Chapter 459: Egg Burst 2 Plus 1, Double Chicken Smash
On January 18, the Suns and the Boston Celtics met at TD Garden.
It was a national TV game, and everyone knew the real headline, Chen Yan vs. Durant.
During warmups, Durant deliberately avoided talking to Chen Yan. He wanted his emotions simmering, the kind of heat that could fuel an explosion once the ball went up.
Back in their rookie season, Greg Oden's season ending injury had turned every debate into Chen Yan versus Durant. The result had been brutal. Chen Yan had outshined him in every way, scoring, winning, and even collecting a Finals MVP.
If they were not from the same class, nobody would have bothered comparing them.
Durant took it personally, but he was not the type to bark about it. He just worked.
He trained hard all summer. He looked honest, quiet, polite, but the desire to win in him was sharp. Since he was a kid, people had slapped him with the nickname "Perpetual Second Place." Now he wanted to tear it off with his own hands.
Westbrook would have walked up and declared war.
Durant preferred to stay silent, grind in the background, then let the scoreboard talk for him.
…
Boston's starting lineup was Perkins, Glen Davis, Durant, Tony Allen, and Derrick Rose.
It was a funny looking group. The perimeter had speed and mobility, but the 2 bigs were heavy, slow moving shields planted near the paint.
The camera cut to Rondo, and he looked visibly irritated.
Last season, he had been a clear starter, averaging 31 minutes a night. This year his minutes had dropped to 24, and he had even been pushed to the bench. Nobody with pride enjoyed that.
But the reality was simple. If you had to choose between him and Rose, most coaches would choose Rose.
This season Rose was giving Boston 18.5 points and 6.3 assists in 37 minutes per game, and with him the Celtics had climbed back into the East's top 8. Both his production and the team's record backed Doc Rivers' decision.
Early in the season, Rivers had tried starting them together. It did not work.
Rondo wanted the ball to control the offense. Rose also needed the ball. Durant lived with the ball in his hands too. There was not enough oxygen for 3 creators in 1 room.
Defensively, a 2 point guard lineup was also easy to hunt. Rose was ordinary on that end, especially around screens. Rondo's size helped him against point guards, but if he had to defend bigger shooting guards, he was giving up too much.
After half a season on the bench, Rondo had already started thinking about leaving. Rivers wanted him as a sixth man to captain the second unit, but Rondo's ambition was too big to accept that role quietly.
…
Phoenix's starters were Nash, Chen Yan, Raja Bell, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
Stoudemire won the tip easily. Perkins was a ground bound center, his jump on a tip was probably no more than 40 cm.
Rose brought the ball up and flashed a hand signal.
Durant did not hesitate. He ran straight to his spot to receive the ball.
His intent was obvious tonight. He attacked immediately, a crossover into a high post pull up.
Clang.
First shot, miss.
On TNT, Barkley snorted. "Man, KD came out like he was late for something. That was fast."
Kenny Smith stayed calm. "He wants this matchup. Sometimes that adrenaline makes you rush the first one."
The rebound kicked high. Glen Davis and Perkins had the inside position, and that is what usually decides rebounds. It is not just jumping, it is strength and timing too.
But as the bigs wrestled, Chen Yan slid in with a quick step and rose above everyone to snatch it clean.
No contact, no interference, just pure lift. His jump was on a different level.
Phoenix ran instantly.
Chen Yan took 1 dribble, then fired the ball to Nash, who had the better angle.
Nash crossed half court, paused for half a beat, then whipped a cross court pass to Stoudemire.
The athletic gap between the frontcourts was obvious. Stoudemire was already catching the ball near the 3 point line and driving, while Perkins was still trying to reach half court.
Stoudemire took 1 dribble, gathered, then hammered a 1 handed dunk.
2 to 0 Suns.
Looking at Boston's empty paint, a random lyric flashed through Chen Yan's mind, and he almost laughed at himself.
…
Next possession, Durant went right back to solo work.
He was the leader of this Celtics team, and since his rookie season, the message from Danny Ainge had been simple: be aggressive, do not overthink it.
Ainge understood something most GMs pretended to forget. The fastest way to level up a young star is to let him shoot, then live with the results.
Durant called for a screen from Glen Davis and drove toward the lane.
Diaw switched onto him immediately, sliding into position to cut him off.
Durant crossed left.
His handle was smooth, but not truly lightning fast. His height made certain moves impossible to snap like a smaller guard.
Diaw stayed in front, moving laterally, blocking the lane again.
Durant paused, went behind the back, spun the other way, and still could not shake him.
Diaw's defense was better than he expected.
Durant regretted the angle. If he had simply isolated on Raja Bell, he could have risen and shot over him. Against Diaw, who was close to his height, everything became harder.
Durant kicked it to Glen Davis.
Raja Bell rotated instantly, right on the catch. He had clearly done his homework. Davis had a mid range game, and Bell was not giving him a clean look.
Davis did not force it. That was not his role.
He swung it to Rose up top.
By the time Rose touched it, the shot clock was low. It felt like a bailout possession.
Rose caught, drove right immediately, then snapped a powerful between the legs crossover.
Nash was left a step behind.
Rose's explosiveness was on full display. Nash hated guards like this, guys who attacked with force and speed. There was no way to stop them clean once they got downhill.
Rose drove past Nash, took 1 more dribble, and Raja Bell sprinted over from the wing to cut him off.
Rose did not have time to pass. He had to rise over the contest.
The jumper missed.
Perkins boxed Stoudemire out hard, keeping him on the floor. Diaw took a step back, ready to secure the rebound.
Then a shout exploded behind him.
"Mine!"
Diaw almost froze. Instinctively, he pulled his hands back.
Chen Yan's big hand clamped the ball like a suction cup.
He twisted in midair, landed, and pushed the break by himself.
Chen Yan accelerated into the paint.
Durant jogged into the lane, trying to slide over and draw the charge, but Chen Yan was too fast. Durant's feet were not set, and the contact blasted him backward.
Durant went down hard.
Chen Yan kept the motion, powering through and flipping the ball up.
Beep.
The whistle.
Durant, on the floor, instantly turned his head to the referee, praying for an offensive foul.
Instead, the official signaled blocking.
Durant shut his eyes for a brief second in frustration.
Then he heard the sound.
The ball bounced twice on the rim and dropped through.
And on the way down, it caught Durant squarely in the groin.
Durant's eyes flew open. He grabbed himself in pain, rolling slightly as TD Garden reacted with a collective wince. Even the home crowd did not want to see that.
A brutal 2 plus 1.
For Durant, it was a double hit in the same moment.
.....
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