Chapter 647: About to Explode!
Chen Yan quickly advanced after gaining possession.
After breaking through to the right side beyond the 3 point line, Chen Yan suddenly stopped short.
Curry, who was following closely, sprang into the air with a jolt.
In midair, Curry's face showed a hint of despair.
It was a fake.
Damn it.
He had fallen for it again.
Curry flew past Chen Yan.
Before Curry even landed, Granger rushed out from the side and rear.
It was a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
However, Chen Yan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and did not shoot.
After a slight pause, he passed directly to Sun Dasheng, who was following up through the middle.
Sun Dasheng seized the opportunity, cut into the paint, and scored with a 1 handed dunk.
33 to 29.
China's bench erupted in cheers.
Their momentum was building.
Team USA began to panic.
Coach K gave Durant a look, signaling for him to prepare to enter the game.
Durant took off his warmup jacket and stood in front of the advertising board.
He was waiting for a dead ball.
His teammates did not make him wait long.
On the next Team USA possession, Granger dribbled and attacked Zhou Peng 1 on 1. After a step fake, he drove right.
Zhou Peng followed.
Granger quickly pulled the ball back and spun.
Everything was going according to Granger's plan.
He took long strides, intending to spin directly into the restricted area.
However, as he turned, he saw Chen Yan's face.
Chen Yan had left Gordon and collapsed into the paint.
Granger could not stop and crashed directly into Chen Yan.
Chen Yan fell from the impact, sliding out of bounds on his backside.
The referee called an offensive foul on Granger for charging.
Granger walked to the sideline, muttering curses.
Then he saw Coach K's substitution gesture.
After sitting on the bench, Granger was still upset and kept muttering to himself.
"Damn it, how did he get to that spot? How did he get to that spot?"
Granger found Chen Yan's positioning somewhat unbelievable, almost amateurish.
What normal player chased the ball everywhere like that?
Wasn't everyone supposed to stay in their assigned defensive position?
Chen Yan was just that kind of basketball prodigy.
Whether on offense or defense, he never played by the book.
China offense.
Chen Yan initiated a 1 on 1 play.
Gordon was responsible for defending him.
Gordon's defense was average, but his attitude was very active. He kept reaching out, trying to disrupt Chen Yan's dribble.
Chen Yan ignored the harassment and maintained his own rhythm.
After continuous cross dribbles, he took a small step back, suspending the ball in his left hand while his right hand moved toward the center.
This was Chen Yan's classic hesitation fake.
Gordon was not completely fooled, but his body still unconsciously leaned forward 1 step.
Chen Yan seized that flaw, bent down, and broke through from the right.
At the 45 degree angle near the free throw line, Chen Yan stopped short and rose into a jumper.
33 to 31.
Chen Yan's consecutive scores stimulated Durant.
On Team USA's next offensive possession, as soon as Curry crossed half court, Durant raised his hand and called for the ball.
Zhou Peng was now responsible for defending Durant after the catch.
Zhou Peng's movements were very aggressive. He was not a core player, so he was not afraid of fouling like Yi Jianlian.
Durant held the ball above his head with both hands and waved it twice.
Love quickly came up to set a screen.
Durant took 1 dribble and pulled up directly.
For a shooter of Durant's caliber, just a little space was enough.
"Swish!"
The shot went in cleanly.
The only drawback was that his foot had stepped on the line.
35 to 31.
"Durant makes an immediate difference when he is on the floor," Kenny Smith said. "He stabilizes the situation right away. He is undoubtedly Team USA's number 1 star in this World Championship. His style and skill set are perfectly suited to international basketball."
Barkley nodded. "China's defense on Durant was too loose there. Zhou Peng stayed tight, but after the pick and roll, he did not bother Durant enough. With that man, if you give him even a little daylight, he is shooting over you."
China offense.
Chen Yan signaled, and Yi Jianlian came up to screen.
Team USA chose to switch, and its mobility was indeed much stronger than China's.
Odom stuck with Chen Yan.
Chen Yan did not waste time and immediately challenged him off the dribble.
He changed direction and drove hard to Odom's right.
For a small player attacking a big man, not many moves were needed. Speed alone was enough.
At that moment, Yi Jianlian cut into the paint.
Gordon lost his man.
Chen Yan and Odom jumped at the same time in the paint. After a brief hang time, Chen Yan twisted his body and passed to the middle.
Yi Jianlian was already prepared.
After receiving the ball, he threw down a powerful 2 handed dunk.
It was aggressive.
35 to 33.
After the dunk, Yi Jianlian pounded his chest.
To be honest, he had been playing a little stifled in this game, and that dunk gave him the perfect chance to vent.
Basketball games were often like that.
If a player kept suppressing himself, he might struggle for the entire game.
But once he found a chance to release that frustration, everything could turn around.
Team USA made a substitution, replacing Love with Chandler.
Coach K still felt the interior needed a big man like Chandler to protect the rim.
Iguodala also entered the game, replacing Odom.
Gordon let out a sigh of relief when he saw Iguodala come on.
Finally, he no longer had to guard Chen Yan.
Team USA offense.
Curry crossed half court and passed the ball to Gordon.
Gordon passed to Iguodala.
At that moment, Durant had just curled to the corner 3 point spot.
Yi Jianlian was screened by Chandler while chasing him.
Iguodala immediately passed to Durant.
Durant raised his hand and sank the 3 pointer.
38 to 33.
Durant was also burning hot tonight.
China offense.
Chen Yan and Sun Dasheng executed a handoff, then Chen Yan ran without the ball toward the weak side.
Yi Jianlian used Chen Yan's screen to cut into the paint.
Iguodala immediately switched and chased Yi under the basket, while Chen Yan pulled out to the perimeter against Durant.
Sun Dasheng did not immediately pass to Yi Jianlian in the paint because he felt the pass was a little risky and could easily become a turnover.
This was a critical moment for China to catch up, so playing safely was better.
Sun Dasheng chose to pass the ball to Chen Yan on the perimeter.
Chen Yan received the ball and turned.
At that moment, Durant had just switched defensively and arrived in front of him.
Chen Yan first probed 1 step to the left, then drove toward the baseline.
He was attacking Durant before Durant could fully set his feet.
Although Durant's height was exaggerated, his coordination was excellent. He immediately turned sideways and kept up.
Chen Yan stopped short, then pulled the ball back with a reverse between the legs dribble.
"Screech!"
A sharp sound of friction came from the floor.
Even sparks from Durant's shoes could not help him stop in time.
Chen Yan stepped back and shot a mid range jumper from the baseline.
"Swish!"
The ball went in precisely.
38 to 35.
In less than a half, Chen Yan had already scored 20 points.
He was showing a strong tendency to explode in this game.
"Chen Yan's efficiency tonight is incredible," Kenny Smith said. "He is scoring, assisting, and making the right reads. It is because of his performance that China has managed to stay close."
Barkley said, "China is trailing, but they still have a trump card. Yao Ming is still resting on the bench. Jonas is probably waiting for the right moment to put him back in. China's offense has been decent during this stretch, so Yao can rest a little longer."
.....
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