Chapter 704: Curry's Reputation
It was New York's offensive possession, and Curry brought the ball across half court.
Chen Yan tried to go for a hand off, but Wade directly squeezed between him and Curry.
Wade was determined to challenge Chen Yan tonight. He would not let Chen Yan feel comfortable for even a single possession, regardless of whether he could actually stop him.
Chen Yan felt the pressure too.
So far, his performance and numbers on the court had been impressive, but he knew that his physical exertion tonight was much greater than usual.
For a physical marvel like Chen Yan to feel this way, it proved that his energy consumption tonight was exceptionally high.
Chen Yan did not force his way through Wade.
He suddenly stopped, then ran back.
Curry, who had excellent chemistry with him, lofted the ball backward into Chen Yan's hands.
The Knicks continued running their pick and roll offense.
Nelson knew how much energy Chen Yan was spending tonight, so he wanted the other players to help share the load as much as possible.
Kenyon Martin came up to set a screen, and Chen Yan easily shook off Wade.
Miami double teamed, and Chen Yan immediately bounced back 1 step.
Kenyon Martin understood perfectly.
Here comes the easy score.
Kenyon Martin continued cutting inside, and just as expected, Chen Yan's pass was accurately delivered into his hands.
Kenyon Martin leaped up, ready to slam the ball through the hoop.
Bang!
A loud thud echoed.
However, that loud sound was not a dunk.
It was the ball being pinned against the backboard.
James appeared out of nowhere, savagely pinning the ball to the glass with both hands.
This was James signature move.
People often saw him intentionally allow an opponent to run ahead during defensive transition, then suddenly burst out from behind when the opponent jumped, using his incredible leaping ability and quickness to block the attempt.
After securing the ball, James quickly advanced.
Curry and Battier immediately returned to half court.
Just as James was thinking about how to break through their defense, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Watch out! LeBron!"
James reacted quickly, instinctively pulling the ball in.
However, Chen Yan was even faster.
By the time James was halfway through gathering the ball, Chen Yan had already poked it away.
James was startled.
Damn, a thief.
"The master thief is online!"
"Chen Yan should go act in a heist movie!"
"James must be speechless after that one."
"Chen Yan came quietly, and he left quietly too."
"Whether it is a head on confrontation or a sneaky move, Chen Yan is not afraid. He is an all around talent."
Many fans watching in front of their televisions laughed.
[Ding! Skill acquired: Master Thief!]
At that moment, the system prompt sounded.
He had acquired a new skill.
Chen Yan could not remember how long it had been since he had acquired a new skill, but he ignored the system for now because there was a good fast break opportunity.
After poking the ball away, Chen Yan did not bother chasing it.
He turned and sprinted toward the frontcourt.
By the time Wade reacted, Chen Yan had already picked up speed, making it difficult to keep up.
Curry threw a powerful long pass from the backcourt, directly finding Chen Yan.
Curry had the passing ability, and Chen Yan had absolute trust in him, which was why he ran full speed without looking back at the ball.
When Chen Yan received the pass, he was around the free throw line.
The frontcourt was completely open.
Chen Yan had a full court 1 on 0.
Everyone in the arena stood up, anticipating a spectacular dunk from Chen Yan.
He took 2 smooth steps and finished the play with a simple layup.
Many fans shook their heads in disbelief.
In their minds, Chen Yan would not miss such a perfect chance to show off.
Only Chen Yan knew that this game would be a tough battle, and he had to conserve as much energy as possible.
After scoring, Chen Yan briefly checked his newly acquired skill.
The general effect was a 15 percent increase in success rate when stealing the ball from behind.
Overall, this skill was somewhat situational, because Chen Yan usually would not be behind an offensive player.
He was not the sneaky type.
On Miami's offensive possession, James felt his pride had been hurt.
He called for a screen, then drove to the basket with all his strength.
James charged forward with the force of a tank.
The sight was somewhat terrifying, and Kenyon Martin had to summon all his courage to step up and help defend.
James completely ignored his help defense.
He drove to the basket and finished a layup despite Kenyon Martin's defense.
A powerful moment.
Miami fans exclaimed that James should have been playing like this all along.
The Knicks were not affected by that play.
