The offensive strategy didn't work, leaving James with little time.
Seeing only seven seconds left on the shot clock, James also opted for a step-back three-pointer.
If James's shooting touch from earlier had continued, there would have been a high probability of this three-pointer going in.
But this time, James missed.
Clang!
The ball bounced off the rim.
James knew the shot was short as soon as he released it, so he quickly followed up and managed to score on a put-back!
115:111, the Knicks led.
With 37 seconds left and a four-point difference, the suspense remained.
D'Antoni did not call a timeout, instead instructing the players to give the ball to Li Feng.
Not calling a timeout was the right decision, as both teams were heavily fatigued, especially James and Wade.
D'Antoni knew that despite Li Feng's long playing time, his stamina was exceptional.
Wade and Chalmers of the Heat immediately double-teamed Li Feng in the frontcourt. Li Feng passed the ball to Lowry.
Taking advantage of Wade and Chalmers's slow retreat, Lowry immediately initiated an offense.
Seeing Yao Ming being heavily guarded under the basket, he passed the ball to Bill Walker.
Bill Walker was a defensive stalwart, but his offensive capabilities were average. Therefore, after receiving the ball, he had no intention of scoring himself. He simply passed it to Stoudemire to transition the play.
Amare Stoudemire was unstoppable facing the basket. He drove to the paint and, facing Bosh's defense, executed a powerful dunk!
Bosh became a backdrop to Stoudemire's emphatic dunk.
This basket essentially signaled the defeat of the Heat.
The home crowd fell silent, and the Heat players covered their heads, closing their eyes in pain.
The referee's whistle blew, and Bosh was called for a foul.
A three-point play!
After scoring, Stoudemire let out an excited roar and pounded his chest a few times.
Yao Ming, Li Feng, and their teammates rushed over to high-five him in celebration.
It was understandable that Stoudemire was emotional. During his years with the Suns, despite his explosive chemistry with Nash, he had never won any major accolades and had narrowly missed out on championships.
Upon joining the Knicks, his physical condition had not been ideal, and his leaping ability had declined.
He had also faced significant criticism, with many believing the Knicks should not have signed a player who was strong offensively but weak defensively.
Stoudemire had been carrying a heavy burden throughout this season.
If the Knicks failed to win the championship this season, Stoudemire would undoubtedly face intense criticism.
But today, in such a crucial game, Stoudemire had essentially sealed the victory for his team in the final moments!
This basket was incredibly important for Stoudemire!
Stoudemire made the additional free throw, bringing the score to 118:111 with only 15 seconds remaining.
The Heat's chances of a comeback were slim.
James's face was ashen; the pressure on him this season had been immense.
He could only imagine how the media would relentlessly criticize him if they lost today.
Spoelstra called the final timeout.
Although the chances were slim, this was the playoffs, and the team had to fight one last time.
After all, their games were not just for themselves, but for the fans who supported them.
The Knicks players were now truly savoring the joy of victory, high-fiving each other and exchanging encouraging words.
Li Feng and Yao Ming shared a hug for a few seconds. For both of them, this season had been incredibly challenging.
After the All-Star break, consecutive losses to the Bulls and the Heat had drawn heavy criticism towards the Knicks.
Yao Ming played 34 minutes today, the most minutes he had played in a game this season.
Currently, Yao Ming's physical condition appeared to be good, which was excellent news for the Knicks.
...
After the timeout, the Heat inbounded the ball. They executed a fast-break play, taking only three seconds before Bosh attempted a three-pointer.
At this point, a two-point shot was meaningless; they had to go for a three.
However, Bosh's shooting touch was ordinary today, and he missed the shot. Yao Ming secured the rebound, and the Heat players fouled Yao Ming.
Yao Ming's free throws were incredibly consistent, so fouling him was akin to giving him points.
He made both free throws!
120:111, with only 8 seconds left on the clock.
Spoelstra did not call a timeout, conceding the game.
Ultimately, the Knicks narrowly defeated the Heat on the road, securing their first victory in the second round of the playoffs!
Li Feng played 41 minutes today, recording 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Considering his playing time, his scoring output wasn't overwhelming, but Li Feng faced unprecedented double-teaming intensity in this game.
