Chapter 345: The Mamba Mentality and Chen Yan's Growth
Back home, fans were losing their minds in front of their TVs.
"The Lakers are in trouble, Phoenix is smothering them."
"The Suns are shooting lights out tonight, this isn't just about stopping 1 guy."
"Kobe is missing everything. If he doesn't wake up, Phoenix is going to run them out of the building."
"Finish it tonight. If this goes to Game 7 in Los Angeles, it gets ugly."
"Go Suns. Close the series."
The tone was obvious. Phoenix had the advantage, and it looked real.
…
After the timeout, the game settled into a new rhythm.
Kobe played smarter. He knew his jumper was not cooperating, so he leaned on his gravity instead. He attacked with purpose, drew attention, and made the simple reads.
Fisher and Posey hit back to back 3s from the arc.
The Lakers offense stayed alive.
The problem was, Phoenix stayed even hotter.
The Suns kept raining 3s, wave after wave, and every time the Lakers tried to stabilize, Phoenix answered with another clean look and another make.
By halftime, Phoenix led 66 to 52.
Kobe's first half was rough, 6 for 16, 15 points.
With Kobe struggling, Garnett became the Lakers steadiest force. He posted 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the first half, doing a little bit of everything. But Garnett was not the type of scorer who could explode and drag a team back alone. If the Lakers were counting on him to erase a deficit by himself, they were in trouble.
Even so, the Lakers offense was not the real issue. Scoring 52 in a half proved they could produce.
They just could not keep up.
Phoenix's firepower was too much, and it was spread everywhere.
Chen Yan had 15. Stoudemire had 14. Raja Bell had 11. Grant Hill had 10. Nash had 8.
Chen Yan was not repeating the 70 plus magic from Game 5, but he was still efficient, still dangerous, still getting his points through the flow of the Suns system.
In Phoenix's offense, he had every option. He could create off the dribble, spot up, move without the ball, cut for layups. The system kept him fed.
Some fans wanted another scoring earthquake, but this was the NBA, not a video game. Nobody drops 70 plus on command.
Game 5 had drained him, and whether he used a boost card also made a difference.
…
In the visiting locker room, Kobe sat with thick ice packs wrapped around both knees.
The team doctor and masseur worked nonstop, trying to loosen muscle, calm inflammation, reduce pain. The Lakers were doing everything they could to get their star back to functional.
Because if they were going to come back, they needed Kobe.
Phil Jackson did not blame him for missing. The previous war had taken a toll, and the injuries and fatigue were real.
Kobe was not playing comfortably. The Suns were the host, and they were being extremely considerate, "taking care" of him on every possession, making him defend, making him absorb contact, making him move until his body complained.
…
In the Suns locker room, D'Antoni kept the message simple.
Keep the rhythm. Keep the movement. Keep the pace.
And keep going at Kobe whenever the matchup presented itself.
It was cruel.
It was also the playoffs.
There was no mercy in May, only survival.
…
The second half began quickly.
Both teams came out with their main lineups again.
Kobe's steps looked unsteady, but he stayed on the floor anyway.
Game 6 was do or die. Sitting was not an option in his mind.
For the Lakers, his presence mattered beyond points. He was the engine, the voice, the spine of the team.
Phoenix started with the ball.
Chen Yan went right at Kobe, hunting the 1 on 1.
Kobe was an All Defense level stopper. Chen Yan had seen that defense for 5 straight games and understood how suffocating it could be.
Even with the knee bothering him, Kobe still made every dribble feel like work.
Chen Yan tried 2 in and out moves, no separation.
He crossed, stopped, restarted, and finally used rhythm and speed to squeeze a step.
Kobe fought to stay attached.
Then a sharp pain shot through his knee, and his movement stalled for half a beat.
That half beat was enough.
Chen Yan burst again and got through.
Garnett stepped up near the free throw line, trying to stop him before he could turn it into a full sprint.
Chen Yan hit a quick euro step, using it early, almost from too far out.
But he was not hunting the rim.
He was hunting the corner.
As he slipped past Garnett, Chen Yan flicked a pass to Raja Bell at the corner 3 line.
Bell's favorite spot.
He had already hit 3 corner 3s in the first half.
This time, the shot came up short.
Clang.
The halftime break had cooled his hand.
Kwame Brown boxed out and secured the rebound.
Fisher took the outlet and the Lakers went into offense.
Kobe called for it a step beyond the top of the arc.
His injury was not something that needed weeks of recovery. A few days of rest could have cleared a lot of it.
But the playoffs did not wait.
So he gritted his teeth and played anyway.
Raja Bell stood in front of him, locked in, knowing an injured Kobe was still Kobe. Sometimes the pain made him meaner.
Kobe crossed, dropped his shoulder, and accelerated.
Simple basketball.
Near the free throw line he powered forward, forcing the drive. Bell stayed attached. Stoudemire stepped up to help.
Kobe roared and lofted a high floater.
It kissed the glass and dropped.
54 to 66.
He ran back yelling, voice cutting through the arena.
"Wake up. The game just started. Lock in on defense."
Garnett clapped and echoed him.
"Go. Go. Go."
Chen Yan felt it, that willpower, that refusal to accept reality. Kobe was damaged, but the fight in him was still sharp.
And in a way, Chen Yan recognized himself in it.
They were the same type of player. The kind who did not know how to quit.
But this series, this matchup, it had changed Chen Yan.
His obsession with winning dug deeper. His hunger sharpened.
Growth was not only handles and footwork. It was mentality, patience, and the ability to stay ruthless when the moment demanded it.
The guys at the top all had it.
Jordan had it.
Kobe had it.
And through this battle, Chen Yan was starting to understand what it really cost.
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