Chapter 118: Help Durant Grow, Chen Yan's Song!
"Damn it, Chen! You almost ripped my arm off!"
"Hey! KD, I should be the one complaining here!"
The ref had just blown the whistle to stop the game, and both players were still lying on the hardwood, shouting at each other. They scrambled to their feet, still animated.
Durant clutched his chest and groaned, "Chen, you're a menace! Did you just elbow me in the ribs?"
Chen Yan rubbed the back of his head and scoffed, "Bullshit! You nearly scalped me, man!"
Their voices got louder, their tempers hotter, and the referee quickly stepped in between them to prevent the situation from escalating. Teammates started surrounding the two, tension thick in the air… until both Chen and KD suddenly laughed and patted each other on the backside.
It was all heat-of-the-moment stuff. Their bond ran deeper than a hard foul or a missed call.
Up in the stands, Durant's mom, Wanda, finally let out a sigh of relief. She watched like a mother watching two rowdy sons bicker—no real harm, just emotions running high.
The ref signaled for a jump ball at center court.
"Snap!"
Durant exploded off the floor, using his length and wingspan to win the tip. As soon as the ball was in play, he took advantage of the Suns' brief defensive lapse and cut hard to the rim.
Delonte West found him in stride with a crisp bounce pass.
Durant caught it clean and took off.
Inside the paint, facing Matt Barnes, KD took a long step right, then hit him with a slick Euro step left—one of the moves he'd picked up back in college from none other than Chen Yan.
It wasn't perfect like Chen's, but with Durant's reach and agility, it was still deadly.
He rose with his left hand for the layup—
"BANG!"
Out of nowhere, Chen Yan came flying in from the weak side and swatted it off the glass! An absolutely nasty block, pure rim protection savagery.
KD never saw him coming.
Barea grabbed the loose ball and ignited the fast break. The Suns' second unit thrived in transition, and this time it was Barea, Grant Hill, and Azubuike charging down the court in a perfect three-lane break.
Chen Yan trailed the play like a heat-seeking missile, and Barea hit the brakes at the free-throw line before whipping the ball backward to him.
Chen was wide open at the top of the arc—well, almost.
Durant wasn't done yet. He chased down the play from behind, hell-bent on redemption.
Chen rose up for the three, bow-and-arrow style. KD launched himself at full stretch, trying to get a piece.
"Beep!"
Whistle blew.
Too late.
Durant had lunged into Chen's airspace and clipped his arm. Clear shooting foul—three shots coming up.
But the ball was already in motion, spinning high, tracing a perfect arc—
"SWISH!"
And one!
"Holy shit, he hit that?!"
"He was off-balance, KD was all over him!"
Chinese fans in front of their TVs lost it. The broadcast studio exploded too.
"A three and the foul! Incredible shot!" Zhang Heli shouted, voice cracking with excitement.
"Too tough!" Yu Jia said, shaking his head. "He blocked Durant at one end, sprinted down, and splashed a three in his face with the foul—this guy's insane!"
Durant stood frozen, hands on hips, staring blankly up at the jumbotron… then looked away. The replay stung more than the foul.
Barea and Azubuike ran up to help Chen off the floor. He popped up and smacked Barea playfully on the back of the head.
"Nice look," Chen grinned.
Barea had options—Hill on the left, Azubuike on the right—but he trusted Chen to finish the play. That was the chemistry they'd built.
Chen Yan stepped to the line, the arena buzzing.
"Swish!"
The free throw was automatic. Four-point play.
Back on defense, Chen locked in on KD again. Durant tried to shake the double-team and swung the ball to Gerald Green on the perimeter.
Green didn't hesitate. The Celtics were playing with house money this season—tanking or not, it was open, so he pulled it.
"Bang!"—off the rim.
Azubuike snatched the board and kicked it out to Chen.
Chen didn't waste time—he turned on the jets, slicing through the defense.
Tony Allen tried to cut him off, but Chen left him in the dust.
KD stepped up again, this time coming from the wing.
Chen hit him with a signature [Sam Gold]—a fake to the right, then a hard pullback to the left.
Durant's feet tangled. His ankle caught on the hardwood. He stumbled—then hit the floor.
Chen stepped back behind the arc.
No hesitation.
He rose up and drilled the triple right in front of a fallen Durant.
It wasn't about humiliation. Chen wasn't out to embarrass him. This was his way of pushing KD to grow—challenging him the way only a true rival could.
As the shot flew, the DJ hyped the crowd:
"FOR THREEEEE!"
The fans erupted, rising to their feet as one.
"SWISH!"
Nothing but net.
The arena went ballistic.
Chen left his shooting hand up, soaking in the roar of nearly 20,000 fans.
"Fan Chemistry +3!" The system chimed in his mind.
Chen's game was built for the spotlight.
The crowd broke into song:
"Chen-Yan~ Chen-Yan~ Chen-Yan~"
The entire arena chanted in unison, a chant inspired by the iconic World Cup tune "Ole-Ole-Ole."
It was catchy. Even little kids could sing it after hearing it once. And for Chen, this was the first time fans sang his name like this—goosebumps.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers had seen enough. Timeout.
When play resumed, both teams brought their starters back in.
The Suns kept their foot on the gas, running and gunning, widening the lead before halftime.
Halftime score: Suns 61, Celtics 41.
Chen Yan led all scorers with 23 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting, including 2-of-2 from deep and 3-of-3 at the line. Flawless.
The Suns hit the locker room loose and laughing.
Stoudemire belted out his own version of "Chen Yan's Song," and the team joined in. The energy was infectious.
Phoenix had seen stars before—but nobody had ever captured the crowd like Chen.
The third quarter kicked off, and Stoudemire picked up where Chen left off.
First, a tough and-one in the paint.
Then a smooth pull-up from midrange off the pick-and-roll.
Chen and Nash took turns feeding him, and Amar'e ate. He dropped 16 points in the quarter, going full beast mode.
With Chen easing Nash's burden, the Suns' offense was more fluid than ever. Chen only took three shots that quarter—and made all of them.
By the end of the third, the Suns had cracked open a 30-point lead.
The Celtics were suffocating under the Suns' full-court pressure and relentless pace. The outcome wasn't just decided—it was a statement.
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