Champion Rules

Chapter 258 (254): My Strength Is Undisputed (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Inside the Palace of Auburn Hills, the boos from Pistons fans weighed heavily on the air, like lead weights.

For Detroit fans, watching their arch-rival win the unanimous MVP award was even more painful than Carmelo Anthony losing the MVP.

The unvented frustration turned into a tsunami of boos, crashing down on the field.

Security is tight at the Palace of Auburn Hills tonight.

The management had to deploy three times the usual number of security personnel to maintain order at the scene.

However, the presence of paper cups on the floor at the players' tunnel entrance when the Knicks players entered the court demonstrates that this could not completely dampen the enthusiasm of Detroit fans.

Witnessing this, commentator Reggie Miller was excited: "Can you feel it? This is just like the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry of the 80s! This is not just a game, it's a life-or-death struggle!"

Jeff Van Gundy added fuel to the fire: "Especially after Melo denied the merit of Lynch's unanimous MVP award, the intensity of this battle will definitely escalate!"

Amidst a chorus of boos, Lin Qi stepped onto the field to warm up, his face expressionless.

Because it was an away game, Lynch's award ceremony consisted of a simple press conference held at the hotel yesterday.

Of course, the scale of the press conference does not diminish the value of the unanimous MVP award.

But what Lynch didn't expect was that a guy who had never won an MVP or a DPOY award was qualified to say that Lynch won the unanimous MVP award because of Reebok.

This marks the third time in Lynch's career that he has won both MVP and DPOY in the same season, a record that alone is enough to propel him up the all-time rankings.

Before him, only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon had won both the MVP and DPOY awards in the same season.

Moreover, they only did it once in their entire careers.

Lynch didn't do it once or twice, but a full three times!

Such an achievement is something that even the sweet melons can only dream of.

Not to mention the only unanimous MVP in history.

Therefore, Carmelo Anthony's behavior is equivalent to asking Stephen Curry to judge Michael Jordan's dunk that shattered the backboard during an exhibition game in Italy in 1986. Stephen Curry, after watching, simply curled his lip in disdain and gave it a 9.

This seems both absurd and ridiculous.

The mainstream media clearly sided with Lynch, and Carmelo Anthony faced considerable criticism.

Just before today's game started, Charles Barkley was still discussing this in the TNT studio:
"We must acknowledge that Reebok's influence in the basketball market is unparalleled today."

Their sales surpassed Nike's last year, and they renewed their sponsorship deal with the NBA. For the next decade or so, all NBA teams will continue to wear Reebok jerseys.

In the eyes of today's young people, Reebok is synonymous with the NBA and basketball; they are so closely intertwined that they are inseparable.

They have a good relationship with the NBA and with most media outlets.

Reebok's influence is real and tangible.

But let's consider this from a different perspective: if Melo were a Reebok spokesperson, and if Reebok maintained its current level of influence, would he have won the unanimous MVP award this season?

Charles Barkley's rhetorical question speaks volumes—even if Reebok has influence, you can't deliver a performance that conquers everyone, and you can't become the unanimous MVP.

If you only have five seconds of power, even the best delay kit can't save you.

Despite gaining public support, Lynch was not satisfied.

He prefers to let Carmelo Anthony personally experience the value of a unanimous MVP award.

The match was about to begin, and the atmosphere was already tense as soon as the two sides gathered in the center circle.

Carmelo Anthony, who secured the victory in the previous game and hit two crucial shots over Lynch at critical moments, is full of confidence:
"Media support can get you a unanimous MVP vote, but it can't save you."

After saying that, he glanced smugly at his good helper, LBJ.

"Sorry Lynch, LBJ and I are going to disappoint you."

Lynch jumped up and down a couple of times, stretching his arms. "Melo, do you really know what a unanimous MVP means?"

"That means this is a fucking Reebok alliance!"

Carmelo Anthony was firing on all cylinders, but LeBron James beside him remained unusually silent.

This person, who longed for Lynch to die, was exceptionally quiet and only wanted to do his own thing.

He forced himself to stop overthinking; he'd deal with everything else after he got Lynch out of the game.

The game began, and Tyson Chandler won the first point over Ben Wallace's head for the fourth consecutive game.

Lynch didn't take on as much responsibility as usual, and didn't even run pick-and-rolls with Nash.

Tyson Chandler was tasked with setting a pick and roll for Nash, but Deron Williams quickly squeezed past him, maximizing Nash's shooting space.

Since Nash's game-winning shot in Game 2, Deron Williams has been defending Nash even more tightly.

He couldn't accept that he had been defeated by a 36-year-old veteran, and he vowed to wash away the humiliation with a tough defense.

Nash didn't have much room to shoot, and with his speed severely reduced, he couldn't easily break past Deron Williams using screens.

When Steve Nash drove half a step inside the free throw line, Deron Williams had already caught up with him and stuck to him.

The Wind Child stopped abruptly, clasped the ball in both hands, and stared at the basket.

Ben Wallace was already boxing out, and Steve Nash was definitely going to pull up for a jump shot.

Deron Williams jumped with all his might, confident that he could disrupt the shot.

