9:44.
"Clang!"
Carter missed a corner three from the left side. Monroe tipped the rebound out, and Curry collected it on the perimeter. Without hesitation, he swung it to Blake Su at the top of the arc, who immediately rose for another three.
"Swish!"
It dropped cleanly.
8:27.
McGrady went one-on-one against Carter, backing him down. He powered through with his core, took a strong step into contact, then spun halfway and pulled up with a scissor-step jumper.
"Swish!"
That one fell as well.
"Swish!"
On the other end, Blake Su pushed the ball coast to coast on a fast break. With defenders closing in from both sides, he twisted through traffic and finished with an up-and-under layup, answering immediately.
But McGrady, in explosive form as if he had returned to his peak, refused to be outdone. No flashy dribbling, just a simple screen followed by a pull-up jumper.
Smooth, fluid, and utterly mesmerizing.
"Swish!"
He knocked it down again.
Another answer.
The first half of the opening quarter had essentially turned into a personal duel between Blake Su and McGrady. The back-and-forth scoring display thrilled the crowd, drawing constant applause and cheers.
During a timeout.
At the commentary desk.
Jon Barry, clearly energized, smiled and said, "Back in the day, we had East Allen, West Kobe, South McGrady, North Carter. The four great shooting guards. I'm sure everyone still remembers the battles between McGrady and Carter.
But now, with both of them slowed down by injuries, McGrady is clearly playing better tonight. In just half a quarter, he already has 11 points, while Blake Su has 10.
The old McGrady vs. Carter shootouts are gone, but what we're seeing now between McGrady and Blake Su is just as exciting.
Tonight, 'T-Mac' is hitting one pull-up jumper after another, like he's back in his prime. Every offensive move feels familiar, the kind that used to leave us amazed and captivated.
We don't know how much he's recovered, but hopefully he can keep putting on performances like this every game.
Let's go!"
"Boom!"
Before Mark Jackson could respond, Jon Barry's words had already ignited a thunderous roar throughout the arena.
Yes.
This was the McGrady fans had been longing to see.
"T-Mac! Let's go!"
"McGrady!"
Countless fans shouted themselves hoarse. His incredible form tonight made some believe, if only for a moment, that the unstoppable McGrady had returned.
"Beep beep!"
Back from the timeout.
Pistons 16. Suns 17.
The Suns led by one, and the Pistons had the ball. Stuckey passed it to McGrady, who had been on fire tonight. Blake Su stepped forward and met him head-on.
"T-Mac."
Blake Su let out a low snort. The nickname suited him perfectly.
McGrady looked at Blake Su, thought for a moment, and smiled faintly.
"Monster Rookie? Heh. Seems like that's the only way to describe you."
He had wanted to give Blake Su a nickname as well, but nothing came to mind.
On the court, they were opponents.
With just a brief exchange, both locked back into the game. At the top of the key, McGrady faced Blake Su, lowered his stance, read the defense, and suddenly drove to the right.
A quick burst, then an abrupt stop. He rose into a pull-up jumper, smooth as ever.
But the defender in front of him was Blake Su, 215 centimeters tall and blessed with Iverson-level talent. Pulling up over him was no easy task.
Blake Su's eyes sharpened. He pushed off the floor and exploded upward, long arms fully extended, instantly taking control of the space above.
He was going for the block.
McGrady was startled. He quickly adjusted, raising the arc of his shot. The ball barely cleared Blake Su's fingertips. It wasn't blocked, but the contest was heavy.
Still.
"Clang!"
The ball hit the rim, bounced up, and then dropped through.
It went in.
"Whoa!"
"That's unbelievable. McGrady scored right over Blake Su!"
"Wow… T-Mac!"
It was just one shot, but against Blake Su, the hottest rising star, it sent the crowd into another frenzy.
Blake Su clicked his tongue.
Even a McGrady who had been ravaged by injuries could still hit a pull-up under that kind of pressure.
If this were his peak form…
How unstoppable would "T-Mac" have been?
Of course, Blake Su knew that shot had a lot of luck behind it. McGrady had to adjust midair, and his form was already off.
"This kid… that vertical, that explosiveness. It's hard to believe he's a center. That kind of talent is terrifying."
Even after scoring, McGrady couldn't help but praise Blake Su internally. Under that level of defensive pressure, he couldn't guarantee he would make the same shot again.
And just as he expected.
On the next possession, when McGrady tried to attack again, he was stopped by Blake Su. Calm as ever, McGrady used a crossover to retreat and reset.
Only 7.3 seconds remained on the shot clock.
McGrady's sleepy eyes locked onto Blake Su. He lowered his center of gravity and accelerated again.
Just one step.
At the exact moment Blake Su was about to close the gap.
McGrady suddenly tossed the ball forward.
It flew over Blake Su's head.
At the same time, McGrady slid to the side and, while everyone was momentarily stunned, burst into the paint.
"Bang!"
The ball hit the backboard and bounced out. McGrady charged in, planted, and leaped, catching the ball midair.
"A self alley-oop?!"
Jon Barry shouted, eyes wide. Mark Jackson was equally stunned, anticipating a highlight play.
But in midair, McGrady didn't go for the dunk. Instead, he tried to guide it in. The ball hit the inside of the rim and bounced out again.
"Smack!"
Frye secured the rebound.
"Ah…"
Sighs spread through the crowd.
"Ah…"
Jon Barry let out a quiet sigh as well, seeming to realize something.
"It's not that McGrady isn't good enough. It's that our expectations are too high.
The McGrady we're seeing now no longer has the physical gifts he once did. Even though he's been playing well lately, a self alley-oop like that, especially under Blake Su's defense, is just too much to ask.
Things have changed.
McGrady is no longer the 'T-Mac' of the past.
But he still deserves respect."
...
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