For the two championship favorites, this game was bound to captivate the hearts of billions of fans.
The Knicks' starting lineup consisted of Li Feng, Yao Ming, Amar'e Stoudemire, Luis Scola, and Kyle Lowry.
The Heat's starters were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Ilgauskas stood at 2.21 meters, comparable to Yao Ming, but in the previous game, Yao Ming had almost completely outplayed him.
As a 35-year-old veteran, Ilgauskas didn't get much playing time in the Heat's rotation.
However, to counter Yao Ming, the Heat still placed him in the starting lineup. At least his height provided some presence.
The game began, and Yao Ming easily secured the first tip-off. Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court.
Dwyane Wade was guarding Li Feng one-on-one!
Perhaps due to Li Feng's lack of aggressive individual offense in recent games, the Heat didn't double-team him right away.
Li Feng chuckled inwardly. The reason his scoring had been lower in recent games was related to the opponents.
The opponents in these past few games were all teams that wouldn't make the playoffs in either conference. Therefore, Li Feng ceded more ball possession to his teammates.
In any case, Li Feng no longer had a strong desire for personal stats. Even if
Li Feng faced a double-team from LeBron and Wade again. He didn't get overconfident and split the ball between the two to Amar'e Stoudemire.
Passing the ball seemed easy, but passing between LeBron and Wade required strong technique.
Both players had terrifying wingspans and quick movements. A slight slip could lead to a turnover.
As Li Feng passed, he faked a layup, which fooled LeBron and Wade.
Stoudemire drove from the right side to the basket and threw down a powerful dunk.
Amar'e's fast break was also superb. LeBron and Wade were so deceived by Li Feng that they lost their optimal defensive positions, only able to watch as Amar'e scored.
5-0!
The Heat, who had come to seek revenge, were immediately hit with two consecutive baskets by the Knicks right from the start.
Coach Spoelstra on the sidelines shook his head in frustration. He had prepared for this game for many days.
His goal was to get revenge on the road and boost the team's morale.
Furthermore, LeBron James had also spoken with Spoelstra several times privately, expressing his desire to suppress Li Feng in this game.
This was not only for the team's victory but also for his own status.
Spoelstra naturally supported LeBron, as he was one of the team's core players and also its most popular.
Therefore, after studying game footage, they concluded that Li Feng would let his teammates take the first shot in the first quarter.
However, Li Feng was unusually active today. Not only did he take the first shot himself, but he also went to the paint for help defense.
These changes were rarely seen in previous games.
LeBron and Spoelstra felt they had been tricked.
But Spoelstra didn't call a timeout, believing that LeBron and Wade would adjust on the court, as they were both experienced superstars.
As expected, LeBron and Wade conferred briefly and reorganized their offense.
This time, LeBron didn't drive. Instead, he passed to Wade.
Chris Bosh screened for Wade, and then Wade drove to the baseline.
Wade had a mid-range jumper. Li Feng immediately rotated to block him.
However, LeBron moved to the 45-degree angle. Wade immediately passed to him. After receiving the ball, LeBron, taking advantage of the Knicks' open paint, drove to the basket.
This was a tactic the Heat had been using recently: using Wade's speed to draw defensive attention to one side, and then having LeBron attack from the other side.
Indeed, this tactic caught the Knicks off guard. Yao Ming was locked down by the Heat's center. LeBron drove to the basket and scored on a layup.
5-2, the Heat clawed back two points.
Li Feng frowned slightly. He wouldn't let the same mistake happen again. So, he walked over to Amar'e Stoudemire and said a few words to him.
Earlier, it was because Stoudemire had been drawn out by Wade that the paint was left open.
Amar'e was very receptive to Li Feng's instructions and nodded repeatedly. He actually regretted his earlier decision to close out on Wade, as Li Feng had already recovered.
Knicks' possession. Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court. LeBron and Wade immediately changed their defensive strategy and double-teamed him.
Li Feng immediately passed the ball to the open Luis Scola.
Although Scola didn't take many shots this season, he was always willing to initiate offense when he received the ball in open space.
*Swish!* Scola drove into the paint with the ball. Bosh quickly came to help defend.
Scola spun and created a half-step advantage over Bosh, then faked, drawing Bosh to the other side.
The entire sequence was incredibly smooth. Bosh was almost dizzy from the move. Scola then finished with a low layup for two points!
The Knicks' offensive approach today was completely different from before. Yao Ming didn't demand the ball; Li Feng initiated everything, forcing the Heat's defense to be spread thin.
7-2!
LeBron's face turned ashen. After Li Feng made another three-pointer, he suddenly stopped attacking, which put the Heat's defense in a difficult position.
In the following few possessions, the Heat managed to score, but the Knicks' offense was clearly more efficient.
Furthermore, Li Feng's stats were better than LeBron's, consistently outplaying him.
