The Knicks, after a four-game winning streak, were set to face a formidable opponent once again.
It was the Heat, the team they had defeated in the second round of the playoffs last season.
The Heat's "Big Three" had been the talk of the league since their formation last season.
Whether it was the media, the fans, or themselves, everyone believed the trio was unstoppable!
The championship trophy was practically theirs for the taking.
Otherwise, LeBron James wouldn't have uttered that famous quote: "Not one, not two, not seven…"
In the parallel world before Li Feng's transmigration, the Heat also failed to win the championship, but at least they reached the NBA Finals.
The reasons for their defeat were widely debated.
In Li Feng's judgment, the primary issue was the unclear hierarchy of ball possession, which led to LeBron James's hesitation.
In battles between elite players, hesitation meant missed opportunities!
Furthermore, Li Feng knew that the Heat's "Big Three" were most formidable in their second year as a unit.
During the 2011-2012 season, the Heat established LeBron James as the undisputed core, achieving a dominant performance!
They not only became more consistent in the regular season but also bulldozed their way through the playoffs, defeating the spirited young Oklahoma City Thunder!
Therefore, Li Feng harbored no complacency when facing the Heat.
Instead, he informed his teammates that this game would be tough and needed to be treated as a playoff match, demanding their absolute focus.
Li Feng's warning proved crucial, as many players on the team had begun to underestimate the Heat.
They believed that the Heat's "Big Three" had never defeated the Knicks, and this season would be no different.
Both D'Antoni and Li Feng shared the same sentiment, constantly reminding the players to take the opponent seriously.
...
At the pre-game press conference, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade spoke with the media.
For both LeBron and Wade, this season was about redemption.
If they couldn't win the championship again, the "Big Three" might be on the verge of disintegration.
"Mr. LeBron, you fell to the Knicks in the playoffs last season. Will you achieve revenge this year?"
James's expression soured; he genuinely didn't want to be there for the interview today.
But as the team's star player, he had to attend.
"We will definitely achieve revenge. Today's game will show you that we will defeat the Knicks!"
Seeing James's discomfort, another reporter quickly raised their hand and asked, "However, the Knicks have strengthened their roster this year and improved their strength. Are you Heat confident?"
The muscles in James's face twitched. He replied emphatically, "Of course, we are confident. We weren't ready last year, and we only lost in Game Seven."
As other reporters noticed James's agitated mood, they turned to Wade: "Both the Heat and the Knicks are on four-game winning streaks. Do you think the Heat will extend it to five?"
Wade also felt a sense of bottled-up frustration. He believed that last season, if the Heat had reached the NBA Finals, they would have certainly won the championship.
Therefore, he harbored animosity towards Li Feng and the Knicks.
Gritting his teeth, he slowly stated, "We will definitely achieve a five-game winning streak, and we won't lose to the Knicks this season!"
"But Mr. Wade, your performance this season seems average, with a significantly lower scoring average. Can you explain why?"
In reality, Wade had made sacrifices this season; his tactical importance had decreased, and his shot attempts were fewer.
Last season, his average score was 25.5 points, but in the first five games of this season, he averaged only 17.7 points.
Wade's expression also changed. After a few seconds of silence, he replied, "I care about team victories; personal statistics don't matter."
James snatched the microphone and added, "Wade is the Heat's most important core player. He has always been selfless. Your questions are ridiculous!"
James rescued Wade, and the two shared a knowing smile.
...
At the Knicks' press conference, Li Feng and Amar'e Stoudemire spoke with the media.
Although Stoudemire had requested a trade, and several teams had expressed interest, no deal had been finalized.
Stoudemire's attendance at today's press conference was intended to showcase the team's unity.
"Stoudemire, it's rumored you've requested a trade. Do you have any preferred teams?"
Stoudemire's expression shifted as he replied, "Let me tell you, I am still a Knicks player, and I am a professional. As long as I'm with the Knicks for one minute, I'll play my best. Don't ask me about anything else, okay?"
Seeing Stoudemire's annoyance, the reporter dared not ask further.
Another reporter asked, "Mr. Li Feng, you narrowly defeated the Heat in the playoffs last season. The Heat are back this season; are you prepared?"
Li Feng smiled, "The Heat will definitely consider us their biggest enemy, but we won't consider them an enemy because we've already won two championships, and we have too many enemies."
Seeing the subtle strength in Li Feng's words, the reporter nodded and dropped the subject.
...
Seven-thirty in the evening, Madison Square Garden.
