The Knicks' strategy had been unclear earlier, with teammates hesitant about passing to Li Feng or Yao Ming.
After Coach D'Antoni's arrangements, Li Feng emphasized to his teammates that unless he actively requested the ball, they should decisively pass to Yao Ming.
With Yao Ming's improved three-point shooting and playmaking abilities, his increased skill points allowed him to fully take over games.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
Yao Ming ran beyond the three-point line to receive the pass.
Heat center Casey hesitated. His mobility wasn't as good as Yao Ming's, so he was reluctant to venture outside the paint.
Lowry immediately passed the ball to Yao Ming.
The big Yao punished Casey's indecision with a three-pointer.
Spoelstra yelled from the sidelines, waving for Casey to stick close to Yao Ming and deny him open shots.
Casey was in a difficult position. He had been gaining weight to be a dominant center for the Heat.
However, facing a newly slimmed-down Yao Ming put him in a bind.
Yao Ming's three-pointer extended the Knicks' lead to 12 points.
LeBron James called for the ball at the 45-degree angle, looking to drive again.
Lowry found himself in front of him once more.
This time, however, the referee blew the whistle for a blocking foul on Lowry.
Sometimes, calls came down to the referee's discretion.
Perhaps the referee wanted to give the Heat a chance to close the gap.
The Heat continued their offense. As LeBron James received the ball, Li Feng positioned himself before James could even initiate his drive.
*Bang!*
Li Feng was knocked to the ground by James again.
James spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness, indicating he had initiated contact first.
But this time, the referee called an offensive foul on James.
This resulted in LeBron James picking up his fourth personal foul.
The home crowd erupted in cheers. If LeBron James had to sit out, the Knicks would truly be in a commanding position.
James stood with his hands on his hips, his face grim, shaking his head in disbelief. He felt the call was unfair.
Possession changed, and the Knicks went on the offensive.
Li Feng received the ball and was immediately double-teamed. He quickly passed to Lowry.
Lowry saw Yao Ming had once again positioned himself outside the three-point line.
But Casey, following his coach's instructions, stayed tightly guarded on Yao Ming.
Unfortunately for Casey, Yao Ming was far more agile. With a sharp cut, the big Yao created a full-body length separation from Casey.
Lowry, with quick hands, flicked the ball with his right hand, delivering a precise pass to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming caught the ball and drove straight to the basket, where Bosh came over to help defend.
*Swish!*
Using his height advantage, Yao Ming opted for a simple jump shot, scoring without any fancy moves.
Bosh could only watch as Yao Ming effortlessly scored over him.
The Knicks players' resolute execution of this play allowed Yao Ming to unleash his scoring prowess.
The Heat finally began to buckle under the pressure.
Spoelstra sighed softly. He knew that playing at the Knicks' home arena, trailing by so much with only one quarter left, the deficit was insurmountable.
By the end of the third quarter, Spoelstra didn't even bother sending his starters back onto the court. He was already focused on the next game.
There was simply no answer for the surging Knicks.
With the Heat not fielding their starters, D'Antoni also kept Li Feng and Yao Ming on the bench.
Ultimately, the Knicks secured a dominant victory over the Heat on their home court, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
Following this game, the media narrative shifted dramatically, with widespread praise for Li Feng.
And rightly so.
Li Feng had scored an incredible 38 points in just 29 minutes of play.
Especially in the first half, Li Feng showcased his all-around performance to its fullest extent.
Compared to Li Feng, the Heat's "Big Three" seemed to pale in comparison.
However, Li Feng remained grounded, not becoming complacent despite the significant lead.
He accepted one official interview but declined all other media invitations.
The Heat's inherent strength meant a comeback was inevitable.
They might even produce a historically great performance in Game 4 to tie the series.
Therefore, the Knicks needed to remain vigilant and treat every game as if it were their last to win the series.
Despite that, after this game, Li Feng's nickname "Feverish God of War" went viral across the internet.
Even those who didn't follow the NBA were now familiar with the meme.
The most awkward situation was for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Wade, being more gracious, acknowledged that mimicking Li Feng's cough was inappropriate and that he had been proven wrong.
During an interview, he publicly apologized to Li Feng.
While Li Feng didn't respond directly, the media and fans lauded Wade for his sportsmanship.
Game 4 was particularly crucial for the Heat.
A victory would effectively reclaim home-court advantage, allowing them to build momentum back home and secure a win in the pivotal Game 5.
However, a loss would put them on the brink of elimination.
Mounting a comeback against the Knicks after losing three straight games would be a pipe dream, unless the referees were involved.
But even that wouldn't be easy.
