"Li Feng, I didn't expect you to return so quickly. How is your mother?" Yu Jia asked with concern.
"Thank you for your concern, she's much better. I video-called my parents last night."
They walked and chatted, not asking too many questions like in an interview, just like friends catching up.
"Do you know? Countless Chinese fans are rooting for you in this series, hoping you win, but also wishing your family good health."
Li Feng nodded emotionally, "Thank you to the fans for their concern. I'll try my best to do well in both aspects."
...
Yu Jia knew Li Feng had been very tired recently, so she didn't chat for too long. After less than ten minutes, she took her leave.
The decisive Game 7 was about to begin!
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng and Yi Jianlian were interviewed.
"Mr. Li Feng, in the previous game, your performance in the first and second halves was like night and day. Can you tell us the reason?"
Li Feng stroked his chin and replied with feigned seriousness, "As you all know, I just landed yesterday before the game and was a bit dizzy, so my performance in the first half wasn't great. Later, during halftime, I lay down for a while, and I recovered remarkably well, heh."
Seeing Li Feng speaking so casually, a reporter asked again, "The Celtics were already preparing to celebrate their victory before the last game, but you returned like a king and turned the tide. Is there anything you want to say to the Celtics players?"
Li Feng smiled, "There's actually nothing I want to say. I prefer to let my performance speak on the court. But since it's Game 7, I want to say... good night, you should get some rest!"
The reporters burst into laughter. Li Feng's unique humor made them chuckle uncontrollably.
In fact, Li Feng was recalling a classic move by Curry from before his transmigration – good night.
However, Curry usually made this gesture when the game was already decided.
Li Feng, on the other hand, was saying goodnight to his opponents before the game even started. It was indeed too bold, too confident!
"Mr. Li Feng, Pierce said before the last game that he would score 35 points, but he only managed 20 points and was also stolen from 3 times by you. Were you deliberately targeting him?"
Li Feng shook his head, "No, I don't compete with any opponent on the court. I did that purely for the team's victory. Pierce is the most reliable scorer for the Celtics, and I had to focus on him because I want to win!"
The reporters nodded in approval.
"Yi Jianlian, it's clear you're very happy and have been smiling. What does Li Feng's return mean for the Knicks?"
A Lian was indeed smiling. He was overjoyed by Li Feng's return.
If he were to join the Knicks this year and not win a championship due to unforeseen circumstances, he would feel very regretful. Yao Ming had won at least two championships; if he came and immediately lost a championship, wouldn't he be considered unlucky?
"Li Feng is the team's core, the soul of the team. As long as he's on the court, he inspires the potential of all Knicks players!"
Yi Jianlian praised Li Feng unreservedly. This wasn't him flattering; his words represented the feelings of all Knicks players!
...
Only Rondo attended the Celtics' press conference. Garnett and Pierce had no face to accept interviews.
"Mr. Rondo, why are you the only one being interviewed today?" a reporter asked curiously.
Rondo didn't understand what was going on, but he couldn't say it. He could only vaguely reply, "The others are warming up and don't have time."
"In that case, Rondo, what do you think the Celtics' probability of winning Game 7 is?"
Rondo wasn't very good at handling reporters. He replied unhappily, "One hundred percent probability. We will definitely win!"
The reporters could tell that Rondo's words lacked confidence.
"In the last game, Li Feng returned like a king. How did you feel at that moment?" the reporter continued to rub salt in the wound.
Rondo's face turned green. After a dozen seconds of silence, he managed to answer, "We didn't have any particular feelings. Li Feng is just an ordinary player. We will lock him down in today's game."
Seeing Rondo being put on the spot, the reporters also felt uncomfortable and ended the interview after a few hurried questions.
At 7:30 PM, Madison Square Garden, New York.
The Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Knicks and the Celtics officially tipped off!
The Celtics' starting lineup remained unchanged: Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Jermaine O'Neal, and Rondo.
The Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, Yi Jianlian, Tyson Chandler, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
At the center jump ball, Chandler once again secured the first possession for the Knicks.
Li Feng dribbled the ball from the backcourt, slowly advancing. Rondo didn't dare to press him closely this time, waiting for Li Feng at the half-court line with Ray Allen.
