Champion Rules

Chapter 198, Section 194: People will forever remember the greatness of this night, and people will forever remember the shame of this night (Seeking monthly votes!)
The Cleveland Cavaliers trailed by 13 points at halftime.

Mo Williams continued his excellent performance, scoring 16 points in the first half, including 3 of 5 three-pointers.

Although not as outstanding as the last game, this performance is still beyond reproach for a supporting player.

LeBron James' scoring was limited by Lynch's defense, managing only 7 points in the first half, but he dished out 6 assists and committed only 1 turnover.

Looking at LBJ's stats alone, his performance was actually quite good.

Although he scored few points, he truly connected the entire team.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Lynch.

Compared to Lynch's 23 points and 5 assists in the first half, LBJ seemed to be in a completely different league.

Halftime, the Cavaliers' locker room.

Brian Scott, one of the few head coaches who survived two seasons under LeBron James, still used the same old tactics at halftime:
"LeBron, you're amazing! Your performance was all-around, everyone saw it. The problem is, we need to figure out how to contain Lynch!"

The players are used to it. Brian Scott, as the founder of the "reverse MJ criticism" style, has a coaching style that is most obviously characterized by flattering star players.

In fact, Brian Scott was a very tough coach when he first started out.

But the experience of being kicked out of the Nets by Jason Kidd taught Brian Scott the most important lesson of his coaching career.

Wins, coach of the year—none of that matters.

With just one word from the star player, the head coach can be fired.

Since then, Brian Scott has completely changed.

He became a nanny-like coach who focused on building personal relationships with star players, serving LBJ even more diligently than he served his own wife.

Therefore, the entire Cavaliers team is used to Brian Scott's coaching style, which is led by a specific person.

But today, after he said those words, TySean Prince retorted sarcastically:
"What we really need to do is figure out how to get LeBron to score without Lynch, instead of focusing on defense. The whole world can see that we've done a good enough job defending Lynch in half-court sets, and everyone is giving it their all. But this is the New York Knicks, and we need to find some other ways to beat them besides defense!"

The young prince was very unhappy. For the past two seasons, Brian Scott, this big double standard dog, had avoided talking about the various mistakes LBJ had made, but was particularly strict with others.

The biggest problem in the first half was that LBJ struggled to score against Lynch, rather than the team's poor defense.

Tayshaun Prince's public challenge to locker room order silenced the entire arena.

For LBJ and Brian Scott, it was comforting that no one stood up for Prince.

Desperately, no one spoke up to refute him.

This undoubtedly indicates that LBJ's control over the locker room has begun to crack.

This is quite devastating for a team that is on a 14-game winning streak.

Brian Scott glanced awkwardly at number 23, then straightened his back in an attempt to regain his authority: "TyShawn, the team's deficit isn't LeBron's fault alone."

Tayshaun Prince didn't back down, responding sharply, "But he shouldn't be excluded from the responsibility either, right, LeBron?"

LBJ finally spoke up: "Ty Shawn is right, while we solidify our defense, we also need to continue to increase our firepower. In the second half, I will run more pick-and-rolls and look for scoring opportunities."

Everyone looked at Prince again, who raised his hands and said simply, "I have nothing more to say."

LBJ doesn't want the locker room to split at this time; he must seize the Cavaliers' unprecedentedly strong season to break the curse.

Even if he were to leave Cleveland, he couldn't leave with the stigma of "never having beaten Lynch here."

Faced with even greater humiliation, he would rather bow down to his teammates.

Moreover, LBJ's goal this season is not just to beat Lynch; he believes the Cavaliers have a chance to win the championship.

He needs to make some substantial breakthroughs because, in the blink of an eye, his unprecedented rookie shoe contract with Nike has entered its [number]th year.

With one more year to go, he will renew his contract with Nike.

He knew very well that if Nike thought he was no longer valuable, he would lose a lot, and the loss would be far more than just the renewal fee.

All the swayed publicity resources, media resources, and sneaker design resources will leave him.

When rising stars like Lynch and Melo are wearing more than one ring, he can't just open his hand and have an empty palm; the contrast would be too glaring.

Because Nike initially invested heavily in LeBron James, it now has no choice but to try anything, otherwise all its initial investments would be completely wasted.

However, if Nike chooses to tighten its belt when renewing his contract next time, they may very well abandon LBJ.

LeBron James set a goal for himself: to win at least one championship, or one MVP award, or one Finals appearance before renewing his contract in 2010. Only in this way would Nike have the confidence to continue investing resources in him.

