Harden wasn't Westbrook; he wouldn't try to duel Li Feng just to prove a point.
His sole objective was to score, whether it was himself or a teammate!
Li Feng tried to get around the screen, but Ibaka was too strong and used subtle tactics, jamming his arm into Li Feng's shoulder.
Strictly speaking, it was a foul, but he did it discreetly with minimal movement, so the referee didn't blow the whistle.
Harden successfully drove into the paint and faked a shot, leaving Yao Ming with no choice but to come out and contest with his hands raised.
But Harden made a behind-the-back pass, feeding the open Perkins!
Perkins had been having a tough time against Yao Ming today but seized this opportunity, preparing for a powerful dunk.
Suddenly, someone flew in from behind, let out a roar, and swung a fist, knocking the ball out of Perkins' hands.
The ball then bounced off Perkins and rolled out of bounds!
Incredible!
The crowd in the Thunder's home arena was stunned. While Perkins wasn't a star or a prolific dunker, having his seemingly certain close-range dunk swatted away was brutal!
Such blocks were usually Li Feng's signature, but Li Feng had clearly been screened by Ibaka earlier.
When everyone turned to look, they finally realized it was Yi Jianlian!
Yi Jianlian's physical abilities had been comprehensively enhanced by Li Feng's system, with his strength and speed both reaching 90.
Furthermore, Li Feng had helped him improve his help-defense skills during training.
Thus, when both Li Feng and Yao Ming were screened, Yi Jianlian emerged unexpectedly, disrupting the Thunder's sure-fire basket!
Li Feng and Yao Ming were overjoyed!
They had privately discussed their high hopes for Yi Jianlian.
After all, Yi Jianlian had the physical potential, and if he could develop, it would be a significant boost to the Knicks and the strength of Chinese basketball!
They rushed over and chest-bumped Yi Jianlian in celebration, and the Knicks teammates joined in with roars of joy.
Thunder head coach Brooks' face was ashen. His offensive and defensive strategies before the game were all focused on Li Feng and Yao Ming; he hadn't accounted for Yi Jianlian at all.
However, Yi Jianlian's performance today had made him a dark horse for the Knicks.
He not only troubled Durant on defense but also showed no mercy on offense.
Knicks possession, Li Feng dribbled past half-court. Sefolosha was on him one-on-one, and Westbrook had switched onto Lowry.
Li Feng's previous passes and shots had caused significant damage to the Thunder's defense, making the Thunder players a bit flustered.
They were unsure of Li Feng's next move.
Li Feng dribbled slowly, finding Sefolosha's defense quite good. With his height over two meters and his agility, Sefolosha was a tough defender.
So, Li Feng employed an Iverson crossover, first shaking Sefolosha's balance, then accelerating into a change of direction, driving into the paint.
Ibaka came to help defend again. However, having learned from his previous mistake, he didn't jump easily. Instead, he used his height and long arms to stay close to Li Feng.
Li Feng remained calm, suddenly stepping back a large stride. Ibaka thought Li Feng was going to shoot and rushed forward.
But Yao Ming suddenly moved to Ibaka's side, blocking him.
Li Feng used the opportunity to go around Yao Ming's back and, before Perkins could rotate, sank a mid-range shot!
The Thunder players were a bit speechless.
The Chinese trio on the court was running wild with all sorts of tactics.
How could they possibly contend with this?
In the following few possessions, the Thunder's offense and defense were chaotic, especially Durant.
Although Durant could still make shots, each one required immense effort, and Yi Jianlian's defense was becoming increasingly formidable.
At halftime, the score was 55:48, with the Knicks leading by 7 points.
The Thunder's "Big Four" walked off the court with their heads down, clearly disheartened.
Yi Jianlian had scored 9 points in the first half, grabbed 4 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and recorded 1 steal, playing exceptionally well.
However, he had accumulated 3 fouls and needed to be careful in the second half.
As Yi Jianlian walked off the court, D'Antoni was waiting at the sideline, high-fiving him and patting his back.
A coach knew whether a player was giving their all on the court, much like a proctor knew if a student was cheating.
Durant had scored 17 points in the first half, which looked good, but his shooting percentage was only 40%, a testament to Yi Jianlian's significant contribution!
