Chapter 308: Popovich's Secret Weapon Shatters
Chen Yan's fake pass into a Euro step was not some random playground move. It was a full extension of his Shadow footwork, now blended with his refined change of hands and, more importantly, his eyes.
At this level, you did not fool NBA defenders with just a jab step and a crossover. You had to sell the lie with every part of your body, especially your gaze. Chen had turned that into an art.
...
Spurs ball.
They set up in the half court again.
Parker brought it up, swung it to Bowen on the wing, and Bowen wasted no time. One quick pass to the opposite side found Finley.
Finley immediately fired a bounce pass inside.
Kurt Thomas had already carved out deep post position. He caught, turned over his shoulder, and flipped up a hook.
The ball kissed the glass, rolled around the rim a few times, and finally dropped.
2 to 4.
The broadcast camera cut to a close up of Kurt's calm face, but before the replay could start, the whistle shrieked again.
Nash had already leaked out. Chen Yan hit him with a long outlet, and Nash glided in for a layup while drawing a foul on Parker.
The Suns had gone from make to answer in a blur. Even the camera struggled to keep up with Phoenix's transition speed.
Swish.
Swish.
Nash licked his fingers, stepped to the line and calmly knocked down both free throws.
4 to 4.
...
Back to San Antonio.
This time, the Spurs' offensive setup looked strange.
Parker handled up top. Duncan fought for position inside. Kurt Thomas spaced weak side.
And Finley and Bowen? They stood a step in front of the center circle, almost like they were not even part of the play.
In the crowd, and on couches everywhere, a lot of people had the same thought at once.
So this is the secret tactic Pop talked about before the game.
It looked ridiculous, but the logic was brutal.
In the first five games of the series, the fast break scoring differential was 130 to 42 in Phoenix's favor. The Spurs tried everything to slow the Suns' run and gun, but that style was in Phoenix's DNA. They could only contain it for stretches, never erase it.
So Popovich cut the court in half.
Turn a five on five into a three on three, limit the number of players in front of the ball, shrink the odds of a clean outlet and leak out. If you can choke off the fast break, you grab the Suns by the throat.
It was smart basketball. It was also painful to watch.
This was Playoff basketball turned into half court three on three.
And in three on three, with space and just one primary big, a guard like Parker became even more dangerous.
Parker went at Chen. One hard change of direction sent him downhill toward the paint, but Chen slid with him. Speed on speed, no ground lost.
At full stride, Parker suddenly spun to his inside shoulder, his signature move.
Chen had been waiting for it.
The instant Parker turned, Chen's right arm shot forward to contest.
Parker adjusted midair, throwing the ball higher off the glass to avoid the block.
It hit the backboard and kicked off.
Chen landed, then immediately sprang again, snagging the defensive rebound on the second jump.
As soon as he secured it, he rifled a long pass ahead to Nash.
Nash caught in stride, but Bowen hounded him the whole way, refusing to let him accelerate.
Finley slid into the passing lane, chest squared, hands active.
Nash had to throttle down. The Spurs' three on three scheme was already doing its job.
Phoenix pulled it out and flowed into half court. Nash curled back and dropped the ball to Chen trailing the play.
The Spurs kept the same coverage. Bowen locked in on Chen, while the other four sagged into a tight zone shell, ready to collapse.
Chen read it at a glance. There was no reason to force his way straight into a pocket of bodies.
He palmed the ball in his right hand behind his back and raised his left, calling for a screen.
He did not want the switch as much as he wanted a seam.
Using the screen, Chen dribbled sideways, dragging the defense with him.
The Spurs' first instinct was to get out to his three point range. Bowen and Duncan both stepped up to cut off the pull up.
That was when Chen hit the gas.
He shoved the ball forward and slipped between Duncan and Bowen in one streak of orange and white.
His burst was too sharp. The two aging veterans had no chance to close the gap once he committed.
Finley slid over from the wing to help.
Chen could have kicked it out. The pass was there, clean and easy.
He did not take it.
Before Finley could fully square up, Chen hopped lightly off one foot and lofted a high, soft floater.
