Champion Rules

Chapter 307, Section 303: Faded Handwriting (Seeking monthly votes!)
Lynch delivered the fifth game-winning shot of his career in the final seconds.

This number may not seem groundbreaking, but its significance is extraordinary.

Among active players, Kobe Bryant, whose clutch ability is unanimously recognized by the media and fans, only has 8 buzzer-beating game-winners.

Even looking at the entire history of the NBA, Michael Jordan, who holds the record for the most buzzer-beating game-winners, only has 9.

The conditions for a buzzer-beater are extremely demanding. A player will only encounter a handful of games in their entire career that require a "buzzer-beater" to decide the game, let alone seize these rare opportunities.

All the fans inside Chesapeake Energy Arena seemed to have been muted, unable to make a sound.

Oklahoma City Thunder fans have always felt very fortunate.

They have two future superstars, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

There is a near-superstar, LeBron James.

There is a James Harden who occasionally puts on a superstar performance.

But tonight, Lynch showed them what a true superstar really looks like.

He can guarantee zero mistakes even under tight double-teaming.

He can single-handedly lock down the opponent's star player on the defensive end.

Yes, Ray Allen broke the Finals single-game three-point record tonight.

But in crucial moments, Lin Qi would still step up and take the most pressured shot, turning the tide.

True superstars are never satisfied with not making mistakes—LeBron James' performance tonight was flawless; he neither lost focus on defense nor resorted to his "fast-break defense."

However, his performance tonight was somewhat too conventional; as a superstar, he lacked that uncanny ability to pierce the night.

True superstars aren't just about the bizarre—James Harden passing the ball to LeBron James on the sidelines tonight was certainly bizarre, but that's not great.

Superstars must do something incredible that is valuable to the team.

Lynch spent the entire night doing this.

LeBron James strode into the player tunnel, kicking a trash can away with a powerful kick, his rage almost bursting his ribs.

He was completely unable to control his emotions; the entire night was a complete and utter defeat for him.

He entered the venue smugly wearing Beats headphones, attempting to ridicule Lynch's miscalculation of "wanting equity instead of endorsement fees" back then.

As a result, Beats sold for an astonishing $37 billion.

He screamed hysterically that he would make Lynch taste the bitter fruit of defeat.

Now he's celebrating wildly, surrounded by his teammates and reporters.

From a certain perspective, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are remarkably similar—whether it's Lynch or Scarlett Johansson, those they desperately want to get rid of only seem miserable in their own fantasies!

On the court, after finishing his interview, Lin Qi looked at the final score and his smile faded slightly.

This was a genuine victory, but also a long and arduous ordeal.

The Knicks' victory was hard-fought, and the Thunder were certainly dealt a blow as well.

For most teams, such a devastating defeat is often more likely to shatter morale and cause them to completely collapse in the series than a crushing defeat.

Lynch was all too familiar with this pattern:
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals this season was equally difficult, with Dwyane Wade giving it his all. But once the Heat failed to overcome that crucial hurdle, they crumbled and became lambs to the slaughter in Game 4.

Last season in the Eastern Conference Finals against that super Pistons, Game 3 was decided by the narrowest of margins. However, after the Pistons gave their all but still failed, LeBron James immediately delivered a five-point performance in Game 4 that will go down in human history, leading to the Pistons' complete collapse.

In competitive sports, getting an erection once is easy. But if you don't get the desired effect after getting an erection once, it's very difficult to get an erection a second time.

Tonight's defeat, which could have been devastating, seemed to have come far too soon for the Thunder.

Now, the key to the Finals lies in whether this young Thunder team and that tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside guy can maintain their fighting spirit after such a heavy blow.
Or will their hearts break because of this?
The Thunder's morale has indeed suffered a devastating blow.

Before the game started, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James were all looking forward to the night.

Their dreams further amplified this expectation.

When Stephen Curry hit that game-winning shot with ten seconds left in the game, the burning dream of tonight's victory almost materialized.

Then, that damned game-winning shot sent them plummeting from their heights without any cushioning, shattering all their hopes into a bloody mess.

Stephen Curry had a towel draped over his head, his tendons still trembling slightly; he was quite frustrated.

He knew he was still young, and he knew this was only his first time playing in the Finals in his professional career.

But now that things have come to this, who would want to lose?
Kevin Durant remained silent after the game. Tonight was the most defensively-focused night of his career, and he went to great lengths to deal with Lynch.

However, in just 10 seconds, in just a fleeting gap, the 20th reduced 48 minutes of bloody fighting to ashes.

This feeling of having all his previous efforts wasted drove Kevin Durant crazy.

It feels like you're playing a really difficult game, fighting a boss for a full 48 minutes, and finally whittling him down to his last sliver of health.

As a result, you couldn't dodge his final move, and all your efforts over the past 48 minutes were in vain. Overwhelming emptiness and frustration gnawed at your nerves.

At times like this, most people wouldn't be in the mood for another round, and might even never want to touch that game again in their lives.

LeBron James stumbled behind Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, his disheveled state captured by reporters after he kicked a trash can, causing chaos in the player tunnel. But nothing was resolved.

