Champion Rules

Chapter 208, Section 204: The person we actually want is (Seeking monthly votes!)
Since the Knicks adjusted their defensive strategy in the second half, the Miami Heat's advantage vanished instantly.

Lin Qi, on the other hand, was like a bloodthirsty psychopath, relentlessly punishing and tormenting his opponents in the confined space of the basketball court.

Dwyane Wade's drives to the basket always met with strong resistance from Lynch.

Paul Pierce was like a lost traveler wandering into the jungle, constantly on edge, wary of Lynch, that murderous beast.

Pau Gasol was already mentally exhausted, and he knew he had probably become a sinner again.

The Heat's trio were all shrouded in the death jungle constructed by Lynch.

In addition to his defensive prowess, Lynch's dominance on offense was equally solid.

After Dwyane Wade contained Nash, Lynch unleashed his top-tier ability to break down defenses. Pau Gasol was completely unable to contain Lynch's triple threat in the mid-range, and apart from Paul Pierce's repeated double-teams, the Heat had no way to deal with Lynch.

However, Lynch also possesses considerable ball-passing ability, so double-teaming can only reduce the bleeding area at best, and cannot stop the bleeding directly.

Tonight's second half was a typical superstar-driven extravaganza.

Before tonight's game started, Lynch had already made history by winning the MVP and DPOY awards.

He is the first player in NBA history to win both awards in two consecutive seasons.

It's worth noting that only five players have ever won both the MVP and DPOY awards in their careers: Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett, and Lynch.

Only two players have managed to achieve the feat of winning both the trophies in a single season: Hakeem Olajuwon and Lynch.

Lin Qi did this twice.

This extraordinary record is the most powerful symbol of Lynch's dominance on the field.

The course of this crucial match was a vivid demonstration and direct presentation of his overwhelming dominance.

During the breaks in the game, TNT repeatedly replayed the scene of Dwyane Wade arrogantly standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed at halftime, as well as the footage of the subsequent conflict between the two sides.

The television station seemed to be adding a commentary to the anger at Madison Square Garden: "The King of New York's rage is not unfounded. You should understand that since Lynch arrived here from Madrid in 2004, in the Mecca of basketball, one must act with reverence. If you don't have a sense of reverence here, Lynch will teach you a lesson."

Watching this scene being replayed repeatedly, Charles Barkley in the studio bluntly said, "No, stop replaying it. I feel embarrassed for Dwyane!"

With time ticking towards the end, and 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Miami Heat, already down by 9 points, made a mistake in their haste, committing a turnover and instantly changing possession of the ball.

The Knicks launched an attack, and Lynch had just run across half the court when he decisively raised his arm to Steve Nash.

When he received the ball, he was still two steps away from the three-point line. This distance caused Pau Gasol, who was responsible for guarding him, to hesitate for a moment and not close in.

As a result, Lynch didn't even make any adjustments! Right in that unexpected position, he gathered the ball without hesitation, jumped up, and with a sudden burst of unstoppable energy, he launched the ball!
Pau Gasol realized something was wrong and lunged forward desperately to interfere, his fingertips almost touching Lynch's face.

But the ball had already left his hand, slicing through the sky.

The basketball was still spinning in mid-air when Lynch began to back away. He looked down at the entire Heat team, his right index finger raised high, waving it arrogantly from side to side.

"brush!"

The net trembled slightly, and the three-pointer swished through the net!
This powerful shot shattered the Heat's dream of a comeback and sealed Miami's fate!
Dwyane Wade closed his eyes in anguish, a wave of regret washing over him: "Damn it! Paul, that was a huge mistake! A complete and utter mistake!"

"What? What went wrong?" Paul Pierce, still immersed in frustration, hadn't fully processed what was happening.

"Those damn moves we made at halftime! They were absolutely fucking stupid!" Wade's voice was filled with regret.

But it was of no avail.

Lynch had warned him long ago that they would be punished.

His actions aggravated the punishment.

With a 12-point difference and less than 45 seconds left in the game, the score was close.

Amid cheers from the fans, the desperate Miami Heat were hoping the game would end right there.

They really didn't want to endure those next few dozen seconds of torture that felt like "execution."

Immediately afterwards, whenever the Heat got the ball, the entire Madison Square Garden would resound with a unified chant: "You only deserve to beat LeBron! You only deserve to beat LeBron! You only deserve to beat LeBron!"

Such insulting slogans crushed the Heat's last shred of dignity.

The New York Knicks rallied to win 114-102 at home, taking a 1-0 lead in the series for the third consecutive time.

