Chapter 606: 1 Man Is an Army
The fans in the arena rose to their feet, roaring with excitement.
Everyone could feel it.
This game was going to be special.
Memphis went back on offense, with Conley and Love running a pick and roll.
After setting the screen, Kevin Love popped out. He had that range.
This time, however, Phoenix switched in time, and Grant Hill got a hand up to bother the shot.
Love missed. Diaw secured the rebound and immediately fired an outlet pass.
The Suns were back in their favorite rhythm.
Chen Yan accelerated with the ball and crossed half court.
Rudy Gay still did not dare to crowd him. If he pressed too closely, Chen Yan could blow by him in 1 step and have nothing but open floor ahead.
The moment Chen Yan crossed half court, he took 1 dribble and pulled up.
Completely unexpected.
Rudy Gay froze.
Was this going in again?
Once or twice was already absurd. But if Chen Yan kept shooting like this every possession, who could survive it?
Swish!
58 to 74.
His 56th point.
Chen Yan's message was simple.
Even if you cannot survive it, you still have to try.
On the sideline, Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins immediately signaled for Sam Young to take over the defensive assignment on Chen Yan.
He was worried Rudy Gay's confidence would be shattered.
In truth, Hollins was right to worry, because Gay's confidence had already begun to crack. Watching Chen Yan make ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot, Gay started wondering whether this guy was even the same species as him.
"Chen Yan is in such a ridiculous zone tonight that Memphis doesn't even know how to double team him anymore," Kenny Smith said with a laugh.
"Then they might need to start trapping him in the backcourt," Barkley said. "Because if they keep letting him catch it clean, he might mess around and set another scoring record."
Chen Yan had just scored 89 points last month.
If he broke his own record again, would that mean crossing 100?
Hearing that possibility, countless fans in front of their televisions began to dream.
Chen Yan's loyal fans became even more excited.
Maybe tonight, they really had a chance to witness a miracle.
Memphis attacked again, but their rhythm had clearly been thrown off by Chen Yan's shot making.
After several meaningless passes around the perimeter, only 10 seconds remained on the shot clock.
The ball finally swung to Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' main perimeter scoring threat.
Chen Yan gave him 1 step of space again.
Gay still did not dare to shoot.
He was too hesitant. Even Grizzlies fans were getting frustrated.
Fans see the game in simple terms. They do not feel the pressure Chen Yan was putting on Gay in real time.
Gay chose to run a pick and roll with Love.
Chen Yan was caught on Love's screen, and Diaw switched out.
Diaw's defensive stance was aggressive, just 1 small step inside the three point line. Gay failed to read the positioning carefully. After using the screen, he accelerated straight into Diaw's chest.
Both players fell, then looked toward the referee.
The referee clenched his fist and punched forward.
Offensive foul.
The arena erupted.
Seeing Gay looking shaken, Hollins decisively substituted him out and brought Beasley back in.
Beasley moved to small forward, while Sam Young shifted to shooting guard.
Gay walked back to the bench shaking his head. Tonight, he had made mistakes on both ends of the court.
Phoenix set up its offense.
Jason Williams used a screen, then passed to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan immediately moved the ball across to Diaw, who was in better position.
Diaw took a midrange jumper.
Missed.
Stoudemire fought hard and tipped the ball out.
Phoenix earned a 2nd chance.
At the top of the arc, Williams passed to Chen Yan on the wing.
Chen Yan caught the ball with 1 hand, raised it above his head, and gave a shooting fake that was not even especially convincing.
Yet Sam Young still bit.
Chen Yan's three point shooting had been so divine tonight that every defender reacted the moment he lifted the ball.
It had become a conditioned reflex.
The instant Chen Yan saw Sam Young leave his feet, he drove.
Conley rotated over from the baseline, but Stoudemire screened him off.
Chen Yan kept driving along the baseline.
The space was tiny. There were 4 or 5 players crowded into that small area. Chen Yan had no room to accelerate, so he could only move toward the rim at a slower pace.
But that slower rhythm made it look almost casual, like a walk through traffic.
Sam Young quickly chased from behind, while Conley squeezed through the screen and arrived at Chen Yan's side. Marc Gasol was also waiting near the baseline. Chen Yan's scoring space had become extremely narrow, and his options were limited.
But Chen Yan excelled at surviving in tight spaces.
He paused, faked as if he were picking up the ball, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, slipped along the baseline, and finished with a reverse layup.
Composed against 3 defenders, winning with rhythm and deception.
58 to 76.
His 58th point.
Sharp eyed viewers had already noticed that Chen Yan's individual point total had caught the entire Grizzlies team.
At this moment, he truly looked like 1 man against an army.
Memphis finally answered.
Conley came off a screen and hit a three point shot.
61 to 76.
Phoenix's defense had plenty of holes, but during this stretch, Memphis had been stunned by Chen Yan. Their offense had stalled because their minds were still processing what he was doing.
After scoring, the Grizzlies quickly retreated. They could not afford to let Phoenix run out easily again.
Chen Yan wanted to replicate the previous possessions and catch the ball around half court, but this time Memphis had learned its lesson. They began trapping him at half court.
After Chen Yan received the ball, he dribbled sideways. 2 Memphis defenders pressed him tightly, leaving no lane to drive and no space to shoot.
Chen Yan jumped off 1 foot, twisted his body, and passed the ball back to Jason Williams.
Williams' first instinct was not to shoot. Instead, he continued organizing, wanting to help Chen Yan add to his total.
Chen Yan started moving without the ball.
Once he ran off the ball, it became much harder for Memphis to double team him. Unless 2 defenders tied him down with rope or handcuffs, they could not trap him cleanly.
Chen Yan cut from the top of the arc to the free throw line, then accelerated toward the left baseline corner. He burst again and sprinted toward the opposite baseline corner.
As he ran, his teammates continuously screened for him.
Watching from the bench, Rudy Gay secretly felt fortunate he had been substituted out. If he had to chase Chen Yan through that maze of screens, he might have collapsed on the spot.
Chen Yan received the ball in the midrange area near the corner, turned, and shot.
The motion was smooth and elegant.
61 to 78.
As the ball slipped through the net, Chen Yan reached 60 points.
At this point, not even half of the 3rd quarter had passed.
The fans in the arena and those watching at home were all on edge, desperate to see history.
"Everyone watching this game should start calling friends and family," Kenny Smith said. "Tell them to turn on the television right now, because Chen Yan is putting together something historic."
"Memphis has tried everything," Barkley said with a grin. "They still cannot stop him. Maybe the next plan is to have 2 guys hang on his arms."
On the next possession, Chen Yan kept moving without the ball.
One of Memphis' biggest weaknesses was its lack of mobility. Neither of their 2 big men was known for athleticism.
Chen Yan only wanted to score, and his teammates wanted to help him, just like they had during his 89 point night.
Once again, Chen Yan caught the ball in the midrange area near the corner. At this stage, it was actually easier for him to receive the ball inside the three point line than outside it.
Memphis believed Chen Yan catching beyond the arc was the greater danger.
After receiving the ball, Chen Yan made a quick turn.
This time, Memphis switched in time, and Love stepped up.
Chen Yan adjusted on the fly and did not force a contested shot.
After a pump fake, he dribbled left, took a side step, and faded away.
Swish!
This shot was difficult too, but Chen Yan's hand was so hot that it could roast chestnuts.
Every shot he took seemed destined to go in.
.....
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