The Knicks' away game against the Houston Rockets wasn't just another stop on the schedule—it was a spotlight showdown, especially for Chinese fans.
Even though Yao was out for the season, the Rockets were still the team in the hearts of many back home. But let's be real—Lin Yi's rise had shaken things up. With Yao sidelined and McGrady not quite back to form, a lot of lukewarm Chinese fans had already jumped ship... right over to the Knicks.
Houston still loved Lin. Last March was unforgettable. When he and Curry lit it up during March Madness, tons of local Chinese fans packed the stands to catch a glimpse. The Shooting Stars were electric. People still talk about that run, especially the upset over North Carolina. Yeah, the game was in Indianapolis, but for most folks? That was the national championship.
Ah... memories.
...
Because of Lin Yi, the Knicks didn't bother trading for McGrady, so T-Mac was still rocking a Rockets jersey. But post-injury, he'd been bumped to a sixth man role.
Coach Adelman had finally accepted reality—no Yao, no playoff run.
Last year, even with Yao, the Rockets had taken the Lakers to seven games, and that had given Adelman false hope. He began to think that the Princeton offense could take them all the way.
But the truth? Yao Ming was the soul of that team.
Doesn't matter how smooth Luis Scola's footwork looked or how hot-and-cold Aaron Brooks could be—none of them drew double-teams like Yao.
People always joked that Yao was only an All-Star starter because of fan votes. But real hoop heads knew—after a few years, the big guy earned that spot with pure skill.
As for McGrady, the other half of that legendary Yao-Mac duo? These days, he was averaging 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals… Yeah, everything was 1-point-something. Kinda sad. The guy used to be unstoppable.
And it's not like the Rockets didn't have talent. Brooks' backup? Freakin' Kyle Lowry—future All-Star. Then there was Scola, Landry, Ariza, Battier, Chuck Hayes... solid crew. Even without Yao, they were over .500.
But in Lin Yi's eyes, the Rockets were playing it all wrong.
They weren't making the playoffs in the West without Yao, so why not tank and grab a high draft pick?
This was a deep lottery class. Could've landed someone like Paul George to carry the torch after McGrady. Instead, they kept trying to win just enough to stay mediocre.
Then again, Adelman wasn't the kind of coach who'd tank on purpose. He took pride in competing. If the Rockets wanted to bottom out, they'd have to let him go.
Of course, they still had Morey in the front office. Say what you want about him—he wasn't perfect—but he was a lot smarter than your average GM.
Morey had a mixed track record. Sure, in 2010, he picked Patrick Patterson and thought he'd found a gem… but he also missed out on guys like Avery Bradley, Eric Bledsoe, and Devin Booker.
Still, he believed in data—and while numbers don't always tell the full story, they rarely lead you completely off track. Compared to some of those old-school eye test GMs, Morey was a breath of fresh air.
...
At the Toyota Center, tipoff was just around the corner.
The Rockets had sped up their game without Yao. Scola was technically the center, but he didn't want any part of guarding Lin Yi.
The dude had just posted a quadruple-double.
Before the game, Scola pulled Coach Adelman aside and was like, "Coach... I can't stop this guy."
Honestly? Fair enough.
No one wants to be that guy—the fifth dude who ends up in a Lin Yi highlight reel, face down, meme-ready on some poor soul's YouTube channel.
Scola? Great footwork on offense. But on D? Man's got the turning speed of a cruise ship and relies way too much on flop artistry to survive.
Adelman's no fool, though. He's not gonna pull a Larry Brown and die on his principles. Tonight, he's starting 6'6" Chuck Hayes on Lin Yi.
Talk about a mismatch.
Rockets starting five:
Luis Scola
Chuck Hayes
Shane Battier
Trevor Ariza
Aaron Brooks.
Knicks:
Lin Yi
David Lee
Gallinari
Wilson Chandler
Douglas.
Right off the tip, Scola didn't even bother contesting the jump ball. Lin jogged onto the court, glanced across the paint, and sure enough—there stood Chuck Hayes.
Hayes was just 198 cm—more small forward height than power forward—but that man had a base like a tree stump. Strong as hell. No flash, just grind. And sometimes, when Scola was struggling, Hayes even slid over to center.
A real lunch-pail kind of player. Nothing fancy, no hype, but always available and always putting in work. In Lin Yi's eyes, Hayes was the definition of a defensive specialist with a knife. No flair—just cut you up on D.
So Lin didn't rush into anything early. No iso-ball, no hero mode. Instead, he took his time, studied Hayes's footwork, and watched for tendencies. Meanwhile, the broadcast booth was already fired up.
"Lin Yi gotta take him off the dribble. Looks like his son compared to him," Chuck said jokingly.
But Lin kept calm.
There was a reason this Rockets squad was still winning over half of their games even without Yao. Adelman swore by his beloved Princeton offense, but in reality? This was still Van Gundy's defense at the core.
Battier and Ariza were classic 3&D wings. Hayes was a brick wall. Lowry, even coming off the bench, could start for a lot of teams. And with guys like Landry coming in as energy scorers, this team had real depth.
So Lin Yi took a light six-minute shift in the first quarter—nothing flashy, just reading the defense and dishing dimes. Adelman was pleased that Hayes held Lin scoreless, but what he didn't notice was David Lee cooking Scola on the other end.
Watching Scola and David Lee go at it was like watching two guys play chess on the floor. Both were all about footwork, fakes, and angles. But tonight? David Lee had the upper hand. Scola tried everything—even his trademark flops—but nothing worked.
Lin Yi figured David Lee would make another All-Star this year, just like in his memory. But if that happened, the Knicks probably wouldn't keep him long-term.
Shame. Lin liked playing with Lee. Still, what he wanted was a Tyson Chandler-type down low—a real enforcer. Someone who could anchor the paint so he could focus on offense.
At the end of one, it was a tight game. Knicks up, 27–25. Classic grindfest.
....
Second quarter, new rotations. Lin Yi checked in with Harrington, Gallinari, Belinelli, and Lou Williams.
The Rockets responded with David Andersen, Landry, Budinger, McGrady, and Lowry.
And when McGrady stepped on the court?
The crowd popped.
Didn't matter if he was past his prime—Houston loved him. Thirty-five seconds, thirteen points... moments like that never fade. People still wanted to believe he had one more magic trick left.
Lin Yi glanced over—and there he was. T-Mac, that sleepy-eyed smile and all, gave him a lazy little grin.
Lin's stomach dropped.
Sure enough, Rockets' next possession, McGrady picked him up.
Lin Yi: (* ⊙ ~ ⊙) What the hell!?
And just like that, thousands of fans across China lost their minds. The nostalgia was real.
McGrady guarding Lin Yi!?
My youth is back!
Zhang Lixin in the booth was cackling.
"Whoa! Adelman's got guts—he's throwing McGrady at Lin Yi!", The Chuckster exclaimed in his chair.
Kenny chimed in, "Well, McGrady has guarded Nowitzki before. Maybe Coach thinks he can handle Lin the same way?"