Chapter 259:bSweep and Advance, New Idol Chen Yan
The second half started quickly, and DAntoni kept Chen Yan on the bench to begin the third quarter.
Denver tried to take advantage of his absence, but pressure got the best of them. Their possessions were rushed, their decisions sloppy, and their shots ugly. Turnovers piled up, misses clanged off the rim, and whatever chance they had of cutting into the deficit slipped away.
Instead of catching up, they fell even further behind.
The Suns bench was locked in tonight. Barea attacked relentlessly, Azubuike brought energy, Barnes provided toughness, and the veteran Grant Hill delivered calm, efficient basketball. Every reserve who stepped on the court performed exactly the way a playoff team needs.
At the 6 minute 40 mark of the third quarter, Chen Yan checked back in.
By then, the lead had ballooned to 26 points.
The Nuggets crowd, already uneasy, fell silent when Chen Yan walked to the scorer's table. Even with most of Denvers starters resting, the difference only widened. When Chen Yan returned, hope drained out of the building.
His first touch came off a simple crossover into space at the right angle. The Nuggets defense sagged, tired and discouraged. Chen measured the shot, rose, and buried a clean three.
On the next trip, he ran a pick and roll with Nash. Chen drew attention, Nash slipped into the free throw line area, and hit the short jumper with ease.
The lead broke past 30 points.
If Game 3 had been decided by a miracle comeback, then Game 4 felt like a completely different universe. The Suns smothered Denver from the start, and the Nuggets never even got to breathe.
Some Denver fans started walking out with over a minute left in the third quarter. They came hoping for a win, or at least a fight. Instead, they were watching their team get dismantled possession after possession. Staying any longer felt like punishment.
Just ninety seconds into the fourth quarter, both teams emptied their benches.
Garbage time had officially arrived.
In online chats and fan forums, the roasting began:
"The game ended early, man!"
"No suspense at all, just another beat down."
"Nuggets morale died in Game 3. This was expected."
"Score was closest at 0 to 0. After that, disaster."
"Nuggets already switched to non resistance mode."
"That two man defense had no communication. None."
"JR communicating? Hes lucky his teammates didnt swing at him!"
"Suns turned the Pepsi Center into a funeral home!"
Fans needed entertainment wherever they could find it, because the game itself no longer provided any.
On the Denver bench, Allen Iverson sat with a blank, distant stare.
He knew his season was over. He knew his championship dream had slipped even further away once again. At this point, he wasnt thinking about a comeback. He wasnt thinking about a miracle. He just wanted one win at home. One moment of pride.
Even that was too much to ask tonight.
The Nuggets looked great on paper. Anthony and Iverson were elite scorers, Camby was the reigning DPOY, and JR Smith off the bench could explode at any moment. But basketball isnt a collection of isolated talents.
It is chemistry. It is rhythm. It is trust.
And this Nuggets team had none of it.
Garbage time burned away, and the final buzzer sounded.
The Phoenix Suns dominated Game 4 from start to finish, sweeping the Nuggets out of the playoffs.
The Suns bench erupted into high fives and hugs. Their celebration was confident, efficient, and calm. There was no need for over the top joy. The job was done. They were moving on.
Denver fans didn't cry. They accepted reality, prepared for this long before tonight. Many of their players did the same.
On the broadcast, TNT cut to the studio.
Kenny Smith said, "The Suns just blew the doors off Denver. Complete control from start to finish. They are the first team to sweep this postseason."
Charles Barkley shook his head. "Man, Chen Yan only needed twenty nine minutes and still gave them 38 points on 15 out of 19 shooting. That boy is for real. That is superstar stuff."
On the court, the Suns kept smiling, enjoying the moment.
Their next opponent would come soon enough.
After greeting his teammates, Chen Yan walked straight toward the Nuggets. He made sure to shake hands with every player, showing respect for his opponents.
He stopped in front of Iverson.
The two shared a long embrace, cameras flashing around them. A year ago, Chen was just a college star Iverson happened to spot. Now, Chen had eliminated him from the playoffs.
"Chen, enjoy the win," Iverson said, patting his back. "You earned it."
Chen smiled. "Allen, you still played great. You're still the answer."
Iverson let out a small laugh. "Dont comfort me, kid. I can take a loss. Just keep going. Beat Duncan. Beat Kobe. Beat LeBron. Get what you want."
They hugged again, and it felt like a passing of the torch.
Iverson had once been the idol of playground kids everywhere. Now, more and more children wore oversized Chen Yan jerseys as they ran down neighborhood courts.
A new era was coming.
In the post game press conference, Iverson, Anthony, and George Karl were vague about the Nuggets future. Everyone could see changes were coming. The pieces didn't fit. Something had to shift.
The first affected would likely be Iverson. He wasn't washed up — far from it — but he didn't fit with the current construction of the team.
At the Suns press conference, cameras focused on Chen Yan again.
"Chen, how does it feel to sweep and advance?"
"Very happy. A sweep gives us more rest, and it builds confidence. This is the result of our whole teams effort."
"Is the championship the goal this season?"
"That is why we fight every night."
"What do you think of the Nuggets as an opponent?"
"This series wasn't easy. The score doesn't tell the whole story. Anthony is one of the best scorers in the league. Iverson is a warrior. Camby makes the paint tough. They challenged us, but in the playoffs, only one team can move on."
Chen never mocked Denver or its fans, even though many had been hostile toward him online. He kept it respectful, professional, and firm.
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