Champion Rules

Chapter 420, Section 416: You're not even second place (Seeking monthly votes!)

The orange and blue balloons cascading down from the Madison Square Garden dome, Lynch standing proudly, and Chris Paul turning away silently with his head down—this image together created one of the most impactful and unforgettable classic moments in NBA history.

Larry Bird did not go to New York to watch the game live because he simply did not want to witness this shameful night that was destined to go down in history.

Yes, he was a member of the Pacers, and he even encouraged his players to hate the opposing team before the series began.

But he had absolutely no confidence in the fifth game.

As it turned out, his choice was quite wise.

The Indiana Pacers and Chris Paul suffered a huge humiliation at Madison Square Garden, but Larry Bird wouldn't find Lynch's actions inhumane.

Because back then, he was the same kind of person as Lynch.

In their youth, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were one of the most formidable duos in NBA history, even more so than the Jordan Poole-Zion Williamson pairing.

However, their relationship was very delicate, and Bird was puzzled by many of the actions of his good partner Kevin McHale.

Larry Bird was almost obsessively focused on delivering a perfect performance, while McHale was content with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game.

McHale refused to let basketball become his whole life, while Bird wouldn't allow any trivial matters to interfere with his focus on basketball.

Two basketball stars with completely different attitudes towards basketball formed an unusual duo that dominated the 80s.

However, because Bird truly respected McHale's abilities, the two, though not particularly close and often requiring Danny Ainge to relay messages within the team, never developed any major rifts.

Bird never publicly criticized McHale, and McHale never considered relinquishing any military power.

Dennis Johnson, a guard who played for the Celtics from 83 to 89, once summarized the differences between Bird and McHale:
"When Kevin McHale beats his opponent, he thinks: Hey, that guy's already broken down, there's no need to hurt his pride any further."

But Larry is different; he'll mercilessly beat his opponent to a pulp and utterly humiliate them.

Larry Bird believed that Dennis Johnson's perception was very accurate, and now, Lynch's "balloon funeral" in New York is simply following the principles that Bird followed in his youth.

This is not heartless; it's something every great player would do to their arch-rivals.

The Eastern Conference Finals concluded amidst a floor covered in balloons, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, looking at everything before him, could hardly believe what he had experienced over the past year.

In the NBA draft, he unexpectedly jumped from a projected late or out-of-the-lottery pick to the fifth overall pick.

Throughout the season, through hard work and experience, he finally established himself in the rotation.

With the help of Lynch and the team, he finally brought his family from Greece to the United States, and the family was reunited.

Now, he is a member of the Eastern Conference champions.

That year, his life underwent a complete transformation.

Just as Giannis was lost in these dreamlike thoughts, a microphone was suddenly thrust to his lips.

Giannis then realized that a TNT reporter had walked up to him.

"Giannis, how does it feel to become the Eastern Conference champion in your rookie year?"

Unlike Kyrie Irving in his prime, Giannis Antetokounmpo did not display excessive arrogance or disdain for the division title.

He grinned, revealing a genuine and radiant smile, his gaze fixed on the Eastern Conference championship trophy that had just been brought up onto the court:

"I'm speechless. This is a dream moment. Many people questioned whether drafting me was a mistake, many predicted I couldn't make it in the NBA, but look at me now—"

He clenched his fist, his tone suddenly becoming firm:

"Now, the glory of the Eastern Conference championship also belongs to me, an 'unknown person'!"

As Giannis spoke, he quickly wiped the corner of his eye.

Normally, a rookie's speech after winning a division championship would end here.

But then, the Greeks grabbed the microphone again:
"But I will not be complacent, because the biggest challenge is yet to come; the Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting for us."

Giannis Antetokounmpo's mind flashed back to last summer, to the pinnacle of his career, when he was easily blown away by Stephen Curry with a single step.

Then came his words to Kyrie Irving: "Next time it's my turn to bring him down, Kyrie."
-
For the fans, this season has been a happy one.

People finally understand why Lynch is so popular in the modeling world: everyone experienced wave after wave of excitement during this playoff season.

As the orange and blue balloons were still rolling on the court floor at Madison Square Garden, and the shockwaves of the "balloon funeral" had not yet subsided, the ultimate showdown that fans had been eagerly anticipating was already crashing in like a giant wave.

The rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder, a feud that began in the 2010s, is about to come to an end.

今年，NBA官方正式将NBA总决赛的赛制也改成了和前三轮一样的2-2-1-1-1。

Oklahoma City fans believe that this format, which avoids the Thunder playing three consecutive away games in New York, allows them to truly enjoy the benefits of home-court advantage.

"The Oklahoma City Thunder must win both of their first two home games," Charles Barkley said in a Finals preview, "because under the new format, the Knicks don't have three consecutive home games to come back from a deficit. Once the Thunder take a 2-0 lead in Oklahoma City, they'll have a 70% chance of winning the series!"

This is one of the few Finals appearances in Lynch's career where he didn't have home-court advantage.

Furthermore, it just so happened that the finals format was changed.

But upon arriving in Oklahoma City, Lynch did not believe that this would make the Finals more difficult in front of reporters: "I have nothing to worry about. Not having three consecutive home games does not increase the difficulty for me, it just makes it easier for the Thunder."

Kevin Durant's response was equally tough: "As the top seed in the regular season and the team that hasn't lost a playoff game this year, playing a few away games isn't a problem for us. Whether it's two in a row or three in a row, the outcome is the same."

A clash of titans, a collision of planets.

Lynch's final chapter in his professional career was destined to be anything but easy.

In June, Lynch finally stepped into Chesapeake Energy Arena.

This is the third time in four years that the two sides have met in the finals.

A few years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder were generally regarded as a talented but somewhat inexperienced young team.

Despite having LeBron James, a seasoned loser, they are still a very young team overall.

Young teams often mean unlimited potential, but limited immediate effectiveness.

At this point, no one still sees the Thunder as fledglings. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden—these three young players have already accomplished far too much.

They have all become very mature and have realized their potential.

They were like the Chicago Bulls of the early 90s; the whole world knew their momentum to take over the league was unstoppable.

So for Lynch, this is precisely the best final opponent in his retirement tour narrative.

He once defeated legendary figures of the previous generation, such as Duncan, Kobe, Dirk, and Garnett.

He also dominated his contemporaries, including superstars like Howard, Wade, James, and Anthony.

Now, he has the opportunity to prove that he can also meet the fearless challenges of the new generation, including George, Leonard, Durant, Curry, and Harden.

If Kevin Durant fails to seize this last opportunity to defeat Lynch, then Lynch will have done it in his era, overcoming all challenges from the old, middle-aged, and young generations!

This will make his career infinitely perfect.

Upon entering the stadium, Lynch immediately noticed some signs being held up by fans in the stands.

"Playoffs 12-0 > Playoffs 12-2!"

"12 wins out of 12, that's what you call dominance!"

"Unanimous MVP? ×. Reebok League? √"

"MVP belongs to Kevin!"

An unprecedented confidence permeated the air in this arena. Having faced the Thunder twice in the Finals, the fans here still see themselves as challengers.

Back then, the fact that this young team could stand on the stage of the Finals and face off against Lynch was already a source of pride for Oklahoma City fans.

But now, Oklahoma City fans feel they deserve to be the rulers, and should be stronger than Lynch.

Kyrie Irving looked around and whistled, “You’re not exactly popular here, Boss.”

Lynch shrugged: "No, I think they're quite enthusiastic."

After Lynch finished speaking, he glanced at Giannis Antetokounmpo's family members, who were sitting respectfully in the front row of the stands.

They were dressed simply, heads bowed, and timid; clearly, this family was not yet accustomed to such occasions.

Their past life experiences inevitably lead them to unintentionally reveal a hint of inferiority.

Giannis walked over and patted them on the shoulder, seemingly to put them at ease.

But soon, the huge cheers made his family even more nervous.

The Thunder players stepped onto the court.

Stephen Curry and James Harden, as usual, hugged and exchanged pleasantries with Lynch.

Kevin Durant also came up this time, but not to show friendliness.

"You won the unanimous MVP award because it's an award based on journalists' votes. But you won't win the championship because that's an award based on actual game performance."

"Oh? It sounds like you have a lot of experience with championships. You must have won a lot of championships, right?" Lin Qi replied with a smile.

"I don't have a championship yet, but I'm honored to witness me win my first one. Let me swallow my first playoff loss first, Lynch."

