The following night.
The Suns returned home to face the Jazz once again. In their last meeting, a back-to-back on the road, the team had struggled badly due to Blake Su's "altitude sickness."
Those moments were still fresh in the minds of the home crowd.
So tonight, back on their own court, Suns fans were eager to see Blake Su, Curry, and the rest completely blow the Jazz out, to prove that without altitude or any external factors...
you are no match at all.
As for the Jazz.
Although they knew their road offense wasn't particularly strong, with one of the league's top five point guards, Deron Williams, they had no fear of the Suns.
There were still plenty of variables in this game.
Until the final buzzer, it was impossible to say who would win.
Soon.
The game began.
"Jump ball!"
The tip-off between Blake Su and Al Jefferson. Last time, even while dealing with a headache and poor form, Blake Su still won the jump. Tonight, in peak condition, it was even less of a contest.
"Smack!"
Completely dominant.
With nearly half a hand's advantage, Blake Su easily tipped the ball away, as if every jump ball belonged to him. Utterly imposing.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Curry brought the ball up, stopped at the left wing, and immediately rose as if to shoot a three. Deron rushed up to contest, forcing Curry to slide laterally toward the top.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su, trailing the play, caught the pass, set his feet, and launched a three.
"Swish!"
Straight in.
Nothing but net.
Jazz ball.
Deron brought it up and faced Steve Nash one-on-one at the top. Against "Nash no defense," he showed no hesitation, attacking off the dribble with a series of crossovers.
"Whoosh!"
He burst past Nash and drove straight to the rim.
"Step!"
But Blake Su, who had been waiting nearby, slid over and cut him off. Deron abruptly pulled up, taking a shot just inside the free-throw line.
"Whoosh!"
The floater went up.
"Bang!"
Blake Su exploded off the floor. With overwhelming height, length, and elite vertical, he met the shot at its peak.
"Smack!"
He swatted it away cleanly.
"What?!"
Deron was stunned.
Millsap, watching from the side, was equally shocked. There was clearly more than a body's length of separation, and floaters like that were nearly impossible to block. Yet Blake Su still got it. His explosive leap was terrifying.
"Whoosh!"
Bell reacted quickly on the perimeter and rushed back for the loose ball. But Curry, more familiar with Blake Su's play, was even faster, sprinting ahead to secure it.
"Swish!"
An easy fast-break layup.
"Clang!"
Al failed to convert inside against Frye. In transition, Blake Su faced Deron again and, using his absolute height advantage, pulled up for a trailing three right over him.
"Swish!"
Clean release.
Another make.
Those unreasonable threes, one after another, left Deron completely helpless. On offense, when he tried to use his elite rhythm and flashy moves to break down the defense...
playing small against big...
he simply couldn't shake Blake Su. Even when he created a bit of space, Blake Su would recover instantly.
Relentless defensive pressure.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Deron's repeated isolation attempts all ended in failure.
Meanwhile.
The Suns' offense never slowed.
No back-to-back fatigue, no road disadvantage. On their home court, free from all external factors, the Suns once again unleashed their dazzling run-and-gun system.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Crisp ball movement, chaotic off-ball cuts, and a relentless barrage of three-pointers, each accompanied by that sharp, satisfying swish.
With Blake Su, Curry, and Steve Nash leading the charge, the Suns' offense was a visual spectacle.
A feast for the fans.
But for the Jazz, it was nothing short of a nightmare. In the previous game, the bottom-ranked Timberwolves had fallen behind by 14 points in a single quarter due to a slow start.
Tonight.
The Utah Jazz, hovering around playoff contention, were outscored by 17 points in just one quarter. At this rate, it looked like the game might be decided right then and there.
The game.
Had already turned into a one-sided slaughter.
At halftime.
A 25-point gap.
By the end of the third quarter.
The lead had stretched to 31, at one point even reaching 37, closing in on 40.
And in the latter half of the third, Blake Su and Steve Nash had already checked out early, leaving only Curry, Carter, and Frye among the starters still on the floor.
The Jazz, completely at the mercy of their opponent on the road, stared at the massive deficit with no will to fight back.
Fourth quarter.
Once again, pure garbage time.
In the end, the Suns crushed the Jazz by 23 points, securing their fifth straight win.
After the game.
At the commentary desk.
Jon Barry smiled and said, "Another dominant win. After their streak was snapped and they took time to adjust, the Suns have now won five straight and are almost fully back on track.
It looks like they're gearing up for another winning streak."
"Exactly."
Mark Jackson adjusted his tie and said, "Well-rested and back at full strength, the Suns are making a push for another streak.
And importantly, before their matchups with the Nuggets and Lakers, their upcoming opponents aren't particularly strong. With five wins in a row, they might extend this streak quite comfortably."
"Not so fast."
Jon Barry shook his head. "Before facing the Nuggets and Lakers, the Suns will take on the Hornets, Pistons, and Bucks.
The Hornets have 'The Point God' Paul. They're still competitive.
The Bucks are relatively weak, but the Pistons have won two straight. Rather than saying the Pistons are in great form, it's more accurate to say that Tracy McGrady, who joined the team, is finding his rhythm again.
Averaging just 8.3 points on the season, McGrady has put up 22 points per game over his last two outings, including 27 in the most recent one. It almost feels like a glimpse of his prime.
I think.
If McGrady keeps this form when the Pistons face the Suns, that game will be very interesting. Fans are definitely looking forward to it."
"Ah!"
At the mention of McGrady, Mark Jackson lit up.
"Yeah, if it really turns into a 'T-Mac' return-to-prime moment...
that would be something special to watch."
...
On Blake Su's side.
By the time he drove back to the villa after the game, it was nearly midnight. After washing up, he was about to head to bed when...
his phone lit up.
Blake Su glanced at it.
It was a call from Mia Quinn.