Chapter Summaries

Li Fei hit a buzzer-beating three over Shaquille O'Neal to win Game Two of the NBA Finals for the Knicks, sending Madison Square Garden into an uproar. The chapter ended with commentators recounting his extraordinary performance as the Knicks celebrated a dramatic victory.

• Li Fei's game-winning three sent the Madison Square Garden crowd and courtside celebrities into celebration.
• Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen watched Li Fei's shot and joked that his three-pointer was better than Jordan's famous two-point game-winner.
• Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Walton praised Li Fei's 55 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks.
• The commentators recalled how Li Fei erased the Knicks' halftime deficit before answering Kobe's late go-ahead basket with the buzzer-beater.

After Li Fei’s game-winning shot gave the Knicks a 2–0 series lead, the Lakers accepted the loss and vowed to answer on their home court. Kobe, O’Neal, and Phil Jackson remained confident that they would win the next game in Los Angeles.

• Harlan praised the game as the Lakers sat stunned after losing to the Knicks.
• Phil Jackson told Kobe and the Lakers that Li Fei’s talent had decided the game and promised they would win two games in Los Angeles.
• Sprewell, Houston, Sabonis, Marshall, Jackson, and Kidd celebrated Li Fei’s game-winner as the Knicks’ crowd roared.
• At the press conference, Kobe and O’Neal acknowledged Li Fei’s shot and promised to stop him or win the next game.
• Phil Jackson said Li Fei’s performance was no fluke but insisted the Lakers could still even the series.
• In the hallway, O’Neal told Kobe he would not let Li Fei score fifty-five again, and vowed that the Lakers would win next game.

Li Fei’s fifty-five-point performance and buzzer-beating three gave the Knicks a 103-102 win over the Lakers and a 2-0 NBA Finals lead. American and Chinese media outlets celebrated his game, leaving the Knicks two wins away from a three-peat.

• Li Fei scored fifty-five points, grabbed twelve rebounds, made seven assists, and blocked four shots in the Knicks’ 103-102 win over the Lakers.
• Li Fei hit a buzzer-beating game-winning three with six seconds left, putting the Knicks ahead 2-0 in the NBA Finals.
• American sports outlets made Li Fei the focus of their headlines and praised his performance.
• China Central Television’s Sports Channel aired a special report on Li Fei’s game-winner.
• Chinese newspapers and Sina Sports featured Li Fei’s performance, and Sina Sports’ article drew more than one hundred thousand comments.

After Li Fei’s 55-point game-winning performance, Angelina and Angelina Jolie visited him at his mansion to celebrate and discuss his upcoming trip to Los Angeles. Angelina Jolie left promising to watch his next game, and Li Fei went to bed with Angelina before their flight the next day.

• Fans celebrated Li Fei’s victory as online commenters praised his performance and compared his supporting cast with Kobe’s.
• Li Fei watched the replay of his game-winning shot with Angelina and told her he was too excited to sleep.
• Angelina Jolie arrived at Li Fei’s mansion with champagne, congratulated him, and said she had come to see him off before his trip to Los Angeles.
• Angelina Jolie told Li Fei to score fifty again in his next game and said she would be in the stands.
• Angelina took Li Fei’s hand and led him to bed before their flight the next afternoon.

After Li Fei’s Game Two victory put the Knicks two wins from the championship, he rested at home and looked ahead to facing Kobe and the Lakers in Los Angeles. The next morning, thousands of fans lined up in New York and Beijing to buy Li Fei sneakers, while Lakers fans anticipated Kobe’s response.

• Li Fei thought about the upcoming game at Staples Center against Kobe and O’Neal, felt confident with his teammates beside him, and fell asleep.
• Thousands of fans lined up outside Li Fei’s New York flagship store to buy the championship colorway and celebrate his Game Two game-winner.
• Fans queued at the Lakers’ retail store, where they discussed Kobe’s forty-one-point performance and his promise to stop Li Fei from hitting another game-winner.
• Thousands of fans waited outside the Li Fei store on Beijing’s Wangfujing Street, where a boy described how his worn Li Fei V sneakers had accompanied him through a year of basketball and studying.

