Champion Rules

Chapter 337: It's not that the protagonist has changed, it's that the supporting characters have changed again (Seeking monthly votes!)
Dwight Howard's playoff journey started off awkwardly.

As a center, it's unbelievable that he went 0-for-11 from the field throughout the game.

The biggest hater of Warcraft, a shark who has harbored resentment towards the game ever since its "Superman" nickname was stolen, bluntly stated on the show:

"Listen, even Stephen Curry wouldn't put on such a disgraceful performance if he played center!"

To be honest, Shaquille O'Neil's demands on Warcraft are too harsh.

Stephen Curry, with his explosive putback dunks, is poised to become one of the league's best centers in the 10s and 20s.

It's like comparing Kobe to Joel Embiid, the greatest guard of the 20s; that's just unfair.

It's not just Howard who can't compare to Curry; no American center can match Curry.

However, the criticism did not come solely from sharks.

All sports media outlets across the United States, including local media in Florida, have vilified Dwight Howard.

It's fair to say that Dwight Howard's reputation was completely ruined by this game.

Warcraft, who was already in a low mood this season, is undoubtedly at the lowest point in his life right now.

At the same time, feelings of hatred reached their peak.

He hated Lin Qi to death; he knew that bastard was deliberately targeting him.

He clearly didn't need to be matched up against him the whole time, but he insisted on doing so to embarrass himself.

Watching the news on TV that mocked me, hatred boiled in my veins.

He finally lost his temper, slammed the TV off, and smashed the remote control against the hotel carpet.

The plastic casing shattered and shattered, but this did nothing to quell the pent-up, overwhelming rage.

Just then, his phone rang at an inopportune moment.

The phone rang at that exact moment, and the nickname "Greedy Demon" on the screen was particularly glaring.

This is how he refers to his agent, Charles Briscoe. (This is true; Briscoe was arrested in 2023 and it was revealed that he embezzled at least $700 million from Howard.)
He grabbed the phone and, before the other person could speak, roared impatiently, "Damn it, another brand wants to terminate my contract!?"

Dwight Howard assumed the call wouldn't bring him any good news.

Charles Briscoe on the other end of the phone wasn't angry at being scolded.

In his view, there is no difference between a professional agent and a professional stripper—they both have to learn to deal with clients who are always very hot-tempered.

“Relax, Dwight,” Blasco said calmly. “I just came to tell you that the thing about playing hometown basketball is still going strong.”

Mentioning this only made Dwight Howard angrier: "Don't bring up hometown basketball with me. The Hawks don't treat me like one of their own. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so unwilling to pay even the slightest price!"

"No, no, no, Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levinson has always admired you. The previous obstacles were all due to that utterly incompetent general manager, Rick Sander."
Coach Larry Drew's conflict with him deepened due to the failed trade, which seriously affected the team.

However, things have now taken a turn for the better.

"Let me guess, they got rid of Rick Sander?" Dwight Howard finally smiled.

"No, they let Rick Sander and Larry Drew go at the same time. The team didn't want the conflict between the general manager and the head coach to continue to affect the team, so they directly addressed the root of the problem."

In this respect, Charles Briscoe has some respect for the Hawks' owner team.

This matter was handled quite decisively and efficiently.

Children make choices; adults fire them all.

"The Hawks are currently restructuring their management team, and they will be looking for a head coach and general manager who can lead the team to contend for a championship. Of course, making this trade involving you is also their top priority for restarting their journey."

Dwight Howard felt much better.

At least he saw hope of leaving Orlando.

At least he saw hope for his career to shine again.

But it was still too late. Dwight Howard didn't dare to think about the next three games.

For most players, the playoffs are a glorious competition.

For Warcraft now, the playoffs are simply a humiliation to be on the court.

He knew that going on stage would only bring him humiliation, yet he had no choice but to put the noose around his neck again and again.

Charles Briscoe, as if he could read Warcraft's mind from afar, comforted his client:

"Don't be so downcast, Dwight. I know this season has been like swallowing shards of glass, and I know this series is going to be even tougher."

But remember that feeling vividly, until you get to Atlanta, until you have a team capable of contending for the championship—

You can make Lin Qi pay for his crimes in blood!

Dwight Howard clenched his fists, as if he had truly drawn some courage to confront the abyss.

