Champion Rules

Chapter 362, 358: A Name Branded in New York (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Jason Terry, Kevin Martin, Paul Pierce, LBJ, and Brook Lopez.

This is the ratio of exceptional intelligence. Kim is betting on the lineup he has built over the past decade.

There is no doubt that this group of players will be able to lead the Nets back to the playoffs after a five-year absence.

They might even make it to the playoffs with a very respectable ranking.

For a rebuilding team, returning to the playoffs is certainly a success.

But for a rebuilding team that has severely overdrawn its future, their only goal can be the championship.

Otherwise, Billy King's actions would be equivalent to spending 2000 yuan to learn English only to learn it for two minutes, which is undoubtedly an investment with extremely low cost-effectiveness.

No man wants this outcome.

Can this team, which is currently performing well, reach championship level?

Tonight, the New York Knicks will be a good example.

As a benchmark for measuring championships, any team is only truly qualified to contend for the title after defeating the New York Knicks.

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

Kyrie Irving didn't use any feints after crossing half-court; he simply accelerated past the 35-year-old Jason Terry.

Paul Pierce immediately came over to help defend, and Kyrie Irving passed the ball to Vince Carter, who easily made a three-pointer.

The Brooklyn Nets' defense wasn't good enough; that was Vince Carter's first impression of this so-called super team.

Previously, whether against the Thunder, Spurs, or Hawks, he never got such a wide-open shot after receiving a pass from Irving.

There will always be a rotating defensive player who will relentlessly pursue him.

But against the Nets, Vince Carter got a wide-open shot with just one pass.

Brook Lopez is a pure rim protector forward. Although his offense has successfully kept up with the trend of small ball, his defense is still that of a traditional center. His slow movement makes him not very valuable in help defense.

Kevin Martin and Jason Terry are not known for their defensive prowess, and Paul Pierce's mobility is far from what it used to be—how much defensive support can you expect from an old guy who can't even hold his own poop anymore?
LeBron James is the only player on this team who can provide excellent help defense, but he needs to focus on dealing with Lynch now.

Vince Carter thus got a practice-like shooting opportunity.

The Knicks' shot was easy, but the Nets quickly responded.

LBJ dribbled at the top of the key, directing the flow of the ball, and Lynch was directly matched up against him.

Kevin Martin used Brook Lopez's off-ball screen to create an open shot, and Jason Terry moved to the other side.

Brook Lopez and Paul Pierce, the two frontcourt players, set a screen and then stood in the corner.

For a moment, the only direct obstacle between LeBron James and the basket was Lynch.

If you showed this kind of offensive space to stars from the 90s, they might think they could average 40 points per game.

If you showed this kind of offensive space to role players from the 90s, they would feel fortunate, because with their shooting ability today, they would all only be able to play in the CBA.

The offensive spacing is unprecedented, and this team doesn't have Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant to dilute LBJ's ball possession.

LeBron James didn't let the vast open space slip by; he lowered his center of gravity and forced his way through.

After losing weight, Lynch struggled somewhat in physical confrontations and found it difficult to completely stop No. 23, who was in the prime of his career.

LBJ forcefully pushed through a tiny gap, drove into the heart of the paint, and scored with a layup.

Although most of the fans in Barclays Center tonight were Knicks fans, there were also some Nets die-hards in attendance.

For example, Diddy, the bragging dad who knows LeBron James inside and out.

After scoring, LBJ shouted in a very rhythmic voice:
"Yeah! Kill that guy, kill that Puxi guy! New York is ours now!"

Mikhail Prokhorov was also applauding:
"Lynch, I'm sorry. But as I said, not everyone can learn Larry's legendary rhetoric."

Lin Qi felt that this group of people were crazy.

It was just a layup.

But they seemed to see a world-class goal that sealed the victory in the 90th minute of the match on the green field.

The game continued, and Lynch had the ball in the mid-range with his back to the basket. Paul Pierce immediately abandoned his man and came to double-team him.

Lynch then passed the ball to DeMar DeRozan, who was cutting in, but DeRozan missed the shot under Lopez's strong protection of the rim.

