Champion Rules

Chapter 346, Part 342: From Chosen One to an Unknown Person in Lin Qi's Eyes (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Stephen Curry was amused by Lynch's trash talk.

Winning the dunk contest isn't something I can't do; it's just too easy for me.

What's the point of winning a championship that you're guaranteed to win?

Even if I don't win, everyone knows I'm one of the two dunk champions in the league—as everyone knows, the Thunder have two dunk contest champions who have never participated in the dunk contest.

One person disdained to participate because it was too easy.

One person says they'll participate every year, but something always comes up.

If Akron LaVine and Akron Gordon participate in the competition, the Slam Dunk Contest will likely be dominated by Akron for the next decade.

The Thunder players returned to the bench, with Scott Brooks looking serious.

He admitted that he never expected the Thunder to fall behind.

After he perfected all the key elements of modern basketball, such as pick-and-roll, mismatches, and spacing, he predicted that the Thunder should have taken the lead.

But who would have thought that Lynch's efficiency in one-on-one against Serge Ibaka would be comparable to KD's efficiency in one-on-one against Kyrie Irving?

Of course, the Knicks did not have an overwhelming advantage.

They are able to take the lead temporarily thanks to Lynch's singles play.

But Lynch can't play 48 minutes after all.

Kyrie Irving is now severely exhausted and will soon be off the court to rest along with Lynch.

Who can stop James Harden during the transition period?
During the regular season, the Knicks used Kyrie Irving as their sixth man.

But they obviously won't do that in the finals.

Starting Milos Teodosic would only make him a more tempting and easier target, leading to an even more brutal defeat for the Thunder.

The timeout ends and the game resumes.

James Harden stepped onto the court, his mission being to tie or even take the lead for his team.

But once he stepped onto the court, James Harden was immediately stunned.

He saw a figure that was all too familiar.

DeMar DeRozan, who was substituted early and was not expected to play again in the first quarter, stood up from the bench and walked onto the court.

This is how Mike Malone solved the problem of connecting sections.

DeMar DeRozan was substituted out early for a rest, but he also came back on early to compete against James Harden during the transition period.

A miraculous twist of fate brought together two childhood friends from Compton, Los Angeles, who had played basketball together on street courts since they were young.

On the stage of the NBA Finals, they became each other's biggest rivals.

James Harden grinned: "How did they even think of having you come up with the task of playing against me? Did you never tell the Knicks that when you were a kid in Compton, I almost made you give up basketball?"

DeMar DeRozan did not respond; he remained silent as always. He simply adjusted his breathing, focusing intently on his opponent.

This young man, who was embroiled in contract renewal turmoil at the beginning of the season and could have pursued a higher tactical role elsewhere, chose to stay because of his commitment to his promise and belief in loyalty. Now, he only wants to win for the team.

He was extremely focused.

Opinions are divided regarding his decision to stay in New York.

Some media outlets praised this loyalty.

Some media outlets also believe that DeMar DeRozan has ruined his future.

Among them, the most vehement critic was Bill Simmons, a GOAT candidate in the sports writing world, who believed that:
"If Demar chooses to go elsewhere, he might get a second or third max contract."

But he chose to stay in New York. You know, from the moment Kyrie Irving joined, DeMar was no longer even the Knicks' number two player.

While everyone else was eager to climb up, Demar inexplicably chose to slide down.

The criticism never stopped, but DeMar DeRozan never regretted it.

He became famous and signed a maximum contract with the Knicks.

But his money can't change everything.

His mother is still suffering from lupus, a disease that cannot be completely cured.

He couldn't shake the helplessness of his father being confined to his sickbed after suffering a stroke.

His uncle and friend, who were shot dead in Compton, could not be reincarnated through the power of money.

The pressures of life still follow me like a shadow, and worries are everywhere.

All this pain and trouble can only be temporarily removed when he puts on the Knicks jersey and fights alongside others.