But clearly, he underestimated the force of Lynch's execution.

Game 2 of the series continued in New York, with Lynch marking Dwight Howard for the second consecutive game.

Tonight, Dwight Howard finally delivered the performance expected of a superstar center.

He scored a whopping 11 points!
In just one game, he went from 0 goals from open play to 3 goals from open play. The speed at which Warcraft evolved was even faster than that of peak Cell.

With Dwight Howard's stellar performance, the Magic easily crushed the Knicks by 29 points tonight.

The Knicks couldn't even extend their lead to 30 points, and the Orlando Magic's formidable strength was on full display that night!

Game 3 returned to Orlando, but the Magic failed to bounce back at home.

The Amway Center seemed to have been cleaved in two by two waves of fans with invisible blades.

Some fans were chanting for Howard and holding up signs that read "Please stay".

Some fans booed Dwight Howard and held up signs that read "Die, coward."

As the competition progressed, fewer and fewer signs supported Warcraft, while the tide of hatred grew stronger.

Dwight Howard scored 15 points today, but most of those points came from free throws.

Fortunately, my free throw shooting was pretty good tonight, so I finally got a decent score.

However, the whole process was not dignified. Despite Lynch's 100% dedication to single-handed defense, he still managed to turn the monster into the bottom.

Dwight Howard repeatedly challenged Lynch with his crude low post, only to fail time and time again.

In fact, Dwight Howard is the player with the highest low-post production this season, bar none.

During the regular season, Warcraft's low-post play was considered highly productive and efficient.

When facing opponents taller than him, he can rely on his speed to complete a back turn or a face-up drive.

Against weaker opponents, Dwight Howard can utilize his strength advantage.

In an era where super centers are extinct, Dwight Howard's abilities are enough to handle most opponents.

Unfortunately, Lynch restrained him.

Lynch's agility was in no way inferior to that of a peak-level Warcraft.

His historic defensive awareness and anticipation ability compensate for his lack of strength.

As a result, all that remained for Dwight Howard were a series of embarrassing mishaps and humiliating mistakes.

David Steele, the commentator at the Amway Center, even made this comment after Dwight Howard made his sixth mistake of the night: "My God, in front of Lynch, Dwight is like a savage who has mastered the basics of basketball!"

Objectively speaking, this was a choice that Warcraft had no other option but to make.

After a series of haphazard moves by the management, the Magic team now can't even find a single player who can consistently average 15 points per game.

If Dwight Howard doesn't start taking more shots in the low post, the team's offense will be completely ruined.

But that's how cruel the playoffs are; nobody cares about the reasons behind the defeat, nobody cares about so many tactical things.

There is no excuse for one star player being completely outmatched by another in the playoffs.

The Magic ultimately suffered a 31-point defeat, marking their third consecutive game in which they have failed to close the gap to within 25 points.

Lynch scored 25 points, but his offensive performance was still mediocre for his level.

But Dwight Howard's 15 points with only a 33% field goal percentage are enough to demonstrate Lynch's ability.

After the game, Dwight Howard lingered for a long time before leaving.

He sat frozen on the bench, staring at the score in disbelief.

With a 31-point deficit, the Orlando Magic had absolutely no way to compete with the Knicks.

At this moment, escaping this purgatory that was scorching his dignity became his most urgent desire.

The words kept echoing in his mind: "When you have a team that can compete for the championship, you can make Lynch pay for his crimes in blood."

He desperately wanted this to happen immediately.

Stan Van Gundy approached the distraught Dwight Howard, intending to offer some comfort to the young man who had just been beaten.

Before he could speak, Warcraft suddenly raised his head, his voice dry and abrupt: "Coach, my knee is uncomfortable."

"what?"

“I mean,” Dwight Howard deliberately avoided eye contact, emphasizing his words as if to make the hastily made-up reason more believable, “my knee is bothering me, and I don’t know if I can play in the next game.”

Just moments ago, Dwight Howard was full of energy.

Just before the playoffs began, the Magic's medical team's assessment showed that Dwight Howard was in excellent health.

And now, he says his knee hurts so much that he doesn't know if he can play in the next game.

Stan Van Gundy understood almost instantly that Dwight Howard had been completely defeated.

