Swish!
Blake Su raised his hand and launched another three-pointer. The ball sailed over Ariza's head, spinning toward the rim with a high arc and perfect alignment.
"That's in!"
LeBron, sitting in the stands, could tell the moment it left his hand—
Clang!
Another miss.
"What a shame," Wade said, shaking his head. "Then again, maybe it's for the best. A center with elite mid-range is one thing. If his three-ball were automatic too, the whole league would be in trouble."
"True," Bosh said with a smile.
Smack!
Ariza secured the rebound. He had already slid into position the instant Blake Su released the shot, almost as if he knew it wouldn't fall.
"Hmph. Knew you didn't have it."
Bringing the ball up himself, Ariza felt even more confident about guarding Blake Su.
"Tch. It really won't drop?"
Blake Su clicked his tongue, a little exasperated. Iverson's three-point shooting had always been average, but going just one-for-four on wide-open looks tonight? That was rough.
He shot Ariza a cold glance. Fine. A smart man knows when to push and when to hold back. Before completing the "40+ triple-double" task, there was no need to force a showdown.
So—
Blake Su shifted out of scoring mode and back into facilitator mode. With his smooth ball control and natural height advantage, plus Ariza giving him a step of space—
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
He rattled off assist after assist. On the other end, he continued battling on the glass. Add that to his earlier 8–0 personal run—
Halftime.
The Suns headed into the locker room with a 9-point lead.
Blake Su had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Just one rebound and two assists away from a triple-double. And 18 points short of 40.
…
At halftime, the Hornets trailed by only nine, and their energy hadn't dipped. The home DJ kept hyping the crowd, creating the illusion that the Hornets weren't behind at all—but in control.
The home atmosphere surged.
Soon, the second half began.
At the broadcast table, Van Gundy adjusted his tie.
"Blake Su is chasing another triple-double tonight. He's not just dominant… he's versatile."
"Absolutely," Mike Breen nodded. "He does a great job orchestrating the offense. But sometimes, I feel like he should be more aggressive—just take over and end the game with his scoring."
"That's fair. But Ariza's clearly targeting Blake Su's weak spot—the three-point shot. With that defensive focus disrupting his efficiency, moving the ball and creating for teammates isn't a bad choice."
"Good point."
As they spoke—
The battle resumed.
Paul used a West screen, accelerated down the left wing, and drove into the paint. A quick spin back the other way, then a pass to West at the free-throw line—his sweet spot.
Swish!
Money.
Suns ball.
Nash pushed it up, hit Paul with a smooth in-and-out crossover, slipped left into the lane, and attempted a double-clutch layup off the glass through traffic.
Miss.
Rebound?
Blake Su grabbed it—but West and Okafor instantly swarmed him. He kicked it out to Curry, who swung it to Carter in the corner.
Clang!
Another miss.
Still, the Suns kept it alive. Frye secured the offensive board, looked to go up, thought better of it, and passed back out to Blake Su. One quick dribble—
A sharp bounce pass inside.
Bang!
Frye caught it in stride and hammered it home.
"One more assist for the triple-double."
As Blake Su retreated on defense, a faint glint flashed in his dark eyes.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Paul dribbled at the top against Carter. Jab step left, burst, sudden stop, crossover pullback—then a quick kick-out to Belinelli curling into the corner.
He turned and fired.
Swish!
Pure.
The crowd erupted.
But Blake Su didn't even glance over. He called for the ball, pushed it up, and settled at the top of the key, scanning with his peripheral vision.
Whoosh!
Sudden acceleration.
He blew past Ariza with sheer speed. Even staying tight, Ariza began to lose ground step by step.
"Double!"
Paul barked.
West slid over from the wing. Okafor waited at the rim. Three defenders converged—on a center.
Heh.
Blake Su smiled faintly.
Without looking back, he flipped the ball behind his head.
Curry trailed the play, caught it, and lofted a soft floater.
Swish!
Crisp.
"Triple-double!"
Van Gundy's voice rose. "With that assist, Blake Su secures another triple-double! Two straight games! This rookie center is something special."
"Truly impressive," Mike Breen added.
On the court, Blake Su's smile faded just as quickly. The triple-double was just one checkpoint.
Until 40 points were secured—
No easing up.
Now, he could focus solely on scoring.
9:37 remaining.
Facing Ariza's cushion, Blake Su exploded forward, stopped on a dime, and rose for a jumper. By the time Ariza recovered from shifting his weight, the ball was already gone.
Swish!
Net snapped.
7:13.
Using Curry's screen, Blake Su slipped left into the lane, absorbed contact from Okafor in midair, and flipped in a reverse bank shot with his back to the basket.
5:22.
In transition, Blake Su sold a pump fake on West and took off for a three-step layup. West could only grab him from behind—a clear tactical foul.
Off balance, Blake Su still tossed it up.
The ball bounced twice on the rim—
—and dropped.
Swish!
The free throw fell as well.
"Nine points!"
"Thirteen!"
"My God—Blake Su already has 16 this quarter!"
"Blake Su isolated up top against West. Carter sets the screen—switch! Now Paul is on him. Massive mismatch. Wow! Blake Su just rises right over him for a contested pull-up!
Paul has no answer!
Bang!
Another one! Eighteen points in this quarter alone! It's unbelievable—a center attacking from the perimeter with this kind of firepower.
Blake Su is unstoppable!"
Mike Breen's voice thundered.
Van Gundy followed up, energized.
"Eighteen in a quarter! The Suns have stretched their 9-point lead to 21 under Blake Su's scoring barrage.
This game is slipping away!"
Boom!
Suns fans in the stands roared, chanting Blake Su's name.
Tweet! Tweet!
The Hornets called timeout.
With 1:31 left in the third, Blake Su checked out. Leaning back against the bench, he glanced at the scoreboard.
40 points.
10 rebounds.
10 assists.
"40-point triple-double. Secured."
[Ding!]
Right on cue, the System notification sounded.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the [Single-Game 40+ Triple-Double] task. Reward: [Peak Curry Three-Point Shot].]