Li Feng's performance not only stabilized the Knicks' situation but also earned Yao Ming, sitting in the commentary booth, significant credit.
Miller heaped praise on Li Feng, exclaiming repeatedly.
"Oh, my God, Li Feng's explosiveness is incredible! He actually blocked Wade's sure-fire layup!"
"That's a beautiful pass. Li Feng has great court vision. It's a shame his teammates aren't up to par..."
"Heavens, Yao Ming, if you and Li Feng were to work together on this play, it would be absolutely explosive!"
...
Fans watching the game had much the same reaction as Miller, all of them stunned by Li Feng.
...
With 9 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter, Li Feng, relying on his individual skill, scored consecutively, closing the gap.
21:24, the Heat still led by 3 points.
At this point, Wade drove to the basket, used his signature "dazzling steps," and scored another 2 points, widening the lead to 5.
Li Feng had been tightly guarded by Chalmers and couldn't defend Wade.
Even though D'Antoni complained to the referee on the sidelines about Chalmers' foul, the referees remained unmoved, especially on the Heat's home court.
Fouls away from the ball were called very loosely.
Li Feng didn't say much; he had to respond on the offensive end.
Knicks offense, Li Feng still faced a double-team.
He feigned a drive past Chalmers, and Wade immediately rotated to help defend.
But this was a fake. With a quick change of direction, Li Feng broke past Wade.
Wade scrambled to catch up, but it was too late. Li Feng had gained half a step on him.
Li Feng drove to the baseline, glanced at the basket. Wade thought Li Feng was going to shoot and immediately closed in to defend tightly.
Inside, Olden Polynice also rushed out in time, intending to trap Li Feng with Wade.
This was exactly the effect Li Feng wanted. He looked upwards, but with a flick of his right hand, he executed a bounce pass!
The ball seemed to have eyes, weaving through Polynice's legs.
Barron, understanding immediately, caught the ball and finished with a thunderous dunk!
This assist was incredibly satisfying, feeling like a warm-up drill!
Wade and Polynice shook their heads in frustration. Li Feng's offensive moves were too numerous and unpredictable!
After scoring, Li Feng spread his hands and smiled at Wade.
Wade grunted and roared, "Don't get cocky! See how I'll dominate you!"
As a top-five superstar in the league, Wade was entitled to say such things.
But Li Feng wasn't fazed at all; he even felt like laughing.
In the next possession, Wade tried the same tactic, attempting to drive inside to score.
However, Li Feng had already shaken off Chalmers' entanglement, circled around his teammates, and rushed in front of Wade.
Wade was startled. He had already been blocked by Li Feng and turned the ball over once, making him a bit flustered.
But with the two meeting head-on, he had no time to consider passing or calling for screens.
Wade dribbled the ball quickly, observing Li Feng's balance.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng's legs were like pillars, standing firmly in place, completely unfazed by Wade's fakes.
Wade made several ineffective dribbles for a few seconds, then reluctantly tried to force his way to the baseline with his body.
But Li Feng's strength was greater. He established position early and refused to yield an inch!
Wade was like hitting a wall, completely unable to push through.
With only 2 seconds left on the shot clock, Wade was forced to pass the ball backward to Udonis Haslem.
Haslem's shooting was also unreliable, and on top of that, it was a rushed shot. The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
David Lee secured the rebound and initiated a fast break, passing to Chris Duhon, who was near the top of the arc.
Duhon was fast. He crossed half-court and scored on a layup!
25:26, the Heat still led by 1 point.
Li Feng's defense had once again thwarted Wade.
This play was a huge blow to the Heat. Wade was the soul of the team, their primary offensive weapon.
If Wade couldn't defeat Li Feng head-on, what about the others?
The Heat coach called a timeout in frustration.
He could tolerate the team's poor shooting, but he couldn't tolerate the players losing their confidence.
Li Feng high-fived his teammates in celebration. The fact that the Heat had to call another timeout indicated that the Knicks had established their own offensive rhythm and the Heat couldn't cope.
Wade sat on the bench, staring blankly, not even noticing the towel and drink being offered by the staff.
He couldn't hear the coach's shouts at all; his mind was filled with images of Li Feng.
"How can that Chinese kid have so much talent..."
The coach noticed Wade's unusual state and deliberately patted him. Wade finally snapped back to reality.
"Hey, Dwyane, you're the team's core, the leader of the players. You need to step up!" the coach urged Wade repeatedly.
Wade nodded mechanically. He truly couldn't find any way to deal with Li Feng.
Li Feng was terrifyingly mature, showing none of the rawness of a rookie.
In past games, against rookies, Wade only needed a simple pump fake, and the rookie would jump, and then Wade would lean into them for two free throws.
Rookies were helpless against this.
But Li Feng could easily see through Wade's fakes and wasn't tricked at all.
Furthermore, Wade's dazzling steps were unparalleled in the league, having disoriented countless defensive stalwarts.
Yet, against Wade's dazzling steps, Li Feng could always anticipate Wade's drive direction and firmly hold his position.
This made Wade extremely uncomfortable.
The Heat coach's timeout was not about tactics; its main purpose was to motivate Wade.
The entire team relied on Wade. If Wade broke down, the game would be over.
Wade shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind. He took the drink from a staff member and took two large gulps.
Then, he stood up abruptly, his eyes slightly reddening.
"Brothers, no matter what it takes, we have to win this game!"
His teammates were inspired by Wade's emotions, and their morale surged again.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed!
With over 2 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams' key players were mostly on the court.
It was clear that from the start of the first quarter, both sides were locked in a fierce battle, refusing to yield.
In a typical regular-season game, Wade would have likely rested, as the game lasted 48 minutes and there was no need to rush.
But today, Wade had secretly vowed that as long as Li Feng was on the court, he would remain on the court, not resting for a single minute!
Li Feng saw through Wade's intentions and remained calm.
He figured it wasn't a loss, as he was a rookie and Wade was a superstar.
Even if he were to be outplayed, it would be considered normal. But if Wade were to be utterly defeated by him, it would be a massive embarrassment!
The Heat offense, Wade held the ball at the top of the arc. He didn't choose to drive but passed the ball to Chalmers.
Wade didn't exclusively play a "point-forward" style; his off-ball game was also very strong.
Chalmers, with the ball, faced Duhon. Relying on his speed, he drove to the baseline.
Duhon couldn't keep up with Chalmers' speed and could only trail behind. As Chalmers reached the basket and faced the help defense from Barron, he passed the ball to Olden Polynice.
Olden Polynice also intended to get in on the easy scoring action!