Champion Rules

Chapter 84 080: A beam of light shone from the east, ending the night in the Big Apple (Seeking monthly votes!)

Miami fans were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when Lynch left the court.

They knew their chance to close the gap had arrived.

If Lynch leaves the court, it means the Knicks' defense will plummet.

ESPN has compiled statistics showing that when Lynch is on the court, the Knicks' defense consistently ranks among the top six in the league.

After Lynch leaves the field, this ranking will drop by 16 places.

If the New York Knicks are a graceful woman, then Lynch is her youth. With him and without him, the Knicks are completely different.

Lynch has to thank fate because his coach, Lenny Wilkens, was black.

If he had been coached by a white coach, Lynch's average playing time would definitely have exceeded 40 minutes, because he was just too crucial.

Sure enough, in the first possession after Lynch left the court, Shaq easily scored inside.

Jerome Williams, who replaced Lynch and almost got a $3000 million contract, simply didn't have the ability to help defend Shaq.

After pushing past Kurt Thomas, Shaq completely ignored Williams' double-team and slammed the ball down for a point with one hand, not even bothering to use a fake move to confuse his opponent.

Although Shaquille O'Neal's prime has passed, he is still second in this year's MVP race. If the Phoenix Suns hadn't played so brilliantly in the regular season, O'Neal would have had a great chance to win his second MVP award.

The fact that he ranked second in MVP awards illustrates one thing: Shaq's dominance only declined this season when facing top stars, but he was still unstoppable against ordinary players.

With a score of 10-2, O'Neal broke his scoring drought, clenched his fists, and roared to the sky. He felt that he had seized the destiny of the Game 7 and that he was still at his peak.

He firmly believes that he still stands at the top of the food chain, so how could he be dethroned by a mere rookie?
The match continued, and Jamal Crawford took the ball and went one-on-one in the first round.

In Seattle, countless children pressed their foreheads to the scorching television screens, hoping he could break the shadow of Shaq's Game 7 defeat that had haunted Seattle's heroes.

Unfortunately, Crawford's first jump shot after shaking off Wade failed. Watching the basketball bounce off the rim, Crawford vaguely heard the sighs of the children from his hometown.

"Oh shit!"

"Perhaps his trip to Seattle still affected his performance. Will Vince Carter's 'graduation effect' be repeated in Miami?" Mark Jackson questioned, noting that as a Brooklyn native, his emotions were already quite stable.

Meanwhile, the other New York fans watching the live broadcast on TV were not so gentle; they were already cursing and wishing they could hang Jamal Crawford's head on the Statue of Liberty.

Wade, equally smug, quipped, his words like a venomous thorn piercing Crawford's eardrum: "This isn't a children's training camp, man."

Jamal Crawford undoubtedly put himself in the spotlight, but as he retreated on defense, Eddie Jones heard Lynch clapping on the sidelines: "It's okay, Jamal, be tough, keep going!"

Lenny Wilkens glanced at Lynch, having long noticed that Lynch was quite ruthless towards teammates who disregarded victory, such as Stephon Marbury at the beginning of the season.

However, he has an amazing tolerance for teammates who value victory.

He allows his teammates to make mistakes and slip up, provided that you give it your all in the game.

He values ​​his teammates' attitude more than their abilities.

He is as cold as winter to those who slack off, but willing to give his all to those who strive.

The game continued, and Wade's mid-range pull-up jumper after a screen also bounced off the rim. Ariza pulled Wade's jersey while going around the screen, but the referee still didn't blow the whistle.

On nights when Wade has a great mid-range shot, he is almost unstoppable on offense.

Unfortunately, his shooting touch didn't seem to be on his side on Game 7.

Kurt Thomas used his almost bent spine to hold off the shark and get into position, and Grant Hill seized the opportunity to grab the rebound and launch a long pass the instant his foot touched the ground.

His passing target was Crawford, the Seattle basketball icon who was always full of aggressive offensive desire.

But Wade's retreat was also very quick. By the time Crawford received the ball, Wade had already retreated and was standing near the free-throw line with his arms outstretched, waiting for Crawford to come to him.

Unless Crawford immediately pulls up for a three-pointer, he will definitely be entangled by Wade.

Miami fans are already excited; no guard can successfully drive to the basket when facing Wade head-on.

Jamal Crawford stared at the number three in front of him, the sharp screech of his shoes scraping against the floor tearing through the silence.

He shifted his weight to the right while moving at high speed, and the instant Wade moved slightly, he quickly shifted his weight to the left.

That move was incredibly fast; heaven knows how Jamal Crawford managed to shift his weight while dribbling so smoothly.

