With a *clang*, Li Feng dunked the ball back as Pierce pursued him.
Pierce cursed inwardly, wanting to stop his momentum, but his greater weight and lack of Li Feng's agility meant he was a step too slow.
Li Feng not only slammed the ball back but also executed a step-back maneuver.
It was impossibly smooth!
This series of actions left Pierce more than a meter behind.
Li Feng quickly retreated to the three-point line and shot with lightning speed!
*Swish!*
He made the three-pointer!
In an even more spectacular fashion, he responded to Pierce with a massive three-point shot!
Pierce's face was incredibly awkward, and he didn't dare to make eye contact with Li Feng.
Li Feng roared, "I told you, you can't guard me!"
Scola knew Li Feng was standing up for him. He was the first to rush over, high-fiving Li Feng in celebration, while glancing at Pierce.
This was the charm of competitive sports: if you hit me, I had to hit back!
Both teams exchanged blows, and their efficiency in the first quarter was good.
After more than five minutes of play, the score was 12:11, with the Celtics leading by one point.
It was time for the official timeout.
Li Feng hadn't exerted much effort. Apart from responding to Pierce with that one shot, he hadn't taken any others.
Lowry and Stoudemire had been playing comfortably. While the defensive pressure was focused on Yao Ming and Li Feng, they continuously drove to the basket.
Garnett was rotating to help, but with Yao Ming drawing attention, his help defense was always a step behind.
Fortunately, the Celtics' offense was decent, and with the cheers of the home crowd, they were actually leading by one point.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. Yao Ming was substituted out, and Bill Walker came in.
This was a signal that the Knicks were looking to pick up the pace.
Against the Celtics' veteran lineup, speeding up was the best way to widen the gap!
As expected, after a few possessions, the Celtics couldn't keep up with the Knicks' offensive tempo.
Li Feng still hadn't taken a shot, but he created several opportunities for his teammates on fast breaks.
Lowry, Stoudemire, and Bill Walker were all good at fast breaks!
Shaquille O'Neal was panting heavily and couldn't keep up. He was substituted out by the Celtics' coach.
Garnett's footsteps were also faltering, but he was still pushing himself.
Only Ray Allen had incredible stamina and could keep pace with the Knicks, but his three-point accuracy seemed off, making two out of five shots, which was below his usual standard.
After the Knicks sped up the pace, the score difference gradually widened.
The Celtics' coach, seeing the unfavorable situation, quickly brought in younger reserves, hoping to turn the tide.
However, while the reserves were young and energetic, their experience was far too lacking.
The Knicks' starters remained on the court, playing the entire first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 37:23, with the Knicks leading by 14 points.
This gap was created by the increased pace.
The North End Garden arena was silent, and the fans were in despair.
They had initially held great expectations for their veteran players, believing that the Big Three's experience would at least allow them to hold on until the fourth quarter.
Who would have thought that after winning the championship, the Knicks had evolved?
Especially their starting lineup, which had become even more balanced.
With Lowry and Stoudemire filling the last two weak spots, the Knicks were a championship-caliber team.
What shocked the Celtics fans the most was Lowry.
How had the unknown chubby kid from last season improved so rapidly?
Could it be that Li Feng had trained him?
...
After the start of the second quarter, the Knicks finally fielded their reserve lineup, with Billups, Felton, and Jordan Hill entering the game.
The Celtics' reserve lineup was also not weak, featuring Big Baby Davis, Nate Robinson, Jermaine O'Neal, and Kostic.
However, the Knicks' reserves were clearly configured more sensibly.
Moreover, Billups possessed a special ability to quickly integrate players.
If Billups were a few years younger, he would definitely have been a starter.
Although Lowry was playing well, he was still a far cry from Billups at his peak.
As the second quarter began, the lead continued to widen. Before the starters even came back on, the lead had already reached over 20 points.
The Celtics' coach, Rivers, had no choice but to put his starters back on the court.
At this point, less than four minutes had passed in the second quarter. D'Antoni wasn't in a hurry; he kept the reserve lineup on the court.
This was a form of humiliation for the Celtics.
But there was nothing they could do; the Knicks' roster was too deep, giving them the capital to be arrogant!
After the Celtics' starters entered the game, they didn't gain any advantage, and the score difference remained around 20 points.
After nearly seven minutes of play, the Knicks finally brought Li Feng and other starters back onto the court.
