The Golden State Warriors of this parallel world traded Curry and Lin Shu Hao for championship point guard Lowry.
Lowry was indeed fierce, with strength, speed, and good three-point shooting. After arriving on the Warriors, he greatly improved their record.
Compared to Curry, Lowry was more durable and less prone to injury. Furthermore, pairing him with Thompson brought more experience.
Thompson was also a three-point shooter, and Lowry and Thompson formed another "Splash Brothers" duo.
Although Thompson was not as good at handling the ball as Li Feng, he had advantages in defense and height.
As a result, the Warriors reached second place in the Western Conference at one point this season.
It could be said that the exchange of Curry and Lowry was a win-win situation, with both sides very satisfied.
The media hyped up this game.
At least for now, after the trade, the Warriors' record had greatly improved, while the Knicks had fallen to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Therefore, many fans cursed the Knicks' management.
They considered trading Lowry for Curry a huge blunder!
...
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng and Curry were interviewed.
Despite being mentally prepared, the reporter's first question made both Li Feng and Curry extremely awkward.
"Mr. Li Feng, last season, the Knicks were champions, the Warriors were 13th in the West, and this season, the Knicks are eighth in the East, and the Warriors are second in the West. Can you explain?"
Li Feng's face turned pale. After a few seconds of silence, he replied, "There are many reasons. We've had a lot of personnel changes, and we need time to grow and gel. As for the Warriors, they've achieved good results, and I'm happy for them. Lowry has been playing great recently; he's a good friend of mine, and I hope he plays better and better!"
This answer was official and appropriate, but the reporter was not done.
"Then can you state the main reason?" the reporter pressed aggressively.
"The main reason... should be Yao Ming's retirement. Our inside offense and defense have both weakened, and our perimeter players need more games to find their rhythm."
Another reporter asked Curry, "Stephen, your stats have improved a lot since joining the Knicks, but the team's record has worsened. Why is that?"
Curry felt upset, but he still had to answer.
"Li Feng just mentioned that there have been many personnel changes, and we need time to gel. I still need to improve on defense, and I will continue to work hard."
Curry in '12 was indeed not as good defensively as Lowry, but Li Feng knew exactly Curry's potential.
Therefore, before the interview, Li Feng had already told Curry to ignore the reporters and not take their words to heart.
However, Curry was a highly competitive person, and he couldn't pretend not to care.
In the following questions, which were all sharp, Li Feng answered preemptively, preventing Curry from being embarrassed.
...
At 8 PM, Oracle Arena in Oakland.
The Warriors welcomed the challenge from the reigning champion Knicks.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Jokic, Green, Bill Walker, and Curry.
The Warriors' starting five were David Lee, Thompson, Lowry, Bogut, and Barnes.
During the pre-game warm-up, Lowry actively walked over to chat with Li Feng for a while.
He still respected and was grateful to Li Feng.
When interviewed by the media, Lowry had also publicly stated that Li Feng had been of great help to him.
Li Feng was his benefactor in reaching this point.
Lowry had good character but was ambitious. He needed a stage to be the absolute core.
As a player, he didn't want to live in Li Feng's shadow, which was normal and understandable.
Curry also had good relationships with the Warriors players, especially Thompson, whom he had known since childhood.
So, he also walked over to exchange pleasantries with his old friend.
...
At the tip-off, Bogut won the first possession for the Warriors.
Jokic and Bogut were still quite different; Bogut was at least a number one draft pick.
Lowry dribbled past half-court, and Curry stepped up to defend him closely.
The matchup between the two was the focus of this game because they had swapped teams.
Some said the Warriors got the better end of the deal, while others said the Knicks did.
Both had to compete fiercely, both publicly and privately.
Bang!
Lowry changed direction, then used his strong physique to push Curry away and drive into the paint.
This was why more fans favored Lowry; he was too strong, nicknamed "Little Steel Cannon," and was like LeBron James among point guards.
However, the Knicks had prepared for this. The coaching staff knew Lowry too well.
Green immediately came to help, blocking Lowry.
No matter how strong Lowry was, he was still a guard and couldn't push Green.
So, he passed the ball on the bounce to David Lee.
David Lee had a refined low-post game and was the Warriors' main offensive threat.
After receiving the ball, he faked, shook off Jokic, and scored on a layup!
