OKC vs Knicks End

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...

As early as the first quarter, Lin Yi realized something—this Thunder team was no joke tonight.

Sure, they weren't in their final form yet.

Durant had already gone off for points, but he still wasn't the unstoppable version he'd eventually become. Westbrook was raw—his defensive instincts still a work in progress. And James Harden? Still a rookie, figuring things out.

And yet, somehow, the three of them found a rhythm. Durant, the most polished of the trio, carried the scoring load. Westbrook and Harden played their supporting roles with surprising poise.

That synergy? It's what had the Knicks struggling to keep up.

Durant was just that tough to guard. And on offense, the Knicks were having trouble breaking through. Thunder head coach Scott Brooks wasn't reinventing the wheel, but he understood exactly where the Knicks were vulnerable—and how to press those weaknesses.

First, he slowed down New York's transition game. The Knicks thrived on forcing turnovers and running in the open court. So the Thunder played it safe, leaning on pick-and-rolls and isolations—simple, low-risk plays that minimized mistakes.

Second, they kept the tempo up—not to outgun the Knicks, but to make sure the defensive pressure never let up.

And third, they implemented the pseudo version of the "Jordan Rules" on Lin Yi.

Brooks, for all his doubters, wasn't buying into the old-school narrative that the Knicks were just average on defense. Hell no. Statistically, they were among the top teams in defensive efficiency.

Some old heads only knew how to lower the game's pace to reduce the score. Temporary solutions.

Want proof? Just look at how the Bulls got swept.

That was on Vinny Del Negro. Too stubborn for his own good.

Brooks wasn't making that mistake. No elaborate schemes tonight—just a clear plan. Get Durant going, space the floor, and let raw talent do the rest. Everyone else? Stay disciplined and wait for clean looks.

On defense, he doubled down. Lin Yi was seeing a rotation of Ibaka and Jeff Green, just to wear him down. Brooks didn't care if Lin scored—what mattered was stopping him from creating for everyone else.

And if the Knicks tried to shift gears by giving Lou Williams the keys to open a second front?

No problem. Westbrook was locked in. Say what you want about his offense—when he's dialed in defensively, even his teammates stay out of his way.

So, through three quarters, the Thunder had kept the upper hand.

But after Lin Yi dropped five straight points to start the fourth and trimmed the lead to seven, Brooks didn't hesitate. Timeout.

...

On the Knicks' bench, Lin Yi was still locked in on the Thunder. Credit where it's due—they were playing the most structured basketball he'd seen from them.

Still, those three weren't at their peak yet. It was only one game in the regular season, and there was still time to steal this one.

That's why, before the fourth quarter even began, Lin Yi had turned to Coach D'Antoni.

"Coach," he said, "let me take the lead to start the fourth."

Lin Yi knew the stakes. If he couldn't keep the pressure on OKC, they could forget about closing the gap.

And he hated losing—especially tonight. Why? Because Durant was out here looking to embarrass him.

Since the All-Star break, Lin felt like he'd been wearing a target on his back. The veterans were respectful, sure. But guys his age? They were coming for blood.

He used to treat the league like his dungeon—leveling up, taking down bosses, learning as he went. But inevitably, he turned into a boss.

Guys like Rose, like Durant, they knew what it meant to chase greatness. But to them, Lin Yi looked like an easier boss to farm. Not the LBJ. Not Kobe. Not Duncan. Just Lin Yi—the guy who was getting too much shine.

And he wasn't having it.

Lin Yi's plan was simple: the Knicks had been adding more off-ball movement and 45-degree pick-and-rolls since midseason. Their chemistry wasn't perfect yet—not like the Warriors would be one day—but it was growing.

And the Thunder? They weren't running switching defenses yet. No "switch everything" schemes.

Which meant: if Lin Yi could draw enough attention, the rest would fall into place.

He just had to keep being that guy.

Time to get loud again.

Time to play the villain if he had to.

Time to invite the double-teams, bait the defenders, and then—kick, slash, punish.

Because once the Thunder overloaded one side...

"It's time to witness a comeback."

...

Out of the timeout, the Knicks sent out a new five: Lin Yi, Gallinari, Chandler, Belinelli, and Lou Williams.

On the other side, the Thunder sent out Ibaka, Jeff Green, Durant, Harden, and Westbrook.

As the Knicks huddled before heading back on the court, Coach D'Antoni couldn't help but smile as he looked at his lineup.

"Lin walks the talk," he said with quiet admiration.

The assistant coaches nodded.

Because no matter how brilliant the playbook is, someone's got to knock down shots. That's just basketball. Simple and brutal. If it goes in, it's a good shot.