Do you still think of yourself as the MVP you used to be?
No.

One of the cruelties of competitive sports is that no matter how glorious you were in the past, you will become a stepping stone for young people when you get old!
But the next second, the entire Pistons team and fans around the world saw Ron Artest suddenly drive to the basket and score with a powerful one-handed dunk!
After Steve Nash stopped abruptly, the basketball in his hands miraculously appeared in Ron Artest's palm!

Reggie Miller couldn't help but applaud: "Steve's magic!!!"

This play wasn't actually difficult; Nash made a quick and subtle back pass to Ron Artest as he made a sudden stop.

But because the timing and rhythm were so perfectly controlled, the visual effect of this pass was quite stunning.

After landing in the previous game, Ron Artest, who had given the middle finger to Pistons fans, yelled at the stands: "You're not just going to cry, you're going to bleed!"

Steve Nash delivered an absolutely stunning first offensive play of the night.

The brilliant passes made people temporarily forget why Lynch was so low-key on the offensive end.

But Carmelo Anthony soon realized it.

Lin Qi wants to keep it all for himself!
From the very first second of the defensive possession, Lynch's "death noose" was already around Carmelo Anthony's neck.

He charged and fought relentlessly, wearing down his nemesis.

Carmelo Anthony felt like he was in a wrestling match on the basketball court.

In the past three games, Lynch and Carmelo Anthony have resembled two wounded and trapped beasts, and the scene of them tearing and fighting each other is nothing new.

But tonight, Lin Qi went straight into strangulation mode from the very first round.

It's as if he completely erased the concept of physical energy distribution.

Carmelo Anthony struggled desperately, but was like a ship being swallowed by a giant whale.

He simply couldn't get even a moment's space to receive the ball under such tight marking!

LeBron James frowned, the offensive clock relentlessly ticking down, and the ball could only be passed to Deron Williams, who was cutting to the basket.

But Tyson Chandler's mountain-like body blocked the attack from mid-air, while Raja Bell's ghostly hand made a precise cut.

Surrounded by a steel wall of attacks from both sides, Deron could only throw out a hasty and unbalanced move.

The basketball bounced off the rim and went out of bounds.

Although his athleticism is no longer what it used to be, Ben Wallace, whose rebounding instincts remain sharp, took advantage of the chaos to grab the offensive rebound and pass it to Carmelo Anthony, who had created a little space.

The moment Melo's hand touched the basketball, Lynch's massive shadow pressed down on him again, sealing him off completely.

Once again, he was isolated from basketball, from the air, and from the whole world!

Carmelo Anthony lowered his center of gravity, used his shoulder and head to create some space, and made a fake start to drive to the left.

Melo then quickly retracted his foot and raised the ball above his head.

The three-threat shot is Carmelo Anthony's most frequently used shot development method.

This move successfully lured Lin Qi to lean forward.

But it was still a feint. Seeing Lynch shift his weight, Carmelo Anthony seized the opportunity to break through.

Lynch reacted with lightning speed, sidestepping and quickly chasing after him.

Seeing that he had failed to get rid of the obstacle, Carmelo Anthony stopped abruptly and then turned around.

In that brief pause and turn, he seized a precious opportunity to make a move!
Carmelo Anthony didn't take a turnaround jumper; that would be too slow, and Lynch would never give such a slow shot any chance.

After turning around, he opted for a one-handed throw.

This is an unconventional shooting method that requires a high level of dexterity.

Carmelo Anthony's greatest confidence comes from his shooting touch.

The basketball arced through the air, hurtling straight towards the basket.

But Lin Qi went straight up and down, like a divine warrior descending from the sky. His arm stretched vertically in the air, his five fingers like hooks, and he actually picked the ball off the ground with one hand!
Reggie Miller felt a chill run down his spine: "Wait, isn't there a goaltending ball?!"

There was no goaltending, the baseline referee could clearly see that the basketball was still on its upward trajectory and had not yet reached its peak, so there was no question of it falling.

This is a clean-cut cap with unparalleled visual impact!

After Lynch received the ball, he quickly passed it to Steve Nash, but Deron Williams blocked Steve Nash's path almost instantly.

This situation is, to some extent, a microcosm of the changes in the Knicks' offensive rhythm this season.

During the regular season, the New York Knicks' offense remained the best in the league.

However, the pace has slowed slightly compared to last season, with a noticeable increase in the number of rounds that fall into positional warfare.

The root cause lies in Steve Nash's physical condition; the impact of age cannot be ignored, and his explosiveness and absolute speed have further declined.

Once he gets the ball, it's difficult for him to shake off opponents who are trying to close him off in one step, just like he did in Phoenix.

While the Wind Child could certainly lead a beautiful counter-attack with just a pass, his decreased speed did affect the overall pace of the team.

This fast break fell through because Steve Nash couldn't quickly shake off Deron Williams, forcing the Knicks' offense to retreat into a half-court game.

But the Knicks scored again.

Steve Nash made a wide pass, putting the ball directly from the right side of the court to the left corner—right where Raja Bell had just shaken off Richard Hamilton and had an open shot.

God knows how Steve Nash managed to pinpoint Raja Bell's moment of escape from such a distance, over so many defenders.

