Li Feng, on a personal level, would not give up. But basketball was a team sport, and Li Feng knew that to win, he needed to raise the overall strength of the entire team.
However, the game was already lost, and the Lakers had the psychological advantage.
The Knicks players' mentality had collapsed.
As Li Feng had predicted, for the remaining time, Li Feng played hard for a few minutes, scoring consecutively, but it was of no use.
The Lakers exploded as a team, seizing victory with one surge.
109:97, the Lakers successfully came back in the second game of the Finals, tying the series 1:1!
The Knicks failed to secure two consecutive home wins, effectively losing home-court advantage.
The media and fans were not optimistic about the Knicks' prospects.
The Lakers had stronger overall strength and their play was becoming more mature.
As for Li Feng, people thought he was just a rookie, still far from Kobe.
Some things couldn't be reflected by statistics.
The media could be enthusiastic at times, but more often than not, they were harsh.
The winner takes all, this was the truth the media always followed.
When you finally won the game, the media would be full of praise, no matter how messy your performance was during the game.
Li Feng understood this principle, which was why he had shut down all his social media accounts since entering the playoffs.
He wouldn't let external voices affect his mindset.
Losing the second home game, Li Feng felt very upset and under immense pressure.
The night before the entire team was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles, Jenna suddenly invited Li Feng to a concert.
Li Feng wasn't particularly interested in concerts, but when he was in a bad mood, it wouldn't be bad to have someone accompany him to one.
New York, as the world's number one metropolis, hosted at least five to six major concerts every night.
When the two appeared at the New York Grand Theater, it immediately caused gasps from many audience members.
Now, Li Feng was New York's most popular star, he was used to it.
Jenna, as a woman from the Kardashian family, loved being the center of attention.
Thus, people saw the completely different reactions of Li Feng and Jenna.
Li Feng kept his head down, while Jenna smiled and greeted the audience.
"Li Feng, why are you so shy? Those people are all your fans!" Jenna hoped Li Feng would create hype with her.
Li Feng shook his head, "I'm not interested. As long as I play well, that's enough. I don't want to create hype."
Their conversation didn't quite click, and they both fell silent, listening to the concert.
...
"Li Feng, Li Feng!"
"Hmm... What is it?" Li Feng suddenly opened his eyes.
As Li Feng opened his sleepy eyes, he realized that the surrounding audience had already left. In the vast concert hall, only two people remained.
"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you," Jenna said, trying to stifle her laughter as she looked at Li Feng.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how I fell asleep," Li Feng scratched his head and apologized repeatedly.
"It's okay, actually, I also found the concert a bit boring."
The two walked out of the concert hall and then went for a meal.
"Li Feng, are you feeling down? Actually, you just need to win one more game against the Lakers, right?" Jenna could tell Li Feng looked troubled.
"Easier said than done. The Lakers are too strong, Kobe is too strong."
In Jenna's impression, Li Feng had always been confident, optimistic, and never gave up.
"Li Feng, don't let me look down on you. What happened to you?"
"What happened to me?"
"Why are you so timid now?"
"I'm timid?"
"Yes. Where is that fighting spirit you had at the beginning of the season?"
Hearing Jenna's encouragement, Li Feng suddenly felt a little ashamed.
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll definitely win a home game in Los Angeles!"
Women from the Kardashian family indeed had something about them; they weren't just good at creating hype.
Their understanding of men's psychology and how to conquer men had their own "secret recipes."
Li Feng still didn't have romantic feelings for Jenna at this moment, but he already considered her a good friend.
"That's more like it. Li Feng, remember, you're the best!"
Jenna continued to encourage Li Feng, though she was also a little disappointed, as she couldn't see any love in Li Feng's eyes.
...
The next day, Li Feng and his teammates arrived in Los Angeles.
The Knicks teammates noticed that Li Feng was full of energy, completely different from after the last game.
"Coach, before training, let me say a few words."
Li Feng walked over to D'Antoni and requested.
D'Antoni had long considered Li Feng as an assistant coach, so he immediately nodded in agreement, "Alright, go ahead."
Li Feng stood in front of his teammates, a confident smile on his face.
"Brothers, the Lakers won a home game in New York, so we have to win their home game in Los Angeles!"
