Chapter 753: Chasing Points!
Knicks offensive possession.
Jeremy Lin dribbled past half court with Rose guarding him closely.
Jeremy Lin's fundamentals were much better than Rose had expected. Although Rose failed to steal the ball or force a turnover, Jeremy Lin still felt the pressure.
Tonight, the Celtics were playing with Playoffs intensity.
Since entering the league, this was the 1st time Jeremy Lin had experienced this level of pressure, and he was clearly unaccustomed to it.
Chen Yan quickly stepped forward from beyond the arc to receive the ball.
Jeremy Lin passed it over.
The Celtics did not double team Chen Yan.
Their enormous lead had made them somewhat complacent.
The moment Chen Yan received the ball, he attacked without hesitation. He slammed the ball against the floor and accelerated, lowering his center of gravity until it almost touched the court.
Piétrus had just spread his arms and prepared to defend when Chen Yan blew past him in a single step.
Chen Yan reached a small step outside the free throw line, where Durant closed in to stop him.
Chen Yan paused, then launched his 2nd burst.
Durant hesitated for a moment.
He was worried that Chen Yan intended to stop abruptly. While Durant was still deciding whether to step forward, Chen Yan accelerated past him.
Chen Yan had not used any flashy moves during the drive.
There had not even been a change of direction.
It was all rhythm, alternating perfectly between fast and slow.
This was the work of a true master of ball handling, using the fewest movements to beat the most defenders.
Stoudemire guarded the basket.
They might have been former teammates, but Chen Yan showed no mercy.
Chen Yan took off from 1 foot and soared into the air.
Stoudemire jumped with all his strength, meeting him with tremendous momentum.
He knew Chen Yan was not in good form tonight, so he felt more confident than usual about challenging him.
Chen Yan did not force a shot over Stoudemire.
He rose almost vertically and performed several pump fakes in midair.
Stoudemire was also known for his explosive athleticism. Wherever Chen Yan moved the ball, Stoudemire followed with his hand.
The fans could not help exclaiming.
"These 2 are playing hide and seek in the air!"
Chen Yan's 3rd pump fake finally created an opening.
He extended his left hand beneath Stoudemire's armpit and gently flicked the ball toward the backboard.
The basketball banked in.
With this basket, Chen Yan declared to his opponents that although his shooting touch might not be good tonight, there was certainly nothing wrong with his back.
"Beautiful! Consecutive pump fakes in midair!"
"Chen Yan's body control has never lost to anyone!"
"His form really is average tonight. If he were feeling good, that probably would have been a poster dunk."
"That sequence was just as spectacular as a poster!"
"Incredible!"
A GIF of Chen Yan's finish quickly appeared on a popular basketball forum.
After scoring the 2 points, Chen Yan did not celebrate.
He knew they had to strike while the opportunity was there, so he immediately urged his teammates to increase their pressure.
The Knicks went straight into a full court press.
Jeremy Lin tried to apply intense pressure on Rose, but his movements were too aggressive, and the referee immediately called a foul.
Nelson saw this and quickly substituted Beverley into the game.
If the Knicks intended to press across the entire court during this stretch, Beverley would undoubtedly be more effective than Jeremy Lin.
Beverley made an immediate impact.
The Celtics attempted to inbound the ball, and Beverley suddenly burst forward for the steal.
Beverley knew that once the ball reached Rose, taking it away would become extremely difficult.
That was why he attacked while Boston was still inbounding from the sideline.
After making the steal, Beverley remained completely clear headed.
He understood exactly why he had been sent onto the court.
Beverley did not attempt the shot himself.
After taking 1 dribble, he immediately searched for Chen Yan.
Chen Yan received the ball 2 steps beyond the 3 point line and shot without hesitation.
His rhythm was excellent, and he did not make even the slightest adjustment before releasing the ball.
Swish.
A decisive shot and a decisive make.
48 to 69.
Chen Yan had scored 5 consecutive points, but it was far too early to celebrate.
The deficit was still more than 20 points.
For the Celtics, this remained a comfortable lead.
They had not yet noticed the danger quietly approaching.
The Boston fans felt the same way.
On the next offensive possession, they continued cheering happily for their home team.
The Knicks maintained their full court pressure, with Beverley leading the charge and hounding Rose across the entire floor.
