Champion Rules

Chapter 389-385: No Fantasy Should Exist (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Gregg Popovich knew better than anyone how capable Lynch was personally.

In terms of pure ability, no one in the current league can compare to Lynch.

He lives alone.

While Kevin Durant's offense is unstoppable, his defensive impact is worlds apart from Lynch's.

LeBron James' defense is outstanding these days. He almost single-handedly brought the Nets, whose defensive talent was terrible, to an above-average level. However, his offensive consistency is not on the same level as Lynch's.

Moreover, Lynch possesses a leadership quality that the other two lack.

In terms of overall influence, you can't find a better individual player in this league than Lynch.

However, Gregg Popovich believes that in basketball, no matter how strong an individual is, their strength is limited.

How can Lynch maintain efficiency while generating so many shot attempts under the Spurs' defensive strategy?

Even if he can last through one game, how can he maintain that throughout the entire series?
In the first section, Lynch showed everything he had.

He scored 16 points in a single quarter, and the Spurs were completely unable to control Lynch's individual firepower.

In Mike Breen's words, "If Lynch continues to play like this, he can easily score 60 points for the third time in the Finals. No, maybe 70! It sounds incredible, but look at the game, it's getting closer to reality!"

At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs were also down by 7 points.
But during the break, Gregg Popovich told everyone, "Well done, our strategy worked. Keep it up, and victory will surely belong to San Antonio!"

The strategy of “cutting off Lynch’s contact with others and forcing him to solve problems on his own” is not new.

Many teams have tried this strategy over the years.

Of course, they all failed.

Most teams are unable to truly "cut off passing lanes".

Other teams couldn't tolerate Lynch repeatedly destroying their defenses.

Not everyone is like those dedicated veteran sports film artists who can withstand any impact, no matter how big, and even act as if they enjoy it.

Many teams lose their composure when Lynch scores so many points that he becomes uncontrollable, and they start double-teaming him again.

What awaited them was the Knicks' fist clenched shut once again.

The Spurs cannot repeat past mistakes. Gregg Popovich and all the Spurs players are determined to continue their tactics no matter how terrible Lynch's individual performance is.

Even if Lynch scores 60 points in another game, they will cut off Lynch's connection with everyone else.

The logic is simple: impressive individual statistics do not necessarily guarantee victory.

Allowing Lynch to take so many shots will not only affect his teammates' shooting touch, but also their motivation on the defensive end.

With the Knicks' current defensive strategy, if the defensive motivation of other players is affected, the consequences will be devastating.

ESPN is already airing highlights of Lynch's two previous 60-point Finals appearances.

For the entire league, Lynch's achievement can be described as a miracle.

Elgin Baylor created a spectacular 60-point night in the Finals, while Lynch did it twice.

ESPN's sudden revisiting of Lynch's previous two 60+ point Finals games is clearly aimed at igniting fans' expectations—will there be a third one tonight?
The live stream restarted, and Mike Brin was discussing the 60-point Finals with his partner Jeff Van Gundy.

“I think Lynch is fully capable of doing it,” Mike Breen said confidently, “and it would make him an immortal legend. There has never been, and there never will be, a player who scores 60 points three times in the Finals.”

“But the key question,” Jeff Van Gundy wasn’t excited about, “is whether Lynch’s 60 points can win the team?”

Amidst heated discussion, the second quarter began.

The Spurs took the lead on offense, and Manu Ginobili hit a mid-range pull-up jumper after a pick-and-roll to narrow the gap to 5 points.

With the tide turning and the world's fans focused on Lynch, anticipating the possible "60-point countdown".

But something surprising happened.

Lynch stopped attacking with the ball; Kyrie Irving took over.

Kyrie Irving faced Danny Green head-on, executing a smooth drive, change of direction, and acceleration, ultimately finishing with a skillful layup over Boris Diaw's long arms!

Well, Lynch is only human after all. Even he can't endlessly develop every attack on his own in such a high-intensity match.

No one in this world can do that.

