Fisher brought the ball past half-court, guarded by Duhon.
Li Feng and Kobe were locked in a battle.
Not only were they pulling and tugging physically, but their mouths were also busy.
“Kid, do you think you’re good just because you scored 78 points?”
Li Feng shot back, unyielding, “78 points doesn’t guarantee being good, but it’ll definitely beat you!”
Kobe sneered and roared, “Is that so? Then just wait, I’ll lock you down!”
Their constant trash talk was perfectly captured by the cameramen.
The media and fans loved to see this kind of hard-nosed confrontation; it was passionate and thrilling to watch.
Fisher tried to pass to Kobe, but Li Feng’s defense was tenacious, playing him head-on, preventing Kobe from receiving the ball.
Helpless, Fisher passed the ball to Gasol near the paint.
Gallinari defended Gasol, sticking to him as closely as possible.
Gasol dribbled twice, his peripheral vision constantly on Kobe.
Finally, Kobe managed to shake off Li Feng and sprinted to the baseline.
Gasol, quick as lightning, passed the ball to him; their chemistry was undeniable.
The moment Kobe received the ball, Li Feng was already closing in.
You’re fast, but I’m faster!
Kobe initially planned to pull up for a jump shot, but Li Feng’s defense was too tight, and Kobe knew Li Feng’s leaping ability well.
So, Kobe started dribbling, using his masterful footwork and a half-turn to create a little space from Li Feng.
These two moves were executed with seamless fluidity, truly beautiful, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Li Feng wanted to use his SSS-tier steal skill, but he found Kobe’s dribbling too smooth.
Swish!
Kobe immediately took the shot!
By the time Li Feng tried to block, it was too late.
Two points were scored!
Although the shot went in, Kobe was also surprised, as Li Feng’s fingertips had almost touched the ball.
The Knicks were on offense. Li Feng dribbled past half-court, with Kobe guarding him tightly.
Li Feng had previously used the league’s fastest first step to shake off Kobe during the Olympics.
However, back then, Kobe had been somewhat complacent, which allowed Li Feng to get past him.
But after many games, Kobe had secretly studied Li Feng’s playstyle, coupled with his already strong defensive capabilities.
Therefore, Li Feng couldn’t shake him off immediately.
Li Feng grew impatient. He suddenly employed Iverson’s crossover skill.
Kobe had watched previous game footage and knew Li Feng possessed this move. Having faced Iverson multiple times, he was experienced.
Thus, Li Feng still couldn’t break free from Kobe’s tight defense.
The shot clock ticked down, and Li Feng became anxious.
He suddenly drove left, his movement incredibly realistic, and Kobe quickly shifted to cover him.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng executed a wide pull-back dribble, retreating to the three-point line.
This was a move Li Feng had learned from Curry, and he hadn’t expected to use it today.
Kobe was shocked. He knew Li Feng’s three-point shooting was potent, but his momentum was too committed to recover.
He could only watch helplessly as Li Feng attempted a three-pointer!
Swish!
Three points made!
Li Feng forcefully responded to Kobe with a three-pointer!
The Knicks teammates were ecstatic, rushing over to high-five Li Feng and shouting with excitement.
Kobe shook his head in frustration; he was rarely fooled so cleanly.
2:3.
The Knicks led by one point.
On the Lakers' possession, Kobe didn’t actively demand the ball this time. He was calm and didn’t engage in a direct battle with Li Feng. Instead, he signaled for Bynum to make a play.
This was indeed the most rational tactic; the Lakers’ interior presence was far superior to the Knicks’.
After receiving the ball, Bynum faced David Lee, pushed towards the basket twice, then turned and muscled his way into the paint.
Gallinari came over to help defend, but it was futile. He couldn’t stop Bynum, who then dunked for the score!
On the sidelines, D’Antoni sighed again. He truly yearned for Yao Ming at this moment.
If Yao Ming were here, Bynum wouldn’t be so arrogant.
Li Feng, with a grim expression, gestured to his teammates, urging them not to be discouraged.
The Knicks offense. Li Feng once again held the ball at the top of the arc.
With the experience from the previous play, Kobe's defense became even more ferocious, even bordering on rough.
The referee did not blow the whistle. In 2009, the officiating wasn't as strict. Generally, rough play was common between the star players of both teams.
Li Feng felt this was the toughest defense he had encountered in the regular season so far, and he was excited by the challenge.
“Come on, I won’t let you score this time!” Kobe roared.
Li Feng ignored him, dribbling the ball slowly.
