Chapter 751: Triple Double
At the post game press conference, a reporter asked Spoelstra, "Have the Heat Big 3 developed chemistry?"
This was also the question the fans wanted to ask.
Apart from fast breaks, fans rarely saw James and Wade connect. Most of the time, they were playing individually.
Spoelstra replied, "There is no doubt about it. We have integrated very well, and we are a true team. The players are very united on the court. Compared to last season, the Heat are more like a cohesive unit now. Wade has made sacrifices. Pau Gasol has also made sacrifices. James has found the most comfortable way for him to play. I am full of confidence in this team's future."
"What do you think of Chen Yan's performance tonight?" a reporter asked.
Spoelstra spread his hands.
"I do not think his performance needs me to evaluate it anymore. Even a child who does not understand basketball would give his performance tonight a perfect score."
The reporter then asked Spoelstra to comment on Jeremy Lin's performance.
Spoelstra's answer was concise.
"If it were not for Chen Yan, that kid would have a chance to be on the front page."
In his own post game interview, Chen Yan also praised Jeremy Lin generously.
"He is the Knicks X factor, the team's dark horse. Especially in the 2nd and 4th quarters, his performance laid the foundation for our victory. To sum it all up, I love this teammate."
If Jeremy Lin's performance in the previous game had been icing on the cake, then this game was timely help.
Chen Yan knew very well that without Jeremy Lin's 19 points, this game would have been extremely difficult to win.
"I heard a rumor that Jeremy Lin has been staying at your house recently. Is that true?" a reporter asked.
Chen Yan smiled and said, "Your rumors are always so well informed. To be precise, it is not recently. It started after the game the day before yesterday."
"So, how far have you 2 progressed? Are you sleeping in the same room? Or the same bed?"
The next reporter asked with a sly smile.
The reporters present burst into laughter.
Chen Yan scratched his head.
How had this suddenly become so scandalous?
Chen Yan shook his head and smiled.
"You know too much. I think you should be gossip reporters, not sports reporters."
Then another reporter asked, "How long will Jeremy Lin stay at your house? Will Taylor Swift have any objections?"
Chen Yan smiled helplessly.
"You seem very interested in this matter. Taylor Swift is on tour recently and is not at home. As for how long Jeremy Lin stays, that depends on him, but I do not think it will be too long. If I were the team owner and saw his performance, I would definitely give him a guaranteed contract. With that money, Jeremy Lin would be able to solve his accommodation problem."
"So, are the Knicks already preparing to sign Jeremy Lin to a guaranteed contract?" the reporter pressed.
"You will have to ask management. My words do not count."
Chen Yan quickly clarified.
If he did not explain, rumors would probably be flying everywhere the next day.
Opponents, teammates, and fans were all praising Jeremy Lin's recent performance.
Jeremy Lin was very happy, but at this stage, he cared more about whether he could stay in the NBA.
When he woke up, Jeremy Lin's dream came true.
Jeremy Lin's agent, Montgomery, called to tell him that the Knicks were preparing to offer him a guaranteed contract.
Montgomery had founded his own agency in 2009.
Like Jeremy Lin, he was also a rookie in the industry.
On December 6 of that same year, Jeremy Lin scored 30 points in a game between Harvard University and basketball powerhouse UConn, which caught Montgomery's attention.
Montgomery then signed him.
Although Montgomery was a rookie agent, his idea was very clear.
He would not chase famous players. Instead, he would bet on players he believed had potential.
The reason was simple.
Famous players would not even look at a rookie agent like him.
So when he learned that Jeremy Lin was about to sign a guaranteed contract, Montgomery was extremely excited.
He told Jeremy Lin that their hard work had finally paid off, and this was only the beginning. Better days were still ahead.
Jeremy Lin cheered excitedly over the phone, directly waking Chen Yan.
"What the hell? Jeremy Lin, did you win the lottery?"
Chen Yan walked to the door, still half asleep.
"Chen Yan, I am about to get a guaranteed contract!" Jeremy Lin said excitedly.
Chen Yan immediately became much more awake.
"Congratulations, Jeremy Lin. It seems we will be fighting side by side for a long time."
After chatting for a few minutes, Jeremy Lin called his family to share the good news.
