At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng and Coach D'Antoni fielded questions from the press.
A reporter asked, "Coach, the Thunder's lineup is very strong. Do you think the Knicks can match up against them?"
D'Antoni wasn't entirely sure himself, but as the head coach, he had to project confidence. "Of course, we can match up. Our team has developed great chemistry, they are the best!"
The reporter then turned to Li Feng, "Mr. Li Feng, the Thunder defeated you in the last game, and Durant was unstoppable. Will you be able to contain him in the next game?"
Li Feng thought for a moment and replied, "Durant is indeed a very potent scorer. I wasn't accustomed to his play in the last game, but we've prepared meticulously for this one. He won't be as comfortable as he was last time!"
The reporter pressed on, "Durant has long arms and a great reach. Do you have any players who can match up against him?"
Li Feng chuckled, "You say you don't understand basketball, yet you refuse to concede. It's true he has a great reach, but you don't need to be taller than him to defend him."
The reporter looked puzzled and asked, "Are you saying you'll use shorter players to defend him?"
"Yes, you'll see!"
Seeing Li Feng's confidence, the reporters became even more eager for the game.
Another reporter inquired, "Harden has been playing very well for the Thunder. He can almost dominate many teams' second units when he leads the bench. How will you deal with that?"
Li Feng gave a thumbs up and praised, "That's a great question. Harden is a good friend of mine, and his abilities are exceptional. Although he's playing as a reserve for the Thunder, his talent allows him to start for any team."
"Our bench unit is also not bad, but facing Harden will put us under a lot of pressure. We can only say we'll do our best!"
...
At 7:30 PM, the Knicks hosted the Thunder at Madison Square Garden.
The Thunder's starting lineup consisted of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Jeff Green, and Sefolosha.
The Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, David Lee, Gallinari, and Duhon, and Jeffries.
Ibaka easily secured the first possession for the Thunder.
Galinari was tasked with defending Durant. While Gallinari had a height advantage, his athleticism was significantly inferior.
Westbrook crossed half-court and passed the ball to Durant.
As Durant prepared to drive past Gallinari, Li Feng suddenly appeared beside him.
Durant hadn't even gathered the ball to jump when Li Feng's hand was already there.
It was too fast!
Before Durant could even realize what had happened, the ball was gone.
Westbrook reacted quickly and lunged for a steal, but Li Feng was even faster. With a change of direction, he left Westbrook behind and crossed half-court.
Bang!
Li Feng drove to the basket and finished with a thunderous dunk!
He didn't taunt Westbrook, as Westbrook was straightforward and not trying to provoke him.
Durant's expression was grim. He respected Li Feng, but still, Li Feng had stolen the ball from him.
"That was my fault, I'll be more careful next time!" Durant blamed himself and apologized to his teammates.
Westbrook high-fived him and consoled, "It's alright, we'll get it back!"
At this time, Westbrook and Durant had a very strong bond, supporting and encouraging each other!
The Knicks led 2-0.
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered excitedly. Li Feng seemed to get a steal in almost every game, which was thrilling to watch.
The Thunder's offense. Westbrook brought the ball past half-court again.
Li Feng personally guarded Westbrook. Westbrook was cautious and called for a screen. Jeff Green stepped up to block Li Feng.
Using the screen, Westbrook quickly drove to the basket and soared for a powerful dunk over David Lee!
David Lee looked a bit disheveled after the poster dunk, but there was nothing he could do; Westbrook's vertical leap was too explosive.
After the score, Westbrook pounded his chest and roared, while Durant rushed over to high-five him in celebration.
Li Feng was helpless; he was completely screened out by Jeff Green.
The Thunder's talent was overwhelming. If someone had said a few years later that these players wouldn't win a championship together, no one would have believed it.
On the Knicks' offense, Li Feng faced a double-team and passed again.
Galinari received the ball and passed it to David Lee. As David Lee prepared to lay up, Ibaka delivered a powerful chase-down block!
The Thunder initiated a fast break. Westbrook passed to Durant.
This time, Durant was smarter. He reduced his dribbles and went for a pull-up three-pointer. Swish!
The Grim Reaper had arrived!
The Thunder came out with incredible momentum, building a 5-2 lead.
Madison Square Garden fell silent.
The Knicks had lost to the Thunder on the road in their previous outing and were looking for revenge today.
However, at this moment, the Thunder seemed even stronger. Except for Li Feng, everyone else on the Knicks appeared to be outmatched.