This excuse is as clumsy as a man saying to a woman, "I'm tired, I'm sleepy, I haven't done it in a long time, I've been drinking."

An indescribable rage exploded in Stan Van Gundy's chest, for this was the worst kind of rout, a cowardly act of packaging blatant retreat as a lame excuse!
As a professional player, regardless of whether you win or not, you at least need to have the courage to stand in front of your opponent.

Stan Van Gundy clenched his fists, a surge of rage welling up within him, only to mysteriously recede with the next heartbeat.

Faced with this "giant baby" whose eyes were unfocused and who was nothing but a shell of talent, any reprimand seemed so superfluous and futile.

He gave up on him, his taut fingers slowly relaxing, and finally, he only managed to utter a casual reply from deep within his throat:

"Oh."

There's no need anymore. There's no need to get angry over this giant baby number 12.

Stan Van Gundy turned and left without saying a word, without uttering another word to him.

From 2004 to the present, the whole world has witnessed Lynch's growth.

He transformed from a hothead who would openly criticize Stephon Marbury without his face into a leader who could quietly quell all the undercurrents in the locker room without making a sound.

What about Dwight Howard?

In 2004, he was a bright and cheerful young man with a hearty laugh.

He doesn't smile much anymore, but he's still a big boy at heart.

He didn't know how to tame the raging torrent of media, how to deal with the cold-blooded and calculating management, or how to face up to and savor the bitter taste of failure.

A grown boy will ultimately find it difficult to win the right to survive in a male-dominated jungle.

Stan Van Gundy knew he wasn't the one who could change Dwight Howard.

If even Warcraft himself has bowed down, swallowing this humiliation in the most wretched way to declare defeat.

What else is there to say about him, a mere coach?

At the press conference following Game 3 of the series, Jeff Van Gundy officially announced:
"Dwight Howard will miss the entire series due to injury."

Warcraft himself sat to the side, his face ashen, without uttering a word.

After the press conference, the media and fans were unable to ascertain the cause of the injury, nor could they access an official injury report.

It can only be said that Dwight Howard's basketball philosophy was at least eight years ahead of LeBron James'.

At a young age, he achieved the level of injury intelligence that LBJ had only learned during his Lakers days.

But everyone isn't stupid. He was completely outmatched by Lynch in three games, and then suddenly got injured.

It's hard not to suspect that Dwight Howard might have backed out at the last minute.

As a result, he faced a series of questions.

Fox Sports writer Rick Butcher bluntly stated in an article: "There have been many players in NBA history who have been defeated in the playoffs, but Dwight is the first one to be intimidated."

ESPN writer Marc Stein didn't forget to use his favorite LeBron James as an example: "LBJ has been the biggest entertainer in the league for the past few seasons. But even he didn't think of escaping the game this way. Hey, he would at least keep playing and score 5 points."

Spurs beat reporter Tom Osborne's sarcastic remark carried the San Antonio-style dry humor: "Coach Stan Van Gundy, the number one player to rest players in the playoffs."

Dwight Howard wanted to escape all of this, but found that it was getting worse and worse.

In Game 4 of the series, under pressure, Dwight Howard had to appear on the sidelines in a suit.

After warming up, Lynch walked straight up to him and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Dwight, what right do you, a coward like you, have to call Ray a coward?"

Warcraft didn't answer; he couldn't refute it.

“I’ve heard the rumors,” Lynch continued. “The Hawks are rebuilding their management, and they’re very keen to restart that trade involving you. But let me tell you this, Dwight, don’t get your hopes up. Until you learn to respect me again like Melo did, you’ll end up the same way wherever you go.”

Howard still didn't respond, only his expression was gloomy, and he rested his elbows on his knees.

Tonight's game was a foregone conclusion, with the Knicks defeating the Magic by a margin of 32 points.

Lynch only scored 15 points because Mike Malone realized that his star player only needed to play half the game to win.

Low emotional intelligence: The Orlando Magic are easily defeated.

High emotional intelligence: In two out of four games, the Orlando Magic held Lynch to under 20 points, making them the best defensive team in the league against the New York Kings.

After this game, the Orlando Magic made history.

They lost by an average of 31 points per game in the series, which is the largest average point difference in a series in NBA history.

