Garnett was cornered by reporters, and Pierce quickly took the microphone to help.
"Yao Ming did have an injury last year, but our players had minor injuries as well; they just weren't reported," Pierce said.
Garnett quickly chimed in, "Yes, we just didn't report them. Minor injuries never kept us from playing!"
After speaking, he gave Pierce a grateful look.
In reality, bringing up injuries wasn't really appropriate; every team managed injuries.
The Knicks' ability to win two championships was, of course, mainly due to Li Feng, but another reason was the Knicks' health management system.
If someone got injured, the management team would not hesitate to let the player recover and would not allow them to play.
Especially for older stars like Da Yao, they were protected very carefully and cautiously.
This was why the Knicks maintained their vitality throughout the playoffs and finals.
Of course, Li Feng's incredible ability to carry the team when his teammates were absent was also astonishing.
From the press conferences on both sides, it was clear that the Celtics were not convinced.
And this year's Celtics indeed had the capital to be arrogant, with their young players growing rapidly.
At seven in the evening, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2011-2012 season was about to begin!
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
The Celtics' starting five were Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, and Jermaine O'Neal.
Tip-off at center court.
Yao Ming and Jermaine O'Neal stood at center court.
This O'Neal was also young; he joined the Celtics after the All-Star Game, reportedly signed specifically to counter Yao Ming.
Although O'Neal looked stronger than Yao Ming, Yao Ming easily secured the first possession for the Knicks.
Lowry dribbled past half-court. Li Feng stood at the 45-degree angle, guarded by Ray Allen.
Seeing that the Celtics were not double-teaming Li Feng, Lowry immediately passed the ball.
After receiving the ball, Li Feng noticed that the Celtics' defense was different from before.
While there was no double-team, defenders were all around him, ready to help. This defensive formation was likely inspired by the Heat.
In the regular season game before the playoffs, the Heat had defended against Li Feng in a similar manner.
Li Feng wasn't in a hurry. He observed his teammates' positions and suddenly made an alley-oop pass to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming's dominance in the paint was too strong. When he was healthy and full of energy, he could bully any center in the league.
Even peak O'Neal only managed to go head-to-head with Yao Ming.
Jermaine O'Neal was defensively pressed against Yao Ming, not giving him shooting space.
But Yao Ming, with just one and a half turns, shook his balance and then, with a soft hook shot, easily scored.
Garnett hesitated, wondering whether to double-team Yao Ming, but after losing weight, Yao Ming's speed was extreme, and his shot was decisive.
As long as you hesitate, I will strike without mercy!
Celtics coach Rivers stood on the sideline with his arms crossed, his face grim.
On the surface, he was calm, but inwardly he was cursing – "Why was Yao Ming rested in the first round and returned in the second? Was he saving his energy specifically to play us?"
To be honest, without Yao Ming, playing the Celtics would indeed be difficult.
On the next possession, the Celtics attacked.
Rondo dribbled past half-court.
Rondo had become more mature and seasoned over the past two seasons, not only growing into the Celtics' offensive engine but also becoming a defensive anchor on the perimeter.
The defense formed by him and Ray Allen was a nightmare for many opposing guards.
Lowry guarded Rondo one-on-one. Rondo made a crossover dribble, trying to get past the "little steel cannon."
But Lowry was no longer the same. His strength and speed were on par with Rondo. With a bang, they collided, and Rondo was pushed back.
Reluctantly, Rondo passed the ball to Pierce on the right side.
Although Pierce was older and his speed had declined, his offensive "kaleidoscope" remained the Celtics' sharpest weapon!
Facing Bill Walker, Pierce faked a shoulder shimmy, then moved laterally, and pulled up for a three-pointer!
This series of moves was deceptive and unpredictable.
Despite Bill Walker's strong defense, he lost his footing under Pierce's dazzling movements.
Swish!
Pierce hit the three-pointer.
In the regular season, the Celtics' young players performed exceptionally well, but in the playoffs, during real battles, it still came down to these veteran players!
After scoring, Pierce didn't taunt Bill Walker, who was guarding him. Instead, he ran up to Li Feng and made a provocative gesture.