The exhilarating victory, the honor shared shoulder to shoulder, and the positive energy gained from being with his teammates were like beams of light piercing through the gloom, allowing him to glimpse the remaining beauty in life.

Therefore, he had to stay in New York.

It was both to fight alongside Lynch and to ensure that he could continue to weave the few warm dreams in his life.

He could hardly imagine how terrible his life would be if he went to a place where everything was constantly failing and even the last vestige of beauty was destroyed.

At this moment, this battlefield of the finals is the place of his entire faith.

He must win.

He wanted to continue standing on the mountaintop with Lynch, holding onto this precious warmth.

At the start of the game, James Harden took the initiative, narrowing the gap with a beautiful layup after a breakthrough.

At this stage, James Harden already showed some signs of his peak, such as having an exceptionally good sense of rhythm when breaking through defenses, being outstanding in his game, and being able to consistently perform well in Game 7 and only be able to play in Game 8.

Under the tutelage of the great leader LeBron James, James Harden's ability to score points has also greatly improved.

Therefore, Jimmy Butler was very careful when defending Harden and dared not make any rash moves.

Once he gets the chance, he can make you suffer the full consequences.

Even without using his hands, James Harden's strong upper body allows him to easily drive into the paint while holding off defenders.

As the point difference narrowed, Kyrie Irving on the bench was visibly anxious, urging, "Hold on, hold on, don't let them take the lead, don't let them take the lead!"

He knew how difficult this match was, and falling behind was something neither side wanted to see.

In his anxiety, he subconsciously turned his head to look at his side, only to see Lin Qi sitting relaxed on the back of his chair, as if he were detached from the situation.

Their eyes met in mid-air, Irving's tension contrasting sharply with Lynch's calm, the latter merely shrugging:

"Relax, Carey. We have Demar, we can hold the line."

He trusted him completely.

Before he could finish speaking, DeMar DeRozan took the ball and went one-on-one on offense.

No pick-and-roll, no plays needed, DeMar DeRozan can solve the offense simply by having the ball.

His greatest value to the Knicks lies in his ability to play off-ball when Lynch and Irving are on the court and orchestrating the offense, and when they are off the court, he can develop his shot like a superstar in the most difficult situations.

Facing the defense of his childhood friend James Harden, DeMar DeRozan started with a series of crossover dribbles, accelerated his drive, and turned to the left.

But it was just a half-turn fake move. The moment Harden was fooled and his footing faltered slightly, DeMar DeRozan immediately twisted his body back, leaned back and shot, and the basketball went in smoothly.

His footwork, timing of ball control, and rhythm are all impeccable.

The movements are beautiful, yet incredibly practical.

With the score difference reduced to 7 points, DeMar DeRozan prevented the Thunder from closing the gap, effectively acting as a "pressure relief valve" during the transition period.

The game continued, and James Harden finally unleashed his signature move. While DeMar DeRozan was still using fadeaway jumpers to create space, James Harden had already used a more advanced leaning-forward jumper to occupy the defender's space.

Why bother creating space? Wouldn't it be more efficient to simply turn the space into a negative number and then send down a shower?
When he shoots, he leans forward in the air, "throwing" himself towards Jimmy Butler who is right next to him.

After creating a collision in mid-air, James Harden spread his legs and raised his arms exaggeratedly like crab claws, which surprisingly had a LeBron James-esque beauty.

LeBron James is truly LeBron James' best teacher.

As a well-behaved guy who occasionally goes to nightclubs, James Harden knows that the best way for men and women to deepen their relationship is to make the distance between them negative.

The same principle applies to scoring.

The whistle blew, and Jimmy Butler was forced to commit a foul.

After landing, he looked completely bewildered.

The NBA Finals are incredibly complex!

He bumped into me on purpose, and I got called for a foul?!
If you keep hitting me like this, I'm going to ask my father to possess me!

