The opportunity came quickly.
As the game entered its final five minutes.
The situation shifted again.
The Knicks' offense, which had been reasonably steady, suddenly went cold.
Consecutive missed threes from Toppin and Hart plunged the team into a scoring drought lasting nearly four possessions.
And those four possessions gave the Bucks a golden opportunity.
Damian Lillard suddenly erupted, hitting two of three attempts from beyond the arc and delivering a brilliant assist for an easy Giannis layup, powering an 8–0 run.
In the blink of an eye, the gap between the teams reached thirteen points—double digits.
The New York Knicks had clung stubbornly to the score all game, only to see the gap widen effortlessly once again.
After that offensive burst, Thibodeau immediately called a timeout.
The next few possessions would be crucial.
For the Knicks, there was no question that the offense would return to Chen Xi's hands.
Whether Chen Xi could help them close the gap and put the game back in doubt would be critical.
Likewise, for the Bucks, whether they could continue matching Chen Xi's offensive intensity over the final few minutes and protect the hard-earned advantage they had finally seized would directly determine their fate tonight—and beyond.
Both head coaches began carefully laying out their final plans.
The true decisive battle was finally about to begin.
When the timeout ended, the players quickly returned to the court.
The Knicks had the first possession after the break.
Hart received the ball in the backcourt, crossed half court, and went straight to Chen without a second thought.
Chen Xi hurried up to the top of the key, held the ball in one hand, and signaled for Toppin to come up. He passed to him, then moved quickly to take the ball back on a handoff.
On