LBJ remained frustrated, angry, and sad.

He sacrificed a lot tonight. In order to defend, he no longer took on too much on the offensive end and no longer gave himself the biggest share of the pie.

In order to defend, he devoted the energy that was originally allocated to fast breaks to the defensive end.

He put in a lot of effort, and that effort only made Lin Qi's words before the game-winning shot, "I'm going to shoot from beyond the three-point line later," seem even more hurtful.

These three guys, who put their hands together before the game and entrusted their glory to each other, did their best, but all they got in return was regret.

The three of them remained silent, their hearts seemingly dead.

Just as he was about to step into the locker room, Stephen Curry, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

He caught a glimpse of head coach Scott Brooks kneeling down, gently stroking the head of a little girl.

The little girl's delicate face seemed to have been kissed by God; she was beautiful without being gaudy, with a sweet smile, and seemed to radiate white light.

But God must have been unfair to her, because of this little girl.
Below her slender left arm, the sleeve hung loosely at her side.

She has no left hand.

Hearing footsteps, Scott Brooks turned around and saw his three generals standing at the door. He then gently gestured to the girl, "Hey, Lexi, say hello."

The girl skipped forward, tilted her head back, and waved vigorously at the three giants: "Hello! Why are you all looking so down? You looked absolutely amazing tonight, you just had bad luck!"

Faced with the enthusiastic little girl, the three of them were at a loss, as if their throats were being choked by an invisible force.

They had heard of Coach Scott Brooks's misfortune; his eldest daughter, Lexi Brooks, was born without her left hand.

But when they actually saw the girl, they realized how cruel and unfair this defect was.

She was so beautiful, so innocent, her sunny smile almost melting away the gloom around her.

Why must she suffer such a fate?
For a basketball coach who has to move frequently, his daughter has to carry her body, which is very likely to attract strange looks, to unfamiliar schools, face unknown ridicule, and struggle on the edge of loneliness time and time again. It is hard to imagine how much untold bitterness their family has gone through in all this.

But Scott Brooks never showed any distress.

He seemed like a very happy person. He would arrive at the training facility on time every day with a smile and his old briefcase, focused on basketball, and never looking gloomy.

He can even act like an understanding elder, a reliable support who will pat you on the shoulder when you're down, helping you to lift your head again after a setback.

He looked like an unremarkable guy; short, not handsome, and even a bit unkempt.

But his resilience was beyond imagination.

His daughter was the same; she was generous, optimistic, and positive. Her body might be disabled, but her spirit was stronger than that of the three men with the best possible human physiques.

Stephen Curry was the first to bend down, and for the first time since the game ended, he smiled: "Lexie, we're not discouraged. Thank you for your support."

Lexi Brooks extended her full right hand and gently touched Stephen Curry's still sweaty wrist with her fingertips:
"You were the best shooter today, Kevin was the best defender, and LeBron had the most dunks. Losing is only temporary, right, Dad? You said that as long as you don't give up on yourself, the world won't give up on you."

After a long silence, Kevin Durant couldn't help but lean closer to the warm, faint light: "We haven't given up, Lexi!"

He suddenly didn't know what he was feeling down about. He had already weathered the most difficult period of his life. He earned tens of millions of dollars a year, and he had provided his mother with luxury cars and a villa. If he wanted, he could collect all the high heels and torn stockings of beautiful women in the world and have the most exhilarating, ultimate experience of his life.

He had a wonderful life, but he became depressed because of a loss in a game.
This is nonsense!
They lost tonight, and they lost in the most glorious way.

But so what?

Just fight back!

Scott Brooks nodded: "Okay, honey, we need to go back to the locker room to rest. You stay with Mom for now, I'll come find you right away, okay?"

“Okay, but Dad, you’re not allowed to yell at them in the locker room.”

"Hahahaha, don't worry."

"No, I'm not at all at ease unless you pinky swear!"

"I promise!"

Watching the little girl skip away, Stephen Curry clapped his hands, his eyes brightening again:
"Guys, I think I still have a chance to dunk on some unlucky guy in the Finals. What about you guys? Do you think your dreams can still come true?"

Kevin Durant put his arm around Stephen Curry's shoulder: "Of course! LeBron, what about you?"

LBJ wasn't that naive or immature, but even as an egoist as him, even as a coward who had once knelt before Lynch on the spot, he felt a little ashamed of his earlier dejection.

He took a deep breath, his voice filled with unprecedented determination: "Keep fighting! Until the crown is truly placed on your head!"

Game 2 of the series, Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not collapse.

On the contrary, they fought with even greater tenacity than in the last battle!

The Thunder's strategy has not changed despite their loss in the last game; their highly mobile double-teaming of the frontcourt remains their trump card.

In fact, in the first two rounds of the competition, Lin Qi was also dealing with tight double-teams.

But neither the Heat nor the Bulls could double-team the frontcourt to the same extent as the Thunder.

The Chicago Bulls' problem was that when Keith Bogans and Derrick Rose double-teamed Lynch, the pressure they exerted on him was ineffective; they were simply too short.

