"Wow..."
"Griffin is seriously strong!"
"No joke—the 'Beast' nickname isn't for nothing. Those relentless rim attacks, those brutal, blood-pumping dunks—it's pure eye candy."
"Even though he's still a rookie, I feel like Griffin is already the Clippers' leader."
"Yeah, he's incredible. And precisely because Griffin is so dominant, tonight's Clippers vs. Suns matchup—Griffin vs. Blake Su—is going to be even more exciting."
"Exactly. I'm really looking forward to it."
"In my view, this year's Rookie of the Year race will definitely come down to Blake Su and Griffin."
"Wall: Don't I deserve some respect too?!"
"Hahaha!"
The next morning.
Fans were buzzing online, chatting nonstop and hyping up the Clippers vs. Suns showdown scheduled for that night.
...
Los Angeles Lakers training facility.
"Swish!"
"Boom!"
After knocking down a three and finishing with a thunderous dunk, Kobe, drenched in sweat, paused his workout and headed to the rest area with Gasol and Bynum.
"Kobe, between Blake Su and Griffin—two players with ridiculous talent—who do you think comes out on top?"
Pau Gasol asked.
"Hmm..."
Kobe wiped his sweat with a towel, thought for a moment, then said, "Sixty–forty. Blake Su sixty, Griffin forty. Griffin's interior impact is terrifying, but the Suns still have size inside.
As for Blake Su—pulling out for jumpers or driving as a center—guys at his position really can't contain him. His playstyle is just too unique."
Recently, Kobe had been paying close attention to Blake Su.
"Agreed."
Bynum rolled his shoulders and nodded. "If the Clippers want to slow Blake Su down tonight, it all depends on Griffin. Only his level of talent can really go head-to-head with Blake Su."
"Drinks are here~"
Lamar Odom carried over a crate of beverages.
Pau Gasol grabbed one and added, "Blake Su—if he can fully unleash this 'guard-style' offense as a center, he's going to blow the league wide open."
"Right."
Kobe nodded, then smiled. "That's exactly why I want to face him."
...
At the same time.
Inside a high-end gym in Miami.
LeBron, Wade, and Bosh were training together. All three had taken pay cuts to form the "Big Three" and chase a championship, even willing to shoulder criticism.
So.
If they didn't train hard and win it all, how could they justify that sacrifice?
While curling dumbbells, Wade asked, "LeBron, interested in tonight's Clippers vs. Suns game? Blake Su and Griffin are both major rising stars."
"Not interested."
LeBron ran on the treadmill with added weight, his breathing steady.
"Why?!"
Bosh, doing pull-ups, looked confused. Wade was just as puzzled. LeBron replied calmly, "I believe Blake Su will completely beat Griffin.
So.
This game doesn't really have much suspense.
Instead... I'm looking forward to the Suns' next game against the Thunder. They're on a five-game winning streak right now—when Blake Su goes up against the Thunder's 'Big Three,' can he still lead his team to a win?"
"Oh..."
Wade thought back to past games against the Thunder and couldn't help laughing. "Those three young guys are stacked with talent—overflowing with it. But...
If Blake Su beats them, the whole league is going to shake."
"Now that's interesting."
Bosh's interest spiked immediately.
...
As attention from all sides continued to build and anticipation for the Clippers vs. Suns matchup kept rising—
8:00 p.m.
Staples Center.
While the Clippers didn't have the Lakers' level of popularity, being based in Los Angeles still gave them big-city pull. With half an hour left before tip-off, the arena was already packed, the atmosphere blazing hot.
Players from both teams went through warmups.
Soon.
Warmups ended.
Both starting lineups took the floor.
Los Angeles Clippers starters: point guard Baron Davis (6'3"), shooting guard Eric Gordon (6'4"), small forward Ryan Gomes (6'7"), power forward Blake Griffin (6'10"), and center DeAndre Jordan (6'11").
Phoenix Suns starters: point guard Steve Nash (6'3"), shooting guard Jason Richardson (6'6"), small forward Grant Hill (6'8"), power forward Channing Frye (6'11"), and center Blake Su (6'10").
"Jump ball!"
DeAndre Jordan and Blake Su lined up for the tip.
"Blake Su hasn't lost a single opening tip so far this season. I wonder if the long-armed DeAndre Jordan might have a chance—wow! Blake Su tips it cleanly again, beating him by nearly half a hand.
That talent is just absurd!"
Before Jon Barry could even build up the suspense, Blake Su had already flicked the ball away. Richardson secured it and passed to Nash, who pushed the ball to the middle at the top of the arc.
He swung it to Hill on the right side.
"Smack!"
Baron Davis suddenly burst forward and knocked the ball loose. Griffin read it instantly, sprinting downcourt at full speed. Baron scooped up the ball and ran with him.
The Suns hadn't even reacted yet.
Baron tossed a high lob. Griffin planted, exploded upward, secured the ball with both hands, located the rim, and smashed it down with a two-handed dunk—an alley-oop finish.
"Buzz!"
The rim screamed under the force, shaking violently.
"Great play!"
"That was insane!"
"See that? That's the brutal beauty of the 'Beast.' Blake Su's soft mid-range jumper doesn't even compare."
"Tonight.
Griffin is going to destroy Blake Su!"
"Boom!"
A thunderous dunk right out of the gate sent the home Clippers fans into a frenzy.
Clippers (2) : (0) Suns.
Suns ball.
Nash brought it across half court and passed to Blake Su at the right slot, then drifted to the left wing. DeAndre Jordan stepped up to guard him, uncertainty creeping in.
Out on the perimeter, his confidence wasn't exactly high—but at this point, he had no choice but to stick tight to Blake Su.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Blake Su dribbled deliberately, eyes locked on DeAndre Jordan. He lowered his center of gravity, switched the ball to his left hand, and suddenly burst left.
"Left drive!"
DeAndre Jordan's eyes tightened as he hurried to keep up. Knowing Blake Su's speed, he pushed himself to the limit—but right then, Blake Su snapped the ball back across his body.
A sharp crossover, shifting his weight left then right, completely shook DeAndre Jordan. One explosive step on the right side and Blake Su blew past him cleanly, charging into the paint and floating the ball off the glass.
"This..."
Mark Jackson froze for a split second, then shouted excitedly, "Jon, tell me—tell me who Blake Su's crossover just looked like?!"
Jon Barry's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Allen Iverson!"
"Haha!"
Mark Jackson burst into laughter. "Exactly! That move was pure Iverson—and even more than that...
A 'center version' of Allen Iverson!"