Champion Rules

Chapter 417-413: Two genius forwards, one of the league's best point guards, and 55 seconds (Seeking monthly votes!)
As expected, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls, led by Dwyane Wade, 4-1 in the series, and the Bulls, after Derrick Rose's season-ending injury, will face the Knicks in the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

The biggest surprise of this series was that Kawhi Leonard almost nailed Chris Bosh to the pillory of shame.

This legendary ironman, who began to show his talent last season, has transformed into a true star killer this season.

Chris Bosh's predicament against Kawhi Leonard's suffocating defense is no longer a matter of efficiency.

He finds even connecting the ball extremely difficult!

The Pacers' lack of height in the paint is a well-known weakness in the league. Even after acquiring power forward PJ Tucker in a mid-season trade, this deficiency remained unresolved.

Therefore, Chris Bosh originally thought that he could put on a good enough performance in this series, be a tough guy, and be a beastly power forward.

In the game, facing the legendary ironman's defense, Bosh could only reward Kawhi with his signature aggressive mid-range shots.

He couldn't get the ball in the deep post at all, and Kawhi Leonard kept him from getting any power.

While he can develop a powerful jump shot from mid-range, his accuracy is questionable under Kawhi Leonard's defense, resulting in a high number of missed shots.

Bosh originally wanted to be a beastly power forward, but he transformed himself into a "soft-hearted but tough" power forward.

Chris Bosh's struggling offensive efficiency has forced the "Flash" to shoulder more of the scoring burden.

But the Flash of today is not the Flash of five years ago who could tear through defenses at will.

Besides his defense, Kawhi Leonard's improvement on offense is also encouraging.

In Game 5 of the series, when the Bulls focused their defensive resources on the Pacers' two Chris Pauls, Kawhi Leonard punished them severely, going 10-for-11 from the field.

His drives to the basket, his jump shots, and his ball handling are all vastly different from the assessment he received when he was drafted that he "had no offensive skills."

He achieved true all-around performance on both offense and defense, to the point that every time he was substituted back into the game, Chris Bosh would instantly put on a mask of pain.

With Kawhi Leonard beginning to live up to his potential, the Pacers ultimately won the series without much effort.

This series officially cemented Kawhi Leonard's status as a star player and fueled much speculation about a potential Pacers vs. Knicks matchup.

Will the defensive lineup of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and PJ Tucker put Lynch under pressure?

Can Kawhi Leonard continue to shine against Lynch?
The suspense remains unresolved, but the two most prestigious awards of the regular season have already been announced.

Lynch won both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards for the third consecutive year!

This makes him the first player in history, since Larry Bird, to win the MVP award three years in a row.

He is also the only player in history to win the MVP award unanimously for the second time!
David McMenamin's earlier report was correct; Lynch did indeed become the unanimous MVP.

Kevin Durant lives in his own information cocoon, seeing far too many comments supporting him.

In fact, he had no idea how much of a shock the media received from averaging a triple-double.

So huge that, in another timeline, a passionate individual who was only ranked sixth in the West won the MVP trophy because of it.

As the top seed in the East, Lynch, even with fewer wins than the Thunder and fewer points per game than Kevin Durant, was still favored by all voters.

Kevin Durant's dream has been shattered, but he will no longer be depressed.

He had already put the matter behind him since his Thunder teammates visited him at his home before the playoffs began and they ate a snake meat and beef offal pizza with him.

When interviewed by reporters, Kevin Durant simply gave a brief and understated answer:

"I hope our great unanimous MVP doesn't follow in LeBron's footsteps and end up not even getting to see me. Chris isn't just a background character; you have no idea how good the Pacers have been this season."
-
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Chris Paul finally arrived at the battlefield he had been dreaming of.

Larry Bird made a rare appearance in the team's locker room before the players took to the court.

Since leaving the front line, Larry Bird has rarely set foot in the locker room.

Having been a player for a long time, he knows that most players don't actually want to have too much interaction with management. In fact, most players avoid doing so.

Anyone who gets too close to management is often suspected of being an informant planted by management.

But this year, Larry Bird broke with tradition.

He walked into the locker room, glanced around at the players changing their clothes, and clapped his hands:
"It's time to avenge this humiliation! This is your last chance to save face as men! Lynch wants to leave as a victor? No, we won't let him succeed! Why should we be the footnote to his great career?"
He even boasted that he would prepare celebratory balloons at Madison Square Garden in advance. While he certainly wouldn't actually do that, it was still a blatant act of contempt for us!
Kill that person who disrespects us, kill them all!

I know your abilities; I know you're no worse than any team from a big city!

Go up there and make that arrogant bastard pay for his arrogance!

Larry Bird is here to incite hatred. For a veteran like him, competition in professional basketball can't function without hatred.

Throughout his playing career, he was at odds with Magic Johnson. Even though the classic Converse "Choose Your Weapon" ad in the summer of 1985 eased the tension between the two, Larry Bird still harbored a certain degree of hostility towards Magic.

He could have a pleasant private conversation with Magic Johnson after the season ended. But on the court, he had always refused to be too friendly with Magic.

