"Bigger" Durant.
The fans in the stands felt the same way. And somehow, Blake Su's more aesthetically pleasing offensive game made him seem even stronger.
Late in the second quarter.
It once again became a perimeter shootout between Blake Su and Durant—almost like Durant going head-to-head with a "bigger" version of himself.
Suns (67): (56) Thunder.
Halftime.
The Suns headed into the locker room with an 11-point lead.
"What's going on? The Thunder are down 11? The Thunder's 'Big Three' can't beat a rookie center? What the hell is happening?!"
"Hey, Blake Su is going crazy tonight—27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks in just one half. And he's doing it efficiently. This rookie is on another level."
"Relax, there are still two quarters left. Blake Su is still just a rookie. His game experience can't compare to the Thunder's 'Big Three.' The Thunder will come back.
Just like last game.
When they rallied against the Magic and hit the game-winner."
At halftime.
Thunder fans were anxious, yet still hopeful.
Soon after.
The second half began. Thunder ball.
Durant brought it up to the top of the key. Then a taller figure stepped into his path—
It was Blake Su.
"Wow!"
The arena erupted.
Blake Su and Kevin Durant—the strongest players on their respective teams—were finally matched up as the third quarter began.
"Heh."
Kevin Durant gave a faint smile. "Rookie Blake Su, I haven't even gone looking for you yet, and you're already coming at me. Pretty confident, huh?"
"Of course."
Blake Su didn't deny it. Durant might possess monster-level talent, but when it came to pure ability, Blake Su feared no one.
"Not very humble."
Durant said quietly.
The words had barely fallen when his eyes turned cold.
Since you're asking for it, don't blame me for schooling the rookie.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Between-the-legs crossover into a hesitation, then a wide double crossover in front. The instant he saw Blake Su's weight shift, Durant stopped on a dime and rose into a fading mid-range jumper.
Up he went.
Blake Su's eyes sharpened. His reaction was lightning fast. He bent his knees, exploded upward, and extended his long arm fully.
"Impossible!"
Durant didn't even look at him as he released—confident as ever.
But at the peak of his reach, Blake Su's fingertips grazed the ball and sent it flying.
A block on Durant.
"What?!"
Durant froze for a split second, then immediately jumped again to recover the loose ball.
But Blake Su jumped higher.
He secured it first.
Fast break.
"Damn it!"
Durant sprinted after him. The two raced downcourt, one behind the other—but the gap between them was visible to the naked eye.
Blake Su pulled ahead by a full step, launched from just inside the free-throw line—
"Boom!"
The rookie center rose like a dragon bursting from the sea and hammered home a vicious one-handed dunk on the break!
Then, on the very next sequence, he disrupted Durant's jumper again. In transition, Blake Su stopped on a dime, stepped back, and buried a mid-range shot over Durant's outstretched arm.
Two defensive stops. Two scores.
Blake Su completely overwhelmed Durant, scoring four straight points and stretching the 11-point lead to 15.
"Beep! Beep!"
Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Coach Scott was forced to call another timeout—this time a long one.
"My God. Everyone knows Durant has elite physical tools—he's the kind of player who can go toe-to-toe with 'King James' LeBron.
And this rookie Blake Su is containing him on both ends of the floor.
And he's doing it as a center. That's unbelievable."
"Haha! 'Bigger' Durant looks even better than the real Durant!"
"No, no, no. Calling him 'Bigger Durant' just means he plays a similar style and happens to be taller. That's not enough to describe Blake Su."
"Oh? Then what should we call him?"
"In my opinion, a Blake Su who dominates Durant on both ends is an 'upgraded version' of Durant—he brings even more firepower to the table."
"Wow~ Exactly!"
"That's what I'm thinking too!"
"Blake Su is stronger than Durant!"
"It's already a 15-point lead! Let's go, Blake Su—finish the Thunder in one run!"
The arena atmosphere, which had cooled slightly at halftime, surged back to life as Blake Su dominated Durant on both ends. With the lead stretched to 15, momentum was fully on the Suns' side.
They looked unstoppable.
But just when everyone believed the Suns had the game in hand—
After the timeout.
Curry suddenly went cold, clanking shot after shot. Blake Su's efficiency dipped as well, with Durant sacrificing offense to lock in defensively.
Meanwhile, on the Thunder's side—
Westbrook, who had been overwhelmed in the first quarter, re-emerged after two quiet periods and erupted, attacking the rim and pulling up for jumpers, scoring in bunches.
And off the bench, "The Beard" Harden flipped the switch, pouring in points and flashing the kind of impact that screams Sixth Man of the Year.
As for Durant, even while giving up touches to focus on defense, he still found ways to score.
In an instant—
The Thunder's "Big Three" were all firing.
Over the latter half of the third quarter, the Thunder unleashed a 22–10 run, slicing the 15-point deficit down to just 3—a single three-pointer separating the teams.
Quarter break.
In the broadcast booth.
"My goodness, what just happened to the Thunder's 'Big Three'? They've suddenly exploded. That comeback momentum is unreal!"
Mike Breen exclaimed.
"Exactly!"
Jeff Van Gundy tapped the desk as he spoke. "Durant, Westbrook, and Harden—those three are ridiculously talented. A run like this is exactly what they're capable of.
The good news is…
it's not disastrous for the Suns yet. This game could still go either way."
The commentators remained optimistic.
But inside the arena, Suns fans weren't so calm. Watching a 15-point lead shrink to 3 was enough to rattle anyone.
"Wait… are the Thunder about to pull off another comeback like they did against Orlando?"
"It's possible. A 15-point lead cut to 3 in one quarter. They're the fourth seed in the West. If they ride this momentum into the fourth, they could absolutely take it."
"This is bad. This is getting dangerous."
"Cut the crap. I believe in Blake Su. I believe in the Suns. We're winning tonight."
"Exactly. A six-game winning streak doesn't just disappear."
"…"
Voices overlapped across the stands, and the atmosphere in the arena suddenly turned tense.
...
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