Champion Rules

Chapter 319, Section 315: When Dreams Come True (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

There's good reason why fans are looking forward to the game between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.

Both teams' management teams made active reinforcements during this offseason.

Unlike the Detroit Pistons' management, who were actively catching up on sleep during this offseason.

Fans are always happy to witness the new look of a team after a roster reshuffle, and they look forward to the surprises they bring.

Adding to this, Chris Paul's even more inflated confidence this summer has undoubtedly fueled even greater expectations.

As a result, the Pacers produced a huge, smelly mess in the first two rounds.

The New York Knicks, on the other hand, showcased their youthful energy and talent.

After DeMar DeRozan completed his dunk, the live camera focused on Sam Presti.

It's hard to imagine how he transformed a team that was showing signs of aging and on the verge of disbanding into a vibrant, young championship contender in just one summer.

Furthermore, this team also holds four first-round draft picks for the next two years.

Of course, even the best general manager is only an assistant.

No matter how brilliant a general manager's strategies are, they cannot replace the players' real, hard-fought battles on the field.

The game continued, and Chris Paul continued to call for screens, playing the familiar pick-and-roll with his most trusted partner, David West.

CP3 drew Lynch's double team, then calmly passed the ball to David West, who bounced out and made a jump shot despite Lynch's interference.

David West is a perfect fit for pick-and-roll plays. His exceptional basketball IQ and reliable mid-range jump shot make him thrive in pick-and-roll situations.

But Mike Malone didn't seem to care about the goal.

David West will be directly matched up against Lynch tonight. Under the relentless and terrifying pressure from the King of New York, how long can his signature steady mid-range shot continue to deliver?

David West quickly felt the pressure.

When Lynch had the ball beyond the three-point line, he had to follow him out and concentrate fully.

For him, every defensive maneuver felt like walking on a knife's edge.

Tonight, he is destined to devote a lot of energy and stamina to the defensive end.

The Pacers knew that David West alone couldn't contain Lynch, so Pacers head coach Frank Vogel prepared a comprehensive double-team strategy to block Lynch's mid-range shot and drives to the basket as much as possible.

From the Reggie Miller era to the present, the Pacers' foundation has always been defense.

In another timeline, the Pacers' defense during this period made it quite difficult for LeBron James, the league's greatest strategist, inventor of intelligent injury technology, and tough guy who would rather die than kneel.

For Lynch, breaking through this team's defense will not be easy.

As soon as Lynch made a breakthrough, Paul George immediately double-teamed him.

At the same time, Dahntay Jones made precise rotations and rushed towards the nearest potential receiving point to Lynch, perfectly executing the defensive strategy and forcing Lynch to make wide passes of the ball.

Roy Hibbert, on the other hand, stood firm in the paint, stifling any attempt at an easy cut inside.

This is what Chris Paul was referring to as the benefit of strong tactical execution.

Moreover, executing defensive tactics flawlessly is harder than executing offensive tactics, because most of the time, your efforts won't yield any statistics.

But this Pacers team did it; they played very well as a team and without self-interest.

In this system, the lack of an absolute superstar has become a natural advantage for their team's defense.

However, Lynch still found an opportunity amidst the tight encirclement.

Amidst the double attack from Paul George and David West, Lynch delivered a ground pass to Kyrie Irving, who was cutting in from the side!

He just used an off-ball screen and a beautiful back cut to shake off CP3, who was selected to the All-Defensive First Team last season.

Kyrie Irving's dazzling ball-handling offense is already world-renowned, a characteristic so striking and prominent that it greatly overshadows his cunning and efficiency off the ball.

It's like how Magic Johnson's talent for winning the Finals MVP in his rookie year caused people to overlook his amazing self-discipline.

In fact, Magic Johnson is one of the few players in Lakers history who consistently does a lot of practical work every day.

Kyrie Irving has played with many star players in his original career trajectory, including ball-handling maestros like LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

But no matter who he collaborates with, Kyrie Irving will never be "ruined"; he will always be able to maintain his level.

He is a player with a high degree of versatility.

His strong versatility stems from his all-around skills, whether with or without the ball.

Kyrie Irving received the ball and, facing the towering Roy Hibbert, scored with a reverse layup.

6-2, this is the second connection between Lynch and Kyrie Irving.

Chris Paul was furious; he had intended to teach the rookie a lesson, but instead, he became the rookie's backdrop.

In the following rounds, the performances of the two top picks, No. 20 and No. 2, never stopped.

This newly drafted Knicks number one pick is not only good at cutting to the basket, but also has an amazing consistency in catch-and-shoot.

Before the season began, the media repeatedly emphasized that New York selected Kyrie Irving because, in addition to his potential, he also possessed the best immediate impact player in the draft.

People already have expectations regarding Kyrie Irving's immediate impact.

But tonight, Kyrie Irving still left most people speechless.

Of course, Lynch did not completely become a card-dealing machine.

He will still launch aggressive attacks from time to time, putting pressure on the Pacers' defense.

This wasn't about padding stats, but about constantly putting pressure on David West and not giving him any breathing room on the defensive end.

With seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, David West's two consecutive mid-range jump shots bounced off the rim due to excessive defensive exertion, leaving Coach Frank Vogel with no choice but to make a substitution.

The Pacers' backup power forward, Louis Amundson, is a strong defensive white power forward, but his offensive contributions are almost negligible.

In other words, the Pacers' most threatening offensive initiation is now unusable.

A minute later, Frank Vogel substituted Kawhi Leonard, the future Ironman – this rotation spot originally belonged to Ron Artest, but he had to sit out after breaking his metacarpal bone in the hotel bathroom the day before.

