In desperation, Carter passed the ball to Howard, leaving him to handle the one-on-one.
Howard was quite confident, thinking to himself, "If I can't beat Yao Ming, can't I still beat you, Jordan Hill?"
But just as he was driving left and right, preparing to get to the basket for a powerful dunk, Li Feng once again emerged, with his nimble hands, stealing the ball.
This was the second time in the game that Li Feng had stolen the ball from Howard.
Howard was furious and losing his composure. He chased after Li Feng desperately, even resorting to fouling to bring Li Feng down.
Unfortunately, Li Feng gave him no such opportunity, using a cutback to leave Howard far behind.
After crossing half-court, Li Feng faced Nelson's defense and executed a skillful behind-the-back dribble, faking him to the right. Li Feng then soared for a powerful dunk!
Bang!
Another 2 points!
Li Feng's entry immediately gave the Knicks 4 points and prevented the Magic from scoring an easy basket.
This filled the Magic players with despair.
The Magic had already played well today, managing to correct most of the mistakes from the previous game.
Only with Li Feng on the court, the Magic found no way to defend him.
Perhaps this was the strength of a superstar.
With his individual effort, he could turn the tide of the game.
In the subsequent game, the Knicks' lead gradually widened. Coach Van Gundy, in desperation, subbed out his starters again with over 7 minutes left in the second quarter.
It seemed the first half wouldn't be salvageable, so it was better to conserve energy and see if they could devise a better plan during halftime.
Coach D'Antoni also feared Li Feng would get exhausted and immediately subbed him out.
As Li Feng left the court, the entire audience stood up and cheered, with thunderous applause.
They had witnessed Li Feng's greatest performance in this playoff series, single-handedly leading the bench players to defeat the Magic's starting lineup.
At this point, the score was 47:33, with the Knicks leading by 14 points.
With the Knicks' starters back on the court, Yao Ming began to take over the game.
Facing the Magic's reserves, Yao Ming went on a rampage, making five consecutive shots, including a three-pointer.
Coach Van Gundy's strategy change today had backfired, not only failing to close the gap but actually widening it.
Led by Yao Ming, the Knicks held a 21-point lead at halftime.
Halftime.
In the CCTV Sports channel's broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Zhang Zhidao were enthusiastically commentating on the game.
The previous game, where the Knicks experienced a rollercoaster, had given both commentators a scare.
Therefore, today, both hoped to see the Knicks deliver a dominant performance, especially from Li Feng and Yao Ming.
"Zhang Zhidao, Li Feng was truly divine today. He came on early in the second quarter and repelled the Magic's tactical changes!"
"Indeed, this is the Eastern Conference Finals, and Li Feng, as a rookie, is performing like a superstar. It's incredible."
"Yao Ming also had a blast today. I think Yao Ming has been in a great mood lately, just like in his first two years with the Rockets. He's been all smiles."
"Yes, especially after losing weight, he's back to his peak! I'm truly moved to tears."
"Me too. Last time I was watching the game alone at home... Sigh, I won't say anymore, the viewers will call me sentimental."
In fact, both commentators had tears in their eyes. They had been commentators since Yao Ming entered the NBA and truly felt a connection to him.
They knew how much effort Yao Ming had put in, and they had even visited the Rockets' home arena to witness his games firsthand.
After 2008, Yao Ming's injuries gradually increased, and the two commentators felt heartbroken seeing him lie on the ground in pain.
Countless fans in China shared their feelings.
Therefore, Yao Ming's resurgence with the Knicks had deeply touched many fans.
Many even felt that "My youth has finally returned!"
...
The second half of the game began.
Li Feng did not subject the audience to another rollercoaster ride. In the third quarter, he continued to display his dominance, firmly holding onto the lead.
Despite the Magic's various attempts and all-out efforts, they couldn't close the score gap.
The difference only continued to widen.
By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks were leading by 33 points, and the Magic's fate was sealed.
Coach Van Gundy's face was ashen. He sat silently, not making any substitutions of his starters for the fourth quarter, allowing his bench players to finish the remaining game.
Ultimately, the Knicks secured a resounding victory at home against the Magic, taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Li Feng played only 26 minutes today, scoring 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Although his stats weren't as sensational as before, his performance today was a classic.
Yao Ming played 25 minutes today and scored 28 points, having a great time on the court.
The Magic were truly defeated and had no complaints.
After the game, the media unanimously gave Li Feng extremely high praise, even surpassing Kobe Bryant of the Lakers.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers and Spurs were tied at one game apiece!
In the two games, Kobe scored a total of 67 points, truly a scoring machine.
The Spurs' GDP trio was also very strong, remaining formidable with age and posing significant challenges to the Lakers.
In the first game, the Spurs had led throughout, only to lose the lead in the fourth quarter due to the effective coordination between Kobe and Gasol.
This infuriated the veteran Coach Popovich, who harshly criticized all the Spurs players except for Duncan.
However, despite his scolding, he knew that Kobe had that capability.
When Gasol joined the Lakers, Popovich had protested and predicted that the Lakers would win the championship.
He was not wrong, as the Lakers had conquered all obstacles last season to win the championship.
Kobe had finally achieved his own...
It was like a rain of three-pointers!
It completely baffled the Cavaliers.
LeBron James had struggled to make several drives, but when he turned around, the Magic were hitting three-pointers.
This left James helpless.
Therefore, Li Feng once again practiced defensive coordination with his teammates in training.
How to defend the Magic's perimeter players, and how to limit them when their shooting touch was on fire.
The highly anticipated Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals began.
At 7 PM in the Orlando Amway Arena.
The Magic hosted the Knicks.
The Magic's starting lineup remained Howard, Nelson, Lewis, Barnes, and Carter.
The Knicks' starting five were Li Feng, Yao Ming, Bill Walker, Chris Duhon, and Luis Scola.
Howard secured the first possession, and Nelson brought the ball up past half-court.
Nelson faced Duhon's defense and called for a screen again, with Barnes blocking Duhon.
Taking advantage of the screen, Nelson immediately pulled up for a three-pointer!
Li Feng was defending Carter. When he saw Nelson shoot, he was greatly alarmed.
It seemed the Magic were truly desperate, ready to test their shooting touch today and keep firing!
Swish!
Nelson's shot was good, hitting the first basket!
The Orlando Magic home crowd erupted in cheers. They had witnessed the NBA Finals here last year.
Although they eventually lost to the Lakers, the Magic players were still heroes in their hearts!
Facing the Knicks this year, after being heavily outscored, they were back at home and were determined to rally behind their team and create an intimidating atmosphere!
Li Feng had a faint sense that something was wrong.
He loudly called out to his teammates, urging them to stay calm and not panic.
Knicks offense. Li Feng dribbled past half-court and, facing a double-team, passed the ball to Duhon.
However, immediately after passing, Li Feng suddenly accelerated, running towards the left!