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Chapter 274: Rockets vs Knicks 2
🕑 Added 2025-08-01 20:59:31 +0000 UTCO'Neal’s appearance tonight was scheduled even before tip-off. And with Yao Ming sitting this one out, the Rockets’ interior was hollow. Rick Adelman had no choice but to start Chuck Hayes, pairing him with Luis Scola in the frontcourt. The result? A paint duo that couldn’t match up with the Knicks in height or presence. Honestly, it looked more like trying to guard a skyscraper.
Kevin Martin finally caught fire. Lin Yi thought that if Ross ever learned how to draw contact like Martin, he’d easily challenge for the scoring title. Martin didn’t drive much, but when he did, he got fouled. Efficient and irritating.
Speaking of efficiency, that future trade between the Rockets and Thunder? A porcelain king traded for a magnetic one. Maybe GM Daryl Morey was deep in thought at the barbershop and had a eureka moment.
Back to the game—the Knicks pushed the ball upcourt. O’Neal, of course, joked about not running pick-and-rolls for Lin Yi. But when the pick came, Lin Yi delivered the lob, and O’Neal slammed it down with a one-handed dunk that shook the rim.
"My God! Even Yao Ming stood up to applaud. A 19-year veteran, O’Neal is still delivering vintage dunks!" Yu Jia exclaimed.
"He barely got off the ground," Zhang added matter-of-factly. "But with his weight and timing, even a gentle dunk feels like a poster."
Despite being in his 19th year, O’Neal could still hang big numbers in short bursts. Lin Yi recalled him dropping 25 in a game earlier this season. On a per-minute basis? The man was more efficient than Dwight Howard.
O'Neal might be confined to the paint, but don’t sleep on his footwork or feel for the game. He was always in the right place.
“Did you see that? That’s a real dunk!” O’Neal grinned, throwing a playful flex Lin Yi’s way.
Lin Yi just laughed. The Rockets tried to exploit O’Neal’s lack of speed by pushing the pace, but the Knicks rotated well. Even if O’Neal trailed the break, they handled the Rockets’ 5-on-4 attempts with composure.
Timeout.
The Knicks subbed in Tony Allen, with Bellinelli getting a breather. Adelman shuffled the deck, giving Scola a chance to isolate Lin Yi, and the Argentine veteran responded with a crafty spin and layup.
It wasn’t a fluke. Argentina’s Olympic gold in Athens wasn’t just Manu’s doing—Scola was a key cog. Though defense wasn’t his strength, he earned his Diamond moniker for a reason.
If only he’d had the chance to team up with Duncan... maybe the Pampas duo would’ve left a deeper mark on NBA history.
Lin Yi and O’Neal ran another pick-and-roll. Big Diesel had some juice tonight. Lin Yi rewarded that hunger with another perfect lob. Hayes was textbook in positioning, but height isn’t something you can coach.
Adelman just sighed from the sideline. Yao was on a scheduled rest, so he had to roll with it. He subbed in Lowry and Courtney Lee for a spark.
Lowry’s power and grit often went under the radar. When people talked about underpaid energy, Lowry was right there, too. Someday, the Raptors would be thanking the stars for picking him up.
Honestly? If Lin Yi’s summer plans changed, Lowry wouldn’t be a bad backup option.
Not that Beverly was any less badass.
O’Neal kept pushing. Maybe it was Lin Yi’s recent triple-double that sparked him. Or maybe Yao’s presence was the trigger. Either way, he bullied his way to a layup through Scola and drew the foul.
MSG erupted.
Despite his age, O’Neal still had massive fan appeal. And thanks to Lin Yi switching positions, he might just sneak into that All-Star starting center spot ahead of Howard.
Playing alongside a Chinese player came with perks—votes.
The Rockets had their stars, but the sheer number of Chinese fans made a difference. If Yao stayed healthy, we’d be watching this Yao vs. Shaq rematch in the All-Star Game.
Ever since China embraced the NBA, All-Star voting had been tilted. Iverson was partially carried into All-Star weekend by Chinese fans last year.
O’Neal stepped to the line and made the free throw—seven points and counting.
Adelman was ready to go Hack-a-Shaq, but O’Neal kept making his freebies.
On the next trip down, Lin Yi found the big man again. Hayes fouled him. Two more at the line.
Swish. Swish.
"What’s in Shaq’s water tonight?" The Knicks bench went wild, waving towels and hyping him up.
O’Neal slapped Lin Yi on the shoulder. “Better be ready to kiss ass, kid.”
Lin Yi looked at him, deadpan. “Shaq, sharks don’t have ass.”
“…Touché.”
Lin Yi knew the big man’s pride ran deep. Even if he played fewer minutes these days, O’Neal had always backed him up. And now? It was Lin Yi’s turn to return the favor.
So just before halftime, Lin Yi drove past Scola and floated a pass only O’Neal could catch. He thundered home another dunk and gave an emphatic punch into the air.
MSG was on fire.
“MVP! MVP!” they chanted.
Eleven first-quarter points for O’Neal.
Knicks up 24-5 after one.
Adelman could only shake his head. The Knicks weren’t just about defense anymore. They were scoring and scoring efficiently.
Fortunately for Houston, the second quarter brought some relief. Their bench chipped away at the lead. Then, with 6:02 left in the second, Chinese fans everywhere lit up.
Lin Yi and Yao Ming checked back in together. And O’Neal returned to the floor.
The moment had come.
“Yao vs. Shaq.”
Showtime.
Comments
GRANDMAESTA_30
Thanks for the notice. It has been fixed.😊
Ju
Hi We're missing ch. 272
