Chapter 171: Rasheed's Fastest Ejection — Eight Straight Wins for the Suns!
As Stuckey was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair, the Detroit crowd rose to its feet in applause.
It was the least they could do for their rookie guard.
Even though Stuckey had struggled badly tonight, his effort on defense—reckless as it was—had earned their respect. After all, this was his NBA debut. He deserved encouragement, not ridicule.
On the Pistons' sideline, Coach Flip Saunders let out a sigh of relief. He'd been seconds away from calling a timeout to pull Stuckey out, but the kid had saved him the trouble.
Moments later, Saunders did call a timeout—this time out of necessity. The Suns' second unit was on fire, and Detroit's defense was falling apart.
When play resumed, the Pistons' starters returned to the court—but Chen Yan wasted no time welcoming them back.
On the very first possession, he blew past Tayshaun Prince for a pull-up jumper. The next trip down, he slashed through traffic and drew contact for a powerful 2+1 finish over Prince's outstretched arms.
Prince's defense was textbook—long arms, perfect positioning—but Chen was in full rhythm now. Even contested shots were falling.
Seeing this, the Pistons quickly shifted their defensive scheme.
Prince stayed on Chen as the primary defender, using his 6'9" frame and freakish wingspan to disrupt his shooting motion. When Chen tried to drive, Rip Hamilton would collapse from the wing, while Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess rotated from the paint to double.
This was old-school Detroit basketball—physical, gritty, and unrelenting.
The "Bad Boys" spirit was alive and well. They would rather foul Chen than let him score.
Chen hit a cold stretch late in the second quarter.
Detroit's core might have been aging, but their defensive system was still elite. Holding teams under 90 points per game, they were one of the toughest defensive squads in the league.
In the second half, Chen changed his approach. Instead of forcing shots, he became a magnet—drawing double-teams, collapsing the defense, and kicking the ball out to open shooters.
The result?
The Suns' offense started clicking again. Nash, Hill, and Stoudemire feasted off Chen's gravity. By the end of the third quarter, Phoenix had stretched the lead into double digits.
In the opening minutes of the fourth, Chen and the bench unit launched a blistering run, pushing the gap to 15 points.
Detroit tried to rally, but desperation basketball wasn't their strength.
Six minutes into the final quarter, the frustration boiled over.
On a fast break, Stoudemire drove hard to the rim—and Rasheed Wallace, true to form, yanked him down mid-air. The two nearly came to blows before the refs stepped in.
The officials didn't hesitate—double technicals for Wallace, which meant an automatic ejection.
Rasheed stormed off the court, shouting curses all the way through the tunnel—a sight Pistons fans had seen plenty of times.
Tonight, though, he made history again.
Fastest technical foul ejection in NBA history.
Classic Rasheed.
With their emotional anchor gone, Detroit completely lost composure. The next few possessions were a mess—missed shots, sloppy turnovers, and empty trips.
Coach Mike D'Antoni, seeing the game locked up, pulled his starters with two minutes left.
The Suns cruised to a 99–91 road victory, marking their eighth straight win.
Final Stats
Chen Yan: 37 minutes, 10-for-19 FG, 4-for-7 from deep, 3-for-5 FT, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists.
Steve Nash: 13 points, 11 assists.
Amar'e Stoudemire: 20 points, 10 rebounds.
All six Suns players finished in double figures.
It wasn't a one-man show—it was a clinic in team basketball.
—----
Postgame Press Conference
Of course, reporters couldn't resist asking about Stuckey's injury.
"Chen," one journalist began, "before the game, Stuckey said he wanted to impress you. What did you think of his performance tonight?"
Chen smiled. "Well, he said he'd impress me—and I think he did."
The entire room burst into laughter.
When the noise died down, Chen continued more seriously:
"Honestly, I admire his attitude. He knew he couldn't really guard me, but he still tried.
He knew he couldn't match my speed, but he ran as hard as he could.
He knew he'd probably get knocked down, but he stood his ground anyway.
That's something we can all learn from.
And I genuinely hope he recovers soon."
The room erupted again—half laughing, half clapping.
No one could tell if Chen Yan had just delivered a heartfelt compliment or a perfectly disguised flex.
Either way, the message was clear:
Respect your opponent. But make sure they remember who beat them.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on:
~ [email protected]/FanficLord03
~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the story in the rankings using your
[Power Stones]
~ https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9