The Miami Heat's problem is that Pau Gasol has limited mobility. Once double-teamed Lynch, he struggles to cover and provide timely defensive support.

Only the Oklahoma City Thunder truly combines height and mobility.

The shortest player, Thabo Sefolosha, is 201 centimeters tall, while the tallest, Kevin Durant, moves like a small forward.

The Thunder's double-team was tall, strong, and fast!
Lynch's productivity continued to be limited tonight, but of course, it was only limited. He remains the Thunder's most feared threat and a sword hanging over their heads.

Lynch's performance remained consistent, while Ray Allen's performance was even more consistent.

In the last game, he broke the NBA Finals three-point record with 8 three-pointers.

Flip Saunders was so frustrated by missing all eight of his three-point attempts that he wanted to take a glycerin suppository!

0-for-13 shooting from the field, Ray Allen is getting old and can only perform for one night!

Lynch broke the Dream Team's dominance on the basketball court, and if Ray Allen were to participate in diving after retiring, he would break the Chinese Dream Team's dominance!

Of course, there's a reason why Ray Allen is such a good diver.

He contracted the flu the day before the match started, but he insisted on playing. However, it turned out that the flu battle was not a challenge for everyone.

Ray Allen's shooting touch was completely extinguished, and his missed open looks made it difficult for the Knicks to make any progress during transition periods.

Kevin Durant was on fire tonight, calmly sinking 21 points despite guarding Lynch with all his might.

When the final whistle blew, Chesapeake Energy Arena erupted in celebration.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the defending champions 97-91, tying the series 1-1!
林奇孤胆砍下35分12个篮板7次助攻3次封盖1次抢断，命中率48%。

Steve Nash scored 19 points, and DeMar DeRozan scored 14 points.

For the Thunder, Stephen Curry still led the team with 28 points, KD had 21 points, and LBJ had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.

James Harden exploded for 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 missing, but his presence was pitifully low.

As the game ended, Ray Allen covered his mouth with a towel, coughing as he walked into the players' tunnel.

There is no doubt that this veteran will be thrust into the eye of the storm.

For a shooter, a 0-for-8 record from three-point range is truly alarming.

If he had made two of those three-pointers, the Knicks could have forced the game into overtime.

In Game 3 of the series, back in New York, the Thunder became the first team in the last two years to snatch a victory at Madison Square Garden during the playoffs, in front of a massive crowd of Knicks fans.

James Harden seemed to have finally sobered up tonight, scoring 17 points and his explosive transitions were the key factor in breaking the deadlock.

Stephen A. Smith was so angry he nearly flipped the studio over: "I fucking said it before, every bar, nightclub, and strip club in New York should be free for James Harden!"

林奇今晚干脆打出了三双数据，34分13个篮板11次助攻4次封盖2次抢断，命中率45%。

But he didn't get enough support tonight.

Steve Nash is hitting a plateau in his back and physical condition.

Wilson Chandler's magical touch has vanished.

Ray Allen has gone two games without a break, and tonight he only made 1 of 4 three-pointers. It's as if that record-breaking Game 1 performance has exhausted all the shooting touch of his career.

With a series score of 2-1, a startling fact—this is the first time in three seasons since being eliminated by the Miami Heat in 2008 that the New York Knicks are trailing in a series.

LeBron James, facing the nationally televised cameras, suddenly broke into a violent cough and immediately covered his mouth and nose with his jersey.

"LeBron, are you not feeling well?"

"Oh yeah, I guess I caught a cold, hahaha. You know, I didn't shoot well from three tonight, which is a good excuse. But we still won because I'm not the kind of player who needs my teammates to break three-point records to win."

This was an undisguised act of irony and firing.

In the NBA, most players, even if they seem to be bickering on the surface, don't actually harbor much animosity towards each other off the court.

For example, Shaquille O'Neal always appeared to look down on Dwight Howard in public, and he was always criticizing and mocking him.

But who would have thought that in 2025 he would become Dwight Howard's presenter for his Hall of Fame induction?

This is enough to show that there is no deep-seated hatred between them.

But this kind of thing will never happen to Lynch and LBJ.

Their feud was no joke!

Therefore, when one side is knocked down, the other side will show no mercy.

They will do everything they can to insult and trample on the other party!

Inside the Knicks' locker room, when the players saw LBJ feign a cough, implying that Ray Allen's so-called "flu game" was just an excuse for his incompetence and mocking Lynch for only being able to win because of his teammates' luck, they all nervously looked at Lynch.

Ron Artest quietly approached Lynch, just in case Lynch grabbed a chair and smashed the television.

Given his personality, he is very likely to do this.

But Lynch didn't do that.

He clenched his fists, his jaw tense.

After a breathtaking few seconds of silence, he opened the locker door and took out a box.

That was a cigar box that Dwyane Wade had given him.

He opened the cap, and the cigar lay there quietly, silently awaiting the triumphant ignition.

On the cigar, the faded words gradually calmed Lynch's turbulent emotions:

"Remember your anger, and use it to ignite the smoke of victory."

(End of this chapter)