Champion Rules

Chapter 239-235: The New Basketball God (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

DeMar DeRozan botched this crucial defense, as if he had opened a crack in the gates of hell.

Portland fans paid tribute to the owners of the Rose Garden.

Thousands of reverent gazes were fixed on Brandon Roy, and a tidal wave of shouts converged into a deafening roar—"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Trail Blazers No. 7 looked around, his gaze sweeping over every face contorted with excitement and fervor, as if in a dream.

This was not the first time that fans had sung a glorious anthem for Brandon Roy under the eaves of the Rose Garden.

But each time it came, it made him feel a dizzying sense of detachment from reality, just like hearing it for the first time.

Before joining the league, he had heard similar surging sounds countless times on television broadcasts on numerous nights.

That sound once shook Michael Jordan's miraculous performances, captivated Hakeem Olajuwon's dominance with his dreamlike dance moves, ignited Kobe Bryant's bloodthirsty ruthlessness, and resounded for LeBron James' traveling game-winner.

How could he not have longed, deep down, for that crown forged by his voice, to one day be worn on his own head?
From the day I set foot on Portland soil, this dream that had haunted my mind has repeatedly become a reality.

However, no matter how many times it was baptized, the tremors and warm currents that swept through the whole body did not diminish in the slightest.

Each time, the furnace of belief is forged even more fiercely.

This is the source of his unwavering determination to dedicate his last drop of sweat to this city until his death.

LeBron James had just finished a game, and he and his Detroit Pistons easily defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the post-Yi Jianlian era.

As soon as he entered the player tunnel, LBJ heard his good friend Carmelo Anthony say with a laugh, "Hey, the Knicks are going to lose!"

LeBron James pulled out his phone, which he never uses mobile data for, connected to the arena's Wi-Fi, and entered the fan forum.

People started praising Brandon Roy.

Some people started mocking Lynch, who had said before the game he would win here.

Just as LeBron James was watching the comments mocking Lynch with a smile.

He was surprised to find
There are actually people criticizing LeBron James?!

One of the comments received a lot of likes:
"The composition of LeBron James' fan base will always be a mystery. Why do they always make excuses for such a disgraced guy?"

They likened LeBron's move to jumping ship from one company to another, claiming that no one needs to be loyal to capital.

What an ingenious trick of substituting one thing for another!
Beneath the dazzling aura of star athletes lies a contract that is not merely a cold, capitalist employment relationship, but also a trust and entrustment that carries the passionate emotions of millions of hearts.

Open your eyes and look at the flames burning in the rose garden, listen to the sound that is almost lifting the whole city off the ground.

That's why Brandon Roy was willing to burn himself out for Portland!

A salary from investors won't make you a superstar; it's the support of fans.

LeBron James' biggest base has always been Cleveland.

The locals' affection for him earned him a huge contract with Nike, leading the Cavaliers to spare no expense in building their team around him.

He never betrayed Daniel Gilbert, but rather the Cleveland fans who once loved him deeply!

Upon seeing this, LBJ's mind went completely blank.

What does this game have to do with me?!
This season, he is always mentioned in some games that have nothing to do with him.

In today's league, when Nuggets lose, people criticize Lin; when Lakers lose, people criticize Kobe.

But there's still a large group of people who, regardless of the Lakers vs. Nuggets game, only criticize LeBron James!

LeBron James covered his head, as if trying to suppress the churning noise in his mind.

For a long time, he and Nike have aspired to be the most influential players in the league.

But when the influence truly swept over him like a storm, he could not taste any of the expected sweetness; only a metallic bitterness filled his mouth.

He took a deep breath, placed his flickering, cluttered phone screen face down next to the locker, pressed the remote to turn on the TV, and the cacophony of ESPN immediately filled the space.

At least watching Lynch struggle and crumble on the Rose Garden's territory amidst the flickering light and shadows offered him some respite from his inner turmoil.

On the field, the drumbeats of life-or-death battles resound once more.

DeMar DeRozan was decisively pulled from the lineup by Flip Saunders, and the experienced Raja Bell took his place.

