Chapter 812: Forcing LeBron to Unleash His Full Power
Chen Yan had indeed evolved.
After an entire season of accumulation and improvement, nearly every aspect of his game had risen to another level.
[Name: Chen Yan]
[Height: 198 cm]
[Weight: 94 kg]
[Wingspan: 218 cm]
[Standing Vertical Leap: 110 cm]
[Approach Vertical Leap: 123 cm]
[Ball Handling: 99]
[Speed: 99]
[Stamina: 99]
[Vision: 92]
[Driving: 97]
[Layup: 98]
[Mid Range Shooting: 98]
[3 Point Shooting: 99]
[Free Throw: 94]
[Passing: 91]
[Off Ball Movement: 94]
[Stealing: 93]
[Strength: 88]
[Rebounding: 92]
[Defense: 89]
[Blocking: 85]
[Spirit: 99]
[Skills: God Tier Steal, The Answer Crossover, Phantom Steps, Hot Start Passive, Perfect Hand Shape Passive, Juggling Finish Passive, Godly Pullup Jumper, Passing Master Lv5, Sam Good, Iron Will Passive, Mamba Step Lv5, Post Up Skills Lv4, Lightning First Step, Fingertip Floater, Divine Shot Baptism, Nowitzki Fadeaway, Classic Floater, Magnetic Gloves Passive, Rebounding Monster Passive, Spiritual Leader, Buddha Crossing Move, God Tier Stepback Lv4]
[Honor Points: 89]
[Overall Rating: SSS]
Compared with his previous status, Chen's Ball Handling, Speed, and Stamina had all reached 99.
Several of his other attributes had improved as well.
There was no question that Chen Yan had entered his prime.
But only Chen himself knew that he had not yet reached his absolute ceiling.
Once an attribute surpassed 95, every additional point produced a noticeable difference.
That made Chen curious.
If every important attribute eventually reached 99, just how terrifying would he become?
New York's Game 3 victory had been something of an upset.
Most people had expected the Knicks to win the series.
Very few had expected them to take a 3 to 0 lead.
Chen's 65 point performance was described everywhere as miraculous.
Highlights from the game played repeatedly across television and sports media over the following days.
Fans never seemed to tire of watching them.
Some even joked that highlights normally made players look better than they really were.
Chen Yan had somehow accomplished the opposite.
His highlights still failed to show how dominant he had actually been throughout the entire game.
Perhaps that was the difference between a great performance and something historic.
Game 4 arrived.
Miami played with desperation from the opening tip.
Wade and James relentlessly attacked New York's paint.
After the 1st quarter, the Heat led 27 to 20.
Barkley shook his head.
"This is the Miami team we should have seen earlier in the series."
Kenny Smith agreed.
"They are attacking with urgency. If they had played with this level of force from the beginning, maybe they would not be facing a 3 to 0 deficit right now."
Fans quickly found their own joke.
Miami had received some good news and some bad news.
The good news was that its stars had finally awakened.
The bad news was that the team was already down 3 to 0.
James stayed on the floor to begin the 2nd quarter.
And tonight, he was unstoppable.
New York tried 3 different defenders.
None could contain him.
That was the nature of a true superstar.
Once a player of that caliber entered his rhythm, defensive schemes could only do so much.
The Knicks were forced to tighten their coverage.
Unfortunately, Miami's shooters were also locked in.
Channing Frye made 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Mike Miller made 3 of 4.
Chalmers hit 3 of 6.
Even Wade knocked down 2 3 pointers.
Miami was scoring from everywhere.
When the interior attack and perimeter shooting worked simultaneously, the Heat became extremely difficult to defend.
Chen's performance was relatively ordinary by his standards.
He shot 7 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.
With his free throws included, he finished with 23 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Game 3 had drained him.
He had not fully recovered.
James took advantage.
47 points.
7 assists.
7 rebounds.
He carried Miami to a home victory.
The Heat crowd celebrated wildly.
The jokes immediately started.
Chen Yan had finally forced LeBron James to unleash his full power.
For New York, the loss was not particularly alarming.
They still led the series 3 to 1.
Then came Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
And the Knicks made a dangerous mistake.
