So when Li Feng blocked Grant Hill's shot, he was careful not to hurt him.
After the ball was stolen, Li Feng initiated another fast break and passed the ball to Du Hong. kAnshuWu.ξà
Du Hong quickly crossed half-court, but Richardson was back quickly, blocking Du Hong.
At this point, Li Feng was also near the half-court line, and Du Hong passed the ball back.
Li Feng hadn't shot a logo three-pointer today, so he didn't hesitate and shot from mid-court!
Swish!
Three-pointer made!
The home crowd of the Suns players held their heads in their hands, their faces filled with shock.
Even knowing that Li Feng had this ability, when you see it with your own eyes, no matter who it is, their eyes are filled with disbelief.
Grant Hill stared at Li Feng and nodded slightly. As a veteran player, he knew that Li Feng had held back.
If it were someone else, they would have definitely hit him hard!
In the latter half of the second quarter, Li Feng started to exert himself and slowly caught up with the score.
However, Nash was not easy to deal with, and he was also adapting to Li Feng's playstyle.
And Stoudemire was not just a simple beneficiary of assists; his individual offensive ability was also very strong.
Therefore, Nash and Stoudemire's connection changed.
The familiar scene before was Nash driving into the paint, then using an incredible angle to pass the ball like a scalpel to Stoudemire, who would then dunk.
But this time, Nash passed the ball to Stoudemire early and let Stoudemire wreak havoc in the paint!
There was no way around it, the Knicks' interior defense was indeed weak. David Lee, Gallinari, and Jeffries could not stop Stoudemire's offense.
While the Knicks were closing the gap, the Suns' offense was also stable.
With 1 minute and 47 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 62:58, with the Suns leading by 4 points.
Knicks offense, Li Feng faced a double-team, and once again used his fastest first step to drive to the right.
Because Li Feng had made two consecutive shots just now, the Suns players were sticking to him closely again.
Whoosh!
Li Feng passed the ball through the gaps to Gallinari, who was at the corner of the paint.
Gallinari immediately shot, intending to take a mid-range jumper.
Stoudemire suddenly broke out from behind and swatted!
A solid block sent Gallinari's shot away.
The Suns' home crowd jumped up excitedly, shouting loudly, cheering for Stoudemire's block.
Stoudemire also pounded his chest and roared; this play was truly morale-boosting.
The Suns players also ran over to high-five him in celebration.
Gallinari was a bit stunned by the block and stood there blankly. Li Feng quickly ran over, high-fived him, and encouraged him a few words.
The Suns' morale had risen. With the first half about to end, Li Feng had to respond and help his teammates regain their spirits, or they would be suppressed.
So Li Feng, with a blank expression, asked Du Hong to inbound the ball, and the Knicks launched another offense.
With only 14 seconds left on the shot clock, Li Feng received the ball and was immediately double-teamed.
Li Feng didn't pass the ball this time. He used his "Fancy Dribbling" to fake out Richardson and then drove into the paint.
This time, Li Feng intentionally went for Stoudemire.
To get revenge for his teammates, he had to humiliate Stoudemire face-to-face with an even more dominant play!
Of course, this was on the court. Li Feng and Stoudemire had no personal enmity, and Stoudemire had good character.
Upon reaching the paint, Stoudemire saw that Li Feng was coming straight for him and immediately understood. He stepped forward to meet him.
Stoudemire had watched Li Feng's game footage and knew that Li Feng also liked to dunk over big centers, so he was prepared. He didn't want to be the background board.
Everyone else spread out, leaving these two to a one-on-one showdown!
Li Feng didn't dare to be careless against Stoudemire. He couldn't jump as easily as before. Instead, he took a step forward and faked a pass.
Stoudemire's defense was actually average, and combined with Li Feng's realistic fake, his center of gravity shifted slightly to the left.
This slight movement gave Li Feng ample space to jump.
Whoosh!
Li Feng soared into the air.
Stoudemire realized he had been tricked, but he was now the only barrier in front of Li Feng, and he had to go up regardless.
So he jumped high, raising his hands, and pressed down on Li Feng from above.
Li Feng's right hand held the ball high. In mid-air, he dodged Stoudemire's hands and, at the highest point, slammed the ball fiercely into the basket.
Almost simultaneously, Stoudemire's body also collided with Li Feng.
The difference in weight between the two was too large, and Li Feng was sent flying backward.
