Chapter 596: Heading Towards Breaking Records!
Fans originally thought Chen Yan would ease off in the 2nd half after scoring 47 points before halftime.
Instead, he became even more aggressive.
By the end of the 3rd quarter, Chen Yan's personal scoring total had already climbed to 70 points.
Major sports sites scrambled to push headlines about his absurd scoring explosion, and reporters rushed toward Portland. It was not even the 1st time this month they had done that.
There was no way around it. Chen Yan had been on fire all month, producing at a ridiculous level.
"Chen! Later, I'll get you the ball. I'll feed you every chance I get," Jason Williams shouted during the break between quarters. "Go score. Go break that record!"
"Chen, I'll screen for you and fight for every rebound," Stoudemire yelled at the top of his lungs. "You just make sure you put that damn ball in the basket!"
Everyone on the Suns wanted to see Chen Yan break the record. After all, 70 points through 3 quarters was not something anyone saw often.
Chen Yan had a real chance tonight to break Kobe's 81 point record, and maybe even challenge Wilt Chamberlain's 100. When Chamberlain scored 100, he had only 41 points at halftime. Chen Yan had 47.
With the way he looked tonight, fans would not have been shocked no matter how high the number climbed.
At the start of the 4th quarter, D'Antoni first had Chen Yan sit on the bench.
It was not because D'Antoni wanted to limit him. On the contrary, he wanted Chen Yan to rest briefly, recover his legs, and then return with even sharper scoring force.
Chen Yan had played almost the entire first 3 quarters, and continuous shooting drained stamina at an extreme rate.
The score was 101 to 91, with Phoenix leading by 10.
"Both teams are playing at a very fast pace tonight, and the score tells the story," Kenny Smith said.
"Chen already has 70 points, and everybody wants to know how many he can finish with," Barkley said. "He's resting right now, but D'Antoni better not sit him too long. The fans might start a riot, and honestly, I might join them."
Chen Yan sat on the bench, catching his breath while watching the game unfold.
Portland still had a strong desire to win. Head coach Nate McMillan kept Roy and Aldridge on the floor, clearly trying to cut into the lead before Chen Yan returned.
The Trail Blazers did exactly that, ripping off a 9 to 2 run in just 2 and a half minutes.
The score became 103 to 100.
Phoenix was already heavily dependent on Chen Yan, and tonight that dependence had reached another level. Chen Yan had accounted for roughly 70 percent of the team's points.
D'Antoni decisively called timeout. He had wanted Chen Yan to rest longer, but the game no longer allowed it.
For D'Antoni, those few minutes were dangerous. For countless Suns fans, especially those watching from across the ocean, it was exactly what they wanted to see.
They wanted Portland to make it close.
They wanted a reason for Chen Yan to stay on the court.
If the gap became too wide, Chen Yan's personality would never allow him to chase points in garbage time.
"Double team him. Do not let him catch it cleanly. Do not let him shoot comfortably, especially from 3," McMillan said in the Portland huddle. "Understand?"
After the timeout, Chen Yan returned to the court.
"Here we go," Kenny Smith said. "Chen Yan is back in the game."
"And now the only question is simple," Barkley said. "Can he break Kobe's 81 tonight?"
Phoenix had the ball.
Diaw skipped the ball directly past Jason Williams and fed Chen Yan.
Jason Williams had no objection at all. At this point, the whole team wanted Chen Yan to get every possible chance to break the record.
Portland, of course, had no intention of making it easy.
Before Chen Yan even dribbled to the top of the arc, the double team arrived.
McMillan wanted to win, but he also wanted to stop Chen Yan from scoring more. No one wanted to become the backdrop for history.
That would be far too humiliating.
Chen Yan passed decisively to Raja Bell.
He wanted the record, but he would not lose his mind chasing it. His scoring philosophy had always been built on the foundation of winning.
Bell had a brief open look, but Roy recovered quickly.
Bell faked, then drove in the opposite direction from Roy's closeout. That kind of drive is a nightmare for defenders because their momentum has already committed one way.
