Chapter 452: Perfect Performance, 20 Game Winning Streak!
"Chen Yan has had a perfect start," Charles Barkley boomed. "He's sitting on 18 points and 2 assists, and the first 22 points Phoenix scored all had his fingerprints on them."
Kenny Smith chuckled. "He's in rhythm early. When he starts like this, you're not asking if he can get 50, you're asking how long the other team can stay upright."
For once, even the most optimistic fans felt the broadcast was underselling it. With the way Chen Yan was moving tonight, anything under 60 would only happen if the Clippers waved the white flag early.
The Clippers called timeout. No substitutions, just a defensive adjustment.
Mike Dunleavy sent Al Thornton, the better athlete, to take the primary assignment. On every pick and roll, they switched immediately. Off the ball, everyone else shaded into Chen Yan's driving lanes, ready to clog any route that led to easy catches or clean angles. The mission was simple: break the connection between Chen Yan and the rest of the Suns.
The idea was familiar, even if the context was different.
Back in the day, the Pistons had a system for Michael Jordan, the infamous Jordan Rules. Let him score, keep everyone else cold, and make every touch feel like it cost blood. Detroit rode that blueprint to 3 straight playoff wins over Chicago and eventually their Bad Boys two peat.
The Clippers were trying to borrow the spirit of it now.
The game resumed, and their offense stayed ugly. They worked deep into the shot clock, then settled for a Baron Davis isolation jumper that clanked short.
His touch was off, but when your possession is dying, the ball still ends up in the hands of the one guy who can create something. Baron was their only true star and primary handler tonight.
Phoenix pushed back.
Nash used a screen to threaten the lane. The moment he snapped into his move, Chen Yan spun free like he had been released from a tether. Their timing was surgical.
Nash fired a no look pass to the corner.
Catch.
Rise.
Swish.
15 to 25, and Chen Yan had 21.
He and Nash pointed at each other, smiling. When two high IQ players are synced up, the game starts feeling easy.
Next trip, Chen Yan stayed off ball again, used a screen to shake Thornton, and immediately saw the switch from Snell. Chen Yan caught at the top, probed twice, and pulled up.
Swish.
Another 3.
Snell was terrified of the drive and gave him just a little too much air. Against Chen Yan, that little bit is a mile.
Barkley laughed. "That's the problem. You can't give him space, but you can't crowd him, either. So what do you do, pray?"
Kenny nodded. "And Phoenix is spaced properly. If you overreact, you get punished somewhere else."
At the end of the 1st, the Suns led 35 to 22, up 13.
Chen Yan had 29 points and 2 assists.
Insane.
Before tip, people debated whether he could get to 50 again. With this pace, he might have gotten there by halftime.
...
Chen Yan opened the 2nd on the bench after playing the entire 1st. Even a machine needs a short cooldown.
The Clippers, refusing to quit, kept Baron Davis and Eric Gordon on the floor with their other key pieces. They tried to chip away while Chen Yan rested.
Phoenix's bench, however, came out cold. A run of missed shots gave the Clippers a window, and they finally pulled the gap closer.
Linus, quiet in the 1st, came out with energy in the 2nd. He attacked off the bounce, hit shots, played like he had something to prove.
D'Antoni did not wait long.
The starters checked back in.
Chen Yan and Nash looked relaxed. The Clippers were scoring a little, but it never felt like real momentum. Phoenix still controlled the temperature.
Play resumes.
Chen Yan waved off a screen and went straight into a 1 on 1 against Linus, then buried a 3 right over him.
Barkley shook his head, half laughing. "Man rested a minute and came back shooting like that's a warm up."
Kenny smiled. "They've tried 3 different defenders already. Same result."
On the other end, Gordon answered with a 3 from the top after a Baron Davis kick out. He pumped his fist and roared like he had landed a heavyweight punch, not realizing Chen Yan had basically given him an entire ocean of space.
Phoenix came back, and Chen Yan demanded the ball again, hunting another isolation. The energy he saved on defense, he spent on making sure his shot quality stayed clean.
Crossover.
Big step left.
The instant Linus leaned with him, Chen Yan snapped the ball between his legs the other way. Gordon reached in trying to steal, but Chen Yan stayed low, hips almost scraping the floor.
Smack.
Gordon caught arm.
Whistle.
Not in the bonus yet, so Phoenix inbounded.
Chen Yan walked up from the baseline. Diaw set a screen, Snell switched fast, and Chen Yan caught with momentum already built. He rose into a fading 3 over Snell.
Swish.
Snell stared at the floor like the answer might be written there. He had switched quickly, he had closed hard, and it still did not matter.
Then Gordon came right back with a high post jumper, and suddenly it looked like they were trading buckets, like it was a duel.
Raja Bell noticed Linus had found a little rhythm, 2 made 3s, confidence rising. He asked to switch the matchup.
Chen Yan shook his head.
"He's a rookie," Chen Yan said calmly. "Let him play. He can't beat us by himself. We just keep our rhythm."
Raja Bell smiled, understanding immediately.
Linus scored 11 points in the quarter against Chen Yan, which was impressive on paper.
It did not change anything.
Halftime: Suns 65, Clippers 45.
Chen Yan had 42 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds.
...
The 2nd half stayed fast, Phoenix running the same machine offense, and Chen Yan kept cashing in inside the system.
The lead kept expanding.
Then Chen Yan eased his defense again, allowing jumpers but taking away straight line drives. On switches, he used what players call eye defense, showing presence without fully engaging. The Clippers still did not punish it. Their shooting stayed shaky, and the misses turned into Suns fast breaks.
Chen Yan's touch cooled slightly in the 3rd. He picked his spots, scored 11 in the period, and entered the 4th with 53.
...
The 4th began with a key move from D'Antoni.
He put Novak and Barnes on the floor.
All shooters.
The spacing exploded.
If the Clippers doubled Chen Yan, they would get lit up from the corners and wings. If they stayed home, Chen Yan had a runway to chase 60, even 70.
And this is where Chen Yan's stamina separated him.
He had already taken nearly 30 shots through 3 quarters, not practice reps, but real game attempts under NBA physicality. Most scorers would see their mechanics fade, legs go heavy, release drift.
Chen Yan kept running, kept jumping, and kept shooting like his body never got the memo to slow down.
His choice in the 4th was brutally simple.
Shoot 3s.
It is the most efficient scoring method, and even with a slightly lower percentage than earlier, volume turns into points.
He launched 9 3 point attempts in the 4th.
He made 4.
44%.
And he added a fast break Euro step for a 2 plus 1.
When it was all tallied, Chen Yan finished with 68 points. The Clippers surrendered with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left, and Phoenix shut it down before he could hunt the last few points that would have pushed him past 70.
He was locked on scoring all night, and the stat line made it obvious.
Garbage time came early, but the building stayed full. Nobody left. They wanted the full experience, every last second of it.
Final: Suns 132, Clippers 108.
As the buzzer sounded, the US Airways Center rose into a long, warm ovation. They had watched a perfect scoring performance, and they had watched Phoenix lock up win number 20 in a row.
.....
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