Chapter 198: The Show Begins, Refuse Duncan's Head Pat and Kill!
At the end of the first quarter, the Western Conference All-Stars trailed by two points, 41 to 43. Both teams had treated the opening period like a pickup game—fast, loose, and entertaining—so the scoring naturally came in bunches.
Chen Yan played for six minutes and twenty-nine seconds, tallying eight points, three assists, and two rebounds. LeBron James led the East with seven points and three boards.
The second quarter continued in the same free-flowing fashion. Chen didn't see much time on the floor, but Coach D'Antoni subbed him back in with just over three minutes left in the half.
Even with limited minutes, Chen's impact was undeniable.
With two minutes and fifteen seconds remaining, he pulled off a jaw-dropping self-alley-oop dunk.
He lobbed the ball off the backboard, took off on one foot, caught it midair with one hand, and hammered it home with explosive power.
"Boom!"
The arena erupted. Chen seemed to float through the air like a feather before slamming it down like thunder. The balance between grace and strength sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Watching the fans scream wildly, Chen realized that only dunks like these could truly light up the All-Star stage.
Some fans even began to question why the league had only put him in the three-point contest instead of the dunk contest.
Even Kobe Bryant, standing on the sideline, couldn't help but cheer. His injured finger kept him from clapping, but waving a towel was fair game.
Seeing Kobe waving a towel for him was surreal. Chen never imagined there would come a day when Kobe Bryant—his idol—would be celebrating one of his dunks.
As Chen completed the self-alley-oop, the Eastern Conference All-Stars kindly stepped aside, giving him space to finish. It was the kind of show fans came for. If they wanted hard-nosed, physical basketball, they could wait for the playoffs.
Then, just before halftime, a funny moment unfolded.
After a dead ball, Chen spotted Jet Li, the Kung Fu Emperor himself, sitting courtside. Grinning, he tossed the ball to him.
Jet Li caught it, confused. Chen pointed toward the basket, motioning for him to take a shot.
The fans immediately caught on and roared in excitement.
The Kung Fu Emperor smiled and threw the ball with all his might. He had played basketball for fitness while growing up, but this distance—from the first row to the hoop—was a bit much.
The ball arced beautifully but started dropping short.
Before it could hit the floor, Chen dashed in, leaped, grabbed the ball, and turned the airball into a spectacular alley-oop dunk.
The crowd exploded with laughter and applause. Jet Li jumped from his seat, laughing as Chen ran over to high-five him.
It didn't count on the scoreboard, but it was a highlight that would live on forever.
Both teams went into halftime in high spirits.
After a quick halftime performance filled with music and dancing, the game resumed.
The score was 71 to 68, with the Eastern Conference still leading by three.
The Western Conference's second-half starters were Chris Paul, Chen Yan, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki.
The Eastern Conference countered with Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, and Shaquille O'Neal.
The West had the first possession.
Paul crossed half court and ran a pick-and-roll with Nowitzki.
After the screen, Paul drove into the lane but was met by Rasheed Wallace. With no clear angle, he kicked it out to Chen Yan on the perimeter.
Chen caught it effortlessly, spinning the ball in one hand. Duncan stepped up to the high post to set a screen.
After the switch, Chen found himself one-on-one with O'Neal.
Shaq, ever the showman, pounded the hardwood twice with both hands and grinned.
"Come on, Chen!" he barked, instantly hyping up the crowd.
Chen smirked. "Shaq, are your ankles ready for this?"
O'Neal laughed. "Shaq doesn't have ankles, kid! If you try to drive on me, it'll feel like crashing a sports car into a wall!"
Chen stopped talking and began to dance with the ball.
"Bang! Bang!"
He dribbled with rapid crossovers, mixing behind-the-back switches with lightning-fast hesitations.
The fans went wild. The energy shifted from NBA elegance to pure streetball flair.
This was what Chen loved—the freedom to create, to entertain.
After dazzling the crowd with a blur of dribbles, he suddenly unleashed a deadly crossover and a sharp behind-the-back move that sent Shaq stumbling.
For a second, the big man froze like a statue.
He wasn't refusing to defend—he just couldn't risk moving the wrong way and ending up on the floor.
Chen glided past him effortlessly.
"Hahaha! Chen just put on a clinic. He toyed with Shaq like he was rocking a baby to sleep before blowing by him," Barkley laughed from the TNT booth.
Kenny Smith added, "To be fair, I'm just impressed Shaq stayed on his feet!"
Inside the paint, Rasheed Wallace rotated over to contest.
Both players jumped at the same time. Chen hung in the air, shifted the ball behind his back, and slipped it under Wallace's arm with a smooth bounce pass to Duncan.
Duncan caught it cleanly and laid it in off the glass.
Simple. Efficient. Classic Duncan.
"Nice pass!" Duncan called out, raising his hand toward Chen.
Then, with a mischievous grin, he reached out his massive palm toward Chen's head for a friendly pat.
Chen dodged instantly, ducking his head out of reach.
He wasn't about to let anyone mess with his hair. The last thing he wanted was to start looking like Ginobili.
Duncan chuckled. "Relax, kid. It's a sign of respect."
Chen grinned. "Respect me from a distance, then."
The fans laughed, and even Duncan shook his head with amusement.
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