Champion Rules

Chapter 236, Section 232: This is no longer your alliance (Seeking monthly votes!)

The Atlanta Hawks quickly demonstrated their firepower.

The best thing about this offensive lineup is that all five players on the court have the sharp claws to tear apart one-on-one defenses and the ability to thread the ball.

This means the Hawks' offense will almost never stop.

Mike Bibby controlled the ball across half-court and passed it to Jamal Crawford, who had rounded out to receive it.

Facing pressure from Raja Bell, Crawford used a beautiful behind-the-back dribble to instantly tear open a gap and get past the defensive stalwart.

Jamal Crawford, having gained space, hit a long two-pointer.

The Hawks are only down by 5 points.

However, the Hawks fans' joy was short-lived.

Almost the instant the basketball went through the net, Steve Nash had already launched a fast break with lightning speed.

The Knicks' counterattack was swift as lightning, with Wilson Chandler sprinting at high speed as if he were in an empty field.

He pushed past Jamal Crawford and drove hard into the box, where Steve Nash immediately delivered a pass, and Wilson Chandler easily made a layup!
Marvin Williams' departure means the Hawks' wing defense has significantly declined.

This is determined by the level of hardware.

Neither Joe Johnson nor Jamal Crawford could make a positive defensive impact.

Just like you can't expect LeBron James, who likes to stand with his hands on his hips, and Deandre Ayton, who likes to stand around watching others grab rebounds, to bring any outstanding defense to the Lakers.

All they can offer on the defensive end is comedic moments.

The Hawks' current lineup is undefendable. Josh Smith and Al Horford might be able to plug one of their defensive weaknesses on the perimeter.

But the Hawks' perimeter defense is like a woman with 1600 boyfriends; anyone can easily get past her.

Josh Smith and Al Horford couldn't keep up with the defenses even if they tried day and night.

The Hawks' counterattack was swift; Joe Johnson drove to the basket, drawing the defense, and then passed the ball to Al Horford, who calmly sank a mid-range jumper.

Al Horford's actual height is only 206 cm; he is actually more like a forward.

He can facilitate, jump shot, and drive to the basket, but the area under the basket is not his favorite spot.

Therefore, this Atlanta Hawks team already has the beginnings of a small-ball offense and is very flexible.

The Knicks didn't fret after losing possession; instead, they launched a quick baseline pass, and Steve Nash continued to push the fast break.

The Knicks tried to speed up the pace and completely turn the game into an offensive battle.

Wilson Chandler became the sharpest spearhead, and neither Jamal Crawford nor Joe Johnson could match up against this powerful forward.

Josh Smith had to chase Wilson Chandler, so Nash passed the ball to Lynch, who had just reached the three-point line.

Lynch immediately followed up with a shot, but Mike Bibby jumped to interfere.

At that moment, for the first time, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness regarding the length of the object.

The basketball went in, the crisp sound of the net swishing through the net announcing the success of the attack.

Josh Smith's defense was overwhelmed.

But this was his only option; betting on Lynch's three-pointer was better than watching Wilson Chandler make a layup.

With an 8-point deficit, the Hawks continued their downward spiral.

Al Horford received the ball in the mid-range and prepared to shoot again. Seeing Tyson Chandler make a desperate save, he passed the ball to Joe Johnson, who was cutting into the basket.

He received the ball and took two big steps to go for a layup, but Tyson Chandler immediately covered for him under the basket.

Seeing this, the Hawks passed the ball back to Al Horford, who then made a mid-range jumper.

Lynch's quick rotations disrupted Al Horford's shot, turning it into a missed opportunity.

This is the biggest difference between the Knicks and the Hawks.

If the Hawks want to unleash the second-best offensive firepower in the league, they must abandon their defense.

But the Knicks can maintain the league's best firepower while also having top-tier defense.

Josh Smith grabbed the offensive rebound and drove to the basket, but Tyson Chandler stopped him with a foul.

Stepping to the free-throw line, Josh Smith took a deep breath.

It's time to show off your shooting talent!
He kept replaying in his mind the disastrous shooting scenes of his high school teammate Rajon Rondo, which gave him a great deal of confidence.

The clever man adjusted his posture and glanced at Lynch beside him: "Hey, you know my shooting level. You still have a chance to say something to stop me, just like you did to Gilbert Arenas."

Lin Qi remained silent, completely ignoring him.

Josh Smith took the first free throw.

Steadily and surely.

Al Horford looked at Lynch: "Listen, even though we're on the same team, I don't know him very well."

He was often embarrassed by Josh Smith's various bizarre behaviors on the court!
The Knicks took the opportunity to replace Raja Bell with DeMar DeRozan, preparing to unleash their full offensive firepower.

