Yao Ming postured twice, but Chandler barely moved. Just as Chandler prepared to collide with Yao Ming for a third time, Yao Ming suddenly spun around, gaining half a body length.
The crowd gasped, reminded of "The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon.
Chandler knew he'd been beaten and quickly reached out, attempting a block. But Yao Ming wouldn't give him the chance, roaring as he slammed the ball down with his right hand.
*Beep!*
The referee's whistle blew, calling a foul on Chandler for hitting Yao Ming's arm.
A 2+1!
Yao Ming's Knicks teammates rushed over, high-fiving him in celebration. That 2+1 was a huge morale boost!
Chandler was frustrated, walking over to the referee to explain his actions.
However, the replay on the jumbotron clearly showed his left hand making solid contact with Yao Ming's right wrist.
The distinct "smack" could even be heard.
The home crowd booed Chandler lustily.
The referee warned Chandler to stop talking, threatening a technical foul, and Chandler finally fell silent.
Yao Ming stood at the free-throw line and calmly sank the additional shot!
3-0!
The Mavericks' possession.
Kidd dribbled past half-court and passed to Nowitzki.
The Knicks had adjusted their defensive strategy.
In the previous two games, Nowitzki had been defended primarily with one-on-one coverage.
The reality was that Nowitzki, though aging, still possessed the ability to take over games.
So, for Game 3, the Knicks immediately began double-teaming him.
Nowitzki, no stranger to double teams, immediately passed to an open Marion.
As soon as Marion caught the ball, Bill Walker lunged at him.
Bill Walker was incredibly aggressive, his starting position earned through tenacious defense.
He had just rotated to help on Nowitzki and now scrambled back to pressure Marion.
This highlighted the immense mileage he covered in every game!
Marion, who had been considering a mid-range jumper, saw Walker's fierce defense and had to pass to Stevenson.
Stevenson, facing Stoudemire, opted to drive and pass.
Chandler received the ball from Stoudemire, wanting to return the favor to Yao Ming.
Despite being a defensive-minded role-playing center, he caught the ball deep in the post and wanted to score.
He leaned into Yao Ming, then half-turned, attempting a small hook shot.
Unexpectedly, Yao Ming was prepared. He swung his long arm, *swat!*
Yao Ming violently swatted the ball away.
This block once again drew roaring applause.
Unfortunately, the ball's speed caused it to hit Marion and rebound in front of Nowitzki.
Nowitzki caught the ball cleanly and shot, all in one fluid motion.
One had to admit, the 11th-year Dirk was technically masterful.
His shooting had reached perfection; given any opportunity to release the ball, he wouldn't miss.
*Swish!*
Two points scored.
3-2, the Knicks held a narrow lead.
Yao Ming shook his head in frustration. He hadn't expected the ball to reach Dirk, effectively giving him an assist!
Felepe Lopez ran over, high-fived Yao Ming, and offered a few words of encouragement.
The first quarter was a fierce battle, with every basket hard-earned.
The Mavericks increased their defensive intensity, and Felepe Lopez, without attempting a shot, registered one assist.
At 5:32, the score stood 11-9, with the Mavericks leading, heading into an official timeout.
Though less than half the quarter had passed, both teams were fighting ferociously.
Yao Ming and Chandler battled relentlessly in the paint.
The forwards and guards engaged in constant double teams, help defense, and off-ball movement.
Felepe Lopez truly was a versatile player on the court, not only serving as the primary attacker and defensive anchor but also as the floor general.
If one were present, they could hear Felepe Lopez's calls on both offense and defense.
He was expending tremendous effort.
The timeout concluded, and players returned to the court.
After the timeout, the Mavericks subbed out Kidd for Terry, with a clear objective: to score points.
On the road, maintaining a lead throughout could put immense pressure on the home team and boost morale.
As soon as Terry stepped onto the court, Felepe Lopez walked up to him, causing Terry to inwardly flinch.
In the previous game, it was Felepe Lopez who locked down Terry in the fourth quarter.
However, Terry had been a bit too arrogant in the last game, believing he could shoot over Felepe Lopez without screens, relying solely on his dribbling and ball-handling skills.
That was utter nonsense!
Was Felepe Lopez's DPOY award earned in vain?
Therefore, Terry had learned his lesson. He used screens from teammates or pick-and-rolls to try and force switches with Felepe Lopez.
*Swish!*
*Swish!*
Terry had indeed played exceptionally well in this playoff series, possessing a strong clutch mentality.
He hit two consecutive three-pointers right out of the gate, extending the lead.
Felepe Lopez felt a sense of urgency. Playing at home but falling behind early was a huge disappointment to the home crowd.
