The replay of Li Feng's goal was shown repeatedly on the big screen from various angles.
Despite it being the Heat's home game, a small number of spectators still gave Li Feng a smattering of applause.
Li Feng himself was also very excited. He roared at the sky, venting the pent-up emotions within him.
While James and Wade marveled, they also felt self-reproach. Their momentary hesitation had given Li Feng the opportunity to steal the ball.
The point difference was now back to 13 points, and the situation was becoming somewhat delicate.
In fact, even Heat head coach Spoelstra found himself in a difficult position. With LeBron James's strength, he should absolutely be the team's primary offensive option.
However, Wade had performed even better in the first half. The only concern was his stamina and physical condition.
So, what should be done in the second half? Should Wade continue to be the main attacker?
Or should Wade, who had played exceptionally well in the first half, relinquish possession and hand it over to James, who had been slightly sluggish in the first half?
Spoelstra was at a loss. He hadn't clarified this issue before the second half began, only saying that whoever had the opportunity should take it.
This ambiguity also left James and Wade somewhat bewildered.
For other coaches, this was a happy dilemma.
After all, they had many star players at their disposal, offering more options.
But there was only one basketball, and at crucial moments, deciding how to choose became Coach Spoelstra's most vexing problem.
Li Feng's goal greatly boosted the morale of his Knicks teammates.
The Heat team initiated another offensive play.
James and Wade seemed to realize this issue, as they whispered a few words to each other before the inbound pass.
Finally, James nodded and still handed the ball to Wade.
Li Feng kept observing their expressions, hoping to find any exploitable weakness on their faces.
Wade dribbled across half-court and, facing Li Feng, called for a screen again.
James, uncharacteristically, stood in front of Li Feng.
Li Feng immediately understood; James and Wade were going to run a pick-and-roll.
Therefore, while being screened, he made a gesture to Stoudemire.
Stoudemire, understanding his intent, prepared to respond.
Wade used the screen to drive into the paint and made a move to attack the basket, but James suddenly cut inside, driving to the basket from the other side.
The Knicks players, except for Stoudemire, were all shocked.
Wade smoothly tossed the ball up for a lob pass to the other side of the rim.
The Wade-James connection!
In games against the Knicks, the Wade-James connection was not used much because of Yao Ming's presence.
But this time, Cass pushed Yao Ming outside the three-second area. James soared high, and the Wade-James connection reappeared in the basketball world!
The home Heat fans rose to their feet in excitement, their eyes wide, ready to savor James's thunderous dunk!
The height of Wade's lob pass was such that only James could reach it.
As the saying goes – you can throw the ball as high as you want for James, and he can jump that high!
Just as everyone expected James to deliver a powerful dunk, Stoudemire suddenly emerged from the side and swatted the ball before it reached its apex.
James, soaring high, suddenly found the ball swatted away by a hand. Looking down, he saw it was Stoudemire!
At his peak, Stoudemire's vertical leap was not significantly inferior to James's.
Although he was a bit older now, he was still under 30. Flying all game might be unrealistic, but making such an impact at a crucial moment was certainly possible.
Of course, the biggest credit for this steal went to Li Feng. If Li Feng hadn't signaled in advance, Stoudemire wouldn't have anticipated Wade's lob pass to James.
The ball, swatted by Stoudemire, changed trajectory and flew towards the top of the backboard, bouncing out.
Coincidentally, the ball bounced to a spot near Lowry and Chalmers.
Lowry leaped and dove, securing the ball before Chalmers could. As he landed, he pushed it forcefully to Li Feng!
The whole team was fighting with their lives!
At this moment, the entire Knicks team was like a precision machine operating at high speed, with everyone strictly adhering to the established tactics and executing them with unwavering resolve!
Li Feng received the ball, feeling its immense weight – this was a possession fought for by the combined efforts of Stoudemire and Lowry.
He had to make this shot!
Chalmers and Wade were in close pursuit, especially Wade, who gritted his teeth.
It was supposed to be a fantastic Wade-James connection opportunity. If successful, it would have surely ignited the atmosphere among the home crowd, not only widening the point gap but also boosting morale!
Who would have thought it would be disrupted by the Knicks!
Chalmers and Wade were both extremely fast, but Li Feng was faster.
The moment he stepped inside the three-point line, Li Feng accelerated again!
The three were previously running neck and neck, but Li Feng's acceleration suddenly left them half a meter behind.
