Chapter 406: The Goal Is to Become the Scoring Champion
Out of the timeout, Cleveland still looked a step slow on both ends.
At the 5:37 mark of the 1st quarter, Chen Yan curled to the top of the arc to receive the ball. Larry Hughes was glued to him this time, chest to chest, hands active. Chen Yan took a probing step, rose anyway, and let it fly.
Swish.
His 4th 3 of the quarter.
Even Reggie Miller shook his head. "The rim looks as wide as the ocean to this guy."
Barkley grinned and leaned in. "You think he's the best shooter in the league right now?"
Reggie paused, choosing his words like a veteran. "He's one of my favorites to watch. The mechanics, the confidence, the shot selection. It's a pleasure."
Barkley did not let him off the hook. "Alright, then. You think Chen breaks your 3 point record someday?"
"He absolutely has the potential," Reggie said, smiling. "If he does, I'll be the 1st guy to congratulate him."
It was the polite answer, and the honest one. Chen Yan was only in year 2. Reggie's career total of 2,560 made 3s was not something you caught in a season, or 2.
Cleveland's fans were already complaining, loud enough to be picked up on the broadcast. How was this guy still finding daylight?
The coaching staff saw the same thing, but Chen Yan was not a normal assignment. Press too high and he blew by you. Shade help toward him and he sliced you with a pass. Give him space and he punished you from 30 feet. Every choice had a price.
Hughes was sweating through his jersey before the quarter even ended. He was spending everything on defense, barely touching the ball on offense, and it still was not enough.
That was the worst feeling in basketball, giving everything and still getting outplayed.
At the next dead ball, Mike Brown finally bailed him out. "Larry, get a breather."
Sasha Pavlovic checked in and immediately inherited the problem.
Chen Yan gave him no time to settle. He set up off the ball, then snapped into a back cut. One sudden burst, one clean angle, and Pavlovic was chasing a shadow. Chen Yan caught in stride and finished the layup.
Tonight, Chen Yan was scoring the smart way. Less pounding the ball, more movement, more catch and finish. Efficient, and easier on the legs.
Nash was the biggest beneficiary. In under a quarter he already had 5 assists, 3 of them directly to Chen Yan. Nash never chased numbers, but nobody hated a clean box score either. You could see his energy rise with each easy look.
Cleveland finally adjusted. Brown yelled out instructions, and on the next possession they turned up the heat. Chen Yan tried to work free again, his catch and shoot rhythm was flawless tonight, the kind of locked in feel that made it look automatic.
This time, the moment he caught it, Pavlovic and LeBron jumped him with a sudden trap.
Chen Yan did not force it. A double team meant somebody was open.
He kicked out. Nash touched it near the high post and swung it across. Diaw kept it moving, quick and sharp. The ball snapped to the corner, and Raja Bell buried the open 3.
That was why Cleveland had not trapped from the start. Phoenix had too many threats.
For the next few minutes, Chen Yan became the priority. Every pick and roll was a hard show, every off ball screen triggered a switch. His personal scoring cooled, but the Suns' offense stayed smooth. Cleveland was paying for the attention they gave him, just in a different way.
With 2:39 left in the 1st, Chen Yan finally got 2 more on the break.
When the ball went dead again, D'Antoni went to his bench. The starters sat, and the rookies got their moment. DeAndre Jordan and Steve Novak checked in for their 1st real taste of the defending champs' home court.
Chen Yan caught DeAndre on the way to the floor and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Be active. Defend. Rebound. Stay locked in. Don't overthink it."
He could see the nerves on the kid's face. That was normal. Everybody's 1st time feels like a spotlight.
Novak looked calmer. He had been around the league. This was not his 1st NBA building, just his 1st time wearing this jersey.
DeAndre took the words seriously. In the final 2 minutes of the quarter he grabbed 2 rebounds, including 1 on the offensive glass, and swatted a shot at the rim. No points, but plenty of impact.
The staff liked what they saw. DeAndre was drafted to do the dirty work. If he rebounded and protected the rim, the pick was worth it.
At the end of 1, Phoenix led 30 to 20.
