Champion Rules

Chapter 210, Section 206: Lynch's Hell (Seeking monthly votes!)

Game 4 of the series.

Inside the home team's locker room.

Dwyane Wade examined the cigar in his hand in the locker room, picked up a pen, and wrote a sentence on the dark brown wrapper.

He treasured this cigar.

If he can't win the championship this year, he'll save it for next year.

In short, the spark ignited by this cigar will surely shine alongside him at the pinnacle of glory.

For Dwyane Wade, this cigar has become a spiritual sustenance. It constantly reminds him of his goals and where he is headed.

If he were to lead his team to a championship one day, he believed that Pat Riley, who gave him the cigar, should be the Finals MVP.

Just like if the Thunder win the championship in 2025, Paul George would definitely be a worthy Finals MVP.

Paul Pierce leaned closer curiously: "What did you write on the cigar?"

Dwyane Wade shrugged: "We'll know on the day we win the championship."

After putting away his cigars, Wade and his teammates walked out of the locker room.

At this time, the Knicks were already warming up.

When Lynch saw Wade, he nodded to him as a silent but powerful greeting.

Wade and Lynch have always had a good personal relationship, maintaining a mutual respect based on their abilities.

But at this moment, without needing to say a word, both of them understood each other perfectly: once the whistle blew, this pre-match politeness would vanish.

They won't be tense before the game starts, nor will they ignite the conflict with verbal sparring.

However, once the competition begins, they will become the most deadly enemies, and only by piercing their opponents can they reach where they want to go.

This relationship, like the entanglement between Lynch and Kobe Bryant, is a purer, arena-based war.

Both were poised and ready to go all out to defeat each other that night.

Of course, they had to make sure their teammates were also ready.

After warming up, Lin Qi sat back down on the bench.

As the team currently in the lead, he didn't want to create too much tension.

DeAndre Jordan, the professional atmosphere coordinator, started to step in: "Guys, I've been thinking about championship celebration night these past few days. If I see a girl I like at a bar, how do I tell if she can hold her liquor? How do I tell if I have a chance?"

Everyone started discussing it.

Finally, everyone looked at Lin Qi, who changed girlfriends the most frequently.

"What are you looking at me doing?"

“You’re very successful; you’re the most experienced.” DeAndre Jordan raised an eyebrow.

"It's too easy to judge whether a girl can hold her liquor. Don't look at her appearance or how steady she walks. If she encounters a difficult part when taking off her clothes, and she raises her hand on her own when she's supposed to be unconscious, it means that she can actually hold her liquor better than you, and you're not really a hunter at all."

If she doesn't move, it means she's really drunk; she should go to another room to sleep.

"why?"

"To avoid the trouble that Kobe Bryant encountered."

Everyone immediately exchanged knowing, mischievous smiles. DeAndre Jordan clapped his hands and pointed at Lynch, saying, "That's what you call professional!"

"Alright, let's win this game, then beat the Lakers. I promise, we'll have a fantastic celebration night!"

"yeah!!!"

On the other side, Dwyane Wade was gathering a completely different fighting spirit.

He actually hoped his teammates would be more focused.

He had everyone stand up and form a circle, shoulder to shoulder.

Wade stood at the center, his gaze sharp as he swept over every face that seemed to be radiating fire from its nostrils, fueled by fighting spirit.

"This is the night that will change the series, the night that will lead us to victory, and we have to win tonight! Let's get this game back, okay?"

The Heat's warriors stared intently at their leader, their bodies brimming with barely suppressed excitement, ready to pounce.

At this moment, Wade suddenly raised his voice, his roar like thunder.

"Fearless! Never back down! Full power! Perseverance!"
Fight to the last minute, fight to the last second, fight to the last round!
fighting!"

The Heat players echoed, "Fight!"

"fighting!"

"fighting!"

"Come here, you dog!!!"

The two leaders instilled a winning mentality in their respective teams through contrasting motivational methods—Lynch's easy promises and Wade's impassioned pledge.

As the referee tossed the ball up, the bloody match officially began.

When Erik Spoelstra saw the Knicks start Amir Johnson, he knew the team was bringing up their most formidable defensive weapon.

Sure enough, on the Heat's first offensive possession, Dwyane Wade received the ball right in front of the menacing Raja Bell, only to be immediately covered by an even taller figure.

Instead of waiting for him to rush into the paint, Lynch applied the strongest pressure defense and the fiercest head-on double-team from the very beginning.

Furthermore, Lynch's double-team was not a mere bluff; he and Raja Bell delivered a brutal, muscle-on-muscle collision to Wade.

You can imagine Wade's predicament at this moment.

Facing a former defensive back, he had to carefully protect the ball.

The newly crowned DPOY this season has completely obscured his passing vision with his amazing height and wingspan, leaving him almost in a state of panic due to blindness.

At the same time, the two top defenders relentlessly exerted intense pressure, pressing forward step by step and frantically squeezing out the space Wade relied on to maneuver.

This suffocating level of double-team defense right from the start is enough to instantly break most ordinary stars in the league.

