Champion Rules

Chapter 132, Section 128: Lin Qi and I are irreconcilable enemies (Seeking monthly votes!)

Lynch delivered an impressive defensive play, almost single-handedly shutting down the entire Cavaliers team and ultimately forcing LBJ into a turnover.

The other protagonist in the story also impressed people. He was the first player in the NBA since the ball-switching controversy to dare to complain to the referee about basketball issues during a game.

That's just how genuine he is.

The referees ignored LBJ; they were already used to number 23's incessant chatter.

Now everyone in the refereeing circle knows that LBJ is one of the most talkative and complaining women in the league.

He always spreads his hands and complains about everything.

From the opponent's defensive actions to the cheers of the fans, from the referee's traveling calls to the air conditioning temperature in the arena, now even this innocent basketball has become the object of his complaints.

It's normal for players to complain after being called for controversial calls, but sometimes LBJ's complaints leave referees confused.

Over time, they all got used to ignoring number 23.

After complaining, LBJ did not show the same determination to win the ball back in this possession as Lynch did.

He didn't think Lynch's move was meaningful; ultimately, it was just a mistake.

The game continued, and Jermaine O'Neal displayed a completely different attitude from LBJ, engaging Lynch in a gladiator-like physical battle for position, as if he were atoneing for his sins.

It's as if he was the one who just made the mistake.

Jermaine O'Neal acknowledged LeBron James' talent, but he never came to Cleveland with the mindset of "I need LeBron to lead me to a championship".

His mindset was more like, "If I work with this guy, maybe we can do something."

If Jermaine O'Neal left Indianapolis with the first mindset, he would have joined the New York Knicks.

Regarding this summer's trade, Jermaine O'Neal's biggest problem is that his knee is too stiff after his injury, and he can't kneel down.

He always maintained the pride of a competitor.

When he declines to the point where he can only play as a substitute, he might join a team that is close to winning the championship.

But now, he still considers himself one of the best players in the East.

As a star player, the natural thing to do is to find ways to beat other star players, not to join them.

Although being on LeBron James' team made Jermaine O'Neal humble in the locker room, he never put himself in the position of second option on the court.

He will take responsibility, and he will lead the team.

Therefore, he fought desperately against Lynch in this round, hoping to help the team regain possession after making a mistake, just like Lynch did.

Jermaine O'Neal's defense gave Lynch a lot of trouble, and he was in better form than when Lynch swept him last season. Last season, he had injuries to both knees and his right shoulder during the playoffs, and in Games 3 and 4, he could only attack with his left hand for a period of time.

That's why Lynch hugged him after the game.

So far this season, Jermaine O'Neal has been in excellent physical condition, probably the best he's been in recent years.

Therefore, he became more aggressive on the defensive end, which ultimately led to Lynch's turnaround jump shot missing.

"Beautiful defense. Jermaine made up for the trouble caused by his earlier mistake in this matchup." Mark Jackson applauded the tough forward, then glanced at number 23: "Jermaine has taken care of the defense. How will LeBron dominate the offense?"

Unlike Jermaine O'Neal, who was facing off against the opponent's strongest player on the defensive end, LeBron James had just been conserving his energy by guarding Eddie Jones, the Knicks' starting lineup with the lowest offensive threat.

With his physical abilities declining, this former All-Star's scoring average has fallen below double digits for the first time this season. His spot-up three-pointers remain reliable, his defensive experience can still help the team, and his passing is still as adept as ever, but his ball-handling offense has almost disappeared.

Therefore, defending against Eddie Jones now is not a difficult task.

There's only one reasonable explanation for James being assigned to guard the opponent's least threatening player: to conserve his energy so he can perform better on offense.

As a result, LeBron James' jump shot bounced off the rim during this offensive play.

In the last five games, LBJ's shooting accuracy has been very poor.

His jump shot might be accurate in a few games, but then he might miss for several games in a row.

All things considered, LBJ's shooting percentage on the stat sheet is actually not bad.

However, in actual games, his shooting consistency has always been a problem.

After number 23 missed his shot, the referee, anticipating the impending storm, quickly turned his face away, avoiding eye contact.

The referee's brilliant prediction was spot on. Sure enough, number 23 spread his hands and started complaining: "This damn basketball! Damn it! The players' union was against changing the ball in the first place, why couldn't you take it back!?"