At this moment, Gallinari, using a teammate’s screen, moved to the 45-degree angle, unguarded.
Li Feng immediately passed the ball to him. As Gallinari was about to shoot, Metta World Peace lunged at him.
There was nothing Gallinari could do; his release was too slow.
Unable to shoot, Gallinari passed the ball back to Li Feng.
With limited time on the shot clock, Li Feng had to force a shot. Clang, it hit the rim and bounced out!
Gasol secured the rebound and launched a long pass to Kobe.
Kobe sprinted past half-court, preparing for his signature dunk.
Li Feng stayed right with him, chasing closely. He couldn’t let Kobe dunk so easily under his defense.
Everyone was watching the two of them, offense against defense, to see who would gain the upper hand.
Let’s wait and see!
The moment Kobe stepped inside the three-point line, he initiated a three-step layup.
Li Feng timed his steps precisely, following him.
Swish… Swish…
Swish!
Kobe took off, ball in his right hand, preparing for a powerful dunk.
Li Feng also leaped, extending his hand towards the ball in Kobe’s grasp.
Suddenly, Kobe switched the ball to his left hand in mid-air, continuing his ascent.
Swat, Li Feng’s hand hit Kobe’s right hand.
Simultaneously, Kobe dunked the ball with his left hand.
Beep!
The referee’s whistle blew, calling a foul on Li Feng.
2+1!
The Lakers fans at Staples Center jumped up in excitement, cheering loudly.
This dunk was truly imposing, with Li Feng becoming the backdrop for Kobe.
Although Kobe completed the dunk, he didn't act overly arrogant or taunt Li Feng.
This was because Kobe felt Li Feng’s defensive effort was commendable, and his movements were clean.
While it was a hand foul, there were no dirty plays or intent to injure.
“Kid, not bad on defense, keep trying next time!” Kobe coolly said, before quickly retreating on defense.
Li Feng understood Kobe’s personality well; this was Kobe’s way of praising him.
His teammates came over, high-fiving Li Feng and offering some comfort.
6:3, the Lakers continued to lead.
Li Feng was unhappy and shouted to his teammates, “Everyone, be more aggressive, don’t give up, pass more, and shoot faster!”
Despite Li Feng’s efforts to boost morale, the Knicks players remained dejected.
In the following few possessions, Li Feng and Kobe matched each other, with exchanges of offense and defense.
However, compared to the other players, the Knicks were significantly outmatched.
The Lakers began to pull ahead in the score.
The constant battles between Li Feng and Kobe intensified, causing their shooting percentages to drop.
They both transformed into “little blacksmiths of Milan,” frequently missing shots.
With 5 minutes and 23 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 12:7, with the Lakers leading by five points, heading into an official timeout.
After just five minutes of play, Li Feng felt as if he had played half a game, his body aching.
This was due to the intense struggle between him and Kobe.
Kobe was in a similar state, sitting down and breathing heavily.
“This Chinese kid is truly formidable, he’ll achieve great things in the future!” Kobe thought to himself.
D’Antoni didn’t have high hopes for this game due to the significant disadvantage in the paint, which was an insurmountable problem.
He could only urge his players to be more active with their movement, help each other with screens, and box out.
Li Feng was constantly thinking about how to deal with Kobe.
It was different from the Olympics. Kobe on the Dream Team wasn’t at his absolute peak.
This was because the Dream Team was composed of superstars, lacked complete cohesion, and Kobe had to cede shot opportunities.
However, with the Lakers, Kobe played more freely, choosing to attack himself or pass to teammates based on the situation.
Therefore, Li Feng felt that Kobe with the Lakers was more difficult to handle.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
To catch up, Li Feng increased his defensive rotations, reducing the pressure on the Knicks’ interior defense.
On one Lakers possession, Bynum once again received the ball, pushed past David Lee, and drove to the basket.
Just as he leaped into the air, a small figure exploded from behind him, extending his right hand and smashing the ball out of his grasp.
Keep in mind that Bynum was a big center, holding the ball with both hands with immense force.
Even if you tried to knock it loose, it would be difficult.
But Li Feng’s strength was so immense; Bynum felt like a hammer striking the ball.
He felt a violent tremor, his hands losing their grip, and the ball went flying!
The ball was slammed onto the floor by Li Feng, spinning and bouncing away.
Jeffries happened to retrieve the ball and initiated a fast break.
Kobe quickly got back on defense, blocking Jeffries.
Seeing Kobe, Jeffries hesitated to attack. He looked back and saw Li Feng approaching, passing him the ball.
