Although Yao Ming was still recovering from his injuries and did not attend the game, he was cheering for his teammates from the sidelines.
After the game, Yao Ming and McGrady exchanged a few pleasantries.
Their relationship wasn't as close as fans imagined, but it wasn't bad either. After all, they had collaborated for so many years, and Yao Ming was quite emotionally intelligent.
...
The Knicks won their next two games.
Currently, the Knicks have surpassed the Bulls and are ranked second in the Eastern Conference. The Heat lead the Knicks by half a game, ranking first in the league.
In the Western Conference, the Spurs still lead, with the Lakers in second place.
...
Yao Ming will be able to return in the next game.
Many Chinese fans are looking forward to Yao Ming's return. Although Li Feng is very popular now, Yao Ming still has a strong fan base.
The Knicks' next game is an away game against the Mavericks.
The Mavericks have been in good form this season, ranking fourth in the Western Conference. However, the competition in the West is fierce. The Mavericks are only half a game behind the Thunder, one and a half games behind the Lakers, and two games behind the Spurs.
There is almost no gap in class among the top four teams in the Western Conference.
Dirk Nowitzki and Li Feng have a good relationship and often talk on the phone in private.
As fellow international players, Nowitzki greatly admires Li Feng. He knows how difficult it is for a foreigner to win a championship in this American-dominated league.
At 8 PM, Dallas American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks' home arena shares the same name as the Heat's arena, both called the American Airlines Center.
However, the Mavericks' home arena is actually much more luxurious than the Heat's.
The Knicks' starting lineup is finally complete: Li Feng, Yao Ming, Amar'e Stoudemire, Luis Scola, and Ty Lawson.
The Mavericks' starting five are Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Caron Butler.
At the tip-off, Yao Ming secured the first possession for the Knicks.
The Mavericks are very resilient this season. Li Feng knows that in another parallel universe, the Mavericks defeated the defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference and then beat the Heat's Big Three in the Finals to win a championship with the greatest historical significance.
Although he doesn't know what will happen in this parallel world, the Mavericks' strength is undeniable.
Therefore, Li Feng and Yao Ming were fully prepared before the game.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and Kidd defended him one-on-one.
Despite being a one-on-one defense, the Mavericks were not underestimating Li Feng. Marion was always ready to provide help defense, preventing Li Feng from driving into the paint.
Facing Kidd, Li Feng didn't choose to drive. Instead, he called for a screen and passed the ball to Lawson.
He could see that the Mavericks' defensive focus was on him.
Lawson, facing Marion, didn't dare to drive either and passed the ball to Yao Ming in the paint.
Although Chandler was not as tall as Yao Ming, he was strong and skilled. Yao Ming made two attempts but couldn't get past him.
Yao Ming feigned another attempt but suddenly executed a spin jump shot.
By the time Chandler tried to contest, it was too late.
However, Yao Ming seemed a bit stiff after his return, and his shot slightly missed.
Fortunately, Amar'e Stoudemire was there in time, leaping high for the put-back!
2-0, Knicks lead.
Mavericks' offense. Kidd brought the ball past half-court, saw Nowitzki had established position, and immediately passed him the ball.
Nowitzki's offensive ability is exceptional. Despite his center height, he has an incredibly soft shooting touch.
He and Yao Ming are arguably the two big men with the most shooting talent in history.
Amar'e Stoudemire knew he couldn't defend Nowitzki, but he could only try his best to contest.
Nowitzki leaned into Amar'e Stoudemire, then turned and shot with his signature fadeaway jumper!
Everyone knew he would shoot like this, but they just couldn't stop it!
Swish!
Two points!
The Mavericks scored two points with Nowitzki's signature move.
During the pre-game preparations, Li Feng and D'Antoni had agreed that they must draw fouls against the Mavericks.
In other words, Li Feng and Lawson needed to increase their drives to the basket, aiming to get Chandler or Nowitzki into foul trouble.
These two players were crucial to the Mavericks' tactics.
So, after a few minutes of stalemate, Li Feng started to drive.
With his explosive first step, he blew past Kidd and drove to the basket.
Chandler had no choice but to come over for the help defense.
Li Feng took to the air, seeking contact, and then suddenly released his shot as he descended.
Buzz!
The referee's whistle blew!
Li Feng successfully completed a three-point play!
Chandler had already committed one foul while defending Yao Ming earlier.
