Under the intense defensive pressure from the entire team, the Magic found it extremely difficult to attack, unable to even get a decent shot attempt.
Li Feng seized the opportunity and led the team on a 9:2 run, narrowing the deficit to nine points.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Van Gundy quickly called a timeout and brought the starters back onto the court.
With the Magic starters back, they continued with their "one star and four shooters" strategy.
However, they suddenly realized they had no open shots.
Li Feng, Lowry, and Bill Walker ran desperately on the court like leopards. They switched defenders quickly when encountering screens.
In short, they were determined to prevent easy shots.
Under the Knicks' relentless defense, the Magic's starting lineup failed to score a single point in three minutes.
Conversely, on the Knicks' side, Li Feng and Lowry scored consecutive points, rapidly closing the gap to just three points.
92:89.
The Knicks were still trailing by three points.
Howard was getting anxious. He saw that the shooters who had rained threes in the third quarter had all gone silent.
So, Howard started calling for the ball.
His isolation play was average, and his shooting touch was stiff, but he occasionally managed to make one or two.
Now that the shooters were ineffective, he had to try.
Nelson passed the ball to Howard. Facing Jordan Hill, Howard executed a quick half-turn and drove directly for a dunk!
Although Howard's skills were somewhat rough, his physical conditioning was indeed outstanding.
Only a center with better static talent, like Yao Ming, could truly restrict him.
A center like Jordan Hill, with inferior static height and jumping ability compared to Howard, simply couldn't stop the "beast."
94:89, the Magic led by five points.
Turning back, Li Feng caught the ball outside the three-point line and fired a lightning-fast shot!
Swish!
The three-pointer was good!
The deficit was back to two points!
The home crowd stood up, excitedly cheering for Li Feng's three-pointer.
Having been down by sixteen points in the third quarter, the home crowd's spirits had been crushed. They never expected Li Feng, leading a group of reserves, to bring the score back so close.
The next possession, Howard again called for the ball.
After receiving it, Howard wanted to repeat his previous move and single-handedly drive against Jordan Hill again.
Unexpectedly, just as he gathered the ball to turn, Li Feng suddenly attacked and stole the ball away.
Howard's grip on the ball was very strong; he held it with both hands, making it difficult for anyone else to snatch it.
But Li Feng's grip was even stronger, and he managed to wrestle the ball away from Howard!
Howard was furious and tried to chase him down to recover the ball, but Li Feng's speed was too great. In the blink of an eye, he was already beyond the three-point line.
Nelson rushed over, attempting to grab Li Feng around the waist, but Li Feng faked a change of direction, leaving Nelson stumbling to the side.
Crossing half-court, Li Feng drove in alone and slammed the ball through the hoop with a dunk!
94:94!
The score was tied again!
At this point, with only 3 minutes and 11 seconds remaining, both teams were back on equal footing.
The Magic went on offense. Howard no longer called for the ball; he was too afraid of being stripped by Li Feng.
Nelson passed the ball to Lewis.
Lewis had a size advantage against Gallinari earlier, but against Bill Walker, the advantage was not as significant.
He drove left and right, finally creating a sliver of space, and took a hurried shot!
Clang!
It bounced off the rim.
Just as Jordan Hill was about to rebound, Howard leaped high, grabbed the ball with both hands, and emphatically slammed it into the basket!
The "beast" was truly ferocious; this putback dunk showcased his explosive jumping ability to its fullest!
96:94, the Magic led by two points.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, D'Antoni quickly called a timeout. He intended to substitute Yao Ming into the game.
With Yao Ming on the court, at least he could establish position and protect the rebounds.
Howard's putback dunk significantly boosted the Magic's morale.
If the Knicks didn't implement effective restrictions, the Magic would seize the advantage and win this away game!
Li Feng's stamina was heavily depleted; he had been constantly running and rotating defensively.
During the timeout, while listening to D'Antoni's instructions, he utilized the "Curry Stamina Recovery Technique."
When Li Feng re-entered the game, his stamina had recovered by more than half.
The Knicks' starting lineup was now complete, preparing for the final three minutes of decisive battle.
Upon seeing Yao Ming back on the court, Howard felt a pang of dread. He knew his isolation plays were no longer an option.
The Knicks advanced on offense. Li Feng dribbled past half-court and, facing a double-team, passed the ball to Duhon.
Yao Ming called for the ball in the low post, and Duhon immediately passed it to him.
