Champion Rules

Chapter 214, Section 210: Even If You Are Kobe Bryant (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
When Lynch and Kobe returned to the court, basketball fans around the world breathed a sigh of relief as they entered.

Previously, CCTV commentator Yu Jia disagreed with the views of his American counterparts.

He never thought the 2007 NBA Finals between Duncan and Lynch were boring, nor did he think there was a lack of exciting offensive duels between the two.

In the eyes of critics, Tim Duncan's skills may not be flashy or dazzling, and he may not be as versatile as Kobe Bryant, but that does not mean that he "lacked skills".

His LBJ's pull-up jumper is a technique, but my Duncan's standing windmill dunk isn't?

However, when Kobe and Lynch returned to the court side by side, Yu Jia had to admit that the atmosphere they brought to the court was completely different.

Fans are well aware of the power of these two superstars and what they're going to do next. But even so, they can't suppress their overwhelming anticipation.

The game restarted, and DeAndre Jordan and Kendrick Perkins battled for the ball.

With his far superior athleticism, DeAndre Jordan tipped the ball to the waiting Lynch.

Lynch secured the ball at the three-point line. Facing Kevin Garnett's defense, he lowered his center of gravity and made several quick, aggressive steps to the left.

KG, with his vast experience, still had to sway his weight to follow Lynch's feints, because he knew how fast Lynch's first step was. If he didn't react immediately, he would be beaten in an instant.

KG's defensive stance was forced to sway frequently with Lynch's feints, and his center of gravity was pulled several times.

Just as Lynch made his third attempt to break through to the left, and Garnett's center of gravity was finally shaken open, Lynch unexpectedly took off and calmly launched a three-pointer.

Since acquiring Carmelo Anthony's triple threat jump shot midway through the regular season, Lynch has been developing his own ability in this area.

He not only uses this skill in the mid-range, but also brings it to the three-point line.

Kevin Garnett was just momentarily stunned and failed to react immediately; that fraction of a second of delay was enough to be fatal.

The basketball swished straight into the net; the King of New York's return was met with an impressive first attack!

Lynch shouted excitedly as he retreated on defense, while Kobe Bryant ran towards the frontcourt with a serious expression.

As Jason Kidd approached the three-point line, he saw Kobe Bryant on the wing, mid-to-long range, backing down Trevor Ariza and firmly raising his right hand to call for the ball.

Kidd immediately passed the ball to Kobe, and Trevor Ariza was full of fighting spirit, his whole body tense, and he was not afraid to confront Kobe.

Thanks to his outstanding performance in successfully defending Kevin Garnett over the past few minutes, his confidence is soaring.

Kobe didn't intend to back down the opponent; instead, he slowly turned around to prepare for a frontal attack.

Kobe was being very careful, but in that split second of turning, the basketball inevitably gave away a fraction of a second—that brief opening was enough for the focused Trevor Ariza.

He immediately struck and precisely knocked the ball away!
The basketball rolled out of control towards the sideline, and Ariza was overjoyed, certain that his defense had been successful.

Almost simultaneously, the two transformed into two lightning bolts, lunging towards the rolling basketball. Ariza's aggressive play was undeniable, but Kobe, with his beast-like instincts, reacted faster and reached the ball first.

Even more amazing is that as he picked up the ball, Kobe instantly adjusted his center of gravity and his steps did not falter at all. With a smooth and fluid back turn, he left Ariza, who was still unsteady due to inertia, behind him!

After successfully retrieving the ball and easily getting past Ariza, Kobe immediately dribbled back to the three-point line.

At that moment, Raja Bell's help defense arrived just in time. However, Kobe didn't hesitate for even half a second. Facing Raja Bell, he took advantage of a slight opening and completed his signature pull-up jumper in mid-air, a shot filled with decisive force.

"brush."

The score is tied!

Trevor Ariza stood there, looking at Kobe, who was shaking his head at him with an arrogant gaze and a hint of sarcasm, and swallowed hard.

That was clearly a successful defense, but now he truly understood that he was facing someone who could turn the impossible into the possible.

Two unconventional three-pointers, two pure superstar plays.

Kobe and Lynch continued their scoring spree as soon as they returned, breaking the long-standing stalemate.

The clash between superstars at their peak made everyone else on the field seem like ants.

At this moment, both coaches adopted the same strategy: to force the opponent's star attacker to pass the ball.

Just as Lin Qi got the ball by leaning on KG in the left mid-range position, Matt Barnes quickly double-teamed him.

Lynch had to pass the ball to Ariza, who, somewhat unsure of his touch, dribbled past him.

