Capítulo 133: Jennings
At 9 PM, all eyes were on the Bradley Center as the pre-game countdown ticked down to the last 20 minutes. The Bucks and the Suns players warmed up on the court, each team brimming with the resolve to claim victory tonight.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in the studio of Mexico's National Sports TV, Miguel watched the earnestly practicing Bucks and commented, "The Bucks have a franchise record of 20 consecutive wins. If the Suns win tonight, they will match that record. It would be like stepping over the Bucks to tie their all-time best win streak on their home court. That's not going to sit well with the home team."
"You're right..." José nodded, adding with a light smile, "But that's no fault of the Suns. The schedule is what it is, and if the Bucks can topple the Suns, more power to them. Miguel, sir... The Bucks have the former youngest 50-point scorer, Jennings, while the Suns have the current youngest 50-point scorer who broke his record, Carlos. Who do you think will come out on top in this matchup?"
"Carlos!" Miguel said decisively. "Carlos's strength is not just about being the 'youngest 50-point scorer.' He just recently broke through the blockade of superstars to be elected the Player of the Month, topping both the Rookie of the Month and MVP of the Month rankings. Carlos... he's much stronger than Jennings."
After praising Carlos, Miguel tempered his enthusiasm by adding, "However, Jennings secured 50 points as a rookie too, a player of immense talent. Tonight... if he can play to the level of his former self, the youngest 50-point scorer, then he could give Carlos a good challenge."
"Yes..." agreed José, tapping his fingers on the desk. "The game is about to start. Let's turn our attention to the court and look forward to the face-off between the former and current youngest 50-point scorers."
As the camera shifts back to the court, the warm-up ends and the starting players take their positions.
The Milwaukee Bucks starters are point guard Brandon Jennings at 185 cm, shooting guard John Salmons at 200 cm, small forward Carlos Delfino at 198 cm, power forward Ersan İlyasova at 208 cm, and center Andrew Bogut at 213 cm.
The Phoenix Suns starters are point guard Steve Nash at 191 cm, shooting guard Stephen Curry also at 191 cm, shooting forward Vince Carter at 198 cm, power forward Channing Frye at 211 cm, and center Carlos at 215 cm.
"Jump ball!"
The tip-off between Carlos and Bogut is about to happen.
Looking at the seemingly harmless, even somewhat honest Bogut, and recalling his dirty style of play as well as his disgusting future actions, Carlos felt a surge of revulsion.
"Thud!"
Bending his knees and springing up like a bamboo shoot after a rain, Carlos's terrifying leap and explosive power allowed him to snatch the basketball well above Bogut's head.
"Wow!"
"Carlos jumps so high!"
As the fans marveled at Carlos's impressive jumping ability, they also mocked Bogut's lack of it. This jump ball not only humiliated Bogut, whom Carlos despised, but also served as just the beginning of Bogut's embarrassment for the night.
"Snap!"
Nash caught the ball and started the Suns' first offense of the game. At the top of the arc...
Nash, using Carlos's high screen, got around Salmons and accelerated down the right wing. After encountering a defensive switch, Nash made a dazzling behind-the-back bounce pass.
"Snap!"
The rolling Carlos received the ball. Power forward İlyasova was guarding him, but even though he was watching Carlos closely, his feet couldn't keep up. By the time Carlos took a jump shot, İlyasova was still on his way over.
Too slow!
"Swoosh!"
Carlos's jump shot hit its mark, giving the Suns the first points of the game.
Now it was the Bucks' turn...
Jennings dribbled up the court, called for a screen at the top of the arc, got around Curry, and accelerated down the left. Carter moved in to help defend, but Jennings stopped abruptly and took a mid-range jumper.
"Swoosh!" Jennings hits the shot against Carter's defense.
In the very next play, Jennings bulldozed past Curry into Suns territory. Faced with a double defense from Curry and Frye, he hung in the air with a dummy move to avoid the block.
"Swoosh!" He scores with a teardrop shot off the glass.
"Wow... That's the former youngest player to score 50 points. His ability to penetrate and shoot is unquestionable, and moreover..."
Miguel was in the middle of praising a fiery Jennings, but before he could finish, Carlos, who had quickly brought the ball up the court, faced off against Jennings' defense.
He sinks a 3-pointer right over his face!
"Swoosh!" A dagger to the heart... an unreasonable hit!
"Wow! Carlos is responding directly!" The commentators were excited.
Jennings knew Carlos was answering back, his gaze slightly chilling. As the once-youngest 50-point scorer, he thought his record might last for 5 years, 10 years, or even longer, but it was broken by Carlos just after one year, with Carlos stealing all the limelight.
About this...
He had always been slightly irked, a bit annoyed.
He couldn't let the Suns walk over their Bucks to achieve a 20-game winning streak—this was the fighting spirit behind the Bucks players, and for Jennings, directly stealing the spotlight from Carlos was another reason for him to fight with all his might tonight.
"Whoosh!" Jennings executed a quick stop-and-go, shaking off Nash. Encountering Carlos coming to help, he played small against big, his speed not diminishing but increasing as he once again drove to the basket, glimpsing Carlos behind at a body's length.
"Thump!" Jennings took off confidently for the layup.
But...
Just as the ball was rising and about to touch the backboard, a large hand appeared out of nowhere, and in the next instant, it slapped the ball against the backboard, then snatched it down.
"This... He was a full body length away!"
Jennings, who caught a glimpse of Carlos, was in disbelief.
But the reality was that Carlos's leap, arm length, and explosiveness were all far superior to Jennings. A body's length difference wasn't nearly enough to compensate.
Despite being a body length apart, Carlos still managed to block and grab the board.
"Whoosh!" Carlos drove the ball up the court himself, stopped at the top of the arc, and pulled up for a chase-down three-pointer. Jennings jumped with all his might to block it.
But almost as soon as he took off, he lost the desire to block. With a 30-centimeter height difference, Carlos, with the ball raised high above his head, left Jennings with nothing to do but look up, with no chance of blocking the shot.
"Swoosh!" A three-pointer sails straight through the net.
"Wow!" In the Mexican National Sports TV studio, José exclaimed, "A block and grab the board on one end, and a three-pointer in the face of the defense on the other, Carlos has completely outplayed the former youngest player to score 50!"
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