"Wow! Breaking a record that has been sealed for 55 years?!" Mark Jackson widened his eyes, exaggerating his expression, perfectly in sync with Jon Barry's enthusiasm.
Jon Barry almost burst into laughter and continued with an animated tone, "In 1955, Jim Tucker of the original Syracuse Nationals achieved a triple-double against the Knicks. He did it in just 17 minutes, with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, becoming the fastest player in NBA history to achieve a 'triple-double.' Tonight, Carlos, with his triple-double, only took 16 minutes, officially breaking the 55-year-old record for the fastest triple-double. Let's congratulate Carlos, this extraordinary Mexican center!"
"Boom!"
Almost the moment Jon Barry finished speaking, even though the game was still ongoing, the previously quiet arena suddenly erupted with roaring cheers, celebrating Carlos's achievement. The victory was certain, and even many Nets fans were applauding Carlos for breaking such a crazy record.
Breaking this record was already a tremendous challenge. Now, Carlos had shattered it, further elevating the difficulty of breaking this record again, especially since he achieved it as a center.
"Wow!"
"Carlos, you're amazing!"
On the Suns' bench, Curry raised his palm, joyfully resembling an elementary school student. Carlos gave him a high five, revealing a professional smile, but in his mind, he was thinking about the unexpected turn of events.
For the game...
There was no suspense, and in the end, the Suns tore apart the Nets with a 27-point difference.
Carlos also broke the 55-year-old record for the fastest triple-double. However, due to the game ending too quickly, he couldn't complete the system task.
After the game...
The Suns players, celebrating their eighth consecutive victory, partied in the locker room. They cheered for Carlos's triple-double, breaking the record, but Carlos himself was a bit downcast.
...
The next opponent was the Hornets.
They had faced each other once at the beginning of the season, and despite winning, the Suns couldn't afford to be careless against Chris Paul's strong Hornets.
After the recent mishap, Carlos, filled with anger, was determined to complete the system task in this upcoming game.
A day later...
Time Warner Center Arena.
9:00 PM...
The Hornets and the Suns faced off for the second time in the season, kicking off the match!
Before the game...
During the warm-up time for both teams, the Heat's "Big Three" came to watch. On the one hand, they naturally supported their good friend Paul; on the other hand, they wanted to get a close look at Carlos.
To understand better, the most talked-about rookie in the league recently.
"LeBron, do you think Chris can beat Carlos tonight?" Wade asked, puffing out his cheeks.
"It's tough!" Even though Paul was his good friend, LeBron gave this answer. "The Suns are stronger than last year; it seems like the Hornets can't defeat the Suns in terms of strength."
"We'll see what Chris can do." Bosh said, "If he controls the pace of the game, nothing is impossible."
"That's true." LeBron smiled, not denying it. Wade also smiled, "The game is starting. Let's watch and see."
As they spoke...
The regular game began.
"Jump ball!"
The battle for the ball between Okafor and Carlos, just like the last time, saw Carlos effortlessly grabbing the rebound with more than half a hand's height advantage.
Still, it was the Suns initiating the first attack.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Carlos pushed the ball forward, faced Ariza's defense, accelerated, quickly pulled back, shook off Ariza with the second step, entered the three-point line rapidly, rushed to the free-throw line, and made a sudden stop. His jump shot was exceptionally high.
"Thump!"
Not only did Ariza fail to keep up, even if he did, he couldn't block the shot.
"Swoosh!"
Mid-range shot, it goes in...
Hornets (0): (2) Suns.
"Tonight, Carlos is once again very active. He starts with a precise mid-range shot, giving the Suns an opening score. Could it be that even the Hornets will be overwhelmed by the Suns?!"
In the commentator's booth...
Van Gundy was about to analyze the on-court situation when Paul made a mid-range shot first, followed by assisting Belinelli in hitting a three-pointer. Soon after, West made a mid-range shot.
A 7-0 run, retaliating against the Suns.
Suns' possession...
Nash pushed the ball forward, accelerated on the left wing, faced West's help defense, and passed the ball back to Carlos at the right arc. Carlos had a wide-open opportunity.
"Splash!"
Carlos attempted a three-pointer.
"Clang!"
The shot fell a bit short, but the ever-vigilant Carlos swiftly moved, rushed into the paint, and grabbed the rebound.
"Splash!"
He passed it to Curry at the perimeter, and Curry attempted a three-pointer.
"Clang!"
Another miss...
This time, West secured the rebound and passed it to Paul. Paul quickly advanced, faced Frye, and engaged in a one-on-one with the taller opponent. Paul executed consecutive quick stops and crossovers, deceiving Frye and creating an open shot opportunity with a fadeaway jump shot.
"Swoosh!"
It went in...
The Hornets scored 9 unanswered points.
Carlos with the ball, facing Ariza at the top of the arc. Dribbling with his left hand, he executed a hesitation step followed by an acceleration, then a quick stop and step-back, shaking Ariza off completely.
"Splash!"
Adjusting his position at the left arc, Carlos attempted another three-pointer.
"Clang!"
It was a good opportunity, but the shot lacked a bit of power. The rebound bounced off the rim, protected by Okafor, and was grabbed by Paul.
The Hornets swiftly moved forward. Paul seized an opportunity.
"Swish!"
A cross-court pass...
The basketball sailed over Carter, flew to the left corner, and landed perfectly in Ariza's hands. Seamless connection, and Ariza made an easy layup.
11-0.
"Buzzer!"
While the Suns had initially scored, the Hornets retaliated with an 11-0 run, prompting the Suns to call a timeout.
Hornets (11): (2) Suns.
"Wow!"
"11-0. CP3 is amazing. Tonight, our Hornets might defeat the Suns and put an end to their 8-game winning streak."
"The Hornets are on fire!"
The home Hornets fans were getting excited.
"Nice, Chris is really controlling the pace of the game. If he keeps this up, we might actually win against the Suns tonight." LeBron commented.
Bosh raised an eyebrow, chuckling, "I told you—"
Suns' bench.
Gentry clapped his hands forcefully, saying, "Calm down. The offense at the beginning has some issues, which is common when playing consecutive away games. It's okay... we'll adapt shortly."
"Right..."
Nodding, the players on the bench were not discouraged. With eight consecutive wins, including defeating the formidable Thunder, they were not afraid of the Hornets.
Carlos, leaning alone on the bench, touched his chin with his right hand, looked at the score, and squinted, "Behind by 9 points? More than I imagined."
Having learned from the last game, Carlos knew he couldn't let the game progress too quickly. However, he didn't expect to fall behind by 9 points, especially after he and Curry missed consecutive three-point attempts.
This might not be good news for the team, but for Carlos, it might not be a bad thing.
Carlos smiled faintly, "Falling behind by 9 points is quite good."
His lips only curled up slightly for a moment, but it was enough for the sharp-eyed Van Gundy to catch, and he couldn't help but be surprised, "What's wrong with Carlos? The team is clearly behind, why is he still smiling?!"