Champion Rules

Chapter 75, Episode 071: Tactics from Coney Island (Seeking monthly votes!)

On November 21, 1992, 20-year-old Shaquille O'Neal parachuted into Madison Square Garden, and in his excitement, he challenged Patrick Ewing, who was already a superstar, for the first time.

He used his brutal back-to-the-basket moves to make the King of New York stagger, and his thunderous dunks trampled on the dignity of the old-school center.

Faced with the boundless energy of the young, 31-year-old Ewing was no longer able to contain the ferocious beast one-on-one.

Despite Ewing's teammates' relentless defense and double-teaming of Shaq, Shaq's explosive 18 points and 17 rebounds still overshadowed Ewing's 15 points and 9 rebounds.

The arrogant young shark showed no respect for his senior, continuing to boast in the post-game interview: "If it weren't for the double-team, I could have made Patrick lose face in a one-on-one situation!"

The shark at the time could never have imagined that the arena would be like a Möbius strip. The predecessors he now trampled underfoot would eventually become a mirror reflecting the future.

Thirteen years later, another player from New York spewed trash talk into Shark's ears, making him personally experience Patrick Ewing's bitterness.

Even after the conflict subsided, Shaquille O'Neal's anger did not subside.

As expected, Stan Van Gundy, whose mind was always on edge, started babbling again, like a wind-up radio emitting high-frequency output.

"Everyone, don't be angry, getting angry will get you a technical foul! Shaq, you're so naughty! I told you not to lose your temper like that. Look, I haven't even finished speaking and you've already thrown the towel on the ground again. Throwing away used towels pollutes the environment. Hey, what if it hits a child?"

These nagging words fueled further anger, causing O'Neal to breathe heavily through his nostrils. He grabbed the tactical board from Stan Van Gundy's hand, intending to smash it in frustration.

But Stan Van Gundy didn't let go: "What are you doing?"

"Let go!"

"You want it? If you want it, just say so. How am I supposed to know you want it if you don't tell me? Even though you're looking at me very sincerely, you still have to tell me you want it. Do you really want it? Then take it."

Shark's mouth twitched. He tugged hard at the tactical board, but found that Stan Van Gundy still wouldn't let go.

"You don't really want it, do you? Do you really want it?"

"Fuck!!!" The shark snatched the tactical board and threw it hard on the ground.

He simply couldn't understand why there was such a talkative coach in the world; he always had something to say!

Wade stared at the enraged shark, his fingers gripping the cuff of his suit trousers so tightly they nearly tore the fabric to shreds.

He really wanted to take off his suit and participate in the competition.

Watching his team fall behind from the bench made him restless.

There was nothing he could do; even if he wanted to, and even if Pat Riley allowed it, he couldn't appear in today's game.

After all, he wasn't on the roster when it was submitted before the competition.

Wade had no choice but to grab Shaq's wrist: "Shaq, they're only up by two points. We all believe in you, the entire American Airlines Arena is waiting for you to tear them apart!"

The trust, sincerity, and respect that Wade saw were exactly what Shaq needed.

Looking at the young man in front of him who had given him the most respect, O'Neal felt much better.

This stimulant gradually calmed the low growls rumbling in the shark's throat.

Suddenly, Stan Van Gundy's chubby face appeared among them: "I told you to stay focused! Math is the foundation of basketball! They're up by one point! One point!"

O'Neal:
The shark knew it had made many mistakes in its life, but it was too cruel for God to punish it with this creature!

The timeout ends and the game continues.

The Miami Heat didn't have a good solution for Lynch. As it turned out, using Christine Laettner to defend him was only a consolation prize. The former Dream Team member's slow footwork was simply no match for Lynch's runs between the strong and weak sides.

Lynch's shooting touch was clearly not as good as in the opening game tonight, and he missed many of his pull-up jump shots after pick-and-rolls.

So he started playing more off-ball, and his scoring rate skyrocketed.

But the Heat finally found a way to deal with it. When both teams had their regular lineups on the court, former All-Star guard Eddie Jones would use pick-and-rolls to find Jamal Crawford.