However, in the first possession, Li Feng didn't attack himself. He saw Lowry was unguarded and passed him the ball like a missile.
Ray Allen quickly went to double-team, but "Little Steel Cannon" instantly understood Li Feng's intention; the first quarter was for his teammates to play.
So Lowry shot the ball at light speed!
Clang!
It bounced off the rim.
Chandler pushed aside O'Neal and slammed home the put-back with both hands, giving the Knicks the first points!
"An old horse longs to gallop a thousand miles." Chandler still had plenty of fuel in the tank, at least in the first quarter, he was still that formidable center.
The home crowd in New York roared with excitement, their cheers deafening.
In the previous game, the New York fans had watched on a big screen in the stadium.
Even though they weren't there in person, the cheers from the home crowd in New York were no less than the actual game sounds.
When the New York fans saw Li Feng explode in the second half, they were moved to tears.
Li Feng's resurgence was truly timely.
...
Celtics offense, Garnett signaled for the ball in the paint.
Garnett had scored a lot against Yi Jianlian in the last two games, making him a strong point for the Celtics.
So Garnett wanted to get one back against A Lian.
A Lian was also riled up. Garnett had been bullying him in recent games, so Li Feng had helped A Lian improve his defensive skills during yesterday's practice.
Thus, Garnett still wanted to bully A Lian, but it backfired.
Bang!
Garnett bumped A Lian, then tried to spin for a jump shot.
Unexpectedly, A Lian didn't retreat after being bumped. He stuck close, raised his right hand high, and *smack*!
This quick little step made Garnett falter.
The big block stunned Garnett.
The ball was batted between Li Feng and Ray Allen, both rushing to dive for it.
Ray Allen was fast, but Li Feng was faster. He tipped the ball first and passed it to Lowry.
Lowry immediately launched a fast break, drove to the basket against Rondo, and made the layup!
At the start, the Knicks took a 4:0 lead!
The scariest part was that Li Feng hadn't done much yet.
Rivers stood by the sideline with his arms crossed, no longer shouting. He knew that at this stage of the series, neither side had any secrets.
Everything they could do, they had already done.
Now, it was just a matter of whose star player would perform better.
Clearly, Li Feng was the true superstar in the league, unmatched!
In the next few possessions, the Celtics gradually showed their strength, and the game entered a stalemate.
In the first quarter, Li Feng only took two shots but dished out 4 assists.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 31:28, with the Knicks leading by 3 points.
Although the point difference wasn't large, Li Feng played with ease on the court, completely controlling the game's rhythm.
The Celtics players looked like they were fighting hard, but a careful observation of their eyes would reveal that they were vacant, just playing out the clock.
In the latter half of the second quarter, Li Feng began to exert his dominance.
Despite the Celtics' frantic double-teaming of Li Feng, he continuously took shots through teammate screens and his own exceptional ability to break free!
Swish!
Bang!
Li Feng only took 2 shots in the first quarter, scoring 4 points.
But in the second quarter, Li Feng aggressively took 11 shots, making 8, and scoring 23 points.
At the end of the first half, Li Feng had 27 points. The score was 67:51, with the Knicks leading by 16 points.
Everyone could see that the Celtics had long given up; they were just waiting for the game to end.
Li Feng's triumphant return had shattered the Celtics' confidence.
In the second half of the Game 7, it was surprisingly less intense.
Both teams played out the second half cooperatively, and Li Feng didn't go all out, giving the Celtics some dignity.
Finally, the Knicks defeated the Celtics 116:105, winning the highly anticipated Game 7.
Li Feng played 34 minutes today, scoring 45 points, extremely efficiently.
The moment the game ended, all the spectators at Madison Square Garden stood up to applaud and cheer for the Knicks players.
The applause lasted for more than five minutes, creating a truly spectacular scene.
Li Feng and his Knicks teammates raised their hands high, waving to the home crowd and thanking them for their support.
Garnett and Pierce walked over to congratulate Li Feng.
Although they were rivals on the court, they still held great respect for Li Feng after the game.
