Sometimes it's just this metaphysical thing, the Celtics' bench players, facing the Knicks' starters, suddenly hit a hot streak.
But when playing against the Knicks' bench, their touch vanished completely.
The point difference was widened again. At 4 minutes and 52 seconds into the second quarter, the score was 37:31, with the Knicks leading by 6 points.
Both sides brought their starting lineups back onto the court, but the Knicks did not put Yao Ming back in.
This was because Li Feng intended to increase the tempo again in the second quarter, to wear down the stamina of the Celtics' veterans.
Although Yao Ming's mobility had greatly improved after losing weight, he was still a seven-foot-plus center, and running back and forth was truly exhausting.
A fast-paced offense combined with Yao Ming was indeed strange, but it didn't mean Yao Ming wasn't important.
He was crucial to the Knicks, especially in critical moments, serving as the final defensive anchor in the Knicks' paint!
Moreover, Yao Ming's offensive range was vast; he had developed a three-point shot and his accuracy was not low.
Jordan Hill remained on the court, speeding up the game with Li Feng, much to the Celtics' veteran players' misery.
They were already tired from the second game, and now with the tempo increased, the Celtics' shooting accuracy began to drop.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Rivers quickly substituted Pierce and Garnett during a free throw, leaving only Ray Allen on the court.
Ray Allen was a stamina monster; he was the only one not afraid of an increased tempo, so Li Feng kept him under tight close-defensive coverage.
The score hovered between six and seven points. Rondo was playing well today; Rondo, who was never particularly good at shooting, managed to hit consecutive mid-range jumpers today.
This was Rondo!
His importance to the Celtics was immense.
Before his transmigration, Li Feng was very familiar with Rondo; it was terrifying that he had developed a three-point shot even in the later stages of his career.
It wasn't until 9 minutes and 22 seconds into the second quarter that Yao Ming returned to the court.
Upon entering, Yao Ming received the ball for the first time and made a hook shot, extending the lead to 12 points.
Rivers gave a wry smile on the sideline, realizing that the Knicks not only possessed explosive player talent but also employed incredibly ingenious tactics.
At the end of the first half, the Knicks entered the halftime break with an 18-point lead.
...
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley was full of praise for the Knicks!
"Oh, my God, the Knicks, after a tough game in the previous match, have somehow transcended themselves!"
Smith echoed his sentiment.
"Exactly. Today, the Celtics' stamina was lacking, and the Knicks decisively picked up the pace, compressing Yao Ming's playing time in the first half! It's killing two birds with one stone!"
"Yao Ming got his rest, while the Celtics were exhausted from chasing the game. The second half will be difficult for them."
"I think Rivers still has some tricks up his sleeve; he gave Garnett and Pierce a bit more rest. Maybe there's still some suspense in the second half?"
"There's no suspense, I'm putting my words out there, and I'm not afraid of the Celtics fans flaming me!" Barkley dared to say anything.
This was why Barkley was known as "The Mouth"; he would say anything.
...
The second half began, and the Celtics' stamina had somewhat recovered, with their condition appearing decent.
Both sides exchanged blows for a while longer.
But Li Feng didn't want to waste any more time; he quickly switched to individual offensive mode.
The Celtics were all too familiar with this mode from Li Feng; his season-high of 78 points was scored against them.
The Knicks teammates cooperated with Li Feng implicitly, setting screens for him, making blocks, and grabbing rebounds.
This was the chemistry of team basketball, with teammates willingly assisting Li Feng.
Because Li Feng would also set screens or make blocks for his teammates during regular games.
In the Knicks' family, there was no distinction between starting players and fringe players.
As long as they were on the court, everyone was a part of the tactical scheme.
In the third quarter, Li Feng single-handedly scored 23 points, demonstrating near omnipotence.
A deep three-pointer!
A driving dunk!
A fadeaway jumper!
A float shot!
...
The Celtics players on the court felt their hearts turn to ice.
Head coach Rivers also had a grim expression, slumping onto his chair, not even standing up.
Yao Ming played for five minutes before resting again, while Li Feng played the entire third quarter, extending the lead to 24 points!
The Celtics had lost all fighting spirit. Several of the veteran players had exerted themselves too fiercely in the first game.
Li Feng did not play again in the fourth quarter. Lowry led the bench unit for more than eight minutes, and the point difference remained over 20+.
Rivers reluctantly substituted the starting lineup, signaling surrender.