Josh Smith, who had messed up his own mentality, also missed his second free throw.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine why a player with a free throw percentage of just over 60% would call himself a "mid-range shooting heartthrob."

Josh Smith put all his talent points into his physical abilities, without investing a single point in his intelligence.

The Hawks' scoring stalled for the first time, and on such a high-intensity night of scoring, any slip-up could be fatal.

In this possession, the Hawks prevented the Knicks from launching a fast break, but the Knicks' half-court offense still proved difficult for the Hawks to handle.

DeMar DeRozan easily shook off Joe Johnson and cut inside, while Steve Nash never disappoints any player who ventures into the paint.

Josh Smith's pupils constricted, but he dared not let Lynch go to protect the rim again.

Al Horford could only stand alone, facing DeMar DeRozan's onslaught alone.

The rim groaned again, and Al Horford became another backdrop tonight.

Tonight, the humiliation Al Horford suffered on the basketball court probably surpasses the combined suffering his supermodel girlfriend Emily Vega endured in the wildest abyss of male fans' consciousness.

The point difference snowballed to double digits, and Mike Brin asked Jeff Van Gundy beside him, "How many times this season has the Knicks built a double-digit lead in the first quarter?"

Jeff Van Gundy shrugged: "I don't know, but I get the feeling they do this every night, dancing to the cries of their opponents every night."

Jamal Crawford quickly redeemed the Hawks' pride with a beautiful layup.

But this is simply a drop in the ocean.

As the game progressed, the point difference continued to widen.

The Atlanta Hawks have a strong offense, but they always have their off nights.

As the roar of Madison Square Garden intensified, the New York Knicks' scoring was like a sports car that had lost its brakes.

It's so addictive!

"Steve, after receiving a screen from Lynch, took the shot immediately, and the Knicks scored 16 consecutive points!"
They've scored 16 points in a row without a single miss!

This is not a good idea; going toe-to-toe with the New York Knicks is never a good idea!

Mike Breen, like other New York fans, is finding it hard to sit on the bench anymore.

This incredible offensive performance has sent everyone at Madison Square Garden's adrenaline pumping to boiling point!
The Atlanta Hawks players were visibly nervous. They knew the Knicks were strong, but they didn't expect them to be so unreasonable.

Josh Smith received the ball half a step behind the free-throw line in this possession. Although Lynch gave him two steps, he still chose to force his way through.

During the contest, Josh Smith missed a layup.

His attacking power is overwhelming, but it lacks variety.

That's why people call him LeBron without basketball IQ.

If he were as smart as LeBron James and had more varied footwork, he could definitely become an even better rim-attacking player.

The Hawks' offense stalled again. What about the New York Knicks?
Lynch interfered with Josh Smith and immediately jumped again, grabbed the rebound, and then threw it directly to the frontcourt.

DeMar DeRozan had already crossed the half-court line, and Lynch immediately launched a powerful shot.

Joe Johnson secretly reached out and tugged at DeMar DeRozan's jersey, trying to force him to slow down.

DeMar DeRozan's first step isn't fast, but his second and third steps are very powerful.

After running a few more steps, DeMar DeRozan not only didn't slow down, but instead broke free from Joe Johnson's grasp and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
The Knicks scored 18 consecutive points without missing a single shot!

The Atlanta Hawks paused the game, and head coach Mike Woodson stood in front of everyone without saying a word.

He wasn't angry.

Rather, they didn't know what to say.

Unlike Doc Rivers, Mike Woodson can fill an entire timeout with a bunch of meaningless nonsense, even without discussing tactics.

He clearly lacked that kind of eloquence and shamelessness.

Just now, all he knew was that he had to call a timeout to interrupt the Knicks' momentum.

But how exactly do we stop them from scoring consecutive points?
Mike Woodson had no answer.

On the other side, Philip Sanders didn't know what to say either.

Because this game seems to require absolutely no coaching.

Finally, he wrote two more words on the tactics board.

"Have fun!"

After the timeout, Joe Johnson's three-pointer brought the Hawks within 12 points.

But the Hawks' top priority now is to stop the Knicks from scoring.

Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, and Mike Bibby have all begun to focus more on the defensive end.

DeMar DeRozan and Wilson Chandler's receiving routes were temporarily blocked, and Mike Bibby pressed Nash like he was in the fourth quarter of Game 7.

Al Horford practically glued himself to Tyson Chandler.

Faced with such intense pressure, Steve Nash remained calm.

He waited for the guy who specialized in breaking tight reins to raise his hand.

Lynch, with his back to Josh Smith, raised his hand for the ball in the mid-range on the right side.

