Chapter 677: Defending Home Ground
The game resumed.
The Knicks did not cause much trouble for Boston on the inbound pass. Kostic passed the ball to Durant.
Durant successfully received the ball using Daniels screen, and Chen Yan immediately switched onto him.
Durant had a height advantage, and Chen Yan understood that clearly, so he pressed him tightly, not allowing Durant to dribble comfortably.
If Durant could not dribble comfortably, he certainly could not shoot comfortably.
Chen Yan unleashed suffocating defense.
At this stage of the game, there was no need to conserve energy.
Durant's ball handling was good, but he had a fatal weakness.
His center of gravity was too high.
Losing the ball at this critical moment would be fatal, so to stay safe, Durant chose to shield the ball with his body.
Boston's plan for a quick 2 points was shattered.
That left Durant with only 1 option.
A 3 point shot.
At that moment, Rose used Stoudemire's screen to move to the far side.
Durant made a long pass.
After Rose caught the ball, Curry immediately stuck close to him.
Curry's signal was clear.
You can drive if you want, but do not even think about shooting a 3.
Just as Rose hesitated, Durant sprinted toward him.
While receiving the hand off, Rose also screened Chen Yan.
Durant caught the ball 1 step beyond the 3 point line, then naturally took another step outward with his right foot, turned halfway, and shot.
Curry contested him, but the interference was limited.
At that moment, Durant had only 1 belief.
Make this damn 3 pointer.
Durant's shot was very difficult, with a slight fadeaway after hanging in the air. After finding his shooting point, he fired like a sniper.
The basketball traced a perfect arc and swished through the net.
New York still led, 112 to 110.
"Ah!"
Durant pumped his fist and roared.
At this moment, he felt radiant, as if he truly were the protagonist of the night.
Chen Yan received the ball in the backcourt and slowly advanced into the offensive half.
There were 26.7 seconds left in the game.
Chen Yan did not call timeout, refusing to give Boston a chance to set up its defense.
As for him, his strategy was very clear.
Run down the clock.
The Celtics player responsible for defending Chen Yan became Durant.
Ace against ace.
The 3 pointer on the previous possession had given Durant immense confidence.
While defending, Durant talked trash.
"You will not make it. If you miss this shot, I will hit the winner over you, just like I made that 3 on the last possession."
Chen Yan protected the ball and replied, "KD, why are you so nervous that you are almost stuttering? I have 100 ways to kill this game. Do you want me to shoot a 3, a mid range jumper, or a layup?"
The 2 were fighting a psychological battle.
At this moment, both Knicks fans and Celtics fans were anxious.
For Knicks fans, this shot had to go in. Otherwise, there was a risk of Boston winning the game at the buzzer.
For Celtics fans, if this shot was not defended, the game would be over.
When there were 8 seconds left on the shot clock, Chen Yan made his move.
He chose the most direct way to face Durant.
1 on 1.
Chen Yan executed consecutive crossovers, his rhythm accelerating from slow to fast.
He chose to drive right, took a powerful step, then suddenly pulled the ball back behind his back.
Durant did not lose his position.
After Chen Yan pulled back, he did not gather the ball. Instead, he kept it suspended with his left hand, then burst to the left.
Durant's footwork kept up.
Chen Yan suddenly pushed off his right foot and retreated beyond the 3 point line.
This sequence of moves flowed like water, completed in a single breath.
Durant's feet were already beginning to slip, but his instinct told him he had to contest this shot.
Durant lunged forward and barely managed to hit Chen Yan's wrist.
As Chen Yan lost his balance, he flung the ball toward the sky.
"3 point shooting foul!"
Magic Johnson had just finished speaking when the basketball struck the backboard at a strange angle, then bounced into the net.
Durant was completely stunned.
He stood rooted to the spot, at a loss.
Chen Yan, sitting on the floor, was also a little stunned, nearly swallowed by the deafening cheers from the crowd.
After that shot went in, the Madison Square Garden fans knew the outcome had been decided.
They unleashed their loudest cheers without holding anything back.
It was no exaggeration to say the arena was shaking.
Magic Johnson covered his ears and laughed.
"After that shot, the situation is very clear. Durant's 2 consecutive 3 pointers almost stole the spotlight from Chen Yan, but Chen Yan used his final shot to take it right back."
Van Gundy nodded.
"That shot pretty much sealed the victory. The Celtics players look unwilling, but that is the reality."
The next second, Chen Yan stepped to the free throw line.
The entire arena erupted in a unified chant.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
This was undoubtedly a public execution for Durant.
Durant's fragile heart was wounded once again.
"Swish!"
The free throw was good.
New York led, 115 to 110.
With only 3.3 seconds left in the game, Boston did not even bother calling timeout.
After receiving the inbound pass from the backcourt, Rose simply flung up a desperate shot.
It missed.
Cheers erupted again inside the arena.
Despite losing their head coach and battling through an extremely difficult situation, the Knicks defended their home court.
"The Celtics were once close to victory," Mike Breen said, "but Chen Yan's 3 pointer was like an arrow through the heart. Let us congratulate the New York Knicks. They win this game and take a 2 to 1 lead in the series."
The moment the whistle sounded, Chen Yan took the initiative and walked over to shake hands with Durant.
Durant could not hide the disappointment in his eyes.
"A fantastic 3 pointer, Chen. You won tonight."
"KD, your 2 straight 3 pointers inspired me," Chen Yan said.
The 2 embraced, showing mutual appreciation.
They did not talk for long.
There were still several games left in this series, so this was not the time for goodbyes.
Chen Yan finished with 55 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds tonight, another complete performance.
Fans were already used to Chen Yan's superhuman numbers, so not many people discussed the stat line itself.
More people were talking about Chen Yan's game sealing 3 plus 1 at the very end.
That 3 pointer had truly given countless fans an adrenaline rush.
Tonight was Chen Yan's stage alone.
Back in the locker room, after showering, a group of reporters thrust microphones in front of his face and bombarded him with questions.
After answering 1 round of questions, he had to rush to the press conference without delay.
For a pure player like Chen Yan, dealing with reporters questions was sometimes even more exhausting than playing on the court.
At the postgame press conference, Chen Yan did not openly criticize the bald referee's calls.
Publicly criticizing referees in the NBA would lead to punishment.
However, Chen Yan still hinted at it subtly.
"This game was very difficult. We encountered some resistance during the game, and we lost a lot during the game. But we gained the most important thing, victory. Nothing can stop us. No matter how difficult the situation becomes, we can unite and rely on our own strength to win."
After Chen Yan finished speaking, many reporters showed knowing smiles.
Everyone understood that Chen Yan was questioning Crawford's officiating.
In fact, it would not have been a major problem even if Chen Yan had named him directly this time, because David Stern was already preparing to deal with Crawford.
The bald referee was about to face the most severe punishment ever imposed on an official.
.....
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