West committed a foul by colliding with Carlos.
Carlos twisted and shot, but it didn't go in, earning him a free throw opportunity.
At this moment, Suns' fans remained silent, afraid to make any noise that might affect Carlos's free throw. On the other hand, Hornets' fans started making loud noises, attempting to disrupt Carlos with the noise.
"Bang!"
"Swoosh!"
The first free throw was missed, but the second was successful.
"Beep beep!"
At this point, Hornets' coach Montgomery Williams had sweat dripping into his eyes, but he didn't have time to wipe it. He quickly called for a timeout.
Just a few minutes into the game, Carlos made three consecutive shots, scoring seven points in a perfect start, forcing the Hornets to call a timeout. If there was any flaw in Carlos's performance, it might be the missed free throw.
"Impressive!"
"So impressive!"
Mark Jackson praised Carlos enthusiastically, and Jon Barry added, "Carlos not only has precise shooting, but crucially, he scores from the outside using shooting. It's rare and magical to see a center attacking like this!"
"Yeah..."
Mark exclaimed, "I think... Coach Montgomery must be feeling the pressure and doesn't know how to deal with a player like Carlos."
On the Hornets' bench,
"F***K! What speed is this? What kind of shooting is this? Is this really a center attacking? I've never seen anything like it; I just can't defend against it."
West said a lot in one breath, feeling somewhat stunned.
"Can't defend against it?"
Chris Paul pursed his lips, a bit dissatisfied, frowning, and angrily said, "A center can't survive on the perimeter? It's not because Carlos is fast, but your defense is the problem."
"Maybe..."
West didn't argue. Playing for the Hornets for many years together, he knew Paul too well. West could understand Paul's current mood. Perhaps... only when Paul personally faced off against Carlos would he know how strong Carlos truly was.
Coach Montgomery, holding the tactical board, came to the players, saying in a deep voice, "This center Carlos is even more formidable than we imagined, especially his way of attacking. Extremely rare! West's slow pace, failing to keep up with Carlos, is normal. Next... let Ariza, who is faster, guard Carlos, while West provides support on the side, ready to double-team.
On the offensive end,
Let Chris deal with him. He's experienced in dealing with big men, especially when pulling the center out. Chris always manages to manipulate opponents, continuously scoring on him, destroying his confidence and ultimately overwhelming him."
Paul nodded at the words, "I have that intention."
"Chris, be serious, don't take it lightly."
West reminded.
Paul nodded again, seriously saying, "Don't worry, I know the measure, I'll give this roaming center a lesson."
On the Suns' bench,
"Hahaha!"
Manager Lance laughed heartily. Tonight, he came specifically to watch whether Carlos was just a one-time wonder or truly precise and powerful. The 7-0 start explained everything.
"Gentry, you've really found a treasure."
Lance was excited.
Gentry also looked happy. Sending away "Stat" this summer, the team originally planned to go for a tanking season, but Carlos emerged unexpectedly, disrupting everything.
"Not enough yet; we still need some time. Carlos... everyone is watching, don't let us down."
Glancing at Carlos, Gentry's mouth curved up slightly.
Soon after,
The timeout ended...
The game continued...
Hornets' ball possession...
Paul controlled the ball at the top of the arc, Ariza stepped up to screen, bypassing the defense, and mismatched with Hill. After setting the screen, he returned to the top of the arc and mismatched with... Carlos.
"Tsk..."
"Montgomery indeed changed tactics; on the offensive end, he has Paul mismatched against Carlos."
Mark quickly spotted the Hornets' tactical change and loudly commented on it.
Jon Barry nodded and said, "Chris's ability to play big against guards on the perimeter is well-known in the league. I wonder if it will work against Carlos."
Hornets' fans, having heard Mark's commentary, also suddenly realized, hoping that the Hornets could escape the predicament and reverse the score.
On the court, Carlos looked at Paul in front of him, guessed his intention, squinted his eyes, "Want to take me one-on-one? Seems... not that easy."
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Paul's offense had already started, with consecutive crossovers to find rhythm. He momentarily held the ball with his left hand, then abruptly started, accelerating towards the left.
"Bang! Bang!"
Another sudden stop, pulling the ball back between his legs.
A set of moves flowing like clouds. However, Carlos kept up with his rhythm, unafraid of feints, still in front of him. Paul frowned, and sweat had already dropped from his nose to the floor.
"Swoosh!"
Once again, he charged forward, and with Carlos shifting his weight downward, he again abruptly stopped, pulling the ball back between his legs.
Carlos was shaken off.
"Wow—"
The arena erupted into noisy cheers.
"Whoosh!"
Having shaken off Carlos by half a body length, Paul confidently executed a fadeaway jump shot.
"Squeak!"
The screeching sound of sneakers against the floor was heard. Carlos, overcoming the inertia of gravity, forcefully shifted his weight, twisted his body, and at the moment Paul released the ball, he jumped off the ground.
Like a massive rocket launching, he reached the peak in an instant. His huge palm was high enough to dominate everything, slapping the ball with one hand.
"Smack!"
Directly blocking and catching the basketball in his palm, it smoothly fell to the floor.
A face-to-face block and catch against Paul's shot.
Carlos, already tall, became even more noticeable in height compared to Paul at the highest point, giving the block an imposing feel, creating a visually striking impact.
"Boom!"
The arena erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Wow, rookie Carlos blocked and caught CP3 Paul face-to-face, even after being shaken off. His defensive range is too wide."
"His reflexes are also very fast."
"Yes, regaining balance in an instant and jumping so high. A center accomplishing this is truly extraordinary."
The home fans of the Suns were ecstatic.
On the bench,
"Chris Paul was completely shaken off by Carlos but still got blocked. Carlos's talent is really outstanding."
"Exactly."
Carter also looked astonished, saying, "Typically, centers, even if they have the height, can't block Chris when he's shaken off. But Carlos did it. This guy, even 'CP3' has no choice but to acknowledge him. He's truly an unconventional center!"
On the court,
"Easy!"
Carlos hummed indifferently, advancing to the frontcourt.
Paul, who was blocked and caught face-to-face, felt a shock in his heart. The audience's intermittent sighs and Carlos's light taunts mixed together, making his expression colder.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
At the top of the arc, Carlos held the ball. Ariza came over, and West also flashed out, intending to double-team Carlos.
"Whoosh!"
Carlos decisively passed the ball to Nash, who shifted it to Frye under the basket. Frye made a hook shot off the backboard.
"Clang!"
No...
Okafor protected the rebound, Paul received the ball, and once again found Carlos on the perimeter. He still wanted a one-on-one. However, no matter how he tried to break through, Carlos enveloped him.
Also...
With Carlos's height of 215 cm and a body infused with Iverson's talent, his defense was a nightmare for Paul, who was only 183 cm.
"Clang!"
Paul, forcing a shot, ended up hitting the iron. Fortunately, West grabbed the offensive rebound and successfully made the putback, finally ending the Hornets' scoring drought.
Suns (7): (2) Hornets.
Suns' ball possession...
Nash pushed the ball over, attracted firepower to one side, and still found Carlos at the top of the arc. Facing Ariza, Carlos held the ball, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared to break through.
"Step!"
At this moment, a figure stood in front of Ariza, appearing in front of Carlos.
It was none other than Paul.