"Huh? Headache? Dizzy?"
"It's just 1,300 meters and you already have altitude sickness? A rookie is still a rookie. Your adaptability is seriously lacking.
Blake Su,
you'd better hurry back to Phoenix. Salt Lake City isn't a place for someone like you."
"Trash!"
"Haha, you came to our Devil's Home Arena tonight, and you think you're leaving with a win? Twenty straight wins, undefeated this season?!
Blake Su,
tonight Utah is ending all of that."
"Headache? Tonight we won't just give you a headache. We'll make everything hurt."
"Go back to Phoenix!"
"..."
Inside the arena,
the frenzied Jazz fans, after learning that Blake Su wasn't feeling well, immediately unleashed a storm of trash talk and boos as the game began.
They were trying to get into his head.
Blake Su didn't react much, but the constant jeers still made the atmosphere tense even before the game fully settled in.
Soon,
warmups ended and both starting lineups took the court.
Utah Jazz starting lineup: 191 cm (6'3") point guard Deron Williams, 196 cm (6'5") shooting guard Raja Bell, 203 cm (6'8") power forward Paul Millsap, 206 cm (6'9") power forward Andrei Kirilenko, and 208 cm (6'10") center Al Jefferson.
Phoenix Suns starting lineup: 191 cm (6'3") point guard Steve Nash, 188 cm (6'2") shooting guard Stephen Curry, 198 cm (6'6") shooting guard Vince Carter, 211 cm (6'11") power forward Channing Frye, and 215 cm (7'1") center Blake Su.
Jump ball!
Al Jefferson versus Blake Su.
With his 215 cm (7'1") frame and Iverson-level explosiveness, if Blake Su wanted it, no center in the league could beat him on the opening tip.
And in fact,
through the previous 19 games, he had won every single jump ball.
Tonight was no different.
"Tap!"
Blake Su got there first and tipped the ball away. Curry collected it and, as usual, pushed the pace to start the Suns' first possession.
"Whoosh!"
He burst down the left wing, then fired a pass to Nash cutting to the free-throw line. Continuing his drive into the paint, he drew Millsap's help defense before kicking it out.
"Pass!"
Blake Su caught it in the right corner and went straight into a three. Kirilenko rushed out to contest, but it barely affected the shot.
However,
"Clang!"
It missed.
Frye tipped the rebound out, and it landed right with Nash. Without holding the ball, Nash immediately swung it back to Blake Su in the right corner.
Still wide open.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su let another three fly.
"Clang!"
Still off.
"Blake Su misses two wide-open threes?"
At the commentary table,
Mike Breen looked surprised, while Van Gundy shook his head.
"It looks like even though Blake Su is playing, the altitude sickness is still affecting him.
Back-to-back road games, plus the headache.
His form is clearly off."
Al Jefferson secured the rebound and passed it to Deron to bring the ball up, matching up with Nash at the top.
Deron, who had made a habit of going at Nash, blew past him with a simple crossover and burst of speed.
"Step!"
Carter slid over to help.
"Whoosh!"
Deron glanced left, then fired a pass to the right, a perfect fake. The ball went to Kirilenko in the right low post, who pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
"Step!"
Blake Su reacted a split second late before contesting. He got a hand up, but Kirilenko still knocked it down.
Van Gundy sighed.
"Blake Su is definitely affected by the headache. Not just his shooting, his focus is slipping too.
Before, with his athleticism and instincts, that slightly delayed release from Kirilenko would've been blocked, not just contested."
Mike Breen nodded.
"I agree. Blake Su looks different tonight."
On the court,
Blake Su frowned, clearly aware his focus wasn't fully there.
"Even if it's just a mild headache, it's still affecting me.
No.
I have to adjust quickly.
I'm here to help the team win, not drag them down."
He knew something was off, but adjusting wasn't something that could be fixed in a possession or two.
3:11.
"Beep!"
Still struggling, Blake Su checked out early, choosing to rest for the remainder of the first quarter and give himself more time to recover.
"Haha!"
"That's it? He's already subbing out? The 'Monster Rookie'? The 'Era-Defining Center'? The 'Youngest 60-Point Scorer'? And 1,300 meters took him down?"
"What a joke!"
"Stay on the bench. Don't come back. At least keep your last bit of dignity."
"..."
Even as Blake Su sat down, the Jazz fans didn't let up, continuing their relentless trash talk and turning the arena into a true Devil's Home Arena.
Blake Su closed his eyes and ignored it.
Affected by altitude sickness, his headache was holding him back.
On the court, even his teammates, who weren't dealing with altitude issues, struggled under the fatigue of consecutive road games and the brutal home atmosphere.
"Clang!"
Curry missed a three.
"Clang!"
Curry missed a layup.
"Swish!"
Curry got beaten on defense.
Curry, who had promised before the game to step up and score, was completely out of rhythm.
Carter and Frye weren't doing much better. Among the Suns' starters, only Nash had any semblance of offensive rhythm, but even then, after drawing a foul and getting to the line,
"As fellow top-five point guards, how is it that Deron blows past you like you're not even there? Steve Nash? The 'Son of the Wind'? No, you're old now.
You don't deserve that title anymore."
"A player who can't defend doesn't belong in the NBA."
"Defense wins championships. Only defense wins titles. 'Son of the Wind' Nash, now you understand why you'll retire without a ring, right?"
"Just retire already!"
"..."
Amid the relentless boos,
even Nash missed both free throws.
That was the true terror of the Devil's Home Arena.
End of the first quarter.
Jazz (35): (14) Suns.
With both Blake Su and Curry struggling, the Suns fell behind by 21 points in a single quarter, sinking into a deep hole.
During the break,
the Suns bench was lifeless. The entire team looked drained. Blake Su was dealing with a headache and reduced focus. Curry couldn't find his shot. The fatigue from consecutive road games, combined with the 21-point deficit, weighed heavily on everyone.
A brutal start.
It made everyone feel like this game might already be slipping away, especially Curry. His cold shooting left him frustrated and helpless.
His expression darkened.
"Tch."
Blake Su let out a quiet scoff. Feeling the pressure of a potential loss so early for the first time, his expression grew more serious.
[Ding!]
At that moment, a system notification suddenly rang in his mind.
[Ding! Random mission triggered!]
...
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