Nowitzki is only part of Blake Su?
Yes.
Nowitzki is one of the rare big men in the league who operates from the perimeter. In that sense, he and Blake Su do share similarities.
But Dirk's offensive explosion largely comes from one thing—his outside shooting.
Blake Su, on the other hand, can do far more.
He can shoot from deep, handle the ball, break defenders down off the dribble, and attack the rim. He's far more versatile than Nowitzki. And in terms of physical tools—speed, strength, explosiveness—he clearly holds the edge.
So saying Nowitzki is only a part of Blake Su isn't unreasonable.
Of course, after Van Gundy made that comment, he was guaranteed to take some heat from Nowitzki's fans after the game.
...
The fifteen-minute halftime break flew by amid the arena's buzz and the commentators' chatter.
The second half began.
Switching ends.
Mavericks ball.
Nowitzki caught it at the top of the arc. Blake Su immediately stepped up again. Individually, Blake Su wasn't afraid to trade buckets with him.
But tonight, winning meant starting with defense.
Contain Nowitzki, and the game would take care of itself.
Clang!
Under Blake Su's suffocating pressure, Nowitzki missed again.
"How is this rookie so fast? And that vertical…"
After several frustrating possessions, Nowitzki finally realized something—
Even his signature one-legged fadeaway wasn't working one-on-one.
So he adjusted.
Decisive as ever, he began using screens to shake Blake Su.
It was a logical move.
But the moment he started actively avoiding Blake Su, everyone knew—
In the head-to-head battle between the two stars, Blake Su had won.
The Suns' confidence surged.
At the top of the arc, Blake Su faced Caron. Before help defense could arrive, he rose for three.
Clean.
Next possession.
Blake Su drew a double-team and, using his height advantage, kicked it out to Curry in the left corner.
Curry didn't hesitate.
Nothing but net.
"Push it!"
With Nash directing traffic, the Suns' run-and-gun offense roared back to life. Curry, Carter, and Nash all scored in rhythm, taking pressure off Blake Su.
Meanwhile, Blake Su continued hounding Nowitzki defensively while remaining a constant offensive threat.
Tonight, from both ends of the floor, he was everywhere.
As for the Mavericks—
With Nowitzki neutralized and forced into screen-heavy adjustments, their offensive rhythm fell apart.
Clang.
Clang.
Miss after miss.
Confidence dipped.
The contrast between the two teams became glaring.
The Suns unleashed an 18–5 run in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 21.
The game was effectively decided.
After three quarters—
The Suns led by 22.
Van Gundy shook his head with a laugh.
"Mike, we expected a tight game—maybe even an edge for Dallas at home.
Instead, this has turned into a one-sided dismantling."
Mike Breen nodded.
"The Mavericks are strong—Terry, Kidd, they all contribute. But their system revolves around Nowitzki playing well.
When Dirk is scoring and drawing defensive attention, everything else flows. It's a ripple effect.
But tonight, Blake Su cut off the source.
And once that happens, the Mavericks lose their rhythm.
You could say Blake Su is their worst matchup."
Van Gundy nodded in agreement.
...
On the Suns bench—
"Thought this would be a dogfight," Dragić said with a shrug. "Didn't expect to blow out the second seed in the West."
"Don't underestimate Dallas," Nash shot back. "This is happening because Blake Su dominated. He scored and shut down their best player. That's why we're up big."
"I know," Dragić admitted.
Nash handed Blake Su a bottle of water.
"Great job. Locking up Nowitzki made everything easier for us."
Blake Su shook his head with a small smile.
"Basketball isn't a one-man game. I defended him. Everyone else handled the scoring.
That's how we built this lead."
Nash laughed.
"You're leading the team in scoring and still talking about teamwork. I like that."
Carter watched quietly and sighed.
"This rookie doesn't feel like a rookie. He feels like a veteran leader."
Even Curry felt that, as a second-year player, he wasn't as composed as Blake Su.
George, sitting on the edge of the bench, looked at Blake Su with pure admiration. Both were rookies. George had even been a high draft pick.
Yet the gap between them felt enormous.
Nearby, Gentry watched with a proud smile.
Strong. Humble. Elevates the locker room.
From today on, Blake Su was the franchise cornerstone—the unquestioned core leader.
...
Fourth quarter.
The Mavericks tried to mount one last push.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Blake Su drilled two threes. Curry added another. Three straight possessions, three straight threes—nine points in a flash.
Dallas managed six in that span—
But the momentum was gone.
After a few more minutes of resistance, staring at a deficit still over twenty, the Mavericks finally conceded.
Final score.
The Suns crushed the Mavericks on the road by 19.
At the broadcast table—
Van Gundy looked at the stat sheet and raised his voice.
"Rookie Blake Su finishes with 37 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks.
He personally shut down Dirk Nowitzki and led his team to victory.
That's 12 straight wins for the Suns now—just five shy of the franchise record of 17. Let's see if they can make history."
Mike Breen added:
"By dismantling the Western Conference's second seed tonight, the Suns are sending a message to the entire league.
They're no longer rebuilding.
They're contenders in the West.
But Suns fans shouldn't celebrate too early.
Because next up—
The newly crowned No.1 team in the East.
The Chicago Bulls."