"Are you kidding me?!"
"Blake Su is a 215-centimeter center, and he actually crossed up the No. 1 pick, Griffin, on the perimeter. What kind of insane move is that?!"
At the commentary booth.
Mark Jackson's mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.
"Hahahaha!"
Jon Barry threw his head back and laughed. "This is Blake Su. This is exactly how he plays—'guard-style' offense, a 'center version' of Allen Iverson.
Watching Blake Su play is pure enjoyment."
"Griffin got dropped!"
"My God, what did I just see?!"
"Blake Su's ability to break defenders down off the dribble is unreal. When people called him a 'center version' of Allen Iverson before, I didn't believe it. Now… I have to."
"Yeah! A center being able to beat defenders off the dribble is already impressive. But Blake Su didn't just beat him—he put the No. 1 pick on the floor. That's ridiculous."
"Blake Su's first ankle-breaking highlight… and it's on the No. 1 pick, Griffin!"
"Insane~"
The crowd's cheers never stopped. Some Clippers fans felt bad for Griffin for about one second—but even they were completely won over by Blake Su's play.
"Blake Su!"
On the court, the moment Nash saw Griffin hit the floor and the ball drop through the net, he leapt up and pumped his fist in excitement. This was a 36-year-old veteran, jumping around like a kid—just imagine how thrilled he was.
"What an unbelievable kid!"
Grant Hill broke into a wide smile, applauding Blake Su's dazzling move.
"Nice!"
"Great shot!"
On the Suns' bench, Goran Dragić and Carter waved white towels wildly, roaring as they cheered Blake Su on.
By contrast, the Clippers' bench looked grim and stiff.
Off a single play.
Blake Su completely seized control of the game's rhythm, allowing the Suns to dictate everything on the floor.
End of the first quarter.
Clippers (22) : (30) Suns.
The Suns led by 8 after one.
Blake Su put up 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the quarter. Griffin had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. On the surface, the numbers didn't look far apart, with Blake Su holding a slight edge.
But in terms of efficiency, Blake Su was shooting close to 70 percent, completely blowing past Griffin's roughly 50 percent—plus a swatted block and that ankle-breaking drive.
In just one quarter.
The gap between the two superstar rookies, Blake Su and Griffin, was already visible to the naked eye.
Second quarter.
It started with the bench units.
The Clippers didn't have much to offer off the bench, while the Suns had Carter. He was a clear starter by ability, but because of Blake Su's sudden arrival and roster balance, he had accepted a bench role.
Despite the wear and tear of injuries that had taken away his old "Half-Man, Half-God" dominance, he was still no pushover. Against the Clippers' bench, he handled things with ease.
More importantly.
Late in his career, Carter's three-point shot had become increasingly refined—one of his deadliest weapons.
Over a little more than four minutes of rotation.
With Carter controlling the tempo, the Suns stretched their 8-point lead to 11, firmly taking command of the game.
"Beep!"
Coach Del Negro called a timeout.
Both teams' starters returned.
But… even with the starters back on the floor, the effect was minimal.
Griffin's efficiency dipped in the second quarter. Despite having Beast-level physical gifts, his inconsistency as a rookie still showed.
As for Blake Su.
He remained steady as ever. No longer limited to jump shots, he mixed drives and pull-ups seamlessly, and when combined with his 215-centimeter frame, it left the Clippers utterly miserable.
At halftime.
The Suns had already pushed the lead to 15.
At this rate… it was starting to look like the game might blow wide open.
Halftime break.
At the commentary booth.
Jon Barry flipped through the stats and said, "Once Blake Su started driving, he became even harder to deal with. Just in the first half tonight, he already has 27 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks.
Those are numbers a lot of established stars in this league can't reach in a normal game.
Amazing!
Blake Su is strong beyond anything you'd expect from a rookie."
"He never looked like a rookie to begin with—he's a… super rookie."
Mark Jackson joked, then continued, "A 15-point deficit. The Clippers' situation tonight looks exactly like last game. The question is whether Griffin can do it again in the second half.
Can he explode once more and lead a comeback?
But his opponent tonight is a super rookie being compared to 'Shaq' O'Neal. That's a tall order."
That's right.
The home fans weren't too discouraged yet.
Last game had featured a similar deficit, and Griffin had exploded in the second half to lead a comeback. So tonight… the fans were still hoping.
"Hmph!"
"He's the Beast. He won't go down that easily. At least a team like the Suns doesn't have the right to beat Griffin."
"Let's go!"
"Griffin, let's go! Come back against the Suns!"
The home crowd stayed fired up.
And amid that charged atmosphere, the second half began.
Clippers ball.
Gordon set a screen for Griffin. Griffin slipped past the defense, accelerated down the right wing, shook off Richardson, charged into the paint, planted, and took off.
"Boom!"
He hammered the ball through the rim over Frye with brutal force.
"Buzz!"
The violent dunk rattled the basket, the stanchion trembling slightly. Griffin hung on the rim with both arms before dropping down and pounding his chest, full of swagger.
"Whoosh!"
A massive, momentum-boosting dunk to open the half.
The home crowd instantly erupted, already picturing Griffin going on a tear and leading a comeback—but… reality didn't quite follow that script.
10:33 remaining.
Blake Su faced Griffin at the left high post. He feinted a drive toward the wing without moving his feet, pulled the ball back between his legs, and as Griffin lowered his center of gravity, Blake Su rose into a jumper.
"Swish!"
It's good.
9:47.
Blake Su cut into space near the free-throw line and accelerated past Griffin. No fancy moves—just pure speed. He created half a step of separation, drove into the paint, and laid it softly off the glass.
"Slap!"
"Swish!"
Griffin hit his arm while trying to contest. The basket counted, and there was a foul.
"Swish!"
The free throw dropped.
Blake Su completed the and-one.
7:11.
Left low post. Blake Su found himself mismatched against Baron. He caught the ball, took one explosive step, and regardless of whether he fully shook Baron, gathered and lofted a short floater.
Baron had no chance to contest it.
"Swish!"
Blake Su scored again.
5:13.
Curling along the baseline, Blake Su drew DeAndre Jordan out with him. One hard step to the left, a sudden stop, then another burst forward—and Jordan vanished from in front of him.
"Swish!"
An easy layup for Blake Su.
...
Just when everyone thought Griffin was about to erupt and drag the game back, the entire third quarter instead turned into Blake Su's personal driving showcase.
"Watching Blake Su play, I finally understand… a center can play the game this beautifully."
End of the third quarter.
Mark Jackson clapped his hands and sighed in admiration.
"Exactly."
Jon Barry laughed in agreement, then added, "Blake Su scored 18 points in the third quarter alone. Through three quarters, he has 45 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 blocks—setting a new career-high in scoring!
This rookie is absolutely ferocious!"