NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 10: Big Win and Promotion! The Three of Us Are Just Built Different!

After a quick fifteen-minute halftime break, the two teams switched sides and got back to work.

Right off the jump, Taj Gibson threw down a two-handed slam in the paint.

Then Nick Young followed up with a smooth layup after a clean screen.

The adjustment during halftime clearly fired up the University of Southern California squad. They came out swinging with renewed energy, determined to close the gap!

This was March Madness, the biggest stage every NCAA baller dreams of. Ain't no one going down without a fight here.

"The Trojans are heating up on offense this half," the on-site commentator shouted, "but their real problem isn't scoring... it's defense! They've got no answers for Durant and Chen Yan!"

Texas took over possession.

Damian James stepped up to the high post, ready to set a screen for Chen Yan.

The screen itself? Meh, nothing fancy. Nick Young was already slipping past Damian. But Chen Yan didn't care—he blew by Nick anyway, using that killer speed to gain a half-step advantage and explode into the paint!

Now it was just him and Taj Gibson under the basket.

If this was a perimeter play, Gibson wouldn't stand a chance. Chen had too much speed, too much handle—he could kill him a hundred ways from outside.

But this was the restricted area. Gibson wasn't backing down. He was a bouncy, energetic role player. If Chen tried to finish at the rim, Taj was gonna try to make him regret it.

Just outside the paint, Chen suddenly shifted gears and hit the gas again.

First step—right!

Taj bit hard, shifting left, prepping to leap for a block.

But before he could even leave the ground, Chen hit him with the second step—left!

[Phantom Step] activated.

Gibson was completely stunned. Frozen. Like he got hit with a pause button.

By the time he snapped out of it, Chen had already glided past and laid it in easy.

"Whoa! New move alert! Chen just pulled out some ghostly footwork!"

"That step was unreal! Like a streak of light cutting straight through the USC's D!"

The commentators were going wild, practically spitting into their mics.

Chen's playstyle was flashy, explosive, and crazy fun to watch. He was the kind of player that made highlight reels write themselves. Even the commentators couldn't get enough.

"Chen! Where'd you learn that move?" Durant ran up, grinning and slapping Chen a high five. "You never used that in practice!"

"Learn? Come on," Chen laughed, "It's just a Z-step layup. You know, three steps with some sauce."

To Chen, all that so-called Phantom Step or Eurostep stuff was just a zigzag layup with a little flair.

"Teach me that next time, bro."

"Bet. Anytime."

Durant didn't have the deepest bag in college yet, but he was a grinder. Once he hit the league, his work ethic took him to a whole new level. That's how he became such an offensive monster in the future.

Back on defense, USC had the ball again.

Gibson and Nick Young ran a pick-and-roll. Gibson rolled to the basket, but Damian James straight-up ignored him and double-teamed Nick with Chen.

"Ball! Ball!" Gibson yelled. The paint was wide open.

But Nick Young? He'd already slammed the "I'm shooting no matter what" button before tip-off. Passing was not in his plans.

With two defenders on him, he still pulled up for a fadeaway jumper.

Clang!

The cooler the shot looks, the louder the brick sounds.

Good thing Gibson was chill. Anyone else would've subbed themselves out after that nonsense.

The ball bounced right into Durant's hands.

Durant didn't waste a second. He turned and found Chen sprinting ahead.

Chen caught the pass and took off on the break. Damian trailed him, and only Nick Young made it back in time for USC.

It was a 2-on-1 fast break!

Chen could've passed it—but he didn't need to.

Nick Young stepped up to contest. Chen went straight into his bag.

As Nick's weight shifted left, Chen pulled it back and exploded with a long second step!

Blew right past Nick's body and went for a clean reverse layup.

Didn't even give Nick a chance to foul him.

Same move. Same steps. Same result.

Only difference? Taj Gibson was frozen solid earlier.

Nick Young? He spun himself into a full 360, looking like he just got crossed into another timeline.

"Ohhh!! Nick Young just got hit with the dance step special!"

"Hey, at least he tried! You gotta give him that."

"Chen's steps are too long, man. That first burst? Explosive. You can't react fast enough."

"Damn… seeing that move twice in a row? What did we do to deserve this blessing?"

The crowd erupted again as the arena buzzed with excitement.

