Li Feng wasn't angry at Westbrook's harsh words; he actually liked Westbrook's personality.
On the court, they went all out, but off the court, they were good brothers, good husbands, and good teammates!
"Alright, I accept your challenge, we'll see!"
Li Feng said, punching Westbrook's pectoral muscle, then bursting into laughter.
Seeing Li Feng's nonchalant demeanor, Westbrook got a little annoyed. He snorted and turned back to the Thunder bench.
...
The game started. The Thunder's starting lineup was Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Perkins, and Sefolosha.
The Knicks' starters remained Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
At the center tip-off, Big Yao easily secured the first possession.
Compared to Yao Ming, Perkins had truly become Parkinson's; he was no match!
Lowry brought the ball past half-court. Li Feng didn't ask for the ball, instead moving towards the sideline.
Sefolosha was supposed to be guarding Li Feng, but Westbrook, wanting to go head-to-head with Li Feng, had Sefolosha guard Lowry instead.
Lowry saw Yao Ming had good post position and immediately passed him the ball!
Thunder head coach Brooks knew Yao Ming was a strong point and had a plan in place.
As soon as Yao Ming received the ball, Ibaka moved quickly to prepare for a double-team.
Ibaka possessed astonishing physical ability, leading the league in blocks this season with an average of 3.7 per game – truly terrifying!
Yao Ming wasn't afraid of such a jumping big man; he faked him out with a pump fake, causing Ibaka to leap.
Then, he smoothly turned, and added a fadeaway jumper!
With Yao Ming's height, who could possibly block a fadeaway?
Even though Ibaka tried his best, his fingers couldn't touch the ball. Swish!
Two points scored!
Li Feng and Yi Jianlian went to high-five Yao Ming!
The game was incredibly exciting: the Chinese trio against the Thunder's "Big Four"!
Thunder's possession.
Westbrook brought the ball past half-court.
Although Westbrook had switched to guarding Li Feng, Li Feng didn't guard him; instead, he guarded Sefolosha.
Lowry stood in front of Westbrook.
Westbrook, looking down on Lowry, wanted to use his speed and strength to get past him.
But Lowry was no longer the player he used to be. His movement speed was incredible, and his positioning was precise. Westbrook's two crossovers failed to get him past.
At this moment, Durant reached out for the ball at the 45-degree angle.
Westbrook had no choice but to pass to Durant.
With 11 seconds left on the shot clock, Durant received the ball and faced Yi Jianlian, wanting an easy basket.
Durant had seen the Knicks' pre-game interviews and heard Yi Jianlian's words.
He had already won a scoring title and was currently leading the league in scoring, so he certainly didn't want to be defended by Yi Jianlian.
Durant, facing Yi Jianlian, attempted a dramatic crossover.
This was Durant's signature move, extremely difficult for defenders to keep up with.
However, Yi Jianlian, following Li Feng's instructions, ignored Durant's upper body movements and stayed close to Durant's legs.
Durant juked back and forth several times, but Yi Jianlian remained unfazed.
With the shot clock running down, Durant reluctantly took a pull-up jump shot.
Yi Jianlian still didn't extend his arms to contest, merely keeping his legs close to Durant's.
Clang!
It missed, bouncing off the rim!
The referee's whistle blew, calling Yi Jianlian for a foul.
Yi Jianlian was a bit flustered and explained to the referee that he hadn't fouled.
Li Feng went over, pulled Yi Jianlian behind him, and whispered, "It's a home-court call, it's fine. Keep defending like that!"
Yi Jianlian, who had been a little worried, regained his confidence.
Durant stood at the free-throw line and sank both shots.
The score was tied at 2-2!
Although Durant scored 2 points, he gave Yi Jianlian a long, surprised look.
He knew Yi Jianlian's defensive strategy was correct; he hated being held back at the lower body.
The foul just called was debatable, and the referee wouldn't call it every time, which would make the game difficult.
Knicks' possession. Lowry brought the ball up the court again.
Westbrook was guarding Li Feng aggressively, and he yelled at Li Feng, "Aren't you going to take the ball?"
Li Feng usually ignored such provocations, but he had a good impression of Westbrook and decided to play along.
"Hey, Lowry, throw me the ball!"
Lowry knew Li Feng was about to make a move and passed him the ball immediately.
Westbrook was very excited; he had been anticipating this moment for months.
Li Feng wanted to test Westbrook's defensive improvement, so he used fancy dribbling moves.
Indeed, Westbrook's defense had improved significantly. He had likely studied Li Feng's offense extensively, which explained his confidence.
"Not bad, Westbrook, you've improved!"
