Chapter 594: Unlocking the Seal and Entering Berserk Mode
The Phoenix Suns were no longer thinking about rebounding. Their 2 big men pulled out to set screens for Chen Yan, doing everything they could to create openings for him.
Chen Yan caught the ball outside the 3 point line, and Ariza immediately pressed up. After watching him hit 2 shots from ridiculous distance, Ariza no longer dared to give him even a breath of space.
Chen Yan faked a shot. Ariza did not jump, but his body twitched by instinct.
Chen Yan caught that tiny reaction and instantly put the ball on the floor, driving to Ariza's left.
Ariza turned his hips and prepared to retreat, but Chen Yan changed direction in motion and slipped past him.
Ariza had already turned sideways. He could not shift his center of gravity back in time.
After Chen Yan broke through the 1st line of defense, Kobe came over to help.
Kobe stood in front of him, but Chen Yan could not stop his feet. If he stopped, Kobe and Ariza would trap him instantly, and Old Fish nearby might also join in to form a 3 man package.
Chen Yan leaned into Kobe, spun off the contact, then flowed straight into a 3 step layup.
Kobe had not lost position. Chen Yan had started the move while still absorbing contact.
Camby also rushed over. Chen Yan was already airborne, with almost no space left in the paint.
While hanging in the air, Chen Yan wrapped the ball around Camby's waist and delivered a pass.
The crowd screamed.
Even the commentators could only praise Chen Yan's composure. Even while losing balance in midair, he could still find a teammate and place the ball exactly where it needed to be.
Stoudemire caught it and finished easily with a 2 handed dunk.
72 to 80.
Old Fish brought the ball across half court, and Kobe shifted sideways with the dribble, organizing the offense.
Garnett ran toward Kobe.
A high pick and roll?
Just as Diop prepared to follow, Garnett suddenly accelerated back toward the paint.
Kobe and Garnett had run a misdirection.
Kobe passed to Garnett on the cut.
The play looked open, but in reality, the Suns' other 3 defenders were all collapsing.
Garnett's mobility was no longer what it had been at his peak. Age had clearly taken something from him.
By the time he drove to the basket, Stoudemire was already stationed in the restricted area, and White Chocolate Williams was also nearby.
Garnett did not care. Using the momentum of his cut, he took a jump step and tried to force a layup between Stoudemire and White Chocolate.
The double team prevented Garnett from jumping cleanly, but Garnett's toughness also made them hesitant to swipe. In such tight space, any movement could become a foul, and worse, it could turn into a 2 plus 1.
Garnett squeezed the shot through the gap.
Just as the ball started rising, a figure flashed from behind Stoudemire.
"Bang!"
A clean, decisive block.
Chen Yan rejected Garnett at the rim.
Garnett turned and threw his hands up at the referee, unclear whether he was complaining about a foul or asking for goaltending.
The referee ignored him, and the Suns immediately launched the counterattack.
This was Chen Yan's favorite rhythm. He flew across half court and received White Chocolate Williams' pass at the right 45 degree angle beyond the 3 point line.
After catching the ball, Chen Yan drove in with a Euro step.
All 4 Lakers defenders were drawn toward him.
In other words, except for Garnett, who had not gotten back in time, every Lakers player on the court was focused on Chen Yan.
Chen Yan had already driven deep, but he still passed the ball with both hands.
Once again, he showed an icy calm mind.
Unfortunately, Raja Bell, who was trailing the play, failed to catch the pass cleanly.
The immediate chance at the rim was gone.
Raja Bell secured the ball, dribbled it back out, and looked for Chen Yan.
Fans watching from across the ocean immediately started cursing. Bell had wasted a perfect assist.
Chen Yan caught the ball at the top of the arc and initiated another attack.
He was like a perpetual motion machine, as if fatigue did not exist.
As he drove near the free throw line, the Lakers sent another double team.
Chen Yan threaded a pass through the gap to White Chocolate Williams.
White Chocolate caught it, took 1 step, then passed to the middle. The trailing Diaw received the ball and completed the layup in 1 smooth motion.
72 to 82.
The lead reached double digits.
That possession showed the Suns' teamwork at its best.
On the Lakers' next possession, they moved the ball around the perimeter. Kobe ran the opposite way to receive it, briefly found daylight, and decisively launched a 3 pointer.
"Clang!"
Miss.
Chen Yan received the outlet and pushed the fast break.
The Lakers got back quickly, so Chen Yan called for a pick and roll.
Chen Yan had been passing over the last few possessions, and the Lakers genuinely could not read his intentions now.
That was exactly what Chen Yan wanted. When a player could drive, shoot, and pass, and the defense had no idea which option was coming, the psychological pressure became suffocating.
Chen Yan used the screen to shift to the right. This time, the Lakers did not double team. Camby stepped up hard to hedge, trying to buy Ariza time to recover.
After the hedge, Camby slid back toward the paint. He was afraid Chen Yan would pass again.
Ariza had just completed his recovery route and returned in front of Chen Yan, but Chen Yan had already pulled up.
Using the momentum from his dribble to the right, Chen Yan launched a drifting 3 pointer.
It was not as visually shocking as a shot from near mid court, but the difficulty was still extremely high.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
72 to 85.
The lead widened again, and the Lakers called another timeout.
Phil Jackson tapped his clipboard and drew up offensive actions. As for defense, all he could do was ask his players to stay engaged. He had already tried single coverage and double teams, but Chen Yan was so hot that nothing worked.
After the timeout, Garnett and Camby completed an interior to interior pass, and Camby scored 2 points at the rim.
74 to 85.
Over the next few possessions, both teams' shooting percentages dipped.
At 5 minutes and 59 seconds in the 3rd quarter, Ariza turned the ball over. Chen Yan reacted instantly and stole it cleanly.
It was Chen Yan's 3rd steal of the game.
Tonight, he was truly doing everything, filling the box score on both ends.
The moment Chen Yan crossed the 3 point line, Fisher immediately fouled him.
Chen Yan did not get the 2 plus 1, but his casual toss toward the rim still made Lakers fans break into a cold sweat.
Chen Yan went to the free throw line and made both shots.
The lead stayed in double digits throughout the 3rd quarter.
The Lakers made a push midway through the 4th quarter, but Chen Yan personally extinguished it.
With 2 minutes left in the game, the Lakers pulled all their starters, signaling surrender.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 121 to 110.
Chen Yan turned into a statistical monster in this game, finishing with 62 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 blocks.
Kobe had an average night by his standards, finishing with 27 points and 7 rebounds, while Garnett posted 25 points and 11 rebounds.
The Suns beating the Lakers without Nash gave the entire Phoenix organization a massive morale boost.
Over the next 4 games, the Suns defeated 4 strong opponents in succession: the Mavericks, Magic, Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio Spurs.
In those 4 games, Chen Yan scored 55 points, 59 points, 63 points, and 46 points.
The media joked that Chen Yan had unsealed himself in December and entered berserk mode.
What they did not know was that Chen Yan's true berserk mode had yet to arrive.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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