The 2nd quarter opened with the Suns' bench group: Barea, Azubuike, Grant Hill, Barnes, and DeAndre.
Cleveland countered with their reserves: Daniel Gibson, Pavlovic, Tarence Kinsey, J J Hickson, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Big Z was now the backup center. Most nights, his minutes were more reliable than Shaq's. But Shaq's contract was $21 million, even bigger than LeBron's this season. Sitting him would not just be a coaching decision, it would be a political one.
Phoenix's second unit played with the confidence of champions. Last season they were fighting for respect. This season they were part of a rotation that expected to win.
Azubuike in particular looked different. His decisions were sharp, his shots confident, his passes on time.
He was Chen Yan's height and essentially Chen Yan's backup, and the two had a strong relationship off the court. Over the past year Azubuike had studied how Chen Yan thought the game, how he moved, how he attacked space. The improvement was obvious.
He opened the 2nd with back to back buckets, a 3, then a midrange jumper.
Last season Azubuike shot 46.8% from the field and an absurd 44.8% from 3. He already had touch. This summer, following Chen Yan's advice, he drilled his outside shot even harder. He came into the season loaded.
"This is his contract year," Barkley said, smiling. "Reports say he lived in the gym all summer. He's trying to get paid."
"He was already a big scoring punch off the bench last year," Kenny added. "If he keeps this efficiency and takes another step, somebody is going to offer him real money. If Phoenix doesn't bring him back, there will be teams lining up."
Cleveland's bench could not match it. Phoenix had multiple guys who could create. Cleveland was relying on Big Z to generate offense inside while Gibson and Pavlovic waited to be set up. Kinsey and Hickson were not bringing much shot creation either.
Less than 3 minutes into the 2nd, the deficit jumped from 10 to 15.
LeBron could not sit through it. He waved to the table and checked in early.
If they got blown out on opening night, in Phoenix, on ring night, against the same team that swept them in the Finals, it would be a loud kind of embarrassment.
Mike Brown agreed immediately. One reason he lasted so long in Cleveland was simple, he knew when to say yes to LeBron.
LeBron attacked. He drilled a 3, then powered into the lane, drew a foul on Barnes, and hit both free throws.
Chen Yan watched, calm. The lead was still safe. No need to sprint back early. Let the coach manage the flow.
A minute later, D'Antoni called him over.
"Chen, you're up. Same thing as the 1st quarter. Go at them."
Chen Yan nodded. He checked in with Jason Williams and Raja Bell. Nash stayed seated, resting. D'Antoni was careful with him now, every extra season mattered.
On the 1st possession, White Chocolate tried to be White Chocolate. Out of a pick and roll, he threw a flashy no look pass.
It split the gap between Chen Yan and Raja Bell and sailed out of bounds.
Jason raised his hand, apologizing.
Chen Yan waved it off. It was not a bad idea, just bad timing. Chemistry took reps, and Jason had not had enough of them yet.
Cleveland came back and gave it right back. LeBron drove into traffic and tried to kick to Mo Williams. The pass would have been a wide open look, but Raja Bell got a piece of it. Jason Williams snatched the loose ball and pushed.
In transition, he whipped a behind the back pass to Chen Yan, one of his signature touches.
Chen Yan caught a step beyond the arc and fired immediately, like a sniper catching a clean sightline. A fast break 3 like that was almost impossible to contest.
Swish.
His 5th 3 of the game.
"There it is again," Kenny laughed. "That super deep 3."
Reggie laughed with him. "For Chen Yan, it's not deep."
Barkley shook his head. "He's in ridiculous form. Checks in and instantly scores. When he shoots right now, it feels like it's already in. The Cavs need a new plan, because you cannot guard a guy like this by wishing."
Kenny nodded. "He's been in games all year. Finals, then national team camp, warm ups, then the Olympics. He's already in midseason rhythm."
Reggie leaned forward. "If he keeps this up, the numbers tonight are going to get scary."
Barkley finished it with a grin. "And it's opening night. He came out hunting. I'll say it, it looks like his goal this season is the scoring title. He's got the talent, and he looks like he's got the mindset too."
.....
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