Li Feng's only hope now was that his teammates could develop better chemistry in the remaining few games.
After all, the Knicks couldn't rely on Li Feng alone to go from the first round of the playoffs all the way to the finals.
Basketball was a team sport; no matter how strong one individual was, they couldn't win a championship by themselves.
Even Jordan in his prime only won championships after his teammates gradually became stronger.
Furthermore, Li Feng needed to prove himself this season.
Li Feng was still bothered by the criticisms from the fans.
Li Feng readily admitted that Yao Ming played a crucial role in their three consecutive championships.
But after Yao Ming's retirement, Li Feng also needed to prove that he could win a championship without Yao Ming and without Lowry.
This was a necessary path for a legendary superstar.
Look at Jordan; even now, he's being criticized, with people saying he couldn't win without Pippen.
While such criticism was unfounded, some fans were still swayed by these remarks.
They even used Jordan's record with the Wizards to attack him.
As a superstar in his prime, Li Feng naturally had to prove himself.
If Yao Ming had stayed, Li Feng wouldn't have left him, but the objective reality was that Yao Ming had truly retired, giving Li Feng a prime opportunity to prove himself.
This year was Li Feng's prime opportunity to prove himself, and also a prime opportunity for his detractors to strike back!
If they couldn't win the championship this year, then the evidence that Li Feng couldn't win without Yao Ming would be solidified.
At that point, Li Feng's fans would have no way to defend him.
...
The next game was also very important for the Knicks: an away game against the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls were currently ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference, but their record was very close to the Pacers in second place and the Nets in third.
In Li Feng's past life, Rose had been sidelined for the entire season before it even began.
But in this parallel world, Rose had taken Li Feng's advice, changed his playstyle, and maintained his physical health.
The Bulls really had no strong supporting players this season; Rose was fighting alone, which was why their record wasn't as good as the Heat's Big Three.
However, Rose's abilities were still top-notch, and he held a 2-1 lead against the Knicks in their regular season matchups.
This was the last regular season game between the two teams.
Although the Bulls were a sure bet for the playoffs, Rose also wanted to advance further and secure a better seed.
Therefore, the Bulls were playing with their full roster, with no intention of resting players.
The Knicks were also going all out. They had just reached eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and with a single misstep, they could fall out of the playoff picture, so they had to fight.
...
At 7:30 PM, at the United Center in Chicago.
The Bulls faced the Knicks.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Jokic, Green, Bill Walker, and Curry.
The Bulls' starting five were Rose, Luol Deng, Boozer, Noah, and Hinrich.
At the start of the first quarter, Rose unleashed a fierce offensive onslaught.
His speed was still at its peak, but his offensive repertoire was more diverse; he no longer relied solely on brute force with his speed.
Even more terrifying was Rose's significant improvement in his shooting.
Previously, Rose's shooting was average, and he mainly relied on driving to the basket. However, this season, Rose's three-point percentage reached 36.6%, with an overall field goal percentage of 48.5%.
If not for his teammates' lack of support, the Bulls would truly have achieved great things this season.
At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks trailed by 4 points.
At the start of the second quarter, the Knicks' bench played the opposing team to a draw. Jimmy Butler and Belinelli of the Bulls were both hot.
Fortunately, the Knicks brought their starters back in, and Li Feng began to score relentlessly, closing the gap.
At the end of the first half, the Knicks had a 3-point lead.
After the second half began, Rose, with the cheers of the home crowd, led the team on a scoring spree.
The Bulls regained a 12-point lead.
Although Li Feng launched another counter-attack, the Bulls showed great resilience and maintained their lead.
Ultimately, the Bulls broke the Knicks' three-game winning streak, and they lost the game.
After losing this game, the Knicks dropped back to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls, on the other hand, climbed to third place in the Eastern Conference.
New York fans wailed, believing the Knicks were in trouble this season.
They had finally strung together a three-game winning streak, thinking they were making a charge for the championship, only to fail again.
Li Feng took responsibility for the loss in the post-game interview.
In reality, Jokic scored 7 points in this game, Curry also played ordinarily with 15 points, while Li Feng had 38 points.
However, a team leader must bear the responsibility for defeat.
With the Knicks' winning streak broken, many detractors began to celebrate.
