The referee favored the Cavaliers in the first half, calling many home-team fouls.
So, in the second half, he started to balance things out, and the Cavaliers players were unaccustomed to it.
Once Li Feng noticed the referees' whistles were back to normal, he immediately intensified his drives, either shooting himself or passing to Yao Ming, both resulting in scores.
The Knicks' lead continued to grow.
Yao Ming was truly having a blast today.
He and O'Neal had been longtime rivals, and their matchups had always been tough.
This was Yao Ming's most comfortable game yet!
Because he had lost weight, his attack range increased, making O'Neal hesitate on defense.
Furthermore, the pick-and-roll between Li Feng and Yao Ming was a major weapon, throwing the Cavaliers' defense into disarray as they struggled to cover both.
With 6 minutes and 24 seconds left in the third quarter, the score stood at 74:56, with the Knicks leading by 18 points!
Cavaliers head coach Brown had no choice but to call a timeout, hoping to break the Knicks' momentum before the game got completely out of hand.
Yao Ming slung an arm around Li Feng's shoulder, and they walked off the court, chatting and laughing.
The home crowd saw this heartwarming scene and rose to their feet, applauding. They were overjoyed that the Knicks now had their own "OK Combination."
If the Knicks' "OK Combination" could win three championships in a row...
It was almost too much to imagine!
During the timeout, D'Antoni didn't dwell on tactical issues. He simply inquired about Yao Ming's physical condition.
Yao Ming and O'Neal had tangled multiple times just moments before, creating a nail-biting spectacle.
Yao Ming shook his head. "Coach, I'm fine. I feel great!"
In fact, from Yao Ming's fall in the previous game against the Spurs, it was evident that his weight loss had been highly effective.
Even when he fell, he could quickly execute protective maneuvers because he was more agile.
On the Cavaliers' side, the atmosphere was tense.
This game was crucial for their future development.
LeBron James had already been in the league for seven years!
As a prodigy, James had been entrusted with immense expectations from the moment he entered the league.
Now, with the Knicks' sudden rise and their trend of dominating the league, how could James possibly accept this?
"Coach, have my teammates set screens for me. I need to drive more!"
James's drives were his ultimate weapon, his trump card.
Therefore, for the Cavaliers to make a comeback, they absolutely had to maximize the power of James's signature move.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. LeBron James's eyes were slightly bloodshot; the hopes of his career were concentrated in this game.
James brought the ball up the court. After crossing half-court, the Cavaliers players moved to the high post, screening Scola. James initiated, driving like a tank into the paint.
Several of the Cavaliers players' screens involved fouls, but the referees did not blow their whistles.
O'Neal held Yao Ming tightly, and James drove to the basket for a thunderous dunk!
The fans at the Quicken Loans Arena were instantly ignited with passion!
The trailing Cavaliers seemed to see a glimmer of hope for a comeback.
Under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks responded calmly.
However, all the Cavaliers players felt the pressure. Their defensive intensity was cranked up to maximum, and their actions became more physical.
The score gap narrowed further. With 9 minutes and 13 seconds left in the third quarter, the score was 82:78, with the Knicks leading by only 4 points!
D'Antoni sensed trouble and quickly called another timeout.
Riding the momentum of the home crowd, the Cavaliers were beginning to overwhelm the Knicks.
Li Feng and Yao Ming were knocked down multiple times by the Cavaliers' aggressive defense, but fortunately, they weren't injured.
"Coach, let Yao Ming rest for a bit. I'll stay in," Li Feng said in a low voice, his face grim.
D'Antoni saw that Li Feng was also covered in sweat and his stamina was greatly depleted. He had originally planned to let Li Feng rest and come back in the fourth quarter.
"Li Feng, we're still leading. Why don't you rest for a while?"
"No, Coach. The Cavaliers have gained momentum, and we need to shut them down!"
Seeing that Li Feng was getting heated, Coach D'Antoni reluctantly agreed, but he still cautioned Li Feng a few times, telling him not to get impulsive.
After the timeout, the Cavaliers made no substitutions, keeping their starting lineup on the floor.
The Knicks substituted Yao Ming out and brought in Jordan Hill.
Scola was also subbed out; due to his age, Bill Walker replaced him.
The game resumed. As soon as Li Feng stepped back onto the court, he broke free from the Cavaliers' double-team defense, drove to the corner, and pulled up for a jump shot!
