Chapter 209: Improve Speed Attributes and Encounter a Wave of Injuries!
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for winning. Reward: 4 honor points!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing a triple-double performance. Reward: 3 honor points!"
"Ding! Side quest complete: Change history, end the Rockets' 22-game winning streak. Reward: 1 attribute point!"
After the game, while Chen Yan reviewed his honor points, he realized he had unexpectedly completed a side quest.
The reward wasn't a skill or an item this time, but a single, pure attribute point.
"System," Chen Yan asked curiously, "can the attribute point be added to any single stat?"
"Yes," the mechanical voice replied. "The host may allocate it to any attribute. Once confirmed, it cannot be changed."
Chen Yan snapped his fingers excitedly. A free point that could be applied anywhere? That was gold.
He knew how rare this was—after reaching 90 points in any stat, every single upgrade cost 20 honor points. Once a stat exceeded 95, it took a staggering 50 points for just one increase.
After thinking for a moment, he made up his mind.
"Add it to Speed."
His current Speed rating was 94. Now, it jumped to 95.
In the system's hierarchy, that pushed him into a new class entirely. Ninety to ninety-four was elite; ninety-five and above was supernatural.
Chen Yan smiled. He could almost feel the difference already. Speed was his identity—the flash, the explosion, the praise that came with it.
Well, except maybe from Taylor Swift.
Two nights later, on February 28, the Suns hit the road for a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz.
Chen Yan finished with just 16 points and 5 rebounds. It wasn't a bad night—just an easy one. Utah collapsed faster than anyone expected.
At halftime, the Jazz trailed by only four, 47–51. But once the third quarter began, the Suns unleashed hell.
They went on a 10–2 run before Jerry Sloan had even blinked, forcing a quick timeout. But nothing changed.
After the break, it only got worse. Phoenix tore through them 29–7, and Utah didn't score a field goal for nearly six minutes. The fans fell silent as the Suns' lead ballooned past 30. By mid–third quarter, it was garbage time.
Sloan's frustration showed on the sidelines. His sets were flawless, but the shots simply refused to fall. It felt like someone had sealed the rim shut.
In the middle of the third quarter, tensions finally boiled over.
Sloan, desperate for a spark, subbed out Deron Williams early.
Deron didn't take it well. The two exchanged heated words on the bench—caught live on camera.
Williams had been averaging 18.8 points and 10.5 assists per game that season. Sloan's pick-and-roll system had made him shine, letting him showcase his floaters, pull-ups, and passing vision. But success had inflated his ego. He started to believe he was on the same level as Nash and Chris Paul—that he didn't need Sloan's system to dominate.
What he didn't realize was that Sloan's structure was exactly what allowed him to thrive.
Two iron wills were bound to clash, and tonight, that crack finally showed.
The Suns cruised to a 117–89 victory. After a few rough games post-All-Star break, Phoenix looked locked in again.
March arrived with the Suns hosting the Chicago Bulls at America West Arena. It was billed as another "Chinese derby," but it lacked the hype of the Rockets matchup a week earlier.
Yi Jianlian, now with the Bulls, wasn't a full-time starter anymore. He split minutes with "The Angry Man," Tyrus Thomas.
The two couldn't have been more different—Yi was smooth and perimeter-oriented, while Thomas relied on athletic defense and sheer explosiveness. The man couldn't shoot to save his life, but he could make the paint look like a no-fly zone.
The opening minutes were sluggish. Nearly two minutes passed before the first field goal finally dropped—a thunderous dunk from Stoudemire off a perfect feed from Steve Nash.
The first quarter stayed tight, both teams trading leads with little separation.
In the second quarter, the benches took over.
Yi Jianlian checked in and immediately made his presence felt.
He soared for a two-handed dunk, then followed it up by grabbing an offensive board and earning two free throws. Both went in.
His aggression surprised everyone.
Durant wasn't the only rookie under pressure. Chen Yan's explosive rookie campaign had pushed the entire 2007 class to another level—including Yi Jianlian.
No one wanted to live in another man's shadow. It was part of the butterfly effect Chen Yan's arrival had caused.
In the second half, the Suns came out firing.
Right from the tip, Chen Yan intercepted a pass and broke into a one-man fast break.
He accelerated down the lane and hammered home a one-handed dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Wow! Chen's speed is insane!"
"The Bulls look like they're stuck in slow motion!"
"Man, he's just on another level!"
The arena erupted as fans chanted his name.
That extra Speed point made all the difference. At 95, Chen Yan's acceleration felt unreal. In the entire league, maybe five players could match his pace.
Moments later, Ben Gordon missed a jumper for Chicago.
Diaw snatched the rebound and fired a perfect long pass up the court.
Chen Yan caught it in stride—the crowd rose to their feet again.
"Don't let him go!" Bulls coach Scott Skiles shouted desperately from the bench.
He knew once Chen Yan got up to speed, it was practically an automatic two points.
Chen Yan hit the turbo—his AeroWing 1s streaking across the hardwood like silver lightning. He blew past Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng, but just as he reached the free-throw line, he slammed on the brakes.
Both defenders flew right by him.
"Lightning quickness, elite control—defending that is a nightmare," exclaimed Mike Breen from the commentary booth.
Chen Yan stepped back, rose smoothly, and fired.
Swish!
The crowd exploded again.
A step-back three, off a full-speed drive—pure brilliance.
Feeling the rhythm, Chen Yan tapped the activation in his system: [Blitz Storm].
For the next three minutes, the Suns played like men possessed. Every fast break was clean, every pass sharp, every shot pure.
They went on a 10–2 run that buried the Bulls for good.
Chen Yan had found the perfect time to trigger the buff—third-quarter fatigue was universal, and with the Suns' speed, it was checkmate.
By the end, Phoenix coasted to a 102–92 win.
After the final buzzer, Chen Yan hugged Yi Jianlian at midcourt, exchanging smiles and a few quick words. The next time they'd meet would likely be at national team camp.
But just as the Suns looked unstoppable again, bad luck struck.
Within a week, key rotation players like Barea and Azubuike went down with injuries. The sudden wave of absences disrupted the team's chemistry, and their performance dipped hard.
They dropped two of their next three games, allowing the Lakers to reclaim the top spot in the West.
Kobe Bryant's decision to play through injury had paid off.
The addition of James Posey shored up the Lakers' small forward weakness, and the team's chemistry was at its peak.
The Purple and Gold looked like true title contenders.
On March 5, the Suns boarded a flight to Dallas to face another Western powerhouse—the Mavericks.
They needed this one.
Desperately.
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]