After saying that, Kevin Durant turned and left, heading towards his half of the court.

This ambitious and unwilling-to-be-second-best guy, who has been in the league since day one, has finally reached the moment when he is just one step away from realizing his ultimate ambition.

The atmosphere of the battle had already made the air in the arena thin, and when the jump ball actually took off, this highly anticipated showdown immediately told everyone with its adrenaline-pumping excitement: it would not disappoint any expectations.

From the start of the match, both teams delivered a series of visually stunning superstar moments.

Despite Jimmy Butler's relentless, face-to-face pressure, Kevin Durant ignored the defense and pulled up for a powerful shot, the ball swishing through the net.

Lynch broke past Andre Iguodala, and after taking off, facing Serge Ibaka's towering arms, he inexplicably glided under the basket and completed an incredible layup, deftly lobbing the ball into the net.

Stephen Curry suddenly pulled up and shot from two steps beyond the three-point line without warning, then pointed one finger to the sky. As long as Stephen Curry doesn't pass behind his back, he's a good player.

Kyrie Irving then used a series of dazzling crossover variations to shake off Curry, effortlessly drove into the paint, and scored with a high-arcing bank shot.

And James Harden's unique, slightly sly yet endearing grin after Curry scores—how can such a one-of-a-kind expression not be considered a superstar moment?

"This is the level of the Finals!" Reggie Miller could barely catch his breath. "The Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks are definitely not on the same level as other teams!"

Fortunately, this Thunder roster, which is closely related to the Warriors, does not have Draymond Green. Otherwise, people would have seen superstar moments such as the War Stomp, the Hot-Blooded Iron Elbow, the Big Foot Bomb, and the Eagle Claw Eye Gouging.

The score remained close, with the lead changing hands repeatedly, as both teams possessed exceptional talent. Consequently, neither team could rely solely on defense to solve the problem; any sophisticated defensive system proved ineffective against such firepower.

No system in this world can completely contain the destructive storm of the trio of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden.

There is no system in the world that can completely stop Lynch and Kyrie Irving, the two number one draft picks.

These have been confirmed over the past year.

At halftime, the Knicks were only leading by one point, and Mike Malone admitted in an interview:

"The coach's influence on the game is no longer enough to determine the outcome. This is a game for superstars, an arena for them to fight."

The second half of the game showed no signs of letting up; on the contrary, it became even more intense.

In some rounds, even with the defense at its best, the two superstars were still able to use their extraordinary skills to break through the steel jungle and continue the firepower.

DeAndre Jordan experienced this firsthand, as he was relentlessly targeted in the second half and became the primary target of the Thunder's relentless attacks.

DeAndre Jordan, as an athletic star, possesses exceptional athleticism and agility for a center. However, in the second half, he still inevitably gets targeted by Stephen Curry or James Harden.

Reggie Miller swore he had never seen such a horrific scene of a child driving a large vehicle.

DeAndre Jordan isn't a top pick, but in the current Knicks roster, he's definitely the best one to point at.

99% of teams in this league wouldn't name DeAndre Jordan, but that's the level of the NBA Finals.

At this level, even DeAndre Jordan, who has excellent physical attributes and defensive awareness, would get caught and beaten up.

In the fifth minute of the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry called for a screen from two steps beyond the three-point line.

Under normal circumstances, this level of screen distance wouldn't pose a real threat. But if the ball handler is that dunking champion who can't make a dunk, then everything is a different story.

DeAndre Jordan's heart clenched. He had no choice but to dive out like a cannonball. Even giving Curry a shot from that distance would be fatal.

But Stephen Curry was very clever. Seeing how aggressively DeAndre Jordan was closing in, he simply leaned forward and shot in mid-air.

"Boom!"

A dull thud of muscles colliding rang out as the two bodies crashed together in mid-air. The immense impact caused Curry to lose his balance and fall heavily to the ground.

"Dudududu!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Stephen Curry drew a three-point foul!
“Oh, DeAndre Jordan’s second half was a mess. He gave it his all, you can’t even find fault with him.” Reggie Miller shook his head, as a legendary shooter, he was amazed by Curry’s epoch-making three-point ability, “But this is the Finals, on this court, any mistake is fatal.”

DeAndre Jordan walked up to the referee and roared furiously, but it was to no avail.

