Chapter 599: Flattery From Every Direction, Reflecting on Life
Chen Yan completely erupted tonight.
He shot 32 of 46 from the field, including 11 of 17 from 3 point range, and made all 12 of his free throws, finishing with 89 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Roy also played well for the Portland Trail Blazers, putting up 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Aldridge added 27 points and 9 rebounds.
But tonight, no one was paying attention to anyone except Chen Yan.
Every spotlight belonged to him alone.
After the game, many Portland fans rose to their feet and applauded.
They sincerely thanked Chen Yan for giving them an epic performance for the price of a regular season ticket.
The Trail Blazers players, meanwhile, hurried into the tunnel as if fleeing the scene of a crime.
After tonight, their names would be mentioned again and again by fans, but not as the protagonists.
They would be the background.
"I am so glad I got to call this game," Kenny Smith said, his voice still filled with disbelief. "I am so glad we got to witness the greatest individual scoring performance in basketball history with everyone watching at home. Chen Yan took the same number of shots Kobe took in his 81 point game, but he scored 8 more. Tonight, he was a god walking among men."
Charles Barkley leaned back, still shaking his head. "I will be honest with you, Kenny, my heart is still racing. These are not human numbers. If I had not seen Chen Yan up close before, I would be asking for an alien investigation right now."
After returning to the locker room, Chen Yan rinsed off his exhausted body.
He was a physical monster, but taking 46 shots under intense defense was still draining.
For an ordinary player, forget maintaining efficiency under that kind of pressure. Just getting up 46 shots in a real NBA game would already be difficult.
As soon as Chen Yan came out of the shower, his teammates surrounded him.
The Suns players looked fresh, energetic, and full of life.
They had spent much of the game setting Chen Yan up, so compared with him, their physical workload had not been as heavy.
Stoudemire handed Chen Yan a white sheet of paper with "89" written on it.
"Chen, hold this up for the photos when the reporters come in later. This is history."
Chen Yan thought the pose was a little cheesy, but he could not resist his teammates' enthusiasm, so he agreed.
Soon, a flood of reporters poured into the locker room.
Their only target was Chen Yan.
Diaw looked around at the packed room and joked, "I should have left earlier. Staying here makes me feel like I am blocking traffic."
White Chocolate laughed. "Tonight, you definitely are."
Reporters filled the entire visiting locker room until it was almost impossible to move. The Suns even regretted opening the locker room so soon, because it was starting to affect the players.
As for interviews, Chen Yan would attend the press conference later anyway.
Chen Yan did not stay long. He was worried he might suffocate in the crowd.
After briefly answering a few questions, he asked the reporters to move to the press conference room, where he would continue speaking with them.
As soon as Chen Yan sat down, he went straight to the point.
"I know what everyone wants to ask, and my answer is this: incredible. Absolutely incredible. As a player, I never thought I could score 89 points. I was only thinking about winning. I wanted to use scoring to help the team win, and then it happened. That is all."
After answering, Chen Yan smiled calmly.
A reporter immediately asked, "Chen, was this your childhood dream?"
"When I was a kid, I would not even dare to dream of something like this," Chen Yan replied with his usual humor.
Another reporter followed up. "What was the reason you were able to score 89 points?"
"I am really not trying to be humble, but a big part of the credit goes to my teammates. From half time on, they were thinking about how to set me up and help me score more points. They were a very important part of these 89 points. I am lucky to have such a selfless group of teammates, and I am also satisfied with my own performance. I did not let them down."
"Many Portland fans chanted your name tonight. That must have felt great," the next reporter said with a smile.
"It would be a lie to say it did not feel great," Chen Yan said, laughing. "Hearing fans cheer for you on the road is also encouragement. I really enjoy that feeling. It is part of what drives me to play so hard."
"Chen, it is well known that you did not train heavily during the offseason. How do you maintain your form well enough to score an unbelievable 89 points?"
Chen Yan shrugged.
"I have answered this question before, but now I want to add 1 thing. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it. The stronger your belief, the stronger your power. Of course, that belief has to be built on ability. What I want to say is this: every kid who loves basketball should practice the fundamentals, then carry strong belief into the game. I can do it, and I believe you can too."
After saying that, Chen Yan pointed toward the camera.
Those words were for young fans all over the world.
"Chen, you are now the creator of the 2nd highest scoring game in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain stands ahead of you. Is he your next target?"
Chen Yan gave a mysterious smile.
"We will see."
A little later, Portland's press conference began.
McMillan was the 1st to break the awkward silence.
"A frustrating night. Chen was unstoppable. God was on the other side tonight, and we were helpless."
Roy and Aldridge, the Trail Blazers' 2 core starters, also attended the press conference.
Naturally, both were asked about the 89 points.
Roy let out a long sigh.
"Oh, tonight was a long night for me. The whole game, I watched Chen Yan shoot and make, then shoot again and make again. He reached another level competitively. Whether we fronted him or double teamed him, we could not stop him."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"I hope the whole team can forget this loss as quickly as possible. We still have many regular season games ahead."
Aldridge, Portland's other core player, also gave his thoughts.
"We expected Chen to score a lot before the game because he has been on fire this month, but we did not expect him to be this fierce tonight. We studied his offensive habits carefully, but unfortunately, even then, we could not stop him."
The 2 Portland core players had similar personalities. Both were introverted and mild mannered, so their words were polite, with no hint of bitterness.
After the game, current and former stars across the league shared their reactions.
Clyde Drexler, The Glide, said, "89 points. Honestly, beyond the shock, I feel more sympathy for the Trail Blazers players. They must have had a miserable night."
Magic Johnson said, "It is no exaggeration to say that Chen Yan is opening a new era. He has changed the league's entire ecosystem. More and more players are imitating his 2 step 3 point shooting. That would have been impossible in our era. But the facts prove that his style is advanced, powerful, and incredibly effective. Tonight's 89 points explain everything."
Yao Ming expressed his surprise as well.
"To be honest, I played NBA Live tonight using the Rockets, and I only scored 75 points with myself in the game. Chen Yan did something I could not even do in a video game."
In a luxurious villa in Cleveland, Bronny excitedly ran up to James.
"Daddy, Daddy, Chen scored 89 points!"
"89 or 59? Bronny, it seems I need to teach you numbers again."
James shook his head as he walked from the bedroom to the living room.
The living room television was playing highlights from Chen Yan's game, and beside the footage, his final scoring total was clearly displayed.
89 points.
James stood frozen for 3 seconds.
Then he began to reflect on life again.
If he joined the young Boston Celtics, what would his chances be of beating Chen Yan?
If he joined the Los Angeles Lakers and teamed up with Kobe, what would his chances be of beating Chen Yan? Would the league even approve that trade?
If he joined the Miami Heat, teamed up with Wade, and brought in Bosh, what would his chances be of beating Chen Yan?
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]