"Less talk, I'm going to lock you down today!" Westbrook said smugly.
"Oh really? You're celebrating a bit too early..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Feng suddenly spun, leaving Westbrook more than half a meter behind.
Westbrook rushed to catch up, but Li Feng accelerated again and shot forward.
Despite Westbrook's efforts, he could only chase Li Feng's tail.
Li Feng's two moves were too fluid; Westbrook couldn't react.
The Thunder didn't leave Westbrook to deal with Li Feng alone; Ibaka was ready to double-team.
Facing Ibaka, Li Feng used the "shake and bake," and as expected, the jumping Ibaka fell for it and flew into the air.
Li Feng then effortlessly drove to the basket.
Perkins tried to use his weight to shove Li Feng away.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng took an extra step and leaped, riding over Perkins for a thunderous dunk!
Li Feng's dunk was not only high but also fast, giving Perkins no chance to even foul before being posterized.
This time, the referee didn't make a mistake, pointing at Perkins and blowing the whistle.
Perkins, disgraced and scored upon, walked away with his head down.
Li Feng made the additional free throw!
Westbrook's confident expression vanished; he felt his efforts were useless against Li Feng.
Durant and Westbrook had a very close relationship. Seeing Westbrook falter, as the elder brother, he immediately wanted to step up for him.
In the next possession, the Thunder attacked, and Durant again called for the ball at the 45-degree angle.
Westbrook passed it to him, and Durant, facing Yi Jianlian, used a different offensive approach: the post-up.
Durant's post-up efficiency was extremely high.
Although the post-up scoring method was becoming less common in the league, it was still very effective in crucial moments.
Especially for superstar players, they were all masters of the post-up.
Durant executed a stylish fake, then turned and jumped.
Yi Jianlian was slightly slow to block the lower body, and could only watch as Durant's mid-range shot found the net precisely!
There was nothing he could do; that was Durant, and limiting him was incredibly difficult.
Yi Jianlian had been scored on by Durant twice in a row, and he felt quite disheartened.
This time, Yao Ming came over and comforted him, "A-Lian, I was once blown out by Kobe. What's there to worry about? It's normal, we'll get them back next time!"
Yi Jianlian felt a warmth spread through him.
In fact, Yi Jianlian was introverted and sensitive. If not for Li Feng and Yao Ming looking after him, he would have had a very hard time lasting in the NBA.
Now, with the help of Li Feng's system, his technical skills were enough to establish himself in the NBA, but his mental fortitude still needed improvement.
At 5-4, the Knicks held a slim one-point lead.
Knicks' offense. Li Feng felt he should let A-Lian score a basket to boost his confidence.
He dribbled in the backcourt and pushed the ball forward. Westbrook guarded him more fiercely, but Li Feng didn't intend to score himself; instead, he made a gesture to Yi Jianlian.
Yi Jianlian understood and immediately moved to the high post, screening Westbrook.
Li Feng took the opportunity to drive to the baseline.
Durant didn't double-team but instead stood in front of Yi Jianlian, knowing Ibaka was ready to help.
Seeing Durant didn't fall for the trap, Li Feng remained calm and continued dribbling, circling the baseline.
Suddenly, Yao Ming moved to the high post, screening Durant, and Yi Jianlian retreated to the top of the arc, beyond the three-point line.
This was another new tactic from the Chinese trio, one that Durant hadn't seen before.
The Thunder's defense was in disarray. Li Feng, without hesitation, flicked the ball with his right hand, passing it directly to Yi Jianlian at the three-point line.
Ibaka and Durant were both screened by Yao Ming's massive frame, allowing Yi Jianlian to shoot with ease!
Swish!
Three-pointer made!
After this basket, Yi Jianlian's mood completely changed, and he became very excited.
He let out a roar, high-fived Yao Ming, chest-bumped Li Feng, and even glared at Durant.
Although Yi Jianlian wasn't on the same level as Durant, today, Yi Jianlian would give his all and compete with A-Du for two hours.
In the next few possessions, both teams increased their defensive intensity, and the shooting percentages began to drop.
After struggling a few times, Yi Jianlian became more familiar with Durant's offense.
Durant found it increasingly difficult to score, and every basket he made was hard-earned.
With just over 8 minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 23-21, with the Knicks leading by 2 points.
The home crowd was unhappy.
The Ford Center was an incredibly raucous home arena, known as a "noise fortress."
Because there were no other professional sports teams in the area, the residents were incredibly supportive of the Thunder.
Fans began to boo the Knicks, especially Li Feng and Yi Jianlian. As soon as they touched the ball, the fans erupted in boos.
