Though Yao Ming possessed formidable post skills, he struggled immensely under the fierce double-teams from the Twin Bears.
At this moment, Yi Jianlian suddenly shook off Rudy Gay's tight defense and drove towards the paint.
Yao Ming, facing difficulties, saw Yi Jianlian cutting in and immediately flung the ball over.
After receiving the pass, Yi Jianlian, without dribbling, went up for a layup.
Even though Marc Gasol attempted to provide help defense, Yao Ming's passing timing and Yi Jianlian's cut were perfect, a seamless coordination.
Li Feng, witnessing this play, was extremely excited. He rushed over to high-five Yi Jianlian and Big Yao in celebration.
During training, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian had practiced this type of pick-and-roll countless times. It had taken a lot of time and sweat to progress from unfamiliarity to perfect chemistry.
Finally, in recent games, their coordination in pick-and-rolls and cuts had become increasingly frequent.
Randolph and Marc Gasol were also frustrated.
The two exchanged a look, their eyes flashing fiercely.
On the Grizzlies' possession, Conley brought the ball across half-court.
Facing Li Feng's tight defense, Conley didn't dare to attack himself. He saw that Randolph had already established good post position and passed the ball to him.
Randolph was a big man with a fiery temper, and after being bested by Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, he was determined to retaliate.
Yao Ming staunchly defended Randolph, denying him space to drive to the basket.
If it were the pre-weight-loss Yao Ming, Randolph wouldn't have been able to move him at all; the Great Wall of China was not for nothing.
Unfortunately, the current Yao Ming, after losing weight, was more agile but slightly lacked strength, struggling to hold his own against Randolph in his prime.
Bang!
Bang!
Randolph managed to drive into the paint.
Swish!
Just as Randolph leaned in, preparing for a jump hook, Yao Ming suddenly sprang up and swatted it with a decisive smack!
The ball flew directly out of bounds!
The home crowd in Memphis fell silent.
In less than a minute into the game, the Grizzlies' vaunted interior was completely suppressed by Yao Ming on both offense and defense!
How could they possibly win?
Grizzlies head coach Hollins had a grim expression.
He had made thorough preparations to deal with the Knicks.
Yet, they had suffered a setback right from the start.
Hollins shouted from the sideline, "Don't go one-on-one with Yao Ming, focus on passing!"
It was evident that the head coach had implicitly warned them before the game not to go toe-to-toe with Yao Ming, as they were not on the same level.
But Randolph, unwilling to believe it, continued to challenge Yao Ming and ended up paying the price.
Despite his unwillingness to yield, Randolph could only comply with his coach's shouts from the sideline.
The Grizzlies continued their offense, inbounding the ball from the baseline.
With limited time remaining on the shot clock, only 4 seconds left, Rudy Gay directly passed the ball to Marc Gasol.
Marc Gasol faced Yi Jianlian, leaned in with his shoulder, then half-turned and shot a delicate hook shot. Swish!
Two points scored.
This was the advantage of the Black and White Bears; if one was contained, the other would erupt.
Other teams wouldn't deploy two centers.
Although Yi Jianlian had made significant progress in strength, Marc Gasol was still a center with top-tier skills, and Yi Jianlian genuinely couldn't defend him.
Marc Gasol's basket finally brought cheers from the Grizzlies home crowd.
Li Feng frowned. In fact, Bill Walker should have rotated to help Yi Jianlian defend Marc Gasol, but Bill Walker incorrectly rushed to contest Tony Allen.
So, he walked over to Bill Walker and whispered, "Next time, you need to help Yi Jianlian defend Marc Gasol. He can't guard him alone."
Bill Walker nodded repeatedly.
Ever since Bill Walker became a starter, his defensive performance had been decent, but because Yi Jianlian was new, Bill Walker and he lacked defensive chemistry.
Furthermore, Li Feng noticed that Bill Walker and Yi Jianlian rarely spoke to each other.
His biggest worry was that other players harbored resentment towards the Chinese players.
Yi Jianlian had become much more outgoing since joining the Knicks, but he remained somewhat introverted.
If there were any conflicts between him and Bill Walker, it would negatively impact the entire team.
The Knicks' offense.
Li Feng once again dribbled the ball up court. Seeing that the opponent's double-team had slightly relaxed, he feigned looking at Yao Ming, but his feet suddenly accelerated, driving past on the left side.
Conley internally cursed, thinking Li Feng would pass to Yao Ming again.
He quickly pursued him.
Li Feng drove to the baseline and, before Randolph could rotate for help defense, suddenly pulled up for a long two-pointer.
Despite Conley's desperate attempt to contest, Li Feng's release speed and vertical leap were slightly higher than Conley's.
Swish!
Two points made!