In the following possessions, apart from Li Feng's scoring, no one else could find the basket.
With over five minutes gone in the first quarter, the score was 12-5, with the Thunder leading by seven points.
The game went into an official timeout.
The Knicks players walked off the court with dejected expressions.
Li Feng had scored 2 points from a dunk and 3 points from a three-pointer, totaling 5 points.
Aside from him, no other player had scored.
D'Antoni was clearly unhappy and yelled at the other starting players, urging them to focus more.
Li Feng remained silent, understanding the true issue. It wasn't a matter of focus.
Ibaka and Jeff Green possessed explosive athleticism, coupled with the dynamic duo of Westbrook and Durant. The Knicks simply couldn't match the Thunder's talent.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The deficit continued to grow.
Despite Li Feng's best efforts, he was like a single man fighting an army. The Thunder had too many weapons.
By 9:21 in the first quarter, the score was 28-16, with the Knicks trailing by twelve points.
Li Feng had single-handedly scored 14 points, accounting for almost all of the team's points.
Both teams began to substitute in their bench players.
While the Knicks' bench unit wasn't weak, they were no match for the Thunder's reserves.
Harden entered the game and, with his deliberate pace, completely controlled the court.
His step-back three-pointers, Eurosteps, and powerful left-handed dunks continued to extend the lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 36-19, with the Thunder leading by seventeen points.
It looked like the game was about to become a blowout.
The home crowd fell silent.
Fans could accept losses against the Cavaliers or the Lakers.
However, the Thunder were also a young team, and at this point, the fans were unaware of how dominant these young Thunder players would become in the future.
Therefore, the fans were deeply disappointed, with some even erupting in angry curses.
Spike Lee, on the sidelines, was shouting loudly.
Li Feng remembered the system skill—[Team Soul].
With no other options, he decided to use it.
At the start of the second quarter, the Knicks' bench unit, with the help of [Team Soul], showed improved performance.
Meanwhile, Li Feng offered advice from the sidelines, urging his teammates to double-team Harden!
Despite Harden's exceptional abilities, he had a weakness: he struggled against double-teams.
Even when Harden later became a superstar, his performance against double-teams was often mediocre.
Moreover, at this stage, Harden was still a developing player, his skills not yet fully refined.
Indeed, under the combined effect of [Team Soul] and the double-team, Harden began to make mistakes.
Larry Hughes, with his extensive experience, capitalized on Harden's turnovers with consecutive fast breaks.
The home crowd rejoiced, finally seeing hope for a comeback.
Harden was so flustered by the double-teams that he couldn't even hold onto the ball. The Thunder coach had no choice but to substitute Harden out early.
Westbrook entered the game earlier. His speed and aggressive style of play were even more terrifying for the Knicks' bench players.
Li Feng also stood up.
The bench had narrowed the deficit to eight points, and Li Feng knew he had to continue the momentum and demonstrate leadership.
Upon entering the game, Li Feng immediately adopted a lockdown defense against Westbrook.
Under Li Feng's tight defense, Westbrook's effectiveness immediately diminished.
His speed and strength were slightly inferior to Li Feng's.
Furthermore, Li Feng possessed superior shooting ability.
Thus, with Li Feng's early entry, the deficit was further reduced to just one point.
Thunder head coach Brooks quickly called a timeout, unable to watch any longer.
The once arrogant Westbrook was completely subdued by Li Feng.
The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted in a frenzy again. In less than a quarter, the Knicks had erased the deficit.
What could be more exhilarating than a grand comeback?
After the timeout, the Thunder brought in their full starting lineup.
Li Feng knew very well that the Knicks' starters couldn't contend with the Thunder's starters.
Their only hope was to play tough defense and prevent the lead from widening too much.
As expected, Durant received the ball upon entering and immediately hit a mid-range jumper.
Although Li Feng responded, Westbrook immediately went coast-to-coast, driving to the basket and scoring on a reverse layup.
With the distraction of his teammates, Westbrook was once again full of energy.
Li Feng gritted his teeth and persevered. He was everywhere on the court, providing help defense.
However, the Thunder exhibited strong discipline, intentionally playing away from Li Feng, which wore him down.
...
In the TNT broadcast booth, Charles Barkley even felt a bit of sympathy for Li Feng.
"Alas, the Knicks really can't do without Li Feng. Why aren't they making any trade acquisitions?" Barkley said, stroking his bald head.
