You can't haggle with me. The mission has been issued, please complete it quickly!
The system gave Li Feng no room for negotiation, and it was quite overbearing.
Li Feng scratched his head helplessly and looked around.
The Knicks were on offense, and Lowry was dribbling in the backcourt.
Suddenly, Li Feng jumped onto the scorer's table and roared at the home crowd—
"As long as I, Li Feng, am here, you Celtics will not advance!"
Li Feng's shout was like a thunderclap. The already noisy stadium fell silent for a moment.
But after a second, the stadium erupted in laughter again.
"Is Li Feng provoked?"
"Is he crazy? Did he take the wrong medicine?"
"With his current state, where is his confidence coming from?"
"Maybe he knows they're about to be eliminated and wants to put on a final show for some exposure."
"He's just a网红 player, so weak!"
...
Not only were the fans mocking loudly, but the Celtics players were also unhappy.
Li Feng was openly challenging them!
Garnett and Pierce rushed over to pull Li Feng down from the scorer's table. Yi Jianlian and Bill Walker rushed forward to block Garnett and Pierce. It looked like a conflict was about to break out.
The referee, not expecting this sudden turn of events, quickly came over to separate the players.
At the same time, the referee also called a technical foul on Li Feng.
Pierce stepped up to the free-throw line, but unfortunately, he missed the free throw. The deficit remained 25 points.
Ding, the host has completed the mission and received the "Quick Recovery Gift Package."
Li Feng heard this and was so excited he started dancing.
This series of actions completely frightened the Knicks teammates. They genuinely thought Li Feng had lost his mind.
Yi Jianlian walked over and asked softly, "Li Feng, are... are you okay?"
"I'm fine, let's start catching up!" Li Feng patted his chest and shouted confidently.
A Lian smiled wryly and said nothing, patting Li Feng's arm before silently walking away.
Li Feng knew that his teammates had lost hope.
The only way to reignite his teammates' morale now was for Li Feng to show his previous form!
After the system gave Li Feng the Quick Recovery Gift Package, Li Feng felt a change within his body.
It was as if a powerful warm current surged through his entire body.
His strength, speed, and shooting touch had all returned!
"Damn it, I'll show you what a king's return looks like!"
The Knicks were on offense, and Lowry had the ball in the backcourt. Li Feng immediately ran over and asked for the ball.
Lowry thought Li Feng wanted to try again and passed him the ball.
However, Lowry didn't immediately go to the frontcourt but waited nearby for a pass.
Li Feng had been unstable with his dribbling in the first half, making consecutive turnovers. Lowry didn't want to see Li Feng embarrassed.
Rondo once again rushed forward, putting pressure on Li Feng.
"Haha, Li Feng, you dare to dribble? Watch me steal it from you!"
Rondo yelled arrogantly, reaching out and harassing Li Feng relentlessly.
If it were the first half, Li Feng would have been flustered and lost the ball again.
But now, Li Feng seemed like a different person. *Swish!*
Li Feng dribbled the ball powerfully with his right hand, then suddenly changed direction, shifting his body over a meter away.
Rondo saw a blur and Li Feng was gone.
"What the hell is going on?"
Li Feng used an extreme crossover, shaking Rondo off, and then drove to the frontcourt.
Rondo was still standing there, dazed.
The other Celtics players also realized Li Feng was different from before and rushed to double-team him.
But Li Feng was too fast. With a spin, he shook off Pierce and headed straight for the paint.
Garnett was ready. He had made up his mind that he would foul Li Feng if necessary, to prevent the Knicks from gaining momentum!
"Lie down!" Garnett spread his long arms and pressed down on Li Feng like a blanket.
But Li Feng didn't force his way through.
Although Li Feng had dunked on Garnett more than once before, Li Feng was not reckless.
Garnett was clearly prepared this time, determined to take Li Feng down, so Li Feng suddenly took a big step back when facing Garnett.
Garnett was confused, not knowing what Li Feng was going to do. He slowly approached Li Feng, still wondering.
Suddenly, Li Feng accelerated again, charging to the left. Garnett quickly moved to block him, but Li Feng leaned into him.
Garnett was truly surprised. With Li Feng's lean, his body tilted.
And Li Feng, using the rebound from the lean, flew backward and executed an extreme fadeaway jump shot.
This move was brilliant. Garnett also admired it. This was a classic small-ball tactic in the paint, requiring extremely high strength, leaping ability, and shooting accuracy from a guard.
