Dirk Nowitzki, sensing the unfavorable turn, rushed out, but Li Feng's move was too swift; it was too late.
Swish!
"Thousands of mountains and rivers, always love, can't you make a three-pointer?"
Yes!
Li Feng's three-pointer reignited the atmosphere at the New York home court, and the fans erupted in cheers.
69:63, the Knicks were only six points behind!
The Mavericks players were in their groove, but upon seeing Li Feng's sudden surge, their hearts tightened.
Carlisle, on the sidelines, was jumping anxiously, pointing at Li Feng with both fingers, shouting, "Double-team him! Full-court double-team! Don't let Li Feng get the ball..."
The Mavericks were instantly on high alert.
As the Mavericks' star player, Nowitzki had to step up.
On the next possession, Nowitzki received the ball on the right side of the paint. Without dribbling, he executed a perfect "golden rooster stands on one leg," followed by a fadeaway jumper!
For a big man like him to fade away, it was truly unstoppable. Swish!
Two more points!
71:63, the deficit was back to eight points.
With over three minutes left in the third quarter, time was running out for the Knicks.
The Knicks were on offense, with Li Feng bringing the ball up the court, once again being double-teamed.
Li Feng didn't force it and passed the ball to Lowry first.
Lowry faked a play, then passed the ball to Bill Walker.
Li Feng slowly crossed half-court, appearing uninterested in participating in the offense.
However, Kidd and Marion kept Li Feng tightly sandwiched between them, giving him no chance to receive the ball.
Only five seconds remained on the shot clock.
Amar'e Stoudemire suddenly ran over and screened Marion.
Li Feng used the screen to get past Marion, moving towards the top of the arc.
Bill Walker, quick-handed, flicked the ball over.
Kidd and Marion, in a state of panic, lunged desperately, but Li Feng needed less than a second to shoot.
Swish!
"Riyue Xianglu creates purple smoke, sending you to heaven with a three-pointer!"
Li Feng's three-pointer once again narrowed the deficit to five points!
Incredible, Li Feng's outburst was unstoppable.
Carlisle held his head in his hands; he had never seen anyone shoot threes like this.
71:66!
As the third quarter was nearing its end, Carlisle did not call a timeout.
He could only hope that Li Feng's shooting percentage wouldn't remain this high, as throwing up threes like this was beyond comprehension for many.
But in the following possessions, Li Feng plunged the Mavericks into despair.
Li Feng combined off-ball and on-ball movements, alternating between quick and slow plays, making him impossible to guard.
Before the end of the third quarter, Li Feng used two "crossover" moves to get past three Knicks defenders.
It was unavoidable; his consecutive three-pointers meant that a mere glance at the basket could make defenders jump.
Li Feng drove to the paint, facing Tyson Chandler. He softened his approach, choosing not to dunk and instead sinking a floater for two points.
Almost simultaneously, the buzzer sounded.
A buzzer-beater, the Knicks had taken the lead again!
83:82!
Under Li Feng's dominant performance, the Knicks had once again staged a comeback!
The New York fans were hoarse from shouting; Li Feng's performance was nothing short of miraculous.
Fans marveled that Li Feng was carrying the team on his own.
As he walked off the court, Li Feng high-fived his teammates, exchanging encouragement, while the entire crowd stood up to applaud Li Feng's performance.
For the home fans, a chance to win a championship at home might only come once in a lifetime.
If Li Feng could truly lead the New York Knicks to a championship at home single-handedly, then today's fans were truly lucky.
They would witness the New York Knicks' first-ever back-to-back championship!
The fourth quarter began with both teams fielding their reserve lineups.
Chauncey Billups, Raymond Felton, Jordan Hill, Luis Scola, and Sean Williams entered the game.
Before they took the court, Li Feng gathered the bench players and whispered his instructions: "Make sure to shut down Jason Terry, J.J. Barea, and Steve Novak. Better to send them to the free-throw line than to let them get their threes going!"
Li Feng knew Carlisle was a cunning strategist. Although the starters were focused on two-point shots, the Mavericks' bench had some dangerous three-point shooters.
There was a real risk of being blown out by a run.
Therefore, it was better to let them shoot free throws than to let them find their rhythm.
As long as the score difference wasn't too large, Li Feng was confident in his ability to win the game in the remaining time and emerge victorious!
Billups nodded vigorously, understanding the importance of this period.
As expected, after the Mavericks' reserves came on, several three-point shooters began looking for opportunities.
