Laurie was touched.
During his time with the Rockets, Laurie could be said to have "no great ambitions." His ideal then was to enter the main rotation, and he didn't even dare to dream of starting.
But now, he not only started for the Knicks but also saw his tactical importance continuously increasing.
This was all due to Li Feng's cultivation and support.
Laurie did not disappoint Li Feng's expectations; he improved with every game.
Swish!
After the first shot missed, Laurie's second shot went in clean!
3:2!
After making the shot, Laurie was also very excited. He breathed a sigh of relief and roared loudly!
Li Feng and Yao Ming ran over and chest-bumped him in celebration. This was the reward for trust!
James stood with his hands on his hips, shaking his head slightly. He really hadn't expected Laurie to attempt two three-pointers right at the start.
What kind of play was this?
Didn't he know his own standing?
He really wondered how they communicated during practice within the Knicks.
The Heat's offense.
James held the ball at the top of the arc, and the Knicks still only had Scola defending him.
This time, he didn't opt for a drive but passed the ball to Wade.
It was obvious this was a tactical arrangement by the Heat, to let Wade handle the ball more.
In this series, although Wade didn't have much ball possession, his efficiency was very high.
Therefore, during pre-game practice, Spoelstra had specifically focused on enhancing Wade's on-ball offense.
Wade received the pass and, facing Li Feng's tight defense, didn't dare to shoot casually. He immediately called for a screen.
Chalmers came up to the high post, blocking Li Feng. Wade seized the opportunity and drove into the paint.
Yao Ming didn't come out to contest because Chalmers had no long-range shooting ability. Therefore, he guarded the paint, blocking Wade's path.
Wade feigned a pass to Bosh, and Yao Ming fell for it, instinctively reaching out to block, shifting his balance.
Swoosh!
Wade's signature "Mizong Step" was on display again as he slipped under Yao Ming's arm.
The Flash lived up to his name; he was too fast!
Getting past Yao Ming, the lane to the basket was wide open. Wade exploded upwards and dunked with one hand!
Bang!
The soul of the Heat was now shouldering the offensive responsibility for the Heat!
This basket showcased Wade's offensive prowess to the fullest.
The home crowd was ecstatic, screaming and applauding! They all knew that to win this game against the Knicks, Wade would have to play a role no less significant than James.
James was sure to be double-teamed, so Wade had to step up!
Li Feng watched from afar, feeling helpless. The abilities of the Flash in his prime were undeniable.
It was too difficult to contain him.
4:3!
The Heat regained the lead.
The Knicks' offense.
After crossing half-court, Li Feng looked at Laurie but suddenly passed the ball to Yao Ming.
This was a change of pace. Li Feng was too "cunning," a true veteran at a young age.
Everyone expected Li Feng to let Laurie take the shot, but he instead passed the ball to Yao Ming.
James had already prepared to double-team Laurie, but Li Feng's pass caught all the Heat players by surprise.
That half-second of hesitation was enough for Yao Ming to catch them off guard.
Yao Ming faced Chalmers, turned around, and shot! Swish!
Two points scored, effortlessly!
Bosh should have come to help, but Li Feng's pass completely caught him off guard; his eyes were still on Laurie.
Unpredictable!
5:4!
James and Wade exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of unease.
They knew that Li Feng would try to involve his teammates more in the first quarter, passing the ball as much as possible.
It seemed Li Feng had already succeeded halfway; the Knicks' teammates were performing well and showing confidence today!
Spoelstra stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, staring intently at Li Feng.
Although he had repeatedly emphasized in pre-game practice the importance of limiting Li Feng, Li Feng's influence on the game was still immense, making him impossible to defend effectively.
Even though it had been just over a minute into the game and Li Feng hadn't taken a single shot, he had made three passes, resulting in two assists!
People said James was an all-around warrior, but Li Feng was not inferior!
The Heat's offense.
James dribbled at the top of the arc, facing Scola, and drove past him again.
Facing the Knicks' help defense, James suddenly pulled up for a jump shot.
It was unclear whether he was trying to change the rhythm himself or if it was Coach Spoelstra's instruction.
In previous games, James also occasionally increased his shooting and reduced his drives.
Clang!
Unfortunately, the shot missed.
But before Yao Ming could secure the rebound, Wade suddenly burst from the side and finished with a put-back dunk!
Bang!
That was spectacular!
