Champion Rules

Chapter 411 (407): Two Unicorns (Seeking monthly votes!)

Dwight Howard was very cautious in the attack just now. He is an experienced professional player and knows when it is safest to launch an attack.

At least on the basketball court, he will not engage in any dangerous behavior this season.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo rendered his experience completely ineffective.

Even among pure small forwards, few can instantly return from beyond the three-point line to the basket to provide help defense in such a short time.

Moreover, Giannis Antetokounmpo is an absolute giant.

Although his official height is the same as Lynch's at 208 cm, he is clearly taller than Lynch, and his actual height may be over 210 cm.

So how could he possibly run that fast!?
In Dwight Howard's view, centers over 210 cm tall should be strong but relatively slow "muscle fortresses".

Since the late 90s, there has been an increasing number of players who break free from positional constraints.

Kevin Garnett, Lamar Odom, and Dirk Nowitzki early in his career all displayed agility and ball control that belied their massive physiques.

This trend peaked after Lynch landed in North America.

Since Lynch, another monster has emerged, Kevin Durant, who continues to redefine people's understanding of the world.

They constantly blurred the boundaries of positions on the field, redefining what "mismatch advantage" means.

Kristaps Porzingis, who is currently very popular in Europe, is also considered a top prospect for the number one pick in the 15 NBA draft.

These types of players are now specifically referred to as "unicorns" by fans and the media, which is a compliment to their talent.

Now, Giannis Antetokounmpo has joined this group.

The most terrifying thing about the Greek is that he's on the same team as Lynch.

The New York Knicks have become the first team to have two of these unicorns at the same time!
Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a young unicorn; he has never even been a regular starter before.

But based on the talent he showed in that brief glimpse, even if the Greek player doesn't become a star, he will still be an excellent defensive player.

How terrifying will the New York Knicks' defense become?
The ball was inbounded, and the Hawks continued their attack, finally giving Al Horford a chance to post up the rookie.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has become much stronger since he was drafted, but he is still very thin in the NBA environment and it is difficult for him to compete with Horford in physical battles.

Al Horford easily created space with his back to the basket before turning and shooting a jump shot.

But the Greek compensated for his lack of strength in the fight with his agility and size. The moment he was pushed away, he quickly reappeared to defend like a spring, raising his long arm high, his entire hand almost blocking Horford's view.

Horford's actual height is only 203 cm, but the Greek player's interference still put a lot of pressure on him, and his shooting rhythm was obviously affected.

then--

"boom!"

The basketball slammed into the rim, and Al Horford was unable to easily defeat the rookie in front of him as he had hoped.

Hawks home commentator Bob Rasburn began praising the guy whose name he could barely pronounce:

"Giannis has been training with Jason Kidd for the past few months. As far as I know, the Knicks want to develop Giannis into a point guard! Well, that absurd goal won't be achieved anytime soon, but we can see that he has definitely learned a lot about defense from Jason."

Jason Kidd was positioned not far from the commentary booth, and he could faintly hear Bob Rasburn mentioning him.

This is exactly what he wants; he needs a calling card that can help him make a name for himself in the coaching world.

In the NBA, each team needs a different coach.

Some teams need tactical geniuses, some need an excellent locker room manager, some need a coach who can develop young players, and some need a chef—Doc Rivers, for example, has secured coaching contracts for years by virtue of his excellent soup-making skills, often remaining speechless during timeouts.

Jason Kidd's performance during his playing career led many teams and fans to assume that he would be a tactical mastermind.

But that's not enough; it's not convincing enough.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo can truly make amazing progress with his help, Jason Kidd believes he will finally get a head coach contract this summer.

He enjoyed the mutually beneficial cooperation, so he will treat the Greeks even more seriously going forward.

Lynch grabbed the rebound and then personally dribbled the ball up the court.

Most players like Lynch don't actually like playing center, like Anthony Davis. Even Tim Duncan often pretended to be a power forward.
The reason for this is that playing center involves a lot of physical contact and is very taxing.

