Chapter 851: Suppressed

Chapter 851: Chapter 851: Suppressed

Chapter 851: Suppressed

"Double him! Double him!"

Pau Gasol finally lost his patience and shouted at his teammates.

Spain had not planned to double Chen Yan before the game. International basketball relied heavily on zone concepts, and their original defensive scheme had focused more on team positioning than aggressively trapping 1 player.

But Pau knew Chen too well.

They had faced each other enough times for him to understand the danger.

If Spain waited until Chen completely found his rhythm before sending a second defender, it would already be too late.

Spain returned to offense.

Calderón brought the ball across half court and called Pau up for a high screen.

After using it, Calderón moved toward the wing instead of attacking the basket.

China switched.

Yao Ming followed Calderón all the way beyond the 3 point line.

Calderón immediately recognized the mismatch and threw the ball back inside.

Pau caught it with Sun Yue guarding him.

Mismatch.

Pau rose directly over him.

Soft touch.

Good.

Sun Yue stood 206 centimeters tall, so this was hardly the same as shooting over an ordinary point guard.

An average big man might not have finished so calmly.

On China’s next possession, Spain actually followed Pau’s command.

Chen was doubled.

Pau was the unquestioned leader of this Spanish team, and nobody ignored him when he demanded an adjustment.

Chen saw the second defender coming and immediately gave up the ball.

There was no reason to force the issue.

Pass.

Sun Yue found himself open beyond the arc.

3 pointer.

Clang!

Miss.

Inconsistent shooting remained one of Sun Yue’s biggest weaknesses.

If his outside shot had been more reliable, he would have had every chance to carve out a place in the NBA, even if only as a reserve on a weaker team.

Over the next several possessions, both sides went cold.

Miss.

Miss.

Another miss.

The defensive intensity remained extremely high.

China in particular continued initiating physical contact and trying to dictate the tone.

The broadcast booth quickly pointed it out.

"China is playing extremely aggressively tonight. You can tell how badly they want this game."

"But there is a risk. Maintaining this level of defensive pressure consumes a lot of energy. Stamina has traditionally been one of China’s weaknesses against European teams."

"And outside of Chen, somebody else needs to start making shots, especially on the perimeter."

About 1 minute later, Chen and Yi Jianlian ran a pick and roll.

Yi slipped away from the screen and drifted toward the perimeter.

Chen looked back over his shoulder.

Pass.

Yi caught it.

He hesitated for only a moment.

Then rose from beyond the arc.

Swish!

14 to 7.

Yi had developed a respectable 3 point shot during his NBA career.

On a team like the New York Knicks, a frontcourt player who could not space the floor had a difficult time surviving.

The international 3 point line was also closer than the NBA line, making it feel more like a deep 2 point jumper by NBA standards.

The same principle applied to Yao Ming.

Strictly speaking, all 5 members of China’s starting lineup were capable of making a 3 pointer.

That did not mean all 5 were elite shooters.

Outside of Chen and Zhu Fangyu, none of them could be called truly reliable perimeter marksmen.

So it was still unusual to see China spreading the floor with all 5 starters threatening from outside and forcing an opponent to defend every inch of the court.

Spain came back down.

Rudy Fernández used a screen and attacked.

Drive.

Yao rotated.

Contact.

Whistle.

Foul.

Spain had adjusted quickly.

If the outside shots were not falling, then they would attack the basket and force China into foul trouble.

That was how an elite international team responded.

Rudy stepped to the line.

First free throw.

Good.

Second.

Miss.

14 to 8.

The ball bounced off the rim.

Chen immediately smelled a fast break opportunity.

Sprint.

Yao secured the rebound and launched a long outlet.

The pass was slightly too strong.

Chen chased it down anyway.

His speed alone forced Spain to react.

3 defenders followed him toward the ball.

Chen finally caught up to it.

Instead of attacking the rim, he flicked the ball backward.

Zhu Fangyu was trailing the play.

Catch beyond the arc.

Rise.

3 pointer.

Swish!

17 to 7.

Spanish fans began to look uneasy.

The 1st quarter was not even over, yet Spain was already staring at a double digit deficit.