Chen Yan's footwork had everyone talking—and Southern California didn't have a single answer.

Many people had never seen Chen Yan play before, but after tonight's game? Everyone in the arena would remember that name for damn sure.

The head coach of the University of Southern California didn't hesitate—timeout!

As the players walked back to the bench, Chen Yan tilted his head up and glanced at the replay on the massive jumbotron. That ghost-like footwork he just pulled off? Smooth as hell.

He wasn't being cocky—it really was that clean. Both stylish and effective. No wonder Dwyane Wade called it his killer move.

"Damn," Chen Yan muttered under his breath. "That was nasty…"

After the timeout, Texas went right back into their rhythm on offense.

Durant, who'd been a bit quiet in the second half, suddenly lit up. Jumper after jumper—swish after swish. In the NCAA, if Durant got you one-on-one, it was a wrap. Unstoppable.

Normally, teams tried to slow him down with double-teams. USC had that same plan going into the game, but Chen Yan completely messed that strategy up.

With Chen on the court, USC didn't dare double Durant anymore. One misstep and Chen would slice right through their defense. And with Durant draining shots, it created even more space for Chen to attack.

They didn't even need to run pick-and-rolls or complex sets. Their presence alone made each other better. The synergy? Off the charts.

Coach Rick Barnes was watching closely from the sideline. He didn't say anything, but in his mind? The decision was made.

"Next game, Chen's starting."

Then—

"Ball stolen!"

The commentator's voice cracked with excitement.

Chen Yan leapt into the passing lane, snatching a lazy lateral pass like a hawk. Without hesitation, he exploded into a fast break!

The only defender back was USC's point guard, Gabe Pruitt. Nick Young? He wasn't coming—dude was still recovering from Chen's earlier highlight reel.

Just past the three-point line, Chen suddenly stopped on a dime, flicked the ball behind his back—whoop!

Gabe Pruitt flew three meters in the wrong direction!

"Pull that shit!" Durant shouted from behind, grinning. They had a big lead now, so it didn't matter if Chen missed a heat-check three.

But Chen had already made up his mind. Even if KD hadn't said anything, he was pulling it.

His three-point rating wasn't elite—just a [73]—but he was wide open. And this wasn't NCAA range; he was a step outside, which just so happened to be NBA range.

Chen caught the ball clean, planted, rose up, and snapped his wrist—

Swish!

The ball cut through the air and dropped through the net, barely touching the rim. A perfect arc. The crowd exploded.

"Wet! Chen just dropped a cold-blooded three off the shake! That boy's straight-up hoopin' tonight!"

"Look at that grin—he's having the time of his life out there!"

With 2:01 left in the second half, Nick Young finally had a little moment to shine.

After two slick behind-the-back dribbles, he shifted to the baseline and spun into a clean fadeaway jumper. Splash!

It was smooth. Stylish. Cold.

But... meaningless.

USC was still down 27 points.

Texas fans in the stands were already munching on popcorn and chatting about who they'd face in the next round.

Still, Nick Young wasn't letting the scoreboard kill his vibe. He stared into the camera, full of swagger, and yelled:

"Nobody can guard me!"

Durant and Chen Yan, already chilling on the bench, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Yo," Durant nudged Chen, "he's wild for that. We're up almost thirty and he still tryna flex."

Chen grinned. "That man plays happy basketball, huh?"

Final Score: 77–50.

University of Texas stomps USC.

No one saw that kind of blowout coming—not even the most optimistic Longhorn fans.

Chen Yan played 28 minutes, shooting a blazing 14-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-1 from deep and 4-of-6 from the line. Final tally: 33 points.

And it wasn't just the numbers—Chen had the crowd going crazy all night with those flashy plays. Easy top-10 material for March Madness highlights.

Durant finished with 29 points and 7 rebounds, the second-highest scorer. Together, the two of them dropped 62 of Texas' 77 points. Absolutely unreal.

Outside of those two, no one else even cracked double digits. DJ Augustin's 6 points came in as the third-highest total.

As the buzzer sounded, DJ threw his arms around Chen and Durant. Laughing, he shouted into the broadcast camera:

"The three of us? Unstoppable!"

It was a night to remember.

Chen Yan had arrived—and the NCAA just got a brand-new problem.

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