[TL: 400 PS]
Chapter 241: Winning Game 1 and Breaking the Playoff Debut Record!!
The fourth quarter began with the Suns holding an 18-point lead, 98–80.
Following Coach Mike D'Antoni's orders, Chen Yan sat on the bench to rest. But before the timeout ended, D'Antoni leaned over and told him quietly, "Stay loose, kid. You won't be sitting long."
The Nuggets refused to surrender. Down big or not, it was still the playoffs—no one wanted to mail it in this early.
Denver opened the quarter by running their offense through Carmelo Anthony in the post.
Melo's shooting touch had been shaky all night, so instead of settling, he powered his way into the paint.
"Beep!"
The whistle blew. Foul on Raja Bell.
Melo calmly sank both free throws. 98–82.
The Suns came right back.
With Chen resting, Nash became the sole ball handler, and the Nuggets immediately tightened their pressure.
Nash darted around the baseline, weaving through defenders. Just when everyone thought he'd reset, he flicked a no-look bounce pass between two bodies.
Stoudemire caught it in stride and threw down a thunderous two-hand dunk!
"Vintage Nash!" Kenny Smith shouted from the TNT booth. "No one in the league sees passing lanes like that."
Barkley laughed. "Man, that's why I still miss playing with real point guards. Steve makes everything look easy."
The crowd roared, the bench went wild, and Chen Yan led the cheers from the sideline, waving his towel like a flag.
That kind of energy—the chemistry, the joy—was exactly what made Phoenix dangerous.
On the next possession, Anthony tried to repeat his success, forcing another drive to draw a foul.
But this time Raja Bell saw it coming. He sidestepped at the last second, and Melo lost balance. His shot rimmed out. Kenyon Martin grabbed the rebound and tipped it in, cutting the lead to 100–84.
Second-chance points were one of Denver's few weapons tonight.
Over the next few minutes, the Suns continued their fast-paced rhythm. Even without Chen, they held the lead comfortably.
With just over eight minutes left, D'Antoni motioned to the scorer's table. Chen Yan checked back in alongside Azubuike, giving Bell a break after he picked up his fourth foul defending Melo.
Chen didn't rush to take over. He set screens, moved off the ball, and created space for teammates. His presence alone forced Denver's defense to stretch, and the spacing opened up everything for Nash and Amar'e.
Soon the lead ballooned back to 18.
With 6:29 remaining, Kenyon Martin tried bullying Diaw in the post. He took two strong steps—but Stoudemire came flying from the weak side.
"Get that outta here!" Barkley shouted as Stoudemire pinned the shot off the glass.
Amar'e snatched the rebound and launched a full-court outlet pass like a quarterback. Nash sprinted down to save it near midcourt, scooping the ball back inbounds to Azubuike, who pushed the break and kicked it to Chen Yan on the right wing.
Chen caught it, planted both feet, and rose before the defense even reacted.
The ball left his hand with that perfect backspin—smooth, effortless, confident.
"For three!" the arena announcer boomed.
"Swish!"
The ball dropped clean through.
The building erupted. Fans screamed as the scoreboard jumped to 105–84.
"A shot prettier than a rainbow!" Kenny yelled.
"Forty-five points for the rookie!" Barkley said in disbelief. "He's not slowing down at all!"
The Nuggets tried answering back. Melo called for the ball again, posting up Azubuike. He lowered his shoulder, barreled forward, and sent him flying.
Offensive foul!
The whistle silenced Denver's bench. Melo stood frozen, disbelief on his face, while Azubuike pumped his fist from the floor.
That play summed up the night—Phoenix fought for every inch.
The camera zoomed in on Melo's frustrated expression. The fans seized the moment, chanting and jeering until his composure cracked.
On the next few possessions, Anthony drifted on defense, jogging instead of rotating, his body language screaming frustration. The Nuggets' offense unraveled completely.
Turnover. Miss. Turnover again.
The Suns pounced on every mistake.
In less than two minutes, the gap stretched past 25 points.
Iverson tried to take over again, isolating and scoring twice in a row, including a tough and-one finish. But it was too little, too late. The lead was too wide, and Denver's defense had completely collapsed.
With 4:49 left on the clock, George Karl finally waved the white flag, pulling his starters.
The game had officially entered garbage time.
D'Antoni followed suit, giving his bench players a chance to close it out.
From the sidelines, Chen accepted a bottle of water from Nash and a towel from Hill, still catching his breath.
Game 1 was in the bag. Easier than he expected.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 121–100.
The Suns had won by twenty-one.
The fans erupted, clapping, chanting, and celebrating as confetti rained down.
But the Suns players stayed calm—no wild celebrations. Just high-fives, hugs, and handshakes before walking back to the tunnel.
It was only the first game of the series. The job wasn't done yet.
The box score told the story:
Chen Yan — 45 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers
Amar'e Stoudemire — 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
Steve Nash — 17 points, 12 assists, 2 steals
Grant Hill — 12 points
Boris Diaw — 9 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists
For the Nuggets:
Iverson — 42 points, 6 assists, 5 turnovers
Anthony — 23 points, 9 rebounds
Kenyon Martin — 13 points, 10 rebounds
Camby — 7 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks
Despite their rebounding edge, Denver lost every other statistical battle.
Barkley's voice echoed through the postgame broadcast. "A perfect debut! Chen Yan just broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most points in a playoff debut — forty-five!"
Kenny grinned. "The fans are going crazy for this new Phoenix hero, Charles. You jealous?"
Barkley laughed. "Jealous? Man, if I were in that crowd, I'd be louder than they are!"
Kenny chuckled. "If he keeps this up, he's gonna wipe out half your records, Chuck."
"I hope he does," Barkley said seriously. "Records are nice, but I want this kid to bring Phoenix a championship. That's something I never could."
As the cameras followed Chen back toward the locker room, he crossed paths with Iverson in the tunnel.
Iverson, exhausted but gracious, smiled and gave him a hug.
"Hell of a game, kid," he said.
Chen smiled back. "You too, Allen."
Iverson had poured in 42 points himself, but even "The Answer" couldn't solve the problem that was Chen Yan.