The Knicks' starters returned to the court, only to find a change in the Lakers' starting lineup.
Bynum was absent from the Lakers' starting five, while Gasol was temporarily playing center, with an additional player, Metta.
Metta's position was power forward. His three-point shooting was accurate and his volume was not low.
It was clear that by replacing Bynum, they aimed to increase their mobility and limit Yao Ming.
Li Feng observed this with a cold smile.
During pre-game practice, D'Antoni had arranged various targeted tactics.
In 2009, some teams in the league had already begun to abandon traditional centers and adopt smaller lineups.
Although the proportion of small lineups was low and they were only used at specific times, there was a trend.
Therefore, D'Antoni had devised countermeasures for Yao Ming against fast and shorter interior players.
Today, the Lakers had indeed deployed a small lineup to deal with Yao Ming.
Li Feng and Yao Ming exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.
Then, Li Feng made a gesture to his teammates, and they all understood: they needed to counter the Lakers' small lineup.
As the game began, the Lakers indeed picked up the pace, with Gasol and Metta constantly roaming near the baseline.
If it were the old Yao Ming, he might have been exhausted by the constant movement.
However, the Knicks were prepared. Gallinari, Scola, and Li Feng all helped Yao Ming with interior defense from time to time.
As a result, the Lakers' small lineup did not achieve the desired effect.
On the contrary, Yao Ming played more comfortably.
Bynum at least had the height advantage. With the current interior players, Gasol could not defend Yao Ming at all.
Even after losing weight, Yao Ming could easily drive past Gasol for a layup.
After all, they were not in the same weight class.
The Lakers' head coach, Phil Jackson, watched with a wry smile.
He realized he had been tricked.
Not only had the Knicks helped Yao Ming lose weight, but the entire team had also developed precise tactical countermeasures for Yao Ming's weaknesses.
This was truly terrifying.
The Knicks' tactics were far more sophisticated than those of the Rockets.
The former Rockets simply had Yao Ming do everything inside, making him gain weight and engage in physical battles!
For so many years with the Rockets, Yao Ming didn't even have a decent backup.
Only in the twilight of his career did Mutombo provide Yao Ming with some rest.
With just over four minutes into the third quarter, the Lakers' small lineup not only failed to achieve the expected effect but was instead countered by a run from the Knicks.
Li Feng and Yao Ming's consecutive pick-and-rolls had broken through the Lakers' defense.
The Lakers could only rely on Kobe's difficult shots to barely hold on.
With a score of 68-61, the Knicks led by seven points.
Phil Jackson, feeling helpless, called a timeout to bring Bynum back onto the court.
The two sides countered each other's moves, making it a truly exciting game.
Yao Ming was indeed formidable inside, but he also needed sufficient support from the team. Otherwise, his efficiency would significantly decrease, increasing the risk of injury.
After Bynum came on, Yao Ming once again expanded his offensive zone, tiring Bynum out.
Li Feng seized the opportunity to increase his drives, scoring or assisting consecutively, which made Kobe shake his head in frustration.
Kobe, after all, was a shooting guard who was nearly two meters tall. He could defend Li Feng for a portion of the game, but if he had to play tight defense for the entire game, even an iron man would struggle.
As his stamina decreased, Kobe's shooting efficiency began to decline, resulting in frequent misses.
Li Feng's stamina advantage became apparent. On one hand, it was due to his youth, and on the other hand, he maintained a stable output state through the "Curry Stamina Recovery Technique."
The situation was developing in favor of the Knicks, and the score difference was widening.
The Zen Master couldn't sit still and had to call another timeout.
With Yao Ming on the Knicks, their weakness had become a strength, and the Lakers completely lost their advantage.
Madison Square Garden erupted in joy. Facing the defending champions and playing so exhilaratingly truly gave the fans great hope for winning the championship!
If Li Feng could win the championship in his rookie year, it would truly be a repeat of the Lakers and Magic Johnson's miracle.
In that case, Yao Ming would be in the role of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!
Given Li Feng and Yao Ming's current form, this was entirely possible!
With eight minutes and thirty-three seconds left in the third quarter, D'Antoni substituted Yao Ming and Li Feng to rest.
Both teams began to bring in their reserves.
At this point, the score was 83-72, with the Knicks leading by eleven points.
As soon as Lowry stepped onto the court, he hit a three-pointer! The deficit widened to fourteen points.
Originally, Lowry's three-point ability was developed after he joined the Raptors.
However, after coming to the Knicks and strengthening his three-point training with Li Feng, his three-point shooting percentage greatly improved.
Not only was his accuracy high, but his volume also increased significantly.