While Li Feng's individual scoring was limited, most of his teammates' scoring opportunities were a direct result of his play.
For example, Stoudemire's basket earlier occurred because the Heat's preemptive double-team allowed Lowry to create a 4-on-3 advantage.
Yao Ming played 38 minutes today, scoring 35 points, making him the leading scorer of the game.
James played 42 minutes today, truly a workhorse, and put up an impressive 37 points.
Wade played 37 minutes and scored 31 points, demonstrating high efficiency.
Yao Ming was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
Despite being named the MVP, Yao Ming expressed his gratitude to Li Feng during his post-game interview.
He stated earnestly to reporters, "Li Feng is our only core player!"
...
After this game, the media coverage of the Knicks became more positive, but Li Feng still did not receive much praise.
They felt that Li Feng's scoring wasn't high in this game, and some media outlets even suggested that Li Feng's success was due to Yao Ming's return.
Of course, these minor voices did not affect the united atmosphere within the Knicks team.
D'Antoni was very pleased. Winning this game meant reclaiming home-court advantage.
In games against the Heat's Big Three, every detail mattered, especially home-court advantage, which was crucial.
However, D'Antoni was also concerned about Yao Ming's old injury, and he repeatedly inquired about Yao Ming's physical condition after the game.
Yao Ming smiled and assured the coach, "I'm perfectly fine."
D'Antoni specifically sought out Li Feng and had a quiet conversation with him.
This was because D'Antoni had also heard the media reports criticizing Li Feng, suggesting his contribution was less significant than Yao Ming's.
If a player with less maturity had been in Li Feng's position, it would certainly have caused disharmony within the team.
However, Li Feng was unfazed by such remarks, being a person who had transmigrated and seen such situations countless times.
When it came to competing for honors, teams often began to experience internal discord and ultimately disintegrated.
Many teams had failed due to such factors.
Li Feng, of course, would not allow such sentiments to arise within the Knicks.
Those who understood his true value would naturally recognize it without needing further explanation.
Seeing Li Feng's maturity and broad perspective, D'Antoni finally felt at ease.
With the team's mentality stable during such a tense period of competition was extremely important.
After securing the first game, the Knicks players felt a significant sense of relief. Even if they lost the second game, the Knicks would still have home-court advantage.
As long as they protected their two home games, their chances of winning the series would greatly increase.
Because this game had been so grueling and the players had expended so much energy, D'Antoni decided to give them a day of rest.
Although there were no physical training sessions, he still assigned them "homework": to carefully review the game film of the first game multiple times.
Li Feng didn't need the coach's instruction; he always watched game replays in his room after every match, as he sought to identify his own shortcomings and the team's weaknesses.
...
Two days later, the second game of the series commenced.
The Heat, having lost their first home game, were under immense pressure, and the media spared no criticism of their Big Three.
Consequently, the Heat played with even greater ferocity in the second game.
In the first quarter, they displayed an incredible will to survive, with players exhibiting an almost frenetic energy.
In contrast, the Knicks players appeared somewhat sluggish.
Li Feng continued to focus on facilitating the team's offense in the first quarter, but his teammates' shooting touch was inconsistent.
Yao Ming, possibly due to the extended playing time in the first game, experienced some fatigue issues, which affected his shooting hand.
Yao Ming missed all three of his initial attempts.
Of course, this was also partly due to the intensity of the Heat's defense.
Center Chris Bosh was physically engaged with Yao Ming, employing numerous subtle tactics, which the referees largely ignored.
Perhaps the referees were also encouraging a more physical style of play.
Yao Ming wasn't afraid of physical contact, but he did object to inconsistent officiating.
When Yao Ming used similar moves on Bosh, the referees immediately blew their whistles.
After just over five minutes of play in the first quarter, Yao Ming had already accumulated two fouls and was forced to leave the game.
By the seventh minute, Li Feng also picked up his second foul, forcing D'Antoni to substitute him as well.
This situation allowed the Heat to play even more freely, with James and Wade playing the entire first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 33:19, with the Heat leading by 14 points!
The Heat fans at the American Airlines Arena were ecstatic. With Li Feng and Yao Ming's playing time limited today, the Heat were certainly poised to win this home game!
As the second quarter began, the reserves faced off, and the Heat continued to hold the advantage.
