Chapter 833: Chapter 833: Remembering Bowen
Chapter 833: Remembering Bowen
San Antonio returned to offense.
New York continued collapsing toward the paint.
Duncan recognized it immediately.
Rather than force the issue, he used himself as a decoy, drew the defense inward, and kicked the ball back outside.
Parker caught it.
3 pointer.
Clang!
Miss.
DeAndre secured the rebound and immediately found Curry.
Curry looked up and saw Chen already sprinting downcourt.
Long pass.
Chen caught the ball about 1 step inside the 3 point line.
Parker and Leonard were the only Spurs who had managed to retreat.
Chen took a huge stride and swept the ball in a wide arc directly over Parker’s head.
He loved using that move against shorter defenders.
It worked almost every time.
Parker was beaten.
Chen immediately accelerated toward Leonard.
Full speed.
Leonard hesitated.
Then moved aside.
After everything Chen had done to him throughout the series, Leonard had developed a real sense of caution whenever Chen came charging downhill.
Chen had already braced himself for contact and prepared to draw the foul.
Instead, the defender disappeared from his path.
For a split second, Chen almost looked uncomfortable with how open the lane had become.
He adjusted his body in the air and finished softly with his right hand.
57 to 43.
The broadcast booth immediately approved.
"That is exactly how New York wants to play. Once they get out in transition, San Antonio has a very difficult time stopping them."
"And when Chen builds up that much speed, the possession is almost over before the defense can organize."
The Spurs did not panic.
Parker brought the ball across half court and patiently searched for an opening.
A screen finally came.
Parker turned the corner.
Drive.
DeAndre stepped up to help.
Parker released the layup before the big man could reach him.
Good.
57 to 45.
His speed remained one of San Antonio’s most dangerous weapons.
Not only the speed of his first step.
The speed of his release near the rim was just as difficult to handle.
The broadcast booth pointed out what San Antonio needed.
"Parker has to keep getting downhill. San Antonio needs pressure at the rim."
"That is how they can open everything else up. Attack the paint first."
New York came back down.
Curry controlled the ball near the top.
Chen began moving without it.
David West screened.
Then DeAndre.
Chen ran from the paint toward the perimeter.
New York tried to run the elevator door action again.
This time, Leonard anticipated it.
He broke through early and chased Chen outside.
Leonard could not prevent the catch.
Chen received the ball and immediately backed into him.
Then came a behind the back dribble.
Turnaround jumper.
Leonard was momentarily frozen.
Chen had actually dribbled behind his back while his own back was facing the defender.
For an instant, the ball had been exposed directly in front of Leonard.
Most defenders would never have enough time to react.
Neither did he.
Swish!
Chen’s foot was touching the 3 point line.
2 points.
59 to 45.
31 points for Chen.
The only thing preventing another 3 pointer was that his foot had landed about half a step too far forward.
San Antonio answered.
Parker and Bonner ran a pick and roll.
After setting the screen, Bonner faded back outside.
That movement cleared space for Parker to attack.
Parker instead fed Duncan inside.
Duncan caught it and immediately released a short floater.
Good.
59 to 47.
New York was making Duncan work for everything.
Most of his scoring opportunities tonight were coming from quick catches and immediate finishes.
Whenever he tried to settle into a post up, defenders swarmed him.
New York returned to offense.
Chen circled out from the paint.
Both Knicks big men closed the lane behind him with another screen action.
This time Leonard could not fight through.
Bonner switched onto Chen.
Chen caught the ball and immediately attacked the matchup.
If San Antonio was going to leave him in single coverage, he would keep going at whoever stood in front of him.
Crossover.
Another.
Hesitation.
Bonner worked hard to stay attached.
The problem was obvious.
They were moving at completely different speeds.
Chen suddenly stepped back.
Bonner reacted forward.
Chen immediately pushed the ball diagonally ahead with his left hand.
1 step.
Gone.
Bonner had actually read the move correctly.
He had not been completely fooled by the hesitation or the step back.
It simply did not matter.
The physical difference was too great.
Chen reached the paint.
Leonard collapsed.
Easy read.
Pass to Battier.
Battier caught the ball and looked at the rim.
Parker rotated over.
Battier declined the shot and swung the ball toward Curry.
At that exact moment, Chen had already retreated beyond the 3 point line.
He raised both hands.
Not asking for the ball.
Celebrating early.
Curry saw the raised hands from the corner of his eye.
He misunderstood.
Pass.
Chen never reacted.
The ball hit him directly in the head.
Out of bounds.
For a moment, New York’s bench sat in complete disbelief.
Then the San Antonio crowd burst into laughter.
In the middle of an intense NBA Finals game, one of the strangest possessions imaginable had just happened.
The broadcast booth could not resist.
"Curry was wide open. He could have just shot the ball."
The other commentator laughed.
"That might be what happens when teammates trust each other a little too much. Curry thought Chen wanted it. Chen thought Curry had already taken the shot."
Curry walked over.
"My bad, brother."
Chen waved it away.
"Forget about it. Small mistake."
Then he pointed toward the other end.
"Lock in on defense."
There was no reason to let a ridiculous turnover affect the next possession.
San Antonio brought the ball up.
Parker passed to Leonard.
Leonard lobbed it inside to Duncan.
Chen immediately dropped 1 step toward the paint.
He was ready to double at any moment.
Duncan took a single dribble.
Then kicked the ball back outside.
Leonard caught it.
3 pointer.
Miss.
San Antonio still could not consistently punish New York from the perimeter.
Nobody felt that problem more than Duncan.
If the Knicks were allowed to keep packing the paint, his night would only become more difficult.
Popovich glanced toward his bench.
If the outside shots refused to fall, he might have no choice but to bring Ginóbili back earlier than planned.
Manu had only rested about 2 minutes.
Popovich was not being sentimental.
The concern was physical.
Ginóbili was not built to absorb unlimited minutes anymore.
He had also suffered a significant injury earlier in the season and had only returned later in the year.
Overusing him carried real risk.
New York settled into another half court possession.
Chen began running along the baseline.
Fans near the court started shouting for San Antonio to double him.
Everyone in the building could see what was happening.
Chen was scorching hot.
Single coverage looked increasingly hopeless.
Popovich still refused to abandon his principles.
Maybe it was faith in his system.
Maybe it was stubbornness.
Either way, San Antonio continued trying to guard Chen without consistently sending a second defender.
Chen changed direction several times.
Stop.
Start.
Circle outside.
This time, he created separation without needing a screen.
Leonard remained close.
Chen held the ball in 1 hand behind his back.
He did not even look at Leonard.
Then, without warning, he rose straight up.
Pullup.
Leonard reacted instantly.
Contest.
Too late.
Chen’s elevation was too quick and too high.
Because he controlled the timing, the advantage belonged entirely to him.
Release.
Swish!
62 to 47.
His 7th 3 pointer of the night.
The San Antonio crowd fell noticeably quieter.
At this rate, the game threatened to become a blowout before the 4th quarter even began.
Fans looked toward Popovich.
They wanted an answer.
Some adjustment.
Anything capable of slowing the avalanche.
Popovich stood on the sideline wearing the same calm expression as always.
From the outside, he looked as if everything remained under control.
Inside, he knew better.
If Chen kept shooting like this, 1 player might defeat San Antonio by himself.
And at that moment, more than anyone else in the building, Popovich found himself thinking about Bruce Bowen.
....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03].