Barkley, standing courtside, couldn't help but laugh as he shouted onto the court, "Shaq! Your free throws aren't even as accurate as my grandma's!"
Jordan raised an eyebrow slightly, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes. He knew full well that O'Neal missing both free throws had nearly pushed the Lakers into a desperate situation.
The Knicks grabbed the rebound. After receiving the ball, Li Fei didn't rush upcourt. Instead, he dribbled slowly, surveying the situation on the floor.
He keenly caught O'Neal's emotional state—confusion, self-blame, and a lapse in his defensive focus.
A bold idea sprang into Li Fei's mind.
He gave Sabonis a look, and Sabonis immediately understood, moving up slowly to set up with Li Fei.
The next second, Li Fei had the ball and actually ran a pick-and-roll with Sabonis!
The entire arena was stunned by the sight. Even the Knicks players wore expressions of surprise.
Everyone knew that Li Fei and Sabonis were the Knicks' number one and number two options, the core of the team.
Yet the two rarely ran pick-and-rolls together. Although Li Fei primarily played power forward, he stood 2.24 meters tall and often filled in at center.
This time, it was a genuine power forward-center pick-and-roll. It seemed unreasonable, but it hid deadly intent.
Sabonis set a firm screen at the high post, blocking Glen Rice, who had come over to defend Li Fei. The Lakers were forced to switch.
After the switch, Li Fei found himself facing O'Neal—the same O'Neal who had just missed both free throws and was emotionally deflated!
The instant they saw it, Madison Square Garden erupted. Every fan leaped to their feet, arms raised as they screamed wildly.
Cries of "Li Fei! Li Fei!" echoed through the entire arena, deafeningly loud.
Everyone knew Li Fei had