Curry's performance in the first half was also mediocre. After hitting a three-pointer at the start, he fell into a slump.
Li Feng passed him at least seven or eight open shots, but Curry seemed possessed, only making two three-pointers.
As Curry's touch was ice-cold, others couldn't step up, and the Wildcats began to fall behind.
At the end of the first half, the score was 52:34, with the Wildcats trailing by 18 points.
Li Feng only took 3 shots in the first half, scoring 5 points, while Curry took 13 shots, scoring only 14 points.
It was no surprise they were trailing, with Li Feng acting as "Li Don't Attack" and Curry having a frigid shooting touch.
Perhaps due to his Olympic experience, Li Feng wasn't flustered, and neither was Coach Mike.
Only Curry felt very guilty. He walked over to Li Feng and began to apologize.
Li Feng put his arm around Curry's neck and comforted him, "What are you talking about? Everyone has times when their shot isn't good. We'll turn it around in the second half!"
The Wildcats had a history of comebacks, but those were against weaker opponents.
Could they still come back against the formidable Duke Blue Devils?
Curry had no confidence.
After hearing Li Feng's words, Curry sighed and nodded, "Alright, it's all up to you in the second half. I'll help spread the floor. My shot is just too bad today."
Li Feng nodded, "No problem. I can take the lead on offense, but you still need to shoot decisively when you have a chance. You're a historic-level three-point shooter; you won't be cold forever."
"Historic-level?" Curry was taken aback. He didn't dare to hope for such a thing at this moment and thought Li Feng was joking.
"Yes, you are a historic-level three-point shooter. Believe in yourself!" Li Feng couldn't explain it to him, so he could only use the sincerity of a friend to boost his confidence.
"Okay, I'll keep shooting in the second half. Believe in myself!"
Their hands clasped tightly again.
Reporters' cameras captured this moment without delay.
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley saw this and said, "Li Feng didn't even take shots in the first half. What's the meaning of that? Does he still want to stage a comeback?"
Smith nodded, "I think it's possible. He was busy organizing plays in the first half, but unfortunately, his teammates weren't up to par."
Barkley shook his head, "Li Feng wasn't organizing plays; Gerald locked him down."
"Impossible. Although Gerald is a good defender, he doesn't have the ability to lock down Li Feng! Li Feng proved himself in the Olympics!"
Barkley chuckled, "That might not be the case. Perhaps it's a case of one counteracting another? Gerald is fast and strong, perfectly countering Li Feng!"
Smith didn't argue further and waited for the second half to begin.
He believed in Li Feng and thought Li Feng would deliver a explosive performance in the second half to prove Barkley wrong again!
...
The second half began.
At the start, Li Feng still didn't force shots, but he used his excellent defense to disrupt the Blue Devils' offense twice in a row.
Seeing his teammates' touch remained ice-cold, Li Feng activated his "Kaleidoscope of Offense" skill and started scoring frantically!
Facing Gerald's defense, Li Feng first used a fake move, making him jump, then Li Feng sought contact in the air while throwing the ball!
Swish!
The ball went in!
At the same time, the referee's whistle blew, calling a blocking foul on Gerald!
A three-point play!
The crowd roared, having waited half a game for Li Feng to explode.
Gerald was very frustrated; Li Feng's fake move was too realistic, and he couldn't be blamed.
Curry ran over, high-fived Li Feng in celebration, and then whispered, "Li Feng, you just go ahead and score. Everyone else's touch is too cold today."
Li Feng nodded, "Alright, leave it to me!"
After making the free throw, the score was 52:37, with the Wildcats still trailing by 15 points!
The Blue Devils' coach was nervous, dreading Li Feng's outburst.
So, after Li Feng scored, the coach yelled from the sideline, "Close defense on Li Feng! Don't give him any space to shoot!"
But it was easier said than done.
Li Feng continued to score consecutively, leaving Gerald stunned.
In less than 2 minutes, Gerald committed his fourth foul, and the coach had to substitute him out.
Li Feng scored 11 points in a row, narrowing the deficit to 4 points, 52:48!
The majority of the fans in attendance were Knicks fans, and they adored Li Feng.
They had previously liked Curry, but now, Li Feng had become their favorite.
The Blue Devils' coach called a timeout in frustration, seeing that Li Feng was unstoppable.
During the timeout, his teammates bumped fists with Li Feng in celebration, filled with excitement.
This was a semifinal game; if they lost, they would go home.
Only Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski remained calm because he had watched every game of China's Olympic team, and Li Feng's scoring ability was incredible.
A deficit of over ten points could be easily erased by Li Feng.
What was needed now was for his teammates to regain their shooting touch, as basketball was a team sport, and Li Feng needed rest.
So Coach Mike yelled at the other players, "Buck up! It's just Duke University, what are you panicking about? You're not worse than them!"
With the coach's encouragement, the other players regained their confidence.
After the timeout, the game resumed, and the Blue Devils suddenly changed their defensive strategy, resorting to double-teaming Li Feng.
Unfortunately, this was exactly what Li Feng had anticipated.
If he wasn't afraid of the double-teams from Kobe and Paul, how could he be afraid of theirs?
Li Feng continued to score as if slicing through vegetables. The Blue Devils couldn't stop him. They switched defensive players one after another to guard Li Feng, even resorting to fouling.
But it was still useless. The fouling tactics only increased Li Feng's chances of making three-point plays!
The "Kaleidoscope of Offense" was truly living up to its name!
With 9 minutes and 13 seconds left in the second half, the score reached 61:54, with the Wildcats taking a 7-point lead. Li Feng went to the bench to rest.
Li Feng had only scored 5 points in the first half, but he exploded for 21 points in the second half, almost single-handedly turning the tide.
Curry's shooting touch had also recovered. He took only two shots, making both, and along with Li Feng, completed the comeback.
The fans were holding their heads in disbelief. Li Feng was truly the king of comebacks!
They hadn't expected Li Feng to not only make comebacks in the Olympics but also in the NCAA; it was simply amazing!
"Li Feng, how's your stamina?" Coach Mike Krzyzewski asked with concern.
Li Feng knew what he meant.
Li Feng could only rest briefly in the second half because, with his teammates' poor shooting, if he sat out for even a few minutes, the opponent might reverse the lead again.
Li Feng nodded, "I can substitute for you. I just need two minutes of rest."
The coach patted Li Feng's shoulder and said no more.
However, Curry walked over to Li Feng with a serious expression and said, "Li Feng, don't worry. You rest for a bit longer, and I'll lead the bench players well!"
Li Feng nodded, "Okay, I feel at ease now."