Champion Rules

Chapter 200, Section 196: He's probably playing Luke Longley (Seeking monthly votes!)
This block thwarted Chris Paul's attempt to extend his lead.

This further exacerbated LeBron James' already precarious situation.

Previously, the gap between them as opponents was already obvious.

Tonight, when they became teammates, the gap was widened even further.

Carmelo Anthony could hardly defend his friend at this point, because in the past few key possessions, LBJ's mistakes and defensive lapses were indeed the root cause of dragging down the team.

He simply pushed Lynch away: "That's enough. Now is not the time for you to show off. Win the game first."

"Oh, of course, my dear Melo, I guarantee that our poor little LeBron will also taste victory."

The humiliation was almost overwhelming LeBron James, and he desperately wanted Flip Saunders to take him out.

He no longer wanted to stay on the field, standing like a fool next to Lynch to highlight his brilliance.

Why not bring on Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, or Paul Pierce?
Why me of all people?!
The game continues, and the Western All-Stars take the throw-in.

Chris Paul continued to face LBJ and called for a pick-and-roll.

Reggie Miller observed an interesting phenomenon: "Whoever LeBron is guarding, that person gets the ball and attacks the most."

Paul broke through after a screen, but when Lynch came up to help defend again, he passed the ball to KG in time.

Dwight Howard's help defense was very quick, and the combination of Lynch, Howard and Wade created more pressure on the defensive end than on the offensive end.

They can seamlessly rotate and precisely sandwich at any time.

This ubiquitous and tight defense put immense pressure on the Western Conference All-Star players, as if they were facing not five opponents, but eight players defending them simultaneously on the court.

Fortunately, KG is an excellent passer forward, and he immediately passed the ball to Stoudemire under the basket. However, Stoudemire's jump shot missed due to Lynch's timely defense.

With the point difference stabilized, the Eastern All-Stars called a timeout.

LeBron James breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he would most likely be substituted after this timeout.

But as soon as he sat down, Philip Sanders said something that filled him with despair: "I'm going to let you play until the end of the tournament. I've already spoken to everyone, and no one else has any objections. The whole world wants to see what the Dream Five can do. Gentlemen, let's make it happen."

Of course, Sanders' decision wasn't entirely for the fans—this lineup was indeed winning points.

If possible, Flip Sanders would love to bring in Steve Nash.

But Nash's back needs protection; he doesn't want to risk injuring his star point guard for an All-Star game victory.

LeBron James lowered his head and wiped the sweat with a towel.

He knew he couldn't avoid the upcoming matches.

He could only try every possible way to make himself look less stupid.

The game resumed quickly, and the Western team, still leading by 6 points, did not make any substitutions.

Phil Jackson wanted to bring in Yao Ming or Duncan, but neither of them really wanted to play.

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to continue using Stoudemire as center.

On the first possession after the timeout, Lynch received the ball directly beyond the three-point line and handed it off to Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony attempted a drifting shot, but the basketball bounced off the rim.

Just as Stoudemire was about to grab the rebound, Lynch scored a putback dunk over him in mid-air.

The Eastern Conference narrowed the gap to 4 points, and now even he is experiencing the joy of being teammates with Lynch.

"Damn it, this is fucking awful!"

Carmelo Anthony frowned, wondering what this feeling of both shame and pleasure was all about.

He knew it was wrong, it went against ethics and morality, but he really wanted Lynch to continue.

Kobe Bryant decided to take possession of the ball again and called for a pick-and-roll with Paul. His objective? To get number 23 in front of him.

James:
He couldn't believe that he had been identified as a defensive weakness!

But Carmelo Anthony didn't give Kobe a chance to go one-on-one. He immediately supported his good friend, teaming up with James to double-team Kobe outside the three-point line.

Kobe passed the ball to Roy, who was completely unguarded. It was the right choice, but the moment he made that decision, Western Conference head coach Phil Jackson cursed under his breath.

The next second, Lynch's long arm blocked the passing lane, and he precisely intercepted the ball!

