The Knicks' starting lineup remained Li Feng, Yao Ming, Amar'e Stoudemire, Luis Scola, and Ty Lawson.
The Hawks' starters were Al Horford, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Marvin Williams.
Yao Ming secured the first possession for the Knicks, and Li Feng brought the ball up from the backcourt.
Bibby pressed Li Feng closely.
As a long-established superstar guard, Bibby had achieved success with the Kings.
Although Bibby was older now, his experience was even richer.
He knew Li Feng's prowess, so he didn't engage in a direct confrontation.
When Li Feng crossed half-court, Bibby immediately signaled to his teammates, and Josh Smith came to double-team Li Feng.
Li Feng looked at Lawson but passed the ball to Yao Ming in the paint.
The Hawks didn't have a true center, with Horford being the tallest.
Compared to Yao Ming, Horford was no match.
After receiving the ball, Yao Ming first used his body to push Horford aside, then turned and made a short hook shot. Swish!
An easy score!
This was the Knicks' strategy: identify their strongest point and attack it relentlessly!
2:0!
The Knicks took the lead, and the Hawks advanced.
Bibby passed the ball to Josh Smith after crossing half-court.
Josh Smith was the Hawks' most potent offensive weapon.
The Hawks had also studied the Knicks and found that Stoudemire was better on offense than defense, so they decided to target him.
Facing Stoudemire's defense, Smith made a crossover, creating half a step of separation, and then explosively drove to the basket for a dunk.
Yao Ming tried to help, but Horford effectively screened him.
Horford was truly a winner in life; his wife was Miss Dominican Republic Universe, Amelia Vega.
What a stunner!
After making the basket, Josh Smith pounded his chest and roared, and the Hawks' home crowd cheered loudly!
The Hawks were on a strong run this season, and defeating the Knicks would significantly boost the team's morale.
Therefore, everyone on the team was determined to beat the Knicks on their home court.
This was the treatment of a defending champion; every team viewed them as their ultimate opponent.
Li Feng, of course, understood the Hawks' mindset and gave a cold smile.
Did they really think the championship was a handout?
Let me teach you a lesson!
The Knicks attacked. Li Feng crossed half-court and faced a double-team.
Since Yao Ming had just scored, the Hawks immediately employed a fronting defense on him.
Li Feng passed the ball to Lawson.
The "Little Steel Cannon" suddenly accelerated, dribbling into the paint.
Joe Johnson stepped up to help defend, and Lawson made a bounce pass to Stoudemire.
Stoudemire was unstoppable facing up, soaring for a powerful dunk!
The Knicks' offensive tactics were incredibly rich, with the dual-engine strategy of Li Feng and Lawson making them difficult to defend.
4:2, the Knicks maintained their lead.
The Hawks advanced.
This time, the ball went to Joe Johnson.
Joe Johnson was a very practical star; his moves were not flashy, but highly efficient.
After receiving the ball, facing Scola's defense, he made a sidestep and shot a three-pointer!
Swish!
The three-pointer was good!
The home crowd erupted in cheers again!
Joe Johnson, nicknamed "Isolation Joe," was almost invincible in one-on-one situations.
5:4, the Hawks took the lead.
Li Feng sensed something was amiss.
If there was one type of team the Knicks feared, it was those without superstars but with strong contributions from every player.
Because Li Feng and Yao Ming formed the core, they didn't fear any individual superstar.
However, if every player on the opposing team was strong, it would be difficult to defend.
The Hawks were precisely such a team; their offensive threat wasn't from a single player but from every position.
As expected, in the following few possessions, the Knicks' efficiency was not low, but the Hawks' efficiency was even higher.
With over five minutes gone in the first quarter, the score was 12:9, with the Hawks leading by three points.
Li Feng had 2 points, Yao Ming had 5 points, and Stoudemire had 2 points.
Meanwhile, the Hawks had scoring from almost everyone: Horford 3 points, Josh Smith 4 points, Joe Johnson 3 points, and Marvin Williams 2 points.
Despite Li Feng intensifying his help defense, the Hawks players were prepared and avoided his area.
The home crowd roared, and everyone stood up to cheer for the Hawks players!
"Beat the Knicks!"
"Beat Li Feng!"
