The most pressing need is to protect Curry tactically and compensate for his weaknesses.
As long as Curry unleashes his immense offensive power, the team will maintain an overall advantage.
Curry understood Li Feng's meaning. He stopped pushing himself to practice strength and instead focused on increasing tactical coordination with his teammates.
...
The Knicks' next opponent was an away game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks were currently ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference, tied in record with the ninth-place 76ers. However, with a 2:1 advantage in head-to-head matchups, they held the eighth spot.
This game was crucial for the Bucks. If they lost, they would drop out of the top eight.
Therefore, the Bucks were determined to give 200% effort to win this game.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were fighting for their lives.
The Knicks were in an even worse situation. If they lost, their record would be tied with the eleventh-place Wizards in the Eastern Conference.
Thus, both teams were in a must-win scenario.
...
At the pre-game press conference, the Bucks' star players, Monta Ellis and Jennings, were interviewed.
Both expressed their determination to defeat the Knicks and secure their playoff position!
Monta Ellis and Curry had both played for the Warriors. In fact, the Warriors had traded Monta Ellis away to acquire Curry.
Although they had a good relationship off the court, Ellis played fiercely against Curry every time they met.
He simply wanted to prove that he was a stronger player than Curry!
Since this was a critical game for the Bucks, Monta Ellis was even more motivated to fight hard.
In contrast, at the Knicks' press conference, Li Feng and Curry didn't make any grand pronouncements.
Neither of them were boastful individuals. The importance of this game was self-evident, and they both harbored their competitive fire internally.
...
At seven o'clock in the evening, at the Bradley Center arena.
The Bucks hosted the Knicks.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Curry, Jokic, Green, and Bill Walker.
The Bucks' starting five were Monta Ellis, Jennings, Ilyasova, Sanders, and Dalembert.
Dalembert, the center, won the tip-off at center court.
Jokic's vertical leap was not as good as Dalembert's.
Monta Ellis dribbled the ball past half-court.
Li Feng stepped up to defend him, but Ellis knew Li Feng's prowess and didn't want to face him. He signaled to Jennings, asking him to switch onto Curry.
Jennings immediately ran over and screened Li Feng.
Li Feng instantly understood and was filled with anger.
With a forceful push of his shoulder, Li Feng, with a bang, knocked Jennings aside, squeezed in front of Ellis, and screened him for Curry.
Jennings' frail physique truly paled in comparison to Li Feng's.
Ellis, intending to take advantage of Curry, was surprised to see Li Feng in front of him again.
If he switched matchups again, it would be embarrassing. Ellis had no choice but to brace himself and prepare to go one-on-one against Li Feng.
Li Feng also gestured to his teammates, signaling them not to come for help defense. He wanted to guard Ellis alone.
Ellis indeed had some skill. He used a crossover dribble, leaned his body, and quickly moved to his left, intending to accelerate past Li Feng.
However, Li Feng had thoroughly studied Ellis's driving style and immediately followed him, blocking his path once more.
Ellis was stunned. He hadn't expected Li Feng to be so fast. With his momentum built up, he couldn't stop. Bang!
The two players collided.
Ellis was quite strong, but when he hit Li Feng, it was like hitting a wall. He didn't move Li Feng and was bounced back.
The referee didn't blow the whistle, likely finding the physical confrontation engaging, and saw no foul committed by either player.
Ellis retreated half a step, dribbled the ball slowly, contemplating his next move.
At this moment, the Bucks had only four seconds left on their shot clock. Ellis, resigned, feigned a drive to the right before executing a pull-up three-pointer.
Ellis's pull-up three-pointer was a signature move and his primary scoring method.
Unfortunately, Li Feng had seen through his every move. The instant Ellis faked the drive, Li Feng knew he was going for the pull-up.
So, as Ellis prepared to shoot, Li Feng leaped high and snatched the ball away!
There are many ways to block a shot, but this was the most humiliating.
