Li Feng did not dare to be careless. He took a deep breath, dribbled the ball a few times, and made the first free throw.
Just as Li Feng was about to shoot the second free throw, Terry suddenly walked up to him with a sly grin and whispered, "Yellow-skinned kid, you're done for. I'm going to ice you!"
There were many such unexpected situations. For example, the most classic one was in the finals between the Bulls and the Jazz, when Pippen walked up to Malone before his free throws.
He also said with a sly grin, "The Mailman doesn't work on weekends!"
Karl Malone's nickname was "The Mailman," referring to Malone's excellent physical condition and his rarely missing games in the regular season. It also had another meaning: he could always deliver the ball into the opponent's basket.
Pippen's words disrupted Malone's concentration, and he missed both free throws, ultimately leading to the Jazz's defeat by the Bulls.
This small episode later became a topic of discussion among fans.
Terry likely intended to use the same tactic to give the Mavericks a chance for a last-minute comeback.
But Li Feng's mental fortitude was too strong. He snorted coldly and replied, "Dream on!"
Swish!
The second free throw also went in cleanly!
132:129!
The Knicks led by three points, and the Mavericks still had a chance to tie. There were 4.1 seconds left.
4.1 seconds. Was it fate that number 41, Nowitzki, would once again turn the tide?
Carlisle called their final timeout.
After making the free throws, Li Feng's expression was unreadable. He knew that a lot could happen in those four seconds.
"Don't relax. We need to defend with all our might. Man-to-man coverage, don't give them any chances to get the ball!"
"Yes!"
...
The timeout ended.
The Knicks' primary defensive focus was on Nowitzki and Terry, with Lowry tightly guarding Barea as well.
Stevens took the inbound pass and, as expected, passed it to Nowitzki first.
Nowitzki found it difficult to shoot against Jordan Hill's defense, with Bill Walker also harassing him.
The other Mavericks players also had no opportunities to shoot.
Nowitzki faked left, then right, and in his frustration, he had to rush a shot.
Almost simultaneously, the game clock lit up.
The crowd nervously watched the basketball in the air once again...
Would they have to go into a second overtime?
Swish!
The ball actually went in!
The Mavericks players rushed towards Nowitzki again. He was truly a warrior!
He had saved the Mavericks twice.
Li Feng was frustrated and muttered to himself—
Was God truly on the Mavericks' side? Did they have to let the Mavericks win?
The three referees approached the sideline and meticulously reviewed the replay.
Since the game clock lit up the moment Nowitzki shot, it was impossible to tell with the naked eye.
After a careful and repeated review by the referees, the lead referee finally crossed his arms and then moved them apart.
The meaning was—
The three-point shot just now was invalid!
The big screen above also replayed the slow-motion footage of Nowitzki's shot.
Indeed, the game clock had lit up before the ball left Nowitzki's fingertips.
The Mavericks players and fans who had just cheered were all stunned.
It was the Knicks' turn to cheer.
"We won! We won!"
Some extreme Mavericks fans, dissatisfied, began yelling curses at the referees. The Mavericks' players and coaching staff also rushed towards the referees, still hoping to change something.
But the outcome was unchangeable. The video was there for all to see; Nowitzki's basket was indeed invalid.
Nowitzki said nothing. He lowered his head, wiped the sweat from his brow, and dragged his weary legs towards the player's tunnel.
Li Feng finally released his pent-up excitement and embraced his teammates.
This was the pivotal Game 5!
It was incredibly difficult to win.
If Nowitzki hadn't been a fraction of a second too slow with his shot, they would have gone into a second overtime.
All the Knicks players felt a sense of having narrowly escaped death.
Li Feng played 44 minutes today, scoring 43 points, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
Nowitzki was also fierce today, playing 42 minutes and scoring 37 points.
Perhaps if he were two years younger, Nowitzki could have led the Mavericks to victory.
But today, Li Feng's incredible performance brought victory to the Knicks.
With a 3-2 lead, the Knicks boarded the plane back to New York, filled with the joy of victory.
The media, after this game, once again turned their support to the Knicks and Li Feng.
They all praised Li Feng, calling him a true superstar for securing a pivotal victory under difficult circumstances.
Li Feng harbored a strong dislike for the media and therefore did not accept any interviews before Game 6.
He even cited a stomachache as a reason for not attending the pre-Game 6 press conference.