Just now, it seemed like Lynch only grabbed a defensive rebound, but his struggle with Dwight Howard was actually not easy.

Therefore, these types of players really like having a blue-collar center by their side to do the dirty work.

Lynch also dislikes being stuck at the center position; he needs to focus his energy on more valuable areas.

But if the opponent is Dwight Howard, Lynch would be very willing to become a center even more powerful than Stephen Curry.

After securing the rebound, Lynch pushed the ball across half-court and passed it to Kyrie Irving on the right side, who calmly sank the three-pointer.

Seeing this, Kevin Durant, watching on television, became somewhat nervous.

He wasn't interested in the outcome of the game; what interested him was that the Hawks had a chance to stop Lynch's streak of triple-doubles.

That was indeed the case for the first five minutes; Lynch was struggling to deal with Al Horford, and his rebounding control was greatly reduced.

But in that very possession, Lynch grabbed the rebound and immediately delivered an assist, a classic formula that has enabled him to create three consecutive triple-double miracles in the past nine games.

At this moment, this familiar formula is being used once again at the Philips Arena.

Kevin Durant frowned, silently praying to the god of basketball that Lynch's breathtaking triple-double record would be stopped tonight.

Otherwise, the MVP award will slip further and further away from him.

The game continues on the field.

The Hawks' offense has indeed improved a lot this season. After DeMarre Carroll helped create space, Al Horford's second attempt to isolate the Greek Freak finally succeeded.

No one expected rookie Giannis to shut down Al Horford, but the Hawks' interior defense didn't establish a significant advantage after DeAndre Jordan left the court, which disappointed Mike Budenholzer.

One possession later, Lynch passed the ball again, but Jimmy Butler missed a mid-range jumper.

Under the basket, Dwight Howard and Lynch began wrestling, both being restrained by each other.

Al Horford had an easy opportunity to grab the rebound, but as soon as his feet left the ground, Giannis Antetokounmpo snatched the rebound from behind him!
Al Horford is not bad at athleticism; he just doesn't like to rely on physical attributes to play, but that doesn't mean he's a floor-based player.

But in front of the Greeks, he felt that his talent was completely crushed.

"Damn unicorns!" Mike Budenholzer yelled from the sidelines.

Giannis grabbed the rebound, and Jason Kidd's instincts, instilled in him during training, instantly kicked in, allowing him to quickly pass the ball to his teammate.

But DeMar DeRozan's mid-range shot also ended up missing.

Just as all the Hawks fans in the arena breathed a sigh of relief, Lynch—another, even more powerful unicorn—snatched the offensive rebound right over Dwight Howard's head!
As the team with the best rebounding protection this season, Howard, Horford, and Carroll have historically dominated the opponent's offensive rebounds.

This is the first time Hawks fans have actually experienced having their rebounds stolen!
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Lynch didn't pass the ball again. Instead, he used a beautiful shoulder fake followed by a turnaround layup to score.

Mike Budenholzer was too exhausted to even yell this time. Looking at Lynch and Giannis attacking together on the field, a sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.

This is blatant cheating!

Sam Presti, Lynch's old slave, has once again become the subject of heated discussion online. People can hardly believe that in a draft class that is generally considered to be lacking in talent, where even the number one draft pick has perfectly integrated into the G League, Sam Presti has managed to dig out real gold from a "mountain of shit".

For many years, Sam Presti has not only been good at hoarding draft picks, but he has also never had a disastrous lottery pick.

Bob Rusborn also shook his head and remarked, "Look at Lynch and Giannis's combined defense, look at their incredible hustle. Thankfully, this will be the last season Lynch and Giannis play together."

Lynch's rebounding numbers continued to climb, and Kevin Durant's anxiety grew.

Fortunately, in another offensive possession for the Knicks, Lynch's brilliant pass did not result in an assist.

Jimmy Butler's cut was perfectly timed, and Lynch's pass was just right.