This was a bit too overconfident.
At this moment, the score was 50:31, with the Knicks leading by 19 points.
After Li Feng entered the game, he first passed to Yao Ming, who scored on O'Neal, and then, when Stoudemire missed a shot, he leaped up for a put-back to score!
The lead widened to over 20 points again!
The Knicks' starters were exceptionally deep, while the Celtics seemed a step behind.
As a result, at the end of the first half, the Knicks led the Celtics by 22 points, entering the halftime break.
Although Rivers went to the locker room during halftime to give his players a pep talk.
However, starting the third quarter, the Celtics were still at a disadvantage, unable to find a way to break down the Knicks.
D'Antoni was very considerate of human relationships. On one hand, he wanted his players to rest more; on the other hand, he wanted to give Rivers face.
Therefore, the Knicks' starters only played for a little over five minutes before not returning to the court.
The rest of the game turned into garbage time. The Knicks' bench players were overjoyed, as they had an excellent opportunity for practice.
In the first half of the fourth quarter, the Celtics' second unit performed well against the Knicks' third unit, going on a run and narrowing the deficit to 17 points at one point.
But Billups, Felton, and Jordan Hill returned to the court, quickly extending the lead back to 20 points.
At this point, the Celtics completely surrendered, no longer fighting with all their might.
With the referee's whistle, the game ended. The Knicks defeated the Celtics 116:97, achieving their sixth consecutive victory!
...
The Knicks' formidable start to the season led many media outlets and fans to believe they were the strongest contenders for the championship.
However, more fans were focusing their attention on the upcoming game between the Knicks and the Miami Heat.
The Heat's Big Three were also performing well, with a record of five wins and one loss, ranking second in the Eastern Conference.
The one game they lost was when Wade had a minor injury and left the game midway, resulting in a loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference.
The game between the Knicks and the Heat was scheduled for December 2nd and would be broadcast nationwide.
On November 30th, the Knicks defeated the Timberwolves at home, bringing their record to 14 wins and 2 losses, holding the top spot in the league.
The two losses occurred on the road, where Li Feng and Yao Ming encountered foul trouble, leading to the defeats.
The next game was an away game against the Heat's Big Three.
Fans had been eagerly anticipating this day!
Currently, the Heat's record was 12 wins and 4 losses, still ranking second in the Eastern Conference and third in the league, trailing the Knicks and the Spurs.
The Spurs and Lakers in the Western Conference were very strong this year, leading other Western teams.
However, the Mavericks and Thunder were ranked third and fourth, not far behind.
On December 1st, the Knicks players arrived in Miami.
Before the game, the Knicks conducted targeted training sessions against the Heat's strategy.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade's perimeter combination was imposing and nearly invincible, devastating many teams' defenses.
Many media outlets ranked the LeBron-Wade combination among the greatest of all time.
Although they hadn't achieved significant accolades yet, knowledgeable fans could clearly see the immense power of the LeBron-Wade combination.
Before the game, the core players from both teams were interviewed.
For the Heat, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade attended the press conference.
A reporter asked, "Mr. James, you moved from the Cavaliers to the Heat this season. What do you feel has been the biggest change?"
LeBron James was reluctant to answer such questions, as his departure from the Cavaliers had been met with much controversy.
However, LeBron James felt he had a clear conscience. He had dedicated six years of his youth to the Cavaliers and even reached the NBA Finals once.
Despite failing to win a championship for the Cavaliers, Cleveland was a desolate place where stars were unwilling to go.
LeBron James, despite his best efforts, was like a skilled cook with no ingredients. He had given his all.
"I think the biggest change is that the Heat's roster configuration is more balanced, and Wade and I, along with Bosh, are cooperating more effectively!"
LeBron James didn't say much, but these simple words conveyed everything.
That is to say: Wade and Bosh were better teammates than his previous ones!
Wade smiled and high-fived LeBron James.
The reporter then asked, "When you first came to the Heat, you said you would win many championships, even six or seven. Where does your confidence come from?"
LeBron James burst into laughter. He felt that he had spoken out of excitement at that time and had boasted.
"The confidence naturally comes from my teammates. I believe we will reach the NBA Finals and win championships in the coming years. As for whether we can win six or seven, that depends on fate!"
Seeing that LeBron James had become more mature, the reporter nodded slightly and turned to ask Wade a question.
