Chapter 734: Chen Yan, Who Is Not Combative
"Nice one!"
Chen Yan pointed at David West.
Teammates needed to encourage each other. That helped boost confidence and morale.
David West high fived Chen Yan. He was relatively introverted, and this was his way of responding to Chen Yan.
Lakers offensive possession.
Old Fish Fisher brought the ball across half court and looked for Kobe.
Kobe held the ball at the top of the arc, and Battier prepared his defense.
Kobe postured for an isolation play, but the next second, he chose to pass the ball away.
He saw Garnett cut out.
Garnett received the ball and took a high post jumper.
Swish.
4 to 4.
"Stick closer to him!" Chen Yan reminded David West.
Garnett had always been a jump shooting big man, and as he aged and his physical ability declined, the proportion of jump shots in his offense increased even further.
David West nodded.
On the next possession, Chen Yan lobbed the ball into the paint.
He wanted David West to go 1 on 1 against Garnett.
Garnett was an old veteran. His defensive positioning was excellent, and he did not give David West comfortable space to turn.
Chen Yan ran to the wing and waved.
David West quickly passed the ball out to the perimeter.
Barnes did not lose his position, sticking tightly to Chen Yan.
But that was only temporary.
The next second, Chen Yan faked, then accelerated again.
He forcefully broke through Barnes block.
Garnett came over to help defend.
Chen Yan's gaze swept toward David West.
Just when everyone thought he was going to pass, Chen Yan flew into the air.
His legs were like rocket launchers.
In comparison, Garnett's legs felt as if they were filled with lead.
First, his vertical leap had indeed declined severely.
Second, Garnett had not expected Chen Yan to drive directly at him on this play.
Chen Yan grabbed the ball with 1 hand and hung in midair.
His off hand lifted, overpowering Garnett, and at the same time, his body tightened, bending like a bow.
Boom!
A thunderous sound rang out as Chen Yan successfully dunked over Garnett.
After landing, Garnett retreated again and again. If not for the cameraman behind him holding him up, he would have already fallen.
After these few possessions, the fans truly felt that Garnett was getting old.
Chen Yan did not make any provocative gesture.
He still had great respect for these veterans who had fought for many years in the NBA.
Chen Yan extended his hand, ready to help Garnett up.
But in Garnett's eyes, this gesture was the greatest insult.
Garnett ignored Chen Yan's outstretched hand, steadied himself, and ran toward the frontcourt.
Although his body was aging, his spirit remained strong.
Garnett would not concede defeat to anyone.
Mike Brown stood on the sideline, thinking through the tactics.
He noticed that Chen Yan had a very strong desire to attack the rim tonight.
All 3 of his initial shots had come from inside the restricted area.
Lakers offensive possession.
Kobe used a screen to move laterally several times, drawing the defense before making a wide pass.
Fisher received the ball and took a quick shot.
Swish.
7 to 6.
The Lakers lineup looked heavily aged, but they were very difficult to deal with.
Chen Yan felt that from the moment the 1st quarter began.
These old guys were incredibly tenacious, and their desire to win was very strong.
A team's fighting spirit was related to its star player.
Kobe was a player who maintained high morale at all times, and the 2nd star, Garnett, was the same.
As the saying went, a weak general made for a weak army.
As long as the Lakers had these 2, their fighting spirit could not be weak.
Knicks offense.
Barea handled the ball for a pick and roll, then drove and kicked it out to Chen Yan beyond the 3 point line.
Chen Yan used a screen to run into open space without the ball.
Kobe switched over to guard him.
The direct confrontation between the 2 was what the fans wanted to see most.
Stern had once hyped the topic of 23 against 24, but after Chen Yan's rapid rise, David Stern's promotional direction began to change.
He began promoting 0 against 24.
Although Kobe's form had declined somewhat in recent years, in the minds of fans, the most exciting matchup was still 0 against 24.
"Drive. Go left. I will let you go," Kobe started talking trash. "I know it will not go in."
How could a matchup between these 2 lack trash talk?