Ron Artest stood firm like a rock at the forefront of the decisive moment.

From this moment until the final buzzer sounds, Flip Saunders doesn't want the team to make any mistakes on the defensive end.

His thick, powerful arm, like that of a boxer, swung out suddenly, and his heavy palm struck Lynch's chest with just the right amount of force, accompanied by a roar like muffled thunder:

Let's solve the problem at hand!

The Knicks were on offense. Steve Nash and Lynch ran a pick-and-roll and took a mid-range jumper, but LaMarcus Aldridge switched to contest the shot.

Nash changed his shot to pass to Lynch, but the moment Lynch got the ball, Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller pounced like hyenas smelling blood, completing a double-team.

Lynch was trapped inside and had no choice but to pass the ball to Ron Artest.

Nicolas Batum lunged back with his terrifyingly long arms, but Ron Artest showed no hesitation. This beast, who was almost obsessed with the championship ring, roared and dribbled the ball with his knees slightly bent, recklessly charging into the paint!

Judging from the murderous aura he exuded when he first appeared and his unstoppable momentum now, he will be a trustworthy partner tonight.

Nate McMillan was a little nervous for a moment. Could this bastard be Dennis Rodman, who belongs to Lynch?

Amidst the intense anticipation and attention, Ron Artest's powerful dribble had barely taken its second step...
The basketball hit the instep of his foot!
Lynch:
Nate McMillan breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, Dennis Rodman's miracle in Game 6 of the 96 NBA Finals is not so easy to replicate.

The basketball bounced and darted away, but the shrewd Andre Miller pounced like a vulture, swiftly bending down and catching it in his arms!
The floor of the Rose Garden seemed to be melted into churning lava by the roar of the crowd. Trail Blazers fans had every reason to cheer. If they could capitalize on the fast break, they would take a 7-point lead at this crucial moment!
Just as Andre Miller turned and started his run, Artest immediately slammed his knee into Miller's hamstring from behind.

This threw him off balance, causing him to fall backward uncontrollably, landing squarely on Artest's body.

The experienced Artest immediately reached out from behind and caught the ball in front of him.

Whether on the basketball court or in a nightclub, he often uses this move of grabbing the ball from behind.

Andre Miller desperately wrapped his arms around the basketball, his fingers intertwining like vines on the surface of the ball.

The contest reached a stalemate, and the referee's whistle was already on his lips.

If the whistle blows, the outcome of the jump ball will be a foregone conclusion.

Andre Miller doesn't want to compete with Ron Artest for the ball, because he'll most likely lose.

So he prepared to pass the ball before the referee blew the whistle for a jump ball.

But just as he was about to pass the ball, Ron Artest suddenly pulled his leg away from Andre Miller's.

Having lost his last support, Andre Miller fell as if he had slipped off a cliff, crashing violently to the floor, and the ball he had passed hit Nicolas Batum's knee as a result.

The basketball bounced back and was caught by Ron Artest, who managed to snatch it back from where he had lost it!

Ron Artest, having regained possession of the ball, quickly passed it back to Lynch outside the three-point line.

Because of the chaos just now, some Trail Blazers players are already preparing to fight back.

So at this moment, only a panicked LaMarcus Aldridge was left beside Lynch.

The young center's pupils contracted suddenly in panic, and he sprang forward like a startled deer, his long arm swinging desperately toward Lynch's shooting line.

But Lin Qi's move was completely unhindered.

The orange arc, just before Aldridge's fingertips could touch it, slipped from Lynch's palm like a destined Seiya.

The basketball pierced the net with precision, narrowing the gap for the New York Knicks to 2 points!
Ron Artest tensed his muscles and roared, "Yeah! Kill them, Lynch! Kill them!"

Lin Qi also suddenly punched the void, and his usually calm, mask-like face was now flushed with blood: "Of course, Ron, kill them all without leaving a single one alive!"

On the bench, DeMar DeRozan stared in disbelief at the scene before him, as if he were glimpsing the real world for the first time.

In the past nine games, Lynch has maintained a fairly stable demeanor on the court.