Crawford was completely powerless to stop Eddie Jones's attacks. His slender frame made him like a reed in the wind, allowing Jones to take advantage of him at will.

Although Eddie Jones only averaged 12 points per game for the Heat this season, that was largely due to the compromises he had to make in his individual shots after playing alongside Shaq and Wade.

Eddie Jones is only the team's third option, so his basic stats are bound to decline, but his impact on the game is still positive.

Eddie Jones finally got the chance to shoot today, and once again demonstrated his All-Star level skills.

This matchup was much more intense than the last, as Jamal Crawford couldn't play the full 48 minutes. Once he left the court, Lynch would be caught in a double-team.

Lenny Wilkens also tried to reinstate Penny, but unsurprisingly, Penny performed terribly. He should have retired long ago; at this point, he would be a burden to any team.

Grant Hill's injury has thoroughly exposed the Knicks' weakness in their backcourt, leaving Knicks fans wondering: what is our dear general manager doing? A month has passed since Allan Houston's season-ending injury. Where are the reinforcements? Where are the guards?

Even if the general manager took off his suit, warmed up in person, and signed a ten-day contract with the team, the fans wouldn't feel that he had done nothing.

The game was close until the fourth quarter, when Jamal Crawford's offensive efficiency began to decline.

He played too much today and was constantly targeted on the offensive end, which greatly depleted his energy.

He started missing open shots, and his drives to the basket were repeatedly blocked as his explosiveness diminished.

With his leaden legs, Jamal Crawford was no longer able to play a tactical role on the field.

Lenny Wilkens knew he was gone and wouldn't be able to get an erection again tonight.

Jamal Crawford, a defender with extremely strong strengths and extremely weak weaknesses, is ultimately only suited to be a sixth man.

With three minutes remaining in the game, the Knicks had to bring back Sweetie Sweetie, who had recently shocked all of New York on offense—probably the only name in the entire league more feminine than "Tracy."

Lenny Wilkens' move was out of necessity. Crawford is currently unable to contribute on both ends of the court, while Sweetney can at least provide some defensive support.

As a result, the Knicks' offense fell into a constipation mode again, relying solely on the occasional flashes of brilliance from Marbury and Lynch thanks to their talent.

Fortunately, the shark wasn't as aggressive as he was at the start of the game; he couldn't score as easily in the low post as he did at the beginning.

The game turned into a typical Eastern Conference meat grinder showdown, with physical confrontation and defense being the main themes of the decisive battle.

The shark no longer possessed the domineering presence that ravaged the paint at the start of the game, and Lynch's shooting touch was also neutralized by layers of muscle blocking his shot.

Every point scored by either side required navigating a jungle of steel defenses, and every rebound battle was accompanied by elbows and groans.

With 53 seconds left in the game, spotlights on the American Airlines Center dome cast blinding glare on the floor.

Lynch made a strong drive into the paint and jumped to attack the basket. Haslem's fingernails almost dug into his forearm muscles, and Shaq's arm came crashing down like a collapsing concrete wall.

Three figures tangled together in mid-air. Lin Qi fell heavily to the ground. The moment the basketball slipped from his grasp, the referee's sharp whistle pierced the boiling roar.

Lynch lay on the ground, panting heavily. These last few minutes of the battle gave him a taste of what the playoffs felt like.

Because of the conflict between the two sides, the Heat defended Lynch with almost playoff intensity in the final moments.

Lynch was indeed struggling, failing to score from open play for several possessions.

Marbury and Ariza, sweating profusely, appeared in Lynch's field of vision and reached out to pull him up.

"Are you alright?" Marbury asked.

"Excellent." Lin Qi wiped the sweat from his eyes and looked up at the data panel on the big screen.

The Knicks are already leading by 4 points. If they make both free throws, the game will be basically over.

Lynch's personal score has reached 38 points. Although his scoring was blocked in the second half of the fourth quarter, Lynch's offense had been very smooth in the previous game.

Making both free throws means Lynch will once again shatter the shark's dignity.