...
In the Chinese sports broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Zhang指导 were providing commentary.
Yang Yi was also invited as a guest.
Since Li Feng had not responded to Yang Yi during his previous return to China, Yang Yi was even more sarcastic in his commentary.
"Zhang指导, Teacher Yang Yi, the cooperation of the Chinese trio is becoming more and more seamless. I believe every Chinese fan must be very happy!"
Zhang指导 was naturally delighted. He had always been dedicated to the development of Chinese basketball and hoped the national team would strengthen quickly.
"Haha, indeed. Their tactics are varied and very fluid, and the Thunder are clearly not adapting well!"
Yang Yi chimed in, "Yi Jianlian is showcasing his unique style with the Knicks. Like Yao Ming, he is a player with exceptional talent. In comparison, Li Feng is quite ordinary."
Zhang指导 frowned. He disliked Yang Yi's tendency to praise one player by belittling another.
Yu Jia quickly interjected, "Li Feng's talent is also top-tier, and he is the soul of the Knicks. Yi Jianlian is truly fortunate to have Yi Jianlian and Li Feng as teammates!"
Yang Yi scoffed and said nothing further.
Zhang指导 then deliberately taunted Yang Yi, "If Yi Jianlian were on the Nets, he might not even be able to play. Now that he's starting for the Knicks, it's reportedly Li Feng's suggestion."
This piece of news was gossip, but it was highly accurate. It was as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head.
It was just that Li Feng would never admit it himself, and the Knicks club would not say it to outsiders, as this was a sports league where strength spoke louder than words.
Yang Yi immediately shook his head and retorted, "Yi Jianlian earned his starting spot through his own ability; it has nothing to do with Li Feng. In my opinion, Lowry is improving so quickly, he might push Li Feng to the bench..."
This statement was outright nonsense, and even Yu Jia couldn't tolerate it.
"Teacher Yang Yi, you've gone too far. Li Feng is the offensive and defensive core of the Knicks, a two-time champion F...
And for the visiting team, the noise made them play more erratically, completely unable to display their true capabilities.
This was especially true for younger players, significantly diminishing their technical skills.
Li Feng had rested for almost half of the quarter. He sat on the sidelines, not speaking to his teammates, merely covering his head with a towel.
He felt the terrifying potential of the Thunder's "Big Four."
This year was crucial!
In Li Feng's memory, before his transmigration, it was precisely because the Thunder lost to the Heat in the Finals that the management lost confidence in keeping the "Big Four" together, leading to Harden's departure.
This foolish move directly extinguished the Thunder's dynasty aspirations.
Many fans recalled this experience with regret.
Three
With Li Feng's speed and strength, combined with his teammates' coordinated screens, Li Feng could easily shake off defenders and receive passes from his teammates.
The results of his consistent hard training were paying off!
As the absolute core starter for the Knicks, Li Feng didn't spend the majority of his practice time scrimmaging with the other starters.
Instead, he dedicated almost half of his time to practicing with the bench players.
Many players, and even assistant coaches, found Li Feng's training methods perplexing.
The veteran Knicks assistant coach, Brunson, who had led Duke University to a championship in the NCAA, had a conversation with Li Feng.
Faced with Brunson's questioning, Li Feng silenced him with a single sentence:
"Can you guarantee that I will only be on the court with the starters in every game?"
Brunson was rendered speechless and, after a long pause, said, "But you spend more time on the court with the starters!"
"You're right. Precisely because I spend more time with the starters, I need to practice more with the bench players during training. This is not just for tactics, but also to motivate the bench players!"
Brunson suddenly understood. He realized Li Feng's thinking had a philosophical depth to it.
Bench players training with Li Feng would significantly increase their motivation and help discover more of their potential.
...
Under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks began to close the gap in the fourth quarter.
Whenever Li Feng got an open look, he would shoot quickly. At the same time, he could also deliver precise passes to his teammates for easy baskets.
However, Harden of the Thunder was also in good form, responding to Li Feng's plays in several possessions.
This put significant pressure on Li Feng.
With 4 minutes and 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 106:92, with the Thunder still leading by 14 points.
Time was running out, and the Thunder's starters had not yet entered the game.