The pause ended, and the Knicks players' confidence grew as they began to actively seek the ball.
Li Feng utilized his drawing power to frequently pass to his teammates.
The Knicks' offense recovered somewhat, but the Suns' offense stalled as Li Feng intensified his defense on Nash.
Although the Suns' screens were of high quality, Li Feng was knocked aside by an opposing forward, but Li Feng's physical prowess was too great, leaving him unharmed.
Just as the Suns' offense stagnated, Grant Hill stepped up.
Grant Hill was a player who evoked sighs.
In his early years, he was hailed as Jordan's successor.
This was because Hill's skills were incredibly refined, especially his first step, which was lightning-fast!
Furthermore, Grant Hill came from a very good upbringing; he was a rare high-character player.
Thus, in his first two years in the league, he quickly became the hottest star, attracting countless fans.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel to his talent; his ankle injuries cast a shadow over his career.
Grant Hill only played a few good seasons before being plagued by injuries, losing his status as a top-tier star.
Fortunately, he found his way to the Suns.
The Suns' team doctor was renowned as a miracle worker in the league, with many players who suffered major injuries finding their optimal state here!
Grant Hill was no exception. He rediscovered his peak physical condition with the Suns and delivered efficient performances.
Just as the connection between Nash and Stoudemire was cut off, Hill stepped up and began to make frequent plays.
The score remained around five points apart.
The game was truly exciting, with both teams having very short offensive possessions, rarely falling into set plays.
The Suns averaged about 10 seconds per offensive possession, while the Knicks averaged a mere 8 seconds per offensive possession!
At the end of the first quarter, the score stood at 37:31, with the Suns leading by six points.
This was a high score, something rarely seen from other teams.
The crucial point was that both teams' shooting percentages were not very high.
If their shooting percentages were higher, the score would have been even greater.
Li Feng only attempted 4 shots in the first quarter, making 3, and scoring 7 points.
Despite not scoring much, he dished out 5 assists, even more than Nash.
Nash scored more than Li Feng, making 5 out of 8 shots for 13 points and dishing out 4 assists.
From the game's flow, it was evident that both teams were employing a run-and-gun offense with a fast pace.
...
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley and Smith continued to call the game. Today, they were joined by a special guest, Reggie Miller.
Ever since Li Feng's explosive performance in the previous game, defeating the Spurs, Barkley's stance had shifted.
He had gone from being a "Feng hater" to a "Feng admirer."
As a result, the three of them had all become "Feng boosters."
"Li Feng's offensive aggression isn't strong today; he's shooting too little," Barkley remarked.
"He's trying to involve his teammates. There's nothing he can do; the Knicks' roster hasn't changed much from last season."
"I don't understand why the Knicks aren't making trades."
"Some information was revealed in a recent interview, suggesting that Li Feng didn't want to trade away all his teammates at the beginning of the season."
Reggie Miller, currently the all-time king of three-pointers, naturally shifted the conversation to three-point shooting.
"Miller, do you think Li Feng's three-point record can be broken?"
Miller nodded vigorously, "It will definitely be broken, sooner or later. As long as he stays healthy, with his three-point efficiency, he will definitely surpass me!"
Smith asked with a smile, "Then what do you think is the difference between your three-point shooting and Li Feng's?"
Miller leaned back with a smile and said, "I really can't imagine anyone shooting three-pointers like this. Li Feng's three-point shooting is beyond my imagination. He can use super-long threes as a regular weapon. Just based on that, I can't compare to him."
Barkley knew Reggie Miller well; he had a strong competitive spirit.
Back in the day, Miller and Jordan competed fiercely on the court, neither backing down, and there was that classic moment where he pushed Jordan aside to hit a game-winning three.
"Miller, are you really that impressed with Li Feng?"
"How can I not be impressed? Look, I have a statistic here—in the first three games, Li Feng's hit rate on super-long threes was a staggering sixty-two percent!"
"What does that even mean? I was considered a sharpshooter in my day, but my threes were only in the forties! And Li Feng is shooting from super-long range!"
Listening to Miller's detailed explanation, Barkley nodded repeatedly.
Smith then asked, "Miller, what do you think is the difference between Ray Allen's three-point shooting and yours, and Li Feng's?"
Miller thought for a moment and replied, "Ray Allen's three-point shooting is also very strong, but I believe he is still more traditional, in the same style as me, only with even higher efficiency."
Smith nodded; Miller's assessment was quite objective, and he wasn't bragging about himself.
Barkley sighed and said, "Li Feng has only played three regular-season games, and he's already being compared to Miller and Ray Allen. Good heavens, this rookie is too strong!"
...
The second quarter began with a matchup between the bench players of both teams.
The Suns' bench players were considered among the strongest in the entire league. Lopez, Dragic, Barbosa, Dudley—all were formidable players.
Therefore, at the start of the second quarter, the Suns extended their lead again. Li Feng watched from the sidelines with a worried expression.
Could this game also be a reversal?
All the Knicks players had this question in their minds.
D'Antoni watched from the sidelines, his brows furrowed once again.
He had made up his mind that he had to push for trades from the management; they couldn't always rely on Li Feng to make comebacks...
As the second quarter reached 5 minutes and 31 seconds, the score was 49:35.
Helpless, D'Antoni had to bring the starters back onto the court.
Li Feng felt that a 14-point deficit was significant and that he needed to catch up, so he temporarily switched to an aggressive offense mode!
As soon as he crossed half-court, facing a double-team, he suddenly accelerated, leaving Richardson half a body length behind.
Grant Hill was shocked and quickly moved to cover, but Li Feng used a half-turn, driving to the baseline.
This was Li Feng's first offensive move against Grant Hill's defense, and the crowd let out a gasp.
Near the baseline, Li Feng didn't pass the ball. Facing Collins, Li Feng took a floater and scored 2 points!
Grant Hill was not convinced; he had to come back with a score.
During this period, he had taken on the offensive burden for the Suns.
He received a pass from Nash and drove into the paint.
It had to be said that the Suns' miracle doctor was truly amazing.
Grant Hill's speed was still so fast; his old fans would surely be moved to see this.
Just as he leaped into the air, preparing for a thunderous dunk, Li Feng suddenly appeared from the side, raising his right hand high, and swatted the ball away!
The force was just right; it didn't touch Grant Hill's body.
Li Feng knew about Hill's experience and understood how difficult it was for players after major injuries.
Especially how they would carry a psychological burden.