During the offseason, this crab-catching expert joked that if he faced Lynch next season, he would activate his "intelligent injury" ability. It was just a joke, but unexpectedly, he actually got injured.

This intelligent injury treatment still needs practice.

Besides, he just received his championship ring from the Knicks, why would he work so hard for the Pacers?

Kawhi Leonard in his rookie season was a forward who was incredibly talented on the defensive end but didn't contribute much on the offensive end.

The Pacers' rotation players are good on defense, but their offense is so stagnant that even a sachet can't save them.

Thanks to Milos Teodosic's several brilliant passes, the Knicks still managed to find some scoring opportunities against the Pacers' tightly defended rotation.

At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks led by 8 points.

The second quarter followed almost the same script. Despite the Pacers' starting lineup putting in considerable effort on defense, their defense remained shaky under the terrifying firepower of the Knicks' two number one draft picks.

During rotation time, Milos Teodosic always manages to find a few opportunities that aren't actually chances, even if there's no opening.

Although the Knicks' rotation didn't score many points, the defending champions maintained their advantage because the Pacers' rotation scored even fewer.

At halftime, the point difference was 15 points.

Chris Paul started to panic.

This was completely different from what he had expected!

Yes, the Pacers demonstrated their strong tactical execution to the fullest today, and they didn't make any mistakes on the defensive end.

But Lynch and Kyrie Irving managed to score consistently while playing defense without making any mistakes, thanks to their unparalleled individual talent.

At halftime, Frank Vogel decided to increase Paul George's role on offense, involving him more in off-the-ball tactics and having Chris Paul supply him with more ammunition.

This had some effect. At the start of the third quarter, Paul George delivered a beautiful alley-oop, forcefully dunking over Amir Johnson, who had just come off the bench as a substitute for DeAndre Jordan.

As a player who is even more ruthless than Kobe, Lynch, and Michael Jordan, and who will probably be involved in more than a dozen game-winning shots in his career, Paul George has shown his talent.

But he is not yet General Qiao.

His sporadic, flashes of brilliance were no match for the efficient scoring frenzy unleashed by Lynch and Kyrie Irving. The point difference not only failed to narrow but continued to widen.

Paul George isn't yet capable of carrying the scoring load, so CP3 has started running pick-and-rolls with David West again.

However, David West's no longer reliable jump shot made things difficult for the Pacers.

Finally, what Mike Malone had been hoping for happened.

David West's immense defensive exertion has made it difficult for him to carry the offensive load as well.

The Pacers' most threatening offensive initiation failed due to wear and tear on their core gears, plunging the entire team's offense into a quagmire.

With eight minutes left in the third quarter, both sides were preparing for their substitutions.

But Lynch suggested, "I'll keep playing, and we can close the game in three quarters."

Mike Malone did not refuse, while Kyrie Irving experienced Lynch's bloodlust firsthand for the first time.

He would never give his opponent even a second's breathing time, given the chance he had.

Thus, Lynch's solo performance reached its climax.

He easily created space under Kawhi Leonard's inexperienced defense, and made a drifting shot, showcasing his new skill.

He dunked over his teammate Jermaine O'Neal, who was on the court last season, without any mercy.

Facing the aggressive defender Louis Amundson, Lynch executed a series of dazzling footwork moves, sending his opponent flying like a puppet on strings twice, only able to watch the basketball roll into the net.
The Pacers' defense was riddled with holes. Chris Paul stared wide-eyed as the gap between the two teams widened faster than he could break through the defense.

With 1 minute and 02 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the game was in its final moments.

Milos Teodosic dribbled the ball forward, and unintentionally made eye contact with Lynch along the way.

Although he has been with the Knicks for almost two months, and although he has already played three quarters in his official NBA debut.

But for some reason, at that moment when their eyes met, a smile appeared on their lips at the same time—just like when two long-lost friends meet.

This reminded them of the time when they were still minors and had stirred up a huge storm in Europe.

Many things have changed, but some things seem to have never changed.

For example, at this very moment, Milos Teodosic already knows what Lynch is about to do.

He also knew exactly what he was supposed to do next.

Facing the Pacers' collapse, Milos Teodosic dribbled the ball to the three-point line and, before the Pacers could react, casually tossed the ball toward the basket.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Lin Qi had already cut along the bottom line without anyone noticing, leaping out of nowhere.

The basketball landed perfectly in the most comfortable position for Lynch to catch.

"boom!"

The basket slammed open, and amidst cheers from Madison Square Garden, Lynch hung from it with one hand, while the other hand pointed firmly at Milos Teodosic, the man who orchestrated the game.

Milos Teodosic looked up and smiled, pointing towards the basket in a silent gesture of respect and encouragement.

At this moment, under the dazzling constellation of NBA stars, they finally joined forces to tear apart their formidable opponent's defense.

This is the dream I painted countless times during my youth, amidst the passion and excitement of the streets of Belgrade and the European football arena.
This is a long-awaited moment of a dream coming true, a long, long time overdue.

Ultimately, it was achieved.

This dream finally crossed oceans and time, landing with a bang on the golden stage of New York, and was perfectly realized!

This connection was romantic for Lynch and Theo.

But it was cruel for Chris Paul.

Because the point difference has quietly reached 31 points!
At this moment, he could vaguely hear Mike Breen in the commentary booth talking about the biggest point difference in the opening game.

CP3 told his longtime collaborator David West the night before last that this was a brand new beginning.

but.
Will this new beginning start with a new record?

(End of this chapter)