Live nationwide broadcast: the Knicks host the Heat!
The Knicks' starting lineup consisted of Li Feng, Yao Ming, Amar'e Stoudemire, Bill Walker, and Kemba Walker.
The Heat's starting five were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joel Anthony, and Shane Battier.
The Heat had made successful acquisitions this season, with defensive stalwart Shane Battier and young prospect Cole all being valuable players.
Tip-off at center court.
Yao Ming and Joel Anthony stood at the center circle.
The height difference was evident, and Yao Ming easily secured possession for the Knicks' first offense.
Li Feng dribbled the ball in the backcourt, and Shane Battier stepped up to defend closely.
Since Battier had previously played for the Rockets, he hadn't often guarded Li Feng.
Therefore, today, he was tasked with guarding Li Feng one-on-one, a clear challenge!
Li Feng knew Battier was a good friend of Yao Ming and a decent person, but this was a game, and Li Feng had to teach Battier a lesson.
Battier spread his arms, his eyes intently focused on Li Feng's movements.
Just as Li Feng half-turned, intending to drive past Battier, Battier suddenly reached out, attempting to poke the ball away from behind.
Li Feng's ball-handling skills were already at the elite level, so he naturally evaded Battier's attempt.
*Bang!*
Li Feng spun around, bumping his back into Battier, and simultaneously accelerating, leaving Battier more than a meter behind.
Battier had gambled for the steal, and his balance was already compromised.
Thus, with Li Feng's acceleration, Battier couldn't catch up.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade watched from the sidelines, sighing softly.
The Heat had signed Battier specifically to defend opposing star players.
Of course, no one on the Heat expected Battier to completely lock down Li Feng.
But at least to limit him, right?
Yet, in the very first encounter, Li Feng had effortlessly toyed with him.
As Li Feng crossed half-court, Wade immediately moved to apply pressure, while Battier also rushed from behind, preparing to double-team.
Yao Ming had already established position in the post and extended his hand to receive the ball.
Li Feng didn't waste any more time and passed the ball directly to Yao Ming.
Facing Joel Anthony, Yao Ming had a complete mismatch, requiring no pump fakes or deceptive moves.
*Swish!*
He simply pulled up for a jumper, easily scoring two points over Anthony!
Anthony was helpless.
LeBron James walked over to Chris Bosh and said in a low voice, "Let's try trapping him."
Bosh nodded in agreement.
In the first possession, the Heat hadn't trapped Yao Ming primarily to show respect to Joel Anthony.
But now Anthony understood that against Yao Ming, he was outmatched and simply not competitive.
The Heat's offense.
LeBron James dribbled the ball past half-court, and Bill Walker stepped up to defend.
In the previous playoffs, Bill Walker had been primarily responsible for guarding James, so he had experience, but he also knew that individual defense wouldn't stop James.
This was because James possessed too many skills; he not only had exceptional isolation abilities but also a vast court vision and excellent passing prowess.
Therefore, while guarding James individually, Bill Walker made hand signals, alerting his teammates to be ready for help defense.
LeBron James slowly dribbled the ball, not calling for a screen, but suddenly changed direction to his left.
Bill Walker tried to block him, but James used his strength to push him aside.
LeBron drove into the paint, and both Yao Ming and Amar'e Stoudemire converged for the double-team.
*Whoosh!*
James hesitated to drive and score against Yao Ming's defense, instead faking one way and passing the ball to Battier in the corner.
Li Feng was guarding Wade, and Lowry was guarding Battier, but Lowry had just been screened by Bosh.
Battier was a good shooter when left open, and he didn't miss this opportunity. *Swish!*
He hit a three-pointer!
3-2!
The Heat took a one-point lead.
This was Battier's value; his open three-pointers were accurate, and his defense was strong, significantly boosting the Heat's overall strength.
In another parallel world, Battier also played a crucial role in the Heat's championship victory over the Thunder.
His open threes helped dismantle the Thunder and secured the "Big Three's" first championship.
The Knicks' offense.
Li Feng held the ball in the backcourt. This time, Battier didn't press him full-court but retreated to around the half-court line.
Kemba Walker sneaked to the 45-degree angle, open, and Li Feng immediately passed him the ball.
Wade saw the danger and quickly moved to close out, but Lowry was confident and immediately took the three-point shot!
His summer training hadn't been in vain; Lowry's three-point shot was more accurate. *Swish!*
It went in cleanly, returning Battier's favor.
