Chapter 762: The MVP Is Here!
"What?"
Paul George looked at George Hill in confusion.
He had not done anything.
Why was Hill suddenly warning him?
"Chen Yan said he is going to score 60 points on you tonight," George Hill explained. "Control your temper and do not start anything with him."
Hill patted him on the back, then turned and walked away as though he had completed some great task and expected no recognition for it.
If any other player had made that statement, Paul George would have confronted him without hesitation.
Whether he could win the confrontation did not matter. He would have responded with physical defense and an aggressive attitude.
Without some pride and competitive fire, how could he call himself a young NBA player?
But the words had come from Chen Yan.
That forced Paul George to consider the consequences.
If he truly angered Chen Yan, that man might produce another absurd scoring performance.
Paul George did not want to become the background image for a new single game scoring record.
He still had a long and promising career ahead of him.
The starting lineups were announced.
The Knicks started Stephen Curry, Chen Yan, Shane Battier, David West, and DeAndre Jordan.
This was New York's strongest 5 man unit.
It had offense.
And when the team was defending, it still had offense.
The Pacers started Darren Collison, Paul George, Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough, and Roy Hibbert.
Barkley evaluated both lineups.
"The Knicks have brought out their best group," he said. "This lineup can run, and it can execute in the half court. David West gives them a reliable post scorer, which creates more space for Chen Yan and Stephen Curry."
"DeAndre Jordan handles the rebounding and protects the rim. Battier can make open 3s and guard the opponent's best scorer. It is a very complete lineup, and it allows Chen and Curry to maximize their ball handling ability."
Kenny Smith added, "Indiana has played very well this season. They can score inside and outside, and they are balanced on both ends. They can make this difficult for New York."
"The problem is that they do not have a true superstar. In crucial moments, they may lack the player who can deliver the decisive blow."
The game began.
DeAndre Jordan won the opening tip.
Chen Yan collected the ball and brought it across half court himself instead of passing to Curry.
From the very 1st possession, Paul George defended cautiously.
George Hill's warning remained fresh in his mind.
Paul George believed that as long as he stayed in front of Chen Yan, avoided mistakes, and maintained his position, even Chen Yan could not possibly score 60 points against him.
In the next second, he abandoned that thought.
DeAndre Jordan stepped forward to set a high screen.
Chen Yan held the ball in his right hand and faked a drive.
The moment Paul George moved his feet early, Chen Yan stopped and immediately rose for the shot.
Swish.
A direct strike.
The ball might as well have pierced Paul George through the chest.
His heart sank.
Chen Yan had made such a difficult 3 pointer on the opening possession.
Pacers offense.
Darren Collison dribbled across half court.
Indiana moved the ball around the perimeter, and after several passes, it returned to Collison.
Collison shot from beyond the 3 point line.
Missed.
David West grabbed the rebound and passed to Chen Yan.
The moment Chen Yan received the ball, he lowered his center of gravity and exploded forward.
He blew past Paul George and pushed the fast break along the sideline.
Darren Collison immediately moved over to stop him, while Paul George chased from behind and to the side.
Seeing the defense collapse toward Chen Yan, Curry ran without the ball toward the opposite wing.
"Switch!" Collison shouted at Paul George.
But Paul George's attention was fixed entirely on Chen Yan.
He did not notice anyone else.
Curry reached the opposite side and settled at the 45 degree angle beyond the 3 point line.
Indiana had suffered a serious defensive breakdown.
Chen Yan threw a long pass across the court.
Curry caught it and immediately rose for a transition 3 pointer.
Granger rushed over from behind at an angle and tried to contest.
Curry's release was extremely quick, and because he used a true jump shot, the ball had already left his hands before Granger arrived.
Swish.
After spending March adjusting to NBA speed again, Curry had regained his best form.
"The Knicks have opened the game with 2 straight 3 pointers," Kenny Smith said.
Barkley chuckled.
"Familiar rhythm. Familiar result."
"Why did you not switch?" Collison complained to Paul George.
"Sorry. I did not hear you."
Paul George could only cover his mistake with a lie.
On Indiana's next possession, the Pacers sent the ball into the paint.
At this stage of his career, Hibbert was still regarded as a capable interior scorer rather than the stiff and ineffective big man he would later become.
He established deep position.
The moment he received the pass, he did not dribble.
Hibbert immediately turned halfway and scored with a hook shot.
6 to 2.
The game continued.
At the top of the arc, Chen Yan used a fake, crossed over, and drove into the defense.
After drawing help, he whipped the ball toward the corner with both hands.
Battier had been waiting there.
He caught the pass and made the shot.
8 to 2.
New York's perimeter shooting had been completely open to start the game.