Lynch received the ball from the referee at the free-throw line, trying to catch his heavy breathing.

For Lynch, who has outstanding physical fitness, this was the first time he had felt so tired during a game.

Today, Lynch needs to process a lot of shots, and on the defensive end, he also has to double-team Shaq at any time. In addition, the physical exertion is at a playoff level, which is incomparable to any previous game.

Even in the European league finals, Lynch had never been this tired.

He was happy to have such a game during the regular season, which gave him a better idea of ​​what the playoffs would look like.

Now, this is the watershed between 38 and 40 points, the last weight on the scales of victory, but at this moment his fingertips are slightly numb from the excessive exertion.

After shaking his head to clear his mind of these random thoughts, Lin Qi took his first shot.

Lynch has an 85% free throw percentage this season, but his first free throw bounced off the rim!

The continuous muscle contact robbed him of his soft touch, and the metallic sound of iron striking instantly transformed O'Neal into a furious brown bear.

"40 points? Victory? You can't take either of them away!"

The behemoth pounded its chest and roared, while the audience erupted in boos.

His teammates all came forward to give Lynch a high-five.

"It's okay, you can lead us to victory!"

Lynch wasn't flustered, after all, the team was still in the lead, so it wasn't a big deal.

Lynch took more time to adjust for his second free throw and eventually made it.

However, making only one of two free throws still gave the Heat another chance.

The score difference is only 5 points, with 49 seconds left in the game.

Stan Van Gundy put his hand on the shoulder of Eddie Jones, who had an outstanding performance tonight, scoring 22 points.

His unwavering gaze seemed to be telling the story of how the Heat could turn their fate around.

Lenny Wilkens also predicted that the final throw would most likely go to Eddie Jones.

He instructed Ariza to pursue him: "I don't care what method you use, even if you run yourself ragged, you can't let him get a chance to shoot!" "No way! I swear to my chest tattoo! I will never give him a chance!" Trevor Ariza replied firmly.

The Heat inbounded the ball, and the final offensive and defensive play began.

Trevor Ariza stayed by Eddie Jones' side as promised.

This agile Spider-Man was a nightmare for any guard; Eddie Jones couldn't even catch the ball at times.

Haslem suddenly appeared like a city wall, and Ariza's jaw slammed into the other's rock-like shoulder, the taste of blood exploding in his mouth.

Eddie Jones managed to get half a body length ahead and successfully receive the ball.

But as soon as he got the ball, Trevor Ariza pressed him closely, making it extremely difficult for Eddie Jones to get the ball down.

"Come on, baby, come on!" Ariza swallowed the blood in his mouth and continued to lock Eddie Jones down.

Eddie Jones even waved for everyone to step back, seemingly indicating he was really going to take over the round.

With only 8 seconds left on the 24-second shot clock, Eddie Jones displayed his superstar potential – he passed the ball to Damon Jones, who was positioned at a 45-degree angle on the right side!

Stan Van Gundy's initial strategy was to give the ball to Damon Jones. He knew Eddie would be heavily guarded tonight, so he deliberately pretended to use him for the final shot.

This trick worked; no one expected Eddie to pass it again.

Damon Jones, the sniper who has been overlooked by everyone, catches the ball with the air of a cowboy drawing his gun in a Western movie.

Stephon Marbury stared wide-eyed in despair as he saw Damon Jones catch the ball and jump.

The basketball soared past the New York son's fingers, heading straight for the rim. It didn't even brush against the metal rim as it passed through the net—a gentle kill reserved for sharpshooters.

As the scoreboard jumped to 101-103, 20,000 bodies inside the American Airlines Center simultaneously sprang to their feet, and the roar of cheers made the retired jerseys hanging in the rafters tremble.

Damon Jones remained frozen in his follow-through after the shot, like a Renaissance sculpture under the spotlight. Stan Van Gundy smirked as he looked at the dejected Marbury, muttering to himself, "Focus, focus, I told you, stay focused."

The game is paused again – in crucial moments of a basketball game, if the score is close, it can easily turn into a turn-based game.