However, because Dwight Howard could protect the rim in the low post without restraint, Jimmy Butler's attacks on the rim were ruthlessly denied.

The Hawks are, after all, a team built on defense, and Dwight Howard is, after all, one of the best defensive players of this era.

This is Kevin Durant's last consolation; perhaps Lynch can grab more rebounds if he plays center. But the assist problem, facing the Hawks' impenetrable defense and Howard's presence in the paint, is something Lynch will struggle to solve no matter what position he plays.

Lynch's triple-double tonight won't be easy.

In the following rounds, both sides engaged in a fierce defensive battle, with their offense frequently missing shots.

Not only did Lynch struggle to provide assists, but he also missed both of his own shots.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has indeed shown the potential to be a defensive anchor on the wing, but he drags down the offense just like Tony Allen.

When he's on the court, the Knicks are essentially playing 4 against 5 on offense.

From the moment the Greek player entered the game until now, the Hawks have never assigned anyone to guard him on the defensive end.

Lynch tried to trust him and passed him the ball once, but Giannis proved his impressive offensive skills with a wide-open mid-range shot that he missed.

The score remained neck and neck, and the statistics for both teams stagnated.

The deadlock remained unbroken until the ninth minute of the first quarter.

Amir Johnson stood on the sidelines ready to enter the game, which meant that Lynch was about to be substituted off.

In the ninth minute, it was indeed time for Lin Qi to be substituted off the field.

Off the court, Kevin Durant, who had been closely watching the game, finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

Although Lynch had already recorded three assists in the first quarter, they were all concentrated in the early stages of the game.

As the Hawks gradually adapted to the rhythm and their defense became more tight, his assist number has remained stagnant for a long time.

If this trend continues, Lin Qi's attempt to boost his MVP competitiveness with consecutive triple-doubles may be thwarted.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo sent Al Horford to the free-throw line with a hasty block, he raised his hand in frustration.

Tonight, the Greek Freak's performance was commendable. He had his moments of brilliance, but it also revealed his inexperience and immaturity.

He himself could feel his inadequacy on the offensive end; not everyone can be like Rajon Rondo, accustomed to standing alone beyond the three-point line.

This sense of powerlessness affected his patience on the defensive end.

As a rookie, he couldn't wait to make a good performance every minute.

Therefore, when Al Horford has the ball, he can easily get fouled or be faked out if he uses a few feints.

Seeing the Greek man's dejection, Lynch pulled him aside and said, "Giannis, you need to do something on the offensive end."

Lynch knew that the best way to get a player to regain passion and confidence on the basketball court was to score goals.

The Greek Freak spread his hands, saying helplessly, "I'm not feeling it tonight."

"Then attack the basket."

Giannis glanced at Dwight Howard, then at Lynch: "Huh?"

"What? You're an NBA player, you're qualified to challenge anyone in the league. So what if Dwight Howard? The only thing he has more of than you is a bastard child. Try it, get running, really run on offense!"

The referee urged everyone to stand in the designated positions, and Lynch's conversation with the Greek monster came to an abrupt end.

Al Horford made both free throws, and the Hawks are now only 3 points behind the Knicks.

The Knicks were on offense. Dwight Howard, positioned in the low post, slammed his hands together, making a loud "bang" sound: "Defend this one, defend this one and we can tie the game!"

Dwight Howard has been working hard to be a leader, and so far this season, he's been doing quite well.

Al Horford was still closely guarding Lynch, Dwight Howard was still roaming under the basket, and Giannis was still being completely ignored.

Lynch looked at his old partner Theo, who had circled out to the three-point line after using a screen, but his hand passed the ball in the exact opposite direction of his gaze.

On the other side, Giannis Antetokounmpo has already cut along the baseline!

Lynch delivered the pass, and the Greek player took two long strides, leaping high over Dwight Howard!
"You son of a bitch!" The monster also leaped up with all its might. Ever since it was sealed by the Greek monster, it had been waiting for an opportunity for revenge.