In stark contrast to his proud and arrogant stance at halftime, Dwyane Wade quickly lowered his head and walked back after the final whistle, or rather, fled back to the players' tunnel.

Meanwhile, Lynch stood in the center of the court, enjoying the thunderous adoration and cheers from the fans.

他全场拿下38分15个篮板7次助攻4次封盖3次抢断，不仅在下半场将韦德的得分限制在区区9分，更让那位曾在中场时意气风发的明星球员最终只能黯然离场。

A reporter on the sidelines immediately interviewed Lynch: "Lynch, were the conflict at halftime and Dwyane's behavior the reason for your big outburst in the second half?"

Lynch shook his head. "They never really had a chance of winning. They came here not to win, but to be punished."

On the other hand, despite their frustration, the Heat players did not make excuses at the press conference.

Dwyane Wade almost entirely took the blame upon himself:

"This isn't the fault of the two Pauls, and it's even less right to blame the role players! God, of course we can't blame them. If I demand that all role players play like MVPs, then what am I for? To stand up and reap the rewards?"

"So, do you think your halftime celebration angered Lynch, leading to his explosive performance in the second half?"

When asked about this, Wade smiled helplessly.

"You guys don't really think Lynch is some kind of eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth hero, do you? Let me tell you, even if I do nothing at halftime, he'll still be firing on all cylinders in the second half. That complete bastard told us before the game even started that we'd be punished here."

Don't glorify him as a good guy and portray me as a villain who deserves it. There's only one true bloodthirsty demon here, and that's Lynch!

That being said, Dwyane Wade still told Pierce after the press conference.

“Dude, we’d better keep a low profile here from now on. No, we should keep a low profile in Miami too.”

Paul Pierce paused for a moment. He had worked with Wade for two full seasons and had seen many qualities in Wade, but "low-key" was not among them.

Dwyane Wade is definitely a high-profile guy.

He goes out with bodyguards.

He likes to do some eye-catching celebrations on the field.

Whenever the camera lens is pointed at him, he always exudes a confident, high-spirited, and sharp demeanor.

However, even the 21st-century "King of Bip" had to tone down his brilliance and lower his profile in the face of the most dominant player in the league.

Paul Pierce paused for a few seconds before speaking, "What are you talking about? Aren't we always the epitome of modesty and humility in this league? Today it's all Gasol's fault for spouting those incomprehensible Spanish proverbs; he's too flamboyant." Gasol: ???

Dwyane Wade was also stunned.

It seems that Paul Pierce is better able to adapt to new roles than he thought.
-
The day after the game, Sam Presti did not relax despite the team's 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

On the contrary, as the sun rose above the horizon, his stress levels soared to their peak.

Today marks the start of the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery, and Sam Presti will represent the New York Knicks at the lottery ceremony.

Team owner James Dolan himself has never been interested in such occasions—unless he can leisurely smoke a cigar and have two big-butt women on his lap.

The 2009 draft was crucial for the Knicks, who held the Timberwolves' first-round pick, as it presented the best opportunity to find a great long-term backup for Lynch.

The Minnesota Timberwolves only managed 24 wins this season. Although there are still four teams in the league with worse records than the Timberwolves, the Timberwolves still have a chance to get a top-three draft pick.

Sam Presti was well aware that Lynch greatly admired and had a close relationship with the three rookies, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and DeMar DeRozan.

To acquire any of them, the Knicks would need at least a top-five pick.

Currently, public opinion generally believes that these three young men, who rose to fame because of Lynch's training camp, along with Blake Griffin, are four future stars who are definitely not going to fall out of the top five.

Upon arriving at the lottery venue, Sam Presti ran into David Kahn, the Timberwolves' new general manager.

"Hey Sam, I'm so happy for you. The team is fighting for the championship and you're still in the lottery draft. Sorry, I just wanted to ask you how to get to the stands, I'm lost. You know, this is my first time in the lottery."

David Kahn had dark circles under his eyes, a pale face, and disheveled hair. He was carrying a large pile of documents and looked extremely stressed.

"Are you alright, David?" Sam Presti asked the disheveled 48-year-old rookie with concern.

David Kahn sighed:

"This is unbelievable, I'm going crazy! The previous general manager, Kevin, traded the draft picks to you guys, and then at yesterday's team meeting, the board members yelled at me: either make up for the losses or get out."

God, it's like everything is my fault!

I've only just arrived here and haven't gotten to know the team yet. How can I make up for the losses?

I'm going crazy from studying the draft rosters lately, I'm just... insane.
I'm sorry, Sam, I shouldn't have spoiled your mood.

