Chapter 458: Winning Streak Ends, Durant's Unyielding Spirit
1 day later, on the second night of a back to back, the Phoenix Suns lost on the road to the Golden State Warriors.
Just like that, the streak ended at 24.
In the NBA, nobody wins forever. Still, fans were stunned that Phoenix finally fell to the Warriors.
Golden State had been scraping the bottom of the Western Conference all season, living in the standings basement. Yet inside Oracle Arena, the celebration exploded like it was New Year's Eve.
The last time that building had sounded like this was 2007, during the We Believe run.
…
The Warriors did what Oracle teams always did when they smelled blood.
They ran.
They pushed the pace to the absolute limit, turning the Suns' own identity into a weapon. It was run and gun at its purest. On offense, Golden State's perimeter guys took turns launching shots. If it went in, great. If it missed, they sprinted back and set their defense without a second thought.
Phoenix refused to blink. The Suns sped up right with them, matching the tempo possession for possession. At times the game moved so fast the broadcast cameras struggled to keep up.
"This is basically a track meet with a scoreboard," Charles Barkley said on TNT. "Neither team is pretending to play defense right now."
Kenny Smith nodded, eyes locked on the floor. "It's a shooting game tonight. Pace plus shot making. Whoever stays hotter longer wins."
Phoenix usually loved this kind of fight. Against most teams, the Suns' speed and spacing eventually broke you.
But Golden State was not most teams.
Not because they were better, but because they were crazier.
They had too many streaky, irrational shot makers, the kind of guys who could take a terrible attempt and make it feel like destiny. Jamal Crawford, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and even Monta Ellis, though he was out for the season, fit that same mold.
And their coach, Don Nelson, was not the type to put a leash on anyone.
If anything, he handed them the keys and told them to press the gas until the engine screamed.
…
Crawford, Jackson, and Maggette buried 10 3 pointers in the 1st half.
In the 2nd half, they got even more reckless, drilling one unreasonable shot after another, ripping through the Suns' net and lighting the crowd on fire. Oracle got louder by the minute, like the building was remembering 2007 all over again.
Chen Yan finally understood why Dirk Nowitzki had looked so haunted back then.
This place was chaos, from the players to the fans. Everybody believed every shot was going in, and belief is contagious.
Once that trio caught fire, the rest of the roster started shooting like they had the same green light.
Al Harrington hit one.
C.J. Watson hit one.
Anthony Morrow hit one.
It became a wave. The Suns were staring at the scoreboard like it was lying.
Most teams had 1 streaky shooter. Golden State had a whole rotation of them, all feeling fearless at the same time. They were taking random shots and making them, and Phoenix could not find a logical way to stop it.
Random basketball creates miracles.
That was how the Warriors had taken down the Mavericks once upon a time, and that was how they broke Phoenix tonight.
Golden State averaged 9.1 made 3 pointers per game this season.
In this game, they made 21.
…
In Chen Yan's previous life, even all time teams had tripped over bottom feeders during the regular season. The 72 win Bulls lost games they had no business losing. The 73 win Warriors did too.
Nobody escaped that curse.
Phoenix did not escape it either.
Final score: Warriors 127, Suns 120.
Chen Yan finished with 33 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Stoudemire had 21 points and 9 rebounds.
Azubuike added 17 points and 4 rebounds.
Novak went 4 for 5 from deep for 12 points.
Nash had 10 points and 14 assists.
For Golden State, Captain Jackson led the way with a game high 36 points. Crawford poured in 30. Maggette chipped in 21.
The Warriors fans stood and applauded long after the buzzer, reluctant to leave. The players met at midcourt, slapping hands and laughing like they had just stolen something priceless.
With this roster, a championship was basically a fantasy. So ending the Suns' 24 game streak, that was a trophy of its own. A story they could tell for years.
Phoenix, meanwhile, looked drained.
Some players stood with their hands on their knees. Others covered their mouths, staring into space. The locker room afterward was quiet, like all the pride from 24 straight wins had been ripped out in 1 night.
Still, the Suns had a strong mentality. They did not spiral.
Raja Bell told reporters, "A season always has wins and losses. Losing the streak doesn't mean anything is wrong. If anything, it takes pressure off. We don't have to wake up every morning thinking about extending it."
Azubuike shook his head with a helpless smile. "We played our game. They just played better. They kept shooting, like they didn't know the word 'stop.'"
Nash spoke slowly, picking his words. "Losing feels a lot better when the other team beats you, compared to when you throw a game away yourself, or play like you forgot how to play basketball."
