In this round of the Finals, Rick Carlisle could only shake his head—he felt like every move he made was being read by D'Antoni.
To keep the Knicks from coming out blazing, Carlisle had adjusted his lineup, starting DeShawn Stevenson for his defense instead of Monta Ellis.
But the Knicks?
No surprises there. D'Antoni stuck with the regular starters. He knew better than to lean on the same trick twice—opponents adjust quickly in a series like this. His thinking was in line with Lin Yi's: don't give Dallas even the smallest opening in Game 5.
The Knicks' approach rattled Dallas' game plan right from the tip, but Lin Yi wasn't fooled. He knew this series wasn't going to be simple. At this point, either team could win a game on grit alone.
By now, the Mavericks understood the stakes as well. There was no room left for friendship or any hakuna matata bulls**t. The only thing that mattered was intensity—defense so physical it bordered on brutal.
Lin Yi's first possession went nowhere. Shawn Marion muscled him up, and Emeka Okafor slid over to cut off the lane. Trapped between two strong bodies, Lin Yi forced a layup that rimmed out.
For a moment, he thought the referees had swallowed their whistles. Then he realized—they had. Tonight, as long as the contact wasn't dirty or dangerous, the officials were letting them play. A true Finals' final atmosphere.
The evidence came quickly. On the next trip, DeShawn barreled into Billups mid-air on a layup attempt. The collision echoed through the arena. Still no whistle. Jason Kidd drove next and missed, then barked at the refs, but they stared straight ahead like monks deep in meditation.
After two bruising minutes, the scoreboard still read 0–0.
The pundits who claimed this Finals was all offense and no defense suddenly looked a little speechless.
In reality, both the Conference Finals and this matchup had been wars of attrition. The Knicks and Mavericks relied heavily on tactics, yes, but under the surface, every possession was trench warfare. And in Game 5—with Dallas desperate and New York desperate for its first title in 38 years—the physical toll hit its peak.
Even Dirk Nowitzki was missing shots he normally made. Lin Yi, usually automatic from mid-range, couldn't find the touch either. The pressure was obvious: when you're locked in defensively, the shooting rhythm suffers.
Finally, with 8:57 left in the first quarter, Lin Yi broke the deadlock. Exploding from the perimeter, he caught Marion flat-footed. By the time Okafor rotated, Lin Yi was already in the paint. Mid-air, he twisted past the contest—his body suspended, almost frozen—then spun 180 degrees before flipping the ball off the glass.
2–0 Knicks.
The crowd erupted.
"This one's going straight into the highlight reel!" Yu Jia's voice rose with excitement. "That's not just strength, that's body control, balance, grace… almost like watching a dancer in the air!"
Dirk gave Lin Yi a glance after jogging back down. The veteran wasn't surprised by the talent anymore, but he was struck by how quickly Lin Yi had settled down while everyone else was still jittery.
After a deep breath, Dirk found his own rhythm. Catching the ball at the elbow, he rose for his signature fadeaway. Pure. 2–2.
Barkley chuckled on commentary: "I don't care who wins this series—this Finals is already in my personal top five since commentary."
Kenny Smith nodded. "That's the NBA for you, Charles. Only one team takes the trophy, but both sides have already given us something special."
On court, Billups struggled to find an opening. Lin Yi waved for the ball. Marion fought around the screen but couldn't deny the lob. Catching in rhythm, Lin Yi used his frame to shield the ball, then gave a sudden jab and pulled up. The shot rattled on the rim twice before dropping.
4–2 Knicks.
Lin Yi knew this was the moment to step up. Not because he needed the spotlight, but because his teammates needed someone to steady the ship. When others caught fire, he happily deferred. But in moments like these, the responsibility was his.
Dirk responded in kind, sinking another jumper to tie it 4–4.
"The Knicks' offense still has to run through Lin Yi," Yu Jia said.
"And the Mavericks through Dirk," Zhang Heli added. "Both teams are single-core at heart. Tonight is all about which star can carry their side just long enough for others to catch fire."
Possession after possession, Lin Yi danced with Marion. Each dribble was like walking a tightrope, and Marion didn't dare gamble on a steal. Billups spotted the duel from the wing and waited attentively in case of an open look.
Then Lin Yi broke free again, driving hard into the paint and finishing through Okafor's body.
Dirk answered with his trademark one-legged fade, tying the game yet again.
Timeout, Knicks.
