Mike D'Antoni watched Lian Dao taunt the Ford Center crowd, shaking his head with a wry smile. Only now did Lian Dao seem like a rookie. On the court, his poise outshone veterans, his moves slicker than a seasoned pro's.
Tact wasn't always popular, but it saved players from trouble. Still, too much tact could trap someone in a web of compromises. Lian Dao lived by a code: round on the outside, square within, like an ancient Chinese copper coin with a square hole. He held firm to his principles, never starting dirty plays but always ready to answer.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a timeout, his face tight. He couldn't wait any longer. In three minutes, the Knicks had unleashed a 7-0 run, turning the game into a highlight reel. Two minutes remained in the first quarter, and the score was 13-28.
Thunder fans stared at the scoreboard, stunned. Their team's offense, usually sharp, had fizzled. The Knicks' 15-point lead was a rarity—Thunder rarely trailed by double digits this early. Brooks' timeout was late. He should've paused when Westbrook flubbed a pass, but he hesitated, and Lian Dao's windmill dunk stretched the gap further.
Brooks fumed but spared Westbrook and Durant his wrath. They were the team's core. Instead, he tore into everyone else, especially Nenad Krstic, who stood red-faced under the coach's tirade. Brooks made substitutions, keeping Durant and Westbrook on but pulling Thabo Sefolosha for James Harden. He also swapped Krstic for Serge Ibaka, shoving the power forward into the center spot. Krstic's sluggish play had tested Brooks' patience.
Harden's eyes lit up, though his beard hid his grin. Off the bench, he'd itched to face Lian Dao. Both were 2009 draftees—Lian Dao the No. 1 pick, Harden a top prospect. Harden played it cool, but deep down, he burned to outshine Lian Dao, to prove he matched anyone from their class.
The Knicks adjusted too. D'Antoni didn't sub in Darko Milicic for David Lee but brought in Danilo Gallinari at power forward, with Millsap at center. Every player in this lineup could shoot from deep. D'Antoni's plan was clear: bury the Thunder with a scoring spree.
The game resumed. The Thunder moved smoother. Westbrook passed to Harden, and Durant set a screen. Lian Dao disrupted Harden's three-point attempt, forcing a miss, but Durant snagged the rebound and tipped it in.
15-28.
Lian Dao took the ball outside, calling Wilson Chandler for a pick-and-roll. He switched onto Harden, baiting him. Lian Dao leaned in, nudging his left arm into Harden's palm, then fired a three-pointer with his right.
Crack! Harden's hand slapped Lian Dao's arm. The ball swished. The whistle blew.
3+1!
Harden had swung hard, aiming to stop the shot. Lian Dao released a split-second earlier, dodging a mere foul. The move—drawing contact for a four-point play—was Harden's future signature, but Lian Dao beat him to it.
Lian Dao glared. Harden shrugged, feigning innocence, like his slap was an accident. At the free-throw line, Lian Dao's arm stung, a red handprint blooming. The pain threw him off, and the shot rimmed out.
"Dirty move," Lian Dao muttered, eyeing Harden.
Westbrook answered with a wild three-pointer, his zombie jumper splashing in.
18-31.
The Knicks' offense stalled. Lian Dao's three clanged, and Ibaka grabbed the board, passing to Westbrook on the break. Westbrook charged like a bull, leaped, and threw down a one-hand dunk, tugging his jersey to fire up the crowd.
20-31.
Westbrook's passion was electric, but it made him reckless. Holiday faked a move, and Westbrook bit, lunging for a steal. Holiday blew past, driving to the rim. Ibaka stepped up, but Holiday slipped the ball to Millsap, who dunked over Ibaka's outstretched arms.
Durant kept the Thunder alive, catching Harden's pass and drilling a three-pointer.
With four seconds left, Lian Dao's quick three after the inbounds missed, ending the first quarter.
23-33.
The Knicks led by 10. In the second quarter, Durant saw Lian Dao staying on and refused to rest. The Thunder kept Durant, Harden, and Ibaka, swapping Westbrook for Eric Maynor and Jeff Green for Nick Collison. Ibaka slid back to power forward.
The Knicks rolled with Lian Dao and Gallinari, adding Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, and Milicic for Holiday, Chandler, and Millsap.
Durant led the Thunder's bench, chasing points, but the Knicks held firm. Lian Dao targeted Harden, turning the quarter into a foul-drawing clinic. He used Harden's future trick—leaning into defenders to draw contact—six times. The refs called four fouls on Harden, including the earlier 3+1. Lian Dao's free throws hit a single-quarter high, though he only converted one four-point play.
Harden looked lost, stunned by Lian Dao's crafty moves. He hadn't unlocked his own foul-drawing game yet, but Lian Dao's masterclass might've sparked something. Scott Brooks rubbed his forehead, exasperated. He'd coached tough players, but a rookie like Lian Dao, so slick with fouls, was unreal. It was like Lian Dao had memorized the rulebook in the gym.
Brooks pulled Harden, saving him for the second half. Harden's four fouls were a problem—Westbrook would've been ejected by now with his wild leaps.
The Ford Center crowd, still bitter from Lian Dao's silencer dunk, booed louder, their jeers laced with envy. Lian Dao's flair and growing fame, especially with female fans, only fueled their frustration, a sea of Thunder supporters outmatched by his star power.