Chương 370: Chapter 370: The Away Team's Locker Room
McCollum's back-to-back threes gave the Trail Blazers a seven-point deficit.
Fortunately, Frye also hit a three-pointer after McCollum's second three, off a pass from Lillard.
In the last minute of the first quarter, neither team scored.
Suns 32, Trail Blazers 36!
The Suns took a four-point lead into the second quarter.
...
As soon as McCollum came off the court, Wade Dong stood up and gave him a pat on the chest, "Good shooting, kid."
"Thank you, Brother Dong!"
McCollum felt a bit emotional, and at that moment, he felt like he had truly become a part of the Suns family.
Coach Gentry whispered to Wade Dong, "How did you figure out his strengths so quickly? He's barely played a few games."
"It's in his pre-draft scouting report," Wade Dong explained casually.
"Oh."
Coach Gentry nodded, "I didn't read his scouting report much."
...
The second quarter began.
Curry replaced McGrady, Thompson replaced Tucker, while Carter, McCollum, and Whiteside remained on the court.
Lillard also took a rest on the Trail Blazers' side.
McCollum had a hot hand tonight, and even after hitting two threes in the first quarter, the Trail Blazers didn't treat him as a defensive priority.
Subsequently, McCollum executed two identical screen plays with Curry.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Both threes went in.
With four out of four three-pointers, this rookie made a strong impression on the home fans in his first game with the Suns.
However, on defense, whenever Frye received the ball beyond the three-point line, McCollum was the one defending him. The inexperienced McCollum couldn't stop Frye's threes, allowing Frye to hit two of his own.
Suns 45, Trail Blazers 49!
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers trailed by four points. By this time, both teams had their starters back on the court.
Lillard and Aldridge were contained by Wade Dong and Durant.
These two players missed three consecutive shots, but Gortat grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a putback.
Wade Dong's shooting touch was off in the first half, so he wasn't as aggressive on offense.
It wasn't until the end of the second quarter that Wade Dong hit two mid-range jumpers.
Suns 63, Trail Blazers 64!
At halftime, the Trail Blazers trailed by one point.
...
In the first half, the Suns' best player was Durant, who scored 17 points on 11-of-7 shooting. For the Trail Blazers, Aldridge and Gortat stood out, with Aldridge scoring 17 points on 13-of-8 shooting, and Gortat recording a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Aside from these three, McCollum and Frye also had impressive performances, with McCollum hitting four out of four threes and Frye making three out of three.
Since these two players had just switched teams, their strong showings became a topic of discussion among fans.
...
TNT Broadcast Booth.
Shaquille O'Neal, "There's an old saying in China: 'A tree will die if it's not transplanted, but a person will thrive.' McCollum and Frye have both improved after switching teams."
Charles Barkley, "You're so cultured!"
Shaquille O'Neal, "I'm more well-read than you. I read a lot of books, unlike you..."
...
Barkley, "But their improvement has nothing to do with the saying you mentioned. Even my grandma could score a couple of points for the Suns. Frye didn't get much playing time on the Suns, but his three-point shooting is accurate, and he's defended by a rookie like McCollum. Of course, he can score easily."
...
After the first half, both teams returned to their respective locker rooms.
This was Gortat and Frye's first time in the Suns' away team locker room in two years, and they curiously examined it.
"What's up?"
Matthews teased, "Is the away team locker room at US Airways Center different from the home team's?"
"It's very different!"
Gortat and Frye nodded in agreement.
Aldridge added, "To be honest, compared to some teams, the away team locker room at US Airways Center is already quite nice."
"But..."
Gortat wanted to say that there was no solid wood tea table, and Coach Stotts didn't know how to make Kung Fu tea.
Fortunately, he held back from saying it.
Gortat and Frye had performed well in the first half, and the Trail Blazers only trailed by one point. As a result, the team's coaches and teammates were more amiable towards them.
In any industry, people respect the strong.
The Suns' Locker Room.
When McCollum and Barton changed into their uniforms in the afternoon, they noticed the large tea table occupying a significant space. However, they didn't dare to ask about its purpose.
It wasn't until halftime that they saw their teammates gathered around the tea table, and Coach Gentry performed an impressive Kung Fu tea ceremony, leaving them completely stunned.
Who would have thought of this?
It was truly an eye-opening experience.
"You two, try this..."
Coach Gentry poured tea into cups for McCollum and Barton, saying, "These are new cups prepared for you. Every player on our team has their own cup. Gortat and Frye took their cups with them when they left."
"Thank you, Coach..."
McCollum accepted the tea cup with gratitude and took a big sip, "Ahh... Ahh... It's hot!"
"Hahaha..."
McCollum was scalded by the hot tea, and instead of receiving sympathy from his teammates, he became the subject of their laughter.
Coach Gentry shook his head, "That's not how you drink tea. You should take small sips and wait for it to cool down a bit before finishing it."
McCollum quickly handed his cup back to Coach Gentry, "I'm amazed. Coach, please pour me another cup."
Before joining the NBA, McCollum had imagined what life would be like for professional players on and off the court. He was initially drafted by the Kings and then traded to the Trail Blazers, where he spent half a year. McCollum felt that the NBA was pretty much as he had imagined, but after just two days with the Suns, his worldview was completely overturned.
Before Coach Stotts began his tactical briefing, he asked Frye and Gortat, "What do you think Coach Gentry is doing right now? What tactics do you think he'll use in the second half?"
"He..."
Gortat looked up at the ceiling, wanting to say that Coach Gentry was probably performing a Kung Fu tea ceremony, but he couldn't say that.
After some hesitation, Gortat replied, "Since the game is so close, Coach Gentry will probably let Brother Dong handle the ball more in the second half."
"Hand the ball to Wade Dong? That's such a low-level tactic," Coach Stotts chuckled. "In the second half, we'll do this... and then this... and then..."
"Let's go! Let's beat the Suns!"
The Trail Blazers players encouraged each other as they returned to the court.
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