In the opening jump ball, Lin Yi soared high and tapped it back cleanly, giving the Knicks the first possession of the night. Madison Square Garden was already buzzing, but the Heat wasted no time—Miami's defense was set in an instant, snapping into formation like soldiers on command.
Pat Riley himself was courtside, expression as unreadable as ever, though the tension between him and Shaquille O'Neal—sitting on the opposite team—wasn't exactly subtle. O'Neal's glare toward Riley could have cut glass. To him, Riley's Heat looked less like a basketball team and more like a marching army.
Chauncey Billups, steady as always, brought the ball up and spaced the floor. The Knicks' plan was obvious: open a lane for Lin Yi to work in isolation. But before Lin could make a move, a collective gasp rippled through the Garden.
Because standing right in front of him, crouched low and ready, was none other than The King himself—LeBron James.
Lin Yi clicked his tongue, hardly shocked. He knew James would eventually take the primary assignment. The Heat weren't going to let him get comfortable. The memory of Lin torching them in the season opener still lingered like a scar.
But Lin Yi thought Miami's switch was questionable. Chris Bosh had done a respectable job defending him in previous matchups. Maybe the Heat were overreacting, rattled by that shadow from opening night.
Billups threaded the entry pass. James sank into his stance, his presence like a wall closing in. Lin Yi immediately felt the weight—LeBron's defense wasn't just about strength, it was about precision. Every fake, every twitch, James mirrored, waiting for the right moment to disrupt.
Lin Yi tried to back him down, but James' body control was immaculate. Any careless bump would ruin Lin's rhythm. Lin knew this wasn't the time to force things. He wasn't naïve enough to believe he could simply "bully" LeBron at will.
It reminded him of the stories—young Iverson and Kobe challenging Jordan one-on-one—the difference between the upcoming star and the established player. Retreating wasn't an option. You push forward, even if the risk is steep.
"Mamba mentality," Lin muttered under his breath. Difficulties were there to be faced head-on. The critics could talk later.
He dipped his left shoulder, spun hard to his right—finally creating a sliver of daylight. But James, locked in, still managed to contest. Lin Yi pulled up anyway. The shot clanged off iron.
Bosh scooped up the rebound and looked to ignite a fast break, but the Knicks hustled back with urgency, killing the transition chance.
On Miami's end, Dwyane Wade took command. Tony Allen was practically glued to him, jaw set, refusing to give an inch. Wade called for a pick, and Bosh dutifully slid over. Allen fought through the screen, but Wade was revving his engines. He exploded into the paint, only to meet Tyson Chandler head-on. At the same time, Lin Yi rotated perfectly to cut off Bosh's roll.
Wade had no choice but to pull up for a mid-range jumper. The ball rattled out.
In commentary, Charles Barkley chuckled.
"Look at this—neither team scores on their first trips. The defensive energy is already playoff-level, folks."
Kenny Smith nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. The Knicks may have the top seed locked, but beating Miami here does more than pad the standings."
Back on the court, New York regrouped. Billups took charge again at the top, and the Knicks ran a double screen through Lin and Chandler. Poor Mario Chalmers fought his way through, smacking straight into Lin's frame.
Chauncey sold a convincing jumper hesitation, then zipped a pass instead. Lin Yi, rolling to the basket, caught it cleanly. James lunged over with that trademark lightning recovery, his elbow flashing across Lin's body.
Instinctively, Lin Yi absorbed the contact and tossed the ball toward the rim with one hand.
The whistle shrieked. The ball banked in.
And referee Joey Crawford emphatically signaled: basket counts, plus the foul.
LeBron exploded in protest, insisting there was no contact. Crawford, stone-faced, wasn't having it. He pointed straight to the line.
Lin Yi stepped to the stripe, smirking faintly as the Garden erupted in chants of "MVP! MVP!" Glancing at Crawford's polished bald dome, he mused to himself that, for once, the old ref wasn't out to get him tonight.
He calmly drained the free throw. Knicks up 3–0.
Kenny shook his head in disbelief.
"How many ways does this kid have to score?"
Barkley roared with laughter.
"Three points. Two points. Free throws. Guard skills, big-man body—he's stealing everybody's job out there!"
