As Ray Allen made his shot, a large hand suddenly reached out from the back left, *smack!*
Li Feng appeared! He directly swatted the ball out of bounds!
Dominant!
The Heat had only 1.3 seconds of offensive time left.
James and Wade looked ashen.
Li Feng was too fierce in critical moments, simply unstoppable!
With 1.3 seconds, theoretically, they could still get one shot off, but it was incredibly difficult.
Bosh inbounded the ball from the baseline again, passing it directly to Wade, who took a hurried shot!
The basketball flew towards the rim, a straight line!
Too bad…
*Clang!*
The ball hit the front rim and bounced out.
At the same time, the red buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game!
The Knicks players roared with excitement, hugging each other, high-fiving, and chest-bumping!
The victory in this game was hard-won!
All the players' eyes were glistening with tears.
The Heat players, heads bowed, quietly walked towards the tunnel.
The home fans were even more disbelieving, clutching their heads in shock as they stared at the scoreboard.
1:1!
The Heat, who had swept the Knicks four times in the regular season, had lost a home game to the Knicks!
Li Feng played 39 minutes today, scoring 48 points, once again becoming the leading scorer for both teams.
Wade was the highest scorer for the Heat today with 36 points.
James scored 34 points, and Bosh had 17.
Despite the "Big Three" combining for 87 points, they were still no match for the Knicks.
D'Antoni seemed to have forgotten his age, jumping and shouting as if he had been rejuvenated.
The victory in this game truly exceeded everyone's expectations; it was unimaginable.
…
A female reporter from TNT approached, raised her microphone, and began interviewing Li Feng.
"Li Feng, congratulations on taking a home game from the Heat, that's fantastic!"
Li Feng wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded, still immersed in the joy of victory.
"Can you tell us the reason for this win?"
Li Feng thought for a moment and replied, "There are many reasons. The biggest reason is our team's cooperation and unity, which led us to victory. But this is just one game; the series isn't over yet, we haven't won!"
"In the fourth quarter, you were hit by James and sustained an injury to your forehead. This became a turning point in the game. Can you talk about that incident?"
Li Feng smiled and shook his head, "I don't think it was a turning point. It was just a normal collision, nothing worth talking about."
The female reporter nodded slightly. She admired Li Feng's perspective. Li Feng didn't blame James, simply brushing it off lightly.
…
The Knicks, with a 1:1 series score, returned to New York.
The media were all shocked by the result of this game!
In fact, when the game reached the third quarter, many media outlets had already prepared their news drafts.
The content was all about praising the Heat's Big Three and criticizing the Splash Brothers.
However, in the latter half of the fourth quarter, the situation took a dramatic turn, and the Knicks, with a burst of energy, completed a major comeback!
This made the editors' jobs miserable, as they had to delete all their previous drafts and rewrite them.
But the media weren't the most miserable; it was the fans involved in gambling.
The gambling companies were likely the happiest, as before the game, 99% of the bettors had placed their money on the Heat to win.
These gamblers were crying their eyes out; some even sold their houses to bet on the Heat.
…
Upon returning to New York, many media outlets came to interview the Knicks' coaches and players, but they were all refused.
Everyone in the Knicks organization knew very well that a 1:1 score did not reflect the true strength comparison between the two teams.
The next two home games were crucial.
If they could win both home games, then they could see hope for victory.
Before the team's pre-game practice, Li Feng continued to encourage his teammates while also trying to curb any excessive optimism within the team. Winning an away game was indeed great, but the playoffs were a best-of-seven series; until they won 4 games, it was all fleeting.
Before Game 3, Li Feng suddenly received a phone call from Yao Ming.
Li Feng thought Yao Ming had something urgent, so he quickly answered the call.
Yao Ming's deep voice came through, "Li Feng, congratulations on tying the Heat in their home game, keep it up!"
It turned out to be encouragement, and Li Feng replied gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Yao. The current situation is very difficult, and it will be tough going forward."
"Yes, the Knicks have had many roster changes this season, but I've noticed that Jokic has a lot of potential. Your foresight is good, and I believe you'll go further in the playoffs!"
"Borrowing your words, Brother Yao, we can only fight game by game; there's no other way. The team has too many rookies and lacks experience."