With just over three minutes into the game, he had already picked up two fouls. The Mavericks' head coach, Rick Carlisle, reluctantly substituted Chandler out.
Without Chandler, the defensive pressure on Nowitzki in the paint increased.
Although Nowitzki's offensive ability is strong, his defensive ability is average, which would allow Yao Ming to operate more freely.
The Knicks' first plan was successful!
Ian Mahinmi replaced Chandler.
Besides his decent height, Mahinmi was lacking in other areas. Yao Ming began to exploit him.
Nowitzki's expression was grim. He knew the Knicks' tactics were very targeted, and he himself had already picked up one foul.
As expected, Li Feng started driving towards Nowitzki again.
Nowitzki was in a difficult position. If he avoided the play, Li Feng's drive would be too easy.
But if he stepped up to contest, with Li Feng's ability, it would absolutely result in a foul on him.
While Nowitzki was in a dilemma, the Knicks seized the opportunity to go on a run, extending their lead to seven points.
12-5, an official timeout was called.
The home crowd of the Mavericks was disappointed, especially Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who sat courtside with a grim expression.
He was a passionate basketball fan. He had built the Mavericks for so many years and had seen championship hopes dashed multiple times, always leaving empty-handed.
The Mavericks had not only suffered upset losses in the playoffs but also lost to Dwyane Wade's Heat in 2006.
This year, the Mavericks were arguably at their peak in terms of overall strength, with a solid inside presence, strong outside shooting, a deep wing rotation, and Dirk Nowitzki in excellent form.
However, there were too many strong teams in the league at the moment.
Not to mention the Spurs and Lakers in the West, the Heat's Big Three in the East was also a daunting prospect.
And then there were the defending champion Knicks. Cuban was truly on the verge of tears.
...
After the timeout, the Mavericks changed their approach. Nowitzki no longer participated in help defense, as the team didn't want him to get into foul trouble.
Marion became the "firefighter," tasked with closely guarding Li Feng.
One had to admit, Marion's defense was truly exceptional. Under the tight coverage of Kidd and Marion, Li Feng was indeed contained.
The Mavericks took the opportunity to catch up in scoring.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, D'Antoni quickly called for another timeout.
The Mavericks this year were incredibly resilient. D'Antoni felt that even the game against the Lakers wasn't as pressure-filled as this one against the Mavericks.
D'Antoni decided to let Li Feng rest early and have Chauncey Billups partner with Lawson.
Li Feng did not object. Although he acted as a half-coach, D'Antoni was the head coach, and Li Feng never argued with his decisions.
This was Li Feng's leadership style; he wouldn't set a bad example for other players.
Players are players, and on the court, they must follow the coach's instructions.
Billups's entry had a positive effect. The Mavericks suddenly lacked a defensive focal point and played somewhat chaotically.
And Billups was best at winning in chaos.
After Billups entered the game, the Knicks stabilized the situation and gained a five-point lead.
However, with the Mavericks' head coach Carlisle's strategic substitutions, Jason Terry entered the game.
Terry, in 2010, was somewhat of an anomaly among point guards. His three-point shots were unpredictable, and his shooting timing was difficult to gauge.
Despite Billups's vast experience, his stamina was not at its peak, and he was not adept at defending guards like Terry.
After Terry came on, he hit three consecutive three-pointers, allowing the Mavericks to regain the lead.
With Terry disrupting the game, the Mavericks took an eight-point lead in the first quarter, leaving the Knicks players somewhat bewildered.
Li Feng sat on the bench, letting out a sigh. The Mavericks were truly formidable this year.
Was this year truly the Mavericks' year?
In another parallel universe, the Mavericks defeated the Heat's Big Three. Could they defeat the Knicks this year?
At the start of the second quarter, Li Feng entered the game early, leading the bench unit against the Mavericks' reserves.
Upon entering, Li Feng personally guarded Terry.
While Billups couldn't defend Terry effectively, Li Feng had no trouble containing him.
This was because Li Feng possessed top-tier stamina, speed, and strength.
Terry was so hounded by Li Feng that he even had difficulty receiving the ball.
Not only did Li Feng lock down Terry defensively, but he also dominated the Mavericks' bench offensively.
His drives were unstoppable, repeatedly tearing open the Mavericks' defense.
Carlisle had no choice but to bring Marion and Kidd back into the game to double-team Li Feng.
Li Feng didn't have many options against their double-teams, so he abandoned holding the ball and started moving without it.
