After the substitute lineup took the court, despite playing with all their might, the strength of the Big Three was too formidable, and the Knicks fell further and further behind.
The home fans grew restless, shouting in unison for Li Feng to enter the game.
But D'Antoni seemed not to hear them, leaving the substitute lineup on the court, watching his team fall behind.
As the second quarter began, with the Big Three resting on the sidelines, the Knicks' substitute lineup suddenly exploded. Novak and Shumpert found their rhythm, raining down three-pointers!
In less than five minutes, the Knicks' reserves had narrowed the deficit to six points.
To put it in perspective, at the end of the first quarter, the Knicks were trailing by fourteen points!
The Heat's Big Three couldn't sit still and demanded to be put back in the game.
Spoelstra was in a difficult position. He knew the playoffs were fast approaching and that player health was paramount.
However, this game held more significance for the Heat's morale.
For years, whether with the Cavaliers or the Heat, James had been blocked from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals by Li Feng's Knicks.
And this year was the second year for the Heat's Big Three.
With such a powerful roster on paper, if they couldn't break out of the Eastern Conference again, James might very well leave the Heat.
Spoelstra's coaching career could also be over.
Therefore, regardless of how the playoffs unfolded, this game was already the prelude to the Heat's playoff run.
Spoelstra gritted his teeth and put the Big Three back on the court.
With the Big Three in play, the effect was immediate. Even with the Knicks' reserves giving their all, they couldn't compete with the Big Three!
The point difference was quickly widened again, and by halftime, the Knicks were trailing by eighteen points.
After the second half began, the Knicks' starters played for just over six minutes, narrowing the deficit to fifteen points.
As a result, D'Antoni subbed the starters out again.
This further fueled the dissatisfaction of the home crowd, who once again directed their curses at D'Antoni.
D'Antoni, with his solid mental fortitude, paid them no mind.
He thought to himself: "Go ahead and curse. After all, we've won three championships, you have no idea how you'll cheer then!"
By the end of the third quarter, the Heat had established their dominance, and the fourth quarter turned into garbage time.
Although Li Feng was in a bad mood, he decided to endure it for the long term.
In this game, James scored thirty-seven points, playing thirty-eight minutes in total, including the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.
Wade had eighteen points, and Bosh had twenty-three points.
Li Feng scored twenty-six points today, but he only played twenty-four minutes.
Despite the loss, Li Feng still exchanged hugs and congratulations with the Heat players after the game.
James approached Li Feng and they had a warm embrace, talking for a long time.
It was clear that James was in good spirits today. He was named the best player of the game and was interviewed by the media.
Facing the reporters, James made a bold declaration.
"If we meet the Knicks in the playoffs, we will sweep them. We will definitely win the championship this year!"
"We've gelled perfectly this year, and no team can compete with us!"
...
James's words in the Knicks' home arena angered many New York fans.
But there was nothing they could do. The opposing team had won today, so they could say whatever they pleased.
The regular season had ended, and the smoke of the playoffs was about to rise.
Ultimately, the Knicks finished with a record of sixty-one wins, securing the league's top seed.
The Eastern Conference playoff teams were the Knicks, Heat, Bulls, Pacers, Celtics, Hawks, Magic, and 76ers.
The Western Conference playoff teams were the Spurs, Thunder, Lakers, Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Jazz.
The Knicks' first opponent was the 76ers.
The 76ers had a balanced lineup. While they lacked superstars, their playstyle was very steady, and they managed to make it into the playoffs.
With the playoffs about to begin, China Central Television's Sports Channel sent Yu Jia and Zhang Zhi Dao to the United States for live commentary.
Before the game, Zhang Zhi Dao and Yu Jia specifically interviewed Li Feng.
If it had been an American media outlet, Li Feng would have absolutely refused the interview, as he needed to focus on preparing for the playoffs.
But since it was Chinese media, Li Feng readily agreed.
The interview took place in the Knicks' home arena. Li Feng, covered in sweat, was in the middle of training when Yu Jia and Zhang Zhi Dao arrived.
"Haha, Li Feng, sorry to interrupt your training!" Zhang Zhi Dao, who was very fond of Li Feng, extended both his hands as soon as he entered.
Li Feng quickly wiped off his sweat and walked over to shake hands with Zhang Zhi Dao.
"It's no interruption. I just finished training. Welcome, Zhang Zhi Dao and Yu Jia." Li Feng replied politely.
Yu Jia also greeted him, "Li Feng, the playoffs are about to start. How are you feeling? Are you ready?"
