Under the eagerly expectant gazes of countless fans.
The thrilling second quarter soon got underway.
In the opening stretch of the second quarter, Paul George and Luka Doncic led their respective teams.
And during this stretch, judging purely by the stars' performances, Doncic was undeniably the better of the two.
A ball-dominant offensive centerpiece was simply better than a player like George at keeping a team afloat and leading the second unit.
That was perfectly normal.
Fortunately, other players on the Knicks stepped up early in the second quarter.
Drummond and Toppin came off the bench and played exceptionally well during this stretch.
With Gobert off the floor, they used their physical gifts to repeatedly battle for offensive rebounds, converting second-chance opportunities at an extremely high rate or drawing fouls around the basket.
Their excellent play allowed the Knicks to keep the Mavericks at bay, preventing Doncic from reclaiming the lead while Chen Xi was off the floor.
Before long, the clock reached 5:08 in the second quarter.
Still clinging to a narrow two-point lead, the Knicks called timeout first.
Then Chen Xi and Strus checked in together, replacing Hart and George.
The New York Knicks once again entered a stretch with Chen Xi leading the team.
In response, the Mavericks immediately brought Irving back in and kept Doncic on the floor to maintain their competitiveness.
Once both teams had finished making their substitutions, play resumed.
Back on the court, the Knicks still had the first possession.
Chen Xi took the Backcourt Receive Ball, brought it across half court to the top of the key, and faced the White Demon, Cam Whitmore.
Rather than rushing to attack, Chen Xi once again prioritized getting his teammates involved.
He initiated a Pick-and-Roll at the top of the key and drove toward the