In the end, the Knicks defeated the Celtics 116:97, securing their second away victory.
The overall series score became 2:0!
Li Feng was in incredible form today, scoring 42 points in just 31 minutes of playing time, demonstrating absolute efficiency!
The moment the referee's whistle blew, the Knicks players embraced each other excitedly.
The fans at Madison Square Garden were even more ecstatic, standing by the court, applauding and cheering for their heroes.
Li Feng and his teammates bowed to the audience.
For so many years, the Knicks had been mediocre, never considered a strong team.
This year, the Knicks had finally risen, giving the fans hope for a championship.
For a team located in the world's foremost metropolis, the past few years had been rather embarrassing.
Yao Ming scored 23 points today, playing only 25 minutes and getting ample rest.
Being able to secure a victory and allow the big Yao to rest sufficiently was the best possible scenario for the team.
...
In another Eastern Conference matchup, the Cavaliers defeated the Magic in their second home game, tying the series at 1:1.
In this game, LeBron James played well, but the turning point was Howard fouling out with six fouls in the latter half of the third quarter.
Howard was the defensive anchor and offensive linchpin for the Magic. Once he left the court, it was a fatal blow to the Magic.
Therefore, in the fourth quarter, LeBron James led the Cavaliers to a huge comeback, securing their second home win.
In the Western Conference, both the Lakers and the Nuggets were tied at 1:1, and the Spurs and the Suns were also tied at 1:1!
In the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals, only the Knicks had secured two victories.
Next, the Knicks would be heading to the Celtics' home court.
Playing away in Boston was notoriously difficult; the atmosphere in Boston was extreme.
For example, many fans would harass visiting players at their hotels, preventing them from getting adequate rest.
Although it was unsportsmanlike, it was also a part of the game.
The team's Larry Hughes was experienced; he had proactively prepared noise-canceling earplugs for his Knicks teammates.
Otherwise, with all the noise outside, it would be impossible to sleep.
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng and Yao Ming accepted interviews.
"Mr. Li Feng, the Knicks have played aggressively in the first two games. What do you think is the biggest reason for that?"
Li Feng replied, "In the first two games, we executed what we do in practice. The players performed exceptionally well, which is why we are leading 2:0."
"In these two games, Yao Ming has had limited playing time. Does this indicate that Yao Ming's tactical importance in the Knicks is not as significant?"
Li Feng's expression darkened, and he exclaimed, "As a reporter, how can you publicly provoke discord like that? Yao Ming is our most important core member. I would say that without Yao Ming, we would absolutely not be leading by such a large margin!"
The reporter was startled by Li Feng's roar and dared not ask further questions, retreating to the back.
Another reporter turned to Yao Ming, "Mr. Yao, what difference do you see between playing for the Knicks and playing for the Rockets?"
Although Yao Ming had left the Rockets, he had never spoken ill of them.
He thought for a moment and replied, "The Rockets' strategy was to attack the paint aggressively, requiring me to gain weight. With the Knicks, I've expanded my offensive range and needed to lose weight. I can only say that each has its own advantages."
The reporter then asked, "Which do you think made you happier, playing for the Rockets or playing for the Knicks?"
Yao Ming simply replied, "Both made me happy!"
This was Yao Ming's way of handling the media; he never gave anyone leverage and possessed extremely high emotional intelligence.
...
At the Celtics' press conference, Garnett and Pierce were interviewed by reporters.
"Mr. Garnett, you are trailing 0:2 in the series. This third game is crucial. What adjustments will you make?"
Garnett's expression was solemn as he replied, "The Knicks have displayed immense strength on both offense and defense, especially on the offensive end with their diverse methods. We must exhibit sufficient defensive intensity and play this game well."
The reporter then asked Pierce, "In the first two games, your scoring was very efficient through the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, you only scored 7 points. Can you explain why?"
The reason was actually quite obvious: his stamina had declined.
Pierce, needing to boost his and his teammates' morale before the game, deliberately raised his voice and replied, "I am not accustomed to the Knicks' home-court advantage. Now that we are back on our home court, I will definitely perform well and win our home game!"
From the expressions of Garnett and Pierce, it was evident that they were determined to win their home game.
This was because a 0:3 deficit in a series had never been overcome before.
...
At 7 PM, at the Boston North Garden Arena.
The third game between the Knicks and the Celtics kicked off!
