The Thunder offense.
Durant seemed unwilling to concede, wanting to play another possession.
But under the dual pressure of Bill Walker and Yi Jianlian, he made another mistake.
The moment Durant gathered the ball, Bill Walker slapped it away!
Yi Jianlian grabbed the ball and passed it directly to Li Feng.
Li Feng exploded forward, crossing half-court. Westbrook chased again.
Westbrook's stamina was truly astonishing; even in overtime, he was always the first to sprint back on defense.
Li Feng didn't want to humiliate Westbrook, so he attacked quickly, not letting Westbrook catch up, and scored on a layup!
121:117, the Knicks now led by four points.
Brooks shook his head and signaled from the sideline, telling Westbrook to focus on offense.
There was no other choice; Durant's ball-handling was weak under double teams.
Thunder offense. Westbrook had the ball, and Collison stepped up to screen Li Feng.
Westbrook seized the opportunity and drove into the paint.
But Bill Walker and Billups immediately came to help.
Westbrook saw Sefolosha open and passed to him.
Billups rushed to contest, but the Swiss Army Knife got his shot off quickly. Swish!
Three-pointer made!
121:120!
The Thunder narrowed the gap with the Knicks.
The entire crowd cheered; that three-pointer was a lifesaver!
However, the Knicks players showed no signs of dejection, as this was Li Feng's plan!
Westbrook was prone to getting carried away in crucial moments, especially after Durant was shut down.
With this shot made, Westbrook would surely continue to attack aggressively.
Durant's personality was sensitive; after several failures, he lost the courage to demand the ball.
This was the difference between Durant and an all-time great superstar.
If it were Jordan or Kobe, they would have insisted on taking shots!
Knicks offense. Li Feng caught them by surprise, launching a logo three-pointer the moment he crossed half-court!
This was his second three-pointer of the day, something the Thunder players didn't expect.
124:120!
The Knicks led by four points again, with only 1 minute and 53 seconds left on the clock.
Westbrook began his show, repeatedly attacking the paint, completely ignoring Durant.
Durant, meanwhile, didn't actively seek the ball, standing in the corner and not participating in the offense.
But Westbrook's drives couldn't break through the defense, as the Knicks defense began to collapse inward.
On the Thunder's side, Westbrook's drives were repeatedly thwarted, while on the Knicks' side, under Li Feng's direction, they executed consecutive plays.
In the end, the Knicks defeated the Thunder on the road in overtime!
Li Feng played 40 minutes today, scoring 42 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 14 assists.
Yao Ming had 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Yi Jianlian had 22 points.
Durant scored 38 points, Westbrook had 27, and Harden had 24.
The three Chinese players and the Thunder's Big Three all played well, but it was evident that the Chinese trio was more stable in critical moments!
After the game, Westbrook was the first to approach Li Feng, congratulating him generously.
"Li Feng, I'm truly impressed. You're even better than last time!"
"What are you saying? Don't I get to improve? Haha, you've gotten stronger too. I'm looking forward to our next matchup!"
After they chatted for a while, Durant also walked over.
"Li Feng, your progress as Chinese players is tremendous. Yi Jianlian made it very difficult for me today," Durant said with a smile, shaking his head.
"He was just working hard, but you still scored 38 points! You're still much stronger."
"Don't tease me. I only scored 2 points in overtime."
"Don't say that either. If your shoes weren't too big, we wouldn't have gone into overtime." Li Feng said jokingly.
Durant gave a wry smile and sighed, "I was too eager, my skills weren't up to par. I'll work harder next time. You have to be careful."
Li Feng said meaningfully, "If we meet in the Finals, then we'll have a proper showdown!"
Durant blinked, "The Finals?"
"Yes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier! Don't you want to reach the Finals?"
"I... of course I do!"
"Then it's a deal, a seven-game series in the Finals!"
"Alright!"
Durant truly dared not to think about it, as the competition in the Western Conference was too fierce.
The Spurs, Lakers, and this year's Clippers and Grizzlies were all formidable.
Even reaching the Finals would mean being stripped of several layers of skin.
However, the Eastern Conference competition was also intense this year, with the Heat's new "Big Three," the Celtics' old "Big Three," the Magic, and the Bulls, all strong teams.
After defeating the Thunder, the media was once again extremely disappointed.
These media outlets did not want the Chinese trio to win the championship, because with a three-peat, Li Feng would become unstoppable.
