Chapter 635: The Team's Barometer
With 42 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, the Suns had the ball.
As soon as Rondo crossed half court, Chen Yan reached out and called for it.
His idea was to attack quickly. Whether the shot went in or not, Phoenix would still get 1 more offensive opportunity than Dallas.
It was a matter of probability.
However, the Mavericks were prepared. As Chen Yan kept running around screens, they continued switching defenders, refusing to give him a comfortable chance to catch the ball.
By the time Chen Yan finally received it on the perimeter, 12 seconds had already passed on the shot clock, and only 30 seconds remained in the 3rd quarter.
Even so, Chen Yan still wanted to force the issue.
He caught the ball 2 steps beyond the 3 point line on the right side, and DeAndre Jordan immediately came up to screen.
Chen Yan dribbled left toward the top of the arc, and Haywood switched onto him.
A mismatch.
Small against big.
Chen Yan pounded the ball with his left hand, took a small step back, and used a hesitation fake.
Haywood's body twitched, but he did not fully bite.
Chen Yan was not flustered at all.
He had 100 ways to get past a big man like Haywood.
He immediately followed with a crossover, switching the ball to his right hand.
Chen Yan did not break through right away. He gave a slight shoulder shake, then used a behind the back dribble to bring the ball back to his left hand.
His footwork was extremely quick while dribbling, as if he could launch the next move at any moment.
Haywood nervously stared at Chen Yan's feet.
He was a little scared.
He had no idea what this guy would do in the next second.
Chen Yan pulled the ball with his left hand and faked a jab step forward with his left foot.
Suddenly, with a crossover, he charged hard to the right.
Haywood had only just turned sideways when Chen Yan had already forced his way into position.
Haywood followed for 2 steps before being shaken off.
Nowitzki came over to help, and he and Haywood trapped Chen Yan between them like a sandwich.
This was not just a metaphor.
The 2 big men mercilessly knocked Chen Yan to the floor.
Of course, the referee also mercilessly called the foul.
The fans cursed Nowitzki and Haywood. Some fans back home even wondered why Nowitzki was playing so dirty tonight.
Fans who said that did not really know Nowitzki.
When Nowitzki was young, his nickname was Big Dirty, and he had been known for playing rough.
The reason many fans later had the illusion that he played cleanly was probably related to his offensive style. Nowitzki liked floating outside and shooting, which meant less physical contact. Because of that, many fans subconsciously assumed his defense was also clean.
Chen Yan took a few seconds to get up from the floor.
Dallas's 2 big men had truly been aggressive. They had not held back at all.
But that was understandable.
Chen Yan had not held back either when he kept scoring on them and rubbing them into the dirt.
Seeing Chen Yan's condition, Gallinari, Hill, and DeAndre all felt a little guilty.
If they had been in better form tonight, Chen Yan would not have been targeted like this.
Chen Yan stepped to the free throw line, still affected by the previous collision.
He made 1 of 2 free throws.
The score became 87 to 81.
Mavericks possession.
Nowitzki once again posted up for isolation.
After sealing his position and receiving the ball, Nowitzki was not in a hurry to attack.
He first observed the defensive positions of the other Suns players, then began picking on Gallinari.
In a 1 on 1 matchup, Gallinari had no chance of guarding Dirk Nowitzki.
What Dirk was really considering was the Suns' help defense.
Seeing that no one came over, Nowitzki felt at ease and attacked alone.
After 1 dribble, he used his signature spin.
Gallinari had already moved 1 step forward in advance.
He had to move early if he wanted to defend Nowitzki's fadeaway.
But Dirk was no fool.
Seeing such a large opening from Gallinari, he decisively dribbled with his left hand and drove inside.
Dirk was not fast, but Gallinari could not keep up because he had shifted his feet too early.
With 5 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Nowitzki finished with a left hand layup.
87 to 83.
After scoring, Dallas did not relax.
Artest and Haywood immediately surrounded Chen Yan. Their goal for the final 5 seconds was simple.
Do not let Chen Yan catch the ball.
DeAndre was forced to come back and serve as the receiver. He had the height, and Haywood, who was supposed to guard him, had already moved to block Chen Yan.
DeAndre easily received the inbound pass.
Chen Yan tried to move and catch the ball, but Haywood and Artest continued blocking him.
Time kept ticking away.
DeAndre had no choice but to dribble forward.
Facing Nowitzki at the 3 point arc, DeAndre suddenly changed direction and swept past him on the left.
The live crowd and commentators gasped in surprise.
That was a guard's move.
Even Nowitzki did not react.
Part of it was because DeAndre's move was surprisingly smooth. The other part was that he never expected DeAndre to dare play like that.
In reality, big men in the NBA generally had decent fundamentals. The reason they were rarely seen dribbling in regular play was a matter of success rate.
After all, a big man's center of gravity was naturally high, making turnovers more likely. In a normal game, big men also had more important tasks to handle.
DeAndre took huge strides. With 1 change of direction, he surged to the free throw line.
After 1 dribble, DeAndre jumped directly.
Dallas had only 2 guards in the paint now.
No one could stop him.
DeAndre made a powerful dunking motion in the air.
Whether he glanced at the clock or heard his teammates reminding him from the sideline, DeAndre suddenly twisted in midair, flicked his wrist, and tipped the ball out.
The moment the ball left his fingertips, the red light on the timer lit up.
"Beep!"
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
DeAndre's jelly layup beat the buzzer.
89 to 83.
Chen Yan excitedly chest bumped DeAndre, and the rest of his teammates came over to high five him.
He had handled the final possession beautifully.
D'Antoni watched the celebrating Suns players, but there was no joy on his face.
First, he had just received news that Nash would not return to this game.
To win, Phoenix needed not only Chen Yan, but also a collective effort from everyone else.
DeAndre's final shot was beautiful, but it was not a regular play.
D'Antoni understood very clearly that it was a flash of inspiration.
At the moment, the Suns only led by 6 points, and he did not feel that this lead was stable.
"Danilo, Grant, you 2 must occupy Dallas on the perimeter," D'Antoni said.
Then he turned to Rondo.
"Rajon, if you have a chance, you have to shoot. If you are not confident in the 3 pointer, go for 2 points, but do not be afraid to take the shot. The more afraid you are to shoot, the more Dallas will dare to double team Chen."
Finally, he looked at DeAndre.
"And DeAndre, you played very well in the previous quarters. Keep it up. We need your rebounding and rim protection."
D'Antoni was anxious now.
He urgently needed someone to step up and help Chen Yan share the burden.
Chen Yan, however, was full of confidence.
"Coach, do not worry. The advantage is with us."
As soon as Chen Yan said that, more than half of the Suns' worries seemed to disappear.
He was not only the team's pillar on the court.
He was also the team's emotional pillar.
In the final quarter showdown, Chen Yan continued to stay on the floor.
He was the team's barometer, and D'Antoni did not dare let him rest for even 1 minute.
.....
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