Chapter 829: Dazed by the Sudden Assault

Chapter 829: Chapter 829: Dazed by the Sudden Assault

Chapter 829: Dazed by the Sudden Assault

The moment San Antonio’s home crowd processed Chen Yan’s opening shot, a collective groan rolled through the arena.

That kind of basket could damage morale even more than a dunk.

First, it was worth 3 points.

Second, it created the uncomfortable feeling that there was simply no way to defend it.

Fans watching elsewhere immediately erupted.

"That is a classic Chen Yan shot!"

"He should patent that deep 3 pointer."

"What are you supposed to do against that?"

"He is shooting in the NBA Finals like this is practice."

San Antonio came back down.

Parker crossed half court.

The passing began.

Bonner received the ball beyond the arc.

David West stepped out to guard him.

Bonner was not a conventional power forward.

Most of his offensive activity took place outside the 3 point line.

That was exactly why Popovich had inserted him into the starting lineup.

His shooting dragged a defender away from the paint and created more room for everyone else.

Bonner held the ball briefly.

Ginóbili curled around him.

Manu took 1 step before sending the ball back.

Bonner gave a quick fake, put the ball on the floor with his left hand, and attacked.

Driving was not his strength.

His handle was ordinary, and age had already taken away much of his athleticism.

David West stayed with him easily.

Bonner reached the paint and stopped.

Duncan moved toward the free throw line to facilitate.

Bonner passed the ball and immediately retreated back beyond the arc.

He understood his role perfectly.

Space the floor.

Duncan was left with a one on one opportunity.

Jab step.

Mid range jumper.

Miss.

Kenny Smith nodded.

"Duncan sometimes needs a few possessions to find his rhythm."

Barkley laughed.

"Not everybody is Chen Yan. That man came out of the locker room already boiling."

Chen rose and snatched the defensive rebound with 1 hand.

Once again, he did not give the ball to Curry.

He brought it up himself.

This time, Chen did not rush.

He crossed half court while studying both his teammates and San Antonio’s defensive alignment.

Battier came up to screen near the arc.

Chen used it and moved 2 steps to the right.

Then suddenly rose.

Ginóbili switched onto him and rushed forward.

It did not matter.

Chen had already entered the kind of rhythm where the defense barely seemed relevant.

Pullup.

Swish!

6 to 0.

Chen did not celebrate.

He simply turned and ran back on defense with a completely expressionless face.

Barkley raised his voice.

"Another one! San Antonio has not figured this out at all."

Kenny smiled.

"He gets off the floor faster, he releases higher, and he does not need much space. That is an extremely difficult shot to contest."

San Antonio returned to offense.

Duncan received the ball at the high post.

Parker came around, caught the pass, stepped back, and rose from the mid range.

Miss.

Bonner crashed the glass and aggressively tipped at the rebound.

The ball landed in Duncan’s hands.

Duncan gathered and prepared to power up from a standstill.

Whistle.

The referee stopped the play.

Bonner had committed a foul while fighting for the rebound.

David West rubbed the back of his head.

Bonner had swung too aggressively and caught him directly.

New York regained possession.

"Defense!"

"Defense!"

The San Antonio crowd tried to lift its team.

Curry brought the ball across half court.

Chen came toward him for a handoff.

Left hand dribble.

Chen motioned for David West to screen.

The instant West arrived, San Antonio sent 2 defenders at Chen.

This was not even a planned adjustment.

It was instinct.

Chen had already hit 2 unreasonable 3 pointers.

The Spurs simply did not want to watch him take another.

Chen immediately recognized the opening.

Pass forward.

West was already cutting.

Catch.

2 steps.

Attack the rim.

Smack!

Duncan erased the shot the instant it left West’s hand.

His defensive range remained enormous.

Duncan barely jumped, secured the ball, and immediately looked upcourt.

Then he fired a long pass to Parker, who had already crossed half court.

Parker attacked the basket.

