Twitter.
This social media platform, which has rapidly developed over two years to amass over one hundred million registered users, commands significant traffic and popularity, especially among the youth who use it to share and keep up with the latest real-time trends.
Of course, it's also a hotspot for basketball news. Additionally, given that this year Twitter opened an NBA All-Star voting channel, the platform has garnered even more attention from fans.
Thus...
#Suns 23 Win Streak#
#Carlos Surpasses Gustavo Ayon with 23 Wins#
The moment the game between the Celtics and the Suns concluded, these two hashtags surged up the trending list at lightning speed. Soon enough, they were among the top ten on the trending charts.
The engagement was incredibly high.
And the comments under these trending topics were pouring in non-stop.
"We did it, the Suns finally won!"
"23 wins in a row, yeah, Carlos did it, Carlos has surpassed Gustavo Ayon to become the Mexican player with the most consecutive wins."
"Carlos is amazing!"
"I've been waiting for what feels like forever, and finally, this day has come, good job Carlos!"
"Who is Carlos?!"
"Uh..." Fans are praising Carlos, their comments filled with admiration.
Furthermore...
Given that it's among the top ten trending topics, it's visible to even more users, including many who aren't familiar with basketball or only know of Gustavo Ayon.
As such...
The question "Who is Carlos" became the confusion of many netizens.
However...
It's precisely because they don't know that some people are prompted to find out more, and for Carlos, every instance of a stranger seeking to understand him could potentially translate into a rise in popularity.
...
The view shifts back to the court.
"Boom!"
The moment the Suns won the game, the arena erupted with a deafening cheer, like a missile exploding in a deep well, instantly stirring up thousands of waves.
The tumultuous waves seemed poised to flip the roof of the TD Garden.
And the thunderous cheers effectively turned the away game into a home game ambiance, a celebration for the Suns' victory and their 23-game win streak!
"Carlos, not bad at all, another impressive game leading a comeback!" Pippen said with a smile.
Jordan also smiled, saying, "He's a natural leader; he certainly needs to have this kind of team-leading ability. I hope his brilliance continues. That way... the league will remain exciting."
"Yes, I also believe Carlos can do it. A center playing the way he does is refreshing, and if he plays well enough, like a butterfly flapping its wings, he'll quickly set the league alight!" Pippen affirmed Carlos's performance with high praise.
On the other side of the stands...
Wall, after witnessing the Suns' victory, stared at Carlos on the court, sighed with relief, and smiled faintly: "Alright... Carlos, I admit you're better than me!"
And 'Superman' Howard, once again hearing the high-spirited cheers for Carlos throughout the arena, felt a surge of excitement and a swell of competitive spirit engulf the venue.
"Carlos, come on, let's have a proper showdown and show the league who the real Superman is among the centers," exclaimed Howard, acknowledging Carlos's abilities and deeming the newcomer as a worthy adversary.
...
From the Wizards, to the Spurs, then the Bucks and the Jazz, and finally the Rockets and the Celtics—this was an incredibly mystifying and arduous schedule.
But...
The Suns overcame each challenge one by one, always ending up with the last laugh, clinching 23 consecutive wins, surpassing the Rockets' 'GT' 22-win streak, and securing the second-longest winning streak in history.
"Yes!"
"We did it, the Suns achieved it!"
"23 consecutive victories!"
"We are the strongest team!"
"Carlos is formidable!"
"Uh..." Inside the Suns' locker room, the players are popping champagne, waving their arms, and fully indulging in the joy of 23 straight wins and celebrating the historic success.
Coach Gentry and Manager Lance joined in the celebration, too. At the beginning of the season, when they were contemplating tanking for a lottery pick in the next year's draft, they could not have imagined they would be celebrating the second-longest winning streak in history, let alone think about matching the franchise record streak.
No...
They hadn't even thought about 10 straight wins.
But Carlos's arrival, along with Curry and George's integration, made it all possible.
Joy...
Gentry and Lance were genuinely joyful, also feeling incredibly fortunate that they decided to invest double the salary of the NBA Draft's first overall pick to keep Carlos, which turned out to be a stroke of luck.
As for Carlos...
He wasn't as overjoyed, considering he 'only' managed to get a stat line of 37 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. Of course, saying this out loud would probably infuriate many.
However, since he didn't achieve a '30+ near-quadruple-double,' falling short of completing the system task was a point of discontent for him.
But...
Carlos, aware of the task's difficulty, quickly came to terms with it. While the 'Jordan post-up move' was definitely a coveted skill, he knew not to rush and understood the importance of enjoying the present.
So...
"Roar—"
Carlos let out a roar, releasing the youthful spirit that matched his age, immersing himself in the group, and fully enjoying the sweetness of victory—
...
That night...
There was continuous heated discussion on Twitter about the Suns' contest against the Celtics and the Suns' 23-game winning streak.
However...
Since it was nighttime and many had to work the next day, or even engage in physical activities, most people didn't participate in the discussions after watching the game.
The next day...
Newspapers and media journalists extensively reported on the previous night's game, frantically tapping into the Suns' 23-win streak and Carlos's popularity to craft various news articles.
And Twitter also whipped up a new storm of heated discussions.
However, this new flurry of activity on Twitter was suddenly overshadowed at 10 a.m. when the NBA officially updated the season's statistical leaderboards, instantly capturing the attention of countless fans.
And...
Any fan who saw the updated data was left wide-eyed and in profound shock.
Because on the latest data leaderboard, rookie Carlos's name appeared. And not just anywhere—he dominated the top positions in scoring, steals, and blocks.
"Carlos? Rookie? Top of three leaderboards?!"
"Skyrocketed?!"
"What's going on?!"
Many fans were baffled, plummeting into confusion and disbelief.