Ellis became agitated and immediately retaliated by grabbing Li Feng.
Whistle!
The referee's whistle blew, and Ellis was called for a foul.
This was a clever foul. Otherwise, Li Feng would have gone for a fast break and scored.
Possession changed hands. The Knicks inbounded the ball from the sideline, setting up in the half-court.
Ellis's attempt to match up against Curry had failed. This time, Li Feng intended to have Curry guard Ellis, to show Ellis that they were not in the same league!
Li Feng received the ball and made a hand signal to Curry and Green. Curry immediately ran towards the 45-degree angle.
Ellis stuck close to Curry, having already decided that he would limit Curry to under ten points that day.
Suddenly, Green stepped up to screen Ellis, allowing Curry to move towards the sideline.
Li Feng was waiting for this opportunity. Whoosh!
The basketball flew like a cannonball, perfectly placed. Curry caught it and shot immediately!
By the time Ellis navigated around Green, it was too late. He could only watch as Curry sank the three-pointer!
After many games of integration, Green and Curry had developed excellent chemistry.
3:0!
The Knicks took the lead, scoring first.
Ellis was furious and yelled at Curry, "If you have the guts, don't call for screens!"
Curry retorted, "If you have the guts, make your threes!"
The two began to compete, making the game exciting.
The Bucks had possession.
Jennings dribbled the ball past half-court.
Ellis still signaled for the ball, but Jennings didn't give it to him.
Jennings was also a proud player, having scored 50+ points in a single game in his rookie season.
He couldn't let Ellis have all the fun. After bringing the ball past half-court, Jennings faced Li Feng and attempted a series of flashy dribbles, trying to get past him.
However, Jennings' moves were ineffective against Li Feng, who firmly blocked his driving lanes.
Jennings was frustrated and didn't want to pass the ball to Ellis.
He saw that center Dalembert had established good position and passed the ball to him.
Dalembert was a strong, physical player, who should have been able to bully the soft white player, Jokic.
All the teams in the league knew that the Knicks had an easy-to-handle center.
After receiving the ball, Dalembert leaned back, caught the ball, and attempted a hook shot layup.
Just as he caught the ball, a big hand suddenly reached out, swat!
The ball was stolen!
Dalembert was shocked and turned to see Green, who had come to help defend without anyone noticing.
After the steal, Green grabbed the ball and made a long pass to Bill Walker.
Walker was also fast on the fast break. He crossed half-court and scored on a layup!
5:0!
The home crowd at the Bucks arena was silent. They couldn't believe that in such an important positioning game, the Bucks were playing so poorly.
Bucks head coach Scott was unhappy with Ellis and Jennings, but he couldn't say anything because they were the core players of the Bucks with the largest fan bases.
He could only make gestures from the sidelines, urging the players to be more aggressive.
The Bucks had possession. Jennings, having failed to drive past Li Feng earlier, consciously moved to the corner.
Ellis received the ball again, wanting to go one-on-one against Curry to regain his composure.
Curry also got stubborn, gritting his teeth and signaling to his teammates not to double-team.
Seeing that Curry wasn't calling for help, Ellis felt smug. He had been teammates with Curry and knew Curry's defensive capabilities were poor.
In his memory, Curry was easy to score on!
Swish!
Ellis first used his dribbling and explosive start to shake off Curry.
This was his trump card move. In past practice games, he could easily handle Curry.
But after Curry joined the Knicks, he not only increased his strength but also learned many defensive techniques from Li Feng.
Ellis's combination of moves was completely useless against Curry. Curry continued to slide his feet, blocking his path.
One move failed, so he switched to another!
Ellis was very sturdy and tried to use his body to push Curry aside.
Unexpectedly, Curry's strength had also increased. Bang! Bang!
After two bumps, Curry stumbled but didn't lose his position, blocking Ellis's driving lane.
Ellis was truly flustered. He hadn't expected Curry's defense to improve so much.
