The Best Point Guard

The Phoenix Suns had made extensive preparations for Su Xi’s arrival; they were unwilling to lose to him and the Knicks on any front.

They didn’t want to lose to Su Xi because he had snatched what should have been Steve Nash’s guaranteed regular season MVP trophy last season.

As for the Knicks, they were now considered another run-and-gun team, and a very successful one at that. This had led basketball commentators, with Larry Brown at the forefront, to argue that the run-and-gun style lacked technical skill and was nothing more than chaotic running and shooting.

Weren’t the Knicks a prime example of that?

Their strategy was just a chaotic free-for-all; even they themselves probably couldn’t replicate it if asked.

This was an insult to D’Antoni. He had no desire to be mentioned in the same breath as the Knicks, as if they were some "run-and-gun duo." But damn it, the Knicks’ record was even better than his, the authentic original.

Last year, in his interviews and various press releases, he was lauded for his mastery of both American and European basketball. His run-and-gun system was described as having been developed from European concepts, then purified and perfected on the foundation of American basketball.

But now, this bunch of country bumpkins from the Knicks, who had never even been to Europe and didn’t have a single European player, were playing with such ferocity under Su Xi’s lead.

This wasn’t just playing basketball.

This was a slap in the face to him, D’Antoni.

So, the hype for this game had been building since last week.

By the time the game officially started, the arena was in an uproar. The Suns’ home court was packed with testosterone-fueled fans. They were booing and cursing before the visiting players even took the court, even calling New York a city of hicks.

It was all a bit unhinged.

Tonight, Phoenix’s starting lineup was: Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Shaun Marion, Boris Diaw, and Stadumier.

They were a squad of elite veterans, and their understanding of D’Antoni’s run-and-gun offense was second to none.

The Knicks’ starting lineup was: Su Xi, Crawford, Ariza, Tony Battie, and Eddie Curry.

The Knicks were implementing a new plan... tentatively giving the new players more responsibility and increasing their minutes. Isaiah Thomas had dubbed it the "Blood Transfusion Plan."

While Isaiah Thomas didn’t contribute any creative ideas to the plan itself, the names he came up with were certainly creative.

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the game began.

ESPN was broadcasting the game nationwide. It was the marquee matchup fans had been waiting for: a showdown between the two most spectacular offenses in the league.

Many fans were hoping to see the highest-scoring game of the season tonight.

But, for some reason, ESPN’s color commentator for the night was Larry Brown.

It was like being all hot and bothered, moments from getting off, only for the door to swing open and reveal the old lady from next door who collects cans.

Sitting beside Larry Brown was Reggie Miller. Miller was becoming ESPN’s ace commentator; his sharp tongue was a big hit with the fans, who loved watching him argue with anyone about anything. Besides, ever since he’d gotten his two championship rings, he was practically flawless.

The other announcer was Mike Brin.

Mike Brin had disliked Su Xi from the very beginning.

So tonight’s commentary booth was basically Reggie Miller versus two opponents.

The pre-game prediction segment made the situation perfectly clear: both Larry Brown and Mike Brin believed the Suns would win easily.

Reggie Miller, as always, backed Su Xi.

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the game began.

Stadumier won the tip-off, and the Suns immediately went on the attack.

Su Xi stuck close to Nash. Nash once had the nickname "Child of the Wind" to describe how fast he pushed the ball up the court.

But Su Xi’s speed was no joke, either.

Even though the league’s current defensive rules somewhat restricted Su Xi’s effectiveness, his long arms and powerful physique still managed to disrupt Nash’s path.

Stadumier came up to set a screen for Nash, who used it to cut quickly toward the paint.

But Su Xi’s ability to fight through screens was just too good. He spun right past Stadumier’s mediocre pick and gave chase. Just as Nash went up for the layup... SMACK!

A huge chase-down block to give Nash a rude awakening.

Su Xi secured the ball but slowed the pace.

The Knicks weren’t pushing the ball quickly, either.

The man defending Su Xi was Raja Bell. Bell was a defensive stalwart. He had a clean-cut look, but he was exceptionally ferocious on the defensive end. He was one of the few players in the NBA who could truly frustrate Kobe.

However, being able to frustrate Kobe didn’t mean he could do the same to Su Xi.

Su Xi was different from Kobe. While he had replicated Kobe’s offensive moves, he didn’t rely solely on Kobe’s playstyle. He was also skilled at driving to the basket.

Plus, he shamelessly called for a screen.

Tony Battie came up and screened Raja Bell. Su Xi flashed past him, making a beeline for the paint. Boris Diaw was from the same draft class as Su Xi, the class of ’03.

He was originally seen as a ’tweener,’ without a true position, but after joining the Suns, his all-around skillset had blossomed perfectly.

He was like a gap-filler, plugging every hole in the run-and-gun offense.

But he couldn’t stop Su Xi. Su Xi drove into the paint one-on-one, forcing Stadumier to come over and help. Su Xi passed it to Eddie Curry. As Curry caught the ball, Shaun Marion lunged at him. Marion was like a spider, a classic long-armed freak.

But Eddie Curry didn’t attack himself. He passed it to the corner.

Ariza caught the ball and let it fly.

He was wide open.

The entire Suns team was stunned.

SWISH!

The three-pointer was good.

"What a great play by the Knicks! That’s beautiful team basketball. It started with Jack running the pick-and-roll at the top of the arc, feeding it to Eddie Curry on the relay. Curry drew the defense and kicked it out to Ariza. In fact, Crawford could have easily taken Nash one-on-one there too. That half-court set had the feel of a traditional powerhouse. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you were watching the San Antonio Spurs."