The Knicks players nodded one after another, "You're right, Li Feng, we have to get our pride back!"
Li Feng was very satisfied to see the Knicks players' morale boosted.
He extended his hand, and his teammates piled their hands on top of his.
"Alright, let's take the away game in Los Angeles!"
"Take the away game!"
D'Antoni watched from the side, his heart filled with joy. With Li Feng, he could save a lot of motivational speeches.
...
At 8 PM, Staples Center.
The third game between the Knicks and the Lakers began.
The media and fans were more optimistic about the Lakers, as this was the Lakers' first home game after returning to their own turf.
Kobe would definitely lead the team to victory!
Li Feng did not participate in the pre-game interview, letting Du Hong do it on his behalf.
He couldn't be bothered to face the reporters. Li Feng wanted to use his actions to show the media who the best player in the Finals was.
Yao Ming played fiercely from the start, jumping high to secure the first possession for the Knicks.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and Kobe once again stood in front of him.
Having won a home game against the Knicks, Kobe was full of confidence today.
He shouted at Li Feng, "Li Feng, it's already a success that you made it to the Finals. This is where it ends! We're going to win four straight!"
Li Feng sneered, "Kobe, do you like trash talk that much?"
"..."
Kobe was stunned into silence by Li Feng's retort and focused on defense.
Li Feng didn't force his way through but called for a screen.
Yao Ming moved to the high post, blocking Kobe.
Li Feng used Yao Ming's broad frame to directly shoot a three-pointer!
Swish!
Just 9 seconds into the game, Li Feng scored the first basket.
Today, Li Feng and his teammates had agreed on a simple game plan: play simple!
Not only was the offense simple, but the defense was also quick.
Kobe was surprised. He found that Li Feng and the Knicks players had excellent mental states, looking like a completely different team from the previous game.
Lakers' offense.
Kobe did not have the ball but directed his teammates to pass it to Gasol.
It was clear that Kobe had abandoned the one-on-one duel with Li Feng and chosen to rely on the Lakers' strong overall strength to defeat the Knicks!
After receiving the ball, Gasol was immediately pressed by Knicks' Bill Walker, preventing him from passing.
At the same time, Du Hong also rushed over, constantly harassing Gasol.
Gasol was flustered by the pressure and had to pass the ball to Odom.
Odom had offensive ability. After receiving the ball, he made a crossover and drove towards the paint, intending to take a mid-range shot.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng appeared beside Odom at some point. Just as he was about to gather the ball, Li Feng's left hand flashed out like lightning.
Slap!
Odom's ball was cleanly stolen.
"Ah!"
Odom jumped in the air, but his ball was gone. By the time he landed and tried to get it back, it was too late.
Li Feng had already tipped the ball to Bill Walker, who quickly advanced past half-court.
Du Hong and Li Feng started almost simultaneously, receiving the pass from Bill Walker.
Kobe and Fisher defended quickly, blocking Bill.
The Knicks' Run and Gun 2.0 was no joke.
After a season of integration, players' offensive possessions only took a few seconds.
Therefore, facing defense, Bill Walker directly drove to the baseline, drawing the defense, and passed the ball to Li Feng, who was waiting to receive it.
Kobe, with his vast experience, quickly shifted his position, blocking Li Feng.
Li Feng didn't stop the ball; he made a bounce pass to Du Hong, who was directly facing an open basket.
This was the chemistry between Li Feng and his teammates.
By the time Kobe tried to rotate back, he was out of position. Du Hong easily made a layup for two points!
5:0!
The Knicks demonstrated the essence of their Run and Gun offense right from the start, silencing the Lakers fans.
Phil Jackson stood with his arms crossed, his expression grave. He noticed the Knicks had picked up the pace again.
So, he put two fingers in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle!
This was Phil Jackson's habitual gesture; he was signaling the Lakers players.
The Lakers players, hearing the whistle, tensed up. They understood that Phil Jackson wanted them to speed up as well.
Picking up the pace wasn't D'Antoni's exclusive right. Whether it was Jordan's Bulls era or the Kobe-Shaq era, they could also play at a faster pace.
As long as there were superstars like Jordan and Kobe, they could certainly match your pace.
