Chapter 267: Demon Sword And A Wild Three
"What a play," Kenny Smith said on the TNT call. "It looked like the ball was tied to Chen Yan's hand. That burst and control are special."
Charles Barkley let out a low whistle. "He's got 11 of Phoenix's first 13 points, and this is against San Antonio. You do not see rookies do that, Kenny. You just do not."
Kenny nodded. "At this point you cannot treat him like a normal rookie. He is already Phoenix's number one scoring option. He is the engine of their half court offense."
"Facts," Barkley replied. "The label on his jersey says rookie, but the way he plays says star."
The praise was not for show. What Chen Yan had done in the first few minutes deserved every word.
San Antonio went back on offense, and this time they were clearly more careful. Popovich was pacing along the sideline with a hard stare, barking instructions the second anything looked loose. That was who he was. Demanding, sharp, and ruthless about details. It was exactly why the Spurs stayed so steady in the playoffs year after year.
Their ball movement created another clean look for Bowen in the corner.
Bang.
Missed again.
Bowen did not even glance toward the Spurs bench. He already knew Popovich would not be happy.
The Spurs did not crash for the rebound. They peeled back immediately.
It was their usual tactic against Phoenix. Give up the offensive board, sprint back, and take away the Suns' transition game. Around the league, only Popovich had the confidence to do that consistently.
Nash pushed the ball up anyway, but the Spurs were already set. With no fast break window, he circled and kicked to the perimeter.
Chen Yan was waiting in the corner.
The moment he caught it, Bowen rushed up to crowd him. Chen faked a shot and slid to the right wing, trying to find a lane for another three. Finley rotated over fast.
San Antonio was swarming him now. No air space, no hesitation, no rhythm threes.
Chen Yan felt the pressure, but he also understood the tradeoff. Every defender leaning toward him meant less attention on everyone else.
He triggered Pass Master and snapped a dart to Diaw near the free throw line. Diaw caught and instantly fired a slick behind the back pass into the paint.
Stoudemire met it on the move and hammered it home.
15 to 6.
Stoudemire was a born dunker. When he caught the ball facing up in the lane, there was almost nothing you could do. Even Duncan could only watch as Amar'e rose past him. With Nash and Chen drawing attention, Stoudemire had even more clean lanes this season, and his dunk count had jumped again.
On the Spurs bench, Ginobili shifted restlessly, ready to check in the moment Popovich looked his way. Popovich held him back, telling him to stay patient. The Spurs were down, but the game was still within reach. He wanted to stick to the plan.
San Antonio finally got a score the hard way. Duncan missed once at the rim, then tipped his own miss back in.
15 to 8.
With about 6 minutes left in the first quarter, DAntoni subbed Chen Yan out. It was early for a player who had been scorching hot, but it was planned. Before the game, DAntoni had told Chen he would not play long opening stretches. The move was aimed at matching Ginobili's minutes.
DAntoni knew Ginobili's impact. He was a superstar, and when he was on, he could flip a game alone. The Suns needed someone on the floor who could press him every time he checked in.
At 2:36 remaining, both teams went to their rotation units. Ginobili entered.
DAntoni saw it and sent Chen Yan right back in.
Phoenix lineup: Barea, Chen Yan, Grant Hill, Azubuike, Barnes.
San Antonio lineup: Michael Finley, Ginobili, Udoka, Matt Bonner, Kurt Thomas.
The score sat at 23 to 17, Suns by 6.
Phoenix ball.
Barea brought it over and fed Chen Yan. In this group, Chen was the offense. Every possession ran through him, either as the creator or the finisher.
He palmed the ball behind his back with one hand and waved Barnes up for a screen. The pick came, and Kurt Thomas and Ginobili jumped him fast, forming a double team.
Without Nash and Stoudemire on the floor, San Antonio's defense locked entirely onto Chen Yan.
Chen tried to pass out before the trap fully closed. He leaped and pushed the ball toward the middle.
Michael Finley saw it, read it, and picked it clean.
Turnover.
The old veteran still had that quick mind and quick hands.
He immediately swung the ball ahead. Ginobili was already flying upcourt.
A clear break.
Ginobili gathered and went up for the dunk, ready to put some fire back into the Spurs.
But Chen Yan was right behind him.
He exploded off the floor and met Ginobili at the rim.
Bang.
Not a dunk, but a block.
A full speed chase down rejection, just like the highlight plays LeBron was famous for.
Chen landed, snatched the rebound, and the arena went wild.
"He came out of nowhere," Kenny shouted. "Ginobili never thought Chen was still in the play."
Barkley laughed in disbelief. "Manu underestimated that speed. That is a lesson right there."
Chen did not celebrate. He pushed the break immediately.
Phoenix had 5 on 4.
Chen drove, then threaded a bounce pass through the defense to Grant Hill cutting down the lane.
Hill rose and threw down a clean tomahawk dunk.
25 to 17.
Grant Hill had always been that kind of player. If he had a lane, he finished with force.
The Spurs answered.
Ginobili caught high, shook off the memory of the block, and attacked again. He used a screen, turned the corner, and drove hard into the paint. Barnes met him late and fouled.
Ginobili hit both free throws.
25 to 19.
The quarter kept moving, and soon the clock dipped into the final 11 seconds.
Phoenix ball, up 29 to 23.
Barea pushed it up. Azubuike inbounded and got it to Chen Yan near midcourt.
Chen dribbled slowly over the line, letting the clock bleed. This was the last shot of the quarter.
"Let's see how he handles the clock here," Kenny said. "Chen has already got 16 in the quarter. 12 of those points are from deep."
Chen rocked the dribble low.
Between the legs.
Between the legs again.
He stayed near the top of the arc, staring down Ginobili.
The Spurs star was locked in. He did not crowd Chen enough to give up a drive, and he did not back off enough to allow an easy pull up. He was balancing on a thin line, guarding both threats.
Chen kept his rhythm, eyes flicking to the clock.
With 4 seconds left, he suddenly burst toward the lane, then yanked the ball back behind his back.
The pullback was not clean. The ball clipped his ankle and kicked loose toward the center circle.
Kenny winced. "Oh, he lost it."
For a split second it looked like a disaster.
Then Chen Yan spun, took two long strides, and caught up to it.
He did not reset. He did not look for the rim.
He rose right from the logo and fired in one motion.
The horn sounded while the ball was still in the air.
Chen held his follow through, body tilted slightly, eyes tracking the arc like he already knew the ending.
Swish.
A deep buzzer beater from the center logo.
Chen Yan flicked his wrist, turned calmly, and jogged toward his bench as the crowd detonated behind him.
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