Champion Rules

Chapter 329, Section 325: The Man Who Walked Out of Memphis with a Smile (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Memphis, FedEx Stadium.

Throughout his career, Lynch has only played here once a season.

This is only my eighth time here.

Most of the time, Lynch's impression of this place was that it was empty; the stands were almost never full during any game.

In particular, compared to the lively Madison Square Garden every night, the atmosphere at FedEx Arena, the home of the crowd, is quite quiet.

Moreover, according to Lynch, whenever he plays in Memphis, the attendance at the League Express Arena is the highest of the entire season due to his box office appeal.

But it still didn't seem lively enough.

Desolate, boring, and hopeless—that's how Lynch described the place.

But tonight, things have changed here.

The stands were packed, with most fans wearing matching dark blue short-sleeved shirts.

The moment the Knicks players stepped onto the court to warm up, a deafening roar of cheers erupted.

"Whoop that trick (beat them up)!!!"

This was the first time Lynch had ever heard such a powerful cheer at FedExCentre.

The people here have begun to truly embrace the city's only team in the four major sports leagues, and the Grizzlies, known for their tenacity, have repaid their loyal fans with their fighting spirit on the court.

The Memphis Grizzlies' unexpectedly outstanding performance in last season's playoffs and their strong regular season performance this year have made them the spiritual pillar and pride of this declining city.

The Grizzlies even miraculously reduced Memphis's long-standing high crime rate—they allowed anyone to exchange guns for free tickets, which is very American indeed.

Beyond their record, the Grizzlies' ability to gain the support of Memphis fans stems from a deeper reason: the team's spirit resonates strongly with the city's core values.

Their players aren't exactly chosen ones; they don't possess exceptional talent.

But they remained tenacious and resilient, snatching victory after victory from those superior teams.

They brought a rare dose of positive energy to this chaotic and decaying city.

Even before Ben Simmons, Tony Allen, the basketball player with the most severe rim phobia, dared to go on the court and fight against superstars with his passion. What could be more inspiring than that?

Lynch's gaze quickly shifted from the roaring Memphis stands to Chandler Parsons.

Although he had just dominated Marcus Morris in the G League game yesterday, although tonight was a back-to-back game for him, and although he had just arrived in Memphis this morning exhausted.

You couldn't see a trace of fatigue in him. He was like a college student seeing a row of girls bowing to him for the first time in a KTV room, his eyes sparkling with novelty and excitement.

There is really no difference between these two things, because the deepest desire in both is to make a big splash.

Lynch watched his warm-up for a while and found that his three-pointers were indeed much more reliable than his terrible free throws.

He's quite peculiar; he gets rim-phobic when he's close to the basket, but not when he's far away.

Of course, his long-range shooting accuracy and consistency still cannot be compared with those of pure shooters.

But for the Knicks, who are currently looking to rotate their offensive firepower, this is a crucial supplement to solve their immediate problems.

Chandler Parsons repeated his shooting motions from various positions, trying his best to seize the last moments to ignite his shooting touch.

Before the game started, Shane Battier took out his phone and walked over to him, patiently explaining some tactical details for the evening.

Although Chandler Parsons' rise will take away from Shane Battier's playing time, "The President" doesn't seem to care.

Contribution knows no boundaries, whether on or off stage; this is the deep-seated understanding of his role that Sean Battier has long cultivated.

The commotion reached its peak, and the referee finally began calling for the starting players from both sides to move towards the center circle.

Chandler Parsons walked toward the bench, and as he passed Lynch, he shouted at him:
"It's a pleasure to board your invincible warship, Captain!"

Lynch simply smiled:

"Let's get our footing on the deck first."

The two sides approached each other, and the on-site commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Pete Premana were discussing the Knicks' dominance.

"Their myth will be shattered here," said Pete Premana, the Grizzlies' regular commentator. "No team can dominate at FedExCity. All teams, win or lose, will eventually leave in a sorry state."

Jeff Van Gundy is a staunch supporter of Lynch:

“New York is a different Pete; you can’t lump Lynch in with other people.”

The game began, and Kyrie Irving, a recognized ball-handling genius, surprisingly made a mistake in the very first possession.