Apart from Chauncey Billups, the other Knicks players struggled to adapt to the Heat's high-intensity play.
D'Antoni sat on the sidelines, looking restless. While he hadn't expected to win both home games against the Heat, the Knicks players' overall demeanor was disappointing.
They lacked the presence of a reigning champion, appearing hesitant and, frankly, frustrating to watch.
D'Antoni felt their chances were slim today, so he decided against bringing in the starters early, allowing the reserves to play longer.
He was already preparing for the third game.
The Knicks' reserve players showed some signs of recovery, holding their own against the Heat's reserves for a few minutes.
However, Spoelstra soon brought in the starting lineup.
As soon as the Big Three stepped onto the court, they immediately dominated the game, overwhelming the Knicks' reserves.
The point differential was approaching 25 points.
It wasn't until the seventh minute of the second quarter that the Knicks' starters entered the game.
Perhaps due to their significant lead, the Heat's starters also became somewhat complacent. Li Feng and Yao Ming seized the opportunity to chip away at the lead, narrowing the deficit to 19 points.
However, Bosh suddenly exploded, hitting a three-pointer and then driving into the paint to overpower Stoudemire for a two-plus-one play.
Following that, James drove to the basket for a powerful dunk.
The score difference widened again to 26 points.
It appeared that today's game belonged to the Heat, not the Knicks.
Despite the Knicks' starters continuing to battle, the score difference remained around 25 points.
At the end of the first half, the score was 67:43, with the Heat leading by 24 points.
Li Feng scored 12 points in the first half, and Yao Ming scored 9, both significantly below their average.
The Heat's Big Three had delivered a classic performance in the first half.
James had 18 points, Wade had 15, and Bosh had 16!
...
The Knicks' overall performance did not improve in the second half. Although Li Feng and Yao Ming continued to score, the Heat always had a response, and the deficit could not be closed.
Despite Li Feng efficiently scoring 17 points in the third quarter and Yao Ming scoring 14 points in the same period, the Heat, relying on their formidable overall team strength, maintained a 21-point lead by the end of the third quarter.
For the Heat, a 21-point lead was virtually insurmountable in a single quarter.
This was because the most terrifying aspect of the Heat's Big Three was not their offense, but their defense!
While their offense might experience occasional slumps, their defense remained consistently strong!
Especially with the benefit of a slight home-court advantage today, the Heat were confident they would win the game.
Even though Li Feng and Yao Ming mounted a comeback for over six minutes in the fourth quarter, the score difference remained around 20 points.
James and Bosh were on fire, and whenever Li Feng or Yao Ming scored, they responded with an impressive basket.
The home crowd was also fully engaged today, cheering for their team relentlessly.
As a result, D'Antoni conceded defeat with over four minutes remaining in the game, as the deficit had once again widened to 20 points.
Finally, the Heat avenged their loss and secured their second home win.
The Knicks, with a 1:1 series tie, returned to their home court in New York, where the third game of the series would be played at Madison Square Garden.
Upon returning to New York, D'Antoni did not allow the players to rest, instead calling a brief team meeting!
Although the second game could be strategically conceded, the performance displayed by most of the players was highly disappointing.
The series was a best-of-seven format, and it was crucial to anticipate and address every detail.
Securing their two home games was the prerequisite for winning the series.
Therefore, it was necessary to re-instill a sense of urgency in the players before the third game.
Li Feng and Yao Ming understood this principle, and on behalf of the players, they voiced their opinions.
Their message was clear: they must treat every upcoming game as if it were the last!
With the series tied at one game apiece, the media was in a frenzy.
What is traffic?
The thoughts, mentality, and statements of the players on both teams were now the most anticipated by fans.
Many fans even believed that the winner of this series would likely be the eventual champions.
Consequently, many of LeBron James's fans lamented that it would have been better if the Knicks were a Western Conference team, thus avoiding an early clash.
At the Heat's pre-game press conference, James and Wade spoke to the media.
Given Li Feng and Yao Ming's composure, reporters were eager to elicit more sensational content from James and Wade's interviews!
James and Wade were well aware of the game's importance, so they had planned to create some pressure on the Knicks during the pre-game interviews.
Even though they were the away team, they intended to "steal the show" and boost the morale of the Heat players!