Chapter 605: 50 Points by Halftime, Still Not Time to Take Off?
The 2nd quarter began with Chen Yan still resting on the bench.
For the bench matchup, the Phoenix Suns sent out Jason Williams, Raja Bell, Danny Green, Matt Barnes, and Jordan.
The Memphis Grizzlies countered with Jamal Tinsley, Marcus Williams, Michael Beasley, Darrell Arthur, and Hasheem Thabeet.
The Grizzlies gained a slight edge, going on a 10 to 4 run over 4 and a half minutes to cut the deficit to 35 to 41.
On paper, the Suns' bench seemed stronger than Memphis', but it lacked a player who could consistently pressure the rim. Grant Hill and Barea, the 2 players most suited to attacking inside with the 2nd unit, had both been moved into the starting lineup tonight.
Memphis, meanwhile, had Beasley, a player who loved putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket. He was well suited to lead a bench group.
Seeing the Suns' offense begin to stall, Chen Yan was not worried on the bench. Instead, he was pleased.
The closer the score, the more time he would have to perform.
If the game entered garbage time too early, it would waste his ridiculous form tonight.
At that moment, Chen Yan's inner thoughts were simple.
Keep fighting, Grizzlies. The harder you struggle, the more excited I get.
Beasley tipped the ball out of bounds while fighting for a rebound, and D'Antoni used the stoppage to bring Chen Yan back into the game.
Chen Yan took off his warmup jacket. Before he even reached the sideline, the arena erupted.
The fans wanted to see him back as soon as possible. They did not care about tactics or stamina management. They had paid for tickets to watch their favorite star put on a show.
Phoenix did not send all its starters back in. This was Chen Yan leading the bench.
The moment Chen Yan checked in, the Grizzlies also had Conley, Love, Marc Gasol, and other main rotation players preparing to enter at any time.
Chen Yan made his presence felt immediately.
Using a screen, he turned the corner and drove into the paint, finishing with a reverse layup.
35 to 43.
Chen Yan was clearly not playing on the same level as Memphis' bench players. Even the speed of his movement looked different. Cutting through the Grizzlies' defense was as easy as slicing tofu.
On the defensive end, Chen Yan was only half locked in. If he could coast like this while guarding Rudy Gay, there was even less reason to worry about the less skilled Marcus Williams.
Thabeet caught the ball near the edge of the paint and attempted a hook shot. Jordan did not bother him much, but Thabeet's fundamentals were too raw, and the shot missed.
Barnes grabbed the rebound, took 1 dribble, then looked for Chen Yan.
Chen Yan caught the ball near midcourt, dribbled twice, and pulled up immediately.
At this point, his shot selection could only be described as unpredictable.
Ordinary players could not anticipate it, let alone defend it.
Clang!
Chen Yan missed.
But Danny Green was active, charging in to save the possession and secure the ball.
The ball swung back to Chen Yan beyond the three point line.
This time, Chen Yan fired again.
Swish!
It went in.
35 to 46.
His 38th point of the game.
Memphis immediately called timeout. Head coach Lionel Hollins clearly sensed the momentum shift the instant Chen Yan returned.
Chen Yan was not only Phoenix's pillar on the court. He was also their spiritual anchor.
After the timeout, Memphis sent Love and Conley into the game and began trapping Chen Yan. That was exactly what Chen Yan had expected.
Once Chen Yan caught the ball, Beasley immediately abandoned Danny Green and rushed over to double team.
Chen Yan reacted instantly, using a sudden stop and change of direction to split the trap.
He drove to the free throw line, where Memphis launched the 2nd layer of its double team.
Thabeet stepped up from the paint, and Chen Yan used that opening to deliver his 1st assist of the night.
Jordan, left completely unguarded, finished with a dunk.
35 to 48.
If Chen Yan started passing, Memphis would be in serious trouble. His court vision and passing ability were both elite.
However, if the Grizzlies kept defending him this way, Chen Yan would not be entirely comfortable either. Constant double teams made it harder for him to score at will.
Memphis went back on offense and finally punished a defensive lapse by Phoenix. Beasley cut inside and finished a layup.
37 to 48.