Thus, Felepe Lopez decided to enter scoring mode ahead of schedule.
Knicks' possession.
Felepe Lopez’s expression was solemn as he signaled to his teammates.
Those familiar with the Knicks knew that Felepe Lopez was signaling for an isolation play.
The home crowd became ecstatic. Felepe Lopez’s signal was no secret.
And the opponents were well aware of it too.
This is the mark of a true master; they tell you they're going for isolation, yet you still can't stop them.
Felepe Lopez dribbled past half-court, and Terry and Marion came to double-team him.
But Felepe Lopez suddenly accelerated, driving past Terry's left side.
Despite Terry's defense being average, his speed was not slow.
*Whoosh!*
Terry quickly closed in.
Who would have thought, Felepe Lopez suddenly stopped, simultaneously executing a step-back move.
This was a classic Allen Iverson move. Terry lost his balance and, with a thud, fell in front of Felepe Lopez.
Marion was preparing to help defend. Seeing Felepe Lopez's sudden step-back, he quickly lunged forward.
One had to admit, "The Matrix's" defensive ability was top-tier, and his speed was impressive.
But Felepe Lopez's step-back was incredibly smooth. Before Marion could close in, he had already released the three-point shot.
*Swish!*
This shot was destined to become a highlight reel moment of this year's Finals.
Terry lay on the ground, Marion flew in, his fingertips just two centimeters away from Felepe Lopez's ball.
The Knicks teammates excitedly ran over, aware of the shot's immense difficulty.
Felepe Lopez and his teammates roared with excitement, chest-bumping in celebration.
This play not only fooled Terry but also resulted in a three-pointer over him.
Subsequently, while rotating to help on defense, Felepe Lopez stole the ball from Stevenson and raced to half-court.
Terry closely followed, growing agitated, wanting to pull Felepe Lopez down.
But Felepe Lopez's strength far exceeded his expectations. *Whoosh!*
Stepping inside the free-throw line, Felepe Lopez leaped into the air, almost hanging onto Terry as he drove for a layup!
*Beep!*
The referee called a foul on Terry for pulling, a 2+1!
Terry stood with hands on his hips, panting, staring at Felepe Lopez with utter disbelief.
What was going on? He couldn't even stop him with a pull?
Felepe Lopez smirked. Let alone Terry's slight frame, even a dominant center might not gain an advantage against Felepe Lopez!
He sank the additional free throw!
Under Felepe Lopez's incredible performance, the Knicks caught up and then took the lead with a mid-range jumper from Felepe Lopez!
The New York fans were thrilled. Finally back home, they could witness Felepe Lopez's isolation plays with pure enjoyment. It was worth it!
Carlisle, on the sideline, clasped his shoulders and gave a wry smile before calling a timeout.
Even though he knew a timeout wouldn't halt Felepe Lopez's momentum, he still needed to re-strategize the defense.
At this point, with 8 minutes and 46 seconds gone in the first quarter, the score was 26-25, the Knicks leading by one.
Felepe Lopez had just scored 9 consecutive points, an astonishing efficiency.
During the timeout, the jumbotron repeatedly replayed Felepe Lopez's recent baskets.
Without exaggeration, these shots were all potential candidates for the year's best play.
After the timeout, Yao Ming headed to the bench for a rest, replaced by Jordan Hill, while Felepe Lopez remained on the court.
For the remaining minutes of the first quarter, Felepe Lopez fluidly transitioned between individual scoring and playmaking.
The Mavericks were struggling to keep up.
Fortunately, Nowitzki stepped up again, hitting a turnaround jumper and then a three-pointer!
Although the Knicks led, the margin was not significant.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 36-33, with the Knicks leading by three.
D'Antoni appeared concerned, standing expressionlessly on the sideline.
He knew that if the Knicks relied on Felepe Lopez's isolations in the first quarter, it indicated a lack of contributions from his other teammates.
Before the bench unit came onto the court, D'Antoni patted Billups on the shoulder, encouraging him to hold strong at the start of the second quarter!
Billups's strength lay in his ample experience and steady playstyle, but his weakness was his old-fashioned approach, lacking creativity, and struggling defensively against faster players.
As the second quarter began, Billups led the bench unit, prioritizing defense.
The Mavericks' primary scoring threats off the bench were Terry, J.J. Barea, Peja Stojaković, and Roger Mason Jr.
Terry was heavily guarded, with Billups personally defending him, but the effectiveness was moderate.
While not as explosive as in Game 2, Terry still shot efficiently, hitting 2 of 4 attempts.