He had already committed five fouls, and most importantly, Mike Malone couldn't even remember how many times he had been targeted in the second half.

He can no longer stay on the field.

Who should we replace?
Khris Middleton? His defense is completely inadequate for the level of the Finals.

Amir Johnson? Experience and enthusiasm are not enough for him to withstand the firepower of Curry and Harden.

Vince Carter? The former demigod might not be as agile as DeAndre Jordan now.

The answer almost surfaced on its own; he had to risk using that freshman.

"Yannis!"

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been waiting for this moment: the NBA Finals, facing the Thunder, facing Stephen Curry's team!
He stood up abruptly, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest, his blood rushing to his eardrums.

“Go up and play power forward, switch on screens, don’t forget who you are, you’re not a freshman,” Mike Malone’s eyes were sharp, “You are Giannis Antetokounmpo!”

“Go, Giannis,” Jason Kidd also stood up, probably the first time he had spoken to a Greek in such a gentle tone. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

The game restarted, and the cameras immediately focused on that tall but slightly green figure. Reggie Miller asked the question that all the fans had the biggest question:

"Giannis put on a good defensive performance in the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. But his playing time has been decreasing since the Eastern Conference Finals. Now that we're in the Finals, can Giannis still match the intensity?"

The Greek Freak understood what the finals were all about the moment he stepped onto the court.

After receiving a pass from Lynch, he hesitated for a moment in front of Ibaka's defense, instead of attacking the basket, he looked for someone to pass to.

He hesitated for a very short time, but when he passed the ball, his intention was still accurately detected by the Thunder. Andre Iguodala intercepted the pass from Irving and led the team on a fast break.

"This is the price of letting a rookie play in the Finals," said Kevin Harlan, another commentator tonight. "Giannis has never seen anything like this!"

But Kevin Harlan was quickly proven wrong.

Just as Andre Iguodala leaped to make a layup, the basketball was slammed against the backboard. Iguodala was somewhat surprised; he clearly saw that Lynch's defensive focus was on Durant and that he hadn't followed up.

Only after landing did he realize that what had sealed him off was a Greek monster!

"Giannis, he showed amazing defensive ability as soon as he came on the court! I don't know what the Knicks did to him, I don't know what Jason Kidd did to him! But right now, at least on the defensive end, you can't treat Giannis like a rookie!"

On the court, the nervousness that the Greek Freak felt upon entering the Finals for the first time vanished with that earth-shattering block.

The Thunder are strong, but they can still get blocked by themselves.

So, this was just a basketball game, no different from any other game he had ever played.

After the Greek Freak made the block, he passed the ball to Lynch. Lynch was observing his teammates as he moved forward, but suddenly stopped beyond the three-point line, pulled up for a shot, and the basketball went in smoothly!
Lynch used a very Curry-esque approach to extend the lead to 6 points.

In the following rounds, the Thunder continued to try to find mismatches, and their goal was very clear: to find the still-inexperienced Greek Freak.

They certainly succeeded.

Kevin Durant faked out Giannis with a crossover dribble, then drove into the paint and slammed home a one-handed dunk.

James Harden unleashed his signature rhythm magic, combining a series of crossover variations with shoulder fakes to completely tear apart Giannis's defense, and then calmly sank the mid-range shot.

Stephen Curry can still seize fleeting openings after pick-and-rolls to score.

The Thunder's scoring wasn't interrupted, but everyone could see Giannis Antetokounmpo using his massive size, amazing wingspan, and disproportionately high agility to put increasing pressure on the Thunder's stars.

The Thunder's efficiency in roster play is clearly declining.

Once their point guard picks were no longer so unstoppable, the Knicks firmly took control of the game.

The score was still very close, but once the Greek player came on, the game, which had been alternating in the lead, turned into a game in which the Knicks maintained a lead.

With 43 seconds left in the game, the Thunder were down by 5 points.

All the fans in Chesapeake Energy Arena stood up, their faces grim—the Thunder's undefeated playoff record was very likely to be broken tonight.

They all believed in Charles Barkley's theory, and they all expected their team to go to New York with a 2-0 lead. That way, they would have won 70% of the Finals.

But this expectation was challenged in the very first game.

In a crucial play, Lynch personally guarded Kevin Durant, while James Harden handled the ball.

