Chapter 639: The Season Ends
Many things in life often go against one's wishes.
Kobe was ready to take revenge on Chen Yan, but what he never expected was that Phoenix would quietly stop in the Western Conference Semifinals.
This result was both surprising and unsurprising.
It was surprising because Phoenix had won the championship in each of the past 2 years. Most fans naturally assumed the Suns would reach the Western Conference Finals again this year and battle the Los Angeles Lakers.
That was a normal kind of bias.
But when people looked at Phoenix's roster, the result was not that shocking.
After Nash's injury, the Suns relied far too heavily on Chen Yan on offense. That made them easy for opponents to target.
In Game 5 of the series, Chen Yan dished out 6 assists in the 1st quarter.
It was not because he had suddenly changed his playing style, nor because he had suddenly been possessed by Nash.
He was passing desperately because he had no other choice.
Dallas immediately double teamed him.
Even more outrageous, they double teamed him even when he did not have the ball.
The Mavericks had no intention of giving Chen Yan any opportunity. Rick Carlisle's strategy was simple. If possible, do not let Chen Yan shoot.
If the other Phoenix players stepped up and shot Dallas to death, he would accept it.
In the 1st quarter, the Suns role players performed well.
But in the 2nd quarter, they suddenly faltered, and the deficit was once pulled into double digits.
Chen Yan seized an opening and hit 2 consecutive super long 3 pointers, scaring the Mavericks badly.
But Dallas quickly responded on the offensive end.
To break the Mavericks double team, Phoenix surrounded Chen Yan with shooters. As a result, their defensive flaws were immediately exposed.
On top of that, Chen Yan had been affected by the foul trouble from the previous game and did not dare exert himself too aggressively on defense.
Dallas's offense became very comfortable in this game.
Ray Allen made 6 3 pointers in the 1st half.
After entering the 2nd half, Phoenix's shooters became even more absurd. They missed open shots one after another, suddenly going ice cold.
Chen Yan wanted to step up, but Dallas immediately sent 3 defenders at him.
On one possession, they even sent 4 players, preventing Chen Yan from making a normal shooting motion at all.
Chen Yan felt true helplessness.
He had strength, but no space to use it.
The reason Dallas dared to be so reckless was simple.
Chen Yan had no reliable teammates around him.
Grant Hill could drive and shoot, but age was a factor. In a playoff game of this intensity, it was impossible for him to handle the ball for long stretches.
Rondo also had ball handling ability, but his desire to attack was too low. Many times, Dallas simply chose to ignore him completely.
They knew Rondo's shooting was unreliable.
Even if he made a few shots, Dallas was not worried.
His shooting could not kill them.
Chen Yan tried every possible method, but he could not break through the constant crowd of defenders.
He could handle 2 defenders.
But facing 3 or 4 players every possession was unbearable for anyone.
Chen Yan was a top basketball player, not Superman.
In the final quarter, Phoenix's role players finally improved, but the gap had already widened.
At that point, effort alone was useless.
Ultimately, Phoenix lost Game 5 by a score of 101 to 110.
Trailing 2 to 3 in the series, the Suns returned to Phoenix.
With their backs against the wall, Phoenix unleashed tremendous potential.
Without Nash, they fought a brutal game against Dallas, and the winner was only decided after overtime.
Neither team was efficient in this game.
With 10 seconds left in overtime, the score was tied at 108 to 108.
Phoenix had possession.
Chen Yan was naturally the player being guarded most heavily.
After D'Antoni's timeout, Gallinari was assigned to take the final shot.
He had played well in this game, shooting 8 for 12 from the field and 4 for 4 from 3 point range.
The idea was good.
But during the execution of the play, Gallinari still made a mistake.
When receiving the pass, he failed to connect cleanly with Diaw, and Nowitzki poked the ball away.
Every Phoenix fan held their breath.
If Dallas secured the ball and scored, everything would be over.
Not just the game.
The entire season would be over.
Fortunately, the thing the fans feared did not happen.
Chen Yan once again became the team's hero.
He picked up the ball 1 step in front of the logo, did not hesitate, and immediately turned into the shot.
It was not only because time was running out.
If he had hesitated even slightly, the Mavericks double team would definitely have arrived, shrinking his shooting space.
"Swish!"
The ball went in.
There were still 1.1 seconds left.
The entire arena erupted.
Chen Yan had become the team's hero again.
"He really dared to shoot!"
"A super long 3 point game winner in a desperate situation. Another Chen Yan masterpiece is born!"
"That was too exciting. Too passionate."
"Down 2 to 3 in the series, catching the ball near the logo and shooting immediately, and it was a turnaround shot too. That is outrageous."
"I do not believe the coach drew it up that way, but this is exactly when a superstar should step up."
"Superstar Chen Yan!"
Chen Yan's game winner saved Game 6.
But it could not save Phoenix in the series.
Before Game 7, veteran Grant Hill announced that he would miss the game due to an ankle injury.
The already thin roster became even more depleted.
Ultimately, the shorthanded Suns lost their final game of the season on the road, 106 to 109.
Losing to the Mavericks was not an upset, but many fans still found it shocking.
They had expected Phoenix to go further.
In reality, Phoenix had already given everything to reach this point.
They had experienced major personnel changes in the middle of the season, then suffered key absences in the playoffs.
Despite the loss, no one blamed Chen Yan.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, Chen Yan averaged 40.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
His performance was flawless.
Even while facing almost insane double teams in the final 2 games, he still contributed more than 35 points each night.
After the game, Chen Yan appeared at the press conference as usual.
This was the 1st time in his professional career that he had to face a playoff press conference as the loser.
"I have to say, I am very disappointed right now," Chen Yan said in a low voice. "It is a sense of loss I have never felt before. The NBA Playoffs have not ended, but my playoffs with Phoenix have. I know the fans hoped Phoenix would win the championship again and create a dynasty. I am sorry to disappoint you."
He paused for a moment.
"I also know there is a man waiting for me in the Western Conference Finals. I owe him an apology too."
"Chen, do you doubt yourself?" a reporter asked sharply.
"Self doubt is the most meaningless thing," Chen Yan replied. "If you doubt yourself every time you experience failure, then more than half your life might be wasted. Sometimes there is success, but more often, there is failure."
He looked calm, but his tone carried weight.
"Wasting time questioning whether you will succeed is meaningless. You might as well use that time to train and take things one step at a time. There are too many uncertainties on the court. You can only control what you can control, then accept the result.
"If you win, of course you are happy. But the next day, you still have to get up and continue the journey. If you lose, it feels terrible. But the next day, you still have to get up and continue the journey. So we can only look forward and keep working hard."
Chen Yan's words were very honest.
From the offseason to the new season, he would definitely work very hard.
But he was already disappointed with Phoenix's management.
As for which team he would be working hard for, that was no longer certain.
.....
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