It was understandable, as it was Green's first day as a starter and an away game, so playing like this wasn't bad.
The Grizzlies had a good record this season, currently third in the Western Conference, making them a formidable team.
Just last week, the Grizzlies had defeated the Thunder, avenging a loss from the previous season's playoffs.
During halftime, Li Feng chatted and laughed with his teammates in the locker room.
With significant team changes, Li Feng paid close attention to the locker room atmosphere, not wanting it to become too oppressive.
Despite the poor performance, Li Feng wanted his teammates to know that this was only temporary and they had to work together to overcome the difficulties.
...
The second half began with the Grizzlies continuing their defensive strategy, aiming to stifle the Knicks' perimeter offense.
Although Green and Curry had a natural chemistry, their time playing together was limited. Under the Grizzlies' intense defense, they committed several turnovers.
Furthermore, the Grizzlies had figured out Li Feng and Jokic's pick-and-roll, and Jokic fouled out after playing just over three minutes.
It was a frustrating game for Jokic, his first six-foul disqualification of the season.
The "Black and White Bears" had given him a lesson.
With Chandler entering the game, the Knicks gradually fell into a disadvantage.
At the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies led by 13 points, 87-74.
Although Li Feng and Curry both stepped up in the fourth quarter, narrowing the deficit to just one point, the referees suddenly became active, calling several consecutive fouls on the Knicks.
Randolph, Gasol, and Conley repeatedly went to the free-throw line.
Of course, the Grizzlies' defense was also fierce, making it difficult for the Knicks.
In the end, the Knicks suffered a bitter defeat on the road, losing to the Grizzlies by 5 points.
Li Feng scored 31 points today, and Curry added 24, but the "Black and White Bears" played exceptionally well, combining for 63 points.
Despite the loss, the media and fans saw a change in the Knicks.
Barkley commented after the game, "Jokic doesn't seem so bad after all. His passing and shooting are still quite good."
Smith also said, "Green is the highlight of the Knicks' lineup change today. His help defense is very fast, and he has many plays with Curry!"
Barkley nodded, "Indeed, could this be the Knicks' secret weapon? They've never played together before!"
Smith laughed, "Not necessarily. It might just be a trial lineup. Green, as a second-round pick, was supposed to be a bench player."
Barkley sighed, "I still have to criticize the Knicks' management. It's truly baffling. They had a good championship core and turned it into a mess."
...
After this game, the media didn't just criticize the Knicks but instead sparked discussions.
"Do you think the Knicks' lineup change was a success or a failure?"
"Who is the true core of the Knicks, Yao Ming or Li Feng?"
"Can the Splash Brothers win a championship?"
"Jokic fouled out. Is he the Knicks' answer at center?"
...
The Knicks were undoubtedly a high-traffic team in the league. Despite their poor performance this season, every small detail about the team generated enthusiastic discussion among fans.
After the game, another piece of good news came from the Knicks: Lin Shuhao's ribs were not fractured, only bruised, and he would be fine after three to five days of rest.
However, Quincy was hit hard by Yi Jianlian, suffering a fractured rib, and would likely be out for about two months.
As a three-time defending champion dynasty, the Knicks had become a target for the entire league.
Yi Jianlian's toughness came at a timely moment, making many opposing defenders reconsider their approach.
After losing this game, the Knicks' ranking dropped another spot, to tenth in the Eastern Conference.
It was dangerous.
Although the regular season had a long way to go, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Knicks.
On December 24th, three Christmas Day games were scheduled, all broadcast nationally.
These included the Heat vs. the Magic, the Knicks vs. the Thunder, and the Lakers vs. the Spurs.
The schedule was well-arranged, featuring teams that had been rivals in previous seasons.
The Heat had eliminated the Magic in the first round last season. Although the score was 4-2, the games were intense.
Dwight Howard had caused significant trouble for the Heat, and the games were exciting.
Therefore, these two teams were scheduled for a Christmas Day matchup.
The Knicks and the Thunder needed no introduction; they were opponents from the Finals.
However, this season, the Thunder and the Knicks had vastly different starts. The Thunder were currently first in the Western Conference and second in the league, trailing only the Heat.
In contrast, the Knicks were tenth in the Eastern Conference, completely lacking their championship demeanor.
Many fans predicted this Christmas Day game would likely be a one-sided slaughter.
