Chapter 119: Mr. 100%, Barkley's Immature Advice
The Suns entered the fourth quarter with a dominant 28-point lead—it was officially garbage time.
Head Coach Mike D'Antoni didn't hesitate. He pulled the starters early in the final period, knowing there was no need to risk injuries or waste energy. The game was already in the bag.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 108 to 81—a statement win at home for Phoenix.
Chen Yan was the undisputed star of the night. In just 29 minutes, he went a perfect 12-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 at the line, finishing with 30 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.
A 100% shooting night. Completely flawless.
Even Coach Zhang in the broadcast booth couldn't help but marvel, "Twelve for twelve—Chen Yan really didn't miss a thing tonight!"
Yu Jia chuckled beside him. "And don't forget the 10 assists. If Chen can just step up his rebounding, he'll be flirting with triple-doubles every night."
He had a point—rebounding was Chen Yan's biggest gap right now.
Back in the locker room, Chen opened up his system interface to allocate points.
After a few games of solid performances, he had built up 22 honor points.
First, he dropped 10 points into Mid-Range Shooting. For perimeter players in the NBA, a consistent shot is the foundation. As always, Chen prioritized building up Three-Point Shooting and Mid-Range first.
Then, he used the remaining 12 points on Rebounding. It wasn't just about chasing triple-doubles and earning more points—it was about helping the team.
The Suns were getting beat on the boards all season. Averaging just 40.1 rebounds per game, they ranked fifth-worst in the league, and offensive rebounds were at a league-low 8.8. That had to change.
Updated Attributes:
Name: Chen Yan
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Wingspan: 218 cm
Standing Vertical: 98 cm
Running Vertical: 105 cm
Offensive Skills:
Ball Control: 90
Speed: 92
Stamina: 90
Court Vision: 84
Driving: 90
Layup: 86
Mid-Range: 86
Three-Point: 90
Free Throw: 80
Passing: 85
Positioning: 90
Defense & Physical:
Steal: 88
Strength: 81
Rebounding: 69
Defense: 85
Block: 68
Spirit: 95
Skills:
God-Level Steal
Answer Crossover
Magic Shadow
Hot Start (Passive)
Perfect Shooting Form (Passive)
Juggling Finish (Passive)
Pass Master Lv. 2
Heart Steel (Passive)
Honor Points: 0
Overall Rating: A+
In addition to the upgrades, Chen noticed that his weight and strength had improved—proof that all the extra time in the weight room was paying off.
Still, he wasn't trying to bulk up into a power guard. His goal was to enhance contact and physicality, not sacrifice his agility or flexibility.
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Postgame Press Conference
A reporter asked Celtics coach Doc Rivers, "Coach, do you think Chen Yan has the potential to become an All-Star in the future?"
Rivers adjusted the mic and nodded. "I don't know about the future… but tonight? He played like an All-Star. Offensively, he was flawless—he can slash, hit mid-range, knock down threes, and he sees the floor really well. On defense, he was everywhere. He's young, but the potential? It's scary high."
Rivers wasn't just being gracious. With Boston in a rebuilding phase, wins weren't everything right now. His focus was development, and he had no reason to be salty about a loss.
Another reporter followed up, "Do you think Chen is starting to separate himself from KD in the Rookie of the Year race?"
Doc smiled, but sidestepped the landmine. "They're both special. Chen's like Jordan or LeBron—he makes an immediate impact, plug-and-play. KD? More like Kobe—give him some time to mature and the league better watch out."
He added, "And that's exactly why we drafted Kevin. He's gonna be great."
Then came a question for Durant himself.
"KD, can you walk us through that play where Chen knocked you down?"
Durant gave a sheepish smile and chuckled, "Man, that Phoenix floor was real slippery that night…"
The room laughed.
The reporter pushed further. "Will you look to prove yourself by beating Chen in the next game?"
Durant sighed, shaking his head. "Damn… when did it become about proving myself against Chen?"
The KD vs. Chen narrative was already getting media-fueled.
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Suns Press Conference
Back on the Phoenix side, Chen was asked how it felt hearing "The Song of Chen Yan" ringing through the arena.
He smiled wide. "It's amazing, honestly. Never thought I'd hear people chanting my name in a song. Phoenix is a beautiful city, man—and the fans? Best in the league. I really feel at home here."
Another reporter jumped in, "Chen, would you say your performance tonight was better than Durant's?"
Chen stayed poised. "We play different positions, have different styles, and we're in different systems. Not really a fair comparison."
He knew better than to stir the pot. The numbers told the story—no need to flex.
Then someone asked, "You were a perfect 12-for-12 tonight, hit every free throw… people are calling you Mr. 100%. How's that feel?"
Chen shrugged it off. "It's cool, I guess… but it's just a number. There've been plenty of guys who've shot 100% in a game. I'm not chasing gimmicks—I'm focused on wins."
Reporters were a little disappointed. They wanted a soundbite. But Chen wasn't about to gas himself up over a stat line.
Still, the contrast was hard to ignore. Chen had 30 points on perfect shooting; KD had 19 points but shot just 6-for-16—a 37.5% field goal percentage.
Right now, Durant was the only real threat to Chen's Rookie of the Year run. But after tonight's showdown, most fans and analysts saw the race as over.
And then came Barkley.
On X (formerly Twitter), Charles Barkley fired off a classic Chuck bomb:
"I've got an immature suggestion—why not just cancel the Rookie of the Year vote and mail the damn trophy to Chen's house?"
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