1 Bonus chapter for 300 powerstones
1 Bonus chapter for 400 powerstones
1 Bonus chapter for 500 powerstones
...
The Knicks' seven-ga winning streak finally ca to an end—and not at the hands of a contender. No, it was the struggling Pistons who dealt the blow.
These weren't the championship Pistons of the 2000s. This Detroit squad had started the season 2–5, a team clearly in transition, rebuilding, recalibrating. Knicks fans? Understandably bewildered.
"Classic Knicks," one fan quipped online. "Just when you start believing, they do sothing like this."
Truth is, the Knicks lost this ga on their terms. Sloppy rotations, lazy switches, and cold shooting. And then there was Ben Gordon.
Rember Ben Gordon? Once hyped as a potential heir to Jordan's throne. Lin Yi had to laugh—if he had a dollar for every so-called Jordan successor, he could buy the Bulls himself. Yet for one night, Gordon caught fire. Eight three-pointers on nine attempts. Pure chaos. He torched the Knicks like he had a vendetta.
Lin himself went ice-cold, clanging seven shots off the iron. He tried to take the bla post-ga, but most fans and analysts gave him a pass. After all, he'd carried the team through the win streak. There's privilege in being the alpha. You get the spotlight—and the shield.
...
November 11, 2010
Singles' Day
Next up, the Knicks were set to face the Golden State Warriors, who landed in New York just in ti for Singles' Day.
Lin Yi never liked Singles' Day.
Back in his previous life, he'd had more than one relationship mysteriously implode on November 11th.
Always with the sa weak excuse: "It's not you, it's the timing." Yeah, sure. More like an excuse to swap him out for soone flashier, soone newer.
Fortunately, basketball didn't ghost you.
The mont Lin saw Stephen Curry again, he noticed the difference. Steph looked stronger. More confident. But Lin's attention quickly shifted.
"Why's Boogie with you?" Lin asked, side-eyeing the towering Cousins.
"David wanted to co," Curry said with a grin, "but he bailed. Said he needed sleep."
Lin smirked. David Lee, now in Golden State, was watching the Knicks from afar—and probably wondering if he'd made the right choice. Because the Knicks? They were rolling.
To be fair, the Warriors weren't looking bad either. Their new coach, Keith Smart, had tightened things up. Ellis wasn't freelancing as much, and their recent lottery pick, Cousins, gave them so beef inside.
Curry, Ellis, Lee, Cousins. The nas sounded good. The defense? Still Swiss cheese. But they were competitive.
Cousins, though... he was still Cousins. Talented, but chaotic.
In the first eight gas, he'd already made seven three-pointers. Fans online couldn't understand why soone of his size was camped beyond the arc. Lin Yi could. Because Boogie was trying to be him.
Over hotpot and noodles, the three caught up. Curry had evolved. Playing for Team USA over the sumr had sharpened his ga and boosted his confidence. He wasn't just a shooter anymore—he was learning how to run a team.
His stats? Solid. Nearly five assists per ga, 45% from three, almost joining the 50-40-90 club. Lin Yi rembered thinking Curry would hit those marks in his third season, but at this rate, he might just beat the tiline.
The 2009 rookie class was making noise. Blake Griffin was putting up 20 points a night. DeRozan was thriving, Harden had cented himself as OKC's sixth man—and Lin? He'd beco the face of the class.
Even guys like Teague, Holiday, Lawson, and Danny Green—they were carving out legit careers.
"You guys watching that triple-double I had last week?" Lin asked smugly.
Curry rolled his eyes. "Didn't see it. Must've been on when I was napping."
Cousins, however, clapped like a kid who just got cake. "Dude! Legendary stuff! I'm getting one of those next ga!"
Lin buried his face in his hands. "Please don't."
"Big fan, huh." teasingly said Curry while stealing a piece of at from Lin's plate.
...
November 12, 2010
Ga Day: Warriors vs. Knicks
Madison Square Garden.
Tony Allen was glued to Curry like duct tape. Stephenson, coming off the bench, beca the unexpected hero. David Lee got stuffed at the rim more tis than he cared to count. And Cousins? He had a one-man fast break that ended with him crashing into the scorers' table.
Final score: Warriors 80, Knicks 85.
New York advanced to 8–1 on the season, topping the Eastern Conference.
For once, Jas Dolan didn't have to break the bank to win. He just had to let Lin cook.
Statlines:
Stephen Curry: 33 mins, 12 pts, 4 rebs, 10 asts
David Lee: 35 mins, 4 pts, 8 rebs
DeMarcus Cousins: 13 mins, 7 pts, 3 rebs
Monta Ellis: 24 pts on 10–34 FG (yikes)
Lin Yi: 38 mins, 39 pts (4/8 from 3), 4 rebs, 5 asts, 4 blocks
One particular mont stood out—Lin nailed a deep three with Curry's hand in his chest. As Steph shook his head, Lin clapped him on the back.
"Steph," he whispered, "you gotta say that prayer that helped grow like a bean sprout."
Curry laughed, then punched him lightly on the rib.
...
Please do leave a review, helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a
User Comments
0 comments from readers