Li Fei watched it all with satisfaction. He knew that the Lithuanian giant had finally let go of the knot in his heart.
For a championship-caliber team, the greatest fear was not a powerful opponent, but self-doubt from within.
The Knicks' training atmosphere had not been affected in the slightest by outside public opinion.
The players still followed their routines, sweating profusely under head coach Jeff Van Gundy's strict demands.
Sprewell relentlessly practiced his drives, while Allan Houston, like a machine, tirelessly repeated catch-and-shoot pull-up jumpers.
The team's momentum was steady and restrained, like a crouching lion quietly waiting for the moment to hunt.
Over the next week, the Knicks faced three consecutive regular-season games.
Their opponents were the New Jersey Nets, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Denver Nuggets. All three teams ranked in the lower half of the league and were far inferior to the Knicks.
The results were without suspense.
On November 4, the Knicks easily beat the Nets 105-88 on the road.
Li Fei played 32 minutes, shooting 10 of 15 for an efficient 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists—a near triple-double.
Sprewell contributed 21 points, while Sabonis handed out 6 assists and organized the team's offense with precision.
On November 6, the Knicks defeated the Hornets 112-95 at home for another win.
Against a Hornets team featuring Eddie Jones and Derrick Coleman, Li Fei displayed overwhelming dominance. He took only 12 shots, made 9 of them, went 6-for-6 at the line, and finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
Allan Houston was scorching hot, hitting 5 of 7 three-pointers and scoring a team-high 28 points.
On November 8, the Knicks traveled to face the Denver Nuggets in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite playing at altitude, they still secured a 98-82 victory.