"That's right! A game-winning three—and not even his first. He already buried one from deep against the Thunder's 'Big Three.' But tonight…
This one was even harder!"
Mike Breen chimed in excitedly. "Blake Su has long since given the center position a new definition. He's shown the entire league that centers aren't limited to scoring in the paint.
They can be just as dominant on the perimeter."
"Exactly."
Jeff Van Gundy nodded, taking a moment before continuing with a smile. "Up until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, the two teams were locked together. It was a complete stalemate.
But in those last three minutes, everything flipped in an instant.
First, Rose used his 'cutting without decelerating' and an air handle pass, relying on his elite physical tools to help his teammates build a four-point lead.
Then…
Blake Su threw down a ferocious two-handed dunk over four defenders. Right after that, the Su–Curry connection struck again—an alley-oop slam that tied the game, ignited the arena, and seized the momentum.
However—
In the clutch, Rose once again leaned on his incredible athleticism. He tore through the defense and, facing four outstretched arms in the paint, twisted midair for an extreme double-clutch finish.
A near game-winner.
With only 3.4 seconds left for the Suns, Blake Su answered with an ultra-deep, ultra-high-difficulty three-pointer to snatch the victory away from the Bulls.
This brutal, ever-shifting battle was impossible to predict until the very last second—and that's exactly the beauty of competitive basketball."
"Absolutely, I…"
Blake Su's buzzer-beater—a game-winner from the young prodigy—sent Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy into a frenzy. They kept praising Blake Su, unable to stop.
Meanwhile, in the stands—
Parker was still stunned by that ultra-long three.
"Even though I know it's real, seeing a center hit a game-winning three like that… it just feels surreal."
"Heh."
Ginobili laughed, still shaking his head. "Unbelievable. Beyond belief. Blake Su hasn't just improved the center position—he's taken it somewhere entirely new."
"No, no."
Tim Duncan shook his head calmly. "Blake Su hasn't raised the traditional center to another level. The brute-force interior offense and defense of classic big men? You don't see much of that in his game.
What he's done is create another offensive path for centers—a style that, at least for now, belongs exclusively to him.
The league is moving toward the Small-ball era. Perimeter firepower is getting stronger and more explosive. But most of that comes from shooting guards and forwards.
Now—
Blake Su, as a center, has perimeter offense that's already polished and lethal. I think… in the future, he'll become a special category within the Small-ball era."
"Bingo."
Ginobili nodded. He genuinely couldn't think of another center in the league who attacked like this—let alone delivered a game-winner from that distance.
Blake Su wasn't just adapting to the Small-ball era.
He might become its most unique example.
Off to the side—
Allen Iverson, retired for just a year, kept clapping.
"Incredible. Really incredible. Blake Su, this center—his offense is so distinctive.
He's clearly a center, yet he plays like a superstar guard.
If he keeps this up, he's going to catch the whole league off guard.
Just like I did back then—using crossover after crossover to prove that smaller players could survive in a big man's game, and even thrive."
Seated nearby, Howard looked dazed, muttering to himself.
"He really hit that? A center pulling up from three… and making it?
It… it looks fake.
Luck? Yeah… it has to be luck. Definitely luck. Centers like us don't even have real three-point range—let alone making something that difficult at the buzzer.
Hmph…"
The more he muttered, the more convinced he became. Listening to the explosive cheers filling the arena and staring at Blake Su on the court, Howard narrowed his eyes.
"Rookie center. Got lucky. Hit a big three. Took the win and the applause.
But when you face me, I'll show you—if you're a center, you win by dominating the paint. That's how you lead a team."
Across the arena—
John Wall stared straight at Blake Su, shock written all over his face. That impossibly difficult three to beat the Bulls had clearly rattled him.
"No way…"
"How can a center…"
Even though he'd already been burned by Blake Su's mid-range shooting in their first meeting this season, seeing him so precise from deep still felt unreal.
He remained in stunned silence for a long while.
Only after hearing the crowd chanting Blake Su's name—and scattered voices saying he was already above the top draft pick and the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year—did his gaze turn sharp.
"Blake Su, keep shining like this. Next time we meet, I'll take back everything that belongs to me."
...
On the court—
After the Suns finished celebrating, Rose walked over to Blake Su with a grin.
"Hey, that three of yours looked fake."
"Oh?"
Blake Su shrugged with a smile. "I thought your double-clutch layup looked pretty fake too. Not many players could pull that off."
"Haha!"
Rose waved it off. "Don't hype me up. I'm the one who lost—what's there to praise? And losing to a rookie at that. That stings."
"What, you look down on rookies?"
Blake Su shot him a glance.
Rose shook his head. "Of course not. I'm saying you're too good. You've completely outshined the rest of your draft class.
Especially those last few possessions.
I admit it, Blake Su. Tonight you're the winner—the real winner. It's a shame to get beaten at the buzzer, but I'm looking forward to the next time we play.
Hopefully… I can get one back."
"Same here. Getting to go up against the 'Jordan's successor' is always a pleasure."
"Haha!"
Rose gave Blake Su a playful punch and walked off laughing.
A sincere compliment always lightens the mood. Even though he'd lost to a rookie, Blake Su's recognition genuinely pleased him.
At the same time—
Blake Su left a strong impression on him.
...
Back in the ESPN studio—
The two commentators gradually calmed down.
Mike Breen spoke first.
"Forty-six points, twelve rebounds, five assists, four blocks—and a buzzer-beating three from way downtown.
That's the perfect stat line from Blake Su tonight.
With a dazzling performance, he led a comeback win over the Eastern Conference-leading Bulls. As a rookie, he's guided his team to a 13-game winning streak—and personally remains undefeated this season.
Let's congratulate Blake Su—this center from China. May he continue to shine on the NBA stage."
"Exactly."
Jeff Van Gundy nodded and continued, "The two plays that decided the game tonight were Rose's acrobatic double-clutch layup and Blake Su's ultra-deep three.
Mike Breen, what do you make of those two plays?"