After trailing by 13 points at halftime, the Knicks found their pursuit of the Heat's formidable strength quite challenging.
In the second quarter, Li Feng had already begun to exert pressure, and by the third quarter, he transformed into "Li Feng," engaging in a spectacular duel with the Flash.
Just as Wade utilized his dizzying footwork to drive to the basket for a powerful dunk,
Li Feng responded with a jump shot from the baseline.
When Wade sank a floater from the free-throw line, Li Feng hit a pull-up three-pointer from the corner.
The game was captivating, with the peak matchup between stars leaving the fans thoroughly entertained.
However, the Heat's lead continued to grow as James, also in form, began to unleash his power.
Meanwhile, Curry found himself severely restricted by Chalmers' defense, struggling to find shooting opportunities. Even with Green setting screens, James' constant switches denied Curry any clear looks.
During the intense play, James and Green had a brief physical altercation, nearly escalating into a fight.
The game was increasingly charged with tension.
For the Heat, this game was a must-win; they were out for revenge.
James harbored the most significant grudge, having been consistently suppressed by the Knicks over three years since joining the Heat from the Cavaliers, unable to break through the Eastern Conference.
This year, he finally had an opportunity and silently vowed to keep the Knicks out of the playoffs.
Therefore, while Li Feng and Wade traded blows, James, as another core player for the Heat, had to stifle Curry's performance.
James' help defense was exceptional; despite his small forward height, he possessed the speed of a guard.
With the combined efforts of him and Chalmers, Curry's offense was effectively limited.
Furthermore, Jokic was unable to assert his dominance under Bosh's defense.
At the end of the third quarter, Li Feng had scored 25 points, Wade had 23, but the Knicks trailed the Heat by 19 points.
Li Feng walked to the sideline with his head down, breathing heavily, having given his all.
Yet, the gap in overall strength continued to widen.
D'Antoni felt a pang of sympathy for Li Feng. He met him at the sideline, initiating a high-five and patting him on the back.
Though the mentor and protégé exchanged no words, both understood the immense difficulty of winning this game.
In the fourth quarter, Li Feng returned to the court after a mere two minutes of rest.
Despite Li Feng's valiant effort to narrow the deficit to 12 points, Wade and James returned to reclaim their advantage.
Ultimately, the Knicks lost to the Heat on their home court.
This season, the Knicks were swept by the Heat's Big Three, losing all four matchups.
Even though Li Feng scored 52 points for the game, surpassing Wade's 45, the Knicks' overall lack of strength made the loss inevitable.
After this game, no one considered the Knicks strong contenders for the championship.
The Heat, on the other hand, reasserted their status as a top team in the league.
The Knicks' record slipped further to tenth in the Eastern Conference, falling out of the playoff picture.
The home crowd despaired, with many female fans shedding tears.
After the game, Li Feng quietly walked to the center of the court and deeply bowed to the fans who remained, offering an apology.
This was the situation Li Feng least wanted to see. Upon arriving at the Knicks, he vowed to establish a winning culture for the team.
However, the Knicks had lost too many games this season, and he felt he had let down his supporters.
The other Knicks players also joined Li Feng in the center of the court to bow and apologize to the spectators.
This moment was captured by the cameras on the sidelines.
Media reactions to the game were mixed: some criticized Li Feng's actions as a show, while others suggested he would learn from this setback and come back stronger next season.
When interviewed by reporters, Li Feng offered no excuses, simply stating that he felt he had let the fans down.
...
The Knicks had three games remaining.
These three games would determine the Knicks' final fate.
Even if the Knicks won all three, their playoff hopes would still depend on the results of other teams' games, a situation that brought immense psychological pressure to the Knicks players.
Of course, as professional athletes, they were expected to give their all even if the playoffs seemed out of reach.
However, it was disheartening to see a former contender fall to such a state.
...
A day later, the entire Knicks team flew to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
The Lakers were currently sixth in the Western Conference and their playoff position was not yet secure, meaning they would undoubtedly fight fiercely.
The Knicks, playing away, faced a significant challenge.
Fans were highly anticipating this game, and the matchup between veteran superstar Kobe Bryant and Li Feng was expected to be thrilling.
Both teams would be fighting for playoff berths, making this game as compelling as a Finals matchup.
At 8 PM, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The Knicks faced the Lakers.