The third game featured the Spurs and the Lakers. While these two teams didn't have much direct animosity last season, they had dominated the Western Conference for most of the 21st century.
The two teams had met in the playoffs multiple times, making them old rivals.
Thus, every encounter between them was bound to ignite sparks.
Popovich also greatly admired Kobe, calling him the most terrifying killer and a significant headache.
The entire Knicks team took this game very seriously.
Even with their current poor record, as the reigning champions, the Knicks had to play with spirit, and if they lost, they had to go down fighting.
At 4 PM, the first Christmas Day game kicked off.
The Heat hosted the Magic.
The chemistry of the "Big Three" was improving, and they had a dream start in the first quarter, with Wade frequently breaking through the Magic's defense, initiating a scoring run.
At the end of the first quarter, the Heat led by 12 points.
However, the Magic were not to be underestimated. Their shooters exploded in the second quarter, Howard dominated the paint, and he also delivered consecutive blocks on Wade and James.
As a result, at halftime, the Heat were trailing the Magic by 7 points at home.
The home crowd was unhappy and began to boo loudly.
The Heat had been very strong this season, currently on a 16-game winning streak.
If they defeated the Magic, it would be their 17th consecutive win, so the fans were highly invested in this game.
The second half began with the Heat, led by Wade, launching an offensive onslaught.
The "LeBron-Wade connection" reappeared, with the two leading a mini-run to regain the lead.
Despite the Magic's fierce resistance and good shooting from their perimeter players, the Heat's offense was more potent.
Ultimately, the Heat defeated the Magic 114-102, securing the Christmas Day victory and extending their winning streak to 17 games.
No one knew how many consecutive wins the Heat would achieve or if they would break historical records.
James scored 26 points in this game, Wade had 29, and Bosh had 17, with the "Big Three" completely dominating the game.
Howard also had a strong performance, grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking 6 shots, maintaining his dominance in the paint.
...
Next up was the second Christmas Day game, with the Knicks hosting the Thunder.
This game was guaranteed to have record viewership due to the immense hype.
Li Feng had won championships in both the Finals and the Olympic finals, but the Knicks and the Chinese national team both had Yao Ming.
Now that Yao Ming had retired, the Knicks had suddenly collapsed, leading many anti-fans to hope the Thunder would thrash the Knicks.
Li Feng remained calm, knowing it was just a regular-season game.
However, if they truly lost this game, the public criticism would be overwhelming.
Therefore, before the game, he rallied his teammates, emphasizing the need to win this match.
Curry also understood the importance of this game for Li Feng and told him before the game, "Li Feng, I'm ready. We have to fight tooth and nail to win this one!"
Li Feng and Curry embraced for a few seconds, offering each other encouragement.
At 6:30 PM, at Madison Square Garden, the home of the Knicks.
The Knicks and Thunder Christmas Day game began!
The Thunder's starting lineup was Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Sefolosha, and Perkins.
It was almost the same lineup as last season, with Perkins replacing the center.
Many people would recognize Perkins; he used to play for the Celtics before retiring and becoming a basketball commentator.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Jokic, Green, Bill Walker, and Curry.
At the center tip-off, Jokic won the first possession.
Compared to Perkins, Jokic had an advantage in height and vertical leap.
Curry brought the ball upcourt, with Westbrook guarding him one-on-one.
Green came up again to screen Westbrook, allowing Curry to shift sideways.
The Thunder were prepared, with Ibaka coming out to double-team, extending his long arms and covering Curry.
Curry was extremely focused. He dribbled slowly, drawing Ibaka to the 45-degree angle, then suddenly accelerated, feigning a drive.
Ibaka quickly retreated to block, but Curry suddenly pulled the ball back.
An ankle-breaker!
When Ibaka tried to close in again, his footwork was off, and he almost fell.
Curry unleashed a lightning-quick three-pointer!
Swish!
Curry started the game with his signature pull-up three-pointer!
The Thunder players were shocked.
They thought: Curry wasn't this fierce when he was with the Warriors last year!
Could it be that any player who goes to the Knicks undergoes a qualitative change?
The Thunder's offense, the ball went to Durant.
Bill Walker was guarding Durant. They were old friends, and in the Finals, with Li Feng's system, Bill Walker had made it very difficult for Durant.
This time, Durant wanted revenge and decided to go one-on-one.