They relaxed.
New York opened the game by missing 6 consecutive field goals.
The entire team looked careless.
That problem had quietly begun the moment they went ahead 3 to 0.
Deep down, many players believed the series was already finished.
That mindset was poison.
Underestimating an opponent was one of the oldest mistakes in sports.
Countless teams had paid for it.
Now New York did too.
112 to 108.
The Knicks lost again.
At home.
Miami had been red hot during the 1st half and entered halftime with a 14 point lead.
James and Wade played the entire half.
Together, they scored 39 points.
Only after halftime did New York finally wake up.
The Knicks began their comeback.
They erased the deficit.
At one point, they even tied the game.
But in the final minutes, James stepped forward again.
He pushed himself so hard that he eventually cramped.
James played all 48 minutes.
Wade played 45.
Both stars emptied everything they had.
Afterward, James delivered a direct message.
"New York, do not think you already have this."
The Knicks had now lost 2 consecutive chances to close the series.
The following day, Nelson called an emergency team meeting.
The mood was far more serious than before.
Nelson looked around the room.
"We have already wasted 2 opportunities to finish this series."
Nobody spoke.
"If we lose again, we go to Game 7."
He paused.
"And once you reach Game 7, anything can happen."
The players remained silent.
Everyone understood the problem.
They had not played with enough urgency.
Chen was the first to respond.
"We need to focus again."
His voice was firm.
"We finish this in the next game."
He looked around at his teammates.
"We are not going to become the laughingstock of the entire league."
Chen was deliberately putting pressure on them.
They needed it.
New York had been too comfortable over the previous 2 games.
After taking a 3 to 0 lead, everyone had begun acting as though the series were already over.
They had mentally opened the champagne before actually winning anything.
That had to stop.
Nelson turned toward Chen.
"Next game, I want you attacking from the beginning."
Chen looked at him.
"Like Game 3?"
"Exactly."
Nelson nodded.
"I do not care whether Miami sends 1 defender, 2 defenders, or more. You attack. When you establish your rhythm, everybody else gets better opportunities."
Chen nodded.
"On defense, I will take Wade."
Nelson immediately shook his head.
"Do not spend all your energy there."
He pointed toward Battier.
"Shawn will rotate with you. The rest of the team will help too."
Wade had still produced solid numbers over the previous 2 games, scoring more than 20 points in both.
But his explosiveness had clearly declined.
Throughout the Playoffs, Wade had been battling physical problems.
His knee was badly overworked.
At times, he needed fluid drained or injections just to remain available.
That meant Miami's last 2 victories shared 1 common factor.
LeBron James had exploded.
Nelson devoted special attention to him.
His instructions were clear.
New York would stay in man to man coverage as much as possible.
Avoid unnecessary switches.
Protect the wings.
Stay attached to the shooters.
Deny clean passing lanes.
Force James to control the ball near the top.
On the surface, the strategy looked like ordinary man to man defense.
In reality, its purpose was to isolate James from Miami's shooters.
That was essential.
James's greatest weapon was not simply scoring.
It was versatility.
He could attack the rim.
He could rebound.
He could control tempo.
Most importantly, he could find open teammates.
Game 5 had demonstrated that perfectly.
Once Miami's shooters found rhythm around him, the entire offense became extremely difficult to contain.
Nelson's instruction to leave James with the ball at the top was also deceptive.
The Knicks were not actually planning to let him attack freely.
If James used a pick and roll and drove into the paint, New York's man to man structure would allow defenders to collapse quickly.
If he passed back outside, those same defenders could recover immediately toward their assignments.
It was one of the most common ways teams tried to defend James.
But Nelson emphasized 1 thing above everything else.
Efficiency.
"Do not force shots."
He looked around the room.
"Take good shots."
That was the heart of New York's plan.
Miami's greatest weapon was its fast break.
And most of those transition opportunities began the same way.
A defensive stop.
A rebound.
A long outlet pass.
James and Wade running downhill before the opposing defense could organize.
If New York protected the basketball, took efficient shots, and prevented Miami from creating those transition opportunities, it would attack the Heat at their most vulnerable point.
....
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