June 9th, 2013
Madison Square Garden, New York
Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals
The atmosphere inside the Garden was electric even before tip-off. Among the many high-profile guests in attendance was David Beckham, who had recently announced his retirement and made the trip specifically to support Lin Yi.
Before the game, Beckham pulled Lin Yi aside for a quick chat. After congratulating him on reaching the Finals again, he brought up the upcoming fatherhood with a warm smile.
"Elizabeth's glowing, mate. You two are going to be brilliant parents," Beckham said. "If I can give you one piece of advice — hope for a daughter. Angels, mate. Angels."
Lin Yi chuckled and patted Beckham on the shoulder. He glanced over at Kobe Bryant standing nearby and suddenly fell quiet, lost in thought. The moment grew slightly awkward.
Thankfully, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared at just the right time, breaking the tension with his usual confident presence.
Ronaldo greeted Lin Yi with a firm handshake. "First time meeting in person. Good to finally see you."
Lin Yi smiled. "Same here. I honestly didn't expect you to actually show up after that random Twitter invite."
Ronaldo laughed. "Your motivation and hard work align with me a lot. Four AM in New York is the new standard."
This was Lin Yi's first face-to-face meeting with Ronaldo, and he was quite happy to receive praise from one of the best in his craft – especially with Ronaldo being one of the hardest-working athletes.
Other notable guests included several members of the 2009 Draft Class. Most of them were there to support Lin Yi, though James Harden looked suspiciously like he was using the game as an opportunity to catch up on sleep in his seat.
During warm-ups, Klay Thompson kept glancing up at the commentary booth where his father, Mychal Thompson, was working. When Charles Barkley playfully asked Mychal to predict his son's performance tonight, the Lakers legend grinned and said, "I think Klay can get 20 tonight."
Lin Yi, overhearing it, shook his head with amusement.
Of course, he'd say that — it's his own son.
He made a mental note that the Lakers would probably blacklist Mychal Thompson after this series for openly defecting to the Knicks' side.
. . .
On the court, Gregg Popovich had made a clear adjustment for Game 2. Boris Diaw was inserted into the starting lineup, with Tim Duncan sliding over to center.
Many analysts had pointed to the Knicks' 14 three-pointers in Game 1 as the key to their victory. Popovich disagreed. In his view, the real problem had been the Knicks' dominance in the paint — they had outscored the Spurs by 14 points inside.
Splitter had struggled to keep up with the pace, and whenever Lin Yi or Chris Paul attacked the rim, the Spurs' interior defense had collapsed.
Popovich's original plan was to use Kirilenko's length to contest Lin Yi's jump shots while relying on Splitter's size to protect the rim. But after Game 1, he realized something important: Lin Yi wasn't just settling for jumpers; he was also attacking the paint relentlessly.
If Popovich were to put his frustration into words, it would probably sound like: "Damn it, you think you're Russell Westbrook now?"
The irony wasn't lost on anyone. The Thunder had tried a similar attack, the paint strategy against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, but the Spurs eventually figured it out and forced them into tough jumpers.
The difference was personnel. The Knicks had far more dangerous shooters on the perimeter than the Thunder did. When Lin Yi drove, the help defense had to collapse, leaving open shooters everywhere.
Rather than adding more size, Popovich went the opposite direction. By starting Diaw alongside Duncan, the Spurs sacrificed some height but gained much quicker rotations and better versatility on defense.
It was classic Popovich — always willing to adapt. His Spurs team was famously difficult to define. Even their own fans sometimes weren't sure what their exact style was supposed to be.
. . .
As countless fans held their breath in anticipation, the atmosphere inside the Garden was thick with tension and excitement.
Lin Yi easily won the opening tip against Tim Duncan. Game 2 of the NBA Finals was officially underway.
Unlike the Spurs, who had made lineup adjustments, the Knicks stuck with the same starting five that had carried them through Game 1: Tyson Chandler, Markieff Morris, Lin Yi, Danny Green, and Chris Paul.
Duncan, ever the competitor, had gotten surprisingly physical during the jump ball. At 36 years old, the Big Fundamental was still giving everything he had. Lin Yi couldn't help but smile inwardly.
If Duncan could actually out-jump me at this age, Newton's coffin lid would never stay closed.
Chris Paul brought the ball up past half-court and began orchestrating the Knicks' first possession. As Lin Yi moved into position and called for the ball, the Spurs unveiled their second adjustment of the night.
Duncan stepped up to guard him directly.
Are they serious? Lin Yi thought, surprised. He had noticed how fired up Duncan was during the tip-off, but he hadn't expected Popovich to assign the veteran to him so early.
Unsure of the Spurs' exact plan, Lin Yi boxed out Duncan and extended his hand. Paul delivered a sharp, forceful pass straight to his chest. The ball stung slightly against his palms.
Ouch, Paul. trying to take my hands off.
He quickly scanned the Spurs' defensive setup out of the corner of his eye. Diaw was on Chandler, Kirilenko was glued to Morris, and the other matchups looked relatively balanced.
The moment Lin Yi caught the ball, he felt Duncan's presence — solid and unmoving, like a wall. The Big Fundamental truly lived up to his reputation. Even after their first physical collision, Duncan barely budged.
On the sideline, Gregg Popovich let out a long, weary sigh.
This kid is a nightmare, Popovich thought. He hated the idea of using the 36-year-old Duncan to guard Lin Yi, but he was running out of options. Duncan's basketball IQ and positioning were still elite, even if his stamina wasn't what it used to be. Only with Duncan on Lin Yi could the Spurs' help defense fully function.
If Lin Yi decided to attack the rim with speed, Kirilenko and Diaw could rotate over quickly. Popovich was willing to live with Lin Yi scoring 30 — or even 40 — points. What he couldn't afford was another Game 1 performance where Lin Yi dismantled them both inside and out.
On the court, Lin Yi didn't try to bully Duncan physically. Instead, he used a smooth shoulder fake into a sharp dribble. He created a bit of space and rose into a beautiful Skyhook.
[Image]
Even Cristiano Ronaldo, who only had a basic understanding of basketball, couldn't help but clap, visibly impressed.
The ball swished through the net.
0–2. The Knicks drew first blood.
Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers.
On the TNT broadcast, Mychal Thompson watched his son's idol work and said with genuine admiration, "Lin is just so difficult to guard. Tim's defense is textbook, but when he's making shots like that… there's really nothing you can do."
"I couldn't have said it better," Chuck added.
No wonder Klay looked up to him so much.
Mitchell thought the young man was a walking glitch in the system, no matter the era.
The roar from the crowd was still echoing when the Spurs revealed their third adjustment of the night…
. . .
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