Very well, this newbie has delivered himself right to our doorstep!
The monster was menacing; with his physical abilities still at their peak, he was fully capable of intercepting the Greek monster in the air.

However, Giannis didn't rush to attack the basket in mid-air. He skillfully avoided Howard's direct block, glided to the other side of the basket, twisted his body in mid-air, swung his arm in a wide arc, and slammed the ball into the hoop!

The Philips Center was silent. A rookie with absolutely no offensive skills easily slammed a ball over Dwight Howard's head with his terrifying talent alone!
After that basket, the Knicks regained a 5-point lead, and the Hawks called a timeout.

The Greek Freak roared to the sky, confidence surging through his veins. He realized that scoring a goal over the head of the famous monster wasn't so difficult after all.

Kevin Durant looked at Lynch's stats and closed his eyes in disappointment.

With 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, no matter how much he tries to console himself, he cannot deny the cold, hard fact: Lynch is very close to achieving his tenth consecutive triple-double!
Commentator Bob Rasburn also touched on the topic: "Unsurprisingly, we're going to witness a new historical record tonight. Good heavens, even Wilt's record isn't safe in front of Lynch!"

His commentary partner, Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins, also found it unbelievable:
"In our time, a triple-double was a very luxurious thing. Only a very few top players could achieve a triple-double. Back then, anyone who achieved a triple-double would definitely make the front page of the newspaper."

Therefore, when someone's stats are close to a triple-double, they might even resort to some unethical tactics to inflate their numbers.

But for Lynch? Triples are as natural as breathing for him.

Unbelievable, man, this is simply unbelievable.

I think even if Lynch were placed in the 90s and directly competed with MJ, he would probably still be that MOAT.

The two commentators' remarks made Kevin Durant feel even more heartbroken.

Lynch's performance in the first quarter came to an end. After that, the Hawks tied the score thanks to the firepower of their sixth man, Lou Williams, who came off the bench. The first quarter ended in a draw.

For the fans, this game was certainly exciting. At least they didn't have to suffer like the Lakers fans in 2025, who were forced to fall asleep in the noisy home arena.

However, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was far from satisfied with the result. DeAndre Jordan was bogged down in foul trouble in the first quarter, which should have been a golden opportunity for the Hawks to establish a lead.

As a result, the Hawks could only manage a tie with the Knicks.

Al Horford's 8 points in a single quarter was certainly impressive, but if rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo hadn't taken up a lot of playing time, he wouldn't have been able to score so easily.

In other words, the Hawks' performance in the first quarter was excellent, and it may even have been their best quarter of the night.

And the Knicks? They seem to be completely in control.

The second quarter confirmed Mike Budenholzer's prediction: with DeAndre Jordan's return and Lynch's return to the power forward position, Al Horford's self-scoring became increasingly difficult.

The scoring burden on Joe Johnson has begun to increase again.

Fortunately, the Hawks still put up an excellent defense.

However, as the competition progressed, the discussion about whether Lynch could achieve a triple-double in ten consecutive games disappeared.

Kevin Durant was also completely desperate.

Based on the current situation, Lin Qi could achieve a triple-double tonight without even playing into the fourth quarter!

Since the Greek Freak dunked over Dwight Howard in the first quarter, the Knicks players have been noticeably more aggressive on drives to the basket.

Everyone gained confidence and no longer regarded the no-fly zone guarded by Warcraft as an abyss.

When shots keep missing and scoring stagnates, there will always be someone who musters the courage to attack the basket and see if they can break free from their shackles.

As a result, there were many spectacular plays that were worthy of being among the top ten.

Kyrie Irving's layup over Dwight Howard resulted in a 2+1.

Demar DeRozan's aerial throw, hampered by the monsters.

Giannis Antetokounmpo even pulled off a spectacular layup with his exaggerated physique.

And Dwight Howard's spectacular block on Jimmy Butler.

Yes, the top 10 plays aren't exclusive to the Knicks.