However, the Knicks' reserves, under the command of "Fireplace" (likely a nickname for an assistant coach or player), played with strong defensive aggression.
Although Terry and Barea got to the free-throw line twice, Felton, Jordan Hill, and Scola were also scoring.
The scores alternated, with neither team gaining a significant advantage.
Li Feng stood on the sidelines, excitedly pumping his fist, proud of his reserve unit.
After more than four minutes of play in the fourth quarter, the teams were tied again.
92:92!
Both coaches seemed satisfied with this outcome.
Carlisle wanted to give Nowitzki a bit more rest, so he made no substitutions.
But D'Antoni was starting to hatch a plan.
He didn't want Nowitzki to rest for too long, as Nowitzki was terrifying in the final stages.
Therefore, to force Carlisle to put Nowitzki back in sooner, D'Antoni brought Li Feng back onto the court earlier.
Li Feng replaced Felton, while other starters were still resting.
Indeed, upon seeing Li Feng re-enter the game, Carlisle felt a pounding in his head.
While he was contemplating, Nowitzki stood up and requested to play.
Carlisle sighed, realizing that D'Antoni didn't want Nowitzki to rest much longer!
After Nowitzki entered the game, he increased his shot attempts and maintained a decent shooting percentage.
Li Feng, on the other hand, did not hog too many of the reserve unit's shots, smoothly transitioning between isolation plays and playmaking.
This was Li Feng; he could use isolation mode with the starters, but when playing with the reserves, he considered their feelings.
Team chemistry was crucial, and every detail mattered.
The score difference remained small, with the Knicks leading by only three to five points.
With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki suddenly surged again!
Nowitzki had delivered his career-best performances in the playoffs this year, including the Finals, which was truly breathtaking.
Li Feng sometimes wondered if the championship would belong to the Mavericks this year.
Nowitzki first hit a deep three-pointer, narrowing the deficit to two points.
Then, he and Marion double-teamed and stole the ball from Stoudemire, and after crossing half-court, assisted Kidd for two points.
In just over thirty seconds, the Mavericks had once again tied the Knicks.
With 1 minute and 28 seconds left, the score was 104:104!
They were back to square one.
Any fan with heart problems would find these two teams' games too intense.
D'Antoni called a timeout.
The sole purpose of this timeout was to disrupt Nowitzki's momentum.
D'Antoni didn't have a clear strategy for the next play.
D'Antoni held his whiteboard but didn't draw anything, merely emphasizing defense.
Li Feng wiped his sweat, took a couple of sips of Gatorade, and approached Yao Ming.
Yao Ming had rested for over eight minutes in the fourth quarter and had plenty of energy, ready to go all out in the final minute.
"Brother Yao, stick closely to Nowitzki. His stamina is at its limit!"
Li Feng knew very well that Nowitzki was currently playing purely on willpower. He had played nearly 40 minutes per game for three consecutive games.
Yao Ming gritted his teeth and nodded, "I know. Don't worry, I'll defend Dirk tightly. Even if I have to foul, I won't let him shoot!"
Then, Li Feng called Bill Walker over and instructed him to help Yao Ming with the double-team.
Li Feng stood up, pulled Lowry aside, and gave him a few more instructions about perimeter defense.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The Knicks were on offense.
Li Feng did not have the ball; Lowry crossed half-court and passed it to Yao Ming.
When Yao Ming had full energy, his offensive impact was significant. Facing Chandler, he leaned in and then executed a hook shot with a half-turn!
Although Chandler had the physical advantage, Yao Ming's technique was incredibly refined.
Swish!
106:104!
The home crowd erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.
With 1 minute and 07 seconds remaining.
The Mavericks were on offense.
A two-point deficit was not that large, theoretically.
After crossing half-court, the ball was passed to Nowitzki.
Given his form before the timeout, Nowitzki should have been able to score.
But Yao Ming's defense was too tight. Nowitzki held the ball, dodged and weaved, but couldn't find an opportunity to shoot.
With the shot clock running down, Nowitzki was forced to take a contested shot.
Bang!
His arm brushed against Yao Ming's arm.
This was a bit of an awkward play, and the referee's whistle blew, calling a blocking foul on Yao Ming.
Yao Ming felt wronged and went to argue, but the referee remained unmoved.
Li Feng came over and pulled Yao Ming away, whispering, "It's okay, let him shoot free throws. We're not losing anything."
