"You want to do what?"
Mark was surprised. "Is Chris going to defend a center who's 215 centimeters tall?"
"Hey!"
Jon Barry waved his hand, smiling. "If it were in the paint, he might have a tough time, but facing a center on the perimeter, Chris's excellent steal ability and entangling defensive pressure pose a significant threat to opponents."
"But Carlos is different. His athleticism is outstanding."
As they were talking...
On the court, Paul had already closed in, just as the commentator said. He rushed up quickly, trying to steal, taking advantage of his speed and agility, and leveraging his two-time steal king abilities.
Normally, centers have a hard time dealing with this on the perimeter.
However, Carlos remained unfazed. Faced with Paul's fierce steal attempts, he executed a series of crossovers, showcasing Iverson's perfect ball-handling skills in front of the audience. He controlled the basketball skillfully, making it impossible for Paul to find an opportunity.
"Swoosh!"
When Paul attempted another steal, Carlos suddenly accelerated, bypassing Paul. Although Paul reacted quickly, turning to chase, in the next moment, he froze in place.
"Whoosh!"
Carlos made a sudden stop and jumped.
This jump was too high. Paul didn't even have the desire to block the shot, watching in astonishment as Carlos released the ball and saw it fall into the net.
"F***K!"
Paul snorted. "Although he's a rookie and has some experience, he's clear-minded, choosing to accelerate when I shift my focus on the steal. But... he won't have such a good opportunity next time."
With Carlos scoring again, he was 4 for 4 in the first quarter, scoring 9 points, and the team led by more than 7 points.
The Hornets had possession...
Paul dribbled over, faced Nash, and once again sought out Carlos, wanting to break through his defense. Unfortunately, he was still unsuccessful.
"Swoosh!"
Seeing that there wasn't much time left in the attack, Paul passed the ball to Belinelli at the right arc. Facing Grant Hill's defense, he barely managed to shoot a three-pointer.
But...
"Splash!"
The shot hit the board and went in.
"Nice shot!"
West shouted, but Paul, returning to the court, felt a sinking feeling. Even though the shot went in, it was a forced pass. He knew he was once again locked down by Carlos.
"This level of athleticism, this defensive pressure—Carlos is really amazing. One-on-one, I really can't figure out how to deal with him. Can't play it so hard anymore."
After a series of setbacks, Paul figured it out. His desire for victory prevented him from acting on impulse. With his high Basketball IQ, he knew how to attack and lead the team to victory.
Next...
Although he couldn't contain Carlos's attack, Paul, avoiding Carlos, used his excellent offensive and superb organizing skills to help the team score continuously.
In terms of overall team strength, the Hornets still had the advantage.
At the end of the first quarter...
Suns (26): (27) Hornets.
The Hornets narrowed the gap to just one point, but Carlos performed exceptionally well, going 8 for 7 in the quarter, making 2 free throws out of 1, scoring 15 points with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
"15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks in a single quarter. Is this the performance of a rookie?"
Jon Barry shook his head in admiration.
"Especially as a center, to use feints to shake off a top-level guard like Chris and score so many points with jump shots, that's truly remarkable."
Mark couldn't help but praise.
After some thought, he added, "But the Hornets still have strength. Despite being unable to contain Carlos and with Carlos scoring 15 points in isolation, they're only trailing by one point."
"Hey, Mark, if I remember correctly, before the game, you said the Suns weren't a match for the Hornets."
"Huh? Did I say that... Hahaha!"
Second quarter...
First, there was the rotation between the substitutes.
The substitutes on both sides fought back and forth in a 4-minute and 13-second rotation, with the score remaining tight, still only a 1-point difference. Fortunately, the starters got enough rest.
"Beep beep!"
The Hornets called for a timeout.
Both starting lineups returned, and Paul dribbled the ball over, executing a cold arrow from the left arc top, catching Richardson off guard.
"Wow! It's Chris again. In the first quarter, he brought the team back with his rhythm, and now, with another cold arrow, he leads the Hornets to overtake the score. Truly deserving of 'CP3'."
The Suns had possession...
How would they suppress the Hornets, limit Chris's performance? Carlos set a screen, maneuvered past Ariza, and unexpectedly faced... faced Chris.
"Wow! Carlos actively sought out Paul, a rookie center, voluntarily challenging a superstar-level guard, and on the perimeter. This is really interesting," exclaimed the passionate commentator Jon, his eyes shining. "Oh... Carlos is going to take on Chris head-on? Carlos is going to challenge the big guy?"
"Exciting!"
"Go for it, Carlos!"
The fans were getting restless.
On the court...
Knowing that he had to shut down Paul to win, Carlos took the initiative to find Paul.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Carlos dribbled in front of Paul, displaying a skillful between-the-legs dribble, reading the defense, holding the ball with his left hand, and lowering his center of gravity in an instant.
"Swoosh!"
He dashed to the left.
With a height of over two meters and astonishing speed, Carlos's breakthrough this time was even more intimidating. Paul's pupils constricted, and he followed at full speed while looking for a steal opportunity.
However...
Carlos, who had been reading the defense, suddenly changed direction, directly shaking off Paul.
"What? Was it a fake move?"
Paul was surprised, but his reaction was extremely fast. He quickly turned toward the basket, then chased after Carlos from the other side. But when he turned around, he didn't see Carlos at all.
He had to turn around once again.
This time, when he saw Carlos, it was the moment Carlos jumped to shoot.
"Splash!"
The basketball traversed the sky and went through the net.
It turned out that after Carlos faked in front of Paul, broke to the right, he made another quick stop, pulling the ball back under his crotch.
From the god's-eye view in the audience, Paul, confused by the fake move, spun in place, looking for Carlos, who successfully made a facial shot.
"Boom!"
The arena erupted into cheers like a tidal wave.
"Oh my God!"
On the Suns' bench, Dragic held his head, showing an expression of disbelief. "What's going on? Carlos, a center, actually confused Chris, and Chris is just standing there turning in circles?"
"Unbelievable!"
Carter was also somewhat incredulous. The excitement and thrill in his eyes couldn't be concealed.
"Oh, come on! Is this for real?"
On the Hornets' bench, Jarrett Jack held his head in his hands, his eyes wide open, displaying a state of astonishment, even bordering on horror.
"What on earth is this!"
Substitute center Jason Smith was also perplexed. He couldn't believe that 'CP3' Paul, one of the best guards in the league, was being toyed with by a center, like a clown in a circus!
"Oh-ho-ho!"
In the commentary box...
Jon Barry was so astonished that he couldn't close his mouth, and Mark Jackson's mouth, wide open in shock, was enough to fit five eggs. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Mark finally returned to normal and exclaimed, "It's always been Paul playing small against big, but tonight the storyline has flipped!"