Chapter 793: Gentleman's Sweep
The game began with DeAndre Jordan winning the opening tip.
Curry dribbled across half court with his mouthguard between his teeth.
"Destroy them!"
"Kick their asses!"
"End this series tonight!"
"Do not give them anything!"
Madison Square Garden was roaring.
The rivalry had already pushed the crowd into a frenzy.
Brooklyn defended through the noise, every player fully locked in.
Even Anthony was giving maximum effort on defense.
The Nets had their backs against the wall.
Lose tonight, and their season was over.
New York was just as determined.
The Knicks had no intention of extending the series any longer than necessary.
They wanted to finish it tonight.
Chen Yan received the ball and surveyed the floor.
Brooklyn did not immediately double team him.
Fine.
Chen Yan went straight into isolation.
Bang.
Bang.
He repeatedly crossed the ball to the same side.
The movement was not especially fast.
The rhythm was perfect.
Anthony Morrow waited for what he thought was the right moment and reached for the steal.
That was exactly what Chen Yan wanted.
The instant Morrow committed, Chen Yan exploded past him.
The repetitive dribble had never been pointless.
It was bait.
As soon as the defender reached, an opening appeared.
Chen Yan accelerated into the restricted area.
Yao Ming began rotating over, but he was too late.
Chen Yan released a high floater before Yao could contest.
The ball climbed almost vertically.
Then dropped softly through the net.
0 to 2.
The arena announcer shouted Chen Yan's name.
Madison Square Garden erupted.
Brooklyn could already feel the pressure.
On the other end, Yao Ming received the ball after a screen.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, he calmly rose from the high post.
Swish.
2 to 2.
Yao clenched his fist after the basket.
After 10 years in the NBA, he was no longer the inexperienced young center who had once entered the league.
He had become a veteran capable of remaining composed in moments like this.
New York did not give Brooklyn time to settle.
The Knicks inbounded quickly.
Curry burst forward.
1 step beyond the 3 point line, he suddenly pulled up.
There was no hesitation in the shot.
The ball spun around the rim.
Then rolled out.
A disappointed groan swept through the arena.
Before it had even faded, DeAndre crashed into the paint.
He slapped the rebound back out.
Chen Yan caught it.
Immediate release.
No extra dip.
No hesitation.
Brooklyn's defense barely had time to react.
Chen Yan was already retreating as he watched the shot fly.
Swish!
2 to 5.
Chen Yan had scored New York's first 5 points.
Sections of the crowd immediately began singing his song.
"Chen's rhythm is excellent to start the game," Kenny Smith said. "2 shots, 2 makes. He has already scored attacking the basket and from beyond the arc."
Barkley nodded.
"And when Chen starts games like this, you better be careful. Those are usually the nights when the points start piling up."
Anthony caught the ball on Brooklyn's next possession.
After 2 probing steps, he decided to attack the basket instead of settling for a jumper.
The logic was simple.
The closer the shot, the better the percentage.
Anthony drew a defensive foul and walked to the free throw line.
He made the 1st.
Missed the 2nd.
The ball bounced off the rim.
Chen Yan was already moving.
He sprinted across half court, received the outlet, and immediately launched from extremely deep range.
The distance looked unreasonable.
The timing looked even more unreasonable.
But Chen Yan's release was smooth and effortless.
That was why every shot he took seemed as though it had a chance.
Swish!
3 to 8.
Madison Square Garden exploded.
Avery Johnson immediately called timeout.
Only 3 possessions had passed.
Chen Yan exchanged high 5s with his teammates as they walked toward the bench.
This was exactly the start New York wanted.
Chen Yan's consecutive perimeter makes forced Brooklyn to adjust.
The Nets began sending double teams.
It changed very little.
When Brooklyn left Chen Yan in isolation, he could attack Gerald Wallace.
Deron Williams.
Anthony Morrow.
Anthony.
It did not matter.
When Brooklyn sent 2 defenders, Chen Yan simply passed to whichever teammate had been left open.
Inside or outside.
His ability to punish double teams was elite.
By the end of the 1st quarter, New York led 31 to 23.
An 8 point advantage.
After 5 games against the Knicks, Avery Johnson had reached an uncomfortable conclusion.
Stopping New York's offense was nearly impossible.
Curry could score from anywhere on the perimeter.
David West gave the Knicks another reliable option inside and from the mid range.
Then there was Chen Yan.
An all time level scorer who could dominate a game in almost any way.
Unless New York collectively went cold the way it had in Game 1, Brooklyn was going to struggle to contain them.
The Nets could not rely on defense alone.
They had to outscore the Knicks.
That was why Johnson had started Anthony Morrow tonight.
He wanted more 3 point shooting.
But 1 role player could not completely transform the offense.
New York had taken and made more 3 pointers than any other team in the league.
If Brooklyn wanted to survive, it would have to fight for every possession.
Anthony opened the 2nd quarter leading the Nets bench unit.
After only about 3 minutes of rest, he was already back on the floor.
His shooting looked much better than it had in Game 4.
That was not particularly surprising.
Superstars adjusted.
And after how poorly Anthony had shot in the previous game, there was almost nowhere to go but up.
By halftime, Brooklyn had fought its way back.
New York 59.
Brooklyn 57.
Only 2 points separated the teams.
For the Nets, it felt like hope.
What they did not know was that this would be the closest they came for the rest of the night.
The 2nd half began.
Brooklyn was not ready for what came next.
Chen Yan cut behind the defense.
Catch.
Boom!
Dunk.
On the next possession, he relocated to the perimeter.
Catch.
Shoot.
Swish!
3 pointer.
New York's other players had performed well enough in the 1st half that Brooklyn could no longer commit fully to double teaming Chen Yan.
That hesitation was all he needed.
If a defense thought twice before sending help, Chen Yan punished it.
The first half of the 3rd quarter became his personal showcase.
Isolation off the dribble.
Catch and shoot jumper.
Fast break dunk.
Everything worked.
Chen Yan scored 17 points in roughly half a quarter.
Brooklyn's defense collapsed beneath the pressure.
The breakdown happened so quickly that the Nets barely had time to react.
Anthony had still been trying to conserve enough energy for a physical battle in the 4th quarter.
Then he looked at the scoreboard.
The game was already slipping away.
During the latter half of the 3rd, Brooklyn became increasingly desperate.
The Nets began firing 3 pointers from everywhere.
Some were open.
Others were not remotely comfortable.
The offense had lost its structure.
By the end of the quarter, New York's lead had already climbed beyond 20.
The game was unraveling.
Then Curry opened the 4th quarter with 2 more 3 pointers.
That was effectively the end.
Garbage time arrived far earlier than Brooklyn had expected.
The Nets had entered the night with their season on the line.
Everyone expected them to fight desperately until the final possession.
Instead, they were being eliminated even more decisively than in the previous games.
Anthony and Yao Ming sat beside each other on the bench.
Both had towels draped over their heads.
Every remaining second felt painfully slow.
The rest of Brooklyn's bench looked equally defeated.
Blank expressions.
Slumped shoulders.
Waiting for the clock to finally reach zero.
New York's reserves showed no mercy.
They continued attacking with the same intensity the starters had established.
This was a rivalry.
There was no obligation to make the final margin look respectable.
If anything, the larger the victory became, the louder Madison Square Garden cheered.
The final buzzer sounded.
New York Knicks 125.
Brooklyn Nets 90.
The series was over.
After losing Game 1, the Knicks had responded with 4 consecutive victories.
A gentleman's sweep.
New York was moving on.
....
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