KD really wanted to take that shot. In previous years, he would have reached out and asked for that basketball that would decide his fate without hesitation.

But this season, the Thunder's theme is unity and sacrifice.

He has fully integrated into the passing and cutting system, and the system now assigns him the task of helping Curry and Harden keep Lynch at bay, ensuring they are not guarded by the guy who has almost monopolized the DPOY award.

Durant kept running, keeping Lynch's full attention firmly focused on him.

Knowing he couldn't get away, Lynch could only shout to remind the others: "We can't let them score! We have to defend this round!"

At the top of the key, James Harden controlled the ball for a few seconds but didn't go one-on-one. Instead, he passed the ball to Stephen Curry, who had just gotten an opportunity using Andre Iguodala's screen.

James Harden has an incredibly keen sense of timing, and his passes are always perfectly timed.

But the moment Curry got the ball, his chance vanished, because Giannis Antetokounmpo had already switched onto him to defend him!
Curry gestured, and the rest of the Thunder players pulled away.

He wants to take on that Greek guy one-on-one again!

"Damn it," Kyrie Irving gritted his teeth, "Hang in there, rookie!"

This low growl was both a sign of worry and a plea for help.

Fate's script is so coincidental; at this very moment, the camera focuses on that rookie and Stephen Curry.

Stephen Curry isn't the type of player who particularly enjoys trash talking, but he did this time:

"Giannis, remember how you got faked out in the Temple of the Peak? You were really great, you've improved so much since then."

Her words were as soft as a feather, yet each one was like a needle, piercing precisely at that unbearable memory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo remained silent, his face ashen. He simply lowered his massive frame further, spreading his arms wide like the wings of a giant eagle, trying to cover the epoch-making defender with unlimited shooting range.

Stephen Curry used a series of crossovers to shift the Greek player's weight before quickly driving to the left.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo's massive frame managed to keep up with Curry's starting speed, and his long arms gave Curry the illusion of being completely locked in a cage.

Curry didn't panic, nor did he stop his offensive pace; he's too experienced in driving a big vehicle.

To master a large vehicle, simply charging forward isn't enough; that's too rudimentary. You must be able to vary your speed, rhythm, and posture to truly conquer it.

So he suddenly stepped back, trying to create some space.

But things didn't go as planned. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't lunge forward slowly like other big men. He took a quick step, just one step, and was back in front of Curry, his long arms raised high, giving Curry no chance to shoot.

Seeing this, Curry lowered his center of gravity again and drove forward.

This time, however, the Greeks were not fooled by his change of rhythm; they even managed to knock the basketball away!

Curry was completely unprepared for this situation; he never expected to be forced to lose the ball during a mismatch isolation play.

He picked up the ball in a slightly flustered manner. At this point, there wasn't much time left on the shot clock, so Curry could only dribble once and then forcefully twist his body to release the ball.

The Greek defender, with incredible speed, continued to guard him like Curry's shadow. The entire Thunder crowd gasped; aside from Lynch's iconic plays, this was simply the best big man-to-small game defense they'd ever seen!

The basketball narrowly flew past the Greek's fingertips, but failed to penetrate the net.

He did it.

"Giannis has stopped Stephen! Oh, it's a miracle! This is why we love this sport. Now, the whole world knows who this young man with the exaggerated name is!"

Lynch grabbed the rebound, and Giannis Antetokounmpo punched the ball hard, looking at Kyrie Irving: "This time it's him who's down, it's him!"

Lynch quickly advanced the ball, but after drawing the defense, he didn't shoot himself. Instead, he passed the ball to DeMar DeRozan, who was a step inside the three-point line.

This second-in-command, who also possesses a big heart, caught the ball and scored without any suspense.

Ultimately, the Thunder lost Game 1 at home by 5 points, completely breaking their undefeated streak in the playoffs.

林奇全场34分12个篮板11次助攻3次抢断3次封盖，依然填满数据表。

When the game ended, Lynch didn't immediately join his jubilant teammates. Instead, he grabbed a marker from the coaching bench and drew a huge red X on a sign held up by a fan in the front row that read "Playoffs 12-0 > Playoffs 12-2".
"Sorry, guys, you guys aren't invincible in the playoffs anymore."

The fan was completely stunned, staring blankly at Lynch, speechless.