For Americans, letting a foreign player achieve a three-peat was a form of humiliation!
This was because the United States considered itself the world's number one basketball powerhouse.
Therefore, after this game, the media did not promote Li Feng but collectively fell silent.
They only provided a brief overview of the game.
After the game, Li Feng noticed that there were fewer reporters interviewing him than before.
Except for some international media reporters, the American domestic reporters seemed to have vanished.
Li Feng immediately informed his agent, Bill Duffy, about this phenomenon.
Bill Duffy responded calmly, "Li Feng, a three-peat is impossible. You will encounter more and more difficulties in the future, so you need to be mentally prepared!"
Li Feng was furious and shouted, "Why? Are they trying to cause trouble in front of the entire world's fans?"
"What do you think? This is the American league. As an international player, you can win one championship, or two, but they absolutely won't allow you to win three consecutive championships. In fact, you should try to be more accepting. You're already a superstar now, and Red Star Sports is developing well. Just accept it!"
Bill Duffy earnestly advised Li Feng, but Li Feng did not accept it. He sneered.
"As long as they don't break my legs, I will achieve the three-peat!"
Hearing Li Feng's words, Bill Duffy suddenly said, "You should still be careful. Remember, don't drink water or eat food from unknown sources when you're out."
Although Bill Duffy's words were somewhat exaggerated, Li Feng still kept them in mind.
There's an old Chinese saying: One should not harbor the intent to harm others, but one must be vigilant against others!
He still needed to be extra cautious.
...
Although the American media was downplaying Li Feng's popularity, the Chinese media was even more frenzied!
Almost all basketball media were anticipating Li Feng completing the glorious feat of a three-peat.
Basketball Pioneer: "Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian's Chinese Trio are poised to create more glory!"
NBA Special Edition: "Li Feng Stands Tall Above All, Three-Peat Within Reach!"
Contemporary Sports: "The Hope of Chinese Basketball – The Chinese Trio Clears Obstacles and is Invincible!"
...
In the following few games, the Knicks achieved a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.
The two losses were due to Yao Ming suffering a minor ankle injury, causing him to rest for 5 games.
Yao Ming was not seriously injured; it was just that the Knicks coaching staff adhered to the principle of "treating minor injuries with great caution," trying to conserve their energy during the regular season.
As the regular season was in full swing, Li Feng received a call from Deng Huasheng, the owner of Red Star Sports.
"Li Feng, how have you been lately? Is the schedule very tough!"
Li Feng was now Red Star Sports' cash cow, so Deng Huasheng was very polite to him.
However, Deng Huasheng was also grateful to Li Feng; besides signing him to a large contract, he also gave him some company shares.
"Mr. Deng, I'm doing fine. I'm used to it. Did you need something?"
"It's a small matter. Do you remember that child, Meng Dong?"
Li Feng smiled, "Of course, I remember. That high school freshman has a good foundation in basketball."
"Yes, he has applied to the school, and the Basketball Association is also providing support to send him to a training camp in the United States to learn. Do you have time?"
Li Feng understood immediately and agreed, "No problem, Mr. Deng. Meng Dong has good talent and works hard. He is the future of Chinese basketball, and I will take care of him."
"Haha, I knew you were a kind-hearted person. Meng Dong also missed you a lot after meeting you last time."
"That child is good, very sensible. When he gets here, I will take good care of him!"
"Then I can rest assured. I'll send you his itinerary and contact information later!"
"No problem!"
...
Li Feng felt gratified. He was still young, and Yi Jianlian had also grown.
If Meng Dong could become a starter for the national team in three to five years and even play in the NBA, then Chinese basketball would have successors!
A week later, Meng Dong arrived in New York.
Li Feng had a game that day, so he sent a staff member to pick Meng Dong up and take him to his residence.
Meng Dong watched the game on television at Li Feng's house.
The Knicks defeated the Hornets at home 116:102, achieving two consecutive wins.
Yao Ming continued to rest in this game. Li Feng played 32 minutes and scored 28 points, while Yi Jianlian played 30 minutes and scored 23 points.
Meng Dong, being a student in China, rarely got to watch live games in the morning; he could only check the news during lunch and find game replays in the evening.
Being able to watch a live broadcast now, Meng Dong felt incredibly satisfied.
However, he still had a wish: to watch an NBA game live!
