After the first half, the Knicks held a 62 to 57 lead over the Rockets.
Lin Yi had 22 points already. He buried a three and finished a two plus one late in the second quarter to push the margin.
The teams switched ends at the Toyota Center to start the second half.
Houston came out aggressive. Jeremy Lin used a screen from Asik. Paul got clipped by the pick, and Lin did not hesitate. He pulled up from deep and let it fly.
62 to 60. That made it five points for Jeremy Lin on the night.
"Of course," Lin Yi muttered, covering his face with one hand.
At halftime, when he grabbed the board from Mike to sketch out a few looks, Lin Yi had said the Rockets would cool off. Seconds into the half, Jeremy Lin made him eat those words.
Basketball has a way of doing that.
The Knicks answered with their usual Paul and Lin Yi pick and roll. Paul nearly lost the handle. Jeremy Lin, quiet in the first half, lunged in, trying to make a statement. Lin Yi reacted fast, bent down, and scooped the ball clean.
Patterson froze for a beat.
Lin Yi did not wait. He rose right in front of Patterson and fired.
Swish.
That pushed him to 25 points and marked his sixth three of the night.
"That's the Lin we know," Barkley laughed on the broadcast. "Every team is scared of this guy right now, and you can see it in how tight Houston is defending."
That look was as clean as it gets. Much cleaner than shooting with a hand in your face.
Since teams started throwing extreme coverages at him, easy looks had become rare. When one showed up, Lin Yi took it without hesitation.
The crowd at Toyota Center let out a collective breath. Those shots still felt unreal, no matter how many times they had seen them.
It was the same reason fans loved Curry. Some shots look unreasonable, until you realize that for players like that, it is just good offense.
If it goes in, it goes in.
Houston came back down. Harden drew contact and headed to the line again, his seventh trip already.
Tyson Chandler just shook his head this time. He did not even look at the official. He glanced at Harden with a thin smile that said enough.
Harden knocked down both. 65 to 62.
Paul walked it up, fully aware Lin Yi was in rhythm. He waved for action. A screen came, the pass arrived on time, and Patterson was late again.
Lin Yi rose and released another three.
Swish.
He laughed to himself as he backpedaled. He had rushed the release to beat the closeout. His hand was slick, and the form felt off.
It did not matter.
When you are hot, the ball finds its way in anyway.
On the Rockets bench, McHale stepped toward the sideline. One more Knicks score, and he was ready to burn a timeout.
Houston had done a solid job protecting the paint, but Lin Yi already had seven threes. That was not something you gamble on. Memphis tried that once. It ended badly.
This time, Jeremy Lin saved them. He drove hard for a layup and finished. Chandler backed off, careful not to pick up his fourth foul.
68 to 64.
Back on the floor, the Knicks stayed aggressive. Lin Yi had found his rhythm, and at this point he had no intention of playing it safe with Patterson. He caught the ball on the right wing, took one step back beyond the arc, and rose immediately.
Swish.
Another one.
McHale did not wait. As soon as Lin Yi's eighth three dropped, he turned and called for a timeout.
Lin Yi jogged to the bench calm and focused. He knew exactly what kind of night this was shaping up to be.
On TNT, Kenny Smith leaned forward. "That's eight threes already. You start thinking about history when you get there. Twelve is the record."
Barkley laughed at first, then stopped. He glanced at the game clock.
Nine minutes left in the third quarter.
He frowned, then shook his head slowly. "Hold on," he said. "That's actually in play."
Eight made threes. Four more to tie the record.
"That's real," Barkley added, now fully locked in. "I feel a record is about to be broken."
O'Neal stayed quiet, staring at the monitor.
Out of the timeout, Houston answered with a Harden step back from the elbow.
Smooth.
71 to 66.
When the Knicks brought it up, the adjustment was obvious. Patterson picked up Lin Yi full court.
McHale was done letting him walk into shots.
Paul crossed half court and read it immediately. He waved Lin Yi over, flipped him a quick handoff, and leaned into Patterson to buy a sliver of space.
That was all Lin Yi needed.
He caught it nearly two meters beyond the line and pulled without hesitation.
Swish.
Nine.
The arena went silent for a split second, then erupted in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me," someone yelled from the lower bowl.
On the Knicks bench, Klay jumped up, swinging a towel like it was the Finals. Teammates leaned over the sideline, shouting the same thing.
"Record time, baby!"
"Shoot it!"
"Keep shooting!"
Houston missed on the next trip. Paul secured the rebound and pushed the break himself. Lin Yi was already sprinting ahead, drifting wide to the wing.
The pass hit him in stride.
No pause. No thought.
He went straight up.
Toyota Center held its breath.
Swish.
Barkley nearly shouted himself hoarse. "That's ten. Ten threes tonight."
He laughed as the replay rolled. "Shaq, I can see it already. You might want to start making peace with that donkey."
Ten made threes.
Two away from tying the record.
Three away from standing alone.
And there was still plenty of time left.
. . .
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