Bell's ball handling was only average. The real reason the drive worked was that Chen Yan had pulled the defense toward himself.
As Bell drove, Chen Yan made a reverse cut and pulled back out.
It created space for his teammate and also gave Bell another passing option.
Chen Yan's court vision was not only valuable when he had the ball.
Sure enough, once Bell ran into help defense, he passed it out.
Chen Yan caught the ball on the left wing, 45 degrees beyond the 3 point line.
Portland could not double team him immediately, but Marion pressed far up, terrified of Chen Yan's 3 point shot.
After catching it, Chen Yan gave a shot fake. Marion did not jump, but he hesitated for a split second.
For an ordinary player, that was nothing.
For Chen Yan, it was enough.
Chen Yan accelerated left for 1 step. Marion's first reaction was to turn and chase.
Just as Marion shifted, Chen Yan suddenly rose into a pull up jumper.
The rhythm was almost cruel. It gave the defender no honest way to respond.
"Swish!"
Chen Yan's pull up jumper dropped in.
105 to 100.
His 72nd point of the night.
The more Chen Yan shot, the more comfortable he looked. Marion, his primary defender for most of the game, looked increasingly helpless. His defense had not been bad. He simply could not stop Chen Yan.
Chen Yan's touch tonight looked like a cheat code.
In the 2nd quarter, McMillan had tried Nicolas Batum on him, hoping Batum's similar height and wingspan could bother him.
The result was even worse.
Portland went back on offense.
Roy used a screen and moved right, pausing just long enough to make Diaw believe he was going to pull up from midrange.
The moment Diaw leaned forward, Roy accelerated into the paint and finished with a 1 handed layup.
His timing was perfect.
After the basket, Roy had 30 points.
That was an excellent stat line.
Unfortunately for him, all his brilliance had been swallowed by Chen Yan's eruption tonight.
Even the fans inside Portland's arena seemed unable to focus on Roy. Their eyes kept drifting toward Chen Yan and the constantly rising number beside his name.
Phoenix possession.
Jason Williams dribbled across half court.
Chen Yan did not actively demand the ball. Against a double team strategy, playing off the ball was often more effective.
Chen Yan made a reverse cut, and Marion followed.
Chen Yan slammed on the brakes and cut back out, with Marion still glued to him.
Marion was an elite defender. Even Chen Yan could not shake him clean on every possession.
But basketball was not a 1 man sport.
Chen Yan had teammates.
Diaw immediately stepped up to set an off ball screen for him.
The first screen did not stop Marion. Chen Yan looped back around, and on the 2nd attempt, Diaw planted himself and solidly blocked Marion with his chest.
Jason Williams had been waiting at the top of the arc for exactly that window. He immediately fired a cross court pass to Chen Yan.
Portland switched quickly, and Aldridge stepped up in front of Chen Yan.
Chen Yan gave a quick fake, then pushed off and attacked with an explosive first step.
His burst was undeniable, especially that 1st step. Big men had an extremely difficult time staying in front of him.
That was why so many bigs defending Chen Yan chose to give him a step, sometimes even a step and a half.
But Aldridge could not do that tonight.
The reason was simple.
If he gave space, Chen Yan would shoot.
Against this version of Chen Yan, allowing the drive while taking away the shot was clearly the better option.
Letting him shoot was practically handing him points. Letting him drive at least allowed help defense to enter the play.
Joel Przybilla stepped into Chen Yan's path. He was a 216 cm white big man.
Marion also came over from the side to trap.
Chen Yan chose to slow down.
On the surface, Portland had contained him. In reality, their defensive shell was full of holes.
Aldridge was still high. Przybilla was in front of Chen Yan. Marion's attention was locked on Chen Yan as well.
In Chen Yan's eyes, Portland's paint had been emptied.
He gathered the ball quickly and passed.
Stoudemire caught it under the rim and threw down an easy dunk.
107 to 102.
All the difficulty in that possession happened before the score.
Once Stoudemire received the ball, there was no one around him.
For a finisher like him, that was almost too easy.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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