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Chapter 272: Bean Sprout Prayers (Warriors vs Knicks)
🕑 Added 2025-08-01 17:06:57 +0000 UTCThe Knicks’ seven-game winning streak finally came to an end—and not at the hands of a contender. No, it was the struggling Pistons who dealt the blow.
These weren’t the championship Pistons of the 2000s. This Detroit squad had started the season 2–5, a team clearly in transition, rebuilding, recalibrating. Knicks fans? Understandably bewildered.
“Classic Knicks,” one fan quipped online. “Just when you start believing, they do something like this.”
Truth is, the Knicks lost this game on their terms. Sloppy rotations, lazy switches, and cold shooting. And then there was Ben Gordon.
Remember Ben Gordon? Once hyped as a potential heir to Jordan’s throne. Lin Yi had to laugh—if he had a dollar for every so-called Jordan successor, he could buy the Bulls himself. Yet for one night, Gordon caught fire. Eight three-pointers on nine attempts. Pure chaos. He torched the Knicks like he had a vendetta.
Lin himself went ice-cold, clanging seven shots off the iron. He tried to take the blame post-game, but most fans and analysts gave him a pass. After all, he'd carried the team through the win streak. There’s privilege in being the alpha. You get the spotlight—and the shield.
...
November 11, 2010
Singles' Day
Next up, the Knicks were set to face the Golden State Warriors, who landed in New York just in time for Singles’ Day.
Lin Yi never liked Singles’ Day.
Back in his previous life, he'd had more than one relationship mysteriously implode on November 11th.
Always with the same weak excuse: "It’s not you, it’s the timing." Yeah, sure. More like an excuse to swap him out for someone flashier, someone newer.
Fortunately, basketball didn’t ghost you.
The moment Lin saw Stephen Curry again, he noticed the difference. Steph looked stronger. More confident. But Lin’s attention quickly shifted.
“Why’s Boogie with you?” Lin asked, side-eyeing the towering Cousins.
“David wanted to come,” Curry said with a grin, “but he bailed. Said he needed sleep.”
Lin smirked. David Lee, now in Golden State, was watching the Knicks from afar—and probably wondering if he’d made the right choice. Because the Knicks? They were rolling.
To be fair, the Warriors weren’t looking bad either. Their new coach, Keith Smart, had tightened things up. Ellis wasn’t freelancing as much, and their recent lottery pick, Cousins, gave them some beef inside.
Curry, Ellis, Lee, Cousins. The names sounded good. The defense? Still Swiss cheese. But they were competitive.
Cousins, though... he was still Cousins. Talented, but chaotic.
In the first eight games, he'd already made seven three-pointers. Fans online couldn’t understand why someone of his size was camped beyond the arc. Lin Yi could. Because Boogie was trying to be him.
Over hotpot and noodles, the three caught up. Curry had evolved. Playing for Team USA over the summer had sharpened his game and boosted his confidence. He wasn’t just a shooter anymore—he was learning how to run a team.
His stats? Solid. Nearly five assists per game, 45% from three, almost joining the 50-40-90 club. Lin Yi remembered thinking Curry would hit those marks in his third season, but at this rate, he might just beat the timeline.
The 2009 rookie class was making noise. Blake Griffin was putting up 20+ points a night. DeRozan was thriving, Harden had cemented himself as OKC’s sixth man—and Lin? He’d become the face of the class.
Even guys like Teague, Holiday, Lawson, and Danny Green—they were carving out legit careers.
“You guys watching that triple-double I had last week?” Lin asked smugly.
Curry rolled his eyes. “Didn’t see it. Must’ve been on when I was napping.”
Cousins, however, clapped like a kid who just got cake. “Dude! Legendary stuff! I’m getting one of those next game!”
Lin buried his face in his hands. “Please don’t.”
"Big fan, huh." teasingly said Curry while stealing a piece of meat from Lin's plate.
...
November 12, 2010
Game Day: Warriors vs. Knicks
Madison Square Garden.
Tony Allen was glued to Curry like duct tape. Stephenson, coming off the bench, became the unexpected hero. David Lee got stuffed at the rim more times than he cared to count. And Cousins? He had a one-man fast break that ended with him crashing into the scorers’ table.
Final score: Warriors 80, Knicks 85.
New York advanced to 8–1 on the season, topping the Eastern Conference.
For once, James Dolan didn’t have to break the bank to win. He just had to let Lin cook.
Statlines:
Stephen Curry: 33 mins, 12 pts, 4 rebs, 10 asts
David Lee: 35 mins, 4 pts, 8 rebs
DeMarcus Cousins: 13 mins, 7 pts, 3 rebs
Monta Ellis: 24 pts on 10–34 FG (yikes)
Lin Yi: 38 mins, 39 pts (4/8 from 3), 4 rebs, 5 asts, 4 blocks
One particular moment stood out—Lin nailed a deep three with Curry’s hand in his chest. As Steph shook his head, Lin clapped him on the back.
“Steph,” he whispered, “you gotta say that prayer that helped me grow like a bean sprout.”
Curry laughed, then punched him lightly on the rib.