He beckoned with his finger, signaling: Come on! You try one too!
Li Feng sneered and pretended not to see.
Knicks' offense. Li Feng brought the ball past half-court, guarded by Ray Allen.
Li Feng looked around, feigning a pass. Just as Ray Allen prepared to steal, Li Feng suddenly stepped back for a three-pointer!
This was a strong response to Pierce!
In a home game in New York, Li Feng couldn't let the Celtics gain momentum; he had to suppress them on every possession!
Swish!
This three-pointer was exceptionally tough. Ray Allen hadn't even reacted before Li Feng released the shot.
5:3!
The Knicks led.
After the basket, Li Feng deliberately walked in front of Pierce and beckoned with his finger.
Pierce knew very well that Li Feng's three-pointer was more difficult and from a farther distance, so he said nothing and turned away.
The photographers on the sidelines captured this moment, immediately igniting cheers from the fans, who became excited.
This was the kind of game that was exciting, a direct confrontation!
Previous games were exciting because the star players would duel head-to-head.
But modern games pursued efficiency more; for example, during offense, they would switch the opponent's relatively weaker player to create mismatches.
While this approach was more logical, it made the games less exciting.
In the following few possessions, both teams exploited their advantages, and the scores rose alternately.
After more than five minutes of the first quarter, the score was 14:13, with the Knicks leading by one point.
Li Feng observed that the Celtics were indeed very well-prepared for this game, with strong strategies on both offense and defense.
However, Li Feng was not worried, as the Celtics' first-quarter performance was top-tier across the league.
As the game progressed, the Celtics' age disadvantage would become apparent.
This was unavoidable; time spares no one.
This was also why many people criticized the Miami Heat's Big Three.
The Big Three were all in their twenties and in their prime, a combination that truly inspired despair.
And for the Green Team's Big Three, age had always been their weakness, often showing fatigue in the second half.
After the timeout, the game resumed, and the Celtics made a substitution.
Pierce was taken off to rest, and Brandon Bass came in.
Although Bass's offensive repertoire was not as rich as Pierce's, he was young, aggressive, and a key member of the Celtics this season.
In crucial playoff games, substituting Bass showed Rivers' trust in him.
It also indicated that Rivers was prepared for a long battle and was trying to conserve Pierce's stamina.
Li Feng noticed that Garnett was decisively helping in defending Yao Ming and also employing fronting defense. Therefore, he temporarily stopped passing to Yao Ming and signaled to Yi Jianlian.
Garnett was guarding Yi Jianlian, but his attention was diverted by Yao Ming, creating an opportunity for Yi Jianlian.
This was Li Feng's ability to read the game and adapt, not always focusing his attack on one player.
Li Feng held the ball in his right hand and feinted towards Yao Ming. Garnett immediately moved two steps quickly towards Yao Ming's position.
But Li Feng whipped the ball directly to Yi Jianlian.
Garnett was shocked, and by the time he tried to recover, it was too late.
Yi Jianlian's mid-range game was quite steady. Swish!
Two points scored.
Garnett grumbled, shaking his head in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. If he hadn't come to help guard Yao Ming, Li Feng might really have passed to Yao Ming.
Celtics' offense. Rondo passed the ball to Garnett, wanting him to attack Yi Jianlian as a response.
The "Wolf King's" offensive ability was still strong. Facing Yi Jianlian, he hit a turnaround jumper.
The score remained close.
Li Feng took few shots in the first quarter. Apart from two response shots, he kept passing.
This was Li Feng's preferred style of play, letting his teammates touch the ball more and shoot more, helping them find their rhythm quickly.
Rivers, of course, understood Li Feng's intention, so he shook his head slightly on the sidelines.
He knew very well that Li Feng hadn't unleashed his full power yet.
But if the game was already this close before Li Feng exerted himself, it was highly probable that he would decide the game in the second half.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 35:32, with the Knicks leading by three points.
Li Feng played very comfortably, feeling like he hadn't even broken a sweat.
Both teams began to adjust their lineups and bring in their bench players.
The Celtics' bench was quite effective this season. After half a season of integration, they played very well in the second half.
