After locking in their Finals opponent, the New York Knicks sharpened their preparation.
Yao Ming had held his own in the Eastern Conference Finals, and against the Spurs, Mike D'Antoni planned to push his minutes higher.
In New York, Yao had found a kind of freedom he rarely enjoyed before. With a mobile power forward covering space, teams could no longer drag him into constant defensive exposure. As he once put it, if he stayed inside, opponents were welcome to come bang bodies with him there.
If not for the defensive three-second rule, their zone would have been suffocating.
On offense, Yao had become a blunt force tool. His minutes were limited, but every stint shifted the floor. He created space by giving the Knicks a clear interior anchor. His role closely resembled that of Shaq during the Knicks winning season.
Then there was the unexpected twist.
After the suspension of Wilson Chandler, Tracy McGrady stepped into the playoff rotation.
For many Houston fans, it felt surreal.
The Yao-Mac pairing had finally reached the Finals, just not in Houston. It was happening in the Big Apple.
. . .
While the Knicks fine-tuned their machinery, the San Antonio Spurs arrived without much fanfare.
They were the defending champions, yet the noise around them felt muted. Public opinion leaned heavily toward New York, as if the Spurs were an afterthought.
Even Charles Barkley held back.
On TNT's preview, he kept it measured. "The Spurs came out of the West. The Knicks can't take them lightly."
That alone was enough to make Lin Yi pause.
Not because the analysis was sharp, but because Barkley had not gone overboard. For once, glaze wasn't dripping from his mouth.
This matchup carried real danger.
More than Miami had.
The Spurs played with structure. Their discipline held regardless of momentum swings. A run from the Knicks would not pull them out of shape, and their scoring threats shifted constantly. It was never clear where the next attack would come from.
For New York to win, they had to impose the tempo early.
The format did not help either.
The 2-3-2 Finals setup reduced the usual edge of home court. By the time the series settled, that advantage felt thinner than expected.
. . .
After the Spurs landed in New York, Gregg Popovich set a curfew.
New York's nightlife had undone more disciplined teams before. He had no interest in testing that.
Few players ignored the city entirely.
Lin Yi was one of them.
At one point, Danilo Gallinari had even joked about it, questioning what exactly held Lin Yi's attention.
The answer had always been simple.
Family and basketball.
. . .
Back at the training facility, D'Antoni looked up from his notes.
"Interesting, Lin. Why do you think the Spurs will run with us?"
Lin Yi did not hesitate.
"If they try to slow it down and defend us straight up, they lose."
It was not arrogance. It was a read on identity.
People focused on the Knicks' offense, but their edge came from defense. They forced misses, forced mistakes, and turned both into points.
According to ESPN metrics, New York led the league in fast-break scoring.
That started on the other end.
They limited field goal percentage better than anyone and generated more turnovers than anyone.
Once the ball changed hands, the pace followed.
And few teams could keep up.
After entering the playoffs, the Knicks' defensive intensity rose another level.
Even with a roster full of defensive specialists, the Spurs were still a step behind on that end.
Once Gregg Popovich recognized that gap, the adjustment was obvious. The Spurs would lean into offense. If they wanted an upset, they had to win a scoring battle.
Lin Yi expected them to increase their offense, limit turnovers, and deny the Knicks any transition chances. On defense, they would commit fully to the Lin Yi Rule, cutting off his connection with teammates and forcing him into isolation.
Andrei Kirilenko was their key piece. Not because he could stop Lin Yi outright, but because he could disrupt rhythm and push possessions into one-on-one situations. That alone could swing the series. The same tactic looks different depending on who executes it.
This series had the feel of a long one. Six games, maybe seven.
Lin Yi had no concerns about his own numbers. If the Spurs defended this way, his scoring would come. He was called the Grim Reaper for a reason.
The real question sat with the rest of the roster. Could they hold up under pressure?
If they expected to ride him to a title, the Knicks would be asking for something unrealistic. Against a team like the Spurs, that approach rarely holds.
After breaking it all down, both Lin Yi and Mike D'Antoni came away with the same thought. Popovich was a damn problem.
There was a saying Lin Yi remembered. Watching most teams, it felt like coaching barely mattered. Watching Popovich, it felt like coaching could decide everything.
He did not want to overstate it. Still, history was clear. Teams that underestimated the Spurs paid for it.
Strangely, Pat Riley had already helped. What happened in the Eastern Conference Finals removed any chance of chaos carrying into this series. David Stern was watching closely, and no one was looking to test his patience.
"Our two home games matter the most," Lin Yi muttered on the drive back from the facility.
"Go to San Antonio up 2-0, and we control the series."
This was the year. No more heartbreak.
That part was settled in his mind.
No matter how disciplined the Spurs were, they had still been pushed to six by the Oklahoma City Thunder. They were not untouchable.
In three days, the 2013 NBA Finals would begin at Madison Square Garden.
. . .
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