But after the game, Orlando fans cheered for Lynch.

As Dwight Howard walked toward the players' tunnel, he was booed by the stands on both sides.

The gazes from both sides of the passage were like red-hot steel needles; each look was like a public execution of his already shattered dignity.

How you treat your fans is how your fans will treat you.

Lynch eliminated Dwight Howard in an extremely brutal manner, all because of their conflict during the regular season.

Ray Allen inexplicably became the target of reporters' attacks after the series ended.

People know that he chose to take a pay cut and join Lynch out of spite because he was ostracized by the entire Magic locker room and dissatisfied with Howard's attitude on the court.

So, reporters were curious: "Ray, does defeating the Orlando Magic and Dwight in the series give you a sense of revenge?"

Ray Allen looked bewildered, clearly surprised by the question: "Why would I feel pleasure? Shouldn't a team like the Knicks easily advance past the first round?"

"Uh, but you and Dwight back then..."

"That's all in the past. Now, I just want to help Lynch reach the end."

After saying that, Ray Allen turned and left the court.

He is now very focused on his goal, and he knows that the first round is just the beginning.

Dwight Howard?
On his journey toward ultimate glory, that was no longer of any importance to him.
-
Standing atop the ruins of the Magic's 31-point average loss to the Knicks, followed by a ruthless 4-0 sweep, we look back at Lynch's doomsday prediction to Dwight Howard during All-Star Weekend.

This is no longer just a warning, but a reality bathed in blood and humiliation.
An epic tale of showing off!
He meant what he said, personally pouring the deepest despair into the monster's throat.

However, the fate of Chris Paul, the other protagonist in this grand trial, has yet to be revealed.

People are watching with bated breath. But as things stand, Chris Paul doesn't seem as vulnerable as Dwight Howard.

In the first round, CP3's cornfield army also swept the Milwaukee Bucks with a total score of 4-0.

Now, both sides are waiting for their opponents in the second round.

The Knicks need to wait for the winner between the Pistons and the Bulls, while the Pacers need to wait for the winner between the Heat and the Hawks.

It's clear that neither of these two groups will be swept, and the outcome will be decided in the short term.

Therefore, both the Knicks and the Pacers got a short break.

But for Lynch, there was never a time for rest.

It's that time of year again when he should be busy with the talent show.

The Manhattan Project was revolutionary, so every detail had to be carefully controlled.

Therefore, Lynch and Sam Presti will not take any draft seriously.

The 2012 draft was indeed less strategically important than the previous year, as the Knicks "only" had two late first-round picks.

But this still needs to be taken seriously.

Sam Presti and Lynch's goal was very clear—they needed an inside player and a shooter.

Given Ray Allen's age and ambition, he is very likely to retire after this season.

Lynch knew that Ray Allen's decision to play another year wasn't about getting another ring, but about earning a real ring through hard work and dedication with an even better playoff performance.

Therefore, regardless of whether this season is successful or not, Ray Allen has no reason to play another year.

If he plays well in this year's playoffs, he will have no regrets in his entire career, and he will most likely choose to retire.

If he remains unpredictable and elusive in this year's playoffs, then given his current condition, there's little point in trying for another year, and he will most likely choose to retire.

At that time, the New York Knicks will have a vacancy at the backup shooting guard position.

Therefore, the Knicks must first prepare a backup shooter.

As for the frontcourt, Sam Presti doesn't want Amir Johnson to be a backup center for the long term.

He needs to stay focused on the sports he's truly good at; he can play basketball occasionally.

Sam Presti's target for shooting guard is French heartthrob Evan Fournier.

Having already played in a professional league in France, he is highly likely to be able to fit right into a championship team like the Knicks.

Lynch had high hopes for him, not only because of his archery skills, but also because of his personality.

During his interview, he told the Knicks interviewer, "Afraid of the NBA? Why? At the end of the year, the NBA is just a national league. Since the beginning of the 21st century, international players, led by Lynch, have repeatedly defeated dream teams composed of NBA stars in international competitions. So, I have nothing to be afraid of."

What a brave young man! This also shows that his French blood is definitely not pure, at least not as pure as Rudy Gobert's.

But after watching Evan Fournier's trial performance today, Lynch was greatly disappointed.

