Thunder head coach Brooks felt the crisis.
But at this moment, Durant and Westbrook were playing more and more awkwardly.
The coach had no choice but to temporarily substitute them both, letting the reserves play for a while.
On the Knicks side, Li Feng did not go off to rest. He knew this was a rare good opportunity.
He had to personally widen the score, which would shatter Durant and Westbrook's mentality.
History proved that the abilities of Durant and Westbrook were not the problem; their psychological strength and mentality limited their achievements.
Li Feng went on a rampage against the Thunder's reserves.
The Knicks not only caught up in the third quarter but also took a strong lead!
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 88:79, with the Knicks leading by 9 points. Li Feng himself scored 17 points in the third quarter alone!
Durant and Westbrook sat on the bench, silent.
They probably hadn't realized yet that their weaknesses would be exposed to Li Feng so early.
Harden was greatly restricted on the bench, as Li Feng instructed his teammates to double-team him relentlessly.
Therefore, the Thunder, who usually dominated other teams' reserves, were completely stifled today.
After the third quarter, Li Feng's stamina was greatly depleted. He sat on a chair, panting heavily.
He remembered the recently acquired [Curry Stamina Recovery Technique].
So he sat on the bench and, in just 2 minutes, recovered more than half of his stamina.
Not only did his heart rate return to normal, but his body also felt less sore.
"Coach, let me go back in." Just 1 minute into the fourth quarter, Li Feng stood up.
Coach D'Antoni was surprised and asked worriedly, "You played the whole third quarter, aren't you going to rest more?"
"I'm fine, coach, let me go up!"
Seeing Li Feng's determined gaze and even breathing, Coach D'Antoni nodded and substituted him in during the free throw break.
The Thunder head coach was about to substitute Durant and Westbrook back in, wanting to score more points while Li Feng was off the court.
However, before he could make the substitution, Li Feng had already entered the game.
As Brooks hesitated, Durant and Westbrook also stood up, angered by Li Feng.
"Coach, let us go in too."
Brooks had no choice. If he didn't put the starters back in soon, Li Feng would blow out the game.
"Alright, you two need to play smart, don't..." Before he could finish, Durant and Westbrook were already on the court.
Brooks shook his head helplessly. He truly had no way with these two. They had almost no strategy, just taking turns attacking.
Seeing Durant and Westbrook on the court, Li Feng immediately made a gesture to his teammates.
The strategy was clear!
For Durant, double-team him!
For Westbrook, Li Feng would personally guard and pester him, with the interior players ready to provide help defense at any time!
Under the execution of these two strategies, Durant and Westbrook's performance was extremely sluggish.
Under the double-team, Durant was flustered, not only making more turnovers but also shooting terribly.
Westbrook was even more frustrated, as his drives were completely stifled by Li Feng.
Even if he used pick-and-rolls to get into the paint, the Knicks' interior players would pounce without hesitation, preferring to send him to the free-throw line.
Westbrook's free-throw shooting was very unstable, usually going 1-for-2.
The Knicks continued to lead, with the point difference extending to 16 points at one point.
The fans at Madison Square Garden were jumping and shouting with excitement. They finally saw revenge!
Defeating the Thunder marked a great achievement for the Knicks: they had not let any team sweep them this season.
Now, only the Lakers remained.
The Knicks had been defeated by the Lakers on the road last time.
When the Lakers come to New York next time, the Knicks would also seek revenge, but it would be after the All-Star Game.
Just as all the Knicks fans thought the game was within their grasp, the situation on the court changed again!
Westbrook gave up driving and started forcing three-point shots.
It was known that Westbrook's shooting was not very reliable.
When he was hot, his pull-up jump shot was decent, earning him the nickname "zombie jump shot."
However, his shooting percentage was only average.
But Westbrook had a special buff: in critical moments for the team, he could always deliver an extraordinary performance.
For example, today, Westbrook unleashed a series of overpowered plays that sent a chill down the spines of the Knicks fans, including the players.
Westbrook began to aggressively pull up and shoot three-pointers from beyond the arc.
Li Feng had been guarding Westbrook's drives.
Although Li Feng was extremely fast, Westbrook was also a historically gifted player with exceptional talent.
Therefore, Li Feng could only fall back one step, focusing on preventing drives and not on shooting, to contain Westbrook's penetration.
Restricting Westbrook's continuous pull-up jumpers also fooled Li Feng.
