The match against the defending champions was indeed stressful for the players, and Li Feng did his best to comfort his teammates and ease their pressure.
The substitute players were struggling on the court, and the point difference continued to widen.
Li Feng sat on the sidelines, his brows furrowed. He hadn't played comfortably today, primarily because Kobe was causing him significant trouble. Of course, Kobe was facing similar difficulties, experiencing immense fatigue from guarding Li Feng, which led to frequent missed shots later on.
Speaking of missed shots, the term "dagger" (打铁) actually originated from Kobe.
It started as a joke, but eventually became synonymous with Kobe.
Adding to this, Kobe spent his childhood in Italy, and Jay Chou's song "The Little Blacksmith of Milan" further boosted the popularity of this phrase.
In reality, Kobe's high number of missed shots was due to the extreme difficulty of his attempts, which was understandable.
Facing a historic superstar like Li Feng, it was incredibly challenging to replicate his previous performances.
However, Li Feng, with his intense competitiveness, would not allow himself to be so easily restricted.
If Li Feng were to go all out, disregarding the team and the outcome, and focus solely on offense, his stats likely wouldn't be too poor.
This was because he possessed a vast array of offensive moves.
But he couldn't do that.
When facing the Celtics, Li Feng scored 78 points, and they only narrowly won, indicating that relying on just one person made victory very difficult.
The Lakers were a much tougher opponent than the Celtics, so Li Feng could not afford to focus solely on his own scoring.
He had to find another way to help the team.
Li Feng brought up the system and saw the "Team Soul" skill.
He hadn't used this skill in the past few games, mainly because his teammates' chemistry had improved, making the "Team Soul" skill less noticeable.
Furthermore, Li Feng was already the soul of the Knicks, unlike his situation with the national team.
"Let's try it again!" Li Feng had no other options and reactivated the "Team Soul" skill.
In the battle of the substitute lineups, the Knicks fell further behind. Three minutes into the second quarter, the Lakers led by ten points.
At this moment, Li Feng activated the "Team Soul" skill, and the Knicks players suddenly felt a surge of energy!
In the following few possessions, the Knicks played with great determination, and their shooting accuracy improved.
On defense, the substitutes moved with increased agility and provided timely help, making the Lakers' substitutes feel extremely uncomfortable.
After another two minutes, the deficit was narrowed to six points by the substitutes.
The Lakers' head coach couldn't sit still and quickly called a timeout, preparing to bring in the starters.
Li Feng was pleased with the substitutes' performance in those few minutes. He stood on the sideline, high-fiving each substitute player and offering loud encouragement.
After the timeout, the starters entered the court, and Li Feng once again stood alongside Kobe.
The Lakers initiated an offense, with Kobe handling the ball, and Li Feng applying tight defense.
Being fresh on the court, Kobe was full of energy and intended to overpower Li Feng.
Kobe dribbled slowly, moving from the top of the arc to around the 45-degree angle. Suddenly, he accelerated and drove towards the baseline.
Li Feng unleashed his league-leading first step, staying close to Kobe.
You can go anywhere, but I won't give you space to shoot.
When Kobe reached the baseline, he found Li Feng's right hand still raised in defense.
With no other option, Kobe resorted to a difficult fadeaway jumper for a contested shot!
*Clang!*
The ball bounced off the rim.
There was nothing Li Feng could do; his defense was too suffocating, and Kobe could barely see the basket, forcing him to shoot based on feel.
However, David Lee failed to secure the rebound, and Andrew Bynum, nicknamed "The Little Shark," grabbed it mid-air for a put-back dunk!
The basket swayed violently from Bynum's powerful dunk; it was too ferocious!
After making the shot, Bynum, wanting to avenge Kobe, intentionally walked up to Li Feng and arrogantly shouted, "Kid, you can't guard us!"
Li Feng was taken aback by Bynum's audacity. He didn't back down, stepping forward and meeting Bynum's glare head-on!
Although Li Feng was more than 20 centimeters shorter than Bynum, his aura was incredibly powerful, like a fierce tiger confronting a wild bull.
Kobe quickly stepped in and pulled Bynum away.
Kobe had watched Li Feng's previous games and knew not to provoke him!
As expected, Li Feng began to target Bynum.
On the Knicks' offense, Li Feng, facing Kobe's defense, uncharacteristically called for a screen. Danilo Gallinari set the screen for Kobe.
Li Feng drove straight into the paint, heading directly for Bynum!
Bynum was prepared. He let out a roar, positioning himself like a mountain in front of Li Feng.
