Chapter 507: Playoff Situation Analysis
Over on TNT, Kenny Smith shouted, "A step back 3! That is not even Chen Yan's usual go to move, but he had the nerve to pull it out in the biggest moment. That tells you how big his heart is!"
Barkley chuckled. "Chen Yan definitely has a big heart, but right now I am more worried about Sloan's heart. Lose like that, on a game winner, and the old coach cannot be feeling too good."
Kenny nodded. "Nobody has ever come back from 0 to 3 in the playoffs. At this point, the only suspense left in this series is whether the Jazz can win 1 at home and save a little face."
Barkley added, "Utah gave everything they had tonight, especially Deron and Boozer. Both guys played more than 43 minutes. They need real rest after this one. With the series basically decided, pride may be the only thing pushing them to chase the next game."
With 47 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and the game winner, Chen Yan was the unquestioned player of the game.
For him and for the Suns, it had been a brutal battle.
Phoenix only had 4 players score in double figures. Nash finished with 16 points, Azubuike added 14, and Jason Williams chipped in 10. Stoudemire, in his first game back from injury, looked completely out of rhythm. He shot 2 for 11, did not get to the free throw line, and scored only 4 points.
Utah's most eye catching numbers belonged to Carlos Boozer. He put up a monster double double of 21 points and 21 rebounds, enough to let him leave EnergySolutions Arena with his head up even in defeat.
In truth, Boozer cared at least as much about his own stat line as he did about the result. If he could keep stacking huge playoff numbers, he would not be too upset even if Utah got swept. A strong postseason resume would only help him land a massive contract in the summer.
Deron did not collapse either. He finished with 22 points and 9 assists, a solid performance overall. Utah's bench was actually better than Phoenix's in this game, but they happened to run into a blazing hot Chen Yan.
The Jazz fans left the building disappointed. Sighs filled the arena. Even with 30 seconds left, many still believed the home team would pull it out. Chen Yan's final shot crushed that hope in an instant.
Deron did not greet his teammates. He did not greet his coach. He walked into the tunnel alone.
Utah was not a weak team, but he could already feel the ceiling closing in. Staying here would never bring him the Larry O'Brien Trophy. On top of that, Sloan kept a tight leash on every player's shot selection and offensive freedom. In Deron's mind, the man who had once taught him so much was now becoming the biggest obstacle in the way of his superstardom.
He believed he had the talent. He believed that with complete freedom, he could become a scoring champion too, a player on the level of Kobe or Chen Yan.
What he did not understand was that Sloan's restraint had always been meant to protect him. Limits on shot volume and playing time can extend a career. Not everyone has Kobe's iron body.
Back on the Suns' side, the celebration lasted from the floor all the way into the locker room.
Once inside, Stoudemire wrapped Chen Yan in a huge hug, practically saying, If there were not so many people outside, I would have dropped to one knee in here.
It was not an exaggeration to say Chen Yan saved him tonight.
Phoenix had won the first 2 games of the series by an average margin of more than 20 points without Stoudemire. If he returned and they immediately lost, the criticism would have drowned him. Worse, his own performance had been awful. Chen Yan's game winner spared him from becoming the center of that storm.
During the postgame interviews, reporters did not ignore the issue.
"After tonight, people are questioning your form since your return," one asked Stoudemire. "Some say your game has become much softer with the goggles on. What do you think?"
Stoudemire nodded. "That is fair. I have been out for almost half a season, and my body is still trying to catch up. At times I hesitate instead of attacking the rim naturally. But everything is coming back. I will find my normal game again."
Chen Yan stepped in on behalf of his teammate as well.
"This was only his first game back. People need to calm down. Amare is an All Star, a super talented big man. He is going to find his rhythm very quickly. I am not worried about that at all."
His tone was firm. Trust like that is how real chemistry is built.
Later, Chen Yan and D'Antoni attended the formal press conference together.
D'Antoni praised him without reservation.