Li Fei’s game-winning shot sparked long lines at his sneaker stores, while the Lakers met to prepare for Game 3 after falling behind 2–0 in the NBA Finals. Phil Jackson urged the team to raise its intensity and challenged Shaq and Kobe to defend more aggressively.

• A father waited in line at the Shanghai Li Fei Flagship Store to buy his son sneakers after Li Fei’s game-winner.
• A girl livestreamed the long queue at the Guangzhou store while she and her boyfriend waited to buy Li Fei and Kobe shoes.
• The Lakers gathered for a meeting after losing Game 2, and Phil Jackson reviewed how Sabonis and Li Fei had beaten them in the first two games.
• Jackson told Shaq to stay focused on defense and prevent Sabonis, Li Fei, Sprewell, and Houston from getting easy opportunities.
• Jackson told Kobe to pressure Li Fei on defense, and Kobe promised he would.

Phil Jackson urged the Lakers to believe they could overcome their 0-2 Finals deficit, while Kobe embraced Jackson’s leadership and O’Neal vowed to stop Li Fei. On the flight to Los Angeles, Jeff Van Gundy warned the Knicks that their lead was not enough and that the whole team had to contribute in Game Three.

• Jackson told the Lakers they could win two games at Staples Center and tie the series, and Kobe backed him.
• O'Neal and Kobe practiced intensely as Jackson watched, focused on execution and avoiding mistakes.
• Kobe recalled his experience with Del Harris and felt reassured that Phil Jackson understood how to support him.
• O'Neal told Kobe he would not let Li Fei score fifty-five points again and said the Lakers would win the next game.
• Li Fei reviewed Game Two footage on the Knicks' flight to Los Angeles while Sabonis and Van Gundy prepared for the road games.
• Van Gundy told the Knicks they could not rely on one player to erupt or hit a game-winner and needed everyone to step up.

The Knicks traveled to Los Angeles for Game Three, where hostile Lakers fans confronted them at the airport. Li Fei reminded the team to stay focused and endure the pressure, then shared his own experience with Boston fans as the bus headed toward the city.

• Van Gundy told the Knicks to play with greater intensity and assigned specific tasks to Sprewell, Houston, Sabonis, Marshall, and Jackson.
• Li Fei agreed that the Knicks needed to rely on their intensity and focus on the road.
• The Knicks arrived at Los Angeles International Airport and faced a hostile crowd of Lakers fans; Sprewell confronted one fan, while Jackson filmed the crowd.
• As fans shouted and threw bottles at the team bus, Jackson described how Celtics fans had once harassed him and sabotaged his meals.
• Li Fei addressed the team on the bus, urged them to win through their own defense, offense, and will, and recounted similar harassment by Celtics fans.

Li Fei prepared the Knicks for the hostile crowd in Los Angeles and urged his teammates to stay focused against the Lakers. The Lakers defeated the Knicks 108-94 in Game 3, taking a 2-1 lead in the Finals.

• Li Fei warned Sprewell not to take Kobe's provocations personally, advised Sabonis to use skill against O'Neal, and told Houston and Jackson what the Knicks needed from them.
• The Knicks faced loud boos at Staples Center, where Li Fei spotted Angelina Jolie in the crowd before Game 3 began.
• Kobe scored repeatedly against Sprewell, and the Lakers built a 30-20 first-quarter lead as their defense disrupted the Knicks' offense.
• Li Fei helped the Knicks score in the second quarter, but Kobe, O'Neal, and Rice kept the Lakers ahead 58-46 at halftime and extended the lead to fourteen by the end of the third.
• Li Fei scored ten straight points in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers answered with baskets of their own and won 108-94 to lead the series 2-1.

The Lakers beat the Knicks 108–94 in Game 3 of the Finals, cutting their series deficit to 2–1 after Phil Jackson’s defensive adjustments helped contain Li Fei. The victory reignited debate over the series, with Lakers fans predicting a comeback before Game 4 in Los Angeles.

• Harlan, Walton, and Albert recapped the Lakers’ fourteen-point win and explained how their defense wore down Li Fei.
• Kobe thanked Phil Jackson for the adjustments, and Jackson urged him to keep it up in Game 4.
• Fans and commentators debated the Lakers’ chances online, with Lakers supporters predicting they would win the series and Knicks fans pointing to Li Fei’s 36 points.
• A Lakers media account predicted the team would win Games 4, 5, and 6 and claim the championship.