Tony Allen disrupted Irving's rhythm and balance with his aggressive play, and although it was only for a fleeting moment, he still managed to seize the opportunity to steal the ball.

Tony Allen then sprinted down the court and delivered a powerful one-handed dunk to give the Grizzlies the first point of the game.

Thanks to Marc Gasol for the highly constructive "Tony Allen Rule"—any Grizzlies player who misses a fast break will be fined $100.

Inspired by this rule, Tony Allen's fear of the rim miraculously disappeared during fast breaks, and he could even have a close encounter with the basket.

After scoring, Tony Allen raised his hand, put up his index finger, and looked down at the rookie with a smug expression: "All-Defensive First Team!"

This declaration is both a boast and a chilling warning.

The Knicks continued their offense, and Tony Allen's defense on Kyrie Irving made the newly minted number one draft pick very uncomfortable.

This number 9 in front of me has been pushing the defensive intensity to the maximum from the very first second of the game, as if we're playing the final round that will decide the outcome.

This is Tony Allen's strength on the defensive end. In terms of physical attributes and defensive skills, Tony Allen is by no means the best.

What sets Tony Allen apart from other players is that he completely abandons offense and devotes all his energy to defense.

This extreme way of distributing physical strength has forged his cruel "biting" ability.

In this way, the Grizzlies are essentially playing four against five on offense.

Tony Allen's passive ability is: automatically remove himself and one opposing player on offense.

Unless facing the 2025 Thunder, whose starting lineup has eight players, three of whom are on the whistle, Tony Allen will always find a way to drag both teams' offenses into a 4-on-5 situation.

Under pressure, rookie Kyrie Irving, whose physique was still relatively slender, chose to pass the ball to Lynch, with Zach Randolph following closely behind.

The big black bear used its broad body to stick close to Lynch, giving him no space to shoot.

He wasn't afraid of Lynch's drives because Marc Gasol's rim protection was solid enough.

Lynch used his shoulder to carve out a tiny gap, then took the opportunity to break through with the ball.

From a mid-range position, Lynch jumped while running and launched a drifting shot.

The Nets rolled around, and the Grizzlies were good at turning games into a rigid, half-court battle, but that wasn't a problem for Lynch.

On the Grizzlies' second offensive possession, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley executed a pick-and-roll, their most common starting move.

Conley drove straight into the paint, but DeAndre Jordan quickly switched onto him. Despite his superior athleticism, Conley didn't get an easy space to attack the basket.

After drawing DeAndre Jordan to switch on defense, he decisively passed the ball back to Marc Gasol at the high post.

Just like his brother, Marc Gasol can shoot mid-range shots, facilitate plays, and is a threat even at the high post.

DeAndre Jordan had to quickly leave the paint and return to Big Bear's side.

Marc Gasol, unhurried and with a flick of his wrist, delivered a precise lob pass to his inside partner – Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies' most trusted battering ram, who had already boxed out deep post.

The big black bear used its terrifying size and strength to push past Lynch, then turned around and went for a layup.

Compared to when the Big Bear was with the Pistons, Lynch is now lighter, allowing Randolph to more easily create space through his strength.

He had shaken off the defender and raised his hand for a layup.

But then, the ball was slammed down from the top—most blocks involve the defender's hand hitting the side or bottom of the ball—Lynch's hand slammed down from the top of the ball!

While Lynch's physical strength did decline after losing weight, it resulted in faster movement and better jumping ability.

Ultimately, Lynch's defensive prowess never diminished despite his weight loss.

The big black bear did push Lin Qi away, but Lin Qi made up for it with his speed and jumping ability.

"Boom!—"

The loud bang made the hearts of all Memphis fans skip a beat; the visual impact of that block was truly astounding.

The basketball bounced off the floor with a thud, and Tony Allen reacted quickly, running to contest for possession.

But Lynch used his body to block the sharp-nosed Tony and got the ball first.

Lynch easily neutralized the Grizzlies' most reliable offensive weapon!

Lynch caught the basketball with one hand, and raised the other hand just like Tony Allen had done, chin slightly raised, his voice booming:

"Three consecutive seasons, Defensive Player of the Year!"