Reporters found Chen Yan too.
"Chen, what does the end of the winning streak mean for the Suns?"
Chen Yan smiled. "What does it mean? It means a new winning streak is about to start."
…
That night, Yao Ming called him.
"Be satisfied," Yao said, half amused, half bitter. "You already had a 24 game streak. We don't even have 24 total wins this season."
He was not exaggerating. The Rockets were 23 and 15. They literally had not reached 24 wins yet.
Chen Yan laughed. "Don't comfort me, Yao. I get it. A winning streak can become pressure. Sometimes losing isn't a bad thing."
"Good," Yao said. "Basketball is wins and losses."
Chen Yan's tone turned serious. "What do you think our biggest problem is right now?"
"From my perspective, it's still rebounding," Yao said. "You can run, you can play fast, but you can't let the other team control the glass. If you lose too many rebounds, you lose control of the game."
Yao did not sugarcoat it. Their relationship was close enough that honesty was the point.
Chen Yan agreed. Rebounding was an old Suns problem. They had been winning so much that it stayed hidden under the surface.
"So how do we fix it?" Chen Yan asked.
Yao laughed. "Trade for me, hahaha."
Chen Yan laughed too. He knew it was a joke. If Yao truly wanted out, he would have left a year ago. The Lakers had already reached for him back then, offering the temptation of Kobe and Los Angeles, and Yao still stayed loyal. There was no chance he would suddenly run to Phoenix now, and honestly, the Suns' system was not built for a massive center like him anyway.
Phoenix also could not realistically make a major move. True centers were scarce in this era, and even blue collar bigs cost a fortune. A guy like Erick Dampier could average 5 points and 7 rebounds and still get paid like a star. Phoenix's owner was not exactly known for opening the wallet to patch the paint.
On the current roster, DeAndre Jordan had the tools to become a high level blue collar big, but development takes time. As a rookie, he could not be asked to carry championship level responsibility yet.
After thinking it through, Chen Yan realized the solution had to start with him.
He remembered a method he had seen in his previous life, the Westbrook approach. Teammates box out, and the guard crashes in to secure the rebound himself. It protects the defensive rebound, and it lets him immediately push the ball for a fast break.
Chen Yan's explosiveness was no worse than Westbrook's, and he also had the bonus of the Rebounding Instinct skill.
He could do it.
…
By this point, Chen Yan had gained another 150 honor points. Added to his previous 69, his total was 219.
First, he spent 40 honor points to buy 4 attribute points in the 85 to 90 range, raising his Rebounding to 90 in one jump.
Next, he spent 120 honor points to raise both Layup and Breakthrough to 95, sharpening his threat at the rim.
As usual, he kept some honor points in reserve, just in case, to protect against injuries.
The next day at practice, Chen Yan brought the idea to D'Antoni.
D'Antoni thought it was worth trying. He had always believed Chen Yan had a sharp instinct for the ball. If Chen Yan secured the rebound himself, he could push it past half court immediately, and the Suns' transition attack would become even more lethal.
…
Phoenix's next opponent was the Boston Celtics.
After the Warriors game, the team flew to Boston to prepare for the road matchup.
When Durant heard Phoenix had finally lost, he was in a bad mood all day.
He had wanted to end the Suns' streak himself, but the Warriors had stolen the moment.
Durant was an emotional player. You could read him like a headline. In practice, he wore a permanent frown that made his teammates look at him like, What did we do?
After the Suns landed in Boston, Chen Yan and Durant met for dinner.
Since they entered the NBA, their chances to see each other had become rarer and rarer. They exchanged a few words about college life, then the conversation naturally snapped back to the league.
"KD, the Celtics are 6th in the East right now," Chen Yan said. "A playoff spot this year is basically locked."
Durant's lips curled into a slight, dangerous smile. "Sorry. My goal isn't just the playoffs."
Chen Yan pretended not to understand. "Then what is it?"
"Championship," Durant said, loud and direct.
They were in a private room, or the fans outside would have flooded in for autographs.
Chen Yan leaned back, amused. "KD, I'll tell you the quickest way to win a title."
Durant's eyes lit up. "How?"
"Join the Suns," Chen Yan said, laughing.
Durant did not laugh with him. His expression stayed serious, almost stubborn. "No. I'm winning it with these Celtics teammates. I've always hated shortcuts."
Chen Yan went quiet for a moment.
All he could do was accept it.
Durant, at this stage, was still a hot blooded young star with pride written into his bones.
.....
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