Li Feng was drawn to the corner by Ray Allen's off-ball movement, allowing Garnett to execute a smooth cut.
The Celtics were clearly prepared, placing great importance on Li Feng and not engaging him directly.
Li Feng's heart skipped a beat. The Celtics, true to their status as a veteran powerhouse, were experienced and level-headed.
Although Rondo was young, he was naturally mature and steady. He didn't even glance at Li Feng.
The intention was clear: avoid provoking Li Feng and play around him.
The score was 2-0, with the Celtics in the lead.
The Knicks' offense began. Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and Rondo stepped up to defend him.
Rondo knew he couldn't stop Li Feng on his own, so Ray Allen was constantly moving on the side, ready to provide help defense.
Li Feng was about to use his new skill, [Iverson Crossover].
Facing Rondo, he feigned a drive to the left and then suddenly changed direction dramatically, coordinating his hands and feet with all his might.
While this move appeared simple, it placed immense demands on the body.
Despite executing it perfectly, Li Feng felt a slight pain in his leg muscles.
This was the consequence of a move at his absolute limit.
However, the effect was remarkable. Rondo's long arms couldn't contain Li Feng, who surged past him on the right with a "whoosh."
Compared to [Fancy Dribbling], it was indeed concise, lacking unnecessary flashy maneuvers.
Rondo was shocked and hurried to catch up, but it was too late.
Among the Celtics players, Garnett and Pierce were the most stunned.
They had competed against Iverson and knew how formidable he was.
Furthermore, they had both been toyed with by prime Iverson using this very move.
Everyone knew Iverson would cross over like this, yet they couldn't defend it.
Other players had tried to learn it, but none had mastered it.
Yet, Li Feng's crossover was executed with such silkiness and smoothness, completely blowing past Rondo.
Garnett unconsciously exchanged a glance with Pierce, as if to say, "Isn't this... Iverson's signature move?"
Li Feng drove into the paint, and facing Garnett's help defense, he spun around and found himself near the baseline.
Garnett, true to his reputation as a help defense master, might not have had Howard's vertical leap, but his defensive awareness was top-tier in history.
Upon reaching the baseline, Li Feng found Garnett still in front of him.
And unlike other big men who would aggressively try to smother Li Feng, Garnett was experienced. He simply blocked Li Feng's shooting angles and driving lanes.
Li Feng was suddenly unsure of what to do.
In his frustration, he passed the ball to Du Hong in the middle.
Du Hong received the ball and intended to use a change of direction to get past his defender, but Rondo's long arms stretched out and stole the ball.
The Celtics initiated a fast break, and Ray Allen hit a catch-and-shoot three-pointer. Swish!
Ray Allen's three-pointers were considered top-notch at the time. While the shooting distance wasn't great, his accuracy was very high.
The score was 5-0!
The Celtics had started the game with a run.
For the first time, Li Feng felt immense pressure.
The Celtics appeared to be a team that made no mistakes, flawless on both offense and defense.
Li Feng felt a sense of helplessness, like punching cotton.
The Knicks' offense continued. Li Feng had the ball, facing a double-team. He once again used the Iverson crossover to get past Rondo, then instead of driving, he immediately pulled up for a three-pointer!
Swish!
The three-pointer went in!
This was purely Li Feng's individual skill. The Celtics players watched, feeling helpless.
They had done their best, but Li Feng possessed too many scoring methods, much like Kobe Bryant. You could shut down his teammates, but you couldn't stop Li Feng from scoring.
The score was 5-3! The Knicks still trailed by 2 points.
The crowd at Madison Square Garden was ecstatic. With Li Feng going into attack mode from the start, the game was bound to be exciting.
While the fans enjoyed Li Feng's scoring spree, Li Feng himself knew that this approach wouldn't lead the Knicks to victory.
Therefore, after making the basket, Li Feng maintained a poker face, refraining from any celebratory gestures, and quietly jogged back to the defensive half.
Coach D'Antoni's brow furrowed at the sidelines. He saw that the Celtics' offense and defense were a notch above the Knicks'.
For the Knicks to win, it would solely depend on Li Feng carrying the team.
But how many points could Li Feng realistically score on his own?
In the subsequent few possessions, Li Feng made a few baskets, but his passes to teammates didn't translate into assists.
The Celtics' offense was firing on all cylinders. Pierce displayed his "offensive kaleidoscope" skills, excelling in three-pointers and drives.
Garnett was a constant force in the paint, and Rondo's assists were sharp.
