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Chapter 179: Knicks vs Rockets 2
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 14:37:59 +0000 UTCHonestly, for McGrady, being asked to defend Lin Yi just felt... off.
I mean, not even a year ago, he’d gone to watch Davidson’s March Madness game with some of the Rockets guys. Now here they were, not even a full season later, and that dribbling big man from college was already stirring things up in the NBA—and doing it in style.
Lin Yi’s quadruple-double in the last game? Even McGrady couldn’t believe it.
Before the game, Coach Adelman pulled McGrady aside during warmups.
“Tracy, I want you to take on Lin Yi when he’s running with their bench unit,” he said.
McGrady blinked.
Defend him? What, like how I used to check Nowitzki?
He knew the Rockets' brass just saw him as an expiring contract now. He wasn’t even as important in the rotation as Aaron Brooks. Whatever. McGrady wasn’t losing sleep over it anymore.
But when the game actually started, and he finally faced off with Lin Yi, something stirred in him. Like a spark he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Especially when Lin Yi came right at him on his first touch, pulled off a half-finished crossover, and casually drained the jumper in his face.
McGrady blinked again. Did this kid just show me up on purpose?
Next possession down, McGrady didn’t even hesitate. For the first time all season, he called for the ball and waved everyone off.
Time to show this kid how the old heads did it.
Kyle Lowry, the Rockets’ backup PG, didn’t object. The trade rumors around McGrady were loud, but Lowry still saw him as a good teammate. Even if the Rockets’ locker room wasn’t as tight as the Knicks’, everyone got along okay.
“I’m rooting for you, man!” cried countless Chinese fans in front of their TVs. McGrady’s loyal supporters felt like they were watching their hero rise again.
Unfortunately, Lin Yi wasn’t guarding McGrady—Belinelli was.
And to Belinelli’s credit, he played with a fire under him. His defense wasn’t elite, but with D’Antoni breathing down his neck in New York, the guy gave effort every night.
Still, this was T-Mac.
With a live dribble, McGrady made his move. A crossover, smooth and sharp. Sure, the speed was gone, and his back ached more than it used to, but the grace was still there. Mid-crossover, he rose—classic McGrady, scissor-legs and all—and nailed the jumper.
Lin Yi, watching from the other end, clenched his jaw. Oh no. Not that move. That move’s cheating.
It brought back memories—he had a friend who loved using that same jumper. Every time Lin tried to block it, he’d take a foot to the gut.
“Be honest—wasn’t that move beautiful?” the guy would tease.
Beautiful your head! Lin thought.
But yeah… it was beautiful.
The jumper splashed through.
Swish.
Vintage McGrady. He shot Lin a glance. It said everything: That’s how it’s done, kid.
“Oh, McGrady with the answer!” Barkley exclaimed on the broadcast.
“Yeah, just like Lin Yi’s earlier bucket, you can tell McGrady’s fired up,” added Kenny with a grin.
The Toyota Center erupted. For the first time in a long while, they roared for McGrady.
Then the DJ boomed out, “TRAAAACEEEY—MCGRADY!”
Lin Yi winced. That name. That drawn-out Tracy really killed the vibe for him. Somehow, it just didn’t match the moment.
Score: 29–27.
Knicks still up by two.
Back on the other end, McGrady locked in again. Still guarding Lin Yi. And this time, he crouched lower, eyes locked, wingspan wide.
McGrady was serious tonight. At his peak, you couldn’t shake him easily.
Lin Yi? He wasn’t worried.
Sure, he had a lot of respect for McGrady. Grew up watching him. Admired his game. But out here, they were opponents. And in the Knicks’ bench-heavy lineup, Lin Yi had to score. No time for nostalgia.
Still, he wouldn't take McGrady lightly. If not for the injuries and, well, other stuff, McGrady really may’ve become an upgraded version of Pippen.
But tonight? Lin Yi had a job to do.
And T-Mac...
He wasn’t going down easy.
Talent’s great and all—
But if you don’t respect it, it walks out on you.
On the court, Lin Yi was locked in, initiating the offense.
McGrady, with his wingspan, was right in front of him. If Lin pulled up here, he’d be shooting straight into those long arms. Back in his prime, T-Mac had gone toe-to-toe with Jordan, LeBron, and Kobe. He could even bother Dirk’s fadeaway with those limbs.
But the injuries? They’d robbed him of his lateral quickness.
Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.
Right stick ↓ ↓, left stick ←, acceleration key + right stick ↑ + left stick →.
Lin Yi’s hands moved like lightning. After a quick combo, McGrady’s sleepy eyes suddenly widened. Lin almost flinched. For a second, he thought T-Mac was about to do some wild anime-level counter like Shaq breaking a backboard.
But… he didn’t.
McGrady bit on the fake—and that was all Lin needed.
He blew past him clean.
Damn, this kid’s quick, McGrady thought, suddenly feeling every bit of his age.
Lin Yi had already cleared the lane, and there was only one guy left in the paint: the floor-hugger, David Andersen.
Oh boy. Another Andersen.
The Aussie big man didn’t back down. He stepped up like he had something to prove. Props for the hustle. But Lin wasn’t about to go easy.
This wasn’t the Andersen that could fly. This Andersen had a vertical of about... what? 10 centimeters?
Lin was not impressed.
And after cooking McGrady, you had to finish with something special.
He took off.
Back turned to the defense, McGrady watched him rise—and for a moment, it felt like déjà vu. Like those early days in Toronto, watching his brother Vince do those impossible takeoffs.
Damn, McGrady thought. I’m getting way too sentimental tonight.
Lin didn’t have the same raw explosiveness as VC, but the way he extended—right arm palming the ball, legs kicking out mid-air—it was damn close.
SHOWTIME!
BOOM!
Andersen tried to contest, bless his heart. But all he did was end up in the background.
“One-arm poster from Lin Yi ———!” Barkley shouted.
“This one’s nasty!” Kenny added. “Look how Lin just grabbed the ball. Palmed it like it was nothing! That dunk was outta this world. Bad luck for Richardson and both Andersens.”
Chinese fans all over the Toyota Center jumped out of their seats. They were loving it.
Lou Williams was the first to rush over. He practically tackled Lin.
“Bro, that was SICK! You crushed him!”
As for poor David Andersen?
He looked around, dazed.
Why me?
Sure, he didn’t get completely shaken like the last Andersen... but ending up as a background prop still sucked.
And McGrady?
He just stood there, smiling with those sleepy eyes.
Once upon a time, he used to do this exact thing. Drive the lane. One-arm hammer. Light up the arena.
Those days were long gone.
Tonight, though... tonight he felt something again.
The crowd. The energy. The kid’s fire.
Tonight wasn’t just any night.
Tonight was Tracy McGrady’s night, too.
...
Somewhere in the arena, David Stern was watching. And he was smiling.
That dunk’s gonna be everywhere tomorrow, he thought.
It’s the kind of highlight you build hype around.
With each poster, Lin Yi was becoming a walking viral moment. And with the All-Star Game in Dallas coming up?
Stern was already dreaming of the ratings.
But what’s he got saved up for the dunk contest? He wondered.
A big guy like Lin Yi... he better be cooking something crazy.
