55:46, the gap widened to 9 points!
There were 38 seconds left in the first half.
Li Feng raised his hand, signaling his teammates to spread out, as he intended to go for a solo play.
Rose's ability to adapt was strong. Earlier, when Li Feng double-teamed him, he suddenly lunged forward and, along with Bogans, trapped Li Feng.
However, Li Feng was accustomed to facing double-teams; this was basic treatment for a superstar.
Therefore, Li Feng remained unfazed. He angled his body slightly, evading the constant harassment from the two defenders, while observing his teammates' movements.
At this moment, Stoudemire, screened by Lowry, suddenly cut into the paint. Li Feng, with quick eyes and hands, made a direct pass, accurately delivering the ball to Stoudemire.
Stoudemire caught the ball and took flight, slamming it down with a one-handed dunk!
Despite the Bulls' Luol Deng and Noah lunging to rotate defensively, they were a step too late.
Li Feng's pass was like a cannonball; the defenders couldn't react in time.
55:48!
The Bulls still led by 7 points.
Although it was only the first half, the fierce competition for every inch between the two teams made the atmosphere in the arena incredibly tense, leaving the spectators feeling breathless!
With 13 seconds remaining, the Bulls had their final possession!
Li Feng shouted, and the entire Knicks team initiated a full-court press.
The Bulls struggled to even inbound the ball.
Finally, Bogans sprinted to the right side and received the pass, but Lowry immediately closed in, preventing him from crossing half-court.
Li Feng stayed tightly beside Rose.
However, Li Feng had an idea. He deliberately left space on Rose's left side, baiting him to receive the ball with his left hand.
Rose, being the Bulls' star player, would inevitably get the ball in critical moments.
As expected, Bogans, seeing an opportunity for Rose to catch the ball, immediately passed it over.
Little did he know, this was a deliberate opening Li Feng had created!
Just as Rose reached out to catch the ball, Li Feng suddenly darted from the left, his long arms extending rapidly. *Slap!*
The ball was intercepted by Li Feng.
Rose was shocked and quickly tried to recover the ball, but Li Feng's movements were a fluid sequence; he was already prepared, batting the ball away twice and securing possession.
*Whoosh!*
Li Feng didn't try to be greedy. Seeing Lowry closing in, he immediately passed the ball to Lowry.
Bogans attempted to block Lowry, but the "Little Steel Cannon" was no longer the same; with a quick change of direction, he shook off Bogans and drove for a layup!
The Knicks scored another 2 points, narrowing the deficit to 5.
At this point, only 1.3 seconds remained on the clock for the Bulls!
The Bulls players were dejected, heads hanging low. Rose, in particular, was blaming himself, patting his head.
Bogans inbounded the ball, and Rose, with a rushed shot from his own backcourt, missed everything. The first half ended!
Although the Knicks were still trailing, their momentum had shifted, and it was uncertain who would emerge victorious in the second half!
Li Feng was exhilarated, very satisfied with his teammates' defensive intensity and synchronized play.
He loudly encouraged his teammates, high-fiving each one, telling everyone they would fight again in the second half!
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley was full of praise for Li Feng's performance.
"Hey, you see that? Li Feng showed incredible dominance in the second quarter. Rose is still a bit too green!"
Smith chuckled, "Your attitude changed too quickly. Even if you're praising Feng, don't be so obvious, haha!"
Barkley was simply that kind of person. Once he made up his mind, he didn't care what others thought; as long as his mouth felt good, that was enough.
"It's true. Look, Li Feng's defensive strategy against Rose was very targeted: first a double-team, then a steal with a fronting defense. These are Rose's weak points!"
Smith agreed with Barkley's assessment.
"Exactly. At the end of the second quarter, Li Feng suddenly intensified his defense, which made Rose very uncomfortable. It seems players who have won championships are truly fierce in crucial moments!"
Speaking of championships, Barkley didn't like it, as the lack of a championship ring was an eternal pain in his heart.
"It's not about the championship. The main thing is that Li Feng's mind is so clear in critical moments. Among active players, very few can reach his level, almost none!"
"I think LeBron, Wade, and Kobe all have this ability, it's just that Li Feng has a better team," Smith offered a different perspective.
Barkley vehemently disagreed. He shook his bald head and retorted, "Li Feng has a good team? Then why did the team lose four in a row when he was sidelined?"
Smith shrugged, defending, "But Yao Ming also didn't play in those four games. It just shows that both Yao Ming and Li Feng are very important to the team."
