"Oh my god!! What the hell did I just see?!"
"That dunk?! The big dude didn't even react!"
"That speed… that bounce… did this guy grow up on rocket fuel or what?!"
"Yo, nobody's gonna talk about that crossover before the dunk? That was straight up nasty!"
The entire arena froze for a split second—then it exploded!
Drinks, popcorn, and beer flew through the air like confetti. For that one play alone, the price of admission tonight was already worth it!
Even the NBA scouts in the stands were stunned by Chen Yan's move.
"Who the hell is this kid?"
"Never heard of him before…"
They had all come for Kevin Durant—but now, after Chen Yan dropped six straight points, more and more eyes were locked onto this unknown Chinese guard.
"Defense! Yo, clamp up! Don't let them score another damn point!"
There was no time to flex. Chen Yan slapped palms with his teammates and hustled back on D. As he sprinted across half court, he kept clapping and shouting, hyping up his squad, trying to let the offense fuel the defense.
On the sidelines, Texas head coach Rick Barnes nodded in approval. What his Longhorns had been missing all season was someone who could lead. That's why most analysts didn't believe Texas would go far in March Madness.
To put it bluntly—this team didn't know how to fight through adversity.
But just now, Chen Yan showed flashes of that missing piece. Barnes saw real leadership potential.
Under Chen's lead, the rest of the Texas squad lit back up!
This was March Madness—the biggest stage for any NCAA baller. Nobody wanted to be sent home in the first round.
With renewed fire, Texas turned up the heat on defense. The sound of bodies crashing echoed through the gym as they put hands and bodies on everything that moved!
New Mexico State tried to move the ball around. After a few passes, Branson attacked the lane for a layup—missed!
He crashed to the ground and threw his arms up, shouting for a foul.
But the ref waved it off and took off toward the front court.
Texas was already running!
DJ Augustin pushed the rock, hit Durant right before half-court. But KD didn't force it. Instead, he swung it to the opposite wing—
Chen Yan.
Even though Durant was the top guy on the team, he was different from your usual star. He actually enjoyed sharing the ball, especially when a teammate was cooking.
Chen Yan caught the pass, lowered his shoulders, and attacked the free-throw line!
Richardson saw him coming and instantly retreated, sweat breaking on his forehead. He'd seen Chen's handle and quicks just a minute ago.
Then—
Screech—!
Chen stepped hard on the brakes, dropped the ball through his legs, and snatched it back!
The hardwood almost caught fire from the friction.
From the commentary booth, both announcers screamed in unison:
"O—M—G!!! Chen just broke Richardson out the damn camera shot!!"
Before he shot, Chen even glanced down at Richardson, who was three meters away, still picking up from the fall.
Splash!
Free-throw line jumper, straight wet.
Swish!
The net barely moved.
Richardson stood up slowly, glanced toward the bench, looking lost.
He really tried… but it wasn't enough.
"TIME OUT!!"
New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus couldn't take it anymore. He threw up the timeout sign, desperate to cool Chen's red-hot streak.
If he didn't stop the game, the fans' cheers alone might blow his eardrums out.
As Chen Yan jogged toward the bench, his teammates mobbed him.
"Bro, you shook that man's ankles into another dimension!"
"They can't guard you at all keep cookin' 'em!"
Even Coach Rick Barnes came up and smacked Chen on the back of the head, grinning ear to ear.
Chen was on fire 8 points in a row!
But in Barnes's eyes, his impact went way beyond stats. He brought energy, confidence, and swagger back to the team.
In the stands behind the Texas bench, fans stood and chanted Chen Yan's name like he was already a legend.
Surrounded by teammates, recognized by the coach, cheered by the crowd…
This—
This was the moment Chen had dreamed about since he was a kid.
But he didn't let the hype distract him.
The game wasn't over.
Texas was still down.
Chen and the others formed a tight huddle, listening quietly as Coach Barnes laid out the next set of plays.
On the other bench, the mood was very different.
"BANG!!"
Reggie Theus slammed his clipboard to the floor.
"WAKE THE HELL UP!!"
"You call that basketball?! That was straight-up dogshit!"
"This ain't no practice scrimmage—this is the top 64!"
He was foaming at the mouth, hoping that if the words didn't reach their brains, the spit would at least hit their faces and wake them up.
There were still 9 minutes and 7 seconds left in the game. New Mexico State had a 5-point lead.
Whether they advanced or got bounced early—it all came down to these next few minutes.
Coach Theus's meltdown seemed to work. Coming back from the timeout, Doug Brown used a double screen, popped out, and drained a smooth mid-range jumper.
New Mexico finally snapped their scoring drought!
But Coach Theus's relief didn't last.
Texas responded immediately.
This time, they inbounded the ball directly over DJ Augustin's head—a football-style lob straight into Chen Yan's hands.
Richardson went all-in—dove forward, trying to gamble a steal the moment Chen touched the ball.
The idea was bold… the result? Painful.
Chen saw it coming, stepped back, and snatched the ball mid-air with one hand while spinning gracefully out of the trap.
Doug Brown tried to jump him too, seeing Chen off balance.
Chen's eyes lit up.
"What, a sneak attack on a 19-year-old rookie?!"
No way.
He snapped into a deep behind-the-back dribble, gliding past Doug Brown with ridiculous control. Left both defenders stumbling behind him.
"Yo, are these steal attempts contagious or what?"
With both defenders left behind, Chen had nothing but open court in front of him.
Green light. Clear lane. Showtime.
His teammates were sprinting but couldn't keep up.
1 man had the ball, 9 were watching.
Chen Yan, the certified court bully of the youth squad, was about to cook again!
BOOM!!!
Another powerful dunk—Chen's 10th point of the game!
"This kid's dribbling is straight-up art!"
"This is a personal mixtape right now!"
"I'm buying his jersey tomorrow!"
"Screw tomorrow—I'm grabbing one after the game!"
In the middle of the chaos, as the crowd roared and cameras flashed, Richardson stood in silence…
Looking at Chen's back, he felt the world grow darker.
Some gaps—no matter how hard you work—just can't be closed.