On the Knicks' side, Raymond Felton performed well. His style was similar to that of Rajon Rondo, both being compact and strong players with powerful drives and quickness.
The score remained tight, fluctuating between a 3 to 5 point lead for the Knicks.
Felepe Lopez remained active off the court, cheering on his bench teammates and waving his towel enthusiastically.
Carlisle knew that playing at the Knicks' home arena was challenging, as the Knicks rarely lost at home this season.
Moreover, the Knicks players seemed more energized at home, often appearing lethargic on the road.
If not for Felepe Lopez's morale-boosting performances on the road, the Knicks' away record would have been dismal.
With over five minutes played in the second quarter, the score was 46-42, the Knicks leading by four.
Dirk Nowitzki showed a strong desire to attack today. Despite being double-teamed for most of the time, he was constantly fighting to break free.
Whenever he had a shooting opportunity, he capitalized on most of them.
In the first quarter, Nowitzki scored 7 points.
Upon re-entering the game, Nowitzki became smarter. When double-teamed, he would deliberately position himself near the sideline.
The purpose of this was to create more space for his teammates.
This also drew the Knicks' defenders away from the paint, preventing them from providing timely help defense.
Carlisle had some tactical acumen. He had a brief conversation with Nowitzki when he was on the bench.
The other Mavericks players played 4-on-3, employing pick-and-roll plays, and scored on two consecutive possessions, narrowing the deficit to two points.
Felepe Lopez's brow furrowed. He immediately ran to his teammates and instructed, "Box out early, don't let them establish deep post position!"
Earlier, Chandler and Marion had scored in the paint.
Under Felepe Lopez's direction, the Mavericks' pick-and-roll execution faltered.
The Knicks capitalized on this, launching a counter-attack and extending the lead back to seven points.
Seeing that this tactic was no longer effective, Nowitzki had to redouble his efforts to shake free and create shooting opportunities.
Felepe Lopez was aware of Dirk's capabilities and knew he couldn't give him the ball. Therefore, he continued to instruct his teammates to intensify the double-teams.
Perhaps today was not the Mavericks' day, at least not in the first half.
Apart from Nowitzki, the rest of the players had mediocre shooting form, and Nowitzki was being heavily double-teamed.
The Mavericks' offense ground to a halt.
Fueled by the roar of the home crowd, the Knicks played with increasing fluidity, building a 16-point lead by halftime.
Felepe Lopez and his teammates were visibly excited at halftime, high-fiving and shouting.
Having trailed significantly in the first two games, they were determined to re-establish their advantage on home court.
In the China Sports live broadcast, commentator Zhang praised Felepe Lopez's performance.
"Felepe Lopez started scoring in the first quarter today, helping the Knicks establish dominance. He truly is the soul of the Knicks!"
Yang Yi was unusually quiet today, as Felepe Lopez was proving him wrong at every turn.
Yu Jia nodded and said, "Mr. Zhang, Felepe Lopez is a superstar born for big moments. His demeanor is clearly different in the Finals."
"Indeed, the Knicks' defense on Nowitzki was successful today, while other teammates did not step up as they had in previous games."
"If the Mavericks don't win at least one of these two away games, their series chances will be in jeopardy."
Yang Yi, who had been silent, suddenly interjected, "That's impossible. The Mavericks will win one game, and the series will definitely go to a decisive Game 7."
Zhang, not fond of predictions, remained silent.
Yu Jia asked, "Mr. Yang Yi, besides Nowitzki, who do you think deserves the most credit for the Mavericks reaching the Finals?"
Yang Yi pondered for a moment before replying, "I think Carlisle deserves the most credit, as he has ignited the potential of the Mavericks' other players."
He was attempting to save face.
Yang Yi's predictions for the Western Conference playoffs had all been incorrect, leaving him constantly corrected.
Yu Jia agreed with his sentiment, acknowledging that Carlisle had indeed masterfully navigated the playoffs and reached the Finals through a series of upsets.
Zhang smiled and said, "The Mavericks' players absolutely deserve to be Western Conference champions; their performance has been outstanding. I expect others to step up in the second half today."
In the Mavericks' locker room, the atmosphere was somber. Nowitzki had been heavily defended today, and the others lacked shooting touch.
"Relax, brothers. We've reached the Finals, and that's already something to be grateful for. Let's enjoy every game!"
Dirk Nowitzki noticed that some of the Mavericks players were experiencing performance anxiety.
This was understandable.
When they were underestimated in the Western Conference, they had unleashed incredible energy and played with defiance.
However, now that they had reached the Finals, with the championship trophy within reach, they were hesitant.