Li Feng had dunked over many centers before; almost all of them he had faced in games had succumbed.
But given Bynum's physical attributes, dunking over him would be extremely difficult.
This was not only because of his height but also his sturdiness and thick build.
Most importantly, this kid was reckless.
Previous centers, including Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut, at least prioritized defense and wouldn't actively charge at opponents.
But Bynum, seeing Kobe and Li Feng locked in an intense battle, had long wanted to defend Kobe.
Little did he know, Kobe was thoroughly enjoying the fierce exchanges with Li Feng; it was exhilarating!
…
Seeing Li Feng approaching him, Bynum, regardless of player or ball, thought, "Let them all fall!"
*Swish!*
Li Feng soared into the air, switched the ball to his left hand, and faked a scoop shot.
Bynum lunged at him, willing to commit a foul to bring Li Feng and the ball crashing to the ground.
Just as everyone expected Li Feng to be knocked flying, he executed an unbelievable maneuver.
*Slap!*
Li Feng unexpectedly used his right hand to push off Bynum's shoulder, ascending for a second time!
Li Feng's vertical leap was already incredible, and with the added leverage, he rocketed towards the basket like a missile.
Bynum was stunned; he had never seen a player power through him like this.
He was truly enraged and instinctively performed a unsportsmanlike act: he grabbed Li Feng's waist and tried to throw him to the ground.
Li Feng, having anticipated this, switched the ball to his right hand the moment Bynum grabbed him. *Bang!*
He actually slammed the ball into the basket while tightly gripping the rim with his right hand.
Another iconic moment!
Li Feng's small frame, with a large center clinging to his waist, swung in the air.
Kobe was shocked, thinking, "Is Li Feng's body made of iron?"
Even with Bynum's wrestling move, he couldn't pull him down?
The referee immediately rushed over, pointed at Bynum, and blew his whistle forcefully.
Only then did Bynum release his grip and walk away sheepishly.
Had Li Feng been injured, Bynum would have been immediately ejected.
However, Li Feng's intelligent self-protection also protected Bynum, and the referee only called a Flagrant 2 foul on him.
Li Feng was awarded two free throws and possession!
The entire stadium erupted in an uproar…
Li Feng was truly incredible, not only dunking on Andrew Bynum but also drawing a flagrant foul on him!
As Li Feng walked to the free-throw line, Kobe watched him from mid-court with awe.
This was a rookie who had only played ten games, and he was already this formidable.
If he underwent a few seasons of seasoning, what would he become?
Despite Kobe's shock at Li Feng's performance, his own strong competitiveness solidified his resolve; he had to dominate Li Feng today!
Not only did he want to win the game, but he also aimed to outperform Li Feng in stats and overall performance.
Li Feng first sank the two free throws for the flagrant foul and then made the additional free throw!
With Li Feng's efforts, the score difference between the two teams gradually narrowed.
Kobe grew anxious.
On one possession, he once again pushed Li Feng aside and forced a shot!
Kobe was Kobe; Li Feng's defense was already excellent, yet Kobe still managed to score!
The Staples Center fans wanted to see Kobe play like this.
After the basket, the crowd roared, cheering for Kobe!
Li Feng didn't hold back either. On the return possession, he responded with a logo three-pointer!
This ultra-long three-pointer served as an away-game silencer.
The noisy Lakers home crowd instantly fell silent.
Both Li Feng and Kobe were showing signs of recapturing their rhythm, and their head-to-head clash ignited the game, increasing its intensity.
Bynum, having narrowly escaped ejection earlier, was more restrained afterward. He knew Li Feng was not to be trifled with and dared not provoke him further.
Even when Li Feng grabbed an offensive rebound right in front of him, Bynum didn't get angry, only able to stare helplessly.
At the end of the first half, the score was 55:52, with the Lakers leading by three points.
Li Feng played 17 minutes and scored 22 points.
Kobe played 18 minutes and scored 21 points.
From a statistical standpoint, they were evenly matched, but in terms of field goal attempts, Li Feng's efficiency was slightly higher.
This was because Li Feng made 8 out of 12 shots for 22 points, while Kobe made 7 out of 17 shots for 21 points.
…
In the Knicks' locker room, the players kept their heads down, remaining silent.
They all felt responsible, believing they were holding Li Feng back.
This was because Bynum and Gasol combined for 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Knicks' interior players, David Lee and Gallinari, only managed to score 9 points and grab 7 rebounds combined, the same number as Li Feng.
Their interior play had been thoroughly outplayed.
The fact that they were only trailing by three points after halftime indicated how much pressure Li Feng was shouldering on the perimeter!
