Chapter 583: Using Four Ounces to Move a Thousand Pounds
Boston went back to work on the offensive end.
Rose called for Durant in the frontcourt, and the two ran a pick and roll that had clearly taken inspiration from the Nash and Chen Yan partnership. When two elite scorers are involved in the action, the defense can never be sure which threat deserves priority.
After using the screen, Rose fed Durant in the middle.
Nash switched onto him, and Durant immediately rose into his jumper.
There was almost no contest, but the shot still came up short.
As his stamina dropped, his touch had begun to waver. For the Suns, that was the best news they could ask for.
Diaw secured the rebound and instantly fired a long pass up the floor. Nash had already slipped toward the backcourt the moment Durant released the shot.
Diaw wanted to spring Nash for a layup, but the pass had a little too much on it. Nash chased it all the way to the baseline and somehow kept it alive.
A huge hustle play.
Chen Yan exploded off the floor from outside the three point line and snatched the ball one handed.
Tony Allen tried to pick it off in midair, but he simply did not have the lift. Not only did he fail to get a hand on it, he also lost position on the play.
Durant rushed over to cover. This was Chen Yan's sweet spot, and leaving him alone for a clean three point attempt was basically the same as handing Phoenix free points.
Chen Yan gave the slightest shooting motion, then flicked his wrist just enough to bait Durant into the air. The instant Durant committed, Chen Yan leaned into him, turned his shoulder, and, with his body tilted sideways, lofted the ball toward the glass from an awkward angle.
The ball kissed the backboard and dropped through.
At the same time, the whistle sounded.
Blocking foul on Durant.
A four point play.
After the basket, Chen Yan turned and slapped hands with his teammates, while Durant could only stand there wearing a bitter smile.
They had entered the league in the same year, and Durant was even older than Chen Yan. But when it came to handling critical moments, the experience gap was obvious. Chen Yan had already won 2 championships and had lived through far more high pressure games. It showed in every small detail.
On the broadcast, Charles Barkley laughed. "Young fella got him good. Durant bit hard on that fake, and Chen made him pay for every bit of it."
Kenny Smith added, "That is veteran stuff. Chen Yan is still young, but in big moments he plays like somebody who has been in the league for 10 years."
Chen Yan walked to the free throw line as the arena rained down boos.
By now, the building felt like a playoff game. The fans were doing everything they could to break his focus. The noise was deafening. People in the front rows waved thunder sticks, and one woman in gold shook her hips with theatrical enthusiasm, hoping for any distraction at all.
Chen Yan never looked anywhere except the rim.
Three dribbles.
One breath.
Then the free throw dropped cleanly.
116 to 116.
That was exactly the kind of moment fans lived for. The tighter the score, the more electric the game became.
Boston came right back.
Rose brought the ball up and settled at the top, his job now less about directing traffic and more about reading Durant's movement. At this stage, Boston's offense had essentially become a duet between those two.
Durant lifted to the high post, but instead of asking for the ball, he stepped into a screen. Rose dribbled right, paused, and watched the next phase develop.
Everyone on Phoenix braced for Durant either curling into a jumper or fading out to the arc. It felt inevitable that Boston's final answer on the possession would be Durant.
Instead, Durant ran to Rose's left and set a second screen.
Rose tried to drive off it, but Nash read the play perfectly and beat him to the spot, cutting off the lane before Rose could really turn the corner.
Without momentum, Rose lost the whole advantage of the action.
He picked up his dribble and hesitated, and Nash immediately crowded him, taking away the jumper. Rose had no choice but to swing it to Durant.
That single possession highlighted the experience gap between the two point guards. In a close game, those differences only became more obvious.
Durant caught it with 10 seconds left on the clock.
He bent low, keeping the ball outside his frame, making sure Raja Bell had no chance to swipe it. Then he backed Bell down once, rose from a standstill, and faded slightly.
Bell's hand was there, but the contest did not matter much. Durant simply left it short.
Fatigue had clearly started to eat into his lift and touch.
Under the basket, Humphries and Stoudemire both went up for the rebound. The two got tangled, shoved each other, and the referee whistled for a jump ball.
Even after the whistle, neither one cooled down right away. They kept jawing, gave each other another shove, and had to be separated by teammates before things escalated.
It was a flash of friction, nothing more. In a game like this, it was almost expected.
For the jump ball, the two big men lined up at the free throw line.
Stoudemire had the better burst and got to it first. He tipped it to Diaw, who immediately found Nash.
Phoenix slowed down.
No called set. No fancy decoy action.
Nash simply handed the ball to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan dribbled left, taking his time to scan the floor before making his move. If this shot went in, Phoenix would seize the lead, and that mattered as much psychologically as it did on the scoreboard.
Tony Allen crouched low and slid with him, stalking every step.
He had not shut Chen Yan down tonight, not even close, but his effort level never dipped.
Diaw stepped up to set the screen.
Chen Yan crossed over, then pushed hard off the dribble. He slipped between Tony Allen and Big Baby Davis with the ease of a knife sliding through water.
Only Humphries remained in front of the rim.
Chen Yan never forced the issue. Instead of challenging Humphries head on, he stopped short at the edge of the restricted area and floated the ball softly over him.
Swish.
Phoenix led 118 to 116.
Charles Barkley let out a laugh. "That right there is skill. He did not go in there trying to bully Humphries. He used touch, timing, and balance."
Kenny Smith nodded. "That was the smart play. Low effort, high percentage. In a moment like this, that is how you play winning basketball."
Chen Yan had built his reputation on exactly that kind of poise. Plenty of players could look steady in ordinary stretches. Very few could remain that sharp when the game tightened and the pressure climbed.
Durant came right back demanding the ball.
He wanted this answer. That was why he had spent every summer working, why he had given up comfort and rest to sharpen himself year after year. He had always wanted to be the kind of player who could stand where Chen Yan stood in moments like this.
Davis came up and set the screen.
Durant took one dribble, rose from just inside the three point line, and fired with absolute confidence.
The shot splashed through.
118 to 118.
After the make, Durant pointed down at the hardwood beneath him.
He was making his own statement.
This was his floor, and he intended to defend it.
.....
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