"That's right, but playing two playoff games is very important for their experience growth. Most importantly, as long as the Knicks have you, there is hope!"
Yao Ming had high regard for Li Feng's ability. Although the outside world had been trying to sow discord between them, Yao Ming knew that without Li Feng, the Knicks wouldn't have won a single championship in three years!
They chatted for a while longer, and after Yao Ming offered Li Feng a few more words of encouragement, he hung up.
…
As Li Feng had predicted, in Game 3, the Heat's Big Three unleashed an incredibly strong offense, and the Knicks simply couldn't withstand it.
By halftime, the Heat had a 19-point lead.
Li Feng didn't want to give up easily, especially since it was his home court, so he switched to overdrive, scoring relentlessly.
By the end of the third quarter, Li Feng had narrowed the deficit to 7 points, scoring 24 points in that quarter alone!
Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, Li Feng's stamina dropped significantly, and the Heat's defensive intensity was at its peak, making it difficult for Li Feng to even receive the ball.
Ultimately, the Knicks couldn't protect their home court, falling behind with a large deficit of 1:2.
The loss in this game made everyone see the true strength of both teams.
Most media outlets believed that the Knicks getting even one win was fortunate.
The final prediction was a 1:4 sweep by the Heat.
The Knicks fans were also somewhat despairing.
They had originally hoped to build on their momentum at home and take the lead against the Heat, only to be doused with a bucket of cold water by the Heat, waking them up to reality.
Disappointment once again filled the Knicks team, and no one believed that the Knicks could advance to the second round of the playoffs.
At this moment, Li Feng also felt exhausted. He finally understood the psychological pressure that historical superstars faced.
Especially Jordan, who left basketball to play baseball after winning three championships.
His experience was truly legendary.
After a nearly two-year absence, he returned and was defeated by the Magic.
One could imagine how much mockery and underestimation Jordan faced at that time.
However, after a season of training, Jordan led his team to three consecutive championships!
Such a feat was truly an unrepeatable miracle in competitive sports!
Li Feng thought of Jordan and reignited his fighting spirit!
Before Game 4, Li Feng gathered his teammates, looked them in the eyes, and asked word by word, "Tell me honestly, ask yourselves, do you think we still have a chance to advance?"
As Li Feng's gaze swept over his teammates, no one dared to meet his eyes; they almost all lowered their heads.
Even the arrogant Green lowered his head.
They were all professional players and could sense the difference in strength on the court.
If they couldn't beat them, they couldn't beat them!
In Game 2, if it weren't for Li Feng's explosive performance at the end, suddenly closing the gap, the Knicks wouldn't have caught the Heat off guard, and the outcome of the game would have been uncertain.
"It seems... none of you have confidence anymore! How about this, I have a task for you in this game, what do you say?"
"A task?"
The Knicks players exchanged glances, unsure of what Li Feng was planning.
"Brother Feng, just tell us, as long as we can do it, we'll give it our all!"
"Yes, but we really can't guarantee winning against the Heat; they are truly formidable."
"Exactly, Brother Feng. Actually, this is your fault; if you hadn't healed Wade's knee, none of this would have happened."
…
Seeing that his teammates' mentality was becoming increasingly unbalanced, Li Feng sighed.
"The task I'm talking about is very simple, and you can all do it, which is..."
"In the first quarter, everyone get 2 fouls!"
As soon as Li Feng finished speaking, his Knicks teammates widened their eyes, thinking they had misheard.
"Brother Feng, should we avoid fouls, or actively seek them out?" Jokic scratched his head, asking confusedly.
Li Feng smiled, "Actively seek them out!"
"Why? Isn't this a suicidal strategy?"
Everyone knew that they had to try to avoid fouls in a game, otherwise, they would suffer greatly.
But Li Feng was doing the opposite; was he truly crazy?
Seeing the confused looks on his teammates' faces, Li Feng didn't explain further.
"I'll ask just one question, can this task be completed?"
His teammates exchanged glances and could only nod, responding in low voices, "Yes..."
"Good, you've promised me, no backing out. If anyone fails to complete this task, I won't let you off! If you don't get two fouls by the end of the first quarter, then you'll have to make up for it in the second quarter, aiming for 4 fouls by halftime!"