No wonder the Warriors could reach second place in the West; their offense was fluid, and Lowry's arrival made the Warriors' drive-and-kick threat even greater.
After the basket, Oracle Arena erupted in thunderous cheers.
This was the famous "demon home court" of the NBA, and the fans were incredibly passionate.
Li Feng signaled to his teammates, telling them not to panic and to play one solid possession.
Curry dribbled past half-court; he had to respond to Lowry; it was a matter of pride.
Lowry looked extremely focused, staring at Curry.
Green screened Lowry, Curry moved quickly, and before David Lee could close in, he shot a three-pointer!
Swish!
Three-pointer made!
Oracle Arena fell silent.
This...
"The Knicks' coach actually allowed Curry to shoot threes like that?"
"It's terrifying! When he was with the Warriors before, his three-pointers were good, but not this crazy!"
"It's probably influenced by Li Feng; they're the Splash Brothers!"
...
The home fans' feelings were complicated.
However, the fans soon relaxed because Lowry seemed more practical.
On the Warriors' possession, Lowry also called for a screen. Bogut screened Curry, and then Lowry, taking advantage of Jokic's slow recovery, shot a three-pointer!
Swish!
He made it too!
When he was with the Knicks, the "Little Steel Cannon" learned a lot from Li Feng; this tough shot three-pointer was trained by Li Feng.
After the basket, the fans at Oracle Arena jumped up excitedly.
He was so tough!
This was a response to Curry's three-pointer just now.
Lowry's arrival had indeed benefited the Warriors immensely; he had become a hero at Oracle Arena.
Li Feng couldn't let Curry bear this pressure alone. In the next possession, Li Feng faked past Thompson, drove into the paint, and scored with a floater!
The Knicks' Splash Brothers battling the Warriors' Splash Brothers!
It was too exciting!
The focus of this game was on the two point guard duos.
Li Feng, as usual, rarely shot in the first quarter; he let his teammates take the shots first, focusing on defense and playmaking.
But today, Li Feng was also getting into the game. In this parallel world, he and Curry were the true Splash Brothers!
Because they had played together in college.
Lowry and Thompson in this parallel world were just high-quality imitations.
However, there was another fact: Li Feng had accelerated the pace of the small-ball era in this parallel world.
In the next possession, Li Feng ran a pick-and-roll with Jokic, and after the screen, he passed the ball directly to Jokic at the three-point line.
Teacher Jiao was much more confident than before and directly shot a three-pointer, swish!
It was made!
This basket made the Warriors a bit flustered.
Bogut was stronger than Jokic near the basket, but he had almost no three-point ability, so defending Jokic put him in a difficult position.
After scoring, Jokic was very excited and high-fived Li Feng.
Li Feng shouted again, "Teacher Jiao, be more confident, and use your shooting advantage!"
Under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks and Warriors were closely matched.
Eighth in the East and second in the West were in a tough battle.
Warriors' head coach Mark Jackson looked upset because he had strongly supported trading Curry in the offseason.
He thought Curry was too injury-prone and not strong enough, and wouldn't amount to much in the future.
Perhaps he would retire from the NBA in a few years and become ordinary.
But after more than eight minutes of the first quarter, the score was 20:19, with the Knicks leading by one point.
Curry had scored 9 points, with two three-pointers and a three-point play, showcasing his talent.
Although Lowry was not bad, scoring 8 points, Curry's performance was clearly much better than it was on the Warriors last season.
Mark Jackson called a timeout, preparing to bring in the reserves.
The Knicks also made substitutions, with Lin Shu Hao leading the bench players onto the court.
The Warriors' ability to reach second in the West this season was also due to significant contributions from their bench.
Jack God, Landry, Ezeli, Bezmore, Jefferson, all had strong immediate impact.
Especially "God" Jack, who was a tough guard with a legendary status.
The reason for his legendary status was that he came off the bench for every team he played for, but as the games went on, he would eventually replace the starting point guard.
The starting point guard would either get injured or suffer a drop in form, and then "God" Jack would take over.
He was a very practical player, with diverse scoring methods, great speed, and good strength.
However, his obvious weakness was inconsistency, which was why he was always placed on the bench when he joined a team.
When Jack came on, facing Lin Shu Hao's defense, he drove into the paint and scored with a bank shot for 2 points!
The home crowd cheered again.
Last season, when Curry was injured, "God" Jack once again made a comeback and became the starting point guard.
