Conseco Fieldhouse fell into a deathly silence once more.
The fans' wild joy and hope froze into terror and despair.
At last, the final buzzer sounded.
The Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 115–101 without any real danger, reeling off their sixth straight win to start the season.
On the scoreboard, Li Fei's individual stats were enough to go down in history:
In 40 minutes, he went 22-for-32 from the field and 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, exploding for 54 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and a jaw-dropping 16 blocks!
54 points! 16 rebounds! 16 blocks!
The first player in NBA history to record a "3x15" stat line in a single game had been born!
For the Pacers, Reggie Miller shot just 5-for-18 and scored 18 points, 12 of them in the fourth quarter. Rik Smits had 15 points and 8 rebounds, while Dale Davis put up 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After the game, the three commentators at TNT's broadcast desk no longer knew what words could possibly describe it.
"The Pacers mounted an epic comeback in the fourth quarter. They had a chance to win this game."
There was a trace of awe in Kevin Harlan's voice. "But they overlooked one thing: the Knicks had a sleeping lion. The moment they angered that lion, the game was already over. Li Fei's performance over the final three minutes was the most dominant two-way display I have ever seen in my broadcasting career. Bar none!"
Marv Albert let out a long sigh. "Sixteen blocks... My God, that's a scoring total some guards might not even reach. And Li Fei used it to redefine defense. After tonight, every team in the league will have a new topic in its film room—how do you score against a monster who can block any shot