It's normal to let Kyrie Irving play a few rounds occasionally.

Contrary to popular belief, Lynch did not have the ball for the next three minutes.

He no longer focused on strong attacks with the ball, but instead poured his surging energy into defensive intensity, rebounding, and constant stretching of the Spurs' defense with off-ball movement.

He turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the possibility of a miracle!
This is the Knicks' strategy. Mike Malone knows that the Knicks will have a hard time putting together a team offense against the Spurs' defense.

While Lynch's solo offensive strategy might generate impressive statistics, it may not necessarily lead to victory.

Therefore, he needs Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan to take turns leading the third and fourth quarters.

The first and second quarters belonged to Lynch.

There are many reasons for doing this. First, it is to prevent Lynch from completely exhausting his physical strength in the continuous offensive development. Someone has to step up and help him share the offensive pressure.

Secondly, to prevent other players from becoming mere spectators on the sidelines and losing their sense of participation, enthusiasm, and rhythm in the game.

However, when Lynch had just scored 16 points in a single quarter, Mike Malone still asked Lynch for his opinion: "Do you want to keep attacking?"

It's not hard to imagine what LeBron James or Wilt Chamberlain would do if they had such an opportunity to put up historic numbers.

Perhaps they will play the whole game as if it were a half-game, spending as much of their time as possible in the offensive half, greedily chasing points.

Perhaps they will play the game as a purely offensive game, conserving energy as much as possible on the defensive end.

In fact, Kevin Durant, who was watching the game, didn't understand why Lynch did that.

He was clearly on fire, and he had the chance to put up a great scoring performance.

Why did he stop?

Lynch rejected the proposal to continue the attack and, as planned, handed the reins to Kyrie Irving.

Furthermore, Lynch switched roles almost instantly.

In the second quarter, he became the blue-collar player who frantically helped out on defense, fought hard for rebounds, and set screens for his teammates time and time again.

Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan's isolation scoring efficiency was naturally not as good as Lynch's, but they still scored a combined 17 points in the quarter.

At halftime, the Spurs were still down by 4 points.

In the third quarter, Lynch's defensive performance instilled fear in the Spurs.

In the third minute of the third quarter, Lynch executed a classic defensive play.

The Spurs passed the ball around, Lynch chased it around, blocked all possible opportunities, and finally intercepted the ball.

"He's practically a moving wall!" Mike Brin exclaimed. "My God, Lynch practically filled this half of the court!"

Jeff Van Gundy only admires Lynch:

“Look at him, that’s why KD is still nowhere near him. Lynch knows this game can’t just be about his teammates defending him and him stealing the spotlight.”

Lynch also helps his teammates on defense, allowing them to focus on offense; that's what he did in these two quarters!

Gregg Popovich paced the sidelines; the game was completely different from what he had anticipated.

Lynch wasn't obsessed with offense and scoring, and the others didn't get frustrated because they didn't get to touch the ball for a long time.

Adam Silver's smile gradually faded; the Spurs had been suppressed throughout the entire game.

Although the point difference wasn't large, this wasn't a typical Spurs game.

Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan were not very efficient offensively in the third quarter.

However, thanks to Lynch's efforts, the Spurs' offensive efficiency was suppressed in the third quarter.

In the final possession of the third quarter, the Spurs narrowed the gap to 5 points thanks to a miraculous layup by Manu Ginobili after almost completely losing his balance in the air.

"Lynch sacrificed his impressive individual stats to win the game!" Jeff Van Gundy said. "Listen, maybe there won't be another 60-point Finals miracle tonight, maybe there won't be any more flashy individual stats. But the New York Knicks are firmly holding the key to this precious victory!"

After three quarters, Lynch gave everyone a high-five and then sat back down on the bench.

Next, in the fourth quarter, the offensive reins will return to Lynch.

Kyrie Irving was itching to get back into action. Although his freedom to shoot on offense was over for the night, his fighting spirit remained undiminished: "Don't worry, we'll stick to the San Antonio team and never let go!"

