"Forty points through three quarters, seven threes—this rookie center Blake Su is on another level!"
Jon Barry couldn't stop praising him.
Mark Jackson smiled and added, "Exactly! How are you supposed to guard a center who shoots threes like that from the perimeter?
And once you try to double him, Blake Su can drive, he can pass—he's got too many weapons. You simply can't contain him.
Forty points in three quarters.
He practically tore apart the Trail Blazers' defense by himself."
That was the truth.
After three quarters, the Suns were up by 22, blowing out the sixth-seeded Trail Blazers.
In the fourth quarter, the bench unit came in. It looked like the starters wouldn't need to return.
But then—
Coming off the bench, the "Yellow Mamba" Roy, whose level had declined sharply in recent years, suddenly erupted.
He attacked off the dribble, pulled up for jumpers, and scored seven straight points. He even picked off the inexperienced George once.
In just 4 minutes and 13 seconds, Portland went on a 13–4 run, cutting the deficit to 13.
Beep!
Alvin Gentry called timeout.
After a brief consideration, he played it safe and sent the starters back in.
What followed was swift and decisive.
Curry—
Swish.
Steve Nash—
Swish.
Carter—
Swish.
Three straight threes, one from each of them.
Blake Su calmly picked up three assists during that stretch. A 13–3 response pushed the lead back to 23 and effectively sealed the game.
The Trail Blazers stopped fighting.
In the end, the Suns secured a comfortable 15-point victory.
At the commentary table, Jon Barry looked at the stat sheet and exclaimed,
"Blake Su finishes with 40 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks—plus seven made threes.
He's unquestionably tonight's MVP.
Curry adds 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, with three threes of his own. Steve Nash chips in 8 points and 8 assists. Carter scores 8, including two threes.
That's ten straight wins for the Suns.
With this victory, they leapfrog the Trail Blazers into sixth place in the West—just one game behind the fifth-seeded Nuggets."
"Wow!"
Mark Jackson raised his voice. "Before Blake Su arrived, the Suns were 2–8, near the bottom of the conference. Since Blake Su stepped in? Ten straight wins. Straight up to sixth in the West.
They're closing in on the Spurs, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder—those powerhouse teams.
And after the Heat's winning streak was snapped by the Bulls, the Suns now hold the longest active winning streak in the league at ten.
This Suns team is for real."
"Absolutely," Jon Barry agreed with a grin. "I can't wait to see how far they go this season—and what more this rookie center, Blake Su, has in store."
As the commentators continued chatting, a familiar reporter—Woj—approached Blake Su on the court.
"Blake Su, you hit seven threes tonight.
You've shown the entire league that even as a center, you can step outside, shoot from deep, and do it at a high percentage.
But earlier, many people said your threes were just luck. What would you say to that?"
"Uh…"
Blake Su thought for a moment, then smiled lightly.
"It was luck. I just got fortunate with those shots."
It was luck indeed. He had obtained the [Peak Curry Three-Point Shot], which gave him that terrifying accuracy. But that kind of luck wasn't what people imagined.
His response only made fans think he was being humble. And that humility made even more people fall for this deadly three-point shooting rookie center.
...
The next day, Blake Su once again dominated headlines and trending topics.
His name had practically become synonymous with buzz. And recently, it always came with a new tag:
Three-pointers.
Seven threes in a single game wasn't unheard of. Curry, Ray Allen, Durant, Kobe—many stars had done it before.
But add one more word in front of that achievement—center—
And suddenly, it became exceedingly rare.
A player over 215 centimeters tall, knocking down seven threes and scoring 40 points in a game—Blake Su stood alone.
Not only that, he had set a new historical mark.
It wasn't fully appreciated the night before, but once sharp-eyed fans pointed it out, the discussion exploded.
The buzz carried on into the night—past 10 p.m.—and flowed right into another marquee matchup:
Celtics vs. Heat.
The Celtics' "Big Four" against the Heat's "Big Three."
This year's Heat "Big Three" had shaken the entire league. They felt like comic-book supervillains—overpowered and seemingly unstoppable.
Similarly, back in the 2007–08 season, Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen formed the Celtics "Big Three" and won a title in their first year together. They, too, once carried that aura of dominance.
But over the next two seasons, they fell short.
Even with a matured Rondo turning the trio into a "Big Four," everyone knew they weren't what they had been three years earlier.
Age and injuries had taken their toll.
This year might be their last real chance.
They were built to win championships. One title in three years wasn't enough—and time was running out.
This was their final push.
That was why, after beating the Spurs, Pierce—feeling overlooked—had spoken out.
They couldn't afford to lose anymore. They had to strike first.
"Guys, tonight we have to beat the Heat. Let the league know—we're still a championship team."
"Yeah!"
With Pierce's rallying cry, the game began.
The arena roared.
The first three quarters were tightly contested. Even with two minutes left in the fourth, the score was neck and neck.
Then came the turning point—Pierce drove hard to the rim, and Ray Allen buried a dagger three.
Game over.
The Celtics protected their home court, beating the mighty Heat by five.
Afterward, Van Gundy commented, "The Celtics were outstanding tonight. They're not done yet. They're still fighting. The 'Big Four' can still chase a title."
"Right," Mike Breen agreed, before shifting his tone toward the camera.
"The Celtics just took down the Heat's 'Big Three,' and they're red hot.
And their next opponent? The Suns—on a ten-game winning streak, led by superstar rookie Blake Su.
When these two surging teams collide, who comes out on top?
Stay tuned."
...
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