It was past midnight when Li Feng returned to his residence.
Meng Dong was a little reserved, standing in the living room waiting for Li Feng.
"Xiao Dong, make yourself at home here. Don't be so formal." Li Feng patted Meng Dong, looking him over.
"Brother Feng, I've caused you trouble by coming here," Meng Dong said politely.
"What are you talking about? What trouble could there be... Hey? Have you grown taller again!"
The last time Li Feng saw Meng Dong, the boy was only 1.85 meters tall, but now he looked to be around 1.9 meters.
"Brother Feng, I'm 189 now."
"Oh, I see. You really have grown, haha, good kid, not bad, not bad!"
Since coming to the NBA, Li Feng had also grown a couple of centimeters, now standing at about 1.94 meters.
After chatting for a while, Li Feng asked again, "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, Auntie made me food earlier, and it was delicious."
Li Feng saw that Meng Dong was still adjusting to the time difference and wasn't sleepy at all, while he himself had just finished a game and was still feeling the excitement.
So Li Feng stood up and said loudly, "Are you tired?"
"Not tired!" Meng Dong didn't know what Li Feng was planning.
"Come on, let's play some basketball. Let me see if you've improved, you kid!"
Meng Dong, after all, was a child and very competitive, so he also jumped up.
"Okay, but... it's so late, don't you need to rest?"
"It's okay, we'll just play for half an hour, it won't delay anything."
Li Feng pulled Meng Dong along, and they went to the basketball court in the yard.
This was a house Li Feng had bought, which came with its own basketball court. Moreover, the house was far from its neighbors, so it wouldn't disturb anyone.
Li Feng turned on the lights, and Meng Dong exclaimed enviously, "Wow! This basketball court is amazing!"
"What's so amazing about it? It's just a court. Come on, you attack, and I'll defend you!"
Li Feng tossed the ball to Meng Dong and spread his arms, preparing to defend.
Meng Dong was eager to try and began dribbling slowly.
An expert's move reveals their skill!
Li Feng noticed that Meng Dong had more strength, and his arms were thicker than when they last met.
Bang!
They bumped into each other.
Li Feng only used 30% of his strength, but Meng Dong's movements didn't falter, and his dribbling was steady.
"Not bad, Meng Dong, you've been working hard!" Li Feng couldn't help but praise.
A hint of pride showed on Meng Dong's face as he continued to look for opportunities to attack.
Swish!
Meng Dong made a crossover, trying to drive from the left.
Li Feng moved his feet quickly, staying close.
At the same time, Li Feng extended his right hand, preventing him from taking a shot.
Unexpectedly, Meng Dong pushed forward, then suddenly stepped back and shot a pull-up jumper!
His move was very fluid, and Li Feng was caught off guard.
Swish!
Meng Dong actually scored against Li Feng's tight defense!
Li Feng laughed heartily and clapped his hands, praising, "Xiao Dong, you've improved a lot! It seems I didn't misjudge you!"
Meng Dong scratched his head with a slight blush, "Really? Brother Feng, aren't you going easy on me?"
"No holding back. Your movements have a larger range than before, and because of your increased strength, your movements are more fluid. Very good!"
Li Feng patted Meng Dong's shoulder again, giving him high praise.
"Let me attack, and you defend!"
Li Feng knew that many players preferred to attack and disliked focusing on defense, especially young players.
Even though Li Feng had instructed him at length about defense when they last parted ways,
Meng Dong was still a child and full of youthful vigor; he would naturally prefer offense.
Li Feng decided to test him, to see if the kid had truly taken his words to heart.
Swish!
After a fake, Li Feng accelerated from the right.
Meng Dong bent his knees slightly and moved quickly.
Although Li Feng was not at full speed, he was using about eighty percent of his power.
Meng Dong actually kept up with Li Feng without losing his position!
This excited Li Feng immensely!
It showed that the child had truly put in the effort.
Not only was his speed fast enough, but his positioning and hand movements were also very standard, and his pressure was strong.
"Xiao Dong, that's great. You've put in the work!" Li Feng affirmed Meng Dong again.
However, he still managed to shake off Meng Dong with a spin and acceleration, easily driving to the basket and dunking with one hand.
Meng Dong shook his head, watching.
This child was also very competitive; he thought he could contend with Li Feng.
But after this exchange, he realized he was still far behind.