Josh Smith suddenly moved in front of Nash the moment he passed the ball, attempting to intercept it.

But Lynch reacted quickly, propping himself up with his elbow and hitting Josh Smith in the chest. He took a step forward and caught the basketball without serious injury.

He then turned around and got past Josh Smith the moment he received the ball.

Al Horford had just shaken off Tyson Chandler when he saw Lynch already taking to the air.

"Oh shit."

"20 straight points! The New York Knicks' offensive momentum shows no signs of stopping!" Mike Breen glanced at the scoreboard; the Knicks had already scored 35 points in the quarter. Lynch himself had already scored 11 points, and it seemed that scoring 35 points tonight would be a piece of cake for him.

Josh Smith has only scored 3 points so far.

He might not even score 15 points in the whole game.

One round later, Josh Smith got another chance for a mid-range shot.

Lin Qi didn't even try to get close enough to defend against him.

This time, Josh Smith decided to forget his father's advice.

People need to know how to be flexible.

"Boom!"

Shoot the iron.

People can indeed change, but they are not necessarily adaptable.

The Hawks pulled out all the stops to force their offense back into half-court, but whenever Lynch got the ball, the Madison Square Garden crowd still chanted, "Score! Score! Score!"

This has become a frenzy, and New York fans have turned it into a scoring spectacle.

Lynch held the ball facing the basket, while Josh Smith lowered his center of gravity, trying to stay focused.

Lynch stepped to the left and, seeing Josh Smith retreat, immediately raised his hand.

This was a fairly simple and direct shot, a pull-up jumper after creating a sliver of space using the triple threat footwork.

Fans at Madison Square Garden held their breath, staring at the soaring basketball, waiting for the moment when their emotions would erupt.

The basketball bounced high off the front edge of the rim, and Spike Lee cursed, "Damn it!"

But the next second, the basketball fell straight into the net as it dropped again.

The New York Knicks scored 22 consecutive points!
"This is insane! This is insane! The New York Knicks are still scoring! The Hawks have stepped up their defense, but Lynch's ability to break through defenses has kept this crazy offensive onslaught going! My God, this is one of the most spectacular nights at Madison Square Garden!"

After scoring, Lynch smiled and pointed at Spike Lee: "Don't jump to conclusions too early, man."

Spike Lee clapped wildly, hoping he could enjoy this kind of slap in the face every night.

"Score! Score! Score!"

The cheers at Madison Square Garden seemed to make the Hudson River ripple.

Players Association executive director Billy Hunter stood blankly in the crowd, completely out of place with the New York fans present.

He was stunned.

This was his first time watching Lynch play in person.

Although he is the president of the NBA Players Association, he is not very interested in basketball.

In his youth, he was a professional rugby player.

After retiring from the military, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and became a lawyer, becoming one of the youngest prosecutors in history.

Therefore, he became the executive director of the NBA Players Association simply because of his profession.

This was the first time he had been so shocked by the actions of a basketball player.

He usually pays close attention to NBA news, but cold, hard data and news are completely different from witnessing such a frenzy firsthand.

As the entire Madison Square Garden crowd hoped the scoring would continue, Lynch fulfilled everyone's wishes.

This match perfectly illustrates why he is so successful and has such a great influence.

The Hawks' mentality was greatly affected by the frenzied chants of the New York fans.

This rendered their only offensive weapon against the Knicks ineffective.

Joe Johnson's mid-range jumper after shaking off DeMar DeRozan missed, marking the Hawks' third consecutive possession without a score.

The moment Lynch grabbed the backboard, the cheers grew louder and louder, as if they were about to burst Madison Square Garden apart.

Lynch backs down Josh Smith, then uses a shoulder shake followed by a hook shot.

Josh Smith nearly touched the basketball with his incredible jumping ability.

But it was only a close call.

Watching the basketball bounce off the backboard, Billy Hunter muttered to himself, "No, no way, this can't be."

"Thump! Swish!"

"24 consecutive points! Lynch continues his terrifying firepower that's enough to devour opponents! My God, the Atlanta Hawks are already down by 18 points after the first quarter!"

Mike Breen's hair stood on end; in fact, this scoring spree should have ended long ago.

It should have ended when the Atlanta Hawks stepped up their defense.

But Lynch stubbornly kept this madness going.

In these few rounds, the Knicks' strategy was to have Lynch isolate and attack, and Josh Smith's defense didn't make any major mistakes.

Lynch single-handedly continued the scoring spree, igniting the entire court.

He made the fans who came to the game tonight feel like they got great value for their money.

He embodied the meaning of a superstar tonight!
The Hawks crossed half-court in despair; they had lost confidence in their offense.

