[The Suns win their 22nd straight, tying the "Yao-McGrady" Rockets' 22-game streak!]
[The Suns keep extending their franchise record and now hold the second-longest winning streak in NBA history!]
[Blake Su scores 29 points in a single quarter!]
That night, these three game-related topics blew up on Twitter and had fans talking nonstop.
"It really happened in the blink of an eye. The Suns have already won 22 straight, climbed to first in the West, and taken the best record in the league."
"Absolutely insane!"
"Blake Su is unbelievable. He's rewriting Suns history. As a Phoenix fan, I'm incredibly proud that our team has him."
"A rookie center hitting 7 threes in one quarter and dropping 29 points? My god, that's ridiculous!"
"Blake Su: I always feel out of place among other rookies because I'm just too much of a monster!"
"Blake Su: Now that's what I call professional."
"Hahaha, I almost thought Blake Su had posted that himself."
"Heh, 29 points in one quarter? That's only 70 percent of Su God's power."
"70 percent? What a joke. You're seriously underestimating Blake Su. If you ask me, 29 points in a quarter is barely 50 percent of Su God's power."
"30 percent. Can't be any more than that."
"Hey, hey, that's enough. The last person who hyped Blake Su like this already has grass six feet high growing on his grave."
"The people above really know how to have fun."
"No, but seriously. Scoring 29 in a single quarter is amazing, sure, but isn't the craziest part that Blake Su, a rookie, has led a Suns team that wasn't even considered that strong to 22 straight wins?
That's the most incredible thing of all, isn't it?"
"Of course. A rookie creating the second-longest winning streak in history, how is that not insane?"
"Exactly. But in my opinion, if the Suns crush the Celtics two days from now, that would be the most impressive thing, and it'd also be a brand-new milestone."
"Oh?"
That immediately grabbed everyone's attention, and countless fans waited for the rest.
A while later, that fan continued:
"First, if they beat the Celtics, the Suns will reach 23 straight wins and surpass the 22-game streak from the 'Yao-McGrady' Rockets era.
That would leave them behind only the Lakers' 33-game streak and give them sole possession of second place in history.
Second.
Back then, the powerful 'Yao-McGrady' team saw its 22-game winning streak end against the Celtics, who had just formed the super trio of Ray Allen, Garnett, and Pierce.
And now,
it's another battle involving the same streak number and the same opponent lineup.
I wonder whether the Suns led by Blake Su can overtake 'Yao-McGrady,' get past the Celtics mountain, and claim sole possession of the second-longest winning streak in history!"
"Wow, is it really that exciting?"
"I'm completely looking forward to it. Also, if I remember right, the Suns already beat the Celtics once before. I think they'll definitely do it again this time. Go Suns, go Blake Su!"
"No, no, you can't put it that way."
"Right. The Celtics with their 'Big Four' are always dangerous. But whatever, I'm backing Blake Su all the way. Oh, and don't forget the All-Star vote. If you're a Blake Su fan, make sure you vote."
"Ah! Speaking of All-Star voting, if I remember correctly, after the first round of voting, the players ranked sixth through tenth in the East were actually the Celtics' starting five."
"What?"
"Seriously? Doesn't that mean the Celtics basically have an All-Star starting lineup?"
"What else did you expect? Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and O'Neal. Which one of them doesn't have the credentials to be an All-Star?"
"Damn!"
"That's terrifying!"
"Aside from Rondo, they may all be past their peaks, but experienced veterans like that still have plenty left. Put them together, and the force they can unleash is still scary.
Why did the Suns' next opponent have to be the Celtics?"
"It won't be easy. It really won't. Even though the Suns beat them once already, this time still won't be simple."
"Yeah. Going up against a Celtics team with an All-Star-level starting lineup, talking about victory is easier said than done. If the Suns want 23 straight and want sole possession of the second-longest winning streak in history,
it's going to be very hard!"
"Tsk, tsk... Blake Su vs. the All-Star Five!"
"So what? I support Blake Su and the Suns unconditionally!"
"Hmph. I've heard 'the Suns can't do it' and 'the Suns are going to lose' way too many times already. I can't be bothered arguing with you anymore. I'll just wait two days and let the Suns beat the Celtics and slap all of you in the face again."
"Heh, we'll see~"
"..."
On Twitter, the discussion had already moved on the moment the Suns finished their 22-game winning streak slaughter of the Rockets. Fans were now focused on the more meaningful showdown between the Celtics and the Suns.
It would be a record-setting night.
Everyone was waiting for it.
...
As for Blake Su, even though he was in a bad mood, he didn't show it in the locker room or ruin his teammates' excitement. After all, a 22-game winning streak was absolutely something worth celebrating.
By the time he got back to the villa, it was already past midnight.
But Blake Su still wasn't sleepy. He leaned against the sofa, stared at the ceiling, and sank into thought.
"Injuries... they're a demon everyone fears.
Yao Ming is the perfect example. He's only 30 this year, right in his prime, yet injuries ended his season and cut his career short.
B-Roy, the star once called Kobe's successor, was ruined by injuries too. His career lasted only a few short years before he retired.
D-Rose, the youngest MVP in history, the one who actually snatched an MVP away from King James LeBron during that five-year run, was once hailed as Jordan's successor.
And in the end... injuries tore him apart too. The rose still withered in the end, leaving countless people full of regret.
And it wasn't just them. There was Boogie Cousins, Jennings, who held the title of youngest player to score 50 before Blake Su, Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups, and so many other stars.
All of them fell into mediocrity early because of injuries.
Injuries are the devil. They show mercy to no one. And when it comes to major injuries like a torn Achilles, once they lock onto a player, they'll do everything they can to torment him until he's completely destroyed."
The more Blake Su thought about it, the more afraid of injuries he became.
Still, nothing was absolute. Some players had survived disaster.
PG-13, Paul George, had once suffered a horrific broken-leg injury, only to rise from the ashes and put up even better numbers. During his recovery, he once said in an interview:
"After a major injury, it's not just your physical ability that declines. What's even more terrifying is the toll that long-term treatment and staying off the court takes on you physically.
The mental pressure keeps building over time. It gets so heavy that at one point, I didn't even dare think about my future career.
Injuries really are a demon."