Red Star Sports' international influence was growing, and their investment in the NBA was increasing.
Nike's influence was waning.
In this context, it was impossible for Nike to dictate terms.
Judging by the first few games, there might have been some home-court calls, but there was no obvious bias, and the officiating was generally fair.
One day later, the fourth game between the two teams commenced.
The viewership for the first three games had surpassed all other matchups, making it the most anticipated series of the playoffs.
It was no surprise, given that one team was the reigning champion and the other featured a historically rare "Big Three."
A clash of titans!
...
At 7:30 PM, Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks hosted the Heat.
The starting lineups for both teams remained unchanged.
Yao Ming once again secured the opening tip for the Knicks.
After slimming down, Yao Ming's static and dynamic physical talents had been further enhanced. When healthy, he rarely lost a jump ball.
Li Feng didn't call for the ball, allowing Lowry to bring it up past half-court.
The Heat players, unsure of Li Feng's intentions, still guarded him with two defenders.
Seeing that Yao Ming wasn't signaling for the ball, Lowry decided to drive himself.
Chalmers couldn't contain Lowry. The "Little Steel Cannon" accelerated, reaching the paint before releasing a floater for two points.
This was an unusual offensive approach for the Knicks, as their first scoring opportunity typically involved Li Feng or Yao Ming.
Even if they weren't the ones scoring, they would initiate the play.
Today, however, Lowry was the first to score.
This indicated that the other Knicks players were in good form and, at the very least, mentally relaxed.
Li Feng was pleased. He had witnessed Lowry's growth step by step.
The Heat initiated their offense.
LeBron James held the ball.
Perhaps wary of Li Feng and Lowry's ability to draw fouls, James altered his driving approach.
He abandoned straight-line drives, instead using constant changes of direction and screens from teammates, creating ambiguity.
It had to be said that LeBron James' adaptability was exceptional.
This type of driving was Wade's specialty.
Previously, James' moves had seemed somewhat rigid, leading others to believe he couldn't execute them effectively.
But today, LeBron James, in his own way, displayed the "phantom step" drive.
While the aesthetic appeal of his movements might have been inferior to Wade's, the game was about winning and losing, not a beauty contest.
Flashy moves scored the same number of points.
Despite his slightly stiff movements, James' drive was highly effective.
Lowry attempted to draw a foul, but he couldn't position himself correctly, and the referee unhesitatingly called a blocking foul.
LeBron James' "phantom step" drive proved very successful, leading to frequent scoring opportunities.
This presented a significant challenge for the Knicks.
The Heat began to take the lead.
However, the Knicks weren't entirely outmatched. Someone would always step up, keeping the score within a five-point range.
Despite the small margin, the Knicks faced a hidden danger.
To contain James' drives, Knicks players had committed several fouls.
Yao Ming had 2 fouls, Lowry had 2 fouls, and Li Feng had 1 foul.
This put the Knicks in a precarious situation.
Yao Ming and Lowry would need to sit out for rest, and while Li Feng only had one foul, he couldn't risk drawing another offensive foul on James.
If he committed another, he too would have to rest, potentially leading to the Knicks' collapse.
Therefore, Li Feng had to focus on scoring and prevent the Heat from widening their lead.
However, the Heat intensified their defensive pressure on Li Feng.
With no other options, Li Feng passed the opportunity to his teammates, hoping they could step up.
Fortunately, Amar'e Stoudemire had a decent performance today, hitting several mid-range jumpers and helping the Knicks stay within striking distance.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 32-25 in favor of the Heat, a 7-point lead.
D'Antoni sensed trouble.
LeBron James' adjustments were too rapid, and currently, no Knicks player could effectively match up against him.
Anyone who dared to defend him ended up committing fouls, making it impossible to play effectively.
A bit longer and players would be forced to the bench.
Fortunately, at the start of the second quarter, LeBron James went to the bench for a rest, hoping the reserves could maintain the scoring.
Billups came into the game and performed well. He drove to the baseline and hit a jump shot.
He then assisted Jordan Hill for an easy layup.
However, James Jones showcased his killer instinct, hitting consecutive three-pointers from both corners, widening the scoreline again.
Among the Knicks' reserves, only Billups and Felton possessed decent three-point shooting capabilities.
Felton attempted a three-pointer from the top of the arc but missed, the shot clanging off the rim.
Li Feng and Yao Ming watched from the sidelines, letting out a sigh of regret.
The other Knicks players were indeed inconsistent, but that was the nature of reserve players, and one couldn't expect too much.
The lead was further extended.
After just over four minutes into the second quarter, the deficit had grown to 12 points.
