Shaun Livingston's luck had been rough lately.
In Lin Yi's memories from his previous life, Livingston only truly broke out in the league many years later. This time around, things had been different.
After missing significant time with injuries in his first two seasons with the Knicks, Livingston had finally stayed healthy this year—until a routine training session after Game 3, when he twisted his ankle. The team doctor estimated he would need at least five days to recover.
With Games 4 and 5 coming quickly on the road, it looked like Livingston would miss the rest of the Finals.
Wilson Chandler had just returned from suspension, which meant McGrady—previously squeezed out of the rotation—was suddenly back in the mix. Tracy wanted to contribute badly, but he didn't wish for it to happen because of a teammate's injury.
Deep down, he knew that if they won the title, no one would care how it happened. He wasn't that petty.
After practice, Lin Yi patted Livingston on the back, "Shaun, with how the series is looking, you could return to play."
Livingston said. "Hell nah! Hope the series is already over by the time I'm cleared. But thanks for the positivity though."
. . .
Game 4 took place on the 14th, still at the AT&T Center. The Spurs stuck with their Game 3 starting lineup, while the Knicks rolled out their usual five.
Lin Yi came out aggressive, scoring seven straight points early and forcing Popovich to call two timeouts in the first quarter. With his foundational abilities now at an amethyst level, he felt increasingly unstoppable in mismatches. Still, he knew he had room to grow.
The Knicks made a bold adjustment midway through the first quarter, shifting into a lineup featuring Wilson Chandler and Draymond Green. Popovich could only shake his head on the sideline. This Knicks team had answers for almost everything.
By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks led 33-24.
In the second quarter, they went bigger, rolling out a massive frontcourt with Yao Ming, Donatas Motiejūnas, Chandler, Klay Thompson, and Lin Yi.
The Spurs looked overwhelmed at times. Parker struggled to navigate the wall of big bodies, and even Duncan was working overtime.
But just when San Antonio seemed on the verge of collapsing, the 36-year-old Manu Ginóbili took over. The veteran swung the game with timely shots and crafty plays, keeping the Spurs alive. By halftime, the Knicks' lead had been trimmed to nine, 63-54.
In the third quarter, the Spurs found their rhythm from Game 3, while the Knicks' supporting cast went cold again. Green and Klay combined for too many misses on open looks.
Lin Yi, however, refused to let the game slip away. Every time the Spurs closed the gap, he answered with a tough bucket. By the end of the third, he already had 43 points.
On the TNT broadcast, Barkley quipped, "Lin might be going for 60 tonight."
The fourth quarter turned into a heavyweight battle. Both teams traded blows.
Popovich, growing increasingly frustrated on the sideline, muttered, "It's easier to shake LeBron than to shake this guy. What juice is this guy on?" Even he seemed out of answers at times.
Yao Ming stepped up big in the final period, giving Lin Yi crucial breathers. With just over a minute left, Lin Yi drove and scored his 58th point of the night, putting the Knicks up 112-109.
But the Spurs weren't done. Duncan somehow banked in a tough shot, and after a defensive stand, Ginóbili got free on the wing with 4 seconds remaining. He rose for a step-back three.
Swish.
112-112.
The AT&T Center exploded.
Ginóbili was immediately mobbed by Duncan and Parker. The home crowd roared as the Spurs celebrated the miraculous tie. On the Knicks' bench, a half-asleep McGrady nudged D'Antoni.
"Coach… we still have a timeout. The game's not over."
D'Antoni blinked, then quickly called the timeout with 0.9 seconds left on the clock.
Game 4 now hung in the balance. One final possession would decide whether the series went to 3-1 or back to 2-2.
Unfortunately, despite McGrady waving his towel on the sideline, the Knicks couldn't close it out in regulation. With just 0.9 seconds left, Lin Yi's pull-up jumper rimmed out. Game 4 was headed to overtime.
On the TNT broadcast, Charles Barkley was fired up. "This is one of the best Finals games I've seen in the last ten years."
Kenny Smith leaned in. "Charles, if this goes to OT, Lin Yi is probably going to break the Finals single-game scoring record."
At the end of regulation, Lin Yi already had 58 points—three shy of Elgin Baylor's record of 61. Very few people doubted he would get there tonight.
. . .
Both teams returned to the floor for overtime. The Spurs went with Duncan, Kirilenko, Butler, Ginóbili, and Parker. The Knicks countered with Yao Ming, Lin Yi, Klay Thompson, Danny Green, and Chris Paul.
The atmosphere inside the AT&T Center was tense. Every breath felt heavy as Spurs fans prayed for a miracle.
Lin Yi won the tip, and the Knicks started with the ball. After Paul advanced it past half-court, the offense ran through Lin Yi again. He was playing at his absolute limit. Kirilenko fouled him hard, sending him to the line. Lin Yi knocked down both free throws.
