Chapter 510: Game 1 Begins, Artest Suffers a Setback
On May 4, Game 1 between the Suns and the Mavericks tipped off at US Airways Center.
Before the game, D'Antoni said in an interview, "The Mavericks are a traditional powerhouse. No team can say it is guaranteed to beat them. This series is going to be extremely intense, and it will be a major test for everyone on the Suns."
On the other side, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle also kept a low profile.
"No one wants to face the Suns. They have outstanding players at every position, and they just swept their first round opponent 4 to 0, so their confidence is sky high. All we can do is give everything we have and leave the rest to fate."
Both head coaches sounded very modest, but that in itself was a psychological tactic. The goal was to keep the other side from becoming too alert. In a playoff series, details decide everything. A small detail can swing a single game, and a single game can shift the momentum of the entire series.
It was not just the coaches. The players on both sides were also keeping their tone restrained.
Nash said, "The Mavericks have a lot of playoff experience. They have Dirk, Kidd, Ray Allen, and Artest. Off the bench, they have a super sixth man like Terry. During the regular season, they were still figuring out their lineup, but the playoffs are their stage. You can never relax against a team like that."
Chen Yan said, "We have to play fast, and then even faster. We need to keep our accuracy while pushing the pace. If this turns into a half court grind, we do not have the advantage against Dallas."
Nowitzki said, "The Suns are nearly flawless on offense. They have Steve, Chen, Amare, and a bunch of energetic role players."
Both teams were laying it on thick. The atmosphere was so polite that it barely felt like the playoffs.
Only 1 person was different.
"The Mavericks are the better team, and we are going to win this series. Chen? I am going all in on defense. Even if I do not score a point, I will lock him up. I like playing the toughest assignment. Whatever position the hardest guy to guard is playing, that is the position I want. Chen is going to have a miserable time this series. I said it."
Artest went completely off script before the game.
He was that type of player, fearless before he got beaten. He also had that classic American admiration for strength. Once a truly elite player conquered him with skill, Artest would not just respect him, he would practically turn into a fanboy.
Suns against Mavericks was the marquee matchup of the second round. ESPN and TNT both carried the game live.
Magic Johnson said, "This is exactly the kind of Mars crashing into Earth matchup fans love to see. The Suns have 3 All Stars. The Mavericks have 4. Besides Nowitzki, Kidd, Ray Allen, and Artest have all made All Star teams."
Jeff Van Gundy immediately added, "This is going to be a fantastic series. You can tell that just by looking at the rosters. For the Suns, the key is whether they can establish their familiar run and gun rhythm. For the Mavericks, the only way to win is to drag this into the half court as often as possible."
Magic smiled. "After the lesson they learned in 2007, I think the Mavericks are much more experienced against small ball teams now."
Van Gundy nodded. "Compared with 2007, this Dallas roster is also much stronger. A big reason their regular season record was only average is that veterans like Kidd and Ray Allen were pacing themselves. But now it is the second round, and they are facing a team like Phoenix. I think the veterans are about to empty the tank and it seems the Mavericks are not putting much pressure on them at all ."
In truth, Chen Yan did feel pressure. He was just helping Stoudemire relax mentally before the game. Stoudemire had been terrible in the Jazz series, and now he was facing an even stronger opponent. The pressure on him was naturally greater.
Especially with Nowitzki, the superstar at the same position, waiting on the other side. That matchup was unavoidable, and Chen Yan needed him calm before the opening tip.
Even though Stoudemire was older, he respected Chen Yan deeply. On a basketball court, skill earns respect more than anything else.
After the pregame ceremony, both starting lineups stayed on the floor.
The Mavericks started Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Artest, Antoine Wright, and Nowitzki.
Dallas had learned from the Black Eight disaster years earlier. They had removed the traditional center from the lineup and shifted Nowitzki to the 5.
That lineup allowed them to get back in transition. Kidd and Ray Allen were older, but their straight line speed was still fine. For veteran players, lateral quickness declines much sooner than sprint speed.
Phoenix started Nash, Chen Yan, Grant Hill, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
Stoudemire and Nowitzki stood at center court for the jump ball. In a pure athletic contest like this, Stoudemire clearly had the edge, and he won the tip.
Yet 15 seconds later, he wasted the possession with a miss.
Dallas came down for its first trip. Kidd did not rush. He dribbled to the wing and swung the ball to Artest.
Grant Hill picked him up. Compared with Raja Bell, Hill was taller and stronger, which was exactly why D'Antoni had him in the starting lineup tonight.
Artest used a triple threat, then passed the ball to Nowitzki on the weak side.
Dirk settled, turned into a post up, and Nash immediately left Kidd to double him.
Nowitzki gathered the ball and used a light hop to slip through the pressure from Nash and Stoudemire. Since Dirk had always been a face up big, that sort of move came naturally to him.
Once he landed, he flicked up a short floater before he had fully regained his balance.
Clang.
The ball hit the rim and came off. All 5 Suns instantly took off in transition.
Nash fired a long pass to Grant Hill on the wing, just outside the 3 point line. Chen Yan sprinted straight down the middle, drawing the defense with him. Hill caught it and attacked the basket decisively.
Under pressure from Ray Allen and the retreating Antoine Wright, Hill missed the layup.
Chen Yan could not collect the rebound. He got a hand on it, but the ball skipped out of bounds.
Both teams came up empty on their first possessions.
Kidd inbounded from the baseline to Ray Allen, who immediately gave it back. Kidd walked it across half court. Both teams were playing at their own preferred tempo to start.
Antoine Wright stationed himself at the top of the arc as a connector, caught the ball, and swung it to Artest.
Nowitzki set a baseline screen for Ray Allen. Allen curled around it and ran out to the 3 point line. Chen Yan reacted immediately and chased him hard.
Ray Allen's catch and shoot game was one of the most dangerous in the league. The numbers showed that from catch to release, he needed only 0.4 seconds. A human blink takes around 0.3. His shot was quick, clean, and lethal. No defender in the league could afford to lose him for even a moment.
Seeing Chen Yan right there, Allen did not force it. He jabbed, put the ball on the floor, drove right, and then rose for a pull up.
Chen Yan got a hand up, and the ball bounced off the rim again.
The crowd cheered. Dallas clearly did not have its touch yet.
Diaw grabbed the rebound and passed ahead to Nash.
Nash advanced to midcourt, but the Mavericks had already recovered defensively. He moved to the left 45 degree angle beyond the arc and looked for Chen Yan, leaving the top open for him.
Artest stepped up.
It was their first direct matchup of the night.
Chen Yan dribbled between his legs from left to right, then right to left, calmly sizing him up. Artest did not overcommit. He kept retreating while watching Chen Yan's feet.
Then Chen Yan suddenly pounded the ball hard.
One violent dribble, then a step back.
The move came out fast, the kind that froze most defenders, but Artest was fully keyed in. The instant Chen Yan gathered the ball, Artest sprang forward.
As soon as Artest left the floor, Chen Yan lowered the ball again.
Only then did Artest realize he had been fooled. He had been too eager to make good on all that trash talk before the game.
As Artest descended, Chen Yan rose again and launched the shot straight through the contact.
The whistle blew instantly.
Not just a foul.
As the ball splashed cleanly through the net, the entire arena exploded.
A 4 point play.
Before the game, Artest had vowed to make life miserable for Chen Yan.
On the very first defensive possession, he was the one who got taught a lesson.
.....
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