But just as Ariza took a step, Kobe, who was coming up to help defend, suddenly moved from the side and behind and snatched the ball from his hands.

Trevor Ariza's ball-handling skills have always been a point of criticism; in crucial moments, his dribbling simply cannot escape the defender's grasp.

The Lakers' defense was a great success; as long as Lynch didn't have a chance to shoot, the Knicks' offense stalled.

But Kobe also encountered the same thing. After being double-teamed by Lynch and Trevor Ariza, Kobe managed to pass the ball through the gaps between the players to Matt Barnes.

Barnes also opted for a drive to the basket because his shooting consistency wasn't even as good as Ariza's.

Facing DeAndre Jordan's help defense, Matt Barnes sidestepped to protect the ball, took two steps to the side, and then jumped to attack the basket. He was clearly imitating LeBron James's crab walk. For forwards who are unsteady with the ball, this is indeed a good way to protect the ball during a drive.

But Matt Barnes clearly hadn't grasped the essence; his footwork wasn't as varied as LeBron James's. So, after leaping, he was caught red-handed by DeAndre Jordan, and the ball was powerfully swatted away!

"Both sides played such excellent defense that ordinary players simply didn't have a chance!" Mike Breen explained. "Now, it's a matter of who can make more clutch shots under extreme conditions, Lynch or Kobe."

Lynch and Kobe dominated the scoring for both teams in the ensuing game, with the 31-year-old veteran superstar and the 23-year-old young legend vying for dominance in the league in an extremely brutal manner.

With 54 seconds left in the game, Kobe Bryant drove to the basket and drew a foul from Tyson Chandler, going to the free-throw line.

A chilling chorus of boos erupted from Madison Square Garden in an attempt to disrupt the key man's rhythm.

At this point, the Knicks were leading by 2 points. If Kobe missed a free throw, even just once, the Knicks would have the advantage in this crucial moment.

In this "basketball Mecca," countless superstars have fallen under such immense pressure: Gilbert Arenas's missed crucial free throws fueled Lynch's first game-winning shot in his playoff career.

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tim Duncan have all been disturbed by boos from Madison Square Garden at such moments.

But Kobe Bryant just stared blankly at the basket.

There were no flying kisses, no licking of the palms or other common little gestures, not even a single unnecessary adjustment.

Catch the ball, raise your hand, shoot—two clean free throws went in.

The boos turned into sighs as the score was tied again!
At that moment, Kobe distanced himself from Lynch's past rivals. The Los Angeles Lakers he led were also unlike any team that had ever lost to them there.

They would never waste an opportunity; they want to win unless Lynch kills them with his own hands.

After making both free throws, Kobe's sharp gaze swept over Lynch, and he said clearly, word by word, "I will not be defeated by anyone in the crucial moment."

This almost arrogant confidence had previously only been seen in the Bulls' number 23.

Philip Sanders' timeout whistle suddenly blew, interrupting the standoff between the two.

With little time remaining and the opposing team's star player in top form having won their first match, the weight of that victory weighed heavily on the Madison Square Garden dome.

Every Knicks fan instinctively clenched their fists or the corners of their clothes—this was not just a battle for victory, but also a question of whether they had the potential to break the Lakers' formidable dominance.

Flip Saunders devised an off-ball strategy for Lynch to help him avoid double teams or create that precious window of opportunity to shoot before the defense could close in.

In crucial moments, star players usually prefer to hold the ball and finish the game because running off the ball means a higher risk of turnovers, since there is an extra step of receiving the ball before finishing the game.

But with Steve Nash on the court, the Knicks hardly had to worry about whether the ball would be safely delivered to Lynch.

The timeout ended, and the game resumed. The Knicks didn't choose to slow the pace, but instead decisively executed their established strategy.

Lynch led KG through a complex web of off-ball screens, while Steve Nash orchestrated the play, his gaze seemingly surveying the entire half of the court.

Finally, Lynch used a reverse run to shake off the relentlessly pursuing Kevin Garnett.

Seeing this, Matt Barnes immediately switched positions and continued chasing Lynch.

Nash noticed Matt Barnes switching onto him, but still decisively passed the ball out.

Matt Barnes was secretly delighted, because the basketball was so close, and he felt he could easily steal it.

He made a desperate gamble, lunging forward with his entire body, stretching his arms out as far as he could, even his fingertips reaching out with all his might!
He swore that in any competitive sport involving two or more players, he had never longed to stretch a few more inches.

In the end, however, his fingertips were just a hair's breadth away from the basketball.