After Rose dribbled past half court, he passed the ball to Durant.
This time, Durant received the ball with his back to the basket near the elbow.
Battier pressed against Durant's lower back, carefully reading every shift in his center of gravity.
Durant faked a drive, then stepped back.
Battier had no choice but to follow him.
But the moment he moved forward, he exposed himself.
As Battier shifted his position, Durant suddenly exploded 1 step to his right.
Battier adjusted his feet according to Durant's movement.
As Battier shifted his weight backward and prepared to defend the drive, Durant executed a crossover in front of his body.
Battier was completely thrown out of position.
Durant drove into the paint with the ball.
Even a defensive specialist like Battier had been toyed with during this possession.
Durant's entire offensive sequence was almost perfect.
For a player of his height to maintain this level of agility was nearly unprecedented in NBA history.
Durant entered the paint with tremendous momentum.
DeAndre Jordan showed no fear and stepped forward to confront him directly.
The 2 collided in the air, and DeAndre Jordan knocked Durant to the floor.
The fans booed continuously, believing DeAndre Jordan's challenge had been too rough and had ruined Durant's spectacular play.
But DeAndre Jordan had wanted exactly that result.
If Durant had completed the dunk, Boston would have completely overwhelmed the Knicks in terms of momentum.
Chen Yan's 5 points from the previous 2 possessions would have been wasted.
Clang.
Perhaps affected by the collision, Durant's hand trembled on the 1st free throw, and the ball bounced off the rim.
Swish.
However, a shooter of Durant's caliber adjusted quickly and made the 2nd attempt.
48 to 70.
Beverley demanded the ball and quickly pushed it past half court.
He knew the Knicks needed to maintain a high speed offensive rhythm.
A slow half court battle would not help them close the deficit.
When Rose had the ball, Beverley defended with all his strength and pressured him across the entire court.
When Beverley handled the ball, Rose did not return the same level of pressure.
Rose needed to conserve more of his energy for offense.
Beverley crossed half court with ease and paused briefly.
He noticed Rose relax for a moment.
Without hesitation, Beverley crossed over and drove forward with his head lowered.
Near the left elbow, Beverley passed the ball to Chen Yan.
The pass was not particularly effective because Beverley had failed to draw Boston's defense inward with his drive.
Chen Yan still had a defender in front of him when he received the ball.
Chen Yan faked a shot, pretended to drive left, took 1 dribble, then immediately stepped back.
Relying entirely on his individual ability, Chen Yan created a shooting opportunity.
Clang.
The rhythm had been smooth, but his touch truly was not good tonight.
The shot missed.
Fortunately, DeAndre Jordan was there to protect him.
DeAndre Jordan swung his long arm through the paint and knocked the offensive rebound away from the crowd.
Chen Yan accelerated toward the landing spot.
After picking up the loose ball, he did not adjust.
He immediately rose for another shot.
This was the confidence a superstar scorer needed.
Missing was not frightening.
What mattered was having the courage to shoot again.
Piétrus could not keep up and could only watch helplessly as Chen Yan released the ball.
The basketball struck the inside of the rim and dropped through.
51 to 70.
The deficit was now under 20 points.
Chen Yan's continuous scoring ignited Durant's competitive spirit.
On Boston's next possession, Durant demanded the ball in the frontcourt and immediately shot from 1 step beyond the 3 point line.
Battier contested directly in his face.
The ball bounced off the rim.
Both commentators felt Durant had rushed the shot.
The rebound flew a long distance, and Beverley grabbed it before pushing a fast break along the sideline.
Chen Yan was the 1st player to reach the baseline.
Beverley threw the ball ahead.
Chen Yan used a shot fake, and Piétrus immediately jumped.
Chen Yan's recent string of 3 pointers had been too frightening, leaving Piétrus extremely tense.
The moment Chen Yan saw him leave the floor, he decisively drove toward the paint.
With more than 1 minute remaining, the Knicks did not necessarily need a 3 pointer on every possession to continue closing the gap.
Durant and Stoudemire retreated into the paint, preparing to double team Chen Yan.
However, Chen Yan deceived them both.
After taking off, he did not challenge the 2 defenders directly.
Instead, Chen Yan pulled his body backward and completed a sweeping reverse layup along the baseline.
.....
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