Chapter 294: The Battle Begins
At the Spurs post game press conference, veterans Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry sat at the podium to face the media.
"Bruce, what do you have to say about the air conditioning malfunction at the ATT Center tonight?" a reporter asked.
"I am just a player. My job is to hoop," Bowen replied smoothly. "If you want to talk about air conditioning repairs, you should probably ask the building staff."
"The air conditioning just happened to break right when the Suns were making their big run. Do you really think that is a coincidence?" another reporter pressed, still locked in on the same topic.
"The Spurs players were out there in that heat too," Bowen said, spreading his hands.
The reporter did not let it go. "After the air went out, the Spurs immediately had ice, cooling towels, and fans on the bench. It looked like you were prepared for this in advance."
"Those things are always in our locker room," Bowen answered. "We just brought them out."
The questions then shifted to Horry.
"Do you think Ginobili's last drive should have been called a foul?"
Horry shrugged. "From the bench I could not see clearly," he said. "I trust the officials."
The 2 Spurs veterans were experienced enough to dodge every trap. Their answers left no clean headline to attack.
After the game, media outlets and websites across the country lit up with commentary.
Ticker News Network: This was an even uglier game than Game 3. The entire night was full of free throws and strange interruptions, a complete melodrama.
The Associated Press: Chen led a furious comeback in the final minutes. Even though he buried a huge three pointer, it still was not enough. The Spurs took the win on a play that will be debated as a possible violation.
Sports Illustrated: Accident or trick? This will go down as one of the great mysteries in recent NBA history.
Fox Sports: By tying the series at 2 to 2, the Spurs have taken back control of their destiny.
Well known reporters and former stars joined in with their own reactions.
"It is so hot in here. The ATT Center feels like the 7th circle of hell tonight." — Suns beat writer Jeff Goodman.
"The players look half dead out there. I am sure both teams are grateful for a few days off, and I really hope the Spurs pay their electric bill on time." — American reporter Earl K. Snead.
"If I die covering Game 4 between the Suns and Spurs, please tell my family I love them." — American reporter McDonald.
"I bet right now Chen Yan wishes somebody would be yelling in his ear the way I do." — NBA legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley.
"This feels exactly like those games we played in Boston Garden in the 80s, except our shorts back then were a lot shorter, hahaha." — Magic Johnson.
Behind all the jokes and complaints, everyone's focus was shifting to the same thing, the pivotal Game 5.
With the way the series had unfolded, nobody believed Game 5 would be anything but chaos and drama.
…
On May 11, the showdown finally arrived.
Game 5 between the Suns and Spurs tipped off at America West Arena in Phoenix.
From warmups alone, it was obvious just how much Phoenix fans were ready to pay San Antonio back. Every Spurs touch of the ball drew a storm of boos.
This was all part of the playoffs. It was never just about 2 rosters, it was 2 franchises, 2 cities, 2 fan bases crashing into each other.
In the Suns locker room, D'Antoni gathered his players for the final talk.
After his speech, the team huddled, hands stacked in the middle, and roared out their slogan.
Back to back losses had not broken their spirit. With the series tied, Phoenix still owned home court.
Both teams rolled out the same starting lineups.
The game began under a roar that shook the building.
Right at the opening tip, Chen Yan triggered the Status Boost Card he had bought in advance.
The result of Game 5 would swing the entire series. To take this must win, Chen knew he had to play at full capacity, or more than 120 percent if that was what it took.
Tim Duncan and Amar'e Stoudemire stepped into the center circle for the jump.
The whistle blew and both big men exploded upward.
Stoudemire threw everything into it and managed to tap the ball back.
It dropped straight into Steve Nash's hands.
This time, though, Nash did not walk it up as usual.
The next second, he launched a long pass toward the front court.
A white blur streaked past midcourt.
Chen Yan was already gone.
He hit top speed instantly. Bowen never saw it coming.
D'Antoni had opened with an unorthodox punch right out of the gate.
Bowen tried to turn and sprint, but after 2 steps his feet slipped and he almost went down.
It was not his shoes. Chen Yan was simply moving too fast. Bowen's mind could not keep up with where his body needed to go.
Chen sliced into the Spurs paint like a bolt of white lightning, attacking before San Antonio's defense had even formed.
Against that kind of burst, all the Spurs players could do was turn and watch.
Chen Yan took off with a full head of steam and detonated at the rim, hammering in a vicious tomahawk dunk to open the night.
Boom.
The basket shook from the impact.
Chen was not typically a pure power player. His game was more about agility and finesse, but this time the dunk was nothing but force and authority.
He had driven everything he had through the rim.
He knew exactly how hard 2 straight losses had hit the team. The Suns needed a jolt, not just on the scoreboard, but in their spirit.
Momentum matters most when you are trying to bounce back, and that kind of dunk pours energy into an entire roster.
"Yeah!"
"Oh wow, showtime!"
"That was nasty!"
"That is Suns basketball right there!"
"Chen, that is how you start a game!"
Barely 5 seconds had ticked off the clock and Chen Yan had already set America West Arena on fire.
As the arena announcer put it, no real basketball fan could sit still after a dunk like that.
<><><><><>
[P@treon Christmas Discount: 20% OFF]
[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]