Li Feng had just scored two points from a throw, so when he picked up the ball again, Howard didn't hesitate to rush forward.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng pulled the ball back again, then leaned his body against him.
This was a tactic to draw a foul, and Howard fell for it again.
Bang!
Li Feng bumped into Howard and threw the ball again.
This time, Howard was a little smarter and managed to block the ball, but the referee's whistle blew, and Howard committed his fourth foul! kanδん
Van Gundy's expression changed. Howard had four fouls, and it was only the third quarter; he would have to be substituted out again.
Howard shook his head helplessly and walked towards the sidelines.
The Knicks teammates cheered. They knew Howard's importance, and the second half was precisely when the Knicks established their lead.
Li Feng stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots!
Without Howard, the Magic team not only saw their lineup decline but also psychologically collapsed.
The other players played without any fighting spirit.
By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks had a 12-point lead.
Despite the lead, Li Feng knew that the real battle would be in the fourth quarter.
With four fouls, Howard would go all out in the fourth quarter, and the referees would not easily eject him.
So, Li Feng sat on the bench, his face still devoid of a smile, nervously watching the situation on the court.
The Knicks' bench players couldn't hold on. The Magic team, led by Nelson and Pietrus, fought back to close the gap.
When two strong teams clash, it's indeed difficult to predict the outcome, and neither side holds an absolute advantage.
After more than four minutes into the fourth quarter, the two teams were tied again!
With Li Feng no longer limiting him, Nelson hit three-pointers consecutively, stunning the Knicks' bench.
An enraged D'Antoni, stroking his beard, had no choice but to put Li Feng and other starters back into the game.
At this point, with the score tied, the decisive moment had arrived.
Howard's expression was somewhat ferocious. He had played very stifled today and needed to settle the score with Li Feng in the end!
He refused to believe that a rookie could limit him so effectively!
Who wasn't a top draft pick?
The Knicks were on offense. Li Feng dribbled past half-court and, facing a double-team, chose to drive aggressively again.
Nelson fouled him preemptively, pulling Li Feng back, and the referee's whistle blew.
The foul count had not reached the penalty situation yet, so the Knicks took an inbound pass from the sideline.
With eleven seconds left on the shot clock, the Magic team tightly guarded Li Feng, preventing him from receiving the ball. Jeffries had to pass it to Jordan Hill first.
Jordan Hill feigned looking left and right. Just as the Magic players were converging to defend, he suddenly took a mid-range jumper!
This was his specialty, and he was very accurate from mid-range.
However, he lacked confidence, being a rookie and a reserve, he didn't dare to shoot easily.
But Li Feng had given him confidence, telling him more than once: "Shoot boldly! As long as you have an open look, shoot decisively, or I'll kick your butt!"
Although it was a joke, Jordan Hill did gain confidence.
Hill's basket was a tactical blow to the Magic's defense, forcing Howard to expand his defensive coverage area again.
This would open up much more space for the Knicks' drives.
The Magic were on offense. Howard received the ball again. Facing a double-team from Jordan Hill and Bill Walker, he also opted to pass.
Lewis caught the ball in the corner and was about to shoot when Jeffries rotated to close him out.
Although Lewis had a good shooting touch today, he was merely a shooter. Without an open look, he wouldn't force a shot.
He had no choice but to pass the ball to Nelson.
However, standing in front of Nelson was Li Feng. Nelson felt a bit flustered. He wanted to call for a screen, but Howard was screened off by Jordan Hill.
Nelson had to drive, intending to stop and shoot.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng's long arms reached out and stole the ball again!
It was infuriating!
Nelson was almost in tears and quickly committed a foul.
The Magic's foul count reached the limit, and Li Feng stepped up to the free-throw line again.
Li Feng's stamina had slightly decreased; he made one of two free throws.
The score was 87:84, with the Knicks leading by three points!
With over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, both teams still had a chance.
But the Knicks clearly had a tactical advantage over the Magic, making it difficult for the Magic to play.
Howard struggled against the double-teams and his post-up game was indeed rough, missing both of his hook shots.
Li Feng intensified his offensive mode. As the opponents focused on defending his drives, he unleashed another logo three-pointer!
The crowd at Madison Square Garden had waited for this moment and finally saw Li Feng's ultra-long three-pointer, erupting in cheers.