Barkley waved his hand dismissively and continued to argue, "Of course, Yao Ming is important, but Li Feng is the guarantee of the Knicks' ceiling. Without Li Feng, even if you replaced him with LeBron and Kobe, this team wouldn't win a championship!"
Smith was not convinced by this kind of "what if" speculation. He smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true. Li Feng hasn't proven that he can win a championship without Yao Ming and without D'Antoni."
Barkley looked down on Smith's opinion but didn't know how to refute it.
"So, you're saying Jordan couldn't prove he could win without Pippen?"
"You could say that..." Smith might have felt this was a bit of a cheat, so he chuckled himself.
"Good heavens, what kind of theory is that!" Barkley clasped his hands on his head, looking at Smith with utter astonishment.
In reality, the two were creating showmanship. Smith was a very rational and calm commentator.
The reason he said this was primarily to represent the views of some fans online.
Such outrageous remarks, when spoken aloud, did sound quite ridiculous.
...
During halftime, Li Feng didn't say much to his teammates in the locker room.
Because the Knicks players were exhausted from the first half, with significant physical exertion, they should be allowed more rest.
The second half began.
Although the Bulls players held a 5-point lead, they were not satisfied.
Therefore, at the start of the third quarter, they launched a fierce offensive.
Rose made two consecutive drives and scored, including a three-point play, instantly extending the lead to 10 points.
D'Antoni was anxious, pacing the sidelines and shouting instructions to his teammates from time to time.
However, he didn't call a timeout, as Li Feng on the court could adjust the players' state.
Li Feng remained composed. He knew the opposing team was at home, full of momentum and displaying brilliant skill.
The Knicks needed to weather the storm, stabilize themselves, and then launch a counter-attack.
In the next possession, Li Feng once again double-teamed Rose.
This season, Rose was too formidable; he couldn't be stopped with single coverage.
Under the double-team from Li Feng and Lowry, Rose's offense indeed stalled.
And the other Bulls players failed to step up.
Luol Deng, Noah, and Boozer all lacked the ability to break through the defense.
Noah, while possessing playmaking skills, needed Rose to coordinate from the perimeter and draw defensive attention.
Now that Rose was being double-teamed and couldn't do anything, Noah couldn't get the ball either.
The Knicks seized the opportunity to close the gap.
Li Feng sank two consecutive long-range three-pointers and then assisted Jordan Hill for a score in the paint.
Within minutes, the Knicks were only trailing by 2 points.
The Bulls' head coach, Thibodeau, had no choice but to call a timeout.
This game was truly exciting, with its ups and downs, back-and-forth action, and counter-strategies.
The media also marveled at Rose.
In the current league, there were not many players who could go head-to-head with Li Feng.
Even the Miami Big Three, with their formidable roster, had been defeated by the Knicks.
Although the game had reached the third quarter, no one could definitively say which side would win.
The momentum on the court shifted rapidly, depending on who could suddenly explode in the fourth quarter.
During the timeout, Thibodeau instructed Rose to make quick passes when he was double-teamed.
From a fan's perspective, it seemed easy to solve the problem of being double-teamed.
They thought, "If you're double-teamed, your teammates have a 4-on-3 advantage; you just need to pass to an open teammate."
In reality, when you are suddenly double-teamed, your vision and passing lanes are locked down.
Without considerable talent and years of experience, it's impossible to find a teammate in such a short time.
This is because the defenders double-teaming you are also elite defenders – it was Li Feng and Lowry!
Li Feng was still a strong contender for DPOY this season, and Lowry was also highly praised by the media, with hopes of making the All-Defensive Second Team.
Such formidable perimeter defenders double-teaming Rose, if Rose could handle it with ease, he would be a historic superstar.
Even Magic Johnson would be nothing more than this.
Rose, wiping the sweat from his brow, nodded. He was a good kid and listened to his coach.
However, Rose also felt a sense of hardship.
Facing the double-team from Li Feng and Lowry, it wasn't that easy to pass the ball.
But Rose had a high basketball IQ, and what he could do was to temporarily stop holding the ball.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. The score on the court was 72:70, with the Bulls leading by 2 points.
And the third quarter had just begun, with 4 minutes and 52 seconds elapsed.
The Bulls initiated an offense. Rose didn't take the ball; instead, he ran to the baseline, acting as if he wasn't participating in the offense.
