Chapter 483: The Important Regular Season
Recently, Chen Yan had been unlucky in more than just basketball. His career had taken a hit, and his love life was in even worse shape. He was at rock bottom.
Taylor Swift was still giving him the cold shoulder. Ever since All Star Weekend ended, Chen Yan had called her several times, but she refused to answer. At this rate, he felt like he might get written into one of her songs at any moment.
Still, Chen Yan could not afford to let off court problems distract him. The Suns were entering the final sprint of the season, and their interior anchor, Stoudemire, was out injured. If they failed to steady themselves now, everything they had built in the first half of the season could collapse.
On February 27, old Nash finally returned in the game against the Toronto Raptors.
Nash looked good physically. He was not forcing his way back just to protect the team record.
Before the game, Nash went around the locker room encouraging his teammates one by one. He was never the type to shout slogans or pound his chest. His personality was quiet, even a little reserved, but every player could feel his energy the moment they slapped hands with him.
Toronto came in with a clear plan. Their strategy was to lock down the perimeter, because with Stoudemire out, Phoenix would obviously lose a lot of interior scoring.
On paper, it was a smart idea.
But the Raptors overlooked one major problem. Their perimeter defense did not have enough reliable stoppers.
Calderon was a weak point. He could survive against stronger, more physical wings like Pierce, but against agile guards like Chen Yan and Nash, he had no chance. His lateral speed was too slow, and the moment his balance shifted, he was getting beaten in one step.
Toronto managed to hang around in the first half, but the third quarter turned into a disaster.
That quarter became a two man clinic by Chen Yan and Nash.
They moved the ball and manipulated the defense like they were operating from the same brain, tearing open the Raptors over and over until the entire defense looked full of holes. Chen Yan exploded for 25 points in the quarter alone, while Nash added 10 points and 6 assists.
Chen Yan also delivered the highlight of the night in that stretch, a violent poster dunk over Pierce, who once again became the background.
With 4:15 left in the third, Pierce missed a perimeter jumper. The rebound bounced into the gap between Grant Hill and Anthony Parker. Hill read it first, and his veteran instincts showed as he tipped the ball to Chen Yan before Parker could react.
Chen Yan snatched it and immediately turned up court.
Pierce was the last line of defense and sprinted into the paint. He had barely turned his body when Chen Yan was already airborne.
Boom.
The arena exploded. The crowd went insane, and Raptors coach Jay Triano had no choice but to call timeout.
On TNT, Kenny Smith joked, "Paul Pierce got put on a poster again. This is what happens when a player who cannot get off the floor tries to challenge a Slam Dunk Contest champion."
Barkley laughed and added, "Paul wanted to move, but Chen was too fast. He could not get out of the way."
Pierce walked back to the bench without expression. At this point, he and Chen Yan had stacked up too many grudges, old and new. Compared to some of the other things he had gone through, this poster dunk was just another page.
After the timeout, Phoenix kept rolling.
What made it worse for Toronto was the Suns bench. Azubuike and White Chocolate Williams looked like a budget version of Chen Yan and Nash, but only in salary, not impact. The two second unit guards repeatedly created sharp drives and flashy sequences, and Toronto had no answer inside. Novak also stayed steady from the outside.
The game entered garbage time early in the fourth.
Final score, Suns 131, Raptors 113.
Toronto actually played well offensively, with 6 players in double figures and Pierce leading them with 25 points. It just did not matter against Chen Yan's 43 and Nash's 22 points with 12 assists.
Azubuike added 20 points, the third highest total for Phoenix. He was building a strong case for Sixth Man of the Year, and if the Suns could hold the top record in the league, his chances would only get better.
After that game, Phoenix got 1 day of rest.
Then came March, and with it, another showdown with an old rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The day before the game, the Suns flew to Los Angeles on a private team plane.
The whole flight was full of discussion about the matchup. This was the final regular season meeting between the two teams, and the Lakers led the season series 2 to 1 after the first 3 games.
D Antoni treated this game with unusual seriousness.