Even before filming the advertisement, he insisted on one principle: "The Magician has to come to Indianapolis to find me, otherwise I won't agree. I can't let my teammates know that I actually went to Los Angeles to find the Magician. This is a necessary condition, and I will stick to this no matter how much money you offer."

So ultimately, that iconic ad was filmed directly at Bird's ranch in Bassden, Indianapolis.

That's the kind of person he is; he knows how much power hatred can bring.

Hatred can often forge the most intense desire to win.

Before the series begins, what he needs to do is to ignite the hatred in the players' hearts and bring it to a boiling point!

Larry Bird's spiel worked. Even Paul George clenched his fists: "At least for this series, I'll forget Lynch is my big brother. Let's go, guys! We've lost two years in a row, we've lost enough!"

Chris Paul gritted his teeth and growled through them, "Kill that bastard!"

Kawhi Leonard remained silent, but his fists were clenched.

Lance Stephenson stood up and began banging his head against the locker, letting out a beast-like roar.

Larry Bird smiled with satisfaction:
"Get on stage!"

However, when Larry Bird and the players stepped onto the floor of Madison Square Garden, the legend realized that what he had done in the locker room earlier was completely unnecessary.

He doesn't need to deliberately incite hatred in the players' hearts, because as soon as they step onto the field, their anger and hatred will be ignited.

Chris Paul looked up at the huge bunch of balloons held in place by nets above Madison Square Garden, and almost ground his teeth to powder:
"That bastard, he actually fucked!"

That's right, James Dolan did buy a bunch of balloons in advance and fixed them above Madison Square Garden, waiting to celebrate the series victory.

Even if the series ends at the Pacers' home arena, it doesn't matter, because Madison Square Garden will still be open to the public on game day, and New York fans are eager to watch the game live on the big screen.

So even if the series ends at the Pacers' home court, these balloons won't go to waste.

Even the well-traveled Larry Bird's veins bulged and his chest heaved violently.

He simply couldn't believe that anyone would dare to do the same thing, given the Lakers' painful lesson in 1969 when they became a laughingstock for preparing balloons in advance!
Just how confident and arrogant are those bastards!
They were so arrogant that they didn't even bother to consider whether this blatant humiliation would ignite the Pacers' burning hatred and unleash a fighting force capable of tearing apart steel.

Yes, Lynch didn't care.

He only cared whether he had humiliated his mortal enemy.

Mike Brin stared at the large nets and orange-blue balloons hanging overhead, a chill running down his spine. "These balloons are Jerry West's most painful memories of his career. In the 21st century, will this become Chris Paul's most painful memory, or Lynch's?"

All eyes were fixed on the few dazzling orange and blue balloons in the dome until the Knicks players came out.

Lynch scanned the Pacers players' faces with satisfaction—those expressions filled with anger, humiliation, and bewilderment were his carefully crafted masterpiece.

“Chris,” Lynch shouted with a laugh from afar, “Do you like this gift? Believe me, when these balloons fall from the sky, the ‘romance’ at Madison Square Garden will be unforgettable! It might even be more unforgettable than your damn 62-point night!”

“Lynch!” Chris Paul’s voice trembled slightly with extreme anger. “You have no idea what you’ve ignited! You will pay the most terrible price for this arrogance!”

"Arrogance?" Lynch's smile vanished. "Who was so arrogant as to say my retirement tour would only end in failure? Who was so arrogant as to refuse to applaud Kyrie Irving when he received the AMVP trophy? You're right, Chris, one of us will have to swallow the bitter pill of our arrogance!" After Lynch finished speaking, he nodded slightly to Paul George as a greeting, then turned and left.

Both sides were filled with hatred for each other, and Larry Bird knew very well that the bloodshed in this series would be far greater than in the first two rounds.

The whistle blew, the battle began, and Larry Bird's conjecture was immediately proven true.

The Pacers' defensive intensity was as if the series were only going to be played once.

They were completely immersed in it, sparing no effort.

Their rotations, help defense, and switching are as precise as machines. The energy and focus they put into a single defensive possession is enough to outlast other teams over three possessions.

Although such a defensive strategy is extremely costly and a severe test of the players' willpower.

But the Pacers achieved at least one remarkable goal—they managed to contain Lynch's firepower!

Kawhi Leonard has the combination of experience, talent, size, and ability this season.

Lynch had to be very careful every time he had the ball against his defense.

When he opens his large hand, it's as if your eyes are covered by a black cloth, severely obstructing your vision.

Of course, if it were just Kawhi Leonard guarding Lynch one-on-one, Lynch wouldn't be under so much pressure.

But the Pacers' double-teams and help defense came like a storm, making Lynch's scoring no longer as effortless as in the previous round.

Correspondingly, the Pacers' tight defense of Lynch also gave other Knicks players an opportunity.

Kyrie Irving stepped up tonight, taking advantage of Lynch's defensive presence by relentlessly running pick-and-rolls with him, much to Chris Paul's dismay.