Spike Lee, raising his hands, jumped and danced as if rejuvenated.
This three-pointer shattered the confidence of the Magic players once again, and Van Gundy immediately called a timeout.
Li Feng high-fived his teammates. This was essentially another declaration of war from Li Feng!
"I'm going to finish this game!"
During the timeout, Van Gundy had little to say, other than to relentlessly double-team Li Feng and prevent him from shooting.
Li Feng understood the Magic's strategy. After the timeout, he immediately transitioned to off-ball play.
Through constant movement, he stretched the opponent's defense near the paint.
Jeffries and Duhon found their shooting touch and started scoring. The Magic could only rely on Carter and Lewis for points.
The Knicks' lead widened, and Howard grew increasingly anxious.
During one defensive play, he forcefully slammed Bill Walker onto the floor.
The referee's whistle blew; Howard committed his fifth foul!
Bill Walker was hit hard, his forehead swelling and reddening. But lying on the floor, he excitedly waved his hands.
He felt he had contributed to the team by causing Howard to commit five fouls and be on the verge of fouling out!
Li Feng and his teammates quickly rushed over to help him up. The team doctor came onto the court and applied some disinfectant to his forehead.
Howard was not a dirty player. He also walked over and consoled Bill Walker.
Li Feng had a good impression of Howard. He was just a big boy who loved to smile, a warm person.
Since the game was nearing its end, Van Gundy did not substitute Howard out.
Let him play, anyway. They were already down by nearly ten points, so fouling out was acceptable.
Indeed, after committing his fifth foul, Howard went all out, playing with more determination, and his shooting percentage improved significantly.
With 2 minutes and 31 seconds left in the game, the score was 106:100, with the Knicks leading by only six points.
D'Antoni called a timeout to break the Magic's momentum of catching up.
Howard had made several impressive plays on offense just now, with two turnaround dunks in the paint that scored, making for a spectacular display.
Li Feng couldn't help but nod in admiration.
During the timeout, D'Antoni outlined the defensive assignments, telling Jordan Hill to abandon mid-range jumpers and collapse into the paint to prevent Howard from scoring easily.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed, the final two minutes!
Li Feng crossed half-court, called for a screen, and drove to the baseline.
Howard raised both arms high and aggressively lunged forward.
Li Feng could see that Howard was giving it his all, and his moves would surely be impactful.
Moreover, in the final stages, the referees might not call fouls.
Therefore, Li Feng chose to pull back to the perimeter.
As expected, Howard hesitated.
He knew Li Feng's shooting range and couldn't afford to let him shoot. But if he committed to the defense, the paint would be left open.
Li Feng waited for Howard to make a choice.
Howard stayed close to Li Feng, beckoning his teammates to double-team.
Carter quickly rotated to help, and Howard began to retreat.
Suddenly, Li Feng changed direction with a crossover, getting half a step past Carter, and drove towards Howard again.
Howard was truly enraged. He let out a roar and lunged forward.
With less than two seconds left on the shot clock, Li Feng couldn't afford to hesitate. He decided to take a gamble, to see what the referee would call.
So, Li Feng drove for a layup against Howard!
Bang!
The two collided.
The call on this play was ambiguous; either way, it could have been called.
The referee hesitated for a moment and called an offensive foul on Li Feng.
Li Feng didn't argue. He smiled and started to retreat to defense.
The entire Magic team, including Coach Van Gundy, broke out in a cold sweat. If Howard had fouled out, the Magic would have been considered defeated.
Howard let out a sigh of relief, pounded his chest with both hands, and roared three times!
On the Magic's offense, Howard didn't dominate the ball this time but passed it to Redick, who was near the 45-degree angle.
Redick had been substituted in by Van Gundy earlier. While his defense was poor, his shooting touch was good today, hitting 3 out of 5 three-pointers.
So, Van Gundy had him come in to take a chance.
Redick did not disappoint Van Gundy. His release was quick, and swish! The three-pointer went in!
106:103, a mere three-point difference!
Li Feng's expression turned serious. He had watched game footage of the Magic before the game.
Although Howard was their defensive anchor, the Magic's offense often relied on a barrage of three-pointers.
Redick and Carter had both made three-pointers. And while Nelson was in a slump, in the final stages, if he managed to hit one or two, it would be enough to trouble the Knicks.
