Chapter 835: Martial Saint, 1 for 3

Chapter 835: Chapter 835: Martial Saint, 1 for 3

Chapter 835: Martial Saint, 1 for 3

"Do not step onto the court!"

Watching from home, Steve Nash shouted at the television.

Chen Yan was one of Nash’s closest friends and the godfather of his 2 daughters, so the Nash family had been following this year’s NBA Finals closely.

The moment the confrontation began, Nash’s mind went straight back to the 2007 Playoffs series between Phoenix and San Antonio.

The Suns had paid a devastating price in that series because of one emotional reaction.

Nash did not want Chen to suffer the same fate.

So when the chaos erupted, Nash was not watching the players confronting each other.

He was not even looking at Curry lying on the floor.

His eyes immediately went to the New York bench.

Where was Chen?

Had he stepped onto the court?

Fortunately, he had not.

But that did not mean the Knicks escaped without consequences.

DeAndre Jordan was the first one there.

The moment he reached Stephen Jackson, he threw a punch directly at Jackson’s left cheek.

And Stephen Jackson was not the kind of man who would simply absorb a punch and walk away.

This was the man nicknamed the Martial Saint.

A player who had once charged into the stands during the infamous brawl at Auburn Hills.

DeAndre hit him.

Jackson immediately swung back.

Popovich watched from the sideline with remarkable calm.

Everything was unfolding almost exactly as he expected.

Duncan and Parker immediately rushed toward the confrontation.

Not to fight.

To separate people.

Neither man looked particularly shocked by the chaos.

Both stayed composed and tried to pull teammates apart.

New York’s players were considerably less calm.

David West grabbed Jackson by the collar.

His expression said everything.

You take a dirty shot at my teammate and then have the nerve to swing back?

Stephen Jackson might have been the Martial Saint.

David West had raw strength.

Even LeBron James had openly acknowledged how strong West was.

West shoved Jackson hard.

Jackson went straight to the floor.

The broadcast booth reacted in disbelief.

"David West is getting involved now."

"You almost never see him lose his temper like this."

West had always carried himself as one of the quieter, more straightforward players in the league.

Tonight, he reminded everyone that quiet did not mean harmless.

Jackson immediately tried to get back up.

There was a major difference in size between the 2 men, but that did not seem to concern him.

Before he could retaliate, assistant referees, players from both teams, and members of the coaching staffs flooded the area.

The confrontation finally ended there.

Ironically, the person who had suffered the worst injury was still lying on the floor.

Curry.

Blood covered his face.

And for several moments, nobody had even reached him.

The Knicks’ team doctor had been waiting for the fighting to stop before entering.

That was understandable.

The court was filled with enormous professional athletes throwing punches and shoving one another.

The team doctor was an ordinary person.

One accidental punch could send him to the hospital.

Once the confrontation settled, medical staff immediately helped Curry off the floor.

His injury needed treatment.

The 3 referees gathered at the scorer’s table.

Replay review.

The scene had been too chaotic to make an immediate ruling.

Every angle had to be examined.

Who left the bench?

Who threw the first punch?

Who retaliated?

Who merely tried to separate players?

New York fans watched nervously.

Most understood that DeAndre and David West were almost certain to be ejected.

Still, everyone hoped for some miracle.

Those 2 were New York’s starting frontcourt.

Losing both in the middle of an NBA Finals game would be devastating.

The officials watched the replay again.

Then again.

After several reviews, the 3 referees gathered for a final discussion.

The crew chief stepped forward.

Stephen Jackson was ejected.

DeAndre Jordan was ejected.

David West was ejected.

Beverley had also rushed onto the floor, but because he never threw a punch, he escaped an immediate ejection.

The broadcast booth quickly turned to the possible consequences.

"DeAndre, West, and Beverley all left the bench area. There could be additional discipline after the game."

"That is the concern for New York now."

The comparison to 2007 was impossible to avoid.

"This reminds me of the Suns and Spurs series. Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench after the incident involving Nash and Robert Horry."

"If I remember correctly, Horry received a 2 game suspension, while Stoudemire and Diaw each missed 1."

The other commentator nodded.

"And that is why people argued that the punishment, although technically consistent with the rule, had a much greater competitive impact on Phoenix."

"Stoudemire and Diaw were major pieces for that Suns team. Horry was important to San Antonio, but he was still a reserve."

The similarities were uncomfortable.

History had a strange way of repeating itself.

For New York, the immediate concern was Curry.

If his injury was serious and suspensions followed for the others, Chen could suddenly find himself without several of his most important teammates.

Away from the cameras, Popovich looked toward Stephen Jackson as Jackson prepared to leave the court.

Then he gave him a subtle wink.

The result satisfied him.

David West was gone.

DeAndre was gone.

Curry had been injured and did not look capable of returning anytime soon.

San Antonio had lost Stephen Jackson.

1 reserve in exchange for 3 New York starters.

1 for 3.

Anyone could understand the value of that trade.

The effect appeared almost immediately.

Over the next 1 and a half minutes, Duncan and Parker attacked the paint repeatedly.

Without New York’s starting frontcourt, San Antonio suddenly had room.

The Spurs went on a 9 to 2 run.

The lead was cut rapidly.

11 points.

Nelson saw the game beginning to slip and called timeout.

His original plan had been to rest Chen for roughly half of the quarter, then unleash him again in the 4th.

That plan no longer existed.

The circumstances had changed too dramatically.

Chen returned.

The scoreboard showed 75 to 64.

Barea brought the ball across half court and immediately looked toward Chen.

Then he stopped.

2 defenders were already positioned around him.

Popovich had changed the coverage.

For the first time all series, San Antonio was aggressively doubling Chen away from the ball.

An off ball double team.

It was something Popovich almost never used.

But the confrontation had completely changed the game.

Chen’s supporting cast had been stripped down.

Popovich recognized the opportunity and immediately abandoned his previous philosophy.

Do not let Chen receive the ball comfortably.

Force everyone else to make decisions.

Barea could not make the entry pass.

Instead, he swung the ball to Yi Jianlian, who had just checked into the game.

Yi caught it and immediately attacked the paint.

Too quickly.

Too directly.

Duncan met him.

Layup.

Miss.

Yi’s lack of experience showed.

He had rushed the possession rather than reading the defense.

That was one of the reasons Nelson had limited his minutes during the Finals.

At this level, Yi’s skill set and decision making were not yet polished enough to support extended playing time.

Still, these minutes had value.

Even a missed shot mattered.

Even a turnover mattered.

Every possession on an NBA Finals stage was experience he could carry forward.

San Antonio secured the rebound.

Fast break.

Parker raced ahead.

Layup.

Good.

75 to 66.

Single digits.

The AT&T Center erupted.

For the first time in a while, the building sounded completely alive.

Chen looked around at the crowd.

Then at the Spurs.

A bad feeling immediately settled over him.

San Antonio was beginning to build momentum.

....

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