Jordan Hill was closest to the basket. Besides guarding Nowitzki, Yao Ming also had to prevent Chandler from getting to the rim.
If the Mavericks scored 2 points, they would likely go into overtime. For the Mavericks, playing at home, overtime was an acceptable outcome.
For the Knicks, playing away, they preferred to avoid overtime, especially since they were currently leading.
Jordan Hill scrambled to help defend, preventing Marion from receiving the ball.
Suddenly, Nowitzki was unguarded. He quickly sprinted towards the three-point line.
Li Feng's attention was also on the basket, but he kept an eye on Nowitzki. Seeing him suddenly move, Li Feng felt a sense of dread.
But it was too late. As soon as Nowitzki reached the three-point line, Chandler's pass arrived.
The "Old Driver," who had been sweating and trembling moments before, now seemed possessed by the German war machine!
He received the ball and shot without hesitation!
As soon as he released the ball, the 24-second shot clock expired.
The home crowd rose to their feet, hands covering their mouths, anxiously watching the basketball soar through the air.
Clang!
The ball hit the back rim. But the bounce was low, and with the spin, it still rolled into the basket.
The entire arena erupted like a bomb going off. With a deafening roar, the spectators unleashed a thunderous cry!
"It's in!"
"We've taken the lead!"
"Amazing!"
"We love you, Driver!"
...
Because the ball had been in the air for a long time, and Nowitzki's shot had a high arc, it consumed over a second of the game clock.
This left only 5.6 seconds remaining in the game.
107:106, the Mavericks led!
D'Antoni quickly called a timeout.
Everyone knew this timeout was simply to set up an inbound play.
The Knicks had only one strategy: give the ball to Li Feng and let him handle it!
Indeed, during the timeout, D'Antoni didn't say much. He simply uttered a few words—
"Everyone else set screens and get the ball to Li Feng!"
The home crowd stood up, shouting encouragement for their defense. Nowitzki's basket had given them hope for victory.
Li Feng's stamina was not an issue. He sat there, his mind racing.
The Mavericks would undoubtedly put heavy pressure on him, possibly double-teaming or even triple-teaming him.
Given Li Feng's height, his passing vision would likely be obstructed.
With only 5 seconds left, holding the ball would be unwise for Li Feng.
So, Li Feng immediately stood up, covered his mouth with a towel, and walked between Yao Ming and Lowry.
"Yao Ming, you catch the ball first. Then I'll run along the baseline. At least two defenders will chase me, so you pass the ball to Lowry."
"After Lowry gets the ball, he needs to find a way to get it back to me. With 1 second left, if I don't get open, Lowry should take the shot!"
Li Feng's intention was to use Yao Ming's height to act as a facilitator.
Although Lowry was also undersized, the perimeter defenders would definitely be chasing Li Feng. With Lowry's shooting touch today, he had a high probability of making the shot.
Of course, the ideal scenario was for Li Feng to get open and Lowry to pass to him.
With just over 5 seconds, this was the best they could do.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
Not only the fans in the arena but also millions of viewers in front of their televisions and computers were on the edge of their seats!
Scola inbounded the ball directly to Yao Ming.
Chandler was firmly planted against Yao Ming, making it impossible for Yao Ming to shoot.
Yao Ming held the ball, observing Li Feng's movement.
As expected, Kidd and Marion were sticking to Li Feng like glue, following him along the baseline.
Lowry stood at the top of the arc outside the three-point line, completely unguarded.
Yao Ming immediately passed the ball to Lowry.
Nowitzki rushed to close out. Seeing that there were still over 2 seconds left, Lowry faked and moved laterally.
Suddenly, for some unknown reason, Li Feng broke free from two defenders and appeared under the basket.
Lowry was overjoyed and immediately fired the ball like a cannon.
The pass was perfectly placed, to Li Feng's right, away from Marion and Kidd.
Li Feng leaped into the air, caught the ball, and executed a reverse dunk!
The moment the ball went through the net, the red buzzer sounded!
A game-winner!
Li Feng had ended the game with a dunk!
The home crowd groaned, closed their eyes, and covered their faces in despair...