Lin Yi's early burst in the fourth quarter had kept the Knicks alive. That momentum? It bought them a real shot tonight.

....

On the other bench, Durant's eyes burned holes into Lin Yi.

So what if he pulled off a flashy in-and-out move, 540° starburst move., 

I can do that too, Durant thought bitterly.

And besides, he was the one leading all scorers tonight.

Coming out of the timeout, the Thunder ran a set for him. Chandler stayed tight, but Durant created space and pulled up.

Bucket.

That was his 40th point.

But there was no time to dwell. The Knicks were already setting up their next possession.

Coach Brooks watched curiously from the sideline. He didn't quite understand D'Antoni's rotation here. At this stage of the game, why not bring in David Lee to take some pressure off Lin Yi?

On the floor, Gallinari curled out from the baseline to take the inbound.

Brooks narrowed his eyes. He recognized this play. The Knicks had run this kind of horn set before. A bit of off-ball action, some staggered screens—predictable stuff.

Whatever, Brooks thought. It all ends with Lin Yi anyway.

Sure enough, Lin began his run to the top of the key.

Brooks gave a nod. He'd already told the guys: switch everything. Doesn't matter if you can't stop him—just make him work for it. Wear him down.

One man can't beat us alone.

But then, mid-cut, Lin Yi suddenly spun backdoor—his timing perfect.

At the same moment, Bellinelli slipped out from the baseline.

Harden, who'd been loosely watching Marco, got caught on Lin's movement and lost track of his man for a split second.

That was all they needed.

Gallinari zipped a pass across the baseline.

Catch. Release.

Splash.

92–86.

The Knicks were within six.

Was it a lucky breakdown?

Brooks didn't think so. His eyes narrowed as he barked at Harden to stay locked in.

On the next Thunder possession, Durant missed. The ball bounced long, and the Knicks secured the board.

Lou Williams pushed the tempo again.

The Knicks ran the same look.

This time, Harden stayed with Belinelli, but as Lin used the screen and slipped toward the paint, Ibaka hesitated.

Too late.

Gallinari lobbed it over the top.

Catch. Dunk.

92–88.

Four-point game.

Brooks still didn't call a timeout.

That's when it became clear—his hesitation was hurting them.

Because on the next trip, it happened again.

Same setup. Different wrinkle.

This time, Belinelli had the ball at the top.

Gallinari curled hard off the screen.

The Thunder defense was a step slow, again.

Belinelli fired the pass.

Gallinari rose.

Durant scrambled over, trying to contest. He even leapt across from Lin Yi, arm outstretched.

But SBC adjusted mid-air and gave it more arc.

Swish.

And one.

The whistle blew. MSG erupted.

"Second Battalion Commander reloads the cannons!" one Knicks fan screamed behind the bench.

Even the TNT crew had caught on.

"The Thunder are way too slow to react," Kenny Smith said, shaking his head.

"They've been hit with the same set three times in a row," Barkley added, rubbing his hands.

Then he grinned toward the camera.

"And I know what fans at home are wondering: how did the Knicks come back like this?"

The broadcast cut back to the studio.

Barkley picked up the tactical board.

"Because the Knicks' system—well, let me show you how it works..."

"The Knicks' tactics go something like this," Barkley said, moving a blue magnet across the board in TNT's studio. "They usually start with a standard four-out, one-in set—Lin gets the ball either on the left or right wing."

He adjusted the magnets.

"But look closely. They're not trying to play through the low post. If they were, you'd see them feeding Lin directly from the same-side wing. Instead, they're doing something else entirely."

Barkley shifted a few more magnets into place.

"Here's what's happening: the shooter on the left comes out to receive the pass, and the point guard cuts toward the baseline corner. Meanwhile, Lin looks like he's curling up toward the elbow to catch—but then boom, he cuts back and sets a screen at the 45."

"And don't miss this," he added. "At the same time, the point guard sets a secondary screen on the weak side. That's a classic staggered action—double screens for a catch-and-shoot three."

Kenny Smith nodded, arms crossed. "So Lin goes from primary option to screener. That's a smart misdirection—two shooters running a dual 45-degree screen. But here's my question, Chuck: that kind of set isn't exactly new. If you prep for it, it's not that hard to defend."

"True," Barkley admitted. "No play is perfect. Eventually, you run into someone who figures it out. But what's killing the Thunder is what they're expecting from Lin."

"Oh?" Kenny raised a brow, suspicious of one of Barkley's infamous Lin Yi love letters—but still listening.

"Think about it," Barkley continued. "Lin opened the fourth with back-to-back buckets. That gave the Thunder the impression that New York was about to run everything through him. And if you don't think Lin can beat you by himself, you're gonna lean in and try to contain him."

