Brooks, helpless, switched back to Durant.
Having rested for so long, Durant was full of energy and began to score.
Li Feng and Yao Ming were still resting, their main performances scheduled for the second half.
The Death Scythe danced, and within three minutes, not only had they caught up in score, but they had also taken the lead.
At 8 minutes and 44 seconds into the second quarter, the score was 49-48, with the Thunder leading.
Dehydration thought it was about time and brought Li Feng and Yao Ming back onto the court.
As soon as Li Feng stepped onto the court, he took advantage of the opponent's unsteady footing, drove to the basket, and slammed a dunk!
This dunk reignited the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden.
Tickets for this game were very expensive, and the home fans naturally hoped to witness the Knicks win their third consecutive championship.
For fans of NBA teams, the chance to see their team win a championship, let alone three in a row, might be rare in a lifetime.
50-49, the Knicks led again.
Durant was not to be outdone. In the next possession, he used a sharp change of direction to get past Bill Walker and drove into the paint.
Facing Yao Ming's help defense, Durant fade-away jumper, scoring 2 more points.
51-50!
The game was getting exciting!
The remaining minutes of the second quarter suddenly turned into a shootout between Li Feng and Durant!
The entire stadium was ecstatic. This was real basketball, the Finals!
In past Finals, it was about the star players going head-to-head.
Li Feng refused to be outdone. On the next possession, facing a double team, he didn't pass the ball. Instead, he had Yi Jianlian set a screen on Thabo Sefolosha, then accelerated to the 45-degree angle.
Before Westbrook could close in, Li Feng launched a pull-up three-pointer!
This three-pointer was incredibly difficult. The shot was a little off, hitting the front rim and bouncing high.
Almost simultaneously, the referee's whistle blew—
Buzzzz!
Li Feng was fouled by Westbrook as he drove, resulting in a three-shot foul!
Westbrook was clearly too fired up. In the first quarter, Li Feng had toyed with him too many times, so his driving motion was too aggressive.
In fact, Li Feng hadn't intended to draw a foul; he was just aiming for the basket.
Unfortunately, he was still affected and was knocked to the ground.
Westbrook was a good guy. He walked over to Li Feng and asked if he was injured.
Li Feng patted his arm and smiled, "I'm fine, that was good defense!"
This was Westbrook. Although he could get heated and his actions were fierce, he never intended to injure anyone.
Li Feng stood at the free-throw line, steadied himself, and made all three shots!
53-51, the Knicks led by 2 points.
The fans' attention shifted back to Durant.
On the Thunder's offensive possession, Durant received the ball again. Facing Bill Walker, he was about to turn and shoot when Yi Jianlian suddenly came over to help.
This was the Knicks' defensive strategy; they wouldn't let you dominate one-on-one continuously.
Facing the double team, Durant didn't act rashly. Instead, he quickly passed the ball to Ibaka.
The moment Ibaka caught the ball, Durant suddenly shook off Bill Walker and moved to the baseline corner.
Ibaka flicked his right hand, passing the ball back to Durant.
This was a small play they often used in Thunder practice.
Yi Jianlian was too late to close out.
Swish!
Durant hit the three-pointer!
A strong response! 54-53!
This game was incredibly exciting and brilliant!
A small number of fans even applauded Durant.
In the current league, there are very few star players who can go toe-to-toe with Li Feng.
With 37 seconds left in the second quarter, the Knicks had possession.
The Thunder was now leading by one point, and both teams had one more offensive opportunity.
Normally, they would manage the clock, then get a defensive stop.
But Li Feng chose an unconventional approach. As Yi Jianlian inbounded the ball from the baseline, he suddenly ran towards the half-court line.
Yi Jianlian, with his long arms, directly passed the ball to Li Feng.
Sefolosha and Westbrook rushed to close in when they saw the danger, but it was too late. Li Feng suddenly pulled up for a shot about a meter away from the half-court line.
A Logo three-pointer!
This wasn't just a deep three-pointer; it was an ultra-deep three-pointer!
The players on the court, the fans in the arena, all widened their eyes. The Thunder players even forgot to rebound.
Of course, they didn't need to rebound; Li Feng's ultra-deep three-pointer was good!
This offensive possession took the Knicks only 5 seconds!
With 32 seconds left in the second quarter, Li Feng effectively gained another offensive possession.
56-54, the Knicks led by 2 points!
He was truly bold and skillful.
Knicks head coach Dehydration smiled and shook his head. Li Feng was a treasure player with incredibly quick reactions!