Knowing he couldn't defend Yao Ming alone, Howard signaled for Lewis to come and help.
Facing the double-team, Yao Ming didn't try to score himself. Instead, he faked a move and then passed the ball to the cutting Scola.
Because Yao Ming drew Howard's attention, Scola easily made the layup!
The "Diamond's" footwork and handling skills were top-notch. As long as he wasn't blocked by Howard, he could almost always score.
This basket demonstrated the Knicks' offensive strategy: Li Feng and Yao Ming were both players who had to be double-teamed, which then opened up opportunities for others.
96 all!
It was incredibly intense. With only 1 minute and 48 seconds left, the two teams were tied once again.
The Magic went on offense. Howard held the ball in the low post, also wanting to emulate Yao Ming and initiate a playmaking offense.
Who would have thought that just as Barnes cut to the basket, it was Li Feng again, anticipating Howard's pass and stealing the ball!
After the steal, Li Feng didn't hesitate for a moment and threw a long pass to Duhon, who was beyond the three-point line.
Duhon raced down the court, and Nelson committed a tactical foul, stopping Duhon.
Howard's face darkened. He hadn't expected his playmaking attempt to be seen through by Li Feng.
Duhon stood at the free-throw line and made both shots. 98:96, the Knicks led by two points!
There was only 1 minute and 16 seconds left.
The Magic's offense. Howard decisively gave up calling for the ball, letting his teammates attack while he waited for a second-chance opportunity.
Nelson passed to Barnes. Barnes faced Scola, drove to the paint with a change of direction, and took a pull-up jump shot.
Clang!
It was slightly off, bouncing out.
Just as Howard was about to leap for a putback, Yao Ming had already firmly sealed him outside the three-second zone, and Gallinari secured the rebound.
Gallinari passed the ball to Li Feng. Li Feng quickly crossed half-court and slammed home a dunk!
Li Feng's fast breaks were truly exceptional; even defenders starting at the same time couldn't catch him.
100:96!
The Knicks extended their lead to four points.
Madison Square Garden erupted with thunderous cheers once again!
In the crucial final moments, every point was vital, and Li Feng once again stepped up.
The Magic players seemed stunned. Nelson dribbled past half-court, hesitating whether to pass the ball to Howard.
As he hesitated, Li Feng suddenly extended his long arms and stole the ball!
Nelson was shocked. By the time he tried to recover it, Li Feng had already crossed half-court.
Boom!
Even in the final moments, Li Feng's stamina was incredible. He showcased a 360-degree dunk for the audience!
102:96!
Through tenacious defense, the Knicks had engineered several fast breaks, widening the gap to six points.
At this point, only 56 seconds remained on the clock.
Dailey Van Gundy had no choice but to call a timeout.
The Magic, known for their defense, were being outplayed defensively by the Knicks.
Li Feng stood by the sideline, beginning to interact with the fans.
The crowd was jumping and cheering. Today's Eastern Conference Finals were truly spectacular.
Tense and thrilling!
During the timeout, Dailey Van Gundy repeatedly emphasized that the Magic needed to move the ball around.
However, the Magic players were lost; they were being defended too tightly by the Knicks players on the court.
After the timeout, the Magic offense commenced.
This possession was crucial. If the Magic couldn't score, the game would essentially be over.
Nelson dribbled past half-court and directly passed to Carter.
Carter, facing Li Feng, dared not drive and instead dribbled towards the baseline, then passed the ball to Lewis.
After passing, Carter screened Li Feng, creating space for Lewis.
Lewis, exhibiting his "cold-blooded killer" persona, calmly took a shot from the corner three-point line. Swish!
The three-pointer was good!
This play was executed very well: Carter handled the ball, passed to Lewis, and then screened Li Feng.
102:99.
A three-point difference!
Only 39 seconds left.
The Knicks went on offense.
Li Feng dribbled from the backcourt. Nelson and Carter double-teamed him early, so Li Feng passed the ball to Duhon, who came to receive it.
Seeing Yao Ming signal for the ball, Duhon immediately passed it to him.
At this moment, Lewis and Howard double-teamed Yao Ming again.
Whoosh!
A figure cut through the middle. Yao Ming flicked his wrist and passed the ball accurately.
This cutting player was none other than Li Feng.
Earlier, while in the backcourt, he had suddenly accelerated, shaking off two defenders.
Catching the ball, Li Feng soared through the air and, BAM!
Finished with a dunk!
Howard shook his head in frustration.
