Champion Rules

Chapter 321, Section 317: I'm Not Talking to Scottie Pippen (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
On November 21, the Nightmare Duo arrived in Oklahoma City, ready to continue spreading fear.

Of course, Oklahoma City fans are not feeling any fear right now.

Because the Oklahoma City Thunder this season are not what they used to be.

Stephen Curry is more consistent than last season.

With his significantly improved ball-handling skills, Kevin Durant's one-on-one shots with the stick are now unstoppable.

James Harden remains an ambassador for the Oklahoma City Poverty Alleviation Office, and is passionate about helping young women from impoverished backgrounds who have gone astray, are struggling financially, and have large hips.

However, he often finds his form in back-to-back physical games this season, and his impact on the game is increasingly approaching that of his draft comparison, Manu Ginobili.

These people had already demonstrated their progress at Lynch's training camp, so Lynch wasn't surprised.

LeBron James, who did not participate in Lynch's training camp, also improved under Lynch's long-term military training.

His footwork has become more erratic this season, and his back-to-the-basket offense has finally shown some improvement.

Serge Ibaka's strengths remain, and his mid-range shot has become more consistent.

With such significant progress, the Oklahoma City Thunder have maintained a firm hold on the lead since the start of the season.
Second in the West.

There's no way around it; the idea that the Spurs are weak is just a misconception!

Last season, they were eliminated by the Thunder, seemingly about to be swallowed up by the tide of the times.

As a result, the team successfully took off after its transformation this season, starting with a nine-game winning streak that left Yao Ming at home smoking eight boxes of cigarettes without understanding whether he had been tricked by the Spurs last season.

Before the game started, during the warm-up, Kevin Durant approached LeBron James.

"I want to make more moves tonight."

The day has finally come, and Kevin Durant is eager to take control of the Thunder's destiny.

This season, Scott Brooks' tactical focus has shifted more towards KD.

However, in order to maintain stability in the locker room, he did not explicitly identify who the team's tactical core was.

Although everyone knows the truth, whether or not that membrane is still there determines your identity.

Now, KD has decided to break through that barrier.

He wants to officially take over the flag that rightfully belongs to him, which was only temporarily being carried on LBJ's shoulders.

LeBron James did something similar during his time with the Pistons, where he essentially cost the game with just 5 points, essentially ruining his physique.

Kevin Durant is different.

He doesn't have the guts to ruin his own leg, but he certainly has the guts to win the championship and Finals MVP by using his own leg.

He needed to rely on the strength of this key player, so he chose a gentler way to "take over"—by consulting with LeBron James.

“Play your own game, Kevin.” LeBron James did not refuse.

To give the Thunder a chance to win a championship and to ensure a smooth contract extension, LBJ needs to give up a lot this season.

When he was no longer the darling of the media and public opinion.

When an ESPN columnist dared to openly mock him in an interview.

When his Under Armour shoes sales were sluggish.

He knew he could no longer consider himself the chosen one.

Last season, despite making many compromises, he was still the Thunder's undisputed core player.

This season, he needs to give up his position to KD.

He no longer has the right to be selfish.

Kevin Durant smiled and said, "LeBron, I'm really grateful."

Kyrie Irving was very relaxed; his previous winning streak had given him confidence.

He felt that tonight's game would be no different.

He even joked with DeAndre Jordan before the game: "I bet five hundred that I'll score more points than Lynch tonight."

DeAndre Jordan gave him a look that suggested he was looking at a mentally challenged child.

Kyrie Irving was annoyed: "Hey, in most of the last nine games, he and I haven't scored that much. And the guy guarding me is Stephen Curry."

“What the hell are you talking about?” DeAndre Jordan shook his head. “The Thunder didn’t get to the Finals by luck last season; their defense was very strong.”

Kyrie Irving didn't care: "Just watch, DeAndre, the Nightmare Duo is two people, not just Lynch."

The atmosphere was fairly friendly before the match started.

Although Lynch and LBJ have a cold relationship and never speak to each other again, most of the players on the two teams have very good personal relationships.

However, all friendliness vanished the moment they stood on either side of the center circle.

They knew this was more than just the regular season.

This is a championship-level matchup!

The game begins, and the Knicks gain possession of the ball.

Kyrie Irving was ready to take the first shot, but the Thunder were already treating this guy, who had only played less than ten games in the NBA, as a star player.