The Lakers' starting lineup consisted of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, and Metta World Peace.
The Knicks' starting five remained Li Feng, Nikola Jokic, Kenneth Faried, Stephen Curry, and Bill Walker.
At the jump ball, Howard easily secured the initial possession.
The Lakers this season were also a puzzle.
Despite a roster filled with superstars, they had failed to display dominant performances.
Kobe, Howard, Gasol, Nash – all renowned figures.
Yet, their playoff status was not yet secure.
The Knicks and Lakers shared a similar predicament.
Howard tipped the ball to Nash, who brought it past half-court.
Curry stepped up to defend closely.
Two representatives of the run-and-gun offense, meeting once again!
Gasol screened Curry, while Nash drove into the paint and tossed the ball into the air.
Howard out-jumped Jokic for an alley-oop dunk!
The "Superman" was still powerful, and Jokic struggled to defend him.
The Lakers fans at the Staples Center cheered loudly, aware of the game's importance and harboring a deep resentment towards the Knicks, hoping to defeat them and extinguish any playoff aspirations.
Knicks on offense.
Despite Curry's average performance in the previous game, Li Feng still passed the ball to him, letting him take the shot.
Curry faced Nash, drove to the basket, performed a behind-the-back dribble, and pulled up for a three-pointer!
Nash's defense was already weak, and with age, he certainly couldn't stop Curry.
Clang!
Unfortunately, it rimmed out.
Howard, with his superior leaping ability, attempted to grab the rebound, but Jokic and Faried executed a well-timed box-out.
Jokic firmly held Howard's lower body, while Faried shouldered Gasol, securing the rebound and passing to Bill Walker.
Walker then passed to Li Feng, initiating the offense again.
Facing Kobe's defense, Li Feng didn't force a shot. Instead, he called for Jokic to come out and set a screen for Kobe.
Kobe, familiar with Li Feng's tendencies, knew he wouldn't go all out in the first quarter and provocatively taunted, "Scared?"
Li Feng ignored Kobe, drove to the baseline, and passed the ball back out to Jokic beyond the three-point line.
The Lakers were prepared, and Howard came out to contest, but Jokic flicked his wrist, dished a bounce pass to Li Feng, who was cutting to the basket.
Li Feng, with Gasol in front of him, executed a spectacular reverse layup!
Jokic's playmaking ability was once again showcased.
While Howard possessed excellent athleticism, his ability to defend pick-and-rolls was notably average.
Of course, defending pick-and-rolls wasn't solely a one-person job, but Jokic's potential was evident; with the right tactics, he was almost unstoppable.
Combined with Li Feng's excellent off-ball movement, the Knicks' offensive strategies were quite diverse.
Kobe, witnessing the intricate pick-and-roll combination between Li Feng and Jokic, was also surprised.
He pulled Howard aside and whispered a few words.
However, Howard seemed displeased and walked away before Kobe could finish.
Kobe's expression turned grim.
The Lakers had numerous issues this season, with some media reports indicating internal discord.
Conflicts between Kobe and Howard had occurred more than once.
Li Feng noticed this detail and felt it could be exploited.
The score: 2-2.
Lakers possession.
Nash passed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe, facing Li Feng, looked to take him one-on-one.
Although Kobe was past his prime, his isolation scoring ability remained top-tier in the league.
Li Feng was slightly shorter than Kobe, making single coverage extremely difficult. He wouldn't risk it unless absolutely necessary.
So, Li Feng signaled, and Bill Walker quickly came over for help defense.
Kobe became energized, surprised by Li Feng's apparent "timidity."
He still didn't pass, suddenly taking two dribbles to his right before rising for a pull-up jumper!
With Bill Walker's interference, he missed. Clang!
Faried and Jokic again combined to secure the rebound.
Jokic had shown significant improvement on defense in recent games. Knowing his rebounding advantage wasn't strong due to his vertical leap, he and Faried had worked together in practice, helping each other with box-outs.
Li Feng and Curry sprinted past half-court, and Faried passed the ball to Li Feng.
Kobe quickly closed in, and Nash came to double-team. Li Feng quickly passed the ball between them to Curry on the other side.
Curry, one step beyond the three-point line, suddenly pulled up!
Kobe, helpless, had to rush towards the basket to try and grab the rebound, but Curry's chase-down three-pointer was precise and swished through the net! Swish!
