Champion Rules

Chapter 418 (414): Not the Final Judgment (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Chris Paul looked up at the glaring balloons on the dome of Madison Square Garden, his anger mixed with a hint of fear.

He knew perfectly well that all the Pacers' efforts and struggles tonight could very well be wasted on his two free throws just now.

With 55 seconds left, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel yelled at Paul to reassure him: "We just didn't take the lead, we didn't lose. The important thing isn't those two free throws, it's the next 55 seconds!"

Chris Paul nodded, struggling to swallow the bitter taste. He swore it was the hardest thing he had ever swallowed in his life.

PJ Tucker stepped up, the tough forward who joined the Pacers mid-season injecting passion into the team:
"Guys, they might have escaped the judgment of the free throws just now, but they can't escape every time! In the next 55 seconds, we'll let those arrogant bastards taste the consequences of hanging up their balloons early!"

The Pacers managed to stabilize their situation, but on the other side, a near-indifferent calm permeated the Knicks' bench.

Lynch's trash talk and Paul's two missed free throws seem to have given everyone a psychological suggestion: Lynch can always control everything in the decisive moments.

With Lynch around, no one will worry about the final result of the game.

Everyone just needs to do their job well, and the captain will naturally steer the ship properly to ensure the ship stays on course.

The game restarted, and the live broadcast camera once again focused on the balloons in the Madison Square Garden dome.

Whether these balloons will eventually land successfully is what football fans all over the world are concerned about.

Although the outcome of the first match does not determine the ultimate fate of these balloons, it is still the prelude to influencing their destiny.

Chris Paul walked onto the court and started trash-talking Lynch: "As someone who hasn't scored as many points as Kyrie Irving tonight, how are you going to save your team? I'm not going to keep giving you chances."

The Pacers' defense against Lynch was indeed successful tonight, greatly limiting his output.

As of now, Lynch's score is less than half a shot.

But Lynch didn't care about Paul's trash talk at all. Paul trash-talking Lynch was like a Korean actor trying to break into the Western action film industry, and the other party was completely unaffected.

Lynch didn't even need to think; his retort came out naturally:

"Yeah, I didn't score as many points as Kyrie tonight. Because the guy guarding me wasn't as incompetent as you."

Paul shut up; he realized that every time he exchanged trash talk with Lynch, he was just humiliating himself.

The referee inbounds the ball, and the Knicks gain possession.

Lynch received the ball, and the Pacers' defense against him remained tight. Kawhi Leonard closed in, and PJ Tucker, who was closest to Lynch, quickly double-teamed him.

Lynch had no chance and could only pass the ball back to Kyrie Irving.

The best way to avoid being double-teamed right now is to play off the ball.

But the legendary ironman Kawhi Leonard is exceptionally good at defending off-ball. In the last round, Chris Bosh experienced being so badly defended by him that he couldn't even receive the ball.

With the shot clock ticking away, Lynch, through a series of runs and Amir Johnson's experienced and perfectly timed screens, finally managed to create a gap in the defense, allowing Kyrie Irving to pass the ball to him.

Without hesitation, Lynch caught the ball and immediately shot.

In most games, this would be an excellent three-point opportunity.

However, the instant Lynch flicked his wrist, Kawhi Leonard pounced on him again with terrifying speed! His massive hands seemed to blot out the sky, almost directly pressing down on the spinning basketball!
No one has ever seen a player chase Lynch down to this extent on the defensive end!

Larry Bird breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he had two talented forwards, one of the best point guards in the league, and 55 seconds of playing time.

Look, one of the brilliant forwards has already made a defensive play that could change the outcome of the game.

This time, the Pacers might not necessarily lose again!
Kawhi Leonard's defense has reached its peak, and people are amazed by his relentless and tenacious attacks.

But he knew that his defensive effort this time was not perfect.

He still left Lynch some space to shoot. If he were guarding anyone else? Okay, that little bit of space wouldn't be lethal. But at this moment, he was facing the league's deadliest killer.

He wasn't sure if the little bit of space he had left for Lynch was safe.

