James looked to his left but flicked his right hand, passing the ball precisely to Battier!
Battier made a swift move and sank the three-pointer!
In today's basketball games, the proportion of three-pointers is getting higher and higher!
The deficit returned to 3 points.
98:95, with 3 minutes and 47 seconds left in the game.
Li Feng held the ball in the backcourt, and Battier guarded him full-court again.
Suddenly, Yi Jianlian broke away from Bosh in front, using Yao Ming's screen to get near the baseline.
Li Feng's gaze was sharp, and he threw a super long pass directly to Yi Jianlian.
This was Yi Jianlian's sweet spot, where his mid-range shot was particularly accurate.
After receiving the ball, Yi Jianlian immediately shot, but unfortunately, it missed. kanshuwu.net
Yao Ming roared and, over Joel Anthony, scored on a put-back!
This play greatly boosted morale, and the entire crowd applauded Yao Ming's hustle.
Anyone with eyes could see that Yao Ming's playing time had significantly decreased this season. After all, he was a center with such a massive build, and with age, there was nothing he could do.
For Yao Ming, his career was already very fulfilling.
If he hadn't come to the Knicks and successfully lost weight, Yao Ming would likely have retired already.
100:95, the Knicks still held a 5-point lead.
Yi Jianlian ran over to high-five Yao Ming. Yao Ming patted his head and comforted him, "Shoot boldly, don't hesitate!"
Yi Jianlian had been a bit nervous just now; otherwise, with his usual skill, he would have made that shot for sure.
The Heat attacked, James drove into the paint, and with a tomahawk dunk, he scored two points.
In the following few possessions, both teams had decent shooting percentages, but the score difference remained between three and five points.
Time ticked by, and with 56 seconds left in the game, the score was 107:103, with the Knicks leading by 4 points.
Spo called another timeout.
The situation was unfavorable for the Heat; if they couldn't score on the next possession, it would be dangerous.
The home crowd exerted immense psychological pressure on the visiting players, their cheers deafening.
D'Antoni didn't give his players any tactics or motivational speeches; he didn't even talk to them, just sat aside, chatting with his assistant coach.
This was D'Antoni's unique coaching style. He knew that at this point, the players' minds were blank.
What the players needed now was to calm down themselves, not to hear the coach yelling.
Li Feng wasn't idle; he pulled the starting lineup closer and said softly, "The Heat will definitely target Wade. When Wade gets to the paint, Lowry and I will immediately double-team him. Everyone else, pay attention to Bosh."
This was Li Feng's prediction and a gamble.
He had studied the Heat team thoroughly.
The timeout ended, and the Heat went on offense.
Although James initially held the ball at the top of the arc, as Li Feng predicted, he passed it to Wade again.
Wade used his sharp drives to get into the paint.
Li Feng immediately rushed over with Lowry, doubling Wade.
Wade had intended to take a floater, but suddenly two people appeared in front of him, momentarily stunning him, forcing him to pass to Bosh!
Good heavens, it was exactly as Li Feng had predicted.
Bosh received the ball unsteadily because Yi Jianlian had already sealed him off.
The Heat's shot clock was down to 4 seconds, so Bosh could only fake once and shoot in a hurry.
Under Yi Jianlian's interference, the shot missed, and Bill Walker grabbed the rebound.
Swish!
Bill Walker passed to Li Feng, and the run-and-gun offense was initiated again!
James, with his high basketball IQ and quick reactions, lunged at Li Feng's arm. The referee blew the whistle, calling him for a foul.
With 35 seconds left, the Knicks led by 4 points. If they didn't foul, and the Knicks successfully executed a fast break, the Heat would be finished.
In fact, the Heat's foul only bought a little time; Li Feng was very steady from the free-throw line.
He made both free throws, 108:102!
35 seconds left, the Heat had possession.
Perhaps only McGrady could create a 35-second miracle.
The Heat attacked, James took a quick three-pointer, but it missed. Center Joel Anthony scored on a put-back.
Anthony only scored 7 points today; he was a blue-collar center for the Heat.
108:104, with 16 seconds left.
The Knicks attacked, and the Heat again employed the fouling strategy. kanshu la
Lowry was sent to the free-throw line, making one of two.
109:104, the difference was still 5 points, and the Heat called another timeout.
In reality, the Heat's hopes were slim, unless a miracle occurred.
After a few possessions of stalling, the Knicks ultimately defeated the Heat at home!
Although they won the game, the process was thrilling.
This also indicated that every encounter between the two teams this season would be as captivating as a collision of stars!
Li Feng played 37 minutes today, scoring 32 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists.
Yao Ming had 21 points, Yi Jianlian 15 points, and Lowry 11 points.
James played 38 minutes today, scoring 30 points, Wade 27 points, and Bosh 24 points.
From a statistical standpoint, the core players of both teams performed well, but in the crucial final moments, Li Feng's dominance was clearly superior!
After the game, Wade came over to hug and congratulate Li Feng.
"Li Feng, you played really well today. I hope we can meet again in the playoffs! Let's have a good one!"
"Thank you, you guys also played very well. If we meet in the playoffs, the game will surely be exciting!"
They exchanged a few pleasantries before encouraging each other and leaving.
After this game, the media became more optimistic about the Knicks, but some media outlets believed that the Heat's Big Three would eliminate the Knicks in the playoffs.
The commentators on CCTV Sports Channel were still buzzing after this game.
Yu Jia watched Yi Jianlian's highlight reel and nodded continuously, saying, "It seems like A'lian has also become stronger after coming to the Knicks!"
Commentator Zhang smiled and said, "Does Li Feng have some kind of magic? Both Big Yao and A'lian have improved significantly after joining the Knicks, and most importantly, they are less prone to injury!"