He shouted and changed direction again, forcefully driving forward. Unexpectedly, Curry quickly retreated half a step and slid laterally, blocking his path.
Because Ellis charged too aggressively, he knocked Curry to the ground!
The referee was right beside them. The whistle blew, pointing to Ellis.
Offensive foul!
Hearing the whistle, Curry thought he was called for blocking. When he saw the referee pointing to Ellis, he sat on the ground, triumphantly raising his fist and roaring!
This successful defensive play greatly boosted Curry's confidence!
He was no longer a skinny guard who could be bullied by anyone!
Li Feng rushed over, pulled Curry up, and then they hugged tightly, encouraging each other.
Seeing their deep bond, Ellis felt a surge of jealousy.
The Knicks were on offense, setting up in the half-court. Li Feng held the ball at the top of the arc.
Jennings and Ellis suddenly double-teamed him, indicating that the Bucks also had multiple defensive strategies.
Li Feng remained calm and signaled to Jokic. Jokic immediately moved towards the perimeter, coming to the 45-degree angle.
Dalembert hesitated. He knew Jokic had long-range shooting ability, but leaving the paint vulnerable was also dangerous.
In that moment of hesitation, Li Feng passed the ball.
Jokic received the ball, and the Bucks' power forward, Ilyasova, immediately closed in. The Bucks' defense was indeed strong.
Suddenly, Curry, like a little elf, darted out from behind Green and cut into the paint.
Jokic's passing talent was on full display. Whoosh!
Jokic flicked his wrist, accurately passing the ball in front of Curry.
The position was perfect. Curry received the ball without slowing down or adjusting, immediately taking three steps for a layup and scoring two more points!
Li Feng watched from the top of the arc, clenching his fist in excitement, and let out a loud roar three times!
This was the new Knicks legion he had worked all season to build!
Although not yet perfectly polished, it already showed the ability to tear through defenses!
7:0!
The Knicks started with another run.
Bucks head coach Scott, in exasperation, called a timeout early.
The game had just begun, barely over a minute in.
The home fans were stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening, how they had been so quickly overwhelmed.
At the pre-game press conference, Ellis and Jennings had been boasting.
Who would have thought that right at the start, they would be played like this?
Some fans became irate, cursing the Bucks players and shouting "Li Feng!"
Ellis was already nervous. Seeing Li Feng make a move, he dared not not defend and immediately leaped up.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng faked a move, then jumped up to shoot over Ellis!
Whistle!
The referee's whistle blew, calling Ellis for a defensive foul!
This was a classic move to draw a foul. Ellis had fallen for it!
In truth, Ellis couldn't be entirely blamed. It could only be said that Li Feng's shooting threat was so great that any defender had to jump.
Three free throws!
Li Feng walked to the free-throw line. The Bucks coach had to substitute Ellis out.
Ellis was furious, his face ashen. He stomped angrily towards the sideline and kicked a chair.
Li Feng made all three free throws, 10:2!
Drawing this foul was incredibly satisfying. Not only did he score points, but he also got Ellis off the court.
This was Li Feng's first shot of the game, scoring three points, which greatly boosted the morale of the Knicks players.
Redick replaced Ellis.
Redick was a sharpshooter, always accurate with his open three-pointers.
The Bucks were on offense. Redick received a pass from a teammate and shot a three-pointer, finally answering with a triple.
10:5.
The Knicks were on offense.
Li Feng beckoned to Jokic, asking him to come to the high post, and passed him the ball again.
Dalembert no longer dared to be careless, quickly coming out to stick to him.
At this moment, Li Feng, Curry, and Bill Walker simultaneously initiated cuts, weaving rapidly across the frontcourt.
The Bucks' defense immediately fell into disarray.
While the Bucks players were focused on Li Feng and Curry, Bill Walker suddenly made a backdoor cut into the paint.
Jokic's passing vision was evident. Whoosh!
Jokic flicked his wrist, sending the ball like a cannonball to Walker's front. Walker then scored two more points with a layup off the glass.