Chen Yan received the ball in the backcourt, dribbling forward while hidden behind Kenyon Martin.
Kenyon Martin raised both hands, blocking Wade to prevent him from harassing Chen Yan and draining his energy.
1 step beyond the 3 point line, Chen Yan suddenly changed direction, then pulled back 1 step.
Kenyon Martin continued cutting inside without looking back, and Chen Yan lofted the ball in.
Kenyon Martin had an opportunity to attack the basket directly after getting the ball, but he chose to pass to Curry, who was in a better position.
Curry raised his hand and sank the 3 pointer.
Curry had not taken many shots in the 1st half, but his touch was good tonight, and he was very capable of capitalizing on opportunities.
Every shot he took carried weight.
At halftime, Chen Yan had 37 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.
The Knicks led 59 to 49, a full 10 point advantage.
"Chen's firepower dropped a little in the 2nd quarter, but his assists and rebounds rose quickly," Barkley said. "He played a more complete quarter."
"He is carrying the team in his own way," Kenny Smith said. "But Miami still has a chance in the 2nd half. A 10 point difference is not that much."
During halftime, Spoelstra was generally satisfied with Miami's performance.
"Dwyane, you will be the primary attacker in the 2nd half. He will not dare continue using oppressive defense against you. If he does, his stamina definitely will not last until the 4th quarter, and his performance will definitely decline."
Wade nodded.
He had originally prepared to sacrifice himself tonight, but the coach had changed the strategy for the 2nd half.
On the Knicks side, Nelson instructed Curry to take more shots in the 4th quarter, which would help Chen Yan conserve energy.
Both coaches tacitly agreed to place the decisive battle in the final quarter.
In the 2nd half, both teams sent out their starters.
Miami had the 1st possession, with Wade holding the ball at the top of the arc.
Chen Yan's defensive pressure did not let up.
After Wade put the ball down, Chen Yan continuously applied pressure and squeezed Wade's offensive space.
Spoelstra had miscalculated.
Wade called for a pick and roll, but Chen Yan continuously maneuvered around it.
With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Wade reluctantly passed the ball to James.
James made a move outside, pushed Battier, and drove into the paint.
Kenyon Martin rotated over to help, and James swung the ball out, giving it back to Wade.
Wade nearly cursed.
Only 3 seconds remained on the shot clock.
Wade gritted his teeth and took a shot from a little beyond the 3 point line.
Bang!
Swish!
The ball banked in.
Chen Yan did not close out on this shot.
This was not Wade's usual offensive move, and Chen Yan accepted it if a shot like that went in.
59 to 52.
New York possession.
Wade continued sticking to Chen Yan.
Curry strictly followed Nelson's halftime instructions.
After calling for a screen, he drove into the paint with the ball.
He suddenly stopped and threw up a floater, scoring 2 points.
61 to 52.
Miami offensive possession.
Wade did not rush to put the ball on the floor this time.
After Pau Gasol's screen arrived, Wade suddenly exploded off the ground, using the screen to drive past.
Chen Yan needed time to get around the screen and was half a step slow.
Wade drove deep, but only when he reached the paint did he realize he had walked into an ambush.
Chen Yan was right behind him, while Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington also converged.
A 3 man trap.
Wade knew he needed to pass the ball at this point, but the space was simply too tight.
Al Harrington directly stole the ball.
The Knicks immediately launched a fast break.
Chen Yan lowered his head and accelerated, attracting all of Miami's attention.
Curry brought the ball to the 3 point line and found himself wide open, so he decisively fired.
Chalmers saw Curry raise his hand and frantically rushed to contest.
Beep!
Swish!
The whistle blew, and the shot went in.
The 3 pointer counted, plus an additional free throw.
The Knicks bench collectively jumped up.
This 3 pointer was a huge morale booster.
After experiencing this year's Playoffs, Curry's growth had accelerated.
After Chen Yan joined the Knicks, many people questioned Curry as the 2nd best player on the team. They thought he was too young, lacked experience, had average physical conditioning, and could not handle tough games.
But after the baptism of this year's Playoffs, the fans perception of Curry had changed dramatically.
Not only did they now consider him a qualified 2nd option, they also believed he had the potential to become a future star, or even a superstar.
.....
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