The Nets' defense is not without merit; at least their rim protection is very strong.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins, former Detroit Pistons coach and Lynch's old rival, has a defensive philosophy that goes against the grain of this era.

While all other teams were expanding their defenses further out, Lionel Hollins resolutely stuck to a defensive posture.

In the era of small-ball, the excessive spacing is forcing even seven-foot giants to stumble and struggle towards the perimeter. While this defensive approach can effectively curb shooting, the trade-off is that the paint is wide open, making it incredibly easy for the offense to attack the rim.

Lionel Hollins considered this a foolish act of putting the cart before the horse.

He would rather give opposing role players space to shoot than compromise on protecting the rim.

This defensive strategy allowed the Nets to achieve the third-best rim protection efficiency in the league. When playing against the Nets, you better pray that your shooting touch is on fire for the entire game.

With the score remaining 2-3, the Nets launched their next offensive.

LBJ called for cover, and Brook Lopez immediately moved up, his massive frame completely blocking Lynch's side.

Following his old experience, Lynch decisively bypassed the screen, giving LBJ a step of space—a routine choice he has long used to deal with LeBron.

As a result, James unleashed a surprise attack in this possession, taking advantage of the brief opening created by Lopez and hitting a three-pointer over Lynch's fingertips before he could fully recover.

"Shh."

The Nets have taken a 5-3 lead.

It's an undeniable fact that LeBron James' shooting ability has been constantly evolving.

ESPN national commentator Hubie Brown discussed LeBron James' evolution:
"We have finally seen the peak of that once highly anticipated chosen one."

This scene further convinced everyone that LeBron James has made tremendous progress this season.

His basic statistics, his competitive spirit, and his team's performance all seem to corroborate this point.

Kyrie Irving joked as he ran past Lynch: "My God, I've been watching you two play since high school, and now I've been playing pro basketball for a year myself. Is LeBron finally going to make a comeback?"

Lin Qi's face was devoid of any smile. His deep gaze instantly locked onto Owen, his eyes filled with coldness and undeniable pressure. He silenced Owen with just two words:

"Shut up."

In the following rounds, the score remained close, and LeBron James played exceptionally well.

His breakthroughs, passes, and shots all helped the team in just the right way.

Especially in shooting, LeBron James punished Lynch's defense tonight with accurate three-pointers and mid-range shots.

Of course, Lynch was also retaliating.

Faced with Lionel Hollins's tight defense and strategy of preventing Brook Lopez from getting on the defensive end, Lynch scored multiple catch-and-shoot jumpers over LBJ's head.

Brook Lopez left the game midway through the first quarter, but the Nets put Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic at center.

He doesn't have Brook Lopez's rim protection, positioning, and screens, but one thing ensures he gets a rotation spot on the Nets—he has a three-point shot just as good as Brook Lopez's.

This perfectly maintains the Nets' fundamental offensive spacing, allowing LeBron James to continue to perform effectively even with optimal spacing.

With two minutes remaining in the first quarter, LBJ went to the bench for a rest. During this rotation, Brook Lopez returned to the court.

When LBJ is out, Brook Lopez returns to his favorite role, gaining isolation opportunities in the low post.

As an efficient low-post scorer, he also helped the Nets gain a 6-point lead in the final two minutes.

After the first quarter ended, Mikhail Prokhorov immediately stood up, made a crowning gesture towards LeBron James, and then shouted without any hesitation:
"New King!!!"

Diddy, of course, wasn't going to be outdone, and he roared at Lynch once again:

"Look at the stats, LeBron has taken over your territory!"

Lynch sat back down on the bench and glanced at the data sheet.

自己单节12分3个篮板2次助攻，勒布朗.詹姆斯13分3个篮板3次助攻。

LBJ seems to be performing better.

But Lin Qi's face remained completely expressionless.

Although the team was down by 6 points, and although Lynch's stats were not yet overwhelmingly better than LBJ's, none of that mattered.

Because the game was not out of control.

In the first quarter, the Knicks executed their entire pre-game strategy – relentlessly man-to-man defense, denying other Nets players easy three-point opportunities, and forcing LBJ to handle the ball and isolate, putting him directly against Lynch.