Of course, they had no idea that Li Feng was using his system to help them.
"If Yi Jianlian can really win a championship with the Knicks, then the Knicks will truly become our Chinese national team, haha!"
"I dream of that moment every night, hoping it arrives soon."
"Li Feng is 21 this year, and A'lian is 24, both in their prime. If Yao Ming can play a few more years and complete the transition, China can have strong competitiveness in international competitions!"
...
After this game, the Knicks made a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Knicks sent out Amar'e Stoudemire in exchange for the Mavericks' Shawn Marion and Brandon Wright.
Marion was three years older than Stoudemire, but precisely because of his age, he was needed to play a calm role off the bench.
With this trade, Yi Jianlian moved into the starting lineup, and Marion and Brandon Wright filled the gaps in the bench.
The media highly praised this transaction, rating the Knicks' trade as A+ and the Mavericks' trade as S.
Stoudemire's offensive ability was strong, and his physical condition was also good. After he arrived in Dallas, he could alleviate a lot of offensive pressure on Dirk Nowitzki.
The Knicks, shedding Stoudemire's burden, could ease their salary cap pressure.
The media and fans eagerly anticipated the Knicks' next game, as it would be the first time the Chinese trio would all start from the opening tip!
The next regular season game was at home for the Knicks against the Western Conference powerhouse Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers were in good form this season; after Paul's arrival, he took on the role of the primary playmaker, transforming the Clippers into the "Lob City"!
In terms of watchability, the Clippers had become a top-tier team in the league, gaining significant momentum!
Prior to this game, the Clippers had won three consecutive games, including a victory over the formidable Thunder.
Thus, the media began to hype that the Knicks, having just played a tough game against the Heat and traded away Stoudemire, would likely not be able to compete with the Clippers.
However, the local media in New York were very united, enthusiastically promoting the Chinese trio, believing that this game would result in a decisive victory.
Of course, these pre-game reports were all aimed at attracting fan attention.
Internally, the team took this game very seriously, as the Clippers might genuinely contend for the Western Conference title this season.
Paul's arrival had given the Clippers a soul, and they played with great discipline.
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian were interviewed.
"Mr. Li Feng, this is the first game with the three of you officially starting. What are your thoughts?"
Li Feng's expression was calm, not overly excited.
"We are all professional players. The starting lineup is determined by the coaching staff. As players, no matter our position, we will give our all. Yi Jianlian also performed excellently coming off the bench before, and I am proud of him. At the same time, I thank Stoudemire for his contributions to the team; he is still my brother!"
These words were powerful and measured. Yao Ming nodded slightly upon hearing them, and Yi Jianlian was deeply moved.
The reporters were satisfied with Li Feng's answer and continued, "Yi Jianlian had a low attendance rate during his season with the Nets. Are you concerned?"
Li Feng frowned and said, "Injuries are part of the game, and randomness is high. Of course, we don't wish for our teammates to get injured, but we can't assume they will be injured in the future just because they have been injured."
Yi Jianlian also proactively stated, "I feel my physical condition is excellent, absolutely fantastic!"
Another reporter asked, "Mr. Yao Ming, after coming to the Knicks, you lost weight and regained your peak form. What advice do you have for Yi Jianlian now?"
Yao Ming smiled at A'lian, thought for a moment, and replied, "The Knicks are a very united team, and Yi Jianlian has a great personality. He has already adapted well here, and I believe he will get better and better. As for advice... I think he can play more aggressively and proactively, his talent is undeniable!"
After speaking, Yao Ming and A'lian exchanged smiles.
...
On the Clippers' side, Paul and Griffin were interviewed by the media.
"Mr. Paul, the Clippers have been in good form recently, with a three-game winning streak. Do you think you have a high chance of defeating the Knicks?"
Paul was not boastful and spoke very appropriately, replying with a smile, "The Knicks are the reigning champions and are very strong. We will do our best to secure a four-game winning streak."
"The Clippers are known as Lob City. Your chemistry with Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is spectacular. How many lobs do you anticipate in this game?"
Paul glanced at Griffin and laughed, "I believe Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will bend the rim, haha!"
Griffin also burst into laughter.
In this parallel world, although Griffin's performance was explosive, he was always overshadowed by Li Feng.
He eagerly anticipated the matchup against the Knicks.
Unfortunately, as one team was in the East and the other in the West, they could only meet twice each season.
Today, Griffin had secretly vowed to dunk more and show Li Feng who was boss!
"Griffin, who do you think has more visually appealing dunks, yours or Li Feng's?"
The reporters, true to their profession, saw the defiance on Griffin's face and posed this sensitive question.
If it were Paul, he might have offered a modest response, but Griffin certainly wouldn't.
"Of course, it's me! In today's game, you will see—I will dunk on Li Feng five times!"
The reporters were in an uproar.
In terms of status, Li Feng had already far surpassed Griffin.
Two championships, one
Griffin was very aggressive, setting a pick-and-roll. Paul drove near the paint.
DeAndre Jordan made a backdoor cut, got away from Yao Ming, received a pass from Paul, and slammed it down with a dunk in mid-air!
Truly worthy of Paul; as long as he had a high-flying player, he could deliver perfect passes!
Li Feng shook his head slightly. He realized the Clippers were truly cunning. Griffin had set the screen earlier, but it was only to draw defensive attention, creating an opportunity for DeAndre Jordan to dunk.
After scoring, DeAndre Jordan roared at Yao Ming, starting to show off.
Yao Ming ignored him. In fact, Yao Ming feared this type of high-flying player the least.
Soon, Yao Ming would show him what true center skills were!