The Eastern Conference All-Stars' defense gave Phil Jackson a familiar chill—aggressive double-teams, rapid rotations, keen anticipation of passes, forcing turnovers, and fast breaks. These were the signature moves of that 72-win Bulls team that tormented their opponents!

Now, the Eastern Conference All-Stars have completely replicated this strategy.

After receiving the ball, Wade tried to start quickly, but Kobe stayed close behind, even pulling on Wade's jersey to stop him from accelerating further.

It's truly rare to see an All-Star game with this level of intensity.

Seeing that he could no longer break through, Wade stepped back and then took a mid-range shot.

Kobe didn't lose his position; his reaction was extremely quick. He not only caught Wade's retreating steps but also jumped up immediately to block Wade's shot.

The basketball rolled to the ground, and Anthony picked it up. Although there was no turnover in the end, the Western Conference All-Stars successfully forced the Eastern Conference into a half-court game.

Anthony received the ball and, facing Brandon Roy's pressure, began looking for someone to guard.

He wasn't shooting well tonight, and now he's just one step away from tying the game. Carmelo Anthony doesn't want to be the scapegoat.

Anthony observed his teammates, but each of them was tightly marked.

Only Lynch, with his back turned, blocked KG.

Anthony's shame and restlessness led him to lob the ball in; passion ultimately triumphed over reason. The moment Lynch received the ball, he executed a beautiful shoulder fake, shifting KG's center of gravity.

Lin Qi immediately turned around and broke through in the opposite direction of the feint, scoring with a one-handed dunk!

With the score difference down to just 2 points, a comeback victory is within reach!

LeBron James also wants to make a contribution; he's fed up with the Western Conference All-Stars constantly using him as a target.

So this time, when James and Chris Paul were entangled, Chris Paul simply raised his arm slightly, but LBJ was suddenly and inexplicably bounced away, as if he had been shoved hard by Shaquille O'Neal.

He staggered backward dramatically, eventually falling to the side of the audience.

Chris Paul stared at LBJ in astonishment, then looked at himself.

I'm 183 cm tall, not 213 cm!

Could I push you that far? Unless physics ceases to exist!

LeBron James sat on the ground and looked at the referee: "Isn't that a foul?"

"Get up, LeBron," the referee shook his head, his tone impatient. "Stop embarrassing this team!"

Nobody knew what LeBron James was doing. Just as he dramatically fell to the ground after being lightly touched by Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant astutely seized the momentary opportunity created by LBJ's misposition and accurately passed the ball to Paul, who was temporarily unguarded.

Paul didn't hesitate to take a mid-range jump shot, but Dwyane Wade reacted with lightning speed, quickly completing a rotation and getting into position to help defend, effectively disrupting the shot at the last moment.

The basketball slammed heavily against the side of the rim, and this crucial defensive success gave the Eastern All-Stars an immediate chance to take the lead!

Sometimes Lynch really doesn't understand why anyone could prevent Dwyane Wade from winning a championship in this state.

The entire western region quickly retreated to defense, denying the eastern region any opportunity to counterattack.

Wade dribbled the ball quickly up the court and, upon reaching the top of the three-point arc, instinctively passed the ball to Lynch, who was also running from the backcourt.

Despite the star-studded lineup tonight, when it came down to the win or loss, the Eastern Conference All-Stars all believed in Lynch, including his rival Carmelo Anthony.

In stark contrast, LBJ, as the de facto point guard, ultimately failed to receive the ball from his teammates at all.

"This is recognition, let's see if Lynch can turn that recognition into points. He chooses to take a shot—" Commentator Reggie Miller's voice was tense, his eyes fixed on number 20. The moment the ball went through the net, he raised his arms and cheered, "Goal! Even though LeBron is still sitting on the floor, the Eastern All-Stars have still executed a perfect counterattack! Lynch, 40th point of the game, the Eastern All-Stars have taken the lead!"

LBJ, who had just gotten up from the ground, was still complaining about the referee: "Look, even a missed call can't save the West team!"