People were amazed by Leonard's tight and completely unreasonable defense, but the next second, the ball pierced through the net!
Despite being guarded so closely, Lin Qi calmly sank a three-pointer!
"Bang!" Mike Brin's signature shout ignited the emotions of all the fans. "Both sides brought out their incredible abilities to the fullest, but Lynch came out on top!"

"Fuck!" Larry Bird's heart, which had just been at ease, was in suspense again. One of his brilliant forwards had been defeated, and time was running out.

What can he rely on now? Hopefully, the league's best point guard and another talented forward can turn the tide.

Kawhi Leonard landed, cursing under his breath with a blank expression. Lin Qi had indeed seized that fleeting opening.

To completely stop Lynch, even the best methods are far from enough.

After scoring, Lynch pointed to Kawhi Leonard, who had been attacking him all game: "You defended very well, Kawhi, very well."

Was Kawhi Leonard happy to receive praise from Lynch?

No.

Because Lynch scored, it felt more like a condescending taunt from the victor to the detractor.

The game continued, and the 3-point deficit weighed heavily on the hearts of every Pacers player.

Chris Paul dribbled the ball across half-court and urgently called for David West to set a screen.

CCTV's Yu Jia uttered a comment that every Chinese sports fan is very familiar with, but which evokes a completely different feeling at this moment:
"Time is running out for the Pacers!"

This time, facing the pick-and-roll, the experienced Amir Johnson did not hesitate at all, decisively giving up his matchup and forming a double-team with Kyrie Irving, blocking Paul's path after the pick-and-roll like an iron gate!

He knew that the biggest weakness of point guards like Chris Paul in crucial moments was their limited ability to break through defenses.

In crucial moments, it's better to force him to pass the ball than to give him an easy opportunity to shoot.

Paul was surrounded and unable to break through, so he could only pass the ball to David West.

However, Kyrie Irving seemed to anticipate Paul's passing intention and intercepted the pass the instant it was made!
Kyrie Irving watched a lot of Chris Paul's game footage, and the various playing habits of that number 3 were deeply ingrained in his mind.

This is why Kyrie Irving was able to score a lot of points against Chris Paul, the best defensive guard, in the first three quarters.

Conversely, these videos can also help Kyrie Irving better defend Chris Paul.

Of course, Irving's reaction speed wasn't superhuman. He disrupted the pass but failed to catch the ball directly, and it rolled uncontrollably towards the open area at midcourt.

Chris Paul and Amir Johnson both sprinted toward the basketball rolling on the ground, but Amir Johnson was no match for Paul in terms of speed.

Paul was instantly half a body length ahead of him, bent down, and his right hand was already outstretched, about to take control of the ball.

Seeing this, Amir Johnson didn't try to catch up with his feet anymore. He could only use distance to gain speed. He slammed himself onto the floor with all his might, and just as Paul's fingertips were about to touch the basketball, he poked the ball away again, making it roll further forward!
"Hold!"

Paul, who had missed his target, cursed and continued his pursuit.

Amir Johnson did not get up. His instinct to win made him unleash amazing power with his elbows and knees, dragging his heavy body forward like a wounded lion.

Sweat soaked the floor, but his eyes were only on the rolling basketball.

Once again! Just as Paul was about to score his second basket, Amir Johnson used all his strength to push the ball forward with his arm, sending it flying once more!
This time, the basketball finally flew towards the savior who was rushing in from the right wing!
The King of New York steadily seized the precious possession that his old partner had fought so hard for, and like lightning, he drove to the basket, soaring into the air. Facing PJ Tucker's pursuit defense, Lynch slammed the ball over him and into the hoop!
"boom--!"

"A salute to Amir!" Mike Breen raised his arms amidst the cheers of the New York fans. "That's why he's won the hearts of New York throughout his career! Amir was never the most talented player; he often struggled to even get into the rotation. But whenever he stepped onto the court, he gave it his all!"

As it turned out, Mike Malone's substitution was absolutely correct.

Amir Johnson has only scored 2 points and grabbed 2 rebounds so far tonight, but that last possession was priceless and cannot be measured by any statistic.

The score difference had become 5 points. Larry Bird frantically loosened his tie, as if trying to break free from this suffocating reality: "Fuck! Fuck!"

Just now, his league's best point guard was also knocked down. And the game time is flying by like sand in an hourglass.

