Chapter 538: Chen Yan's Ingenious Plan to Secure the World
On May 23, Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off at Staples Center.
That night, Staples was packed to the rafters. The front rows were filled with celebrities, including Robert Downey Jr., Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, and Taylor Swift.
Los Angeles was the entertainment capital of the United States, and the courtside seats for this game were far more expensive than they had been for the first 2 games in Phoenix. Prices had already been driven into absurd territory.
The fans in those first few rows were either powerful, wealthy, or both. Some of the most ordinary looking faces in the building were probably attached to invisible billionaires.
Phoenix's starting lineup was Nash, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Jordan Jr.
The Lakers started Fisher, Kobe, James Posey, Powell, and Camby.
To put it kindly, Powell had been called upon in an emergency. To put it bluntly, the Lakers simply had nobody else.
The gap between the Lakers' starting frontcourt and their backup frontcourt was massive. Garnett and Camby gave them one big who could score and another who could defend. Behind them, the drop was severe. Powell was barely serviceable, and Mbamga was essentially a mascot with a roster spot. Outside of garbage time, Phil Jackson usually would not even consider using him.
Powell was not especially talented, but his attitude was excellent. He knew he had to fill Garnett's role tonight, so he arrived at the arena 3 hours early to work on his game.
He was fighting for the team, but he was also fighting for himself.
This was a contract year for Powell. Based on his season, he was very likely to find himself without a team in the summer. But now an opportunity had appeared in front of him. If he could step up in these 2 games with Garnett suspended, he might be able to earn himself another contract, maybe for 1 year, maybe even 2.
The difficulty was enormous. The Suns were the top team in the league. Still, fortune favored the bold. Powell felt that if he could turn in 2 solid games here, he might secure his future.
What he did not know was that, as a fringe player among fringe players, his name had already become a central topic in the Suns' locker room.
Before the game, after D'Antoni finished his quick tactical overview, Chen Yan gathered the players and shared his idea.
"The Lakers changed their lineup," he said. "We have to adjust too. We target Powell."
Diaw reacted immediately.
"Target their power forward? Attack him, get him in foul trouble?"
Chen Yan shook his head.
"No. Shut him down. Don't let him score. Don't let him get even 1 point."
Everyone looked confused.
Against the Lakers, you heard people talk about shutting down Kobe. You heard people talk about containing Garnett. This was the first time anyone in that room had ever heard a plan centered around erasing a role player like Josh Powell.
The game was about to start, so Chen Yan kept it simple.
"I checked the numbers before the game. This is a contract year for Powell. Players in contract years always play with extra desperation, and tonight he's getting a rare chance to start. He'll absolutely try to prove himself."
He paused, then continued.
"So we make sure he can't do anything. Not just scoring. Rebounding too. Don't let him get anything. Leave him with zeros everywhere except turnovers. Break his confidence, break his rhythm, and mess up the Lakers' entire plan."
Then Chen Yan added, "There's an old saying, in war, the highest level is to attack the mind. The best and simplest way to beat the Lakers tonight is to attack their mindset first."
That was when the room clicked.
Jordan Jr. nodded immediately. In his eyes, Chen Yan suddenly looked like a man reborn.
Raja Bell listened for a moment, then said, "This is the Western Conference Finals. Is it really worth spending this much attention on a fringe guy?"
Chen Yan patted him on the back.
"We all know what Powell is. We don't need to spend much. Just a little pressure in the right places is enough."
Nash nodded.
"Chen's right. It's already hard enough to win in Los Angeles, especially without Amare. Any edge we can find, we take."
Once Chen Yan proposed it and Nash backed it, the Suns quickly reached a consensus.
The plan to destroy Powell was officially born.
After player introductions, Powell stood at center court with his heart pounding. He rarely got a chance like this, let alone in a game this big, on a stage this bright, in the Western Conference Finals.
He was excited. He was eager. He was ready.
What he did not know was that he was about to walk straight into hell.
ESPN had sent a 3 man booth for the game, Jeff Van Gundy, Brent Barry, and Magic Johnson.
Magic Johnson, Lakers legend to the core, openly backed his old team.
"Both teams are missing a core big tonight, so the overall talent gap is smaller. But I still think the Lakers have the better chance. This is Staples Center. The Lakers are not letting a win slip away here. Kobe is not letting a win slip away here."
Brent Barry smiled and asked, "Then how do you solve the Chen problem?"
Magic answered without hesitation.
"The Lakers just need to bring the same energy and execution they had in Game 1. Chen's hot right now, but basketball is not a one man show."
Magic admired Chen Yan and had praised him many times before, but between Chen Yan and the Lakers, there was never going to be any real conflict in his heart.
Van Gundy added, "The Suns depend too much on Chen when the game slows down or gets stuck in the half court. He's their greatest weapon, but also their biggest pressure point. If he isn't sharp, their offense gets shaky. Their system is still a little too simple."
It was ironic. During his coaching career, Van Gundy had never exactly been known as a tactical wizard. But the moment he picked up a microphone, suddenly everyone else's playbook looked flawed.
Amid the commentary, the game began.
Camby won the tip, and the Lakers got the first possession.
Raja Bell picked up Kobe immediately. As one of the few defenders in the league who genuinely knew Kobe's game inside and out, Raja understood exactly how to make him uncomfortable. He stayed attached, bumping knees, leaning his body, mixing in all the little veteran tricks.
Kobe swatted Raja's hand away from his waist with his right hand, then moved to the top of the arc to receive the ball.
Raja gave him half a step.
The moment Kobe put the ball on the floor, weak side help was already twitching in his direction. He read the floor at once and rose for a long 2 right out of the crossover.
It dropped cleanly.
0 to 2.