Li Feng and Yao Ming's chemistry was improving, making them unstoppable!
After Li Feng's dunk, he excitedly high-fived Yao Ming in celebration.
A five-point lead with sixteen seconds remaining; the Knicks had essentially secured the victory.
Van Gundy called his final timeout.
Although the chances were slim, the team still had to fight.
The NBA is a place where miracles are born, especially in the final ten seconds.
The most famous was Tracy McGrady's incredible 35 seconds, scoring 13 points and making an almost impossible comeback victory.
There was also Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds, both classic memorable moments.
After the timeout, the game resumed.
For the Magic to complete the comeback, they absolutely had to make this possession and score quickly.
Otherwise, time would run out.
Dailey Van Gundy still had some tricks up his sleeve. The play was brilliant. After the timeout, they inbounded the ball from the sideline.
Barnes received the ball, and Carter suddenly ran towards the top of the arc. Just as Li Feng was about to chase him, Lewis firmly blocked him.
Carter caught the ball at the top of the arc and shot a three-pointer!
Swish!
The three-pointer was good!
Although Carter was known for his incredible jumping ability and perfect dunks, he had developed his three-point shot later in his career.
He often had opportunities for game-winning threes.
This time, at the Magic's critical juncture, Carter hit another three-pointer, preserving a sliver of hope for the Magic's comeback.
This possession took only seven seconds, with only nine seconds left in the game.
The score was 104:102, the Knicks leading by two points.
The home crowd became nervous again.
The Knicks advanced the ball, and it went to Li Feng. Nelson immediately fouled Li Feng, sending him to the free-throw line.
This was where psychological fortitude was tested.
Many players falter at crucial moments and miss free throws, giving opponents a chance to catch up.
However, Li Feng's mental toughness was top-notch. He took a deep breath and made both free throws!
106:102!
The difference between a three-point and a four-point lead was significant.
With a three-point lead, a single possession could tie the game, or at worst, force overtime.
However, with a four-point lead, an opponent had to score quickly and then foul!
The Magic had no timeouts left, so they had to quickly inbound from their backcourt, with the Knicks employing full-court pressure.
Crossing half-court, Nelson took a deep three-pointer!
The result? It didn't even graze the rim, flying out of bounds.
Only 2.3 seconds remained.
The Magic's fate was sealed.
In the end, the Knicks narrowly defeated the Magic at home, securing their first victory in the Eastern Conference Finals!
Today's home fans were the happiest, having experienced an emotional rollercoaster of an evening.
From leading, to being overturned, and then counter-overturning; it was a game of extreme highs and lows.
Li Feng scored 36 points today, and Yao Ming scored 31, accounting for half of the team's points.
The victory in this game was an excellent learning opportunity for the Knicks players.
They experienced high-intensity offense and defense, and the suffocating pressure of a close score.
These were all valuable experiences.
Li Feng was also satisfied with today's game, feeling that such a victory was more valuable than a game where they had a large lead from the start.
Under immense pressure, players could unleash greater energy, which was the hallmark of a championship team.
After the game, Li Feng accepted an interview from a reporter.
"Mr. Li Feng, congratulations on winning the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals. What are your thoughts right now?"
Li Feng smiled and replied, "No particular thoughts, just that it was very exciting, like riding a roller coaster. I'm proud of the entire Knicks team!"
"In this game, you were down by sixteen points in the third quarter. What were you thinking at that time?"
Li Feng replied seriously, "I was thinking our defense had problems, and we needed to strengthen it in the fourth quarter!"
"Your defense in the fourth quarter indeed showed suffocating intensity. Congratulations again, Li Feng!"
"Thank you!"
After the interview, when Li Feng returned to the locker room, he was greeted by his teammates' cheers and a shower of bottled water.
This was the team's way of celebrating victory, a testament to their cohesion.
It was also a form of recognition for Li Feng.
It could be said that without Li Feng, it would have been impossible to catch up in the fourth quarter.
After winning the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the media began to praise the Knicks extensively, with some even analyzing the Knicks' potential opponents in the NBA Finals.
However, Li Feng remained calm. He told his Knicks teammates that the Eastern Conference Finals had only just begun with the first game.
The Magic were a very strong team, having reached the NBA Finals last year, and were rich in experience.
Furthermore, the Magic were a resilient team. They couldn't afford to be complacent until the very last moment.
...
At this time, the Western Conference Finals opponents were also decided.
The Spurs narrowly defeated the Suns 4:3, and will face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.