“We’ve all had tough times like this, David,” Sam Presti comforted him, his tone understanding. “When I first took over the Knicks, I had to clean up the mess left by the Assassins. I understand the pressure you’re under. You really need to get some rest after tonight. By the way, just walk straight through the stands and turn right.”

“Thank you, Sam, thank you so much.” David Kahn thanked him and made to leave, but then suddenly stopped and turned around. He looked around warily and said in a low voice, “Hey, Sam!”

"Is there anything else, David?"

“As you know, I’m new here and need to build connections and make friends, so I just overheard Jerry West on the phone—I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, we were just having coffee in the lounge, and he probably wasn’t too wary of me, someone who doesn’t have a first-round pick.”

David Kahn leaned closer and spoke even softer.

"Jerry West told the person on the other end of the phone that he would definitely select DeMar DeRozan before you. If the Thunder are drafted lower than the Knicks in the lottery, he will definitely trade up to snatch him."

The key is that they'll pretend to be more interested in James Harden to mislead you and make you think Demar is safe. Once they get Demar before you, it's too late.

I remember last season they snatched Serge Ibaka from you, and they want to do it again.

So you'd better be prepared that if the Thunder draft higher than you, you'll have to immediately trade up to keep DeMar DeRozan. They definitely won't draft James Harden; it's all a smokescreen!

After saying this, David Kahn forced a smile and explained again, "In this league, I always need a friend who is willing to share information with me. I just want to show my sincerity in making friends."

Sam Presti patted David Kahn on the shoulder: "Thank you so much, David. Don't worry, I'll be happy to share information with you in the future. However, we're not interested in DeMar; it's all a smokescreen. The best guard in this year's draft isn't Stephen, not James, not DeMar. We've done thorough research on one kid, and the person we're really interested in is..."

Sam Presti also looked around warily, then leaned close to David Kahn's ear.

There seems to be no risk in telling the answer to someone who doesn't have a lottery pick and is willing to make friends.

David Kahn's eyes widened after Sam Presti finished speaking.

"That's a truly astonishing answer, my friend!"
-
The lottery results were not ideal for the New York Knicks, with Sam Presti hearing the Knicks' name mentioned early on as the sixth pick.

Not making the top five means that the three young men closely associated with Lynch may not necessarily be able to play in New York.

The Wizards drew fifth, and the Sacramento Kings drew fourth.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the legendary coach, drew third place, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies in second place, and the Los Angeles Clippers in first.

Of the teams currently in the top five of the draft, only the Washington Wizards are interested in trading their draft picks.

If Sam Presti wants to achieve his goal, he needs to actively contact the Wizards.

In fact, he immediately called Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld after the lottery draw.

But he received news that caught him completely off guard.

"We had already reached a preliminary agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves. If we were to be drawn into the top five, they would send Randy Foye and Mike Miller in exchange. The deal would be finalized once the trade freeze period ended."

"If you really want to get involved in this trade, you'll have to offer more—at least Trevor Ariza or Tyson Chandler. Those are the kinds of quality, ready-to-play players I want. Don't try to fool me with your worthless first-round picks."

After hanging up the phone, Sam Presti froze on the spot—the message revealed an even worse fact: the Timberwolves also had a lottery pick in their hands!

He just told Timberwolves' new general manager David Kahn about the player he wanted to draft, and Kahn might try to steal the player and force him to make a trade.

Just as he was pondering this, David Kahn himself walked out of the hall and caught a glimpse of Sam Presti's expression as he hung up the phone, and he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

The only way for this general manager, who only got the sixth pick, to be traded up is indeed the Wizards, but that fifth pick is already most likely to be marked with the Timberwolves' logo.

David Kahn's usual friendly smile and disheveled expression vanished completely.

“Sorry, Sam,” his tone turned cold, “I may be a rookie manager, but I’ve been in the professional sports world long enough.”

Sam Presti frowned: "I really did consider you a friend!"

“This is the lesson I’m going to teach you, the youngest general manager in North American professional sports history,” David Kahn said slowly, pulling out a cigar with a victor’s smirk. “There are no friends here.”

After lighting his cigar, he stared at Sam Presti through the smoke: "It seems you're destined to miss out on Johnny Flynn from Syracuse University. I know how discerning your draft picks are; that kid is definitely going to succeed, at least more likely than others. So, either come and negotiate with me, or watch this genius settle down in Minneapolis."

At that moment, Sam Presti almost made a truly fatal mistake—he nearly burst out laughing.

He suppressed the laughter that threatened to burst forth and continued to feign rage.

"We'll get him at all costs! Absolutely!"

(Thanks so much to Lin Yu, kmagth, and other great contributors for their generous donations!)

(End of this chapter)