Chương 7: Rise to fame in one battle

"Oh, wow—"

"Unbelievable!"

In the moment of Carlos's game-winning shot, Van Gundy, shocked to the core, shook his head and laughed, "A fadeaway buzzer-beater! Carlos, a center, actually faced the defense and completed a fadeaway buzzer-beater! This is simply magical!"

Mike Breen, equally astonished, "In the last half of the game, the Suns' rookie center, with a perfect 11-for-11, single-handedly scored 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. In the last 4.4 seconds, he even pulled off a buzzer-beater, leading the Suns to an epic comeback!

Amazing, Carlos is truly amazing!"

In the broadcast booth, Van Gundy and Mike Breen couldn't stop praising Carlos.

"Boom!"

In the arena, cheers, shouts, and admiration echoed like a wave.

Carlos's NBA debut performance was like a super bomb suddenly detonating in the deep sea, creating towering waves that seemed to flip the roof of the Western Arena.

"We won!"

"Buzzer-beater, Carlos's buzzer-beater, we've turned the game around!"

"Yeah!"

The Suns' bench danced with joy.

Nash, Hill, Carter, Dragic, and others, all with excited expressions, rushed to Carlos. Everyone huddled together, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of the comeback.

Yes...

In just half a game, a 22-point comeback, or rather, a reversal, this feeling of descending into hell and rising to heaven was truly exhilarating!

And Carlos, who completed this epic turnaround, undoubtedly became the shining star of the night.

The Suns' players and fans were ecstatic, while the Wizards' players looked dejected, heads hanging low, faces filled with disbelief.

"How did we get overturned?"

Wall looked disheartened.

Gustavo Ayon on the Wizards' bench was both happy and sad at this moment.

Sad that his team lost, and in such a dramatic way after holding a 22-point lead. Happy that his Mexican colleague Carlos showcased extraordinary talent, giving him hope for the future of Mexican basketball.

After the game...

ESPN's renowned reporter "Woj" found Carlos and smiled, "Hello, Mr. Carlos. Your performance tonight was outstanding; you are the MVP of the night. But... for such a talented player like you, why didn't you enter the draft?"

"Well..."

Carlos thought for a moment and evasively replied, "Because I missed my flight."

"Oh, really?"

Woj was momentarily surprised, then smiled and said, "Fortunately, you still made it to the NBA. Otherwise, we would have missed out on a game as spectacular as tonight's. That would have been a pity."

During the interview with Carlos,

On the commentary side, Van Gundy was not idle. Looking at the data he had organized, he exclaimed, "Rookie Carlos, in his debut, has set multiple records.

First, as a rookie, he led the team in a 22-point comeback in just half a game, completing an unprecedented epic reversal.

Second, in half a game, he went 11-for-11 from the field, 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, with a 100% shooting rate, scoring a historic 23 points. He's the first person in history to achieve this.

Third, a buzzer-beater in his NBA debut. Looking at the entire history of the NBA, only Carlos has accomplished such a feat."

"Hiss!"

After listening, Mike Breen couldn't help but whistle, saying, "I thought tonight's NBA Draft's first overall pick, Wall, who scored 35 points and almost hit a buzzer-beater, was impressive enough. However... Carlos, leading a 22-point comeback and hitting a buzzer-beater, is the one who gets the last laugh."

"Yes!"

Van Gundy nodded with a smile, "NBA Draft's first overall pick Wall, the emerging Mexican center Carlos, and last year's injured Griffin. This season's rookie circle is truly full of highlights!"

The commentators joyfully continued.

The interview with Carlos on the court concluded, and Wall, who had been waiting, walked over, saying to Carlos, "Hey, I admit you were on fire today. But... next time we face off, I'll definitely crush you. I'll show you that I am the rookie king!"

Carlos smiled faintly, "Sure, but... the next time we meet, I'll still come out on top."

"You wish!"

Wall taunted and walked away with a smirk.

Carlos shook his head lightly. He didn't know much about Wall, but he understood that to become the future core of the Wizards, an All-Star-level player, Wall needed that indomitable spirit of not accepting defeat.

As Wall left, Gustavo Ayon approached, smiling, "Carlos, hello!"

Seeing fellow countryman Gustavo Ayon, Carlos felt unexpectedly good and said, "Gustavo Ayon, hello. I'm your fan."

"Don't be modest, don't be modest."

Gustavo Ayon waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "With your performance tonight, I should be your fan. By the way, you're so good; why didn't you play in the LNBP, or maybe I'm not aware?"

Carlos thought for a moment and replied, "I didn't join the LNBP because I wanted to shine on a higher stage, so I came directly to the NBA to give it a try."

"Well done..."

Gustavo Ayon pressed his hands on Carlos's shoulders, eyes shining with enthusiasm, "Carlos, the future of Mexican basketball depends on you. Good luck, I believe in you!"

"Thank you..."

Carlos nodded gently, saying seriously, "I will do my best to become an outstanding basketball player."

In the previous life, he lacked the ability, but in this life, with superhuman basketball skills, he would climb to the summit and let the world know that Mexican players could also shine brightest in the NBA!

...

The game between the Wizards and the Suns, initially a matchup between two weaker teams with not much to look forward to, became a sensation in the league due to Carlos's extraordinary performance.

That night...

"Carlos buzzer-beater against the Wizards," "Carlos scores 23 points," "Mexican center Carlos sets multiple records in debut," and other keywords trended on Twitter.

And they were positioned quite high on the trending list.

Below, discussions among netizens were also lively.

"Rookie center Carlos, leading the Suns to a 22-point comeback in just half a game and hitting a buzzer-beater against the Wizards, is unbelievably strong!"

"Not only did he overturn a 22-point deficit, but Carlos also went 11-for-11, with a 100% shooting percentage, single-handedly scoring 23 of the Suns' last 26 points and providing Nash with a three-point assist. That means... Carlos truly, with his own abilities, helped the Suns come back. And mind you, Carlos is just a rookie; this level of talent is truly exceptional!"