But Garnett wasn't worried. Li Feng's shooting touch was terrible today, so even with the space created by the contact, Li Feng surely wouldn't make the shot!
Who would have thought...
*Swish!*
A clean swish!
The previously rowdy Celtics fans fell silent.
Garnett's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
Even the Knicks players couldn't believe it. After a two-second pause, they rushed over to chest bump Li Feng in celebration.
Li Feng's drive from the backcourt to the paint, toyed with Garnett, and looked like he had fully returned to his peak form!
This two-point shot wasn't important, but Li Feng returning to his peak form was the most crucial thing!
Rivers on the sideline became nervous again. He felt a glow surrounding Li Feng once more.
He rubbed his eyes hard and stared intently at Li Feng. Yes, there was indeed a glow!
He wanted to call a timeout, but the third quarter had just begun. He decided to watch for a bit longer.
The Celtics were on offense.
After all, the Celtics were still leading by 23 points. If they could maintain their offensive firepower, the Knicks still wouldn't be able to catch up.
Rondo dribbled past half-court and suddenly passed the ball to Ray Allen in the corner.
Ray Allen shot quickly!
Unfortunately, with Yi Jianlian's help defense, the shot missed.
Chandler also gained momentum, roaring and pushing O'Neal aside to secure the defensive rebound.
Li Feng, Lowry, and Bill Walker broke out like three arrows, racing past half-court.
Rondo and Garnett quickly retreated, defending 2-on-3.
Chandler directly threw the ball to Lowry. Lowry faced Rondo and didn't continue dribbling, instead passing to Bill Walker.
At this moment, Li Feng cut through the middle. Bill Walker threw a lob pass. Li Feng leaped high and slammed the ball into the basket before Garnett could get there to contest!
The deficit shrunk to 21 points!
The vast North Shore Garden arena fell silent again.
Li Feng's powerful dunk became the away-team's crowd silencer.
Rivers couldn't stand it. Even though they were still leading by 21 points, he decisively called a timeout.
It was too scary!
Li Feng high-fived his teammates and loudly encouraged them.
In reality, his explosive performance was the best form of encouragement.
The Knicks players were all energized. They saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback!
De'Anthony was ecstatic.
During halftime, he had already given up, planning for next year!
Yao Ming hugged Li Feng tightly and shouted, "Well done! Li Feng, it's all up to you!"
Li Feng knew very well that if they could defeat the Celtics and reach the finals, Yao Ming's injury could recover.
Winning three consecutive championships with the Knicks was also Yao Ming's dream.
If they could win the championship, Yao Ming might have to retire, as he had too many injuries, especially his knee injury, which had plagued Yao Ming for many years.
During the timeout, De'Anthony didn't discuss any specific tactics.
The situation was clear now. As long as Li Feng returned to his peak, the Knicks could play at a high level.
But whether they could reverse the deficit was still uncertain, as it was a 21-point gap, which was very difficult.
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.
Rivers didn't explain specific tactics, just told the Celtics players to defend Li Feng to the death.
"Double-team him! Or triple-team him if needed!" Rivers repeated this phrase over and over.
The game continued, and the Celtics were on offense. The ball was passed to Pierce again, and Bill Walker was guarding him.
Just as Pierce was about to use his dribble to create space for a shot, Li Feng suddenly appeared like a phantom and snatched the ball from Pierce's hands.
This wasn't a steal; it was a robbery!
Pierce was both angry and anxious. He tried to chase, but it was too late. Li Feng was already over two meters away.
Rondo and Ray Allen teamed up to block Li Feng.
They had fierce looks in their eyes, clearly determined not to let Li Feng pass.
Li Feng remained calm. About a meter and a half beyond the three-point line, he suddenly gathered the ball and looked up at the basket.
Holy cow!
He's going for a super-long three-pointer!
Ray Allen and Rondo jumped up in unison, raising their hands high to block Li Feng's shot!
However, Li Feng merely performed a "fake" move. As his hand was about to gather the ball, he pulled it back.
Then, Li Feng bent down and slipped under Ray Allen's arm.
Both of them had already jumped. By the time they realized, it was too late to block him.
Li Feng drove to the basket and executed a folding reverse dunk!
Spectacular!
Li Feng scored six consecutive points!
