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Chapter 105: Knicks vs Heat
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 15:43:30 +0000 UTCWade puffed up his cheeks. Body tensed like a coil with eyes of fire ready for the tip-off.
"Gotta give the rookie the NBA welcome," he muttered.
The ref held the ball out at center court at the American Airlines Arena.
Meanwhile, in China and New York, fans were glued to their TVs, anticipation thick in the air.
The 2009-2010 NBA season had officially kicked off, and the new-look New York Knicks were stepping onto the stage.
Tip-off—Lin Yi out-jumped Jermaine O’Neal cleanly.
The 31-year-old veteran didn’t seem too upset. He wasn’t the same O’Neal from his Pacers days, and this Miami Heat team was softer than what he used to play with. Still, he was here to prove he could still hang—he just didn’t look the part anymore. The guy looked fierce, but it was more bark than bite these days.
But just as he was jogging back... a blur shot past him.
Lin Yi had already taken off like a rocket toward the Heat’s basket.
"Holy—he’s fast."
Coach Spoelstra had warned them, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. Lin Yi was even quicker than the highlight reels.
O’Neal’s dumbfounded expression said it all: What the hell?!
Back at the Knicks' end, Danilo Gallinari launched a long bomb.
"Wait—he’s throwing that? From here?"
O’Neal followed the ball’s arc—there was Lin Yi, already in the air.
Gallinari’s pass wasn’t perfect. It was a bit off... could Lin even reach that?
For a second, even Lin Yi hesitated. Then, instincts kicked in.
BANG!
The arena erupted.
Just seconds into the game, Lin Yi had already gifted the Miami crowd a thunderous one-handed dunk.
The No. 1 pick had arrived.
“Wow! I wonder if the NBA tracks fastest scores off the tip-off... that might’ve broken a record!” Yu Jia gasped on commentary.
"That elevation... that speed!" Zhang Weiping added. “Even if that pass was 10 centimeters higher, Lin Yi still would’ve slammed it home.”
Up in the stands, Pat Riley looked like he just bit into a lemon. He hated sloppy defensive plays.
Back on court, O'Neal imagined Riley’s icy glare stabbing him in the back from the stands. He shivered and quickly handed the ball off to Wade.
Dribbling up, Wade’s eyes lit up.
Interesting... Is this guy challenging me?
He smirked. He already knew what he had to do next—teach this rookie a little something about the NBA.
This Heat squad was built to grind—slow-paced, gritty ball, a coach’s favorite formula for maximizing defense.
Chalmers was the floor spacer, not a playmaker. That made him perfect for this system. Wade didn’t need another ball handler—he needed a shooter.
James Jones could defend, but his shot was streaky. As for guys who could shoot well and defend? Rare. If they existed, they were already snatched by other NBA teams... or yet to be uncovered.
Tactically, Miami wasn’t complicated. They lived off pick-and-rolls, especially with Wade.
O’Neal could shoot a bit, decent for screens. Beasley was a black hole—needed the ball in hand, couldn’t move off-ball to save his life.
The second pick had yet to hit his stride. His best career moment? Ironically, it came after his CBA stint, when he joined the Rockets and scored 10 points a game in the playoffs.
And hey, Hassan Whiteside came back from China and dominated for a bit, too.
Even MarShon Brooks, aka “Baby Kobe,” who had been compared earlier in his career to Kobe Bryant, found new life in the CBA.
Now, back on court, Wade called for the pick.
He puffed his cheeks again, locking in.
The Knicks switched smartly. O’Neal tried to bully Chris Duhon, but David Lee stepped in. Then Harrington rotated over—tight, clean switches.
Knicks' starting lineup wasn’t bad either. Harrington was slow-footed, but against a slow-paced team like Miami, he was fine at the four.
Chalmers was their only deep threat, and even he wouldn’t get too many touches. Riley’s system handed down to Spoelstra was rigid. Stars carried the offense; defense came from the scheme.
Lin Yi stood off Wade, daring him with a shooting gesture.
"Go ahead. Shoot it."
Wade could hit the mid-range, but New York wanted him to. D’Antoni planned to bait shots, speed things up, and force more possessions. That’s how his system worked.
People always said D’Antoni didn’t know defense. Not true. You can’t play that fast and also go full lockdown every play. It’s all about trade-offs.
On cue, Wade didn’t settle. He drove hard, crossed left, switched to his right, and exploded toward the rim.
Whoosh.
A gust of wind hit Lin Yi as The Flash, Dwayne Wade, blew past him.
At his peak, Wade was near unstoppable as a shooting guard. Top 5 material. He brushed past Lin Yi mid-air, used the contact, twisted, and banked it in.
And-one.
As he hit the floor, Wade grinned. He was just about to deliver on his promise.
But Lin Yi beat him to it, offering a hand and saying casually:
“Welcome to the NBA, rookie.”
"...Huh?!"
Wade stared in disbelief. He just stole my line?
Then he laughed, patting Lin Yi on the backside.
“Alright, kid. I like you.”
But in the stands, Riley’s face soured again. He hated that. Opponents pulling your player up? No way. In Riley’s world, this was war, not handshakes and hugs.
Wade hit the free throw. Heat now up 2-3.
Barely had the ball dropped before the Knicks were back in motion.
Lin Yi inbounded, sprinted upcourt.
O’Neal looked shattered. His body was trying to keep up with the pace during the run.
Lin Yi crossed up his man on the perimeter. Heat tried to switch...
No-look pass.
David Lee caught it in stride, laid it in.
4-3, Knicks up by one.
“They're fast!” Zhang Weiping exclaimed. “D’Antoni’s Suns played with that ‘7 seconds or less’ mindset, and now it looks like he’s bringing that to New York.”
“We don’t know how far this team can go,” Yu Jia added, “but fans are going to love watching this.”
Next play, Wade ran another pick-and-roll with Haslem. Missed.
Lin Yi grabbed the rebound, pushed the pace again.
O’Neal was wheezing.
His face was now filled with pure despair.
"Please... don’t make me run anymore..."
Comments
Ju
Is Wade joining Lin Yi ?
