Yao Ming's block shocked the other Clippers players.
Griffin was known for his explosive leaping ability, with quick reflexes and excellent timing on his shots. Yet, he was still emphatically blocked by Yao Ming!
Li Feng chuckled from the sidelines, knowing Yao Ming was harboring some pent-up anger, and Griffin was just unlucky.
The shoe incident had deeply angered Yao Ming, so he was determined to dominate this game, proving to the fans whether there was an issue with the shoes on his feet!
With 6 seconds left on the Clippers' offensive clock, Gomez inbounded the ball.
The ball went directly to Gordon.
Li Feng knew Gordon was a three-point shooter, so he immediately closed in, spreading his arms to deny him any shooting space.
With the shot clock winding down, Gordon was forced into a difficult shot. It missed the rim completely and flew out of bounds.
The Clippers' first offensive possession was thwarted.
Clippers' head coach Vinnie shook his head slightly, sensing something was off.
The Knicks players seemed fired up from the start, playing with intense aggression.
This was just a regular season game! The Clippers weren't a strong team, and there was no prior animosity between them and the Knicks. Why the fierce play?
He didn't know that Li Feng and Yao Ming were playing so aggressively due to the "shoe incident."
The Knicks went on offense.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court, guarded by Davis.
Since the Clippers had little hope this season, they hadn't developed highly specialized tactics. Their approach against Li Feng was simple man-to-man defense.
Li Feng didn't hold back. With a burst of speed, he left Davis behind and drove straight to the basket.
DeAndre Jordan had entered the starting lineup this season, feeling confident. He seemed to have forgotten Li Feng's dunk over him last season.
So, without hesitation, he charged forward, determined to stop Li Feng.
Li Feng showed no signs of stopping. He drove into the paint and took flight!
DeAndre Jordan roared with anger. He believed he had incredible talent and had improved significantly this season. He was determined not to be dunked on again.
He bellowed and rushed towards Li Feng, willing to commit a foul to bring him down!
Unexpectedly, Li Feng managed a second acceleration in mid-air. He switched the ball from his left hand to his right and twisted his body, evading Jordan's outstretched hand.
DeAndre Jordan felt a pang of dread. He quickly twisted his body, trying to follow Li Feng.
But Li Feng was already gliding, slamming the ball fiercely into the hoop with his right hand.
DeAndre Jordan sighed internally—
Damn it! Dunked on again by this Chinese kid!
After the dunk, Li Feng hung on the rim with his right hand and extended his left index finger towards the camera under the basket.
His message was clear: "I've dunked once. Nine more to go today!"
So dominant!
Furthermore, Li Feng dangled from the rim for over a second, making his red signature shoes even more conspicuous. Countless fans took notice.
The Clippers initiated another offense.
This time, the ball wasn't passed to Griffin, primarily because he was intimidated by Li Feng's earlier dunk. He felt it was best not to challenge Li Feng while he was on the court.
Griffin planned to find an opportunity to dunk on Yao Ming after Li Feng was substituted out.
The ball went to Gomez, who had a decent mid-range jumper. However, his touch seemed off. Under Luis Scola's defense, his shot missed.
Yao Ming battled DeAndre Jordan under the basket to secure the rebound.
Li Feng was deeply moved by Yao Ming's hustle. It was clear "Da Yao" was channeling all his frustration onto the Clippers today.
The Knicks went on offense. Yao Ming made a long pass to Lowry, who was near the half-court line.
The "Little Steel Cannon" sped past half-court. Li Feng and Amar'e Stoudemire attacked from both sides to receive the pass.
The Clippers' Davis, Griffin, and Gordon retreated quickly on defense, but the Knicks' fast-break offense was too proficient.
After just two passes between the three players, Stoudemire finished with a powerful dunk.
4:0! The Knicks held a temporary lead.
The difference in strength between the two teams was evident. The Knicks maintained their lead throughout, finishing the first quarter with an 11-point advantage.
The Clippers played with great effort today, but their hustle couldn't overcome the disparity in talent.
Li Feng completed 3 dunks in the first quarter, leaving him 7 short of his goal of 10.
Meanwhile, Yao Ming played 8 minutes in the first quarter, grabbing 6 rebounds, suggesting his promise of 15 rebounds might have been a conservative estimate.
The starting lineup began to head to the bench for a rest, with the reserves coming on.