They had expected China to be difficult.

They had not expected China to hit them this hard from the opening tip.

Spain continued attacking the paint.

This time Marc Gasol went directly at Yi Jianlian.

Powerful drive.

Contact.

Whistle.

Shooting foul.

Marc walked to the line.

Swish!

Swish!

17 to 9.

China came back down.

This time, Chen took over the point guard duties himself.

He crossed half court.

A screen arrived.

Chen used it, then suddenly spun back in the opposite direction.

Rudy was shaken free.

Chen did not hesitate.

He rose immediately.

From near the logo.

Deep 3 pointer.

Several British fans in the stands stood up before the ball even reached its peak.

They had watched Chen make these shots on television countless times.

Seeing one live was completely different.

The basketball traced a perfect arc.

Swish!

The arena exploded.

"There it is!"

"Chen Yan from deep!"

"One of his signature shots."

Spain immediately called timeout.

Substitutions followed.

Rudy Fernández went to the bench.

Fernando San Emeterio replaced him.

Rudy’s size had become a problem.

Spain had originally started him because of his offensive ability.

Tonight, however, the offense was not producing enough to justify the defensive weakness.

Keeping him on the floor was beginning to hurt the team.

San Emeterio’s initial impact was limited because he was assigned to Sun Yue.

And Sun Yue’s role in China’s offense was simple.

Bring the ball across half court.

Get it to Chen.

Chen was handling both the scoring and the playmaking.

When the 1st quarter ended, China led 28 to 20.

8 points.

Chen’s numbers were already outrageous.

17 points.

4 assists.

2 rebounds.

An Olympic quarter lasted only 10 minutes.

Producing that stat line in such limited time showed just how completely Chen had controlled the game.

The 2nd quarter began.

Chen stayed on the floor.

That had been his request.

Jonas agreed without hesitation.

He knew Chen’s stamina better than anyone.

Most of Spain’s starters went to the bench.

Serge Ibaka and Juan Carlos Navarro remained to lead the reserves.

Spain had the first possession.

Navarro advanced slowly.

There was no panic.

Spain was trailing, but the first priority was simply to produce a good offensive possession.

Navarro called for a screen.

Ibaka stepped up.

Navarro used the pick, shifted left, then right, constantly changing rhythm.

Then he suddenly slipped into the lane.

Floater.

Good.

Navarro had earned the nickname "La Bomba" because of shots exactly like that.

His floater dropped into the paint like a bomb.

China inbounded.

Spain immediately applied full court pressure.

Liu Wei struggled badly.

He nearly lost the ball before finally stumbling his way into a pass toward Chen.

This was one of the clearest differences between Chinese guards and elite European or American guards.

Breaking pressure.

Before the Olympics, plenty of fans had suggested that Jonas should bring fewer traditional point guards and simply let Chen handle the ball full time.

Jonas had rejected that idea.

China still brought 3 point guards.

Chen already carried an enormous scoring burden.

Jonas did not want him wasting additional energy merely bringing the ball across half court on every possession.

Chen caught Liu Wei’s pass.

Spin.

Drive.

He attacked the paint immediately.

The defense collapsed.

Chen saw Wang Zhizhi waiting outside.

Pass.

Wang caught it beyond the 3 point line.

Ibaka sprinted toward him.

He had studied China’s scouting report.

Wang Zhizhi’s outside shot was dangerous.

Shot fake.

Ibaka flew past.

Wang took 1 dribble toward the free throw line.

Pullup jumper.

Spain’s reserve center came across to contest.

The challenge was enough.

Clang!

Miss.

The rebound came off the rim.

Chen was already underneath.

From a standstill,

Jump.

Explode.

Putback dunk!

Boom!

The arena erupted.

The visual impact was enormous.

Chen had simply risen above everyone and hammered the miss through.

That dunk reignited China’s momentum.

The national team continued pressing Spain at both ends.

With 2 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter, China still held control.

51 to 40.

An 11 point lead.

Spain had entered the Olympics as one of the strongest teams in the world.

For nearly an entire half, China had suppressed them.

.....

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