Lenny Wilkens was having a headache; his limited offensive resources made it difficult for him to devise any sophisticated tactics.

The entire Heat team knew that the Knicks only had two cards left in their offensive arsenal. As long as they kept Lynch and Marbury in check, the Knicks were doomed.

No matter what tactics you use, just keep an eye on these two people.

Ultimately, Lenny Wilkens decided to bring Jamal Crawford and Penny back in, to see if the Heat would dare to gamble on those two's shooting.

The Knicks' finishing lineup became Marbury, Crawford, Penny, Lynch, and Kurt Thomas.

Theoretically speaking, all four players except Kurt Thomas pose a shooting threat.

That's right, only in theory.

Because nobody knows if Crawford can regain his touch, and nobody knows if Penny will suddenly find his shooting touch again.

They're not really a threat, just slightly better than Ariza and Sweetney who pose absolutely no shooting threat.

Lynch inbounded the ball, and Jamal Crawford quickly weaved through the passers, but ultimately Stephon Marbury caught the ball outside the three-point line.

But Marbury wasn't the finisher. After Lynch inbounded the ball, he immediately cut in, and Marbury bounced it off the ground and sent it to Lynch, who then raised his hand for a layup.

Just as the basketball was about to leave his fingertips, Shaquille O'Neal leaped out and slapped the ball with all his might.

He will absolutely not lose to this number 20 again, and he will never let him score 40 points again!
He's not a piece of trash like Patrick Ewing; he won't allow any young man to trample on him!

"The basketball went out of bounds, and Shaq made a successful block, keeping Miami's hopes of winning alive!" ESPN commentator Mark Jackson gripped the microphone. Had Shaq finally taken control of his own destiny?

The shark raised its arms high, its roar piercing through the cheers and reaching Pat Riley's ears.

Shaq has been commendable this season; he was still playing serious defense until the very last moment of the game.

If their five-centimeter-short Jordan can stay healthy in the playoffs, the Miami Heat might actually be able to lift their first championship trophy in franchise history!
"Damn it!" Lin Qi slammed his fist on the soft padding of the basketball hoop. He thought the shark wouldn't be able to help defend in time.

At this point, Lenny Wilkens had no timeouts left, and the Knicks players had to rely on themselves to finish the offensive possession.

Marbury walked up and grabbed Lynch's arm: "It's not time to vent yet."

These words calmed Lin Qi down. He was young, but he had enough professional experience to quickly regain his composure.

"Next, I'll just do an alley-oop." Lin Qi made his first plan. He knew the Heat wouldn't give him a chance to shoot, and his shooting touch wasn't reliable either.

“Impossible,” Marbury shook his head. “Shaq is just waiting to intercept the pass in the middle. That old shark is just waiting for us to feed him.”

"So you'll shoot the basket?"

"I'm carrying two people on my back, and they don't care about that damn penny at all!"

The referee had already raised the ball out of bounds, signaling the Knicks to send someone inbounds the ball immediately.

Marbury finally grabbed Lynch: "An alley-oop, but not a regular alley-oop, listen."

After hearing Marbury's strategy, Lynch remained expressionless.

But he admitted that he was just pretending to be calm.

This is a tactic that every academic coach would despise.

But now, it seems that conventional methods are no longer effective in killing the game.

Ultimately, it was Stephon Marbury who went to the sideline to inbound the ball.

Lenny Wilkens stood nervously on the sidelines with his arms crossed. What was he doing? Why was Marbury going to inbound the ball?

Now the whole world knows that Lynch is the only one who can catch the ball.

Sure enough, Haslem and Butler transformed into human chains and entangled Lynch. Poor Penny, like a loser forgotten in the living room at a party, watched helplessly as Lynch, a playboy, led the two men into the room.

Lynch faked a screen for Jamal Crawford, but just as Marbury was about to inbound the ball, he drove straight to the basket. Meanwhile, the Coney Island streetball prodigy tossed the ball into the air.

"That's it!" the shark growled, quickly running towards the trajectory of the ball and leaping into the air.