DeMar DeRozan nodded while wiping his sweat: "Go, Lynch, focus on the attack, we'll handle the other end."

It's hard to say whether other players would still have that same passion if they had defended for three quarters.

But the Knicks didn't let that scenario happen.

As the fourth quarter began, Tim Duncan looked at Lynch with excitement, not despair.

This is the opponent he's been dreaming of in the finals!
Greatness is forged only by defeating great opponents.

Shame is honored to have met such an opponent twice in the Finals during his career.

Of course, it would be even more honorable to win once.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Adam Silver still harbored a sliver of hope.

Lynch's offensive performance in the first quarter was phenomenal. After his all-out defensive efforts in the second and third quarters, can he really reignite that all-consuming scoring blaze in the decisive final quarter?
Lynch received the ball directly in the backcourt, with Gerald Wallace in charge of defense.

Adam Silver's eyes were sharp; would Lynch make a mistake? How could he possibly score whenever he wanted?

Lynch came to the frontcourt, waved, and called for a screen from DeAndre Jordan.

Tim Duncan had to move up, but he didn't completely close out, cautiously keeping his feet near the free-throw line.

The Spurs' defensive strategy has always been consistent: when absolutely necessary, the basket is sacred and inviolable!
Lynch knew that Gerald Wallace was very good at going around screens, and against such a top defender, he couldn't get enough shooting space just by using pick-and-rolls. After all, this was Gerald Wallace who hadn't experienced any major injuries, had been coached by the Spurs, and was still selected to the All-Defensive Team this season.

But it doesn't matter. Lynch doesn't want to get rid of Gerald Wallace completely. He calls this pick-and-roll just to gain a fleeting moment of acceleration.

The moment the cover was created, Lin Qi was like a suppressed spring suddenly released, pouring all his kinetic energy into his legs and thrusting straight into the heart of the Spurs without hesitation!
The tactical objective of the pick-and-roll has been achieved: a sliver of space is exchanged for a lightning-fast initial acceleration.

But the road ahead remains treacherous.

If you accelerate recklessly when a screen is set, you do have a chance to shake off your opponent. After all, even the fastest run around a screen takes time.

But if you charge straight in like that, you'll crash headfirst into the arms of the guard.

A pull-up jump shot?

The opposing player will immediately catch up and create interference.

No matter which option you choose, this will not be an easy attack.

Lynch chose the first method. After gaining the acceleration space, Lynch charged towards Tim Duncan without hesitation and launched a sudden attack!
Then, facing the outstretched long arm of number 21, he slammed the dunk with all his might!

"boom!!!"

Adam Silver felt a jolt, as if the ball had slammed into his chest.

Tim Duncan's positioning was perfect, but Lynch just stood there, almost arrogantly, and destroyed it!

At this moment, Adam Silver understood—yes, if Lynch wanted to, he could unleash a terrifying scoring feast at any time!

"That's Lynch!" Mike Brin cheered. "The scoring Lynch is back!"

Lynch landed, his gaze fixed on Shams: "This series isn't complete until I've put a punch on your head."

Tim Duncan remained unfazed; when being dunked on becomes a habit, you get used to it.

With the score difference reaching 7 points, Tim Duncan quickly tried to respond. In this possession, after receiving the ball in the low post, he quickly turned and made a jump shot, attempting to close the gap.

But the moment he made his move, DeMar DeRozan seemed to defy gravity and "float" in the air, his arm lashing out violently.

"boom!!!"

The basketball was swatted away with tremendous force, crashing heavily onto the backboard with a loud bang, creating another visual spectacle that shocked the entire stadium!

The moment Duncan turned around, DeMar DeRozan sprinted back to the paint with incredible speed and power, extinguishing the Spurs' offense with a block that was both incredibly high and powerful!

"Leave the other end to us" is not just empty words, but a promise that needs to be upheld with action.

"Demar gave his all on the defensive end; we rarely see him unleash such terrifying power on that end!"

The basketball bounced violently off the backboard, and Lin Qi leaped high like an eagle, securing the rebound.