This shot was completely unexpected, as it was Li Feng's first time shooting from the corner.
LeBron James dribbled, intending to drive again.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng stood in front of him, his gaze sharp and locked onto James.
James, relying on his height and strength, made a slight change of direction, intending to push past him.
However, Li Feng showed no fear, moving quickly and blocking James's driving lane.
James, worried about drawing an offensive foul, had to stop and execute a crossover dribble, attempting to get past Li Feng.
But Li Feng's SSS-level steal skill was no joke; he directly snatched the ball away.
James was flustered and immediately lunged for the ball, but Li Feng reacted too quickly, tumbling on the ground and securing possession.
At this moment, Du Hong quickly sprinted, crossing half-court to receive the pass. Li Feng, still on the ground, flicked the ball to Du Hong.
Having played together for most of the season, Du Hong and Li Feng had developed excellent chemistry. He was the first to sprint over, catch the ball, and quickly drive to the basket, scoring off the glass!
Li Feng's steal was incredibly impressive, immediately extinguishing the Cavaliers' surging momentum and boosting the Knicks' morale instead.
James was furious and yelled at the referee, signaling a foul on Li Feng, but the referee ignored him. It was indeed a great play.
The deficit returned to 4 points.
The Cavaliers attacked again. To play it safe, James didn't bring the ball up himself. Instead, he inbounded from the baseline, passing to Earl Boykins.
Boykins dribbled past half-court and passed back to James.
Upon receiving the ball, James had his teammates set a screen and then drove into the paint.
Just as he was about to go up for a layup, Li Feng suddenly appeared and tightly held onto the ball.
James, having already been stripped once, was not about to give up. He also held the ball tightly and even tried to wrench it free, attempting to shake Li Feng off.
But Li Feng was equally determined. With a roar, his legs were like pillars, firmly planted on the ground, unmoving.
The basketball itself suffered the most, being clutched by these two immensely talented superstars, nearly being squeezed to pieces.
The referee quickly ran over and blew his whistle – jump ball!
James was unconvinced, shaking his head continuously, while Li Feng seemed quite satisfied.
Logically, James should have had an advantage in the jump ball.
However, Li Feng, with his incredible jumping speed, managed to tip the ball first.
The basketball flew between Bill Walker and J.J. Hickson.
Bill Walker, having just come onto the court, was full of energy, while Hickson had played for over 10 minutes and his stamina was somewhat depleted. He was half a step slower, and Walker secured the ball.
Walker initiated a fast break, with Li Feng close behind.
James gritted his teeth and pursued closely, determined to disrupt the play at all costs, even if it meant fouling.
It was mainly a matter of pride; a forward over seven feet tall being outjumped by a guard under six-foot-three!
Li Feng sensed James's intention and deliberately led him towards the baseline, allowing Bill to take the layup himself.
James had run himself ragged for nothing; Li Feng hadn't even asked for the ball.
In these few possessions, the Knicks, led by Li Feng, stabilized the situation and widened the lead again.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 89:80, with the Knicks leading by 9 points.
Both James and Li Feng played the entire third quarter, a grueling battle. Both were exhausted, their steps faltering as they walked off the court.
As the star players of their respective teams, both had given everything for their teams.
At the start of the fourth quarter, both teams fielded their reserve lineups.
The bench players knew the importance of this game and were fighting fiercely.
Kyle Lowry unleashed his full potential, his small frame an unstoppable force as he repeatedly attacked the Cavaliers' interior.
Led by Tristan Thompson, the Cavaliers struggled to hold on.
The score difference remained around 10 points.
Despite his extreme fatigue, LeBron James couldn't sit still.
With three minutes gone in the fourth quarter, he stood up again.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng also stood up, looking at James from afar.
James's heart sank. He had intended to enter the game early and make up some points against the Knicks' reserves.
But Li Feng also entered the game simultaneously.
After Li Feng entered the game, he once again contained James, and the Knicks firmly maintained their lead.
With 7 minutes and 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 98:89, with the Knicks leading by 9 points.
D'Antoni waved his hand, and Yao Ming re-entered the game.
James felt a sense of despair.
The combination of Li Feng and Yao Ming was truly a match made in heaven; even Yao Ming's stamina disadvantage seemed to disappear.