"Beat Yao Ming!"
...
The atmosphere at the Hawks' home arena was intimidating, putting immense pressure on the Knicks players.
Even though they had experienced the Finals, this scene made the Knicks players uncomfortable.
During the timeout, Li Feng loudly reminded his teammates to stay strong and not get discouraged.
A team like the Hawks, while having balanced player strength, lacked superstars.
If the game went to the fourth quarter against them, they often wouldn't have a strong focal point.
Therefore, Li Feng told his teammates that no matter what, they had to hold on until the fourth quarter and not let the deficit widen.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
As Li Feng had instructed, the Knicks players gritted their teeth and endured.
The Hawks' shooting touch was indeed hot today, with contributions coming from all positions.
The Knicks maintained their clear game plan and continued to score by executing their offensive plays.
The score remained within three to five points.
At the end of the first half, the score was 58:54, with the Hawks leading by four points.
Li Feng had hit several crucial shots in the first half.
Every time the Hawks tried to pull away, Li Feng, in his own way, forcefully closed the gap.
A step-back three-pointer!
A drive and floater!
...
Li Feng was playing with effortless grace; the Hawks had no answer for him.
In the first half, Li Feng played 17 minutes and scored 21 points.
Yao Ming also played well, scoring 16 points in 15 minutes.
However, four Hawks players had double-digit scoring, indicating remarkable balance.
Horford 11 points, Josh Smith 12 points, Joe Johnson 11 points, Marvin 10 points, and Bibby 4 points.
During the halftime break, the Hawks' locker room was filled with an air of excitement.
Defeating the defending champions would bring the players joy for a month.
"Brothers, let's keep it up in the second half and take down the Knicks!"
"Take down the Knicks, and we'll break out of the East this year!"
"Break out of the East!"
The Hawks players were full of spirit, projecting an aura of dominance over the East.
For such a talented team, they certainly had the right to boast.
...
In the t.n.t broadcast booth, Barkley, Smith, and Reggie Miller were providing commentary on the game.
"The Hawks are really strong this season! They're leading the Knicks at halftime!"
Smith nodded and said, "Yes, and it's not like the Knicks are playing poorly; they're playing well too, but they're still trailing!"
Reggie Miller analyzed, "The Knicks experienced similar situations last season; they would occasionally lose to these 'everyone contributes' teams."
"Haha, you can't say the Knicks fear these teams; any team fears an opponent that explodes collectively!"
"This game is exciting; it's likely to be decided in the fourth quarter, and hopefully, it goes into overtime!"
"Very possible. Neither team can stop the other, so the fourth quarter will be intense!"
"If you ask me, it still comes down to star power. I still favor the Knicks, as their Li Feng and Yao Ming are stronger!"
"That makes sense, but the Hawks' Joe Johnson is also a clutch player. If he has a big game, the Knicks might not be able to handle it."
...
Similar to the guests' thoughts, fans were also actively discussing the game.
Although the Hawks didn't have a large fan base, Li Feng suddenly gained many haters after winning the championship.
Those haters acted as if they were ill; whoever was the Knicks' opponent instantly became their favorite team.
The Hawks' "fan base" suddenly multiplied several times over, and they were cursing Li Feng on the forums.
This was actually quite normal; as a star's popularity grows, so do the haters.
The more people who like you, the more people will hate you!
...
The second half began.
Both teams continued to play intensely, with the scores remaining close.
Li Feng switched to an individual offensive mode, scoring consecutively.
However, the Hawks' key players seemed divinely inspired, always stepping up to score.
Mike D'Antoni watched from the sidelines, his brow furrowed; this season's Hawks were even stronger than last season.
Li Feng played the entire third quarter because he dared not rest, and the Hawks' starters also played the entire third quarter.
It was clear that the Hawks desperately wanted to win this game.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 83:82, with the Hawks leading by one point.
It was suffocating.
The home crowd was fully engaged, shouting almost non-stop and rarely sitting down.
They treated this game as if it were the Eastern Conference Finals.
Li Feng had already scored 33 points, and Yao Ming had 23 points.
However, the other Knicks players were performing rather ordinarily.
Stoudemire had only scored 14 points, mainly because Josh Smith had contained his offense today.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Li Feng rested on the bench, with Chauncey Billups and Raymond Felton leading the reserves.