Tonight, everyone's showing off, except Jimmy Butler, who's getting beaten up.

As a player whose physical and dynamic talents are not top-tier, it's indeed a bit difficult for third-year Jimmy Butler to challenge Dwight Howard. The frustration of trying to squeeze in but failing is vividly portrayed in Jimmy Butler's current state.

Thanks to the Knicks' aggressive cuts to the basket, Lynch's assist numbers have been steadily climbing.

Late in the third quarter, Dwight Howard attacked the basket but crashed into a double-team of Lynch and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

He was forced to pass the ball to Al Horford in the corner, but before the latter could even shoot a three-pointer, Giannis's incredible long legs took only two steps before he pounced on him like a Greek god!

The experienced Horford remained calm, feinted, and easily knocked away this monster with exaggerated talent but still quite immature. He then dribbled into the mid-range area, preparing to shoot.

But Lynch's help defense was ever-present. Just as Al Horford bent his knees to prepare for a jump shot, he was shocked to find that Lynch had blocked all possible shooting opportunities.

Horford's versatility shone at this moment; with a deft flick of his wrist, he changed a shot into a pass, getting the ball back into Dwight Howard's hands.

Howard's muscles were tense, and the moment he caught the ball, he was about to jump up and end this agonizing round with a thunderous slam.

In a flash of lightning——

"Snapped!"

A giant hand suddenly cleaved down from the side, hitting the basketball squarely on top of it!
“Giannis Antetokounmpo!” Bob Rusburn pronounced the name with practiced ease. “He arrived quickly and stole the ball from Dwight! My God, when he and Lynch are on the court together, the Knicks' defense is a complete nightmare!”

Indeed, the Hawks actually created three scoring opportunities in this possession.

When Dwight Howard passed the ball to Al Horford, Horford had a chance to shoot a three-pointer.

Horford flicked the ball to the defense and drove into the mid-range, giving him his second chance.

He changed his shot into a pass, putting the ball back under the basket, giving him his third chance.

Against most teams in the league, any one of those three opportunities would be enough to score.

But when facing the New York Knicks, and their "two unicorns" defense, these opportunities were repeatedly stifled!

The Greek Freak got the basketball, and after completing a beautiful defensive play, he once again exposed his inexperience.

Not being good at holding the ball for long periods, he immediately threw the basketball at Lin Qi, who was running forward, the moment he got the ball.

That pass was absolutely terrible; not only was it too powerful, but there were also people all around Lynch.

DeMarre Carroll chased after Lynch, while Joe Johnson prepared to steal the ball in front of Lynch.

All three men stared intently at the basketball. The moment the basketball bounced off the ground, all three reached out at the same time!
Lynch made the first touch with his amazing wingspan, but Joe Johnson and DeMarre Carroll's fingers were already within reach, and Lynch might be dispossessed before he could fully control the ball.

Instead of trying to catch the ball, Lynch lashed it out with his hand like a whip, striking the bottom side of the basketball hard.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball instantly changed direction and flew up again, leaving Joe Johnson and DeMarre Carroll's hands only able to catch air!
The basketball ultimately flew in a very high arc and landed perfectly in Jimmy Butler's hands!
"Incredible pass! I've never seen the ball handled like that before!"

Amidst the exclamations of the commentators, Jimmy Butler finally triumphed with a powerful drive to the basket.

"boom!!!"

The basketball hoop groaned and sank, while at the same time, a thousand miles away—

"Bang!"

Kevin Durant threw the remote control in his hand violently, and the LCD TV screen cracked like a spider web.

After that basket, Lynch's stats reached 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists—achieving a triple-double in just three quarters, officially surpassing Wilt Chamberlain to become the player with the most consecutive triple-doubles in NBA history!

Jimmy Butler scored, bringing the Hawks down by 8 points.

On the big screen at the scene, the message "Lin Qi has made NBA history" was displayed.

Dwight Howard stared at the line of text, and most of the ambition surging in his chest instantly deflated.

