Chapter 786: Helping Curry Get Revenge
"Chen, keep playing your game. If you see an opportunity, take the shot," Nelson told Chen Yan.
Then he turned toward Curry.
"Stephen, look for your opportunities on the perimeter. Defensively, do not crowd Deron Williams too closely. Do not give him an easy driving lane. If they run a pick and roll, switch."
While Nelson explained the adjustments, Curry was staring at the arena screen, completely absorbed in the replay.
Deron's earlier dunk had been vicious.
It was exactly the kind of finish Curry always imagined himself making.
"Stephen?"
No response.
"Stephen!"
Nelson raised his voice.
Curry finally snapped back to attention.
"Yes! Got it, Coach!"
"Focus. This is the Playoffs, not practice."
Nelson tapped the tactics board with obvious irritation.
Curry scratched the back of his head.
His start tonight had not gone particularly well.
Chen Yan patted him on the shoulder.
"Do not put too much pressure on yourself."
The timeout ended.
Curry calmly dribbled across half court.
New York moved the ball around the perimeter.
Following Nelson's instructions, the Knicks eventually found Chen Yan posting just outside the paint.
Deron immediately came over to double team.
The moment Chen Yan caught the ball, he faked a pass toward the perimeter.
Deron reacted instantly.
The fake had worked.
Brooklyn absolutely needed to send help against Chen Yan.
But leaving Curry open beyond the 3 point line was equally dangerous.
After several years of development, Curry's 3 point shooting had already reached the top tier of the league.
The instant Deron shifted toward Curry, the double team disappeared.
Chen Yan put the ball on the floor, bumped Gerald Wallace once, then immediately turned into a fadeaway jumper.
Deron tried to recover.
Too late.
Swish!
6 to 8.
Brooklyn came back on offense.
Deron brought the ball across half court and called for a pick and roll.
His confidence was soaring.
Even Anthony moved toward the corner and cleared space for him.
Deron came off the screen and attacked the basket aggressively.
Foul.
He walked to the free throw line.
Swish.
Swish.
Both free throws went in.
6 to 10.
New York returned to the same approach.
Give Chen Yan the ball.
Chen Yan once again established position near the same spot outside the paint.
The game was still in its opening stages, and his rhythm had not completely developed.
For now, he preferred operating closer to the basket, where his scoring efficiency would naturally be higher.
Gerald Wallace played halfway around Chen Yan, attempting to deny the entry pass.
That tactic might have worked against a slow interior player.
Chen Yan was neither slow nor an interior player.
If Wallace would not let him receive the ball from the front, Chen Yan would simply go behind him.
He suddenly spun and cut toward the basket.
Chen Yan gave no signal.
He did not need one.
The moment he moved, Curry immediately understood.
Lob pass.
The ball floated toward the paint.
Yao Ming was waiting beneath the basket.
For the 1st time tonight, the 2 Chinese stars were about to challenge each other directly at the rim.
Chen Yan caught the pass and used a jump step into the lane.
Both players left the floor.
Only then did Chen Yan truly feel the pressure created by Yao's extraordinary size.
At 226 centimeters, Yao Ming standing beneath the basket felt like a wall.
Chen Yan responded with his own physical gifts.
Hang time.
Body control.
Core strength.
He held the ball in 1 hand and twisted several times in the air, constantly adjusting around Yao's reach.
Then he moved beneath the rim and finished with a reverse layup.
By the time Chen Yan was still twisting toward the other side of the basket, Yao had already returned to the floor.
There was nothing he could do.
That was the difference between overwhelming size and overwhelming athleticism.
8 to 10.
Fans immediately reacted.
"That hang time is ridiculous."
"Yao landed and Chen Yan was still up there."
"That was pure size against pure athleticism."
"Yao Ming's height is still terrifying. Against almost anyone else, Chen Yan probably would have just dunked."
Plays like that were part of the reason superstars captivated audiences.
Fans did not always want to watch safe, calculated basketball.
Sometimes they wanted to see athletes do things that looked unreasonable.
Things ordinary players simply could not reproduce.
Brooklyn came back on offense.
Deron used another pick and roll and pulled up directly from beyond the 3 point line.
Miss.
Anthony looked irritated.
Over the last several possessions, Deron had begun playing as if the Nets belonged entirely to him.
There had always been some underlying tension between the 2 stars.
Even during their 1st season together, they had argued over touches and offensive control.
Anthony had been a franchise centerpiece since entering the NBA.
He was accustomed to having the ball and operating as a primary scorer.
Deron had his own strong personality.
Part of the reason his relationship with Utah had collapsed was his frustration with an offense that restricted how freely he could attack in isolation.
Deron wanted freedom.
He wanted the ball.
He wanted shots.
Putting 2 players with those personalities together was always going to create friction.
Still, Anthony kept his frustration under control.
At least outwardly.
Deron's miss bounced long.
Curry collected the rebound and immediately pushed forward.
Deron sprinted back.
As he reached the 3 point line, he suddenly realized something.
Where was everyone else?
He was the only Nets defender who had made it back.
Curry flicked his wrist and sent the ball toward the middle.
Chen Yan came flying into the play from behind.
He caught the pass, took 1 step, and launched himself toward the rim.
Deron reacted instinctively and jumped with him.
Boom!
Chen Yan threw the ball down directly over Deron.
An alley oop dunk over a defender.
The impact sent Deron stumbling out of bounds after he landed.
Deron was an explosive point guard.
Against Chen Yan, that simply was not enough.
Chen Yan landed and immediately looked toward Curry.
"Stephen, I got you back."
Curry looked at him with genuine appreciation.
Then he glanced toward Deron, who was getting back to his feet.
Revenge accomplished.
Brooklyn possession.
Deron crossed half court and immediately waved everyone away.
Clear out.
His emotions were starting to take control.
Anthony was visibly annoyed, but he still moved toward the corner and created space for his teammate.
Deron backed up until he stood 1 step beyond the top of the arc.
Bang.
Crossover.
The ball moved into his left hand.
Deron followed with a drag step, sliding horizontally toward the left.
Bang.
Another sudden change.
A quick in and out dribble flowed into another crossover.
It was Deron's signature double crossover.
The move itself was fundamentally simple.
In Deron's hands, however, the rhythm made it dangerous.
Curry immediately fell 1 step behind.
Deron saw the opening and accelerated toward the basket.
New York's defense reacted instantly.
The moment Deron isolated Curry, the other Knicks had already prepared themselves to help.
Chen Yan was the fastest to respond.
He rotated from the side and entered the paint.
Deron saw him.
He simply did not care.
His momentum had already built.
And with his emotions running high, Deron decided to challenge Chen Yan vertically.
That was a mistake.
Deron raised his left arm and cocked the ball back in his right hand.
Tomahawk dunk.
He wanted to put Chen Yan on a poster.
The approach looked spectacular.
The result did not.
Chen Yan rose significantly higher.
His arms extended completely, forming a wall above the rim.
Bang!
The dunk attempt was erased.
A massive block.
Deron landed and desperately tried to recover the loose ball.
He was too rushed.
His hand knocked it out of bounds.
New York ball.
Jeff Van Gundy shook his head.
"Deron went for the poster. That was an extremely ambitious decision."
Magic Johnson laughed.
"And Chen Yan gave him a very clear answer. Deron might want to reconsider challenging him like that."
Magic had watched countless gifted athletes throughout his playing and broadcasting career.
He had also publicly said more than once that Chen Yan represented the physical ceiling for guards.
Perhaps the 1991 version of Michael Jordan could challenge him athletically.
Everyone else?
They were better off not trying.
....
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