Lin Yi had become the ultimate raid boss.
Stationed quietly in the corner, he hadn't even touched the ball yet, but Cousins, Kawhi Leonard, and Khris Middleton all kept glancing in his direction. Three defenders were tracking one player before the possession had truly begun.
That was the respect a three-time MVP commanded.
With everyone's attention fixed on Lin Yi, the Knicks' opening play unfolded exactly as planned.
A 1-4 spread.
Shaun Livingston caught the ball at the high post, staring down Stephen Curry one-on-one.
The size mismatch was obvious.
At 6-foot-7, Livingston didn't need to bully Curry with brute force. All he had to do was back him down a step or two, rise, and shoot over the top.
For that brief moment, Livingston imagined the entire sequence.
Bucket.
A cold Kobe-style stare.
Then a Kevin Garnett chest pound.
The Garden would erupt.
Reality, however...
The ball sailed clean beside the rim.
Air ball.
From the local Knicks broadcast, Mike Breen couldn't help laughing.
"Well... I don't think that's exactly how Livingston drew it up."
Beside him, Walt Frazier grinned.
"Overthinking instead of free-flowing. Hesitating and devastating. Sometimes you've just got to let it fly."
Livingston immediately lowered his head and jogged back on defense, pretending nothing had happened.
On the Knicks bench, Chris Paul, dressed in a tailored suit, quietly let out a sigh of relief.
The Warriors wasted no time.
David Lee secured the rebound and immediately pushed the ball ahead to Curry.
Golden State exploded into transition.
Under Mark Jackson, flashes of the future Warriors were already beginning to appear. Kawhi and Middleton sprinted down the wings while Cousins barreled straight down the middle.
Fortunately for New York, Klay Thompson latched onto Curry the moment he crossed half court, refusing to give him even an inch of breathing room.
The Warriors couldn't find an opening and were forced into their half-court offense.
Cousins stepped up to set a high screen.
Lin Yi pointed toward the pick.
Klay immediately fought over it, recovering to Curry almost instantly.
The action stalled.
From the sideline, Mark Jackson raised his voice while gesturing with his hands.
"Move it! Don't hold it. Keep the ball moving!"
Curry wanted to attack.
He really did.
But Klay stuck to him like glue. The guy was extra dialed in for this matchup–using every defensive advice distilled into him by Tony Allen.
With the shot clock winding down, Curry swung the ball to Leonard. That had become Golden State's safety valve this season.
Whenever the offense bogged down, they trusted Kawhi to create. Leonard calmly jab-stepped, rose over his defender, and buried a smooth mid-range jumper.
Mike Breen nodded.
"That's become a real weapon for Leonard this season. His isolation scoring has been crucial for the Warriors when the offense is in a slump."
Clyde added with his trademark rhythm.
"Patient and calculating. Rising and surprising."
2-0.
The Knicks answered immediately.
Lin Yi established a deep position against Cousins.
The Warriors' center leaned into him with everything he had, determined not to give up an inch.
The pass arrived.
Lin Yi absorbed the contact...
Then, suddenly released the pressure.
Caught off balance, Cousins stumbled forward for the briefest instant.
That was all Lin Yi needed.
One quick spin.
A soft bank shot.
Good.
"Beautiful footwork," Breen said. "He used Cousins' own strength against him."
"Using and abusing," Clyde chimed in. "Spinning and winning."
2-2, Knicks.
Golden State answered before the Garden had even finished celebrating.
The ball was inbounded immediately.
Klay once again denied Curry any daylight.
This time, Curry made the simple read, firing the ball to Middleton.
Two dribbles.
One perfectly timed bounce pass.
Leonard cut through the lane like a knife and finished softly off the glass.
Just like that...
4-2.
The entire possession had taken barely six seconds.
Watching from the TNT broadcast position, Charles Barkley leaned back in his chair.
"Now I get what Lin meant before the game."
Kenny Smith nodded.
"The Warriors are fast enough to challenge New York at its own game."
"And with Chris Paul sidelined, that's a real problem for the Knicks."
On the Knicks' bench, Mike D'Antoni narrowed his eyes.
Watching another team dictate the pace never sat well with him.
As one of the architects of modern run-and-gun basketball, there were few things more irritating than being beaten at his own game.
One thought kept resurfacing.
Maybe it's time to let Lin run the offense.
The Knicks brought the ball up deliberately.
Livingston crossed half court under control before swinging it to Lin Yi at the top of the key.
Cousins immediately stepped out to meet him.
Less than two minutes into the game, Lin Yi had already concluded.
This Warriors team was better than the version he remembered.
Much better.
Leonard and Middleton were in perfect sync defensively.