The moment the ball landed, the experienced and cunning Gerald Wallace immediately reached out and launched a sneak attack, attempting to steal the ball at the weakest moment in his defense!
Lin Qi tapped the basketball between his legs to avoid a steal, then quickly turned around, regained control of the ball, and sprinted forward!

After shaking off Danny Green with a behind-the-back dribble, only Tony Parker was left to defend in the frontcourt.

As Lynch rapidly approached, Tony Parker saw Lynch's eyes—the eyes of a ferocious beast locking onto its prey, ready to devour it whole!
Just as Lynch charged at him, Tony Parker sidestepped, dodging the oncoming beast.

With a powerful one-handed dunk, Lynch completed a fast break.

“You can’t blame Tony,” Mike Brin shrugged. “He just made the survival choice that any rational person would have made.”

Lynch landed and roared to the sky, his voice shaking the heavens! The other Knicks players also stared with bloodshot eyes, their gazes as fierce as those of beasts, locking onto their respective opponents!

Gregg Popovich immediately called a timeout; even though the fourth quarter had just begun, he had to call a timeout.

Because he knew that the Knicks had gained momentum.

They are eager to close out the game, and if left unchecked, they will quickly widen the score gap!

However, a pause is not a lifeline.

After the game restarted, Lynch continued to score steadily on offense.

The Spurs' efficient team offense was no longer as impressive as it was against the Knicks' united defense.

Lynch, however, maintained an exaggeratedly high individual offensive efficiency.

Jeff Van Gundy reached a conclusion that foreshadowed the ending:
"The San Antonio Spurs made up for their lack of talent with teamwork, but Lynch was different; he raised the ceiling of talent with teamwork."

With 1 minute and 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks had a 9-point lead, and Lynch had the ball at the top of the arc.

The Spurs are now in a desperate struggle; if they fall behind by double digits in the final minute, their hopes for tonight are slim.

But who can stop Lynch?

Lynch scored 16 points in the first quarter, and a total of 12 points in the second and third quarters, for a total of 28 points in the first three quarters.

And now, his score is 42.

At this moment, the whole world is imagining that if Lynch only considered the data, he could really score 60 points again.

Boris Dior returned to Lynch's side, and tonight he and Gerald Wallace would take turns dealing with Lynch.

Lynch looked at the Frenchman in front of him, dribbling the ball with a very relaxed posture.

With only 8 seconds left on the shot clock, Lynch started his run, stopped abruptly, and jumped to shoot.

However, Boris Diaw seized the rhythm of the attack, and his timing for the lunge was perfect, making it highly likely that he would complete the block!

Tony Parker and Danny Green are already sprinting forward, and if there's any hope, the Spurs need a fast break to close the gap.

Gerald Wallace moved toward Lynch, preparing to take control of the modified basketball.

Duncan blocked DeAndre Jordan, protecting the rebound at all times.

Adam Silver stood up, the first time he'd stood up all game. Previously, no matter how exciting the moment, he'd never left the bench.

But this scene, this scene that gave him renewed hope, made him uncontrollably want to see things more clearly.

Boris Diaw's fingertips were about to touch the basketball, and even if he couldn't block it directly, he would definitely change the basketball's trajectory.

That shot is impossible to score!

Individual attacks will inevitably lead to mistakes!
But the next second, Lin Qi inexplicably pulled the ball back into his arms, narrowly avoiding the fatal block, and then raised the basketball again, flicking his wrist!
A miraculous layup jumper!
Then--

"Ball in! With one minute left, Lynch has put the Spurs down by 11 points!" Jeff Van Gundy yelled. "No hope! He's not giving the opponent any hope!"

Adam Silver slumped back down, closing his eyes in disappointment.

When facing Lynch, no illusions should exist.

44分5次助攻13个篮板2次抢断3次封盖。

Mike Brin looked at the data and shook his head:
"In fact, we've all gotten one thing wrong—"

For Lynch, incredible statistics and victories were never an either-or choice.

(End of this chapter)