He paused, then added with a grin, "But Kenny, remember why 'Jordan Rules' were famous? Not because they stopped Jordan, but because nothing could stop him. That system was just the best shot you had."

Kenny's eyes widened. "You're saying the Thunder's whole defense got pulled into Lin's gravity?"

"Exactly!" Barkley slammed the magnet down on the board for emphasis. "First time the Knicks ran that action, the Thunder sort of kept up. Second time? They adjusted, but Lin flipped the role again. And look here—on the replay—Louis Williams was wide open on the other side."

"Oh! He was open!" Kenny leaned closer to the monitor.

"Right?" Barkley chuckled. "Even though Lin finished with a dunk on that play, the set itself already succeeded. And by the third time, Belinelli made the extra pass to Gallinari, who drew the foul and hit the shot. So now the Thunder were getting hit from both sides."

"Man... so the fear of Lin changed everything," Kenny said, snapping his fingers. "Brooks called that timeout after Lin's first burst. And that fear, that aura, drew attention away from the rest of the team."

"Exactly," Barkley said. "It's like this—'Jordan Rules' are designed to force the star to go solo. But when your team chemistry's this good? You flip that rule against itself. And right now, the Thunder are treating Lin like a final boss."

"That's why the Knicks' weak-side actions keep landing punches!" Kenny said.

....

Meanwhile, in the huddle—

Thunder coach Brooks was pacing, hurriedly laying out new adjustments.

On the other bench, D'Antoni patted Belinelli's shoulder. "Great job out there, Marco."

Belinelli nodded with a faint smile. Being trusted in crunch time meant everything.

Then D'Antoni turned to Lin Yi. "You're up, kid. This one's yours."

Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a small nod. This stretch was going to be a war.

After the break, the Knicks came out with a new five: Lin Yi, David Lee, Harrington, Gallinari, and Chandler.

No traditional point guard in sight.

Brooks squinted. "What… no PG?"

That's right. Positionless basketball.

Lin had nicknamed this group The Death Five.

Their heights? 208, 206, 208, and 203 cm, except for his. Nearly identical frames across the board. No weak link.

The official NBA numbers weren't always accurate, but this lineup was tall, fast, and switchable as hell.

Brooks glanced at his assistants. "Do we switch everything again?"

But he wasn't sure.

....

Back on the floor, Gallinari stepped up to the line and sank his free throw.

92–92.

The Knicks tie the game.

The crowd was buzzing. The Knicks had been switching looks all quarter, and now everyone wanted to know what this lineup was for.

Simple.

They wanted to win.

Lin's early scoring run in the fourth had sent a message. That was step one: rattle the Thunder.

Then came the screens, the movement, the misdirection—all designed to chip away at the lead and pull the defense apart.

With momentum on their side, the Knicks knew the Thunder would adjust sooner or later—and when they did, that would be the true test.

The lineup wasn't built for speed. It was built for pressure.

And the Knicks had a very clear game plan.

On the court, as Kevin Durant squared up, he suddenly faltered mid-dribble.

There was no mistaking who stood in front of him.

Lin Yi.

"With David Lee and Harrington anchoring inside, this Knicks lineup puts Lin at the three, not the five." Mike chuckled to himself from the sidelines.

And that was the key.

To win tonight, the Knicks had to slow Durant down. Simple.

You want to use the Jordan Rules? Fine.

We'll hit back with the Durant Rule.

What makes Durant lethal? That silky smooth handle. That jumper over smaller defenders. That quick first step. He thrives on creating mismatches—getting just enough space to rise and let it fly.

But Lin Yi wasn't the mismatch Durant wanted.

Taller. Longer. And not much slower.

Suddenly, Durant's usual pull-up wasn't such an easy option.

"Have they lost their minds? You think Lin can go the whole fourth quarter playing both ends like this?" Coach Brooks barked to his assistants from the Thunder bench.

If Lin were asked to carry the offense too, sure—it'd be a stretch.

But if his main job was to defend Durant?

That, he could manage.

Durant tried to shake free with a crossover, only to find Lin gliding with him, step for step.

"He's sliding fast laterally," Durant muttered, frustrated. He called for a screen.

Jeff Green sprinted over, but Lin and Harrington switched seamlessly.

No space, Durant thought. No angle.

...

In the media section, Wu Xiaolei suddenly stopped chewing his pen.

"What's up?" Qi Jun noticed the stop and asked.

"Durant's not comfortable," Xiaolei said, eyes glued to the court. "It doesn't matter who he picks—every Knicks defender is either big, long, or mobile. Chandler's the shortest in that five, and he's still got that wingspan. David Lee's not quick, but he's been working on guarding the perimeter since January. No matter what, Durant doesn't get easy looks anymore."