If one looked solely at the Celtics' record after the All-Star break, it was definitely more than fifth in the East.
Moreover, in the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Pacers 4:1, an upset, which was indicative of their strength.
Brandon Bass, Bradley, Pietrus, and Daniels were all formidable bench players for the Celtics.
At the start of the second quarter, the Celtics' bench came out strong and aggressive, quickly taking the lead.
The Knicks' bench players were older, with Chalmers, Chandler, and Marion all being over 30, so they were initially overwhelmed.
However, after a while, the experience of the Knicks' bench players began to play a role.
Also, these veterans were capable of playing in tough games.
With a successful connection between Chalmers and Chandler, the score was tied again.
Li Feng was not idle on the sidelines; he kept waving his towel, cheering for his teammates.
For the Knicks' bench, this was no big deal; they had all experienced significant battles before.
Chalmers had won a championship and Finals MVP, Chandler was the starting center for the Mavericks in last year's finals, and Marion was a core player for the Suns and Mavericks.
So, after a few minutes of stalemate, the Knicks regained the lead.
Rivers was furious; he had intended to use his bench to widen the score and allow his starters more rest.
Unexpectedly, his bench started digging a hole.
This was why playoff rotations were so small.
Just because you played well in the regular season didn't guarantee good performance in the playoffs; the regular season and the playoffs were different games.
After more than four minutes into the second quarter, the Celtics were trailing by five points.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Rivers quickly called a timeout and brought back the starters.
Fortunately, he had arranged his substitutions flexibly in the first quarter, allowing the three veterans to rest for an extra two minutes, otherwise, they would have been exhausted.
Knicks coach D'Antoni, however, was not flustered. He did not bring in the starters and continued to let the bench players stay on the court.
This was not only a sign of trust in his bench but also a reward.
If they played well, they would get a couple more minutes, and it would also allow the starters to rest more.
The coaching battle between the two teams was also one of the highlights of the game.
When Pierce came back on, he saw the opposing players were all reserves and was somewhat annoyed.
Facing Marion's defense, he wanted to bully the "Matrix."
However, even though the "Matrix" was older, his defensive ability hadn't diminished much. Pierce faked left and right, but he couldn't shake off Marion's long arms.
Reluctantly, he passed the ball to Ray Allen in the corner.
With only 4 seconds left on the shot clock, Ray Allen faced Chalmers and pulled up for a shot.
Chalmers lunged to contest, interfering with Ray Allen's vision. Bang!
The ball bounced off the rim.
Chandler roared and secured the rebound, directly flicking it to Shumpert.
Shumpert sprinted for a layup, scoring another two points.
Pierce and Garnett were both extremely angry, their faces grim.
The opponents were reserves!
If they couldn't even handle the Knicks' reserves, how could they win the game?
Thus, the Celtics began to increase their intensity.
Rondo also increased his drives to the basket.
In the early stages of his career, Rondo's shooting was poor, and his role on the court was passing and defense.
But Rondo worked hard, and his shooting percentage significantly improved this season.
Shumpert found it difficult to defend Rondo, frequently being driven past and giving up layups.
With Rondo's efforts, the Celtics regained the lead.
At 6 minutes and 45 seconds into the second quarter, the Celtics were leading by four points, and only then did D'Antoni slowly bring back his starting lineup.
As soon as Li Feng stepped onto the court, he used a screen to drive into the paint.
In the paint, Li Feng, at high speed, looked left and right. Garnett, scared, went to help defend Yao Ming.
As a result, Li Feng did not pass but drove directly to the basket and soared for a dunk.
This was why Li Feng was so difficult to defend; he switched seamlessly between his own offense and passing, making it hard for defenders to make decisions.
The most terrifying thing was that Li Feng did not decide to pass or attack from the outset; he made quick decisions based on the ever-changing opportunities on the court.
His basketball IQ was extremely high.
Perhaps due to the extended rest, the Knicks' starters came alive as soon as they returned to the court.
The Celtics, on the other hand, were clearly struggling to keep up.
With an assist from Li Feng to Yao Ming, Yao Ming dunked for points, and the Knicks extended their lead to seven points again.
Rivers was helpless and had to call a timeout.