But Dwyane Wade is no ordinary star. He withstood the fierce double-team and seized a tiny opening in the chaos to pass the ball to Paul Pierce.

The moment Wade passed the ball, Amir and Johnson had already rushed over with their arms raised to rotate and cover.

Seeing that the player rotating in was this so-called second-best power forward in the East whose defense wasn't exactly top-tier, Paul Pierce curled his lips into a sneer—in his opinion, there were a million ways to score over Amir Johnson.

But just as Paul Pierce received the ball and was about to exploit the opening created by Amir Johnson's lunge forward, a shadow suddenly loomed over him, blocking all his offensive routes and passing vision!

Lynch, who had just been double-teaming Wade, suddenly moved into position with lightning speed, creating another impenetrable wall!
Paul Pierce instantly experienced the same suffocating feeling that Wade had just gone through—the same fierce pressure, the same double-team!

In an instant, the so-called "million ways to attack" vanished into thin air.

Paul Pierce discovered in despair that he couldn't even muster an effective offensive tactic against this impenetrable fortress!
Paul Pierce jumped up to pass the ball to the beacon-like Gasol, but in the double team, the pass was clearly intended but not quick enough.

In a flash, Tyson Chandler lunged forward and intercepted the ball precisely before Gasol could catch it.

The New York Knicks managed to wrest possession of the ball with this aggressive defense.

At the end of that offensive possession, the entire Heat team felt a chill run down their spines.

This was arguably the most oppressive and suffocating defensive play they had ever experienced in their careers.

Rapid rotations, pincer attack, relentless pressure.
Pat Riley sat in the stands, his brow furrowed.

Judging from this round's performance alone, the defensive intensity of this New York Knicks team even surpasses that of the tough Knicks he led in the 90s.

With their mobility and top-notch defensive awareness, they can create a situation where they have more defenders than defenders in a localized area at any time.

But this raises the most crucial question—how long can the Knicks maintain such an extreme defensive style that relies on high intensity and rapid rotations, which is extremely physically demanding? Ultimately, will the Heat players' will be the first to collapse under the Knicks' relentless defensive pressure?
Or will the Knicks' players collapse first due to their own physical limitations?
Pat Riley didn't know the outcome, but one thing was certain: whoever won, it would be an easy victory. Whoever won, they would have to pay a heavy price in blood and sweat.

The game continues, and the Knicks take the offensive turn.

Lynch's prediction came true; Dwyane Wade indeed pressured Nash from the very first possession tonight.

After the first three games, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had to face the reality that it would be extremely difficult to completely contain Lynch's performance.

So he changed his strategy and instead cut off Lynch's right and left arms, trying to put him in a predicament of fighting alone.

Steve Nash forced his way through after a screen, and once he had space, he passed the ball to Raja Bell who was cutting in.

Steve Nash made a difficult breakthrough after a screen, and after gaining a narrow passing space, he accurately passed the ball to Raja Bell who was cutting in.

However, Bell's layup attempt was thwarted by Brazilian Nene's strong rim protection and failed to succeed.

The score remained 0-0.

Both sides went all out from the start of the match today, leaving no room for error.

This time, the Heat didn't let Mario Chalmers handle the ball. Wade took the ball from the baseline himself and immediately went into attack mode.

His intention was clear: to break through before Lynch could get his defenses in place.

Facing Raja Bell's blocking attempt beyond the three-point line, the Flash swiftly changed direction as he moved, barely managing to get past him.

Just when they were about to accelerate and pull away, number 20 once again stood in their way like a mountain!

"boom!"

A muffled thud of muscles colliding violently rang out, and the two men fell heavily to the ground!
But the referee didn't blow the whistle. For referees of this era, they don't mind making the intensity of the divisional finals a bit higher.

The moment Lynch and Wade fell to the ground, they rolled and lunged at the out-of-control basketball almost simultaneously.

However, a swift figure beat them to the ball before they could touch it – Steve Nash, quick as a flash, snatched the orange ball bouncing on the floor.

Nash quickly took two steps forward, flicked his wrist, and the ball sliced ​​through the chaotic air, precisely finding Raja Bell who was rushing forward from the wing.

Raja Bell received the ball and, without slowing down, leaped into the air over the empty frontcourt and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
Amidst the chaos and disarray, the cold electronic scoreboard was finally lit up by the Knicks' first offensive play.

2:0.

Lynch and Wade exchanged a brief glance on the cold floor. Lynch was the first to roll over and get up, pulling his opponent along with him: "Dwyane, the Sky Corridor is closed to you tonight. Don't expect to take off easily."

Wade used the momentum to stand up and retorted defiantly, "You guys will break down sooner or later with this kind of defense. Just you wait and see."

For a period of time afterward, the Knicks maintained their intensity under this extremely aggressive defense.

The Miami Heat struggled offensively, caught in a cycle of turnovers and missed shots.

The Knicks' offense also stalled.

Nash was tightly guarded, and the Knicks' role players also had a cold shooting night due to their all-out defensive efforts.

As a result, the Heat were able to double-team Lynch without any scruples, making it much more difficult for him to take a shot.