He did it.

Furthermore, this pass was very comfortable. Raja Bale didn't need to adjust; he received the ball in the most comfortable rhythm.

"Shh!"

The ball went in again, and New York is now up 5-0.

Even in positional warfare, Steve Nash could ensure the smooth operation of the offense.

Moreover, Lynch still doesn't seem to have expended much energy on the offensive end.

Tonight, the Knicks seemed to have handed over the entire offensive responsibility to Steve Nash.

Meanwhile, Lynch was fully focused on the other end – dealing with Carmelo Anthony!
On the second offensive possession, Carmelo Anthony was blocked again.

In this possession, LBJ drove and passed to Melo, who received the ball and immediately launched a drifting shot.

But Lynch followed closely, and at one point grazed the bottom of the basketball.

This slight touch caused the basketball to veer off course and fall directly into the arms of Knicks center Tyson Chandler.

"Another block! Carmelo Anthony was blocked twice by Lynch!"

In the stands, Detroit fans were red-faced with anger.

In the previous round, they had an excuse, claiming that it was clearly goaltending and that Lynch had received the referee's protection.

But this time the seal was so clean it couldn't be cleaner; there wasn't even the slightest physical contact between Lynch and Melon.

Detroit fans were left speechless and could only accept one fact—Carmelo Anthony struggled to even take a shot against Lynch!

In the transition between offense and defense, Steve Nash's pull-up jumper after a pick-and-roll bounced off the rim.

Reggie Miller has already noticed something: "Lynch hasn't touched the ball on offense for three consecutive possessions?"

Jeff Van Gundy, a former NBA head coach, does not believe that this was a tactic devised by Flip Saunders.

No head coach can get their star player to commit 100% to defense, unless that star player is Ben Wallace in his prime.

Therefore, there is only one explanation.

“Lynch is getting revenge,” Jeff Van Gundy concluded sharply and emphatically. “He’s getting revenge for Melo’s controversial comments about his unanimous MVP vote. He’s definitely getting revenge because that’s the kind of person Lynch is.”

Lynch doesn't touch the ball at all on offense, and he doesn't even breathe on defense.

Carmelo Anthony has had enough.

Bro, why don't you play some basketball? You've practically worn out my jersey from all that touching!

Under Lynch's pressure, LeBron James passed Deron Williams to Carmelo Anthony, who then passed to Will Bynum.

The basketball looks very fluid.

But Will Bynum wasn't even on the court!

Carmelo Anthony made a hasty pass under Lynch's intense pressure, resulting in a turnover and sending the ball straight to the bench.

Pistons fans clutched their heads in disbelief. LeBron James had finally calmed down, but Carmelo Anthony was now having a brain-brain battle again!

"Fuck, fuck!" Melon cursed in exasperation.

In the past few years of head-to-head matchups, Carmelo Anthony has also had several embarrassing experiences of being locked down by Lynch.

But those embarrassing moments often happen in one of the quarters of the game.

But tonight, it seems that Lynch intends to treat him like this for the entire game.

Does he think he can do it?
Carmelo Anthony spoke up: "There are four quarters in a game, Lynch! You should know that you can't play cat and mouse with me the whole game, it doesn't make sense. Maybe you've got me on these few possessions, but what about the third quarter? What about the fourth quarter?"

"No point? Ha, you'll soon find out if I can play like this with you for the whole game. Yes, there are four quarters in a basketball game. So, be prepared."

After shutting down Carmelo Anthony on defense, Lynch decided to start putting in a little more effort on offense.

Of course, he couldn't completely abandon offense. As a superstar who excels in both offense and defense, completely abandoning offense would be tantamount to crippling himself, which would be absolutely foolish.

Lynch simply didn't want to expend too much energy on offense tonight, but that doesn't mean he'll be completely invisible on offense.

Moreover, Lynch is a person who treats everyone equally.

He couldn't possibly be so fond of Carmelo Anthony while neglecting LeBron James, who was responsible for guarding him.

LeBron James has been a pet for so many years, Lynch can't possibly neglect him.

Lynch's sudden burst of activity caught LeBron James off guard, who had been somewhat lax on defense.

After receiving the ball on the wing, Lynch didn't hesitate; he immediately turned around to create space and took a fadeaway jump shot.

LeBron James couldn't reach the ball and could only hope that this slight interference would cause Lynch to lose his aim.

But God did not respond to him.

The basketball swished through the net, the crisp sound of the net flipping precisely piercing through James's expectations!

The confident Detroit Pistons were hit with a 7-0 run by the Knicks right from the start!

While dominating Carmelo Anthony with his defense, Lynch was also able to continue tormenting LeBron James on the other end with his scoring.

After the goal, Lynch strode over to Melo and asked him the same question he had before the game: "Melo, do you really know what a unanimous MVP means?"

This time, however, before Carmelo Anthony could answer, Qi had already given his answer decisively.

"That means my strength is undisputed, which is an absolute requirement for becoming a unanimous MVP."

Whether it's LeBron or you standing in the way.

Tonight, I will crush you all in the most undeniable way!

(End of this chapter)