Quarter break.
Fans were still buzzing about the first-quarter scoring duel between Blake Su and Rose. The back-and-forth fireworks had everyone in the arena riding high.
The home-court atmosphere continued to heat up. Only when the second quarter began and the bench units rotated in did the crowd gradually settle back into the rhythm of the game.
In the broadcast booth.
Mike Breen glanced at the stat sheet and said, "In the first quarter, Blake Su stayed aggressive as always, pouring in 17 points. Rose had 14.
Both are scoring efficiently. The head-to-head battle is living up to expectations.
But before we get back to Blake Su and Rose, let's take a look at the bench matchup. The Bulls' second unit is no joke.
'Sharpshooter' Kyle Korver—his three-point shooting cannot be ignored."
Swish!
Before Mike Breen could finish, Korver caught a pass from Brewer at the top of the arc and buried a three.
If that first shot didn't raise alarms—
The next possession did.
Korver curled off the baseline, caught the ball, turned slightly, and drilled another clean three.
Now the Suns' bench grew visibly serious.
They finally realized just how lethal Korver was from deep.
And it wasn't just Korver.
Gibson and Brewer on the wings were classic energy guys off the bench, both capable of attacking the rim and finishing strong.
In just 3 minutes and 17 seconds—
The Bulls' reserves went on a 12–4 run.
They erased a three-point deficit and flipped it into a five-point lead.
Seeing the momentum shift, Gentry immediately prepared to call timeout and bring the starters back early.
But at that moment—
The rookie he had personally drafted stepped up.
Paul George.
Swish!
First, he drove hard at Gibson, absorbed contact in midair, and banked it in.
Next possession—
George accelerated down the left wing, stopped on a dime, stepped back over Gibson's contest, and knocked down another jumper.
And he wasn't done.
George cut off Brewer's drive, stole the ball himself, and went coast-to-coast.
Facing three Bulls defenders in transition, he sliced through the lane like a scalpel.
Whistle!
Foul.
Swish.
Swish.
George calmly sank both free throws.
Six straight points.
A 6–0 run.
He erased five points and swung the lead back.
"Wow!"
"That speed, that burst, that aggressive rim attack—who's the Suns bench player wearing No. 24?!"
In the stands—
Parker looked impressed.
"Paul George. The tenth pick in this year's draft."
Duncan answered calmly. He had been paying close attention to the rookie class.
"Impressive."
Parker kept watching George.
"Great physical tools. How come we haven't heard much about him? He almost feels like just another rookie."
Ginobili rubbed his thinning hairline.
"George has good tools—height, strength, speed, explosiveness.
But he hasn't fully adapted to the NBA yet. Even tonight, while he's playing well, he can be streaky. Not consistent enough.
And with rookies like Blake Su, Griffin, and Wall ahead of him in the spotlight, the tenth pick still needs polish."
"That's fair."
Parker shrugged.
Comparing Blake Su to George was like comparing the moon to a firefly.
Blake Su shone like the moon.
George flickered like a firefly.
Still—
To be fair, George was excellent tonight.
In 5 minutes and 12 seconds of rotation time, he went 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 at the line, and scored 11 points—nearly all of the bench production.
Whistle.
Timeout Suns.
Both teams prepared to bring the starters back.
In the booth, Mike Breen smiled.
"George has been terrific. Gentry really had an eye for talent drafting him. Tremendous value."
Jeff Van Gundy tapped the desk.
"He may lack consistency, but tonight's explosion shows the upside. That's a player with real potential."
"Huh?"
Mid-sentence, Mike Breen frowned slightly.
"Wait a second. If George is playing this well, how did the Bulls still erase the deficit and go up three?"
Jeff Van Gundy looked at the scoreboard.
They were right.
Chicago was leading.
After reviewing the numbers, Mike Breen nodded.
"Even though George was attacking aggressively, the Bulls were matching them shot for shot—especially Korver.
In less than half a quarter, he's already hit four threes.
If we're talking pure points, he's actually outscoring George."
"Wow…"
Jeff Van Gundy reacted.
"The three-point shot is deadly.
At this rate, it might end up being the X-factor tonight."
"Absolutely."
...
Back on the court.
After the timeout, Suns ball.
Nash controlled it at the top. Blake Su stepped up to set a high screen, his massive frame completely shielding Bogans. Nash turned the corner easily and drove down the right side. Once the defense collapsed, he whipped a lightning-fast one-handed pass back out.
The ball landed perfectly in Blake Su's hands at the top. He looked ready to shoot, but Deng had stayed glued to him, and Rose rotated over quickly.
Without hesitation, Blake Su swung it left. Curry, who had curled up from the baseline, caught it in rhythm and let it fly.
Swish.
Clean.
Nearly wide open, Curry's three-point percentage made that shot feel automatic. Tie game.
Rose pushed the pace immediately. At the top, he attacked Curry again. Explosive first step. Hard stop. Another burst. Curry was beaten again. One-on-one, he simply couldn't contain Rose.
But Blake Su's help defense arrived in time. As Rose rose for the layup, Blake Su elevated from the side, his long arms swallowing the space above the rim.
Rose felt the pressure midair. He adjusted, tried an up-and-under—
Clang.
The hesitation cost him. The ball rattled out.
Carter grabbed the rebound and ignited the break. Curry, Nash, and Blake Su sprinted ahead. Curry received it in the middle and immediately swung it right to Nash. Nash delivered a sharp diagonal bounce pass forward.
Blake Su caught it in stride. Three long steps. He rose.
Boom!
One-handed slam.
The seamless passing. The explosive finish. Classic run-and-gun basketball. The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
But in the midst of the frenzy, Rose called for a screen at the top. He turned the corner around Curry and hunted the switch.
Now—
He was matched up against Blake Su.