James Harden made both free throws, narrowing the gap again. Every minute tonight was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams.

If the Thunder can then execute one more offensive and one defensive play, the point difference will be reduced to 3 points or even 2 points.

In fact, that was true throughout the entire first quarter; they were always just one step away from tying the game.

But just now, Lin Qi didn't give the Thunder any chance.

Now, DeMar DeRozan isn't giving the Thunder a chance either.

In this possession, he received the ball with his back to the basket on the side of the paint, used a beautiful step-back move to shake off James Harden, and scored with a layup.

The point difference has widened to 7 points, and the two talents from Compton are engaged in another round of back-and-forth battle.

Until the end of the first quarter, the Thunder were unable to close the gap.

With 37 seconds left, James Harden used a beautiful rhythm to shake off Jimmy Butler and decisively attacked the basket.

But DeAndre Jordan soared into the air and shattered the Thunder's dream of closing the gap with a devastating volleyball-style block.

Just like last season, although he was relegated to the bench in the Finals, DeAndre Jordan's passion was not diminished.

Scott Brooks looked grim because the Thunder were unable to gain any advantage at any point in the game!
On the final possession of the first quarter, DeMar DeRozan was double-teamed as soon as he got the ball.

He wasn't a player with excellent passing ability, but fortunately, the experienced Milos Teodosic quickly moved in to receive the ball.

In front of him, Derek Fisher was assigned to defend him. He lowered his center of gravity, pulled up his trouser legs, and spread his arms like a rock.

European MVP?

Ha, I'd like to see what you're capable of.

Seeing Derek Fisher playing defense so seriously, Lynch knew he had the game in the bag.

With Old Fish rolling up his trousers, his team's fate is often unpredictable.

As the red light came on to signal the end of the first quarter, Theo's layup after a breakthrough went in smoothly.

Ultimately, the 7-point difference remained until the end of the first quarter.

The two teams were evenly matched during the transition period, but this was definitely not the scene Scott Brooks wanted to see.

Just as the Knicks had previously struggled with the offensive firepower of their bench players, Scott Brooks is facing the same problem.

Substitutes may not be able to directly determine the outcome of a game, but they can directly determine how much pressure the starting players have to bear.

The Thunder's starters are already under immense pressure, and if James Harden, the best sixth man, can't help them close the gap, the pressure will only increase.

DeMar DeRozan walked off the court, drenched in sweat. His consecutive one-on-one plays were key to the Knicks maintaining their lead.

Lynch strode up to him, gently patting his head with his broad hand: "Well done, Demar."

"Let's keep winning, Lynch."

"Of course, it's not time for us to wake up from this wonderful dream yet."

DeMar DeRozan smiled and sat back down on the bench.

That's why he was willing to sacrifice himself for Lynch.

That's why he was willing to stay in New York.

The following quarter was almost a carbon copy of the first. Lynch's one-on-one play was unstoppable, and Kevin Durant's deadly scythe tormented Kyrie Irving's nerves and wore down his will.

The game was extremely close, with the score difference remaining within 10 points, like a taut steel wire.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder always just fell short of taking the lead.

In the third quarter, the Thunder could no longer tolerate Lynch's isolation plays and reverted to their double-team strategy.

After holding back his anger all game, Kyrie Irving, who was fuming, finally had a chance to vent.

He scored with consecutive off-ball cuts to the basket. Once Kyrie Irving received the ball on the move, it basically meant that the Thunder's defense had failed, because Kyrie Irving would use every beautiful move in the world to put the ball up the court, and even a sharp Swiss Army knife could not stop him.

Kyrie Irving's offensive success even emboldened his defense, as he twice stole the ball from Kevin Durant in the third quarter.

Thanks to Kyrie Irving's efforts, the Knicks entered the fourth quarter with a 5-point lead.

In the fourth quarter, a brutal and bloody tug-of-war continued.

