Chapter 73

In the second half, the 76ers launched a fierce offensive wave with the momentum of a storm.

Chen Mu became the temporary focal point on the court, with almost every ball passing through his hands. He either used screens to cut through for mid-range or close-range shots, or facilitated plays from the high post, delivering crucial passes to assist his teammates in scoring.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Suns' offense showed some improvement. Nash led the team in a desperate counterattack, constantly driving fast breaks. His teammates became more determined with their outside shots, hitting several three-pointers, which helped the Suns gain momentum and narrow the score gap.

Coach Cheeks made a substitution, giving Chen Mu a brief rest. After Hunter came on, the Suns seized this opportunity to implement a targeted local double-team defense, basically ignoring Hunter, who had little offensive capability, and double-teaming Webber and Iverson.

This strategy proved highly effective, as the 76ers' two main players, inside and out, made several mistakes, allowing the Suns to capitalize and launch counterattacks.

Nash's lightning-fast dribbling and sudden passes from the top of the key created opportunities for Bell and Marion. One player positioned himself at the three-point line, while the other charged towards the basket.

Hunter's speed was no match for Chen Mu's, and Webber, still recovering from an injury, was slower on his feet. Marion, like a fish in water, received Nash's quick pass and scored with a cut to the basket.

After a few possessions, Marion found his rhythm. In one set play, he even switched positions with Bell at the corner, creating an open three-point opportunity.

With a peculiar shooting motion, the ball accurately hit the mark, and the Suns took the lead!

"Chen, how's your stamina?"

Cheeks knew the situation was turning against them. The crowd at US Airways Center roared with the Suns' fans, and the home team's players were more determined in their offense.

If the game continued to drag on, Hunter would become the decisive factor. With the Suns' offense firing up, few teams in the league could contain them.

"No problem, I can play until the end!"

Chen Mu stood up, threw the towel to the staff, and said seriously.

"Good, there are five minutes left, and you have no time to rest."

Cheeks looked grim and called a timeout.

Back on the sideline, Hunter was panting and shaking his head.

He had played a very frustrating game. As a defensive-oriented big man, he could use his height, wingspan, and blocking awareness to help the team against strong penetrators.

But who was Nash, the core of the Suns? Knowing that the 76ers had strengthened their interior defense, he wouldn't let his teammates blindly drive to the basket.

The ball was passed around the perimeter, and drives into the paint were only to draw the defense. After several successful outside shots, the score was 81-80, with the Suns in the lead.

"Hunter, Webber, take a rest."

Cheeks quickly drew up a new strategy on the board. Without Webber to distribute the ball, the offense would rely on Iverson and Chen Mu, and the tactics needed to change.

"We'll play small ball and go all out with them!"

With a simple strategy, Cheeks chose a lineup to match the Suns' pace.

Iverson would handle the ball, with Lewis Williams, Kyle Korver, and Iguodala as the outside shooters, and Chen Mu as the lone big man inside.

"Two minutes," Cheeks said, looking up. "This lineup can only last two minutes, and we must regain the lead within these two minutes."

Chen Mu knew that after two minutes, Webber would return, improving the 76ers' offense and putting the Suns on the defensive again.

But for these two minutes, the burden of the team's interior would fall on one person.

That person was Chen Mu himself.

"1, 2, 3, attack!"

Attack!

Not just offense, but attack!

With a determined resolve, the players stepped onto the court.

Seeing Marion, who was already on fire, Chen Mu took a deep breath, knowing it was time to bring out his full potential.

The Suns set up their defense, and this time, Chen Mu was the only big man inside. The team executed a 2-1-2 tactical play.

Chen Mu positioned himself at the free-throw line, becoming the offensive hub. Iverson and Lewis Williams passed the ball from the 45-degree angles, while Iguodala and Korver began to cross and switch positions at the baseline.

"Chen!"

After completing his baseline run, Iverson passed the ball to Chen Mu, then he and Lewis Williams suddenly sprinted towards the basket from either side of Chen Mu.

Although both Iverson and Williams were small, they had significant impact on the basket. Chen Mu's mid-range shooting and playmaking were exceptional, and the offensive play was set in motion!

At the corners, Korver and Iguodala began to move up after switching positions. The moment the 1 and 2 positions dropped deep, the 3 and 4 positions cut out, causing a brief confusion in the Suns' defense, with the perimeter defenders hindering each other inside the three-point line.

The weakest link was Diaw.

Although Diaw had good athleticism and speed for an interior player, he was still too slow against Iguodala.

After Iguodala cut out, Diaw was already a step behind. Chen Mu faked a pass, and Diaw, thinking Chen Mu was passing to Iguodala for a three-point shot, rushed to intercept.

Iguodala seized this moment and cut back towards the basket.

"Whoosh!"

Chen Mu looked to the left, his eyes fixed on the sharpshooter Korver, but his hands steadied the ball and then passed it to Iguodala with a bounce.