"Tough game, but we got the result we wanted. That is what matters. Chen took over when the rest of the team was struggling to score. He made big shot after big shot. He did exactly what I asked of him. Every coach wants a player like that. The difference is, most coaches can only dream about it. I actually have him."
Chen Yan, by contrast, sounded much calmer.
"This game is over. I do not have time to stay in it for long. Right now I need to get ready for the next one. We are up 3 to 0, but that does not mean we are going to relax. Every playoff game matters. The sooner we move on, the more rest the team gets. In the playoffs, details decide everything."
Phoenix's second round opponent would come from the Portland Trail Blazers and Mavericks series. That matchup currently stood at 2 to 1, with Portland holding the edge.
Still, Dallas had the experience advantage, something Portland's young roster clearly lacked. Most people believed that series would go at least 6 games, and 7 was still very possible. If Phoenix finished off Utah quickly, they would earn at least 8 or 9 days of rest, longer than a full holiday break.
Elsewhere around the league, the rest of the bracket kept moving.
The Lakers led the Rockets 2 to 1, but Houston had just won Game 3 and kept the series alive. Kobe's 36 points and 7 rebounds were not enough to save Los Angeles. McGrady went toe to toe with his close friend, posting 31 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds while carrying both the scoring and playmaking load.
Yao Ming, also played very well. He finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
The third game between the Nuggets and Spurs had not yet been played. That series was tied 1 to 1, but San Antonio had already stolen one on Denver's home floor and taken away home court advantage. With the Spurs' disciplined style, very few people believed they would waste that edge once the series shifted to their building. The common opinion was simple. Denver was already in trouble.
In the East, Cleveland had swept Detroit to move within 1 game of finishing the series. These Cavaliers were not the same old Cavaliers, and these Pistons were no longer the championship era group that once stunned the league.
Billups was gone. Ben Wallace was gone too.
Detroit still had some fight left, but the most controversial decision of all was benching Iverson and building the playoff rotation around Stuckey. In 3 games, Stuckey had only managed something in the 15 points and 5 assists range. Even worse, he had not made a single 3 in the series, and his 2 point percentage sat at only 39 percent. For a supposed lead player, that was a disaster. Even an aging Iverson would not have looked that bad.
The Magic trailed the 76ers 1 to 2, which had caught plenty of people off guard. After unexpectedly dropping Game 1, Orlando lost control of the series. Philadelphia was clearly less talented overall, but they played true team basketball. Every man moved the ball. Every man accepted his role.
Look at their starting lineup: Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Thaddeus Young, Dalembert, and Willie Green.
There was no classic primary ball handler there, which in a strange way kept everyone from becoming selfish.
Even so, Orlando was not finished. If they adjusted in time, they still had a real chance to turn the series around.
Atlanta led Chicago 2 to 1. Yi Jianlian's playoff numbers had shrunk noticeably from the regular season, and he had already fallen behind Tyrus Thomas in the rotation. Westbrook, on the other hand, had shown explosive flashes. Bibby simply could not stay in front of him. Westbrook's straight line burst was too much.
Greg Oden, another player many fans had been waiting to see, had averaged only 5 points and 4.3 rebounds through 3 games. A lot of fans complained that he was not getting enough minutes and that the coaching staff was not designing anything for him.
But that complaint ignored the real issue.
Why were there no plays for him?
Because he still was not good enough.
His development had barely moved. Right now he was still little more than raw physical talent, and even that came with a constant health question. The skill level simply was not there. A free throw rate around 60 percent told you all you needed to know about his shooting touch. He was never going to grow into some unstoppable scoring force like Shaq just by leaning on his body. At best, his ceiling looked like a high end role player in the Mutombo mold, not a championship centerpiece.
Boston led Miami 2 to 1. There was a clear overall gap in talent, and the Heat were surviving almost entirely on Wade's brilliance. He had scored more than 30 in both Game 2 and Game 3.
Durant, in his first playoff run, was already staring at a likely second round appearance.
Somewhere, McGrady was probably not enjoying that comparison at all. After all, Durant's draft comp had once been McGrady himself.
.....
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