Pleasing to the eye
"Are you kidding me?"
"Carlos, a center with a height of 215 cm, actually used a fake move to deceive the rookie No. 1 pick, Griffin, causing him to fall. What kind of unbelievable move is this?!"
In the commentary box...
Mark Jackson's mouth hung wide open, as if it could fit ten eggs.
"Hahaha!"
Jon Barry, on the other hand, laughed heartily. "This is Carlos, this is Carlos's playing style, 'guard-style' offense, 'center version' Iverson. Watching Carlos play is truly enjoyable."
"Griffin fell!"
"My God, unimaginable! What did I just witness?!"
"Carlos's ability to deceive with his dribble is incredibly skillful. I didn't believe he was the 'center version' Iverson before, but now... I have to believe."
"Yeah, it's already impressive for a center to have good ball-handling skills, but Carlos not only dribbled past him, he also used a fake move to deceive the No. 1 pick, making him fall. This is amazing."
"Carlos's first 'fake move & fall' highlight, served to the No. 1 pick Griffin!"
"Cool—"
The cheers from the audience didn't stop. Some Clippers fans felt a second of pity for Griffin but were also impressed by Carlos's skill.
"Carlos!"
On the court, Nash saw Griffin fall after being deceived and, at the moment the basketball went into the basket, excitedly jumped up and fist-pumped. Keep in mind, this old guy is already 36 years old.
Jumping like a little kid, it's easy to imagine how happy he is.
"Incredible Mexican kid!"
Hill also showed a big smile, cheering for Carlos's basket and the spectacular move to get past Griffin.
"Nice!"
"Great shot!"
On the Suns' bench, Dragic and Carter were waving white towels in excitement, shouting and cheering for Carlos.
On the Clippers' bench, the players had gloomy faces, looking quite displeased.
With just one play...
Carlos completely led the rhythm of the game, allowing the Suns to take full control of the court.
At the end of the first quarter.
Clippers (22): (30) Suns.
The Suns led by 8 points in a single quarter.
Carlos scored 14 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots in the quarter, while Griffin had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Looking at the stats alone, the two seemed relatively close, but Carlos had a slight advantage.
However, in terms of efficiency, Carlos had an almost 70% shooting percentage, surpassing Griffin's 50%, plus a shot-blocking rejection and the move to deceive Griffin and make him fall.
In just one quarter...
The gap between Carlos and Griffin, the two super rookies, was very evident.
Second quarter...
It started with a matchup between the bench players.
The Clippers didn't have much to offer in terms of bench players, while the Suns had Carter, who would have been a starter under normal circumstances but was on the bench due to Carlos joining and the need to fit into the team lineup.
Only a few minutes into the rotation.
Under Carter's control, the Suns extended their 8-point lead to 11 points, taking control of the game.
"Bleep bleep!"
Coach Del Negro called for a timeout.
Both starting lineups returned.
However, even with the starters back on the court, the effect was minimal.
Griffin, returning in the second quarter, had a lower offensive efficiency. Despite having the physical qualities similar to 'White Howard,' he was still a rookie, and his performance was not yet stable.
As for Carlos...
Consistent as ever and not limited to jump shots, he combined driving with shooting, utilizing his 215cm height to make life difficult for Clippers players.
At halftime...
The Suns had already expanded their lead to more than 15 points.
This momentum... seemed to be set to explode the pace of the game.
"Half-time break...
In the commentary box...
Jon Barry flipped through the data and said, 'Carlos, who started with drives, has become even more difficult to deal with. In just half of tonight's game, he has already scored 27 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and blocked 4 shots. These are numbers that many stars in the league would find hard to achieve. Amazing! Carlos is powerful, not like a rookie at all!'
'He has never looked like a rookie; he is... a super rookie.'
Mark Jackson joked and added, 'Down by 15 points, the Clippers' situation tonight is similar to the previous game. I don't know if Griffin can perform like he did in the last game and lead the team to a comeback in the second half. However, his opponent is a super rookie on par with 'Shaq' O'Neal, and the difficulty is not small.'
Yes...
The home fans were not too disheartened. In the last game, there was such a big point difference, and Griffin exploded in the second half, reversing the game. So tonight... the fans were also looking forward to it.
"Hmph!"
"He is 'White Howard,' not so easy to defeat. At least, the Suns, who don't have a top-notch record, are not qualified to beat Griffin."
"Go for it!"
"Griffin, come on, reverse the Suns!"
The home fans were still spirited.
With the rising atmosphere, the second-half showdown began.
Clippers have the possession...
Gordon provides cover for Griffin. Griffin evades the defense, accelerates on the right wing, shakes off Richardson, rushes into the paint, takes a step, and soars.
"Boom!"
Over Frye, he violently slams the basketball into the basket.
"Hum!"
The violent dunk shakes the entire basketball hoop. Griffin releases his hands from the rim, then slowly descends, pounding his chest with pride.
"Wow!"
Starting the second half with a highly morale-boosting slam dunk.
The home fans erupted, as if they could see Griffin crazily scoring and leading the team to a comeback.
However, the script seemed not to be written that way.
With 10 minutes and 33 seconds on the clock...
Carlos, on the left high post, faced off against Griffin. A fake drive to the left, but the feet stayed in place. Bringing the ball back between his legs, Griffin shifted his weight downward, and Carlos took advantage to shoot.
"Swish!"
It went in...
With 9 minutes and 47 seconds...
Carlos cut to the free-throw line, accelerated past Griffin, without any flashy fake moves, just pure speed. He left Griffin trailing by half a body length, charged into the paint, and shot high off the backboard.
"Snap!"
"Swish!"
Griffin, attempting to block, fouled Carlos. Carlos made the basket and had an additional free throw.
Many Clippers fans held signs saying "Brick" while Carlos was at the free-throw line. They waved them in front of the free-throw shooter's eyes, trying to disrupt his focus and interfere with the free throw.
It had absolutely no effect!
"Swish!"
The free throw went in...
Carlos completed a 2+1 play.
With 7 minutes and 11 seconds...
Carlos, on the left low post, faced off against Baron. A quick step after receiving the ball, regardless of whether he shook off Baron or not, he immediately jumped with the ball in his hands and hooked it in. Baron couldn't defend against Carlos at all.
"Swish!"
Carlos scored again...
With 5 minutes and 13 seconds...
Carlos, running along the baseline, faced DeAndre Jordan, who had followed him. A quick step to stop on the left, then an acceleration. DeAndre Jordan was directly shaken by Carlos.
"Swish!"
Carlos easily broke through and scored with a layup.
...
Just when everyone thought Griffin was going to go on a rampage to reverse the game, the entire third quarter became Carlos's solo show of breakthroughs.
'Watching Carlos play, I realize... a center can also be so pleasing to the eye!'
At the end of the third quarter...
Mark Jackson clapped his hands in admiration.
'Yeah...'
Jon Barry chuckled and added, 'Carlos scored 18 points in a single quarter, and in three quarters, he scored 45 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and blocked 5 shots, breaking his single-game scoring record! This rookie is too fierce!'