Chapter 777: Seizing the Opportunity
"Do we even need to watch Chen Yan's games anymore? Go to sleep, wake up, and it is another blowout."
"Chicago does not have a true superstar. Westbrook plays with tremendous force, but he still has a long way to go."
"Home or away makes no difference to the Knicks."
"Chen Yan is shooting 100 percent. This is ridiculous."
"Just fast forward to the sweep."
Many fans had already started celebrating prematurely.
They were underestimating Chicago's determination.
No team wanted to lose in front of its home crowd, especially one with relentless competitors such as Westbrook and Hamilton.
When the 2nd half began, Hamilton resumed his exhausting movement without the ball.
He was a tough, experienced veteran with strong mental resilience.
Chen Yan's 2 spectacular blocks in the 2nd quarter had not shaken his confidence.
Westbrook also increased his aggression.
He repeatedly attacked Curry and tried to exploit the physical difference between them.
Westbrook understood that this was Chicago's home floor.
With the crowd behind him and the benefit of playing at home, his approach was simple.
Attack the basket.
Curry was still too thin at this stage of his career.
His frame looked almost fragile compared with Westbrook's powerful build, and combined with his youthful face, he could still pass for a college student.
With 7 minutes and 9 seconds gone in the 3rd quarter, Chen Yan finally missed.
He came off a screen and attempted a 3 pointer.
Clang.
His 1st miss of the entire game.
Strangely, Chen Yan actually felt more relaxed afterward.
Maintaining a perfect shooting night created its own kind of pressure.
Before every attempt, there was always a small awareness in the back of his mind that he had not missed yet.
Now that the streak was over, he no longer needed to think about it.
By the end of the 3rd quarter, Chicago had cut the deficit to 80 to 76.
"Only 4 points now," Kenny Smith said. "We have a real game heading into the 4th."
Barkley nodded.
"Chicago has fought hard tonight. The crowd has given them energy, and Westbrook and Hamilton have been going full speed. The question now is how much they have left. Those guys, along with Luol Deng, have barely rested through the first 3 quarters."
At the start of the 4th, Chicago continued riding Westbrook and Hamilton.
Thibodeau had clearly decided that if the Bulls were going to win, his starters would have to play through exhaustion.
New York opened the quarter with its reserves.
After only 3 minutes, however, Nelson saw the situation deteriorating and brought the starters back earlier than planned.
The Knicks reserve guard rotation had struggled badly tonight.
Jeremy Lin and Barea had combined for only 9 points.
Beverley had just 3.
The constant competition for minutes also had an effect.
Players naturally wanted their numbers to look good.
Several of them were fighting for future contracts and opportunities.
Jeremy Lin in particular was playing on a 1 year deal.
If he wanted to secure his position in the NBA, a strong Playoffs showing could make a major difference.
In professional basketball, statistics mattered.
That reality was why some players could become very good at accumulating numbers even when winning was not always their greatest concern.
When Chen Yan returned, Chicago had taken the lead.
84 to 83.
Curry controlled the ball.
Westbrook picked him up across the entire floor.
The lead had energized Westbrook so much that he was defending with reckless intensity, ignoring the amount of energy he was burning.
It quickly backfired.
Westbrook was not an elite defender, and pressing this aggressively left openings everywhere.
Curry went between his legs.
Then behind his back.
Westbrook was left behind.
Curry never slowed down.
He accelerated all the way into the paint.
Chicago's defense had no choice but to collapse.
The structure of the entire possession broke apart.
Once Curry drew the help, he passed horizontally.
Chen Yan cut into the opening, caught the ball, and exploded upward.
Boom!
2 handed dunk.
The Chicago big men moved aside the moment he took off.
There was little value in fouling him when they had almost no chance of stopping the finish.
New York regained the lead.
85 to 84.
Westbrook immediately answered.
He used a screen, created separation, and rose for a mid range fadeaway.
Swish.
85 to 86.
Chicago was back in front.
The United Center erupted again.
The home fans were still imagining a Game 3 victory.
What they did not know was that this would be Chicago's final lead of the night.
New York came back on offense.
Curry once again displayed his handle.
After a pick and roll in the frontcourt, he used a behind the back dribble to slip the ball through the gap between Westbrook and Aşık.
Then Curry darted through the same opening himself.
Once again, his penetration disrupted Chicago's entire defense.
The Bulls collapsed toward the paint.
Curry passed out.
Chen Yan caught the ball on the wing.
He immediately faked a pass toward the corner.
Luol Deng had already dropped into the paint to contain Curry, leaving Battier completely open.
Hamilton saw Chen Yan's passing motion and immediately sprinted toward the corner.
After only 1 step, Hamilton realized something was wrong.
The ball had never left Chen Yan's hands.
By the time Hamilton turned back, Chen Yan was already in the air.
His shooting motion was smooth and effortless.
Even more impressive was what happened after he landed.
Chen Yan turned around immediately.
He knew the shot was going in.
There was no reason to watch.
Swish.
88 to 86.
Chicago possession.
Westbrook crossed half court and immediately called for a screen.
After using it, he bounced the ball inside to Aşık.
Aşık caught the pass but had no opening to attack.
He moved it back outside to Luol Deng.
Deng surveyed the defense and swung the ball laterally to Westbrook.
Westbrook caught it again beyond the arc and immediately pulled up for 3.
Clang.
Another miss.
Westbrook still held his follow through.
It was an old habit.
He knew it was not ideal.
He simply could not stop doing it.
While Westbrook admired the pose, New York had already started running.
Hamilton anticipated Chen Yan's path and cut him off before he could fully accelerate.
Chen Yan immediately threw a diagonal pass across half court toward Curry.
Curry caught it in stride.
He gathered every bit of strength he had.
Then he jumped.
Slam!
Dunk.
90 to 86.
Curry had finally found the dunking opportunity he had been looking for throughout the series.
It was not the most effortless finish of his career, but he did not care.
The moment he landed, Curry erupted with excitement and sprinted toward Chen Yan for a chest bump.
Chicago came back the other way.
Hamilton started running again.
He circled toward the wing, caught the ball 1 step outside the 3 point line, and immediately shot.
Clang.
Miss.
Hamilton had pushed himself too hard during the first 3 quarters.
By the 4th, his legs were clearly fading.
And when the legs went, shooting consistency usually followed.
New York immediately attacked in transition.
Chen Yan pushed the ball up the floor.
Curry sprinted beside him.
The 2 entered the frontcourt together.
Naturally, almost all of Chicago's defensive attention shifted toward them.
Chen Yan reached the 3 point line, lowered his body, and accelerated.
He drove 2 steps inside.
Curry drifted toward the perimeter, ready for a kickout.
Chicago expected the ball to go to 1 of the 2 stars.
Instead, Chen Yan flicked it backward.
Not to Curry.
To Battier.
Battier had been trailing the play almost unnoticed.
Chicago had completely forgotten about him.
He caught the ball in rhythm.
Wide open.
Transition 3 pointer.
Swish.
93 to 86.
"Timeout!"
Thibodeau immediately signaled for it.
He had seen enough.
Chicago's offense had gone cold, and New York had punished every mistake.
The Knicks gathered together, exchanging high 5s on their way toward the bench.
For several possessions, the Bulls had failed to convert.
New York had recognized the opening.
And they had seized it.
....
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