It seemed there were still many fans who didn't want the Knicks to make the playoffs, and they were reveling in the basketball forums.
...
The Knicks' next opponent was the Indiana Pacers at home.
In the remaining few games, the Knicks and Pacers would face each other twice consecutively, once at home and once away.
Although the Pacers had a secure playoff spot, ranking second in the Eastern Conference, they were only half a game behind the Bulls, so the Pacers also needed this victory to strive for home-court advantage.
At 7 PM, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Knicks hosted the Pacers.
After the previous loss, the Knicks had fallen to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, so they absolutely could not afford to lose this game.
The Pacers' starting lineup consisted of Paul George, David West, George Hill, Hibbert, and Stephenson.
The Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, Jokic, Green, Bill Walker, and Curry.
The two teams had played each other twice this season, with one win and one loss for each.
At the center jump ball, Hibbert secured the first possession for the Pacers.
In the previous two games between the two teams, Hibbert averaged 24.3 points, exceeding his season average.
In contrast, Jokic had only scored 15 points combined in those two games, giving Hibbert a significant psychological advantage over Jokic.
The Pacers also planned to focus on the inside game, looking to gain an advantage against Jokic.
George Hill dribbled past half-court, saw Hibbert establish position, and passed him the ball.
Hibbert leaned on Jokic and found that Jokic didn't move, which surprised him; Jokic had gained strength compared to the beginning of the season.
Just as Hibbert was about to lean in a second time, Jokic suddenly performed a "pulling the chair" move.
Hibbert was completely caught off guard; he hadn't expected Jokic to use such a tactic.
Stumbling...
Hibbert lost his balance, his body swaying precariously, nearly falling.
Green suddenly rushed over and stripped the ball from Hibbert's hands.
This guy was truly cunning, his timing impeccable. Hibbert was off-balance and lacked strength, allowing Green to exploit the opening.
After the steal, Green quickly passed the ball to Curry, who drove across half-court.
George Hill defended quickly, but he overlooked Curry's long-range shooting ability and focused only on blocking Curry's driving lanes.
Curry faked a drive, but then suddenly stopped, took a step back, and shot the ball.
George Hill's balance was thrown off by Curry's fake, and he lunged in front of Curry.
Swish!
The three-pointer was good.
Another memorable moment was born: Curry made a three-pointer, with George Hill sprawled at his feet.
Of course, George Hill wasn't embarrassed, because only those who defend with intensity would find themselves in such a compromising position.
This basket ignited Madison Square Garden, and the fans immediately applauded and cheered!
Previously, only Li Feng would shoot such a pull-up three-pointer, often from near the half-court line.
Now, with another player like Curry, it was truly impressive!
3-0!
This basket was beautifully executed, but the biggest credit belonged to Jokic and Green.
"Yao Shi's" pulling the chair and Green's steal had disrupted the Pacers' possession.
Paul George looked serious. Ever since Granger's injury, he had been promoted to become the Pacers' core.
Although their record was decent, the Pacers relied on team play, and Paul George's individual ability wasn't outstanding.
This game was very important, and Paul George wanted to defeat the Knicks and establish his status.
So, on the next possession, he called for the ball, wanting to take on the challenge himself.
George Hill passed him the ball.
Facing Bill Walker, George faked, changed direction, and drove to the baseline.
Although Bill Walker defended tightly, Paul George's speed was exceptional, creating a half-step of separation and getting an open shot.
Swish!
This shot was beautiful; Paul George displayed his stop-and-pop jumper and ability to shake off defenders.
Despite Bill Walker's best efforts to defend, he still allowed him to score.
3-2!
Knicks possession.
Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court. Seeing that the Pacers weren't double-teaming, he immediately made a sharp crossover, shaking off Stephenson, and drove towards the paint.
Just as David West came to help defend, Li Feng used a "phantom step" and drove to the right side of the basket.
As Hibbert came over to help defend, Li Feng executed a high-arcing layup, scoring two points!
This possession showcased Li Feng's driving, rhythm changes, and layup timing skills!
The home crowd cheered again. It was rare for Li Feng to shoot in the first quarter!
This indicated that Li Feng was very excited today, and the game was bound to be spectacular!
