TL: 100 PS
Chapter 265: Is The Mid Range Shot From The Logo
DAntoni clapped on the sideline. That three had been from way out and a little rushed, but it dropped. In his philosophy, if the ball goes through the net, it is a good shot.
That was what separated him from a lot of other coaches. On many teams, a rookie who pulled a shot like that in a playoff game would be sitting on the bench on the next possession. DAntoni was different. He gave his players freedom, trusted their instincts, and that trust was a big reason Chen Yan could keep playing at his peak.
Chen Yan raised three fingers as he backed up on defense. The roar of the arena, the reaction from his teammates, the sea of orange in the stands all sent a rush of adrenaline through him.
Spurs ball.
Parker and Duncan went right back to the bread and butter. Parker came off another screen from Duncan at the top. This time the Suns defense collapsed quickly, cutting off the drive. Parker pulled the ball back and swung it to Duncan in space.
Duncan rose from the elbow for a classic mid range bank shot.
Bang.
The ball hit the rim and kicked out. His hands were still a little cold.
Raja Bell crashed down from the wing, grabbed the defensive rebound, and immediately fired it out to Nash.
The Suns were off.
Nash pushed in transition, weaving through traffic. Just past half court, he flicked a one handed pass to Chen Yan streaking along the right side.
Chen Yan caught the ball on the move and did not even bother with a dribble. From about sixty degrees on the right wing, still deep behind the line, he pulled up.
In the TNT booth, Kenny Smith shot forward in his chair. "Another deep three pointer right out of transition!"
Chen was not hunting deep shots just to show off. He was simply shooting when the rhythm felt right.
Swish.
The ball snapped through the net, clean as a whistle.
6 to 2.
Two possessions. Two long bombs. The building erupted again, even louder than before. Fans jumped, hugged, waved towels, the noise rolling through the arena in waves.
On the Spurs sideline, Gregg Popovich frowned. Those attempts were completely outside the defensive script. His game plan was designed to take away layups and normal threes, not shots from several steps behind the arc.
With Sun and Sky active, the line no longer mattered to Chen Yan. Whether he was one step behind or several meters behind, his percentage did not drop. In some ways, the deeper shots were even better looks, because most defenders did not truly believe anyone would pull from that far.
San Antonio settled in again.
This time, they went inside first. Duncan posted on the block, drew an early help defender, then kicked out. The ball found its way back to Parker curling to the free throw line.
Pull up.
Net.
6 to 4.
Parker had all 4 points for the Spurs to open the game.
Phoenix flowed into a half court set on the next possession.
Chen Yan's hot start had simplified the Suns decision making. Nash crossed half court, read the floor, and found him again.
One step outside the arc, Chen suddenly put on the brakes and then slid back.
Normally, that distance alone would make a defender relax. Take another step back and most opponents would simply live with the shot.
But Bowen did not dare relax. He had already been burned twice. Distance no longer meant safety.
He lunged forward, leaving his feet to contest.
Chen Yan did not rise. He sold the shot, watched Bowen fly past, and then swung the ball to Diaw on the left side, still beyond the line.
The instant the ball left his hands, Chen Yan bent at the waist and sprinted forward as if he was making a hard cut toward the paint. Bowen landed, felt the shift, and spun to follow. Years of defensive discipline told him Chen would slice backdoor.
But Chen Yan had been a step ahead.
The forward cut was just bait. He planted, stopped on a dime, and changed direction, popping back out to a spot about two meters above the top of the arc, even farther away from the basket.
Diaw read it perfectly and fired the ball back.
Bowen twisted again, fighting to close the gap. His effort was relentless, but his balance was gone. Diaw's body brushed across him, buying just enough space as a screen.
Chen Yan caught, set, and rose.
This one was even deeper.
From that distance, he was basically standing near the logo.
In the TNT booth, Barkley almost climbed out of his seat. "He is pulling that from the logo, Kenny!"
Popovich stared from the sideline, eyes narrowed. The first two deep threes had already felt unreasonable. This one, taken this casually from that far out, felt downright unfair.
The ball peaked high, then dropped, kissed the inside of the rim, and fell straight through.
3 in a row.
9 to 4.
The place went insane.
Fans were on their feet, arms thrown in the air, some staring at the court with their hands on their heads. The sound swelled to the point where it felt like the roof might lift off the building.
On the Suns bench, even the players who had watched Chen all year could not help trading looks of disbelief and laughter.
In the TNT booth, Barkley and Kenny's commentary narrowed down to one word.
"God."
"That is all I have right now, Chuck. Just God."
Popovich had seen enough. Even though the deficit was only 5, the momentum had completely swung. He signaled for a timeout.
The whistle blew. The roar did not die.
The break in play only gave the crowd more time to scream.
Chen Yan jogged back toward the sideline, chest bumping teammates along the way. His blood was pumping, cheeks flushed. He blew on his palms, then shook his hands out as if they were too hot to touch.
On the baseline, the ESPN reporter who had interviewed him before the game suddenly connected the dots.
So this is what he meant by taking more mid range shots.
For everyone else, that area was between the free throw line and the arc.
For Chen Yan tonight, mid range seemed to start at the center circle.
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