The Knicks' starting lineup remained Li Feng, Yao Ming, Scola, Gallinari, and Duhon.
The Celtics' starting five were Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, and Perkins.
Yao Ming easily secured the first possession for the Knicks.
Li Feng dribbled across half-court and, facing a double-team, directly lobbed the ball to Yao Ming in the low post.
Yao Ming, facing Perkins, made no unnecessary moves and directly executed a hook shot, scoring two points.
He was taking the shot before Garnett could come over for help defense.
The Celtics did not panic; after two days of rest, their stamina had fully recovered.
Rondo dribbled across half-court, and Duhon stepped up to defend him closely.
Rondo had a killer instinct today; he immediately drove past Duhon.
Driving into the paint, Rondo made a floating shot!
It was rare to see Rondo so ferocious; usually, he would organize the offense first and let his teammates score.
The crowd at the North Garden Arena roared deafeningly, and the Knicks players felt immense pressure.
The floor here was the oldest in the league, so Knicks players were always a bit uncomfortable.
Li Feng had nearly fallen during a regular-season game here.
Fueled by the cheers of the home crowd, the Celtics launched a wave of offense.
The veteran players, with their stamina restored, displayed fluid and seamless offensive plays.
After Yao Ming scored, the rest of the Knicks suddenly went cold.
Garnett began to employ a frontcourt defense on Yao Ming, making it very difficult for Yao Ming to receive passes.
The Celtics' tactical intent today was clear: prevent Yao Ming from getting the ball, double-team Li Feng, and force other Knicks players to take mid-to-long-range shots.
It had to be said, the Celtics, with their full stamina, were incredibly strong, and they were all big-hearted players, performing more steadily in crucial games.
Li Feng was struggling under the double-teams; Rondo and Ray Allen's defensive intensity was very high today, almost tackling Li Feng to the ground even off the ball.
The referees seemed to condone this level of physicality, making no calls.
Li Feng complained to the referee once, but it was to no avail, so he stopped complaining.
The Celtics gained momentum, consistently holding the lead.
Every time Li Feng exerted himself and brought the score within single digits, someone from the Celtics would step up, hitting a few shots to extend the lead.
Li Feng was also helpless.
By the end of the first half, the score was 56:43, with the Celtics leading by 13 points.
In the locker room, Li Feng tried to encourage his teammates, seeing that the Knicks players were all dispirited.
"It's okay, just play to the best of your ability. Strengthen your defense, and ideally, wear them down more, so we can play better in Game 4."
Li Feng knew that some games were just not meant for you, and all you could do was give your best.
The second half began, and led by Li Feng, the Knicks managed to chip away at the lead a bit more.
However, Ray Allen and Pierce responded consecutively, extending the lead again.
Furthermore, the difficulty of their shots was immense, and the defense was already quite adequate.
Li Feng sighed; today was truly going to be a loss.
By the end of the third quarter, the Celtics were leading by 17 points.
D'Antoni felt there was no need to put the starters back in, so he simply let the bench finish the fourth quarter.
Strategically sacrificing Game 3 would allow Li Feng and Yao Ming to get ample rest.
In the end, the Celtics won at home 107:95, bringing the series score to 1:2.
If the Celtics could capitalize on this momentum and win the next home game, the series would be tied.
Therefore, the next game was extremely important.
The Knicks also made adjustments to their strategy in response to the Celtics' tactics.
D'Antoni instructed Li Feng and Yao Ming to strengthen their connection, which would help break through the Celtics' defensive line.
At the same time, he told the other players to let go of their burdens and practice their shooting!
In the previous game, apart from Li Feng and Yao Ming, the other players' three-point shooting was a dismal 2 for 12, which was simply outrageous.
After two days of meticulous preparation, Game 4 began.
The starting lineups for both teams remained unchanged, with the Knicks initiating the offense.
Li Feng did not pass the ball directly; instead, he had Yao Ming move to the high post to screen off Ray Allen.
Duhon also screened off Rondo.
Li Feng took the opportunity to drive into the paint.
Garnett came to help defend, and Li Feng directly passed the ball back to Yao Ming, who was waiting at the three-point line.
Because Li Feng had driven into the paint, drawing the opponent's big men closer to the basket, Yao Ming had no pressure on his shot and directly attempted a three-pointer, which he made!
The Knicks displayed a different style of play in this game, which greatly surprised Rivers on the sideline.