Kenny Smith agreed, "The Thunder have unlimited potential. The talent these guys possess is explosive. I can't imagine what heights the Thunder will reach in two years."
Reggie Miller added, "Li Feng needs a supporting player. If he keeps playing like this, they won't go far in the playoffs."
Barkley curiously asked, "Didn't we hear that Yao Ming was going to the Knicks? What happened to that?"
Smith replied, "I expect it to happen soon. In the last game, Yao Ming was benched in the final moments. That was so disrespectful."
"Exactly. If I were Yao Ming, I'd definitely request a trade!"
"Perhaps Yao Ming is reluctant to leave the Rockets fans. Looking at his current situation, it's quite difficult."
"It would truly be a spectacle to see Yao Ming and Li Feng team up."
"Even in the Olympics, their combined effort was quite formidable, almost matching the Dream Team!"
"Indeed, it was watching the Olympics that made me so excited about their potential to play together."
"I also have a thought: what if Curry, Li Feng, and Yao Ming were on the same team?"
"Wow! That would be amazing. The Splash Brothers plus the Great Wall of China, truly invincible!"
"Then other teams wouldn't stand a chance, haha!"
...
Li Feng led the team in a valiant effort, but the deficit continued to grow.
At halftime, the score was 57-40, with the Thunder leading by seventeen points.
The home crowd fell silent once more.
Li Feng had played exceptionally well, scoring 24 points in the first half, more than half of the team's total.
Durant had scored 17 points in the first half, Westbrook 13, Harden 11, and Ibaka 7 points with 3 blocks!
The "Thunder Four" had completely dominated the game.
The atmosphere in the Knicks' locker room during halftime was somber.
The teammates were filled with a sense of guilt.
Li Feng had performed admirably, but everyone else had been completely suppressed by the Thunder.
"Guys, Durant's stamina will decline in the second half, and Westbrook will start playing recklessly. Our opportunity will come, so don't get discouraged!"
Li Feng, being a transmigrator, knew the characteristics of the Thunder's core players too well.
At this stage, they could rely on their talent to dominate, but when facing strong opponents, their weaknesses would be exposed.
For instance, Durant often experienced a drop in performance in the fourth quarter and was also susceptible to double-teams.
Westbrook, even more so, was unstoppable when on a roll, but prone to reckless decisions in crucial moments.
This was why later fans joked that Durant was the team's fifteenth man.
Because Westbrook would only have eyes for the basket in the final moments and wouldn't pass to Durant.
As long as the Knicks players could endure until the end of the third quarter without the deficit widening too much, there was still hope in the fourth.
The teammates listened to Li Feng, their belief mixed with doubt.
They had no knowledge of the Thunder players' tendencies and thought Li Feng was merely trying to comfort them.
"Li Feng, is what you're saying... true?"
"Of course, it's true. They aren't invincible; they all have weaknesses. As long as we persist and strengthen our defense, we can definitely turn this around in the second half!"
Seeing Li Feng's unwavering confidence, his teammates' morale was somewhat restored.
After Li Feng's pep talk, the Knicks players rallied in the second half.
Li Feng led by example, providing help defense everywhere and causing significant trouble for the Thunder.
As expected, the Thunder's efficiency began to decline, and Durant's stamina was no longer sufficient to support his pull-up jump shots.
When Durant's shooting percentage dropped, Westbrook grew impatient and started playing recklessly, frequently attacking the basket.
However, David Lee also put up a fight. With his superior height and reach, he defended Westbrook effectively.
Li Feng also provided constant help defense, stripping Westbrook of the ball.
With the collective effort of the Knicks, the deficit gradually narrowed.
By 8:34 in the third quarter, the score was 77-70, with the Knicks trailing by only seven points.
The Knicks fans were re-energized, seeing hope for a comeback again.
The home crowd today was like riding a roller coaster, their emotions swinging wildly—a truly torturous experience.
Li Feng high-fived his teammates, continuing to encourage them. He knew very well that his teammates were exhausted but were pushing through.
They absolutely could not lose to the Thunder twice, especially at home. They had to fight tooth and nail for victory!
A revenge match!
Thunder head coach Brooks had no choice but to call a timeout. He had also noticed the issues with Durant and Westbrook.
However, these problems usually surfaced in the fourth quarter, by which time the Thunder had often built a substantial lead.
But today, the Knicks had managed to keep the score close!