As the commentators spoke, many fans in the stands began to realize what was happening.
"Damn, even a cripple can fire up the whole team. What gives Blake Su the right?"
"He's just a rookie. How can he make teammates who've completely collapsed suddenly break out? That's nonsense. The commentators are just hyping him up!"
"F**k, if he's got a headache, he should be resting. Why stay on the court and torture himself?"
"Seriously, I knew the Suns were already done for. So what's with this sudden surge? Turns out it's Blake Su stirring things up again.
So annoying!"
"Hmph, so what if he inspires them? Even if the whole team heats up, they still haven't erased the deficit. It's still a six-point game. Can you really keep this up in the second half?
And in our 'Devil's Home Arena,' we'll keep the pressure on you."
"That's right. Tonight this place is hell. It's where your winning streak gets buried!"
"..."
Blake Su, clearly dealing with a headache and not at his best, still managed to ignite his teammates, which left Jazz fans extremely frustrated. During halftime, they grumbled and cursed, their resentment toward him growing.
But there was no denying it.
It was Blake Su, despite his condition, who helped the Suns claw back 15 points in a single quarter. Now, with only a six-point gap, even in the Jazz's "Devil's Home Arena," the Suns still had a chance to win.
Everything would be decided in the second half.
Soon, halftime ended.
The second half began.
Teams switched sides and play resumed.
"Whoosh!"
Deron powered past Steve Nash and attacked the rim, lifting the ball for a high-arcing bank shot, but it missed.
Rebound.
Al and Frye collided going for it, with Kirilenko and Blake Su joining the scramble. In the end, Blake Su got there first and kicked it out to Steve Nash on the perimeter.
"Whoosh!"
Steve Nash immediately pushed the pace.
He drove coast to coast, drawing defenders and a double team before kicking it out to Curry, who had run to the left corner. Curry caught it and rose straight into a three.
With a crisp sound of the net snapping.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
"Wow."
Van Gundy reacted with surprise.
"Curry struggled all through the first half, just 1 for 6 from three. But right out of halftime, he knocks one down immediately.
Is he about to get going?"
As he spoke, Al scored inside with a strong move over Frye. Curry brought the ball up again, standing a step beyond the three-point line against Deron. After a series of crossovers, he suddenly pulled up.
"Whoosh!"
A three right in Deron's face.
Deron, one of the league's top point guards, reacted instantly and contested, but Curry's release was even faster.
The ball flew off his fingertips like an arrow, spinning straight into the net.
"Swish!"
Clean.
Another three.
"Ha..."
"Two straight threes. Just like that, Curry has found his rhythm in the third quarter. With Blake Su struggling through his condition, Curry, as the second option, has finally stepped up."
"It's Curry again at the top, now facing the much taller Kirilenko. How does he attack? He accelerates down the left, then suddenly uses his signature move, a sharp change of direction with his back turned.
Wow.
He gathers and fires immediately. A deep three from well beyond the arc. The release is incredibly quick, going up before Kirilenko can even contest properly.
That shot.
Bang.
It's in again. Three for three. Curry's touch is completely back."
"Curry is now holding the ball more than two meters beyond the three-point line. Is he feeling it? Blake Su steps up to set a screen. Curry comes off it, gets past Deron, and then...
My God.
He pulls up again. Another ultra-deep three.
This one...
Bang.
Yes. He hits it again. Four straight threes to start the half. On his own, he leads a 12 to 4 run.
Not only is the six-point deficit gone, the Suns are now up by two.
After a quiet first half, Stephen Curry has completely erupted. And to some extent, that spark came from Blake Su."
Regardless.
With Blake Su inspiring everyone, the Suns, who had fallen into the abyss in the first quarter, climbed right back out in the third and returned to solid ground.
Now, the outcome of this game was back up for grabs.
Van Gundy spoke with growing excitement, while Mike Breen was equally stunned by Blake Su, who, despite his headache and poor condition, was still making a huge impact.
On the court, the Jazz's intense home atmosphere was still there, but Curry, now fully unleashed, along with the rest of the Suns, began to release the energy expected of the Western Conference's top team.
The Jazz, sitting around tenth in the West, could no longer dominate like they did in the first quarter. Even with their "Devil's Home Arena," they could not overwhelm the Suns anymore.
"Beep!"
Curry's surge forced head coach Jerry Sloan to call a timeout.
After the timeout, the game became tightly contested.
In the first quarter, the Jazz had nearly crushed the Suns, who were exhausted and missing their starters. Now, the two sides were evenly matched.
The turning point came in the final three minutes of the third quarter.
Curry's continued explosion pushed his scoring to 18 points by that point, forcing the Jazz to tighten their defense on him.
Because of that, the pressure on Blake Su finally eased slightly.
Even though he was still dealing with altitude sickness, a headache, and wavering focus, he now had just enough space.
And so.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Without the energy to attack the rim, Blake Su focused on shooting. In the final three minutes, he went three for four, knocking down three triples.
With Curry drawing the defense, Blake Su, pushing through his headache, led the team on a 13 to 4 run, turning a tight game into an 11-point lead in one burst.
The Jazz fans were stunned.
"What is this?!"
"Is Blake Su some kind of monster?!"
"He's clearly not in good condition, still fighting, still lifting his teammates, and now he's hitting threes back to back, leading the charge.
Blake Su.
He's just a rookie. How can he be this good?!"
"I'm done."
"How is there a player this strong? I can't believe it."