Qi Jun blinked. "That sounds... awful."

"Exactly. The Knicks built this lineup for Durant," Xiaolei explained. "He can score—but not effortlessly. That's the difference."

...

Durant forced a jumper.

Clang.

The Knicks grabbed the rebound, and of course, the ball found its way into Lin Yi's hands.

From the bench, Coach Brooks narrowed his eyes.

"I get it now. They're not using Lin as the primary scorer anymore... they've made him the playmaker. Less energy spent on isolation, more control over the offense. He can conserve stamina and still dictate the tempo."

It was clever. Efficient.

And incredibly annoying for the Thunder.

Because you couldn't just forget about Lin defensively—he was still smothering Durant.

And offensively?

Well...

Ibaka got caught just a half-step too deep.

Lin took one step back, caught the pass, and launched from beyond the arc.

Swish.

Nothing but net.

"He's deadly like that," Brooks muttered, shaking his head. "One second of space... and it's a cold-blooded three."

At that moment, the frustration bubbled up. 

Because the Thunder still had weapons.

Durant might've cooled off in the fourth, but Westbrook and Harden were still on the floor.

Use Westbrook and Harden to attack?

The Knicks will be thrilled.

Because this version of Brodie and The Beard duo—Westbrook and Harden—was still raw. Talented, no doubt. But not quite MVP material yet.

Chandler had the responsibility of containing Westbrook, using his size to clog up driving lanes. Gallinari, assigned to Harden, simply sagged a step back and used his length to bait the shot.

And the truth is, no one wants to put guards on guards anymore.

In the future, guys like Kyrie and Steph would constantly be hunted by opposing offenses because no one would match them up directly.

Right now? Westbrook and Harden weren't elite enough to force that level of panic.

The Thunder's rise was coming—but it wasn't here yet.

...

In the executive box at Madison Square Garden, Knicks GM Donnie Walsh leaned over and said to Javier Stanford:

"Signing Lin in the summer... that's probably the best move we've made in years. If he stays healthy, this team has a real shot at being special."

Stanford nodded, smiling faintly.

"Then we need to stop dreaming about a super signing in 2010. Lin doesn't need a ball-hogging star next to him. He needs guys who complement him—players who make the system better, not players who hijack it."

Donnie chuckled awkwardly. He had been very interested in chasing the summer 2010 free agent market, packed with superstars.

But Lin Yi had already changed that conversation.

In Lin's Past life, New York had gambled on Amar'e Stoudemire in that window—and while it looked good initially, it would come back to bite them. Big contract, fading knees, and no Steve Nash to revive his game.

Lin Yi believed that the Knicks blew their future when they brought in Carmelo. It wasn't personal—it just wasn't the right fit.

And then there was Philly.

Lin respected the Sixers' rebuild. They didn't have Sam Presti's draft-day genius, but they understood something most teams didn't:

Let Jrue Holiday go? Fine.

Turner doesn't fit? Move him.

And when Embiid and Simmons finally arrived? They had a real foundation.

New York, by contrast, always believed it could attract stars just by being New York.

But New York fans weren't easy. And that pressure scared away as many stars as it attracted.

Thankfully for the Knicks, Lin Yi embraced that pressure.

He was becoming the face of the franchise.

And yes, maybe that had a little to do with him being tall and clutch.

..

Using Lin Yi at point forward had its downsides. The offense could get erratic at times.

But compared to the flaws on the Thunder's side, the Knicks were thriving.

Durant dropped a season-high 46 points at Madison Square Garden.

Just one shy of his career-best.

And yet... the Thunder lost.

1112–119. The Knicks poured in 41 points in the fourth quarter to come roaring back.

Westbrook finished with a triple-double. Harden had his moments.

But all three were left frustrated.

Durant, most of all.

"Forty-six and I still don't win?" he muttered in disbelief postgame. "What else am I supposed to do?"

In his head, Harden fumed.

Somewhere in Chicago, Derrick Rose watched the highlights and sighed.

"Yeah... doesn't matter how good you are. If the team isn't right, you're not going far."

Lin Yi played 42 minutes and posted 29 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks.

His signature in-and-out move in the fourth became an instant highlight.

...

In the Thunder room, Harden was still fuming because Lin had dunked on him during the game and smiled about it.

"Yo, Lin... how do you even juggle so many girls at once?" Harden asked, rubbing his shoulder where Lin had shoulder-checked him earlier.

Lin Yi grinned, patted Harden's back like a big brother, and said:

"James. No maidens?"

Harden frowned, not understanding the meaning, but then muttered something about swinging by the Knicks team store for a Lin Yi jersey.

...

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