Suns (42): (27) Rockets.
Blake Su dropped 29 points in a single quarter, outscoring the entire Rockets team by himself and turning the first quarter into his personal showcase.
The Suns led by 15 points after just one quarter.
The moment Blake Su drilled his seventh deep three at the buzzer, the home crowd erupted in deafening cheers. Countless fans threw their arms into the air, wildly waving flags and banners.
They cheered for Blake Su, the savior sent from the heavens, shouting at the top of their lungs.
"Blake Su is insane!"
"29 points in one quarter. He scored more than the entire Rockets team by himself. My God, what kind of offense is this? That's just crazy!"
"Unbelievable."
"Blake Su, this era-defining center is way too strong!"
The arena atmosphere exploded.
"Damn..."
On the Rockets' bench, Martin, Battier, and the others felt the overwhelming hostility of the road crowd. Watching Blake Su's 29-point quarter and the 15-point deficit, they could not help but inhale sharply.
Their expressions turned grim.
All the bold pregame talk about winning, the blazing fire in their hearts, had nearly burned out at this moment, leaving only faint embers.
"Can we still win?"
Rookie forward Patrick Patterson muttered quietly. Kyle Lowry gave a slight shake of his head.
Win?
How were they supposed to win?
Against a player who hit seven threes in a single quarter, exploded for 29 points, and outscored their entire team alone, what could they possibly rely on to win?
Of course, Lowry felt this way largely because his mentality had already cracked after being posterized by Blake Su.
Meanwhile, with steady touches, Martin remained in good form. Scola and the rest of the Rockets had not given up either. At least, right after the first quarter ended, they still believed.
A 15-point deficit.
There was still a chance.
Second quarter.
The game shifted into bench rotations.
Since the first quarter had essentially been a solo performance by Blake Su, Alvin Gentry sent both Curry and Carter onto the floor at the start of the second, alongside George.
A 4-minute, 13-second rotation.
Already leading by 15, the Suns only grew stronger. Curry mixed drives with jumpers, and Carter, looking younger by the game, once again delivered a powerful driving dunk.
As for rookie Paul George.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Throughout the season, he had mostly relied on defense to stay on the court, but tonight he knocked down two straight three-pointers. Not off screens, but in one-on-one situations.
That kind of isolation scoring showed a hint of the future "General George," while on defense, he continued to do his job perfectly.
On the bench, Alvin Gentry watched everything unfold and etched it firmly into his mind.
"Beep! Beep!"
Rockets head coach Rick Adelman quickly called a timeout because the deficit had ballooned from 15 points to 21, and this was without Blake Su even being on the floor.
Blake Su sat on the outer edge of the bench, high-fiving Curry, George, and the others as they returned.
On the Rockets' side, Rick Adelman held his clipboard and gathered the players together, his voice focused and serious.
"Guys, lock in. Do you want the Suns stepping over you to tie our winning streak record?
I don't.
No matter how hard it is tonight, we have to give everything we've got. We have to come back. We have to win this game. We have to take it from them and end the Suns' 21-game winning streak.
Do you hear me?"
"Yeah!"
The Rockets players shouted in unison.
Even down by 21, aside from a shaken and dejected Lowry, they had not given up. Even Battier, who had been thoroughly outplayed, kept the right mindset.
However, mindset and confidence were one thing.
In the face of overwhelming strength and an ever-growing deficit, it all felt meaningless.
The starters returned.
When the Rockets began double-teaming Blake Su and increasing their defensive pressure, they not only failed to contain him, but also ended up freeing the rest of the Suns.
By halftime, even under heavy defense, Blake Su still scored 11 points. The gap had exploded from 21 to a staggering 31 points.
A 31-point deficit at halftime. The Rockets were completely blown out.
They wanted to win, but simply did not have the ability.
With such a massive gap, the entire second half turned into garbage time.
Blake Su, who had already hit eight three-pointers and scored 40 points in the first half, did not return in the second. There was no comeback.
In the end, the Suns crushed the Rockets by 23 points.
They secured their 22nd consecutive victory.
Inside the broadcast studio.
As the fourth-quarter clock wound down, Mike Breen smiled and applauded.
"Congratulations, congratulations to the Suns for defeating the Rockets and securing their 22nd straight win this season.
This victory carries real significance."
"That's right," Jeff quickly added.
"Before anything else, we need to talk about the incredible numbers put up by tonight's MVP, Blake Su.
Seven three-pointers in a single quarter.
29 points in the first quarter alone, two more than the entire Rockets team.
40 points by halftime.
These are Blake Su's stats tonight. Looking at the NBA's all-time single-quarter scoring leaderboard, only seven players rank ahead of him. Maxwell, Jordan, and Kobe each had 30-point quarters. 'Wilt the Stilt' Wilt Chamberlain had 31.
David Thompson had 32. George Gervin and 'Melo' Anthony each had 33, which remains the single-quarter scoring record.
Every player who achieved those numbers was in their prime.
And now, as a rookie, Blake Su has entered the top ten of that list. That's incredible. At the same time, 29 points in a single quarter also sets a rookie record.
One record after another is being rewritten by Blake Su.
With a 29-point quarter tonight, I believe it won't be long before Blake Su breaks the 33-point single-quarter record held by Anthony and George Gervin.
Let's go, Blake Su!"
"Absolutely."
Mike Breen smiled.
"Blake Su's greatness is already widely recognized. His performance has been remarkably consistent. Even when he's not at his best, those numbers are still out of reach for many stars.
Tonight, with a 29-point quarter leading his team to victory, Blake Su helped the Suns secure their 22nd straight win, officially tying the 22-game winning streak set by the 'Yao-McGrady' Rockets in the 2007–08 season.
They reached 20 wins by beating a 20-win Bucks team, and now 22 by beating a 22-win Rockets team. That's just how dominant and unstoppable the Suns have been in matching this record.
Blake Su has also tied the longest 22-game winning streak achieved in the NBA by China's greatest player, Yao Ming. And he did it as a rookie. That's truly remarkable.
He is the pride of our nation.
However,
the matchup between the Celtics and the Suns the next day will undoubtedly be the most exciting showdown."