Jamal Crawford missed a difficult layup, and they were about to fall behind by 20 points after the first quarter.

Lynch grabbed the rebound, and Steve Nash slowly walked across half-court.

At this point, the first quarter had reached the ninth minute, and Flip Sanders was preparing to bring on a substitute.

Most players, including Lynch, will leave the court during the next dead ball or timeout.

Therefore, this could very well be Lynch's last chance to help continue the Knicks' scoring spree.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lynch received the ball beyond the three-point line.

The statistics for the entire match are now alarming.

The Knicks have scored 24 consecutive points without missing a shot.

In addition, the Knicks led the Hawks by 18 points in a single quarter.

Meanwhile, Lynch has already scored 15 points in the quarter.

But the greedy New York fans were still chanting: "Score! Score! Score!"

They knew that number 20 could definitely do it.

Josh Smith had completely shut up; even though he was a slow-witted guy, he knew he should keep quiet now.

He silently watched Lin Qi, searching for an opportunity to steal the ball.

Lynch relaxed, took a step forward, and then immediately pulled back to lift the basketball.

Josh Smith had to lunge forward because Lynch was just too hot.

But just as he shifted his weight forward, Lynch broke through with the ball.

CCTV's Director Zhang exclaimed with a smile, "Lin Qi is the best at dribbling while standing!"

This is true.

Lynch isn't the kind of player who can shake off opponents with dribbling, but his triple threat is enough for him to toy with them and create opportunities for him to get past them.

Josh Smith frantically chased back, but Lynch had already taken two large strides into the penalty area.

Poor Al Horford returned to the basket, and at that moment he desperately regretted having such excellent defensive awareness and wished he had just stood by with his hands on his hips and watched.

Unfortunately, basketball has a very unfair treatment for players who play aggressive defense – the more aggressively you defend, the higher the chance of getting dunked on.

Seeing Lynch take off with great force, Spike Lee raised his fist in advance.

He always fulfills all the fantasies of New York fans.

Even seemingly crazy and unrealistic fantasies.

A frontal, merciless two-handed dunk!

"boom!"

Lynch led the New York Knicks to 26 consecutive points!
"Oh my god, this place is absolutely insane!!! Madison Square Garden is about to be rocked by the roar!!!" Mike Breen's roar was drowned out by the cheers from the crowd, and all the fans watching the game on TV had to turn down the volume.

Lin Qisong landed on the ground, crossed his arms, tilted his head and smiled, staring at Josh Smith: "This is the first place, Josh."

Nobody remembers that Josh Smith is currently second in the DPOY rankings, and nobody remembers that he was Lynch's rival.

Now, all people are talking about is Lynch.

Billy Hunter clenched his fists amidst the cheering crowd.

Lynch is one of the most unique superstars in the NBA, and the league cannot ignore any opinion from someone like him.

Even those damn, arrogant bosses have to listen obediently when he speaks!

Billy Hunter recalled MJ's proud and tough demeanor from the previous night.

He acted as if this was still the alliance he controlled.

Billy Hunter smiled and muttered to himself.

"No, Michael, this isn't your league anymore. You damn bastard, this isn't your league anymore."

Ultimately, thanks to a remarkable 26-point run, the New York Knicks scored a whopping 45 points in the first quarter, taking a 20-point lead over the Hawks.

Although the game was still long, the Hawks suffered a major blow in the first quarter, which prevented them from performing well in the following three quarters.

Halfway through the third quarter, the game had already entered garbage time, and neither side fielded their starters.

Lynch scored 36 points when he was substituted in the third quarter.

Josh Smith's total score was 11 points.

After the game, Josh Smith hugged Lynch.

His face showed no arrogance, only complete submission.

This exceptionally talented fellow shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh:

"I was just one point away from stopping you."
-
Stop calling me a brainless LeBron; I'm way smarter than LeBron. At least I know I should never compare myself to Lynch. —Josh Smith on the nickname "brainless LeBron".

The first quarter was absolutely insane. Knicks fans were hoping he would keep scoring, and he always lived up to their expectations. "If it weren't for the substitutions, I think Lynch could have led the Knicks to 30 straight points." — Al Horford on the Knicks' crazy first quarter.

Strategy? What else can I devise? Every coach in the world would lose here! — Mike Woodson on tonight's strategy.

I just happened to be in New York and happened to watch a Lynch game. I'm glad the NBA has completely shed the MJ label and a new representative figure has emerged. That's just how competitive sports are; the power of discourse always lies with the one who wins. — Billy Hunter, in a post-game interview, deliberately mentioning Michael Jordan.

(End of this chapter)