He's eager to beat Lynch to secure his next max contract and a long-term deal with Adidas. A lifetime contract would be even better, if possible.

Lynch had such a contract, which was the source of his confidence to announce his retirement at the peak of his life at the age of 28.

But tonight, the cold reality starkly revealed the insurmountable chasm between him and those with lifetime contracts.

His best efforts seemed to only cause a few more beads of sweat to appear on the king's forehead.

Dominique Wilkins stated bluntly:

"Many people thought it would be difficult for Lynch to break the record, but it turned out to be a piece of cake. Lynch is creating a despair unlike anything seen in NBA history. Listen, I lived through the MJ era, I lived through the era of the black-and-white rivalry. MJ, Larry, and Maggie, they are all legends, they all dominated the league in their own ways. But I still have to say, what Lynch is bringing right now is a despair unlike anything seen in NBA history!"

In fact, the statement about the essence of human cinema is biased.

波士顿凯尔特人在50、60年代就曾创造过这样的绝望，从1956年到1969年，凯尔特人在13个赛季中赢得了11个冠军。

Countless players have fought to put out the arrogant victory cigar of "Red Auerbach," but each time they have failed.

The NBA has experienced similar despair before, but after so many reforms, mergers, talent dilution and increased competition due to expansion, salary caps, maximum salary limits, and countless rule changes, no one could have predicted this.

More than half a century later, similar fears have returned!
The Hawks called a timeout as Mike Malone prepared to substitute Lynch.

But Lynch refused to step down.

"I think it's time to close the game. They're done for. They're on the verge of snapping. We can completely crush them after this quarter."

Lynch possesses a top-tier predator's sense of smell on the field, able to clearly "smell" the frustration and collapse of fighting spirit permeating the opponent's ranks.

This is not the first time he has refused to leave the court during the regular rotation. Every time, he has accurately captured the critical point of his opponent's collapse and then crushed them in one fell swoop.

Mike Malone nodded in agreement; Lynch's judgment had never been wrong.

Upon their return to the court, the Hawks indeed broke with their usual rotation, with Mike Budenholzer keeping most of the starters on the court, except for bringing on Lou Williams.

He knew that the team had to turn the score around now, or their morale would suffer a devastating blow.

However, when he glanced up and saw the same number 0 figure standing tall on the Knicks' roster—

"Fuck them!" Budenholzer slammed his fist on the whiteboard, his face ashen. "They think they can close the game in the third quarter?! Wishful thinking! Damn it!"

Why was he angry? Precisely because he knew this was not wishful thinking.

Dwight Howard tried to remain calm; he didn't want the team's morale to collapse, so he clapped his hands forcefully as usual.
"Keep it down, guys! Keep it down. One round at a time. The match is still long, we need to stay calm! Let's start by winning this round and then defending for the next one!"

The Hawks players temporarily refocused, but Dwight Howard knew very well that this was like a loan that had to be repaid immediately.

If the Hawks score on both ends of the court in the next two possessions, the "loan" will be paid off, the team's crisis will be resolved, and everyone will be able to bounce back.

But if the Hawks lose the next two games, this "loan" will become the final trump card.

Their morale will completely collapse.

The Hawks were on offense, and Lou Williams was trying to one-on-one and destroy Kyrie Irving.

“Kyrie,” he said sarcastically as he dribbled the ball, “you’re the first number one draft pick I’ve ever seen who’s willing to be a dog for his teammates.”

Irving laughed, and it wasn't a forced smile; he was genuinely mocking him.

"Lu, it's 2014 already, and you're still using that 'OK combination' tactic to sow discord between me and Lynch? That's so outdated, buddy. Do you never even read the news?"

Lou Williams' trash talk had absolutely no effect. The fact that last season's champion, Lynch, entrusted him with crucial shots in the Finals had already extinguished the last bit of rebellious spirit in Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Irving defended flawlessly this possession, and Lou Williams' multiple attempts to create space failed, ultimately forcing him to pass the ball back to Joe Johnson.

