"Jump ball!"
Blake Su and Bynum rose for the tip.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
Bynum was only three centimeters shorter than Blake Su, but the difference in their leaping ability was massive. They jumped at the same time, yet Blake Su got more than half a palm higher.
He tipped the ball away with ease.
"Hiss!"
The corner of Bynum's mouth twitched hard. This kid's vertical is ridiculous.
Curry caught the ball in the backcourt and gave it to Nash, who brought it up to start the Suns' first possession of the game, as well as the first possession of the Western Conference Semifinals.
It was worth mentioning that the Heat and the Hawks would also play an Eastern Conference matchup tonight.
But first, the Suns and the Lakers.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Nash held the ball at the top of the arc, then passed to Blake Su at the right high post. "The Enforcer" Artest immediately pressed up on him.
Tonight, he was the primary defender on Blake Su.
As the defending champions, the Lakers were not only strong overall, their defense was also no joke. They did not double-team Blake Su right from the start the way the Grizzlies had.
That might have worked, but it would also disrupt their own offensive rhythm.
Of course, Pau Gasol and Kobe were ready to help from the wings at any moment.
"Baby Shaq" Bynum was stationed under the basket as well, watching like a hawk as he guarded the paint. No one was getting easy points in his territory.
Facing Artest, Blake Su dribbled slowly in front of his body, his center of gravity gradually dropping. The instant the ball shifted into his left hand, his feet paused.
"Is he driving?"
Artest narrowed his eyes and slid left.
"Whoosh!"
But Blake Su had been reading the defense the entire time. He rose straight up with the motion, turning the fake drive directly into a mid-range jumper.
"It's a shot!"
Defensive stopper Artest reacted quickly. Although he was half a beat late, he still went up decisively to contest.
However, even though his reaction was quick, he was still just a fraction too slow.
With his absolute height advantage, Blake Su got off the long two almost completely undisturbed.
"Swish!"
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
"Heh!"
"Artest defended that possession very well, but unfortunately, his opponent is the 'league's No. 1 center,' and a center with elite perimeter shooting at that.
That shot went in purely because of talent!"
At the commentary desk, Van Gundy could not help but sigh.
"Exactly."
Mike Breen nodded as well and said, "Against Blake Su, the 'human mismatch essence,' once you let him get a shot off, all you can do is pray it misses!"
Suns (2): (0) Lakers.
Blake Su struck first, giving the Suns the opening points.
Lakers ball.
Fisher brought the ball up and settled at the top of the arc, then handed it off to Kobe. George stepped up to defend him.
"Phew..."
George let out a deep breath, his eyes turning serious.
As a rookie, how could he not be nervous when he had been given the heavy task of guarding the "current No. 1 shooting guard" and the "current No. 1 player"?
But he would give it everything he had.
The series against the Grizzlies, especially that do-or-die comeback game, had not exactly made him fully adjust to the intensity of the playoffs.
At the very least, it had given him the courage to fight.
Only... against Kobe, whose skills had already reached the peak, his offense was not something George could stop just because he wanted to.
"Whoosh!"
"Thud!"
One step of acceleration, one step of contact. From the right high post, Kobe pulled up suddenly and leaned back into a fadeaway over George's contest.
"Hah!"
George shouted as he threw everything he had into the contest.
But Kobe's fadeaway was not only picture-perfect, it was also extremely difficult to block. How could a first-year rookie like George defend that?
"Whoosh!"
The ball flew over George's fingertips, drawing a beautiful arc through the air.
"Swish!"
Clean hit.
Kobe answered right back.
The possession switched.
At the top of the arc, Blake Su faced Artest again. He lowered his stance, paused with his feet, then burst one step toward the right wing.
"Screech!"
The instant Artest kept up, Blake Su stopped sharply, pulled the ball back through his legs, and opened up half a body of space.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su rose smoothly into a jumper. Artest lunged hard, but still could not get a hand on it.
"Swish!"
Blake Su's jumper with the [Peak Anthony Mid-Range Shot] dropped in steadily once again.
But Kobe refused to be outdone. At the right high post, he backed down George, shook his shoulders repeatedly to find his rhythm, then spun halfway and completely separated from him.
"Whoosh!"
"Swish!"
A turnaround jumper.
Another clean make, another direct response.
Throughout the entire first quarter, Blake Su and Kobe went blow for blow, using their unstoppable offense to score over their defenders again and again.
Suns (28): (27) Lakers.
The first quarter ended.
The Suns held a narrow one-point lead for the moment.
During the break between quarters.
At the commentary desk, Van Gundy said, "In the first quarter, Blake Su shot 5-for-8 for the Suns, including 2-for-4 from three, and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. He scored 14 points, along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Extremely efficient.
As for the Lakers, Kobe's offensive efficiency was also very high. He went 6-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 from three, and hit both of his free throws, pouring in 15 points in the quarter.
He also had 1 rebound and 1 assist.
The 'current No. 1 center' versus the 'current No. 1 shooting guard,' Blake Su versus Kobe. A scoring duel between the two teams' cores.
It really is special.
This is the kind of matchup that gets your blood pumping!"
"Yes."
Mike Breen nodded in agreement and added, "It's also worth noting that Kobe is the league's No. 1 player, a superstar with a wealth of playoff experience.
And Blake Su?
He's only a rookie. Yet the composure and fighting power he has shown in the playoffs make him look like a veteran who has been in the league for more than a decade.
This rookie, no, this youngest unanimous MVP, has truly unmatched ability."
"Exactly."
"With only one point separating the teams, this game is still full of suspense. What kind of spectacular offense will Blake Su and Kobe show us next?
And beyond that, when will we finally see the two of them go head-to-head?!
Let's look forward to it."
As the commentators spoke, the action on the court resumed.
The second quarter began.
First came the bench rotations.
As the defending champions, the Lakers had a powerful roster from the starters all the way down to the bench.
On the bench, they had "The Left-Handed Magic" Odom leading the unit, along with the physically gifted Shannon Brown and the tough defender Matt Barnes.
As for the Suns, with Carter injured and George moved into the starting lineup, their bench had grown even weaker.
So Alvin Gentry brought Curry in to match up against Odom and the Lakers' bench in the battle of the second units!