This season, with Lowry joining the Warriors, he had to return to the bench.
Many fans, based on "God" Jack's comeback ability, were worried about the "Little Steel Cannon" Lowry.
Lin Shu Hao had the demeanor of a general and did not panic. He immediately organized his teammates, ran a pick-and-roll in the next possession, drove, and passed to Novak in the corner.
Novak had a good shooting touch today; he made his first three-point attempt!
Despite "God" Jack playing aggressively, Lin Shu Hao responded calmly, using team basketball to withstand the Warriors' bench's offensive surge.
Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler, one outside and one inside, defended the Knicks' defensive line.
With 4 minutes and 29 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 43:36, with the Knicks leading by seven points.
Mark Jackson shook his head in frustration.
The player he had the lowest opinion of was Lin Shu Hao.
Although both Lin Shu Hao and Jack played well after Curry's injury, Jackson always believed that Lin Shu Hao could not play in the NBA at all.
Even if he hadn't been traded in the offseason, Jackson would have found an opportunity to have the management waive Lin Shu Hao.
But today, Lin Shu Hao not only held his own against the Warriors' bench but also gained an advantage.
This made Jackson extremely embarrassed.
He called a timeout, preparing to bring in the starters.
At the same time, Jackson gave the starters a strict order to overtake the lead before the end of the first half!
Lowry and Thompson were under immense pressure.
Because Lowry knew Li Feng's strength well, and in the second quarter, Li Feng usually started scoring.
Who on the Warriors could defend Li Feng?
Furthermore, Thompson was still leveling up, his three-point shooting was unstable, and his defense was decent. Therefore, Lowry had no confidence in overtaking the lead.
After the timeout, the game resumed.
Lowry held the ball at the top of the arc, facing Curry's defense, and still wanted to force his way through with his physique.
But Curry was also prepared. He didn't engage Lowry in a physical battle. Instead, he used his agile footwork to stick close to Lowry, letting him get inside the three-point line but denying him a shot.
This defensive technique was taught to him by Li Feng, primarily used in situations where he was at a physical disadvantage.
Lowry drove inside the three-point line, saw Curry still guarding him closely, and could only use changes of direction and turns to break free.
But Curry's agility was not to be underestimated, and his hands were extremely quick.
Snap!
As Lowry turned, Curry reached out and stole the ball!
Lowry was shocked and quickly tried to get the ball back, but Curry took advantage of the situation, flicked the ball, and passed it directly to Li Feng.
The Splash Brothers' collaboration was successful again.
Upon receiving the ball, Li Feng quickly counter-attacked. Lowry and Thompson both started retreating on defense.
With Lowry and Thompson's defensive capabilities, no guard in the league could break through their combined efforts.
But today, they were facing Li Feng, and the situation was different!
Li Feng saw that their defensive routes were blocked, so he suddenly slowed down and looked at the basket.
Lowry, of course, knew Li Feng's long-range shooting ability and thought he was going to shoot a three-pointer, so he rushed to close him down.
But Li Feng used a "little jab step" to get rid of Lowry.
There were many guards in the league who used the jab step, but none could do it as smoothly as Li Feng, which was unparalleled.
Of course, the main reason was Li Feng's immense threat with his shooting.
Curry's jab step was not as skillful as Li Feng's yet, but starting next season, Curry's jab step would be perfected.
After getting past Lowry, facing Thompson, Li Feng switched tactics.
Thompson was taller than him and not slow. Facing such a defender, Li Feng used changes of pace.
Whoosh!
Li Feng drove to the left, and Thompson slid his feet quickly, staying close.
But Li Feng suddenly pulled the ball back, feigning a drive to the right. Thompson quickly pushed off his right foot, adjusted his balance, and moved towards Li Feng's right.
Who knew, Li Feng's move was a fake, and in less than half a second, he dashed to the left again.
Even Thompson, as good as his defense was, couldn't keep up. His feet tangled, and he almost fell in front of Li Feng.
Li Feng took advantage of the opening and drove to the basket, slamming it down with one hand!
The fans at Oracle Arena were stunned. Li Feng's series of moves had easily bypassed the Warriors' two great perimeter defenders!
Thompson and Lowry exchanged a look and simultaneously shook their heads with a wry smile.
They hadn't even had a chance to foul him; Li Feng's fakes were too realistic!