This was the offensive rhythm the Knicks enjoyed most.
Indiana could not find an immediate answer, so the Pacers continued trying to feed the ball inside and prioritize efficient scoring.
This time, Hibbert failed to establish position as deeply.
He received the ball and took 1 dribble as he prepared to back down his defender.
Chen Yan immediately rushed over to help.
Hibbert nearly lost possession and barely managed to pass the ball out.
Paul George received the pass in an awkward position.
By the time he adjusted, Chen Yan had already returned and stood in front of him.
Paul George put the ball on the floor and tried to attack Chen Yan in isolation.
He changed direction twice.
Chen Yan did not move.
Paul George refused to force the possession.
He passed horizontally to Granger with only 5 seconds left on the shot clock.
Granger took 1 step and immediately launched a 3 pointer.
It went in.
The shot bordered on miraculous.
Battier knew Granger had almost no time remaining and contested directly in his face, yet Granger still made it.
8 to 5.
The Knicks quickly inbounded.
Indiana retreated promptly and denied New York any obvious transition opportunity.
Curry immediately slowed the pace and initiated the half court offense.
Chen Yan pressed his body against Paul George and extended his hand, demanding the ball near the left elbow.
The instant he received the pass, Chen Yan turned with his momentum.
Paul George stepped forward and tried to stay attached.
Chen Yan immediately adjusted his footwork.
He extended his left foot, put the ball into his left hand, and completely beat George off the dribble.
Hibbert waited inside the restricted area.
At that time, the league had not yet fully emphasized the verticality principle that would later become closely associated with Hibbert, but his size still gave him considerable defensive presence around the rim.
Chen Yan had never feared big men of that type.
He jumped directly toward Hibbert and glided through the air.
Then, instead of attacking with force, Chen Yan suddenly shifted into a reverse layup.
He gently flicked the ball beneath Hibbert's arm.
Seeing Chen Yan charge toward him so aggressively, Hibbert had expected a dunk attempt.
He jumped with everything he had.
He never expected such a soft finish.
10 to 5.
On the return possession, Granger attacked in isolation and missed a pullup jumper from the right side of the free throw line.
After making several consecutive shots to open the game, New York's shooting percentage gradually began to decline.
With 7 minutes played, the Knicks led 20 to 12.
Chen Yan had already recorded 9 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Indiana called a timeout.
Its offense had been far too passive and lacked aggression.
Head coach Frank Vogel was also unhappy with Paul George's defense and removed him from the game.
"Paul, you are playing too cautiously tonight," Vogel said. "Against a scorer like Chen Yan, you have to be more physical. Otherwise, he will keep attacking you without fear."
Vogel was not angry because of the number of points Chen Yan had scored or the assists he had created.
What bothered him was that Paul George appeared intimidated.
That was something Vogel could not tolerate.
Since Paul George seemed afraid of Chen Yan, Vogel decided to use someone who was not.
He replaced George with Lance Stephenson.
Stephenson immediately began causing trouble.
After using a teammate's screen to cut toward the basket and score 2 points, he jogged toward Chen Yan.
"MVP, where have you been?"
Chen Yan looked at him in confusion before becoming slightly amused.
Still, he decided to answer.
On the next possession, Chen Yan directed Curry toward the frontcourt and personally took control as the point guard.
Battier inbounded the ball.
Chen Yan did not touch it.
He allowed it to roll slowly along the floor near the baseline.
Under NBA rules, the game clock and the 8 second backcourt count would not begin until a player touched the ball.
Stephenson stared at the rolling basketball with unusual intensity.
In the next moment, he pretended to shout toward the bench.
The instant he turned his head, he suddenly bent down and lunged for the ball.
Such a simple trick could not deceive Chen Yan.
Chen Yan picked up the basketball before Stephenson could reach it.
As he collected the ball, Chen Yan turned with the motion.
He elegantly slipped past Stephenson.
Stephenson completely lost his balance and fell forward, nearly introducing his face to the hardwood.
Chen Yan dribbled to 1 step in front of the logo.
No Pacers defender came forward to stop him.
Chen Yan raised the ball and shot.
Swish.
The net snapped sharply.
23 to 12.
After scoring, Chen Yan did not forget Stephenson's taunt.
He walked over, bent down slightly, and looked at him.
"The MVP is right here."
From that moment onward, Chen Yan's offensive firepower became impossible to contain.
His scoring surge continued into the 2nd quarter.
By the middle of the quarter, Chen Yan had already reached 26 points.
When Chen Yan buried a stepback 3 pointer directly in front of Paul George, George turned toward Stephenson with resentment in his eyes.
He kept muttering under his breath.
"Damn it. What exactly did that idiot say to Chen Yan?"
....
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