The moment Lin Yi caught the ball, they shaded toward him from opposite wings, shrinking every driving lane without fully committing to a double team.
It looked like isolation.
It wasn't.
Golden State's help defense was disciplined enough to make every inch of space feel contested.
Lin Yi briefly considered calling for a screen.
Then he dismissed the idea.
Livingston wasn't an explosive downhill guard, nor was he a reliable three-point threat. If the Warriors switched or trapped, they'd gladly leave him with the jumper.
There was no reason to play into their hands.
Dribble.
Dribble.
One hard bounce.
No hesitation.
Lin Yi exploded to his right.
Cousins had been bracing for a slower, more physical attack. Instead, Lin Yi blew past him before the big man could even shift his feet.
"Oh, he got by him!" Barkley shouted on the TNT broadcast.
Leonard rotated.
Middleton collapsed from the weak side.
But by then, Lin Yi had already built a full head of steam.
Too late.
He rose above the crowd and hammered home a vicious one-handed dunk.
BANG!
Madison Square Garden erupted.
The arena shook beneath a chorus of cheers.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
Charles Barkley laughed.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Once Lin gets that first step on you, forget it. You're chasing his jersey number, not stopping him."
Kenny Smith nodded.
"Golden State's defense rotated exactly the way you're supposed to."
"They just ran into someone who's too fast, too skilled, and too long."
After landing, Lin Yi jogged back on defense.
As he passed the sideline, he caught D'Antoni's eye and gave him a subtle nod.
Coach D understood immediately.
He nodded back.
The Knicks would use the next dead ball to adjust.
Lin Yi had no interest in waiting until they fell behind.
He preferred making the first move.
Golden State had clearly come prepared.
If the Knicks simply played their usual style, this game could easily become a track meet.
And there was one player Lin Yi refused to lose to.
Stephen Curry.
Losing happened.
It was part of basketball.
But if there was one opponent Lin Yi wanted to beat every single time they shared a court...
It was his brother, Chef Curry from Golden State.
. .
The Warriors had come to Madison Square Garden with one goal.
Win.
These days, every team circled the Knicks on the schedule. Beating the defending champions had become a badge of honor across the league.
Out of the timeout, Curry drew two defenders before kicking the ball to Khris Middleton, who calmly knocked down the Warriors' first three-pointer of the night.
7-4, Golden State.
D'Antoni immediately signaled for time.
As the Knicks gathered around the bench, D'Antoni and Lin Yi exchanged a glance.
Then, almost at the same time, they looked toward Chris Paul.
Paul noticed immediately.
His eyes widened slightly.
Finally.
They understood.
The team had reached a crisis point, and they needed the man who could solve everything.
Paul sat a little straighter, adjusting his suit jacket.
"See? You guys finally realized it."
"The team still needs CP3."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Of course, we know that."
Paul nodded proudly.
"Exactly."
But before he could enjoy the moment for too long, Lin Yi turned his head.
"Steve."
Nash looked up.
Lin Yi pointed toward the court.
"We need your help."
Paul's confident expression froze.
"...Wait."
He looked at Lin Yi.
Then at Nash.
Then back at Lin Yi.
"Hold on. I was included in that conversation for emotional support, wasn't I?"
The bench burst into laughter.
Lin Yi shook his head.
"Don't worry, Chris. Your role is very important."
Paul raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Lin Yi replied seriously. "You are our assistant coach today."
The smile on Paul's face disappeared.
"That is not what I meant."
Nash couldn't help laughing.
Even D'Antoni was trying to hide his grin.
Paul leaned back in his seat, shaking his head.
"Unbelievable."
"Last year, I was the offensive playmaker. Now I'm injured for a few games, and suddenly I'm getting promoted to motivational speaker."
Lin Yi patted him on the shoulder.
"Relax. When you come back, we'll need you more than ever."
Paul glanced at him.
"You promise?"
"Of course."
A brief pause.
"Just don't ask for the water cooler position. That's already taken."
Paul stared at him.
"By who?"
Lin Yi pointed toward the training staff.
"They're doing a great job."
The entire bench erupted in laughter.
Even Paul couldn't hold back a smile.
"Man, I can't believe I signed up for this."
Even Nash couldn't help smiling.
After the laugh, the future Hall of Famer looked from Lin Yi to D'Antoni before pointing at himself.
"Me?"
"You guys do remember I'm almost forty, right?"
"As soon as I hit full speed, whatever fuel I have left might disappear."
Lin Yi shook his head.
"I don't need twenty-five-year-old Steve Nash."
"I just need Steve Nash."
That answer caught Nash off guard.
D'Antoni quietly handed the whiteboard to Lin Yi.
Without hesitation, Lin Yi began drawing.