All of these were successfully executed.

However, a basketball game consists of four quarters.

Sometimes, the right strategy may not show results in the first section.

Kyrie Irving glanced at the data panel on the big screen amid Diddy's shouts, then clenched his fist: "Don't just tell me to shut up, when are you going to shut those two idiots up?"

Irving is referring to Russian oligarchs and rap troublemakers.

Lynch calmly unscrewed the water bottle and tilted his head back. The water flowed down his throat, he swallowed, and then spoke softly:
"Scores and statistics are only meaningful when compared at the end of the game."

The Nets continued their excellent performance in the second quarter.

LeBron James continued to dominate the score with mid-range and long-range shots.

His scoring stats were skyrocketing; by halftime, he had already racked up 25 points!
This is absolutely the best half of LeBron James' entire career against Lynch.

In contrast, Lynch's scoring pace slowed down in the second quarter, but he still dished out 5 assists in the quarter.

At halftime, LeBron James had 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Lynch had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Although LBJ seems to have a slight advantage in terms of statistics, the Knicks have already taken a 2-point lead over the Nets.

The Knicks displayed extremely high offensive efficiency in the second quarter, with Lynch using his ability to attract double teams like a magnet to create a lot of space for his teammates.

Overall, LeBron James delivered an extremely powerful individual offensive performance in the second season.

But the Knicks, with Lynch’s excellent playmaking, put on an exceptional team offense.

Of course, the Russians have no sense of crisis.

Mikhail Prokhorov sat calmly on the sidelines, his stern face expressionless.

In his view, Lynch has only managed to overtake the score thanks to the outstanding performance of his teammates.

If their teammates go cold, the Knicks' lead will be hard to maintain.

As a result, in the third quarter, the Knicks' offense remained fluid and highly efficient.

Thanks to Lynch's selfless ball sharing, everyone has found their rhythm.

Lynch's work has never been simply about "relying on teammates"; connecting the team is also part of a star player's ability.

Whether it's Kobe, MJ, or Hakeem Olajuwon, they all achieved their ultimate honors after making breakthroughs in this area.

On the contrary, LBJ's individual offensive efficiency began to decline.

LeBron James has to deal with Lynch on the defensive end, generate a lot of shots on offense, and has the shortest rest time on the team.

This is practically treating him like a slave.

With the Thunder, LBJ could still coast on the offensive end because Curry and Durant were generally enough to handle the offensive burden.

But now, as the ball-handling mastermind, LeBron James can't stop for a moment.

As his energy levels continued to deplete, LeBron James's seemingly unstoppable mid-range and long-range shooting in the first half began to become less consistent.

If he wants to continue scoring efficiently, he must drive to the basket.

However, the rim protection of four-time Defensive Player of the Year Lynch made it difficult for LeBron James to attack the basket, and he blocked Lynch's shot three times in the third quarter alone.

After three quarters, the Knicks led by 5 points.

LBJ scored 34 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in three quarters.

Lynch recorded a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in three quarters!

On the stat sheet, LeBron James's accumulated personal advantage was being mercilessly evaporated. Mikhail Prokhorov was no longer shouting arrogantly; he was just silently staring at the cold 5-point deficit on the electronic screen.

Lin Qi walked towards the bench, his face not contorted with the ferocity of a fierce battle, but rather displaying a composed and strategic demeanor.

Mike Malone glanced at his star player and couldn't help but smirk: "Hey, I feel like the most amazing quarter is about to begin."

Lynch picked up a towel to wipe his sweat and nodded slightly: "I hope so."

"There's no need to hope; the game was under our control all night. So, we expect no surprises in the fourth quarter."

Mike Malone was right. Although LBJ had an amazing individual performance, and the Nets were only trailing by a small margin.

But the Knicks controlled the game all night.

Tonight, the Knicks' strategy is to cut off LBJ's connection with his teammates and force him to play one-on-one.

Lynch couldn't contain him in the first half because his mid-range and long-range shooting was still very accurate. Even Lynch couldn't stop those superhero moments.