The basketball's trajectory seemed to be precisely calculated, perfectly bypassing his fingers and landing steadily in Lynch's hands.

That's where Steve Nash's value lies.

The moment Lynch received the ball, Matt Barnes immediately stopped and raised his hand to contest. But Lynch remained calm. He didn't shoot immediately after receiving the ball. Instead, he waited for Matt Barnes to raise his center of gravity and then took a light step back, creating a precious space. Facing the already ineffective interference from Barnes and KG, he calmly took his shot.

The basketball left the player's hand and pierced the sky. Before it even nestled in the net, the fans at Madison Square Garden had already raised their arms in celebration.

Everyone jumped up the moment the basketball went through the net.

"Goal! What a thrilling and crucial shot! Lynch has extended the lead to 2 points, and the Kings of New York have not relinquished control of the game!" Mike Breen shouted, as excited as everyone else, but still worried.

He knew very well that the world's deadliest venomous snake would not give up easily.

With 40 seconds left in the game, the Lakers did not call a timeout, and Jason Kidd dribbled the ball forward.

The Knicks did not double-team Kidd, giving him easy opportunities to control the ball.

But Kobe wasn't so lucky. The moment he scouted out to receive the ball at the three-point line, Raja Bell and Lynch almost instantly double-teamed him.

Kobe certainly had his own way of dealing with it; he was too used to handling the ball when double-teamed.

After receiving the ball, instead of diving into the center of the encirclement, he turned and broke through towards Raja Bell, temporarily using Bell to block Lynch.

After reaching the mid-range position at zero degrees, Kobe stopped abruptly, leaned back, and shot.

He was confident about the shot because Raja Bale was a step too slow and didn't give him much of a challenge.

Lynch was blocked by Raja Bell's body and unable to defend closely.

The basketball easily sailed over Raja Bell's hand, and it looked like a crucial response.

Dwyane Wade, watching on TV, unconsciously clenched his fists. Kobe's game-winning shot against him in the final moments of last season's Finals still keeps him up at night.

This guy is a monster who can make incredible shots in desperate situations—unless you can block him directly.

Otherwise, no matter how outrageous his shot may seem, there is always a chance of scoring.

New York fans held their breath until Lynch, who had jumped later, soared into the air at incredible speed, his long arms slashing down in mid-air, his fingertips brushing the bottom of the basketball.

Kobe's gaze shifted from confidence to disbelief.

"What the hell."

"Block!!!" Mike Breen, who was completely focused, could almost hear the sizzling of his fingertips against the leather. "Lynch has killed Kobe's miracle! That shot might have had a chance, but now, it's completely gone!"

The world's most fearsome assassin fell before the King of New York.

Dwyane Wade stared wide-eyed, no longer aware of anything around him, as if he were actually there.

Tyson Chandler quickly shoved Kendrick Perkins aside and caught the falling basketball.

Philip Sanders, who prefers a safe approach, wanted to call a timeout, but was stopped by Mike Malone next to him.

"No, it's the Los Angeles Lakers who are panicking right now. Don't give them a chance to catch their breath!"

The Lakers' bench erupted in chaos, with all the players yelling at the referee, protesting that the play must have been goaltending and demanding a timeout to review the replay.

Once a person suspects something, they can't help but look for evidence to support their suspicion.

But the referees didn't give them a chance to find evidence, because they had just seen very clearly that the basketball was still moving upwards, and the charge of goaltending was simply unfounded.

Tyson Chandler passed the ball to Nash, and as the "Son of the Wind" dribbled past half-court, the Los Angeles Lakers' brief dominance of the league began to crumble.

Kobe gritted his teeth; he hadn't expected his shot to be blocked.

He swore that that shot would have been impossible to block against any of the other 28 teams.

But it was only in New York that this guy, whose dominance was unmatched, caused an unexpected incident.

With 33 seconds left in the game, the Knicks are unhurried, and Nash can control the time at will.

The Lakers did not employ a fouling strategy; at this point, fouling Nash would have been tantamount to giving away points.

Both sides still need to fight these two rounds with real swords and spears.

Lynch continued to run and look for opportunities, but Kevin Garnett and his teammates used their tacit switching defense to keep his receiving lanes locked down.

With only 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Lynch simply backed down on his right side and leaned against KG, and Nash immediately passed the ball to him.

The moment he received the ball, Lynch immediately turned his back to his right. Kobe anticipated Lynch's move, and his double-team was perfectly timed. The moment Lynch turned, Kobe was already poised to steal the ball.