Of course, even if other players thought of it, they couldn't execute it, as not everyone could make such a deep three-pointer…
The Thunder's offensive possession.
Clearly, the Thunder players were stunned by Li Feng's previous three-pointer, their expressions a bit stiff.
After crossing half-court, the ball went to Durant again.
Strangely, the Knicks didn't double-team this time. Durant was one-on-one against Bill Walker.
Walker played tight defense, knowing this was the Thunder's last possession of the first half, and tried his best to stop it.
This way, the Knicks could ensure they entered halftime with a lead.
Durant also noticed Bill Walker's strong defense and big moves, but Durant was, after all, a top scorer in the league.
He suddenly drove towards the baseline.
The moment Bill Walker moved, he suddenly stopped, then pulled up for a fadeaway three-pointer!
This shot was unstoppable.
He already had long arms and a high release point, coupled with a fadeaway.
Bill Walker might have been a bit anxious. He lunged forward, his left hand hitting Durant's arm.
As a result, Durant's shot was an air ball.
Buzzzz!
The referee's whistle blew, calling a three-point foul on Bill Walker!
Durant went to the free-throw line.
Walker was frustrated, patting his head repeatedly.
Li Feng quickly came over to comfort him, "It's okay, you're defending Durant, you're doing great."
Durant stepped up to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and made two out of three shots.
56 all!
The Knicks had 7 seconds of offensive possession remaining.
Dehydration called a timeout to set up the frontcourt inbound pass.
During the timeout, Dehydration didn't set any specific plays, simply telling the players to give the ball to Li Feng.
Li Feng didn't say much, whispering a few words to Yao Ming.
After the timeout, the Knicks initiated the frontcourt inbound.
The Thunder players were highly focused, determined not to let the Knicks score on this possession.
Westbrook and Sefolosha practically surrounded Li Feng, like a sandwich.
Li Feng was prepared for this and didn't panic. He waved to Yi Jianlian, signaling him to pass the ball to Yao Ming.
As soon as Yao Ming caught the ball, Perkins and Ibaka immediately came to double-team him.
This drew four defenders to Yao Ming and Li Feng, leaving the other Knicks players in a 3-on-1 situation!
3-on-1?
Yao Ming, with his long arms, directly passed the ball to the open Bill Walker.
Bill Walker didn't shoot. Instead, he tossed the ball towards the basket. Yi Jianlian soared and dunked for 2 points!
58-56!
This was Knicks basketball. You never knew who would take the next shot!
The moment Yi Jianlian dunked, the red buzzer sounded.
The first half of the game was over!
The Knicks led by 2 points!
The margin was small, only 2 points.
But the Knicks' relaxed demeanor led most fans to believe that the Thunder had little chance.
Unless Durant exploded and the Death Scythe reappeared.
But Li Feng was not to be trifled with.
Perhaps the game would be decided in the fourth quarter.
The fans watched with anticipation, waiting for the final moment of the game…
…
In the tn.t live broadcast room, Barkley, as a guest commentator, was so nervous his hands were sweating.
"The game was almost tied at halftime. This is the most intense Finals game in recent years, isn't it?"
"Pretty much. I don't think the Knicks and the Mavericks were this tense last year."
"Mainly because the Knicks lost the first two home games. It was terrifying. I thought the Knicks were finished."
"The Thunder have unlimited potential. I think they are strong contenders for the championship in the next few years."
"It's hard to say. Ibaka and Harden are up for contract renewals. Whether they can keep both is another question."
"I hope the Thunder management can step up and keep them all. Then the Thunder should win a championship within three years."
"I think so too."
They might not know that in another parallel universe, Thunder management was being heavily criticized.
They let Harden go over a few hundred dollars.
It's a pity to even think about it.
Without Harden, it's almost impossible to contend with seasoned teams like the Spurs.
It remains to be seen whether Thunder management will make the same mistake in this parallel universe.
…
The second half of the game began.
The Thunder, unwilling to accept defeat, launched a fierce attack right from the start.
Westbrook, using a teammate's screen, drove to the basket and scored with a bank shot.
This was a bit troublesome. Yao Ming now had four fouls.
Westbrook made both free throws, tying the score again.
Dehydration thought for a moment and, during Westbrook's free throws, substituted Yao Ming out for Chandler.
Li Feng wanted to retaliate, but the Thunder's double-team defense was fierce, so Li Feng passed the ball to Lowry.
Lowry and Chandler lacked chemistry, and the ball was disrupted by Ibaka, allowing the Thunder to launch a counterattack.