After doing all this, Lin Qi returned to the field and embraced his teammates.

When it was Giannis's turn, Lynch patted him hard on the back:

“Your family members no longer have to bow their heads; they no longer have to live like that.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo paused for a moment, then turned to look at his family. They had shed their previous timidity and stood up confidently, their faces beaming with pure joy and pride, waving their arms vigorously in celebration of their victory.

Giannis flashed a wide grin, revealing his pearly white teeth: "Yes, Lynch, they don't have to do that anymore."

"To be honest, I was a little worried about that play where you were guarding Stephen. Thank goodness he ultimately chose to shoot instead of driving in and dunking on you. If he had done that, you know you couldn't do anything about it."

"Ah, right, right, hahaha!"

On the field, the laughter grew even more unrestrained.
-
Kevin Durant was disappointed with the outcome. His plan to go to New York with a 2-0 lead at home was shattered, and his undefeated playoff record collapsed.

On the television screen, commentators are once again focusing on Lynch's astonishing dominance in light of this result:
"This shows how difficult it is to remain undefeated in the playoffs. Even if you are invincible in your own division, how can you guarantee that you will remain undefeated against your opponent in the Finals?"

But Lynch did actually achieve the near-miraculous feat of winning all his playoff games.

That's why we say Lynch is truly the MOAT. Those feats that seem unbelievable, Lynch has made a reality.

KD once again found himself tossing and turning, pondering a question that hadn't bothered him for a long time: Why must we play pass-and-cut in crucial moments? Why must I create space for those who are less capable than me? Why can't I take over the crucial plays myself?
If I had executed that crucial move in the last game, would the outcome have been different?

These thoughts, like the whispers of a succubus, tempted him to sink deeper and deeper.

Fortunately, at the tactical meeting the next day, Steve Kerr nipped the devil in the bud.

He decided: "Let KD finish the game in crucial moments, and let the others create space for him!"

Steve Kerr's purpose in having Durant create space for others in crucial moments was actually quite simple: he wanted him to contain the greatest defensive player in history—in Steve Kerr's mind, Lynch's defense was several times stronger than the ex-husband of Jordan's son's ex-girlfriend, making him arguably the best in history.

But the last match proved that this tactic may not work now.

In that case, let's put the die back in the hands of the best player, even if he has to face the strongest defense.

Kevin Durant got the rights he had always longed for, and what he didn't expect was that he would encounter the scene he had dreamed of in the second game.

Game 2 of the finals continues with the score remaining close.

As it turns out, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are indeed the teams in the entire league that come closest to the dynasty-era Knicks in terms of strength.

At least most of the time they were able to keep pace with the Knicks.

Tonight, James Harden changed his strategy against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead of going head-to-head with the Greek, he used his opponent's lack of experience and his own solid acting skills to score a few points.

Giannis also got into foul trouble.

This forced DeAndre Jordan to play more minutes, and inevitably increased the number of times he was called out for his role.

With 37 seconds left in the game, Kyrie Irving hit a three-pointer, giving the New York Knicks a one-point lead again.

Kevin Durant knew his time had come!
He had barely crossed halfway when he started frantically reaching out for the ball.

He wanted to kill the game himself, over Lynch's head, in front of that arrogant bastard!
The Thunder deliberately didn't call a timeout; Steve Kerr didn't want to give the Knicks a chance to set up their defense. Anyway, the Thunder's strategy in the final moments was simple: get the ball to that damn Kevin Durant, and then everyone spread out.

Durant got the basketball as he wanted, and Lynch opened his arms wide.

Finally, these two arch-rivals, who had been bickering all season, reached the point where they had to personally take down their opponent.

Kevin Durant used a triple threat move to shift Lynch's weight, and when he successfully faked a shot to make Lynch stand on his tiptoes, Durant quickly broke through.

But Lynch was right behind him, and heaven knows how he managed to adjust his center of gravity and keep up with Durant in such a short time.

Durant stopped abruptly just inside the free-throw line and pulled up for a jump shot.

He knew, of course, that such a sudden stop wouldn't be enough to completely shake off Lynch, and dealing with that number 20 wouldn't be so easy.

At this pace and distance, Kevin Durant only needs a tiny bit of space to make the Grim Reaper's scythe fall precisely!

Even with tremendous interference, he was confident he could hit the target!