But Lin Qi reacted quickly, immediately adjusted his center of gravity, and his body spun to the left like flowing water, barely avoiding the encirclement of the two men. Then he made a clean and neat turnaround jump shot!
With elegant and fluid footwork, he tore apart the combined defense of KG and Kobe. Kevin Garnett tried his best to interfere, but the basketball still flew over his head, bounced twice reluctantly on the rim, and fell into the net with the red light of the backboard!
Lynch scored his 43rd point of the game, giving the Knicks a 4-point lead with 9 seconds left!
Los Angeles fans watching on TV wished they could freeze time to calm themselves down; they simply couldn't believe that Kobe Bryant had been completely outmaneuvered by Lynch in such a crucial moment!

Phil Jackson gave Lakers fans what they wanted: he paused the game, giving every citizen of Lakers Nation a chance to breathe.

Now, the only chance left for the Lakers is the three-pointer.

Unless you're LeBron James, you wouldn't choose to take a tough layup when you're down by 4 points with 9 seconds left.

The only way for the Los Angeles Lakers to survive in regulation time is to make three-pointers, add a fouling strategy, and a little bit of luck.

Phil Jackson was very familiar with this tactic. He devised a Starburst strategy, and when the game restarted and he saw the Lakers lined up, dead memories suddenly began to attack Dwyane Wade again.

The painful memory of being defeated by Kobe's incredible drifting game-winner last summer is gradually becoming clearer.

For the Knicks, Flip Sanders deliberately replaced Steve Nash with Wilson Chandler, leaving the Lakers with no defensive weaknesses to exploit.

Kobe stood silently in the middle of the crowd, while Jason Kidd and KG directed the positioning.

Lynch also remained silent; for him and Kobe, it wasn't time to speak yet.

All they could hear now was the ticking of time.

Everything around them was irrelevant, except for winning or losing.

The referee blew his whistle and handed the ball to KG, who was in charge of serving.

Jason Kidd came out first, but didn't receive the ball. Instead, Kobe Bryant, on the far side, got the chance to receive the ball thanks to a screen from Kendrick Perkins.

Kevin Garnett threw the ball with both hands, and the basketball narrowly missed Wilson Chandler's hand, landing in Kobe's hands.

After Kobe received the ball, he easily shook off Wilson Chandler, but Lynch immediately blocked Kobe's path.

That's the cruelest thing about basketball; sometimes you have to beat your opponent one-on-one, like a cowboy duel in the West, to win.

One of them had to fall cruelly into a pool of blood.

Kobe dribbled laterally, trying to get past Lynch.

But Lynch was also quick, giving Kobe only about a quarter of a body length advantage.

With little time remaining in the game, Kobe jumped while running and drifted backward.

Dwyane Wade was drenched in sweat; for him, this was a nightmare replaying itself from last summer.

But then, the script was suddenly rewritten!
Lynch jumped alongside Kobe, and the instant Kobe released his shot, Lynch reached out and blocked the basketball's trajectory.

In the crucial moment, Lynch blocked Kobe Bryant's shot twice in a row!

"The game is over! Kobe Bryant, the world's most dangerous killer, was powerless against Lynch in the crucial moment!"
The New York Knicks won their first game of the Finals 101-97!
The name of this era wasn't Los Angeles Lakers yet!

Dwyane Wade snapped out of his daze, his lips twitched a few times, and finally he managed to utter only one word: "Fuck!"

What would happen if Lynch and Kobe, two monsters, met at a crucial moment?
The world has witnessed it firsthand.

Even if you were Kobe Bryant, you'd only be doomed if you met Lynch in a crucial moment.

At the moment the game ended, Lynch pumped his fist, as if to release all the pent-up frustration of a year of hard work and the ecstatic joy of this triumphant moment—43 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks, especially the two blocks that sealed the game. This was his iron-blooded declaration to reclaim the throne! It was his most arrogant roar to the entire league!

As the smoke cleared and the deafening noise subsided, Lin Qi's gaze pierced through the crowd and once again locked onto that familiar, forlorn Zijin No. 24.

Now that the outcome is decided, the king has the heart to bestow his final words of wisdom.

“You certainly won’t be defeated by anyone at crucial moments,” Lynch’s voice wasn’t loud, but it struck Number 24’s heart like a hammer blow, carrying the unique contempt and declaration of a victor, “But unfortunately, I am not ‘anyone’! I am the one who will end your ‘unbeatable illusion’!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qi turned around abruptly, raised his arms high, and faced the endless orange frenzy.

At that moment, the spotlight in Madison Square Garden belonged to only one person—the one who engraved his name on Kobe's proud tombstone.

(End of this chapter)