But Wade is Wade after all. He used his powerful physique to forcefully change his center of gravity and moved sideways to return to Crawford's side.

Just when Wade thought he had finished the defense, Crawford moved the ball around from behind to the right side, and with a jump step, completely got past Wade!
“Shake bake!!!” Mark Jackson shouted, referring to Jamal Crawford’s amazing move that he had made more than once during his time with the Bulls.

Jamal Crawford easily scored a layup after getting past Wade, and with the crisp sound of the basketball hitting the backboard and going in, the scoreboard jumped to 12-2.

The Knicks have pulled the point difference back to double digits!

The children in Seattle jumped up and cheered, and Wade's bewildered expression, leaning on his knees, became an even greater source of excitement for them.

Lynch and Marbury exaggeratedly imitated Crawford's actions on the bench, while Crawford pointed to his teammates on the sidelines and nodded with a smile.

Crawford didn't let his scoring drought last too long. He said he would fully support Lynch, and he will definitely do it!
The Heat desperately need to close the gap; every wasted possession is shortening their own lifespan. Because once Lynch returns, closing the gap won't be so easy.

This time, however, as soon as O'Neal received the ball, Jerome Williams grabbed him, and the Knicks adopted the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy.

"Cowards, a bunch of cowards! You don't even dare to face my attack!"

The shark swore and cursed, but it did nothing but vent its emotions.

He ultimately made one of two free throws, giving the Knicks a nine-point lead.

Jamal Crawford continued to control the ball, while Wade kept his center of gravity very low to prevent Crawford from making any sudden, rapid changes of direction.

In this possession, Crawford called for a screen and initiated a drive. Wade quickly dodged, about to capture the agile Seattle player once again.

Just as the two sides were about to engage in a confrontation, Crawford suddenly stepped back and took a shot from a position one step inside the three-point line.

Wade reacted very quickly, immediately raising his hand to interfere, but his step back still gave Crawford some space to shoot.

"Shh!"

"Forget basketball camp, forget that crap, Jamal is still on fire! He's not Vince Carter, he's the one who's going to tip the scales in Game 7!" Mark Jackson was ignited by Clifford's brilliant performances in two consecutive possessions.

Crawford responded to Wade, "It's not much harder here than basketball training camp!"

With an 11-point deficit, the Miami Heat struggled immensely in the first quarter.

In the following rounds, the Heat narrowed the gap to 6 points.

But Jamal Crawford hit a three-pointer after dribbling around a screen. With the sound of the net swishing, the gap returned to a despairing 9 points for Miami.

Crawford is that kind of player who thrives in competitive games; the more he plays, the better he performs, and he always finds enjoyment in intense matches.

This is, after all, a guy who spent his bachelor party all night at the basketball court with his groomsmen—yes, they really did play basketball all night. For him, basketball isn't just about competition, it's about fun.

The better you play, the more fun you have, and the better your performance will be.

With the first quarter nearing its end, Wade used his signature crossover to break through the defense and finish with a layup, narrowing the gap to 7 points. But on the sidelines, Stan Van Gundy nervously gripped his clipboard as he saw the young man in the number 20 jersey pulling off the white towel around his neck.

Trailing by 7 points is not the outcome the Heat want to see. Van Gundy knows better than anyone: when the Knicks maintain their lead, that 19-year-old tyrant sitting on the bench wiping away sweat could turn into a demon to end the game at any moment.

After Wade scored this time, the Knicks called a timeout.

All the fans at the American Airlines Arena stared wide-eyed with tension, knowing what was about to happen.

Crawford walked off the court and gave Lynch a high-five: "Sorry, we still couldn't keep the point difference in double digits. That damn Dwyane Wade is too tough to deal with. Are they sure that bastard college player had his meniscus removed?"

Lynch stood up, his gaze sweeping across the stands, where the Miami fans' eyes were filled with despair. In the front row, a little boy wearing a Heat jersey number 3 was frantically waving a sign that read "Bury the New Yorkers," but in the instant his eyes met Lynch's, he silently put the sign down.

This is the intimidation Lynch instilled in the people of Miami.

Lynch threw the towel on the ground: "You've done enough, Jamal. Now it's my turn. Guys, Miami's not playing well today. We pulled away in the first quarter!"

"Roar!" the whole team responded.

They believed Lynch could lead the team to a score advantage in the first quarter.

Trust is the only legal doping agent in the NBA.

The timeout ended, and the last thing Miami fans wanted to see happened—Lynch is back.

The air conditioning in the American Airlines Center seemed to evaporate completely due to Lynch's scorching heat, and everyone in the stands became drenched in sweat.

At this point, Shaq had already left the court to rest, while Wade remained on the court to continue the offensive effort.