"Don't be like this, brothers. We're a team. We'll play well in the second half!"
Li Feng high-fived each teammate, encouraging them to regain their confidence.
D'Antoni also did not want the players to experience too much of a psychological drop after their nine-game winning streak, leading to a dip in their performance.
Therefore, he entered the locker room and, along with Li Feng, worked to counsel the players.
Thanks to their efforts, the players' spirits improved considerably. They became livelier again, discussing a strong performance in the second half.
…
In the Lakers' locker room, Kobe's face was grim.
In the first quarter, he had been leading Li Feng in scoring, but Li Feng had caught up in the second quarter.
Moreover, his efficiency was lower than Li Feng's, which greatly displeased Kobe.
His teammates knew Kobe's temperament; he was competing fiercely, so no one dared to provoke him at this time, resulting in a terrifyingly quiet locker room.
…
The second half began.
The defending champions showcased their true strength, and led by Kobe, they went on a small scoring run, pushing the deficit back towards ten points.
However, Li Feng's "Team Soul" skill was proving effective, and the entire team, united in spirit, strengthened their interior defense.
As soon as Bynum received the ball, David Lee and Gallinari double-teamed him, forcing turnovers.
Gasol also found it very difficult to receive the ball, as Li Feng and Jeffries would step up to block his passing lanes.
With the team's concerted effort, the deficit was narrowed once more.
With 8 minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the score was 73:71, with the Lakers holding a mere two-point lead.
Kobe and Li Feng were the most exhausted players on both teams. Phil Jackson and D'Antoni, concerned, decided to substitute them out for a rest.
Li Feng was indeed very tired; he had shouldered too much responsibility on both offense and defense in the third quarter.
Not only did he need to maintain full offensive firepower, but he also had to provide help defense and rotations in the paint.
Kobe was also a complete player on both ends, but Li Feng was clearly doing more.
Li Feng sat on the bench, gulping down large amounts of Gatorade, breathing heavily.
His spirit was unbroken, but he felt a sliver of despair.
This was because the Lakers' overall play was too polished, and their player configuration was more balanced than the Celtics'.
While the Celtics were also experienced, their age was a factor.
Li Feng's 78-point performance in that game was partly due to the Celtics' fatigue in the second half.
But the Lakers were different; their average player age was under 30.
Furthermore, their experience in the NBA Finals had elevated the entire team's level.
Kobe, in particular, demonstrated his leadership capabilities even more thoroughly.
Therefore, Li Feng understood that the chances of winning today were zero.
But the game was not solely about winning or losing; the effort put forth on the court was more important.
Never give up, never back down – this was the true charm of competitive sports!
The Knicks players, with the help of the "Team Soul" skill, were playing reasonably well. After Li Feng was substituted out, the score difference did not widen significantly.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Gasol entered the game early, and the Knicks' bench could no longer hold on.
The deficit expanded to seven points again.
D'Antoni looked at Li Feng, his intention being: We can fight, but we don't need to overexert ourselves.
This was because the gap between the two teams was indeed too obvious, and no matter how strong Li Feng was, he was a perimeter player and couldn't compensate for the interior disparity.
Besides, they still had Kobe on the opposing team.
However, Li Feng had already stood up, his gaze resolute!
D'Antoni felt immense respect for Li Feng once again.
The Knicks' starters returned to the court, but Phil Jackson did not make any substitutions.
He wanted Kobe to rest a bit longer, as the Lakers had the luxury of maintaining an advantage even without him on the court.
But after only two possessions, Kobe stood up and requested to return to the game.
The "Zen Master" had no choice but to agree.
Kobe re-entered the game, and the crowd erupted in cheers!
They had been eagerly anticipating the matchup between Kobe (24) and Li Feng (23) today; it was incredibly exciting.
The fans had been waiting a long time for the 23 vs. 24 showdown, but so far, the chances of the two teams meeting seemed to be diminishing.
When LeBron James reached the NBA Finals, the Spurs emerged from the Western Conference.
And as the Lakers advanced to the Finals, the Cavaliers were blocked by the Celtics and the Magic.
This was a source of great regret for many fans.
Now, Li Feng had emerged, making a strong impact!
In the coming years, with normal development, Li Feng should be able to reach the NBA Finals.
At that point, fans would finally witness the 23 vs. 24 matchup.
And Li Feng's jersey number was also 23!
Could it be destiny at play?
…
After entering the game, Kobe met Li Feng's gaze.
It was as if he was saying, "Come on, Chinese kid, let's have our final showdown!"