The individual play was like a knife fight, with the score locked in a tight battle, and the life-or-death struggle created by pick-and-rolls and mismatches going back and forth.
That night, the Thunder and the Knicks showed the entire league how modern basketball should be played.

The Thunder tried hard to close the gap, but Lynch controlled the game.

Of course, he would make mistakes, but whenever the Thunder's momentum was about to surge into a devastating storm, that cold figure would always descend like a pillar of strength—either by delivering a crucial defensive assist to stifle their chances of survival, or by scoring a game-winning goal to quell the storm.

With 1 minute and 27 seconds left in the game, LeBron James wanted to take over.

He first narrowed the score with a beautiful drifting mid-range shot, and then stole the ball from Lynch in a double team and scored with a fast break dunk.

With the score difference reduced to 3 points and only 57 seconds left in the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw hope amidst despair for the nth time tonight.

Mike Breen nervously rubbed his hands together: "The Knicks have dominated the Thunder for 47 minutes. Except for the opening stages, they haven't let the Thunder take the lead again. Can they hold on for the last minute?!"

As Mike Breen said this, the camera focused on LeBron James.

23号今晚的表现不可谓不出色，全场27分8个篮板7次助攻3次抢断2次封盖。

His offensive and defensive plays at the crucial moment just now were a big plus.

He could very well be the decisive factor in tonight's game.

Now, the Thunder are just one point away from tying the game, and all the pressure is on Madison Square Garden.

When Lynch dribbled the ball up the court again, the entire Knicks fanbase in the arena rose to their feet like a tidal wave, chanting in unison, "MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The King of New York is the source of the city's sense of security, and even though he was just stolen from by LBJ, it cannot shake this deep-rooted trust.

Lin Qi was indeed not affected by the steal just now. He calmly waved his hand, signaling everyone to pull away.

Thunder head coach Scott Brooks on the sidelines had a ferocious expression on his face, his teeth grinding together.

"He'll slip up! He's not invincible tonight!" Brooks roared inwardly, as if brainwashing himself. "He'll slip up, just once, even just this once! If he slips up, the scales of victory will tip, and the chance to even the score will be right in front of us!"

This was indeed a crucial offensive play. Serge Ibaka lowered his center of gravity, LeBron James was ready to help defend, and Chandler Parsons felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

He knew that if Lynch passed the ball to him later, he would have to take the shot under immense pressure and the 24-second time limit.

With 6 seconds left on the 24-second shot clock, Lynch accelerated, and Serge Ibaka was not shaken off this time. LeBron James' double-team arrived as expected.

Lynch remained calm and swayed his body to the left, causing Ibaka's center of gravity to shift instinctively.

But the next second, Lin Qi twisted his body, stepped forward, gathered the ball, and turned to the right, the whole movement flowing smoothly. And after rotating 360 degrees to the left, Lin Qi did not hesitate at all, using the momentum of the rotation to suddenly lift up and flip backward to shoot!
This move allowed Lynch to completely shake off Serge Ibaka, and now he only needs to deal with LeBron James's interference.

But this shot itself is extremely difficult, so the Thunder players and Scott Brooks still have hope in their hearts.

"One slip, one slip, one slip," Scott Brooks kept repeating to himself, like a drowning man pleading with the void.

then.

"brush!--"

"boom!!!"

As the basketball swished through the net, fans at Madison Square Garden jumped for joy, and Mike Brin, sitting in the commentary booth, felt the floor beneath his feet tremble as if in a lava-like frenzy.

Once again, Lynch stabilized the situation, suppressed the impending storm, and widened the gap back to 5 points in the final moments!
Yes, the Thunder are very strong, and even the Knicks have a hard time completely shaking them off.

But at least, at this moment, the scepter of victory was still firmly held in Lynch's steel-like fingers!
After Lynch scored, LeBron James was mentally prepared to receive Lynch's usual barrage of trash talk.

However, nothing happened.

Number 20 didn't say anything to LeBron James.