Durant crossed half-court, received a pass from Westbrook, and hit a catch-and-shoot three-pointer!
59-56, the Thunder instantly scored 5 points and took the lead.
Li Feng watched, his brow furrowed.
The Thunder were playing aggressively and had a clear objective: to force Yao Ming out of the game.
The situation was becoming a bit unfavorable for the Knicks.
Li Feng signaled to his teammates, telling them not to panic.
After crossing half-court, Li Feng passed the ball to Lowry again, but instead of going to the corner, he made a backdoor cut to the other side.
Sefolosha and Westbrook pursued him closely.
Li Feng's run disrupted the Thunder's defensive formation.
Lowry seized the opportunity to drive into the paint and passed to the cutting Yi Jianlian.
Brother Lian soared for a dunk, scoring 2 points!
59-58, the two teams were tied again, and it was a matter of who could go on a run.
They say offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
However, at this point, neither team seemed able to stop the other.
There was no way around it. The Knicks and the Thunder were perhaps the two most offensively gifted Finals teams in NBA history.
The fans were fortunate to witness such an extreme offensive showdown!
With over six minutes left in the third quarter, the two teams were tied again at 72-72!
The Thunder called a timeout.
At this stage of the Finals, neither team had any secrets.
The Thunder were now paying more attention to Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry, making it harder for them to score.
With Yao Ming resting on the bench, the Knicks' inside offense and defense were somewhat weakened.
During the timeout, Li Feng exhorted his teammates, "Brothers, there are only ten-plus minutes left in the Finals. Just grit your teeth and fight for this win!"
In fact, his teammates knew Li Feng was the most tired, as his playing time had been the highest on the team since the playoffs began.
Yi Jianlian, wiping sweat from his brow, said, "Don't worry, Brother Feng. We'll lie on the court if we have to!"
Lowry also chimed in, "That's right, we have to win the three-peat!"
The Knicks players were all excited. No one could resist the allure of a three-peat!
With a three-peat, they could be called the Knicks dynasty!
In the long history of the NBA, very few teams have been called dynasties!
If they could become one of those dynasties, every championship player would be etched in history!
Li Feng remained calm. He wasn't thinking about the three-peat because the score was too close. It all depended on which side would buckle first.
He specifically observed Durant and found that Durant's stamina was not an issue.
It seemed Brooks's protection of Durant in the first half had paid off well.
As long as Durant could maintain his output, the Thunder's offensive power would be difficult to contain.
Lowry then made a suggestion, "Li Feng, should we double-team Durant!"
In his past life, Durant was indeed afraid of double-teams, but this Durant had stronger learning abilities. He wasn't afraid of double-teams and could always quickly find open teammates.
Li Feng shook his head, "No need to double-team him. Let him play one-on-one. Let's see how long he can last!"
The Knicks teammates immediately understood. Li Feng intended to make Durant expend his energy quickly.
Yi Jianlian nodded, "Okay, then we'll lock down everyone else and wear Durant out, haha!"
The other players also agreed.
After the timeout, the game resumed.
The Thunder's offensive approach remained simple. Westbrook couldn't get going under Li Feng's defense.
And after Harden came on, he was stifled by Lowry's defense, and his passes could only go to Durant.
This put the entire burden of the Thunder offense on Durant's shoulders.
Meanwhile, the Knicks continued to spread the scoring.
Li Feng drew double-teams and then used off-ball movement to disrupt the Thunder's defense, creating more opportunities for his teammates.
The score remained close, but Li Feng knew in his heart that the scales of victory were tipping in favor of the Knicks.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 87-86, with the Thunder leading by one point.
Despite the lead, Durant accounted for most of the team's scoring.
The other players were truly not delivering.
Li Feng saw that Durant was breathing heavily, and his last shot of the third quarter showed signs of fatigue.
Bill Walker put a lot of pressure on Durant defensively.
The beginning of the fourth quarter was crucial. Harden came on the court with the bench players.
On the Knicks' side, Li Feng also continued to play.
Thunder head coach Brooks smiled wryly again. Li Feng was truly an iron man!
This was Game 7 of the Finals, and Li Feng was still playing continuously. It seemed Li Feng hadn't taken a minute off in the second half!
Harden led the Thunder reserves well. They didn't get overwhelmed by Li Feng, and the game was back and forth.
Although Li Feng was on the court, he was also conserving energy, as the latter half of the fourth quarter was the decisive moment.
For now, his job was to lead the reserve unit and prevent the score from widening.