After the pick-and-roll, the Pacers dared not let Paul switch directly to defend Lynch, nor did they dare to easily send players to double-team Irving.

This allows Kyrie Irving to always seize fleeting offensive opportunities.

He was in excellent form today, playing with great courage and fearlessness.

Despite the Pacers' exceptionally aggressive rim protection, Kyrie Irving showed no fear in attacking the basket.

Kyrie Irving was also holding his breath, if Chris Paul was unwilling to admit that he was an All-Star starter, unwilling to admit that he was the All-Star MVP.

Then I'll force him to admit it!
Kyrie Irving's crossovers, drives, and jump shots in tight spaces turned the Eastern Conference Finals into a street performance at Rucker Park.

He scored 32 points in just three quarters, and it seems likely that he will be able to put on a 40+ point game tonight!
But in the fourth quarter, Kyrie Irving went cold without warning.

The intense competition and fast pace drained Irving's touch, and his shooting accuracy suddenly disappeared.

Furthermore, in the fourth quarter, Chris Paul increased his personal offensive output, thus increasing the defensive burden on Kyrie Irving.

Throughout the final quarter, Kyrie Irving's performance was completely incomparable to that of the first three quarters.

The Pacers quickly closed the gap and eventually took the lead with five minutes remaining in the game.

In the instant the game was paused, Chris Paul pointed at the balloons in the dome, his face a mixture of vengeful satisfaction and utter contempt, and roared towards the Knicks' bench:

"You've dug a beautiful grave for yourself, Lynch!"

Lynch remained calm; he was never arrogant enough to think that the Pacers were easy to deal with.

He simply believed he could win.

In the final five minutes, Lynch pushed his defensive coverage to the limit.

He tirelessly charged forward, precisely blocking every potential opening in the attack.

The score remained close, with the two sides trading the lead multiple times in a short period of time.

The score remained tied until 55 seconds before the end of the match.

At this moment, Chris Paul successfully drew a foul from DeAndre Jordan through his own breakthrough.

DeAndre Jordan angrily slammed his fist on the basketball hoop cushion, as it was his sixth foul of the game.

In a crucial moment, Mike Malone didn't bring in the talented but inexperienced Giannis Antetokounmpo, but instead substituted in the veteran Amir Johnson.

He may not be that capable, but at least he won't make mistakes.

In moments like these, stability is more important than a flash of inspiration.

Chris Paul was out of breath and didn't immediately step onto the SGA line.

The Pacers' high-intensity rotation tonight left everyone exhausted. It was indeed a tough game, and everyone was already at this level, yet they only managed a tie with the Knicks.

Even the slightest mistake could tip the scales of victory.

This suffocating feeling of absolutely no room for error hung over every Pacers player.

Chris Paul slowly walked to the free-throw line, and Lynch stood in front of him to the side.

When the referee gave the ball to Chris Paul, Lynch shouted:

"You better make both free throws, buddy, you better get your team ahead with 55 seconds left. Because you know, I'm way better than you at turning the tide in clutch moments!"

"You have no room for error, Chris. You don't."

Lynch has trash-talked his opponents more than once when they're taking crucial free throws, so it's become a common occurrence.

Chris Paul also anticipated that Lynch might do this, and he was confident that Lynch's trash talk at crucial moments would not affect him, believing that he was immune to it.

But now, Lin Qi's words and the pressure of the competition are really weighing on his shoulders.

He knew that Lynch was not bluffing.

Chris Paul's ability to control the game in crucial moments is undeniable, but what about Chris Paul himself? He has long been jokingly referred to by the media and fans as "the man who never disappoints in crucial moments."

He doesn't want this label to continue to follow him tonight; he has to make sure the team is in the lead.

On his first free throw, whether due to immense pressure or intense competition, he actually missed!
"Oh no, another crucial moment. Is Chris going to choke again? Kyrie lost his touch in the fourth quarter due to the intense competition, but this effect is fair to everyone. Let's see if Chris can get back on track with the second free throw."

After Mike Breen finished speaking, he nervously wiped away his sweat. If even he was so nervous, one can only imagine how much pressure the players on the field were under.

"Damn it!" Paul cursed to himself, "Damn it!"

He turned around and high-fived his teammates, who all comforted him.

But these words of comfort were immediately rendered ineffective by Lynch's trash talk: "Fuck, looks like I won again tonight, Chris. You're always like this, always talking about leading the team to victory, but you always drag the team down at crucial moments. That's you, Chris, that's the real you."

Second penalty—

"Boom!"

"No! Chris has an 85% free throw percentage this season, but he missed both of them!" Mike Breen clutched his head, as if he already knew what was going to happen next.

Chris Paul angrily punched the ball, and the Knicks called a timeout.

Larry Bird watched this scene, and this legendary figure, known for his composure, found his heart pounding uncontrollably.

55 seconds left, a tie. In fact, the Pacers still had a chance to win. They had two talented forwards, one of the best point guards in the league, and 55 seconds left on the clock.

but.
Larry Bird looked at number 20, and fear surged uncontrollably into his heart.

This was a feeling he had never experienced before in his entire life.

(End of this chapter)