Swish, swish, swish, he made three consecutive three-pointers, and the point difference was only 6 points.
Coach D'Antoni was startled and quickly called a timeout to break Westbrook's momentum.
At this point, there were 3 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game, and the score was 101:95.
As Westbrook walked off the court, his teammates rushed to chest bump him in celebration, roaring loudly!
Those three-pointers were indeed spectacular. Durant was also very excited and hugged Westbrook tightly.
Li Feng smiled wryly and shook his head, walking to the bench.
What else could he say about Westbrook's magical performance? He could only resign himself to it.
If only he could keep shooting like this until the end of the game!
However, Li Feng's defensive strategy against Westbrook would not change.
Because Westbrook's biggest threat was still his drives.
Therefore, after the timeout, Li Feng continued to guard against drives and not against shooting, letting him shoot!
Westbrook truly lived up to expectations, immediately hitting another three-pointer.
The Thunder reserves went wild. Westbrook always had moments of superhuman, explosive performances!
Li Feng gritted his teeth, firmly believing that his strategy was not wrong!
As he said before: If you have the guts, shoot me to death!
After all, Westbrook was Westbrook. After hitting four consecutive three-pointers, he inexplicably lost his touch.
At this point, the Knicks only led by 3 points.
Li Feng began to respond.
He first ran to the 45-degree angle, received a pass from his teammate, and made a mid-range shot.
Then he drove to the basket and scored with a layup!
The point difference was widened again, and time was running out.
With 53 seconds left, the Knicks led by 7 points.
Brooks called a timeout for a final push.
Li Feng had played almost the entire second half, and his stamina was heavily depleted. If not for the help of the [Curry Stamina Recovery Technique], he might not have been able to run.
After the timeout, the Thunder's ball was almost always in Westbrook's hands. This was the Thunder's tactic.
Westbrook started launching three-pointers, but his magic was gone.
After Li Feng drew the double-team, he made a brilliant pass to David Lee under the basket, and David Lee scored with a layup, completely sealing the victory!
Ultimately, the Knicks defeated the Thunder at home with a score of 114:105, successfully avenging their loss!
Li Feng played 39 minutes today, the longest he had played in a game this season.
He scored 42 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists!
Another triple-double, completely dominating the game.
Many years later, Westbrook would also achieve a triple-double in a single season and win the MVP award!
Unfortunately, in this parallel world, Li Feng achieved a triple-double in his rookie season, with even more explosive stats!
Durant played 33 minutes today, scoring 27 points, and Westbrook played 34 minutes, scoring 35 points.
Looking at the statistics, both Durant and Westbrook played well, but anyone who watched the game understood that both were suppressed by the Knicks' strategy.
Especially in the fourth quarter, apart from Westbrook's brief burst of brilliance, their performance during other times was dismal.
After the game, both Durant and Westbrook came over to congratulate Li Feng.
In his previous life, Li Feng had a very good impression of these two superstars. Although their careers were not entirely perfect, their abilities were still strong.
Durant won two championships with the Warriors, avoiding the embarrassment of never winning a championship.
It was just unknown how the life trajectories of Durant and Westbrook would change in this life, with Li Feng's emergence.
After defeating the Thunder, the Knicks were about to embark on a three-game road trip, facing the Hornets, 76ers, and Cavaliers in the East.
There was no suspense in the games against the Hornets and 76ers, with the Knicks extending their winning streak.
However, playing the Cavaliers on the road was a bit delicate.
Because in this year's All-Star voting, LeBron James and Li Feng's votes had surpassed everyone else, leading the pack.
Li Feng and LeBron James's vote counts were very close, alternating leads daily.
If Li Feng played well in a game today, his vote count would lead.
If the Knicks did not have a game and the Cavaliers won, LeBron James's vote count would once again overtake!
Everyone's focus was on Li Feng and LeBron James.
And this game between the Knicks and the Cavaliers was their last game before the All-Star Game.
Whoever won and played astonishingly well would gain a significant lead in the vote count!
Although Li Feng was not interested in the All-Star Game, his competitive spirit would not allow him to lose to LeBron James!
Moreover, the records of the two teams were very close.
Currently, the Knicks were ranked first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 33 wins and 5 losses, the same as the Lakers in the Western Conference.
The Cavaliers were second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 32 wins and 6 losses.
Therefore, this game not only affected the voting results for Li Feng and LeBron James but also the team standings!