D'Antoni immediately called a timeout, deciding to bring his starters back in. If the lead reached 20+ points in the first half, the game would become significantly more difficult.
While Li Feng and Yao Ming were on the bench, they discussed their strategy.
Yao Ming believed that to catch up, their teammates needed to find their rhythm.
This was because Li Feng and Yao Ming were facing such intense defensive pressure.
It was hard to fathom that in a basketball game with only five players on the court, the Heat were double-teaming two of them, while only Chalmers was guarding Lowry.
In reality, the Heat's defense wasn't simply a double-team; their defensive mobility was very high.
For instance, when defending Yao Ming, they employed a fronting defense. The player behind Yao Ming was not only responsible for guarding him but also for preventing mid-lane cuts.
This required significant reaction time and footwork from the players.
However, Bosh, as an excellent power forward, performed this role admirably.
He not only provided help defense for Yao Ming but also prevented Amar'e Stoudemire from making cuts.
LeBron James was similarly involved. He not only double-teamed Li Feng but also quickly rotated to help defend when Bill Walker had the ball.
The consequence of the Heat's defensive strategy was a lead in the score, but at the cost of significant energy expenditure.
Li Feng observed this and devised a strategy: maintain a deficit of no more than 10 points in the first half.
In the second half, as the Heat players' stamina inevitably waned, they could then seize control of the game.
Upon Li Feng and Yao Ming's return to the court, although receiving the ball was challenging, both players focused on setting screens for their teammates and directing them periodically.
Lowry also increased his three-point attempts.
In fact, Lowry's three-point shooting was quite good; it had just been inconsistent before.
Since joining the Knicks, his three-point shooting had improved rapidly under Li Feng's guidance.
Although Bill Walker was known for his defense, Li Feng also encouraged him to strengthen his cutting, increasing his opportunities for open shots.
Through the collective effort of the Knicks, the deficit gradually narrowed.
LeBron James, perhaps due to fatigue, reduced his drives.
It was understandable; no matter how good LeBron James' stamina was, he was still human, not an iron man.
After so many drives in the first quarter, LeBron James was panting heavily.
Therefore, in the second quarter, LeBron James focused more on his shooting.
However, his inconsistent shooting made him look somewhat awkward, going 2 for 5.
The Knicks seized the opportunity to catch up.
At halftime, the score was 61-57, with the Heat leading by only 4 points.
A 4-point deficit was entirely manageable.
As long as the Knicks maintained their stamina in the second half and utilized their home-court advantage, they had a solid chance to win the game.
...
In the China Sports live broadcast, Yu Jia and Coach Zhang were providing commentary, with Yang Yi as the guest.
Perhaps due to his overly harsh criticism of Li Feng in the previous game, Yang Yi had faced immense condemnation from Chinese fans.
However, Yang Yi possessed exceptional mental fortitude and was unfazed.
Yu Jia remarked, "The Knicks are in a tough battle again today. Coach Zhang, Mr. Yang Yi, do you think the Knicks still have a chance in the second half?"
Coach Zhang was the first to respond, saying, "There's still a great chance. With the home-court advantage, coupled with Li Feng and Yao Ming's dominance on both ends of the court, they will definitely push the game to the final moments."
Yang Yi, however, shook his head with a sly grin, saying, "It won't be easy for the Knicks to make a comeback today. Li Feng is locked down, and Yao Ming has foul trouble. It's too difficult."
Yu Jia smiled and interjected, "Li Feng isn't exactly locked down, is he? Even against a double-team, or even a triple-team, it's difficult for him to perform well."
Yang Yi scoffed and retorted, "Why would they double-team him and not others? Isn't it because he's weak? Because double-teaming him is so effective, they're committed to it."
Coach Zhang repeatedly shook his head and refuted, "Your reasoning makes no sense. It's because Li Feng is too strong that the Heat is double-teaming him. Why would they double-team someone who is weak?"
Yang Yi showed no respect for Coach Zhang's opinion, sticking to his guns.
"Li Feng's height is a disadvantage. Under a double-team, it's difficult for him to get a shot off, which will increase his turnovers..."
Before he could finish, Coach Zhang interrupted him, "Li Feng has zero turnovers today, though."
Yang Yi appeared somewhat embarrassed but argued, "Even though he has zero turnovers, he's lost opportunities to attack. This shows that the Heat's defensive strategy is correct."
Yu Jia, fearing a heated argument between the two, quickly intervened, saying, "Actually, Li Feng is the Knicks' core player. Limiting him is certainly the Heat's defensive priority. No one else truly receives that kind of treatment."