This made Marion a bit uncomfortable. After all, he was a seven-footer, excellent in one-on-one defense, but constantly running around the court consumed too much of his stamina.
Through off-ball movement, Li Feng created several shooting opportunities, and he converted almost all of them.
The Knicks once again took the lead.
Carlisle was amazed by Li Feng's adaptability; it was truly astonishing.
However, Dirk Nowitzki entered the game with just over four minutes left in the second quarter.
Nowitzki's shooting touch was on fire, and he responded to Li Feng's performance.
He received the ball twice in the corners and made consecutive shots.
This included two three-pointers.
For a player of his height and shooting skill, he was virtually unguardable.
At this point, Yao Ming returned to the court.
Just as Yao Ming was about to punish the Mavericks in the paint, Nowitzki suddenly increased his drives, repeatedly attacking Yao Ming's defensive presence.
Li Feng immediately understood. Nowitzki was retaliating, using the same tactic to try and force Yao Ming out of the game!
Even though Yao Ming was cautious, he was still troubled by Nowitzki's strategy.
Within two minutes, Yao Ming was whistled for two fouls.
Combined with his foul from the first quarter, Yao Ming was forced to leave the game early.
Yao Ming being in foul trouble cast a shadow over the Knicks.
As expected, after Yao Ming left, the Mavericks' Tyson Chandler entered the game.
The game's momentum shifted dramatically.
Although Li Feng remained a threat on the perimeter, the emptiness in the paint put the Knicks in a passive position.
Nowitzki seized the opportunity to lead his team on a small run, extending their lead to 11 points.
With just over three minutes left in the second quarter, the score was 52-41, with the Knicks trailing.
D'Antoni had to call another timeout.
The Mavericks, in terms of both overall strength and mental fortitude, had evolved into a championship-contending team.
D'Antoni had a premonition that the Mavericks would make a significant impact in the playoffs.
During the timeout, D'Antoni instructed his players to double-team Nowitzki and employ a front-court defensive scheme.
This was the only way to contain Nowitzki.
Additionally, Li Feng needed to increase his offensive dominance.
Li Feng found it difficult because the double-teams from Kidd and Marion were too effective.
Although Li Feng managed to get a few opportunities through off-ball movement, the Mavericks later increased their defensive rotation, making it hard for Li Feng to even receive the ball.
Lawson's capabilities were limited, and his playmaking resulted in increased turnovers under the Mavericks' defense.
After the timeout, the situation didn't improve, and the Mavericks continued to maintain their lead.
As a result, at the end of the first half, the Knicks trailed the Mavericks by 16 points, with a score of 47-63.
This was the largest halftime deficit for the Knicks when both Li Feng and Yao Ming were playing.
...
In the TNT broadcast booth, Charles Barkley looked concerned. He also felt that the Mavericks were terrifyingly strong this year.
"Smith, the Mavericks seem to have no weaknesses. Have you noticed that the Knicks have few answers for them?"
Kenny Smith agreed with Barkley's assessment: "Exactly. In fact, the Mavericks started making moves towards a championship after their reinforcements last year. Their chances this year are huge!"
"Actually, the Mavericks are only one and a half games behind the Spurs, and they've already beaten the Lakers once, which shows the Mavericks truly have the talent."
"In my opinion, the playoffs this year will be very exciting. The Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks, and the Thunder's 'Four Youngsters' – any of these teams has a chance to advance."
"It's the same in the Eastern Conference. The Heat's Big Three don't seem invincible. Both the Knicks and the Bulls have the capability to reach the Finals. Haha, I can hardly wait."
"Why the rush? The regular season is also very exciting. I think today's game is hard to call, with the Knicks being so passive."
"Indeed. I've seen a rare look of confusion on Li Feng's face. He probably doesn't have many answers either."
"It's no wonder he's confused. The double-teams from Marion and Kidd are truly unsolvable, coupled with Nowitzki's offensive touch. It's not surprising at all that the Mavericks would win this game!"
"If you ask me, the Knicks must find a way to neutralize Nowitzki to have any chance of a comeback. Otherwise, they're destined to lose."
"I still choose to believe in Li Feng. He'll find a way."
...
Although Li Feng's supporters believed in him, Li Feng himself was feeling a bit less confident.
The Mavericks' tactical adjustments were always so targeted.
In terms of lineup management, D'Antoni was outplayed by Carlisle; the Mavericks were clearly better prepared.