After making the shot, Lowry was excited and high-fived Li Feng.
The first quarter was intense, with both teams playing fierce offense and defense.
After being trapped, Yao Ming found it difficult to receive the ball.
However, whenever he managed to get his hands on the ball, Yao Ming could easily score or set up his teammates.
The Heat, with LeBron James established as the core, played with more decisive tactics and high efficiency.
The score remained close, and by the time 8 minutes into the first quarter, the teams were tied.
23-23!
Coach Spoelstra's expression was grave; he was under immense pressure.
Despite having such talented players, they hadn't reached the NBA Finals. While there were many reasons, the head coach bore the brunt of criticism from the media and fans.
The team management trusted Spoelstra, but the more they trusted him, the heavier he felt the burden.
He hadn't rested a single day during the offseason, spending all his time studying Knicks game footage.
In Spoelstra's mind, the Knicks were already the biggest obstacle of the season.
He firmly believed that if they could defeat the Knicks, the Heat would surely win the championship!
As the first quarter neared its end, despite the tie, he felt the Heat had a chance to win.
This was because Li Feng, under the double-team of Battier and Wade, was visibly hesitant to drive.
Spoelstra was correct; last year it was Wade and Chalmers double-teaming, but this year, replacing Chalmers with Battier had elevated the intensity significantly.
Li Feng was unwilling to take risks, so he kept passing the ball.
D'Antoni called a timeout, preparing to bring in the reserves.
Although this game was important, player health was even more critical. D'Antoni's mindset was different now compared to the previous two years.
He didn't prioritize regular-season wins.
Spoelstra also made substitutions, bringing in the reserve unit.
The Heat's reserve lineup had been strengthened this season, featuring Chalmers, Cole, Mike Miller, Taharri, and Haslem.
Meanwhile, with Yi Jianlian joining the Knicks' reserves, their offensive firepower had greatly increased.
Therefore, the matchup between the reserve units remained close.
Yi Jianlian was dominant in the paint, while the outside combination of Cole and Chalmers, along with Mike Miller's three-pointers, was difficult to defend.
Li Feng and Yao Ming sat on the sidelines, their faces devoid of smiles.
Facing the Heat at home, a loss would cast a shadow over their entire season.
Therefore, they were determined to win today, no matter what.
However, the Heat were truly formidable this year. With the clear core of LeBron and Wade, their play had become exceptionally structured.
LeBron orchestrated the offensive tactics, while Wade served as the primary driver, their synergy seamless.
Chris Bosh had also adapted better to the Heat's system this season, his shooting becoming more consistent.
It was worth noting that during his time with the Toronto Raptors, Bosh had primarily played in the post.
But upon arriving in Miami, he had to give up interior space for LeBron, leading to some struggles.
Moreover, his shooting hadn't been as consistent last season, making him seem somewhat redundant on the Heat.
During the offseason, Bosh had focused on improving his shooting and had embraced the Heat's tactical approach.
As a result, Bosh played more fluidly this season, averaging 17.2 points per game in the first four games, an increase of over 2 points from last season.
Li Feng pondered for a long time but couldn't find a solution to crack the Heat's strategy.
Five minutes into the second quarter, the score was 42-39, with the Heat leading by three points.
Both teams substituted their starting lineups back onto the court.
After Li Feng re-entered the game, he faced even more aggressive double-teams from Wade and Battier, leaving Li Feng with no opportunity to drive.
This effectively halved the Knicks' offensive threat.
On defense, Li Feng's help defense remained sharp.
LeBron and Wade's chemistry grew, and they executed a series of plays.
Without Li Feng's involvement in the offense, the Knicks struggled.
Except for Kemba Walker and Amar'e Stoudemire, all other offensive options were stifled.
At the end of the first half, the score was 62-46, with the Heat leading by sixteen points.
While the deficit wasn't insurmountable, given the current situation, it would be difficult for the Knicks to catch up.
...
In the TNT broadcast booth, Charles Barkley's face showed concern.
He genuinely wished to see the Knicks achieve a three-peat, as the league hadn't seen a three-time consecutive champion in a long time.
The last three-peat was achieved by the Lakers' O'Neal and Bryant combination.
In that Lakers team, Shaquille O'Neal was the primary offensive force, and Kobe Bryant also played a significant role.
Now, with the two-time champion Knicks, led by Li Feng and supported by Yao Ming, if they could also win a third consecutive championship, Li Feng would be placed in the same esteemed category as those legendary superstars.