The Knicks' run-and-gun offense succeeded.
Nash watched from the side, sighing.
The Phoenix Suns' run-and-gun offense in his past was already formidable, known for finishing plays in seven seconds.
But the Knicks' current fast breaks were even more terrifying, launching threes from near half-court and finishing plays in five seconds!
Curry's shooting touch had arrived, and he was unstoppable.
In the following possessions, the Knicks displayed momentum on both offense and defense, gradually gaining the upper hand.
Despite the Lakers' star-studded roster, their team chemistry seemed poor.
Howard and Kobe, in particular, had several disagreements in the first quarter.
This led to disorganized defense from the Lakers, riddled with gaps.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 33-24, with the Knicks leading by nine points.
The bench units faced off, and Jeremy Lin led the team in playing exceptional team basketball.
At this moment, Lin channeled the "Linsanity" of his past life. Chandler, Shumpert, and Novak, key members of "Linsanity," were now thriving with the Knicks.
Li Feng sat on the bench, cheering excitedly.
He silently told himself, "Lin, I apologize. This parallel world doesn't have your Linsanity highlights, but I will lead you to a championship, a big contract, and extend your career!"
With over five minutes played in the second quarter, the Knicks had extended their lead to 16 points.
Kobe's face was grim; he did not want to personally hand the Knicks a playoff berth.
While the Lakers' current strength made it difficult for them to advance in the West, the Knicks, if they made the playoffs, would undoubtedly be the most dangerous opponent.
As the starters returned to the court, the defensive intensity increased.
Li Feng felt as if he were in the Finals, finding every possession challenging, constantly being pulled and pushed by Kobe.
However, Li Feng did not complain. He welcomed such aggressive physical play, as long as the referees didn't apply double standards.
The scoring pace slowed, with both teams finding it difficult to get shots off.
At halftime, the score was 57-43, with the Knicks leading by 14 points.
While the margin wasn't substantial, it would be challenging for the Lakers to close the gap.
During halftime, Li Feng continuously motivated his teammates in the locker room, urging them to hold on in the second half.
If they lost this game, the Knicks would drop to eleventh in the Eastern Conference, effectively ending their playoff hopes.
The Knicks players' eyes were red; they were determined to fight for this win.
The second half began.
Li Feng again observed the interactions between the Lakers players and noticed that Howard and Kobe seemed like strangers, ignoring each other before taking the court.
Indeed, there were internal issues within the Lakers.
"Strike while the iron is hot!"
After the start of the second half, Li Feng deliberately drew Kobe near Howard twice, then drove past them.
As expected, every time Li Feng drove past, Kobe and Howard would exchange words.
"How were you defending?"
"Why didn't you help?"
"Fuck!"
"Fuck you!"
Li Feng chuckled inwardly, knowing that if a team's two core players had such conflicts, the team would not perform well.
In the subsequent possessions, the Knicks played with increasing fluidity, excelling in all aspects.
The interior combination of Jokic and Faried began to show its effectiveness.
At this point, Faried was not yet an offensive black hole; his mid-range game, floaters, and strong drives to the basket were all threatening.
As for "Professor Jokic," his soft touch was a natural talent, and with increased strength, he was wreaking havoc in the paint.
By the end of the third quarter, the Lakers had not closed the gap. Instead, the Knicks had gone on a run, extending their lead to 21 points.
The Lakers' fate was sealed, and their coach, Scott, was helpless, unable to manage the conflicts among the superstars.
The fourth quarter turned into garbage time. In the end, the Knicks defeated the Lakers on the road, securing a crucial victory.
After the game, Kobe, uncharacteristically, did not exchange greetings with the Knicks players and walked straight to the locker room tunnel.
Li Feng knew that Kobe was not a petty person; he was likely angry with Howard.
With this victory, the Knicks moved up to ninth in the Eastern Conference, climbing one spot.
The Knicks had two remaining games: an away game against the Nets and a home game against the 76ers.
No matter what, these two games had to be won.
Two days later, the Knicks arrived at the Nets' home arena.
The Nets were currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, just one game behind the fourth-placed Bulls.
To secure home-court advantage in the playoffs, the Nets would undoubtedly fight fiercely and wouldn't hold back.
Following their previous game, the Knicks players' confidence had soared.
Therefore, they played well in this game.