In the 2009-2010 season, the Knicks' playing style was unique, with their run-and-gun and three-point offense making it extremely difficult for other teams to adapt.
This was essentially an enhanced version of the later Golden State Warriors dynasty!
Even the defending champion Lakers, with Kobe and Gasol at their peak, couldn't withstand it.
By the time the fourth quarter reached four minutes and twenty-nine seconds, the Knicks had extended their lead to fifteen points.
The Zen Master couldn't wait any longer and brought his starters back onto the court.
He had actually wanted to bring Kobe back earlier, but the so-called iron man Kobe was showing signs of fatigue.
Gasol also looked unhappy after being dominated by Yao Ming, so he could only let the reserves play longer.
The Knicks made no substitutions, continuing to field their reserves.
This was the second time the Knicks' reserves were playing against the Lakers' starters in this game.
Kobe had never been treated like this before. With a stern expression, he immediately announced his intention to catch up by making a pull-up jump shot!
However, the Knicks' reserves were no longer the same as before.
Little Cannon Lowry unleashed his potential. Using a screen, he charged into the paint like a whirlwind.
Odom came to help defend, but was directly knocked aside by Lowry!
Then, before Bynum could rotate over, Lowry scored with a floater!
It was incredibly electrifying!
The Knicks fans hadn't seen such an explosive reserve player in a long time, and they all stood up to applaud.
Many fans were even shouting, "Li Feng, we were wrong! Lowry is amazing!"
Lowry repaid Li Feng's recognition with his outstanding performance.
Although Li Feng was also a rookie, if he hadn't consistently supported Lowry, it would have taken years for Lowry to reach his peak.
The Knicks' reserves were playing a tough, back-and-forth game against the Lakers' starters.
Li Feng and Yao Ming, sitting on the sidelines, were laughing heartily and clapping enthusiastically, delighted by the reserves' performance.
However, after playing for more than three minutes, the reserves' stamina began to decline, and the Lakers scored eight unanswered points, narrowing the gap to five.
Coach D'Antoni quickly called for substitutions and brought the starters back.
At this point, with four minutes and fifty-two seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 97-92, with the Knicks leading by five.
Yao Ming, having rested for so long off the court, was receiving a level of care he had never experienced with the Rockets.
Since coming to the Knicks, Yao Ming had been playing much more comfortably, with his playing time and tactical arrangements being extremely reasonable.
Upon returning to the court, Yao Ming and Li Feng immediately dominated the paint and the perimeter.
Li Feng first made a precise pass to Yao Ming for a thunderous dunk in the paint.
Then, on the defensive end, Li Feng and Yao Ming combined to stop Kobe's drives, initiating a counterattack.
Yao Ming threw a long pass to Li Feng, who crossed half-court.
Kobe was truly anxious. He couldn't let the team lose its last chance to close the gap, so he relentlessly pursued Li Feng.
Li Feng dared not be careless. Kobe's chase-down blocks were league-renowned, and countless fast breaks had been swatted away by Kobe.
With his speed, height, and agility maximized.
With quick steps, Li Feng crossed the three-point line, immediately gathered the ball, and went up for a three-step layup!
Kobe followed closely, taking a step himself and jumping!
The home crowd held their breath, afraid to exhale, as if even a breath would cause Li Feng's shot to be disallowed.
Li Feng, holding the ball in his right hand, drove towards the basket.
Kobe was shocked. He noticed that Li Feng had a clear acceleration phase during the final jump.
He was already fast, and then he accelerated even more, which put Kobe a half-step behind.
If Kobe had resorted to dirty tactics, he could have pulled Li Feng down or pushed him over.
But he did not do so.
Although Kobe was tough, he was considerate of young players. He could only pull his hands back in mid-air, falling naturally, and watch Li Feng's soaring dunk!
Li Feng scored another 2 points!
As soon as the Knicks' starters returned to the court, they extended the lead to nine points.
Although Kobe scored consecutive points through difficult shots, the Knicks' offense was clearly more fluid.
As the seconds ticked by, the Knicks maintained a lead of at least five points.
Finally, the Knicks defeated the defending champion Lakers at home with a score of 111:105, achieving their revenge!
Li Feng played 28 minutes today and scored 31 points, continuing his efficient performance.
Yao Ming played 26 minutes today and scored 28 points, playing with ease and dominating the paint!
Kobe played 32 minutes today and scored 30 points, also performing very well.
However, anyone who watched the game knew that Kobe had exerted too much energy chasing Li Feng, leading to fatigue in his offense.
After the game, Li Feng was named the Most Valuable Player.
