack!
He stole the ball!
The ball veered off course, flying between Li Feng and Sefolosha.
Li Feng reacted extremely quickly, reaching out with his long arms and securing the ball before Sefolosha could, initiating a fast break.
Lowry started quickly, racing past half-court. Li Feng passed him the ball.
The "Little Steel Cannon" was fast to begin with, and with Harden's layup skills, Westbrook, despite chasing closely, could only watch as Lowry scored 2 points!
The Knicks were now only trailing by 1 point!
The Thunder home crowd fell silent. They had a faint feeling that something was wrong...
The Knicks' main players were all on the court, their defense tenacious.