Chen abandoned Leonard and sprinted after him.

Parker glanced behind him as he entered the paint.

He knew exactly what Chen wanted.

A chase down block.

Parker slowed for a moment.

Fake.

Chen stayed grounded.

He always preferred to wait for the offensive player to leave the floor first.

His speed off the ground allowed him to react later than almost anyone else.

Parker saw that the fake had failed.

Pass.

Ginóbili had shaken free and sprinted toward the corner.

Catch.

Immediate shot.

Swish!

6 to 3.

Parker and Ginóbili connected perfectly.

Manu held his shooting hand high as he retreated.

The arena finally exploded.

San Antonio had its first points.

New York immediately came back down.

Curry pushed the ball over half court.

After several passes, New York went back to David West.

West caught it.

Back down.

Quick spin.

Bonner could not contain him.

But Duncan was waiting.

West attacked anyway.

Duncan rotated over.

Contest.

The close range layup missed.

For the second straight possession, West had been completely disrupted by Duncan.

Age had taken away some of Duncan’s mobility.

His defensive instincts had not disappeared.

Leonard secured the rebound and pushed.

He crossed half court before suddenly slowing down.

His eyes moved toward his teammates as if he intended to set up the offense.

Chen relaxed for half a second.

Leonard immediately accelerated.

Baseline drive.

Chen reacted just in time and stayed attached.

Leonard saw that the path to the rim was gone.

He did not force the issue.

Pass to the corner.

Parker caught it with a brief window of space.

Shoot.

3 pointer.

That was never Parker’s preferred weapon.

A corner 3 was even less comfortable for him.

And on a stage like the NBA Finals, every weakness became magnified.

A player producing 70 or 80 percent of his normal ability under this pressure could already be considered solid.

Clang!

Miss.

Nobody looked surprised.

Chen grabbed the rebound.

Immediately forward.

He drove into the paint.

San Antonio collapsed from every direction.

Chen saw Battier open.

Pass.

Battier caught and shot.

Miss.

The rebound did not travel far.

Parker collected it.

San Antonio pushed again.

Parker reached the 3 point line at a controlled pace.

Curry was waiting.

Sudden change of direction.

Drive.

Parker almost completely beat him.

He reached the rim.

Layup.

The ball bounced once.

Then again.

Out.

Duncan had followed the play.

Nobody picked him up.

Easy finish off the glass.

5 to 6.

San Antonio had suddenly begun playing much faster.

Popovich had not forbidden it.

His message before the game had been simple.

If the opportunity was there, run.

Speed was acceptable as long as the possession ended with points.

Curry brought the ball up.

New York settled into half court offense.

Pass to Chen.

Chen dribbled left and drew the defense toward him.

Then he found David West in better position.

West caught it and attacked immediately.

Bonner had no answer.

Duncan did.

Smack!

Another block.

Right on top of West.

David West had officially become the most frustrated player on the floor.

Duncan had rejected him twice in the opening stretch.

But Duncan did not stop after the block.

He collected the ball himself and began pushing upcourt.

Point forward.

Barkley laughed.

"Look at Duncan. Blocks the shot, grabs the ball, and now he is bringing it up himself."

Kenny nodded.

"And watch the setup. Bonner gives West the matchup he wants, but Duncan is sitting behind him like the second layer of the defense."

San Antonio’s transition attack was moving unusually fast.

For the opening stretch, the Spurs were actually playing faster than New York.

Duncan reached the free throw line.

Turn.

Pass.

Bonner caught the ball outside.

Rise.

Swish!

3 pointer.

5 to 9.

Bonner pumped his fist.

That was exactly why Popovich had started him.

Spacing.

Shooting.

Punish the defense when it collapsed.

Nelson immediately called timeout.

New York had spent the opening minutes expecting San Antonio to slow the game down.

Instead, the Spurs had come out running.

For a moment, the sudden change had left the Knicks a little dazed.

....

https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

[[email protected]/FanficLord03].