Chapter 750: Chen Yan, It Is That Simple
"Signature stepback 3 pointer!"
"The rhythm is too perfect!"
"A difficult 3 pointer. This is Chen Yan!"
"Chen Yan is starting to take over the game."
The fans watching in front of their televisions were ecstatic.
Spoelstra hesitated for a moment, then called a timeout.
The Knicks were gaining momentum, and the Heat had to break their rhythm.
"LeBron, go on the attack. Drive into the paint and create fouls."
James nodded when he heard Spoelstra.
But once he returned to the court, he immediately went back to his pass first mode.
This was James playing style.
As soon as he saw a teammate open in the corner, he could not help but pass the ball out.
Clang.
Chalmers missed the 3 pointer.
Spoelstra shook his head helplessly.
The Heat role players were struggling during these few minutes, so a superstar had to step up. That was why he had asked James to take over during the timeout.
But James clearly had his own ideas.
Chen Yan secured the rebound and slowly dribbled the ball up the court.
2 steps beyond the arc at the top of the key, Chen Yan signaled for an isolation play.
Everyone cleared out, watching Chen Yan perform.
Wade quickly glanced left and right.
There was no screen.
He knew Chen Yan was going to challenge him 1 on 1 on this possession.
Wade tugged at his shorts, lowered his stance, and focused completely.
Wade did not try to guess whether Chen Yan would shoot a 3 pointer or drive.
Because he could not.
He could only defend by instinct.
Chen Yan held the ball in 1 hand.
In the next second, he directly rose up for the shot.
No way?
Wade's heart skipped a beat, and he lunged forward.
In a flash, Chen Yan had already released the ball.
Swish.
A super long 3 pointer went in.
107 to 97.
Wade could only sigh in admiration.
With this kind of play, let alone Wade, no one in the league could defend it.
Many unreasonable playing styles had appeared throughout NBA history, such as O'Neal's dunks and Jordan's mid range fadeaways.
But Chen Yan's super long 3 pointer was undoubtedly the most despair inducing.
He could shoot from anywhere past half court, making it virtually impossible to defend.
Other players killer moves could be predicted.
At least opponents had some mental preparation.
Chen Yan's killer move was different.
No one knew when he would suddenly shoot.
Heat offensive possession.
James dribbled between his legs a few times at the top of the arc, then drove hard to the right.
3 Knicks players collapsed into the paint.
James chose not to pass on this possession.
He took a hop step into the paint, drove strongly past David West, and scored.
107 to 99.
After scoring, James flexed his muscles, looking extremely dominant.
The Knicks inbounded from the baseline.
Chen Yan dribbled the ball past half court.
Wade applied tight defense, trying to wear him down.
Chen Yan was very steady, using his back and turns to protect the ball as he crossed half court.
Wade was applying a lot of pressure, knowing the referee would not call a foul on this kind of contact.
2 steps beyond the 3 point line, Chen Yan dribbled sideways, constantly waving his left hand to direct traffic.
Jeremy Lin and Battier ran a cross screen play.
Chen Yan glanced left and right, giving the impression that he might pass at any moment.
The next instant, he suddenly raised his hand.
A surprise attack?
Wade immediately stepped forward with his right foot.
This was a natural physical reaction.
The moment Wade lunged, Chen Yan immediately flicked the ball toward Jeremy Lin, then cut toward the middle without the ball.
Chen Yan's thinking was clear, and his movements were fluid.
This was clearly a designed play.
Jeremy Lin received the ball and immediately passed it back to Chen Yan, acting as an excellent relay point.
Pau Gasol was protecting the rim in the paint.
Chen Yan jumped from outside the restricted area, glided past Pau Gasol, then elegantly switched hands in midair and scored the layup.
"Holy crap. That play looked even more like a glider than a glider."
"I wonder what Chen Yan was thinking while he stayed in the air for so long."
"Haha, Chen Yan's hang time was long enough to contemplate life."
"Gasol had already landed, but Chen Yan was still gliding. That is the most frustrating part."
109 to 99.
The lead had now reached double digits.
James dribbled to the top of the arc, passed to Wade, then ran to the corner and used a screen to slip under the basket.
Wade bounced a pass to James.
The 2 completed a connected play in the half court offense.
James scored with a reverse layup.
109 to 101.
James eyes were fierce.
He was about to unleash his full power mode.
Swish.
Before James could even show off for 5 seconds, Chen Yan immediately received a quick inbound pass and hit a trailing 3 pointer.
112 to 101.
What the hell?
Despite James scoring consecutively, the deficit was getting larger and larger.
He could not take it anymore.
On the next possession, after calling for the ball, he drove straight to the basket.
James had been scoring consecutively, but the Knicks were prepared for him.
The moment he drove into the paint, 2 defenders converged on him.
James was forced to pass.
It was a no look pass, very deceptive, but Chen Yan still saw through it.
Slap.
Chen Yan reacted instantly and poked the ball away.
The Knicks immediately launched a fast break.
Chen Yan streaked down the court, and Jeremy Lin delivered a long pass.
Chen Yan received the ball and immediately took off, like a silver spear on a white horse, charging straight toward the basket.
Wade suddenly burst out from the wing.
He knew he could not let Chen Yan score anymore.
Wade timed his steps perfectly and jumped at the same time as Chen Yan.
2 perimeter players with elite athleticism collided in the air.
Chen Yan overpowered Wade and slammed the ball into the basket in an incredibly ferocious manner.
More accurately, it was a smash.
Like a meteor dunk.
The visual impact was immense.
The referee's whistle blew immediately after.
This was the most despairing part.
And 1.
Chen Yan repeatedly gestured for a 3 point play toward the camera.
"Beautiful. The basket counts, and there is a free throw."
"During this stretch, Chen Yan has single handedly stretched the lead."
Barkley and Kenny Smith were both very excited.
Clank.
Chen Yan's hand shook, and the free throw missed.
A 3 point play had turned into 2 points only.
The Knicks players were already preparing to get back on defense, but the ball flew back into Chen Yan's hands with a very strange arc.
A gift from heaven?
Chen Yan caught the ball, took a step, and scored with a small floater.
Swish.
The 3 point play turned into 4 points.
After scoring 4 consecutive points in a single possession, Chen Yan helped the Knicks extend the lead to 15.
James was stunned.
He had just been about to activate his full power mode.
How had the game ended early?
Chen Yan's scoring burst had sealed the game.
The Heat struggled for 2 minutes before choosing to give up.
Spoelstra pulled all his starters, and the Knicks, in mutual understanding, put in their 2nd unit.
Both sides called off the battle.
122 to 106.
The Knicks secured a big road win.
A game that should have stayed close until the very end had been taken over early by Chen Yan's scoring burst.
Chen Yan finished with 58 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Another triple double.
Chen Yan had recorded so many triple doubles this season that fans no longer bothered to count them carefully.
Jeremy Lin had 19 points and 5 assists.
He became the Knicks dark horse in this game.
James also had a triple double, finishing with 26 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.
But compared to Chen Yan's performance, it was clearly the smaller version.
Wade had 22 points and 5 rebounds.
Pau Gasol had 14 points and 9 rebounds.
For the Knicks, this was more than an ordinary regular season victory.
This game built confidence for the players, because there was a high probability that the 2 teams would meet again in the Playoffs.
The Heat's sudden collapse left James frustrated.
In the post game interview, when a reporter asked him about the reason for the team's loss, James answer was concise.
"Chen Yan. It is that simple."
.....
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