Only his opponents would roar furiously on the field.

But tonight, he saw a different side of Lynch.

Or rather, he saw Lynch's true self, his passion, and just how much he cared about winning.

This team isn't just good at playing when they're ahead; their leader can ignite the whole team when needed.

The match continued, and Brandon Roy used a difficult backflip to throw at Raja Bell in this round.

The angle at which he leaned back was so great that he couldn't even maintain his balance after landing and fell to the ground.

Brandon Roy responded to Lynch's earlier mistake with a superstar shot, banking the ball in straight from the backboard.

While there is certainly an element of luck involved in hitting the backboard head-on, you can't say that Brandon Roy relied purely on luck.

At least, he was aiming in the right direction.

At least he was hitting the backboard, not the timer on it.

With a four-point deficit, the Portland Trail Blazers, on their territory known as the "Graveyard of Powerhouses," continued to shovel dirt into the Knicks' grave.

At this moment, every nerve hanging in front of the screen in a New York living room or bar is being squeezed so tightly by an invisible hand that it is about to suffocate.

At such moments, the balance of victory or defeat swings by mere millimeters.

If either side makes a mistake first, they could be killed by the other side.

Lynch moved nimbly through the crowded half of the court, and a precise off-the-ball screen instantly severed the entanglement with LaMarcus Aldridge.

The vast projection space suddenly unfolded before him, like a rift torn open in a desperate situation.

In the tense silence, countless New York fans' fingers almost dug into the cracks of the sofa—

But Nicolas Batum once again appeared out of nowhere on the three-point line.

Tonight, he was definitely the second most hated Trail Blazers player by Knicks fans.

He always manages to provide timely and effective defensive support.

Facing the onrushing Frenchman, Lynch lowered his center of gravity and chose to dribble past him, easily shaking off the Frenchman who was rushing forward too aggressively.

Facing LaMarcus Aldridge's help defense, Lynch gathered the ball, pushed off to the left, cut to the right, and used a clever Euro step to shake him off.

Then he suddenly lunged at Greg Oden!

Greg Oden also had a good performance tonight.

He only scored 7 points, but grabbed 9 rebounds and made 4 blocks.

Facing Lynch's head-on attack, Greg Oden leaped at just the right moment.

Greg Oden, whose physique was superior to Lynch's, completely dominated the basketball, making a dunk over him impossible.

With no hope of a powerful dunk, Lin Qi had no choice but to switch the ball to his left hand.

But at this moment, his body had already begun to slide down and was positioned to the side of the basket, the space compressed by Greg Oden's massive torso to a mere sliver of despair.

But Lynch remained calm, gently tossing the ball towards the backboard in mid-air. At the same time, Greg Oden's arm struck Lynch's shoulder.

The orange arc gently licked the backboard, then whispered as it spun into the net.

The referee's sharp whistle pierced the noise at the same time.

At 208 cm tall, Lynch earned a three-point play with an incredible layup that was completely out of proportion to his size!

"Stop me!" Lynch turned around the moment he landed and roared at Greg Oden's shocked and regretful face.

On the bench, the usually quiet DeMar DeRozan suddenly sprang up as if struck by lightning, his towel waving wildly in the air.

Tonight, he truly understood why this Knicks team was able to achieve 73 wins last season and why they were invincible.

Greg Oden was burning with rage and frustration. He growled and slammed his massive hand on the cushioning pad of the basketball hoop.

Throughout the season, he struggled to control his fouls and made significant progress.

But on the most crucial occasion, he lost control.

The cheers from the Rose Garden instantly changed rhythm, turning from inspiring shouts into heart-pounding boos.

Thousands of boos converged into angry sonic blades, piercing Lynch as he slowly walked toward the free-throw line.

Lynch stepped up to the free-throw line, his face ashen. Marvin Albert held his breath, his eyes fixed on the orange basketball. He dribbled it twice, then briefly glanced at the stands behind the backboard, which had turned into a fiery inferno.

The fans there were unleashing the most vicious sonic curses of their lives upon him.