He had anticipated this move and knew that Marbury and Lynch might attempt an alley-oop.

However, after Shaq leaped up, he found that his fingers were still far from the basketball. He admitted that his jumping ability was not as good as it was in his prime, but the height of this ball was something that even peak Shaq, let alone peak MJ, could not reach!
That's right, the pass was too high; no basketball player on Earth could have caught it.

Lynch didn't receive the ball either, and Knicks fans watching on TV covered their heads in disappointment.

If this shot doesn't go in, the Heat will have a chance to tie or even win the game.

With both Eddie and Damon Jones on fire, the Knicks are in a precarious position.

The basketball, soaring high over half-court, hits the backboard and bounces back quickly.

But Lynch caught the rebounding basketball right in mid-air!
An alley-oop after a rebound off the sideline—this is a strategy only a Coney Island streetball player could come up with, a strategy only a monster like Lynch could execute.

The fans at the American Airlines Center held their breath. Before the Shark could even turn around and see what had happened after landing, they heard a loud bang from the rim.

"boom!"

He turned around, and Lynch's arms were hanging above the basket.

Mark Jackson ripped off his tie and roared, his voice almost tearing apart: "Alley-oop! Lynch scored 41 points in a single game, breaking his career record! This is the second time he's scored 40 points over Shaq! This is the greatest alley-oop play in history! God! God! God has taken off the Heat's retired number 23 jersey tonight and put on number 20!"

Lynch successfully narrowed the gap to 4 points, and the Miami Heat had no time left.

Shark stood in the paint area, not daring to look up at the big screen, not daring to watch the replay, and not daring to look at Lynch's data.

That bastard actually scored another 40 points over his own head!
The image of him stepping on Ewing's coronation 13 years ago flashed back on my retina.

At the time, he didn't know why Patrick Ew was so cowardly, even losing the fierceness in his eyes.

At this moment, he finally understood the bitterness of aging in his old rival's eyes—when the hurricane of the new era hits the coast, even sharks can't do anything about it.

The game had lost its meaning; the Heat then missed a three-pointer, and it was all over.

The New York Knicks silenced the South Coast, ending their three-game losing streak in time.

Shaquille O'Neal did not shake hands with any Knicks players and walked straight into the player tunnel.

A new era has arrived, and the playoffs are his last fig leaf.
-
Yes, Lynch is God, and I won't take back what I said. Stephen's pass was brilliant, but Lynch's hang time was insane. I might be the only commentator in history to witness this moment live in an NBA game, and no one will ever replicate what happened tonight! —Mark Jackson's post-game comments on Lynch.

Shaq had better not talk about the playoffs anymore. If they really do meet, his last shred of dignity will be destroyed. —Mark Jackson referring to Shaq.

Yes, that move came from the streets of Coney Island. I'm glad we crushed the Miami Heat in a very New York way. —Stephen Marbury on his last-second pass.

We won another game, but that can't mask one problem: we need to strengthen our shooting guard position. — Lenny Wilkens' first public mention of roster improvements.

"Lynch, did you score 40 points against Shaq for the second time in a row because he angered you with that fabricated story about you before the game?"

"I'm not angry. I just find Shaq ridiculous for resorting to such methods to discredit his opponents. By the way, I think his accusations against the admirals are fabricated. He's just a giant baby."

"What are your thoughts on the team's lack of shooting guards? Has Isaiah contacted you about this?"

“That’s Isaiah’s job, I don’t want to bother him.”

"Let's continue talking about Shaq. Do you really want to meet the Miami Heat in the playoffs? You know, Shaq has said more than once that he'll make you cry in the playoffs."

"Why wouldn't I hope so? I've already beaten the Heat twice this season. Who wouldn't want to face a formidable opponent in the playoffs?"

"But don't forget, Miami also has Dwyane."

"Dwyane is strong, but Shaq is just a pigeon!" (NBA slang, referring to a weak, easily exploited defender)
—Lin Qi being interviewed by a reporter on the sidelines.

(End of this chapter)