With over seven minutes gone in the first quarter, Li Feng had 8 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds.
LeBron had 4 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.
The score was 17-11, with the Knicks leading by 6 points.
Whether in individual performance or team advantage, it was all in Li Feng's favor.
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden was also enthusiastic, chanting "MVP" when Li Feng had the ball.
And when LeBron had the ball, the entire arena booed.
The fans were aware of the intense competition between Li Feng and LeBron, and as home supporters, they were resolutely behind their star player.
Spoelstra called a timeout. He intended to substitute Wade out earlier to have him lead the second unit.
Coach D'Antoni was very satisfied with the Knicks' performance so far. He high-fived his players on the sidelines and cheered them on loudly.
Compared to the previous games, Li Feng seemed like a different person. Not only was his individual offense decisive, but his passing was also sharper.
It was clear that the Li Feng in the previous games was not at his peak performance!
After the timeout, both LeBron and Li Feng remained on the court, while Wade and Yao Ming went to the sidelines to rest.
The game resumed. Chalmers and LeBron continued to double-team Li Feng.
LeBron had decided that even if the game was lost, he had to lock down Li Feng.
However, LeBron didn't expect Li Feng's off-ball game to evolve further.
Because just a week prior, Li Feng had unlocked another premium gift package through training.
Upon opening it, the reward turned out to be [Hamilton Off-Ball Skill]!
Although Hamilton wasn't a player with high historical standing, he was undoubtedly a very efficient and distinctive player.
During his years with the Warriors, he was constantly on the move. Statistics showed that his running distance in each game was equivalent to running a marathon.
Only a later Stephen Curry could compare to him; he truly ran a lot.
Curry, in his prime, was also constantly on the move. One of his most famous games was in the 2015 Finals.
Matthew Dellavedova, who was guarding him, had to go for an IV drip after the game.
Another incident involved a former number one draft pick who attended the Warriors' training camp during the offseason, wanting to experience Curry's training regimen.
He was so exhausted that he almost threw up before completing half of the program.
This demonstrated that becoming a top superstar truly required immense dedication, and physical talent was also crucial.
With the acquired [Hamilton Off-Ball Skill], Li Feng felt divinely assisted.
Even though he was double-teamed, he didn't stop moving for a moment, running all over the court, and not in straight lines.
He ran in circles, made sharp cuts, decelerated, and then accelerated.
LeBron and Chalmers chased him for several minutes, almost to the point of exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Li Feng seemed unfazed, showing no signs of fatigue. LeBron finally gave up and waved for Baron Davis to chase Li Feng.
It was understandable; LeBron, with his size and strength, couldn't possibly chase a small point guard all over the court.
Li Feng's [Hamilton Off-Ball Skill] not only made defenders run themselves ragged but also created many opportunities for him to receive passes and score layups.
Kyle Lowry also got several more assists simply by passing to Li Feng a few times.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 38-30, with the Knicks leading by 8 points.
The lead wasn't huge, mainly because Bosh and Chalmers suddenly found their rhythm in the final minutes of the first quarter, hitting two three-pointers and narrowing the deficit to under ten points.
Li Feng played the entire first quarter, scoring 16 points. LeBron also played the entire first quarter, scoring 13 points.
Although their scores were similar, anyone watching the game could see that Li Feng was playing more comfortably and had a greater impact on the game.
Moreover, Li Feng had 5 assists, while LeBron only had 3.
As Li Feng walked off the court, the entire crowd stood up, applauding and cheering for him, while chanting "MVP."
In New York, Li Feng was a city hero. He had brought so much excitement to this team!
The second quarter began with the reserve lineups entering the game.
The Heat's reserve lineup was led by Wade, with James Jones, Mike Miller, Erick Dampier, and Joel Anthony.
The Knicks' reserve lineup was stable, featuring Chauncey Billups, Raymond Felton, Jordan Hill, Bill Walker, and Sean Williams.
With Wade on the court, the Heat's reserves had a stronger offensive impact.
However, Billups, with his extensive experience, provided strong on-court direction and strategic play, allowing the Knicks' reserves to hold their own.
The score difference remained around seven or eight points.
Wade was clearly getting frustrated. He was willing to lead the reserves precisely because the Heat's bench was weaker and needed him to make up the deficit.
Therefore, Wade began to drive more, and his signature "mizongbu" (illusory steps) made a reappearance!
With his drives, his teammates also found more opportunities, and Mike Miller and James Jones started hitting their three-pointers. The gap slowly narrowed.
Fortunately, the Knicks' Raymond Felton responded with a three-pointer, and Bill Walker scored on a fast break.
With over five minutes played in the second quarter, the Knicks still led the Heat by 6 points.
Coach D'Antoni, not daring to be complacent, quickly put his starters back on the court.