Li Feng shouted to his teammates, "Tighten up on defense, don't relax!"
The Knicks were on offense.
This possession was extremely important. If they failed, and the Magic scored again, they could tie the game.
Li Feng, with a grim expression, dribbled at the top of the arc, facing a double-team, and contemplated how to attack.
Howard was focused in the paint, defending a large area by himself, while all the other players were covering the perimeter.
Li Feng suddenly accelerated, using his speed to shake off Nelson.
As the other Magic players came to double-team, Li Feng passed the ball again to his teammate Bill Walker.
Bill Walker dared not drive into the paint again and instead took a jump shot near the paint.
Unfortunately, it was slightly off and bounced off the rim.
Just as Howard leaped high, preparing to grab the rebound, a figure exploded past him and managed to snatch the rebound first!
Howard was furious.
At this critical moment, he, a center, and a top center in the league, was outrebounded by a guard over his head. It was too embarrassing!
Howard immediately went to contest, but Li Feng had already secured the ball tightly in his arms.
Beep!
The referee's whistle blew, calling a foul on Howard!
Foul out on his sixth personal foul!
All the Magic players, including head coach Van Gundy, threw their hands up in despair...
With Howard fouled out, the Magic's chances were essentially over.
The Knicks fans erupted in jubilation. Victory seemed within their grasp today.
Li Feng stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots!
In the next two possessions, the Knicks scored, while the Magic only managed 2 points from Carter.
The point difference had now reached nine points, with only 52 seconds left in the game.
The Magic's momentum was lost. After a brief struggle, the game ended.
The Knicks defeated the Magic at home, extending their winning streak to five games!
The Magic's four-game winning streak was broken.
Li Feng played 33 minutes today, scoring 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists.
To grab 14 rebounds against Howard's team was simply terrifying!
Furthermore, five of those 14 rebounds were offensive rebounds, which was even more remarkable.
Howard played 30 minutes today, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, which was slightly below his usual statistics.
Mainly, today's sixth foul and fouling out left Howard very frustrated.
It made his play very difficult.
After the game, Howard actively approached Li Feng to greet him.
Howard had interacted with Li Feng during the Olympics and knew Li Feng was good. But he always felt that Li Feng was only good because he played alongside Yao Ming.
Now, on the Knicks, Li Feng didn't have a strong inside presence as a teammate, yet he could still go toe-to-toe with the Magic!
Howard was truly convinced.
The "Superman" had that kind of temperament, always smiling and joking.
Even after a hard-fought battle on the court, he was a friendly player off the court.
"Li Feng, you've truly impressed me. I really don't know how to deal with you!" Howard clasped Li Feng's large hand.
"No, you flatter me. Your dominance in the paint is even more astonishing to me. You will be a legendary center."
Li Feng spoke from the heart, feeling that Howard's defensive talent was truly immense.
At least among all the centers he had witnessed firsthand, Howard's defense was the strongest.
"But I still lost, and I've lost to you twice. It seems Chinese basketball is about to rise!" Howard felt a sense of dread thinking about Li Feng and Yao Ming playing together for the next few years.
Li Feng said seriously, "You're exaggerating. Although I am Chinese, American basketball is still the strongest in the world. But we will continue to work hard and strive to win against you on the international stage just once!"
"We will, definitely! I believe that with you and Yao Ming teaming up, oh, and also that Nets player... yi..."
"Yes, Yi Jianlian. He is also very good and is still growing."
It seemed Howard also had a good impression of Yi Jianlian.
After chatting for a few moments, Carter also walked over.
Carter, as a dunker, failing to dunk on Li Feng today would become a focal point of discussion after the game.
They hugged, and Carter said with a sheepish smile, "Li Feng, I tried to dunk over you twice today, and both failed, haha!"
Li Feng saw that Carter was quite open-minded and replied with a smile, "There will be opportunities in the future, but I won't let you dunk on me today, hehe!"
"Good kid, you rookie really shines. I have high hopes for you, truly!" Carter praised him earnestly.
"Thank you. I will work hard, but I am still far from your level."
"You're too modest. Are all Easterners this low-key? Haha, you've already played like a superstar!"
Carter's praise was sincere. He patted Li Feng's shoulder firmly, fully acknowledging Li Feng's strength.