Yu Jia then asked, "Then, can you analyze what the players need to do if the Knicks want to win?"
Coach Zhang thought for a moment and replied, "It would have to be Li Feng having a solo explosion, an extraordinary performance, to go head-to-head with the Big Three. But it's just a regular season game, not worth it. The Knicks are riddled with injuries now, and if Li Feng gets injured again, the playoffs will be in danger."
Yu Jia nodded repeatedly, "Exactly. The Knicks should be preparing for the playoffs now. As long as they can steadily make it to the playoffs, their goal will be achieved."
Coach Zhang gave a wry smile, "There's no other way. The Knicks players' talent is average. Apart from Li Feng, everyone else is very mediocre, and Yao Ming is getting older, so minor injuries are inevitable."
Yu Jia said, "Yes, winning consecutive championships is too difficult. Historically, let alone three-peat, even consecutive championships are rare."
...
After the second half began, Li Feng entered his personal attack mode, scoring six consecutive points.
Although Li Feng's performance was still excellent, the Heat played more maturely and efficiently. James and Wade frequently drove to the basket and passed to teammates, involving them in the offense.
The Heat continued to hold the lead. At the end of the third quarter, the score was 84-70, with the Heat leading by 14 points.
The point difference was not too large, but the Heat's advantage was more than just these 14 points.
Li Feng scored 15 points in the third quarter, a very good performance, but he still couldn't bridge the gap between the two teams.
Li Feng had already played 31 minutes, the most of any player on either team. He had given his all.
D'Antoni had already made plans. If Li Feng played so hard and could narrow the gap to within 10 points in the third quarter, they would continue to fight in the fourth quarter.
Now that Li Feng was playing so well, but the score difference remained so large, Li Feng would not play in the fourth quarter.
But this was not giving up, but strategically conserving strength.
After Li Feng rested, the other Knicks players couldn't hold on anymore.
Just over four minutes into the fourth quarter, the deficit had reached over 20 points.
It was meaningless to bring Li Feng back into the game at this point.
In the end, the Heat won at home against the Knicks 103-91, finally evening the series.
Li Feng scored 34 points today, the most among all players, but the Knicks lost, and he became the leader of the "empty stats" club.
James also scored 32 points today and was the best player of the game.
After the game, he proactively came over to hug Li Feng and offered him some words of comfort.
Li Feng also congratulated him and said with a smile, "James, I hope we can meet in the playoffs. Let's have a great battle then."
James's expression changed. To be honest, although the Heat's form had been improving recently, if the Knicks were at full strength, he was not confident about winning a best-of-seven series.
"Okay, then let's meet in the playoffs. But don't get eliminated in the first round, haha," James joked.
"We won't. We Knicks will definitely make it to the Eastern Conference Finals!" Li Feng said seriously.
James nodded. Just then, reporters wanted to interview him, so he parted ways with Li Feng.
Li Feng congratulated every Heat player before returning to the locker room.
He saw that none of his Knicks teammates had showered or changed. They were all sitting there with their heads down, silent.
Li Feng knew that his teammates were feeling down.
Because they had long regarded the Heat as a playoff opponent, losing to the Heat felt very different.
Li Feng joked, clapping his hands, "Come on, guys, cheer up. It's just a regular season game, right? We're still leading 2-1. What's the big deal?"
Stoudemire looked up and said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Li Feng. We all played poorly today and couldn't help you."
Li Feng waved his hand, "Don't say that. Everyone has off nights. Didn't you guys carry me to victory when I wasn't playing well before?"
"So, forget about this game and get ready for the next one! Let's go, I'm treating tonight. We'll find a bar and have some fun!"
Miami had a well-developed entertainment scene. Although not as vibrant as New York, it had its own unique charm.
Seeing that Li Feng was still in the mood to go out and have fun, the players realized that Li Feng still had confidence in the Knicks' future.
So, they all put their worries aside and had a few hours of fun with Li Feng.
...
After defeating the Knicks, the Heat's record rose to first place in the Eastern Conference, while the Knicks dropped to third, with the Bulls temporarily in second place.
These three teams were in a fierce competition, chasing each other, with their rankings changing almost daily.
Although the competition in the Western Conference was also fierce, the Spurs and Lakers consistently held the top two spots, with the Mavericks and Thunder firmly in third and fourth place.
A week later, the Knicks hosted the Bulls at home.
The Bulls were currently ranked second in the East, only one game ahead of the Knicks.
If the Knicks won, they would surpass the Bulls and move into second place, pushing the Bulls down to third.