Kobe swiftly moved again, blocking Li Feng.
This was Li Feng’s first fast-break confrontation with Kobe; prior encounters had been in half-court sets.
Li Feng knew the importance of this fast break for the entire team.
As the Knicks, running a Princeton Offense 2.0, fast breaks were a crucial scoring method, and Li Feng was the tactical core.
Therefore, Li Feng was fully focused, pushing the ball forward quickly.
Kobe anticipated Li Feng’s direction, positioning himself precisely.
Li Feng slowed down, lamenting internally how good Kobe’s defense was.
But Li Feng still had his "Fancy Dribbling" moves. Facing Kobe, he had to try it again.
Swish, swish!
Li Feng’s wide hesitations made Kobe uncomfortable.
In the moment of Kobe’s hesitation, Li Feng, relying on his speed, drove to the basket and scored with a bank shot.
Although Kobe gave his all to keep up, he was still a step too slow.
The Lakers fans at Staples Center couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
It was incredible to see a guard score so easily on a fast break against Kobe.
Despite his trash talk, after Li Feng scored, Kobe calmly said, “Not bad! You got lucky!”
Li Feng chuckled, “Thank you for holding back!”
“Hmph, don’t get ahead of yourself. I won’t let you score next time!”
The two started their verbal sparring again, and teammates quickly intervened, pulling them apart.
With 9 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 26:19, with the Lakers leading by seven points.
In the previous few games, Li Feng had played the entire first quarter because his stamina was excellent.
However, today, D’Antoni noticed that Li Feng had expended a lot of energy and was extremely tired.
So, he quickly subbed Li Feng out early, bringing in Larry Hughes to lead the bench unit.
Kobe was also substituted.
As an "Iron Man," Kobe rarely got tired this early in the first quarter.
Today, he had truly encountered the most difficult opponent of his life, and a rookie at that!
The Lakers head coach, Phil Jackson, was also shocked.
As a coach with numerous championships and immense success, Phil Jackson had seen many superstar guards.
Jordan, Kobe, and opposing guards like Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler of the Rockets, and Gary Payton of the SuperSonics.
And later, Iverson, Carter, and so on.
However, Phil Jackson had never encountered a guard like Li Feng before. He possessed a multitude of guards’ signature moves, was experienced, and had a mature mindset!
He was simply a born superstar!
Phil Jackson walked over to Kobe and asked, “How do you feel? Can you handle Li Feng?”
Kobe gave a wry smile, “This Chinese kid is tough to deal with. It’s impossible to completely shut him down; I can only try my best to limit him!”
“But you don’t need to push yourself too hard. We have a significant advantage inside. Just do your best!” Phil Jackson, worried that Kobe might get too aggressive, wanted to counsel him first and prepare him.
He understood Kobe’s personality, which shared some similarities with Jordan, but Kobe could sometimes be more stubborn.
Therefore, as a successful head coach, one must adapt their strategy based on the unique personalities of their core players.
For example, with Kobe, one couldn’t be too confrontational; guidance was necessary.
In the early stages of his career, Kobe indeed tended to get too emotional.
However, after winning his fourth championship, Kobe’s mindset had evolved.
For instance, today, he hadn't been directly competing with Li Feng. Instead, he had ceded some shot opportunities to his interior teammates because the Lakers' paint presence was stronger.
Winning the game always remained Kobe’s top priority.
The timeout ended, and the substitute lineups for both teams entered the court.
The Lakers' bench unit was very strong, as a team aiming for a championship needed a deep bench.
Farmar, Vujačić, Walton, and Shannon Brown were all superior to the Knicks' reserves.
Despite playing with great effort, Larry Hughes struggled against Farmar’s defense.
The Lakers continued to lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 33:25, with the Lakers leading by eight points.
Li Feng had scored 9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists.
Kobe had scored 11 points, secured 4 rebounds, and provided 2 assists.
Their individual statistics were similar, but the statistics of their teammates showed a significant disparity.
Bynum alone had scored 10 points, while his direct matchup, David Lee, had only managed 2 points and committed 2 fouls.
Odom also played well today, scoring consecutive mid-range jumpers and fast-break layups against Jeffries.
Sitting on the bench, Li Feng's expression was grim. He could accept losing, but he absolutely couldn't stand to see such a crushing defeat.
David Lee sat next to Li Feng, his face full of guilt.
“Li Feng, our interior game is at a disadvantage, sigh…”
Li Feng quickly encouraged him, “It’s okay, you guys played well. We still have a chance!”