Billups was very capable, especially in crucial games, where he played a stabilizing role.
The media had highly rated the Knicks' trade for Billups, deeming it an excellent move.
Under Billups' leadership, the Knicks finally took the lead!
The Hawks' reserve unit lacked experience, and Billups led the Knicks on a scoring run.
92:87, the Knicks led by five points.
Hawks head coach Larry Drew, seeing the unfavorable situation, quickly brought back his starting lineup.
At this point, only a little over two minutes had passed in the fourth quarter.
D'Antoni hesitated for a moment before substituting his starters.
After the Hawks' starters entered the game, they launched a furious assault, but the Knicks reserves responded calmly.
Billups, a championship winner and f...
D'Antoni couldn't sit still any longer and quickly put his starting lineup back in.
It was time for the ultimate showdown!
Li Feng, Yao Ming, Stoudemire, Scola, and Lawson entered the court.
...
94:94 tie!
The Knicks had possession.
Li Feng knew the importance of this play.
Because the Hawks had just scored five consecutive points, the Knicks needed to respond.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court and, facing a double-team, suddenly made a gesture.
His teammates understood. Lawson and Scola immediately ran over to set a double screen, blocking Bibby and Josh Smith.
Li Feng used this opening to drive to the baseline.
Yao Ming screened Horford, Stoudemire screened Joe Johnson, and Li Feng went up for a pull-up jump shot!
Generally, Li Feng wouldn't use so many screen plays.
But in today's game, Li Feng had to play more as a team to wear down the opponent's stamina and keep the Hawks players moving. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Swish!
Two points made!
Li Feng's shooting touch remained hot.
The Hawks retaliated without hesitation, launching an attack.
Li Feng defended Bibby on the left, and the ball was passed to Josh Smith on the right.
Again, he was being played around Li Feng.
Li Feng made another gesture to his teammates. Lawson immediately circled around from the right and, with Scola, double-teamed Josh Smith.
Lawson's speed was incredible; Josh didn't react in time and nearly lost the ball.
Fortunately, Josh's hands were quick enough, and he secured the ball.
As he passed it to Joe Johnson, Li Feng suddenly burst forward like lightning!
This was the mobility of the Knicks' defense.
Josh had only seen Lawson and didn't expect Li Feng to abandon Bibby and appear on the right flank.
Although Joe Johnson had already moved to receive the pass, Li Feng's hands were faster, and he intercepted the ball.
Lawson and Stoudemire immediately broke past half-court. Li Feng didn't stop dribbling and tossed the ball to Lawson. Stoudemire was also a key player in the 1.0 fast break system, possessing extreme speed.
Lawson dribbled a few times and directly passed to Stoudemire. Stoudemire drove to the basket and finished with a dunk!
The Knicks' trade for Stoudemire this year was truly worth it; the Knicks' fast break system was perfectly realized.
In two possessions, the Knicks took a four-point lead!
The Hawks began to panic, realizing they didn't know who to give the ball to.
Because they lacked a superstar, in crunch time, it felt like giving the ball to anyone was unstable.
Although Joe Johnson was a clutch player, the ball couldn't even reach him.
Li Feng also knew "Isolation Joe's" prowess and instructed his teammates to defend early and prevent him from receiving the ball.
With the Knicks' active team defense, the Hawks' offense began to stall.
Hawks head coach Drew's face darkened; he knew the Knicks were starting to exert pressure.
Seeing the score about to widen, Drew had no choice but to call a timeout to strategize, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to score.
The home crowd fell silent. They couldn't believe that after leading for the entire game, the Hawks were being suppressed by the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
Now the Knicks led by four points with five minutes remaining.
Although there was still time, if the Hawks couldn't score quickly, the game would be in danger.
Li Feng and his teammates high-fived in celebration. The Knicks' overall defense in that stretch had been excellent, with everyone playing actively.
This was what the coach and Li Feng had hoped to see.
Forcing the Hawks' offense to stall in the final quarter indicated the overall strategy was successful.
The Hawks' head coach held his tactical board, drawing up plays for his players.
Since the team lacked a superstar, they had to rely on temporary assignments for shooters to finish the game.