Capítulo 121: Curry and Carlos
A 5-point difference.
Under the steady offense of the 'Adversity Buddha,' the Spurs stabilize the situation, and the suspense of the game continues.
Quickly...
The final quarter begins.
First, it's a contest between the bench players, both sides field their reserves, with a simple purpose: to give the starters a rest, and to warm up for the final showdown!
Even without Ginobili playing.
Hill, Neal, Bonner, and the other players – the Spurs' bench depth is superior to that of the Suns.
However... George also steps up tonight. On offense, his performance is relatively average, but on defense, facing Hill and Neal in succession.
He repeatedly halts the offenses of these two guards.
The future 'General George,' his defensive capabilities underpinned by formidable physical qualities, begin to show promise in his rookie season.
4 minutes and 22 seconds of rotation.
Under George's defense, the Spurs' bench only manages to claw back a point, reducing the gap to 4 points.
"Beep—beep!"
Gentry calls a timeout.
The starters return for the last 7 minutes of the showdown.
"Slap!"
Carlos and the departing George high-five, Carlos lightly smiling, "Good job, George!"
"Mm!"
George nods vigorously, smiling, not sure if it's because he played well or because Carlos complimented him. In any case... George is very happy at the moment.
On the court...
The game continues...
Suns' possession...
Nash controls the ball at the top of the arc, then passes to Curry, who curls out using a screen set by Carlos, a feint shot to engage Parker, accelerating past Parker to the left side of the key.
"Stomp!"
Duncan comes up to cover.
"Whoosh!"
Curry tosses the basketball into the air, and the following Carlos instinctively jumps up, stretches his arm to catch the ball with one hand, and then...
"Boom!"
An alley-oop connection, a thunderous dunk ensues!
"Wow—"
"The Sukur Connection!"
The arena vibrates with excitement—
Though it's just two points, the connection between Curry and Carlos greatly boosts the team's morale and elicits a louder cheer from the fans.
But...
Parker takes the ball forward, using a high-quality screen set by Duncan up high, he penetrates the basket, spinning like a top, finding his way through the narrowest gaps.
"Swish!"
Twisting among the crowd to find his spot, he gently scoops the ball into the basket.
A swift response.
Curry advances the ball, Carlos again comes up to screen, drawing back to the top of the arc. Even with Curry holding the ball, Jefferson has to keep an eye on Carlos.
"Swoosh!"
And Curry, who likes to shoot threes, opts for a drive again, surging to the right side of the key. Seeing Duncan step up again, he doesn't pass but instead goes for a floater.
"Swish!"
And there's...
Ginobili taking the baseline inbound, advancing with the ball, positioning on the left side of the arc, Parker making a mad dash along the baseline, Duncan setting screens.
This time the Spurs' tactical core is Parker.
But...
"Whoosh!"
Ginobili, with Carter in front marking him, suddenly unleashes a quick shot, catching Carter off guard, who can only twist around to watch.
"Clang!"
The shot is a tad short, bouncing off the rim.
"It would've been a morale-boosting good shot if it had gone in, but it was just a bit unlucky."
Frye secures the rebound and passes to Carlos, who advances the ball himself. A center dribbling upcourt, with small forward Jefferson closely following but not daring to try for a steal.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
On the right wing...
One meter beyond the three-point line, Carlos positions himself, with Jefferson watching him intently from the three-point line.
"Should I press further on defense? From this spot, if it's Carlos, he could shoot a three."
His thought lasts but a moment.
The next instant...
As he decides to step forward to tighten the defense, at that moment, one meter outside the three-point line, Carlos, just like Ginobili had done, raises his hand to unexpectedly launch a shot.
"Ah!!"
The anticipating Jefferson roars in a rush to block, but he's too late, the basketball flies over his fingertips, far too high to touch.
"Don't go in!"
Jefferson prays internally.
But the basketball, spinning through the air, seems to be equipped with a homing device, heading straight, without deviation, to the hoop and plunging through the net, splashing a spray of net.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net...
The more you don't want something to happen, the more it does. Jefferson, tonight, gets blasted by a center from the perimeter, and it's a rookie, even though he's aware of Carlos's strength.
But with a bitter face, his heart still doesn't taste good.
"Tsk, tsk..."
"With the Suns' starters back in, Curry+Carlos combine for a 7:2 run, and in the blink of an eye, the lead has stretched to 9 points.
And with that three-pointer.
Carlos has already scored 34 points tonight, and it's worth mentioning... Curry has also tallied 30 points, the team's absolute core and second-in-command. This pair of perimeter guns have combined for 64 points. Impressive!"
Jon Barry exclaims.
"Indeed!"
Mark Jackson nods, then adds with a chuckle: "Jon, Carlos isn't really an outside player, he's a bona fide center with a height of 215 cm."
"Haha!"
Jon Barry also laughs, slapping his forehead, "My mistake, my mistake, sorry, Carlos's drives and three-point shots are just not typical of a center."
"True, aside from his height, Carlos doesn't quite fit the center mold!"
On the court...
During the commentary banter.
While the Spurs players focus on Curry and Carlos, Carter hits a three-pointer from the left corner. Also... Nash takes Ginobili one-on-one.
Driving into the basket, he scoops the ball up with one hand, a high bank shot connects.
In less than 3 minutes, the Suns explode with a 12-2 run, adding 4 points, abruptly widening the lead to a hefty 14 points.
Just 4 minutes and 38 seconds remain.
A 14-point difference.
"Beep beep!"
Popovich quickly calls for a timeout.
"It's over!"
In the stands, Wall shakes his head repeatedly, "Less than 5 minutes left, 14 points behind, and both Curry and Carlos are in good form. The Spurs are done for! Ah... can't even the Spurs contain Carlos?"
Back at the commentary desk...
Jon Barry speaks confidently, "Since Curry arrived at the Suns, he's been playing even better than he did with the Warriors. His rookie season's lackluster performance was really due to the overlap with Monta Ellis.
Moreover...
This rookie, Carlos, has capabilities even more terrifying than Curry. With these two newcomers, I believe it won't take long for the Suns to become a championship-contending team. No, even this season, they still have the strength to win the championship!"
"Yes..."
Mark Jackson agrees, pausing for a moment before bringing the conversation back to the game, "Only 4 minutes and 38 seconds left, yet a full 14-point gap, the Spurs have mysteriously collapsed. They're in a dire situation tonight, it's going to be tough for them."
"No!"
Jon Barry shakes his head in disagreement, smiling slightly, "I actually think the Spurs still have a chance. A Spurs team with 'El Contusione' Manu Ginobili won't go down so easily."
"Oh?"
Mark Jackson is momentarily surprised, then realizes what he means and slowly says: "Yes, after all... in prosperity a race car, in adversity a Buddha, and in desperate times, the devilish blade cuts through all demons!!"
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