The North Shore Garden arena had turned into a "library" since the start of the third quarter, so quiet.
Rivers didn't need to call a timeout. He sat on the bench, his eyes vacant, as if the game had nothing to do with him.
Under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks displayed incredible dominance on both offense and defense.
The Celtics were stunned, unable to score and unable to defend.
With over six minutes played in the third quarter, the deficit was reduced to 7 points.
Seeing that Rivers still hadn't called a timeout, Garnett took the initiative to call one during a dead ball.
This timeout also didn't have much of an effect. The Knicks continued to close the gap.
By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks had taken a four-point lead, 91:87.
Fans watching on television and their phones were extremely excited.
Li Feng had finally returned; this was the strength of a superstar.
But how could Li Feng, who had played so poorly in the first half, suddenly explode in the second half?
This adjustment ability was astonishing!
In the first half of the fourth quarter, the other Knicks players seemed to have been injected with adrenaline. They played with a desperate intensity and managed to maintain their lead even when Li Feng was off the court.
By the time the fourth quarter had played for over six minutes, both teams brought their starters back onto the court.
Li Feng didn't give the Celtics any chance. Facing tight defense, he switched smoothly, not only scoring himself but also delivering consecutive pinpoint passes to his teammates.
The Celtics finally couldn't hold on. In the blink of an eye, the deficit widened to 14 points.
The tide had turned.
Rivers raised the white flag. With 1 minute and 14 seconds left in the game, he substituted his starters off the court.
As Garnett and Pierce walked past Li Feng, Li Feng coldly said to them—
"The game has just begun. Next game, prepare to be slaughtered by me!"
Their hearts sank. They didn't dare to meet Li Feng's gaze and quickly walked off the court...
Led by Li Feng, the Knicks made a strong comeback, tying the series 3:3!
Both teams were back on equal footing.
Li Feng's spectacular performance today, saving the day, once again dominated all news headlines.
Not only in the sports section but also in other sections, the news of Li Feng's kingly return was everywhere. He had become a sensation!
Back home, Li Feng sat on the sofa, his hands still trembling slightly.
It was so close!
So exciting!
If not for the system's help, they would have lost this series, and their dream of three consecutive championships would have been shattered.
Just then, Li Feng's phone rang. It was Jenna from China calling him for a video chat.
Li Feng also missed his family back home and wondered how Jenna was getting along with his parents.
He quickly pressed the connect button and saw Jenna sitting on the bed in the video. His father, Li Tongshun, stood behind her, and his mother was semi-reclining on the hospital bed. They looked happy and smiled.
"Feng, congratulations on winning this crucial game! Uncle, Auntie, and I all watched your game!"
Jenna's sweet voice came through.
Li Feng's eyes welled up with tears, deeply touched.
His family was his strong backing, and Jenna's willingness to be his supportive woman was truly remarkable.
"Dad, Jenna, how is Mom's health?"
Li Feng's mother's speech was still a bit slurred, but she was better than the day before.
"Xiao Feng... play well... don't worry about me..."
Li Feng quickly replied, "Mom, please recover well. Is Jenna taking good care of you?"
"This girl is so good to us, very thoughtful. She's a wonderful daughter-in-law. You must treat her well!"
Li Feng smiled and said, "I know, Mom. I'll treat her well for the rest of my life."
They chatted for a while longer and then ended the video call.
So much had happened in the past few days, and Li Feng felt exhausted. He took a shower, jumped into bed, and soon fell asleep.
The Game 7 between the Knicks and the Celtics, a focal point of the series, attracted the attention of fans worldwide.
Despite De'Anthony's strict order that no interviews be given before the game, countless media reporters flocked near the Knicks' training facility, trying to catch glimpses of the players' every move.
As Li Feng walked out of the arena, he was surrounded by several reporters.
"Excuse me, I'm not accepting interviews. Please ask me at tomorrow's press conference." Li Feng bypassed the reporters, trying to leave quickly.
"Li Feng, may I interview you?"
A voice came from behind the reporters. Li Feng found the voice familiar.
Li Feng looked closely and saw Yu Jia from China's sports channel.
"Teacher Yu, please come here. Let's talk as we walk." Li Feng pushed away the other reporters and walked up to Yu Jia, taking his arm and heading towards a small path next to the arena.
The other reporters stood there helplessly, still holding microphones and cameras.
Perhaps they were thinking: I wish I were a reporter from China.