Chapter 634: Three Heroes
Dallas had the ball.
Nowitzki set a screen for Kidd, then rolled to the right side of the free throw line to receive the pass.
That was 1 of his favorite spots.
It was impossible to completely stop Nowitzki. A defender could only try to reduce his touches and limit how often he caught the ball in comfortable areas. Once he received it, the defense had to press tight, apply constant pressure, and use physical contact without fouling, forcing him to feel uncomfortable at all times.
That kind of defense required a player who was heavier than him, or at least comparable in strength, while also not giving up too much height and wingspan.
Clearly, Gallinari was not that kind of defender.
D'Antoni had no choice but to keep Gallinari on the court. He needed a high post player who could help Chen Yan draw defensive attention. Otherwise, if Dallas simply swarmed Chen Yan every possession, Phoenix would not be able to run its offense.
Novak also had that shooting ability, but his defense was even worse than Gallinari's.
For a relative balance between offense and defense, D'Antoni still chose Gallinari.
Chen Yan retreated 1 step from the arc, preparing to cut off Nowitzki's drive.
Nowitzki saw it clearly.
Dirk faked once, then drove directly toward the baseline. His movement speed was not fast, but he was big enough. After forcing his way past Gallinari, he finished the layup.
81 to 76.
The Suns quickly inbounded the ball.
Chen Yan immediately waved for it, and the pass went over Rondo's head into Chen Yan's hands.
Chen Yan was confident in his control of the game. He knew when to speed up and when to slow down.
His drive immediately drew Dallas's attention. Kidd and Artest both came over to block his path.
Chen Yan jumped 1 step outside the 3 point line, hung in the air, then passed to the trailing Rondo.
Rondo caught the ball and accelerated toward the basket, going into a 3 step layup.
Ray Allen chased from behind to contest.
The layup missed.
It was close. The ball spun around the rim once before rolling out.
Chen Yan accelerated from the 3 point line and charged inside.
Strictly speaking, Chen Yan had already started sprinting before Rondo even released the shot. His sense for rebounds was exceptionally sharp.
Ray Allen had just turned around, preparing to secure the rebound, when he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow from the side.
The next second, that shadow loomed over him.
"Boom!"
A thunderous dunk echoed through the arena.
The entire US Airways Center erupted in deafening cheers.
Every player on the Mavericks bench had his mouth open.
Ray Allen froze for a moment. Instinctively, he looked up and realized he was already beneath Chen Yan's legs.
It took him a few seconds to understand what had happened.
He had been posterized.
When Ray Allen looked up at the big screen, he realized that what he had just experienced was far more terrifying than an ordinary poster dunk.
The big screen at US Airways Center replayed the moment.
Chen Yan had accelerated into the lane, split his legs in the air, soared over Ray Allen's head, and slammed the ball into the basket.
83 to 76.
"Dunk of Death!"
"How many times has Chen Yan flown over a defender now?"
"That is terrifying."
"Chen Yan's pose reminds me of Jordan's logo."
"Hahaha, Jordan, pay up."
"Ray Allen only wanted to grab a rebound. What did he do wrong?"
Rick Carlisle did not want to call a timeout.
There was only just over 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter, so a timeout at this point would not be very meaningful.
But he had no choice.
The entire US Airways Center was going crazy.
It felt like an earthquake.
If he did not call timeout, the Mavericks players probably would not be able to play normally on the court.
When play resumed after the timeout, the noise in the arena had finally dropped slightly.
Dallas continued to let Nowitzki receive the ball for isolation.
The playoffs were the stage where superstars had to shine.
The Suns had Chen Yan.
The Mavericks had Nowitzki.
Dirk probed with 2 steps, then suddenly drove right.
Gallinari followed him.
Nowitzki suddenly spun around.
Chen Yan was already prepared and quickly moved with him.
Letting Gallinari guard Nowitzki alone would be foolish. Chen Yan had always been ready to double team.
Dirk also noticed Chen Yan's movement.
He went into his signature fadeaway posture, but he did not shoot. Instead, he chose to pass.
Ray Allen received an open look beyond the 3 point line.
Rondo rushed over to cover, but it was already too late.
Ray Allen's release was famously quick, and his reputation as the Gentleman's Sword was well deserved.
"Swish!"
The ball went cleanly through the net.
83 to 79.
Ray Allen had somewhat answered the humiliation of being flown over on the previous possession.
Although it was only a regular 3 pointer and lacked the same visual impact, it still barely counted as a response.
The quick inbound had worked well earlier, so the Suns continued to push the pace.
This time, the 1st player to sprint forward was veteran Grant Hill.
Gallinari and Jordan also ran hard. Although they were frontcourt players, both were mobile.
Rondo dribbled behind the 3 of them.
Surprisingly, Chen Yan did not appear in the frame.
When Phoenix inbounded the ball, Chen Yan had bent down as if tying his shoelaces.
That action deceived everyone, including Artest.
Chen Yan once again showed everyone that basketball could also involve deception.
Just as Rondo dribbled to the 3 point line, Chen Yan suddenly burst across half court.
Rondo passed the ball diagonally backward.
Chen Yan caught it, took 1 step, adjusted his feet, and launched a quick shot from 1 step in front of the logo.
Artest merely raised a hand out of habit.
He was still 1 and a half body lengths away from Chen Yan and could not bother the shot at all.
Chen Yan had created a comfortable super long 3 point opportunity.
"Swish!"
The net snapped.
86 to 79.
Every Suns fan stood up, cheering Chen Yan's shot.
It had to be him.
Dallas possession.
Kidd dribbled to the left side of the 3 point line, then turned his back, protecting the ball while observing his teammates' movement.
Veteran point guards like Kidd did not like flashy moves. Everything he did was practical and efficient.
Ray Allen received the ball at the arc and drove right.
Chen Yan tried to follow, but Haywood screened him.
Jordan switched onto Ray Allen.
Chen Yan ignored Haywood and chased Ray Allen directly.
Although Haywood was big and good at setting screens, he had no shooting range. Once he pulled out to the perimeter, he could basically be ignored.
Chen Yan's thinking was clear.
Ray Allen did not dare to dribble too deep because he feared entering the Suns' trap area. He also did not dare to shoot recklessly with Chen Yan still chasing him from behind. Getting blocked from behind would be too embarrassing.
Ray Allen twisted his body and passed directly back to Kidd.
Kidd did not choose to catch and reorganize.
Instead, he immediately bounced the ball inside.
He had seen Artest cutting.
The pass carried some risk because it had to travel through traffic, but Kidd's timing was sudden, and no Suns player reacted in time.
Artest caught the ball and took off, going up strong against Jordan in the air.
He scored.
86 to 81.
Chen Yan continued to score, but Dallas's trio was also making its push.
Fans joked that the game had changed from a 2 man show between Chen Yan and Nash into 3 Heroes Battle.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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