After the dunk, Li Feng didn't immediately land. He hung on the rim with his left hand, pointing to Yao Ming and Lowry with his right!
The Knicks players roared with excitement and rushed towards Li Feng!
Because the dunk was so fast, the referees needed to review whether the clock had expired during the play.
At this point, the large screen above repeatedly replayed the moment Lowry passed to Li Feng for the game-winning shot.
It turned out that while being chased by two defenders, Li Feng had suddenly cut towards the middle of the paint.
Kidd and Marion continued to pursue him relentlessly.
But with a sudden, unannounced spin, Li Feng managed to shake them off.
This move was a definite ankle-breaker, incredibly unnatural.
Only Li Feng could execute such a rapid spin in the opposite direction while moving at full speed!
Marion and Kidd, experienced defensive stalwarts, still couldn't keep up with Li Feng's movement.
It was impossible; a normal human couldn't keep up!
Li Feng used this extreme spin to shed his defenders and get under the basket.
Lowry's pass was also spectacular and precise, not wasting Li Feng's time and completing the play seamlessly!
The Mavericks players looked up at the big screen, despair in their eyes.
From the replay, Li Feng's game-winning shot was valid.
The buzzer had sounded the moment the ball was slammed into the basket!
After repeated confirmation, the referees announced: Li Feng's basket was valid, and the Knicks had successfully won with a buzzer-beater!
The fans in the arena stood in stunned silence, while the Mavericks players slumped to the ground in agony.
Only the Knicks players cheered and jumped again, surrounding Li Feng in celebration of their hard-won victory.
1:1.
The Knicks and the Mavericks had split the two away games!
For the Knicks, winning one away game was equivalent to regaining home-court advantage.
Therefore, the significance was immense!
D'Antoni let out a sigh of relief on the sidelines. He hugged his assistant coaches, exchanging congratulations.
Their faces revealed how close and nerve-wracking the victory had been.
Li Feng played 36 minutes, scoring 34 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists.
While the stats weren't eye-popping, Li Feng's control over the game was immense.
Especially in the final 5 seconds, everything was orchestrated perfectly by Li Feng.
With precise anticipation and an electrifying escape, he delivered the final fatal blow!
After the game, almost all media outlets featured Li Feng's game-winning shot as their headline. They had been conquered by Li Feng.
ESPN: "Nowitzki's near-game-winner becomes a stepping stone as Li Feng's incredible reverse dunk secures the away win!"
Sports Illustrated: "Rejecting the losing streak, Li Feng snatches victory with a stunning slam!"
Fox: "The strongest sophomore has emerged. The last player this good was Li Feng last year!"
Yahoo Sports: "Knicks fans can always trust Li Feng; he eliminates the suspense from games!"
...
Nowitzki's near-game-winner would have been one of his proudest career moments, but Li Feng's game-winner overshadowed his three-pointer.
No one even mentioned the three-pointer anymore.
When the Knicks players returned to New York, countless fans flocked to the airport to welcome them. The scale of the reception surprised the players.
Everyone knew the New York Knicks were the most valuable NBA franchise, but that was solely due to their prime location in the world's greatest metropolis!
However, the Knicks' fanbase was hardly praiseworthy.
They were a group with the least sense of belonging.
Why say this? Because most of the people attending Knicks games were casual observers looking for some excitement.
They would cheer loudly when the Knicks played well, but they would also cheer for the opposing team when they played well.
Therefore, it had been a long time since Knicks players had experienced such a welcoming reception at the airport.
Even last year, when Li Feng led the team to a championship, this hadn't happened.
Li Feng was deeply touched. He hoped to foster a culture within the Knicks, not just a winning culture, but also a culture of belonging.
Li Feng and his teammates waved and greeted the fans with smiles, singing along to a recently popular song.
Li Feng also grabbed a fan's phone from the front and took a group selfie with them.
Half an hour later, the Knicks players finally left the airport under the escort of airport security.
As soon as he stepped out of the airport, Li Feng spotted a red sports car.
Jenner had come to pick him up again.
Li Feng smiled and walked directly towards the red sports car.
He opened the car door, and Jenner was looking at him with a radiant smile.