Lynch responded with a laugh, "David Stern's decision to change the basketball was a lifesaver for you. Just have him change the rim next season, then you can keep making excuses. Hey, didn't you say it was meaningful to make NBA game balls affordable for fans?"

Lynch imitated James's deep voice during the interview, and even his signature sunny smile was perfectly mimicked.

"You viper! You venomous bastard!"

"What did I say? I was just repeating what you said."

James shut up, and he was once again at a disadvantage in this verbal exchange.

LBJ failed to deliver the expected performance on offense, while Lynch scored again.

He scored with a mid-range jumper after a screen, and when matched up against Jermaine O'Neal, off-ball shooting was the best way to deal with him.

Although playing off the ball will limit offensive output, with both sides providing excellent defense, the output of any attack will not be too high. Maintaining efficiency is the key.

Jermaine O'Neal struggled to defend against off-ball play. Before Lynch, his least favorite player to defend was Dirk Nowitzki, a big man who was good at using off-ball jump shots as his main scoring method.

Jermaine O'Neal is good at head-to-head battles; he's not even afraid to go up against Tim Duncan.

But chasing down shooters off the ball made it impossible for him to find his defensive rhythm.

LeBron James, under immense pressure, frantically pounded the new ball he had long criticized beyond the three-point line, knowing he had to score.

He's not stupid; he won't keep shooting from the outside when his touch is off. This Cavaliers star decided to use his best technique to break down the defense.

Number 23 waved, signaling Jermaine O'Neal to pull that damn Lynch away, and then called his old buddy Big Z to set up a screen for him.

Big Z's broad frame timely blocked the pursuing Pietrus, clearing the way for number 23 to charge, allowing James to accelerate and break through.

He was very confident about this offensive play. He remembered that in the preseason game when he beat the Knicks, he was able to drive to the basket freely because Lynch wasn't there to help defend him.

James drove straight to the basket, raising his hand to attack the rim, but a long arm entered his field of vision and swatted the ball away into the stands!

"Damn it!" James was furious. Wasn't Lynch being held back by Jermaine O'Neal?

It wasn't until he landed that he realized it wasn't Lynch who blocked his shot, but Tyson Chandler, who had just joined the Knicks this summer.

The moment the pick-and-roll occurred, Chandler quickly switched defense, chased back into the paint, and successfully blocked the shot.

Chandler made LeBron James experience his terror before 2011.

In their preseason matchup, James shattered Chandler's paint.

At first, he thought Tyson Chandler was too weak.

After Tyson Chandler performed exceptionally well at the start of the regular season, LBJ felt that it must be because he was too strong.

But now he understands that it was all a misunderstanding.

Tyson Chandler's presence can reduce LBJ's threat to the basket, and LBJ's long-range shooting was particularly poor tonight.

He's destined to struggle on offense.

In the first quarter, LBJ only scored 4 points on 1-of-5 shooting.

Despite providing 3 assists, his offensive performance was still subpar.

His performance was a stark contrast to his pre-match boast that "I am no different from Lynch".

It was Jermaine O'Neal who stabilized the team's offense, and his signature turnaround jumper allowed him to score 11 points in the quarter.

But the New York Kings responded just as fiercely, with Lynch scoring 12 points in the quarter, leaving the Cavaliers trailing at the end of the first quarter.

After the first quarter, Mark Jackson couldn't help but complain: "Why is Lynch's shooting percentage unaffected by the ball, while LBJ's shooting percentage has plummeted? Does the NBA's brand new official ball recognize its owner?"

In the second quarter, Lynch and Jermaine O'Neal continued their scoring duel.

Both teams played exceptionally tight defenses. Prince shut down the Knicks' second-leading scorer, Marbury, while Tyson Chandler's no-fly zone repeatedly hampered LeBron James's scoring. Both teams' offensive tactics failed against the ironclad defense, leaving Lynch and O'Neal as the only consistently reliable scorers.

The two transformed into ancient gladiators, staging a primal scoring duel amidst the clanging of muscles.

Jermaine O'Neal was desperate to beat Lynch, and at that moment, only he could step up and carry the team's offense.

At halftime, Jermaine O'Neal had 20 points and Lynch had 25 points, with the Cavaliers trailing by only 3 points.

Mark Jackson applauded the matchup, saying, "Jermaine was back to his peak tonight! He refused to admit defeat, he refused to submit to the new king of the league, and that's why we love Jermaine!"

Jermaine O'Neal, covered in sweat and pounding his chest, roared: "We'll beat the defending champion Lynch! I can win the championship even without you!"