Wade had entered an extremely focused competitive state right from the start of the game, being everywhere.
Yao Ming shook his head helplessly, not expecting to be beaten by Wade's put-back.
6:5! The Heat once again took the lead.
James also excitedly clenched his fist and ran over to high-five Wade in celebration.
Wade's put-back sent the home crowd into a frenzy once more!
The fans hoped all Heat players would be as eager for victory and full of passion as Wade, to win Game 7!
Wade was defended by Li Feng, but Wade's experience was clearly greater than Li Feng's, and the Flash's speed was not inferior to Li Feng's.
Earlier, Wade had used a screen to get open, shaking off Li Feng by half a step, and anticipating the play.
The score was tight, and after more than five minutes of play, it was tied at 12!
Li Feng had zero shots, but he had 4 assists and 2 rebounds.
Yao Ming was 2-for-3, scoring 4 points. Laurie had 5 points, and Stoudemire had 3 points.
On the Heat's side, James had 2 points, Wade had 6 points, Bosh had 2 points, and Chalmers had 2 points.
Both teams' players were performing well, but there was no standout player.
The game entered a timeout.
D'Antoni was satisfied with his players' performance so far. He high-fived each player on the sidelines, encouraging them.
When Li Feng reached him, D'Antoni nodded repeatedly, saying, "Very good, Li Feng, you've really gotten your teammates involved. However, you need to start taking more shots yourself."
Li Feng replied, "Okay, I'll look for the right opportunity to shoot!"
The Heat's defense on Li Feng was very intense, so Li Feng felt it wasn't yet time for him to take shots. Moreover, his teammates were shooting well today, so he could let them take more.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The Heat players returned to the court. Li Feng noticed that James was resting on the bench, with Haslem replacing him.
This was an on-the-fly adjustment by Spoelstra. It was clear he intended for James to lead the bench unit later.
The advantage of the Big Three was that together they were invincible, but they could also carry the team individually when separated.
Although Li Feng was surprised, he immediately came up with a strategy.
He had to seize the opportunity while James was off the court to lead the team on a run and gain a lead.
Then, around the nine-minute mark of the first quarter, Li Feng would also go to the bench to rest, and then return to the court with the bench players at the start of the second quarter.
Despite his meticulous plan, Wade disrupted Li Feng's strategy.
As soon as Wade stepped onto the court, he resolutely attacked.
He not only increased his drives but also added mid-range jump shots.
The other Heat players cooperated extremely well, constantly setting screens for Wade.
Furthermore, when Wade passed the ball, his teammates' shots were also falling. Chalmers and Bosh were able to make most of their open shots.
The Knicks failed to go on a run and were instead hit by a small surge from the Heat.
By the nine-minute mark of the first quarter, the score was 25:18, with the Heat leading by seven points.
D'Antoni was very disappointed and called a timeout.
Li Feng walked off the court with his head down. Although he had scored 5 points just now, Wade was clearly the better performer.
In such a crucial Game 7, the Heat's soul, Wade, displayed top-tier explosiveness, appearing to be carrying the game.
"Li Feng, how could you let Wade play like that? Where's your defense?" D'Antoni rarely criticized Li Feng.
The Knicks players all lowered their heads, knowing that this wasn't solely Li Feng's responsibility.
The Heat's sudden shift in strategy had allowed Wade to have his best performance of the series.
The Knicks' defensive focus was almost entirely on James, so they were unprepared after James left the court.
To avoid Li Feng's defense, Wade almost never engaged in one-on-one plays with Li Feng; it was all about screens set by his teammates, which was a smart way to play.
This also left Li Feng feeling helpless.
D'Antoni told Li Feng to sit on the bench and think, then substituted him with bench players.
Billups was a big-game player. In a Game 7, his demeanor was particularly calm, showing no signs of nervousness or panic.
Upon entering the game, he directed the Knicks' bench with confidence, leading them to an excellent performance.
The Knicks' bench players were actually holding their own against the Heat's starters led by Wade.
This made D'Antoni breathe a sigh of relief.
Although they were still trailing, he believed that with Li Feng resting for a while and figuring things out, they would definitely be able to catch up.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 34:28, with the Heat leading by six points.
Wade exploded in the first quarter, scoring 21 points, a resurgence of his prime!
Meanwhile, Li Feng only scored 4 points but had 6 assists. Yao Ming scored 9 points.