Joe Johnson dribbled between his legs repeatedly, and taking advantage of the moment when Jimmy Butler's center of gravity dipped, he suddenly pulled up for a shot!
But then, it was that rookie again. Giannis Antetokounmpo double-teamed Joe Johnson the moment he took the shot, blocking his shooting space and making the shot much more difficult.

Left with no other option, Joe Johnson had to switch to passing, targeting the unavailable Al Horford.

Ultimately, the ball ended up in Lynch's hands—Lynch saw through Joe Johnson's intentions, moved towards Horford in advance, and successfully stole the ball.

The Hawks are on their last legs; their upcoming defense is their final chance to rebuild their morale.

Everyone was closely marking their assigned opponent, and everyone was constantly interfering with them using subtle tactics, not giving them any room to run away.

As a result, Lynch did not attempt to find teammates in this round.

He accelerated without warning from beyond the three-point line, like a sharp blade being drawn from its sheath.

He has always preferred to deliver the final blow himself.

Because Lynch's breakthrough was so sudden, the Hawks' defense didn't have time to react and failed to double-team him in time.

Lynch managed to drive towards the basket despite being chased by Al Horford.

But Dwight Howard was on high alert; he would never let Lynch score that game-winning shot, absolutely not!
Lynch jumped to meet Dwight Howard, and the two were about the same height in the air.

Furthermore, Lynch had no room to pull back on the lever while in the air.

Dwight Howard pressed his palm down, showing his confidence in this defensive play.

But Lynch suddenly turned around in mid-air, right next to him!
The crowd gasped in amazement as the 208cm tall Lynch pulled off a DeMar DeRozan-esque mid-air spin layup!
"brush!"

The Hawks failed to pay off their loans.

Amid the gasps at the Philips Center, the Atlanta Hawks' morale collapsed like a sandcastle.

In Dwight Howard's mind, his resounding pre-game declaration instantly echoed—

"No triple-doubles, no victories, and certainly no damn performances or heartwarming hugs."

This statement became the biggest irony he could have made of himself.

Because Lynch took the triple-double, the victory, and the performance with him, his words meant nothing.

All he could do was refuse to hug Lynch.

That's it.

Sure enough, the Hawks deflated like a punctured balloon and plummeted into the abyss.

Lynch's killer instinct was still on point; the Hawks were essentially dead by the end of the third quarter.

Ultimately, the New York Knicks defeated the Hawks 118-97 on the road.

This is the Knicks' first double-digit win against the Hawks this season.

Lynch finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists, achieving his tenth consecutive triple-double.

Dwight Howard did not hug Lynch, just as he had said; it was his last resort to preserve his dignity.

But after Lynch's triple-double, victory, and performance, who cared about Dwight Howard's hug?
I think Kevin Durant's MVP race is over. Unless he leads the Thunder to an unprecedented 75 wins, how can he compete with Lynch for MVP? — Charles Barkley on the MVP race after the game.

The Hawks have made commendable efforts, and Dwight has certainly matured a lot. Want to compete for a championship? Wait until Lynch retires. — Bob Rasburn, Hawks commentator.

Am I worried that Michael will cut ties with me like he did with Charles Barkley? Listen, I think Lynch's opinion is MOAT even by 90s standards; it's not directed at Michael, but rather a deduction based on facts. If Michael is really angry about this, then I have nothing to say. — Hawks commentator Dominique Wilkins discussing Lynch and MJ.

Has nobody noticed? The term "MOAT," which originated because of Lynch, has become exclusively used to describe the greatest basketball player of all time. The influence of the term "GOAT" is gradually fading with the decline of MJ's influence. It's a pity that MJ couldn't defeat time. — Stephen A. Smith crowning Lynch.

(Thank you so much to Z-Taoist and other big shots for the donations, I'm so grateful)
(Today's update is 9200 words, slightly shortened by 800 words)
(End of this chapter)