Chapter 249 Flying Over the Denver Plateau, Excited About the Hostility
"Swish!"
Carmelo Anthony stood at the free throw line and calmly knocked down the shot. The scoreboard changed to 5 - 2. As he jogged back on defense, Anthony was still fired up, chest heaving, eyes burning with confidence. The crowd behind him shook the building with nonstop cheers.
This was the Denver home court advantage in its purest form.
Phoenix took the ball out quickly. Steve Nash pushed across half court and immediately swung the ball to Raja Bell on the wing. Even without an open look, Bell fired a quick three at a sixty degree angle. For most teams, this would be a rushed shot, but for the Suns, this was their normal rhythm.
"Bang!"
The ball clanked off the rim and bounced far out.
From the TNT booth, Kenny Smith let out a quick comment. "That one was early. Raja did not need to force that three. With this crowd going crazy, Phoenix needs to settle in."
Barkley added, "If the Suns get rattled and rush shots, Denver will eat that up. They should slow it down a bit and let Chen do the rest."
Iverson grabbed the long rebound and paused. He lifted a hand to slow his teammates. He could have pushed the pace, but he knew better. Against the Suns, controlling tempo meant dragging them into half court battles.
Marcus Camby stepped up to the high post as a screen. Iverson took one hard dribble—then suddenly snapped a perfect lead pass.
Kenyon Martin sliced through the lane at full speed.
He rose, caught the ball midair, and hammered it through the rim.
"Boom!"
The crowd blew the roof off the arena. Kenyon Martin turned, arms raised, soaking in the eruption.
While he pumped up the fans, the Suns had already thrown the ball in. There was no time for celebrations in the NBA.
Chen Yan sprinted past half court without the ball.
Kenyon Martin suddenly froze. He looked over and cursed. "Damn! No basketball ethics?"
He took off running, but it was too late.
Nash fired a one handed pass to Chen in stride. Kleiza reacted fast, cutting Chen off from the lane, and Martin scrambled back to help. Their collapse left one spot wide open.
Chen calmly swung the ball to Raja Bell. Immediately after passing, Chen darted inside again.
Raja knew exactly what it meant.
He lofted the ball high.
Chen split Kleiza and Martin with a perfectly timed cut. He took off on one step, rising like a soaring eagle.
"Boom!"
The alley oop slammed through the net with elegant violence.
The Suns' bench exploded. Every player stood, waving towels and screaming.
Barkley hollered from the booth. "Now that is how you answer! Chen went right over the Denver plateau with that dunk!"
Kenny laughed. "And Kenyon was still celebrating on the other end! Looked back and his house got robbed!"
The arena, however, did not find it amusing. Fans erupted in boos the instant Chen flexed toward the baseline cameras. They took it as pure provocation.
Denver's next possession began with a wave of hostility aimed directly at Chen Yan.
Iverson brought the ball up, weaving across the top. Anthony spaced in the corner, forcing Phoenix to avoid doubling. After a screen, Diaw switched onto Iverson.
Iverson burst forward, then suddenly stopped and floated a high arcing shot over Diaw's outstretched hand.
"Swish!"
7 to 4.
Both of Denver's stars came out swinging.
The Suns looked tense. Denver's energy, fueled by the crowd, was relentless. Every possession felt like a battle in a storm.
On the next Suns possession, Chen moved into position for the ball. The moment he caught it, he spun sharply and drove past Kenyon Martin. Martin had strength, reach, and explosive power, but he was still a big man. Chen targeted that weakness without hesitation.
Chen cleared Martin easily and met Camby in the paint. As they collided midair, Chen flicked the ball upward at the perfect moment.
The whistle blew.
Camby slammed into him, drawing the foul.
As Chen walked to the free throw line, the arena erupted with insults.
"Softie! Try playing like a man!"
"All you do is get free throws!"
"Go back to Phoenix!"
"You are losing tonight!"
Barkley chuckled on the broadcast. "Denver fans are wild tonight. They are trying everything to shake this kid."
Kenny added, "Yeah, but be careful. Some players break under pressure. Some rise above it."
The cameras focused on Chen Yan.
He wasn't rattled at all.
The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.
The boos grew even louder when they saw it. The hostility only fueled him.
The Nuggets thought they were breaking him down. They didn't know they were giving him exactly what he wanted.
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]