Raja's face did not change.
His defensive goal had always been clear. Force Kobe into long 2s. On a basketball court, that was widely considered the least efficient scoring area. If Kobe wanted to live there and make them anyway, Raja could accept it.
Phoenix came down and settled into the half court. Chen Yan answered with a long 2 of his own.
He missed.
As a great scorer himself, Chen Yan understood exactly what Kobe was thinking. The long 2 was inefficient, but it was also where the defense tended to be thinnest. Most defenses simply did not load up heavily in that area.
Still, one miss meant nothing. The Suns got back in transition and denied the Lakers any easy break.
On the next possession, Fisher crossed half court. Raja continued to deny Kobe every clean catch.
Kobe ran 2 steps toward the baseline, then subtly shoved Raja and used the rebound of that contact to pop back out to the right side for the ball.
Veteran trick. Veteran timing. No NBA referee was calling that.
Raja recovered quickly, and Kobe went into isolation.
After a jab step, Kobe backed him down, inching his way inward while glancing left and right, searching for the coming trap.
He usually saw a second defender in those spots. His aim was always to move before the trap fully formed.
Sure enough, Nash began to dig down from the perimeter.
Kobe did not pass. Before the help could arrive in full, he turned baseline and faded away.
The ball rattled out.
Jordan Jr. grabbed the rebound.
"Here!" Chen Yan shouted, pointing directly at Diaw to prevent a careless outlet.
Jordan Jr. still needed work as a passer. His feel and experience were both raw. As the leader, Chen Yan helped him constantly, on the court and off it.
Jordan Jr. got the ball to Diaw a couple of body lengths away.
The French magician immediately fired a lead pass ahead to Chen Yan.
Camby stepped up, trying to slow Chen Yan before he could get downhill, but Chen had already seen him with his peripheral vision. He spun past him completely.
For a split second, Camby wanted to foul. Then he stopped himself. Garnett was suspended, and if Camby got into foul trouble, the Lakers' interior defense would collapse.
Chen Yan hit another gear. James Posey was chasing from the side, and suddenly it was a pure 1 on 1 in the open floor.
That was Chen Yan's territory.
He gathered the ball on the move and took his first step. Just as Posey leaned into him, Chen Yan suddenly decelerated and stepped left.
Posey had considered a Euro step. His body simply could not keep up with the thought.
Chen Yan glided around him and finished with an easy layup.
2 to 2.
The teams traded blows through the opening 3 minutes.
Then, with 8 minutes and 27 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Kobe drew a double team in the post and kicked the ball to Camby. With only Jordan Jr. left in the Suns' interior, Camby took one dribble and looked ready to drop it inside to Powell.
Powell was about to get his first real scoring chance of the night.
Instead, Jordan Jr. did something unexpected.
He backed away from Camby and planted himself directly in front of Powell.
Camby had no choice but to take the uncontested dunk himself.
Jordan Jr. would rather give Camby 2 free points than let Powell touch the ball in scoring position.
The plan to erase Powell had been carried out to the letter.
Powell still did not fully understand what was happening.
That changed a few possessions later.
With 3 minutes and 57 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Powell cut inside and received the ball with nobody in front of him.
He took a hop step into the lane.
Jordan Jr. rotated over.
Powell turned to pass out.
Chen Yan was already there.
A trap.
An actual trap.
Powell could hardly believe it.
Double teamed. In the Western Conference Finals. As Josh Powell.
He nearly cursed on the spot.
Panicked, he lost the ball.
At that point, the only stat Powell had managed to put his name next to was turnovers.
When he looked up at the scoreboard and thought about his expiring contract, his mentality cracked.
On the next Lakers possession, he airballed a midrange jumper.
Then he committed a pushing foul while fighting for an offensive rebound.
Phil Jackson's face turned green. He yanked Powell immediately.
In the 2nd quarter, the Suns kept attacking him mentally. Powell completely unraveled, and the mistakes kept piling up.
By halftime, his line read 0 points, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls. His presence was actively hurting the Lakers.
Phil Jackson had no choice but to replace him with Mbamga for the second half.
On the bench, Powell sat with a towel draped over his head.
Chen Yan and the Suns had fully broken him.
At halftime, Phoenix led 59 to 53.
In the 3rd quarter, the Suns exploded with a 16 to 5 run, forcing a Lakers timeout.
As a fringe player, Powell could still at least do a few basic things. Mbamga, on the other hand, was pure chaos. If you asked what his basketball skill level was, the honest answer might have been, black belt in taekwondo.
He was a raw, undersized big with almost no usable offensive value. Whenever he was on the floor, the Lakers were effectively playing 4 on 5.
Chen Yan recognized it immediately and attacked him 3 straight times, mixing drives and jumpers, scoring with style every time.
By the end of the 3rd quarter, the Suns led 83 to 70.
Powell's collapse had not been the only reason for the Lakers' struggles, but it absolutely mattered. Chen Yan's psychological warfare had worked.
In the 4th quarter, Kobe tried to take over by force.
Chen Yan met him shot for shot early in the quarter, trading a pair of 3s with him.
Even without using a status enhancement card, Chen Yan was doing everything. By then, he already had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
With nearly a full quarter still to play, Nash had also posted a double double with 20 points and 10 assists.
Outside of the backcourt, the Suns' role players all performed well. The team filled the void left by Stoudemire's absence together.
The Lakers, by comparison, had fallen into one of those old Kobe eras, Kobe trying to carry everything almost alone. Garnett's absence hurt badly. Camby was not an offensive first player, Fisher's shot was off all night, and Powell had looked like a double agent.
With 3 minutes left, the Lakers pulled their starters.
In the end, the Suns closed out a 109 to 99 win on the road.
.....
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