The ball rose like a grenade lob, then dropped with perfect touch.
Swish.
6 to 4.
Chen had just shown off another branch of his arsenal. At this point, there was not a perimeter skill he did not have in his bag.
...
Spurs ball again.
The strange three on three look returned. Finley and Bowen stayed back near midcourt. The other three went to work.
A chorus of groans and jokes rolled across social media and living rooms.
Again? Are we really watching half court three on three in an NBA Playoff game?
Popovich the genius. Popovich the mad scientist. Take your pick.
But Finley and Bowen were not just spectators. If the ball handler drew a hard double or trap, they were ready to sprint up, relieve pressure, and step into open shots.
In the half court, Duncan caught on the block and kicked it to Kurt Thomas flashing to the middle.
Kurt turned, took a couple of controlled steps and went into a short hook from the middle of the paint. His form was stiff, the touch just off.
The shot smacked the front rim and bounced out.
Duncan reached in from the far side, got a hand on it, but instead of tipping it back to the rim, he pushed it right toward Diaw.
Diaw secured the rebound and instantly lifted his head.
One dribble, then a long outlet to Nash.
By now it was instinct. Diaw never grabbed a board without checking for a run.
Nash tried to advance into space and once again saw a black and white wall. The Spurs had already sprinted back. The break was gone.
He pulled it back and Phoenix flowed into another half court set.
This time Nash swung it to Grant Hill on the wing.
Hill put the ball on the floor with a sharp crossover, then turned on what was left of his first step.
This was exactly why D'Antoni had put him in the starting lineup. Hill could handle, make reads, and give them another initiator in the half court.
His handle was still smooth, but the years had taken a little of his explosion.
He drove to the free throw line, leaning his shoulder into Finley.
Instead of forcing a contested jumper, Hill slipped a gentle pass to Chen Yan, who had cut along the baseline behind the play.
Chen caught, then slammed on the brakes with both feet.
He rose straight up from the corner and let it fly. No extra moves, no wasted dribbles.
This was exactly what D'Antoni had drilled into him before the game. If there is a shot, take it. Do not overthink it. A decisive Chen is the most dangerous version of Chen.
The ball left his hand clean.
Swish.
8 to 4.
From the TNT desk, Kenny let out a satisfied breath.
"Three for three to start," he said. "Every time he finds that rhythm early, Phoenix's whole offense opens up."
Charles laughed. "Spurs fans are not going to like this, but that is a bad sign for San Antonio. When this kid gets going this early, those nights usually end ugly for the other team."
...
Spurs ball.
Same three on three shell, but this time Finley rotated into the action and Kurt Thomas slid out to the perimeter.
Parker lobbed it to Duncan on the left block. Diaw immediately abandoned Kurt and jumped into a hard double.
Back turned, Duncan felt the pressure and made the right read, swinging it out to Kurt Thomas above the arc.
Kurt took one dribble inside. The three point line was not his territory.
He stopped at the high post and fired an open jumper.
The look was clean. The rhythm was not.
The ball sailed wide, clipping the side of the rim and bouncing harmlessly away.
Stoudemire swallowed the rebound and turned, already looking for Chen.
The Spurs were disciplined in retreat. There was no clean lane for a sprint.
Chen crossed half court at a controlled pace.
Then, suddenly, he gathered the ball.
From just inside the team logo at center court, he rose without a hint of hesitation.
Logo range.
The long bomb was back.
Chen was in a zone, and it would have been a crime to waste that heat.
He snapped his wrist. The release was compact, no wind up, no warning.
Bowen lunged, but by the time he left the floor, the ball was already gone.
It is almost impossible to guard a shooter who can fire at any moment without changing his motion. There is nothing for a defender to time.
The ball spun through the air, a tight spiral of orange.
Swish.
11 to 4.
The net snapped back and the arena buzzed.
On the sideline, Popovich could only shake his head and fold his arms.
He had slowed the pace. He had clogged the lanes. He had blunted the Suns' beloved run and gun.
None of it mattered.
Chen Yan's hand was still on fire.
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