Chapter 612: Three Straight Bursts of Anger
News of Chen Yan's huge argument with Suns management spread like wildfire.
Fans quickly turned their anger toward Robert Sarver, accusing the so called vampire owner of tearing apart a championship team with his own hands.
For Chen Yan, this was arguably the lowest point of his professional career and his emotional state.
The only way out was forward.
After collecting himself, Chen Yan traveled with the team to Charlotte, where their next opponent was the Bobcats.
Charlotte was currently ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference. Under the leadership of Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, the Bobcats had shown real potential to reach the Playoffs this season.
The team's recent strong play had put owner Michael Jordan in an excellent mood, and he personally came to watch the game from courtside.
TNT broadcast the game live.
"This one won't be easy for Phoenix," Barkley said. "Nash is still recovering, Stoudemire has been traded, and the new guys haven't even arrived yet. Right now, this team can only lean on Chen Yan."
Kenny Smith laughed. "Maybe Chen uses this chance to put up another monster stat line. Michael Jordan is sitting right there in the building. It would be pretty cool if Chen dropped something historic in front of him."
Barkley grinned. "If that happens, I just hope the camera catches Michael's face. That expression might be worth the whole broadcast."
Players from both teams entered the court, but Chen Yan did not greet anyone.
In fact, since warmups began, he had not spoken to anyone. That included Bobcats backup point guard DJ Augustin, his close friend from college.
Chen Yan stepped onto the floor carrying pure anger.
At that moment, Jordan was still joking and laughing with the people around him, completely unaware of how serious the situation was.
The Suns' starting 5 were White Chocolate Williams, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Jordan Jr.
Stoudemire had already left the team, so Jordan Jr. moved into the starting center spot.
The Bobcats' starting 5 were Felton, Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, Derrick Brown, and Mohammed.
Jordan Jr. won the opening tip.
After receiving the ball, Chen Yan did not pass to White Chocolate. He brought it up himself.
Jordan Jr. came to the arc to set a screen for Chen Yan, and Mohammed chose to trap Chen Yan together with Stephen Jackson.
Chen Yan could not shoot directly, so he dribbled 1 step sideways to create a passing lane, then fired the ball straight to Jordan Jr.
Jordan Jr. had an open look.
If that had been Stoudemire, it would have been a clear scoring chance, easily converted into points. But Jordan Jr. lacked a reliable midrange shot.
After a brief hesitation, Jordan Jr. chose to put the ball on the floor once and step inside.
His handle was not good enough. Mohammed recovered in time and gave him maximum pressure.
Jordan Jr.'s hook layup missed.
The ball bounced off the rim. Mohammed was just about to turn and secure the defensive rebound when Chen Yan had already launched himself into the air.
Chen Yan read the rebound perfectly. He soared above everyone, snatched the ball, and hammered it back through the rim.
"Boom!"
Stephen Jackson immediately realized he had forgotten to box out Chen Yan. He had never expected Chen Yan to make that kind of play on the very first offensive possession.
A violent putback dunk on the opening trip was a direct blow to Charlotte's morale.
Jordan's face darkened slightly, but he did not explode. He only shook his head helplessly.
The Bobcats came down on offense, with Felton and Mohammed running a pick and roll.
After using the screen, Felton passed to Gerald Wallace. Wallace faked a drive into the paint, then kicked the ball out.
Stephen Jackson caught it and knocked down a midrange jumper.
2 to 2.
Although Charlotte did not have a true superstar, its perimeter players had solid offensive ability. That was why the Bobcats could compete for a Playoff spot this season.
Phoenix came back down, and Chen Yan held the ball on the perimeter.
The Bobcats did not trap him. They let Stephen Jackson defend him alone.
Chen Yan immediately waved his hand, signaling for everyone to clear out.
It was time for his favorite matchup.
A 1 on 1 duel.
Stephen Jackson was a good defender, but Chen Yan was a historic level 1 on 1 scorer. No matter who stood in front of him, Chen Yan had the confidence to rip open the defense.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
At the arc, Chen Yan dribbled between his legs several times. The movement was not especially wide. He was only testing Stephen Jackson's defense.
Jackson's center of gravity was low. His base was stable, and his eyes were locked on Chen Yan's legs.
After the prelude, Chen Yan began the main course.
On the 3rd between the legs dribble, Chen Yan suddenly widened the angle.
He changed direction and drove right.
Then came a stepback behind the 3 point line, a left hand float, and a shoulder shimmy.
"Guard the right! He's going right!" Jordan could not help shouting from the sideline.
He had always liked giving advice while watching games from courtside.
Stephen Jackson heard Jordan's shout. Even if Jordan had said nothing, he probably knew Chen Yan wanted to go right.
But his body still shifted half a step left on instinct.
That was Chen Yan's magic. He always found a way to manipulate the defender's feet.
The instant Stephen Jackson's center of gravity drifted, Chen Yan broke through.
His signature crossover.
After shaking off Stephen Jackson, Chen Yan had nearly 3 meters of open space in front of him.
He could have taken an open shot.
Instead, he slammed the accelerator.
Derrick Brown rotated over to help, but Chen Yan acted as if he did not see him. He planted his foot and took flight.
Chen Yan already had full momentum. In that state, he could dunk over a 210 cm big man, let alone Derrick Brown, who was only the height of a small forward.
Derrick Brown stubbornly jumped anyway.
"Boom!"
Chen Yan threw down a monstrous dunk right in his face.
The referee's whistle blew.
Derrick Brown had made contact with Chen Yan's hand, giving him an additional free throw.
The entire Suns bench stood up at once.
Chen Yan's 2 straight dunks to start the game lit a fire under every Phoenix player.
Jordan's expression grew even darker.
He wanted to curse Stephen Jackson for being a blockhead. Chen Yan was going right, and Jackson still let him get there.
He also wanted to curse Derrick Brown for being reckless. If he was going to foul, he should have fouled hard enough to stop the basket instead of giving up an and 1.
But Jordan held it in.
The game had only just started, and he did not want the Bobcats players to feel Alexander level pressure this early.
"Swish!"
The extra free throw was good.
5 to 2.
The Bobcats came back on offense.
King Cat Gerald Wallace drove toward the basket after a pick and roll. Phoenix's defense collapsed quickly, with 4 Suns players sealing off the paint.
Wallace kicked the ball out to Felton, who missed the open shot.
The Suns had a fast break chance.
Stephen Jackson saw Chen Yan moving without the ball and immediately accelerated after him.
Sure enough, Diaw secured the ball and instantly passed ahead to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan attacked Stephen Jackson in transition.
While moving at high speed, Chen Yan changed directions repeatedly. First, he shifted the dribble to his left hand. After 1 bounce, he crossed back in front of his body to his right.
Stephen Jackson was not completely shaken out of the play, but his footwork was clearly in chaos.
Near the free throw line, Chen Yan suddenly accelerated.
Then he pulled the ball up and took off, swinging around Stephen Jackson's left side before stepping across to his right.
Stephen Jackson had not been beaten by much, but after Chen Yan's sequence of moves, he had no remaining strength to jump and contest.
Chen Yan completed a spin in midair after his 2nd step.
"Boom!"
A reverse back dunk.
3 consecutive offensive possessions.
3 consecutive dunks.
3 straight bursts of anger.
Jordan finally lost his composure and shouted toward the court, "Damn it! Stop him from attacking the basket! Is your defense made of paper?"
Jordan had come to watch a basketball game.
Not to have his blood pressure tested.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]