However, once his stamina declines due to a surge in shots and he can no longer maintain his shooting touch, his offensive efficiency will naturally decrease. On the other hand, the Knicks' team offense, orchestrated by Lynch, is definitely more efficient than LBJ's isolation plays.

For a team like the Nets with so many offensive threats, the best way to defeat them is to avoid double-teaming LeBron James and deny them opportunities to score from multiple angles.

Of course, this strategy won't work for most teams.

You can hardly guarantee that your team won't get one-shotted by LeBron James when defending him one-on-one.

Most teams still have to double-team him and watch helplessly as he orchestrates a barrage of three-pointers from the entire team.

But Mike Malone is confident in that.

Even if Lynch can't completely shut down LBJ, he can still limit him in a one-on-one situation, ensuring that his individual scoring efficiency is lower than the Knicks' team offensive efficiency.

Tonight, Lynch clearly achieved this, and the Knicks executed their strategy perfectly.

This strategy has now reached its most devastating and psychologically damaging phase in the fourth quarter.

As the Knicks' team offense remains highly efficient and the point difference gradually widens, will the Nets continue to double-team Lynch?
Once the double-teaming loosens, LeBron James won't be able to defend Professor L, who hasn't been too exhausted from the first three quarters, all by himself.

Wonderful things always require some time to wait, and now, the waiting time is probably not long enough.

The most exciting part, the fourth quarter, is about to begin.

In the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, the Brooklyn Nets continued to double-team Lynch.

But as the point difference widened to 9 points, Lionel Hollins dared not give any more open looks to the rest of the Knicks.

Lynch's passing ability is so good that the Nets simply can't stop his passes.

In addition, the Nets' defensive rotation ability is not very good, so once they have an open shot, it's a wide-open shot, which is why the Knicks are getting more and more accurate.

Finally, after the timeout in the fourth minute of the fourth quarter, when Lynch received the ball again, he found that only LBJ was guarding him.

Offstage, Mike Malone clapped his hands loudly: "Ha! Professor L's class is about to begin."

Lynch had his back to the basket, and the Nets' perimeter players dared not double-team him. Brook Lopez also refrained from double-teaming due to the team's determined retreat defense strategy.

Lin Qi can finally act without restraint.

He leaned back a couple of times, feeling the pressure from LeBron James on his back.

After a powerful probing move, a delicate shoulder fake followed. LeBron James reacted quickly, but was still slightly momentarily stunned by the fake.

It's that fleeting gap!

Lynch turned over, pulled up, and made a textbook jump shot.

LeBron's wingspan was stretched to its limit, his fingertips almost touching the basketball.

"Shh!"

Lynch scores, bringing the lead to 11 points.

The score difference between him and LBJ narrowed to 34 to 38.

Mikhail Prokhorov began to frown, but at this moment he still felt that the team had a chance.

Mike Malone, however, was convinced that the Nets were finished.

The game continued, and LBJ wanted to find someone to share the scoring pressure. In this possession, he waved for Brook Lopez to go to the low post and passed the ball to him.

However, DeAndre Jordan's defense was quite tough, and in the intense confrontation, Brook Lopez missed his hook shot.

The Knicks countered, and Lynch still got plenty of space, easily hitting a pull-up jumper after a face-up drive.

The score difference is 13 points.

Individual scores: 36 to 38.

"Damn it!" the Russian oligarch cursed from the stands.

Lynch can limit LBJ in one-on-one defense, but LBJ cannot stop Lynch's scoring spree in the same one-on-one situation.

The Nets are on offense, they're in dire straits, they need to score.

Despite his slump in mid-range and long-range shooting and extreme fatigue, LBJ passed the ball again, this time to Paul Pierce.

Paul Pierce looked at the young DeMar DeRozan in front of him and started trash-talking while dribbling the ball.

Just like his classic goal against Al Harrington many years ago.

When the mouth and hands attack simultaneously, it often leaves the opponent helpless.

"Kid, you think you can stop me? Huh? I was playing in the league when you were still fucking. Hey, damn it!"

Time has passed, and 35-year-old Den Paul Pierce has been unable to recreate that iconic moment.