Lin Yi walked to the bench, sweat pouring, towel waiting in Shaq's hands. Carlisle, across the court, was already sketching adjustments on his clipboard.
.
"Is Nowitzki on fire tonight or what?"
"Seriously—did he have a radioactive Slim Jim, or down a Red Bull or two before tip-off?"
These were some of the comments floating around the crowd.
The Mavericks had just survived the Knicks' first big punch. After one quarter, the scoreboard read 24–24.
Dirk was already in full flow—14 points in the opening frame, bailing Dallas out every time their offense stalled.
For years, people doubted him. Tonight, he made them eat their words. If anyone still dared to say so, Lin Yi swore he'd be the first to go full Murica and defend the German's honor.
For Lin, this Finals series had been exhausting. In Game 2, he'd even broken out his rarely used skyhook—proof of how much the Mavericks had pushed him. Reality, he knew, was far messier than the stories where the protagonist always wins.
The truth?
Dallas played fearless basketball because they didn't see a natural predator. Against most teams, their defense looked like a 90 out of 100. Against Lin Yi, it was maybe a 70 on a good day.
Early in the second quarter, D'Antoni gave him two minutes of rest. The Knicks' bench fought hard but couldn't find their rhythm, and worse, they weren't hustling back on defense as fast as before.
Sitting on the bench, towel draped around his shoulders, Lin Yi knew Dallas wasn't about to take their foot off the gas. They were fighting for survival. And if he ever thought he was strong enough, moments like this reminded him—he wasn't there yet.
But he didn't regret the grind. Once he declared he'd chase a championship, he had to live it every day, step by step. Watching these Finals in his past life was one thing; actually going toe-to-toe with Dirk in this life revealed the truth to him.
Scoring over 30,000 points in the NBA? That's no accident. Dirk Nowitzki was one of the rare few.
When Lin Yi checked back in, Dirk did too. Carlisle gave his star nothing more than a pat on the back. At this stage, what else could a coach say?
Swish!
"Lin Yi wastes no time—straight back on the board," Yu Jia called.
Zhang Heli added with a grin, "If it drops, it's a good shot. And that one was right on the money."
But Dirk answered immediately with that one-legged fadeaway.
Lin Yi fought over the top, hands up, body pressing, but the shot still floated in.
Mavericks fans roared for a tougher defence—it was survival or nothing.
Watching from the sideline, Lin Yi finally understood why Yao Ming once came back injured in the playoffs. In this league, no one could afford to wait for tomorrow.
And while Nowitzki starred, Marion was grinding on the other end. People ripped his defense in this series, but the reality was the veteran had thrown his whole body at Lin Yi every possession, never once complaining. Lin respected him for that.
Bang!
Marion stood his ground again, absorbing another body blow from Lin. Okafor rotated over, but Lin spun between them and banked it in—33–32, Knicks by one.
Back in New York, more than 20,000 fans packed Madison Square Garden just to watch the game on the big screen. They screamed at every Lin Yi bucket as if he could hear them from Dallas.
ESPN once said not even God could save the Knicks. For these fans, Lin Yi was their god.
For nearly four minutes, it became a duel: Lin Yi vs. Dirk, shot for shot, blow for blow.
The team game dissolved into a showcase of two men refusing to bend.
Five minutes left in the half, the Knicks rolled out their second wave of players.
Dallas countered. American Airlines Centre had become a coliseum.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 49–49.
Dirk had 25, Lin Yi had 24.
During the break, Barkley and Kenny Smith were already joking on TV about who would get to 50 first. If Shaq were retired and on set, he'd have made a ridiculous bet on it.
The second half opened like a heavyweight fight. Dirk struck first—another silky jumper, his 27th point.
But Lin Yi came right back, muscling past Marion, carrying Okafor on his hip, and finishing through contact. The whistle blew—basket counts, foul called.
"2+1!"
Curry, watching from home, smiled. It reminded him of their college days.
Lin Yi calmly hit the free throw. Knicks back in front, 52–51. His 27th point of the night.
And the duel with Nowitzki raged on.
.
If the NBA didn't keep such meticulous stats, people might have already lost count of how many times the Mavericks and Knicks had exchanged the lead tonight.
Tired?
Everyone was exhausted.
Lin Yi, more than anyone, just wanted to collapse on the hardwood. In those dragging moments of the third quarter, what he craved most wasn't glory—it was Olsen's massages and…, fried chicken with Chris Paul, and silly 2K bets with Curry.
