Chapter 200: Famous Scene – Showing Up James and Wade, The Final Moments of the Game!
The first three quarters had been all fun and highlights, but once the score stayed close entering the fourth, the tone changed. Everyone in the arena knew what that meant—now it was time to play for real. That's the unspoken rule of every All-Star Game.
Both head coaches knew it too.
At the start of the final quarter, Western Conference coach Mike D'Antoni sent out his trusted trio—the Suns' own Chen Yan, Steve Nash, and Amar'e Stoudemire—to take control. Their chemistry was unmatched, and D'Antoni was counting on that rhythm to close the game.
Eastern Conference coach Flip Saunders wasn't backing down. He countered with his own version of team chemistry, fielding the Pistons' trio of Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince. It was almost like the All-Star Game had turned into a Suns vs. Pistons showdown.
The Western lineup: Nash, Chen Yan, Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire, and Tim Duncan.
The Eastern lineup: Billups, Prince, LeBron James, Rasheed Wallace, and Dwight Howard.
Fans online were already joking, "What's the point of calling it the All-Star Game? Just let the Suns and Pistons play!"
Jokes aside, everyone was glued to their seats. The fourth quarter promised intensity, and both teams delivered.
From the first possession, the defense tightened. The Pistons' trio treated the All-Star Game like a playoff series—gritty, physical, and fully locked in. Howard anchored the paint, swatting shots and contesting everything near the rim.
That suffocating defense led to an early 8–2 Eastern run. But the West quickly found its rhythm again. Nash orchestrated flawlessly, guiding a 10–0 counterpunch that swung momentum back their way.
The two sides traded baskets for several minutes, every play met with cheers. With three minutes remaining, the score was deadlocked at 121–121.
D'Antoni called a timeout.
The Western stars huddled around him, focus and tension written on their faces. The laughter from the earlier quarters was gone. Nobody wanted to lose—not even in an exhibition.
When the coach finished talking, Amar'e Stoudemire pulled Chen Yan aside and whispered, "Chen, if you win this game for us, you're getting MVP tonight."
Chen blinked, caught off guard. Then he looked up at the scoreboard and finally realized—he already had 24 points, leading the West in scoring.
With Kobe sidelined by injury and Iverson struggling this season, there weren't many contenders for All-Star MVP.
The irony? Chen hadn't even been trying. In the first half, he'd taken just one shot and scored two points. He'd treated it like a casual run. But in the third quarter, Paul had kept feeding him perfect passes, forcing him to rack up 10 more points almost effortlessly.
Meanwhile, LeBron was leading the East with 23 points, followed by Wade with 18 and Howard with 16.
After the timeout, both coaches made adjustments.
West: Paul, Chen Yan, Anthony, Nowitzki, and Duncan.
East: Billups, Wade, LeBron, Bosh, and Howard.
The game resumed.
Paul ran a smooth pick-and-roll with Nowitzki, who turned and faded for his signature jumper.
"Clank!"
The ball rattled off the rim, but Chen Yan was right there, timing his leap perfectly to tip it back in with one hand.
123–121, West back on top.
The East came back down but couldn't find rhythm. Billups launched a forced shot just as the shot clock expired—off the mark.
Nowitzki pulled down the rebound and kicked it ahead to Paul, who immediately pushed the pace.
Chen Yan cut through the lane, received the feed, and scored a clean, driving layup.
125–121.
Four straight points in crunch time.
On the next possession, LeBron and Wade exchanged a quick glance. Time to make a statement.
Wade brought it up, waving James over for a screen. But they miscommunicated—Wade thought LeBron was cutting, while LeBron thought he was setting up for a handoff.
The result? A pass straight into empty space.
Chen Yan pounced like a hawk. One step, one reach, and he stole it clean.
The crowd erupted as he sprinted down the court, the ball gliding ahead of him.
LeBron and Wade immediately turned and chased—three superstars in full stride, sprinting coast to coast.
The tension was electric. Every fan in the building rose to their feet.
Chen Yan reached the paint first and took off toward the basket.
Both LeBron and Wade jumped with him, one on each side, their timing perfectly synchronized. Two of the league's best shot-blocking guards closing in like a pair of wings.
Chen's angle vanished in an instant. Any normal player would have kicked it out or drawn a foul.
But instead of forcing a dunk, Chen Yan adjusted midair. He glided under the backboard, tucked his abs tight, and flipped the ball from behind the glass.
For a moment, the entire court froze.
LeBron and Wade hung in the air, expecting a block—only to realize he'd vanished behind the rim.
"Swish!"
The ball dropped cleanly through the net from the opposite side.
127–121.
The crowd exploded.
"Unbelievable finish!" the commentator yelled. "You can see it on LeBron and Wade's faces—they had no idea what just happened!"
"That's a highlight for the ages!" another voice shouted. "Chen Yan just turned defense into art!"
LeBron and Wade exchanged bewildered looks. They'd planned to embarrass the rookie—yet somehow, he'd shown them up instead.
The arena shook with applause.
Even Chen Yan looked a little stunned. That shot wasn't rehearsed—it was pure instinct. But damn, it was beautiful.
Timeout, Eastern Conference.
They had just watched Chen go on a personal 6–0 run.
After the break, Coach Saunders made a crucial adjustment, subbing out Wade for Joe Johnson to add more perimeter shooting.
It worked.
With the game on the line, LeBron shifted gears—less scoring, more playmaking. He drove hard into the paint, drawing the defense, then kicked out perfectly to Billups and Johnson for back-to-back threes.
Within a minute, the game was tied again.
127–127.
The tension was unbearable. Every possession felt like a finals moment.
Both teams came up empty on their next trips. Then, with 33 seconds left, the East had the ball.
LeBron held it near midcourt, running down the clock. With two seconds left on the shot clock, he drove hard and dished to Joe Johnson in the corner.
Johnson rose for a deep three.
"Bang!"
129–127.
The shot swished clean. The crowd went wild as the East reclaimed the lead in the final moments.
The Atlanta sharpshooter had delivered when it mattered most.
With 8.9 seconds remaining, D'Antoni immediately called a timeout.
The noise inside the New Orleans Arena was deafening. The fans had gotten everything—entertainment, highlights, and now a real nail-biter.
Everyone knew what was coming next.
One last shot. One last chance.
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