Champion Rules

Chapter 68 064: It’s that simple (Please subscribe!)

Eddy Curry and Andres Nocioni passed away peacefully.

Before the game, Eddy Curry mocked Nocioni.

After the game started, Nocioni mocked Eddy Curry.

By the end of the game, none of them were smiling.

Of course the smile didn't disappear, it just shifted to Lynch's face.

Although in the last three quarters, after Nocioni was assigned to guard Lynch, it became less easy for Lynch to score.

但他全场依然拿下26分11个篮板6次助攻2次封盖，并且将埃迪.库里的得分压到只有7分。

Eddy Curry took a total of 8 shots in the entire game.

When a team's highest scorer only takes 8 shots per game, it is undoubtedly a further blow to the Bulls, who have a weak offense.

The score of this game was very low. The no-fly zone set up by Tyson Chandler restricted Grant Hill's off-ball cuts, and Marbury also had a hard time under the siege of the Bulls guards.

But Lynch's performance in destroying the Bulls' front line still secured victory for the Knicks.

87 to 81, the Chicago Bulls' nine-game winning streak was ended, while the Knicks extended their winning streak to seven games.

At this point, the Knicks have surpassed the Miami Heat, who just lost the game and have a record of 13 wins and 6 losses, and ranked second in the Eastern Conference!

The last time the Knicks were in this position was in 2000, during the era of Ewing, Alan Houston and Sprewell.

Although the season has just begun and this is not the final ranking, New York fans can now at least believe what Lynch said: "We are not the kind of team that just happened to make the playoffs."

Stephen Marbury fist-bumped Lynch after the game: "Second in the division, God, I haven't felt second since leaving Minneapolis!"

Lynch rubbed his head nonchalantly: "There are still many things you haven't experienced, such as winning a series."

On the other side, Shaquille O'Neal, who had just lost the game, was experiencing the most bitter night of the season.

He shot 12 of 15 today, scoring 34 points and 17 rebounds, his stats couldn't be better.

But in the last 15 seconds, the Sharks failed to grab the most crucial rebound.

In the melee in the paint area, Raptors forward Jalen Rose rushed out like a ghost and grabbed the rebound with his fingers.

When Jalen Rose took off for the second time and went straight for a layup, the referee immediately called a defensive foul on Haslem who was blocking him.

These two fatal free throws finally set the score at 94 to 92, completely crushing the Heat players' efforts throughout the game.

O'Neal was disgusting enough. He felt that the referee ruined the game and the final call made no sense at all.

But when he learned that the Heat were overtaken by the Knicks in the rankings because of their loss in this game, his nausea almost reached the level of morning sickness.

"I don't want to hear that name (Lynch)!" O'Neal slammed the table to interrupt the reporter's question. "The regular season is long. Wait until 82 games are over, then you can look at the rankings! Stop comparing Lynch to me. I've had enough! I didn't come to Miami to beat a rookie!"

What the Shark said is correct. The regular season is very long, which reflects the cruelty of the NBA.

A full 82 games. No other basketball league on the planet has a longer schedule than this.

Even when playing NBA2K, few people have the patience to manually play through 82 regular season games because it is too long.

A team may be able to maintain its form and health for a month or two, but injuries and ups and downs in the six-month regular season are always unpredictable.

As if no one could have predicted, Alan Houston would be out for the season again after playing in just 20 games.

After defeating the Bulls, in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets, Alan Houston twisted his knee after a collision and fell to the ground.

The former All-Star guard, who gave his jersey number to Lynch, played only 50 games last season. After careful consideration, he chose not to undergo knee surgery and opted for conservative treatment.

Obviously, this decision changed his career.

The Knicks still won the game, but the post-game medical report showed that the Knicks would not be able to welcome Alan Houston back this season.

This is a challenge for Lenny Wilkens. There is a structural vacancy at the team's No. 2 position, and the Knicks no longer have a No. 2 player suitable for starting.

The former genius Anfernee Hardaway is no longer useful. Contrary to what people expected, Anfernee Hardaway's biggest problem on the court is not defense, but the catastrophic offensive drag.

As he ages, he is unable to break through, cut into the basket, and his post-up play is no longer efficient.

Now he can only score by catching the ball and shooting jump shots after running without the ball, but Anfernee Hardaway has never been an excellent jump shooter.

His defense was certainly a disaster, but his offense was a disaster within a disaster.

Even letting him play for more than 20 minutes is an act of harming the team.

Forced by the situation, Lenny Wilkens had no choice but to temporarily push Trevor Ariza into the starting lineup. He had no choice but to do so until the Smiling Assassin found a suitable No. 2 player for the team.

Although this first-year rookie is not experienced enough, his shooting is a mess.

But his excellent static talent at least allows him to not drag down the defense on the court.

For most coaches at the beginning of the century, if they had to choose between defense and offense, they would definitely choose the former.

Ariza's introduction to the starting lineup couldn't have come at a worse time.

Because the Knicks' next game is against the Indiana Pacers.

This Eastern Conference powerhouse, undeterred by the Palace of Auburn Hills incident, lost to the championship-winning Pistons in a brutal six-game series last season. Although Reggie Miller missed this matchup due to injury, the lineup led by Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal was a formidable force, a testament to the Knicks, who had lost Alan Houston.

