Now we are in 16 wins for 2 losses we lost against the Spurs, in addition to the Heat a few weeks ago.
-December 6, 2013
Madison Square Garden. It's my home, my family, my friends everyone is here tonight it's my first game here, in New York.
The Knicks had a squad—Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Tyson Chandler. They weren't about to make things easy, but neither was I.
-First Quarter
From the jump, Melo was aggressive. He caught the ball in the mid-post, jab-stepped, and pulled up—swish. On the next play, he backed me down, spun baseline, and hit a tough fadeaway.
As I walked back up the court, he grinned. "You better wake up"
I didn't say a word. I just went to work.
Next possession, I caught the ball at the top of the key. One dribble, hesitation—boom, I exploded on the left past Melo for a powerful dunk over Chandler. The crowd gasped.
I turned to Melo. "I'm awake now."
-Second Quarter
Melo wasn't done. He went iso again, hit me with a nasty pump fake, and drilled another jumper.
But I wasn't backing down. I hit a deep three, then took him off the dribble for an and-one layup. The Garden crowd was eating it up—this was a duel.
At halftime, we led by four points, 58-54.
Walking into the tunnel, Melo nudged me. "I like you, rook. But you ain't leaving here with a W."
I just laughed. "We'll see about that."
-Third Quarter
Coach looked at me before the half started. "Just play your game you already know."
I nodded. It was time.
I started cooking.
I break J.R Smith's ankle.
Pull-up jumper over Melo.
Fast-break dunk off a steal.
Step-back three.
The Garden was buzzing.
Melo tried to respond, but I wasn't letting him breathe. On defense, I padlocked him. He was still getting buckets, but now they were contested, forced.
By the end of the third, we were up 85-77.
Melo walked past me, shaking his head. "You ain't supposed to be this good yet."
I grinned. "I have always been like that."
-Fourth Quarter
With five minutes left, the Knicks cut the lead to three points. The crowd was on its feet, chanting, "Let's go Knicks!"
I silenced them.
First, I hit a contested fadeaway.
Next play, I found my teammate in the corner for a clutch three.
Then, with one minute left, I took Melo one-on-one, pulled up from mid-range, splash.
That was the dagger.
Final Score: Magic 110 – Knicks 102.
-Post-Game
As we shook hands, Melo pulled me in. "Alright, you got me tonight."
I nodded. "Yeah Melo, start to get used to it, I take everything"
He laughed. "I respect it, but we're not going to let it happen."
I walked off the court, when leaving, knicks fans shouted:
"Come home Pres"
"We will welcome you very well"
"Leave the Magic, you're a Knicks" I laughed at that.
Taking in the moment. MSG. Prime time. I had arrived.
-ESPN-NBA countdown
Host: "Alright, we need to talk about Franklin Lincoln, or should I say Pres? You saw what he just did at Madison Square Garden. 28 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists in a head-to-head battle with Carmelo Anthony. And let me remind y'all—this kid is a rookie."
Analyst 1: "No, no, let me stop you right there. It's not just this game. Have you looked at his numbers? 26.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5 assists per game… in his rookie season! You understand how ridiculous that is? That's superstar-level production, not just 'good rookie' numbers. We might be looking at the best rookie season of all time."
Analyst 2: "He's playing like a 10-year vet already. He's got the size, the athleticism, and the poise. And let's talk about his mentality—he went straight at Melo tonight. No fear. He wanted the smoke, and he delivered."
-Inside the NBA – TNT
Shaq: "Listen, I've seen a lot of great rookies in my time, but this kid… this kid Franklin Lincoln? He's different. I mean, 26, 11, and 5 as a rookie? and I like the fact that he's not here to make friends.
Kenny Smith: "And the thing is, he's not just putting up empty stats. Orlando is winning. That's what makes it scary. We always see young guys who can put up numbers, but when you're a rookie, leading your team to wins, that's a whole different level."
Charles Barkley: "Man, I ain't never seen a rookie with this kinda control of the game since—The Magic got a real one, I'll tell you that."
Ernie Johnson: "So you guys are saying he's a lock for Rookie of the Year?"
Shaq: "Rookie of the Year? Man, at this rate, we might have to start talking MVP"
Kenny Smith: "Ooooh, now that's a conversation I wanna have."
-First Take – ESPN
Stephen A. Smith: "I need everybody to sit down and understand what we are witnessing here. Franklin Lincoln is not your average rookie. I repeat: THIS. IS. NOT. NORMAL. What this young man is doing on the court is flat-out sensational. We are talking about a 6'10" lefty who can score at all three levels, rebound like a big man, and pass like a guard. That's a problem.
Now, you go into Madison Square Garden, in your hometown, prime time, against one of the greatest scorers of our generation in Carmelo Anthony, and you put up those numbers while clamping down defensively? That tells me everything I need to know. This kid is special."
Guest Analyst: "Stephen, I'll take it a step further. We've seen great rookie performances before—LeBron, KD, even back in the day with Shaq and Tim Duncan. But this? This is dominance. And I'll tell you why—because he's impacting winning. The Magic aren't supposed to be this good, and yet, they are. And Franklin Lincoln is the reason why."
Stephen A.: "I don't wanna hear any more excuses. If this kid is not in the All-Star conversation by January-February or MVP talk, we need to call an investigation."