For the Cavaliers to emerge from the Eastern Conference, it felt like climbing a mountain.
With just over three minutes left in the game, James lost his fighting spirit and began to walk around the court.
Seeing James like this, Brown was helpless and substituted him out.
Li Feng and Yao Ming didn't leave the court until there was one minute left in the fourth quarter, by which time the Knicks had a 14-point lead.
In the end, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers on the road with a score of 107:95!
This victory not only propelled the Knicks to the top of the league standings but also gave Li Feng a leading advantage in the MVP race against James.
Li Feng played 36 minutes today, scoring 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Most impressively, Li Feng had 6 steals today, 3 of which were against James.
James's statistics were also impressive, playing 35 minutes and scoring 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.
However, in the crucial fourth quarter, he did not step up and was completely shut down by Li Feng.
After the game, Li Feng wanted to talk to James, but James had already returned to the locker room early.
It was understandable; he must have been feeling very dejected.
With the Celtics' Big Three still formidable, the Magic's "Superman" at his peak, and the Knicks' sudden rise, James felt his future was bleak.
Following the game, the media and fans heaped praise upon Li Feng, reaching a new peak.
Li Feng not only held the top spot in the MVP rankings but also led the scoring list.
Even more terrifying was that Li Feng was also ranked third on the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) list.
In fact, given Li Feng's defensive efficiency, being ranked first wouldn't be an exaggeration, but the DPOY award often incorporates a significant amount of "impression points."
Dwight Howard's interior defense was even more awe-inspiring, so it was highly likely that Howard would win the award this season.
...
With only four regular-season games remaining, the Knicks were expected to win all four.
In the remaining four games, Yao Ming rested for three, a strategic decision by the team, as Yao Ming's health was paramount for the playoffs.
Yao Ming no longer needed to prove anything in the regular season; his greatest hope was to achieve something in the playoffs.
As the final regular-season game concluded, the NBA 2009-2010 season playoffs were about to begin!
The Eastern and Western Conference standings were as follows:
The top eight teams in the Eastern Conference were the Knicks, Cavaliers, Magic, Hawks, Celtics, Heat, Bucks, and Hornets.
The top eight teams in the Western Conference were the Lakers, Mavericks, Suns, Nuggets, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Thunder.
Although the Knicks ranked first in the league, the entire team remained focused and showed no signs of complacency or arrogance.
The team continued its rigorous training and conducted thorough research on their first-round opponent.
The Knicks' first-round opponent was the Hornets.
The Hornets lacked any superstar players, but they possessed great resilience and were a difficult team to face.
Although the Knicks had a perfect record against the Hornets in the regular season, their two away games had been quite challenging.
Before the playoffs began, many fans were making predictions and analyses of the playoff landscape on basketball forums.
Despite the Knicks' dominant regular season and their league-best record, fans still considered the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to be the biggest favorite to win the championship.
The sportsbooks agreed, with the Lakers having the lowest championship odds.
Furthermore, the Knicks weren't even ranked as the second-favorite.
The Cavaliers were ranked second.
Although the Cavaliers lost to the Knicks three games to one in the regular season, the combination of James and O'Neal was clearly more imposing.
Mainly, they had defeated the Magic three games to one in the regular season, which led fans to believe that the Cavaliers were also due for success.
The Knicks were ranked third among the favorites, followed by the Celtics in fourth and the Suns in fifth.
Li Feng enjoyed browsing basketball forums in his free time.
When he saw the fans' prediction rankings, he simply smiled.
As a person who had transmigrated, Li Feng didn't care about these things, as too many fans underestimated the Knicks.
It wasn't surprising that fans looked down on the Knicks; the team lacked the championship pedigree and always gave off the impression of being "new money."
The team was based in the world's largest metropolis, lacking neither fan attention nor viewership, thus showing no drive for improvement and lacking that killer instinct.
Li Feng secretly resolved to establish a new winning culture for the Knicks, forging the team into a tenacious unit!
Yao Ming felt immense pressure before the playoffs.
After many years in the Western Conference, the Rockets' best record was the second round of the playoffs.
This had created a psychological shadow for Yao Ming; he always worried that his body wouldn't hold up.
Li Feng sensed that Yao Ming was not in the right emotional state and invited him to dinner after practice.
While eating, Li Feng asked with a smile, "Brother Yao, how far do you think the Knicks can go in these playoffs?"