"The Suns were down 0-3, then won three straight to force Game 7. In the final battle... will the Grizzlies pull off the No. 8 seed upset, or will the Suns complete an epic comeback?"
From The Ionia Telegraph.
"Unbelievable, incredible, impossible to imagine. The Suns were down 0-3, on the brink of being swept, and then survived three straight elimination games, each one a blowout.
"With this momentum, are the Suns really going to pull off a desperate comeback by going down three and winning four straight?"
From The Bilgewater Web Tabloid.
"The Suns, first in the West, have adapted to the playoff rhythm. They... have already regained their regular-season dominance. The Grizzlies' momentum is gone.
"The dust has settled.
"Let us congratulate the Suns in advance on advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they will meet the Los Angeles Lakers!"
From... The Zaun Gentleman's Gazette.
"Do not forget, no team in NBA history has ever come back to win a series after falling behind 0-3.
"Even on the road in Game 7, the Grizzlies still have a strong chance to strike back and pull off the No. 8 seed upset over the Suns."
From The Kalamanda No-Lag Report.
"Blake Su once said he would go down three and win four straight. Now the series is moving exactly in that direction. Could it be... that he is the 'Child of Prophecy,' the legendary 'Prophet,' capable of seeing the future?
"Then... should we knife him?"
From Close Your Eyes When It Gets Dark Report.
"..."
Early the next morning.
Newspapers about last night's Suns-Grizzlies game were already everywhere.
In a very short time, countless older fans who did not follow the news online learned the latest updates from the Suns-Grizzlies series.
At the same time, the news media and the internet were flooded with heated discussions about where the series was headed.
"It's locked in!"
"Holy crap, they're really going to come back. They're really going to pull off that jaw-dropping comeback from down three to win four straight. This is unbelievable."
"Haha, I'm so hyped!"
"Everyone thought the Grizzlies were going to create a No. 8 seed miracle, but who would've thought... the Suns are the ones about to pull off a miracle comeback from the brink!"
"The Suns are winning for sure!"
"Heh, don't get too full of yourselves. The game hasn't even started yet. It's an elimination game for both sides, so don't talk like it's already over.
"Who wins and who loses is still hard to say."
"Look, look, he's panicking. He's panicking!"
"Unlike Grizzlies fans, who've said ten thousand times that they're going to upset the Suns as the No. 8 seed, only for it to still not happen, I'll plant my flag right here.
"The Suns are going down three and winning four straight. They'll definitely win Game 7."
"Blake Su: Uh... sorry, that's my flag. Don't casually follow the trend, or I might sue you for copyright infringement."
"Is Blake Su truly the Child of Prophecy?!"
"Grizzlies fans: F**k, knife him already!"
"Hahaha, this year's playoffs are way too fun!"
"This is so satisfying to watch!"
"Hurry up and bring on this blood-pumping Game 7 comeback battle. I can't wait anymore."
"..."
The heated discussions among fans online kept coming, wave after wave.
Some fans still believed the Grizzlies could win.
However... the vast majority believed that after winning three straight and repeatedly slaughtering the Grizzlies, the Suns would definitely win Game 7 back on their home court.
Many Grizzlies fans thought the same and could only accept that reality helplessly.
As for the Grizzlies fans who refused to give up, even though they hoped the Grizzlies would win, they were like ants on a hot pan, running in circles.
They racked their brains, but they still could not figure out how the Grizzlies were supposed to win!!!
...
At this point, the only first-round series still left was Suns vs. Grizzlies. Only after these two teams decided a winner could the second round begin.
So the fans' eyes had already been on the Suns and Grizzlies, and now the situation was tied directly to history.
Game 7.
If the Grizzlies won, it would be a No. 8 seed miracle, written into history.
If the Suns won, they would come back from down three and win four straight, completing a desperate comeback, creating history, and also carving their names into the record books.
With that, the hype exploded even further.
The fans' attention was fixed on the series, and the players on both teams were under intense focus as well. They all wanted to win and make their team the side that went down in history.
Not the eternal backdrop.
The game would be played in two days.
Right now.
At the Grizzlies' practice facility.
Conley, Marc Gasol, and the other players were still training, as if they had not given up. But... the lifeless atmosphere inside the entire facility could not be hidden at all.
After losing the crucial Game 6, they knew winning was hopeless.
Unfortunately, the regret now belonged to the Grizzlies. They regretted that they could not pull off the ultimate No. 8 seed sweep. They could not even complete the No. 8 seed miracle.
Helplessness also belonged to the Grizzlies now. They wanted to win so badly, but they simply did not have enough. The Suns with Blake Su were just too strong.
A Suns team that had adapted to playoff intensity was unmatched.
To put it plainly, the Grizzlies, whose true strength was only that of the eighth seed in the West, were not in the same class as the Suns when it came to actual combat power.
So defeat seemed certain.
Every Grizzlies player looked dejected. After such a spectacular start, the ending had become so miserable. The gap between heaven and the abyss was too much.
Everyone gritted their teeth, trembling with helplessness. That feeling... was truly awful.
Just then... Head Coach Hollins walked over. Looking at his dispirited players, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Hey, all of you, snap out of it!
"We haven't lost yet.
"We still have a chance. The fact that we pushed the Suns to Game 7 means we have the possibility of winning.
"So what if it's on the road? So what if we've lost three straight?
"For the final game, let's fight. If you fight and beat them, your ceiling, your future salaries, all of it will rise dramatically.
"Your futures will be bright.
"And even if we lose, it doesn't matter. Losing to the best team in the league isn't shameful.
"So this is a Game 7 where we have nothing to lose. But... if you don't work hard, if you don't give everything you have and miss the chance to finish off the Suns,
"that will be your loss. A huge loss.
"Remember this. No matter what, never give up. You always have to believe your dreams can come true, and you have to fight for them!!!"
After saying that, Hollins walked away, leaving the players time to think and let it sink in.
...
On the other side.
Back in Phoenix, Blake Su, Nash, Curry, and the others were training in their own arena, and their mood was very relaxed.
They had won Game 6.
Everyone knew they would definitely win Game 7 at home.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
After hitting another string of threes in a row, Blake Su walked over to the rest area.
Just as he sat down, the phone tucked inside his jacket rang.
Blake Su picked up his phone and walked to a quiet place. When he looked at the screen, the caller was none other than... Yoona.