ESPN FIRST TAKE
JAY CRAWFORD:
"Good morning, America — and good morning to everyone watching around the world. Welcome back to First Take, I'm Jay Crawford. And ohhh boy… do we have something to talk about today."
"The much-anticipated final regular season matchup between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks went down last night at Madison Square Garden — and let me tell you, folks… it did not go the way people expected. Not even close."
"Final score: Knicks 124, Heat 98. A blowout. A statement. A performance that shook the Garden and probably shook Miami, too."
"Stephen A., I'm coming to you first. What did you make of this?"
STEPHEN A. SMITH:
"Jay… I expected the Knicks to win. I'll admit that. The way they've been rolling, the way Lin Yi has been playing — the man is the reigning MVP for a reason — I had them favored."
"But this? THIS LEVEL of domination? Even I didn't see that coming."
"And let me say this, because I'm a New Yorker through and through: I almost — almost — felt bad for the Miami Heat. Because every time they see the Knicks, they walk out looking like they just went through a heavyweight fight."
"LeBron James, D-Wade… they look exhausted, they look frustrated, and they look like a team searching for answers. And here's the truth: the Heat have a shooting problem, Jay. They don't have enough perimeter weapons. Because right now, Miami's scoring burden is on exactly two people: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Period."
"Yes, LeBron had 24 points, 7 boards, 6 assists. Yes, Wade and Bosh both showed up and played hard. But it still wasn't enough. Why? Because LeBron and Wade simply do not have enough scoring help. The Heat don't have the weapons. They don't have the firepower. And until they fix that, they are going to have a hard timebeating the New York Knicks. Not this season."
JAY CRAWFORD:
"Skip Bayless… I can already see you smirking. Your thoughts?"
SKIP BAYLESS:
"Jay, get a load of this guy. Unbelievable words from him."
"'More scoring weapons'? More? What does the King need now — a royal army? LeBron James left Cleveland to form a superteam with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A superteam! He thought he was going to bulldoze the league, collect rings like Halloween candy, and start his own dynasty in Miami."
"Well, guess what? It's not happening."
"You're telling me he needs more help when he already has Wade and Bosh — two future Hall of Famers? Come on. And while we're at it, can someone explain why LeBron James is letting a rookie like Klay Thompson rain threes over him?"
"That's the difference between Miami and New York. The Knicks aren't relying solely on Lin Yi and Chris Paul. Everybody contributes. Everybody shoots. Everybody defends. From the rookies to the veterans. It's a complete basketball team — and that's why they're the best squad in the league. And they have the man I keep telling everyone about — the current MVP, Lin Yi — who's well on his way to keeping that crown."
"Jay — Stephen A. — I'm going to be very clear: the Miami Heat never stood a chance."
"I saw this blowout coming from a mile away. A MILE away."
"The Heat — and I'm sorry to say this — are playing like a bunch of jobbers. Yes, I said it. Jobbers! They show up, they try hard, they give you some highlights… but when it comes to real championship basketball? They fold like paper."
"Meanwhile, the Knicks? The Knicks are doing what they've done all year long: dominate."
JAY CRAWFORD:
"Alright, gentlemen, let's take it a step further. If — and this is a big if — these two meet in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals… who are you putting your money on?"
"Stephen A., you first."
STEPHEN A. SMITH:
"Jay, I'm rolling with the Knicks."
"Let me be fair: the Heat will challenge them a little bit. They're too talented not to. LeBron James is still LeBron James. But I don't see Miami suddenly becoming an elite shooting team. I don't see them magically adding the offensive firepower they need."
"So while the games might get competitive, I've got the Knicks taking that series — and heading to the NBA Finals."
JAY CRAWFORD:
"Skip?"
SKIP BAYLESS:
"A challenge? Stephen A., what challenge?"
"If these two teams meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's going to be a sweep. I said it. A clean 4–0."
"The Knicks will run through the Heat, through anybody else who steps in their path, and they'll do it convincingly. The Heat are going to get tossed around left and right if they keep playing like this."
"Lin Yi and the Knicks are simply on a different level."
JAY CRAWFORD:
"Strong words from both sides. The Knicks roll, the Heat struggle, and the Eastern Conference suddenly looks… very different."
"We've got more coming up — including whether Miami can realistically adjust before the playoffs, and what this blowout means for the rest of the league."
"Don't go anywhere. This is First Take. We'll be right back."
The television flashed with the planned advertisements.
Olsen was perched on the kitchen countertop, legs swinging lightly as she watched the show on the flat screen mounted on the wall near the fridge. She's wearing one of Lin Yi's oversized warm-up shirts, the sleeves nearly covering her hands. A bowl of half-cut strawberries sits beside her.
She shakes her head and laughs softly at the praises that were showered on her boyfriend before the TV goes blank.
"Hey, I was watching that," Elizabeth said poutingly at the perpetrator of the injustice.
Lin Yi walks over to stand by the counter, towel over his shoulder, still moving a bit stiff from last night's game. He had just had his bath.
"Yeah, and that's enough sports media for the morning. If I let you keep listening, Skip might convince you I'm a superhero or something."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes playfully.
"Duh, you are the hero of Madison Square Garden, Mr. Showtime himself. All the praise is deserved."
Lin leans closer, smirking before shaking his head.
"One day, I'll be the one getting torn apart on TV, just like LeBron. Some rookie coming in, doing to me what we just did to Miami."
Elizabeth loops her arms around his neck as he closes the distance for a kiss.
"That's impossible." She said between their passionate make-out. "No rookie... is... dethroning you… Mhmm, because you're the best."
He laughs quietly against her lips and lifts her off the countertop by her ass for a moment before setting her down again.
"If you keep saying things like that, we're never going to get breakfast started."
"Maybe that's the plan~" Olsen said teasingly.
He nudges her with his forehead.
"Come on. Help me cook something, Tijana will soon wake up, and I am sure she will be hungry."
Elizabeth hops down from the counter, not before stealing one more quick kiss, and they move through the kitchen together — slicing fruit, scrambling eggs, and bumping into each other intentionally as the morning sun warms the room.
The TV stays off, but the echoes of ESPN linger in the background of their quiet, shared routine.
...
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