"Mr. Wade, who do you think is the leader of the Heat?"
Wade's expression darkened. He disliked such questions.
He directly retorted, "All fifteen of us on this team are leaders. We all play for the same goal! Please stop asking such meaningless questions!"
Seeing Wade's outburst, the reporter sheepishly retreated, not daring to ask further.
...
On the Knicks' side, Li Feng and Lowry were interviewed together.
Yao Ming disliked interviews, so he proactively recommended Lowry and Li Feng to attend the press conference together.
A reporter asked, "Mr. Li Feng, the Heat's Big Three are very strong. Do you think the Knicks' roster can match up against the Heat?"
Li Feng shrugged and replied calmly, "Our Knicks roster is the most balanced. No matter the opponent, we have a way to deal with them."
"But the Heat's Big Three have been devastating, crushing the defenses of any team in previous games. Aren't you worried?"
Li Feng chuckled, "If the Heat's Big Three are so powerful, why have they lost four games?"
"..."
The reporter was left speechless by the retort.
Li Feng continued, "Although the Big Three are strong on the perimeter, games are not solely decided by the perimeter. The combination of inside and outside play is the key to victory. I believe we will find a way to limit the Heat's Big Three!"
Another reporter turned to Lowry and asked, "Mr. Lowry, you've made great progress with the Knicks. What's the reason? Is it true, as fans say, that you were brought along by Li Feng?"
Lowry smiled heartily and nodded vigorously in response, "Of course. I was indeed brought along by Li Feng. Over the past few months, I've learned a lot from Li Feng, not just in terms of skills but also in terms of mentality. I've benefited greatly."
The reporter asked curiously, "What did you learn in terms of mentality? Can you elaborate?"
Lowry earnestly replied, "For example, Li Feng often says a Chinese phrase in front of us: 'Never give up, never give up!' In English, it means 'never give up!'"
The reporters were moved by this statement and applauded, giving Li Feng a thumbs-up.
...
At 8 PM, at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.
The Miami Heat hosted the visiting defending champions, the New York Knicks.
This game was the most anticipated game of the season, even surpassing the Knicks' matchup against the Lakers in terms of attention.
This was because the Heat's Big Three had shocked the league, displaying immense power in the early games of the regular season.
Therefore, the question of whether the Knicks were stronger or the Heat's Big Three were stronger became the hottest topic on fan forums.
Although Li Feng and Yao Ming had won championships, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade also had a large fan base.
Fans of both teams argued incessantly, with some extreme fans even resorting to insults.
...
The Knicks' starting lineup remained Li Feng, Yao Ming, Stoudemire, Scola, and Lowry.
The Heat's starting five were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, and Erick Dampier.
In fact, the Heat's roster was not very balanced. Due to the large portion of the salary cap taken up by the Big Three, their interior resources and bench were not very strong.
At the start of the game, Yao Ming secured the first possession for the Knicks.
Dampier, as a center, had always played as a reserve. The reason he was starting today was because of Yao Ming.
Chris Bosh certainly couldn't match up against Yao Ming, so Dampier had to step up to the plate, allowing Bosh to provide help defense.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and Wade of the Heat came up to guard him one-on-one.
In fact, last season, both the Cavaliers and the Heat had employed double-team tactics against Li Feng.
This season, however, the Heat had switched to single coverage by Wade.
This clearly indicated their confidence in their perimeter defense.
Even if Li Feng managed to get past Wade, LeBron James would be there to provide help defense!
Li Feng had watched game footage of the Heat and naturally understood their intentions, so he didn't rush to break through. He directly passed the ball to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming treated Dampier like child's play, so Bosh immediately stepped up to help.
Facing the double-team of two players, Yao Ming remained calm. Before Bosh could fully arrive, he executed a turnaround jump shot. *Swish!*
He scored the first two points!
For the Heat, with their somewhat unbalanced lineup, Yao Ming was an absolute strong point.
The Heat went on offense.
LeBron James dribbled at the top of the arc, and Stoudemire defended him.
Amar'e Stoudemire couldn't defend LeBron James. Bosh moved up to the high post and set a screen, and LeBron James drove into the paint.
Yao Ming, like a descended deity, suddenly appeared in front of LeBron James.
Although LeBron James was unstoppable driving to the basket, he was still a bit intimidated facing a top-tier center.