The Pacers' four winning elements—two talented forwards, one of the league's best point guards, and the 55 seconds of playing time—have now lost three, leaving only one. After high-fiving Amir Johnson, Lynch turned his attention to Paul:
"Look, this is what you've always done in crucial moments. Missed free throws, turnovers. People are right, you never disappoint when it comes to letting people down."

Of course I have the right to be arrogant; I've raised seven championship banners for this arena. So, I can hang balloons whenever I want.

And you, Chris? What the hell gives you the right to be arrogant in front of me and Kyrie Irving?

Paul was speechless. The piercing timeout whistle became his salvation. He turned around almost as if fleeing and rushed back into the shadows of the bench.

Chris Paul's lapse in crucial moments was laid bare under Lynch's dazzling light. The orange and blue balloons hanging in the Madison Square Garden dome appeared even more glaring and intensely hot at that moment.

With 25 seconds left in the game, the Pacers, trailing by 5 points, still have a glimmer of hope.

Frank Vogel's strategy was clear: hit a quick three-pointer and then immediately commit a tactical foul.

The task of executing the quick three-pointer naturally fell to Paul George.

Chris Paul's ability to break through under pressure has always been a weakness, and Kawhi Leonard has yet to evolve into the ultimate weapon capable of delivering the decisive blow.

Paul George became the Pacers' last hope, and he was also the only pillar among Larry Bird's "four elements of winning" that had not yet collapsed.

The Pacers players didn't have time to fully process their disappointment before the cruel countdown pushed them back onto the battlefield.

Chris Paul was expressionless, lacking the confidence and arrogance he displayed at the start of the game, and he didn't continue to trash talk Lynch after coming on stage.

He stepped onto the floor mechanically, like a puppet whose strength had been drained.

The Pacers' performance in regulation time appeared to be on par with the Knicks.

Only now did Chris Paul realize just how vast the gap was between the two sides.

Of course, he couldn't show his frustration. He forced himself to straighten his back and said, "Guys, don't panic!"

However, the barely suppressed tremor in that scream betrayed the fear gnawing at his heart beneath his feigned composure.

The game began with the Pacers inbounding the ball. Paul George sprinted around the court, while another Paul darted to the basket like a dagger, drawing defenders' attention. Meanwhile, his teammates formed a defensive wall with their own bodies.

David West's eyes swept across the court like a hawk, finally catching that fleeting opening—with the help of PJ Tucker's solid screen, Paul George finally broke free and curled up for a fleeting open shot beyond the three-point line!

The basketball sliced ​​through the tense air and landed precisely in George's hands.

At this moment, Jimmy Butler was blocked, and Lynch followed Chris Paul, who was cutting into the paint, into the restricted area.

In other words, Paul George now had a wide-open shot opportunity.

The moment Paul George received the basketball, Lynch had already sprinted away.

Although Lynch is still far from the three-point line, Paul George is still feeling immense pressure.

More than once, Lynch used incredible size and speed to block opponents' three-point shots from what they considered a safe distance.

Despite the immense pressure, Paul George forcefully suppressed the urge to shoot quickly to avoid being blocked.

He cannot miss this opportunity, so he must not act hastily out of fear.

He steadied himself, made slight adjustments, and raised the ball. In his vision, Lynch's figure rapidly loomed larger, the pressure almost tangible. But George judged that at this distance, Lynch was likely out of reach!

So he calmly raised the basketball and shot it.

Paul George's judgment was correct; Lynch failed to pull off an exaggerated block this time.

Lynch is just—

He slapped the basketball fan that Paul George had thrown, sending it flying towards midcourt!
The four elements of victory that Larry Bird held in high regard were all destroyed by Lynch at this moment!
"Linche blocked that shot. Paul George misjudged the time it would take Lynch to get from the paint to the three-point line, and he misjudged Lynch's defensive coverage. Once Lynch has your eye on you, you won't have any easy shots. Will this defense kill the game?!"

The answer is undoubtedly yes.

After swatting the ball away, Lin Qi chased after it, picked it up, and slammed it down again.

Just 35 seconds earlier, the Indiana Pacers were tied with the Knicks, still dreaming of victory.