And Li Feng was currently ranked...
During a Knicks offensive possession, Rose once again stood in front of Li Feng.
Since Rose had just made a floater, Li Feng had to respond.
Swish!
Li Feng didn't call for a pick-and-roll. Instead, he used his speed and drove directly from the left side.
Rose had thoroughly studied Li Feng, so he immediately followed, his footwork no slower than Li Feng's.
Li Feng was prepared and didn't intend to shake Rose off easily. So, as he drove, he suddenly stopped and looked to his right.
Rose thought Li Feng was going to change direction to the right and quickly stopped.
Even though he stopped, Rose's feet left black marks on the floor. It was no wonder, Li Feng's sudden stop was too abrupt.
To Rose's surprise, Li Feng didn't change direction. Instead, he accelerated again and continued his drive from the left.
Li Feng had learned this move from Iverson and used it even more skillfully. He had previously used this move to easily get past Irving.
Although Rose was fast, he couldn't adapt to this change in rhythm.
With a thud, Rose fell to the ground, and Li Feng, like the wind, drove to the basket.
Facing Noah's help defense, Li Feng didn't hesitate. He leaped up and dunked. Noah was cunning. As soon as he touched Li Feng, he exaggeratedly flew backward.
This was Noah's signature move: drawing an offensive foul.
However, the referee didn't indulge him. He pointed his right hand at Noah and blew the whistle.
Blocking foul!
Noah got up helplessly. His move could occasionally fool the referees last year, but this year, its success rate was very low, and the referees were no longer accommodating him.
Li Feng's drive was spectacular, and the crowd cheered. They looked up at the big screen to admire the slow-motion replay of Li Feng's drive.
Rose also stood up with a wry smile. He had put a lot of effort into improving his defensive skills this season and had made great progress. He had never been so embarrassed by a crossover.
But it wasn't shameful. Only those who defended diligently would be shaken down.
Those who defended with their eyes never fell.
Although Li Feng's basket was beautiful, he didn't perform much better than Rose overall in the third quarter.
At the end of the third quarter, the Bulls still led the Knicks by 3 points.
Li Feng had a bad feeling. The Bulls were better prepared today and had a better overall condition.
Although Li Feng and the Knicks also played exceptionally well today, there were always nights that belonged to other teams.
Just like the Bulls today, who made two buzzer-beaters, as if God was on their side today.
But Li Feng wasn't that superstitious; he still had to keep fighting.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the reserves came on again.
Billups led the reserves in a spirited effort and closed the gap again.
It could be said that the Knicks' bench players performed very well today.
With over six minutes left, the main players from both sides returned to the court for the final showdown.
Li Feng was filled with determination. No matter what, he wanted to help the Knicks win today.
However, the Bulls' strategy was very effective: let Li Feng score and shut down everyone else.
So, this strategy seemed to be working, as the Knicks' other players had a mediocre shooting touch.
But the Bulls' condition was surprisingly good, and there was nothing they could do.
With one minute left in the game, the Bulls, with an unreasonable three-pointer from Rose, extended their lead to 5 points.
This basket almost sealed the victory, and Li Feng could only offer a helpless wry smile.
The Bulls had made at least four or five such magical shots today. Every time the Knicks were about to overtake them, someone on the Bulls would shoot erratically, and it would go in.
D'Antoni had to call a timeout to set up the next offensive play.
Although after the timeout, Li Feng forcefully responded with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 2 points.
But the Bulls' Luol Deng, under the defense of Stat, made an extremely difficult mid-range shot.
Slightly out of position while defending, S.O.S. was aiming to draw an offensive foul on Luol Deng.
But Luol Deng still managed to make the shot, which was frustrating.
With only 37 seconds left, Luol Deng made the free throw, and the lead was back to 5 points.
The Knicks' situation was dire.
After a few back-and-forth possessions, the Bulls defeated the Knicks on the road 114-108, finally winning a game against the Knicks this season.
Li Feng scored 39 points today, while Rose had 35.
Although Li Feng's stats were better, the Knicks lost.
After losing to the Heat, the Knicks lost to the Bulls again, casting a shadow over their quest for a championship.
After the game, the media unanimously criticized Li Feng, believing that Li Feng's dominance was declining and that the Knicks would not win the championship this year.
Even an ESPN columnist sharply pointed out that Li Feng's playing style had been thoroughly studied by other teams in the league, and players like him who relied on shooting couldn't last long.
Li Feng was also angry when he saw these comments, but he also understood these commentators; this was how they made a living.