LeBron James immediately double-teamed Kyrie Irving, giving him no chance.

He passed the ball to Lynch, and Swiss Army Knife and Serge Ibaka quickly closed in.

Lynch then passed the ball to DeAndre Jordan under the basket, who caught the ball and sprang up.

"boom!--"

With a heart-stopping thud, DeAndre Jordan was left hanging on the rim.

But the basketball was firmly pinned down by LBJ!

After double-teaming Kyrie Irving, LBJ quickly returned to the basket to help defend and block DeAndre Jordan's powerful dunk!
Since the offense is entrusted to KD, LeBron James can naturally contribute more on the defensive end.

He grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to number 35.

Kevin Durant, facing Wilson Chandler, suddenly stopped beyond the three-point line, raised his center of gravity, and was about to bring the ball together with both hands.

Wilson Chandler knows KD's habits all too well; he doesn't like to dribble much, and once he raises his center of gravity, he's definitely going to shoot.

He jumped with all his might to match Kevin Durant's release height.

But the next second, KD didn't collect the ball and shoot. Instead, he quickly changed direction and passed by Wilson Chandler, rushed into the heart of the paint, and soared up to score with a one-handed dunk!
Thunder fans cheered and took their seats. Lynch spread his hands at Wilson Chandler: "I told you, Kevin's ball-handling this season is extraordinary."

"Damn it, my Lynch, my..."

One round later, the Knicks' offense was once again stifled by the Thunder.

Lynch's fadeaway jumper bounced off the rim amidst a double-team, DeAndre Jordan grabbed the offensive rebound, but missed his layup under pressure from Serge Ibaka.

The Thunder regained possession, and Lynch continued to closely guard LBJ.

But LBJ's offensive desire was very restrained tonight. He orchestrated the play with a one-handed bullet pass to find the Oklahoma City dunk champion.

The latter caught the ball and shot immediately, turning around in advance, and the basketball went in smoothly.

Stephen Curry showed Kyrie Irving the awe-inspiring presence of the best dunker in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder maintain their 5-0 lead.

In the next possession, DeMar DeRozan's mid-range isolation play helped the Knicks break their scoring drought, but the Thunder quickly scored again.

In this possession, LBJ simply didn't hold the ball, but instead went to the corner to watch Stephen Curry and KD run a pick-and-roll.

The Durant-Curry pick-and-roll is a strategy frequently used by the Thunder this season. Instead of using KD to set screens for Curry, they use Curry to set screens for KD.

As a player with explosive physical attributes from Akron, Stephen Curry's pick-and-roll quality is beyond question.

It's definitely not that great. But KD and Curry's incredible shooting threat means that Curry only needs to flick the ball to create an opportunity for KD.

At this point, a switch or even a double team will inevitably occur, at which point Curry will be able to easily either shoot a three-pointer from the outside or dunk on the side.

This was exactly what happened in this play. Kyrie Irving switched onto the defense immediately after the pick-and-roll was set, and before DeMar DeRozan could react, Stephen Curry had already quickly run away.

KD made a precise pass to his good partner, who then hit another three-pointer!
The Oklahoma City Thunder's progress is evident, with an 8-2 lead.

The cheers at Chesapeake Energy Arena were deafening, and Oklahoma City fans were ecstatic.

The pain inflicted by last season's finals defeat is now transforming into a burning desire for revenge, which is being released with unbridled gusto as they swing their hands up and down.

Kyrie Irving dribbled across the frontcourt, and for the first time, he felt such suffocating pressure.

If the wall-hitting incident against the Magic was due to my poor outside shooting, it was mostly because I wasn't shooting well from the outside.

Tonight, the Thunder's truly suffocating defensive pressure came knocking.

LeBron James is like a mad dog, always relentlessly double-teaming.

He was completely unable to handle such a defense on his own.

In this possession, LBJ once again double-teamed Irving and stole the ball.

Irving immediately picked up the ball with both hands, avoiding a turnover, but the iron wall formed by Curry and LBJ instantly closed in, leaving him no space to dribble.

James rammed into Irving's body violently, trying to break his balance.

Curry tried to steal the ball, his fingers scraping against the surface of the basketball several times, as if he was trying to dunk it off.

Kyrie Irving was overwhelmed, the dense wall of defenders making it impossible for him to find a way to pass the ball.

Just as he was squeezed to his limit, and the basketball was about to slip from his grasp, he heard a shout in his ear:

"Rookie, give me that damn ball!"

