Chapter 144: Has Chen Yan Matured? This Rookie is Awesome!
The Raptors set up their offense.
And of course—Pierce again.
To be honest, his teammates were getting fed up. Every possession, the ball kept ending up in his hands, even though he wasn't converting. Nobody enjoys being frozen out, especially when the guy hogging the ball isn't delivering.
Still, after a few swings around the perimeter, Pierce called for it again. His hands flailed like electric fans, demanding the rock.
He caught it at the high post. Raja Bell stuck to him tightly, but Pierce didn't care. He only had one target in mind—Chen Yan.
He dribbled across the arc, then used Anthony Parker's screen to hunt the matchup. Classic veteran pride. You torch me? I come right back.
But the Suns didn't bite. Raja Bell fought through the screen and stuck to him. Anthony Parker's pick wasn't strong enough to shake free.
Pierce reset, circled back, and forced Parker into another screen. This time, Chen Yan stepped out. Finally, he had his wish. But before Pierce could square up, Bell slid over too. The Suns threw the double team at him.
Pierce froze. "Seriously? You're trapping me now?"
Chen Yan smirked. He knew Pierce's temper was on the edge. Push him just a little further, and he'd unravel.
Sure enough, Pierce launched into a wild fadeaway—super deep, leaning hard.
"Bang!"
Off the rim. Not Kobe. Not his shot.
Nash grabbed the rebound and skipped the playmaking. One hard push and the ball was already flying ahead to Chen Yan.
Chen had 38 points. With under a minute left before halftime, the Suns wanted to see him break 40 before the buzzer.
He danced on Pierce at the top of the arc, ball snapping between his legs, then behind his back. Faster and faster.
The crowd roared. It wasn't just effective—it was showtime. Pure streetball swagger under the NBA lights.
Pierce bristled, feeling mocked. His hands got rougher, reaching, grabbing.
Chen spotted the frustration, then shifted gears. One hard burst and he sliced past. Pierce, already beaten, yanked down on Chen's shoulder in desperation.
"Beep!"
The whistle shrieked.
Immediately, Raja Bell and Stoudemire stormed over, chesting up to Pierce. Even Nash—usually the peacemaker—charged in.
This was family now. When Chen had cracked Horry back against the Spurs, it was to defend Nash. Tonight, the whole team was ready to return the favor.
The Raptors? Crickets. No one moved to help Pierce. Not only was he unpopular in the locker room, but nobody in the league wanted to mess with Chen Yan's fists. After the Spurs incident, his knockout reel was NBA legend. Tyson himself had vouched for that power. Who in their right mind would jump in front of that?
From the TNT booth, Barkley burst out laughing. "Pierce said before the game, 'If the Raptors want to win, just play through me.' Now it's not the Raptors playing through him—it's the Suns!"
The crowd buzzed, waiting for fireworks. But instead of throwing hands, Chen Yan stepped between his teammates and Pierce, arms out, signaling calm.
Fans across the U.S. were stunned.
"Wait… did Chen just play peacemaker?"
"Bro looked like he was about to bust out some kung fu, not diplomacy."
"Nah, he just doesn't want another four-game suspension. Smart kid."
"Still, that's growth. Last time he swung, this time he cooled it down. Chen might actually be maturing."
The refs reviewed it and hit Pierce with a flagrant two for the hard pull.
Normally, Nash would take the free throws. But this time, he handed the ball to Chen.
Chen stepped to the line, bounced it once, twice.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Nothing but net. Forty points at the half.
The arena buzzed. This was Chen Yan's second career game dropping 40+ in just two quarters, matching a feat only Kobe had accomplished multiple times in the modern stat era.
Kobe had done it three times—42 against the Wizards in '03, 40 against the Clippers in '06, and that iconic 55 in the second half of the "81-point Night" against the Raptors.
Chen wasn't Kobe—not yet. But as a rookie, twice hitting 40 before halftime? That was already unreal.
Tonight, everyone had the same thought:
This kid is different.
This rookie is awesome.
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