"What? And we have to make them up?"
The teammates almost fainted collectively.
D'Antoni didn't know about this yet.
Later, when practice was nearing its end, he overheard the players chatting and became furious.
D'Antoni thought the players were messing around and immediately called Green and Curry over.
"What were you two talking about just now? Actively seeking fouls? Have you been hit too hard on the head!"
Curry, being the obedient one, lowered his head and remained silent. He was good friends with Li Feng and didn't want to snitch on him.
But Green was a big mouth. He wasn't trying to betray Li Feng but just couldn't understand why Li Feng would do this.
So he said, "Coach, isn't this your idea?"
"My idea? What idea? How could I possibly tell you to actively seek fouls?"
"Ah? Brother Feng told us to try and get 2 fouls in the first quarter, and if we don't complete the task, we have to make up for it in the second quarter to get 4 fouls."
D'Antoni's head was full of question marks, "Did Li Feng really say that?"
"Yes, ask him yourself if you don't believe me."
D'Antoni's face turned ashen. He waved his hand and then strode quickly towards Li Feng, who was in the distance.
Li Feng was practicing pick-and-roll tactics with Jokic. Seeing D'Antoni approaching with an angry expression, he knew what was happening.
"Teacher Joe, you practice shooting for a while longer, I'll go see."
Jokic sensed the coach's murderous aura, stuck out his tongue, and felt a bead of sweat for Li Feng.
Li Feng went to meet him, greeting, "Coach, are you looking for me?"
"What's going on? Why did you tell the players to actively seek fouls? Even though our chances of winning are slim, we can't just play recklessly! You are professional players, I am a professional coach, what will people say about us if this gets out?"
D'Antoni blathered on, his chest puffing out with anger.
"Coach, please calm down." Li Feng helped the coach to a nearby chair.
"It's like this, I feel that our team lacks confidence, and when there's a lack of confidence, it shows in our actions, and then the game becomes unplayable."
As Li Feng spoke, D'Antoni seemed to understand something.
"Continue..."
"Coach, if we actively seek fouls, our defensive intensity will definitely increase. Whether they blow the whistle or not is up to the referee, but at least in the eyes of the opposing players, our attitude is one of fighting with everything we've got!"
D'Antoni suddenly understood, nodding slightly, "You rascal, you truly have a mind full of tricks. What were you thinking?"
Li Feng chuckled, "We have an idiom in China called 'breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats,' it's pretty much the same idea!"
D'Antoni sighed and patted Li Feng on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "I know very well that these three championships are primarily your credit. Anyone else could be in my position. It's my fortune to coach a player like you!"
Perhaps because of his age, D'Antoni had been prone to occasional emotional outbursts recently.
Li Feng didn't say much more, only comforting the coach and telling him not to overthink.
…
Game 4 was about to begin.
In the pre-game interviews, James once again made a bold statement, vowing to defeat the Knicks in the second away game and secure a commanding lead in the series.
And Li Feng, in his interview, also made a rare bold statement, declaring his intention to defend his second home game and equalize the series score!
A clash of titans!
The pre-game tension was palpable.
Although most people believed that the Heat would win this game and take a commanding lead, the Knicks were definitely going to fiercely defend their home court honor; that was a certainty!
At 7:30 PM, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Game 4 of the playoffs between the Knicks and the Heat tipped off!
The Knicks' starting lineup remained Li Feng, Jokic, Curry, Green, and Bill Walker.
The Heat's starting five were James, Wade, Bosh, Battier, and Chalmers.
The Heat's starting lineup had a slight adjustment, with Battier replacing Haslem, increasing their defensive capabilities and open three-point shooting.
The game began with a jump ball at center court!
Bosh secured the first possession, and Wade dribbled past half-court.
Li Feng was defending Wade, and Wade intended to attack Li Feng directly to boost his teammates' morale.
Unexpectedly, as Wade made a sudden change of direction, Li Feng rushed forward and knocked Wade to the ground.
The referee was stunned. He had his whistle in his mouth and hesitated for a moment before blowing the whistle for a foul on Li Feng.
The Knicks teammates saw this and grinned, realizing Li Feng was serious.