"Ah?!"
Jon Barry, who was still cheerfully commentating, hadn't grasped the situation yet. Mark Jackson continued, "In less than 2 minutes into the game, Carlos has scored 2 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists. The entire team's 10 points are all related to him. Also, Carlos's defense is particularly aggressive. This is why a center who primarily attacks from the outside already has 3 rebounds in just 2 minutes. Truly... Carlos is in superb form tonight, with an especially strong offensive desire!"
It must be said that Mark Jackson's insight was quite sharp. Carlos, aiming to achieve a "40+ triple-double," indeed started the game with a fierce offensive performance, actively participating in both offense and defense.
Jon Barry, after a brief reflection on the on-court situation, also realized it and exclaimed, "What's going on? The opponent is the Nets, not an exceptionally strong team. Logically, this shouldn't be happening."
"Well..."
Mark thought for a moment, then calmly said, "I think it might be that some shoe companies have their eyes on Carlos. To secure a big contract, Carlos needs to show his value, so he's putting in extra effort."
"Ah, makes sense!"
Jon Barry nodded, agreeing with his longtime partner's perspective.
Indeed...
Mark Jackson's logic was sound. To secure lucrative contracts from companies like Adidas or Nike, Carlos had to play seriously and prove his worth. Carlos had indeed attracted the attention of these companies.
However...
Unfortunately...
They would never guess that Carlos was pushing himself so hard in the game to complete the "40+ triple-double" task and obtain rewards from the system.
On the court...
After the timeout...
Lopez, matched up against Frye in the low post, made a strong move into the paint, turning and banking in a shot. As the team's strongest offensive point, he finally broke the scoring drought.
"Clang!"
After Curry's eight consecutive points, he attempted another three-pointer but couldn't make it.
Change of possession...
"Swoosh!"
Harris, covered at the three-point line, made a three-pointer, and then, driving into the paint, he drew Frye's defense. Passing the ball to Lopez, he easily dunked it in.
The Nets responded with a 7-0 run.
The timeout had an immediate effect, and the Nets seemed to feel the urge to counterattack and catch up. However, Carlos, with his explosive offensive desire, had no intention of allowing such a scenario.
At 7 minutes and 17 seconds...
Carlos performed a quick front pivot, cleanly bypassing Outlaw, and entered the paint. Before Lopez could catch up with his defensive cover, Carlos, with a high layup, scored.
In the following sequence...
After Morrow missed a layup, Carlos, supported by Nash, attacked the offensive rebound.
At 6 minutes and 1 second...
Carlos, positioned on the free-throw line, matched up against Harris, faked a drive, and brilliantly passed to Frye under the basket, who finished with a powerful dunk.
At 4 minutes and 13 seconds...
Carlos tore through Humphries' defense, entered the paint, and, with Lopez and Morrow defending, missed the layup. However, he grabbed the offensive rebound himself.
"Swoosh!"
He scored with a putback...
At 2 minutes and 14 seconds...
Carlos initiated a frontcourt breakthrough, passed the ball to Curry, who was trailing behind. Curry made a successful layup.
Next, Carlos, with his terrifying jump and arm length, intercepted the high pass to Morrow under the basket.
"Swoosh!"
Carlos grabbed the possession, sprinted full speed in the frontcourt, broke through the three-point line, attracted Outlaw and Lopez for defense, and then passed back to Carter on the open perimeter. The latter, receiving the ball, made a three-pointer like a sniper firing a shot, hitting it cleanly.
The last attack before the end of the quarter...
Carlos, securing the defensive rebound, calmly advanced, holding the ball in the center of the arc. Mismatched against any player from the Nets, he patiently played out the clock.
With 7 seconds left in the offensive possession, Carlos lowered his body, feigned a drive past Outlaw.
One step...
Two steps!
"Swoosh!"
A sudden stop and jump shot. Outlaw, still turning around, could only watch as Carlos released the shot. The basketball, seemingly equipped with a "GPS" navigation system, gracefully traced a beautiful arc in the air.
"Swoosh!"
The ball went through the net...
Nets (17) : (31) Suns.
The Suns led by 14 points at the end of the first quarter.
"Tsk tsk..."
During the break between quarters...
Mark Jackson, looking at Carlos's stats, shook his head and exclaimed, "In just one quarter, Carlos has already achieved a super versatile stat line of 8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Hehe! Can you imagine a center getting such versatile stats in just one quarter?"
Jon Barry shook his head repeatedly and also marveled, "Carlos has a strong offensive desire tonight. This data, not just in one quarter, even if played throughout the whole game, there aren't many centers who could achieve it."
"Yes..."
Mark Jackson nodded and continued, "Although Carlos only scored 8 points in the quarter, under his rhythm, the team leads by as much as 14 points. Carlos is a versatile player tonight! Additionally, under Carlos's continuous feeds, Curry has scored 13 points and made 3 assists in just one quarter, performing excellently."
"Right..."
Jon Barry looked at the stats, then jokingly remarked, "The Suns' two rookies, Carlos and Curry, are both performing well, while the 'veteran' Nash only had 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in the first quarter. Compared to Carlos and Curry, this All-Star-level point guard seems somewhat dispensable."
"Hehehe!"
On the Suns' bench.
Nash, hearing the commentary teasing him, was not angry at all. On the contrary, he was very happy. The team had a significant lead, and the young teammates were performing exceptionally well. Why would he be unhappy?
Next to him, Carlos, seemingly resting, was continuously calculating in his mind.
"Three more rebounds and three more assists. Secure the triple-double first, then focus on scoring. Tonight, '40+ triple-double,' 'Peak Curry's three-point shooting,' I must achieve them."
He clenched his fist, and the fighting spirit in Carlos's heart surged.
Soon...
The second quarter arrived...
Generally, the Suns' bench players would play for about 4-5 minutes, and the well-rested starters would then take the floor. Of course, if the team was significantly behind, they might be sent in earlier.
But tonight...
With a large lead of 14 points, Carlos, who had only rested for 2 minutes, actively requested to be subbed in. Even Coach Gentry was quite surprised.
Thinking about it...
A rookie is full of enthusiasm; if Carlos wants to play, let him play.
Carlos entered the game early, playing with the second unit. He quickly grabbed three rebounds, but in terms of assists, despite passing the ball out, his teammates were not delivering.
Until the starters returned...
Until Carlos had played for 5 minutes and 57 seconds in the second quarter, when he drove and passed to Nash, who scored on a jump shot. Finally, Carlos secured his third assist of the game.
"Buzzer!"
The Nets were forced to call another timeout.
Because, with Carlos's assist, the Suns had expanded their lead to more than 19 points, heading straight for a 20+ lead.
In the commentary booth...
Mark Jackson, surprised, smiled and said, "With this assist from Carlos, with 6 minutes and 3 seconds left in the second quarter, he has already achieved a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. A center getting a triple-double in less than two quarters. Carlos is truly versatile tonight!"