Lynch simply smiled.

He increasingly prefers to treat others in the same way as Tim Duncan.

At this moment, in this intense duel, one person has been forgotten.

LeBron James, who only scored 8 points in the first half, walked into the player tunnel. He seemed to be invisible and had no presence throughout the first half.

When facing Lynch's team, LeBron James was as consistent as James Harden in a Game 7.

In the stands on either side of the player tunnel, Knicks fans jokingly asked him, "What's going on, LeBron? We thought Jermaine O'Neal was here to support you!"

The sarcasm was obvious. James remained silent, and the Cleveland Cavaliers truly resembled Jermaine O'Neal's team in the first half.

But he consoled himself that this was why Lynch was able to snag a championship ring. Lynch's teammates had always been better than him; tonight he was simply enjoying the benefits that Lynch had always enjoyed.

If I could team up with the best point guard in the East as soon as I entered the league, I would have won a championship long ago!
If Stephon Marbury could hear what LeBron James was really thinking, he would definitely go from hating him to being a fan, because LeBron James is probably the only person who thinks he is the best point guard in the East.

James walked into the locker room trying to comfort himself, but Larry Brown did not offer him any comfort inside.

"Be more aggressive on offense! LeBron, don't forget you're the leader of this team! You can't hide behind Jermaine like a child!"

Larry Brown knew that the Cavaliers couldn't rely solely on Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal, past his prime, was no longer in the same league as Lynch.

Even if he can temporarily go toe-to-toe with Lin Qi in the first half, this situation will not last.

Jermaine O'Neal patted James on the shoulder: "LeBron, prove to everyone that we can beat the defending champions!"

James clenched his fists: "I will."

As the third quarter began, Larry Brown's prediction came true, and the back-and-forth battle between Lynch and Jermaine O'Neal was broken in the third quarter.

Jermaine O'Neal's immense defensive exertion caused him to lose his touch in the third quarter.

When his tired legs and arms began to betray his will, his elegant turnaround jump shot suddenly turned into a series of sighs.

Jermaine O'Neal has always been a step away from being a superstar. His problem, like most power forwards, is his limited ability to break down defenses in the playoffs.

He relies on turnaround jumpers and isn't particularly strong at attacking the rim. Therefore, once he loses his touch, his offensive threat drops sharply. And in playoff-level competition, losing your touch is common.

Jermaine O'Neal continued to miss shots, while Lynch maintained his usual high efficiency.

Cut to the baseline to receive the ball and shoot a jump shot, fake a shot at the free-throw line and then take a step-back to attack the basket, and make a precise pass to assist a teammate under triple-team pressure.
Lynch is dominating the game at all times. This King of New York is proclaiming with his actions that Kobe-style miracle performances will never be repeated at Madison Square Garden!
The point difference quietly widened to 8 points, and Larry Brown's anxious gaze remained fixed on number 23.

Then, number 23's three-point attempt missed again.

"LeBron's outside shooting was completely off tonight. If he keeps playing like this, people will definitely stop talking about Lynch. The focus of the discussion will shift from 'how great Lynch is' to 'how bad LeBron is'." Mark Jackson felt a little embarrassed for LBJ, wondering how James would handle the situation tonight.

According to Shannon Brown, LBJ believes the difference between him and Lynch lies in the team roster, not individual ability.

But so far, every player on the Cavaliers has contributed. The reason they are still behind is precisely because LBJ has yet to step up.

LeBron James' fourth missed three-pointer left Jermaine O'Neal feeling hopeless, but fortunately, Tayshaun Prince injected a much-needed boost into the Cavaliers with an extraordinary block. The Spider-Man small forward first double-teamed Lynch, forcing him to stop his drive and pass the ball. He then immediately rotated, leaping from a full two steps away from Marbury, his long fingers perfectly intercepting the ball just as it reached the apex of its arc!

The basketball he blocked hit Marbury's shoulder and went out of bounds, but Prince's efforts gave the Cavaliers possession of the ball again!

As is well known, Larry Brown is a die-hard A8 enthusiast. He often looks down on new cars, and even a super performance car like Carmelo Anthony would have to play 82 games as a substitute under him.

That year, Tayshaun Prince received almost the same amount of playing time as Carmelo Anthony. As a rookie, he impressed Larry Brown with his incredibly aggressive defense.

That's why Larry Brown brought him to Cleveland.