But this was the Finals. There's no time for sentimentality.
…
After three quarters, Game 5 was still a deadlock: Knicks 72, Mavericks 73. Neither side had managed a decisive run.
"This one's a nail-biter. Zhang, how do you see the Knicks breaking the stalemate?" Yu Jia asked during the intermission.
"It's hard to call. Neither team is finding the three tonight—Dallas has five, New York only four. In the fourth quarter, whoever finds their stroke first will win," Zhang Heli replied.
The final period opened without the stars. Lin Yi sat, catching his breath. Dirk did the same.
The Knicks rolled out Tyson Chandler, Battier, Green, Lou Williams, and Livingston.
Dallas countered with Okafor, Marion, Peja Stojaković, Ellis, and Jason Terry.
First punch—Dallas.
Jason Terry curled baseline, caught, and let it fly.
Swish.
72-76. Mavericks by four.
Terry thumped his chest, sending a message: This is our house.
On the Knicks' bench, D'Antoni stole a glance at Lin Yi, then looked away, nerves creeping in. His brother Dan leaned over.
"Mike, trust the guys. Lin's carried enough. It's time someone else stepped up."
D'Antoni nodded—he knew his brother was right.
Next possession, Green used an elevator screen, popped out, and buried a three of his own.
Expressionless, but deadly.
75-76.
The Knicks had life.
Then Lou Williams sprinted down the floor and—on a fast break of all things—pulled up for three. Bold. Audacious. Knicks basketball.
Bang!
78–76, New York.
The Dallas crowd froze. Who shoots a transition three in the Finals? The Knicks do.
Lou grinned, pumping his fists. For him, it wasn't about complex tactics. D'Antoni's only order was, "Play your game." And this was his game.
Carlisle had no choice.
Timeout.
Lin Yi tapped D'Antoni's shoulder. "Coach, I'm going back in."
"One minute's rest enough?"
"Doesn't matter. Dirk's coming too."
D'Antoni frowned when he turned to the Dallas bench. He wanted to give an inspiring speech before Lin Yi cut him off.
"Leave it to me."
Both stars returned. The duel was back on.
And it was relentless. Lead change after lead change, each possession a knife fight. 28, then 29, then 30 times they'd swapped the lead.
With 4:21 left, the scoreboard read 94–93, the Knicks clinging to a point. Lin Yi had just sunk two free throws for his 39th of the night.
The building shook. Cuban was on his feet, fists pumping. Madison Square Garden, thousands of miles away, shook too, fans refusing to stop chanting even if the players couldn't hear them. Stephen A. Smith, watching from the ESPN studio, couldn't blink.
Dirk answered. Fading, off balance, hand in his face—still good. His 40th.
95-96, Dallas.
Tonight, he was the guardian of Dallas.
But Lin Yi slithered through traffic next trip down, kissed it off the glass.
97–96. His 41st. Tonight, he was the soul of New York.
"Now this isn't basketball anymore," Yu Jia's voice trembled. "My heart can't take it."
"Whichever team has more left in the tank will pull through," Zhang Heli said firmly.
Then came the moment. Kidd thought he saw Dirk open, but Chauncey Billups jumped the lane, a veteran's instincts cutting the lifeline. He pushed it ahead—Lin Yi cruised in for an easy layup.
99–96 Knicks. The 32nd lead change never came.
The clock bled. The Mavericks fought back. Carlisle set up Ellis for a late drive—99–98.
No timeout for New York. D'Antoni trusted his players. With 11 seconds left, Billups handed it to Lin Yi.
Marion stuck to him like glue. Lin Yi rose anyway, confident, fearless.
Bang.
Rim out.
Dirk snagged the rebound, snapped a long pass to Ellis streaking downcourt. Time: five seconds. Dallas had their chance.
Ellis caught, surged forward, the basket in sight. Redemption was his.
But out of nowhere—Tony Allen. A blur in the shadows.
Swipe! Steal!
The American Airlines Center gasped in disbelief. Madison Square Garden exploded into bedlam.
Allen hurled the ball high into the air as the horn sounded, then leapt into Lin Yi's arms.
Ten million for three years? Worth it.
For this moment alone—worth every cent.
On the other side of the world, Chinese fans erupted in celebration.
"The New York Knicks," Zhang Heli declared, voice quaking, "are the 2010–2011 NBA champions!"