For Li Feng, the team's record was more important, as the two teams were likely to meet in the playoffs!
Then home-court advantage would be crucial.
Cavaliers fans were full of confidence for this game because in the previous game, the Cavaliers had avenged their loss and defeated the Knicks at home.
LeBron James had outperformed Li Feng, suppressing him.
Before the game, Li Feng did some motivational work with his teammates, telling them not to feel any pressure or frustration.
...
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng saw many media outlets in Cleveland, more than double the usual number of reporters.
A local reporter asked, "Mr. Li Feng, LeBron James is currently leading you by over three thousand votes in the All-Star voting. Do you think you can still catch up?"
Li Feng replied calmly, "I've never thought about that question. However, I'm very satisfied to have received so much support from the fans. Thank you to the fans who voted for me!"
Seeing that Li Feng was not at all agitated, the reporter, somewhat disappointed, changed the topic.
"In the last game against the Cavaliers, you were completely suppressed by them. When Shaq was not playing, it seemed like you didn't know how to play. What countermeasures do you have today?"
Li Feng smiled and said, "The Cavaliers are a strong team, and LeBron James is a superstar. It's normal for us to lose, but we will make adjustments and adapt to the Cavaliers' play style. Today's game will be a feast for your eyes!"
Despite the reporters' repeated attempts to provoke him, Li Feng's answers were lukewarm, leaving the reporters rather unsatisfied.
"But you still can't contain LeBron James, doesn't that mean your ability, Li Feng, is still not as good as his?"
Li Feng frowned, his tone rising significantly, and replied, "I am very confident in my abilities, and LeBron James is also my idol. There are many things about him that I can learn from!"
The reporter, having hit a dead end, dared not ask further and retreated to the back somewhat dejectedly.
...
At 7:30 PM, Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks!
This was the third encounter between the two teams this season, with each team having won one game previously.
Therefore, this game was very important from any perspective.
The Knicks' starting lineup had changed slightly, with Jordan Hill returning to the starting lineup. The others were Li Feng, David Lee, Chris Duhon, and Jared Jeffries.
The Cavaliers' starters were LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Mo Williams, Parker, and J.J. Hickson.
Although O'Neal was in the starting lineup, it was out of respect. If the Knicks continued to employ the "hack-a-Shaq" tactic, O'Neal would still be substituted early.
As expected, at the beginning of the game, the Knicks once again employed the "hack-a-Shaq" tactic. Duhon grabbed O'Neal's arm, and the referee blew his whistle.
O'Neal looked helpless, shaking his head as he walked to the free-throw line.
The Cavaliers fans booed again, cursing the Knicks and calling their players unsportsmanlike.
O'Neal took a long look and, thankfully, made one of two free throws.
It seemed he was well-prepared for this game, and his free-throw shooting had improved.
Knicks offense. Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and the Cavaliers immediately double-teamed him, preventing him from taking long-range three-pointers.
Li Feng was not flustered. He wanted to learn from LeBron James and first build up his teammates' shooting rhythm.
Swish!
Li Feng passed the ball to the open Duhon. Duhon drove to the baseline and passed it back to David Lee.
David Lee, facing O'Neal, dared not attack and passed to Jordan Hill.
Just as Jordan Hill was about to go for a layup, LeBron James came from the side and delivered a massive block!
This was the terrifying aspect of LeBron James. His help defense was everywhere; he was like a bigger version of Li Feng.
The ball was directly swatted out of bounds. Jeffries inbounded the ball.
With only 2 seconds left on the shot clock, the ball reached Li Feng.
Li Feng rushed his shot and was bumped by Mo Williams, but the referee did not call a foul.
The ball hit the rim and bounced out. O'Neal strongly secured the rebound.
As soon as O'Neal passed the ball, Jeffries committed an off-ball foul on him again, sending him to the free-throw line.
The second "hack-a-Shaq."
The intention was to prevent the Cavaliers from getting their offense going.
LeBron James was amused by the situation. He knew that today he would once again be playing a "one star, four shooters" style.
O'Neal walked to the free-throw line again, but missed both shots.
The Knicks initiated offense again.
Li Feng passed the ball to Duhon, feigning a retreat to the corner.
Unexpectedly, in the moment the Cavaliers players were careless, Li Feng suddenly broke out of the double-team and drove near the paint.
Duhon flicked his wrist and passed the ball to Li Feng.
This was a tactic Li Feng often used to catch opponents off guard.