Chapter 544: It Doesn't Matter, I'll Take Action Anyway
Kobe, sitting on the bench, pulled the towel off his shoulders. He could not sit still any longer.
Phil Jackson did not sub him in right away. The Zen Master had his own calculations.
The second quarter had barely started. If Kobe checked back in now, after only catching his breath for a moment, then his brief rest would have meant almost nothing. If the Lakers' second unit could not survive even a few possessions on its own, then what was the point of bringing Kobe back so early?
Kobe was already 31, no longer a 20 year old like Chen Yan. Expecting him to carry the entire game without pause was unrealistic.
At the same time, Phil Jackson did not want the Lakers to become too dependent on Kobe. He wanted the other players to adjust, settle down, and play to their own strengths.
On the Lakers' third possession of the quarter, Garnett finally found an opening. He split the gap between Jordan and Grant Hill with a jump step and finished with a layup.
Seeing Garnett score, Kobe let out a faint breath and sat back down.
But on the next trip, Chen Yan went right back to work.
After taking a handoff, he used Barea as a screen. Though Barea was short, he was powerfully built, one of those compact guards with a low center of gravity and surprising strength.
Ariza tried to force his way through the screen, but he also hesitated, worried he would get hung up on Barea's sturdy frame. For one split second, he was caught between going through and going around.
That was enough.
Basketball changed too quickly for hesitation. In the instant Ariza paused, Chen Yan had already lifted the ball and fired.
It was not a full jump shot, but a quick flick release, the fastest shot in his arsenal.
Swish.
The 3 splashed cleanly through the net.
"Oh, come on now," Barkley said with a grin. "Chen is playing horse by himself out there. Everything he throws up is dropping."
Kenny Smith nodded. "He looks completely relaxed tonight. This is why they call him Mr. Big Stage. In a Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, most guys tighten up. Chen looks even more comfortable than he did in the earlier games."
The home crowd erupted, and Stoudemire, wearing a black suit on the bench, jumped up shouting.
Kobe sprang up again as if his seat had caught fire. This time, he could not hold back.
"Phil," he said, staring toward the court, "put me in."
Chen Yan's scoring was not just helping Phoenix widen the gap. It was waking up Kobe's competitive instinct.
Kobe had never been the type to back down. He challenged Michael Jordan as a rookie. He was never going to sit calmly and watch another superstar take over a game like this.
Phil Jackson turned to look at him and did not refuse.
"Kobe," he said evenly, "steady the game. Find the right shots. Your job is to win, not get dragged into a scoring contest with him."
Kobe nodded, eyes locked in.
"I got it."
Phil patted him on the shoulder and signaled for him to check in.
In truth, Jackson wanted Kobe to rest a little longer and preserve more energy for the second half. But reality had changed the plan. Chen Yan's firepower was too fierce. The Gatling gun was already hot. The Lakers needed another superstar on the floor to answer him.
At the next dead ball, Kobe returned.
Everyone expected him to come back hunting his own shot, ready to duel Chen Yan possession for possession.
Instead, he delivered 2 excellent passes in a row.
On one play, he drove deep, sold a reverse layup, then slipped the ball under Jordan's arm to Garnett for a dunk.
On the next, he kicked it out to Shannon Brown at the 3 point line.
Brown missed the shot, but Kobe's calm, measured approach gave D'Antoni a bad feeling.
Two minutes later, D'Antoni quickly brought his starters back as well, trying to lock the lead in place.
After 6 minutes, Phoenix still held the advantage.
Phil Jackson had not expected the Lakers to play even more conservatively than they had in the previous game after Garnett's return.
With 2 minutes and 39 seconds left in the half, Chen Yan finally got a breather during a dead ball.
He was not made of steel. Even with his stamina, nobody could play nonstop at that intensity.
D'Antoni liked to lean hard on his starters, but not to the point of outright running them into the ground.
On the Lakers' side, Garnett also went to the bench, leaving Kobe to lead the second unit.
Phoenix defended him with extreme focus, sending at least 2 defenders his way whenever he got into a threatening area.
Under that pressure, Kobe still made 2 straight baskets, first by scoring off an off ball cut with a change of pace drive, then by knocking down a jumper from outside.
Then he used his gravity to create an easy basket for Powell inside.
Phoenix's defense on Kobe began to crack, and on the other end, the Suns lost their earlier flow. The bench unit looked uncomfortable against the Lakers' packed in defense.
The Lakers were essentially compressing the floor in a 1 2 2 shape, a style often seen in international basketball. Once that shell closed, getting all the way into the paint became nearly impossible. Even elite drivers were forced to stop short and finish from mid range instead of at the rim.
The Lakers were sharp on both ends, and the deficit was suddenly down to 5.
By then, everyone could see it.
The most dangerous version of Kobe was not the reckless one. It was the rational one.
If Kobe had trusted teammates and moved the ball like this throughout his career, rather than forcing so many difficult shots out of stubbornness, his first MVP probably would not have taken so long to arrive.
The Lakers' surge was vicious, but fortunately for Phoenix, the half was nearly over.
At the break, the Suns still led 62 to 58.
The Lakers came into the locker room energized. Being down 4 felt entirely manageable.
