9:00 a.m.
The game was set at the Suns' home arena, US Airways Center.
The game hadn't even started yet, but the fans inside the arena were already buzzing with excitement. They had been waiting for this day for a long time.
"Finally, we get to watch the NBA again and see Blake play~"
"Let's go!"
"Go, defending champion Suns!!!"
Soon, amid thunderous cheers, the starting lineups from both teams began walking onto the court.
Phoenix Suns starters: 191-centimeter point guard Steve Nash, 188-centimeter shooting guard Stephen Curry, 206-centimeter small forward Paul George, 215-centimeter power forward Blake, and 226-centimeter center Yao Ming.
Denver Nuggets starters: 188-centimeter point guard Andre Miller, 196-centimeter shooting guard Arron Afflalo, 208-centimeter small forward Danilo Gallinari, 208-centimeter power forward Chris Andersen, and 211-centimeter center Nene Hilario.
"Jump ball!"
Blake and Nene rose for the opening tip at the same time, but Blake reached a full hand higher and knocked the ball away.
"Tap!"
Nash collected it, giving the Suns the first possession of the game.
In the commentary booth, TNT's Shaquille O'Neal and "The Round Mound of Rebound" Charles Barkley were on the call.
"Hahaha!"
Shaq burst out laughing. "Hey, Charles, did you see the look of pain on Nene's face?!"
"Hm?"
Barkley glanced at him. "What about it?"
"Hehe!"
Shaq grinned. "After Blake took that tip right over his head, Nene looked like he was saying, 'I'm clearly a power forward. Why do I have to take the jump ball? I'd rather jump against Yao Ming than this guy.'"
"Hahaha!"
Barkley laughed too. "And Blake's calm expression looked like he was saying, 'Man, I really am a center!'"
"Hahaha, that's exactly what it looked like."
On the court, the game continued.
Nash brought the ball across half court and handed it off to Blake at the top of the key. George came up to screen, and Blake accelerated to the right wing, shaking off "Birdman" Andersen.
At the right side of the arc, Blake suddenly found himself switched onto Andre Miller. The mismatch lasted only an instant, but Blake seized the opportunity.
He rose and fired a three.
Andre Miller was right in front of him, but Blake shot anyway. Miller could do nothing about it. He did not even bother trying to block the shot.
"Swish!"
The ball pierced the net cleanly.
Nothing but net.
"Tsk, tsk..."
Shaq shook his head. "Same old Blake. Same offense. Still just as impossible to stop."
"Exactly."
Barkley nodded. "The defending champion Suns' very first possession of their first preseason game ends with a Blake three-pointer."
"Just like last season, his three-point shot is still efficient, accurate, and impossible to defend. He became a sensation the moment he entered the league, and now he's a second-year player."
"After an offseason of training, I have to believe a player who was already this strong has improved even further."
"Let's look forward to the new season and see what Blake and the Suns can do."
On the court, the Suns led 3-0.
Possession changed.
Andre Miller brought the ball up and attacked Nash from the left side of the arc, targeting the Suns' defensive weak point. He used contact to create an opening, then accelerated past him.
But the very next moment, Blake rotated over to help.
Miller could not get any farther and had no choice but to kick the ball across to Gallinari.
Gallinari, one of the pieces the Knicks had sent away in the Carmelo Anthony trade the previous season, was a very capable offensive player.
He caught the ball on the right side and attacked George one-on-one, looking to score against the second-year forward.
But after repeatedly trying to drive through contact, Gallinari still could not shake George.
That was enough to make him realize this second-year player was not nearly as easy to deal with as he had expected.
With the shot clock running down, Gallinari forced his way toward the rim through George's defense and twisted into a layup through contact.
It was an extremely difficult shot.
"Clang!"
No good.
The rebound came down to Yao Ming and Nene.
"Tap!"
Using his superior height, Yao beat Nene to the ball and secured the rebound. He immediately passed to Blake near the free-throw line, and Blake kept the ball moving without holding it.
He sent it out to Nash on the perimeter.
Nash wasted no time either, firing a quick long bounce pass up the floor to Stephen Curry, who had already sprinted ahead.
Curry caught it at the left side of the arc and immediately rose for a transition three.
"Swish!"
Right through the net.
"Wow~ That's impressive!"
That defensive stop and fast break made Shaq exclaim repeatedly.
Barkley raised an eyebrow. "Shaquille, are you talking about Curry's transition three?"
"No."
Shaq shook his head. "I'm talking about that entire defensive and offensive sequence. The Suns played with so much aggression on both ends that you could feel the pressure they were putting on Denver."
"And it shows that this year's defending champions have become even stronger."
"What makes you say that?"
Barkley asked.
This was only a preseason game, a chance to work on lineups and chemistry. The result did not matter much for the coming season, so neither commentator was completely focused on the score.
Shaq continued, "Last season, Blake had to worry about the star he was guarding, keep an eye on the paint, protect the glass, and rotate over to help."
"Now that Yao Ming is in the middle, Blake can commit more freely to helping on the perimeter."
"We don't even need to talk about how much Yao has recovered. No matter what, a center who was once comparable to the best in the West is still better than Frye even if he's no longer at his peak."
"That's why Blake could rotate over for Nash just now and shut down Andre Miller so easily."
"At the same time, George's defense has improved again. As the team's second defensive stopper, he can hold his own even against a strong scorer like Gallinari."
"And in the paint, Yao's rim protection is clearly better than Frye's. Even Nene couldn't beat him to that rebound."
"That lets the Suns push the break more effectively."
"And once you start talking about fast breaks, Nash's playmaking as a passing maestro immediately comes into play. That's how Curry got that perfect transition three."
"On top of that, Curry took that shot with complete confidence. After a full offseason of training, the now third-year guard has clearly improved too."
"So yes, Blake is still the absolute core of this team. But when all the players around him are getting better, the Suns as a whole take another step forward."
"We've only seen one defensive possession and one offensive possession, but I can already say this year's defending champions look stronger."
"And even harder to deal with!!!"
...
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