However, Li Feng was prepared. As he fell backward, he tucked his body and rolled twice on the ground, perfectly absorbing the impact.
Beep!
The referee's whistle blew, pointing at Stoudemire. 2+1!
Stoudemire's face turned pale with anger. He put his hands on his hips and gasped for breath.
The collision just now made outsiders think that Stoudemire had knocked Li Feng flying.
In reality, Li Feng had powerfully hit Stoudemire, then absorbed the impact himself and fell backward.
Stoudemire's chest and shoulders were in severe pain, while Li Feng was unfazed.
Li Feng not only scored but also drew a foul, showcasing the tactics of a seasoned veteran.
Was this a rookie?
Stoudemire had suffered a silent defeat and could only watch Li Feng walk to the free-throw line.
Li Feng made the free throw, and the score became 62:61!
The deficit was only 1 point.
Li Feng's dunk not only avenged his teammates but also narrowed the point difference.
The Suns players were starting to panic.
With 1 minute and 01 second remaining, the Suns had possession.
Nash dribbled past half-court, used a screen, and moved to the left 45-degree angle.
Seeing that Li Feng wasn't following him, he passed the ball to Grant Hill.
Grant Hill's mid-range jumper was still stable. He took a pull-up jumper and scored 2 more points.
64:61, the Suns still led by 3 points.
With 40 seconds left, the Knicks went on offense again.
Li Feng crossed half-court, used his speed to shake off his defender, used a screen, and drove directly to the corner, hitting a three-pointer.
There was no way around it; Li Feng's offensive range was too vast, his attack area was all over the court.
64 all!
This was the first time since the start of the game that the two teams were tied!
The Suns' home arena was deathly silent. Their feelings towards D'Antoni were complex.
D'Antoni had created glory there, but now D'Antoni was an opponent.
They didn't want the Knicks to defeat the Suns on their home court, as the Suns had set very high goals for this season.
If they lost to D'Antoni's team, the entire team would question Head Coach Gentry, and subtle changes would occur within the team, leading to friction.
But Li Feng's performance today made them feel fearful; this rookie was too terrifying!
With 12 seconds left in the first half, the Suns had possession.
Nash had a solemn expression. He wanted to make this play to enter halftime with a lead, as that would boost morale.
"Don't panic! Run your plays!"
Nash signaled with his hands while dribbling past half-court.
Li Feng stood in front of him, and Stoudemire came out to set a screen for Nash.
As Nash was about to use the screen to break through, Du Hong and Jeffries suddenly double-teamed him.
This was the Knicks' first double-team on Nash in this game; before, they had only played man-to-man defense.
Although Nash's passes were unpredictable, he also felt a bit flustered facing the double-team.
Nash stumbled and passed the ball to Collins, who was near the baseline.
Collins leaned on David Lee, trying to make a move.
But with very little time left on the shot clock, he made two attempts, then attempted a hook shot, which rimmed out.
The buzzer sounded, and the first half ended with the teams tied!
The last minute was thrilling, and the spectators were highly entertained.
A matchup between two generations of run-and-gun teams, ending the half tied, was within expectations, and both sides were relatively satisfied.
During the halftime break, his teammates came over to high-five Li Feng, their actions clearly conveying a sense of guilt.
Li Feng didn't care and continued to encourage his teammates.
"Guys, attack boldly, defend with all your might, and don't worry too much about the outcome of the game!"
Although Li Feng desperately wanted to win, his teammates' mindset had to be relaxed. The more nervous they were, the colder their hands would get.
D'Antoni returned to the locker room again today.
Coaches rarely enter the locker room. Usually, the locker room leader handles conflicts and relationships between players.
The team's tactical core and the locker room leader are two different things.
Li Feng was now the absolute tactical core of the team, but he also had the potential to become the locker room leader due to his high emotional intelligence.
Being the youngest and most popular, it was hard not to become the locker room leader.
D'Antoni clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and said, "You all did very well in the first half. Ending up tied has exceeded my expectations. In the second half, you need to continue to cooperate with Li Feng, but when you have opportunities, you must also attack!"
"Also, continue to cut off Nash's connection with his teammates. Our chances of winning will be much higher."
D'Antoni was too familiar with the Suns, but he actually didn't know that the Suns were already changing and were not entirely running their old run-and-gun tactics.
Li Feng did not refute his coach, but he had his own ideas. Simply cutting off Nash's connection with his teammates would still be very dangerous in the second half.
