The Knicks capped their road trip with a win over the 76ers, sweeping three straight games. Their record climbed to 27 wins and 11 losses, locking them into third place in the Eastern Conference. They eyed the second spot, especially after the Orlando Magic dropped back-to-back road games to the Denver Nuggets on the same day the Knicks beat Philly.
Eastern Conference standings:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-10)
2. Boston Celtics (27-10)
3. New York Knicks (27-11)
4. Orlando Magic (26-12)
5. Atlanta Hawks (25-13)
6. Miami Heat (19-18)
7. Charlotte Bobcats (17-19)
8. Chicago Bulls (16-20)
The Knicks' and Bobcats' rises stunned media and fans. The Knicks, especially, seemed to rebuild overnight. If Lian Dao led them to the playoffs in his rookie season, he'd join Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose as the third rookie to achieve this feat.
January's games rolled on smoothly. On January 21, the NBA announced the 2010 Dallas All-Star Game starting lineups for the East and West. Lian Dao, as expected, topped the vote count with 3,789,572, shattering the NBA's all-time voting record and outpacing the previous vote leader, Dwight Howard, by over 630,000.
LeBron James trailed in second for the East with 2,549,693 votes. Kobe Bryant ranked third league-wide and first in the West.
The 2010 All-Star starting lineups:
East: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Lian Dao, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
West: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire
Lian Dao's All-Star starting nod was no shock, but his record-breaking votes stunned everyone. Even NBA Commissioner David Stern raised an eyebrow. After Yi Jianlian nearly rode Chinese fan votes to a starting spot years ago, Stern had diluted their impact. Yet Lian Dao's massive U.S. fanbase, combined with Chinese support, pushed him to 3.78 million votes despite the adjustment.
Stern's assistant asked if they should intervene. Nike, backing LeBron, wanted James to win for maximum profit. Stern declined. Yao Ming's injuries left a gap in the Chinese market, and Yi Jianlian couldn't fill it. Lian Dao, with his league-leading scoring average and team success, was the perfect star to carry that torch. His vote total reflected his worth.
Some U.S. fans grumbled, claiming Lian Dao's votes were mostly from China. Certain media fanned the flames, calling his win opportunistic. Others pushed back, citing Lian Dao's scoring and leadership as proof of his merit. The debate raged online, exposing biases. Some American media preached equality but harbored white supremacy, quick to question Chinese or Chinese-American success. "Yao haters" and "Yi haters" had long targeted Asian players, and now Lian Dao faced similar scrutiny. Worse, some Chinese fans, swayed by foreign critics, joined the attacks on social platforms, baffling observers.
On January 22, the Knicks hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, their second matchup of the season. Lian Dao played all 53 minutes, but the Knicks fell short. They led through three quarters, holding a 5-to-8-point edge, but the fourth quarter flipped the script.
Pau Gasol erupted, exploiting the Knicks' defense as both teams' shooting percentages dipped. Kobe drew heavy attention outside—everyone knew his fourth-quarter heroics. The Knicks doubled him, leaving Gasol to feast inside. His height, wingspan, and slick footwork overwhelmed David Lee. Millsap, despite his grit, couldn't match Gasol's versatile attack.
With 10 seconds left, the Knicks trailed by three, and the Lakers had the ball. A stop meant a chance to tie; a miss could force overtime. The Knicks abandoned interior defense, focusing on the perimeter, especially Kobe. As a known clutch obsessive, Kobe was sure to take the final shot.
Lian Dao and Wilson Chandler smothered him, hands in his face. Kobe, undeterred, launched a three-pointer from a steep 45-degree angle. He fell backward, sliding across the floor. Lian Dao turned, watching helplessly as the ball swished at the buzzer.
Overtime.
In the extra period, the Knicks' shooting cratered. Lian Dao, battling a rare stamina slump, went 1-for-4 from three. The Lakers' Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum sparked a 7-0 run. Lian Dao kept firing, but his shots clanged, and the Knicks couldn't recover.
Final score: 115-120, Lakers win.
Lian Dao posted a triple-double—48 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. David Lee added 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday dished 17 assists with 13 points. Millsap struggled against Gasol, managing 8 points and 6 rebounds. For the Lakers, Kobe scored 41 points with 11 assists, feeding Gasol, who dominated with 28 points and 15 rebounds.
At the post-game press conference, a reporter baited Kobe about the All-Star votes. "What do you think about Sickle winning by over a million votes?" The question dripped with provocation, hoping to stir drama.
Kobe stayed cool. "I've got no issue. Fans vote for who they want to see. Sickle's earned it with his play and leadership." His calm response deflated the media, who craved conflict over harmony. They wanted Kobe to jab at Lian Dao's Chinese fanbase, but he refused to bite.
The New York media didn't grill Lian Dao. Losing to the defending champions in overtime was no shame. Before this season, the Knicks were crushed by the Lakers. Leading for three quarters and pushing to overtime was a feat few expected. The home crowd left proud, buzzing about their team's grit against the champs.