But even Wade himself knew that scoring wouldn't be as easy as it had been before.

The game began, and Lynch immediately posted up Haslem in the low post, scoring with a hook shot off the backboard before Mourning could double-team him. The Heat's lead was now 9 points, and Lynch easily widened the gap again after a hard-fought comeback.

Lynch backed up to defend, beckoning Wade with his finger: "Your turn."

The Flash responded violently, lunging forward like a black arrow piercing Marbury's defense, but collided with New York's number 20 in mid-air.

Wade instinctively tucked in his stomach and twisted his body, turning what seemed like a sure layup into a contorted floater. The basketball bounced high off the back of the rim; the Knicks' ironclad defense was back!

"This is fucking murder!" O'Neal roared in anger, spreading his hands at the referee.

The shark seems to have forgotten that Stephon Marbury is suffering the same thing, and his complaints are completely unfounded.

Even Lynch couldn't help but yell at the Heat's bench: "Set a good example for the young guys, Shaq, stop shrugging. Winners only shrug at their opponents, losers only shrug and complain to the referees."

"Fuck! Can't you shut that bastard up?" Shark continued to vent his anger at the referee.

The referee waved his hand impatiently: "Go back to your seats, Shaq. Lynch, you should also keep quiet. If you keep this up, I'm going to give you a technical foul."

But Lynch didn't shut up: "Shaq, it seems your pitiful act of spreading your hands has worked. Hey, why don't you just kneel down to the referee? Maybe he'll eject me from the game that way."

Of course, the shark wouldn't do that; no top superstar in the world would both shrug and kneel.

With his complaints going unanswered, O'Neal could only sit back on the bench, and Lynch didn't continue his attacks on the Heat's bench. He didn't want to disrupt the rhythm of the decisive Game 7 by receiving a technical foul.

In the first quarter, Wade only scored 2 points from free throws. Having played the entire quarter, he was too exhausted to handle the rested Lynch.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 28-17, with the Knicks leading by 11 points!
O'Neal began to panic. At that moment, in the American Airlines Arena, under the burning gaze of Miami fans, he, as the top seed in the East, was in great danger of being eliminated by the fourth seed in the East.

He tried to remind himself that his team was the only team in the East with 60 wins, that he was number one in the East, and that he was very strong.

But the painful defeats of the past six games have rendered all this self-encouragement worthless.

If he were with the Lakers, Phil Jackson would have tried to appease Shaq.

But in Miami, Stan Van Gundy, already under immense mental strain, simply glared with bloodshot eyes and relentlessly applied pressure.

"Cheer up! It's only the first quarter! Shaq, lift your head up, you're fucking like a girl! This is Game 7, Game 7, are you going to surrender?!"

O'Neal slammed his fist on the seat, the leather almost bursting open: "Get lost, Stan, you woman? When I was winning my third championship, you were still shining Pat Riley's shoes!"

O'Neal couldn't calm down; he only became more furious.

This led to him receiving an unnecessary foul at the start of the second quarter.

At that moment, Lynch had already turned around and broken past PJ Brown, preparing to dunk, but O'Neal fouled Lynch and knocked him down without any chance to stop him.

"Shaq has to be careful with his second foul. The second quarter has just begun, and he needs to control his foul count," Mark Jackson cautioned.

But halfway through the second quarter, the Shark still picked up his third foul.

He was a bit impatient on offense because he knew Lynch's help defense could come at any time, so when he backed down Nazir Muhammad, he made an overly aggressive move and elbowed him to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle, calling an offensive foul. While the rules were lenient, that doesn't mean they were completely unrestrained; O'Neal's overly obvious elbowing motion clearly crossed the line.

"Get off the court, you fucking idiot, get off the court! You're ruining Game 7!" Stan Van Gundy roared, his tie slung askew around his neck, cursing as he was forced to substituted Shaq.

O'Neal punched the cushioning pad of the basketball hoop hard, then walked off the court.

Pat Riley watched all this silently, slowly stroking the ring on his hand.

He knew that everything was on the verge of spiraling out of control.

Perhaps Stan Van Gundy is really not suited to coaching a championship team.

Without Shaq, the Heat are essentially missing a key offensive weapon.

Eddie Jones stepped up after Shaq left the court, first making a baseline cut to receive a beautiful bounce pass from Wade and slamming it home with two hands, then stealing a cross pass from Marbury and scoring on a fast break layup.

But neither his teammates nor his coaches reacted to anything he did.

After all, he could only keep the Heat alive, not completely turn things around.

This led people to greatly underestimate his contributions.

On this night that required a divine intervention, Eddie Jones' occasional flashes of brilliance were far less impressive than his miraculous ability to turn the tide.

