Chapter 754: Setting a New Record
53 to 70.
For the Celtics, it was still a comfortable lead.
Even so, Rivers chose to call a timeout.
That was the minimum respect any coach had to show Chen Yan. He had already scored 10 consecutive points.
Watching Chen Yan come alive made Rivers uneasy. He had no desire to witness another comeback.
"The advantage is still ours," Rivers said. "There is no need to panic. Maintain the rhythm, keep the game under control, slow down the pace, and attack the paint."
He then looked at Stoudemire.
"Amar'e, you will provide the screens and support. Kevin and Derrick, attack the basket aggressively when the opportunity is there. If we do not score, retreat immediately. Do not give them any chance to run."
The Celtics players nodded, but most of them privately felt Rivers was being too cautious.
"On defense, double team Chen Yan decisively," Rivers continued. "Do not hesitate."
Durant did not particularly like coaches such as Rivers.
He preferred D'Antoni and Nelson, coaches who gave their players far more freedom.
On the other side, Nelson did not introduce any additional tactics.
The Knicks had already built momentum using their current strategy, proving that it was working.
Nelson merely continued emphasizing defense.
There was no point in cutting into the deficit if they allowed Boston to keep scoring at the other end.
Celtics offensive possession.
Durant received the ball at the top of the arc.
He did not rush to attack.
Following Rivers instructions, Durant tried to slow the pace.
With 12 seconds remaining on the shot clock, he finally called for a screen.
Durant used Stoudemire's screen and drove right.
Stoudemire rolled toward the basket.
The 2 were trying to connect.
DeAndre Jordan suddenly read the play.
The instant Durant released the pass, DeAndre Jordan stepped half a pace in front of Stoudemire.
Slap.
DeAndre Jordan forcefully swatted the ball away and disrupted the pass.
Battier quickly turned and secured possession.
He did not immediately throw the ball ahead because the situation did not allow it. Celtics players surrounded him on all sides.
Chen Yan stepped forward to receive the ball, and Battier safely handed it over.
Chen Yan dribbled across half court.
Piétrus pressed closely against him, refusing to allow a super long 3 point attempt.
Chen Yan did not intend to take one.
His shooting touch was only average tonight. Unless he had enough space, he would not casually attempt such a difficult shot.
Rose abandoned Beverley on the wing and came over to double team Chen Yan.
Chen Yan had expected it.
He had been playing too smoothly during this stretch. It would have been strange if Rivers had not ordered a double team.
Chen Yan immediately threw the ball to Beverley, then cut inside without it.
After receiving the pass, Beverley did not recklessly begin dribbling. Instead, he watched Chen Yan's movement.
Chen Yan cut toward the free throw line, then suddenly turned right.
David West set a screen for him, allowing Chen Yan to quickly retreat beyond the 3 point line.
Beverley kept his eyes on Chen Yan.
The moment the opening appeared, his pass arrived.
Piétrus defended desperately and immediately squeezed past David West.
He understood that a player like Chen Yan could not be given any opportunity.
Even the smallest opening could be turned into points.
Piétrus saw Chen Yan looking at the basket from beyond the 3 point line and naturally rushed forward.
Chen Yan pushed off his back foot and exploded past him.
Piétrus had been fooled again.
That was the difficulty of defending a superstar such as Chen Yan.
Refuse to close out, and he would shoot.
Close out too aggressively, and he would use his explosiveness to drive past.
No matter which option the defender chose, it could appear to be the wrong decision because Chen Yan adjusted his attack according to the defense.
After beating Piétrus, Chen Yan took 3 powerful steps toward the basket.
Stoudemire challenged him again.
This time, Chen Yan did not intend to play hide and seek in the air.
He crashed directly into Stoudemire.
After the collision, Chen Yan relied on his superior physical conditioning to remain suspended in the air.
He maintained his balance and banked the ball into the basket.
The referee blew the whistle.
The basket counted, plus the foul.
"And 1!"
Chen Yan repeatedly pointed his index finger toward the floor, emphasizing the 3 point play.
"That is incredible body control!" Barkley shouted. "He took the contact, stayed in the air, and still finished cleanly off the glass."
Kenny Smith nodded. "Chen Yan always finds a way to break a double team. You can send 2 defenders, but he reads the coverage and attacks the opening."
The fans watching from home were ecstatic.
Chen Yan's firepower appeared impossible to stop.
Swish.
The free throw was good.
56 to 70.
The deficit had been reduced to fewer than 15 points.
Some Celtics fans were beginning to feel uneasy. They could vaguely sense danger approaching.
However, most of the home crowd remained optimistic.
In their eyes, a double digit lead was still secure.