Even though Memphis scored, Phoenix immediately launched a counterattack.
Jordan inbounded from the baseline. His pass had none of Diaw's touch, weight, or direction. He threw it almost 3 body lengths ahead of Chen Yan, and worse, the pass was also off target.
Fortunately, Chen Yan's explosiveness was absurd. He managed to chase the ball down just before it went out of bounds.
Jordan scratched his head on the baseline. He had not expected Chen Yan to actually catch it.
Sometimes, you never know how fast your teammate can run until you throw the ball somewhere unreasonable.
After controlling the pass, Chen Yan paused, then drove straight ahead again.
Beasley charged in from behind and to the side. Chen Yan's huge block in the 1st quarter was still fresh in his mind, and now Beasley wanted a chance to return the favor.
Chen Yan leaned into Beasley and drove into the lane. Then, in an instant, he exploded in the opposite direction, switching the ball from his right hand to his left.
As he rose, Chen Yan switched the ball back to his right hand in midair and finished with a clean, decisive reverse dunk with both hands.
Beasley had nothing to say.
That move was impossible to guard. Unless he committed a dangerous foul, there was no way to stop it.
Hollins began shouting reminders from the sideline, telling his players not to let Phoenix run. Once the Suns got into the open floor, double teams became useless.
Over the next 2 possessions, Chen Yan missed consecutive shots. Memphis' trapping strategy had some effect, making it difficult for him to shoot and even harder for him to catch the ball comfortably.
But Chen Yan was not the type to back down.
On the next Suns possession, he buried a three point shot while being double teamed by 2 defenders.
Chen Yan did not take that kind of shot just to score.
He wanted to send a message.
No matter how you double team me, I can still score.
That was a psychological blow to Memphis.
Of course, Chen Yan did not force every shot like that. He was not irrational. For the rest of the 2nd quarter, most of his points came through fast break opportunities.
At halftime, the Phoenix Suns led the Memphis Grizzlies 68 to 56.
Chen Yan had scored an absurd 50 points in the 1st half.
fans erupted.
With 50 points in a half, was he not about to take off for the full game?
Of course, basketball was not simple arithmetic. Scoring 50 in a half did not mean he would score 100 in the game, but every fan was excited. Everyone was genuinely waiting for a miracle.
The Grizzlies' deficit was not huge, which, in a strange way, was good news for Chen Yan.
It meant he could keep scoring freely in the 2nd half.
Chen Yan, however, was not fully satisfied with his 2nd quarter. Yes, he had 50 points at halftime, but most of that came from his 33 point explosion in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, his firepower had clearly dipped, and he had only scored 17.
Chen Yan did not want to waste his godlike form tonight.
In the 2nd half, he decided to play even more boldly and take difficult shots the way he had in the 1st quarter.
He trusted his form completely.
Many shots that outsiders considered extremely difficult did not feel that difficult to him tonight.
The 2nd half began with Marc Gasol attacking the paint and drawing a foul on Stoudemire.
The 2 players were not in the same weight class. If Marc Gasol kept playing like that, Stoudemire would have a very uncomfortable night.
Marc Gasol made both free throws.
58 to 68.
The deficit was exactly 10 points.
On Phoenix's possession, Jason Williams passed the ball to Chen Yan as soon as he crossed half court.
D'Antoni had started White Chocolate in the 2nd half. Tonight's theme was simple: let Chen Yan shoot. Compared to Barea, Jason Williams could deliver passes that felt more comfortable for Chen Yan.
Chen Yan caught the ball near the edge of the logo.
At that distance, no one came to double team, even though everyone knew he had that range.
Rudy Gay guarded him tightly. He understood Chen Yan's tendencies and refused to give him an easy look.
Chen Yan held the ball with 1 hand, lowered his stance, drove 1 step left, and immediately pulled it back.
After the step back, he rose naturally.
A step back from near midcourt.
It was not the 1st time Chen Yan had taken a shot like that tonight, but everyone still could not help but marvel.
Was this guy even human?
The ball flew on a perfectly straight line and dropped cleanly through the net.
Swish!
58 to 71.
Chen Yan's 53rd point of the game.
.....
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