Champion Rules

Chapter 379, Section 375: Yes, now everyone knows what's going to happen (Seeking monthly votes!)
Adam Silver was outraged by the statements made by Mike Malone and Lynch.

Those two bastards were so rude.

The NBA once faced a serious crisis of confidence due to the Tim Donaghy case, which had an extremely negative impact on the league.

That same year, the Knicks and Spurs engaged in an epic defensive battle in the NBA Finals.

That has led to a severe challenge to the league's reputation and viewership.

Fortunately, the rule changes, along with the perfect script of Los Angeles vs. New York and Kobe vs. Lynch for two consecutive years, allowed the league to bounce back from rock bottom and bring about the current prosperity.

A crisis of trust can still easily destroy everything.

This isn't professional wrestling; nobody's going to pay for a match with a pre-written ending. If the league insists on getting fans to pay for this kind of match, it has to be done discreetly enough.

But Mike Malone and Lynch insisted on pushing the most sensitive issue of officiating to the forefront of public opinion.

The following day, Adam Silver told New York about his anger.

The league fined Mike Malone a hefty $30,000 for "questioning the integrity of the league and the referees".

James Dolan paid off Mike Malone's entire fine, and then—

Continue to apply for more fines!
"The officiating in that game was a pile of crap! If the league wanted the first round of the series to go on for more games, why not just draft a few All-Star players and bring them to Milwaukee, granting them temporary status with the Bucks? That would have been far more effective than wasting time on the calls! Those greedy bastards made the worst decision ever!"

When Lynch’s “old slave” Sam Presti heard Dolan say these words to reporters, he almost had a heart attack.

Lynch, James Dolan, and Mike Malone—these three local tough guys truly lived up to their reputation of only realizing the importance of paying for meals once they left New York.

Sam Presti is worried that James Dolan's comments will attract more criticism from the league.

But when he tried to dissuade his headstrong boss, James Dolan confidently replied, "There's nothing to worry about, we have Lynch! Let them come!"

No more aggressive targeting came, and the New York Knicks easily defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the series.

With a total score of 4-0, Lynch's record in the first round was just as consistent as Tracy McGrady's.

Considering the impact of public opinion, Adam Silver did not want to continue such an obvious bias towards the Bucks.

But the game is not over yet; the league and the Knicks, Adam Silver and Lynch will continue their rivalry.

The Knicks gained a few days of respite after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, as the fourth-ranked Nets and the fifth-ranked Atlanta Hawks are still far from decided.

This matchup is sure to be the most intense of all the matches in the first round.

But Lynch doesn't care about the Nets or the Hawks; he cares more about the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Those were the two teams Lynch believed were truly capable of challenging the Knicks in this year's playoffs.

This might upset Carmelo Anthony, but the truth is, the Memphis Grizzlies have little chance.

Tonight, Lynch watched Game 3 of the Warriors vs. Lakers series.

The Lakers were already down 0-2, and the aging Kevin Garnett looked set for another humiliating first-round exit.

Black Mamba?
The Black Mamba died two weeks ago, leaving only an old guy named Kobe Bryant to fight alone in the days to come.

That Achilles tendon rupture was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Kobe, almost a death sentence for his career.

He kept his word and led the Los Angeles Lakers into the playoffs, at any cost.

But the Lakers' fate was destined to be elimination in the first round.

In recent seasons, Kobe and KG's reputations have not been very good. Just a few years ago, however, they were still in the discussion of the "greatest duo of all time".

This is another reason why Lynch is unwilling to spend years in the league; he doesn't want to experience the day when he becomes old and decrepit, diminishing his historical status.

He found it hard to accept this huge difference.

He absolutely refused to allow his legend to end in such a bleak twilight.

Today's game doesn't seem to have much suspense. Lynch mainly wants to see the Thunder's recent mental state and whether their desire to win is as strong as the Spurs'.

As a result, an unexpected event that could overturn the entire season's script suddenly occurred.