He was halfway through his sentence when DeMar DeRozan intercepted the ball.

Paul Pierce couldn't lower his center of gravity quickly enough to retrieve the ball. Right now, his only truly flexible part, besides his mouth, is his back, so he could only watch helplessly as DeRozan got the ball first.

So, number 20 came in with the ball again.

Mikhail Prokhorov clenched his fists, shouting in his heart, "Defend against him! Defend against LeBron!"

LeBron James was on high alert, and Lynch changed direction and accelerated, but was perfectly blocked by LBJ.

But Lynch quickly switched to back-to-the-basket play, and allowing Lynch to comfortably back down without double-teaming was a death sentence.

Lynch turned his back to the left, then immediately pulled back to the right, raising the ball overhead.

LeBron James immediately jumped, but Lynch turned back to the left and scored with a layup!

A blatant act of mockery.

LeBron James, who was hailed by many as having "transformed this season" and "reached a new peak," seemed to have his magic trick exposed in these few rounds.

All his struggles seemed so familiar, no different from those nights in the past when Lynch had dominated him.

He has indeed changed.

But in front of Lin Qi, he hadn't changed at all.

That's why Lionel Hollins was double-teamed for more than three quarters.

Because no player in this league can contain Lynch one-on-one.

Even LBJ, who made the All-Defensive First Team multiple times, couldn't do that.

The score difference is 15 points.

Individual scores: 38 to 38.

Lynch's scoring has caught up, and his overall personal statistics have gone from slightly behind at the beginning to completely surpassing LBJ.

Diddy opened her mouth as if to say something, but all of Da Meng's swear words were already choked back.

Mikhail Prokhorov leaned back in his chair, his face ashen, like a statue, no longer able to make any eye-catching celebratory gestures.

Kyrie Irving looked up at the data sheet on the big screen. The stats for Lynch and LeBron James had changed dramatically compared to the end of the first quarter.

Yes, scores and statistics are only meaningful when compared at the end of the game.

No, wait.

The game is not over yet.

This isn't even the most extreme comparison.

Kyrie Irving shook his head. For a while, the media had been comparing him to Kobe Bryant, speculating that he would take power from Lynch.

But looking at the monster in front of him, Irving himself couldn't help but laugh.

Those opinions seemed exceptionally distant and absurd in this boiling stadium at that moment.

Seize power?

I?
The game continued, and LeBron James scored a jump shot after one possession, bringing his personal score to 40 points—a truly rare occurrence in all his career games against Lynch.

Neither LBJ himself nor his two loyal fans showed any excitement or joy.

Sure enough, Lynch's response was swift and deadly. Just one round later, Lynch had 40 points.

This time, he drove to the basket, faked a shoulder, and hooked a shot that LeBron James couldn't match.

Although Lin Qi has been playing more and more outside in recent years and rarely plays like a traditional power forward anymore.

But that's how men are. No matter what they've been through, whether they've married and had children, or what stage of life they're in, they never lose their traditional crafts.

The score is tied again at 40-40!
But such a draw won't last long.

Lynch can guarantee to continue scoring efficiently over LeBron James.

But can LeBron James do it?

In the following games, Lynch's scoring rate continued to rise uncontrollably.

42-45-47
比赛结束前1分13秒，尼克斯领先到了18分，林奇也已经拿了49分——第四节单节21分！
LeBron James' scoring has been stuck at 44 points for a long time, and every basket he makes is incredibly difficult.

Other Nets players were also in poor form due to not being able to touch the ball for a long time.

LBJ brought the ball to the top of the key again and called for a screen from Brook Lopez.

As usual, Lynch went around the screen, and LeBron James no longer dared to shoot directly like he did in the first quarter; he opted to drive to the basket.

Lynch blocked his position, and although he couldn't force LBJ to stop, he didn't give LBJ any space to shoot.

LeBron James leaned on Lynch as he entered the paint, gathered the ball, and used his shoulder to try to push Lynch away.

He did manage to create a small opening, but Lynch kept a close eye on his every move.

As LeBron James took his second step, Lynch leaped up, his hands firmly covering the rim.

However, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

LeBron James, who should have taken the second step, actually took the third step!
Lynch swore that this was the most amazing dream move he had ever seen in his career!
The referee made no call, and Adam Silver has been tacitly condoning LBJ's bad footwork habits all season.

He needs to create stars; he needs other homegrown stars besides Lynch.

At less than 30 years old, LBJ is undoubtedly one of the stars that Adam Silver wants to promote.

The narrow escape that allowed LBJ to take an extra step brought him a sense of relief. At the end of his third step, he pulled up with all his might, raising his arm in an attempt to send the basketball toward the only escape route above the basket.

But Lynch's terrifying ability to hang in the air seemed to freeze time; he hovered in mid-air, waiting for LeBron James's body to rise before swinging his other arm—

"boom!"

Lynch slammed the basketball hard into the backboard with a loud, dull thud!

If Adam Silver is truly so foolish as to believe that his clumsy manipulations can dethrone Lynch.

That seal was Lynch's first response to him!
After blocking LeBron James' layup after he created space with a brilliant footwork, Lynch took possession of the ball and quickly crossed half-court.

A sharp crossover swerved the clumsy Paul Pierce out of position.

Then, with a fluid back turn, Kevin Martin felt as if a bolt of lightning had grazed past him, leaving only the whistling of the wind.

Finally, facing Jason Terry, who was frantically retreating to defend the basket, Lynch did not slow down at all and soared into the air like a roaring battering ram.

With a dull thud from the collision of muscles, Terry was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, becoming the backdrop for Lynch's one-handed dunk!
With 51 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, Hubie Brown watched as Lynch completely outclassed LeBron James in individual statistics, and shouted:

"Yes, I still stand by my opinion. LeBron has made tremendous progress this season, and he has finally reached the peak of his career."

His mid-range and long-range shooting has become extremely refined, his breakthroughs remain unstoppable, and his help defense and individual defense are impeccable.

Even so, he still couldn't shake Lynch's control over New York.

The Nets paused the game, and although the game time was not yet over, this derby, which had been hyped as the "transfer of the New York scepter," had already come to an end.

Mikhail Prokhorov's face turned ashen, and a Russian curse was forced out through clenched teeth.

He suddenly stood up to leave his seat, but as soon as he stood up, he saw Lin Qi jump onto the technical table and stare straight at him in the stands behind the technical table.

Lynch slowly raised his arms, making a circle with his hands as if he were holding a crown.

Then, under the incredulous gaze of the Russians, he solemnly and slowly placed this invisible crown firmly and unquestionably on his own head!

Around Mikhail Prokhorov, countless fans crowded around him like Lynch's devotees, reaching out to the figure on the technical stand as if to touch the holy light emanating from him.

"Don't put my crown on other people's heads without my permission, buddy."

Lynch asserted his sovereignty.

Whether it's the dazzling lights of Manhattan, the bustling streets of Queens, the brand-new dome of Brooklyn, or the resilient spirit of the Bronx.

The entire city of New York will forever bear only one name.

Lynch.
-
You know, my left knee was a little sore before the game today, but I still played through the pain. — LeBron James recounted his touching competitive spirit when no one asked him any questions.

Traveling? No, no, no, that wasn't traveling; it was a very advanced footwork technique. It looked like traveling, but it wasn't. — LeBron James explaining his last seemingly traveling layup.

LeBron did his best; he scored 44 points, and nobody can blame him. — Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins speaks out in support of LBJ.

Yes, he definitely tried his best, but LeBron's biggest problem is that even when he tries his best, he can't beat Lynch. Hey, doesn't anyone think that's even more shameful? — Mike Malone's assessment of LBJ's performance tonight.

Every gram of gold has been forged through countless trials. Only fragile bronze needs the protection of dull and vulgar silver. I am already tested gold, so I don't need silver's protection to shine. — Lynch, using a clever metaphor, begins with zero frames, once again taking a jab at NBA Vice President Adam Silver.

(Today's update is 8000 words, a reduction of 2000 words. I need to hurry up and arrange a transfer for my dad to another hospital.)

(End of this chapter)