Chapter 592: Three Pointer from Midcourt
In the 2nd quarter, Chen Yan came off to rest, and Phoenix sent out Barea, Danny Green, Grant Hill, Barnes, and Jordan.
The Lakers answered with Shannon Brown, Vujacic, James Posey, Luke Walton, and Mbenga.
Phoenix had a slight edge in bench strength, but not by much.
With 7 minutes and 47 seconds left in the 2nd quarter, Phoenix led 44 to 39.
Mbenga committed a foul, creating a dead ball, and the Lakers immediately brought Kobe back in.
The moment Kobe stepped onto the floor, the Lakers looked like a different team. The change was not limited to offense or defense. It was spiritual. Kobe was the Lakers' pillar, and as soon as he returned, every teammate's energy and focus visibly rose.
Phoenix's situation became dangerous, and D'Antoni quickly sent Chen Yan and Stoudemire back in at the next dead ball.
The score was 48 to 47.
As soon as Chen Yan returned, he attacked with full force, using Barnes' screen to stride into the paint.
Camby and Garnett were not on the court, which meant the Lakers' interior was being held down by Mbenga and Walton. For Chen Yan, that was an invitation.
He drove inside, pulled the ball slightly in midair, and finished with a nimble reverse layup.
49 to 48.
Phoenix and the Lakers traded the lead once again.
The Lakers continued to play through the half court. Shannon Brown drove to the basket, but Stoudemire contested his layup and forced the miss.
Chen Yan secured the defensive rebound and immediately pushed the break. Before the double team could arrive, he drew his bow from beyond the three point line on the left side.
Clang.
The three pointer bounced off the rim. The ball hit the neck of the basket and popped high into the air.
Just as the Suns players were preparing to retreat on defense, Grant Hill made a hustle play and snatched the offensive rebound.
That rebound looked a bit like an old man refusing to admit he was old. Hill had once been a high flyer, but with age and injuries, fans had not seen him jump that high in a long time.
Of course, another reason the Lakers failed to protect the glass was Mbenga's poor mobility. Their center had only just crossed half court.
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Hill immediately passed the ball back out.
Chen Yan relocated to the left 60 degree angle to receive it. He gave a slight pump fake, sending James Posey flying, then dribbled into a sideways step back, returning to nearly the same spot as his previous attempt.
Swish.
From the same place, Chen Yan would not miss twice.
On the Lakers' next possession, Kobe dribbled past half court and controlled the tempo.
The Lakers' strategy was to slow the game down and reduce the number of possessions. They knew one of Phoenix's winning formulas was to increase possessions through pace. More possessions meant more shots, and more shots meant a higher scoring ceiling.
Kobe signaled for isolation at the top of the arc. He wanted Grant Hill one on one.
After a series of crossovers, Kobe hit a fadeaway from the elbow.
It was classic Kobe. He had barely taken this kind of shot in the 1st quarter, so this jumper also signaled that he was preparing to raise his offensive volume.
52 to 50.
The Lakers continued to pressure Chen Yan.
Chen Yan only managed to catch the ball at the top of the arc after using 2 screens. Once he had it, he immediately executed a reverse spin, sharp and fluid.
Kobe, lurking on the side, instantly left Hill to help. Chen Yan changed direction and kept driving. James Posey chased from behind, and the 2 Lakers defenders were ready to trap him in a sandwich.
Chen Yan gathered the ball decisively and delivered a delicate pass.
Grant Hill calmly knocked down the outside shot.
55 to 50.
Chen Yan's playing style made the Lakers extremely uncomfortable. If the Suns' supporting players could consistently hit open shots, the Lakers would be stuck in a very passive position.
Phoenix then had a defensive breakdown, and Walton cut into the paint for an easy 2 points.
55 to 52.
Phoenix came back on offense. After Chen Yan received the ball, he ran a pick and roll with Stoudemire. Stoudemire cut inside, while Chen Yan dribbled out.