Therefore, LBJ doesn't want any problems with the team before achieving his goal.

The second half began quickly, with the Cavaliers taking the lead.

After LBJ dribbled the ball past half-court, he waved to O'Neal to set a screen.

The shark's massive size blocked Lynch's path. Even though Lynch tried his best to get around it, LBJ seized the brief opportunity to drive into the paint and score a layup over Tyson Chandler.

Lynch chuckled: "Hiding won't let me know the gap between me and the 72-win Bulls."

LeBron James ignored it. Who says that's running away? That's high basketball IQ!

Next, on the defensive end, the Cavaliers used the same strategy: double-teaming Lynch and forcing him to pass the ball.

Brian Scott doesn't believe the Knicks' role players can be on fire all game.

Raja Bell's shooting touch definitely cooled off in the second half, with his first two shots in the third quarter missing the basket.

But Steve Nash was still firing on all cylinders.

With a full suite of off-ball tactics to back him up, Nash's offensive firepower should not be underestimated.

To make matters worse, DeShawn Stevenson also had a great shooting night.

After Raja Bell cooled off, Stevenson filled the firepower gap.

Reggie Miller laughed and shook his head: "Damn, he's right, he only plays well in big games. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a shout-out to the second-best shooting guard in the East."

Lynch's assist numbers continue to rise, and whenever the Cavaliers fail to score, the Knicks' counterattacks can simultaneously boost Lynch's scoring.

The sound of the death countdown haunted LBJ like a nightmare.

"24 points remaining."

"LeBron has 22 points."

"20 points! My God, this is easier than I thought."

After the third quarter, with Nash and DeShawn Stevenson combining for six three-pointers, the Cleveland Cavaliers were down by 17 points. Thanks to LBJ's 14 points in the quarter from pick-and-rolls, and the excellent shooting of Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams, they did not allow the deficit to exceed 20.

However, trailing by 17 points still makes the Cavaliers' hopes of breaking the curse slim.

Brian Scott changed his defensive strategy in the fourth quarter. The previous double-teaming tactics against Lynch were no longer effective, and the Knicks' three-point barrage almost blew the Cavaliers apart.

"We need to send our toughest, most responsible defensive player to go up against Lynch in the fourth quarter," Brian Scott said decisively, his eyes fixed intently on the Cavaliers' star player—LeBron James.

"That's right, Tayshaun, it's you. You have to do this job. We all know your exceptional ability on the defensive end, we all know you're the key to changing the game."

Prince: ? ? ?

TySean Prince found himself unable to refute the argument: Don't ask, just know that LBJ needs to focus on offense.

Although he kept avoiding playing against Lynch, you could say he scored 14 points in the third quarter alone.

The game continued, with the Knicks taking the lead in the fourth quarter.

Lynch was shocked when he saw the frail Tyshaun Prince standing in front of him.

"why are you?"

"Stop talking nonsense, come on, you beast."

"LeBron? Why him? You're avoiding me on offense, and you're avoiding me on defense too? This isn't the difference between me and MJ!"

Lynch thought it was outrageous, just like Tyrese Haliburton, as the Pacers' star player, didn't get his first free throw of the series until the second quarter of Game 4 of the Finals.

As the star player, you can't be without free throws.

As the star player, you can't avoid the game.

Everyone in the world knows that LBJ is the best player for the Cavaliers to defend Lynch.

Even if you need to exert yourself on offense, now in the fourth quarter, with the team down by 17 points, you have to grit your teeth and hold on.

LBJ remained silent and did not answer Lynch.

Yes, he is indeed more astute now—he knows he can't be invisible on offense in crucial moments, and he understands he can't always resolve a crisis by passing the ball.

But deep down, he's still LeBron James. Some things etched into his genes are always hard to erase.

Lynch didn't hold back, posting up against Tayshaun Prince's defense.

After losing weight, Lynch struggled a bit in post-up situations against proper power forwards and centers.

But he is fully capable of playing the small forward position, especially a skinny small forward like Tayshaun Prince.

Tayshaun Prince is an outstanding perimeter defender, excelling in defending all three perimeter positions.

However, for inside players, his value is clearly more evident in his help defense.

But in order to keep LBJ away from Lynch, the Cavaliers actually pushed Prince into the lion's den.

Lynch, of course, wouldn't be shy; he'd take advantage of the gift the Cavaliers had given him. The Knicks' offense continued its constant movement, drawing defenders away from the defense.

Lynch backs down, fakes a shoulder movement, and then flips over to shoot a jump shot.

