"Boom!"
The home crowd was roaring.
The Grizzlies were falling apart.
After that timeout, Blake Su did not return to the court, but even so, Curry's offense, Nash's playmaking, and George's defense all did their jobs.
With every piece clicking, the Suns were more than the Grizzlies could handle.
By the end of the third quarter, the lead was still 19 points.
In the fourth quarter, after the Grizzlies struggled for just four minutes, Hollins gradually pulled his starters, and the game slowly slipped into garbage time.
In the end, back on their home court, the Suns once again slaughtered the Grizzlies by 19 points, pulling back another elimination game and cutting the series deficit to 2-3.
After the game.
At the commentary desk.
Van Gundy, having watched the Suns win again, was in an excellent mood. He hummed a little tune, sorted through the stats, then spoke clearly:
"Another one-sided demolition by the Suns. Congratulations to the Suns for pulling back another elimination game. And tonight's MVP is undoubtedly Blake Su.
"Tonight, Blake Su hit eight threes in a single game and exploded for 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. He scored 40-plus in a playoff game.
"That is no small thing.
"And considering Blake Su did it as a rookie, putting up such a high scoring total is even more explosive."
"Exactly."
Mike Breen nodded, took over, and said loudly, "On top of that, the NBA playoff record for made threes in a single game is nine.
"It was set by Ray Allen in 2009, in Game 6 of the Celtics' first-round matchup with the Bulls. Blake Su came close to tying that record tonight.
"As for the 42 points, that sets a new record.
"Before Blake Su, the youngest player in NBA playoff history to score 40-plus points in a single game was Magic Johnson.
"When he scored 40-plus in a playoff game, he was only 20 years and 276 days old.
"But Blake Su... he has only just turned 19, shortening an already difficult record by a full year.
"It's worth mentioning that the player who used to be the second-youngest, and is now the third-youngest, to score 40-plus in a playoff game is the Heat's franchise star, LeBron James.
"Tonight, Blake Su not only secured another win, he also broke another record. With his flawless offense, he is creating a miracle step by step.
"Next up, the Suns still have two elimination games ahead, including one on the road. It still looks extremely difficult, but who dares to say they definitely can't come back?!
"Let's all look forward to it!!!"
On the court.
ESPN's renowned reporter "Woj" found Blake Su that night and said with a smile, "Congratulations to the Suns for pulling one more game back. Blake Su... your performance tonight was something else.
"Absolutely godlike.
"You know League of Legends, right? It's like going eight kills without dying, completely invincible on the Rift. You know what I mean, right?"
"Uh... hehe..."
Blake Su gave an embarrassed smile. "It was all right, all right. It wasn't as exaggerated as you're making it sound."
"You're too modest."
Woj shook his head and chuckled. "This is the playoffs. There's only one opponent in the series, and both sides have to fight to the end.
"When you lost two straight at home before, the Grizzlies talked plenty of trash.
"So... now that you've led the team to another win tonight and taken another step toward turning the series around, is there anything you want to say to the Grizzlies, the opponent you've blown out twice in a row?"
"You're trying to bait me into talking tough?"
Blake Su raised an eyebrow.
Woj shrugged, looking as if to say he had never said that.
But Blake Su knew exactly what he meant. After thinking about it, he felt... it was not out of the question. This was the playoffs. Everything was for winning.
"Uh..."
After a short pause, Blake Su looked into the camera and smiled faintly.
"To the Grizzlies, I want to say this. Next game, we're taking down your home court. Then we're coming back home and winning the series with another blowout.
"Down three, win four straight!
"Hey, I've already written the script for you. If you've got the ability, come rewrite it."
"Wow~"
Woj's eyes lit up. He opened his mouth, then raised his thumb in shock and praised him. "Dominant! That's exactly what I'd expect from you!"
Blake Su's direct declaration of war seemed to have come out under Woj's prompting, but in truth... Blake Su had planned to say it that way from the start.
It was no big deal.
However, such a dominant declaration of war still sparked intense discussion.
"Wow~ wow~~ wow~~~ It's rare to see Blake Su make such a blatant provocation and declaration of war. This really isn't his style. It's even kind of annoying.
"But... I love it."
"Damn, after all that, turns out you're one of us!"
"Fighting against the current, rebounding from rock bottom, a Suns team with no way back, a Suns team that has already adapted to the playoffs, and a completely unstoppable Blake Su.
"All of it says the same thing. The Suns are going to pull off the comeback."
"Let's go!"
"Go, Blake Su! The Suns will definitely come back!"
"Heh, down three and win four straight? You really dare to say that. Don't you know that in NBA playoff history... no team has ever come back after losing the first three games?
"They all lost.
"Wake up. No team has ever done it. The Suns won't either."
"He's just a rookie who's good at talking big. Don't worry about it. Next game, back on their home court, the Grizzlies will finish the series!"
"No way, no way. There can't really be people who think the Suns can come back, right?!"
"No way, no way. There can't really be people who think the Grizzlies, after getting slaughtered in back-to-back games, can still pull off a No. 8 seed miracle, right?!"
"..."
The Suns and Grizzlies fanbases were locked in a standoff, neither side giving an inch. With other camps joining in from time to time, it turned into a three-sided battle, keyboards flying everywhere.
Twitter completely exploded.
And all those discussions and arguments only made the upcoming games in the Suns-Grizzlies series even more anticipated.
On top of that, amid the controversy, some fans also found it strange. Why were the voices supporting the Suns faintly louder, even when they had fallen behind 0-3 and were in what should have been a hopeless, must-lose situation?
"Yeah, why is that?"
"It's simple. Because... the Grizzlies collapsed too quickly in these last two games. It didn't look like a normal matchup. It looked like the Suns slaughtering them one-sidedly."
"But... then why were they able to win the first three games? With neither side dealing with injuries, how can there be such a huge difference?"
"Why? Because of... Blake Su. Because of Blake Su's 'natural leadership' ability!"
...
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