Yes, he has a strong awareness of off-the-ball movement, and his shooting skills are excellent.

However, his defense with his arms outstretched was not as effective as LBJ's defense with his hands on his hips—LBJ could at least use his skillful flopping to help the team regain possession when he had his hands on his hips.

In terms of talent, Evan Fournier's lateral movement is too slow.

Mentally, this guy isn't very enthusiastic about defense either.

Therefore, Lynch gave up on him.

In the subsequent tryouts, apart from Vanderbilt University senior center Festus Ezeli, who could be considered as a backup center, Lynch and Sam Presti didn't see any other players who really stood out.

Evan Fournier was arguably the best player in this trial. His defense may not have been great, but he absolutely dominated his opponents on offense.

Sam Presti was very disappointed and waved his hand knowingly: "Next batch!"

The other five players came on half an hour later to continue the battle against Evan Fournier's team.

The Frenchman was excited, shouting, "Ha! The NBA draft pool is nothing special!"

This time, Fournier was guarded by a guy with a slender, ghostly build.

Memories from another timeline allowed Lynch to recognize him at a glance and place high hopes on him.

And then, as expected—

He got completely destroyed by Evan Fournier.

The draft and tryouts are brutal; there are often no miracles here, only the crushing of mediocrity by talent.

Sam Presti shrugged: "Looks like we don't have a choice. Is it possible to cultivate the Frenchman's defensive habits later on?"

“Chris Middleton, why didn’t you mention him to me?” Lynch completely ignored the question about the Frenchman and instead pointed to the guy who had been beaten to a pulp.

"Chris? He's too mediocre. He has no redeeming qualities other than his shooting."

He has a knee injury, mediocre athleticism, poor defense, no ball-handling skills, and lacks explosiveness under the basket.

Furthermore, he's a junior in college, and there's not much potential left to be developed. It's generally believed that he has no chance of making it to the first round.

"But he was clearly the most serious defender against the Frenchman just now," Lynch shrugged.

“Lynch, not everyone is Jimmy. Jimmy is actually a very talented guy, his fighting spirit and his ability to fight are outstanding. Chris is different, in terms of talent, he can't possibly be as good as Jimmy.”

Lynch nodded approvingly. Judging from Chris Middleton's performance during his college years, Sam Presti's assessment of him was quite accurate.

But Lynch knew that his abilities went beyond that.

Of course, within this timeline, different experiences, different teams, and different training methods may lead to huge discrepancies between the player's abilities and what Lynch knew.

The most typical examples are Darko Milicic and Carmelo Anthony.

Although Darko Milicic left the NBA early, this timeline, free from Larry Brown's influence, saw him at least put up All-Star caliber numbers.

Because Carmelo Anthony started his career with the Pistons, he transformed from a pure scorer into a versatile wing player who excels on both offense and defense, and also has excellent passing ability.

Different training paths and experiences can make a huge difference in a player.

Therefore, even if the Knicks draft Khris Middleton, he might not turn out the way he did in the original timeline.

But Lynch decided to give it a try anyway.

"Keep a close eye on Sam and give him multiple tryouts. If we can't find a better candidate before the draft, then draft him."

Sam Presti glanced at Lynch and simply nodded: "As you wish, Your Majesty."

As the tryout drew to a close, Lin Qi was about to leave the arena.

Sam Presti called him back again: "Wait, regarding the inside game, besides Festus Ezeli, we have another unconventional option."

"Who?"

“Draymond Green of Michigan State University, this guy is probably as tall as Ben Wallace, but his defensive performance is outstanding. Since you like to bet on second-round picks, we can bet on him.”

This time, Lin Qi waved his hand without thinking: "I don't like him."

Are Draymond Green and Kyrie Irving on the same team?
Lynch bet that they could end their dynasty with their unparalleled ability to dismantle teams.
-
After three days of tryouts, Carmelo Anthony's Pistons finally defeated the Chicago Bulls, who were missing Derrick Rose, with a 4-2 series score.

Tom Thibodeau's coaching prowess was on full display here—even with their star player sidelined, his airtight defensive system remained a strong backbone, ensuring the Bulls maintained a formidable floor.

Despite losing Rose, the Bulls didn't suffer a crushing defeat; they still battled the Pistons for six games.