Li Feng, of course, wouldn't fall for it. He stood by Rose, applying tight defense.
Without Rose in the offense, the Bulls seemed to have lost their anchor, and the others played awkwardly.
The Knicks' overall defense was excellent, with strong pressure, leading to a 24-second shot clock violation by the Bulls.
Thibodeau was furious. Although he knew Rose's importance, when Rose didn't touch the ball for just one possession, the others couldn't figure out how to play.
This was infuriating.
Li Feng, meanwhile, excitedly high-fived his teammates, acknowledging their efforts.
"Well done, brothers, keep defending like that!"
Although the Knicks were playing away, under Li Feng's leadership, they displayed strong momentum.
The Knicks attacked.
Li Feng didn't hold the ball either; he let Lowry bring the ball across half-court.
Bogans defended Li Feng closely, sticking to him like glue.
Li Feng glanced at Rose, as if to say: "Let me show you how I play off the ball!"
Lowry passed the ball to Scola, who, at the high post in the paint, danced left and right, making Luol Deng dizzy.
However, Noah provided good help defense in the paint, so Scola didn't dare to shoot easily.
At this moment, Li Feng suddenly accelerated and drove towards the baseline.
Bogans was prepared and immediately followed. Who knew, halfway there, Li Feng suddenly changed direction and drove towards the center.
This sudden change of direction caught Bogans off guard, leaving him half a meter behind.
Scola, with his high basketball IQ, immediately passed the ball to Li Feng.
The pass was exquisite, with the right amount of lead, making it comfortable for Li Feng to catch the ball.
After receiving the pass, he took flight and slammed the ball down! *Bang!* A powerful dunk!
Noah's help defense was timely, but Li Feng was charging too fiercely. Noah didn't dare to go head-to-head with Li Feng and actually gave way.
In fact, even if he hadn't given way, it would have been useless; at most, it would have resulted in a foul. Noah was a smart player.
This dunk silenced the Bulls' home crowd, acting like an away-game silencer.
The Knicks' teammates were overjoyed. This basket not only tied the score but also further boosted the Knicks' morale!
Rose's expression turned grim. He was starting to feel that Li Feng performed even better under pressure than he did.
The Bulls' offense. Rose whispered a few words to his teammates; he also intended to change his playing style.
After crossing half-court, facing Li Feng's defense, Rose first ran towards the sideline, bent over, and appeared to be opting out of the offense.
Then, when his teammates passed the ball, Rose suddenly burst into action, cutting towards the paint.
But Li Feng moved faster, staying tightly with Rose, his arms spread wide to disrupt him.
The Bulls' teammates wanted to pass to Rose, but they never had a good opportunity.
If they passed it, Li Feng would surely disrupt it.
The Bulls' shot clock was nearing its end. Luol Deng had no choice but to take a hurried shot, *clang*, it bounced off the rim.
Jordan Hill secured the rebound and passed it to Lowry at the top of the arc.
The "Little Steel Cannon" initiated the offense, and Bogans resorted to a fouling strategy, wrapping his arms around Lowry.
The Bulls' offense failed again. Rose was consistently unable to shake off Li Feng's defense, which made him feel uncomfortable.
Rose had not participated in the offense for two consecutive possessions.
As the leading contender for MVP this season and the absolute core of the Bulls, this was a rare occurrence.
Thibodeau didn't call a timeout; he shook his head helplessly.
For Rose, this was an opportunity to be tested. If he could overcome it and grow, he would ascend to the ranks of the league's top superstars.
If he faltered, then he would only be an ordinary star, a tier below Li Feng.
Everything depended on Rose himself.
Before his transmigration, Li Feng was a great admirer of Rose.
"The Rose of Chicago" was not only popular in the US but also in China.
Years later, Rose's struggles with injuries broke the hearts of many fans, including Li Feng.
How he wished Rose could have maintained his peak for a few more years, allowing fans to witness more spectacular moments!
Therefore, today, Li Feng not only intended to teach Rose a lesson on the court but also planned to persuade Rose to change his playing style as early as possible.
Yao Ming had already lost weight and changed his playing style after Li Feng's persuasion.
The effect was evident, and Yao Ming experienced a resurgence in his career.
If Rose could also heed Li Feng's advice and change his playing style, he would undoubtedly achieve greater success in his career.
However, Li Feng also pondered in his heart—
If Rose changed his playing style, would he still have so many fans?
This was a philosophical question...