Chapter 71: Fairy Ball, Original Skill [Juggling Finish]
"Yo! These two are going at each other!"
"This game's about to get wild!"
Inside the TNT studio, the commentators were buzzing with excitement. When two star players start trading blows on the court, it's not just the audience that gets hyped—even the pros in the booth can't help but lean in.
On-screen, Chen Yan pulled up for a lightning-quick three from 25 feet right after a transition play.
Swish!
A smooth stroke. A perfect sound.
Coach D'Antoni clapped with a big grin on the sideline. Chen Yan's confidence from deep was getting scarier by the minute.
On the other end, Wade didn't try to match the three. Long-range bombs were never his thing. His shooting from outside? Let's just say it wasn't pretty. He rarely pulled up unless he had no choice.
But D-Wade had his own way of fighting back.
After a slick series of crossovers and between-the-legs dribbles, Wade exploded off the bounce!
Azubuike stuck with him through the initial moves but couldn't hold the line for long. Wade's burst was legendary. Like he was gliding on ice, he slipped through the defense and attacked the paint.
It looked ridiculous... in the best way.
The lane was wide open. Chen Yan rotated over just as Wade took flight.
Wade muscled past Chen Yan with that quick first step, but instead of going straight up, he stepped sideways mid-air!
Their legs collided. A whistle blew instantly.
"Beep!"
Foul on Chen Yan.
As Wade lost his balance, he flipped the ball behind his head—a blind shot, no look, just vibes.
Swish!
The crowd gasped. That shot was just absurd.
Wade landed flat on his back but didn't even flinch. Instead, he sat up and threw a savage throat-slash gesture at Chen Yan.
Payback. Chen Yan had hit him with a buzzer-beating celebration earlier in the game. This was D-Wade's answer.
He drained the free throw.
Next Suns possession.
Barea ditched the playbook, crossed half-court, and gave the rock straight to Chen Yan.
He was cooking.
"Clear out!" someone yelled.
Wade shoved Ricky Davis aside and took the challenge himself—straight up, man-to-man with Chen Yan.
The crowd rose to their feet. This was what they came to see.
Finally, a legit one-on-one.
Zhang Heli, one of the commentators, couldn't contain himself. "If Chen Yan scores on this, he's takin' Wade's soul!"
Yu Jia gave the play-by-play. "Chen Yan's sizing him up... crossover! Behind the back! Another crossover! Big movements!"
"Wade's keeping up, but his footwork's shaky!"
"Chen Yan attacks! Huge stride into the paint!"
Whistle.
Defensive foul on Wade. Too aggressive. He pushed off.
Chen Yan stumbled, drifting behind the backboard as he released the shot...
Swish!
Madness. Pure madness.
The stadium erupted. Fans exploded in cheers, screams, disbelief.
Wade stood there, arms out, shaking his head. No clue how that shot even happened.
Chen Yan gave him a look that said: "You really questioning that after the garbage you just threw in blindfolded?"
"Insane!"
"Ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot!"
"These two ain't just playing. They're going to war!"
Viewers at home were going nuts too.
Ding! Skill Unlocked: [Juggling Finish (Passive)]!
[Juggling Finish (Passive)]: When executing a circus-style layup or trick shot, there's a chance this skill triggers. It boosts success rate of those shots by 10%. Also, there's a 30% chance it boosts the team's morale by 10%-20%.
Chen Yan grinned.
This skill was made for moments like this. Flashy as hell, maybe a little cocky, but who cares? It was free.
From the way his teammates were jumping up and losing their minds, Chen figured the morale boost kicked in, too.
He made a quick substitution before his free throw. The starters had rested enough.
"Yo! Get in there!"
Nash slapped Stoudemire on the back.
Amar'e was so glued to the action, he forgot it was time to check in.
"Amar'e, if you're such a fan, maybe the team should give you courtside season tickets," Diaw joked.
"Nah, man," Stoudemire replied, laughing. "Bench view is better than any VIP seat."
The whole team cracked up.
With a 13-point cushion, the Suns were loose, relaxed, and in rhythm.
Nash returned to the floor and hit the gas. The Suns ramped it up again and kept the Heat on their heels.
By halftime, the score was 63-43. A 20-point lead.
Thanks to two massive bursts at the end of Q1 and start of Q2, Chen Yan had already dropped 29 points.
Before tipoff, fans were wondering if he could put up another 30+ game. At this point, the debate was over.
As long as he didn't ghost in the second half, that number was in the bag.
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