NBA: Journey To Become Unplayable.

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April 2nd, 2010

Oracle Arena remains one of the hottest places to play in the NBA. Even with how bad the Warriors have been this season, the place is still packed every night.

The ownership hasn't changed, and the Logo Man hasn't made his way to Golden State yet. Speaking of changes, the word is that the Warriors are planning a move to San Francisco down the line.

Lin Yi's fan base has grown everywhere. Tonight at Oracle, you could spot plenty of fans in the crowd wearing his jersey — not surprising, considering the large Chinese community in the Bay Area, and the short drive from San Francisco to Oakland.

The atmosphere tonight at Oracle was electric. After all, this was Chamberlain's old team, and Americans have a soft spot for storylines about fate and legacy. Plenty of people have called this Knicks-Warriors matchup a clash of destiny.

…

Before tip-off, Don Nelson and Lin Yi shared a warm hug on the sidelines. These days, no one questions Nelson's mad scientist decision to bring Lin Yi and Curry together in the summer.

Back then, Nelson said he wouldn't hesitate to take both if he could. And he's been proven right.

Curry's performance continued to improve throughout the season, and even the most skeptical fans have come around, and Lin Yi was well... Lin Yi. Unlike Jennings, who's still out here thinking he's better than Curry because of that one flashy 55-point game…

Poor Jennings — that night just helped Curry's case.

Although Curry's popularity isn't quite where it will be in the future, you could already spot quite a few number 30 jerseys at Oracle. Even more people tonight, though, were rocking Lin Yi gear.

When the starting lineups were announced on the big screen, here's how it looked:

Knicks:

Lin Yi

David Lee

Gallinari

Chandler

Pat Ewing Jr.

Warriors:

Ronny Turiaf

Corey Maggette

Anthony Morrow

Monta Ellis

Steph Curry

True to his reputation, Nelson rolled out a small-ball lineup to face the Knicks.

At tip-off, no matter how fired up Turiaf was, Lin Yi easily won it for the Knicks.

That said, Lin Yi genuinely respects Turiaf. After all, this is a guy who underwent heart surgery, was told not to play sports again, and still fought his way back to an NBA career.

It's also worth noting: the Lakers and Knicks are worlds apart in how they treat their players. When Turiaf had that surgery, the Lakers paid for it and stood by him until he was back. The Buss family always made their players feel like family. That loyalty is part of why Kobe finished his career there and why they even gave a feel-good moment to an NBA journeyman like Andre Ingram.

The Knicks? Not so much. Just ask Ewing how his time in New York ended.

…

On the court, the Knicks struck first. Maggette, guarding Lin Yi, was quick and strong — a tough matchup. But Lin Yi stayed composed and lobbed it to a cutting David Lee.

Turiaf bit on Lee's pump fake, leaving David for an easy bucket and giving Lin Yi the assist.

"The Knicks' ball movement just keeps getting better. That offensive flow is beautiful," Barkley said on the broadcast, taking another opportunity to heap praise on Lin Yi and the Knicks.

Kenny Smith chimed in with some skepticism: "That's nice and all, but can they execute like this when playoff defenses tighten up? That's the real test."

Meanwhile, on the Warriors bench, Nelson kept his eyes glued to David Lee. Everyone knows the Warriors won't be able to land Lin Yi, but Lee's contract expires this summer, and Nelson has always loved his game. In his mind, pairing Curry with David Lee could be something special.

Back on the court, Curry got hot early. Coming off a pick-and-roll, he released a lightning-quick jumper that splashed through the net, drawing huge cheers from the crowd.

He even gave Lin Yi a playful fist pump as he ran back on defense, which Lin Yi returned with a knowing grin. He was already planning to call for a pick and go right at Curry on the next possession.

Ellis, meanwhile, watched Curry with a scowl. Since Nelson called him out earlier in the season, he's grown colder toward the rookie. He wanted to be an All-Star, but all the buzz seemed to be around Curry, and the critics didn't help either, calling him inefficient and even labeling him a locker-room problem.

Years later, some would try to rehabilitate Ellis's reputation. But honestly? If he'd been that good, the Warriors wouldn't have been stuck in mediocrity for so long.