Indeed, he couldn't help the Heat win the game outright, so he couldn't be a hero.

But if it weren't for him, the score would have been widened long ago.

Lynch's performance remained consistent. In the third quarter, when his shooting touch started to fluctuate, he still influenced the game with his defense and offensive rebounds.

By the end of the third quarter, Lynch had accumulated 5 blocks tonight.

The lenient officiating and Wade's poor mid-range shooting tonight made it easier for him to make the block.

Wade could only score by driving into the paint, while the lenient officiating allowed Lynch to make more daring interceptions in the air.

In the fourth quarter, the Heat were already down by 15 points.

Shaquille O'Neal had four fouls, which made him hesitant on the defensive end.

So Lynch started attacking the basket relentlessly. Without Shaq providing strong protection behind him, neither PJ Brown nor Haslem would have been easy butter for Lynch to melt.

With 3 minutes and 13 seconds left in the game, Lynch drove past PJ Brown with a back turn from the baseline, and Shaq jumped to protect the rim like a gambler.

Young Lynch attempted a powerful dunk, and the two steel-like bodies exploded in mid-air. Lynch twisted his body and slammed the ball towards the basket, but the mid-air confrontation with the shark completely distorted his movements, and the basketball hit the rim heavily and bounced away.

Lynch fell again, and the referee gave Shaq his fifth foul.

Looking at Lin Qi lying on the ground, Shark felt no pleasure in avenging his great grudge.

The camera cuts to a close-up of the shark, who glances blankly at the score difference on the screen, a scene that makes the children in Seattle cheer and jump for joy.

The despair that solidified in Doug Christie's eyes during Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals is now being replicated on the face of the once-invincible Shaquille O'Neal!
Jamal Crawford was waving a towel wildly on the sidelines. He knew Lynch had the ability to end it all—the Heat were down by 19 points, and with two free throws, the game would be over!

Lynch made his first free throw with ease, and as he was about to take his second, every inch of air in the American Airlines Center was filled with boos.

Before making his move, Lynch glanced at the shark, the arrogance that once belonged to the shark now transferred to the face of this 20th rookie.

Goodnight, Shaq.

"Shh."

A flippant farewell speech, accompanied by the crisp sound of a basketball swishing through the net, brought an end to the season-long feud between Lynch and Shaq.

Lynch emerged as the winner.

"Lynch had 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 blocks! He dominated Game 7! Jamal Crawford's 18 points undoubtedly made matters worse for the Heat, and Vince Carter's tragedy did not repeat itself with Jamal."

Most importantly, after five years, the New York Knicks are going to the Eastern Conference Finals!

A beam of light shone from the east, ending the night in the Big Apple!

Amid Mark Jackson's roar, the Heat called a timeout, and a deafening chorus of boos filled the South Beach.

Lynch put his index finger to his lips, making the sobs from the South Coast the perfect background sound for celebrating the victory.

The Heat didn't give up in the final three minutes, but by the time the score was reduced to 14 points, the game had already ended.

With a score of 98 to 84, the highly anticipated top seed in the East was eliminated in the semifinals!

Jamal Crawford was the first to jump up and hug Lynch, the man who helped him break the Game 7 curse that had plagued the Seattle kids.

From now on, sharks will no longer be a nightmare for Seattle kids.

Eddie Jones, who scored 16 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and made 2 steals, once again left the court in disappointment, with no one paying attention to him.

He wasn't particularly saddened by the result.

Because he had predicted this ending long ago.
-
"It was trust that led us to a perfect Game 7. Lynch turned the Knicks into an incredible team, and we will all continue to follow him!" Jamal Crawford excitedly told reporters.

"Damn referees, they ruined Game 7!" — Shaq's impotent rage ultimately earned him a league fine.

Lynch was amazing, he was everywhere tonight. Seven blocks. God, he's the best defensive player I've ever seen. But my story with Shaq continues, we'll bring a championship to Miami, we definitely will. — Dwyane Wade, who scored 31 points, shook his head helplessly at the press conference.

Look at Lynch, look at Dwyane, look at Melo, look at LeBron who has already become an All-Star starter—they are so young yet already incredibly talented. I've said it before: the Four Cavaliers will dominate the East. —David McMenamin

If a legend needs a legendary prologue to his career, then Lynch has already achieved that. His record is already dazzling, but let's not forget that this is only the beginning of his career. — Charles Barkley's assessment of Lynch.

"Wanting to Wear the Crown" - The New York Times front page.

(Thanks to Kissmyarse, 走走烟云岁月, 独坐大海看日出, 麟厬 and other great contributors for their generous donations, I am extremely grateful!)
(End of this chapter)