Bogut was a center, with thick legs. A small guard tripping him would surely send him sprawling.
Li Feng, moving at speed, kept an eye on the Bucks players' positions. He saw Bogut move and knew the kid was going for an underhanded tactic.
So, Li Feng half-turned and left Bogut behind.
Bogut only saw a blur; Li Feng had vanished.
Li Feng's turn was wide, taking him straight to the basket. Before Motiejunas could rotate for defense, he soared for a thunderous dunk!
*Bang!*
A fast break dunk!
Jennings had followed from the backcourt, but he didn't even have time to foul.
Li Feng's offense took less than 4 seconds, it was terrifying!
After the basket, Madison Square Garden erupted in deafening cheers. Li Feng's dunk was incredibly spectacular.
On the big screen above, Li Feng's fast-break dunk was replayed repeatedly from various angles; it was breathtaking!
Jennings' face turned ashen, and he said nothing. He hadn't yet figured out how Li Feng had shaken him off.
After his dunk, Li Feng turned to face Jennings, shrugged, and smiled, "How about it? Am I fast enough?"
"Not bad, I was just careless. I won't let you get away with it next time!" Jennings was stubborn.
He had indeed been a bit overconfident. After all, no starting-level guard would easily lose the ball in their own backcourt, especially in the NBA where dribbling was a fundamental skill for point guards.
Li Feng sneered, "Alright then, next time you have to defend me with your full attention. Maybe even a double-team!"
"Double-team? What a joke, I can guard you one-on-one just fine!"
...
The two continued to exchange trash talk as they walked, the cameras constantly capturing them.
The fans found this scene very exciting.
A clash of titans, thrilling!
The Bucks' offense began, and the ball was passed to Jennings. Li Feng stepped up to defend him one-on-one.
Having been scored on by Li Feng earlier, Jennings needed to retaliate. So, he dribbled slowly, observing Li Feng's position.
Li Feng, appearing casual, spread his arms wide, his feet constantly moving.
Just as Jennings used a crossover to try and get past Li Feng, Li Feng's long arms suddenly stretched out, anticipating Jennings' path, and precisely stole the ball!
This was an SSS-level steal skill; fast, accurate, and with prediction!
Jennings never expected Li Feng to strip the ball directly from his hands and was stunned.
By the time he reacted, Li Feng had already transitioned to offense.
David Lee, Gallinari, and Duhon quickly crossed half-court.
Li Feng didn't get greedy. He made a long pass to Gallinari, who was in a better position.
Gallinari positioned himself beyond the three-point line and immediately shot!
*Swish!*
This offensive possession took the Knicks only 5 seconds!
The score was tied at 7:7!
In less than 10 seconds, the Knicks scored 5 points, rapidly tying the game!
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden jumped up and down, high-fiving and hugging each other. This was the Knicks fan atmosphere.
As long as the players performed well, they never held back their applause and cheers!
Jennings stood with his hands on his hips, trembling with anger.
Li Feng was too arrogant, stealing the ball from him like that.
For a player of his caliber, being stripped of the ball so cleanly was a form of humiliation!
Li Feng walked over to Jennings again, smiling playfully, "Were you being careless just now too?"
Jennings couldn't speak and turned his head away, starting to feel flustered.
The Bucks initiated their offense. Jennings didn't ask for the ball again. His teammates saw that Jennings had suffered a psychological blow and needed a moment to recover.
The Bucks passed the ball to Bamot. As a powerful forward, Bamot also had strong scoring capabilities.
David Lee couldn't defend Bamot one-on-one and allowed him to score two points off the glass.
9:7, the Bucks led again.
D'Antoni sighed. David Lee's defense was indeed a weakness for the Knicks.
Although Gallinari's defense wasn't strong, he played with a tough style, whereas David Lee was a bit too soft.
Li Feng, as the core player, was more forgiving. Seeing David Lee's frustration, he patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay, we'll come back!"
David Lee nodded, his fighting spirit reignited.
The Knicks' offense started, and the ball was passed to Li Feng. Jennings again applied tight defense.
It was evident that Jennings was more focused than before, even playing a bit rough. He was truly flustered.
Li Feng had gotten past Jennings with speed earlier. This time, he changed his strategy and used his "Fancy Dribbling" skill.
It was pure showmanship!
*Bang, bang, bang...*
Li Feng's fancy dribbling made Jennings almost fall over!
Between-the-legs dribble! Behind-the-back dribble, a fake spin...
This dazzling display of dribbling drew continuous cheers from the home crowd!
While Jennings was disoriented, Li Feng had already crossed half-court and was heading towards the paint again.
The Bucks' defense was actually quite good, ranking in the top ten in defensive efficiency last season.
So, as Li Feng drove in, the Bucks' defense tightened once more.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng suddenly dribbled backward, moving all the way out past the three-point line.
*Swish!*
He shot a three-pointer!
Jennings was dumbfounded. You could play it like that?
He had driven into the paint, why did he go back out?
Three-pointer made!
10:9!
The Knicks had taken the lead again!
Ah... a three-pointer is one point more than a two-pointer!
Ah... a two-pointer is one point less than a three-pointer!
The Bucks' interior players were stunned. Their defensive rotation had been for nothing, only for him to dribble out and shoot a three.
The Knicks fans stood up and cheered in unison.
In 2009, Curry hadn't yet risen to prominence, and fans hadn't seen this style of play.
If it were the final moments of a game, to tie or win, a contested three-pointer might be understandable.
But this was only the first quarter, and in regulation time, to take a contested three-pointer? It was truly an odd style of play.
After the shot, not only the fans but even the Knicks teammates were shocked.
Li Feng hadn't used this style of play in practice.
Bucks coach Scott was utterly speechless. He stood by the sidelines with his mouth agape, staring blankly at Li Feng.
An assistant coach came over to remind him that a timeout was needed.
The Bucks called their first timeout at 3 minutes and 36 seconds into the game.
Jennings walked slowly off the court with his head down. He was similar to Dwyane Wade from the previous game; his understanding of basketball was a bit shattered.
Li Feng's playstyle surpassed the era, dazzling everyone.
During the timeout, D'Antoni had no smile on his face. He knew Li Feng was playing exceptionally well, but the defense of the other players truly angered him.
David Lee and