Chapter 231: NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals

Just as Knicks fans were hoping their team could cause some trouble for the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals…

The Knicks got smoked.

Final score: 88–114.

Lin Yi finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, but shot just 4-for-17 from the field. And seven of those points were from free throws. Naturally, that was the number the media latched onto after the game.

“Lin,” a reporter began, “what do you think happened out there? Four of seventeen… that’s unlike you.”

Lin Yi paused, then answered evenly, “Boston’s defense is no joke. They forced me into tough spots all night. That’s on me — I’ve got to adjust faster.”

The room went quiet for a beat — the tone was serious, but not defeated.

When that didn’t yield the dramatic soundbite they wanted, reporters turned to Coach D’Antoni.

“Coach,” someone asked, “was tonight about Boston just being too strong? Have the Knicks already accepted that this series is out of reach?”

D’Antoni shook his head. “Not at all. We got outplayed tonight, no excuses. But that’s a championship team over there — we’ll make our adjustments. This isn’t over.”

Finally, they cornered Danny Green, hoping for someone to crack.

“Danny, what do you take away from tonight?”

Green thought a moment, then said quietly, “We just learned how hard it is to win here. That’s good for us. We’ll respond.”

The reporters exchanged glances — no finger-pointing, no panic, no excuses. Just resolve.

The Knicks had been humbled. But they weren’t scared.

Even Lin Yi’s fiercest critics couldn’t help but notice. Sure, they took their shots online:

See? Lin Yi’s just another overhyped rookie!

But something about the way the Knicks carried themselves made it hard to write them off completely.

Inside the locker room, the atmosphere stayed light but focused. Even down 0–1, D’Antoni and Lin Yi set the tone.

Tomorrow was another game. And the Knicks weren’t done yet.

...

The Knicks didn’t start Game 1 well. The entire team looked tense, and Boston’s well-prepared veterans made them pay. But even in defeat, D’Antoni saw a crack in the Celtics’ armor — and it wasn’t just in the players. It was Rivers.

Doc Rivers’ rotations and substitutions were cautious to a fault. D’Antoni, watching from the sideline, even felt his cheeks burn a little because he recognized the same flaw in himself. When Boston pulled ahead late, Rivers hesitated to rest his starters, keeping them on the floor longer than necessary to make sure the game was sealed. Against a team like the Knicks, that kind of conservatism could come back to bite you.

Beyond Boston’s sharp execution, what hurt New York most was Lin Yi himself. He didn’t look like his usual self.

“Lin,” D’Antoni said after practice, patting him on the shoulder, “if you’re not locked in next game, we’re in real trouble.”

Lin didn’t flinch. His skin was as thick as the Garden’s walls. He straightened, smiled faintly, and replied, “Relax, Coach. I’m locked in already.”

D’Antoni arched a brow. “Is that so? You’ve already shot more today than you did all of last week…”

Lin just chuckled to himself. If the coach kept being this blunt, he thought, it might even be fun to talk to him.

The truth was simple: the playoff intensity was a level he hadn’t yet adjusted to, and the Celtics were no Heat. Their interior defense was legit. Lin had settled for too many jumpers, and the rim at TD Garden seemed to have a personal vendetta against him. But by the second half, he started finding ways to get to the line, and by the end of the game, he was already testing Boston’s coverages, looking for angles to exploit.

He’d find his rhythm in Game 2. That wasn’t blind confidence — he knew he had ways to get buckets even when the shot wasn’t falling.

The other thing on his mind: the Knicks needed to wear the Celtics down. The quicker New York folded, the more rest Boston’s Big Three got. That couldn’t happen again.

With Lin and the coach staying calm, the rest of the team followed suit. Even the bench guys kept working hard, knowing D’Antoni meant what he’d said about giving them minutes.

At the press conference before Game 2, D’Antoni was asked about his adjustments. Maybe Lin’s confidence had rubbed off on him because the old coach even cracked a grin.

“Our plan?” he deadpanned. “Run, screen, shoot.”

The reporters groaned. That wasn’t exactly the kind of headline they were looking for.

So they turned to Lin instead. Someone asked him what he expected from Game 2.

Lin leaned into the mic, serious as ever. “We’ll make them work. Every. Single. Possession.”

The room went quiet for a beat, then the scribes finally nodded and scribbled away.

The Knicks, it seemed, were loose, confident… and ready for a fight.