Chapter 71: A life-and-death battle
The first half is over.
Suns (58): (55) Bulls.
Inside the studio of the Mexican National Sports Television.
Mario smiled and said, "Carlos excels on the offensive end, effortlessly facing Rose's defense and scoring. On the defensive end, he can also hold off half of Rose's attacks. The key... he achieves all of this as a rookie playing at the center position, which is truly incredible."
"Yeah..."
Jose exclaimed, "It's indeed unbelievable. However, it also indicates that Carlos possesses talents surpassing those of a typical center. Facing the 'Windy City Assassin,' facing the 'heir to Jordan,' Rose, and being able to stop his offense."
"That's right..."
Mario nodded in agreement and continued, "Carlos scored 22 points in the first half, while Rose had 17 points, but Carlos not only scored more than Rose but also with astonishing efficiency. In the first-half showdown between the two, overall, Carlos has the upper hand, but..."
He paused, changed the topic, and added, "Although Carlos performed excellently against Rose, the Bulls are a formidable team, holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Their goal this year is to reach the Eastern Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals. Apart from Rose, their other starters, Boozer and Luol Deng, constantly attack the paint, putting significant pressure on the Suns.
So... at halftime, despite Carlos's near-perfect performance, the Bulls are only trailing by 3 points. Tonight... it's destined to be a tough battle."
Back to the arena.
In the stands...
Iverson waved his arms, excitedly saying, "Speed that doesn't fit a center, ball handling so skillful it doesn't look like a center, using feints that a center shouldn't be able to do. Carlos... he truly redefines my understanding of a center. And... watching Carlos play, for some reason, there's a familiar feeling, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It's strange."
"Really?"
Howard shrugged beside him, not feeling anything unusual, and said casually, "Indeed, Carlos has a decent three-point shot for a center. Moreover...
Defending against Derrick's drives as a center is quite commendable. But still, for centers like us, the paint is always the best place to be. Carlos, who keeps attacking from the perimeter, might not have a very high ceiling."
"Oh?"
Iverson blinked, smiled faintly, and asked, "Dwight, do you think... if you faced Carlos, do you have the confidence to beat him?"
"Absolutely."
Howard, full of confidence, said, "As long as he dares to go one-on-one with me, I'll make all his flashy drives and shots ineffective, making him taste failure!"
"Hehe!"
Iverson laughed, "Interesting, I'll remember that. When you two face off, I'll be there to witness it. I hope you can fulfill your promise from tonight."
"Feel free to come and enjoy the dominance of 'Superman'!"
Inside the Suns' locker room.
Despite the heated external praise, the players were quite solemn. Clearly, the formidable strength of the Eastern Conference's top team, the Bulls, gave them significant pressure.
"Guys!"
The seasoned Nash sensed the somewhat heavy atmosphere, clapped his hands, and said loudly, "The opponent is very strong, and we need to be more serious in the second half. However, we also have center Carlos. So... no matter what, everyone needs to maintain confidence. Although the Bulls are the number one team in the East, we can definitely defeat them."
"Oh!"
Curry shouted first!
Although Curry is usually mild-mannered, his desire to win is also very strong.
Following that, George and others also roared!
The atmosphere in the locker room eased slightly.
Carlos leaned back in his chair, resting, feeling a bit nervous.
"So, this is the strength of the 'heir to Jordan.' Even with Iverson's talent and an absolute height and wingspan advantage, I can't completely shut down Rose on the defensive end. Truly impressive... Although there's no pressure facing Rose on the offensive end, Rose himself is an extreme in both defense and offense. It seems... I'm not powerful enough."
Thinking this, he glanced at the scoreboard...
Tonight, we must defeat the Eastern Conference's top Bulls, complete the system mission, and obtain the 'Eagle Spear.'
...
Before long...
Halftime is over.
In the second half, the teams switched ends, and the Bulls attacked first. Rose, who didn't gain an advantage in the duel against Carlos, began to bypass him to attack, while Carlos occupied the paint, preventing Rose from entering.
Even so...
It was still impossible to completely limit Rose's scoring.
However, on the Suns' side, Carlos was also an unstoppable force. In one-on-one situations, Carlos wasn't afraid of any Bulls player. As long as he had the ball, at least two Bulls players would come to defend.
"The defensive intensity has clearly increased in the second half, especially focusing on Rose and Carlos. The game seems to have entered a tense state."
Exactly...
The game became intense, or rather... it was no longer a duel between two individuals but a confrontation between two teams.
Carlos and Rose, although both players with exceptionally strong individual offensive abilities, were also very team-oriented players. Except in crucial moments, they usually passed the ball to their teammates when faced with double teams.
So...
The third-quarter offensive battle! Both starting lineups were on the court, with everyone fully engaged.
On the Bulls' side, Boozer and Luol Deng attacked the paint, and their defense, Korver's outside shooting, and Joakim protecting the rim and securing rebounds.
On the Suns' side...
Considering the Bulls' multiple players attacking the paint, Carlos did his best to help defend in the paint, putting pressure on the Bulls. On the offensive end, after Carlos attracted defenders, Nash, Carter, and Curry took consecutive three-point shots.
Also... don't forget the power forward, Frye! Although, to fit the lineup, he focused more on interior defense, Frye also had the ability to shoot from the outside.
The Bulls attacked the paint, and the Suns attacked from the outside.
Throughout the third quarter, both teams adopted different offensive styles, making the game heated. The spectacular offensive battle also kept the arena atmosphere continuously intense.
The arena in the small city of Phoenix had a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a big city.
Three quarters passed...
The Suns still led by 3 points, and both teams remained tense, making the game full of suspense.
In the final quarter, after the substitutes left the court, the battle between the starting players resumed. The tension persisted until the last 3 minutes and 13 seconds.
The Suns led by 3 points.
The Bulls had possession of the ball...
Rose brought the ball up the court, facing Carter's defense. Rose dribbled, searching for an opportunity, probing with his left foot, then suddenly accelerating with his right foot, swiftly taking the first step, shaking off Carter, who was no longer in his prime.
"Step!"
But Carlos came over to help defense immediately.
"Swoosh!"
As Rose drove, he suddenly passed the ball to Luol Deng in the right corner. Luol Deng decisively launched a three-point shot, and the basketball went through the net.
Three-point shot made.
Tied the score...
"Beep beep!"
Coach Gentry called a timeout.
In the stands, Ginobili, watching this scene, smiled faintly, "The whole game has been tense. With three minutes left, I think... this timeout marks the beginning of a life-and-death battle!"
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