While this basket seemed ordinary, those who understood the game knew that Li Feng's timing on his shot and his driving speed were top-notch.
4:2, the Knicks led.
In the following few possessions, Randolph stopped challenging Yao Ming directly and increased his passing, allowing the Grizzlies' offense to gradually find its rhythm.
The defender guarding Li Feng was switched from Conley to Tony Allen.
Moreover, they occasionally sent double-teams, effectively stifling the Knicks' engine.
With this shift, the Grizzlies gradually gained the upper hand.
After more than five minutes of the first quarter, the score was 13:10, with the Grizzlies leading, entering a commercial timeout.
The Knicks players walked off the court with their heads down.
D'Antoni high-fived the players one by one, encouraging them.
During the timeout, he picked up the whiteboard and told the Knicks players to focus on offensive versatility.
Because Yao Ming had played well at the start, the other players had begun to rely on him. Combined with the Grizzlies' intense defense, their offense had become somewhat stagnant.
Li Feng was also anxious. He had anticipated that the Grizzlies would be a tough opponent, but facing them in person proved to be even more challenging.
Compared to last season, the Grizzlies had indeed made significant progress; they were no longer the same team!
"Coach, I suggest we let Lowry lead the offense for the next few possessions, and the rest of us will cooperate."
The teammates were stunned upon hearing this.
In the last few games, the Chinese trio had been leading the offense, with others cooperating.
But today, why would Li Feng suddenly suggest Lowry lead the offense?
Lowry was somewhat excited. His mindset had undergone a subtle shift this season.
This was one of the difficulties of achieving a three-peat in the NBA!
After winning two consecutive championships, the championship contributors tended to develop a sense of pride and complacency.
This wasn't necessarily a flaw, but rather a natural human tendency.
The Knicks had re-signed Lowry two years prior after their championship win, for three years and eighteen million dollars.
This price was several times higher than Lowry's salary with the Rockets.
Lowry had been very pleased at the time.
However, two years later, he realized that as a starting point guard on a championship team, his salary was still lower than that of many point guards on other teams.
This led to a degree of dissatisfaction.
This season, Lowry had been seen to be less than fully committed in some games, showing signs of complacency.
Li Feng hadn't noticed it at first, but after several games, he began to sense it.
Today, Li Feng's suggestion for Lowry to lead the offense was essentially giving him an opportunity.
If Lowry performed well and showed fighting spirit, the Knicks would certainly treat him well in the offseason.
Lowry didn't overthink it as Li Feng did; he believed Li Feng's suggestion was merely because the others couldn't break through, hence asking him to take the lead.
After the timeout, the Knicks' offensive starting point shifted to Lowry.
Conley was defending Lowry.
Conley had an advantage over Lowry in both height and strength.
Lowry tried for two possessions and couldn't gain an advantage. Ultimately, Li Feng finished the play.
This made Lowry even more unhappy, as he felt Li Feng was deliberately setting him up to fail.
Consequently, in the following few possessions, Lowry stopped actively seeking the ball.
Even when he received the ball, he quickly passed it on.
Before Li Feng or the coach could get angry, Yao Ming lost his temper first.
This was because Lowry had been acquired from the Rockets as a mere add-on in the trade for Yao Ming.
Of course, the primary reason was Li Feng's foresight, knowing Lowry had immense potential.
Lowry had initially approached Yao Ming and the Knicks with a grateful attitude.
But this season, his mindset had changed. Li Feng hadn't criticized him yet, primarily out of consideration for Yao Ming.
Yao Ming, with his high emotional intelligence, naturally understood Li Feng's intentions and stepped forward to berate Lowry.
"Lowry, if you can play, play. If not, get off the court!"
The other Knicks players were stunned to see Yao Ming display such anger for the first time.
Lowry's face turned red, and he lowered his head.
He held no resentment towards Yao Ming because Yao Ming was acting this way towards him by treating him as one of their own, as a friend.
Yao Ming wouldn't bother with anyone else.
"Yao Ming, I was wrong," Lowry said, walking over to Yao Ming and apologizing in a low voice.
Then, he walked over to Li Feng and said sincerely, "I didn't play well just now. Let me handle the next possession!"
Li Feng smiled and nodded, ruffling Lowry's hair.
At this point, over eight minutes had passed in the first quarter, and the score was 24:17, with the Grizzlies leading by seven points.
Li Feng, holding the ball in the backcourt, directly passed it to Lowry.
The Grizzlies assumed Lowry wouldn't attack. Conley stood in front of him, but his attention was focused entirely on Li Feng.
Lowry suddenly accelerated and drove past on the right side.
Conley was alarmed and hurried to block, but he was a step too late, getting shouldered aside by the "Little Steel Cannon."
Lowry's strength was among the top guards.