In fact, Li Feng's smooth execution of this play was related to the Pacers' defensive strategy.
During their pre-game preparation, the Pacers learned that Li Feng would almost never shoot in the first quarter, which was why they were guarding him one-on-one.
As a result, Li Feng's surprise attack served as a punishment for the Pacers.
Feinting and being real, being real and feinting – this was the way to victory.
After scoring, the Pacers became like startled birds, tightening their defense on Li Feng and occasionally double-teaming him.
Seeing this, Li Feng stopped attacking and began to pass to his teammates, facilitating the offense.
The Knicks' offense spread out, with Curry and Jokic both scoring.
The Pacers, while unable to contain the Knicks, also performed well offensively.
Paul George was playing exceptionally well, and Bill Walker found it difficult to defend him one-on-one.
After Paul George scored three consecutive baskets, Green began to double-team him.
Green's double-team was ferocious, and Paul George, not paying attention, had the ball stolen by Green.
In less than 5 minutes into the game, Green had already gotten two steals, his defensive efficiency was truly astonishing!
After the steal, Green passed the ball to Li Feng, who quickly went on a fast break.
George Hill immediately went to chase him down, while Stephenson also came to double-team.
Seeing that his teammates hadn't caught up yet, Li Feng decided to handle it himself.
Swish!
Li Feng executed a behind-the-back dribble, shaking George Hill more than a meter away, and suddenly flashed from the right side to the left.
Stephenson saw Li Feng drive from the left and immediately lunged at him.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng performed a "spinning top" turn, shaking off Stephenson as well.
Truly a "ankle breaker," Li Feng's hesitation dribble in motion, without losing speed, was unparalleled; no one could replicate Li Feng's realism and efficiency.
Even Rose possessed more power and less finesse than Li Feng.
Bang!
Li Feng drove past two defenders and slammed the ball home with one hand, sending the home crowd into a frenzy once again!
"Beautiful! Li Feng is going off in the first quarter!"
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"This game is too important; we have to win it!"
"Curry, keep it up! Splash Brothers, shoot, shoot, shoot!"
...
With the cheers of the home crowd, the entire Knicks team became more energized.
However, the Pacers, being the second-ranked team in the East and third in the league, showed their resilience.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 32-29, with the Knicks leading by 3 points.
The second units came onto the court.
Chandler suffered a right hamstring strain today and was sidelined for a game, replaced by the seldom-used player Barron.
Barron had good physical attributes, but his defensive and offensive capabilities were mediocre.
His pick-and-roll ability was particularly poor, and he had no chemistry with Jeremy Lin.
The Pacers' bench unit was strong and quickly caught up to the score, even taking the lead.
More than four minutes into the second quarter, the Pacers led by 6 points.
D'Antoni had no choice but to bring the starters back onto the court.
After Li Feng returned, he and Curry simultaneously ignited, continuing their offensive assault.
Jokic was at a disadvantage in his matchup against Hibbert, but he had improved significantly compared to the previous two games.
At the end of the first half, the score was 64-62, with the Knicks leading by 2 points.
Although the Knicks were playing an exciting game, the Pacers also performed well, especially David West, whose mid-range shots from the free-throw line were very threatening.
Although Green was good at providing help defense, he couldn't defend West effectively.
West was taller than him and had a quick release, which always caused problems for Green.
Green wasn't afraid of strong or fast players; he could even defend smaller guards one-on-one.
However, he always suffered against taller, accurate shooters.
During halftime, Li Feng told Green to defend West more closely in the second half and not to be afraid of his drives.
Although West was also strong at driving to the basket, Li Feng was confident that he could disrupt his offense with his help defense.
After the second half began, the Pacers indeed intensified their offensive focus on West.
However, Green changed his defensive strategy and stayed very close, forcing West to resort to driving.
But his driving speed was a bit slow, and Li Feng twice reached the basket and, along with Jokic, disrupted West's layup.
The Knicks maintained their advantage, consistently leading the score.
More than nine minutes into the third quarter, the Knicks led by 7 points.
The second units from both teams came onto the court again.
The Pacers' bench unit once again closed the gap, leaving D'Antoni helpless.
Chandler's presence was very important for the bench unit. With him sidelined, the Knicks' bench advantage was gone.