"Why are you here? I told you, no seeing you during the Finals." Li Feng didn't get into the passenger seat, standing outside the car as he spoke to her.
"I'm happy for you! You hit the game-winner, and I wanted to celebrate with you." Jenner's smile froze on her face.
"The series is only tied 1:1, and we haven't won the championship yet. This game-winner is meaningless. You should go back."
Jenner was disappointed, her expression turning cold. "Close the door, I'm leaving!"
Li Feng knew she would be upset, so he smiled and said, "When I win my second championship, I'll definitely come find you in Los Angeles!"
Jenner's expression softened slightly, and she replied softly, "Okay, you'll definitely win your second championship. I'll wait for you, honey."
"Mmm, bye, honey."
Li Feng then closed the car door, and Jenner sped away from the airport.
Lowry walked over, curiously asking, "Brother Feng, who was that?"
"A friend!"
Li Feng put his arm around Lowry's shoulder, and they walked out of the airport together...
Upon returning to New York, the Knicks players did not relax. They rested for only one day before resuming their training.
Winning back-to-back championships was incredibly difficult. In NBA history, only a few teams had managed to achieve this feat.
The Spurs had been strong for so many years, with Duncan winning 4 championships and consistently making the playoffs. Even then, they had never won consecutive titles.
And the game the Knicks won had a degree of luck involved.
It demonstrated how incredibly strong the Mavericks were this year.
Their victory over the Big Three of the Heat was no fluke.
On their day of rest, Li Feng curled up on the sofa and watched both games again carefully.
He noticed that all the Mavericks players possessed a spirit of fearless determination. They didn't see themselves as bench players, role players, or water carriers.
Everyone was capable of performing at their best when needed, which was terrifying.
From a superstitious perspective, it seemed as if destiny had decreed this year for them to achieve their ultimate goal.
Li Feng's competitive spirit flared up.
"Can't I break fate? I refuse to believe it!"
Li Feng jumped up, tossed the remote aside, and headed downstairs to practice his shooting.
...
The highly anticipated Game 3 was about to begin.
Because the first two games were tied, the championship prediction polls had shifted subtly.
Previously, the vote percentage predicting the Knicks as champions was around sixty percent.
However, after Li Feng's game-winner, the prediction for the Knicks winning the championship dropped to fifty percent.
For neutral fans, the Mavericks' fighting spirit displayed in the two home games was astonishing.
Perhaps some fans believed Li Feng couldn't hit a game-winner in every game, so they favored the Mavericks.
Moreover, Nowitzki had caught a cold in the previous game, which meant the Knicks had a slight advantage from that perspective.
...
At 7:30 PM, at Madison Square Garden.
The third game of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Mavericks tipped off.
The Mavericks' starting lineup remained unchanged: Nowitzki, Chandler, Marion, Kidd, and Stevenson.
The Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, Yao Ming, Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, and Lowry.
Amar'e Stoudemire's injury had largely healed, but to ensure he was in optimal condition, the team doctor decided to let him rest for two more days.
At the center jump, Yao Ming secured the first possession for the Knicks.
The Knicks' home crowd was energized today, not only roaring loudly to support their team from the start but also holding up signs in the front rows.
Most of the signs supported Li Feng, followed by Yao Ming.
Additionally, Lowry, Billups, and Stoudemire also had fans showing their support.
The Knicks' cohesion was strengthening with each passing moment.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court, facing a double-team, and passed the ball to Lowry.
Back home, the Knicks players were all spirited, eager, and full of fighting spirit.
Lowry passed the ball to Shawne Williams.
Shawne possessed a good mid-range jump shot, and Stevenson immediately moved to defend him.
At this moment, Yao Ming posted up Chandler and signaled for the ball.
Perhaps being stifled by Chandler in the two away games had motivated Yao Ming to show him something on their home court!
Shawne immediately made the pass.
After receiving the ball, Yao Ming turned his body and drove towards the basket.
"The Boxer," as Chandler was known, was not easy to deal with. He was powerful and resisted Yao Ming's advances with all his might.
If Yao Ming hadn't lost weight, he would have simply bulldozed through.
But now, having shed some weight, his strength was slightly diminished, but his agility had significantly increased.