This was clearly a direct response to Tony Allen's recent boast, which completely overshadowed him.

Then, the same strategy was used again.

The black bear exerted pressure and lured Lynch to break through, attempting to force him into a trap in the restricted area, while the polar bear was ready to hunt him down in the restricted area.

But Lynch finished the offense with another mid-range shot, the same script, the same ending.

For the next three possessions, Lynch attacked the Grizzlies' defense in the same way, missing only one shot.

In the blink of an eye, Lynch had already scored 6 points on 3 out of 4 shots.

Forcing the opponent to keep taking shots from the mid-range is indeed the right defensive strategy.

Even Lynch couldn't stay that accurate forever under constant pressure.

The key issue is that Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies' most relied-upon offensive weapon, was completely shut down by Lynch.

They can't score themselves!

As Mike Conley missed his mid-range jumper after a pick-and-roll, Dave Joerger immediately waved his arms and yelled, "Switch!"

He didn't wait until he was almost out of breath to start struggling. Seeing that the Black and White Bears couldn't restrain Lynch, he decided to push Tony Allen in front of Lynch!

Tony Allen began to relentlessly harass Lynch the moment he approached the three-point line, precisely intercepting passing lanes with every fronting maneuver and every delay, determined to completely isolate Lynch from the offense.

But Lynch didn't back down an inch. He kept looking for opportunities to break free and didn't give up despite the other party's biting.

When dealing with this type of defender, even the slightest hint of weakness will only boost their confidence.

In this possession, Lynch deliberately tried to give the Grizzlies' best defender a taste of his own medicine!

After struggling for a while, Lynch finally found a fleeting opening to receive the ball in the middle of the right side, and Kyrie Irving quickly passed it to him.

Almost the instant he received the ball, Tony Allen closed in perfectly.

The powerful physical confrontation continued, completely blocking any space for the ball to launch an attack.

His lower limbs were also pushing against Lynch's legs, preventing him from starting easily.

One hand was still hovering beside the basketball, ready to strike at any moment.

Even Lynch admitted that Tony Allen's defensive details were almost flawless.

But Lynch didn't dribble or start.

He chose the most individualistic and heroic way to respond on the basketball court: a standing pull-up jumper, a fadeaway shot!

Tony Allen reacted swiftly, raising his arm to interfere almost immediately.

But at this moment, Lynch's height and wingspan advantage became apparent. Tony Allen's fingertips strained upwards, but he still couldn't completely shut down Lynch.

In an attempt to further disrupt Lynch's shot, Tony Allen shouted "Thanks for your help!" the moment number 20 made his move.

The implication of this statement is that the opponent's jump shot selection is actually helping the Grizzlies. This tactic is very effective; he often shouted this when he played in Boston.

But then—

"Shh."

Lynch hits a fadeaway jumper from the spot!

He just ended Zach Randolph's flawless low-post isolation play.

Now they've also cracked Tony Allen's flawless defense.

Lynch landed gracefully, a smile on his face, his finger waving:

"You're welcome, Tony."

Lynch started the game with his masterful mid-range skills, carving out a scoring gap even without a clear-cut opportunity, and single-handedly scored 8 points.

In the first quarter of the game, Lynch played with considerable ferocity.

He bravely faced the Grizzlies' most suffocating defensive stalwarts, relentlessly attacking and breaking through their defenses.

At the same time, they also pinned the opponent's most relied-upon heavy battering ram, Zach Randolph, to the quagmire of their attack.

Lynch can't score every time, nor can he stop Zach every time.

But he was like a pillar of strength standing firm amidst turbulent waves, always maintaining the Knicks' lead and giving Memphis fans a sense of despair that "with him around, we have no chance of turning the tide."

Nine minutes into the first quarter, the Grizzlies were down by seven points.

Lynch scored 15 points in the quarter, while the Knicks as a whole had only 20 points at that point.

Mike Malone recalled that before boarding the plane yesterday, he said he wanted to win for a whole month.

If he wants to, he will spare no effort to achieve it.

Memphis fans finally felt a sense of relief when Lynch was substituted.

