Chapter 711: Is It Criticism or Praise?
Chen Yan's final stats were 71 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds.
A 70 plus point triple double.
And it had come on a stage as crucial as the Eastern Conference Finals.
Without question, those numbers were destined to go down in history.
James also recorded a triple double tonight with 29 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds.
However, no 1 discussed James stats tonight.
His thunder had been completely stolen by Chen Yan.
At the post game press conference, Nelson said, "A hard won victory. My boys all gave everything they had tonight, and both teams are now back on equal footing. We will go to Miami with confidence and win the next game."
Just as Nelson made that grand declaration, a reporter immediately poured cold water on the mood.
"How is Stephen Curry's injury? Will he play in the next game?"
Nelson's high pitched voice immediately became subdued.
"We will only know after the examination report comes out. Stephen is an important player, and all of us hope he can return soon and fight alongside everyone."
The next reporter turned his gaze to Chen Yan.
"Wow. A 70 plus point triple double. Congratulations, Chen. This is definitely another masterpiece in your career. Tell us about your current feelings."
"I want to sleep," Chen Yan replied indifferently.
All the reporters present laughed, thinking Chen Yan was once again showing his sense of humor.
They did not know that Chen Yan had truly given everything tonight.
Even his eyes were filled with exhaustion.
"Do you think you can win the next game?" a reporter asked.
Chen Yan shrugged.
"Absolutely. We always maintain confidence. That is the foundation of winning."
Chen Yan's answers tonight were very perfunctory.
After the press conference, he went home and immediately fell asleep.
Even Taylor Swift was surprised, because Chen Yan had never seemed this tired before, even after 7 rounds in 1 night.
The next day, Chen Yan woke up at 10 AM, ate a simple meal, then flew with the team to Miami.
During the flight, Chen Yan received bad news.
Curry was out for the season.
Although he had already been mentally prepared, this news still impacted Chen Yan.
This meant he would have to carry the team alone in the upcoming games.
After hearing the news, Chen Yan's haters collectively went wild.
They had already thought it was unlikely for the Knicks to beat the Heat. Now, with their 2nd leading scorer out because of injury, New York's chances in this series were basically finished.
The haters were waiting to see Chen Yan fail.
However, the general consensus was that even if the Knicks fell in the Eastern Conference Finals, Chen Yan's season could still be considered a success.
Bringing such a lineup to the Eastern Conference Finals, and as an 8th seed, was something no 1 had expected.
So no matter what happened in the upcoming games, Chen Yan's status and popularity would not be affected in any way.
Curry attended the game on crutches, wanting to encourage his teammates in his own way.
Curry had already decided to undergo surgery during the offseason, and Chen Yan gave him some advice.
Chen Yan suggested that Curry try to change the way he applied force, shifting most of the load to his glutes instead of relying solely on ankle strength. In addition, he advised Curry to strengthen his core and upper body muscles.
Curry thought this was a viable approach.
Because his trainer had also suggested the same thing.
Chen Yan also gave Curry an ultimate suggestion.
Join AeroWing.
Chen Yan would create a pair of exclusive basketball shoes perfectly fitted to Curry's ankles.
Curry was currently a Nike player, but Nike had too many big names under its banner, and Curry was 1 of the overlooked players.
Nike had no intention of giving Curry a signature shoe in the future.
Curry was naturally happy to hear Chen Yan's suggestion.
However, another shoe brand, Under Armour, had also recently been in contact with Curry. Curry had briefly learned about the brand, which primarily made athletic compression wear.
Still, after his Nike contract ended, Curry was more inclined to join Chen Yan's team.
They seemed more professional.
The game started quickly.
Miami's starting lineup remained unchanged, while New York moved Barea into the starting 5.
The Heat targeted Barea, taking turns attacking him.
Barea's defensive intensity was high, but his physical limitations were too obvious. His lack of height was difficult to compensate for with attitude alone.
Although Barea had previously delivered an excellent defensive performance against James, that was a rare occurrence.
Expecting Barea to defend James or Wade well for an entire game was wishful thinking.
In the 1st quarter, Miami led 26 to 20.
Nelson realized that Barea was only suitable as a surprise weapon, not a regular starter.
In the 2nd quarter, Barea was substituted out, and Chen Yan moved to point guard.
Nelson wanted Chen Yan to handle both scoring and playmaking.
Chen Yan performed consistently in the 1st half, scoring 19 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds.
However, his shooting stability became an issue in the 2nd half because of excessive fatigue.
In the previous game, his stamina had already been close to exhaustion, and his task in this game was not any lighter.
Heat coach Spoelstra also designed specific tactics against Chen Yan, aiming to exhaust him as much as possible.
Curry was anxious on the sideline. At 1 point, he even threw his crutches aside, wishing he could immediately enter the game and help Chen Yan.
In the 3rd quarter, Chen Yan was frequently double teamed and triple teamed for long stretches.
No other Knicks player stepped up, and the deficit quickly widened to more than 15 points.
Even Van Gundy could not help but say, "New York's chances of winning tonight are slim. They rely too much on Chen Yan, and tonight, Chen Yan is not at his best."
Magic Johnson nodded and added, "Curry's absence has a huge impact on the Knicks. New York suddenly lacks a stable 2nd scoring option, so they can only place all their hopes on Chen Yan. Miami's targeted defense against Chen tonight has been very effective. The Knicks need other players to step up and share the burden."
In the final quarter, Nelson continued having Chen Yan serve as the primary ball handler.
Spoelstra directly instructed his players to full court press Chen Yan in rotations.
It was not to steal the ball.
It was to exhaust Chen Yan's stamina to the maximum extent.
It was practically maniacal.
Chen Yan's stamina indeed became a problem in the final quarter, and unconventional shots became more and more frequent.
Aside from Chen Yan, the Knicks could not find a 2nd player who could handle the ball, so Nelson could only let Chen Yan maintain this shooting frequency.
That created a vicious cycle.
Furthermore, since this was Miami's home game, the referees whistles clearly favored the Heat.
The 4th quarter quickly lost its suspense.
Ultimately, the Knicks lost Game 5 of the series, 109 to 89.
Chen Yan also delivered his worst performance of the series.
He finished with 29 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds.
The haters seized the opportunity to relentlessly criticize Chen Yan, but halfway through, they suddenly realized something was off.
Damn.
His worst performance of the series was a near triple double.
Was this even criticism?
Or was it praise?
.....
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