"Li Feng, congratulations on reaching the Eastern Conference Finals again," Garnett said, patting his shoulder after hugging him.
"Thank you, you guys also played great!" Li Feng actually admired Garnett's defense; one could say Garnett, almost single-handedly, held up the Celtics' defense.
Pierce also hugged Li Feng, congratulated him, and chatted for a few minutes.
...
In a luxurious living room, three men sat in front of a massive television, watching this Game 7.
These three men were the Heat's Big Three: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
They had already eliminated the Bulls and were awaiting their next opponent.
After Li Feng returned to China, the Celtics won consecutive games, which made the Big Three very happy.
Their only concern was Li Feng's Knicks.
If the Knicks were eliminated, the Big Three believed the Heat would definitely win the championship this year!
It couldn't be helped; the Big Three were under immense pressure.
Three superstars in their prime, forming a team, was unprecedented!
If they didn't win three to five championships, it would truly be a disappointment.
However, after failing last year, losing again this year would be a huge embarrassment.
...
After watching the game, the three were silent for a long time.
Wade broke the silence, saying, "It's okay. Although the Knicks are very strong, they are not invincible. As long as we play with our momentum, we will definitely be able to defeat the Knicks!"
Bosh also nodded, "Exactly. We've improved a lot this year compared to last year, and the Knicks have brought in several new players, so their strength must have decreased."
LeBron James remained silent, his eyes still fixed on the screen, on Li Feng's figure.
Wade patted LeBron's shoulder and comforted him, "LeBron, if we want to win the championship, we can't be afraid of any team, right?"
Seeing his two brothers cheering him on, LeBron also cheered up.
"That's right, what's there to fear! We must win the championship this year!"
Saying this, LeBron clenched his fist and bumped fists with the other two, expressing his determination.
Knicks vs. Heat Big Three!
This series was truly a clash of titans!
Especially since the Heat had easily defeated the Knicks before the playoffs!
Therefore, who would emerge from the Eastern Conference was still an unknown.
The media began to hype up this matchup.
On basketball forums, fans were also engaging in epic battles.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had a large number of fans, and they began to viciously attack Li Feng.
Li Feng, having accumulated fans over the past two years, also had quite a few, especially with the influx of Chinese fans, who became Li Feng's strong backing.
"King James has delivered his best performance this season, with advanced stats leading the entire league, but unfortunately, he didn't win MVP."
"Forget it, what use are advanced stats? Li Feng led the team to the league's best record. Why shouldn't he win MVP?"
"The Knicks had 65 wins last season and only 62 wins this season. They've regressed, so why should they win MVP?"
"Good heavens, even if they regressed, their winning percentage is higher than your progress. How dare you say that?"
"But you have to consider team chemistry, and the performance of your teammates!"
"Teammate performance? Do you want to see if Wade and Bosh combined are more powerful than Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian?"
"Of course, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian are more powerful. Wade has knee injuries, and Bosh is just 'Board Man' (a nickname implying he's good at getting rebounds but not much else). What's the point? Look at Yao Ming, he's an inside霸主 (overlord), and Yi Jianlian is a league-leading power forward. Li Feng is just riding their coattails!"
"Speaking of riding coattails, I'm wide awake now. How dare LeBron's fans talk about others riding coattails?"
"That's the truth. Without Yao Ming, could Li Feng have won a championship? The Knicks' management is the real king. They traded for Yao Ming, a divine operation, giving Li Feng a big strong leg to hold onto!"
...
The game hadn't even started, and the forums were already in an uproar; it was incredibly lively.
Li Feng took a shower that night and took out his phone. When he saw these comments, he almost laughed his head off.
He found these fans to be truly adorable. They could say so many outrageous things for the stars they liked.
Some of them were quite talented, inventing many humorous terms.
...
The finalists in the Western Conference were also decided.
The veteran powerhouse Spurs and the young Thunder team, hand in hand, advanced to the Western Conference Finals!
This series also attracted the attention of countless fans.
Would the old GDP trio break through, or would the Thunder's "Four Youngsters" laugh until the end? No one knew for sure.
Li Feng also watched the performances of both teams in the playoffs. To be honest, both were very strong!