Both the Knicks and the Heat came into this matchup locked in. Regular season or not, both sides treated this game like a message to the other—we're in your way, and the road to the Finals goes through us.
The standings don't crown champions, but they do shape confidence. Just like how the Warriors' regular-season sweep of the Thunder gave them that quiet edge months before the 2016 West Finals. Klay even said afterward, "We never felt like we'd go out there."
Basketball is full of sudden twists, but the foundation for big moments is built possession by possession.
The Knicks wanted exactly that—a psychological edge. Young bigs across the league fear Lin Yi for a reason, and LeBron is the same kind of roadblock in the minds of rising stars. Meanwhile, Miami wanted to re-establish dominance. Even if Pat Riley wouldn't say it out loud, last season's Knicks had rattled them more than they liked.
On CCTV, Su Junyang said, "New York still needs to lean on those threes. They played it too safe this quarter, and Miami took advantage."
Yu Jia nodded. "Su, do you think they're saving some sets for the postseason?"
Su shook his head. "Not really. These aren't the usual 'wide-open' looks we talk about. They weren't this explosive last year, but their playoff volume was still over 30 threes a game."
He paused before adding, "For the Knicks, it's not just about hitting. It's about stretching the floor. Did you see how easily they scored in the paint early on? Their bigs aren't traditional post scorers. A lot of their points come from timing and cuts."
.
On the floor, Wade fed Joel Anthony inside for an easy finish. The Heat trimmed the deficit to 42–46.
On the next Knicks possession, Wade focused on denying Lin Yi the ball until Lin suddenly cut hard toward the free-throw line.
Trying to get it closer to the rim? Wade thought, seeing McGrady ready to deliver the pass. He sprinted after him.
But Lin wasn't looking for the pass; he planted his feet and set a massive screen instead.
Wade and Carter collided with Lin at the same time. Klay slipped out cleanly on the weak side, and Motiejūnas stepped up to free him even more. McGrady delivered the pass. Klay rose from the left slot—textbook.
Lin had just told him minutes earlier, "Klay, if you see me roll or seal, just shoot it. Any spot on the floor."
Klay nodded and answered in the Mandarin Lin taught him, "没错——that's right."
Lin's read of the game was on full display again. Before the Heat could even register what was happening, Lin was already processing the spacing like Neo from the Matrix, solving a puzzle in fast-forward.
With Bosh off the floor, the Heat lacked size. If there was ever a moment to test Miami's rebounding and coverage, it was now.
Klay's first attempt clanged off, but Lin was already airborne. Haslem and Joel Anthony barely reached his shoulder. After leveling up his Rebounding Maniac instincts, Lin controlled offensive boards with a precision that felt unfair. He tapped the ball to the corner—right where Klay was already drifting.
This time, Klay didn't miss.
Splash.
42–49.
A warning shot.
Spoelstra hurried to bring LeBron and Bosh back in, but what Miami didn't expect was New York dialing everything up even further. With Whiteside and Motiejūnas both at 213 cm, and Lin beside them, the Knicks' frontline turned into a wall of seven-footers.
Bosh found himself squeezed between them, and even LeBron couldn't bail him out of those matchups.
New York couldn't sustain this tempo all game, but Klay? Klay was on fire.
LeBron had come in with a full script in his head: Wade keeps it close early, he takes over after halftime, Madison Square Garden goes silent, and Miami leaves with swagger.
The Knicks tore that script to pieces.
Every possession felt like New York was snatching another buff in a video game—blue buff, red buff, green buff, everything buff. Miami couldn't stop the snowball.
Su Junyang raised his voice, "When the Knicks catch fire like this, there's almost no defense in the league that can keep up!"
From 5:31 to 2:01 in the second quarter, New York unleashed a 21–4 run. Spoelstra burned two timeouts. Neither slowed the avalanche.
McGrady even dusted off his old pull-up three. After drilling it, he flashed a quick three-finger gesture toward Carter, who could only shake his head and smile.
"This is rough for the Heat," Su said. "A marquee matchup turning into a blowout. What a time to be alive."
But for fans? It was thrilling.
...Well, except if you are a Heat fan, if so...yikes.
At halftime, LeBron bit his finger, glanced up at the scoreboard, and walked to the tunnel with his head down. He had power—but no place to use it. Even when Klay hit that historic game-winner on him years prior, he hadn't felt this suffocated.
New York went into halftime leading 50-74.
Lin Yi posted a near-triple-double in a half: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists.
And Klay? Klay Thompson hit six threes in the second quarter alone. Walking to the locker room, he muttered under his breath:
"Just wait… every three-point record is gonna be mine."
...
The Heat had no chance of flipping this one. Lin Yi clocked out after three quarters, and honestly, if he didn't feel bad for Chandler, he would've dragged him back for another hundred rounds of post-game drills.
The final score: 98–124.
Afterward, James looked genuinely defeated as he spoke with the media. His 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists felt like empty calories in a losing effort.
"They were just on another level tonight," James said, shaking his head. "We weren't ready."
Reporters immediately pounced.
"So if you meet the Knicks in the playoffs—and they're in this kind of form every game—what's your plan?"
It was the classic trap question. Fortunately, James had been through enough press scrums to keep a straight face.
"We'll make adjustments and respond."
"And what kind of adjustments?"
"…"
If James didn't know the PR storm he would kick up, he would've definitely fired back with a very sincere: Eat sh*t!
But ultimately, the night belonged to the Knicks. Their confidence only grew.
After the game, Lin Yi found himself surrounded by reporters.
"Do you feel confident about defending your title?"
"Of course," Lin Yi replied without hesitation. "Confidence is the foundation of everything."
He paused, then added, "We're never afraid of any opponent standing in our way. We're only afraid of giving up on ourselves."
It was a line from his high school homeroom teacher—words meant to push him through exam season.
It's the same energy behind Tomjanovich's famous "Never underestimate the heart of a champion." Who knew a single sentence would ignite that Rockets team? Even now, the '95 Rockets remain the only Western Conference sixth seed to win the title—and the only champion in history to do it without home-court advantage.
Lin Yi's answer drew applause from the reporters before they pivoted back to James… again.
"The Heat really should take a page from the Knicks' confidence. James can't always be the sympathetic underdog."
"Failure isn't terrible. What's terrible is refusing to grow after failing."
Media overreactions are nothing new. Lin Yi didn't take those comments seriously. And he assumed James wouldn't be bothered either.
He was wrong.
Wade had to buy James a new phone.
Because James, who finally decided to burn some mobile data to check the internet, saw the endless stream of criticism… and smashed his phone on the spot.
"We can't lose anymore," he muttered afterward.
James knew the truth: the Heat had no more room for failure. He might still be only twenty-seven, but he felt the urgency sharper than anyone.
Back in 2007, he was young and carefree.
But now?
Even Shakespeare's poetry wouldn't be enough to describe his mood this season.
...
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