During the free throw, Rivers replaced Piétrus with Daniels.
On paper, Piétrus was Boston's best perimeter defender.
But during this stretch, his defense had been ineffective. Chen Yan had already scored 13 consecutive points.
Celtics offensive possession.
Rose dribbled across half court and controlled the pace.
After a series of passes, the ball reached Stoudemire.
Beverley quickly collapsed toward him, hoping to strip the ball away.
Although Stoudemire was an interior player, he was extremely agile. He would not lose possession that easily.
Stoudemire immediately raised the ball and passed to Rose.
Rose was open outside.
However, he did not shoot.
Rivers had instructed the Celtics to slow the pace and attack the paint, and Rose was determined to follow those instructions.
After receiving the ball, Rose paused, then took a long step toward the basket.
From 1 step outside the restricted area, Rose attempted a floater.
DeAndre Jordan covered a tremendous amount of ground and had already moved into position.
Rose increased the arc of the shot to avoid the block, but the attempt was heavily contested.
Clang.
David West boxed out, and DeAndre Jordan turned to secure the defensive rebound.
During this stretch, the Celtics were following Rivers tactical instructions too rigidly.
Ironically, it caused them to lose their natural rhythm.
It was like ordering the Knicks to slow down, play exclusively in the half court, abandon their 3 point shooting, and focus on layups.
Boston and New York were fundamentally similar teams.
Both relied on athleticism, pressure, and pace.
After Boston missed, the Knicks immediately pushed in transition.
Chen Yan was the 1st player across half court.
He would never waste a fast break opportunity.
Beverley threw a long pass ahead.
Chen Yan forcefully split Piétrus and Durant as they tried to surround him.
He took off from the free throw line.
Everyone expected an astonishing dunk.
Instead, after gliding through the air, Chen Yan gently flicked the ball from his fingertips.
The shot dropped in easily.
58 to 70.
Chen Yan was capable of dunking from the free throw line, even during a game.
But with the Knicks chasing points at a critical moment, there was no reason to waste his stamina.
A dunk was worth 2 points.
A layup was also worth 2 points.
Why force the dunk?
Some believed dunks could provide a greater emotional boost, but Chen Yan's continuous scoring was already raising the team's morale.
The Celtics continued attacking while deliberately controlling the pace.
Compared with their transition offense, their half court execution was clearly inferior.
But Rivers refused to change his plan.
On this possession, Stoudemire drove forcefully into the paint and drew a foul from David West.
Swish.
Stoudemire made the 1st free throw.
Clang.
The 2nd attempt missed.
DeAndre Jordan grabbed the rebound and immediately passed to Chen Yan.
The moment Chen Yan caught the ball, he lowered his body and charged forward.
This had not originally been a fast break opportunity.
Chen Yan's speed forcibly transformed it into one.
His ability to initiate a counterattack was nearly unique in NBA history.
Starting a break required more than speed.
Ball handling, court awareness, passing, and long range shooting were all essential.
Without those skills, the defense could simply step forward and stop the ball.
Piétrus and Rose retreated inside the 3 point line.
Based on Chen Yan's previous attacks, both instinctively expected him to drive into the restricted area again.
It was a natural assumption.
Chen Yan suddenly stopped at the 3 point line.
He immediately rose and fired.
Swish.
61 to 70.
"There it is!" Barkley shouted. "That 3 pointer was like a dagger."
Kenny Smith looked toward the scoreboard. "Boston was leading by more than 20 only a few minutes ago. Now the deficit is down to single digits."
The Celtics fans looked up at the scoreboard in confusion.
How had the lead disappeared so quickly?
Celtics offensive possession.
Durant aggressively attacked from the perimeter.
He had no intention of standing by while Chen Yan took control.
After using his signature hesitation move, Durant pulled up for a jumper from the high post.
The shot went in.
61 to 72.
Rivers clapped continuously.
The Celtics had finally made another field goal.
Over the next several minutes, Chen Yan continued displaying his complete offensive arsenal.
Whether attacking in transition or creating in the half court, he found countless ways to put the ball into the basket.
By the end of the 3rd quarter, the score was 88 to 85.
The Knicks had reduced the deficit to only 3 points.
They had erased 20 points from the lead in a single quarter.
Chen Yan had been the driving force behind the comeback.
He played the entire quarter and scored 33 points.
Scoring 33 points in a quarter was not an NBA record.
The record was 35 points, and Chen Yan himself held it.
But tonight, Chen Yan established another record.
He set the record for consecutive points scored by a single player.
Chen Yan scored an astonishing 29 consecutive points.
During that entire stretch, no other Knicks player contributed a single point.
.....
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