60 points.
He was now just one point away from the Finals record.
On the next Spurs possession, Ginóbili twisted his body into an impossible angle and drained a three-pointer—his fifth of the night.
The veteran had 36 points and had carried San Antonio all evening. Duncan, legs heavy, patted him on the head as the crowd roared.
For the first time all night, the Spurs led, 115-116.
The Knicks answered. Lin Yi powered through Kirilenko, shrugged off help from Duncan, and finished with a reverse layup.
62 points.
New Finals single-game scoring record.
The game kept going. Parker responded with a crafty high-bank shot over Yao Ming to put the Spurs back in front.
116-117.
Then Butler knocked down a baseline three and pounded his chest.
116-120.
The Spurs were starting to smell blood. They were on the verge of tying the series.
On the Knicks' next possession, Lin Yi and Paul ran a pick-and-roll. Paul got called for an offensive foul—his fifth.
Moments later, he picked up his sixth on a questionable call while contesting Parker's floater. Paul fouled out.
As he walked to the bench, head down, Lin Yi pulled him in and patted his head. "Don't worry about it. Go rest. We've still got this."
With Paul out, D'Antoni turned to the bench and called McGrady's number. Tracy took a deep breath, hugged Paul, and stepped onto the court. He hadn't played meaningful minutes in the Finals, but this was his moment.
Parker made both free throws.
On the following Knicks possession, Lin Yi attacked again. Double-teamed by Ginóbili and Duncan, he spotted McGrady in the corner with a glance. He lofted a pass out to him.
McGrady rose and let fly with his classic pull-up three. The ball flew flat and true.
Swish.
119-122.
The shot wasn't enough to ignite the building as it would have in New York, but it was a reminder that the old Tracy McGrady still had something left.
After McGrady's three-pointer, the Spurs came right back down the floor. Jimmy Butler cut hard to the basket, but Lin Yi met him with a powerful block — his fourth of the game.
The ball flew out of bounds after hitting Butler as the crowd groaned.
Lin Yi landed, beat his chest with his right fist, and let out a deep roar.
"WE ARE TAKING THE F***KING WIN!!"
The competitive fire was written all over his face. He then turned and slapped a hard clap with Klay Thompson, who was right behind him on the play.
On TNT, Barkley's voice rose with excitement. " Rejected! Can Lin Yi actually put up 60, 20, and 5 tonight?"
Kenny Smith checked the stats sheet. "Charles, we've been so focused on the scoring that we almost missed it. He's got a real shot at a historic stat line."
Shaquille O'Neal, sitting beside them. "I have not seen man this fired up in a long time. It's scary when Lin is like this."
Klay Thompson quickly inbounded the ball to Lin Yi, who had caught his second wind. He took off in transition, used a slick in-and-out move to shake Kirilenko, and attacked the paint. Duncan stepped up to help, but at the last moment, Lin Yi spotted McGrady open in the corner again.
He didn't hesitate. The pass was perfect.
McGrady rose from the same spot and drained another three-pointer.
Swish!
122-122. Tie game.
The AT&T Center fell quiet. On the Knicks bench, Yao Ming couldn't help but smile. For a brief second, he was transported back to that unforgettable night in 2004 when Tracy had carried the Rockets on his back.
McGrady pumped his fist, then pointed toward Yao on the bench. The two old teammates shared a knowing look.
On the next Spurs possession, Parker knocked down a mid-range jumper to regain the lead. But the Knicks answered instantly. They pushed the ball quickly, and Lin Yi delivered a long, precise pass ahead to a sprinting McGrady.
Duncan tried to recover in time and collided with him just as the shot went up.
Swish!
The whistle blew.
And-1.
The arena went silent as McGrady completed the four-point play, giving the Knicks a 125-124 lead.
Popovich immediately called a timeout.
As McGrady walked back to the bench, Livingston — still in his suit — gave him a respectful nod. Chris Paul, who had fouled out earlier, handed him a towel and water bottle with a nod of appreciation.
McGrady stepped to the free-throw line after the timeout and calmly sank the extra point.
126-124.
In just over a minute, McGrady had scored 10 points.
The Spurs' offense continued to struggle. An exhausted Duncan was rejected by Lin Yi on a turnaround attempt — Lin's fifth block of the night.
On the Knicks' next possession, Lin Yi drove again, drew the defense, and kicked it out to McGrady a step behind the three-point line. Tracy didn't pause. He elevated and fired.
Swish!
129-124.
In 1 minute and 39 seconds, McGrady had scored 13 straight points. The AT&T Center sat stunned.
Across the East Coast at Madison Square Garden, the building erupted as the DJ led fans in a roaring chant: "Tracy… McGrady!"
The twelfth man had become the hero.
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a