Late in the third quarter, Stephen Curry collapsed in pain during what appeared to be a routine move, clutching his ankle. He left the court and never returned.

Two hours after the game, the Thunder officially announced that Stephen Curry would miss the rest of the season.

In an interview, the Thunder's team doctor admitted that "his ankle CT scan looked like a bombed maze."

It turns out that the idea that "you are what you eat" is the biggest hoax in the world. Stephen Curry may lick his feet often, but his feet aren't actually that strong.

Lynch called Stephen Curry, marking the second time he had called his rival due to a serious injury, following Kobe's call in April.

Stephen Curry, usually known for his jovial attitude, was in low spirits: "It's over with Lynch, it's all over, and we're the losers again. Why now of all times? Damn! We worked hard all season, we had so much potential, we..."

The angry accusation was choked back by a sudden surge of sobs, turning into silent weeping.

Needless to say, despair had already spread from the receiver.

Stephen Curry clearly believes that without him, the Thunder will be out of the championship race this season.

This is not arrogance, but a harsh reality.

"Stephen, your career is still long. This is not easy, but it will pass." Lynch tried to keep his tone calm.

“I know my career is still long, but no player can guarantee that they will be in a championship window for their entire career like you have.”

"Then try to keep your entire career in the championship window. Listen to Stephen, I've never had a season-ending injury, so I'm not going to give you that 'I know' kind of talk."

Now, regain your confidence, recover fully, and face the challenges ahead. If this is the only thing you can control right now, then do it; you must do it!

There was a silence of about seven or eight seconds on the other end, and the last voice that came through was much stronger than before: "I understand, Lin Qi."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qi also turned off the TV.

He knew that Stephen Curry's true glory was yet to come.

He might even become stronger because of this injury.

Therefore, he doesn't actually need to worry about his friends.

The Slam Dunk Contest champion's season-ending injury has eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder from the playoffs, leaving only one formidable opponent in the Western Conference.

A mountain that has transformed team basketball into an art form.

In the following days, the depleted Thunder team still managed to defeat the equally depleted Lakers team and advance to the next round.

However, in the second round, they will most likely not be able to get past Carmelo Anthony and the Grizzlies.

In the East, the Knicks' next opponent has finally been revealed.

LeBron James' Nets, with a stronger offense and two consecutive games of hot three-point shooting, eliminated the Atlanta Hawks, who had Dwight Howard, with a 4-2 series score.

As it turns out, Peak Beast can only bully Young James.

If they are all at their peak, Warcraft has absolutely no chance of winning.

This series is definitely a money war for the league.

The New York derby, Lynch vs. LeBron, is what fans and media are most looking forward to.

For the players, this is also a series that avoids the fatigue of long journeys, because regardless of whether they play at home or away, they are playing in New York.

On the day of the game, during warm-ups, a reporter approached LeBron James: "Are you still confident of winning tonight against a fully-staffed Knicks?"

This question made LeBron James feel ashamed because asking about "confidence" presupposes that "the Nets are the underdog."

The Knicks' 4-0 sweep of the Nets in the regular season is enough to illustrate the gap in the two teams' overall strength.

In fact, LeBron James also felt desperate after losing the last game of the regular season.

But in the playoffs, an X-factor emerged.

Even a fool could see that the Knicks were targeted by the referees in Game 3 of the last round.

LBJ doesn't guarantee that the same "benefits" will fall on him, but what if he does?
“Of course I’m confident,” LeBron James replied. “When we played each other last time, the gap wasn’t that big. We didn’t win, but at least we proved that we have the ability to compete with them. This is the playoffs, and everything will be different.”

On the other end, DeAndre Jordan was complaining to Amir Johnson in a low voice: "Damn, are the referees going crazy again tonight? If they call it like they did in Game 3 last round, LeBron will score as easily as walking around!"

