They routed the Nuggets 121-98 on the Denver Plateau. Allan Houston was scorching hot in that game, going 7-for-9 from beyond the arc, perfectly complementing Li Fei's relentless attacks in the paint.
Back in the Eastern Conference, they defeated the Hawks 108-89 in Atlanta, despite Atlanta having "Uncle Mutombo," Dikembe Mutombo. Uncle Mutombo's vaunted interior defense looked helpless before Li Fei's 2.24-meter height and terrifying 2.45-meter wingspan. Li Fei delivered eight monster blocks in the game, four of them swatted right off Mutombo's head. After the game, Uncle Mutombo did not make his habitual finger-wagging gesture even once.
9 wins, 1 loss!
Their only defeat came on the road against the Utah Jazz, when the entire team went ice-cold and narrowly lost 88-92. Even so, the Knicks still sat firmly atop the league standings in undisputed fashion.
Li Fei's individual numbers had also reached an unimaginable level: 35.8 points, 17.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 4.8 blocks per game. His impact on both ends of the floor had surpassed the understanding of every basketball commentator. People began discussing whether he would become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to average more than 40 points in a single season.
Time quietly reached the end of November, and the Knicks were about to face a special opponent—the Miami Heat.
In last season's Eastern Conference Finals, the two teams battled through seven games in a series brutal enough to be called a bloodbath.
This hard-nosed Heat team, built by Pat Riley himself, was the toughest and most ferocious defensive team in the entire Eastern Conference—bar none.
Their leader was Alonzo Mourning, a tough-guy center who played as though his life depended on it. By his side stood "God's Left Hand," Tim Hardaway, along with a pack of savage, bandit-like players: P.J. Brown, Dan