Jeff Van Gundy waves his arms:
"No one can deliver a dominant performance in Memphis, but a god can!"

But Pete Premana, the local Grizzlies commentator standing next to Jeff Van Gundy, seemed unimpressed.

Lynch's performance was amazing, but also expected.

Yes, Tony Allen just defended Lynch to the extreme on every possession.

As one of the best basketball players in the world, Lynch was virtually immune to any defense in the first quarter when he was full of energy.

But what about the second quarter? The third quarter? The decisive moment?

In their last game against the Thunder, Kevin Durant also had a spectacular quarter.

But in the end, he was not the winner.

Especially given that the Knicks' rotation cannot relieve the pressure on Lynch, his playing time will inevitably increase if he wants to maintain the advantage.

When his playing time is forced to be longer, and when his touch is worn down in repeated physical battles, his efficiency cannot remain this high indefinitely.

The Grizzlies can really make you suffer because they can torture you with their consistently high-intensity defense.

You might win one or two quarters, but that doesn't guarantee you'll win the whole game.

He declared with near arrogance, "Even God cannot leave Memphis with a smile."

Lynch sat back down on the bench, his breathing heavier than ever before.

On defense, he has to fight the big black bear; on offense, he has to fight Tony Allen.

This is like dealing with two MIFLs at the same time; even the toughest will be worn down.

Lynch needs rest, even more than usual.

In Memphis, OJ Mayo, seeing all the key players substituted, was already itching to dominate during his rotation time.

Mike Malone walked up to Chandler Parsons, a handsome white man who didn't look like a basketball player at all, and he was obviously very nervous.

This was his first time playing in an official game as a key rotation player, and he knew that if he messed up, he would be sent back to the Development League and then disappear without a trace one day.

Mike Malone didn't say much, he just told him:
"Your task is simple: use your scoring to keep Lynch on the bench for the full three minutes, and during that time, make sure the team doesn't get overtaken."

If you do something stupid, I'll replace you.

If Lynch's ass has to leave the bench even a second earlier, I'll send you to the Development League.

Do you understand what you need to do?

DeAndre Jordan joked, "The Development League? Damn, I thought you were going to send him to the biggest gay bar in New York to be a male model."

The whole team chuckled, but this clearly did little to calm Chandler Parsons down.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded vigorously: "I understand!"

The game restarted, and the chant "Whoop that trick!" rang out once again.

It's clear that Lynch's departure has restored the confidence of Memphis fans.

The game begins, and OJ Mayo has the ball, drawing high expectations from Memphis fans.

Every game OJ Mayo gives people the thrill of opening a blind box.

You never know if he'll be the most accurate Jordan or the most inaccurate Kobe today.

OJ Mayo backed down Jimmy Butler's defense.

He felt Jimmy Butler's unusual toughness, but his stronger body allowed him to reach the mid-range position.

Just as he was about to turn and shoot, Chandler Parsons double-teamed him.

OJ Mayo didn't see the white forward as a threat and resolutely chose to continue with his jump shot.

But the basketball was cut off the moment the ball was brought together.

Chandler Parsons makes a defensive play!
However, the Grizzlies' defense was excellent; their interior players immediately retreated to defend, while their perimeter players quickly focused on their assigned opponents.

But Chandler Parsons wasn't in a hurry; the 206cm tall player chose to dribble and advance the ball himself.

Grizzlies backup forward Dante Cunningham is attempting to steal the ball.

When a Black man sees a tall white player dribbling, it's like a white police officer seeing a Black thug with his hands on his waist—he'll reflexively take action.

But Chandler Parsons used a smooth crossover to get past his opponent, ran to the three-point line, and, with no one guarding him, took a shot.

"Shh!"

Jimmy Butler was even more excited than Chandler Parsons, who scored the goal. He rushed up, leaped high, and shoved the rookie he'd been practicing with every day into the game hard, then pumped his fist and shouted:
"We're the ones who gave them a good beating!"

In the next possession, OJ Mayo's mid-range shot missed under the interference of an extremely excited Jimmy Butler.

After two and a half months of regular season training, not only Chandler Parsons, but also Jimmy Butler has made great progress.