Kobe walked over and hugged Li Feng tightly.
Despite facing each other fiercely on the court, and even exchanging some trash talk, Kobe generously congratulated Li Feng at the end of the game.
"Li Feng, you are getting better and better. With Yao Ming assisting you now, you will achieve great things!"
"Thank you, you are also great. I have always been learning from you, and I hope to see you in the playoffs!"
Li Feng's words were a form of encouragement to Kobe, as their meeting in the playoffs would mean the Lakers had once again emerged from the tough Western Conference.
"Great, then we'll see each other in the Finals!"
...
Gasol and Yao Ming also exchanged a few pleasantries.
As fellow international players, Gasol and Yao Ming had a good relationship. They had battled in the paint for many years, and Gasol knew the formidable capabilities of Yao Ming.
Seeing Yao Ming playing at his peak performance again with the Knicks, Gasol was happy for him.
...
After this highly anticipated matchup, the media definitively regarded the Knicks as favorites to win the championship this year.
The fans who were most heartbroken now were undoubtedly the Rockets fans.
They thought Yao Ming was going to gradually fade away due to injuries and leave the NBA stage.
Who would have thought that Yao Ming would perform so efficiently with the Knicks, not only dominating the paint again but also stepping out to shoot three-pointers.
Consequently, Rockets fans flooded social media with curses directed at the Rockets' management and general manager, Alexander.
Moreover, after this trade, the Rockets' record continued to decline, with a 7-2 record in losses and wins, and there was no hope for the playoffs this year.
After defeating the Lakers, the Knicks continued their winning streak.
After the All-Star break, the Knicks regained the top spot in the league's record.
The happiest person at this moment was undoubtedly Li Feng and Yao Ming's joint agent, Bill Duffy.
As for Li Feng, his commercial value continued to soar.
Meanwhile, Yao Ming's commercial value had been declining since last year due to his constant injuries and the Rockets' poor performance.
This was the fate of any athlete; even the most formidable players were subject to it.
Furthermore, despite Yao Ming's considerable skill, he had not achieved any significant hard honors, and this outcome was inevitable.
Just as Bill Duffy thought Yao Ming was on the decline, he arrived at the Knicks and played at his peak, jointly achieving the league's top record with Li Feng!
Such outstanding performance caused Yao Ming's commercial value to soar again!
One day, after training, Li Feng and Yao Ming agreed to have dinner together.
During dinner, Yao Ming mentioned his endorsement with a domestic brand, Lin Ning.
Lin Ning was the number one sports brand in China. Relying on Yao Ming's influence, it quickly grew from an unknown small brand to the top in the country.
However, after becoming big, the management of Lin Ning became arrogant. Their product quality deteriorated, but prices increased, which greatly angered Yao Ming.
The most disgusting part was that after Yao Ming's performance declined, Lin Ning clearly stated that they would not sign a long-term contract with Yao Ming, only a two-year deal, and at the lowest possible price.
Yao Ming was furious. He decided not to renew his contract with Lin Ning Sports and switch to Li Feng's Red Star Sports.
The owner of Red Star Sports, Deng Huasheng, had a very good reputation in China. He not only secretly did a lot of charity work but also strictly controlled product quality, which satisfied consumers.
Li Feng had always had the idea of having both Yao Ming and himself sign with Red Star Sports.
However, this was a commercial matter, and Li Feng couldn't conveniently bring it up.
Now that Yao Ming's contract with Lin Ning Sports was about to expire, and Yao Ming himself brought it up, Li Feng was naturally very welcoming.
"That's great, Brother Yao. I speak directly, so please don't be offended. Lin Ning Sports' operations in recent years have been too bizarre, and they've ruined their reputation. It's right for you to leave."
Yao Ming also shook his head and said, "Yes, Lin Ning's products are sold so expensively, yet consumers often complain. Internal management is also a mess. I really can't stay any longer."
After they agreed, Li Feng immediately called Boss Deng.
When Boss Deng heard that Yao Ming was joining, he jumped up with joy!
"Haha, that's great! Da Yao is the common idol of our generation. Without him, I wouldn't even watch the NBA!"
Then, Deng Huasheng waved his pen and directly offered Yao Ming a five-year, fifty-million-dollar contract.
It could be said that no sports brand would offer Yao Ming such a large contract at this point.
But Deng Huasheng readily gave Yao Ming a big contract.
Li Feng was also very moved. From Deng Huasheng, he saw the conscience and vision of Chinese entrepreneurs.
"Boss Deng, don't worry, Yao Ming and I will not disappoint you, nor will we let Red Star Sports lose money!"