His mother cried on the phone.
These past 2 years had not been easy for her.
To support Jeremy Lin's dream, she had even offered her own pension.
She believed her son could succeed, and Jeremy Lin had indeed lived up to her expectations.
At the morning team practice, Jeremy Lin played with extra excitement, even dunking during a fast break.
DeAndre Jordan was stunned.
"Is this guy playing a practice game like it is the NBA Finals?"
Chen Yan patted DeAndre Jordan on the back of the head.
"Do not be lazy. Mind your own business."
Jeremy Lin's excitement continued into the next day's game.
Against the Rockets, Jeremy Lin once again played the role of bench bandit and scored 21 points.
This Rockets team felt unfamiliar to domestic fans.
No Yao Ming.
No Tracy McGrady.
No Battier.
No Alston.
No Hayes.
No Dikembe Mutombo.
Even the little black hole Brooks was gone.
It could be said that this was no longer the Rockets team in the fans memories.
This Rockets team was at its lowest point in terms of both strength and popularity.
Chen Yan clocked out after 3 quarters, easily putting up 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.
So far this season, Chen Yan's averages were 38.5 points, 10.7 assists, and 8.9 rebounds.
Everyone felt that Chen Yan might actually average a triple double for the entire season.
After the game, Beverley mocked himself.
"Jeremy Lin has been playing like an All Star point guard these past few games. If this continues, I am afraid I will have to come off the bench."
Curry heard this and immediately quipped, "Do not just talk about yourself. I am even worried I will have to come off the bench when I return."
1 day later, the Knicks won another big game, 118 to 91.
Chen Yan played 31 minutes, scoring 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Another triple double.
In this game, his teammates had excellent shooting touch.
Battier made 3 of 5 from 3 point range.
Al Harrington made 3 of 4.
Jeremy Lin made 2 of 4.
Beverley made 2 of 4.
Yi Jianlian also made 1 of 1.
Chen Yan played the role of a supporting player, constantly organizing from the top of the arc and delivering brilliant passes to his teammates.
The Pistons record so far this season was 4 wins and 19 losses, spending most of their time in defeat.
Their roster had obvious shortcomings.
No shooters.
No one who could make the decisive play.
Even their once reliable tough defense was gone.
Stuckey had the heart of a savior, but not the fate, nor the ability.
Most of his shots ended in misses, and his handling of crucial possessions was a complete mess.
When opponents saw Stuckey with the ball in critical moments, they generally felt a sense of relief.
Previously, Detroit management had been disappointed with Stuckey.
Now, they were desperate.
Stuckey's field goal percentage this season was just over 40 percent, and his 3 point percentage was just over 30 percent.
This was already his 5th season in the NBA, and he still did not look like someone who could become a superstar.
Forget being a superstar.
Stuckey was still 2 levels below becoming a true star player.
Detroit management was already planning to trade him this summer.
The Pistons now only hoped Stuckey could put up better stats so they might get decent assets in return.
In the 1st game of February, the Knicks defeated the Bulls 109 to 90.
In this game, 2 players recorded triple doubles.
Chen Yan scored 36 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds.
Westbrook scored 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
However, 1 of those 2 triple doubles was padded.
In the final 4 minutes of the 4th quarter, the game had already entered garbage time, but Westbrook was still tirelessly playing drive and kick basketball.
His goal was to raise his assist count from 9 to 10.
The Bulls players had long lost their fighting spirit.
It was not until there was 1 minute and 59 seconds left that rookie Jimmy Butler received a pass from Westbrook and scored 2 points.
This saved Westbrook from embarrassment.
If Westbrook had tried so hard to pad his stats and still failed to get the triple double, domestic fans would probably have mocked him for a month.
After the shot went in, Westbrook pointed at Jimmy Butler, indicating that this was a smart kid with a bright future.
Jimmy Butler nodded somewhat shyly.
At this time, he had not yet grown into a tough guy.
He was still just a rookie.
After Westbrook entered the league, everything he did seemed to follow Chen Yan.
Chen Yan shot super long 3 pointers, so Westbrook tried them too.
This season, Chen Yan continuously recorded triple doubles, and Westbrook also started becoming obsessed with triple doubles.
.....
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