"The Warriors aren't gambling defensively," he explained. "They're shrinking the floor with Kawhi and Middleton. Every time I attack, they're already waiting before I even get into the lane."
The players nodded.
Golden State's rotations had been nearly flawless.
"If we keep playing isolation, we're doing exactly what they want."
Lin Yi circled Curry's position on the board.
"So we're changing the matchup."
He looked back at Nash.
"Steve, you're running the offense."
"I'll handle the scoring."
"You can treat me like Amar'e."
A nostalgic smile appeared on both Nash's and D'Antoni's faces.
"The Seven Seconds or Less offense?" Nash asked.
Lin Yi grinned.
"Exactly."
For a brief moment, both Nash and D'Antoni felt a chill run down their spines.
Those Phoenix memories came rushing back.
Nash scratched the back of his head.
"I'll do it."
"But don't expect me to stay in front of anyone on defense."
Lin Yi waved him off.
"You won't have to."
He straightened his jersey before looking around at every teammate.
"From this point on, we're protecting the three-point line."
"If they want to drive..."
He paused.
"Let them."
The bench fell silent.
"No easy threes. I'll handle everything at the rim."
Every player around the huddle instinctively nodded.
Klay's eyes lit up.
That's a franchise player.
One day... I want to be the guy saying things like that.
The timeout ended.
Livingston checked out after a brief but memorable appearance. Steve Nash checked in. It was the earliest D'Antoni had used him all season. Standing near the scorer's table, Nash looked around Madison Square Garden.
The crowd roared as his name echoed through the arena.
He rubbed his palms together.
"You know," he muttered to himself with a smile, "it's been a while."
If Lin Yi was currently the player every young big man dreamed of becoming...
Steve Nash remained the point guard that many had tried to imitate.
Whether it was Chris Paul or Stephen Curry, many of the league's elite guards had grown up watching Steve Nash.
Nash was never the most physically gifted player. He wasn't the fastest, the strongest, or the most athletic.
But at his peak, the two-time MVP turned basketball into an art form.
Nash had countless fans during his prime. Lin Yi still remembered the pickup games from years ago. Back then, everyone wanted to be Nash.
Everyone wanted to make the perfect pass.
But after Nash retired, pickup games became unbearable..
Many people believed that the coming three-point era would belong to guards. But as the generation of pass-first floor generals slowly disappeared, players like Nash became even more appreciated.
Just like fans looked back fondly on the golden age of dominant centers, they would eventually realize how special players like Nash truly were.
Fortunately, this version of Steve Nash still had something left to prove.
Lin Yi did not bring Nash to New York so he could enjoy a farewell tour.
The Knicks had no retirement homes.
No free spots.
Everyone had a role.
...
Madison Square Garden.
Knicks possession.
Nash slowly dribbled the ball across half court.
The moment Curry saw him, his expression became serious.
This wasn't the same Nash he had watched on highlights.
On the Knicks bench, Vince Carter watched the matchup with a smile.
"Who would've thought?"
"Dell's son is now facing Steve Nash on an NBA court."
The ball bounced rhythmically.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It was nothing special, just a simple dribble.
Yet in Nash's hands, even the simplest movements looked effortless.
The Knicks ran one of their signature actions.
Boom.
Clap.
Nash moved like a drummer controlling the tempo of a song.
Lin Yi stepped up for the screen, and the pick-and-roll was perfectly executed.
Nash slipped around the screen, forcing Cousins into a difficult decision.
Switch?
Stay?
Cousins hesitated.
Lin Yi almost wanted to tell him:
"Young man, you're thinking too much."
Nash reached a spot beyond the three-point line.
For most of his career, he would have passed.
A safe shot.
A better possession.
That was always Nash's philosophy.
But this was not the same Steve Nash.
This was a 40-year-old veteran who knew his opportunities were limited.
Influenced by the fearless mentality of the Knicks, Nash finally did something his younger self would have criticized.
He pulled up.
A deep three.
Swish!
7-7.
Madison Square Garden erupted.
The Knicks' MVP duo had tied the game.
Nash immediately turned around and ran back on defense.
"Good thing that went in," he muttered.
"I don't think I can handle missing that one."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yi ran over and lightly bumped him.
Unfortunately for Nash, "lightly" by Lin Yi's standards was still enough to send the veteran guard stumbling.
Nash looked at him.
Then looked away.
At that moment, the nervousness disappeared.
The sounds of Madison Square Garden rushed back.
The entire arena was chanting.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
Whether those cheers were for Lin Yi or Nash no longer mattered.
For a brief moment, the 40-year-old veteran felt like the 18-year-old kid who first fell in love with basketball.
The old soldier could still march.
. . .
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