Yao Ming and Lowry attended the press conference in his place.
...
At 7:30 PM, Madison Square Garden.
The sixth game of the NBA Finals began.
Before the game, the Mavericks had boasted that they would definitely win this game and return to Dallas for a Game 7 against the Knicks.
Li Feng, of course, knew they couldn't afford to go back to Dallas.
They had fought hard to get the match point and had to lift the championship trophy in New York.
...
There were no changes to either team's starting lineup. The first quarter was extremely intense.
Nowitzki's stamina had recovered, and he went on a scoring spree, netting 17 points in the first quarter alone.
On the Knicks' side, Li Feng only took 4 shots, scoring 7 points.
However, the two teams were neck and neck.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 28-26, with the Mavericks leading.
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden was ready; they hoped to see their team win the championship today.
Li Feng, of course, couldn't disappoint the fans. He began his personal performance in the second quarter.
When the starters were on the court, the Knicks were trailing by four points.
But as soon as Li Feng entered the game, he drove to the basket and dunked over Chandler, hanging on the rim!
This was the first time Li Feng had dunked on Chandler in this series.
It wasn't that Li Feng was afraid, but rather that Chandler, despite his fiery temper, held a great deal of respect for Li Feng.
The NBA was not just about playing basketball; it was also about relationships.
The centers Li Feng dunked on were usually players who had provoked him.
Chandler had never provoked him. In fact, in Game 1, when Li Feng fell, Chandler had actively helped him up.
Therefore, Li Feng had refrained from dunking on him.
However, today, Li Feng wanted to put on a spectacular performance for the home crowd.
So, when he drove to the basket and found only Chandler there, he couldn't hold back any longer and took flight.
Chandler also put all his effort into blocking Li Feng.
But Li Feng's vertical leap was too explosive. Whoosh!
Bang!
Poor Chandler was thoroughly posterized by Li Feng's dunk.
Led by Li Feng, the Knicks went on an offensive surge, not only catching up to the score but also taking the lead.
With 9 minutes and 24 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 42-34, with the Knicks leading by eight points!
Carlisle still wanted to bring in Terry and Barea to shoot three-pointers, but Nowitzki shook his head and said, "Coach, the Knicks are too familiar with our three-point shooting lineup, and their defense is very strong. We need to change our strategy."
"How should we change it?"
Despite being an excellent coach, Carlisle was running out of ideas at this point.
The playoffs were different from the regular season. When teams played in a series, after four or five games, there were no secrets left between them.
At this point, it came down to the players' willpower and stamina.
Nowitzki's stamina was already showing some signs of fatigue. If today went into overtime, Nowitzki might not even be able to play.
"Coach, the Knicks are currently focusing their defense on the perimeter. Let's attack the paint and have everyone shoot mid-range jumpers."
Carlisle blinked.
In 2011, three-point shooting already accounted for a significant portion of offensive plays.
Especially with the rise of Li Feng, three-point shooting had gained even more importance.
Now, with the Mavericks trailing, they weren't shooting threes but were opting for twos?
Would that work?
Nowitzki usually didn't participate in tactical discussions, but today, he could see that Carlisle was truly out of options.
So, he proposed his idea, though he himself was unsure, wanting to give it a try.
Carlisle's eyes lit up. Going against the trend could indeed be a viable option!
"Alright, kids, gather around. Here's what we'll do..."
Carlisle then elaborated on Nowitzki's idea.
Of course, defense was still crucial.
The Knicks made no adjustments, especially after their recent offensive run.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The Mavericks' player movement suddenly changed. They no longer ran to the three-point line but clustered inside it.
This left the Knicks' defenders somewhat disoriented. With so much congestion, screens became relatively easier to execute.
And the Mavericks players became more decisive with their shots. As long as there was a screen, they would shoot.
Although they were all two-point shots, the opportunities to shoot seemed to increase.
Meanwhile, the Knicks' offense still relied heavily on three-pointers, and their shooting percentage began to decline.
With this exchange, the Mavericks actually managed to catch up to the score.
DeAnthoni watched from the sideline, constantly rubbing his head, finding it almost unbelievable.
The Mavericks were going against the current trend!
But it was working so well; what was going on?
As the second quarter neared its end, DeAnthoni did not call a timeout.
At the end of the first half, the Mavericks had surprisingly taken the lead again.
56-51, the Mavericks led by five points!