Miami responded quickly. James and Wade ran a pick-and-roll at the top. Gallinari tried to fight through LeBron's screen but got swallowed by the contact. Wade slipped the ball back to James, who thundered down the lane like a running back.
The Garden held its breath as LeBron powered up for a layup. But just as he released, Crawford's whistle pierced the air again.
Traveling.
The ref's arms windmilled, calling the walk.
The crowd erupted, half in laughter, half in shock.
LeBron stood frozen, wide-eyed, pointing at himself.
"Me? A travel? Come on!"
To him, that was just a power move. But Crawford, unmoved, slapped him with a technical after more arguing.
Lin Yi couldn't help but chuckle.
"Classic Crawford," he muttered.
And Madison Square Garden thundered in delight.
"LeBron rushed that one," Barkley said, shaking his head as the replay rolled. "Too anxious, wanted to make a statement, but he shuffled before the finish."
Kenny Smith leaned forward, breaking it down. "Yeah, the gather wasn't clean. The steps were broken up, and by the letter of the rule, that's a travel. Crawford had no choice but to call it."
On the floor, Wade quickly patted LeBron on the shoulder.
"Bron, forget the ref. Don't get into a shouting match—we're here to win."
James clenched his jaw but gave a small nod. Wade's words brought him back.
Lin Yi stepped calmly to the line for the technical free throw. The Garden hushed for a moment—then erupted when the shot swished clean. Knicks 4, Heat 0.
Lin Yi smiled faintly to himself. He guessed that the league assigning Joey Crawford to this game wasn't an accident. Tonight, there would be no "superstar whistles." That was a quiet victory for New York. Without that safety net, the Knicks' defense could bite down even harder.
Next possession, Gallinari found daylight at the arc. Billups swung it his way, wide open. The Italian let it fly … and missed badly. The Garden groaned. Gallo's open looks, strangely enough, sometimes felt less reliable than his contested ones.
Miami finally got on the board thanks to Wade. After crossing up Tony Allen with a sharp dribble, he faded to his left and drained the jumper. 4–2.
On the sideline, Mike D'Antoni nodded, satisfied. His Knicks weren't giving up easy paint touches. The frontline rotation—Lin Yi and Tyson Chandler anchoring—was swallowing up drives. Against slash-heavy teams, this was New York's fortress.
Still, Wade's expression told the story. Scoring felt like pulling teeth. Spoelstra had already sent Mike Miller and James Jones to the scorer's table to warm up. Without consistent spacing, Miami's offense was getting bogged down.
On the other end, Lin Yi set a strong pick for Billups. Chalmers tried to fight through but overextended, barging into Billups' shooting cylinder. The veteran wasted no time pulling the trigger.
Whistle.
And-1.
Swish.
The Garden exploded.
"Chauncey Billups! Still cold-blooded!" Charles laughed on commentary.
"That's experience," Kenny added. "You can't gamble like that on a vet who's been in every big moment there is."
Lin Yi jogged over, giving Billups a pat on the shoulder.
"That's why you're Big Shot," he said with a grin.
After Billups knocked down the free throw, the scoreboard read 7–2 Knicks. Spoelstra, pacing anxiously, immediately signaled a timeout.
On Miami's bench, Spoelstra spoke quickly, clipboard in hand. He had covered every detail in preparation, yet somehow it wasn't translating. The Heat were playing hard, but not smart.
James sat down heavily, frustration written across his face. He couldn't say it aloud, but part of him envied Lin Yi. Why did the Knicks look so connected? Why did they all seem to flow around their young star so naturally?
Lin Yi, of course, wasn't privy to LeBron's thoughts. If he were, he'd have told him bluntly: this was the art of "playing as a group."
Yes, Wade and Bosh were both elite. But Billups was no ordinary veteran, and Chandler was the kind of defensive anchor who made everything simpler. Lin Yi knew the truth: individually, he wasn't carrying the Knicks alone—the team was carrying each other.
Lin Yi glanced at Tyson Chandler, pounding his chest and barking out signals. The big man was locked in, fierce as ever.
The Knicks didn't need anything complicated—no fancy cuts, no unnecessary risks. Just stay disciplined, cut down transition chances, and the Heat's offense looked painfully ordinary.
As for defense?
Lin Yi smiled contentedly.
...
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