Iguodala gave Dalembert a quick pat on the shoulder—poor guy was made into a highlight today. No shame in that... okay, maybe a little shame... okay, a lot of shame. That was rough.
The 76ers were back on offense. Jrue Holiday, still green from the '09 draft, was running point.
And don't think this was just Lin Yi's show tonight.
Coach D'Antoni—New York's resident mad scientist—was cooking up some plays too.
He threw Larry Hughes into the starting lineup to add size to the Knicks' backcourt. The Sixers didn't have any real shooters outside of Lou Williams anyway.
And Wilson Chandler? Starting him was a chess move to shut down Iguodala's drives.
The Knicks? Locked in. Laser focused.
Holiday still didn't have much feel for pacing, so by the time he dumped the ball to Iguodala at the high post, the shot clock was already gasping for air.
Iguodala had to force it up—rushed and ugly.
Back then, you either took a mid-range jumper or chucked a three. Not much in between.
Lin Yi boxed out, snatched the board, and took off like a greyhound.
Dalembert was hustling to get back, but the Knicks' transition game was lightning. Gallinari, SBG, was already camping in the frontcourt. Wilson Chandler was barreling toward the paint like a runaway train.
Dalembert swore Lin Yi wasn't making him look stupid again. He made a silent vow to stuff him at least once tonight.
But just as Dalembert hit the paint like a missile, something felt... off.
Wait—why did Lin Yi stop?
Dalembert turned just in time to see Lin Yi pulling up at the three-point line.
Transition three? For D'Antoni's system, that's just another Tuesday.
Splash.
MSG exploded as Lin Yi nailed it.
Barkley slapped his forehead like he'd just seen an alien. "Man, my titanium-alloy eyes can't take this."
Kenny Smith was beside himself. "This shot selection doesn't no sense!" he yelled,
And it really didn't. Who the hell grabs a rebound, pushes the break, and just decides,
"You know what? I'm gonna pull up from deep." What center does that?
Well… Lin Yi does.
0-6, Knicks.
MSG was shaking. Lin Yi hit the crowd with the perfect sign again. The building was lit.
D'Antoni clapped approvingly from the sidelines. "You get an open look in transition? Shoot the damn ball."
Barkley leaned into his mic. "I was starting to believe those experts saying Lin couldn't adjust to the NBA three-point line. He just knocked down two to start the game. Guess they'd better hold that thought."
In the media section, Wu Xiaolei was scribbling frantically in her notebook. The threads were starting to connect…
The Sixers tried to answer, but clanked another shot. David Lee hauled in the rebound and dished it to Larry Hughes. This time, the Sixers were quicker getting back.
Hughes passed it up to Lin Yi after crossing halfcourt.
Dalembert was fuming. Lin Yi gave a twitch of the shoulder, then hit him with a signature crossover.
Dalembert panicked and bit hard, expecting a jumper.
But Lin Yi dropped his hips and blew by him.
Showtime.
Dalembert could only watch Lin Yi's back move toward the rim.
Brand tried to rotate, but Lin Yi smiled and launched from just inside the free-throw line.
Why do Zach LaVine's dunks look like poetry?
Because of that freakish hang time and body control.
Lin Yi wound it up into a one-handed windmill.
BOOM!
MSG lost its collective mind.
Gliding windmill slam from the free-throw line. Absolutely nuts.
Spike Lee was throwing his arms up on live TV.
Elizabeth Olsen and her sisters? Jaw on the floor.
Lin Yi landed, turned, and casually patted Dalembert on the shoulder while looking concerned.
"Keep trying, man. You're getting closer."
The crowd roared.
"LIN — YI!!!"
"LIN — YI!!!"
"LIN — YI!!!"
....
Meanwhile, Wu Xiaolei was whispering to herself, "They picked the Sixers as the real target tonight."
Before the Bobcats game, Lin Yi had dinner with D'Antoni. They talked schedule.
Back-to-backs suck. First Charlotte on the road, then Philly at home.
D'Antoni didn't want to waste the win against Miami by blowing this one. After a long convo with Lin Yi, they both agreed—the Sixers were the easier prey.
Charlotte was a tough grind. Larry Brown's defense-first squad and that sneaky good roster? No thanks.
So they punted that one. Let David Lee go off and rested the rest.
But the 76ers? Home game. Packed house. The Garden needed a win.
And Lin Yi had a read on them.
Dalembert? All bark, no bite. He was trying to cosplay Tyson Chandler but couldn't even cosplay right.
Brand? Too slow. Lin Yi had a thousand ways to make him feel helpless.
Lou Williams was Philly's best scorer—and he couldn't guard a traffic cone. Jrue Holiday? Still figuring things out.
The Knicks weren't about to choke on home court. D'Antoni and Lin Yi were in sync: Finish them. Early.
Philly coach Eddie Jordan called a timeout. Dalembert buried his face in a towel, trying to hide from the cameras.
He had a nightmare decision: How the hell do you stop Lin Yi?
It wasn't even two minutes in, and Lin had 8 straight.
Who guards him?
Nobody made eye contact with Coach.
Jordan sighed and gave Dalembert a pep talk. "You got this, man. Just believe."
Dalembert was numb.
First, Lin Yi broke his ankles.
Then hit a transition three in his face.
Then dunked from the free-throw line.
At this point, his soul was halfway to Cancun.
Even Lou Williams stopped patting him on the back. There was nothing left to say.
Every time Lin scored, he'd chirp, "Nice try! Almost had me that time."
Brand avoided eye contact entirely. The old man wasn't about to volunteer for slaughter.,
Then, right before halftime, Brand went up for a defensive rebound.
Bad idea.
BOOM!
Lin Yi posterized him too—one-handed jam, full elevation, no mercy.
MSG erupted again.
Dalembert finally cracked a smile watching Brand get rocked.
Brand stared blankly into space, looking like he had aged five years.
Tired. Very tired.
Might retire mid-game.
...
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