"Whoosh!"
Carlos raised his hand and once again launched a three-pointer. The ball soared over Ariza's head, spinning as it headed towards the basket, with a perfect angle and a high arc.
"Got it!"
LeBron in the audience could tell at a glance that this shot was going in.
But the result...
"Clang!"
The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.
"Too bad!"
Wade shook his head and said, "Not making it is fine. If a center is accurate with mid-range shots, that's acceptable, but if he's also deadly from three-point range, the league might turn upside down."
"Indeed..."
Bosh nodded with a smile.
"Smack!"
Ariza grabbed the rebound. He seemed to be prepared to grab the rebound as soon as Carlos took the shot, as if he knew in advance that Carlos's three-pointer wouldn't go in.
"Huh, knew you wouldn't make it."
Ariza, now with the ball, was even more confident in defending against Carlos.
"Tsk, couldn't make it, huh?"
Carlos smacked his lips, somewhat helpless. Even though Iverson's three-pointers had always been average, tonight he had only made 1 out of 4 wide-open attempts, a bit unlucky.
Carlos glanced at Ariza expressionlessly. It didn't matter; he wouldn't confront him directly until he completed the "40+ Triple-Double" task.
So...
Carlos decided to switch back to organizing mode, showcasing his skillful ball control and sufficient height against Ariza's one-step defense.
"Whoosh!"
Carlos dished out consecutive assists while also not neglecting the hustle on the defensive end. Coupled with his recent 8-0 scoring run.
End of the first half...
The Suns had a 9-point lead as they entered halftime.
Carlos had accumulated 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was just one rebound and two assists away from a triple-double, and he still needed 18 points for 40 points!
At halftime...
Despite being down by 9 points, the Hornets' morale remained high. The DJ played energetic music, using humorous language to continuously boost the home atmosphere, creating an illusion that the Hornets were not only catching up but also in the lead.
The Hornets' home court was filled with high spirits.
Soon...
The second half began.
In the commentary box, Van Gundy adjusted his tie and said, "Tonight, Carlos is once again aiming for a triple-double. He's not only powerful but also... versatile!"
"That's right..."
Mike Breen nodded and added, "Carlos's ability to orchestrate the team is strong. However, sometimes I feel he should play with more aggression. Use offense to kill the game."
"Indeed, but tonight Ariza has honed in on Carlos's weakness—three-pointers. In the face of such targeted defense, Carlos has been disrupted in his offensive efficiency. In this situation, utilizing passing to help teammates score is also a good strategy."
"That's true."
While they were talking...
The on-court showdown resumed.
Paul, with West screening for him, accelerated on the left wing, penetrated into the paint, swiftly ran out, and passed the ball to West on the free-throw line.
West caught the ball, his favorite spot.
"Swoosh!"
The mid-range shot hit the mark.
The Suns regained possession...
Nash pushed the ball up, executed a beautiful one-handed in-and-out move, shook off Paul, cut into the left wing, and faked out the crowd before attempting a layup off the backboard.
Missed...
Rebound?
Grabbed by Carlos. West and Okafor instantly double-teamed him. Carlos quickly passed the ball out to Curry, who swung it to Carter standing in the corner. Carter launched a three-pointer.
"Clang!"
The ball still didn't go in...
But the Suns secured the rebound again. Frye grabbed it, himself wanting to attack , but the opportunity wasn't good. He passed the ball back to Carlos on the perimeter. Carlos received it and immediately bounced it back.
"Smack!"
Frye, now in position, received the ball again and scored with a powerful dunk.
"Just one more assist for the triple-double!"
As Carlos returned to defend, a fiery attack glowed in his pitch-black eyes.
"Bam, bam, bam!"
Facing Carter, Paul dribbled the ball at the arc, probed left with a step, abruptly stopped, pulled the ball back between his legs, and suddenly passed to Belinelli, who had run out to the corner.
"Whoosh!"
Quick stop, turn, and a long-range three-pointer.
"Swoosh!"
Swish – right through the net.
"Wow!"
This beautiful three-pointer stirred up cheers, but Carlos didn't even glance at it. He actively called for the ball, advanced to the arc, and surveyed his teammates with a sidelong glance.
