Suns 6, Nuggets 0.
Less than a minute into the game, the Suns had already buried two threes and opened with a 6-0 run.
For Phoenix, that was hardly anything extraordinary.
But just as Shaq had pointed out, the Suns were putting enormous pressure on Denver at both ends of the floor, creating an invisible sense of intimidation.
The Nuggets were beginning to unravel before they could even settle into the game.
Then again, how could they not feel pressured?
They were facing the still-unstoppable Blake, the rapidly improving Curry and George, Nash controlling the pace, and the 226-centimeter "Moving Great Wall" Yao Ming, who looked threatening simply by standing under the basket.
That lineup was enough to make anyone uneasy.
Of course, the reason it created that kind of pressure was simple.
Absolute strength.
At the end of the first quarter, the Suns led 31-16.
Phoenix had built a 15-point lead in a single quarter while holding Denver below 20 points.
The Nuggets were already showing signs of collapse.
In the second quarter, the bench units came in first.
Carter and Thompson checked into the game.
Carter could still attack the basket, but to protect his body and extend his career, he had gradually shifted toward becoming more of a perimeter shooter.
That meant that even though Klay was only a rookie, he was the one asked to take on more of the ball-handling and offensive responsibility with the second unit.
Klay curled out from the corner to the right side of the arc, caught the pass, turned, and fired a three.
Would it fall?
"Clang!"
No.
But the Suns grabbed the offensive rebound and kicked it back out to Klay.
He caught the ball and, without the slightest hesitation, launched another three.
"Swish!"
Right through the net.
On the next possession, it was Klay again.
Once more at the right side of the arc, he caught the ball and immediately let another three fly.
This time?
"Swish!"
Another make.
His textbook release and precise shooting drew cries of amazement from the home crowd, giving the fans an immediate taste of just how dangerous this rookie could be from outside.
On the following possession, Klay used his excellent defense to stop Denver's attack.
"Beautiful!"
"Klay's arrival has definitely added a lot more firepower to the Suns' bench."
"Exactly. Their weak second unit was always one of Phoenix's biggest problems. The bench kept giving up points, but now that Klay is here, at least they have reliable offense."
"And the key is that Klay can defend too. His athleticism and footwork let him shut down opposing attacks."
"Pair him with an experienced veteran like Carter, and this Suns bench is suddenly pretty solid."
"That's right."
"The starting lineup is ridiculously strong, and now the bench is good too. Tsk, tsk... the defending champion Suns really did come back from the offseason even stronger."
The home fans in the stands discussed the team excitedly.
On the court, Klay and Carter played six minutes with the second unit and pushed the lead all the way to 20.
Then the starters returned and widened the gap even further.
At halftime, the Suns led 72-46.
After only one half, Phoenix had built a terrifying 26-point advantage.
Blake had hit five threes and casually piled up 21 points before halftime.
Curry had made two threes and scored 10.
George had 8 points.
Yao Ming had 6 points and 6 rebounds.
Nash had only 2 points, but he had already handed out 8 assists.
Off the bench, Klay Thompson had made his NBA preseason debut and, in a little over half a quarter, recorded 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block.
His efficiency was remarkable.
At halftime, Shaq shook his head repeatedly in the commentary booth.
"A 26-point lead at halftime. The Suns are still the Suns."
"And they really have gotten stronger."
"Everyone thought the more cohesive Heat Big Three, the rapidly improving Thunder Trio, or the Lakers with Paul and Kobe might dominate the new season."
"But the defending champion Suns have been improving rapidly too, and they're still one of the strongest teams in the league."
"With this level of offense and defense, this kind of point differential... Phoenix looks scary."
"Absolutely. Their preseason debut has been eye-opening."
Barkley nodded, then added, "Still, I don't think we should rush to conclusions. We need to see what happens in the regular season."
"The preseason is different from the regular season, and the regular season is different from the playoffs. On top of that, teams can look very different depending on the opponent."
"Right now, Denver is relatively weak overall. Getting blown out by a championship team isn't impossible."
"So we'll need the regular season to begin and some real results to come in before we can make any serious judgments."
"But one thing is beyond doubt. This Suns team is stronger than last season, and what we've seen today gives us every reason to look forward to the new season."
"Exactly."
Shaq nodded in agreement.
There was no suspense left in the game.
Because this was the preseason and the goal was to work on lineups and chemistry, Phoenix had planned to use its starters for only one half anyway.
With a 26-point lead, the starters were officially done for the day at halftime.
The Suns' strength on both ends had unsettled Denver so badly that the Nuggets no longer looked capable of seriously fighting back.
The game entered garbage time early.
Still, it was the preseason, so Nuggets head coach George Karl continued running his planned sets and experimenting with his rotation instead of chasing the score.
In the end, Phoenix cruised to a 23-point victory over Denver and secured its first preseason win.
The Suns' next three games were against the Nuggets, the Warriors, and then the Warriors again.
Over roughly the next week, Phoenix won those three games by 17, 19, and 21 points.
All three were comfortable blowouts.
Just like that, the Suns opened the preseason with four straight wins.
Four games.
Four routs.
Phoenix's dominant preseason form naturally caught the attention of teams around the league.
Their strength at both ends was impressive enough to make people a little uneasy.
Fans were just as stunned by what they were seeing.
"Wow~ They're... so strong!"
"Four games, four blowouts. Is this the true strength of the defending champions?!"
"They're winning way too easily!"
"Heat Big Three, Thunder Trio, Thunder Quartet, Lakers Twin Stars... none of it matters in front of the Suns led by 'The Emperor' Blake."
"The Suns came back from the offseason even stronger. They're terrifying!"
"Hehehe, Suns for the title!"
"Haha, yes, four blowouts are impressive, and nobody can deny the Suns are good. But don't get carried away."
"All four opponents were relatively weak. Phoenix was supposed to win, and these big margins are still within reason."
"Exactly."
"Right. Suns fans shouldn't start celebrating too early. Whether Phoenix can remain a championship-caliber team this season will depend on how they perform against strong opponents."
"Uh... if I remember correctly, the Suns' next opponent is the Los Angeles Lakers!"