Lynch turned away expressionlessly, leaving only his back to the cheering crowd of his teammates—high-fiving DeRozan, bumping chests with Irving, but reluctant to even glance in LBJ's direction.

It was only then that LBJ realized that Lynch hadn't spoken to him directly for a long time, and hadn't mentioned him in the media for a long time either.

In that instant, that condescending taunt from the regular season pierced my memory—

"Call over someone who's my equal. I'm not talking to Scottie Pippen."

It turns out that the balance had been completely tipped over since then.

In Lynch's eyes, LBJ had long since lost his worth. Even his verbal skills were now worthless.

LeBron James suddenly felt that this was even more unpleasant than being criticized by Lynch.

At this moment, he felt like a male subordinate who was forced to share a room with his drunk female boss on a rainy day, and he actually longed for her to humiliate him severely!
This isn't some kind of twisted mentality; it simply means that, at least in Lin Qi's eyes, he was still considered a rival.

But at this moment, he was completely ignored.

He went from being the chosen one to being an unknown figure in Lynch's eyes.

This was an even greater humiliation for him.

In the Thunder's final possession, amidst a chorus of "Fuck LeBron!" chants, LeBron James bravely stepped up to take responsibility. While LBJ is indeed someone who loves to pass the ball in crucial moments, it must be admitted that he isn't always so irresponsible.

Unfortunately, his throw bounced off the rim due to interference from both Lynch and Chandler Parsons.

"boom!"

The game was over, and the last glimmer of hope for the Thunder was completely extinguished.

The New York Knicks won Game 1 of the NBA Finals 117-112 at home.

Kyrie Irving was the first to raise his arms and soar to the sky. Having been called out throughout the game, his roar was burning with the ecstasy of surviving a close call—this victory was far more intense and hard-won than imagined.

He finally had a clear understanding of the significance of winning the championship.

DeMar DeRozan punched Lynch and charged at him, shouting, "Yeah! We held on! Yes, we're not going to wake up from this dream yet!"

Jimmy Butler patted Parsons on the back: "Good defense in the final moments, Parsons."

Chandler Parsons was so happy that he directly insulted Jimmy's mother, but Jimmy chuckled and said, "Sorry, man, my mom flew away a long time ago."

Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, Lynch, who had racked up 37 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, remained expressionless. He simply turned to the tense Durant and Curry, calmly holding up three fingers:
"I just need to win three more games, you guys keep chasing."

He continued to ignore LBJ.

In the commentary booth, Mike Breen praised the Knicks' performance.

Jeff Van Gundy shared the same sentiment, but he also believed the Thunder's performance deserved praise:

"The Thunder's performance absolutely deserves our respect. After this tough battle, we can at least be sure of one thing - the Knicks cannot win the championship with a perfect playoff record."

The Oklahoma City Thunder are no joke; they've made things difficult for the Knicks for two years in a row. Mike, I'm getting more and more excited for the games to come.

Perhaps, a tiebreaker will occur?
If there were a Game 7, it would be incredibly exciting; it would definitely be one of the most brilliant matches in the history of competitive sports!

Mike Breen admitted that the Thunder are a strong team.

In this game, the Knicks never had a single second that allowed them to lead the Thunder by double digits.

It's worth noting that the Knicks set a record during the regular season by winning six consecutive games by 25 points or more and achieving 54 double-digit victories in a single season.

But against the Thunder, they couldn't even widen the gap to safety.

This is indeed very stressful, however...
Mike Breen looked at the harmonious and healthy Knicks team, at the almost devout determination for victory in the eyes of the New York players, and at number 20 who always managed to seize the victory.

He finally shook his head slowly:
"There can't be a Game 7, Jeff. I know the Thunder are close to winning, I know they're tough, but..."
There is always a huge chasm between approaching victory and final victory.

So, let's see if there will be a Game 5 in the finals.

(End of this chapter)