"Swoop!"
Carlos bent his knees, bent his waist, lowered his center of gravity, made a probing step with his left foot, then explosively accelerated with his right foot, forcefully driving past Ariza, utilizing his astonishing speed to shake off Ariza. Even though Ariza had been closely following Carlos, he was gradually falling behind.
"Double team!"
Paul let out an angry growl, West also took big steps from the wing to catch up, and under the basket, Okafor was on high alert. Despite charging in being just a center, they still wanted to triple-team him.
"Heh!"
Watching this scene, Carlos had a slight smile on his face. Without even looking behind, he passed the ball to the open space behind him. Curry, who followed up, skillfully caught the ball, made a quick stop, and effortlessly made a jump shot.
"Swoosh!"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of the ball piercing through the net.
"Triple-double!"
Van Gundy exclaimed, "Carlos, who assisted in this play, has once again achieved a triple-double tonight, two consecutive games with triple-doubles. This rookie center is truly remarkable."
"So impressive. Carlos not only possesses the strength of a bear and the speed of a leopard, but he also has the eyes of an eagle. He always knows the positions of his teammates!"
Mike Breen was also full of praise.
As for Carlos on the court, the smile at the corner of his mouth disappeared in an instant. A triple-double was just a key element of the mission. Before scoring 40 points, he wouldn't slack off.
Additionally...
With the triple-double achieved, the current Carlos only needed to focus on... scoring.
9 minutes and 37 seconds.
"Swoop!"
Facing Ariza's one-step defense, Carlos dribbled behind his back, made a feigned move with one step acceleration, and Ariza subconsciously retreated to defend. At this moment, Carlos revealed a mysterious smile, abruptly stopped, held the ball with both hands, took a small step back, and suddenly lowered his body. His calf muscles swelled up, resembling a cheetah ready to pounce.
At this point, Ariza, whose center of gravity had shifted, reacted, but it was already too late.
Carlos released the jump shot.
"Swoosh!"
Amidst the astonishment, the delightful sound of the ball brushing the net had already resounded.
It went in!
7 minutes and 13 seconds.
"Swoosh!"
Taking advantage of Curry's screen, Carlos easily evaded Ariza's defense, drove into the basket from the left, confronted Okafor in the air, turned his back to the basket, and made a scoop shot off the backboard.
5 minutes and 22 seconds.
In a fast break, Carlos executed a feigned move disguised as holding the ball with both hands, got past West, initiated a three-step layup, and West could only foul Carlos from behind. Despite being off balance, Carlos still released the basketball. The ball bounced twice on the rim but still went in.
"Swoosh!"
An additional 2 points from the putback...
"9 points!"
"The 13th point!"
"My God, Carlos has scored 16 points in this quarter alone! Is he going crazy?"
"Carlos faces West's defense at the arc, Carter screens, gets past West, mismatches with Paul – what a massive mismatch! Wow, Carlos is insanely unreasonable, facing Paul, he shoots right in his face."
Facing a center's jump shot from 215 cm, Paul really had no way to defend!
Bang!
Another basket, and Carlos came back in the second half, scoring 18 points in one quarter. Oh my, you can't believe it, a center with such powerful long-range shooting ability. Carlos is too strong!"
Mike Breen passionately commented, and an excited Van Gundy took over, saying, "With 18 points in a single quarter in Carlos's storm-like offensive, the Suns have expanded their 9-point lead to 21 points. The Hornets need to regroup!"
"Boom!"
The Suns fans in the stands also cheered enthusiastically. Everyone stood up from their seats, shouting Carlos's name frantically. The atmosphere in the entire arena reached its climax; someone who didn't know might think it was the Suns' home court!
"Beep, beep!"
The Hornets called a timeout.
With 1 minute and 31 seconds left in the third quarter, Carlos was substituted and sat on the bench. Looking at the scoreboard, he said, "40 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists – 40-point triple-double, accomplished!"
[Ding!]
As soon as he finished speaking, the system's prompt sounded in Carlos's ears. [Congratulations to the host for completing the "40+ Triple-Double" task. Reward: "Curry's three-point shot at its peak."]