After getting past Conley, Lowry drove into the paint and executed a smooth floater for two points!
After scoring, Yao Ming actively came over to high-five him, praising, "Well done, Lowry, keep it up!"
Li Feng and the other teammates also ran over to offer Lowry encouragement.
This was the positive atmosphere of a team; mistakes were pointed out clearly and corrected immediately.
When someone played well, the entire team offered praise and encouragement.
If a team was lethargic, where no one spoke up about poor play and no one offered encouragement for good play, then that team truly had problems.
In the subsequent few possessions, Li Feng let Lowry take the lead, with occasional solo plays from himself.
The power of the dual engines was unleashed once again, rapidly closing the gap, and the Grizzlies were stunned by the "Little Steel Cannon."
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 35:31, with the Knicks leading by four points.
Li Feng scored 11 points, Lowry had 14, and Yao Ming had 9.
As Lowry walked off the court, both starters and reserves high-fived and encouraged him, recognizing him as a key contributor to the Knicks' comeback.
The bench players from both teams faced off.
The Grizzlies' reserve lineup was also formidable, featuring Mayo, Speights, Cunningham, and Quincy, all capable players.
The Knicks' reserves were initially suppressed, and the score was tied.
However, Billups and Marion intensified their defensive effort, initiating a counter-attack.
The score became a back-and-forth affair, with neither team gaining a significant advantage.
Li Feng didn't sit and rest on the sideline; he waved his towel, cheering on his reserve teammates.
With 5 minutes and 52 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 46:45, with the Knicks trailing by one point.
D'Antoni felt that the reserves had expended a lot of energy and fought fiercely, so he substituted them out.
The starting lineups from both teams returned to the court for the final push of the first half.
Randolph, upon entering, established position in the post and received the pass.
Yao Ming defended Randolph closely. Randolph pushed twice and then suddenly passed the ball to Marc Gasol.
Marc Gasol faced Yi Jianlian and was about to go one-on-one, but Li Feng suddenly cut in and swiped the ball!
Gasol's ball was knocked away by Li Feng.
It's worth noting that Marc Gasol possessed top-tier strength in the league, and he was holding the ball with both hands.
Even so, the ball was dislodged by Li Feng!
Marc Gasol felt as if he had been hit by a sledgehammer.
After the ball was knocked loose, Yi Jianlian immediately secured it and flicked it to Lowry, who was beyond the three-point line.
The "Little Steel Cannon" once again crossed half-court, initiating a fast break.
Conley reacted quickly, sticking close behind Lowry. He intended to use his height advantage to defend Lowry.
Lowry knew Conley was a formidable defender, and if he defended seriously, it would be difficult to succeed.
At this moment, Li Feng, like lightning, sprinted to the frontcourt!
All the players were stunned.
Li Feng had just stolen the ball in the paint, and in the blink of an eye, he was in the frontcourt.
Did he possess teleportation abilities?
Lowry glanced at Li Feng and immediately passed him the ball.
He clearly understood that Li Feng could dominate Conley.
As expected, Conley turned to contest Li Feng, but his eyes held a hint of panic.
Li Feng received the ball and drove into the paint. Facing Conley's tight defense, he faked a shot and executed a Eurostep!
The reason he didn't fly up for a thunderous dunk was Conley's excellent positioning.
If he had attempted a direct dunk, the referee might have called him for an offensive foul, considering it was the Grizzlies' home court.
Swish swish!
Li Feng's Eurostep was incredibly deceptive. Before Conley could react, he saw a blur and then Li Feng was behind him.
Smack!
Li Feng hit the backboard for the score, effortlessly and with ease!
Conley let out a soft sigh. He realized Li Feng had too many weapons in his arsenal, making him impossible to defend comprehensively.
With the combined efforts of Li Feng and Lowry, the Knicks took control in the latter half of the second quarter, gradually widening the score difference.
The Black and White Bears were becoming desperate.
With roughly twenty-plus games into the regular season, the Grizzlies had never experienced such a feeling of being outplayed.
Although they had lost a few games, they had generally been in close contests.
Even against strong teams like the Lakers, Spurs, and Thunder, winning against the Grizzlies was not easy; games were usually decided in the latter half of the fourth quarter.
This led to the popular saying circulating on basketball forums: "No one can easily snatch a victory from the Grizzlies; even if you win, it'll cost you dearly!"
The facts supported this statement.
Yet today, the Knicks had managed to extend their lead to ten points by halftime.
Grizzlies head coach Hollins, out of options, called two timeouts.
Unfortunately, the timeouts seemed to have little effect. Li Feng and Lowry's playstyle was particularly effective against big centers.
Perhaps they were unaware that Li Feng was an enhanced version of Curry.
He was, in this parallel universe, the catalyst for the small-ball era!