The Knicks continued to hold their lead, and by halftime, they were up by 17 points against the Clippers.
Li Feng had scored 16 points in the first half, including 7 dunks – an incredible feat.
Yao Ming had grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half, demonstrating astonishing efficiency.
Li Feng and Yao Ming's performance today was truly a relentless assault on the Clippers, showing no mercy.
...
In the broadcast booth of China's sports channel, Yu Jia and Coach Zhang were providing commentary for the game.
They were aware of the shoe incident involving Red Star Sports.
As industry insiders in basketball, they understood the immense damage such an event could inflict on a sports brand.
Therefore, they both felt a sense of anxiety for Li Feng and Red Star Sports.
While Li Feng wouldn't suffer significant losses even if Red Star Sports went bankrupt, his support for the brand was undeniable.
Li Feng clearly aimed to develop Red Star Sports into an international powerhouse capable of rivaling Nike.
"Coach Zhang, Li Feng and Yao Ming's expressions seem off today. They both appear to be carrying a lot of anger," Yu Jia asked, feigning ignorance.
Coach Zhang smiled knowingly and replied slowly, "The Clippers are not a strong team, but Li Feng and Yao Ming seem to want to prove something."
"Oh? And what is it they want to prove?"
"Perhaps... they want to prove that the shoes are very durable and of excellent quality!" Coach Zhang said with a smile.
Red Star Sports was also a sponsor of CCTV Sports Channel, so both commentators naturally had to support the brand.
Beyond their professional relationship, their personal loyalty also compelled them to speak favorably of Red Star Sports during its crisis, as it was a Chinese brand!
"The quality is indeed good. Look, Li Feng has dunked five or six times in the first half, jumping so high and playing so aggressively, and his shoes are fine. Yao Ming has grabbed over ten rebounds with great effort, and the shoes on his feet are also fine!"
"Exactly. If a player as heavy as Yao Ming can't break them, I don't know how other players managed to damage theirs."
Before the truth was revealed, they wouldn't elaborate, but the situation was clear: someone had deliberately sabotaged Red Star Sports.
"Coach Zhang, do you think Li Feng can achieve 10 dunks in today's game?"
"It shouldn't be difficult, but I worry the Clippers might collapse quickly in the third quarter and surrender. If Li Feng continues to play, it wouldn't be ideal."
In NBA games, there were certain unwritten rules. For instance, if the point difference became too large and one team substituted its starters to concede, the opposing team's starters would also be taken out.
If they continued to play, it would be seen as stat-padding and could cause friction between players.
Alternatively, in the final moments of a game where the outcome was already decided, both sides would tacitly let the clock run out.
If someone were to suddenly initiate an attack at that point, it could also lead to conflict, potentially escalating into a brawl.
...
The second half of the game began.
Perhaps the Clippers were unwilling to accept defeat so readily, as they launched a fierce offensive at the start of the third quarter.
The Knicks were caught off guard, and the lead narrowed to 12 points.
Griffin seemed to be enjoying himself and even attempted to dunk on Yao Ming.
During one play, Griffin charged directly at Yao Ming.
Seeing the look in Griffin's eyes, Yao Ming knew the guy intended to go hard.
In that case, let him come!
Yao Ming stood his ground under the basket, ready to face Griffin!
Griffin took off from a spot about a step inside the free-throw line, leaping into the air. He then reached out his left hand, intending to pin it on Yao Ming's shoulder.
This was where Griffin's plays often drew controversy.
During his two most popular years, many fans pointed out that many of his dunks involved fouls.
However, because the NBA was a commercial league, and to promote Griffin, the referees often turned a blind eye and didn't call fouls.
Yao Ming had watched many of Griffin's game tapes before the match, so he was aware of this tactic and was well-prepared.
The moment Griffin's left hand reached for Yao Ming's shoulder, Yao Ming suddenly took half a step back and jumped, swatting at the ball in Griffin's hand with his right.
Griffin's left hand missed its target, throwing his body off balance and reducing his jump height.
Coupled with Yao Ming's astonishingly fast and powerful block, Griffin didn't even get close to the rim before the ball was fiercely batted away by Yao Ming!
The crowd erupted in an uproar!
At the beginning of the first quarter, Yao Ming had already given Griffin a huge block.
Yet, Griffin hadn't learned his lesson and attempted to dunk on Yao Ming again?