Chen Yan took a probing step while firing back.
"Can your old legs keep up with me, Kobe?"
"Try it. Come on, try it."
Kobe spoke while extending his body.
Kobe applied heavy defensive pressure.
Chen Yan turned sideways, gripping the ball with 1 hand.
This move had been voted by fans as Chen Yan's coolest pose, but Chen Yan did not do it to show off.
It was a way to protect the ball.
Kobe directly braced his elbow against Chen Yan's waist, feeling Chen Yan's center of gravity.
Chen Yan leaned against Kobe, protecting the ball while pushing inward.
Facing Kobe, Chen Yan never let his guard down.
1 step inside the 3 point line, Chen Yan suddenly faked a post up, then took a sharp lateral dribble.
Kobe remained focused, sticking close to him.
Bang!
Chen Yan suddenly exploded the ball back for a step back.
Kobe lunged forward 1 step, determined not to give Chen Yan any shooting space.
Chen Yan sharply lowered his center of gravity, switching the ball from his right hand to his left.
Immediately after, he quickly switched the ball from his left hand back to his right.
A double crossover in front of the body.
Chen Yan rarely used this move, but that did not mean he could not.
As a top tier ball handler, Chen Yan had mastered almost all dribbling and crossover moves.
He was not limited to only his signature skills.
This explosive step back and double crossover almost destroyed Kobe's ankles.
Kobe's defensive awareness was still top notch, but his defensive footwork was much slower than in previous years, especially his lateral movement.
After getting past Kobe, it was still Garnett who came over to help defend.
The Wolf King still had enough inner toughness.
Most players would probably not dare step up after being posterized, because that kind of play would leave a psychological shadow.
Chen Yan took a jump step in front of Garnett.
This time, he did not choose to jump.
Instead, he gently passed the ball into the paint.
The moment David West received the ball, Barnes collapsed back.
David West quickly raised the ball over his head and passed it to the corner.
Battier caught the ball and shot.
The Knicks bench collectively raised 3 fingers.
The corner 3 pointer was Battier's sweet spot, and this was a completely wide open shot.
Swish.
The moment the ball went in, Barkley shouted, "That is good! Battier from the corner, that is money."
The entire Knicks team stood up and cheered.
Chen Yan and David West took turns high fiving Battier.
In terms of team atmosphere, the Knicks were definitely top tier in the league.
With a leader like Chen Yan, it was hard for the locker room atmosphere not to be good.
Lakers offensive possession.
Garnett held the ball at the high post to facilitate the offense.
Kobe cut out to Garnett's side.
The 2 faked a hand off, and Garnett turned and drove inside.
DeAndre Jordan reacted quickly and came over to help, knocking both Garnett and the ball down with a slap.
DeAndre Jordan's play was aimed at the ball, but Garnett did not see it that way.
After getting up, Garnett immediately headbutted DeAndre Jordan.
DeAndre Jordan was young and hot blooded, so naturally, he did not back down and headbutted him back.
"Oh! Oh! The 2 of them are getting into it," Barkley shouted. "Neither man wants to back down."
"Chen is rushing over," Kenny Smith said excitedly. "This situation looks like it is about to escalate."
Chen Yan rushed between Garnett and DeAndre Jordan, looking aggressive.
Garnett immediately adopted a fighting stance, but his feet very honestly took 2 steps back.
Garnett knew Chen Yan's combat power all too well.
But Chen Yan had no intention of dealing with Garnett.
He spread his arms, pushing DeAndre Jordan with 1 hand and Garnett with the other, adopting a peacemaking posture.
Garnett secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The moment he saw Chen Yan rush over, he had even picked out his escape route.
The fans, however, were greatly disappointed.
They had not seen Chen Yan fight in several years, and they missed it very much.
Chen Yan had matured greatly compared to a few years ago.
Unless it was an extreme situation, he probably would not easily throw punches on the court.
Just as Chen Yan had once said in an interview, he was not fond of fighting in his life.
He preferred to resolve conflicts peacefully.
.....
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