Chapter 530: Kobe Takes Over, Phoenix Stalls
Phoenix went back on offense.
After the Suns got set, Stoudemire stepped up to screen for Nash. Nash went behind the back and drove right, forcing the Los Angeles defense to collapse in a hurry.
He spotted Chen Yan waiting on the other side, at the right 45 degree angle beyond the 3 point line.
The drive and kick worked immediately.
Ariza rushed out to contest, and Chen Yan flicked the ball to Novak in the corner.
Two quick passes later, Novak had a wide open 3 point shot.
On the Suns bench, players were already raising three fingers in celebration.
Clang!
The shot bounced off the rim.
Novak was usually deadly on open looks, but even a pure shooter could not make every one.
Kobe secured the rebound and pushed the ball ahead. Shannon Brown caught it and exploded up the floor with his head down.
Brown had frightening athleticism, but his basketball IQ was average, and he played with the temperament of a hothead.
Nash was not nearly as explosive, but his experience was on a different level. He immediately cut off Brown's path and stopped the break before it started.
"Slow it down. Slow it down," Phil Jackson barked from the sideline, clearly worried Brown would lose his head and ruin the possession.
Hearing the Zen Master's voice, Brown reined himself in at once. He stopped, gathered himself, and looked for Kobe.
Chen Yan stayed attached to Kobe, keeping the pressure on him.
Kobe did not force the issue. After one left hand dribble, he fired a pass inside to Garnett, who was cutting through the middle.
It was a perfect delivery, neither too high nor too low. Kobe's passing had always been underrated. He could make high level reads and difficult deliveries, but because so much attention was placed on his shot making and tough attempts, many fans developed the impression that he did not know how to pass.
Garnett caught the ball, took one long stride into the lane, and hammered home a one handed dunk.
The Lakers moved in front, 36 to 35.
More than the score, what bothered Chen Yan was Kobe's approach tonight. A reckless Kobe was terrifying because he could erupt for 50 on any floor. A calm Kobe was even worse, because he could score and bring the rest of the team to life at the same time.
Phoenix came back down and tried to settle into its offense.
Nash handled the ball up top while Chen Yan slid down to the elbow and began fighting for post position.
Nash did not pass it in. The window was bad. Ariza was crowding Chen Yan, and Kobe was lurking nearby, watching the lane. Forcing that pass would have been begging for a turnover.
Instead, Nash swung it to Stoudemire at the top of the arc. Stoudemire gave a shot fake, but Garnett did not bite. He then made a diagonal pass into Diaw near the edge of the restricted area.
Diaw caught it and immediately tried to feed Stoudemire, who was cutting toward the rim.
It was a beautiful read, but Camby rotated over in time and forced Stoudemire to hesitate. Stoudemire showed the ball, gathered again, adjusted his feet, and was just about to rise when the whistle blew.
Travel.
The arena instantly rained down boos. On the replay, Stoudemire's steps did look a little choppy, but the home crowd did not care. In Phoenix, the fans felt the officials should have swallowed the whistle.
The Lakers inbounded from the baseline. Brown brought the ball up and Fisher moved into position on the wing. Kobe and Garnett went into off ball action, with Garnett drifting to the foul line area to receive.
Chen Yan stuck to Kobe the entire time. He knew better than to front him. Kobe was too agile and too experienced. Trying to deny him completely was the fastest way to get burned.
Chen Yan was not an elite defender, but he had the instincts to understand that much.
So he trailed, felt, anticipated, and prepared for the next move.
Kobe got the ball exactly where he wanted it. He leaned into Chen Yan once, saw no second defender coming, and immediately put the ball down with his right hand.
One hard step to the right.
Then a sharp pull back and spin to the other side.
Chen Yan recovered well enough to stay with him, but Kobe did not care. He rose straight into a difficult fadeaway.
For most players, it would have been a bad shot. For Kobe, it was routine. He took so many of them that this was simply part of his rhythm.
Chen Yan did not block it, but he got close enough that most players would have missed.
Swish.
The Lakers extended the lead to 38 to 35.
Phoenix tried to answer, but its offense had gone cold.
Chen Yan looked ready to attack one on one and break the stagnation himself, but Phil Jackson had clearly anticipated it. The Lakers immediately sent a hard double at him.
After a quick swing, the ball found Stoudemire with space.
He could have taken the jumper, but instead chose the safer option in theory, putting the ball on the floor and heading toward the middle. That gave Camby enough time to slide over.
Still, Stoudemire attacked, went into the air, and tried to finish through contact, looking for a whistle.
Nothing came.
The shot was badly forced.
Garnett grabbed the rebound, and the Lakers slowed it right back down. Their pace stayed under control, patient and deliberate.
Once across half court, the ball moved around the perimeter before Garnett received it at the foul line.
The Lakers had flowed naturally into their triangle offense. Garnett was not the scorer on this possession. He took one retreat dribble, surveyed the floor, and bounced the ball to Ariza cutting along the lane.
Ariza lost Novak with one hard step. Chen Yan rotated over to help, and Ariza, trying to avoid the block, had to throw the ball up on a higher angle.
Clang.
Missed.
But Kobe flew in, snatched the offensive rebound, gave a quick shot fake, and kissed in a reverse layup.
40 to 35.
Phoenix called timeout immediately.
The Suns had problems on both ends now. They were not generating quality offense, and defensively they were getting carved up.
Out of the timeout, Novak went to the bench and Raja Bell checked in.
Novak had provided nothing from deep, and with his shaky defense, D Antoni saw no reason to leave him out there.
Phoenix made a small offensive adjustment after the timeout.
At the top of the floor, Nash strung together several behind the back dribbles, used a screen, and drove left. The Lakers chose not to switch. Shannon Brown chased over the pick with his speed.
Nash read that instantly. He snaked the dribble back across Brown's body, pinned him behind the play, and used the screen angle to eliminate Brown's athletic advantage.
The Lakers wings and bigs hesitated to commit. Stoudemire was diving, and Chen Yan was circling toward the corner.
Nash dribbled to the right elbow and calmly dropped in a mid range jumper over Brown.
Phoenix finally scored again, but it did not solve the larger problem.
The Suns were shooting poorly as a team. Chen Yan himself was out of rhythm. They managed to survive through scattered baskets, but there was no continuity to their offense.
The Lakers, in contrast, were scoring inside and out. And in the final minutes of the quarter, it was Kobe's personal show.
He hit a deep 3, knocked down difficult fadeaways, and even turned transition chances into precise assist opportunities.
In that quarter alone, Kobe put up 11 points and 3 assists.
Phoenix never found an answer.
By halftime, the Suns trailed 58 to 47.
.....
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