De'Anthoni's run-and-gun tactics had always been constrained when facing the Spurs.
The Suns had fallen before the Spurs back then.
...
In the t.n.t. broadcast booth, Barkley was getting excited again.
He knew the Suns' strengths and weaknesses from back then, so he believed Li Feng would definitely struggle in this game.
"See! The Spurs have always been the kryptonite for run-and-gun teams. Even with Li Feng as the point guard, he still can't get past the Spurs!"
Smith shook his head, "It's only the first quarter, we can't tell anything yet. Li Feng needs a phase to adapt."
"There's no adapting. The Spurs' defensive intensity is the league's best, much stronger than the Dream Team. Li Feng has no chance!"
"Let's wait and see. Li Feng's comeback ability is very strong."
...
Many fans were also discussing the game. In the game's hot thread, Li Feng's haters were particularly active, starting to heavily criticize him.
It was understandable, as Li Feng's offense was being limited, and his teammates weren't stepping up.
The timeout ended, and the game continued.
In the next few possessions, the Knicks still couldn't execute their usual fluid run-and-gun offense, being torn apart by the Spurs' defense.
The Knicks players' shots were all forced, leading to extremely low shooting percentages.
Only Li Feng managed to force some shots and made a few.
With 9 minutes and 24 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 26:11, with the Knicks trailing by 15 points.
From the court's perspective, the Knicks were completely unable to fight back.
When Li Feng was substituted, he was very dejected. He lowered his head and sighed softly.
He seemed to understand LeBron James's feelings back then.
The young emperor, full of spirit, had entered the Finals, intending to follow Jordan's path and dominate the league after breaking out of the East.
Who knew that the Spurs, led by Duncan, would deliver such a crushing blow!
De'Anthoni had few options left. The Suns back then at least had defensive stalwarts like Marion.
But this Knicks team, apart from Li Feng, consisted of very ordinary players. The run-and-gun strategy was merely a facade.
Without Li Feng, the team would still be the same lottery-bound team vying for the top draft pick.
After the timeout, Li Feng did not return to the court. De'Anthoni brought in the reserves.
As the reserves entered the court, De'Anthoni sat beside Li Feng.
Coach D'Antoni could see that Li Feng was feeling down.
This was normal. Against the cunning Spurs, young players would inevitably be taught a lesson.
He patted Li Feng's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't forget, you're just a freshman. Learn from strong teams like the Spurs. Failure is normal, it's not a bad thing."
Li Feng nodded, then sighed again, "Coach, the Spurs' defense is too targeted. I can't get my offense going."
"That's normal. How about this, Li Feng, when you go back in the second quarter, try the 'unreasonable' style of play. You've been focusing too much on organizing."
Li Feng shook his head slightly, "I actually don't like games that rely on individual battles. Let's talk about it in the second half."
De'Anthoni understood Li Feng's thoughts. He knew Li Feng was a team-oriented player.
With Li Feng's ability, as long as he took more shots, he would surely get good stats.
After all, if the team lost, Li Feng wouldn't have lost, and he would be praised for his effort even in defeat, and no one would say anything.
But Li Feng was unwilling to do that. He wanted to use his gravity to connect his teammates.
At this moment, the Knicks' reserves on the court were still a mess, and the point difference continued to widen.
Under Popovich's coaching, the Spurs played with increasing chemistry. With Ginobili on the court, he further initiated a scoring spree.
With 4 minutes and 51 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 46:25, with the Spurs leading by 21 points.
It was a blowout!
De'Anthoni, with no other choice, brought the starters back onto the court.
Li Feng still did not play recklessly. He continued to try to connect with his teammates.
From his observations off the court, Li Feng identified some weaknesses in the Spurs and launched targeted attacks.
Indeed, Gallinari and Jeffries found their touch and hit a few shots.
On defense, Li Feng had Duhon stick to Parker, while he himself actively provided help defense.
With the entire team's effort, the point difference slowly narrowed.
With 7 minutes and 34 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 51:34, with the Knicks trailing by 17 points.
At this point, Popovich became furious. He called Parker over and berated him.
This was Popovich's coaching style. Within the team, except for Duncan, everyone had been scolded by him.
Parker and Ginobili were often pulled to the sideline by him during games and thoroughly chastised.
However, the players knew that the old man was just addressing the issues objectively, so no one was offended. They all knew that the reason the Spurs had been in championship contention for so many years
was due to the Spurs' discipline.
Of course, Duncan was the cornerstone of the Spurs, and with Duncan, there was a defensive system.
Such team culture was truly terrifying, with a very small chance of making mistakes.
After Popovich's outburst, the Spurs' offensive and defensive intensity clearly increased, leading to frequent turnovers from the Knicks players.
The point difference was widened again.
As the first half neared its end, the deficit had reached a staggering 30 points!
The Spurs' home crowd roared with excitement. They all stood up, raising their hands, celebrating the Spurs' victory in advance!
In the Chinese sports channel broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Zhang Laoshi were commentating on the game.
Before the game, both had high expectations for this matchup.
They both felt that only by passing the "baptism" of the Spurs could Li Feng grow into a true superstar.
Of course, they were both rational and predicted that the Spurs would win, but Li Feng would still achieve good statistics.
However, with the first half almost over, Li Feng had only scored 12 points, and the team was trailing by 30 points, which greatly exceeded their expectations.
"Zhang Laoshi, the Spurs are too strong. The Knicks must be feeling frustrated, right?"
Zhang Laoshi nodded helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. The gap in defensive systems and tactical discipline between the two teams is too large. Even the strong Suns back then couldn't get past the Spurs, let alone this Knicks team."
"Li Feng is also playing very stifled today. It's obvious he really wants to connect the team, but his teammates aren't stepping up, and he has no good solution."
"Yes, his few assists were good. Gallinari and David Lee's shooting touch was average. Except for a slight recovery in the middle of the second quarter, they were ineffective at other times."
"Zhang Laoshi, I think Li Feng shouldn't be affected by this game. After all, basketball is a team sport. His confidence won't be shaken, right?"
"It's hard to say. This kid has high aspirations. I hope he can adjust his perspective and continue to work hard!"
"But Li Feng often makes comebacks, I wonder if it's possible today?"
"A comeback this year? Not likely, that's the Spurs!"
"Didn't McGrady score 13 points in 35 seconds against the Spurs?"
"Haha, if you put it that way, the Spurs have indeed often served as a backdrop!"
Although the two were joking, a 30-point deficit was almost impossible to overcome.