Immediately afterwards, under the live broadcast cameras across the United States, amidst a storm of sound that could easily overwhelm the mind, Lynch slowly raised his right hand and gently placed his index finger—with an almost elegant mockery—on his lips.

LeBron James's fingers clenched so tightly they turned white as he forced out a low curse through clenched teeth: "God, that bastard."

In this most deadly and suffocating moment, Lin Qi still had the mind to provoke the opposing fans!

As expected, the entire rose garden was completely detonated. The invisible sonic waves instantly became sharper, and Demar DeRozan instinctively covered his ears, feeling as if thousands of steel needles were about to pierce his eardrums.

However, the calm in the eyes of that soldier, who had been tempered on the brutal battlefields of Europe since the age of seventeen, did not even show the slightest ripple.

Lynch bent his knees, steadily lifting the basketball, and flicked his wrist slightly.

"And~~~ONE!!!"

Marvin Albert's roar, filled with thunderous passion, pierced through the airwaves, igniting excitement among Knicks fans worldwide.

The New York Knicks are down by only one point!
Nate McMillan, who had just been cheering, paused the game with heavy breathing.

Exhaustion and a barely perceptible anxiety were etched between his furrowed brows.

The Trail Blazers delivered their best performance of the season tonight; they couldn't have done any better.

Everyone, from Brandon Roy to Martel Webster on the bench, gave their best.

Every soul has reached the pinnacle of its own abilities!
However, they still couldn't shake off even an inch of the terrifying tyrant of New York.

Lynch was like a haunting ghost, his icy breath always brushing against the back of your neck.

He will not give you even a moment's breathing space, nor will he tolerate your pause for even a moment.

You can only run, flee forward at all costs, even if it means tearing your heart and lungs apart.

And once you are exhausted, you may stumble and fall at that crossroads of fate, enveloped by his cold figure.
He will surely judge you using the cruelest methods!

As the timeout whistle blew, Lynch raised his arm high, walking towards the Knicks' bench like a triumphant general.

Ron Artest, meanwhile, roared and brandished his fists at the enraged Rose Garden cult members in the stands:

"Lin Qi and I took care of you bastards together!"

DeShawn Stevenson, who played 0 minutes in the entire game, shook his head and complained to Amir Johnson next to him:
"Shameless! What did he do? He did make a steal, but that only slightly offset his damn mistake. Other than that, he contributed nothing."

Unlike us, they earned their positions as the second-best shooting guard and the second-best power forward in the East through sheer hard work and dedication.

"Exactly!" Amir Johnson responded confidently after playing for 3 minutes throughout the game.

At this time, the viewership ratings for the match were still soaring.

This game, which was touted as the Knicks' first loss, is heading towards its thrilling conclusion with the most intense atmosphere.

It's not just fans watching; many star players are also paying attention to this crazy stadium.

LeBron James gritted his teeth.

Kobe Bryant looked grave.

They had thought tonight would be a night to soothe their souls, but now even that last bit of comfort was being taken away by Lynch.

Stephen Curry's brows furrowed tightly.

He felt the world was fucking unfair.

He heard that China is preparing to launch an online basketball game based on NBA 2K.

Players can become stronger if they're willing to spend money. Even Stephen Curry can block Yao Ming in a game if he's willing to spend money.

Stephen Curry is prepared to spend a fortune on in-game purchases on the first day of the game's release, aiming to recreate his most authentic self within the game.

But what about Lynch?

A player like him doesn't need to spend any money to be the strongest in the game.

"That's so unfair!" Stephen Curry yelled.

“Indeed!” Kevin Durant said through gritted teeth, looking at the female fans cheering for Lynch in the away game.

The game restarted, and the air in the rose garden had become thin, making it difficult for everyone to breathe.

In the final moments, the Trail Blazers substituted Nicolas Batum, whose three-point shooting was somewhat inconsistent, with Martel Webster, who was on fire.

The purpose of this substitution is to create as much space as possible for Brandon Roy.

After the offensive possession ends, the Knicks will call a timeout, and Nate McMillan will bring the Frenchman back in.

