Coach McKillop watched from the sidelines, a sense of alarm rising within him.
Li Feng found scoring this difficult; it seemed today would be a tough match.
However, no one expected this to be just the beginning of Li Feng's surge!
Difficult it was, but as Li Feng adapted, he gradually found himself at ease.
North Carolina went on the offensive, continuing to attack the paint, aiming to exploit the Wildcats' Allison.
Allison had one foul, and after being scored on three times, he was struggling to defend.
As North Carolina's center Thompson drove hard towards the basket, Li Feng, from behind Allison, shouted, "Get out of the way, I've got this!"
Allison stepped back a couple of paces, and Li Feng stepped up.
North Carolina's players were stunned. The center not defending, and letting a guard do it? What kind of strategy was this for the Wildcats?
Just as center Thompson prepared for a thunderous dunk, Li Feng leaped into the air, once again unleashing a volleyball-style block!
*Boom!*
The basketball was sent flying directly onto the backboard, a clean nail-down block!
The spectators gasped; Li Feng's vertical leap was terrifying.
Many smaller players had good jumping abilities, but Li Feng's timing, the speed of his block, and his formidable power perfectly secured the basket.
"No wonder he told Allison to step aside..." Danny Green muttered to himself, feeling the immense threat of Li Feng.
After bouncing off the backboard, the ball landed in Curry's hands.
Curry reacted with lightning speed, a behind-the-back dribble taking him past Ty Lawson and across halfcourt.
From more than a meter beyond the three-point line, he fired a quick shot!
Even as Ty Lawson desperately dove to contest, he was a half-step too late. *Swish!*
Curry sank the three-pointer, and almost simultaneously, he was tackled by Ty Lawson.
*Beep!* The referee's whistle blew. A three-point play!
The Wildcats players on the court erupted in cheers, their jubilant shouts filling the arena.
Li Feng's defense and Curry's offense, like a hammer and a sword, had left North Carolina reeling.
Curry was incredibly excited; he had been playing with a lot of frustration and pressure.
Through this three-pointer, Curry finally unleashed his pent-up energy.
The "elementary school student" roared loudly, pounding his chest with both fists as he ran towards Li Feng. They leaped high and chest-bumped in celebration!
The Wildcats' morale soared, seeing a glimmer of hope for catching up.
Coach McKillop on the sidelines raised both hands and breathed a sigh of relief.
Curry stepped up to the free-throw line and made the additional shot!
The score became 11-7, with the Wildcats trailing by only four points.
North Carolina's coach looked somewhat tense, contemplating whether to call a timeout.
Ty Lawson was furious. As North Carolina's captain on the court, he needed to step up and encourage his teammates when the opponent gained momentum.
North Carolina initiated another offense, Ty Lawson bringing the ball past halfcourt.
Li Feng stood in front of him again, sticking to him like glue.
Li Feng had been beaten by Ty Lawson twice earlier because he wasn't accustomed to Lawson's dribbling style.
However, after his observations, Li Feng had now largely grasped Lawson's technical characteristics.
Their speeds were similar, but Li Feng possessed greater strength, and Li Feng's basketball IQ was higher.
Ty Lawson attempted his signature move again, trying to blow past Li Feng, but Li Feng moved his feet rapidly, staying in front of him.
The shot clock ticked down. Lawson, unable to find an opening, passed the ball to the open Danny Green.
Danny Green, also good at three-pointers, caught and shot!
Unfortunately, under Gessell's defense, it hit the rim and bounced out.
Lovelady grabbed the rebound and passed it directly to Li Feng.
Li Feng swiftly crossed halfcourt for a fast break.
Ty Lawson, anxious, chased him across halfcourt at almost the same speed, wanting to regain his pride and stop Li Feng's fast break.
They ran neck and neck, everyone's eyes on these two.
Ty Lawson was the captain of North Carolina, and Li Feng was the captain of Davidson.
A one-on-one duel, determining the momentum shift for both teams.
Li Feng also understood the importance of this fast break. If Ty Lawson managed to stop it, the Wildcats players would surely be disappointed, and their morale would plummet.
So, Li Feng gave it his all, driving towards the basket.
Ty Lawson was calculating Li Feng's steps and rhythm, preparing to block Li Feng as he went up for the layup.
Not only the spectators but also the commentators in the media booths held their breath.
*Swish!*
Li Feng pushed off his left foot and leaped into the air, the ball in both hands, looking as if he was going for a two-handed slam.
Ty Lawson, not to be outdone, also jumped with all his might, extending his right hand to swat the ball!
Both of their vertical leaps were astonishing, the ball immediately soaring above the rim.
Ty Lawson felt he had it. He swung his right hand like swatting a fly, forcefully driving towards the basketball.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng suddenly pulled both hands back, evading Ty Lawson's block.
This aerial evasion was incredibly strong; the crowd let out gasps of amazement.
Everyone else assumed Li Feng was going for a layup with a body contortion.
Although Ty Lawson's block attempt missed, he had a backup plan, extending his left hand.
If Li Feng attempted a layup, Ty Lawson's left hand would surely provide secondary resistance.
Ty Lawson's aerial prowess was also remarkable; he had prepared for a secondary aerial defense while jumping.
To everyone's surprise, Li Feng wasn't going for a layup. After evading the block, his body was still ascending, and he then slammed the ball again!
Ty Lawson was shocked; he never imagined Li Feng could execute a follow-up slam!
*Boom!*
Li Feng powerfully dunked the basketball into the hoop, and as he did, Lawson collided with him, falling to the ground.
*Beep...*
The referee's whistle blew, awarding a 2+1!
That dunk was incredibly dominant.
Everyone present who witnessed Li Feng's ferocious dunk couldn't help but put their hands on their heads in astonishment.
Even the players on the court wore expressions of disbelief.
Curry and the Wildcats players rushed over, chest-bumping Li Feng fiercely in celebration!
This extremely difficult dunk instantly ignited the passion of the fans. Many fans who weren't originally Wildcats supporters were captivated by Li Feng's brilliant performance and instantly became his fans.
The Wildcats' morale surged, and the momentum was entirely on their side.
North Carolina's coach had just called a timeout, so he couldn't call another one. He could only shout from the sidelines, urging his players to rally.
Li Feng made the additional free throw again.
11-10. In the blink of an eye, the Wildcats had tied the score.
North Carolina's players seemed a bit dazed. During their offense, Ty Lawson no longer held the ball, obediently running to the corner.
However, North Carolina's lineup had a high average skill level, and their forwards could also initiate offense.
The ball was passed to power forward Hansbrough.
As a power forward, Hansbrough possessed refined skills. Receiving the ball at the elbow of the paint, he faked and then half-turned for a spin-and-shoot layup.
The entire sequence was fluid and smooth, impossible for the Wildcats' Lovelady to defend.
13-10.