Li Feng was unfazed, but Yi Jianlian was starting to feel the pressure.
Consequently, he played a bit timidly while defending Durant, allowing Durant to score on him twice in a row.
D'Antoni's face darkened. He immediately substituted Yi Jianlian out.
He could accept a player being in a slump or missing shots, but D'Antoni absolutely would not tolerate a player losing their morale.
Li Feng noticed Yi Jianlian's psychological shift, but there was nothing he could do to counsel him through this.
He could only let A-Lian grow through experience.
After Yi Jianlian left, Brandon Jennings was subbed in to guard Durant.
However, after one possession, Thunder head coach Brooks also subbed Durant out.
Coaches knew their players best. He knew Durant had average stamina and couldn't let him get too tired in the first half.
However, after Durant left, the Thunder's offense immediately stalled.
Fortunately, after Harden came on, he managed to score a few points through his skill and assisted teammates, preventing the deficit from widening.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 34-31, with the Knicks leading by 3 points.
Li Feng scored 8 points in the first quarter, Durant 11, Yao Ming 4, and Westbrook 0.
Westbrook's pre-game eagerness had been completely extinguished by Li Feng.
Although Li Feng didn't score many points, he only took 5 shots, showing extremely high efficiency, and he also had 4 assists.
The reserve units of both teams went head-to-head. Billups struggled against Harden.
Even at this stage, Harden already displayed the makings of a superstar. His isolation plays and passing vision were the core strengths of the Thunder's reserve lineup.
After Harden joined the Rockets, his play became increasingly result-oriented, drawing criticism from some fans.
However, with the Thunder, Harden's style was very appealing.
Harden was very active on defense for the Thunder, rarely drawing fouls, and his moves after driving were diverse.
He was proficient at floaters, mid-range shots, and layups.
Led by Harden, the Thunder caught up and even took the lead.
After Harden hit a three-pointer, the Thunder extended their lead to 5 points.
D'Antoni couldn't sit still and immediately called a timeout.
It was only about 4 minutes into the second quarter, and D'Antoni hadn't intended to bring back the starters yet.
But Harden was too dominant. If they didn't make a substitution, the Thunder would extend their lead to double digits.
"Li Feng, you go guard Harden. He's too difficult to defend."
Li Feng nodded and said, "Harden is a future superstar. I might not be able to guard him alone; it will require everyone's collective effort. Help defense must be active!"
His teammates found it strange. Li Feng's defensive capabilities were well-known, and he had never shied away from a challenge.
Even against Kobe, Li Feng wouldn't back down.
Yet today, with the coach asking Li Feng to guard Harden, Li Feng emphasized teamwork.
Was Harden really that good?
Li Feng noticed his teammates' curious expressions and thought: How could they know how good this big guy would become!
Compared to Kobe, Harden's offensive isolation game was weaker, but his overall court vision and passing ability were stronger.
Furthermore, Harden excelled at using the pick-and-roll, making him impossible to guard with just one person.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. After coming back on, Li Feng immediately walked up to Harden and said, "I'll be guarding you in a moment!"
Harden's heart skipped a beat when he saw Li Feng.
They were both rookies in the same draft class and knew each other well, being good friends.
Harden knew Li Feng's defensive capabilities all too well.
Knicks' offense. Harden actively came to guard Li Feng.
This was a psychological battle. Since you're preparing to guard me, I'll lock you down first.
Harden wasn't as heavy or bearded at this time, and his movement was very quick.
It wasn't going to be easy for Li Feng to break through.
He dribbled slowly, then suddenly drove right.
Harden quickly moved to cut him off, but Li Feng suddenly pulled the ball back with a large motion!
Uh oh, he's going for a step-back three!
The step-back three was one of Harden's signature moves.
But Li Feng had decided today that he would use Harden's own move against him!
He would use his enemy's tactics to defeat him!
Moreover, Li Feng's step-back was much larger and faster than Harden's, appearing almost like a teleportation, placing him more than a meter beyond the three-point line.
Harden came to his senses, but it was too late to contest.
Swish!
Li Feng shot a deep three-pointer and made it!
At 46-44, the Knicks only trailed by 2 points!
The Thunder's home crowd fell silent again. Li Feng's "road game silencer" was very effective!
Harden looked helpless. He knew Li Feng had done it deliberately, using his own move against him.
Thunder's possession. Harden wanted to return the favor.
Before defending, Li Feng signaled to his teammates, as guarding Harden couldn't be a one-man job!
As expected, as soon as Harden crossed half-court, he called for a screen, and Ibaka stepped out to block Li Feng.