After the Lakers won Game 3, Lakers and Knicks fans argued over officiating and predicted their teams would win Game 4. Online, fans compared the Lakers’ celebrations to past disappointments, while the Lakers’ forum confidently forecast a comeback and championship.

• Lakers and Knicks fans argued online over free-throw totals, refereeing, and whether the Lakers’ Game 3 win reflected skill or favorable calls.
• Lakers fans celebrated in Los Angeles, where a fan predicted Kobe would score forty points and the Lakers would win Game 4.
• Knicks fans in New York insisted their team remained in control and predicted Li Fei would score fifty while Sabonis and Sprewell helped secure a win.
• A Reddit post recalled the Lakers’ collapse against the Spurs the previous year, prompting Spurs and Lakers fans to trade taunts about their teams’ fortunes.
• A Lakers forum post dismissed the Knicks’ earlier wins as an accident and luck and predicted the Lakers would win the next three games and take the championship.

Fans debated the Lakers’ Game 3 win and predicted how the Knicks-Lakers series would unfold, while Knicks supporters discussed adjustments for Game 4. The arguments ended with the Knicks leading the series two to one and both sides disputing which team had the advantage.

• Lakers fans celebrated their Game 3 win and predicted the Lakers would win the series, while one urged them to win Game 4 first.
• Knicks fans mocked the Lakers’ celebration and argued that their team would respond in Game 4, with Li Fei saving his energy for the fourth quarter.
• A Knicks forum post called for Sabonis to score more, Sprewell to contain Kobe, Houston to hit outside shots, and the bench to contribute.
• A neutral Reddit post gave the Lakers no more than a 20% chance of coming back, citing the Knicks’ depth and the Lakers’ difficulty guarding Li Fei.
• Lakers and Knicks fans disputed the role of hypothetical scenarios, with one Knicks fan concluding that the Knicks’ two-to-one series lead mattered more.

After the Knicks’ Game 3 loss, Li Fei and Sabonis discussed how to counter the Lakers’ defense, and Van Gundy planned adjustments for Game 4. The Lakers celebrated their victory, while Kobe focused on the next game.

• Li Fei received an encouraging message from Angelina Jolie and replayed the Game 3 loss before Sabonis visited him.
• Li Fei advised Sabonis to work from the high post and draw O'Neal out of the paint to open driving lanes.
• Van Gundy assigned Sabonis, Sprewell, and Houston roles for attacking the Lakers’ help defense, and Li Fei urged his teammates to punish double teams.
• O'Neal celebrated the Lakers’ win with his teammates, while Kobe reviewed his performance and turned his attention to Game 4.

The Knicks and Lakers fought through a bruising Game 4, trading the lead a record 45 times as the Knicks held a narrow advantage late. Li Fei fouled out with 48 seconds left and the Knicks down two, leaving Van Gundy to draw up a final play without him.

• O'Neal, Kobe, and Jackson urged the Lakers to win Game 4 and tie the Finals at 2–2.
• The Knicks faced deafening boos at Staples Center, and the game opened with intense defense as they led 18–16 after the first quarter.
• The Knicks went into halftime ahead 38–36, with Van Gundy and Li Fei calling for continued defense and more movement on offense.
• The teams traded baskets and 45 lead changes, setting a new NBA record, before the Lakers took a 92–90 lead with one minute remaining.
• Li Fei fouled out after the referee called him for striking Horry while turning in the low post.
• With 48 seconds left and the Knicks trailing by two, Van Gundy called a timeout and drew up a play involving Sabonis, Sprewell, Houston, and Jackson.

The Lakers defeated the Knicks 93–90 in Game 4, tying the NBA Finals at 2–2. As the teams left the court, Kobe and the Knicks looked ahead to the pivotal Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

• Sprewell missed a late layup, and O'Neal made one free throw to give the Lakers a three-point lead.
• Jackson's final three-point attempt missed, and O'Neal grabbed the rebound as the buzzer sounded.
• The Lakers won 93–90, with Kobe scoring 32 points and Li Fei scoring 28 before fouling out.
• Harlan, Walton, and Albert recapped the game and noted that the series was tied at 2–2 heading to New York.
• Kobe told Jackson that the tie was only the beginning, while Li Fei and Sabonis left the court determined to win Game 5 at home.