However, Carmelo Anthony displayed his superstar qualities, scoring 44 points in Game 5 and 39 points in Game 6, effectively ending any suspense in the series.

So, two years later, Carmelo Anthony faced Lynch again in the playoffs.

This series has fans exclaiming, "My youth is back!"

The feud between the two lasted from their rookie season to their super Pistons era, finally ending last season.

This year, the storyline has been picked up again.

But when the series started, people realized that everything was already irreversible.

There was no fierce confrontation, no life-or-death struggle.

The current Detroit Pistons are completely unable to compete with the Knicks.

Nowadays, the media and fans no longer compare Carmelo Anthony and Lynch.

Carmelo Anthony is an outstanding superstar. He will definitely be inducted into the Hall of Fame and will definitely be among the top 75.

But Lin Qi had already reached the mountainside, his only goal the summit.

For Carmelo Anthony, he's only halfway up the mountain he's conquered.

Throughout the series, the Pistons never pushed the Knicks to the brink.

Although their smallest loss was by only 5 points, fans still felt that "the Knicks would definitely be able to close out the game" in crucial moments.

After four games, Carmelo Anthony's 11-12 season came to an end.

By this time, he had begun to get used to failure and would no longer be so frustrated that he couldn't eat or sleep as he used to be.

He still has a strong desire to win, but he now understands that for a player like him, failure is the norm.

His extremely successful start to his career led him to underestimate the difficulty of dominating the league, and Lynch corrected his perception.

Carmelo Anthony has lost again. Apart from Lynch's rookie season, he has never won a series against that number 20 even once.

This time, however, Carmelo Anthony left the court in disappointment as usual after the series ended.

He walked towards Lin Qi and slowly opened his arms.

He owes Lynch a congratulatory message that is many years overdue.

Their relationship broke down in the fall of 2005. In the opening game of the new season after the dust had settled, Lynch led the Knicks, who had made a comeback, to deliver a painful blow to the defending champion Pistons.

After the game, Lynch said some trash talk that wasn't too offensive, but it completely enraged Melo, who was at the peak of his career and considered himself invincible.

Thus, friends became mortal enemies, and this relationship lasted for a full seven years.

During those seven years, the two sides had almost no private interactions and barely spoke to each other on the field.

Not to mention wishing each other well.

Now, Melo, who has come to terms with reality and readily acknowledged Lynch's greatness, has long understood that his raging anger back then was nothing more than his own heart, burning with jealousy, acting irrationally.

On the night of the opening game of the 05-06 season, he should have hugged his good friend and told him, "Congratulations, you played well."

"Congratulations, Lynch, you played well." Carmelo Anthony hugged Lynch. Although he was seven years late, he finally came.

Lin Qi's body stiffened instantly, as if he hadn't yet recovered from this sudden turn of events.

After a brief moment of surprise, he patted the melon on the back with a relieved expression:
“You’ve pushed us to our limits, Melo.”

"Come on, 4-0, are you fucking pushing him to his limits?" Carmelo Anthony smirked, his tone tinged with self-deprecation and a sigh for his arch-rival. "Speaking of which, the protagonists of the Eastern Conference stage have changed again this year. Pau Gasol is injured, and Dwyane probably won't be able to get past the Pacers."

Last season, Derrick Rose burst onto the scene and stormed into the Eastern Conference Finals, breaking the "Dream Team's" monopoly on the East.

I thought his duel with Lynch would continue, but who knew that in just one year, the Bulls didn't even make it past the first round.

Currently, the Indiana Pacers lead the Heat 3-1, and the Heat have also lost Pau Gasol in the playoffs.

The Pacers are widely considered to be the new top contender in the East.

Lynch is clearly not as worried as Carmelo Anthony; no matter how the Eastern Conference changes, he remains confident in himself.

So he corrected the melon.

"No, it's not that the main character has changed, it's that the supporting characters have changed."

A day later, the Indiana Pacers won the game 96-88 at home, winning the series 4-1 and sweeping the Heat, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with a brilliant 8-1 playoff record!
When the final whistle blew, the live broadcast cameras did not capture the jubilation inside the stadium.

It silently locked onto the entrance to the players' tunnel—where a lightning bolt that once tore through the sky and burned away the heat was now staggering.