The standings were tight enough that this result could directly affect the final regular season order. On top of that, if the Suns lost the season series 1 to 3, they would be giving away a mental edge if the two teams met in the Playoffs.
Basketball is not only about schemes and matchups. It is also psychological warfare.
If a team walks into a game already fearing the opponent, it is halfway to losing before the opening tip.
That was why young teams could sometimes pull off upsets. They had the mentality of a newborn calf that feared no tiger. They dared to challenge anyone.
D Antoni called the starters to the square table in the middle of the plane, the one usually used for team meetings, and began laying out the game plan in advance.
"DeAndre, you are starting this one," D Antoni said first. "Do not overthink it. Rebound, protect the rim, set screens, do your job. Got it?"
DeAndre nodded immediately. "Got it, Coach."
Stoudemire's injury hurt the team, but it also opened the door for DeAndre. He was getting real minutes and real responsibility now. If he handled them well, he could earn lasting trust from the coaching staff.
D Antoni turned to the offense.
"Chen, you are still our number 1 option tonight. But remember, do not keep going one on one with Kobe. When Kobe picks you up, call for a screen and save your legs. Your offensive load is heavy."
He paused, then looked at both Chen Yan and Nash.
"And whether it is you or Steve, if you get Fisher in front of you, attack him. Every time. Do not be polite."
Chen Yan and Nash nodded together.
Chen Yan's signature attack patterns were now so established that D Antoni had fully built them into the playbook.
Then D Antoni moved to the defensive plan.
"You all know the priority. Stay attached to Kobe and do not let him get hot. Once he hits a few in a row, get more physical and break his rhythm. Raja, stay on him, contest everything. If he drives, bring the help fast and hard."
D Antoni's approach to Kobe was the same as most coaches around the league. Do everything possible to keep him from finding rhythm.
"If he comes off screens, switch when you can. If a guard gets switched onto a big, do not gamble for steals. Just get a hand up and contest. That is basic mixed coverage, and I do not want to repeat it."
The entire team felt the weight of D Antoni's tone.
This did not feel like an ordinary regular season game.
Chen Yan clapped his hands and looked around the table.
"Wake up, everybody. Tomorrow the win is ours. Let the fans at Staples go home crying."
The players around him shouted with him, "Victory!"
Stoudemire's absence had weakened the roster, but it had not touched their confidence.
…
The hype around this game was massive.
Many fans were already in front of their televisions well before tip off.
Lakers fans wanted a statement win at home, especially with Stoudemire sidelined and Phoenix looking vulnerable inside. Los Angeles had a full roster, and from a lineup standpoint, plenty of people thought the Lakers had a slight edge.
Before the game, reporters asked Kobe if he was confident.
"Of course," Kobe said. "No matter who the opponent is, my answer is always yes."
A reporter followed up. "Does Amare Stoudemire being out increase the Lakers' chance to win?"
Kobe shook his head.
"I do not care who they are missing. I focus on us, do what needs to be done, and win the game."
Garnett gave a similar answer.
"They still have Chen Yan and Steve Nash. They are still first in the league. Nobody takes a team like that lightly. We will not either."
When Chen Yan came onto the floor, the Los Angeles crowd was still loud and energetic, with plenty of fans yelling his name. A few fans also cheered for him, which felt strange in a building that was supposed to be hostile territory.
On the far side, Kobe was already locked in, shooting without expression.
Fisher occasionally glanced toward Chen Yan and Nash, and for some reason, he had a bad feeling.
Then the starters took the floor.
The Lakers went with a more traditional lineup, Fisher at point guard, Kobe at shooting guard, Walton at small forward, Garnett at power forward, and Camby at center.
Phoenix made major adjustments. Nash started at point guard, Chen Yan at shooting guard, Azubuike at small forward, Diaw at power forward, and DeAndre at center.
Besides DeAndre stepping in, D Antoni also promoted Azubuike, usually the sixth man, into the starting unit, while old Hill moved to lead the second group.
The message was obvious.
Phoenix planned to push the pace from the opening tip.
.....
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