He needs a guy like that in his team—someone who doesn't talk much, doesn't complain, and plays defense like his life depends on it.

The stats for Prince and Marbury were displayed at the bottom of the screen.

The little prince has already delivered 3 blocks tonight, scoring 13 points.

Marbury went 2-for-9 from the field. Compared to Prince, who was huge but not at all agile, the Coney Island prodigy looked like a basketball novice.

If it weren't for Lynch's 25 points in the first half keeping the Knicks in the lead, Marbury would definitely be locked in a meeting room by the New York media right now.

Jermaine O'Neal and Tayshaun Prince have done everything they can to give LBJ tremendous support.

James' teammates played much better than Lynch's teammates tonight.

He can no longer use the difference in roster strength to explain the problem.

If he can't win, he'll have nowhere to hide.

Tonight, it will be crystal clear who is better, who is stronger, and whether there is any difference at all.

LeBron James attacked again, this time without controlling the ball, intending to cut to the basket.

Damon Jones seized the opportunity to pass the ball to LeBron James as he cut in, but Tyson Chandler returned to the basket faster than James had anticipated.

He faked a shot under the basket, knocking Chandler away, and then turned and jumped close to the rim for a jump shot. But Lynch had already rushed back to the basket, stretching out his arm to reach the ball.

LBJ's shot wasn't blocked, didn't miss, didn't touch the rim, and didn't go in.

His close-range turnaround jump shot, interfered with by Lynch, turned into an absurd airball.

Mark Jackson covered his head with his hands, feeling sorry for Prince: "LeBron's offense failed again, making Tayshaun's beautiful block completely worthless! God, what has he learned from Hakim?"

"Let's get a spare ball," Lynch said to the referee with a smile. "It must be that the ball is too slippery. That must be it. The great LeBron doesn't make mistakes. The fault lies with this damn basketball."

Lynch interrupted James, forcing him to awkwardly backtrack.

James still failed to step up, while Lynch didn't waste the opportunity to widen the gap to double digits.

Lynch received the ball beyond the three-point line, and Tayshaun Prince immediately double-teamed him. He preferred to test Stephon Marbury's shooting touch rather than allow Lynch another easy one-on-one opportunity.

Lynch simply passed the ball to Marbury, forcing Prince to leave him, then quickly boxed out O'Neal and raised his hand to ask for the ball again.

Marbury had just taken a step forward when he encountered Prince, who had already returned to the bench. Left with no other option, he passed the ball back to Lynch, but Prince tirelessly double-teamed him again.

Lynch didn't pass the ball again. He first faked a half-turn to the left and pretended to turn around for a jump shot, which made Jermaine O'Neal jump up to block the shot like a startled bird. Then he quickly completed a textbook reverse turn, took a big step past Prince, and then flicked the ball over Big Z's finger to score!

Despite his teammates failing to provide strong support, Lynch still managed to score!

"What beautiful low-post footwork! Lynch, 30 points in two and a half quarters! He's refusing to let the number 23 jersey become a bestseller in this era!" Mark Jackson was completely impressed by Lynch's performance. "Someone's attempt to emulate Kobe Bryant has utterly failed!"

On the sidelines, Mike Malone joked with a smile, "Can you believe it, Phil? These two are actually students taught by Hakim."

Philip Sanders shrugged: "Don't smear Hakim. He already refunded LeBron's tuition. There was no trade between them; it's all a misunderstanding."

Jermaine O'Neal stared at the double-digit deficit, then dejectedly bent down to pick up the basketball.

He regrets that his peak is over.

He wanted to prove that he could still compete with a super genius like Lynch, but even in his best physical condition, he was utterly defeated tonight.

“Jermaine, there’s nothing to blame yourself for. You deserve praise for your performance tonight,” Lynch said to the dejected O’Neal. “There’s only one person who should be held responsible for this situation, and that arrogant jerk who thinks he’s no different from me.”

James remained silent; he had nothing to say.

His jump shot isn't as consistent as Lynch's, and when his face-up drives are limited, his post-up game becomes ineffective. His defense is quite good, but it's not enough to completely change the game.

Ultimately, his pure strength was completely inferior to Lin Qi's.

"Losing is a team issue, not one person's responsibility. LeBron will find his rhythm." Jermaine O'Neal's answer surprised Lynch; he was actually defending him.

He's such an old-fashioned person. For him, a teammate is a teammate, and a teammate should be protected.

It's like he and Ron Artest are sworn enemies, yet he's willing to fight for him.