After retreating 2 and a half steps, Chen Yan suddenly paused.
James Posey's nerves tightened. This was Chen Yan's range.
Posey immediately stepped up on defense, but Chen Yan suddenly accelerated and blew past him cleanly. Posey looked at Chen Yan's back in frustration, realizing he had once again been fooled by the Buddha Crossing Move.
Posey's defensive form tonight was clearly not as good as Ariza's. This was not the 1st time Chen Yan had beaten him cleanly, which explained why Phil Jackson had started the game with him on the bench.
Chen Yan stormed toward the rim. With Camby and Garnett out, the Lakers' paint was a weak spot.
Walton had no athleticism, and Mbenga only had height.
Chen Yan glided in and finished another elegant layup.
57 to 52.
Phil Jackson called timeout.
Chen Yan was in explosive form tonight and had been exceptional on offense, but Phil Jackson would never tolerate his defense being carved apart so easily.
After the timeout, Garnett, Camby, Ariza, and the Lakers' main defensive pieces returned. Phoenix also brought its starters back at the same time.
Over the next few minutes, the defensive intensity Chen Yan faced rose sharply.
With Camby and Garnett anchoring the paint, the Lakers' restricted area looked as if it had been sealed with 2 giant locks. They also double teamed Chen Yan off the ball, showing extreme aggression.
That tactic heavily limited Chen Yan in the half court. It became difficult for him to even catch the ball, let alone score.
But Chen Yan remained lethal in transition. No Laker could match his speed or his pace. Ariza tried his best, but not only did he fail to stop him, he also picked up 2 fouls.
At halftime, Phoenix led 65 to 59.
Chen Yan had already posted 35 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Those numbers would have been elite for an entire game.
During halftime, major sports websites were already rushing to publish stories about the game. Everyone knew Chen Yan was headed for another outrageous stat line, and several reporters even changed their plans at the last minute to hurry to Phoenix. They wanted to be inside the arena before the final buzzer. Missing this kind of headline would be unforgivable.
The 2nd half began with Fisher missing a three pointer.
On the other end, Raja Bell missed after receiving a pass from Chen Yan.
Both sides opened the half by exchanging misses.
On Phoenix's next possession, the Lakers continued their double team strategy against Chen Yan, with Ariza fronting him and Kobe lurking nearby to help from the side.
Both were top level defenders. Kobe, especially, had studied Chen Yan extensively. He understood many of Chen Yan's habits on the court, which made Chen Yan very uncomfortable.
For the first 2 and a half minutes of the 2nd half, Phoenix failed to score.
The Lakers, meanwhile, played steadily. They frequently got the ball into the paint, where even if they missed, they could draw fouls.
66 to 65.
After the Lakers took the lead, Chen Yan realized Phoenix's offense had stalled. They needed a different approach.
White Chocolate Williams passed the ball to Chen Yan as soon as he crossed half court.
Chen Yan stood on the logo and waited quietly for a moment.
The Lakers did not double team him there. If they sent 2 defenders at that distance, fans would think they had lost their minds. If Chen Yan passed out of it, Phoenix would immediately have a 4 on 3 advantage.
Only Ariza was guarding him.
The next second, Chen Yan made a move Ariza could not understand.
He looked down at his wrist.
Ariza thought it was some Phoenix signal.
But in that instant, Chen Yan shot the ball.
Ariza did not react at all.
It was a three pointer from midcourt.
Ariza turned his head to follow the ball's flight. He thought Chen Yan had to be crazy, but at the same time, a terrible feeling rose in his chest.
Swish.
The moment the ball dropped through the net, the entire arena exploded.
Ariza stood frozen in place.
His mind went blank. He no longer knew what he was supposed to do to guard this man.
No one on the Phoenix bench could stay seated. A shot like that gave the team a morale boost no weaker than a thunderous dunk.
Chen Yan nodded confidently as he retreated on defense.
He believed that if he made 1 more shot like that, the Lakers' entire defensive scheme would be shaken apart.
.....
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