Chapter 637: A Bizarre Victory
Coming back from the timeout, the Suns' lineup remained unchanged.
Dallas, meanwhile, sent out its strongest offensive group.
Kidd, Terry, Ray Allen, Artest, and Dirk Nowitzki.
This was basically a small ball lineup, and its firepower was extremely fierce.
There were only 2 minutes and 19 seconds left in the game. Although Dallas had mounted a strong comeback, the Mavericks were still trailing.
Phoenix attacked, but at the most critical moment, they made a crucial mistake.
Chen Yan was double teamed again and could not receive the ball.
Rondo dribbled to the top of the arc, then passed to Gallinari. Gallinari relayed it to Grant Hill.
Old Hill used a screen, but he did not drive directly to the basket. Instead, he moved laterally while constantly observing Chen Yan's movement.
Chen Yan moved from the baseline to the free throw line, and Hill immediately threw a cross court pass.
"Slam!"
Kidd rushed out and stole the ball cleanly.
"That pass was too obvious," Kenny Smith said with regret. "Hill paused in the air and almost jumped to pass. That is a passing mistake you simply cannot make in crunch time."
All the Suns fans gasped.
At the most important moment, Phoenix had made a mistake.
"Get back! Get back on defense!" Chen Yan had no time to complain about Hill's turnover. He immediately called his teammates back.
If Dallas converted this into a fast break, the damage from the mistake would become even greater.
Kidd took 2 steps, then realized Phoenix's transition defense was too fast.
He immediately changed rhythm and slowed his dribble as he crossed half court.
For the Mavericks right now, scoring was important, but efficiency mattered even more.
Simply put, they could not rush.
At this moment, the value of an experienced point guard became obvious.
Kidd protected the ball with his back to the basket, 1 step outside the 3 point line, waiting for Nowitzki to come up and receive it.
In moments like this, giving the ball to the superstar was the safest option.
While protecting the ball, Kidd did not forget to use his shoulder and back to bump Rondo, creating more space for the pass.
Otherwise, if Rondo pressed too close, the pass could easily be distorted and become a turnover.
Kidd delivered the ball smoothly, without making a mistake.
However, he could not have expected Nowitzki to be the one who made the mistake.
Nowitzki received the ball at the top of the arc through a screen, which was also an area he liked.
But he did not expect Chen Yan to rush in front of him the moment the ball arrived.
It was an extremely decisive double team.
Nowitzki did not even see who had come up. He only felt a dark shadow suddenly appear to his left.
The next second, Nowitzki instinctively looked toward the left corner.
Ray Allen was open there.
When a shooter of Ray Allen's caliber was left open, any teammate would try to get the ball to him.
Nowitzki was no exception.
But what he did not expect was that the moment he raised the ball, Chen Yan had already moved first.
With lightning speed, Chen Yan swatted the ball out of Nowitzki's hands.
The move was aggressive, and the referee could easily have called a foul.
But Chen Yan's hand was clean.
He hit the basketball completely.
After the steal, Nowitzki's body leaned back slightly. Although he did not fall, he lost his balance and could not chase.
On the Mavericks' side, only Kidd had retreated to the defensive half.
Phoenix had 2 players on the fast break.
Chen Yan and Rondo.
Kidd could not defend that play no matter what. The only suspense was how the Suns would finish it.
Chen Yan passed diagonally to Rondo from the free throw line, then slipped toward the basket.
Rondo understood perfectly and tossed the ball into the air.
An alley oop.
However, Chen Yan chose not to dunk. Instead, he completed the play with a layup.
It was not because he could not jump high enough, nor because Rondo's pass was poor.
He simply wanted to save energy.
The game was not over yet. He needed to preserve his stamina for anything that might happen next.
112 to 107.
Less than 2 minutes remained, and the lead was 5 points.
The home fans waved their flags and cheered. Momentum returned to Phoenix once again.
Kidd dribbled across half court, controlling the tempo.
The more critical the moment, the less he could rush.
Kidd understood that the next possession was crucial. If Dallas failed to score, the Mavericks would likely lose the game.
Kidd did not pass directly to Nowitzki.
He signaled for Ray Allen and Artest to run a play.
Nowitzki set a screen for Ray Allen, then rolled down.
Kidd saw the timing and decisively threw a lob pass.
Nowitzki caught the ball and immediately took off.
There was still enough time, and Nowitzki chose to secure 2 points first.
"Slam!"
Just as Dirk Nowitzki was about to attempt the layup, Chen Yan rushed out again and swatted the ball away.
No one knew how Chen Yan had appeared in that position.
Everyone only knew that he had turned Nowitzki's supposedly safe 2 point attempt into something very unsafe.
In the commentary booth, Barkley exclaimed, "A steal, then a block. Chen is showing everything on the defensive end tonight."
Kenny nodded. "His defense is absolutely underestimated. He has the tools, the timing, and the instincts. When he locks in, he changes possessions."
Although Chen Yan blocked Nowitzki, the ball flew out of bounds.
Dallas still had possession.
With only 11 seconds left on the shot clock, the Mavericks hastily ran a play, and Terry was forced into a difficult shot.
"Clang!"
Missed.
Jordan fought desperately and secured the rebound.
The fans could no longer contain their excitement. They all rose to their feet.
The Suns were getting closer and closer to winning this game.
Rondo crossed half court.
Chen Yan used screens to move again and again.
2 steps beyond the top of the arc, Chen Yan finally caught the ball and immediately made a shooting motion.
A super long 3 pointer?
Ray Allen and Terry rushed at him at the same time.
Chen Yan flashed through the gap between them like lightning.
The fans screamed.
That breakthrough was perfect.
Nowitzki and Artest immediately came over to help.
Chen Yan was not greedy.
He knew that at this point, a simple 2 pointer would be enough to kill Dallas.
Chen Yan bounced the ball to Jordan.
Completely open, Jordan rose for a powerful dunk.
114 to 107.
The Mavericks' morale completely deflated.
Rick Carlisle called a symbolic timeout, hoping for a miracle.
Reality proved there was no miracle.
Only a harsher whip waiting for them.
After the timeout, Terry received the ball for a face up attack. He crossed over, then went behind his back, trying to create space for a shot.
Rondo had already anticipated the move.
He lightly poked with his right hand and disrupted Terry's dribble.
Grant Hill immediately pounced from the wing and secured possession.
At that point, the game had completely lost its suspense.
Neither team scored in the remaining minute.
114 to 107.
The Suns won at home, taking a 2 to 1 lead in the series.
For Phoenix, this was an odd victory.
Chen Yan had never imagined that one day, his team would win a game through defense.
.....
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