He didn't say anything until after Ron Artest left: "Even though we all know Peja might only play for six months before signing with another team, I'm still happy that Ron left."

Apart from that, you can hardly find him publicly complaining about Artest.

Lynch couldn't change his mind.

But that's okay, Lynch believes the great LeBron can change his mind with his performance.

In this aspect alone, LBJ is better than Lynch.

“You’ll wait for Jermaine to find his rhythm,” Lynch said casually, but his next words sent a chill down Jermaine O’Neal’s spine. “You just can’t wait until the day you win a championship with him. The day you chose to join Cleveland instead of New York, a championship was out of the question, and I can assure you of that.”

In the subsequent game, Jermaine O'Neal once again shouldered the scoring burden, fighting like a trapped beast in the paint.

Tayshaun Prince consistently shut down Marbury, never letting his guard down on the defensive end for even a single possession.

But LeBron James' performance showed no improvement.

He was also working hard and was not standing aside.

However, his efficiency in attacking the basket was not high when facing close defense from Michael Pietrus and the rim protected by Tyson Chandler.

He defends the easiest opponent, yet is completely ineffective on offense, truly excelling in both offense and defense.

Lynch continued to shine, his intense frustration after losing to Kobe in the previous game making him incredibly bloodthirsty tonight.

Of course, he admitted that he had another ulterior motive—he wanted the world to know the difference between him and LBJ.

He didn't want this idiot to slander him again and again.

With 43 seconds left in the game, Larry Brown, trembling, took off his gold-rimmed glasses, pulled all his key players, and conceded defeat.

Because the Cleveland Cavaliers were already down by 17 points due to Lynch's relentless performance, even though the Knicks led by double digits for a long period of time, Lynch did not relax at all.

Larry Brown patted a sweat-soaked Jermaine O'Neal on the shoulder as the starters left the court, and gave Prince a five-second hug, but his expression suddenly changed when his eyes fell on LeBron James, who was 8-for-21 from the field.

"LeBron, you have utterly disappointed me!"

Larry Brown is never afraid to criticize players, and moreover, he believes he won't be as easily dismissed as his predecessor, Mike Brown.

After the buzzer sounded, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the game 85-101 at Madison Square Garden.

Lynch scored 42 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists, while Tyson Chandler recorded 4 blocks.

LeBron James ripped off his headband and practically fled Madison Square Garden.

Because the entire stadium of 20,000 people was chanting in unison.

"Reinforce the bronze medal! Reinforce the bronze medal! Reinforce the bronze medal!"
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Today's game certainly exposed some problems, but I hope our fans can be more patient, because we will continue to improve. Change won't happen immediately; we're not here waiting for some Santa Claus to suddenly save the team. — Larry Brown, speaking about the team's prospects for the season.

"We're still in contention for the championship, I'm confident of that." — Jermaine O'Neal told reporters with unwavering determination.

You know, this happens all the time. Coach Larry has yelled at a lot of people, it wasn't just me. So, I don't see any problem with it, and it won't cause a rift between us. —LeBron James talking about Larry Brown yelling at him at the end of a game.

Tonight's game perfectly illustrates that the difference between LeBron and Lynch has never been about the roster. It's hard to imagine that after Jermaine and Tayshaun provided so much support for LBJ, his team still lost by so many points. The Cavaliers have been changing their roster for LBJ for years, but tonight, they seem to have finally figured out the real reason why the team can't win. — Charles Barkley's assessment of James' performance tonight.

"Lincho should have won MVP last season, and he definitely will this season." — Stephon Marbury, who was completely lost throughout the game but still managed to lead his team to victory, commented on Lynch.

What does he mean by that? I bet everyone's sitting in his locker room right now talking about Lynch. — Tyson Chandler on LeBron James' pre-game "no talking about Lynch" incident.

"If I took Lynch out of the game, he'd probably kill me." — Philip Sanders jokingly explained why he didn't reduce Lynch's playing time even when leading by double digits.

Yes, I deliberately attacked his pride, just to shut that bastard up. He said he was no different from me, that he hadn't achieved anything because of the team's lineup. This was disrespectful to his teammates and to me as well; this was the last time he would disrespect me. — Lynch responds to tonight's ruthless attack.

I don't want to talk to that bastard anymore, and we can never be friends. From this day forward, I am sworn enemies with Lynch! — LeBron James publicly discusses his relationship with Lynch.

(End of this chapter)