The Lakers defeated the Knicks in Game Four to tie the Finals at 2–2, with Li Fei fouling out late despite scoring 28 points. The series shifted to a best-of-three, with Game Five set for Madison Square Garden.

• The Lakers beat the Knicks by three points at Staples Center, tying the series after trailing 0–2.
• Li Fei finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists before fouling out in Game Four.
• O'Neal credited the Lakers’ refusal to lose and said Li Fei’s foul trouble came from the physical toll of his effort.
• Kobe said the Lakers won by playing smarter after Li Fei fouled out and vowed to keep fighting in New York.
• Phil Jackson said the Lakers’ two wins came from intensity and willpower rather than tactical adjustments.

After the Knicks lost Game 4 to the Lakers, tying the Finals 2-2, Li Fei blamed himself for fouling out but rallied his teammates around winning Game 5 at home. Sports media highlighted the Lakers’ comeback and the pivotal next game.

• Jackson said the Lakers were confident they could win Game 5 in New York after taking Games 3 and 4 on the road.
• In the Knicks’ locker room, Li Fei studied his six fouls while Sprewell, Houston, and Sabonis reflected on the narrow loss.
• Li Fei accepted blame for fouling out and urged the Knicks to win Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
• Sprewell rallied the locker room after Li Fei went to the showers, declaring that the Knicks would win through their own efforts.
• Sports outlets reported the series was tied 2-2 and framed Game 5 as pivotal, highlighting Li Fei’s fouling out and the Lakers’ comeback.

After the Lakers tied the NBA Finals 2–2 by winning Game 4, fans and players looked ahead to the decisive Game 5 in New York. On the flight home, Li Fei accepted responsibility for fouling out and rallied the Knicks to prepare for the matchup.

• The Lakers' Game 4 victory tied the Finals 2–2, and fans across the country debated which team would win Game 5.
• Knicks fans gathered in New York and Lakers fans celebrated in Los Angeles, with both sides predicting their team would take the lead in the series.
• The Knicks flew from Los Angeles to New York as Li Fei reviewed his fouls, Sabonis considered his matchup with O'Neal, and Van Gundy studied possible adjustments.
• Li Fei admitted his fouling out had hurt the Knicks and urged his teammates to fight harder on every possession in Game 5.
• Sabonis, Sprewell, Houston, Jackson, and the rest of the Knicks applauded Li Fei as the team headed toward New York.

Li Fei dominated Game 5 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden, scoring 53 points through three quarters as the Knicks built a 12-point lead over the Lakers. The game continued into the fourth quarter with the Knicks ahead 84-72.

• The Knicks welcomed Li Fei to a roaring Madison Square Garden as Game 5 began with the series tied 2-2.
• Li Fei scored the Knicks’ first six points, blocked O'Neal, and drew double-teams that led to baskets from Sprewell, Sabonis, and Houston.
• Li Fei scored 25 points in the first quarter as the Knicks took a 32-26 lead.
• Li Fei refused to rest, scored through the Lakers’ defenders, and helped the Knicks reach halftime ahead 58-46 with 34 points of his own.
• Kobe and O'Neal led a Lakers push in the third quarter, but Li Fei answered with baskets and an assist to Sprewell, leaving the Knicks ahead 84-72.
• Li Fei finished the third quarter with 53 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

The Knicks defeated the Lakers 112–98 in Game 5 to take a 3–2 lead in the NBA Finals, as Li Fei scored a Finals-record seventy-seven points. The series moved to Los Angeles for Game 6, with the Knicks one win from the championship.

• Phil Jackson double-teamed Li Fei, but Li Fei assisted Sprewell, Houston, Sabonis, and Jackson on scores that extended the Knicks' lead.
• With four minutes left and the Knicks ahead by eighteen, the Lakers pulled their starters and conceded defeat.
• The Knicks won 112–98, and Li Fei finished with seventy-seven points, ten assists, eight rebounds, and four blocks, breaking Michael Jordan's NBA Finals single-game scoring record.
• Sprewell held Kobe to twenty-eight points, while Sabonis scored ten points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Lakers.
• Li Fei helped Sabonis to his feet after the game, and they agreed the Knicks still had two more games to win.