Chen Yan had been outrageous in the first half, shooting 10 for 13, 3 for 3 from deep, and piling up 26 points with his free throws included.
Just as the commentators had predicted, he was on pace for another explosion.
During halftime, D'Antoni did not spend much time talking about specific tactics.
He told his players to treat the game like a Game 7. Better yet, like the last game of their careers.
Effort. Pace. Aggression.
Those were the words he hammered home.
Phil Jackson, after laying out adjustments, also kept his speech short. He told the Lakers that if they executed his offense properly, they would take the lead. Defensively, he made one point absolutely clear.
Chen Yan could not be allowed to keep shooting like this.
He wanted his defenders flying at every release, more physical contact on every drive, and if they could not stop him cleanly, then foul him.
That was standard playoff logic. When a scorer got into rhythm, you hit the body before he found the shot again.
The third quarter became the fiercest stretch of the night.
Garnett lobbed to Kobe for an alley oop.
Phoenix came right back, Nash finding Chen Yan for a 3 from way beyond the line.
This game was no longer 5 on 5.
It had become 2 on 2.
Phoenix still tried to run whenever possible, but with Camby and Garnett patrolling the paint, even Chen Yan could not knife all the way to the rim on every possession.
By the end of the 3rd, the Suns still led, but only by 1.
The arena was tense. Every Suns fan in the building could feel it. Nobody knew if Phoenix could hold on.
On the Lakers' first possession of the 4th, Nash missed a 3.
Kobe came back the other way and buried a fadeaway.
91 to 90.
For the first time all night, the Lakers had the lead.
And over the next 3 minutes, Phoenix found itself down 5.
D'Antoni burned a timeout immediately.
By the 4th quarter, the Suns' legs were not as fresh, and their transition efficiency had fallen off. D'Antoni had no choice but to lean harder on Chen Yan and Nash, his 2 most reliable offensive creators.
In the half court, Phoenix kept going back to the same principle, using pick and rolls to force switches, then hunting the weakest point in the defense.
Sometimes the most primitive solution was also the best one.
Following D'Antoni's design, Phoenix kept answering.
With 6 minutes and 1 second left, the second major flashpoint of the series nearly erupted.
Chen Yan streaked downcourt on a fast break, caught Nash's pass, and hammered home a tomahawk dunk.
But as he came down, Garnett slid under him and clipped his legs.
It was a dirty play, the kind that could have sent a player crashing headfirst into the floor.
In pure instinct, Chen Yan grabbed Garnett's jersey.
The downward force was enormous. He ripped the jersey clean in half, using it to break the fall and avoid serious injury.
Jordan and Diaw exploded with anger and charged directly at Garnett.
The officials reacted fast and hit Garnett with a flagrant foul, preventing the situation from boiling over.
After that, Jordan got tangled up with Garnett repeatedly, but the veteran had too much experience for the young center.
What Garnett did, however, lit a fire under Phoenix.
The Suns answered with an 11 to 5 run and immediately took the lead back.
The final 2 minutes were the most brutal stretch of the game.
Garnett and Kobe showed exactly why they were superstars, first combining to smother Phoenix defensively, then taking turns drilling tough mid range jumpers.
The Lakers had their 2 stars.
Phoenix had Chen Yan.
And his answer was simple.
It does not matter. I will shoot anyway.
Swish.
Swish.
He buried 2 extremely difficult 3s in the final minute, smashing the Lakers' hopes of stealing Game 5 on the road.
Both shots sent the arena into absolute chaos. Fans screamed themselves hoarse. It felt like the building might burst.
At that point, the game belonged to the stars.
The Lakers had Kobe and Garnett.
The Suns had Chen Yan.
He shot right between them.
"How is he even willing to take that?" Kenny said, half laughing in disbelief.
Barkley shook his head. "Because he is that dude. Most guys think twice. Chen sees the shot, and if it is hard, he just seems to like it more."
Phoenix survived the Battle of Century and won Game 5 at home, 111 to 107.
Chen Yan finished with 44 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Nash added 30 points and 10 assists.
The simultaneous explosion from both stars was the foundation of the Suns' victory.
Kobe had 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Garnett added 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The Lakers' 2 stars were brilliant too. The margin between winning and losing was razor thin.
After the game, Phoenix returned to the locker room to shower.
Jordan, the first player out, stopped for an interview and did not hold back at all.
"That guy disgusts me," he said, referring to Garnett. "I do not know why he is always rubbing up on me from behind. Sometimes I seriously question his sexual orientation. If he is gay, then forget I said anything."
When reporters asked about Garnett tripping Chen Yan, Jordan completely lost patience.
"That was dirty. Straight up dirty. Before this game, I respected him. Kevin Garnett is a superstar. He is the kind of guy kids on the street grow up copying. I respected how much he wanted to win. But now? Now he just looks hateful. Pathetic, even. Players are supposed to protect each other. He does not care if somebody gets hurt."
By then, Chen Yan had finished showering and walked into view.
In front of the cameras and the reporters, he pulled out a crisp 100 dollar bill and smirked.
"Take this 100 dollars and throw it into the other locker room," he said. "Call it compensation for the jersey."
The room broke into laughter.
It was a sharp, perfect piece of mockery, the kind that landed even cleaner than one of his jumpers.
.....
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