This was the first time Lynch had ever so aggressively demanded the ball from Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Irving dislikes being protected, but at this moment, Lynch's voice was like heavenly music, rescuing him from the mire.

He passed the ball to Lin Qi in the direction of the shout. Lin Qi received the ball and dribbled towards the paint. Finally, despite being blocked by two players, he drifted and shot.

This shot was still very difficult, and Kyrie Irving had already started to retreat on defense.

As a result, the net rolled and the basketball went in.

The deafening cheers at Chesapeake Energy Stadium were abruptly cut short for a few seconds by this piercing goal!
This is a sense of security that Kyrie Irving has never experienced before. In desperate moments, it seems that as long as he hands the ball to Lynch, all difficulties will be resolved.

Lynch scored and returned to defense, his burning gaze fixed on Irving's face.

He raised his hand, pointing unequivocally at the slightly panting rookie:

"Don't be reckless, pass the ball early and be decisive!"

Kyrie Irving didn't respond, he just swallowed hard.

For the first time, he clearly understood where Lynch's overwhelming prestige came from.

After one round, KD missed a one-on-one shot, and Lynch grabbed the rebound himself. Kyrie Irving instinctively raised his hand to ask for the ball.

But Stephen Curry stuck to him tightly, not giving him any chance to receive the ball.

Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry are both underrated defenders.

You could say their defense wasn't strong enough to be changed.

But their defense is not that fragile.

Stephen Curry is particularly outstanding in off-ball defense. He excels at cutting off passing lanes, and just like in offense, he runs very frequently and works very hard when defending off the ball.

Kyrie Irving tried to break free several times, but without success.

DeMar DeRozan was similarly blocked by a Swiss Army knife.

So Lynch dribbled the ball up the court himself, with LeBron James leading the defense the entire game.

Kyrie Irving was still trying to cut to the basket, but Stephen Curry's clever blocking left him with no chance.

"Damn it!"

Kyrie Irving cursed loudly, lamenting that as his second-in-command, he was utterly useless.

Lynch simply waved his hand and took the ball for a one-on-one attack.

He quickly accelerated, dribbled behind his back, and passed by LBJ.

But having only gained half a body length of space, number 23 remained firmly stuck to Lynch's side and rear.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Army Knife came up to help defend, as DeAndre Jordan was unable to create space, and Serge Ibaka also guarded the paint.

The entire restricted area was incredibly congested.

Faced with the contraction, Lynch stopped abruptly and pulled back with a powerful pull-up jumper.

Kyrie Irving felt a chill run down his spine; this round was even more incredibly difficult than the last.

Lynch, he couldn't possibly
"brush!"

"Lynch! He's brought the score to just 2 points! The Thunder have called a timeout. Coach Scott Brooks wants to break Lynch's momentum; Lynch's consecutive baskets must be making him quite nervous!"

Kyrie Irving's chest heaved as he stared at the number 20 who was throwing a punch.

DeAndre Jordan then walked up and patted him on the shoulder:

"Still want to gamble, Kerry?"

Although the Thunder were forced to call a timeout, they still led by 2 points.

LeBron James was excited; this start gave him a glimpse of victory.

He yelled at his arch-rivals: "Without a small lineup, without James Dolan's checks, you're nothing!"

Lin Qi gave him a cold glance, his venomous words delivering the fatal blow:

"Get out of here and call someone who's my equal. I'm not talking to Scottie Pippen."

LeBron James froze instantly, the thrill of being in the lead vanishing completely.

This is the price of being Scottie Pippen.

He and Lynch are no longer on equal footing.

It's like people will only say that Michael Jordan beat Charles Barkley, but nobody will say that Scottie Pippen beat Charles Barkley.

Back on the bench, Mike Malone glanced at Chandler Parsons.

This second-round pick's defense was surprisingly good, but his shooting was as rough as a blue-collar center's.

In the preseason, his free throw percentage was less than 60%.

It's unrealistic to use him to replicate a small lineup.

If he could, Mike Malone would have put him on the court long ago.

He could only temporarily forget about the small lineup and tell everyone:

"Put all your energy into defense, be physical, be tough, give me playoff-level defensive intensity, and make their offense difficult too!"

Kyrie Irving asked a silly question: "What about our offense?"

Lynch patted his head and said something Irving had said during the opening game:

"Go do your own thing, newbie."

(End of this chapter)