The Knicks gradually fell behind, and the cheers from the home crowd diminished, replaced by disappointment.
In their minds, the Knicks were already the best team in the league, holding the top record.
How could they be struggling against the Celtics?
With 7 minutes and 32 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 15-7, an 8-point lead for the Celtics.
D'Antoni was forced to call a timeout.
Despite holding his clipboard and shouting with effort, a sense of despair was creeping in.
All 8 of the Knicks' points had come from Li Feng.
This highlighted the clarity of the Celtics' defensive strategy: they would rather let Li Feng score relentlessly than allow anyone else to score.
Li Feng sat on the bench, head bowed. He wasn't dejected or blaming his teammates, he simply felt that the Celtics were truly too strong.
While scoring wasn't difficult for him personally, playing this way was exhausting.
After the timeout, Li Feng and the starters returned to the court.
Perhaps sensing Li Feng's struggle, the Knicks teammates played with even more desperation.
The on-court situation improved slightly, with David Lee scoring against Pierce and Gallinari hitting an open three-pointer.
However, the Celtics' offense remained exceptional, further widening the score gap.
Li Feng persisted until the end of the first quarter, with the score at 33-18, a 15-point lead for the Celtics.
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley, Smith, and Reggie Miller were providing commentary for the game.
They had eagerly anticipated this matchup.
In their eyes, the Celtics were the most well-rounded team in the league.
For the Knicks to defeat the Celtics would prove they were a truly strong team.
Barkley no longer criticized Li Feng, merely expressing his concern.
"Li Feng is doing his best today, but the Knicks' other players just can't keep up with the pace of these old guys on the Celtics!"
"Exactly. While the Celtics' Big Three are no longer young, their skills are honed to perfection. Combined with Rondo's and Tony Allen's growth, their overall strength is immense."
"A good balance of old, middle-aged, and young players. Their roster is too deep. I think the Celtics will reach the Finals this year!" Reggie Miller made his prediction.
Barkley nodded, "Close, but even if they reach the Finals, they might not be able to beat the Lakers. Kobe is too consistent."
"At least it would be a close contest. I really enjoyed their Finals matchup two years ago, it was a fantastic game!"
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry had always been a basketball feast for fans.
For years, the fans of the Lakers and Celtics had been irreconcilable, and every encounter felt like a collision of titans.
"It all depends on what Li Feng can do to unlock his teammates' potential, otherwise, the Knicks are doomed."
"Their abilities are what they are. No matter how much you try to motivate them, it's useless. Li Feng should just focus on his own offense; that's their only hope!"
...
The second quarter began, with both teams substituting their reserves.
The Celtics' bench also boasted a luxurious lineup, with Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen, and House being capable players.
However, the Knicks' reserve unit had recently developed better chemistry, so the matchup between the reserves didn't result in a significant point swing.
The reserves played to a standstill, with the point differential remaining around 15 points.
Li Feng, from the bench, wrestled with a difficult decision: should he go all out himself or give his teammates opportunities?
Given the current situation, Li Feng felt he had to take it upon himself to score.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his teammates, but rather that the Celtics were exceptionally well-prepared.
Thus, Li Feng made up his mind: he would play selfishly just this once!
Coincidentally, Li Feng also wanted to test his own stamina and see how many points he could score in a single game.
With 5 minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the score was 39-25, with the Celtics still leading by 14 points.
Both teams brought their starters back onto the court.
At this point, Li Feng's expression was resolute. He shouted to his teammates, "If you have an opportunity, give me the ball. I'll take care of them!"
This was the first time his teammates had seen Li Feng like this, and they all understood that Li Feng was truly determined to fight today.
So, they all nodded in agreement, knowing what they needed to do.
If the team leader wanted to take matters into his own hands, they had to cooperate wholeheartedly!
On the first possession after the starters returned, Li Feng drove into the paint and dunked over Pierce.
This tomahawk dunk left Pierce in a bit of disarray, and the referee blew the whistle for a foul, resulting in a 2+1 play!
Pierce was indeed seasoned. After being posterized, he didn't get angry, simply smiled, and even complimented Li Feng.
Such star players were terrifying, being extremely rational and avoiding unnecessary mistakes.
It made sense, after all. What hadn't Pierce seen? He had been stabbed 13 times in 35 seconds and still managed to recover, so he could take everything in stride.
Li Feng made the free throw, narrowing the deficit to 11 points.
However, on the ensuing possession, the Celtics executed a fluid play. Pierce drove and passed to Ray Allen, who hit a corner three-pointer!