But just 35 seconds later, the stark 7-point gap on the cold scoreboard was like an abyss!
The moment Larry Bird saw Lynch slam the basketball into the hoop, he jumped up from his seat, his usually composed face now showing only ashen despair.

For months, he repeatedly emphasized the humiliation he had suffered to the players, cursing Kyrie Irving's arrogance, Mike Malone's disrespect, and Lynch's haughtiness every day, systematically instilling hatred towards the Knicks players among the Pacers players.

He racked his brains to unleash the Pacers' full potential, and he used a brilliant mid-season trade to further enhance the team's already formidable strength.

He did a lot, and he believed these measures would be enough for the Pacers to cope with any challenge.

However, at this moment, all his calculations, all his efforts, and all his meticulously woven web of revenge were rendered useless in the face of Lynch's absolute power, which was like that of a god descending to earth at the crucial moment—

As fragile as a bubble in the sunlight!
An unreasonable three-pointer, an unreasonable dunk, an unreasonable block.
Larry Bird doesn't know if the opponents he personally buried in the 80s ever felt fear towards him in their final moments.

But he was certain that when Lynch decided to end the game, he was enough to make any opponent tremble.

Larry Bird slammed his tie to the ground, left the roaring stands, and muttered angrily to himself: Lynch was right, Chris Paul should have made those damn two free throws!

Although the game time is not yet over, the outcome of tonight's match is basically decided.

Unlike Larry Bird's anger, Chris Paul didn't roar or pound the floor in regret after Lynch's death-defying dunk.

He slumped to the cold floor like a sculpture whose soul had been ripped away.

Like those viewers who experienced Avatar on a 3D giant screen for the first time, after the stunning audiovisual feast ended, they were still deeply immersed in the afterglow of the ending, staring blankly at the scrolling subtitles, unable to move.

In just over 30 seconds of the match, he went from being within reach of heaven to staring into the abyss of hell.

Those two nightmarish free throws kept flashing through his mind. He wondered if the situation would be completely different now if he had made both free throws as usual.

He couldn't get an answer.

And this question and regret will continue to haunt him like a curse even 20 years from now.

From "celebrating" Chandler Parsons' injury during the offseason, to cursing Lynch's retirement tour to only bring failure, to refusing to applaud Kyrie Irving for winning the All-Star MVP.

Everything Chris Paul did before is now being judged in Madison Square Garden.

Paul looked up, his gaze fixed on the orange-blue balloon hovering beneath the dome, seemingly ready to move, and swallowed hard the saliva that was a mixture of fear and bitterness.

Tonight's torment was already unforgettable, but he knew in his heart that this was not the final, terrible judgment.

He silently roared and prayed in his heart that the most terrible final judgment would never come.

Ultimately, the Pacers offered no further resistance, and the New York Knicks maintained their 7-point lead at home until the very end.

Facing the Eastern Conference team with the best record since the mid-season trade, the Knicks took a 1-0 lead.
-
When I saw Chris Paul miss both free throws, I knew we were going to win. I wasn't belittling Chris; in fact, it was precisely a sign of my trust in his performance in crucial moments. I believed he could mess things up and drag the team down in critical situations. And as you've seen, Chris didn't let me down. — Lynch discussing the performance of both teams in crucial moments.

I don't need a loser's acknowledgment. Whether he admits it or not, I'm still an All-Star starter and All-Star MVP this season. — Kyrie Irving on his feud with Chris Paul.

"I just go on the court, play my best ball or fight, that's all." — Amir Johnson on his clutch saves.

"We tried everything, and we played exceptionally well tonight. Lynch is a great player." — Pacers head coach Frank Vogel's helpless summary of tonight's game.

Chris proved that LeBron was actually lucky not to make it to meet Lynch. At least he didn't have to endure that pain. Smile, LeBron, it's a loser's perk. —Stephen A. Smith didn't forget to take a jab at James.

In 1969, all of Los Angeles was humiliated by those damn balloons. But New York fans were lucky; they were likely to be the ones happily watching their rivals get humiliated. — Charles Barkley talking about the Knicks' pre-arranged celebratory balloons.

(Thanks so much to fxui and other great contributors for their generous donations! I'm extremely grateful!)

(End of this chapter)