One-on-one

"Wow!"

"Derrick is going against Carlos?"

"The two finally face off."

"No choice, the Suns' barrage is gradually taking shape, and Rose has to step up to suppress the Suns' strong momentum. Defeating Carlos is the best strategy. However... our Carlos is not that easy to bully."

"Charge, looking forward to the clash between the two main cores!"

"Uh..." At the moment when Rose faced off against Carlos, the already heated arena reached a new level of excitement. Some fans couldn't contain their excitement, standing up to get a better view. It seemed like this was the only way to fully enjoy the moment.

On the court...

"Hey!"

Rose looked at Carlos, smiling lightly. "Carlos, I've been paying attention to you lately. Your playing style is very distinctive. Honestly, you are very bold. Most centers wouldn't dare to play like you."

"Is that so..."

Carlos also smiled faintly. "I have no choice. I don't have the extraordinary physical talents like you 'lottery picks,' so I have to find my own way to survive in this talent-rich league."

"Haha!"

Rose shook his head and said, "No talent? Don't say these irritating things. If you had no talent, you wouldn't be playing as a center on the perimeter. And you wouldn't be playing so well. However, if you're willing to praise me, willing to praise an opponent, I quite like it. If you don't mind, we can be friends after the game. But now... we are enemies!"

As soon as Rose finished speaking...

The smile on Rose's face abruptly disappeared, replaced by an aura of fearlessness, radiating a king's presence that left people in awe.

"Here it comes!"

With a sudden stop, Rose rushed out. Agile like a cheetah, swift like lightning. Normally, when he faced a center, he could easily break through with just one step. However...

Tonight, he faced Carlos, blessed with "Iverson's talent."

"Whoosh!"

Carlos fixed his gaze, accelerated, but even though he caught up, he still felt the speed and explosiveness typical of the "Windy City Assassin."

"Splash!"

Rose entered the paint, jumped high, and with Carlos at the side, who had also jumped to block, it seemed like Rose would easily be swatted away.

However...

Rose's hang time was incredible. He evaded Carlos's block in mid-air with a fake move and then laid the ball off the backboard.

"Smack!"

Carlos slapped the backboard, missing the block. The ball bounced off the rim and went into the net.

"Wow!"

"Rose scored on Carlos one-on-one."

"Well done, Rose!"

Bulls fans erupted.

"Not bad..."

Carlos, who had already landed, rubbed his palm, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Truly an 'MVP'-level Rose. The speed, hang time, and explosiveness are indeed terrifying."

This play...

Carlos defended well, causing some disruption, but it wasn't enough, and Rose successfully scored on the layup.

"Carlos, it seems you can't lock me down."

Rose, who ran over, said proudly.

Carlos gave a faint smile and said, "The game has just begun. Being so proud so early is not a good thing."

Transitioning from offense to defense...

"Bam bam bam!"

Carlos at the top of the arc, seeking a screen, also faced Rose. Facing the 'MVP'-level player in front of him, Carlos didn't aim carefully but relied on instinct. He raised his hand and shot a three-pointer.

Yes...

No speed advantage, no flashy moves. Carlos directly faced Rose's defense, shooting a cold arrow.

"Stare!"

Rose leaped forward to block with all his might, but the significant height difference made it impossible for him.

"Splash!"

Carlos hit the three-pointer, clean.

The atmosphere in the arena reached a new peak.

"Hmm…"

"Ah, what's this?!"

"No, how did Carlos score so easily against Rose?"

"It feels like a college student playing against an elementary school student, so easy and casual."

A murmur spread through the arena.

"Derrick, where's your defense? Can't you give me some pressure?"

Carlos looked at Rose, revealing an innocent smile. But when Rose saw this smile, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. After all, he had just defended seriously.

"Don't get too proud!"

Rose snorted and took the initiative, dribbling to the top of the arc. Once again, he faced Carlos, signaling his teammates to clear out, setting up a one-on-one with Rose.

"Bam bam bam!"

Continuous dribbles between the legs to find rhythm. Left hand on the ball, a step forward, then a quick stop, front body shift, right-wing acceleration to break free from Carlos once again.

However...

Carlos's reaction was also very fast. The next second, he caught up, took long strides, and matched Rose, who had a half-body advantage. Rose leaped in the paint.

"Whoosh!"

Mid-air change of direction to evade the defense, a feint off the backboard for a layup. But this time... as the ball hit the backboard, Carlos's large hand followed.

"Smack!"

From an extreme distance, Carlos's fingertips touched the ball, altering its trajectory, completing the block.

"What?!"

Rose was surprised. The rebound was snatched by Frye. Due to Carlos's intense charge, he couldn't control himself and flew into the stands. Despite being somewhat inelegant, he had successfully blocked the "Windy City Assassin"!

"Wow! Carlos blocked Rose?"

In the studio of the Mexican National Sports TV, Mario widened his mouth, and Jose stared wide-eyed, exclaiming, "One-on-one, after shaking off Rose with speed and explosiveness, he was blocked when Rose tried to score again. And... the player shaken off and then blocked was still a center. This is simply incredible. Carlos... his athletic talent is too strong."

In the stands...

Fans subconsciously opened their mouths, caught in shock. Some die-hard Rose fans were unwilling to believe that Rose could be blocked. Moreover...

He was blocked by a center who had always been labeled as "slow" and "sluggish."

Unbelievable!

Puzzling!

Fortunately, in the next offensive play, Rose, facing Carlos's defense, used a quick stop and jump shot after breaking through, once again scoring against Carlos.

Eastern Conference Player of the Week Rose, with titles like "Windy City Assassin" and "Jordan's successor," even when facing a center with exceptional athletic talent like Carlos.

Still, he managed to score using his divine talents.

Throughout the latter part of the second quarter, Carlos faced Rose's attacks, and the situation was roughly fifty-fifty—half of the attacks were stopped, and half weren't. Even so, by the end of the second quarter...

In the stands...

Countless fans stared at Carlos as if they had seen a demon.

"Ca... Carlos is so strong!"

Parker exclaimed...

"Huh?"

Duncan snorted, pondering.

Ginobili continued, "Indeed, although he couldn't completely limit Derrick on the defensive end, facing this talent-exploding, 'Jordan's successor' and the No. 1 pick of '08, being able to go fifty-fifty is already impressive. Moreover...

On the offensive end, Carlos, as a rookie, faced this former No. 1 pick, and he could score at will. Derrick couldn't stop him at all. So... in the matchup between the two in this quarter, overall, Carlos undoubtedly had the upper hand!"