Brandon Roy strode forward steadily, his gaze as unwavering as a beacon piercing through the smoke of battle.

Lynch briefly met that sharp gaze and instantly understood why Kobe Bryant valued Portland's No. 7 so much.

The resonance of their souls lies not only in the outlines and imprints of their skills, but also in the steely will forged deep within their bones and blood.

That familiar gaze also pulled Lin Qi's thoughts back to the corner of his memory of battling Thunder.

Even in the most desperate and perilous situation that night, Kevin Durant remained as steadfast as a rock before him, refusing to yield an inch and determined to fight to the death.

They can all be considered Lynch's true rivals.

The moment his gaze returned, the image of LeBron James involuntarily flashed through Lynch's mind.

In comparison, Lynch's arch-rival, LeBron James.
That bastard just seems weaker the more you analyze him!

The Trail Blazers are on offense with only 43 seconds left in the game.

They have two options: either launch a quick attack and buy themselves another offensive turn.

Either they grind it out to the very end, going the full 24 seconds, and the winner is decided in the last two rounds.

The Trail Blazers, who have always preferred a slow-paced game, chose the latter strategy, opting for the most brutal way to win.

The two were like two outlaws facing off in the blood-red sunset of the West, each with only one bullet in their revolvers.

Just like that last shot.

The next shot would be enough to bury the entire war.

The serve goes in, and the wheel of fate begins to turn!
Andre Miller calmly controlled the ball to the heart of the attacking third, where Brandon Roy lay motionless in the right elbow area, like a cheetah lurking in the darkness, his eyes fixed on the constantly changing bright red numbers above his head.

Brandon Roy received the ball just before the shot clock expired, and used LaMarcus Aldridge's screen to break through Raja Bell.

Lynch switched on defense, but Brandon Roy didn't pass the ball to his good partner.

Because Raja Bell's experienced eyes had already seen through the intention, his long arms, like an iron lock, blocked the middle of the passing path, severing the last thread of connection between the Trail Blazers' two stars.

With no other choice, Brandon Roy had to gamble Portland's fate on this naked mismatch against Lynch!
But Lynch wasn't afraid of this mismatch. Considering that Brandon Roy wasn't known for his explosiveness and speed, Lynch had no disadvantage in that regard.

He lowered his center of gravity, his shoulder slicing downwards like a blade, and his right foot stomped down, preparing to thrust.

But after one step, Portland No. 7 suddenly stopped, its center of gravity like a spring compressed to its limit suddenly released upward, pulling up and leaning backward!

Tonight, Brandon Roy efficiently scored 37 points, and his changes in weight and rhythm made the Knicks' perimeter defense suffer.

But Lin Qi accurately seized the opportunity to strike.

Those long arms and precise predictions swallowed up all of Brandon Roy's chances of making a move.

The owner of the Rose Garden, a man who always creates miracles at crucial moments, couldn't even see the basketball hoop at this moment.

He gritted his teeth, using his waist and abdomen to resist the heavy pressure. In the desperate situation where his vision was completely blocked, he forced himself to make a move based on the muscle memory honed through countless trials.

He knew he couldn't back down, because this was a jump shot that could bury another powerhouse.

but.
"Boom!"

The basketball slammed hard against the cold front edge of the rim!
Lynch's defense caused this cold-blooded guy to make a mistake!

The loud thud of the basketball hitting the rim still echoed in the arena, but the Trail Blazers fans still had room to breathe, after all, they still held that crucial one-point advantage.

Below the basket, Greg Oden and Tyson Chandler collided like two ancient stone pillars, jumping simultaneously and touching the basketball with their fingertips at the same time, sending the ball flying into the air once again.

At the critical moment, Lin Qi ran into the restricted area and, like a magnet, precisely attracted the out-of-control basketball. On the verge of being frantically pulled by several giant hands, he fiercely seized the power of life and death and grabbed the rebound!

The instant Lynch's feet touched the ground, Nate McMillan, on the sidelines of the Rose Garden, cleaved through the clamor with the force of a waving flag: "Nikola! Nikola!"

