Knicks on the Rise

James didn't utter a word, but his eyes were blazing with anger. Mo Williams, sensing the tension, knew better than to provoke James at this moment—he was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

After crossing half-court, Mo wisely passed the ball to James and quickly moved to create space, staying out of the way.

Lian Dao, fully aware of the situation, braced himself. He knew that facing an enraged James at full power was a daunting challenge. The defensive clash earlier had made it clear that he couldn't overpower James in a physical battle.

But Lian Dao wasn't one to back down, especially after putting James on a poster. The stakes were high, and retreat was not an option.

So, he locked in with 200% focus, determined to give it his all on defense.

Despite his best efforts, Lian Dao had underestimated James' sheer strength. James muscled past him, using his shoulder to create space before spinning and driving to the basket with his signature crab dribble. Even with Millsap stepping up to help, James powered through and slammed the ball home.

2-2.

Without celebrating, James simply turned and sprinted back on defense, his expression unreadable.

The Knicks wasted no time in responding. They quickly inbounded the ball, and Chris Duhon fired a long pass to Lian Dao at midcourt.

Lian Dao burst into action, using his speed to blow past James and head straight for the basket. With O'Neal still trailing behind, Lian Dao executed a smooth layup over Varejao, who had stepped up to contest.

2-4.

This was the game plan against the Cavaliers: speed, speed, and more speed.

As long as they could push the tempo, they could exploit the Cavaliers' weaknesses. With O'Neal's diminished speed, the Knicks could often find themselves in a five-on-four situation in transition.

Trying to play a half-court game against the Cavs would be a mistake—no one on the Knicks could handle O'Neal in the post, even at 37 years old.

On the next possession, Lian Dao maintained his focus, giving James just enough space to tempt him while staying ready to cut off any drive. James tried two quick dribble moves, but both were unsuccessful as Lian Dao kept his defensive positioning tight, denying him the lane.

Seeing the gap between him and Lian Dao, James decided to pull up for a three-pointer from the outside.

Lian Dao, reacting instantly, lunged forward, closing the distance and putting pressure on James' shot.

Caught off guard by Lian Dao's sudden challenge, James rushed his release, and the shot wobbled off course.

*Clang!*

The ball clanged off the rim, and James slammed his hand in frustration.

Under the basket, O'Neal, towering over everyone, muscled his way past David Lee and Millsap, seemingly securing the rebound. But just as the ball was about to fall into his hands, a large yellow-skinned hand reached over him and snatched it away.

It was Lian Dao. Anticipating the miss from the moment James released the ball, he had raced to the basket, accurately predicting where the rebound would land. Leaping high, he plucked the ball from the air, outmaneuvering O'Neal.

"Go, go, go!" Lian Dao shouted as he immediately fired a long pass to Chris Duhon, who was already sprinting down the court.

Lian Dao then took off, sprinting at full speed.

James, Parker, and Mo Williams were the quickest to get back on defense for the Cavaliers, but the Knicks had all five players charging forward in a fast break.

Catching Duhon's pass just outside the three-point line, Lian Dao used a Millsap screen to shake off James, then quickly pulled up for a three.

*Swish!*

The ball sailed cleanly through the net.

2-7.

Fast, precise, and deadly.

The crowd erupted in another wave of thunderous cheers, shaking Madison Square Garden.

On the Knicks' bench, joy was contagious. Darko Milicic, in particular, was waving his towel in pure excitement.

This time, James didn't wait for Mo Williams to bring up the ball. Determined, he took it himself and pushed forward, crossing half-court with purpose.

The DJ led the crowd in a chant: "Defense! Defense!" The entire arena joined in, the noise reaching a fever pitch.

The atmosphere was electric, the sound crashing down like a sonic boom, pushing the Knicks' energy to its peak.

Every player on the floor was locked in, especially on defense.

Millsap and David Lee were battling fiercely with Varejao and O'Neal in the paint, bodies colliding in a relentless struggle for position. It was a war of strength and will, the paint transformed into a meat grinder.

No one could have predicted that a regular-season game would turn into such an intense battle. Both teams were playing as if it were the playoffs, leaving everything on the court.

James tried once more to bulldoze his way through Lian Dao with his signature "tank ramming" move, but Lian Dao held his ground, refusing to be overpowered.

Seeing this, Anthony Parker moved in to set a pick for James. Using the brief opening created by Parker's screen, James drove towards the basket. However, Parker's pick wasn't as solid as an inside player's, allowing Lian Dao to recover quickly and close in.

As James approached the paint, Millsap stepped up to double-team him with Lian Dao. Without a developed post-up game, James found himself at a disadvantage against the combined strength of the two defenders.

Still, James muscled his way through, shoving Millsap aside and attempting a shot. But Lian Dao, timing it perfectly, leaped from the side and swatted the ball away with authority.

"Think you can just bulldoze your way through? Not on my watch!" Lian Dao's block sent the ball flying into the stands, a volleyball-style rejection that had the crowd roaring.

The Cavaliers retained possession, but with the shot clock winding down, they had little time to work with. James received the inbound pass from Mo Williams but found no clear path to the basket. With just 3 seconds left, he dished the ball to Varejao.

Varejao, now under pressure, hurried his shot with only 1.5 seconds on the clock, but it missed the mark. David Lee, positioned perfectly, grabbed the defensive rebound and immediately looked up the court.

Spotting Lian Dao already in motion, David Lee launched a long, precise pass. Lian Dao, sprinting across half-court, received the ball in stride, with Millsap setting a quick pick to give him some space.

Lian Dao accelerated, blowing past Varejao, who had switched onto him in desperation. With nothing but open space ahead, Lian Dao soared towards the basket.

Launching himself like a rocket, Lian Dao executed a flawless 180-degree spin in mid-air, switching the ball between hands before throwing down a thunderous dunk.

*Boom!*

2-9.

The crowd exploded as Lian Dao completed the highlight-reel dunk, a move that seemed effortless for the spring-loaded forward.

Since developing his explosive leaping ability, such dunks had become second nature for Lian Dao, earning him the nickname of a player who "grew up eating springs."

The fans erupted into deafening cheers, the excitement in the arena akin to that of a slam dunk contest. It had been years since Knicks fans had felt such exhilaration—the last time being during the Ewing era.

But after Ewing's trade, the Knicks' fortunes had steadily declined, leaving fans disheartened year after year. The team's poor trades and lackluster performances had shattered their hopes time and again.

Yet, this season felt different. With an unexpected five-game winning streak to start the year, Knicks fans were beginning to believe in a resurgence.

The passion that had been buried for so long was now unleashed, filling the Garden with an energy that even the Cavaliers, a team that had reached the Finals, found daunting.

The Knicks, with their fast-paced offense and suffocating defense, had jumped out to a 9-2 lead over the Cavaliers. Despite the Cavaliers' perceived strength, they were struggling to keep up, especially with O'Neal's inability to match the Knicks' tempo.

O'Neal, once a dominant force, was being outpaced and outplayed, particularly in transition. The Knicks were making him a liability, exploiting his slow footwork at every turn.

And with Lian Dao effectively neutralizing James' drives, the Cavaliers found themselves on the back foot from the start. It was a shocking blow to a team that had expected to assert its dominance early on.