Alan Houston's injury wasn't just for a day or two; it was season-ending. Lynch's ability to lead the team without Alan Houston, and whether they could defeat a team of the Pacers' caliber, would determine the Knicks' ultimate height this season.

On December 14th, Madison Square Garden was packed as usual.

Trevor Ariza clenched his trembling fingertips in the locker room. Twenty professional games had not yet allowed him to figure out what the NBA was all about, but now he had to fill the abyss left by the All-Star shooting guard's season-ending injury.

As a second-round pick, he never thought he would be in the starting lineup after just 20 games. He was not prepared at all. He was trembling like a 17-year-old boy who dropped out of school to work on a construction site and was taken to a massage by his coworkers.

Lynch was boosting morale, calling on everyone to cheer up and use tough defense to bleed the Pacers.

The Pacers won the last time the two teams met, and Lynch doesn't want to lose to the same opponent twice in a row.

But Ariza could not hear a single word of those passionate words. His eardrums seemed to be covered with thick mist, and all the words turned into meaningless roars.

The tension completely occupied his mind, leaving no room for error.

Grant Hill's hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, and the startled newcomer instinctively leaped to his feet—just in time for Lynch's murderous challenge: "Who thinks we'll lose tonight? Stand up! I'm a democratic person and will never blame anyone who doesn't believe in us."

Lynch looked at his fellow rookie who stood up, and the air in the locker room suddenly froze.

Stephen Marbury jumped up and was about to hit him on the back of the head: "Sit down! Sit down! Damn it!"

Oh, this is what happens when you believe in democracy in a beacon of freedom.

Ariza covered his head, looking very innocent.

Fortunately, Hill stood like a rock, his gentle voice calming the anxiety. "Okay, Stephen, he's nervous enough as it is. There's nothing to be afraid of, Trevor. You don't need to memorize too complicated tactics, nor do you need to do anything on offense. You can press close, right?"

Ariza nodded.

"Very good. During the game, you just need to stick close to Ron and force him to break through the middle. That's all you need to do. After the game, you will be a hero in the eyes of the New York media. Believe me, it's that simple."

When Trevor Ariza stepped onto the court, the roar of 20,000 people hurt his cochlea.

On the other side of the court, the guy whose elbow tore Michael Jordan's ribs into the ribs became a meme forever was suffocating Ariza.

Artest's bulging biceps shone in the light. If he met such a person on a street corner in Queens, he would definitely walk three blocks away. But at this moment, he had to overcome his instinctive fear and block in front of this scary guy.

The most difficult thing in the world is not being taken to a massage parlor at a young age, but driving a tank when entering a massage parlor for the first time.

Is it so easy to defend him by pressing him closely?
He felt like Grant Hill was playing him.

The game started. Because Reggie Miller was absent, Ron Artest played at the second position today.

He knew before the game that the Knicks would have to start with a second-round pick, so he had already set his sights on Ariza.

Jamal Tinsley crossed half court and passed the ball to Artest.

Artest held up three fingers, and Jermaine O'Neal spread his hands. "WTF? We don't have that play! What are you yelling about?"

"I'm not calling a play, idiot. I'm telling this rookie I'm going to score 30 points on this fresh face."

Artest made a simple change of hands between his legs and broke through directly. Trevor Ariza followed the instructions of the head coach and Grant Hill and pressed closely without considering anything else.

Artest's long arms left him with no space to make a quick stop and jump shot, so he could only push Ariza towards the penalty area.

Ariza felt his ribs were about to reach their limit, and his legs began to weaken under the huge force.

Finally, he fell to the edge of the penalty area and watched Ron Artest jump for a layup.

There was only despair in Ariza's eyes. He felt that he would be the number one clown tonight.

"boom!"

There was a loud bang, and Ron Artest was knocked down heavily by a black shadow, and the basketball was also blown out of the sideline.

The referee didn't call a foul, that was the standard at the beginning of the century.

Lynch stood in front of Ariza, reached out and pulled the rookie up, and winked at him.

"Congratulations on guarding him. All you have to do is force him into the paint and leave the rest to me. That's right, starting in the NBA is that simple."

Now, Ariza suddenly understood why Stephen Marbury called Lynch God.

Yes, playing with Lynch, it's that easy.

He gives his teammates courage and confidence.

And you just have to give Lynch trust and you can embrace victory.

He's not the type of guy to go down just because a starting guard gets injured.

The tension gradually subsided, and Ariza walked back to Artest, who was arguing with O'Neal Jr.

Artest glanced at the long-armed bastard and snorted, "What are you laughing at? You don't think you can defend me one more time, do you?"

Trevor Ariza thought of Lynch and his confidence suddenly exploded.

He felt that it would be okay for him to fuck Ron Artest's mother.

"Once? Today I'm going to defend you like a fool who can't play basketball!"

Grant Hill shook his head. What kind of leader you have, what kind of followers you will have.

(Thanks to Ximen Buai Chuixue, Lin Di, Dabing Fangpao, Confirming the Goods Have Been Signed for, What Should I Do, etc. for the rewards. Thank you very much!)
(End of this chapter)