Grant Hill was in good form, and Stoudemire didn't rely solely on Nash for scoring.
For the Knicks to win in the second half, they had to excel offensively.
The defense was about the same. David Lee and Gallinari couldn't guard Stoudemire, and Li Feng couldn't always provide help defense in the paint.
Therefore, it depended on who scored more and improved their offensive success rate.
...
In the Suns' locker room, Nash didn't exchange many words with his teammates. Li Feng's image was constantly in his mind.
Li Feng's performance in the first half had shocked Nash immensely, especially the dunk over Stoudemire, which made Nash see a combination of Kobe and LeBron.
Such a guard was too terrifying!
What was most terrifying was that Li Feng, despite his muscular and powerful playing style, was also so accurate with his three-pointers.
How could they defend him?
The Suns' head coach, Gentry, also came into the locker room. He had similarities with D'Antoni in that they were both good at developing offense.
However, their defense was generally average.
"Kids, our offense was restricted in the first half. In the second half, you need to play more flexibly. Nash can increase his personal offense, and Hill, you can do some playmaking."
Grant Hill was a very well-rounded player; he could attack himself and assist his teammates.
"Stoudemire, you can play more in the paint. David Lee can't guard you at all! You can draw fouls on them."
Gentry's thoughts were similar to D'Antoni's: they wanted to break through offensively and outscore the Knicks!
This game was bound to be exciting, and the second half was destined to be an offensive battle!
...
The second half of the game began.
Li Feng still chose to drive and dish, letting his teammates touch the ball more.
The Suns' offensive points primarily came from Nash, Hill, and Stoudemire.
Although Nash's assists decreased, Hill's playmaking ability was also strong, taking on the organizational role.
Therefore, the scores were very close and rose alternately.
Stoudemire was getting a bit anxious; he wasn't playing comfortably because Hill's passes were mostly to the perimeter, and there were few opportunities for interior-to-interior passes.
This couldn't be blamed entirely on Hill, as Li Feng was always patrolling the paint, helping his teammates with defense, which greatly interfered with Hill's passes.
Li Feng was also gambling, betting that the Suns' perimeter offense would not open up.
As it turned out, Li Feng's gamble paid off. The Suns' perimeter players were not in good form; except for Nash, everyone else was struggling to shoot.
And Stoudemire was playing extremely uncomfortably, shaking his head in frustration.
During one Suns possession, Hill passed the ball to Richardson on the perimeter again, but Richardson missed the shot.
Stoudemire leaped up and got the tip-in!
After scoring, Stoudemire punched the air and roared!
This was the first score of the third quarter, so he was venting his anger.
Compared to the Suns, the Knicks played more smoothly.
Li Feng was playing easily, firmly believing in his teammates and continuously passing the ball to them.
His teammates also performed admirably, with a high shooting percentage in the third quarter, even taking the lead at one point.
However, Nash had a hot hand today. His assists decreased, but his scoring increased significantly. Two consecutive three-pointers narrowed the deficit to 1 point.
With 8 minutes and 44 seconds left in the third quarter, the score was 78:77, with the Knicks leading by 1 point.
The Suns had substituted all their starters and brought in their reserves.
D'Antoni also wanted Li Feng to rest for a while, but Li Feng gestured to D'Antoni, indicating that he could continue playing.
The coach immediately understood. Li Feng had been passing the ball all along, and now he wanted to score a few himself, aiming to widen the point difference in the third quarter.
As expected, Li Feng remained on the court with the starting lineup to face the Suns' reserve lineup.
On the first possession, Li Feng drove into the paint and scored 2 points with a pull-up jump shot.
Then, on defense, he helped his teammates and stole Barbosa's pass, initiating a counterattack.
Li Feng drove to the baseline, attracting two defenders, and passed the ball to David Lee, who easily scored!
Next, Li Feng hit a step-back three-pointer.
Gentry was furious on the sidelines, shaking his head and thinking that Li Feng was not playing according to the game flow.
In fact, he knew that Li Feng could play like this even against the Suns' starters; his ability was undeniable.
At the end of the third quarter, the Knicks led the Suns by 8 points.
86:78!
Li Feng felt that the Knicks' reserves could play more freely now.
As long as the reserves didn't fall too far behind before the starters returned to the court, Li Feng was confident he could catch up!
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks reserves actually played quite well.
The main reason was their abundant energy. They defended fiercely from the outset, making it difficult for the Suns' reserves to adapt.