"What are you worried about?" Lin Qi's voice pierced the air like a parent's, and the two immediately stopped whispering. "De'Andrei, what are you worried about?" Lin Qi continued to ask, his tone serious.

"I'm worried about those shitty referees."

“Listen, DeAndre, I understand how you feel. It was definitely unfair to us. But we didn’t cower and give in. We all fought back. But nobody can guarantee what the officiating will do. All we can do is do what we can control—our fighting spirit, our defense, and every rebound we get!”

Lynch slapped Jordan hard on the back, conveying strength and trust: "These bastards won't cause us any trouble, I promise."

DeAndre Jordan nodded, no longer thinking about the issue of officiating standards.

Lynch had already built trust in the locker room. DeAndre Jordan might not trust the fairness of the league, but he trusted Lynch.

After Lynch finished speaking, he continued warming up and taking jump shots. His earlier words to Stephen Curry were also a reminder to himself.

They all need to clear their minds of distractions and focus on what they can control.

Lynch won't keep playing under this disgusting new president and putting up with this awful treatment forever, but at least for the time he's still playing, he'll never give in.

The game started quickly. The Nets and Knicks were old rivals and knew each other quite well.

In the first round, LeBron James couldn't wait to test the referee's standards, accelerating at full speed to challenge Lynch one-on-one and drive straight for the basket!

However, Lynch showed no fear in the confrontation, leaping forcefully and building an impenetrable wall in the air, effectively suppressing James's offensive and preventing the shot from going in.

The referee didn't blow the whistle, and LeBron James couldn't hide his disappointment after landing.

He didn't know when his "referee benefits" would arrive.

The Knicks countered, Kyrie Irving brought the ball up to half-court, and Lynch ran a pick-and-roll with him.

LeBron James switched on defense, and Kyrie Irving passed the ball back to Lynch.

When faced with Jason Terry, Lynch didn't even bother to physically bully him.

"Linche pulled up for a three-pointer over Jason and the ball went in! Easy peasy!"

After scoring, Lynch retreated on defense without looking back, his cold back seemingly announcing the official start of an equally cold reign.

On the defensive possession, Lynch helped block Paul Pierce's pull-up jumper and regained possession in a fierce scramble.

But Lynch didn't rush to advance the ball; instead, he passed it to Kyrie Irving again.

This time, instead of continuing the pick-and-roll with Kyrie Irving, he made a reverse cut, using DeAndre Jordan's screen to shake off LBJ and circle to the right corner.

Kyrie Irving skillfully passed the ball to James, who accelerated after the screen, his fingertips almost touching Lynch's eyelids—

"brush!!!"

"6-0! Lynch came out firing on all cylinders! He seems to have a strong desire to score tonight. The Brooklyn Nets need to be mentally prepared!"

LBJ cursed under his breath; Lynch had scored too easily in those two possessions.

Once again, Lynch didn't celebrate after scoring; he coldly ran away and quickly retreated to defend.

The Nets finally broke their scoring drought when Brook Lopez returned to the low post and scored with a hook shot after a shoulder fake.

But before the Nets fans—if they even had a chance to celebrate—Linchi scored again!
Kyrie Irving easily blew past the aging Jason Terry and drove straight to the basket.

This second-year guard, who has been in excellent form since his return, showed no fear of Brook Lopez and leaped directly to attack the basket.

In mid-air, Irving pulled back to avoid Lopez's block.

But another dark figure appeared in quick succession; LeBron James had already moved to the basket to help defend, his presence overwhelming!
Kyrie Irving glanced at the outside, and then, having just made a layup, he abruptly changed his approach to a pass, sending the ball to the three-point line and finding Lynch!

Lynch, who got a wide-open shot, was as cold-blooded as the German sniper played by Ed Harris in "Enemy at the Gates," expressionless and without hesitation "pulling the trigger"!
LeBron James knew his help defense had backfired spectacularly; he genuinely hadn't expected Kyrie Irving to pass the ball after his layup.