Wade and Chalmers felt a chill in their hearts. It was over again...
He jumped from the free-throw line, gliding like a great bird!
Bang!
Li Feng slammed this immensely important ball fiercely into the hoop!
The Heat's home court fell into dead silence, the crowd stunned.
Only the Knicks' bench erupted in cheers.
The Knicks teammates on the court excitedly ran over to celebrate with Li Feng, chest-bumping each other. Stoudemire and Lowry, in particular, were the most animated.
Spoelstra let out a soft sigh and shook his head, calling for a timeout.
Although it had only been a little over 40 seconds into the game, the Knicks had already gained momentum, and the deficit was back to 11 points.
If he didn't call a timeout now, the Knicks might go on a run.
Li Feng exchanged high-fives with the starting players and walked off the court, chatting and laughing.
D'Antoni, at the sideline, smiled and high-fived them one by one. He was extremely pleased with the offense and defense over those two possessions.
If this momentum continued, a comeback was still possible.
In front of televisions, computers, and mobile phones, countless Knicks fans, as well as fans of Li Feng and Yao Ming, were now also incredibly invigorated.
At the end of the first half, they had felt a sliver of despair, thinking the Knicks would fall in Game 7.
During the timeout, D'Antoni didn't discuss any tactical matters; he simply pumped up the players with motivational words.
Having experienced the previous Finals, D'Antoni was now more experienced.
At the crucial moments of a critical game, the players' minds were blank. They couldn't absorb any tactics at such times.
What they needed most was encouragement, a jolt of energy, to intensely stimulate their adrenaline and make them perform beyond their usual capabilities!
Li Feng remained very calm. He didn't say anything, but the Heat's adjustments after the timeout were what Li Feng needed to focus on.
He had to direct his teammates' movements based on the tactical changes made by James and Wade.
In this regard, Li Feng could do what D'Antoni couldn't, as Li Feng was a player who could adapt on the court.
During the timeout, Spoelstra still hadn't explicitly defined the primary offensive roles for James and Wade, but he re-emphasized that their offense needed to be more decisive and less hesitant!
James and Wade wore solemn expressions. As top superstars in the league, they both possessed the ability to break through defenses.
However, in the face of the Knicks' overall defense, they were still unable to perform at their best.
When they returned to the court after the timeout, James pulled Wade aside and said softly, "Wade, you attack with confidence. I'll support you!"
Wade felt a warmth in his heart. James saying this showed that he was truly prioritizing the bigger picture, with winning as his sole objective.
But Wade knew himself best; his stamina was insufficient to play like that for the entire game.
So, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take the lead in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter is yours!"
"Deal!"
The two superstars exchanged firm high-fives.
Others didn't understand the significance of their high-five, but only they knew its true meaning!
Li Feng's gaze was sharp, and seeing their interaction, his heart skipped a beat.
Had the two reached an agreement?
...
The game resumed.
The Heat attacked, and Wade dribbled across half-court.
Li Feng continued to defend Wade closely.
Wade called for a screen and drove again towards the baseline.
Just as Wade was preparing to take a mid-range shot, he suddenly realized that Li Feng had gone around the screen and was tightly in front of him.
Li Feng's ability to navigate screens had always been strong because he was quick and powerful. Therefore, when the screen quality wasn't high, Li Feng could often squeeze through.
It was Cass who had set the screen earlier, and he was in a hurry to get back to the basket, so the screen quality was somewhat lacking, and Li Feng seized the opportunity to squeeze past.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Wade quickly passed the ball to Bosh in the middle.
Bosh had played ordinarily in the first half, but during the halftime break, Wade and James had both encouraged him to be more aggressive.
After all, defending Bosh was somewhat challenging for Stoudemire.
Bosh received the ball and, facing Stoudemire, executed a smooth spin move, preparing for a layup.
Unexpectedly, Yao Ming suddenly emerged and, with a slap, forcefully swatted Bosh's ball out of bounds.
Yao Ming's role as a defensive anchor in the paint was once again evident; the Yao Ming block reappeared in the basketball world!
In the second half, every Knicks player stepped up, appearing in the right positions at the right times!
Wade sighed, but he didn't blame Cass, because Cass was at his level, not a top-tier center.
With the presence of the Big Three, signing a top-tier center was impossible.
Cass, for the most part, could still fulfill his role as a blue-collar player.
But the screen quality earlier was just slightly subpar, and Li Feng had exploited the opening.
