Capítulo 84: The super showdown before the Christmas Day battle
"Why?!" Mark asked.
Jon Barry lightly tapped the table with his fingers and then said, "Rather than saying I believe Curry will win, it's more accurate to say that I believe the small-ball era will be the big trend. As everyone knows...
Curry's offensive specialty is the three-pointer, while DeRozan's offensive specialty is the mid-range shot. The three-point shot will be the most prominent offense in the small-ball era, the winning weapon. Curry, hitting 7 three-pointers tonight, just happens to be 7 points more than DeRozan. This seems to be the representation of this trend. Mark, what do you think?!"
"Uh..."
Mark Jackson nodded, finding it reasonable.
...
Winning against the Raptors, concluding three consecutive away games, the Suns team flew back to Phoenix overnight, with 2 days of rest ahead. The players also had plenty of time to rest.
Back at the villa...
Carlos quickly freshened up and went to sleep.
The next day...
Early in the morning, fans were already restless because after the Suns vs. Raptors showdown, the next match was against the defending champions, the Lakers.
It was an explosive showdown.
In response, basketball commentators Charles Barkley, Drexler, Reggie Miller, and Ian Thomson gathered for a special interview.
"Wow! The showdown between the Suns and the Lakers in two days is a grand battle! Just thinking about it gets my heart pounding, so excited!" Barkley said, rubbing his shiny head.
Reggie Miller nodded, saying, "Indeed, it's a matchup full of highlights."
"Oh? What are the highlights?" Drexler gestured for him to continue, and Ian Thomson also looked eager.
"Hehe!" Reggie Miller smiled and said, "Firstly, it's the Suns with 16 consecutive wins against the defending champion Lakers, a clash between NBA powerhouses. This game is bound to be thrilling. It's not an exaggeration to call it a preview of the Western Conference Finals.
Moreover...
Carlos has been the Player of the Week for four consecutive weeks, breaking LeBron's record for the most weekly honors and becoming the youngest 50-point scorer and the youngest player with a '50+ triple-double.' He's undoubtedly the scariest 'monster rookie' this year, symbolizing the vibrant, new era of power, and perhaps even... the future of the league.
On the other side, Kobe Bryant, the leader of the Lakers, just won two consecutive championships and is the 'number one in the league,' the man closest to inheriting Jordan's legacy.
The clash between the power of the new era and the dominance of the old era is naturally exciting.
Also...
Currently, both the Lakers and the Mavericks have records of 19 wins and 8 losses, with a winning percentage of 70.4%, ranking second and third in the Western Conference. Given their head-to-head matchup, the Mavericks have defeated the Lakers, so the Mavericks are second in the West, and the Lakers are third.
As for the Suns, with a record of 18 wins and 8 losses, and an impressive winning percentage of 69.3%, they are currently fourth in the West, trailing the Mavericks and Lakers by only 0.5 games.
Furthermore...
In the team's matchup, the Suns defeated the Mavericks. So, if the Suns defeat the Lakers, they will instantly climb to second place in the West, just behind the first-place Spurs.
One more thing...
If the Suns win against the Lakers, they will achieve a 17-game winning streak, tying the team's longest winning streak record. So, the night two days from now will be a milestone night."
"Wow!"
Barkley, Drexler, and others couldn't help but inhale sharply.
To be honest...
They didn't expect so many highlights, but now that Reggie Miller has pointed them out, their interest in this matchup has become even more intense.
"Tsk tsk..."
Drexler exclaimed, "That's truly a grand showdown."
"Yes..."
Ian Thomson smiled, "The Suns and Lakers clash on the 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve, not this year's Christmas Day showdown. However... I believe this game will be even more exciting than a Christmas Day battle."
"Absolutely..."
"Yes!"
The four commentators unanimously agreed.
And in this conversation among the four, after the program spread, the hype for the game between the Suns and the Lakers two days later soared even higher.
At the same time, the NBA officials were not idle. They promptly placed the advertisement for the Suns vs. Lakers matchup in the most prominent position on the homepage, making more fans aware of the upcoming game.
You should know that in previous years at this time, the most prominent position on the homepage was reserved for the Christmas Day showdown. Although this year's Christmas Day battle also involved the Lakers, the matchup between the Suns and the Lakers before the Christmas Day showdown had become the showdown that countless fans were more eager to see.
That evening, tickets were sold out, and many fans couldn't secure tickets to the live event, so they had to watch the game in front of their TVs.
In summary, the Suns vs. Lakers, the super showdown before the Christmas Day battle, had already captured the attention of the masses.
As for Carlos, on this occasion, Adidas took the opportunity to promote the upcoming Suns vs. Lakers matchup for him. At the same time, just after waking up in the afternoon, he received a call and was summoned to the company for a photo shoot.
Carlos felt a bit annoyed but had no choice. After all, he had signed a contract and had to fulfill his duties—until six in the evening.
It was only at 6 p.m. that Carlos finished work. He took a taxi to the office in the morning and, after work, a colleague from Adidas who happened to be going in the same direction gave him a ride, dropping him off not far from his villa.
After thanking the Adidas colleague, Carlos got off the car. The cold wind made him feel chilly.
"It seems like buying a car should be put on the agenda. As soon as Adidas' salary is deposited, I'll immediately buy a new car," Carlos decided.
The square was not far from home, and it wasn't too cold, so Carlos walked back home alone, looking around at the red and green lights and the Christmas trees next to many storefronts.
Suddenly, he realized that Christmas was just around the corner. In previous Christmases, he celebrated with his mother. This year seemed different; he couldn't be with his mother. Thinking of his mother spending Christmas alone at home and realizing that he hadn't called her in quite a few days, he decided to dial her number.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
SuperAlchemist
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