Although Lynch still managed to score some difficult goals, his output and efficiency were greatly limited.

Halfway through the quarter, the Knicks led 15-7 by 8 points.

The scoreline faithfully reflects the style of this match: it's a game of who can prevent the other from scoring.

But the Heat's subsequent offense revealed to Wade that this impenetrable defense seemed to have been breached.

After being double-teamed by Lynch, Wade, as usual, passed the ball to Paul Pierce.

This time, Amir Johnson, who was responsible for the rotation defense, was noticeably a half-beat slower than before. Paul Pierce didn't waste this fleeting opportunity, calmly sinking a mid-range shot!
With the score at 9-15, Paul Pierce didn't even have the energy to celebrate. He simply wiped the sweat from his face with his collar and quickly turned to defend.

Dwyane Wade smirked and stared at Lynch: "It seems you guys are the first to collapse, faster than I expected."

Just as Lin Qi was about to respond, the referee's whistle blew in time, interrupting the verbal exchange between the two.

Flip Saunders paused the game, and the players dragged their tired bodies back to the bench, heavy breathing filling the air, their jerseys soaked with sweat.

Amidst the panting, Philip Sanders made an early substitution.

After the timeout, Raja Bell was replaced by DeShawn Stevenson, Steve Nash was replaced by Ben Gordon, and Amir Johnson was replaced by DeAndre Jordan.

The Knicks made three substitutions in just half a quarter.

It is expected that the Knicks will use a nine-man or even ten-man rotation tonight.

Because when three players had already been substituted on the bench, key players Lynch and Tyson Chandler hadn't even had a rest.

In the playoffs, few teams use long rotations.

The key issue is that not all substitute players have the ability to consistently contribute in such a high-intensity series.

To ensure the team doesn't collapse during transitional periods, most coaches rely on an eight-man main rotation.

However, tonight, facing the dilemma of having to shorten the playing time of their key players due to severe physical exhaustion, the Knicks were forced into a long rotation.

A huge test is now in sight: with the playing time of key players significantly reduced, can the Knicks' rotation strategy withstand the pressure and maintain their current lead?
The game continued, and after Ben Gordon and Lynch set a pick and roll, the ball was immediately bounced to Lynch who was cutting to the basket.

Because Ben Gordon also has a decent pick-and-roll jump shot ability, Wade still had to stick close to him and didn't have the energy to worry about Lynch.

In other words, even when Steve Nash was off the court, the Flash's defensive pressure was not reduced at all.

Lynch charged straight for the basket, facing a double block from Nene and Pau Gasol. He first used a nimble Euro step to dodge Gasol, then violently leaped into the air, slamming the ball into the basket over the Brazilian with a one-handed dunk!

"Fuck you!" Dwyane Wade cursed under his breath. He realized once again that if he couldn't stop Lynch's dribbling immediately and stop the Knicks' star player, the difficulty would still be insurmountable!

But Ben Gordon's threats kept him completely on his toes.

17 to 9, Lynch continued to shine during the transition period.

The slight lapse in the Knicks' defense that the Heat had just glimpsed had vanished.

While DeShawn Stevenson's defensive skills were inferior to Raja Bell's, his aggressive style made it just as difficult for Wade to move around.

He successfully slowed down the Flash, buying Lynch valuable time to join the attack.

When Wade was once again subjected to a fierce double-team, DeShawn Stevenson laughed: "Kid, feel honored! Right now, you're being double-teamed by the league's second-best defensive guard, and the man universally acknowledged as the best defender."

Wade: ? ? ?
Who agrees?!
Wade was very unhappy with DeShawn Stevenson's self-aggrandizing behavior; he dared to make any claim other than surpassing Jordan.

If it were one-on-one, he could teach that idiot a lesson.

But now, he could only pass the ball to Pierce.

Pierce then quickly passed the ball to Gasol, attempting to break through the defense with a fast pass.

However, the rotation and help defense of DeAndre Jordan and Tyson Chandler was still seamless, instantly completing a double-team!
The Knicks' transitional lineup's defensive intensity is almost as good as their starting lineup!
Erik Spoelstra glanced at the Knicks' bench.

They still have Trevor Ariza and Wilson Chandler, two excellent defensive forwards, on their bench, so they have room to make substitutions.

The depth of this New York Knicks roster is simply bottomless!
They are fully capable of supporting the staggering costs of this extreme defensive strategy through multiple player rotations.

Gasol's shot was ruthlessly blocked, extinguishing the faint glimmer of hope that had just ignited within the Heat.

Lynch looked at Wade, and this time it was Wade's turn to smile.

"Us? Collapse?" Lin Qi's words were firm and resolute, tinged with a smile.

“Dwayne, we have enough men to maintain this defense for the entire game. As for me—” his gaze was piercing, “I will personally torment your soul every minute you are on the court!”

After saying that, Lynch proudly spread his arms, his posture resembling that of Tony Stark in Iron Man 1, displaying his missile with an air of arrogance.

Welcome to Lynch's Hell!

(End of this chapter)