[The Suns Win 24 Straight!]
[The Suns Set a New Second Longest Winning Streak in NBA History!]
News like that was everywhere the next day.
Of course, considering the Suns had already put together a 23 game winning streak earlier this season, breaking the record for the second longest winning streak in history once before, the key was that back then, the Suns had once looked like a tanking team.
So when the Suns first reached 23 straight wins, they shook the league and stunned everyone.
Now, even though the Suns had pushed the streak even further to 24 wins, the buzz and reaction were still huge, but slightly calmer than the first time.
That change said one thing.
It meant people had begun to accept the Suns' strength. They had accepted that Phoenix was a powerhouse, a superteam capable of winning 24 straight games.
Now that the Suns had reached a new 24-game winning streak, fans and the media inevitably turned their attention back to 33 straight wins, hoping the Suns could unleash another miracle and challenge that legendary mark again.
"Thirty-three straight wins? That's way too hard!"
"The Suns have a lot of strong opponents coming up. The Lakers, Thunder, and Celtics are all tough, and then they still have the Heat, the strongest team, waiting later.
"Thirty-three straight? Easier said than done."
"Right. I think instead of looking forward to 33 straight wins, we should be looking forward to the ultimate showdown between the Suns and the Heat."
"Exactly!"
"No, no, no. Instead of waiting for Suns versus Heat, which is still six games away, we should be looking forward to tomorrow night's Lakers versus Suns game.
"The Suns have already beaten the Lakers twice in a row.
"Kobe will never allow Phoenix to beat him again. The defending champions won't fall to the same team three times!"
"Wow! Now that you put it that way, I'm actually excited for it!"
As the fans debated heatedly, the next day arrived.
At 9 p.m., inside Staples Center, the final regular-season meeting between the Lakers and the Suns tipped off.
"Jump ball!"
Blake Su and Bynum met at center court.
As usual, Blake Su got to the ball first and tipped it away. Curry collected it and passed to Nash, who brought it up for the Suns' first possession of the game.
In the first quarter, Carter simply could not stop Kobe. Curry had to help with the double team, and Blake Su rotated over at times, but most of his attention had to stay on Pau Gasol.
At the same time, the Lakers, a strong defensive team, used Artest and Pau Gasol to put heavy pressure on Blake Su.
And Fisher, aside from having a reliable outside three pointer, was also extremely tough on defense. He kept putting his body into Curry and making him uncomfortable.
That gave Curry a real headache.
Under the basket, Bynum punished Frye and attacked the rim with ease. Every time he went up, it looked like a sure thing.
After the first quarter, Blake Su had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Kobe had 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Both stars played well, but in the battle between the role players, the Lakers' championship roster had the advantage.
Lakers 31, Suns 26.
The Lakers led by 5 after one.
In the second quarter, the bench units matched up first. Odom, Shannon Brown, and the Lakers' bench mob widened the gap even further. Fortunately, George's defense was strong enough to keep the deficit from getting out of hand.
After 4 minutes and 44 seconds of rotation play, the Lakers had stretched the lead to 8.
"Beep, beep!"
Alvin Gentry called a timeout and brought the starters back in.
At the same time, George stayed on the floor in Carter's place. His assignment would be Kobe Bryant.
Could he stop him?
No.
But he was better than Carter, and he could at least reduce Kobe's scoring to a certain extent.
After returning to the court, Blake Su played even more aggressively. He attacked Artest off the dribble, posted Artest up, and shot threes over Artest.
When Blake Su wanted to score, even a tough guy like Ron Artest could not stop him.
And on defense, Blake Su was just as committed. He locked down Pau Gasol while also pressuring Bynum in the low post.
It could be said that Blake Su was giving everything on both ends tonight.
There was no other choice.
Against the defending champions, a team with such a deep foundation, the defensively weaker Suns needed their strongest piece, Blake Su, to do more.
Was Blake Su doing well?
He was doing extremely well.
Through his offense, defense, and the attention his own threat created, Blake Su gave Nash more chances to find Curry, the team's second scoring option.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Curry took full advantage.
On the other side, George did everything he could to guard Kobe and apply pressure. Every player on the Suns was giving their all.
By halftime, they had erased the deficit.
...
When the second half began and the teams switched sides, it became the familiar Blake Su solo offensive stretch.
Even against tight defense, he still scored 17 points in the quarter.
Blake Su displayed his overwhelming individual scoring ability to the fullest.
Kobe scored 9 points in the quarter.
When it came purely to individual scoring ability, even Kobe Bryant, the "best player alive," could not compare with Blake Su.
After three quarters, behind Blake Su's outstanding performance, the Suns had taken the lead and were up by 6.
In the fourth quarter, the bench rotations returned.
Odom and Shannon Brown missed one shot after another, preventing the Lakers from cutting into the deficit. After 5 minutes and 15 seconds of rotation play, the gap was still 6.
"Beep, beep!"
Phil Jackson called a timeout.
Both teams brought their starters back, and the final battle began.
For the first three minutes, the two sides were locked in a tense exchange. One team scored, the other answered. Neither side could fully take control.
But after those three minutes, the Suns' rhythm suddenly dropped.
No.
More accurately, Blake Su, who had done far too much already, was starting to tire. His offensive efficiency dipped.
Even so, he quickly used his presence and gravity to create chances for his teammates.
But against the Lakers' fierce defense, Curry and Nash were also struggling to score.
The Lakers seized the opportunity and launched one final push.
With 1 minute and 33 seconds left, Kobe hit a clutch three pointer, leading the Lakers back in front by 3.
"Clang!"
Blake Su's transition three came up short.
"Smack!"
George fought with everything he had and grabbed the rebound, then gave it back to Blake Su. Artest and Pau Gasol immediately rushed over to double team him.
"Whoosh!"
Completely exhausted, Blake Su passed to Curry on the wing. Curry raised his hands and fired a three.
It was a good chance to tie the game, but unfortunately, it did not fall.
On the change of possession, Kobe used a screen to attack from the side, stopped on a dime, rose up, and hit his signature picture-perfect fadeaway jumper.
At the most critical moment, he scored 5 straight points by himself.
That killed the game.
"Swish!"
Blake Su still managed to hit a three over the double contest from Artest and Pau Gasol, but there was no time left.
In the end, the Suns suffered a narrow 2 point loss to the Lakers, and their current winning streak stopped at 24 games.
After the game, Kobe and Blake Su embraced briefly.
Kobe curled the corner of his mouth and smiled faintly. "Blake Su, this time I won."