Unexpectedly, the moment Durant received the ball, Green immediately rushed over to double-team him!
This demonstrated Green's incredible speed in help defense.
Durant, defended by two players, couldn't get a shot off and had to pass the ball to Ibaka out of necessity.
Ibaka took a mid-range jumper. Swish!
Two points were scored.
Ibaka had also worked hard during the offseason, and his shooting had improved significantly. He was no longer just a high-flyer.
3-2!
On the next possession, the Knicks attacked. Li Feng faced Sefolosha's defense, executed a crossover, and drove to the baseline.
Jokic established position and extended his hand for the ball.
Li Feng passed the ball to him. Jokic, relying on his height advantage over Perkins, attempted a strong post-up shot.
But Perkins was a seasoned veteran. Although at a height disadvantage, he was much heavier than Jokic. Bang, bang!
Due to the physical contact, Jokic's shooting form was altered, and the shot missed.
Ibaka grabbed the rebound and initiated a fast break.
Westbrook's speed was impressive, already nearing half-court. Ibaka threw a long pass, and Westbrook, on a clear path, slammed it down for a dunk!
Westbrook had trained diligently during the offseason, and his ability to combine dribbling and ball-handling had improved.
Although Curry had also retreated on defense, he couldn't stop Westbrook.
4-3, the Thunder led.
In the next few possessions, the Knicks could only rely on their perimeter game, while the Thunder had multiple scoring options and held the advantage.
After more than five minutes of the first quarter, the score was 11-8, with the Thunder leading by 3 points.
It was time for the official timeout.
D'Antoni was very unhappy with Jokic and shouted at him during the timeout.
Jokic knew he was playing poorly and could only lower his head and take the criticism.
Li Feng couldn't stand it and took the blame upon himself, saying the passes were not accurate enough.
D'Antoni knew Li Feng was protecting Jokic and didn't say much more.
However, D'Antoni had his own plans. He had already informed the team manager that as soon as a suitable center became available on the trading market, they would sign one.
This would then allow him to reduce Jokic's playing time, so he wouldn't have to play so much.
From a head coach's perspective, D'Antoni wasn't entirely wrong. Jokic was indeed performing poorly.
If Li Feng hadn't had foresight, no one would have had high expectations for "Professor Jokic."
The timeout ended, and the players returned to the court.
Perhaps spurred by D'Antoni's scolding, Jokic seemed like a different player after returning, playing with exceptional ferocity.
First, on offense, he received a pass from Li Feng and forced a shot. After missing, he grabbed the rebound and made a put-back!
At the same time, he drew a foul on Perkins, resulting in a 2+1!
This offensive sequence was full of momentum. Li Feng and his teammates rushed over to chest bump and yell with Jokic, happy for him!
Jokic made the additional free throw, tying the score for the team.
Then, on defense, he provided help defense and delivered a massive block on Ibaka.
This block was rare for Jokic, indicating that he was truly giving it his all!
This offensive and defensive effort significantly improved D'Antoni's expression. He nodded slightly, satisfied with Jokic's effort.
However, the Thunder's Durant exploded again.
He changed his reception method, no longer taking passes directly from Westbrook but instead using cuts and off-ball movement to receive the ball unexpectedly.
This allowed him to avoid double-teams and traps.
Durant made consecutive shots using this method, and the Thunder regained the lead.
Li Feng did not take any shots in the first quarter, as he was focused on finding Jokic, hoping he could execute the plays practiced in training.
Through many games and training sessions, Jokic had actually improved greatly, and his strength had increased considerably.
What he lacked was experience and confidence.
Another coordination between Li Feng and Jokic resulted in a turnover, with the ball being stolen by Durant and passed back to Westbrook.
However, Li Feng reacted extremely quickly, stealing the ball back from Westbrook and passing it to Jokic again.
Jokic, near the baseline, lobbed the ball, scoring!
This was Jokic's specialty. His high-arching shots near the basket were very accurate.
For many players, the probability of making a three-pointer was higher than from this position.
Because of the interference near the basket, it was difficult to control the force with such a short distance, unless one used the backboard.
But Jokic possessed great shooting talent, and his touch was very soft, which was very similar to Yao Ming.
With Li Feng orchestrating the plays, the Knicks did not fall further behind.
With over nine minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 26-24, with the Thunder leading by 2 points.
The Christmas Day game was exciting, and the home fans were thrilled!