Near the baseline, Iverson and Williams had already run to the corner three-point line, leaving the basket wide open. Iguodala caught the ball and immediately took off for a powerful dunk.

"Lead change!"

Chen Mu clenched his fist tightly, his eyes scanning the VIP box.

In the box, Colangelo's face grew increasingly grim, as if he had just been publicly humiliated.

Feeling the gazes of many home fans following Chen Mu's eyes, Colangelo pretended to cough and looked away, feeling extremely frustrated.

"Chinese kid, you're humiliating me in front of everyone...!"

On the court, the Chen Mu storm was just beginning.

The Suns' offense, with Marion on fire, received the ball directly from Nash.

Receiving the ball on the move, Marion entered the three-second area and attempted a finger roll. Chen Mu, however, had already positioned himself in front of Marion. As Marion released the shot, he collided with Chen Mu and fell to the ground.

"Beep beep!"

"Suns' No. 31 offensive foul!"

The referee's call stunned the crowd. Fans held their heads in disbelief, and the Suns' players looked shocked.

A rookie like Chen Mu, who had been called for a mindless foul in his first NBA game and had given up a 2+1 to Smush Parker in a game against the Lakers, had actually caused an offensive foul on an All-Star like Marion?!

"Great job!"

Iguodala was the first to pull Chen Mu up, and they celebrated with a chest bump.

Marion shook his head, muttered to the referee, and was pulled back into the defense by Nash.

On the offensive end, the 76ers ran the 2-1-2 play again, with the four outside shooters rapidly moving and cutting. Chen Mu remained stationary at the free-throw line, looking for passing opportunities.

Once again, Diaw was the weak point. Chen Mu moved the ball, and Marion, who was defending him, quickly turned his head.

No!

By the time Marion realized he had been tricked, Chen Mu had already completed his shot and was retreating confidently.

"Boom!!!"

In the stands, Boss Su was ecstatic, holding Su Yin's hand and saying, "Look, look, Chen Mu's decision was so smart!"

Su Yin's eyes sparkled, seemingly getting a feel for the game.

However, Nash remained calm, hitting a chase-down three-pointer to quickly close the gap.

"Don't get discouraged, let's do it again!"

In the frontcourt, Chen Mu held the ball at the free-throw line, his hands raised high, scanning the court.

Pass? Shoot? Or a fake move followed by the opposite action?

Marion used all his skills to guard Chen Mu, determined not to leave the Chinese player for a single step.

Suddenly, Chen Mu's hands, raised high, moved backward, and the ball flew behind his head as if it had eyes.

At the top of the key, Korver, guided by Chen Mu's pass, took a large step to receive the ball. Bell chased desperately, and Marion's attention was drawn to the play.

In a split second, Korver had a flash of inspiration and passed the ball to the weak side, where Iguodala, who had cut to the baseline, received it, shook off Nash with a quick move, and took a mid-range jump shot.

"Short!"

Feeling the shot was off, Iguodala quickly tried to get back on defense, but he saw a figure rise from the paint, grabbing the ball with both hands and slamming it into the basket.

"Ha ha ha! Offensive rebound and dunk!!!"

Boss Su, ignoring the murderous glares from other fans, couldn't contain his excitement and stood up, shouting, "Chen Mu! Awesome!!!"

"Dad...!"

Su Yin, embarrassed, apologized to the nearby fans and then pulled Boss Su back to his seat.

The rest of the game became a personal showcase for Chen Mu, with a variety of offensive and defensive plays that left the crowd speechless.

The 1 big and 4 small lineup, with the 2-1-2 positioning, greatly showcased Chen Mu's versatility in offense, with mid-range shots, passes, offensive rebounds, follow-up dunks, fake passes, and real shots, and quick lateral mid-range shots after fakes...

A Chen Mu storm swept across the court!

After each impressive play, Chen Mu's eyes would look towards the VIP box. Although he couldn't see Colangelo's expression from a distance, Chen Mu knew that the best manager must be feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Give up on me? We'll see about that!"

The two minutes passed quickly, and with Chen Mu's strong performance, the 76ers began to pull away. By the time Webber returned to the game, the lead was already 6 points.

"Three minutes left, let's decide this!"

Webber and Chen Mu exchanged a glance, and the team's offensive strategy changed again. When there was a fast break opportunity, Iverson would charge to the basket like lightning.

In set plays, the V-shaped and 2-1-2 formations alternated.

This time, Chen Mu also became part of the perimeter rotation, with Webber becoming the hub at the free-throw line.

Chen Mu, much taller than Lewis Williams, added more variation to his movements, providing several off-ball screens for Iverson.

The former scoring champion unleashed his full power, with the offensive rebounds ensuring more decisive and confident shots. After several successful shots, the lead was firmly established.

In the US Airways Center, some fans had already started to leave.

And Chen Mu's astonishing statistics were about to shock the world again.

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