Barkley's joy did not last long.
By the end of the first quarter, Lin Yi had gone 5 for 8 from the field, 4 for 7 from three, and 2 for 2 at the line. Sixteen points. Nothing flashy. Just his normal output.
Houston's interior defense was slow, so Lin Yi stayed outside and kept firing. He read the floor and took what was there. That was always his game.
Asik and Patterson could not cover every pick-and-roll. Lin Yi was not about to force drives into traffic when clean looks were available. He played it smart and hard.
After one, the Knicks led 33 to 28. Harden had 13 for Houston.
Tyson Chandler did not enjoy the quarter. Harden drew two early fouls on him and sent him to the bench, where he waved a towel next to Yao Ming.
The second foul hurt the most. Chandler had followed Lin Yi's advice perfectly. He stayed vertical under the rim. Arms straight up. No reach.
The whistle still came.
Years later, the league would adjust the rules to curb foul baiting. Harden's free-throw numbers barely moved. That told you everything.
There was no foul Harden could not draw. No shot Curry would not take. No opponent, Kevin Durant would not end up making life miserable.
With Chandler out, the Knicks went to Draymond Green. Yao Ming was back in Houston, but Coach D'Antoni had no intention of pushing his minutes.
Green could not protect the rim like Chandler, so the game loosened up. Both teams traded baskets. It got messy. It got fast.
Kevin McHale's system gave players freedom. The advantage of this was that the Rockets players, especially Harden, who was part of the team's rebuilding phase, could quickly build confidence.
Down the road, Houston would lose games they should have won. They would also erase ten or twenty-point deficits out of nowhere. That came from offensive structure and trust.
McHale took more heat than he deserved. If Scott had been coaching then, Harden's growth would have looked very different.
On TNT, Shaq looked relaxed during the break.
He tapped the mouthwash cup and glanced at Barkley.
"Man, start preparing yourself. That donkey's waiting."
Kenny Smith cut in with numbers.
"Lin's scoring comes early. First and third quarters."
That landed hard.
Barkley understood the message. Lin Yi was not pushing tonight. Records were not in danger.
Lin probably would not even play the fourth. Even a big third quarter would not get him near his own 86-point game.
Fifty or sixty points did not matter anyway.
That was not part of the bet.
Still, Barkley missed something. Basketball is not only about records.
The second quarter opened with Lin Yi on the bench. The pace was high, and D'Antoni had bought into rotations. There was no reason to stretch Lin's minutes.
Shaq and Barkley's wager had nothing to do with coaching decisions.
McGrady and Yao Ming checked in together.
Livingston had been talking up his durability all season. D'Antoni ignored the talk and kept him back in New York for the road trip.
"I'm built like steel now. Am ready, Coach," Livingston said.
D'Antoni shook his head.
"Relax. Save it. Get your rest."
In Houston, seeing Yao and McGrady in Knicks jerseys hit hard. Many Chinese fans watching at home went quiet.
Then it got worse.
Not long into the quarter, D'Antoni subbed out Draymond Green for Shane Battier.
Rockets fans groaned in unison.
"This is cruel," someone shouted.
D'Antoni stayed calm.
Blame Houston for producing good players.
For one night, the building felt confused about its loyalties.
Yao could no longer dominate the way he once did. McGrady's back took away that old lift and swagger. None of that mattered.
When McGrady ran a pick and roll and dropped the pass to Yao for a clean finish, the arena time-traveled.
For a moment, it was all back.
The Yao-Mac era.
After Yao Ming gave the Rockets the most valuable ten years of his career, there was nothing but goodwill left when they met again. For Houston fans, this was not about wins or losses anymore. It was about respect.
Fans can be narrow at times, but more often than not, they are sincere. That is what made moments like this hit harder.
Harden sat on the bench, watching it all. No matter how much envy crept in, there was nothing he could do. Sentiment did not care who the current star was.
That said, Houston's bench showed up tonight. Even Lin Yi had trouble figuring out what system they were running.
It felt simple:
Run hard. If you're open, shoot it. Miss or make, keep going.
Strong teams hate nights like this. When an underdog plays loose and gets hot, the game can tilt fast.
Six minutes into the second quarter, the score sat at 50 to 47. Both sides rotated starters back in, and Houston kept leaning on the Knicks.
Harden checked back in and immediately drew a foul on Klay, who stayed on the floor to start the quarter. Tonight, Harden was in full foul-drawing mode. The first half was not even over, and he had already been to the line six times.
Barkley straightened up in his chair.
Wait a second.
Maybe I still have a shot.
If the game stayed close, Lin Yi might actually play the fourth.
Shaq caught on and shifted gears fast.
"Take away the free throws," he said, "and James is one for seven."
Barkley fired back.
"Fifteen points on seven shots. That's efficiency, big fella."
If Harden heard that exchange, he probably would have looked at the monitor and asked which side they were on.
Back on the floor, the Knicks ran their offense. Klay sprinted through a maze of off-ball movement. Harden stayed with him, locked in, feeling good about his defense.
Then he ran straight into Lin Yi's body.
Classic elevator action. Lin Yi and Chandler stepped up together to screen. Klay popped free. Patterson, eager to prove himself, lunged toward Klay.
Patterson shouted.
"Got you!!."
That feeling vanished fast.
Paul ignored Klay and kicked the ball back to Lin Yi.
Harden was still trying to regain his balance when Lin Yi stepped back and rose right in front of him.
Swish.
Nineteen points.
53 to 49.
Harden turned to the referee, frustrated.
"He elbowed me. Foul, Ref. Foul."
The official waved it off. The screen was clean. Harden just happened to be smaller.
Barkley jumped in.
"That's Lin's fifth three tonight."
Shaq frowned. Barkley smiled.
It did not last.
By halftime, Lin Yi sat at 22 points.
Barkley watched Lin swing the ball, set screens, and keep moving without looking to score.
He muttered under his breath.
"Your idol's Kobe. Shoot the ball. Break the pass button already. God damnit."
Shaq leaned back during the break, smiling.
"Lin's good tonight. But this is who he is. Efficient. Team first. Always has been."
. . .
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