Lian Dao jogged back on defense, tossing a grin at Kevin Durant. "That's your best? Grab your schoolbag and cry to your mom."
Durant's two missed shots had him rattled. Lian Dao's trash talk stung hard. His hunched face darkened, anger flaring in his eyes. He glared at Lian Dao's mocking smile, fists tightening, ready to swing. Lian Dao saw Durant's arm twitch, then drop. Too bad, he thought. One punch, and the Knicks would have this game locked.
Durant stayed calm and signaled Westbrook for the ball. Westbrook, tight with his teammate, passed it quick. Durant waved off Nenad Krstic's pick-and-roll offer. He wanted Lian Dao one-on-one, no help.
Lian Dao smirked, ready to defend. Durant wasn't about speed, but his rhythm was deadly. His pull-back jumper was tough to stop. He dribbled three times, faked left, and yanked the ball back in 0.4 seconds, then sank a mid-range jumper. The net swished.
Lian Dao kept up with most of the move, but that 0.4-second pull-back was too fast. Most players needed 0.5 seconds. Durant was quicker. The move came from Allen Iverson, 6'1" and 34 kilos lighter, who used it to torch Michael Jordan years ago. For Durant, a 6'10" forward, to pull it off was unreal.
Durant pumped his fist, and the Ford Center erupted. "Kevin, crush that guy!" a fan yelled, throwing a slur at Lian Dao. The crowd's boos grew louder, heavy with spite, shaking the arena.
Lian Dao smiled. Durant was a top scorer, no doubt. He'd dragged the Thunder from last season's bottom to eighth in the West. That shot showed he was hitting his prime.
Lian Dao licked his lips, a habit when facing a real challenge. He was locked in now.
Holiday passed to Lian Dao outside the three-point line. Like Durant, he skipped the pick-and-roll. He dribbled left, faked right, and blew past Durant by a step. Durant chased, closing in near the arc. Lian Dao hit the brakes, dribbled under his crotch, stepped back, and spun. Durant lunged, tripped, and sprawled on the floor in a split.
Lian Dao glanced at Durant, then drilled a three-pointer. The crowd groaned as the ball splashed through.
The move was a spin on Grant Hill's in-and-out. Hill drove and passed to big men. Lian Dao pulled back to the arc for a trickier shot, harder to block. Durant stood, his face grim, saying nothing.
Lian Dao held off on more trash talk. He respected Durant's hustle, even as a rival. As writer Yan Geling said, you can't beat someone who doesn't fight back. On the court, it's the same: you'll never shake a guy who doesn't defend.
Westbrook, seeing Durant's fire, stepped up. He passed to Durant after crossing halfcourt and ran to pull the Knicks' defense, giving Durant space. Durant faked twice outside the arc, then hit a fadeaway jumper. His high release was untouchable, but Lian Dao, using a trick from Danny Green in the NCAA Finals, slapped his hand over Durant's eyes. The darkness messed up Durant's aim, and the shot clanged off the rim.
Lian Dao grinned. Shane Battier had used that on Kobe. It worked here too.
David Lee grabbed the rebound and fired a long pass to Lian Dao on the break. Lian Dao crossed the three-point line, spun past Durant's pesky defense, and drove inside. In mid-air, he switched hands, dodging Durant again, and slammed a dunk that rocked the hoop.
Score: 4-10, Knicks.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks yelled from the sideline, pushing Durant to work with teammates. Durant nodded, looking mad. He called for a pick-and-roll. Krstic set a high screen, freeing Durant. He arced right, spun past David Lee, and hit a left-side layup with a right-hand pull-up, a move straight from Dr. J's playbook.
Score: 6-10.
Holiday passed to Lian Dao, who passed it back. Lian Dao cut to the basket, jumped, and caught Holiday's lob. He twisted mid-air, dodging Krstic's block, and scored a layup.
Score: 6-12.
Lian Dao stuck to Durant, cutting off his passing lanes. Durant couldn't get open. Westbrook took over. Built like a tank but fast as a sprinter, he plowed through Holiday's defense, charging to the rim like LeBron. The Knicks collapsed, with Chandler, Millsap, and Lee forming a wall. Trapped, Westbrook forced a layup. Millsap swatted it away.
Chandler grabbed the ball and passed to Holiday. Lian Dao sprinted ahead, and Holiday lobbed it to him. At the three-point line, Lian Dao stopped short and fired a jumper. The quick release caught Durant off guard, his late lunge useless.
The ball swished. Score: 6-15.
Brooks roared, demanding better defense. Only Durant hustled back. The others jogged, barely trying. Krstic stopped at midcourt, hands on hips, like he was watching a show. Brooks fumed. If you're faking defense, at least make it look real. The crowd's cheers faded, fans slumping in their seats, frustrated by the Thunder's sloppy play.