Chapter 210: Trust of Teammates, Alley-Oop Across Half Court!
Dallas, Texas.
American Airlines Center.
Tickets for tonight's game had sold out a week in advance. The matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks wasn't just another regular-season showdown—it was a clash of two Western powerhouses fighting for playoff positioning.
The Mavericks trailed the Suns by only half a game. A win tonight would push them above Phoenix into second place in the West. Both teams understood the stakes, and every player on the floor treated this game like a playoff battle.
By the time warmups began, the stands were already filling up. Among the crowd was Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
If there were ever an award for the NBA's most passionate owner, Cuban would win it hands down. He was there for every home game, every big moment, and even road games when the stakes were high.
From courtside, Cuban watched Chen Yan shoot threes with mixed emotions. He had been high on Chen back in college, even trying to recruit him to Dallas. And now, watching him dominate in a Suns jersey—it stung.
Cuban wasn't angry, though. He was impressed. Chen Yan had proven his instincts right. The only pity was that he was doing it for the wrong team.
Still, Cuban had no reason to complain. His Mavericks were stacked—Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen, and Jason Kidd formed a veteran Big Three that could go toe-to-toe with anyone. Kidd, even at thirty-five, was still a maestro, averaging a double-double and orchestrating the floor with surgical precision.
The opening tip-off set the tone. Dallas came out firing.
Within minutes, Kidd had set up Nowitzki, Allen, and Josh Howard for a barrage of threes. Each swish sent a roar through the arena.
An 11–2 start in less than four minutes.
The Mavericks were a shooting team—but so were the Suns.
Late in the quarter, Phoenix finally found rhythm. Steve Nash led a quick 8–2 run, cutting the deficit to three.
As the buzzer ended the first quarter, the Mavericks led 27–24.
Then, Jason Terry entered the game.
Nicknamed "Jet," Terry immediately went on a tear.
He drilled two mid-range jumpers, then buried a deep three from the right wing, his signature airplane celebration trailing behind.
By the time the quarter ended, Dallas had stretched the lead to ten.
At halftime, the scoreboard read Mavericks 61, Suns 51.
Chen Yan had 10 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds in the half—solid, but not his usual spark.
Fans online were restless.
"Chen looks flat tonight."
"Come on, he's gotta take over!"
"Shoot more! That's why we watch!"
"If this keeps up, Phoenix is dropping three in a row."
"The Mavs are scary when they get hot!"
Inside the visiting locker room, D'Antoni got straight to the point.
"Chen, second half—you go get yours. We need you scoring. Don't hold back."
Chen Yan nodded without hesitation. "Got it."
He'd been cautious in the first half, worried about disrupting the team's flow. But if the coach wanted him to attack, he wouldn't hesitate.
The second half began with Dallas running a lineup of Terry, Ray Allen, Josh Howard, Nowitzki, and Dampier.
Because of his hot streak, Terry stayed in the game.
The Suns countered with Nash, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
Phoenix had the first possession.
Chen Yan set a high screen for Nash, then popped out to the perimeter.
Nash drew two defenders and swung the ball back to Chen at the top of the key.
Ray Allen jumped out to contest.
Chen gave a quick hesitation, took one dribble, and rose for a clean three-pointer.
Bang! It clanged off the rim.
A miss—but the mechanics were there.
"Good look! Keep firing!" D'Antoni shouted from the sideline, clapping his hands.
The Mavericks pushed back.
Ray Allen tried to return the favor with a fadeaway jumper over Raja Bell, but it rimmed out.
Phoenix secured the rebound and reset.
Nash crossed midcourt, calling for motion. He found Chen Yan again at the left wing, about 45 degrees out.
Despite missing his last shot, Nash didn't hesitate to feed him. That was trust.
Chen didn't call for a screen this time. He wanted isolation.
Ray Allen crouched low, eyes sharp, hands active. Chen began his rhythm dribble—crossover, between the legs, another crossover.
The sound echoed off the hardwood.
He faked left, pulled right, rose up for a long two.
Perfect rhythm, perfect form—just short.
Bang! Off the front rim again.
Still cold.
But Boris Diaw grabbed the offensive rebound!
Instead of forcing it up, Diaw twisted mid-air and dished it right back to Chen at the arc.
The trust was mutual.
Chen Yan caught it in stride, stepped back behind the three-point line, and launched it immediately.
No hesitation, no extra motion—pure instinct.
Swish!
The net snapped, and the crowd reacted with a collective gasp.
Finally.
Chen pumped his fist and high-fived Diaw. His teammates clapped and shouted. Trust rewarded.
He knew what Kobe once said: Even if I miss twenty in a row, I'll take the twenty-first.
That kind of confidence was what defined stars.
Of course, that rule only applied to stars—role players would've been benched long ago.
On the next play, Jason Terry tried to respond. He crossed half court, pulled up for a deep three—and bricked it hard.
The sound of the miss echoed across the arena.
That's the problem with streak shooters: when they're hot, they look unstoppable. When they're not, it's a disaster.
Diaw secured the rebound again.
The Suns immediately turned defense into offense.
Diaw found Nash sprinting up the middle and fired a pinpoint pass.
Nash barely crossed the logo before he flicked the ball forward with a perfect one-handed lob.
The pass arced high through the air, a rainbow over half court.
Chen Yan was already in full sprint. He exploded off one foot, rising like a rocket.
He caught the ball midair with one hand, gliding forward before slamming it through with both.
Boom!
The entire arena went silent for half a second—then erupted.
"Oh my goodness!" Mike Breen's voice echoed on the broadcast. "A full-court alley-oop! From Nash to Chen Yan! That was absurd!"
Jeff Van Gundy laughed beside him. "That's the Suns' offense at its finest. You blink, and they're at the rim!"
Even some Mavericks fans stood and applauded. You couldn't help but respect a play that beautiful.
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