"brush!"

Just as LBJ was about to run forward, the voice still found him: "LeBron, there are still 18 points left. Where do you think you can run to?"

By abandoning his defense against Lynch, LBJ truly lived up to his offensive value, driving to the basket after a pick-and-roll with Jamison and hitting a mid-range pull-up jumper.

He's still a decent scorer if he can utilize pick-and-rolls.

The problem is that his offensive efficiency is not as high as Lynch's.

When he scores, Lynch always responds immediately; and when he misses, Lynch's scoring continues steadily.

Lynch's post-up game is very solid, and his ability to break through defenses is quite formidable.

The countdown to his death never stopped, and it even sped up—when the Cavaliers stopped double-teaming Lynch, scoring became much easier for him.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the point difference finally broke the 20 mark.

To be fair, LeBron James did his best on offense and performed exceptionally well.

Unfortunately, "quite outstanding" still seems somewhat pale in comparison to Lynch's "flawless" work.

The chants of "Beat NYC" have long since faded, but the chants of "Fuck Cleveland" on the Knicks' bench have never stopped.

Theoretically speaking, the game could already be considered garbage time.

But Reggie Miller knew: "Tonight is still long, the night isn't over yet."

Lynch continued playing and remained calm.

At this point, he had already racked up 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, getting very close to his pre-game promise of 50 points.

But when he was double-teamed, he still chose to pass the ball.

Shaquille O'Neal left the paint and double-teamed Lynch with Prince.

This was a foolish decision. Lynch threw the ball directly under double teams, and DeAndre Jordan easily scored with an alley-oop dunk.

"Shaq, did you ever think this day would come? That you would actually fall to this level and have to work as a henchman for trash like Number 23."

"Shut up, Lynch, I don't want to waste my breath on you." As the first superstar in the league to have his dignity shattered by Lynch, Shaq has never been a fan of Lynch.

"Shut up? If your number 23 could learn to shut up and stop arrogantly criticizing my 70-win plan, you wouldn't be doing this."

With a 22-point deficit, LeBron James continued his offensive efforts, but missed a mid-range jumper after a pick-and-roll.

You can't say he lacks courage on offense, but that's just how much he can do; he simply can't gain the upper hand against Lynch.

Missed shots mean a new round of counterattacks is coming. As the game progresses, the Cavaliers' defensive retreat is no longer as aggressive as before.

Nash easily found the passing lane and assisted Lynch for a dunk.

"8 points, LeBron! Single digits! Come and stop me if you dare, don't always push Tayshaun in front as a shield!"

These words sent chills down LBJ's spine. He was only a single-digit margin away from scoring 50 points?
But that's not the most suffocating part.

Reggie Miller quickly revealed an even more terrifying fact: "Ladies and gentlemen, by just 8 points, Lynch will become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to record a 50-point triple-double. Can we witness a historic moment tonight?"

This was a humiliating night for Cleveland fans—the shame was even more glaring than the previous 21 painful defeats.

Some players had already started leaving, while Lynch continued to hurl venomous words at LBJ: "LeBron, who are you planning to trade this time? Tayshaun?"

The speaker may have been unintentional, but the listener was deeply disturbed by every word.

Tyshaun Prince felt a chill run down his spine.

He clashed with LBJ in the locker room, and tonight he was completely outplayed by Lynch.

All signs made him realize that his time playing for Cleveland was probably already entering its cruel countdown.

He didn't know what he was fighting for.

For himself? For Cleveland? Or ultimately, for LeBron?

If it's for LeBron, is someone like him worth fighting for? Number 23 himself is already planning to leave Cleveland! How can I fight for him?

When Larry Brown left, Tayshaun Prince requested a trade. If it weren't for Larry Brown, he wouldn't have come to this godforsaken place in the first place.

It was Daniel Gilbert and LeBron James who visited him and persuaded him.

LBJ sincerely said at the time, "We can create something great together."

Prince chose to believe, just as he had before the game, firmly believing in LeBron's resounding vow: "I promise, I promise we'll keep the victory in Cleveland tonight!"

But the result?

Lynch's trash talk against LeBron James unexpectedly broke TySean Prince's heart.

He never imagined that a single trash talk would have such a powerful, scathing effect.

In the rest of the match, TyShawn Prince couldn't provide Lynch with even the slightest resistance, and his remaining fighting spirit was completely extinguished.

The countdown to death suddenly accelerated.

6 points, 4 points, 2 points.
With two minutes left in the game, Lynch had already scored 48 points!
At this moment, Lynch had no idea that he was about to break the record.