Nowitzki stood at the free-throw line, breathing heavily.
After calming down, he sank the first shot.
Dirk was truly steady. It was evident that his stamina was greatly depleted, and he was stumbling a bit.
Yet, he calmly sank the first free throw, and then the second one as well.
The teams were tied again, with 43 seconds left on the clock.
Theoretically, both teams had one more possession.
The Knicks had the first possession, and the coach did not call a timeout.
Li Feng had the ball. Facing a double-team in the backcourt, he used his skilled dribbling and control to get past two players and cross half-court.
The other Mavericks players tensed up, rushing to double-team him.
Li Feng saw Stoudemire retreating to the right side of the paint and immediately passed the ball to him.
Amar'e had a strong mid-range game and could also drive to the basket.
Although his form had been inconsistent since his return, Li Feng chose to trust him.
After receiving the ball, Amar'e dribbled once, then, before Chandler could rotate to contest, he exploded upwards, executing a right-handed layup!
Swish!
Two more points!
This was the Finals!
In the critical final moments, no one would give you a three-point shot; only mid-range attacks could solve the problem.
The Knicks took a two-point lead again, 108:106!
Carlisle did not call a timeout because there were still 22 seconds left, enough time for an offensive possession.
Kidd brought the ball up the court, and Li Feng stepped up to guard him!
At this moment, the fans in Madison Square Garden all stood up, holding their breath, eyes fixed on the players on the court.
After these short tens of seconds, the championship might be decided!
In the vast arena, not a single spectator spoke; they were afraid to even exhale.
The only sounds heard were the dribbling of the ball and the players' calls to each other.
The air seemed to freeze, an suffocating sensation permeating the entire venue...
Nowitzki found it difficult to even receive the ball under Yao Ming's defense.
In fact, Yao Ming's defensive capabilities were severely underestimated.
During his time with the Rockets, Yao Ming had too many responsibilities, and he had to gain weight to adapt to the physical battles in the paint.
As a result, Yao Ming's body couldn't handle it, and his movement speed decreased.
However, after joining the Knicks, the team repeatedly had him lose weight to ensure he could play healthily and return to his peak form.
Now, Yao Ming had excellent mobility and was well-suited to defend Dirk.
Nowitzki couldn't shake off Yao Ming. Chandler came to set a screen, blocking Yao Ming.
Dirk seized the opportunity to move quickly to his right, aiming to find an opening for a game-winning three-pointer!
Unexpectedly, as soon as he evaded Yao Ming's defense, Bill Walker closed in, and Amar'e Stoudemire also converged to help!
It was clear that as time dwindled, the Knicks players saw that Nowitzki's chances of passing were diminishing.
Therefore, they made a bold gamble and converged to help defend.
Li Feng did not stand idly by; he observed the positioning of the other Mavericks players.
Kidd, with his vast experience, shook off Li Feng and tried to drive to the basket to receive the pass.
But Li Feng gave him no opportunity, immediately following him and raising both hands.
Nowitzki knew Li Feng's leaping ability and dared not pass to Kidd.
Time ticked by, and Nowitzki found himself unable to pass the ball.
In desperation, Nowitzki used all his might, suddenly jumping backward to his left.
This jump not only allowed him to evade Yao Ming's block but also Bill Walker's interference.
He made a high-difficulty shot while drifting in the air!
As the ball hung in the air, the buzzer sounded!
This shot was timely and a three-pointer at that.
If it went in, the Mavericks would have a game-winning shot against the Knicks, forcing a Game Seven!
If it missed, the Knicks would lift the championship trophy once again, completing their back-to-back championship feat!
The entire arena seemed to hold its breath, everyone fixated on the basketball.
In less than 2 seconds, it felt like a century had passed!
Clang!
The ball hit the back of the rim, bounced high, and then fell, landing on the rim.
All the Knicks players, fans, and coaching staff felt a pang of dread...
Would it fall in?
Li Feng suddenly recalled a playoff game from before his transmigration, in 2019, a Game Seven between the 76ers and the Raptors.
It was Kawhi Leonard who hit a three-pointer at the last moment, clinching the game.
That ball had bounced a few times on the rim before falling into the basket!
Bounce, bounce...
Dirk's three-pointer bounced a few times on the rim, but ultimately rolled out.
The game-winning shot failed!
The moment the ball rolled out, the entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar, enough to shatter eardrums.
The Knicks players roared even louder, jumping and hugging each other!