It could only be said that Li Feng was too strong!
The Heat continued their offense, but only 4 seconds of shot clock remained.
James inbounded the ball from the sideline and passed it directly to Wade.
Wade faced Li Feng with a determined look. He no longer called for a screen, intending to go one-on-one.
Li Feng had waited for this moment all game.
After a pump fake, Wade accelerated towards the right.
Swish!
Li Feng, with a half-step advantage, caught up, continuing to stick right in front of Wade.
The Flash had encountered the league's fastest first step; it was truly a clash of equals.
Seeing that the time was about to expire, Wade attempted a difficult jump shot.
Unfortunately, Li Feng's vertical leap was even more extreme. He took off from a standstill, slap!
Since the Heat's shot clock was running out, Li Feng didn't use excessive force, but rather a gentle tap!
The ball landed precisely in front of Stoudemire.
Stoudemire grabbed the ball and immediately initiated a fast break!
Wade's face was grim; this was the first time he had been blocked by Li Feng without a screen, and it was a significant blow to his morale.
Stoudemire crossed half-court and finished the play with a dunk!
63:54, the Heat's lead was now only 9 points.
Despite his frustration, Spoelstra did not call another timeout, as it was only a little over two minutes into the third quarter.
He could only gesture to his players, urging them to stay focused.
The Heat team's offense began again. Wade seemed a bit discouraged, passing the ball to James and stepping aside.
His body language conveyed, "I don't want to play anymore, I'm a bit dejected, you take over!"
James knew he had to step up. Although the Heat was still leading, the momentum had subtly shifted.
If the downward trend wasn't stopped soon, the Knicks would truly be able to overtake them quickly!
James crossed half-court and, facing Bill Walker, used his strong physique to create space and drive into the paint.
Cass was tightly blocking Yao Ming, and Bosh was blocking Stoudemire.
Just as James was about to drive straight in for a powerful dunk, Li Feng suddenly appeared in front of him.
Li Feng had positioned himself on James's driving lane preemptively, with his hands held across his chest. He was solidly knocked to the ground by James.
Although Li Feng's skill in drawing fouls was first-rate, and he had a subtle technique to absorb some of the impact after being hit,
it was LeBron James!
Yao Ming had personally said that being hit by a fast-starting James felt like being hit by a truck.
And Li Feng dared to throw himself in harm's way, truly giving his all.
The referee hesitated, not immediately making a call, and instead went to the sideline to review the instant replay.
In crucial games, referees had to be cautious.
After discussion among the referees, the final decision was made: offensive foul on James!
When D'Antoni heard the referee announce the result, he excitedly clenched his fist!
This call was extremely important. If Li Feng had been called for blocking, James would have been even more determined in his drives, and it would have been unstoppable.
With such a swing, the Knicks would have been in danger.
As the referee announced the result, both James and Spoelstra covered their faces with their hands, shaking their heads repeatedly.
Li Feng and his teammates exchanged high-fives in celebration. Lowry, in particular, whispered in admiration into Li Feng's ear, "That was brilliant, Li Feng. I wanted to draw a foul too, but I was a step too slow."
Li Feng patted Lowry's shoulder, encouraging him, "It's okay, there's still a chance. You have to anticipate things in advance!"
Possession changed, and the Knicks went on offense.
Li Feng passed the ball from the top of the arc, and Wade and Chalmers double-teamed him again.
At this moment, Yao Ming shook off Cass and ran to the corner.
Perhaps the defensive load in the paint today was too heavy, so Yao Ming hadn't had a chance to shoot a three-pointer yet.
Precisely because he hadn't shot any three-pointers, Cass was caught off guard.
As Yao Ming moved to the three-point line, Cass saw the danger and tried to chase him.
But Li Feng's passing skills wouldn't give him the opportunity. With a lightning-fast pass, he accurately delivered the ball to Yao Ming.
Not only was the pass quick, but the location was also extremely comfortable. After receiving the ball, Yao Ming barely needed to adjust; he simply caught and shot!
Swish!
Yao Ming's shooting touch was exceptional. Such a tall player possessed an incredibly soft touch, calmly sinking the corner three-pointer!
63:57!
The deficit had narrowed to 6 points!
The Knicks had managed a 9:0 run in just over three minutes of the third quarter.
The Heat had not scored a single point in the second half!
Spoelstra could no longer stand it.
Although he had called a timeout earlier, he called another one.