Nicolas Batum stood up, threw down his towel, and prepared to go on the court for this defensive possession.

But then, both he and Nate McMillan froze.

Because the Knicks didn't call a timeout!

Flip Saunders stood firm like a rock, arms crossed, showing no intention of giving the Trail Blazers any chance to adjust.

As for their own attack?
Philip Sanders handed over the reins entirely to the two masters, Lynch and Nash.

His trust is the coldest and most deadly command!
"Damn it!" Nate McMillan cursed as Steve Nash had already taken control of the half-court.

The Wind Child controlled the ball with ease, while Lynch made a lot of off-ball runs, looking for shooting opportunities.

With four seconds left, Lynch shook off LaMarcus Aldridge and found an opportunity in the right corner.

Steve Nash's pass arrived almost simultaneously, without wasting even 0.1 seconds of the opportunity.

But the resilient pioneers did not allow themselves to be slaughtered.

Brandon Roy and Martel Webster, who were closest to Lynch, raised their arms and surrounded him.

LeBron James instinctively felt that Lynch was going to pass the ball.

If it were him, he would definitely have sent it, even if there was very little time left.

Because that is the most reasonable, safest, and least blame-ridden textbook choice.

But Lynch didn't.

He looked at the two defenders rushing towards him, suddenly twisted his left foot, lowered his shoulders and arms, and thrust his whole body toward the baseline with a resolute force, determined to turn around and break through along the baseline.

Brandon Roy's defensive instincts tightened, and he took a large step back.

But as he retreated, Lin Qi quickly used his left foot as a pivot, twisted his body, and turned back to the right!
He used this half-turn feint to completely shake off Roy, leaving only one weak barrier—Martel Webster!

Lin Qi did not hesitate for a moment; even a 0.1 millisecond pause would be a desecration of the opportunity.

He turned around and immediately jumped, leaning back to release the ball. Before Webster's horrified, dilated pupils, he lifted the ball to an absolute high point and flicked his wrist!
Nate McMillan's heart clenched. If Lynch had actually scored by exploiting Martel Webster's mistake, he would have been unable to forgive himself for his flawed substitution strategy at the last moment.

Brandon Roy, who had been shaken off by Lynch, was sweating profusely. This fearless warrior, who had never been afraid of challenges, felt for the first time how cold and piercing the air conditioning in the Rose Garden was.

The basketball cut through the stagnant air of the rose garden, and the red light on the backboard lit up.

Once upon a time, on this very ground with its romantic name, Brandon Roy used the same cold, sharp arrows to pin his opponents' hearts to the gallows countless times.

But tonight.
"brush!"

The crisp sound of silk being torn apart as it entered the net marked the end of the final judgment.

With a beautiful half-turn fake followed by a fadeaway jump shot, Lynch shook off the double team and pierced the chest of the Rose Garden owner!
The King of New York dragged his team out of the graveyard of powerhouses!
The floor of the Steel Rose Garden, for the first time, succumbed to the conquerors' iron hooves!

"Lynch! His fourth career game-winning shot! At the Rose Garden! My God," Marvin Albert's voice was trembling with shock, "What kind of team can possibly beat this season's New York Knicks!?"

Amid Marvin Albert's incredulous roar, Lynch took a few steps and leaped onto the scorer's table, tearing at his jersey and letting out a beast-like howl.

Demar DeRozan looked at the unfamiliar Lynch and couldn't help but run towards him, as if his soul had been seized by the only light source in the dark abyss.

At that very moment, everything changed.

At this moment, Lynch was no longer just a calm commander and leader to him, but an erupting, living totem of victory!
In the blink of an eye, all the Knicks players, like apostles summoned by divine intervention, spontaneously gathered below the scorer's table.

They raised their arms high, palms up, like devout believers yearning to touch the halo of a god, their eyes looking up in awe at number 20, who was bathed in the vortex of spotlights and battle cries.

Marvin Albert saw the scene up close, took a deep breath, and leaned down almost reverently to get close to the microphone.

"I think this league has a new basketball god."

(End of this chapter)