On the next Knicks possession, Lin Yi took over. After a screen forced Curry onto him, he backed the rookie down in the post. Curry tried to poke the ball loose, but Lin Yi knew exactly what was coming, spun, and finished a smooth layup over him.

After Lin Yi sank the layup, he turned, finger to lips, and flashed a playful shh gesture at Curry. Steph just grinned and shook his head.

The crowd loved it. Everyone knew the two were close — no one took it as animosity. To the fans, it was just two friends having fun competing.

By the end of the first quarter, Curry had already drilled three threes, finishing with 11 points, a rebound, and an assist. Lin Yi, meanwhile, cruised to 8 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

…

During the break, Lin Yi stopped courtside for a quick interview with the sideline host.

Everyone expected him to break another record tonight, so the questions stayed light and friendly — until Lin Yi casually mentioned how meaningful it was to set records against the Warriors. That drew a chorus of good-natured boos and laughs from the Oracle crowd.

Lin didn't care. After all, the Warriors' defense was practically begging him to put up numbers. Curry and Ellis together left a gaping hole in the backcourt, and Lin planned to exploit it.

In the second quarter, Lin stayed on the floor while Curry got a few minutes of rest. These days, the Warriors were already being cautious with his ankle, foreshadowing the load-management trend that would later limit stars to about 33–35 minutes a night to reduce injury risk.

By halftime, Lin had already piled up 8 assists and 7 rebounds to go with his points. Barkley was practically foaming at the mouth in the halftime show:

"I don't wanna hear one more word about Lin padding stats! Half his triple-doubles have come in three quarters. And don't forget — if the Knicks win tonight, that's ten straight wins! Shut. It. Down."

Even Kenny Smith, usually more measured, nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, a few former players who made a living criticizing Lin on TV just grumbled to themselves, quietly fuming at Barkley for the slight.

Because the truth is, a lot of ex-players struggled to stay relevant after retirement. Guys like Jordan, Bird, Magic? Their legacies are immortal. But for others — like Monta Ellis — who's going to talk about them years later? That's why old heads like George Gervin kept reminding everyone about his iconic finger roll. People just want to be remembered.

…

As the third quarter wore on, Lin edged closer to history.

Midway through the period, with just one assist needed for his tenth straight triple-double, the Knicks broke into transition. Lin dribbled upcourt, eyes and body angled toward the left wing, as if about to hit a shooter there, then, at the last second, he whipped a no-look, bullet pass to Chandler streaking down the lane.

Chandler finished strong.

Barkley jumped out of his chair. "Ohhh my god! A NO LOOK-PISTOL PASS! That's the pistol, baby!"

Kenny Smith added. "Finally! Somebody's keeping Pete Maravich's magic alive!"

Even Warriors fans, seeing the replay on the big screen, let out an audible gasp. Many of them had only ever heard of Maravich's legendary passes — now they'd seen one live.

D'Antoni, meanwhile, stood on the Knicks' sideline with his hands on his head, turning to his assistants like a man watching an alien land on Earth.

"Tell me," he muttered, "what else can this kid do? Seriously — what else?!"

With that pass, Lin officially secured his tenth consecutive triple-double, rewriting the NBA record books and reviving memories of Maravich's artistry.

Barkley stood and applauded from the TNT desk.

"That's it. I'm booking it — Hall of Fame bound. Right here, right now."

Kenny added: "This game is already one for the history books."

…

Amid the emotions, memories, and applause, the Knicks closed it out, winning 133–119 on the road. Lin finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal in 37 minutes.

Ten straight triple-doubles. Unbelievable.

After the game, the media swarmed him.

"Lin, how does it feel right now?" one reporter asked.

Lin smiled. "I'm really happy and excited. This record… it means a lot."

"And are the Knicks chasing the championship this year?" another followed up, carefully avoiding any chance for Lin to joke too much.

Lin grinned and quoted an old ad: "If the heart's in it, the dream's alive. That's what it's all about."

The reporter blinked, speechless.

That night, Oracle Arena stayed buzzing long after the final buzzer.

In the locker room, Curry sat quietly, watching his friend and rival on the TV soak in the moment, and clenched his fist.

He knew his time was coming, too.

...

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