He stared at the basketball, hoping Lynch's shot would go astray.

But Lynch gave him absolutely no chance or room for fantasy.

He will make the most of what he can control.

"Another one! A triple-double to start the game! Lynch's firepower has been suffocating from the very first second!" Mike Breen's exclamation blended with the jubilation of the New York fans. "That's right! Lynch will take everything he can! He has the game firmly in his grasp!"

DeAndre Jordan also raised his arms in celebration. What worries did he have? With Lynch around, all those concerns were long forgotten!

The scene reached its first climax, but Lin Qi, contrary to his usual behavior, did not celebrate wildly, did not spew trash talk, and did not trample on his opponent's dignity for amusement.

He turned around, retreated to defense, and prepared for the next round.

This time, the Nets created an opportunity for Kevin Martin to drive to the basket through complex movement and passing.

This master of drawing fouls lived up to expectations, prompting the referee to blow his whistle for the first time tonight.

As the ball hit the free-throw line, New York fans erupted in boos.

In fact, it was a normal call; DeMar DeRozan did commit a foul.

After Game 3 of the previous round, New York fans felt that all the calls were biased.

Amidst a chorus of boos, Kevin Martin made both free throws, making it 9-4.

The Nets seemed to have lifted their heads slightly out of the water with this free throw, ready to take a breath of fresh air.

In the next round, Lynch ruthlessly slammed their heads down again—he scored again!

Lynch used the same trick again, making a reverse run, using DeAndre Jordan's screen to circle to the corner, and receiving the ball.

The difference this time was that LeBron James did not lose his position. He quickly went around the screen, re-clinched Lynch, and raised his center of gravity to be ready to block the shot at any time.

Seeing no opportunity, Lin Qi tried to throw the ball to the lower left, but in an instant, he was dribbled backwards and pulled to the right.

This is a daring move; backhand dribbling in a narrow corner can easily go out of bounds.

But Lynch succeeded. He didn't go out of bounds, shook off LeBron James, and accelerated along the baseline to break through!
Brook Lopez quickly covered the rim, but Lynch ignored him, jumping and pulling away to avoid the shot, gliding from the right side of the basket to the left. To avoid hitting his head on the backboard, he even deflected the shot off to the outside of the backboard.

In that instant, the legendary essence of Dr. J's lever technique was perfectly recreated in him!

But just as Lynch raised the basketball again, ready to finish the beautiful play, Brook Lopez's hand landed heavily on Lynch's shoulder—completely unintentional, but definitely a foul.

The referee blew the whistle, and Lin Qi's body was pulled down, making it difficult for him to exert any force with his arms.

He lost his balance and used his fingers to flick the ball towards the backboard behind his head, relying purely on feel, before falling down.

"Boom!"

"brush!"

Lynch's backhand layup went in, and he'll get an extra penalty!

"A miraculous moment! A miraculous display! An unbelievable back dribble, an unbelievable layup! I dare say, this shot was even more difficult than Dr. J's shot back then! He was fouled, but he still managed to put the ball in!"

The crowd erupted. On the sidelines, Nets head coach Lionel Hollins had only one thought echoing in his mind: "When Lynch doesn't need to handle the ball a lot and focuses on scoring, you all know what's going to happen."

This terrible curse has finally revealed its terrifying nature in reality.

Yes, now everyone knows what's going to happen.

Indeed, Lynch scored much more easily after returning to his preferred role.

So now he just wants to score points and do what he can control.

He doesn't need celebrations, trash talk, or overthinking.

Lynch made the free throw, scoring 12 points to start the game, giving the Knicks a 12-4 lead.

Spike Lee cheered and sat back down on the bench, suddenly feeling very safe.

He no longer cared whether Kevin Martin's two free throws were due to biased refereeing.

Even if it were true, it wouldn't affect anything.

Bill Russell's ability to control the game in any situation is another aspect that distinguishes him from Wilt Chamberlain.

Lynch too.

(End of this chapter)