The teams played faster and faster, and the scores kept increasing.
The Knicks maintained their lead.
...
"Li Feng, keep it up, you're the best!" a voice came from the second row of the audience.
"Jenna?"
Indeed, Jenna had come to Los Angeles. She just couldn't get front-row tickets and had to settle for the second row.
Li Feng waved to Jenna, feeling a little touched.
With 5 minutes and 57 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 11:6, with the Knicks leading by 5 points.
It was time for the official timeout.
Although only a little over five minutes had passed, the game had seen quite a few possessions because both teams had sped up.
D'Antoni was smug. He loved it when his opponents picked up the pace.
As a master of Run and Gun, he had plenty of experience playing fast.
"The essence of the Run and Gun offense is to create outnumbered situations on offense within a small area, and on defense, to retreat quickly to create outnumbered defensive situations."
"You guys played well just now. The Lakers couldn't keep up with your speed. You must continue to speed up!"
Under D'Antoni's guidance, the Knicks continued to accelerate, and the Lakers gradually fell behind.
Kobe was fine, but Bynum and Gasol's footwork began to falter.
With 8 minutes and 34 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 22:15, with the Knicks leading by 7 points!
Phil Jackson, helpless, called a timeout to let the starting players rest and simultaneously brought in the substitutes.
D'Antoni also substituted out players with greater weight, such as Yao Ming and Gallinari.
Li Feng remained on the court, at his own request.
"Brothers, the bench unit should also speed up!" Li Feng gave the command to the reserves.
Lowry was already capable of playing fast, and since joining the Knicks, he had maximized his "little steel cannon" advantage.
He often drove the length of the court to the opponent's paint and scored with a three-point play!
The combination of Li Feng and Lowry was also a scoring weapon for the Knicks.
Kobe, who was about to take a break, saw Li Feng still on the court and gritted his teeth, intending to continue playing.
However, Phil Jackson, with his authority, waved his hand and ordered Kobe to stay on the bench and come back in the second quarter.
Kobe had no choice but to sit back down.
Li Feng and Lowry, the two "little steel cannons," became a nightmare for the Lakers players.
Both had strong penetration abilities, able to score themselves or create for others after driving.
The other Knicks reserves were just waiting to practice their shooting.
Swish!
Swish!
The Knicks' bench players were indeed competitive, making most of their open shots.
By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had taken a 12-point lead.
The fans at Staples Center were extremely disappointed.
As the defending champions, they were being dominated from the opening.
Was it a lack of skill or a lack of proper attitude?
The home crowd was furious!
"Kobe, step up!"
"Kobe, step up!"
...
Kobe was a hero to this city. He had brought 4 NBA championships to the city.
Therefore, when the team was in crisis, Kobe should have stepped forward immediately, not be a coward!
Kobe couldn't sit still anymore and stood up again.
But Phil Jackson still stubbornly told Kobe to sit down and rest.
As a decorated coach with ten championships, Phil Jackson had rich experience and knew not to rush things.
While Li Feng was shooting free throws, Phil Jackson called Farmar to the sidelines to give him instructions.
As expected, in the following possessions, Farmar and Walton started playing more physically.
Li Feng was not affected. These two players were far weaker than Li Feng in terms of strength.
However, Lowry had not yet reached his peak, and his penetration was limited under Farmar's defense.
The Lakers took the opportunity to start closing the gap.
Seeing Lowry being bumped around and thrown off balance, Li Feng's anger surged.
The Lakers were taking advantage of the fact that Lowry had not yet become a fully developed player!
If it were the Lowry of his Raptors days, Farmar and Walton combined wouldn't be able to knock him down.
"Lowry, give me the ball, I'll drive through them a few times!" Li Feng, seeing Lowry's awkwardness after being bumped, temporarily took over possession.
Farmar and Walton knew Li Feng had great strength, so they adopted a foul-drawing strategy.
They kept appearing in front of Li Feng and then flopping dramatically.
Indeed, this was the Lakers' home court, and the referee's home-court whistles were quite evident, actually calling two offensive fouls on Li Feng.
At this point, D'Antoni started to worry and quickly substituted Li Feng out.
Li Feng shook his head and walked off the court. The Staples Center fans gloated and booed Li Feng.