Chapter 260: The Next Round Opponent Is Set, McGrady's Fate
Phoenix exploded with celebration the night the Suns completed their sweep. Bars, streets, and living rooms were alive with cheering fans. But inside the team, the atmosphere was much calmer. The players returned to Phoenix the next day and gathered for a quiet team dinner at Nash's house. It wasn't a champagne party or a wild celebration. It was simply a team coming together, families included, enjoying a night of rest after taking care of business.
Chen Yan brought Taylor Swift along, and the two blended naturally with the players and their wives. After dinner, Chen Yan found himself playing with Nash's five year old twin daughters. The girls adored him immediately, shouting "Uncle! Uncle!" every time they tugged on his arm. He tried to correct them, joking that "Brother" sounded better, but the twins paid him no mind.
Seeing how easily he bonded with the kids, Nash and his wife began teasing Chen Yan and Taylor, hinting they should start thinking about children themselves. Chen Yan only laughed. Both he and Taylor were still young, and both still climbing in their careers. That step could wait.
Later that night, the Suns gathered in Nash's living room to watch Game Five of Spurs versus Rockets. The winner would face Phoenix in the next round, so the entire roster was glued to the screen. The wives and girlfriends went upstairs to chat, and the players relaxed with snacks and drinks.
The Spurs had a 3 to 1 lead after stealing two games on the road, and tonight they held match point. Even so, there was a calmness in the room. After a sweep, watching someone else struggle felt strangely peaceful.
Nash nudged Chen Yan early in the first quarter. "Chen, who do you want to face next?"
"The Rockets," Chen Yan replied without hesitation.
"Because of your Yao Ming?"
"That has nothing to do with it," Chen Yan said with a shrug. "They're just easier to beat."
Nash burst out laughing. "So what are the Rockets' chances of winning this series?"
"Close to zero," Chen Yan answered bluntly. He knew the Rockets well. Yao Ming was injured, McGrady was past his best years, and even the full strength Rockets had always struggled against the Spurs' brutal playoff style.
Chen Yan took another sip of his drink. "Still, I hope they drag it out. The Spurs are old. Every extra game takes something out of them."
But the game quickly made it clear that Chen Yan's wish would not be granted.
The Spurs controlled the first quarter and entered the second up seven. When the Rockets tried to rally, San Antonio responded with a sharp twelve to five run. By halftime, the lead was twelve, and Duncan had already put up seventeen points and eight rebounds. The Tim Duncan rhythm was unmistakable. He wanted the series over tonight.
Both teams went cold in the third quarter, but the Spurs' defense stayed airtight. The Rockets' shooters were suffocated. They made fewer than thirty percent of their shots and went one for seven from three. Every possession looked like they were running into a brick wall.
The Rockets tried one last push in the fourth, briefly trimming the deficit under twenty, but everyone in the room knew the truth. You do not come back from that against the Spurs. Not this team. Not with that discipline. Not in the playoffs.
"The Spurs again," someone muttered.
"Get ready, boys."
"I want that rematch."
The Suns players were practically smiling as the clock wound down. Their second round opponent was obvious. For years, the Spurs had been Phoenix's nightmare, eliminating them again and again. But this time was different. This year, the Suns had Chen Yan. They had firepower in the half court and in transition. For once, the matchup did not feel impossible.
The game finally ended. Spurs 93, Rockets 75. San Antonio advanced 4 to 1.
On the broadcast, McGrady looked devastated. Another first round exit. Another year of the same curse.
Chen Yan watched in silence. He felt bad for the Rockets, but not for McGrady. In his previous life, McGrady had pushed himself too far that playoff season, draining his knee and injecting sealant just to try to steal a game. The decision destroyed the next phase of his career, accelerating his decline and early retirement.
This time, because of Chen Yan's presence in the league, the matchups had shifted. Instead of playing the Jazz, the Rockets met the Spurs, and the series ended so quickly that McGrady never had time to make that desperate, damaging decision.
In this world, his body might last longer. Perhaps his career would too.
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