Amir Johnson grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball to Milos Teodosic.

Chandler Parsons quickly made a run and called for the ball at the top of the arc outside the three-point line.

Dante Cunningham wasn't about to let a rookie score again, so he lunged forward to block the shot.

As a result, Chandler Parsons suddenly made a cut, leaving his opponent outside the three-point line, and Theo's pass was delivered immediately.

Facing a fierce block from Grizzlies' backup center Marreese Speights, Chandler Parsons made a layup after a mid-air layup.

Dave Joerger was stunned.

206 cm tall, white, layup?

What the hell are you talking about?!
Chandler Parsons has always had a good finishing touch, but his ability to break through defenses is not strong.

Furthermore, given the lack of a previous shooting threat, there was even less chance of a breakthrough.

Now that he can hit three-pointers, he has more room to maneuver on the offensive end.

But Chandler Parsons' performance ended there; he didn't score again.

However, he successfully kept Dante Cunningham, the power forward, firmly on the perimeter, constantly guarding him.

This created easier cut opportunities for others, and the Knicks' offense instantly came alive.

With space created, Jimmy Butler and Wilson Chandler, taking advantage of Milos Teodosic's passes, repeatedly cut to the basket, tearing apart the Grizzlies' defense during their rotation time.

OJ Mayo's offense became extremely inefficient under Jimmy Butler's defense.

Jordan is his ceiling, but the guy opposite him can practically embody Jordan!
As the game progressed, OJ Mayo felt that something was off about Jimmy Butler's appearance.

How can they be so similar?!
What exactly did MJ do that night in Houston?!

Jimmy Butler uses the "In the Name of the Father" template to prevent his father from being ripped off.

Fortunately, Marreese Speights and Sam Young had a hot hand from mid-range tonight, helping the Grizzlies maintain their lead.

In the final possession of the first quarter, the Grizzlies were still down by 5 points.

In this round, they cut off all paths of attack, and even Theo couldn't find a way to pass the ball.

In previous games, when this situation occurred, the Knicks' offense would come to a complete standstill.

But tonight, Theo passed the ball to Chandler Parsons.

Chandler Parsons started his run in the last 5 seconds, but his physical attributes made it impossible for him to overtake his opponent with speed alone.

But he suddenly changed his rhythm, dove past Dante Cunningham with a crossover, and threw the ball.

Marreese Speights brought Parsons down hard, and with the referee's whistle, the basketball playfully bounced on the rim before obediently falling into the net!
The point difference is back to 7 points, and the Knicks will have to make more free throws!
Chandler Parsons, who was on fire, stepped up to the free-throw line, and unsurprisingly missed the shot, resulting in a classic 2+0.

The Knicks' rotation ultimately failed to extend their lead, but it was enough to make Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger rub his throbbing temples.

He knew that tonight, the grizzly bear himself might be the one who suffers a great loss.

At the end of the first quarter, Chandler Parsons walked off the court, scratching his head.

"Sorry we couldn't extend our lead, free throws are just too damn hard!"

Mike Malone tilted his head slightly, a barely perceptible hint of approval on his lips: "Get some rest, we still need you."

Lynch also stood up. He was now in excellent physical condition and had enough energy to fight the two MIFLs of the Grizzlies for another round.

The substitutes didn't help the team extend their lead, but they did a good job of relieving the pressure.

He knew that the problem that had plagued the Knicks' winning percentage had disappeared.

So he said to Mike Malone in an excited tone, "We can definitely do it."

"A complete victory in January? Maybe."

"No, I'm not just talking about January."

After the holiday break, Lin Qi returned to the game.

The cheers at FedExCare were noticeably weaker than before, and Tony Allen's arrogance had faded, leaving only a tense and serious expression.

He certainly knew what a physically fit Lynch meant.

Jeff Van Gundy watched the close-ups of Tony Allen and Lynch's expressions on the big screen, then nudged Pete Premana, who had been maintaining a tough stance until now, with his elbow.
"Pete, the first person to walk out of Memphis with a smile—he's here."

(Thanks so much to TangEr and other generous donors! I'm extremely grateful!)

(End of this chapter)