In comparison, Li Feng's scoring effort seemed strenuous.
Li Feng didn't get discouraged. On the next offensive possession, he attempted a deep three-pointer.
Unfortunately, his touch was off, and the shot missed. The Celtics immediately went on the fast break, and Garnett received the ball in the paint for a powerful dunk! Read!
The deficit widened again.
Li Feng felt a bit anxious. On the next play, aiming for a more secure shot, he drove into the paint again and scored with a floater.
The game was thrilling, with Li Feng constantly scoring and the Celtics responding with stable team play.
The other Knicks players cooperated with Li Feng, but the score difference remained around 15 points.
Li Feng was shooting relentlessly, scoring efficiently, and appearing unstoppable.
By the end of the second quarter, Li Feng had taken 17 shots and scored 29 points!
He accounted for more than half of the team's total points.
The score was 61-48, with the Celtics leading by 13 points at halftime. Li Feng was exhausted!
As Li Feng walked off the court, D'Antoni patted his arm firmly at the sidelines without saying a word.
Words couldn't express Coach D'Antoni's feelings at that moment. The title of "lone hero" perfectly described Li Feng's current situation!
Li Feng knew this was his choice, and he had to bear the consequences. He high-fived his teammates one by one, thanking them for their support.
In the locker room, his teammates were silent, blaming themselves.
As the team's leader, Li Feng didn't want his teammates to feel that way.
He deliberately smiled and said, "Don't be like that, guys. The deficit isn't that large. We'll catch up in the second half, so stay cheerful!"
David Lee sighed and muttered, "Li Feng, we're really holding you back. We can't defend them..."
Li Feng quickly reassured him, "Just do your best. Their shooting percentage will definitely drop in the second half, so don't get discouraged!"
With Li Feng's encouragement, the players' morale improved slightly, but the Celtics' overwhelming team strength still prevented them from feeling completely happy.
...
In the China Sports Channel's broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Zhang Zhi were also providing commentary. Both had tense expressions, devoid of smiles.
"Director Zhang, having watched so many games, today's Li Feng is particularly different!"
Director Zhang had also noticed this. In his opinion, Li Feng was a team-oriented player.
At all times, teammates came first. But today's Li Feng seemed to be throwing himself into the air like a madman, desperately scoring points.
This indicated that the Knicks truly had no other options.
"He is indeed different. Li Feng today seems to be trying to fight against the Celtics single-handedly."
"That's too difficult, isn't it? While Li Feng is scoring efficiently, the Celtics are playing a more cohesive team game. It's almost impossible."
"We can only hope for a miracle. Li Feng has brought us too many surprises; perhaps he will today as well."
...
The second half of the game began.
Li Feng continued his scoring rampage. With most of his energy restored during halftime, he was full of vitality!
The fans at Madison Square Garden were treated to a spectacle today. Seeing Li Feng attack with full force was truly terrifying.
Step-back three-pointer!
Jumper with a pull-up!
Fadeaway jumper at an extreme angle!
Lifting layup with a spin!
Tomahawk dunk over a defender!
...
He was like a relentless scoring machine!
Thanks to Li Feng's efforts, the score difference began to shrink, and the Celtics' shooting percentage started to decline.
With 8 minutes and 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the score was 82-73, finally bringing the deficit to within 10 points!
The Celtics led by 9 points!
Celtics head coach Rivers, seeing the unfavorable turn of events, quickly called a timeout.
Coach Rivers had a distinctive style, favoring motivational speeches for his players.
He was well-prepared for this game; his tactics were sound, and the game's progression was unfolding as he had predicted.
Although he had remained calm until now, seeing Li Feng score so efficiently still startled him. kanδん
"Guys, Li Feng is too efficient. We still need to limit him; you need to keep fighting!"
Before he finished speaking, Garnett said with a grimace, "That Chinese kid is impossible to defend. All we can do is improve our shooting percentage, whoever scores more wins. That's the only way!"
Rondo, wiping sweat from his brow, chimed in, "Yeah, he's impossible to defend. We can only hope his shooting touch cools down while we get hot. Otherwise, it's really tough!"
One man fighting against an entire team!
This incredible scene was unfolding today!
However, Rivers's approach wasn't solely motivational; his tactical arrangements were also formidable.
He adjusted the Celtics' defensive strategy.
Since Li Feng was determined to go solo, let him have his fill!
"Double-team him. If two aren't enough, then three! How did we deal with Kobe before? We'll deal with Li Feng the same way!"