First Quarter.
If the first half was Blake Su unilaterally suppressing Russell Westbrook, then the latter stretch turned into a full-blown scoring duel between Blake Su and Kevin Durant.
Suns (27): (25) Thunder.
Blake Su poured in 13 points in the quarter, while Durant added 8 of his own. Still, the Thunder's overall depth showed. After one quarter, the Suns led by just 2.
"Wow."
"Facing the Thunder's 'Big Three' without a hint of panic, dropping 13 in a single quarter, putting up better numbers than Durant, and locking down Westbrook—Blake Su is even calmer and stronger than I imagined."
ESPN studio.
Mike Breen spoke with genuine admiration.
"Ha!"
Jeff Van Gundy grinned and added, "Of course. Outplaying Durant? That's no small feat."
"Heh."
Mike Breen laughed. "Jeff, you're already hyping him up?"
...
West Coast Arena.
Quarter break.
Blake Su's flawless performance once again drew waves of praise from the crowd. The fans marveled at the sheer, boundless dominance of this center.
In Row 10.
Two all-time legends—"The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon and "Skyhook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—were also in attendance tonight. Watching the first-quarter shootout between Blake Su and Durant left both of them reflective.
"The league today is completely different from the 'center' era we played in," Olajuwon sighed.
"Mm."
"Ever since the 'Big Four Shooting Guards' era of Allen Iverson and Kobe, the 'center' era has nearly vanished. Offense has moved further and further to the perimeter. The league is now rapidly entering the Small-ball era," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said.
"That's true."
Olajuwon paused, stroking his chin before continuing, "It is the Small-ball era, but… the way Blake Su and Durant are attacking from the perimeter tonight feels unique."
"Oh?"
Kareem blinked, slightly puzzled.
"It's their height."
Olajuwon smiled. "Durant is officially listed at 6-foot-9 (206 cm), but he's actually closer to 6-foot-11 (211 cm)—that's interior size. And Blake Su is 7-foot-1 (215 cm), no question."
By all logic, they should be operating inside as traditional centers. Yet here they are pulling up from deep, shaking defenders off the dribble. It's almost unbelievable—and yet it fits this era perfectly."
"I see."
Kareem nodded, smiling. "The era is always changing—and always waiting for someone to redefine it. I think… that person will appear very soon."
The veteran legends continued their quiet discussion.
On the court.
The second quarter began.
First came the battle of the benches.
For the Thunder, James Harden took over as the primary ball handler. On the Suns' side, newly arrived rookie Paul George checked in.
But in terms of scoring ability—
At this stage, Harden was on a completely different level.
In just his second year, Harden already had strong one-on-one finishing ability. George, meanwhile, still struggled to score efficiently against NBA-level defense.
However—
On the defensive end, George was highly active.
That was one of the reasons Alvin Gentry valued him.
With his physical tools, even if his offense lagged behind, George could rely on high-level defense to apply pressure and contribute to the team.
For a team that already had plenty of scoring options, a defensive-minded player like that was something every franchise coveted.
At the 5:13 mark of the rotation,
Harden led the Thunder on a push, swinging the score by 3 points—erasing the 2-point deficit and giving them a 1-point lead.
"Beep—beep!"
Alvin Gentry called timeout, subbing the well-rested starters back in. The Thunder followed suit.
Suns ball.
Steve Nash controlled it at the top of the key, faked a drive toward the left wing, drew the defense, then kicked it back out to Blake Su up top.
Blake Su took one hard step inside, pulled up abruptly—
"Swish!"
Money.
Jeff Green hadn't been out of position at all. It was simply a case of overwhelming talent. There was nothing he could do.
Next possession.
Same action. Nash drove and kicked it out to Blake Su, targeting Jeff Green again with pure physical advantage. This time, Thabo Sefolosha rotated over to help.
Double team.
Without hesitation, Blake Su zipped a cross-court pass to Curry on the left low side.
"Swish!"
Wide-open mid-range jumper.
Next trip down.
Blake Su cut toward the free-throw line, took the ball himself, accelerated down the right wing, and blew past Jeff Green in one stride—only to run straight into Russell Westbrook's help defense.
Without slowing, he spun fluidly, slipping past Westbrook. Facing the rim, he lofted a soft floater just as Serge Ibaka closed in to contest.
But Blake Su was simply too tall. His release point was high enough to avoid the block.
"Swish!"
Another one.
"Whoosh!"
Westbrook pushed the pace, sprinting into the frontcourt. At the free-throw line, Curry slid over to cut him off.
Westbrook suddenly rose up—his signature "zombie jumper."
"Clank!"
Miss.
"Smack!"
Blake Su exploded upward, grabbing the rebound almost over Ibaka's head. In one motion, he fired a laser-like full-court pass, finding Curry streaking ahead.
Curry caught it in stride—
Pull-up three.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
"Great shot!"
"Beautiful connection!"
On the bench, Alvin Gentry couldn't hold back a shout. He was completely satisfied with the chemistry between Blake Su and Curry.
With the starters back on the floor,
Blake Su produced 1 bucket, 2 assists, and 1 rebound in quick succession. Teaming up with Curry, he spearheaded an 11–0 run that smacked the Thunder head-on and instantly seized control of the game.
"Boom!"
The home crowd erupted as the 11–0 run ignited the arena. The deafening cheers crashed down on the Thunder, shaking their rhythm.
"My goodness, with this momentum… Are the Suns really about to blow out the Thunder? Is Blake Su actually going to take down the Thunder's 'Big Three' by himself?!"
In the ESPN studio,
Mike Breen exclaimed in shock.
"Ha!"
"That's how it should be—ride the wave and sweep them away in one go. Let the entire league feel the absolute dominance of this super center!"
Jeff Van Gundy was fired up.
"..."
On the court, Durant's gaze turned icy. His already dark complexion seemed even more intense as he slowly advanced the ball, enduring the boos from the home crowd.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Matched up against Carter.
He lowered his center of gravity, burst past him, stormed into the lane, gathered, rose high—
"Boom!"
A vicious dunk!
"Roar!"
Hanging briefly on the rim before dropping down, Durant let out a furious shout, as if warning the Suns fans that victory wouldn't come so easily.
But his momentum didn't last.
"Boom!"
On the very next possession, Blake Su went coast-to-coast. In almost identical fashion, he ripped through Jeff Green's defense, charged into the paint, and hammered home a dunk of his own.
Only—
Blake Su was faster.
He jumped higher.
He exploded harder.
The visual impact was even more overwhelming.
"Wow!"
Mike Breen's eyes went wide as he smacked his lips in disbelief.
"That's the exact same kind of explosive attack! Blake Su is basically… a 'bigger' Durant!"