When the basketball was released, Kevin Durant remained completely calm, as he was already used to shooting under pressure.

But the moment he made the move, Durant's eyes widened in horror.

Yes, Kevin Durant has an exceptional ability to withstand interference, and scoring goals while ignoring defense is one of his specialties.

But Lynch didn't interfere this time; instead, he swatted Durant's incredibly high-point jump shot away to the three-point line!

Reggie Miller stood up excitedly: "Even if you are Kevin Durant, choosing to attack Lynch at a crucial moment is not wise!"

Steve Kerr stood frozen on the sidelines, unable to believe what he was witnessing.

Kevin Durant does get blocked sometimes, but those moments usually happen when he's attacking the basket.

This was the first time Kerr had ever seen someone block Durant's jump shot so effectively!
Durant felt his heart skip a beat. He had considered the worst-case scenario, but reality was much worse.

Jimmy Butler grabbed the ball that Lynch had swatted away to the three-point line, but was immediately tackled by the experienced Andre Iguodala with a tactical foul.

The Knicks are now only leading by one point, and even if Jimmy Butler makes both free throws, the Thunder still have a chance to force overtime.

If Jimmy Butler makes one of two free throws or misses both, the Thunder might even deliver the decisive blow!
A few dozen seconds later, the Thunder finally received good news.

The immense pressure and exhaustion resulted in Jimmy Butler making only one of two free throws in the crucial moments.

Butler covered his head in frustration, feeling like he was going down the same path as Chris Paul.

The Thunder paused the game this time, not to set up tactics, but to let Durant relax.

“We all trust you, Kevin,” Andre Iguodala knelt down in front of Durant, “Go and lead us back to victory!”

Thus, for the second consecutive crucial game, Kevin Durant faced off against Lynch!

Fans cheered with excitement, praising one for daring to swing a scythe at the strongest wall! And for never backing down from any challenge!
This is the kind of bloody battle that fans want to see!

Durant wanted to kill the game outright, so he used a step-back jumper to launch a three-pointer.

However, due to the intense pressure from Lynch, Durant had to lean back slightly in mid-air while retreating in order to gain a tiny angle for his shot.

Ultimately, this caused the basketball to slam heavily against the front edge of the rim.

The sighs of 20,000 fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena merged into a torrent of despair, almost lifting the dome off the field.

This was a defeat without excuses, because Lynch managed to stop Kevin Durant in two consecutive crucial possessions!
Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Kyrie Irving.

The Thunder had no choice but to foul Irving.

Theoretically, the Thunder still have a chance.

In practice, their chances of winning are extremely slim.

With only 3 seconds left, Kyrie Irving is unlikely to make the same mistake as Jimmy Butler.

As both players headed toward the free-throw line at the other end, Lynch approached KD:

"Now you know why you can't get a single MVP vote? What right do you have to take votes away from me? You're not even Kevin, the MVP runner-up. You're just like everyone else, with a 0% chance of winning MVP."

In a moment of immense frustration, Kevin Durant watched as Irving made both free throws.

competition is over.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are indeed heading to New York with a 2-0 lead, but they're down 2-0!

Thunder fans' confidence crumbled amidst the deafening roar of Chesapeake Energy Arena, as the team, which had been invincible in the playoffs, had unexpectedly lost two straight games in the Finals.

After the game, Andre Iguodala immediately put his arm around Durant, as if trying to pull him out of the mire of despair.

He knew that this guy's mentality couldn't collapse, otherwise the finals would be completely over.

“Don’t worry, Kevin,” he gripped Durant’s shoulder tightly. “Don’t worry, the Knicks lost the first two rounds, they’re not invincible. We’ll definitely have another chance. Their dominance isn’t that scary. We haven’t lost, we’re just behind for now!”

As if he had overheard their conversation, when the reporter held the microphone to Lin Qi's mouth and asked, "How do you feel now?"

Lynch gripped the microphone tightly, like a judge raising a gavel, slamming it down on the hearts of every Thunder player:

"No more tomorrows, no fifth game, we're going to sweep the Oklahoma City Thunder!"

(Thank you so much to Z-Taoist and other big shots for the donations, I'm so grateful!)

(One update today, but no reduction in output, two chapters combined into one 10,000-word post)

(End of this chapter)