Chapter 323: Memorable Scene, F**k Chen
The Lakers came right back on offense.
This time, after Fisher brought it over half court, he decided to take it himself. Nash was in front of him, and Fisher forced his way toward the free throw line, then flipped up a floater.
He was trying to prove he had some pride too.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the crowd would have preferred he proved it some other way.
Because Fisher did not have Kobe's shot making, and that kind of forced attempt had a low success rate.
Clang.
The ball hit rim and kicked out.
Garnett and Stoudemire got tangled in the rebound fight and knocked it out of bounds. The official pointed the other way.
Phoenix ball.
…
Chen Yan walked it up and held the ball at the top of the arc. Without saying a word, he lifted a hand and curled his fingers at Nash, calling him over.
Fisher's whole body went tight.
Again?
In all his years of school, every teacher he ever had combined did not call his name as many times as Chen Yan did in 1 game.
The fans noticed too.
Was he really going to treat Fisher like an ATM?
The switch came, and Chen Yan went right back to work.
A change of direction, then a sudden burst.
Fisher could not match the first move and immediately chose survival over pride, backing off and conceding the lane. If he got cooked 3 straight possessions in 3 straight ways, he would be carved into highlight history forever.
Chen Yan blew by him anyway, then suddenly slowed down.
A pull up from the high post.
Perfect rhythm, perfect arc.
Swish.
48 to 43.
As it dropped, Chen Yan flashed a bright smile at the camera.
The Fisher ATM was officially back online.
"Timeout."
Phil Jackson finally had enough.
After the timeout, he had no choice but to pull Fisher. Fisher was still one of the Lakers' steadiest 3 point options, and his spacing mattered, but Chen Yan had singled him out so hard that Fisher could not even take care of himself. He needed a breather just to reset.
Troy Hudson checked in.
Hudson was a throw in piece from the 7 player deal between Minnesota and Los Angeles earlier in the season. The 32 year old veteran had averaged 16 minutes a night, putting up 6.9 points and 2.4 assists, basically the definition of a serviceable backup.
But Hudson's shooting consistency was not Fisher's, which meant Phoenix could send help at Kobe more aggressively during this stretch.
And the pressure on Kobe did rise.
Late in the second quarter, with Garnett's efficiency only so so tonight, Kobe kept firing even with 2 bodies, sometimes 3, leaning into him.
He had lived like that his entire career.
…
Halftime.
Phoenix led 53 to 46, up 7.
Kobe was 10 for 21 with a team high 24 points.
The top scorer in the first half was Chen Yan with 26. From the opening tip, he had carried out D Antoni's directive with absolute obedience. Forget playmaking. Forget the extra pass. Put the ball in the basket.
During the break, both coaches hammered the same theme, offense.
The Lakers needed points to climb back.
The Suns needed rhythm to stretch the lead.
…
Early in the third, Garnett finally got an and 1 in the paint.
After the finish, he pounded his chest and roared at the baseline camera, the old wolf still showing fangs even in a different jersey. His jumper was not falling, but a player like him always found a way to score.
He hit the free throw.
The gap was down to 4.
For the next few minutes, it turned into a grind.
Chen Yan stayed sharp anyway.
Posey was locked in tonight, always in the right spot on defense, even getting a hand up in Chen Yan's face a few times. It did not matter. Chen Yan kept finding angles and kept finding the net.
Jackson tried another look, sending in Ariza, another defensive body.
Ariza had missed most of the season after a right foot fracture and only returned in time for the Western Conference Finals. His conditioning was not nearly enough to stop Chen Yan. It was a move that screamed desperation more than confidence.
In the first 6 minutes of the third, Chen Yan took 6 shots and made 5.
Jackson finally accepted the truth.
1 man could not guard him.
They had to double team.
And if they were going to double, they had to crank the physicality up too.
Phoenix answered in kind. Even on the road, they played fearless, bodies hitting the floor, loose balls turning into scrums, trash talk flying, shoulders and forearms testing the limits of what would be called.
Staples responded with a wall of boos.
That kind of noise rattled role players.
It did not rattle Chen Yan.
Still, the pace and contact drained both teams. Kobe kept wiping sweat into his jersey. Chen Yan bent forward with his hands on his knees, sucking air.
Fatigue always brings the same tax, legs get heavy, jumpers get short.
Late in the third, both offenses got ugly.
With 2:49 left in the quarter, it was 72 to 68.
Jackson put Fisher back in, hoping to stabilize the spacing and raise the shooting percentage.
It did raise the shooting percentage.
Just not for the Lakers.
On Fisher's first defensive possession back, Chen Yan waved for the switch again.
On TNT, Kenny Smith laughed. "He's going back to the well. He sees Fisher, he's calling it like roll call."
Before the sentence even finished, Chen Yan hit Fisher with a Hardaway style crossover and shook him loose.
He got into the paint, met Garnett in the air, and threw the shot up through contact.
Beep.
It missed, but the whistle came.
Fisher looked helpless, and Garnett shot him an irritated glance. If you cannot contain the ball, everyone else has to pay.
At the line, Chen Yan went 1 for 2.
73 to 68.
Los Angeles answered with a clean possession.
The ball moved, the cut came, Kobe slipped into the lane, drew the second defender, then whipped a behind the back pass to Kwame Brown.
When Kobe passed, it was usually for something dangerous.
Kwame actually caught it clean.
2 hands.
Big dunk.
73 to 70.
Phoenix came down again, and Chen Yan was ready to call another name.
This time, the double team arrived first.
After the pick and roll with Nash, the Lakers did not switch. Posey and Fisher jumped Chen Yan together.
Nash popped out, wide open, a clean release if the pass came.
Chen Yan did not pass.
He split the gap between Posey and Fisher like a blade, then floated a soft runner over the help.
It was almost artistic.
Over the next few trips, he kept hunting Fisher.
Fisher's advantage was his strength, but it did not matter here because Chen Yan was not trying to bully him. He was beating him with speed and space, barely touching him at all.
Fisher's patience started to crack.
On 1 possession, he shoved Chen Yan with his body as Chen Yan cut across, knocking him off balance.
Beep.
Foul on Fisher.
It was the team's 5th foul of the quarter, which sent Chen Yan straight to the line.
The Staples crowd exploded.
"Cheater!"
"Actor!"
"Get lost!"
They thought the stumble was exaggerated, a performance to steal a whistle.
Chen Yan just stared ahead, calm.
Swish.
Swish.
Both free throws.
Then he turned to the crowd and lifted 4 fingers on each hand, signaling 44 points before the third quarter even ended.
Staples did not accept that quietly.
The chant rose like a storm, unified, ugly, and loud.
"Fk Chen!"
"Fk Chen!"
"F**k Chen!"
Chen Yan did not get mad.
He smiled wider, then cupped his ear and leaned toward them, asking for more.
He was not just surviving the hostility.
He was enjoying it, like being the villain in an entire city was the most natural role in the world.
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