Dwyane Wade's strong figure limped into the shadows, each step drawing excruciating pain from his knees.

This year, Dwyane Wade is indeed showing his age; his breakthroughs are no longer as magical or unstoppable as they used to be.

Fans have realized that the changing times are happening faster than they imagined.

The spirited young men of the Class of 2003 began to encounter various problems after entering their ninth season in the league.

Unfortunately, this generation of players has never achieved any success with Lynch, and now they have to face the formidable newcomers.

The camera cuts back to the court, where Chris Paul kneels down, devoutly kissing the hardwood floor, almost greedily absorbing its essence.

He couldn't believe that the floor he had been longing for in the regional finals had actually become a reality at this moment!
Surrounded by a bunch of cameras, Chris Paul stood up, looked up to the sky, and roared, "Ready? Indianapolis!"

He was met with a tsunami of cheers; the fans of this basketball city would never miss an opportunity to cheer for their team.

Listening to the reactions from the crowd and watching the bouncing fans, Chris Paul felt an unprecedented sense of accomplishment welling up in his chest.

His arrival propelled this team, which had been swept in the first round by the Knicks last season, into the conference finals.

His arrival completely changed the old landscape of the East.

Sometimes, Chris Paul feels that the cancellation of the trade last summer was actually a blessing from God.

He joined a united, selfless, and energetic team.

At this moment, Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, and Alan Avralo pushed through the circle of cameras and walked up to CP3.

They looked at each other and smiled.

CP3 placed his hand in the middle, and everyone tacitly placed their hands on the back of his hand.

Amid cheers from Indianapolis fans, Chris Paul roared:

"One State Unite By Basketball!!!"
After saying that, CP3 stared intently at the camera lens.

“Tell Lynch, don’t even think about applying Dwight’s fate to us!”

I'm about to tear off the fig leaf covering up the Eastern Conference's economic benefits; I hope he won't be ashamed then!
-
This is a great team, the Pacers' closest chance to a championship since the Reggie Miller era. Since the 90s, the Pacers and Knicks have always had exciting playoff encounters, and I believe they can continue that legacy. — Mike Breen's post-game summary.

Paul George, this young, versatile wing will be the X-factor in the Eastern Conference Finals. — ESPN writer John Hollinger predicts the outcome of the Eastern Conference Finals.

We are confident. Perhaps our talent and roster on paper aren't that strong, but we are closely united. The regular season is the regular season, and the playoffs are the playoffs. Being swept 4-0 by the Knicks in the regular season doesn't mean the playoffs will be the same. — David West discussing the next round.

The Pacers were swept in the regular season because I wasn't on the team. — Arron Afflalo, the guard who joined the Pacers mid-season.

Michael Jordan's status is not unchallenged, nor is Lynch's. — Paul George in an interview.

"Lynch, what did the hug Carmelo Anthony gave you at the end of the series mean to you?"

"It signifies recognition, and sometimes, recognition from an opponent makes you feel more accomplished. I am honored to have received such recognition from Melo."

Do you think LBJ would give you similar recognition throughout his career?

"Forget it, the only thing between LeBron and me is killing each other or being killed by each other. In some ways, our relationship is very pure."

"What do you think of Chris Paul? In his first year in the East, he led his team to the conference finals."

"He's great, the Pacers are great, and I'm looking forward to playing against them."

"You and Chris seem to be at odds?"

"Put 'seems' aside, he doesn't like me, and I don't like a guy who just arrived in the East and starts spouting nonsense. He thinks I'm successful in the East because I benefited from the so-called East bonus. Ha, I hope he can benefit from the East bonus too."

"A few months ago, after All-Star Weekend, you told Chris he would never forget what real pressure felt like. Then the Pacers made a trade, and their post-trade winning percentage is only slightly lower than the Knicks. Now, against this Pacers team that just made the trade, does that statement still hold true?"

“Listen to Mark, we are the undisputed rulers of the East, and we have said many things over the years and never broken our word.”

So when I said I wanted to put pressure on him, it was absolutely not a threat—

That means we already have the ability to do that.

— Lynch in an interview with ESPN writer Marc Stein.

(One update today, but no reduction in output, because the 10,000-word chapter has been combined into one.)
(End of this chapter)