Chapter 527: The Battle Begins, Hide and Seek Tactics
"The game is about to tip off. You can look at this as a preview of last year's Western Conference Finals. Both teams came ready to go, and the Fans should be in for a great one," Kenny Smith said.
Barkley grinned. "Too bad Sun didn't make the Lakers' 13 man playoff roster. Otherwise, we'd have had the first China Derby in NBA Playoffs history."
Kenny laughed. "I know a lot of people wanted to see Chen Yan and Sun Yue share the floor in a playoff game, but for Sun Yue, that's still a little early. He has the physical tools of a high end guard, but he still needs more reps, more polish, and more feel. Playing next to Kobe will teach him plenty."
Barkley nodded, then leaned forward. "But let's be honest, this one comes down to Chen Yan and Kobe. Both became stars young. Both won scoring titles. One was last year's regular season MVP, the other is this year's MVP. This is real heavyweight stuff."
For once, Barkley sounded almost scholarly. He was genuinely excited.
Before tipoff, D'Antoni gave his final instructions.
"Chen, stick to the plan. In the first quarter, play more off ball. Use your movement to stretch their defense. Bigs, set more off ball screens for him, just like we did late in the last round against Dallas. And if there's a chance to run, take it immediately. No hesitation."
D'Antoni had seen how devastating Chen Yan's off ball game could be, and he wanted to start this series the same way.
On the other side, Phil Jackson was also making his final arrangements.
"Triangle offense," the Zen Master said calmly. "Start inside. We want efficient possessions. When Kevin and Marcus get deep position, the entry pass has to be sharp. If the lane is there, attack it. If it isn't, move the ball back out. Perimeter guys, when the shot is there, shoot it. No hesitation."
"Understood."
Then Phil pulled Kobe aside.
"Kobe, first quarter, pass more. Organize more. Use your gravity to open the floor for the bigs. You are not beating Phoenix by yourself."
Kobe nodded without a word. For the sake of winning, he could accept every tactical demand.
The starting lineups took the floor.
Phoenix went with its standard group: Nash, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
Raja Bell returned to the starting lineup for one reason above all else. He was still the best option the Suns had against Kobe, and one of the best options in the league.
The Lakers also stayed conventional: Fisher, Kobe, James Posey, Garnett, and Camby.
Both teams looked expressionless. No one greeted anyone. No smiles. No small talk. On this stage, there were no friends, only wins and losses.
At center court, with 19,000 fans roaring around them, Stoudemire won the tip.
The building exploded.
The crowd had entered playoff mode before the players even settled into the first possession.
Whenever Phoenix played the Lakers, the atmosphere turned electric. In the Western Conference Finals, it felt like the roof might come off.
The first Suns possession went to Stoudemire. With Nash and Chen Yan spacing the floor, Stoudemire attacked immediately. He faked once, put the ball on the deck to his right, and exploded.
That was his signature move. With his burst, Stoudemire could overpower almost any power forward in basketball.
But Camby saw it coming.
A former Defensive Player of the Year was not guessing out there. Camby used his timing, his length, and his reach to bother the shot just enough.
Clang.
The ball hit the glass and kicked hard off the rim.
The Lakers were in no rush to run.
That was not their game. Their average age was far older than Phoenix's, with all 5 starters already past 30.
Fisher walked the ball to the top of the arc. Phoenix opened in a hybrid man to man look. The benefit of that scheme was clear accountability. It helped contain mid range and perimeter actions.
The weakness, though, was inside.
D'Antoni wanted to cool off Kobe early, but Phil had other ideas. Kobe was not the primary scorer on the opening possession.
Fisher swung the ball to Kobe on the wing, but Kobe only touched it to keep the sequence moving. He immediately fed Garnett.
The Wolf King caught it in open space and went right to work. He probed twice, then drove right and spun.
Fadeaway.
Money.
2 to 0.
Diaw could do nothing with that. Garnett's size, reach, and high release made that shot feel almost unfair.
With Camby on the roster this season, Phil had expanded Garnett's offensive role. His athleticism was no longer what it had once been, but his skill level, his experience, and his craft had all sharpened with age.
Phoenix came back the other way.
The Lakers opened in a similar hybrid look.
Nash crossed half court, but James Posey stayed attached to Chen Yan on the wing and denied the catch.
Every competent defender in the league understood the same truth. If you wanted any chance against Chen Yan, the work had to begin before he ever touched the ball.
Chen Yan did not try to overpower Posey. He rarely played that way unless his temper snapped. Most of the time, he won with timing and intelligence.
So he went straight into his hide and seek routine.
That was the nickname fans had given to his off ball game in the previous series. Using teammates as moving walls, darting in and out of sight, disappearing behind screens and reappearing in open space, it really did look like hide and seek.
The name stuck because it fit perfectly.
Chen Yan curled into the right elbow area and finally got the ball.
The moment he caught it, he turned and drove straight into the center of the Lakers' defense.
The move looked simple, but there was a lot happening beneath the surface. While moving off the ball, Chen Yan was already reading the floor, mapping every angle, choosing the fastest and cleanest path before the catch ever arrived.
Before Camby could rotate over, Chen Yan lofted a floater. The ball kissed past Camby's fingertips and dropped cleanly through the net.
2 to 2.
Back to the Lakers.
Fisher crossed half court and tapped his forehead, signaling the set.
James Posey and Kobe immediately started moving.
Raja Bell stuck to Kobe like tape. He had the toughest defensive assignment on the Suns, and D'Antoni had made it crystal clear before the game, stay attached to Kobe, even if that meant sacrificing some of your own shooting opportunities.
Bell took that personally. The moment Kobe crossed half court, he locked on like a second skin.
With Kobe unable to catch comfortably, Garnett lifted to the perimeter to facilitate.
Diaw followed him out without hesitation. Garnett could score inside or out, and that meant you could never relax just because he was standing beyond the arc.
Garnett caught and handed off to Kobe.
Instantly, the Suns' defensive attention shifted.
Kobe read it and floated the ball inside to Camby.
Camby had deep position and turned into a quick shot.
The look was there, but the touch was not. Camby's role was to finish plays, not create them, and his release was always a little stiff.
The ball came off the rim.
US Airways Center erupted.
The Suns were running.
Among all things in basketball, speed still ruled.
Nash took 2 dribbles and then fired ahead to Chen Yan, who was already in perfect stride.
Chen Yan caught it without breaking pace, took 1 dribble, and rose.
The entire sequence happened so fast that even the camera nearly lost it.
Boom.
The Nash and Chen Yan connection struck again.
2 to 4.
Chen Yan hammered home his first dunk of the night.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Soul Land, NBA, and more — all in one place.]