Last year's Eastern Conference Finals — that impossible, long-range buzzer-beater from Lin Yi — still haunted Miami fans.

And now, the Heat faithful had another nightmare to add to their collection.

Klay Thompson.

The eighth pick in the 2011 Draft.

Son of former No. 1 pick Mychal Thompson.

A man who dunks only when necessary — and whose hairline might just be his source of power.

On this night, he buried the Miami Heat at the buzzer.

LeBron James stood frozen on the court. He watched the replay on the big screen, shook his head quietly, and walked off with Wade, both men silent as statues.

The American Airlines Arena was dead quiet — you could hear a pin drop.

Then Charles Barkley's voice broke the silence on TV.

"Forget Mychal. Klay Thompson — that kid's building his own legend tonight!"

Back on the court, Klay jumped onto Lin Yi's back like an excited kid.

"I did it! Lin, I actually did it!" he yelled, laughing uncontrollably.

Lin didn't even bother putting him down. He just carried the overjoyed rookie toward the locker room, shaking his head with a grin.

This might've been the most thrilling win of their 19-game streak — a buzzer-beater from the team's rookie sharpshooter. D'Antoni's trust in his players and the team's patience with Klay through his mistakes all paid off tonight.

...

In the bay of the Golden State, Curry was sitting on the couch with Ayesha, watching TV. A notification popped up on his phone. The smile faded from his face.

"Ayesha," he said, standing up. "I'm gonna get some shots up."

...

Nineteen games. Nineteen wins. The entire basketball world was watching the Knicks now.

In less than a day, they'd face the Rockets in Houston. If they won again, they'd tie a record that had stood for 127 years — the best start in the history of the four major American sports leagues.

2012 was truly the year of miracles, especially for New York fans. The Knicks were unstoppable, and over in the NFL, the Giants were writing their own Cinderella story. Eli Manning had led them through the playoffs, knocking off powerhouse teams — even Aaron Rodgers' Packers — and was now heading to the Super Bowl to face Tom Brady's Patriots.

After securing that Super Bowl berth, Manning mentioned the Knicks in an interview.

"Lin and the Knicks have been a huge inspiration for us," he said. "Different sport, same drive."

He'd even invited Lin Yi to attend the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, Lin didn't really understand American football. Otherwise, he could've made a fortune betting on that game.

As for Klay, despite his heroics, he was still a rookie through and through.

At the post-game press conference, he nervously thanked his parents, his teammates, and of course, Lin Yi — calling him "not just a great leader, but the best player in the league right now."

Lin swore he hadn't bribed, threatened, or politely encouraged Klay to say that.

He just happened to be standing nearby with a thick copy of One Thousand and One Nights under his arm.

After the conference, Klay whispered nervously, "Boss… I know I wanted to study Mandarin, but could you please put that book down?"

Lin smiled. "Don't worry. You just haven't finished your calligraphy practice from last week."

Klay nearly cried. Calligraphy was fine… but if Lin made him copy One Thousand and One Nights — and in Chinese — that'd be torture.

Meanwhile, the Heat duo nursed their heartbreak in silence as the Knicks boarded a plane to Houston.

Even if Yao Ming himself had invited him out, Lin Yi wasn't in the mood. The team was exhausted. Most of them had slept barely four hours. Klay hadn't slept at all — still buzzing from his buzzer-beater.

The veterans, though, were quiet. They'd been there before. They knew the crash was coming.

Sure enough, D'Antoni canceled the morning shootaround and sent everyone back to the hotel. "

Sleep," he said. "That's your practice today."

When evening came, Klay looked nothing like the hero from the night before — just a grumpy, sleep-deprived rookie dragging his feet.

The team grabbed some pizza on the way to the Toyota Center. It was either that or starve, but eating right before the game just made everyone sleepier.

February's schedule loomed — four games in five days. That would be the real test.

D'Antoni didn't pressure anyone. He didn't need to.

Everyone in that locker room knew what was at stake.

If they could beat the Rockets, they'd make history.

And tired or not, the Knicks were ready to chase it.

...

At the Toyota Center, Yao Ming greeted Lin Yi with his trademark grin — that familiar mix of warmth and quiet amusement.

"Haha, Lin, young people really shouldn't be staying up so late," Yao teased, giving Lin a light pat on the back. "Trust me, don't overdraw that body. You'll regret it when you hit thirty."

Lin Yi groaned and covered his face. "Yes, yes, I know, Big Yao. You've told me that five times already."

He couldn't do much about it — even if he could beat Yao on the court, he wouldn't dare to talk back too much off it. Still, there was one thing Lin Yi refused to compromise on.

"By the way," he added seriously, "salty tofu pudding is still better than sweet tofu pudding. I'll die on that hill."

Yao raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you are still on that?"

"Sweet tofu pudding is a cult, and I'll prove it someday," Lin said solemnly.

Yao just laughed, shaking his head. "Kids these days…"

In the 2011–12 season, Yao's minutes had been cut back to about 20 per game. But even in a limited time, the big man was still deadly — averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds with frightening efficiency. His outside shot was smooth now, too; a 7-foot-6 giant who could hit threes was a terrifying thought.

The Rockets, meanwhile, were stuck in that frustrating in-between — good enough to fight for the playoffs, not good enough to make noise. Head coach Rick Adelman wore the same tired look every night, as if thinking, If Yao just gave me 40 minutes, we'd top three in the West.

But Yao wasn't the kind of player to burn himself out anymore. He'd learned to pick his battles — and this one, against Lin Yi, meant more than most.

He'd even sat out the Rockets' previous two games, resting up specifically for this Chinese Showdown.

The game fell right in the middle of the Chinese New Year celebrations, and millions of fans back home were glued to their screens. Both teams wore their special Chinese New Year jerseys, and for that night, it felt like the whole country was watching.

Lin had asked Yao before the game, half-jokingly, "So, when are you finally calling it a career?"

Yao just smiled that mysterious smile of his and said nothing. But Lin could tell. The writing was on the wall. After the 2012 Olympics, Yao would likely hang them up for good.

Houston had been his second home, and he loved the city. But his body — no matter how strong his will — had reached its limit.

Lin still remembered how fast Yao put on weight after retirement. Not long after leaving the game, the big man had ballooned to nearly 400 pounds. It was hard to imagine now, seeing him looking lean and sharp again.

The Knicks managed to scrape out a narrow win that night — barely. By the final buzzer, several players just collapsed on the floor, completely spent. The relentless travel and back-to-backs had pushed them to the edge. Tomorrow's rest day couldn't come soon enough.

And while the Knicks took the win, Yao had gotten what he wanted: one last dominant showing against Lin Yi.

From tip-off, his teammates kept feeding him favorable matchups, and Yao went to work — hook shots, fadeaways, and even three-pointers. Lin couldn't do much except smile and shake his head. The big man had been saving all this energy just for him.

In what might have been their final NBA duel, Yao logged 31 minutes, went 9-for-14 from the field, hit 3-of-4 from deep, and was perfect from the line — 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists. It was his best game of the season.

The Rockets lost by six, but the result hardly mattered. For Chinese fans, this was a moment to cherish — a memory of the old giant passing the torch to the new.

Goodbye, Yao Ming.

As for the Knicks, they'd just made history of their own.

Twenty straight wins — tying the best start ever across all four major North American sports leagues.

After a much-needed day of rest, they'd head to Detroit to face the rebuilding Pistons.

If they could win there…

They wouldn't just tie history anymore.

They'd break it.

...

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