Capítulo 158: Game over
"Behind? We're still down by 7 points?!"
During the break between quarters...
On the Celtics bench, All-Stars like Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen are all looking at the scoreboard in shock and disbelief.
Because...
They all felt they were playing well.
How could they be trailing under these circumstances?!
Yes...
These five were indeed in form, but... Carlos was on fire, carrying his unyielding belief in victory, pushing his abilities to the limit.
One rookie vs. five All-Stars! Dominating!
"Hahaha!"
In the stands, Pippen laughed and said, "This rookie Carlos is truly incredible, single-handedly coordinating the team, suppressing the Celtics' All-Star five. Michael, why do I see your dominance as a rookie in him?!"
"Really?!"
Jordan was taken aback for a moment, then cracked a faint smile, responding, "Carlos's dominance is indeed astounding, and... if he can keep this up for the entire season, then... he's even better than I was!"
On the opposite side of the stands in the front row.
Wall's mouth hung open, at a loss for words over Carlos's all-around performance in the third quarter. Reluctantly, he had to admit...
Such a solo ability to lead a team was something even Wall had to respect.
As for 'Superman' Howard, while he recognized that this rookie Carlos was stronger than the other newcomers, and by a lot, he—'Superman'—also had his pride.
The two had not yet clashed.
Howard was not ready to concede to Carlos, who was also a center. He was still firm in his belief that he was the league's strongest center at the moment, bar none!
"Wow!"
During the break.
The Suns' fans in the stands cheered for Carlos's splendid all-around offensive performance, and even the Celtics fans, despite their disdain, had to marvel at this rookie.
He was really strong!
Nevertheless...
Even so, a 7-point lead with one quarter left only meant an advantage for the Suns, not a sure victory, and the game was far from over.
Before long...
The final quarter's battle was upon them.
First came the rotation of reserves; both sides played their bench players, with starters resting for the final showdown.
After 5 minutes and 3 seconds of back-and-forth from the subs, with neither side gaining an edge, Gentry called a timeout with the difference still at 7 points, and the starters returned to the floor.
"Slap!"
Pierce and Garnett gave each other a low-five, calmly stating, "Let's take this game and show the league that we 'The Big Four' are the strongest team."
"Of course!"
"A rookie like Carlos, even if he's got some skills, can't possibly win against us."
Garnett was brimming with confidence.
Rondo and Ray Allen exchanged glances, each reflecting confidence in their eyes.
As for 'Shaq' O'Neal, in the twilight of his career and unable to keep up, he was replaced by the backup power forward Glen Davis, who continued to play.
Just 7 points behind and on their home court, the Celtics were full of confidence for the final battle.
And on the Suns' side...
When his teammates were at their lowest, it was Carlos who stepped up, single-handedly holding his own against the Celtics' All-Star five, not only recovering the deficit but also taking a 7-point lead.
One man exploding against the Celtics' All-Star five.
However...
Teammates can't be down all the time. In the last quarter, after the timeout, Curry's three-pointers, Nash's mid-range shots, Carter's corner threes.
Frye's low post offense.
And the consistently stable Carlos.
The recharged Suns once again orchestrate their run-and-gun offense, not just any run-and-gun, but the Western Conference's leading team's run-and-gun!
"Whoosh!"
The Suns hit consecutive run-and-gun plays, while the Celtics' All-Star five continue to perform well, both teams entering a fierce battle in the final moments.
Until the last 1 minute and 13 seconds.
Still tense...
But the Suns maintain a steady 10-point lead.
The Celtics start to panic, Pierce brings it up, feigns a drive against Carter's defense, pulls up for a three, but Carter anticipates it.
"Thud!"
He goes all out to interfere with the shot.
"Clang!"
It's a miss...
The rebound?
Garnett secures it, then kicks it out to Ray Allen for another three-point attempt to close the gap. But the already anxious Ray Allen loses his marksmanship.
"Clang!"
The three-pointer still doesn't connect.
"Slap!"
Carlos, sprinting to the basket, leaps high to secure the board, calmly advances the ball to the top of the key, running down the clock to the last 7 seconds.
"Swoosh!"
He accelerates with a drive, after drawing a double team, a behind-the-back bounce pass to an unguarded Curry, who comes off a high screen set by Carter.
"Whoosh!"
He lets off a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
A dagger, nothing but net!
Carlos' assist, Curry's three-pointer, directly puts the game out of reach.
The final 41.7 seconds.
A 13-point difference.
The Celtics ultimately concede the game, and the Suns also stop playing, letting the clock run out to end the game.
In the end...
The Suns win away against the Celtics by 11 points. Also... they complete a season sweep of the Celtics, undefeated.
"Wow—"
Right as the game ends.
Inside the studio of the Mexican National Sports Television, Miguel can't contain his excitement, clears his throat, and proclaims, "Today, Carlos racked up an all-around stat line of 37 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks!
In the third quarter, he exploded against the Celtics' All-Star five by himself, leading the team to a comeback, and ultimately maintaining the lead until the last second, winning the game!
Defeating the Celtics...
The Suns' season win streak has been extended from 22 to 23 games, surpassing the 22-game win streak created by the 'GT' duo of the 07/08 Rockets season.
Securing the second-longest winning streak in history!
The last winning streak in the NBA for a Mexican player was Gustavo Ayon with 22 games. Also... the 22-game streak was ended by the Celtics' 'Big Three'.
And today...
Carlos, also hailing from Mexico, leading the Phoenix Suns, successfully surpassed the hurdle of the Celtics, capturing more than Gustavo Ayon's 23 wins in a row! Carlos, you are the pride of Mexico!"
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