Chapter 545: Advancing to the Finals, Rejecting Hollywood Blockbusters
After winning the crucial game, the entire Suns roster finally let out a long breath.
The hardest stretch was over. Suns fans were already full of confidence about advancing. Not only had the team reached match point, but Stoudemire was also set to return for the next game. Once that happened, Phoenix would be whole again.
When the Lakers walked off the floor, the fans lining both sides of the tunnel did not let them go easily.
The 2 fanbases had become bitter enemies, and the victorious side had no intention of being polite. Some fans even held up banners they had clearly prepared in advance.
You are not the MVP. Chen Yan is the real MVP!
That message was obviously aimed at Kobe.
The Lakers returned to the locker room under a wave of jeers. After quick showers, they boarded a private jet back to Los Angeles and headed home to rest.
At least, that was the plan.
It was obvious that some of them would not be sleeping tonight.
…
1 day later, the Eastern Conference Finals continued.
In Game 5, James turned in a godlike performance, finishing with 38 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. He almost single handedly carried the Cavaliers to a 112 to 103 win over the Magic, cutting the series deficit to 2 to 3.
But for Cleveland, the crisis had not passed.
Game 6 would be played in Orlando. Lose that, and the season was over.
So even after the win, there was still no smile on James's face.
That night, it was not only James who exploded. The Cavaliers got strong production across the roster. Mo Williams scored 24 points. Ilgauskas added 16 points and 8 rebounds. Even though old Shaq could not really keep up with Howard's physical force, his 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks were still enough to satisfy the fans.
Gibson and the actor Varejao also reached double figures.
Even with that kind of support, Cleveland still won by only a single digit margin.
How could James relax?
Chen Yan remembered clearly that in his previous life, Orlando had advanced to the Finals by eliminating Cleveland. This time, neither team's roster had changed much, and it seemed the ending would not change either.
…
On May 29, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off at Staples Center.
Before the game, D'Antoni gathered the team and repeatedly reminded everyone to control their emotions. Jordan, especially, had to keep his mouth shut.
After the previous game, Jordan had publicly called Garnett gay. That comment not only escalated the hostility between the Suns and Lakers, it also angered the LGBTQ+ community.
The day before the game, NBA vice president Stu Jackson had personally warned both teams to watch what they said.
A few hours earlier, NBA spokesman Tim Frank had even accompanied Jordan through a public apology to Garnett and the LGBTQ+ community.
It changed nothing.
When Jordan stepped onto the court, angry Lakers fans dumped crushed ice from their soda cups over his head.
Jordan was so speechless he did not even dare respond. He could only lower his head and hurry back to the locker room.
…
After the Lakers' introduction ceremony, the Suns took the floor one by one.
Phoenix returned to its standard lineup for this game: Nash, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
The previous lineup adjustment had been a surprise tactic. Surprise tactics only work when they are unexpected. Use them too often, and they stop being surprises.
Besides, with Stoudemire back, D'Antoni was never going to keep that kind of interior firepower on the bench.
On the very first possession, Stoudemire came out like a beast released from a cage. He attacked the rim ferociously, drew contact, and completed a 2 plus 1.
After scoring, he adjusted his goggles and glared at the court with blazing eyes.
He had been holding it in for too long. Tonight, he was going to explode.
The Lakers' main defensive focus remained Chen Yan, who had been Phoenix's biggest threat throughout the series.
But Chen Yan was unusually restrained in this game.
Aside from a few catch and shoot chances, he spent most of his time organizing and setting the table.
That shift completely energized his teammates and also caught the Lakers off guard.
The biggest beneficiary was Stoudemire.
He poured in 15 points in the 1st quarter alone, shooting 6 of 7 from the field and getting to the line as well. With Nash and Chen Yan feeding him over and over, it almost felt like he was being force fed.
Stoudemire, of course, loved every second of it.
He wanted even more in the 2nd quarter.
…
Early in the 2nd, both teams let their benches battle for a while before the starters gradually returned.
Chen Yan immediately broke into the lane with a Shadow style step.
His footwork looked like a devil's dance. He slipped through the Lakers defense and finished with a reverse layup.
On the next possession, he came off a screen and rose with confidence from beyond the arc.
Swish.
Just when the Lakers thought Chen Yan was about to take over as a scorer in the 2nd quarter, he went right back to the same rhythm he had shown in the 1st.
Patient reads. Quick passes. Immediate kickouts whenever the double team arrived.
He played with extreme discipline.
Stoudemire, meanwhile, kept rolling.
He had missed 3 games, so his legs were fresh. Any time he saw an opening, he attacked the rim without hesitation, using his physical gifts to the fullest, either scoring or forcing fouls.
By halftime, Phoenix led 62 to 51, an 11 point advantage.
…
Midway through the 3rd quarter, Chen Yan knocked down a 3 and then a mid range jumper.
Those were the only points he scored in the quarter.
But because his 1st half approach had worked so well, he kept trusting the pass.
Besides feeding Stoudemire, he also created a series of open 3 point looks for his teammates.
The reason his playmaking style worked tonight was simple. The Suns were finally making shots as a team.
If Chen Yan passed, Nash passed, and everyone bricked, then no matter how dominant Stoudemire was inside, Phoenix's offense still would not have been enough.
In the 4th quarter, the lead briefly climbed above 15 points. Kobe led one last charge, but it was answered immediately by one 3 from Nash and another from Chen Yan.
Then Camby fouled out.
Fisher left the game with a finger injury.
At that point, the Lakers officially surrendered.
Phil Jackson knew exactly what he was seeing. The Suns' big 3 had all played at their best tonight. Even if Camby had stayed on the floor and Fisher had remained healthy, it would not have changed the result.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 119 to 106.
Phoenix had taken the game on the road and closed out the series.
Suns fans in front of their televisions erupted. The team was now just 1 step away from defending its title.
Chen Yan played 36 minutes and finished 8 of 15 from the field, 3 of 6 from deep, and 3 of 4 at the line for an efficient triple double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Nash had 14 points and 13 assists.
That meant both Suns guards finished with double digit assists.
So the obvious question was, who had been eating off all those passes?
Stoudemire's answer was simple.
Me.
He went absolutely wild tonight, dropping 42 points and 8 rebounds.
Calling him the most explosive scoring big man in the league was not an exaggeration.
Back in the 2005 series against San Antonio, he had averaged 37.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 55.0 percent from the field. His scoring bursts had always been terrifying.
Diaw, Azubuike, and Grant Hill also reached double figures.
In all, 5 Suns players scored in double digits. Their stars delivered, their role players delivered, and the team performance was excellent from start to finish.
The Lakers had no excuses.
Kobe ripped the towel off his shoulder and flung it into the stands before lowering his head and walking back to the locker room.
This was Los Angeles.
This was Staples Center.
This was the perfect stage for a Hollywood style comeback blockbuster.
But in the end, the miracle never arrived.
Falling in the Western Conference Finals to the same opponent for the 2nd straight year was a massive blow, even for someone as hard as Kobe.
Even iron has to bend a little before it hardens again.
.....
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