The referee could only feel helpless. With Lynch's undeniable strength, even the poorly acting LBJ could put on a convincing act!

The Western Conference All-Stars paused the game, Wade and Lynch high-fived, and Dwight Howard raised his arms in celebration.

Carmelo Anthony was excited, but too embarrassed to show it.

He was happy to win the game tonight, but at the same time he was saddened – the AMVP award was practically in Lynch's hands.

And LeBron James? He just seemed to confirm that he's the number one player in the East who wins without effort. Because when Lynch scored, he was still half-lying on the ground.

10分逆转让东部明星队的势头难以阻挡，接下来几分钟的比赛西部没再取得过领先，林奇靠着43分8个篮板5次助攻5次封盖的表现率队拿下胜利。

After the game, he also won this year's All-Star MVP award as he wished.

Sonny Vaccaro was there, and he'd never been so impressed by an All-Star game.

Lynch demonstrated his influence and dominance tonight; he can make other stars willingly believe in him and then deliver on that trust with goals.

Yes, Lin Qi can get the AMVP if he wants to!
Lynch held up the AMVP trophy and deliberately said into the microphone, "I think I've at least proven that the person Melo was talking about wasn't me. People who slack off don't get the AMVP."

"Linch, tonight's comeback was absolutely spectacular. In the final moments of the game, you led the team to a tenacious defense, just like Michael Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls. Do you think LeBron played Scottie Pippen?"

The question elicited laughter from the audience and caused LeBron James to clench his fists.

“Oh, if I had to choose, Dwyane would be my Scottie Pippen,” Lynch said, nodding to Wade.

"What about LeBron?" the reporter asked with ill intent.

"Maybe... he's playing Luke Longley? Don't get me wrong, Luke Longley was really important to that Bulls team, just like LeBron was to me."

During the award presentation, neither LeBron James nor Carmelo Anthony applauded. After Lynch finished his acceptance speech, they walked straight into the players' tunnel.

But they had only taken a few steps inside when Lin Qi shouted from behind, "Hey, why are you so gloomy after winning the game? You guys said I played too casually in the All-Star game. Now that I'm playing seriously, you're unhappy again? Tell me, what should I do to make you happy? As your good older brother, I'll always think of you guys."

The two quickened their pace and left; they had had enough of Lynch's contempt that night.

Lin Qi watched this scene and kissed the AMVP trophy in his hand.

Indeed, no honor is superfluous.
-
I don't study flopping, that's not my style of play, I don't even know how to flop. — LeBron James on the controversial flopping incident at the end of the game.

Indeed, Lynch may simply disdain wasting his energy on the All-Star Game. Because when he takes it even slightly seriously, the night is completely his; no one else even gets a chance to shine. —Steve Nash on Lynch's All-Star MVP.

"I'm not talking about Lynch, I'm just talking about certain people!" — Carmelo Anthony's sarcastic retort before the game.

Yes, we believe in him. In crucial moments, we feel secure just giving him the ball. Hey, Lynch is definitely my opponent, but that doesn't diminish his greatness. Lynch compared me to Scottie Pippen? I don't know what's shameful about that; Scottie Pippen was great too. — Dwyane Wade on tonight's game.

Lynch conquered not only his fans but also his opponents. Look at tonight, look at the respect his rivals showed him. If there's one player in this era who can approach or even surpass MJ, it's not LBJ, not Dwyane Wade, not Carmelo Anthony, and not Kobe Bryant. That player is the biggest star of tonight; he will be the greatest player of all time. —Stephen A. Smith's assessment of Lynch.

"Lynch, how does it feel to win your first All-Star MVP?"

"It was fantastic. I'm grateful for my teammates' support. I got a lot of shot opportunities because of their selflessness."

"You've already won the All-Star MVP, and this season you still have a chance to break the 72-point record and win the regular season MVP. Although the season is still ongoing, it's almost certainly going to be a great season. What does that mean for you?"

"That means if I can't win the championship, then I'll be the number one loser."

—Lin Qi's interview with Sports Illustrated.

(End of this chapter)