He didn't even know he had a triple-double.

The thrill of killing consumed him.

After "the most important night," the entire Knicks team indulged in the euphoria of tearing apart their opponents.

Don't forget who spread this mindset and emotion to the whole team.

Lynch himself naturally enjoyed this feeling.

LeBron James made a tough drive to score 2 points. Only a genius knows why he's still scoring 2 points now instead of using a 3-pointer to defy fate.

But tell me, is it iron-blooded or not?

LBJ scored 16 points in the quarter alone, and finished with 36 points and 13 assists in total – if a fan only looked at the stats, he wouldn't think there was anything wrong with LBJ's performance tonight.

This time, Lynch simply held the ball beyond the three-point line and launched an attack from the top of the arc, a first for him.

This was a humiliating choice, because the whole world knows that Lynch's weakest point is launching attacks from the top of the key.

He wanted to use the most awkward method to win that most humiliating 50th point.

Tyshaun Prince was no longer able to concentrate; he lay across Lynch's face like a zombie.

"Damn it!" Reggie Miller exclaimed in the commentary booth, furious at his team's lack of competitiveness. "Look at Lynch's teammates, they never play like this! LeBron can't just focus on scoring! He has the potential to be great, he has the talent, but..."

Reggie Miller didn't understand LBJ's behavior. In the 90s, his talent was less than one-fifth of MJ's, but he enjoyed playing against MJ.

What about LeBron?

Is his talent really inferior to Lynch's?
Why did cowardice find him? Why was he unable to influence his teammates?
Lynch turned his head, his gaze fixed on LBJ, "LeBron, aren't you going to guard me? There are only 2 points left."

LBJ remained unmoved.

He chose to avoid the challenge.

Lynch shrugged at TySean Prince: "Sorry, buddy, I'm disappointed, not just you."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Qi suddenly started the engine!
The already despondent Little Prince merely stood symbolically in front of him, offering no real obstacle.

LBJ came over to help defend, but Lynch gathered the ball in time, used a light Euro step to shake off number 23, and made a layup against the aging Shaq.

The basketball bounced reluctantly twice on the rim before finally, in despair, falling into the center of the net.

The entire stadium was frozen in place, utterly disoriented, their eyes unfocused on the field. A profound silence hung over the entire arena; not even a sigh could escape their lips.

Reggie Miller exclaimed, "50 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists—that was a great night! The terrifying record left by Wilt is no longer so unattainable. Even years later, people will remember the greatness of this night, just as we can always remember Kobe's 81 points. But similarly, even years later, people will remember LBJ's embarrassing night."

The Cavaliers gave up completely and substituted all their starters.

The Knicks finally substituted all their starters.

After the game, Lin Qi shouted at LBJ, who was leaving immediately:

"Take off number 23, LeBron. Seriously, you're making the guy I want to surpass look bad."

LBJ ripped off his headband and walked into the darkness.

Number 23 has completely accepted the fact that he can never defeat that ghost on his own.
-
It's hard to accept that the 14-game winning streak has come to an end, but at least LeBron played well, with 36 points and 13 assists. Nobody could have done better; he did what he was supposed to do. — Brian Scott's post-game comments on LBJ.

Yes, Lynch told me before the game that he was going to score 50 points. But damn it, I didn't expect a 50-point triple-double. —Antoine Jamison reveals Lynch's pre-game declaration.

I'm speechless. We're ruined. Damn it, when will we ever win?! What are we doing? Our core, our coach, our role players... We're always helpless against the Knicks! — Tayshaun Prince, on the verge of a breakdown.

"Tonight, Lynch and I combined for 62 points. No one can laugh at me now, right? Say something!" — DeShawn Stevenson attended a press conference wearing a T-shirt that read "We can't win without me, Lynch."

I've said it before, no matter how many All-Stars the Cavaliers bring to LeBron James, it won't make a difference. With LeBron's ability, he can only win by playing alongside superstars. There's no shame in that; Yad Buchler was in the same situation back then. Who was Yad Buchler? A member of the '98 championship Bulls, averaging 8 minutes and 2.7 points per game. —Stephen A. Smith's usual quip about LeBron James.

I'm so sorry to have hurt you, LeBron, but you know I'm from New York City, I am the naturally yobbish Cesar, and you can never beat NYC. — Lynch's clever remark, both New York City and the naturally yobbish Cesar are abbreviations of NYC.

LeBron James missed the press conference following the game against the Knicks for the second consecutive time.

(End of this chapter)