In the third quarter, the Knicks' troublemakers went wild again.
Paul glanced at Lin Yi, who was looking at him, who was practically itching to get back on the court for the fourth quarter. All he could do was spread his hands with a helpless look that said, What do you expect me to do? I'm desperate too.
It was the first time in Paul's career that he'd been pulled early in three straight games, logging just around 30 minutes each time. He was only 26—anyone glancing at the stat sheet without watching the games would probably think he'd already passed his peak.
Lin Yi's body, after a summer of recovery and tough training, was in its best shape yet. But it didn't matter much tonight. As the reigning MVP, there was no way he'd risk his reputation by padding his stats while up by 30 points.
That'd just be disrespectful.
The Lakers, meanwhile, completely fell apart. The team kept shuffling lineups, but Kobe remained the lone constant. On this night, though, even he didn't flip the switch to try and rescue them.
Their fourth-quarter performance summed up their season so far — sluggish, uncertain, and frustrating. Both Kobe and Nash could feel it: if things kept going this way, the Lakers weren't going anywhere this year.
Bynum sat on the bench, cheerfully humming a tune, as if none of it mattered. That kid had a special talent for testing his coach's patience. The Zen Master probably wanted to grab a grenade and end it right there.
Final score: 123–95.
The Knicks claimed their third straight dominant win of the new season — and it wasn't just against anyone. They'd blown out the Celtics and the Lakers, two of the NBA's most storied teams, in three quarters flat.
This year felt different. Last season, people were still hoping the Knicks might be contenders. Now, everyone saw them as the team to beat — and critics were scrambling to find cracks in their armor.
Lin Yi — once again prioritizing playmaking — finished with 19 points, 24 rebounds, and 17 assists, nearly notching a 20+ triple-double.
At this rate, Lin Yi thought he could easily average a triple-double this season. A 30-point triple-double, though? That might be asking too much.
He'd considered being more aggressive with his scoring but decided against it. Since winning the title, his mindset had shifted. The Knicks had started the season 3–0, averaging an incredible 17 made threes per game, but Lin knew that kind of efficiency couldn't last forever.
He'd just have to wait for tougher opponents — the kind of matchups where he could step up, drop big numbers, and balance out the averages.
"Fine," Lin thought. "You can't pad stats against weak teams. I'll just take it out on the strong ones."
If the analysts knew what he was thinking, they'd probably lose their minds. Ever since the season started, the media had been overflowing with praise for Lin Yi's versatility and leadership. Meanwhile, over in Oklahoma, the Thunder were also 3–0 — but somehow, Durant had become the punching bag.
"Durant should take a page out of Lin Yi's book," one analyst said. "The Thunder's offense is nothing but pick-and-rolls and isolations. It's painful to watch."
"Lin Yi's a more complete leader," another added. "Durant's been in the league two years longer and still doesn't do much besides score. Honestly, Westbrook looks more like the real leader of that team."
What are you talking about? he fumed. Aren't the Knicks running isolation and pick-and-rolls too?
So I get slammed when I lose — and slammed when I win?
What kind of logic is that?
...
Perhaps it was because of the shortened season, but Lin Yi felt that 2011 had flown by faster than ever. Once again, the Knicks welcomed New Year's Eve in mid-flight. After beating the Lakers, their next stop was Sacramento.
Rubio had finally made his long-awaited NBA debut this season. Kings fans had waited two years for him, and the Spanish guard didn't disappoint at first — averaging 12 points and 10 assists in his first three games.
Lin Yi, however, knew the truth.
Give it a few weeks, he thought. Once teams figure out he can't shoot, that passing threat won't scare anyone.
The Kings were talking big this season — calling their young core of Favors, Thompson, and Rubio their Big Three.
Reality hit hard.
On January 2nd, fresh off celebrating the New Year, the Knicks stormed into Sacramento and dismantled the Kings 138–69 — lighting up the NBA to start the year.
Sixty-nine points. The largest margin of victory in NBA history.
The previous record — Cavaliers 148, Heat 80 — had stood since December 18, 1992. Twenty years and fifteen days later, the Knicks shattered it.
"Chris, you're unbelievable," Lin Yi grinned, clapping Paul on the back hard after the game.
Paul, feeling bang on his back, tried to jump and hit Lin on the head, but he dodged.
Still, the real surprise was Billups. The veteran had now experienced the biggest blowout in both the playoffs and regular season — and both times, he'd been on the winning side.
Kings fans, meanwhile, were in shock. And Lin Yi was the main culprit.
He knew their weaknesses too well. Rubio couldn't shoot, Thompson was a workhorse with no offensive range, and the rest of the roster couldn't keep up with New York's firepower.
The Kings scored just 21 points in the first half. If Rubio hadn't hit a desperate three before halftime, they'd have set a new record for the lowest-scoring half in NBA history.
The Knicks eased off in the second half, but the damage was done. The Kings' morale was gone.
Tristan Thompson took it the hardest. In his mind, if the Kings hadn't snatched him during the draft, he could've been part of the Knicks'.
Now he was stuck in Sacramento — earning the nickname The Fake Thompson.
After the game, the Kings' head coach, Paul Westphal, resigned. Rubio's shooting nightmare — 1-for-17 from the field — turned the Spanish Golden Boy into the Spanish Brick Boy overnight.
Unless he could transform like Sailor Moon or go Super Saiyan, there was no chance of him winning the ROTY.
The Knicks rolled on. After crushing the Kings, they swept through January — beating the Raptors, Bobcats, Wizards, Pistons, and 76ers — twice humiliating Charlotte along the way.
Ten straight wins to open the season.
During that run, New York outscored opponents by an average of 28.7 points per game — a ridiculous gap that left the rest of the league shaking their heads.
ESPN's headline read: The New York Knicks Are Redefining Dominance.
On a Knicks' fan channel, the reaction was simpler: "Routine operation. Everyone relax."
Commissioner David Stern wasn't sure whether to smile or sigh. On one hand, the Knicks played a beautiful, fan-friendly brand of basketball that packed every arena. On the other hand, the growing gap between elite and bottom-tier teams in this shortened 2011–12 season was becoming obvious.
But the irony?
The Knicks hadn't even super-teamed their roster. The duo of Lin Yi and Chris Paul was a normal two-star setup by modern standards.
...
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