D’Antoni realizes the happiness of Phil

On December 18, the Knicks faced the Los Angeles Clippers in a back-to-back contest, marking their return to their home court after a road trip. However, the game scheduling had not been kind to them, forcing them to play immediately after their previous game. This led to obvious fatigue for the team.

The Clippers, fresh off two consecutive wins—including a victory over the Timberwolves—were eager to extend their streak and capitalize on the Knicks' tired legs. Coach Mike Dunleavy was well aware that failing to secure a win under such favorable conditions would not sit well with either the Clippers' fans or the team's management.

As the game tipped off, the Clippers came out aggressively, immediately putting the Knicks on the back foot with a 4-0 start. Chris Kaman scored in the paint, followed by Marcus Camby securing a defensive rebound and feeding Baron Davis for an easy layup. The combination of Kaman and Camby was proving to be a dominant force inside, consistently attacking and disrupting the Knicks' interior defense.

Meanwhile, Lian Dao struggled early, missing two consecutive three-point attempts as the effects of the back-to-back games seemed to catch up with him. The Clippers took advantage of this and expanded their lead with a 7-0 run, building a momentum the Knicks desperately needed to break.

Sensing the need to change tactics, Lian Dao adjusted his approach. Instead of relying on his perimeter shooting, he began attacking the paint, forcing the Clippers to defend inside. Al Thornton was unable to stop Lian Dao's quick drives, which soon attracted the attention of Marcus Camby. As Camby stepped up to help on defense, Lian Dao displayed excellent court awareness, dishing the ball off to a wide-open Paul Millsap under the basket.

Millsap capitalized on Lian Dao's assist, scoring an easy two points. As the quarter progressed, Camby's interior defense began to show cracks, and the Knicks slowly chipped away at the lead. With the offense flowing through Lian Dao and Millsap, the team managed to close the gap. Millsap capped off the quarter with a timely three-pointer, giving the Knicks a narrow lead.

By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had turned the game around, leading 23-20, thanks to their quick adjustments and Lian Dao's versatile playmaking.

At the start of the second quarter, Lian Dao went into full breakout mode. Leveraging his height and speed advantage, he dominated from the perimeter and beyond. His scoring barrage began with a smooth pull-up three-pointer, followed by a step-back three, and culminated with a powerful dunk after an explosive drive to the basket. This offensive onslaught sparked an 8-0 run for the Knicks, quickly swinging the momentum in their favor.

On the defensive end, Lian Dao completely neutralized Eric Gordon. Gordon, who had been a threat for the Clippers, found himself locked out of the game, unable to make an impact under Lian Dao's intense pressure. As the quarter wore on, with just over two minutes left, Danilo Gallinari drained a corner three-pointer, extending the Knicks' lead to 51-34. Mike Dunleavy, desperate to halt the Knicks' momentum, called for another timeout.

Despite their efforts to rally after the timeout, the Clippers struggled to close the gap. Chris Kaman's layup in the final seconds of the half only shaved two points off the deficit, and they went into halftime trailing 57-42.

Lian Dao's remarkable second-quarter performance had left a significant mark on the game. By halftime, he had already racked up 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting, along with 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Supporting him, David Lee had 11 points and 5 rebounds, while Millsap contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds. Wilson Chandler, Gallinari, and Milicic added solid support.

As the second half began, Lian Dao got some much-needed rest. Head coach Mike D'Antoni had realized that having Lian Dao play the entire first half, followed by a rest at the start of the third quarter, was the optimal rotation. This allowed the Knicks to maintain their lead while ensuring Lian Dao had the energy to close out the game. The approach was a lesson learned from their previous matchup against the Lakers, where fatigue had led to a fourth-quarter collapse.

During Lian Dao's rest, the Clippers made a push, with Thornton and Kaman working hard to close the gap. With just over six minutes left in the third quarter, Eric Gordon hit a three-pointer, bringing the score to 64-59. The Clippers had clawed back within five points, prompting D'Antoni to call Lian Dao back into the game.

Lian Dao immediately stabilized the Knicks, driving to the basket for a pull-up layup that halted the Clippers' momentum. His aggressive play continued as he drew double teams from Kaman and Camby, opening up opportunities for his teammates. David Lee hit a mid-range jumper off a Lian Dao assist at the 5:05 mark. A minute later, Millsap drilled a three-pointer after being set up by Lian Dao.

At the 3:10 mark, Wilson Chandler made a sharp cut to the basket, receiving a perfect pass from Lian Dao for an easy layup. With each play, Lian Dao reinvigorated the Knicks' offense, and despite Mike Dunleavy's angry gestures and back-to-back timeouts, the Clippers couldn't halt the Knicks' momentum.

D'Antoni, calm and composed on the sidelines, couldn't hide his satisfaction. With Lian Dao orchestrating the offense, D'Antoni felt a level of comfort reminiscent of Phil Jackson's serene presence during the Bulls' and Lakers' championship runs. Watching his team dominate, D'Antoni finally understood the peace that comes with coaching superstars.

By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks maintained a solid lead over the Clippers, up by 15 points with a score of 84-69. The Clippers' bench was left bewildered—they had just played an entire quarter, yet it felt like their efforts had been in vain, as if the harder they tried, the more mistakes they made.

In the fourth quarter, Marcus Camby became a liability on defense for the Clippers. His focus on blocking shots and grabbing rebounds left the inside exposed, allowing Knicks players easy opportunities. Mike Dunleavy, frustrated with Camby's performance, eventually pulled him out and brought in Craig Smith to try and tighten the defense.

It's important to note that Camby, once a gritty defender willing to knock out his teeth and swallow blood for his team, had undergone a transformation over the years. In his prime, particularly during the 2003-04 season with the Denver Nuggets, Camby was known for carrying the team's defense on his back, holding the paint while covering for young teammates like Nene and Carmelo Anthony. His relentless hustle and tenacity never earned him the accolades many felt he deserved, and despite his hard work, the All-Defensive Team often overlooked him.

As Camby's career progressed, he began to prioritize stats over pure defensive impact. By the mid-2000s, he had figured out that chasing blocks and rebounds would earn him more recognition—and more lucrative contracts—than grinding through the dirty work of defensive stops. This change in approach paid off, earning him multiple selections to the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, as well as the 2006-07 Defensive Player of the Year award.

However, this stat-focused style came at a cost. Camby often missed his defensive assignments, focusing more on padding his stats than locking down his matchups. By the time he reached 35, he had learned to balance his declining athleticism with a savvy, calculated approach, managing to remain a starter with a hefty $7 million contract. Camby knew how to survive in the league—by taking care of his numbers and leaving others to focus on offense.

Yet, this approach didn't sit well with many older fans or purists of the game, who couldn't fully appreciate Camby's shift in priorities. But as long as the people who controlled awards and contracts valued blocks and rebounds, Camby remained relevant, even if his impact on defense wasn't as ironclad as it once was.

After Craig Smith came in for Camby, the Clippers did improve slightly, but Smith's lack of height proved to be another issue. The Knicks, especially Millsap, who defended with iron-clad intensity, capitalized on Smith's limitations. Smith struggled to get off many clean shots and was restricted by the Knicks' defense.

Unable to swing the momentum back in their favor, the Clippers eventually fell to the Knicks, losing by 20 points with a final score of 110-90. As Mike Dunleavy watched Lian Dao high-five his teammates in celebration, he couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation. He knew that this loss, and the performance of his team, had likely put the final nail in the coffin of his coaching career with the Clippers. The countdown had begun.