In the first quarter, Blake Su scored just 14 points on 7 shots. All 7 were dunks, all of them in the paint, thrown down right over Bogut's defense.
Bogut was completely humiliated.
At the end of the first quarter, the Suns, powered by Blake Su's performance, held an 8-point lead.
During the break.
On the Bucks' bench, Bogut sat there with a dark, grim expression. After being dunked on seven times in a single quarter, all he could hear were scattered sighs and murmurs.
Shame and anger churned inside him.
This was humiliation.
For a No. 1 overall pick, this was nothing short of disgrace. If rage could kill, Blake Su would already be nothing more than a charred, unrecognizable corpse.
Seeing Bogut in such a sorry state, one teammate couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Blake Su only lost one game, and that was after leading the team to a 23-game winning streak. Did you really have to mock him?"
He brought this on himself.
Originally, this Suns vs. Bucks matchup was a lopsided game with little suspense. But because of the feud between Blake Su and Bogut, it had suddenly become far more entertaining.
The home crowd, who initially just wanted to see the Suns win, now only cared about one thing after Blake Su dunked on Bogut seven times in the first quarter. They wanted to see how badly Blake Su would punish him.
After all, a dirty player like him getting taught a lesson was practically a service to humanity.
"Blake Su, go!"
"Teach Bogut a lesson!"
"Use your skills and shut him up!"
The cheers from the home crowd rose wave after wave, mixed with relentless boos that kept hammering at Bogut's nerves, pushing him closer to the edge.
"Blake Su!"
Bogut glared coldly, grinding his teeth, wishing he could tear Blake Su apart.
Driven by that overwhelming anger.
Back on the court.
The second quarter began. With 5 minutes and 10 seconds of bench play, the Bucks managed to cut the deficit to 6 points. Alvin Gentry called a timeout, and both teams' starters returned.
The Suns had the ball.
Curry brought it up, tightly guarded by Jennings on the perimeter. This time, Curry did not pass. He chose to take Jennings on one-on-one.
One was last year's No. 7 pick, the other last year's No. 10 pick.
Naturally, neither wanted to back down.
Facing tight defense, Curry used a series of behind-the-back dribbles into a sudden stop, controlling the rhythm perfectly and creating half a step of space from Jennings.
He rose and fired a three.
The release was lightning quick. Jennings lunged to contest, but he was just a fraction too late.
Swish.
The spinning ball dropped cleanly through the net.
On the next possession.
Clang.
Jennings' pull-up three in transition missed.
Blake Su grabbed the rebound and quickly passed ahead to Steve Nash, sparking a fast break. Nash pushed to the top of the arc and swung it to Curry at the right 45-degree angle.
A three.
With Jennings and Salmons closing in, Curry chose not to force the shot. He immediately passed it back. Blake Su, trailing the play, caught it and fired from deep.
Swish.
Catch and shoot. Clean and ruthless.
Right after the timeout, Curry and Blake Su each hit a three, instantly stretching the lead to double digits. The barrage from beyond the arc was too much for the Bucks to handle.
Second quarter.
With 2 minutes and 11 seconds remaining.
Swish.
Blake Su knocked down another three, pushing the lead to 19. Before halftime, the Bucks were already on the verge of being blown out.
Bucks possession.
Bogut went one-on-one against Frye in the paint, banging into him repeatedly before finally knocking him aside. He gathered and exploded upward.
Boom.
A powerful two-handed dunk.
Roar.
That strong finish gave the Bucks a slight boost in morale. Bogut lifted his chin, wearing a smug expression as he looked toward the stands.
As if to say, the more you mock me, the harder I'll answer.
But in return.
He was met with even louder boos.
The Suns took possession again.
Curry brought the ball up and passed to Steve Nash at the left wing, then cut toward the baseline to run off the ball. At the same time, Blake Su and Carter set up at the free-throw line.
Curry feinted along the baseline, then suddenly changed direction and curled out between Blake Su and Carter.
At that exact moment, Blake Su and Carter slid together, closing the gap like elevator doors and stopping Jennings in his tracks. Nash delivered the pass right on time.
Curry caught it, turned, and fired a three.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
"Elevator Doors Play!"
Only after the ball went in did Jennings realize what had happened, but it was far too late.
The lead reached 20 points.
Clang.
With 17.6 seconds left in the second quarter, Jennings stole the ball from Carter and drove coast to coast. But under Frye's contest, he failed to convert. Curry grabbed the rebound and quickly passed to Nash at the top.
Go.
The Suns launched a fast break.
Steve Nash, Carter, and Blake Su sprinted forward immediately, while only Bogut and Ilyasova were back on defense.
Nash pushed straight down the middle, then kicked it out to Carter on the left wing. Carter raised the ball as if to shoot a three, forcing Ilyasova to close out hard.
In one motion, Carter lofted the ball high toward the rim.
Blake Su came flying in from the right side at full speed, took one step inside the paint, planted, and exploded upward with incredible lift, like a rocket blasting off.
Under the basket, Bogut jumped as well, committing fully. He was determined to block the shot.
But their athleticism was on completely different levels. In an instant, Blake Su was already at rim height, his arm extended as he caught the lob.
Bogut had only just left the ground.
Blake Su rose above him and hammered the ball down, pressing through Bogut's contest with overwhelming force.
Bang.
The rim rattled violently. The impact from Blake Su's finish knocked into Bogut mid-air, sending him off balance and crashing backward.
A scream tore through the air.
The moment Bogut hit the floor, a horrifying cry echoed out.
Fans and cameramen near the basket felt a chill run through them. The sound alone was enough to make their hearts skip a beat.
What just happened?
They saw Bogut lying on the ground, clutching his left foot, his face twisted in pain. Some fans even wondered if Blake Su had injured him again.
On the court, the Bucks' medical staff rushed in. At the same time, the big screen replayed the dunk in slow motion.
The replay showed that from takeoff to contact to the finish, Blake Su's movements were completely normal. There was no foul or dangerous action.
But when Bogut lost his balance and fell, the problem became clear.
His left foot had landed sideways.
That was what caused the sprain.
Worse still, under the weight of his body, the slow-motion replay showed his left foot bending at a full 90-degree angle.
Just watching it made people's scalps tingle. Some couldn't even bear to look.
No wonder Bogut had let out such a horrific scream.