Chapter 559: The Fastest Shooter in History
Right now, the Magic had only a theoretical chance of turning the series around.
Even their own fans did not believe in that theory.
A miracle comeback demanded more than talent. It needed luck, timing, and most of all, a true leader.
Howard was clearly not the leader people had been waiting for.
He was still just a younger brother, an immature one at that.
The media had already begun writing Orlando's obituary. Even the local papers in Orlando believed the Magic were heading toward collapse. Many of them openly predicted a sweep.
The last time the Magic reached the NBA Finals was in 1995, and they had been swept then too. If they were swept again now, getting swept in the Finals might become part of the franchise's identity.
Howard deeply regretted going to a nightclub to pick up girls after a loss. That decision had made him the target of public condemnation.
But what Howard regretted was not going to the club.
He regretted not being more careful. In his mind, he should have just invited the girls back to his house.
It had to be said, O'Neal's assessment of him had been painfully accurate.
Howard was not the only one under fire. Van Gundy had also become a major target of criticism.
As the head coach, losing 3 straight games meant he could not escape blame. Many media outlets were already saying he would be fired as soon as the season ended. In professional sports, when the battle is lost, the commander is always the first to pay the price.
Still, the calls to fire Van Gundy were obviously irrational. Those people only saw him struggling in the Finals. They ignored the fact that without him, the Magic might never have reached the Finals at all.
Anyone who looked at Van Gundy's coaching résumé carefully would realize he had actually done an outstanding job.
In the 2003 to 2004 season, he was suddenly appointed head coach of the Miami Heat. In his first season, he led the team to a respectable record and the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In his second season, he pushed them all the way to the Conference Finals, yet he was still fired afterward.
After 2 years away, he returned to coaching with the Orlando Magic.
Again, in his first season, he reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In his second season, which was this year, he led the team all the way to the NBA Finals.
That résumé was excellent no matter how anyone tried to twist it. Every time he stepped into a difficult situation, he delivered results.
So if he were fired, could the next coach really do better?
To put it bluntly, the Magic's real problem was not their coach.
Almost every media outlet was praising the Suns instead. Many were already calling them the league's next dynasty after the Lakers.
A dynasty usually meant 3 straight championships or more, and the Suns would only need to get it done again next season to qualify.
After Chen Yan's 50 plus point explosion in the last game, the Finals MVP was basically already his. If that happened, he would become only the 4th player in history to achieve that feat.
The first 3 were Jordan, Olajuwon, and O'Neal.
That meant that after winning back to back Finals MVP awards, Chen Yan would officially enter the historical superstar conversation.
At this point, no one doubted he had superstar talent. But talent alone was never enough. Honors had to keep pace as well.
At noon on the day before Game 4, Chen Yan received a call from Yao Ming.
"Chen Yan, why haven't I seen you online lately?"
"Brother Yao, that question answers itself. I'm in the NBA Finals," Chen Yan replied.
"Hahaha. Howard is no threat to you. Just crush him. You could sweep the Magic while playing games on the side."
In private, Yao Ming spoke very differently from how he did in public. He liked to joke around and sounded much more casual.
"Haha, once we sweep them tomorrow, I'll log on and run dungeons with you," Chen Yan said.
"Alright, then congratulations in advance on the championship and the Finals MVP."
"Haha, I'll treat you to dinner when I get to Houston."
This time, Chen Yan did not bother pretending to be modest. In his eyes, both the championship and the Finals MVP were already as good as secured.
"You're treating me in Houston? No chance. I'm the one taking you out for a big meal. Alright, I won't bother you anymore. Play well tomorrow. I'll be watching on TV."
"Thanks, Brother Yao."
After hanging up, Chen Yan went to bed for his afternoon nap.
He rarely trained heavily the day before a game. He preferred to rest well and save his energy for the next night.
Before Game 4 began, the Suns looked completely relaxed during warmups. If someone only looked at their expressions, they might not have guessed this was the pregame routine for an NBA Finals elimination game.
This year's Finals had been painfully one sided. Even with help from the league, the Magic still could not manage to take Game 3.
Before Game 4, David Stern once again gave the referees the same instructions. He did not want a sweep in the Finals for the 2nd straight year. In his view, that would hurt the appeal and spectacle of the league.
Domestic fans thought the exact opposite.
They wanted a sweep.
They wanted to see Chen Yan raise the trophy again.
"Fans are joking that the last time the Finals were this one sided was last year."
"This year's Finals might compete for the least suspenseful Finals ever."
"At this point, the only real suspense is how many points Chen Yan will score."
Even so, the atmosphere inside Orlando's home arena was still strong.
The fans wanted to see their team at least win once and save some pride.
Before the game started, Chen Yan glanced at the system shop and then quietly closed it.
Facing the Magic in the Finals had saved him a lot of honor points. If the opponent had been a tougher team, he would have needed to use items like a [Status Enhancement Card].
The ceremony ended.
The game began.
Both teams mostly kept the same starting lineups.
Phoenix Suns: Nash, Chen Yan, Hill, Diaw, Stoudemire.
Orlando Magic: Alston, Courtney Lee, Turkoglu, Lewis, Howard.
Jump ball.
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Howard and Stoudemire leaped.
And right away, something dramatic happened.
Although Howard got a fingertip on the ball first, he tipped it straight to Chen Yan.
Before the Magic players could even react, Chen Yan had already caught it and turned.
He was standing 1 step outside the 3 point line, completely within range, and there was no one in front of him.
Chen Yan rarely got a look this clean in a real game.
There was no way he would pass it up.
He raised the ball and fired.
The shot traced a high arc through the air.
To Suns fans, that arc looked beautiful.
To Magic fans, it looked painful.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
3 to 0.
Chen Yan drilled a 3 pointer just 3 seconds into the game.
"Oh! A 3 right at the start. How long has it been? 3 seconds!" Mike shouted.
Jackson checked the information provided by the production crew and said, "Chen just broke the record for the fastest made 3 pointer to start a game since official records began. The previous record was 4 seconds, held by Pacers legend Reggie Miller."
As it happened, Reggie Miller was at the commentary table tonight as a special guest.
But Miller did not look embarrassed at all. He smiled and said, "I'm happy to see a younger player break my record, especially Chen. I love watching that kid shoot."
After that shot, Chen Yan picked up yet another nickname.
The Fastest Shooter in History.
.....
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