Billups played the role of a stabilizing anchor for the bench, scoring 7 points and dishing out 3 assists.
Although the Knicks were still trailing, the suspense of the game remained.
At the start of the second quarter, James came back onto the court. He led four bench players, strategically timed, preparing to extend their lead.
The Knicks were also prepared, and Li Feng also took the court.
When James saw Li Feng on the court, he frowned.
He knew that extending the lead wouldn't be that easy.
As soon as James entered the game, he drove to the basket and dunked over Jordan Hill, drawing a foul on Jordan Hill.
The Heat fans erupted in cheers, proclaiming this the strength of LeBron, a divine performance!
James stood at the free-throw line and calmly made the shot.
The deficit was now nine points.
If the Knicks wanted to keep their hopes of catching up alive, they needed to respond.
Li Feng brought the ball past half-court, and the Heat's James Jones and House double-teamed him, denying him any shooting opportunities.
Whoosh!
Li Feng immediately passed the ball to Billups.
Although Billups was a reserve, he had practiced extensively with Li Feng during training sessions.
After passing, Li Feng slowly moved towards the corner.
Just as the Heat's bench players thought Li Feng was no longer involved in the offense, Li Feng suddenly changed direction and sprinted towards the other side of the three-second area.
James Jones rushed to catch up, but it was too late.
Billups's surgical pass tore open the Heat's defense.
Li Feng received the pass, spun around, and laid it up, all in one fluid motion!
This change of pace, the soft touch, and the timing of Billups's pass were simply seamless!
It was too smooth.
Although James had already rotated to help defend, Li Feng's spin was too quick, and he once again outmaneuvered James.
The Heat's offense.
James chose to drive again, but Billups rotated well, blocking James's driving lane.
Bang!
Billups fell straight down.
The referee hesitated for a moment before calling a blocking foul on Billups.
Billups was helpless and stood up, shaking his head. Li Feng walked over, patted him on the back, and whispered, "It's okay, keep going next time!"
The Heat had not yet reached the penalty situation, so they continued their offense.
With 14 seconds on the shot clock, James chose to pass to the open Mike Miller.
Mike Miller had been shooting well recently, but his first attempt of the game missed.
Jordan Hill secured the rebound and passed it to Billups.
Billups dribbled past half-court. The Heat knew he had the deadly pull-up three-pointer in his arsenal, so they didn't dare to leave him open.
James stood in front of him. Billups saw that Li Feng was being tightly guarded, and Felton had secretly slipped into the corner, unguarded.
So, Billups looked to the right but flicked his wrist, passing the ball to the left corner.
Felton caught the ball, took a quick aim, and shot a three-pointer!
James realized it was bad, but it was too late to contest.
Swish!
Three-pointer made!
This was Billups's vision; it was excellent.
After making the shot, Li Feng high-fived Billups and Felton, praising their brilliant play!
With Li Feng and Billups leading the charge, the Knicks and Heat were still trading baskets.
In the second quarter, with 5 minutes and 35 seconds remaining, the score was 43:37, with the Heat leading by six points.
Despite Li Feng's efforts, James was also active on both offense and defense, allowing the Heat to maintain their lead.
Li Feng was starting to get anxious.
Wade was still resting. Given his current form, if he returned to the court, he would surely go on another scoring spree.
Who would be able to stop him then?
Spoelstra, at this moment, indeed substituted James out for a rest and brought Wade back onto the court.
Since the Knicks' bench players had performed well earlier, D'Antoni had asked Li Feng to rest for a few minutes and let the bench continue playing.
Wade had been observing the Knicks' bench players' tactics while he was on the sidelines.
Although Billups was experienced and steady, he also had weaknesses, namely a lack of creativity and slightly slower defensive mobility.
After all, age was a factor.
So, Wade increased the aggressiveness of his drives.
He used his strength to repeatedly break through Billups's defense.
This left Billups frustrated.
Wade's basketball IQ was too high; he used different methods against different opponents!
Under Wade's onslaught, the Knicks' bench players finally couldn't hold on.
In just over three minutes, the deficit had widened to thirteen points!
With four minutes left in the second quarter, D'Antoni had to call another timeout.
Wade's explosive performance today had disrupted all of the Knicks' pre-game plans.
If there wasn't a change in the second quarter, the Knicks were likely to be blown out.
At such a crucial moment as Game 7, the players knew what it meant to be blown out in the first half.