Before Li Feng could answer, Zhang Zhi Dao chuckled, "Li Feng needs to prepare? They'll surely win the first round easily!"
Li Feng's smile faded, and he shook his head, saying, "No, our entire team is actively preparing. Every team in the playoffs has its strengths. If we underestimate them, we will be punished. Although upsets are rare in history, there are quite a few examples."
Zhang Zhi Dao admired Li Feng's maturity and calmness at such a young age.
"Okay, then let me ask my first question, Li Feng, what is Yao Ming's physical condition like?"
Li Feng nodded, "Brother Yao had a minor injury before, but he has recovered. He can play in the playoffs, but our team doctor suggests limiting his playing time."
Yu Jia breathed a sigh of relief. He was a loyal fan of Yao Ming and hoped to see Yao Ming's prowess in the playoffs.
"Li Feng, Yi Jianlian has been playing well recently. Compared to last season, it's like night and day. Can you tell us the reason?"
Li Feng smiled and didn't answer immediately.
He couldn't exactly say that the system had helped Yi Jianlian improve his skill values.
"Yi Jianlian's main issue before was psychological; he lacked confidence. But since coming to the Knicks, Yi Jianlian has been playing better and better and is happier. He is a talented player."
Yu Jia gave a thumbs-up, "I think it's you and Da Yao who have established a great atmosphere in the Knicks. If you win three consecutive championships this year, it will truly be legendary."
Li Feng replied seriously, "We are working hard to win our third championship, but until we achieve it, I will not make any assumptions."
Zhang Zhi Dao and Yu Jia were extremely impressed by Li Feng's lack of arrogance.
On the grand stage of the NBA, it was truly rare for a guard to achieve what Li Feng had.
Seeing that Li Feng was still training, Zhang Zhi Dao didn't want to disturb him further and left after a brief chat.
The highly anticipated playoffs began.
NBA fans worldwide were waiting to see if the Knicks could achieve a three-peat.
Therefore, in the first round of the playoffs, most fans' attention was focused on the Knicks and the 76ers.
Although all fans expected the Knicks to easily defeat the 76ers, they also wanted to know the Knicks' current form.
The Knicks played comfortably in their first two home games.
Li Feng averaged 35.2 points and 12.7 assists, completely dominating the games.
Just as fans were expecting the Knicks to easily sweep the 76ers, in the third game, the 76ers launched a counterattack on their home court.
For the first three quarters, Li Feng was double-teamed, even triple-teamed, with very physical play.
The referees turned a blind eye, seemingly tacitly allowing the 76ers to win this game.
After three quarters, the 76ers led the Knicks by seventeen points.
Yao Ming only played sixteen minutes today, and the team doctor wouldn't let him continue because the 76ers' forwards were too aggressive, knocking Yao Ming down several times, and his calf started hurting again.
With a large deficit and Yao Ming injured and out, could the Knicks come back from this situation?
Both the commentators and the fans believed the 76ers should be able to win this game.
The 76ers' head coach, Collins, was also full of confidence.
He didn't expect the 76ers to pull off an upset and advance to the second round.
However, winning one home game and defeating the reigning champions was enough for Collins.
Li Feng sat on the bench, covering his head with a towel.
Yi Jianlian was also playing hard today, but there were many bloodstains on his arms from the fierce defense.
He sat next to Li Feng and said indignantly, "Li Feng, what should we do? They are too aggressive, but I really don't want to lose!"
Yi Jianlian was usually quiet and rarely expressed strong competitiveness, which was something Li Feng had always been dissatisfied with.
Yao Ming was also humble, but his competitive spirit was the strongest.
He would occasionally chat with Li Feng about Yi Jianlian.
Yao Ming felt that Yi Jianlian's skills and strength had improved significantly, but his willpower was still lacking.
Li Feng took the towel off his head and turned to look at Yi Jianlian, asking, "Yi Jianlian, do you really want to win?"
Yi Jianlian gritted his teeth and roared, "Yes, of course, I want to win! Those guys are too brutal. I'm almost beaten to death. Li Feng, look at you, you're injured too, how can you still play?"
Actually, Li Feng had considered giving up just now. He didn't want his teammates to get injured, and he was willing to let one game go, especially since the referees seemed to be on the 76ers' side.
However, Yi Jianlian was showing such a rare desire to win, and Li Feng didn't want to disappoint him.
"Yi Jianlian, we have so many tactics in practice, we should use them."
Yi Jianlian sighed, "But they are defending both of us too tightly, not even letting us receive the ball, so we can't execute the tactics!"