What a miserable turn of events, another massive block!
And this block was even more vicious than the previous one.
Griffin's left hand had missed Yao Ming's shoulder, causing him to lose balance. Combined with Yao Ming's block, Griffin tilted sideways and fell directly to the floor.
If he had landed awkwardly, Griffin would have likely been injured. However, Yao Ming, possessing a kind heart, reached out his left hand and caught Griffin, despite Griffin's questionable play.
But Griffin's weight was still too great. Yao Ming absorbed some of the impact, but Griffin still slid to the ground slowly.
However, the way he fell prevented any injury, and Griffin quickly got back up.
He patted Yao Ming's arm gratefully and said, "Thank you, Yao Ming!"
Yao Ming said nothing, simply smiling.
The ball was batted out of bounds, and the Clippers continued their offense.
Yao Ming's block instantly deflated the Clippers' momentum, while the Knicks' spirits soared.
Over the next few minutes, the Knicks regained control of the game, going on a scoring run that firmly established their dominance.
The third quarter ended with the score at 88:65, the Knicks leading by 23 points.
Li Feng played for over 7 minutes in the third quarter, scoring 9 points, including 4 dunks.
He achieved the remarkable feat of 11 dunks in just three quarters, fulfilling his promise.
Yao Ming also secured a total of 17 rebounds, exceeding his promise of 15.
Through their actions, Li Feng and Yao Ming proved that the shoes from Red Star Sports had no quality issues!
Both players finished their contributions after three quarters and did not return to the court in the fourth.
Ultimately, the Knicks defeated the Clippers on the road, securing another victory.
Just after the game, Li Feng returned to the locker room, showered, and had just changed when he saw his teammates looking at their phones, engrossed in something.
Seeing Li Feng approach, his teammates shouted, "Li Feng, Kendall is so thoughtful! She posted a video to help you out!"
Li Feng was confused, not understanding what they meant.
What video? Help with what?
Taking his teammate's phone, Li Feng finally understood. Kendall had uploaded a short video to her personal social media account two hours earlier.
In the video, she was wearing a pair of red Li Feng signature shoes and playing basketball.
Although Kendall wasn't particularly skilled at basketball, the focus of the video was clearly the shoes on her feet.
She was also using her actions to prove the excellent quality of Red Star Sports' products!
Li Feng was genuinely touched.
Keep in mind, this was the United States, and Kendall was part of the Kardashian family.
Members of this family were known for their preference for luxury brands. Even their sportswear was typically Nike.
After all, Nike was an American brand, and they had to support their country!
Yet, Kendall, to help Li Feng, was wearing shoes from a Chinese sports brand to demonstrate their quality.
Wasn't this directed at Li Feng?
Seeing Li Feng standing there with a peculiar expression, his teammates teased him, "Li Feng, what's going on between you and Kendall? She's your girlfriend, right?"
"Haha, our Li Feng is so charming, he has the Kardashian girls flocking to please him!"
...
As his teammates chattered, Li Feng returned the phone without saying anything. However, he had already decided to meet with Kendall.
Previously, Li Feng had been indifferent to Kendall, primarily because in his past life, Kendall had dated many NBA stars.
Therefore, Li Feng had viewed her as a "collector," someone with many relationships, and thus kept his distance.
However, judging by the current situation, Li Feng might have made a mistake. People change with their environment. Perhaps Kendall in this parallel world genuinely cared for Li Feng!
Even if, worst-case scenario, she considered Li Feng her first "collectible," Li Feng wouldn't be at a loss.
With memories from his past life, Li Feng wouldn't be harmed.
The most important thing for a person is to live in the present!
After experiencing so much, at the very least, Kendall was consistently trying to please him and pursue him, and that was enough.
Li Feng quickly left the stadium and called Kendall.
"Kendall, where are you?" Li Feng's tone was somewhat urgent.
Kendall seemed to be eating when she heard Li Feng's call and sounded a bit surprised. She asked back, "Li Feng, didn't you just finish your game? My sister and I were watching you play."
"Yes, I just finished my game. By the way, I saw the video you posted."
"Which video?"
"The one where you're wearing my red signature shoes and playing basketball."
Kendall smiled sweetly and said softly, "It's nothing, I just liked those shoes..."
"Don't say that. Where are you? I'm coming to find you!"
"I... I'm in Los Angeles!"