Madison Square Garden fell silent, and the home crowd was deeply disappointed.
They couldn't believe that the Knicks, who had a great situation, had been overtaken by the Mavericks again.
Would they really have to go to Dallas for a Game 7?
...
In the Chinese sports channel broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Coach Zhang were providing commentary.
During the pre-game analysis, both of them believed that the Knicks would continue their momentum from the previous game, win this one, and clinch the championship.
However, with the Knicks trailing at the end of the first half, both were shocked.
"Coach Zhang, the Mavericks' play style today is very strange. They didn't shoot any three-pointers in the second quarter. What's going on?"
Coach Zhang was also bewildered and said, "I agree. In the last game, the Mavericks were shooting threes crazily, so why have they suddenly stopped today? Is it a planned strategy?"
"It doesn't feel like it. They shot a few in the first quarter, and then it suddenly changed in the second quarter, and it's working quite well."
"I think it's just that the Knicks' three-point shooting percentage has dropped. Otherwise, the Mavericks still wouldn't be able to do it."
"It's hard to say. The Mavericks haven't given up on threes; they've just used small plays inside the three-point line to increase their shooting opportunities."
"It remains to be seen how the Knicks will adjust in the second half. Li Feng definitely won't go down without a fight."
...
The Mavericks' lead left most fans confused.
The sports betting companies were overjoyed because, before the game, most people had bet on the Knicks to win.
And during the game, even more people bet on the Mavericks.
Regardless of the outcome, the betting companies were making a fortune.
After the second half began, the Mavericks continued with this approach, fighting for position inside the three-point line on offense and shutting down the Knicks' perimeter shooters on defense.
Despite making targeted adjustments during halftime, the Knicks' effectiveness was still mediocre.
The main reason was the decline in their three-point shooting touch, and their inside presence was mainly reliable only through Yao Ming.
Li Feng also found it difficult to adapt to the Mavericks' mid-range offense, as his defensive advantage lay in active help defense and speed.
However, with the Mavericks employing this strategy, the paint was too congested, and Li Feng often collided with other Mavericks players.
Therefore, Li Feng, and Curry in another parallel universe, had completely pioneered a new style of play, which was to use three-point shooting to stretch the floor.
The Mavericks' sudden return to fundamentals was truly unexpected.
To break through the Mavericks' defensive wall, the Knicks could only rely on three-point shots.
Li Feng's three-point shooting was not bad; he made 2 out of 3 attempts in the third quarter. However, the Knicks' teammates seemed to be off their rhythm, shooting three-pointers very poorly.
Apart from Li Feng, the other players shot 2 for 8 from three-point range, significantly lower than their performance in previous games.
This made DeAnthoni a bit flustered.
If this continued, their hope of winning the championship on their home court in New York would be dashed.
Li Feng wasn't shooting many threes; he wanted his teammates to get hot, but for now, his teammates were unreliable.
Apart from Yao Ming, the hands of the others seemed as if they had touched something foul.
Li Feng understood that after so many rounds of playoff series, the players' bodies were at their limit.
As the saying goes, apart from Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Lowry, the physical condition of the other players was only average.
Although Amar'e Stoudemire and Billups were good in their younger days, they were getting older and showed signs of fatigue after playing for so long.
Fine, he would carry the load himself!
It was only one game anyway. If they won, they would celebrate together; if they lost, they would go for Game 7!
With this thought, Li Feng made a gesture to his teammates.
His teammates understood the gesture; Li Feng was going for isolation plays!
The Knicks players seemed a bit lost. Seeing Li Feng about to take over the game, they felt relieved.
In the words of the New York fans: You can always count on Li Feng!
Li Feng's gesture was no longer a secret, so the Mavericks also knew he was going for a one-on-one.
Therefore, as Li Feng dribbled the ball in the backcourt, Kidd and Marion aggressively rushed forward.
Li Feng's gaze was firm. He didn't pass but used a crossover to shake off Kidd, simultaneously accelerating and executing a pick-and-roll!
To dare to play pick-and-roll at this moment could only be attributed to Li Feng's exceptional skill and courage.
After getting past two defenders, Li Feng crossed half the court.
Since Li Feng had only shot three three-pointers in the third quarter and didn't take many shots, the Mavericks didn't guard him too tightly, assuming Li Feng was going to drive to the paint.
Who would have thought that Li Feng would gather the ball from half a meter outside the three-point line?