"It's okay, watch me. Pay attention to my movements."
Seeing Li Feng's confidence, Yi Jianlian knew there was a chance today.
Just two minutes into the fourth quarter, Li Feng walked up to D'Antoni and said, "Coach, please put me and the other starters back in. Let's fight a bit more."
D'Antoni was taken aback and asked, "The deficit is already twenty-one points, and there isn't much time left. Do we still need to fight? We have a significant lead, so why not just let it go..."
"No, Coach, just let us try, five minutes, just five minutes!"
Seeing Li Feng's resolute attitude, D'Antoni nodded, "Alright, be careful not to get injured."
"Don't worry, Coach."
The Knicks' starters re-entered the game. The score was 87:66, with the Knicks trailing by twenty-one points.
In fact, the Knicks' starters had plenty of stamina; they just had several minor injuries.
The 76ers' head coach, Collins, thought the Knicks had given up. But Li Feng and the starters were back on the court. Did they still want to make a comeback?
He didn't immediately put his starters back in, preferring to assess the situation.
As soon as Li Feng stepped onto the court, he was met with double-teaming, just as fierce as before.
This time, Li Feng chose not to tolerate it and decided to fight fire with fire.
When defending Li Feng, the 76ers' Vucevic was overly physical, using his hands and arms aggressively. Li Feng didn't indulge him and made an early move, driving his elbow into Vucevic's chest.
With two sharp impacts, Vucevic felt a churning sensation deep within his chest.
Vucevic was stunned. He had anticipated a counterattack from Li Feng, but he hadn't expected Li Feng's retaliation to be so subtle yet so fierce.
The 76ers' Turner was also a tough player. He joined Vucevic in double-teaming Li Feng.
Seeing Vucevic's pained expression, Turner didn't know what was happening and thought Vucevic was feeling unwell.
So he actively closed in, flailing his arms and preventing Li Feng from driving or shooting.
Li Feng never initiated trouble. Despite being hit several times in the first three quarters, Li Feng still wanted to break through Turner with his speed.
But as Turner extended his leg, he intended to trip Li Feng.
Li Feng, seeing himself about to fall, reacted.
Turner thought he was being clever, but Li Feng had already seen his move.
*Poof!*
Just as Li Feng was about to be tripped, Li Feng suddenly stepped with his foot, landing on Turner's ankle.
Both Turner and Li Feng cried out in pain, and then both fell to the ground.
The referee was confused and didn't know how to call it, so he let the game continue.
Li Feng rolled on the ground. Seeing that the referee hadn't blown the whistle, he passed the ball to Yi Jianlian.
The other players were dazed, not expecting Li Feng to get up so quickly, so they didn't react.
Upon receiving the ball, Yi Jianlian immediately understood and rushed to the basket for a thunderous dunk!
76ers head coach Collins was furious and protested to the referee, claiming Li Feng had intentionally fouled.
The referee stopped the game and went to the sideline to review the replay.
The home crowd loudly cursed the referee, all believing Li Feng had made the first move.
However, after watching the replay, the referee pointed to Turner.
Collins was completely bewildered, not understanding the referee's intention.
"Turner, for tripping, a flagrant foul. Knicks get two free throws and possession!"
Not only did he call a foul on Turner, but it was a flagrant foul.
The replay was shown repeatedly on the big screen, and the home crowd quieted down. They could now clearly see that Turner had committed the foul first.
Li Feng stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots. Simultaneously, the Knicks retained possession.
This immediately added four points, bringing the deficit back to seventeen.
Bill Walker inbounded the ball to Yi Jianlian.
Yi Jianlian, facing Hois, didn't have a clear shot and passed the ball to Li Feng.
Because Li Feng had just disciplined the 76ers players, their defense became less aggressive.
After receiving the ball, Li Feng looked around. The 76ers players thought Li Feng was going to pass again. To their surprise, Li Feng suddenly dribbled backward, retreating beyond the three-point line.
The 76ers' defenders were shocked and rushed forward, but their rhythm was broken.
Li Feng unleashed a lightning-fast three-point shot. *Swish!*
An incredibly deep three-pointer!
Thaddeus Young lunged too aggressively and crashed into Li Feng, knocking him to the ground.
*Beep!*
A three-plus-one!
Collins was stunned. He hadn't expected Li Feng to ignite such a surge as soon as he returned to the court.
Li Feng made the free throw, and the deficit was reduced to thirteen points!
Collins couldn't take it anymore and called a timeout.
With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Li Feng had led his team back to within thirteen points. At this rate, a comeback was possible.