"Beep, beep!"
Phil Jackson called a timeout.
Only 8.4 seconds remained, but the deficit was a full 4 points. It was almost impossible to wipe out in a single possession, which meant the Lakers... were about to lose.
"Wow!"
In the stands, the home fans cheered wildly. The atmosphere already felt like a victory celebration.
At the commentary desk, Van Gundy shook his head in amazement and said, "That logo three was practically at the buzzer. Blake Su actually hit that from way outside.
That was a dagger straight through the heart!"
"The key is that it was a forced logo three, and he still made it. For the Lakers, that is absolutely a fatal blow!"
Mike Breen agreed. "With Blake Su's near-game-winning logo three, the lead is now 4 points, and there are only 8.4 seconds left.
That's tough.
The Lakers are in serious trouble!"
On the Suns' bench.
"Beautiful!"
Nash looked fired up.
Curry slapped hands with Blake Su and said excitedly, "That logo three from Blake Su was brutal. It killed the game."
"Yeah!"
George's eyes were wide as he shouted, "That three was too cool, too vicious. If I were on the Lakers, my head would be gone. I'd give up right there!"
"Heh."
Blake Su smiled faintly. He was amused too. To be honest, that logo three had been rushed, and it was incredibly difficult.
The fact that it went in surprised even Blake Su.
But it had gone in, and that was definitely worth celebrating.
"Hahaha!"
Once Blake Su laughed, everyone laughed with him. The Suns' bench was in great spirits, already close to enjoying the taste of victory.
"You guys..."
Alvin Gentry saw that scene, then looked at the score and the clock. He seemed about to say something, but in the end, he shook his head and let them be.
Because with Blake Su's devastating logo three, the game was indeed basically over.
It was not that a 4-point deficit with 8.4 seconds left was absolutely impossible to chase down. It was that, in terms of momentum, the Suns had completely suppressed the Lakers.
With that kind of pressure on them, it would be very hard for the Lakers to turn it around.
Even with the "Black Mamba."
After the timeout, the Lakers decisively put the offense in Kobe's hands. George and Blake Su picked him up together, giving up the two while taking away the three, and neither of them jumped.
They only applied pressure.
If he had the ability, he could make it.
"Whoosh!"
Kobe drove, stopped sharply, and leaned back into a long three over George and Blake Su's defense. He was still confident, still picture-perfect.
But he did not have Blake Su's shooting touch.
On the road, under heavy pressure, forced into a rushed deep fadeaway three, the difficulty was simply too high. More importantly, even if it went in, the Lakers would still trail by 1.
The pressure was even greater.
"Clang!"
Even Kobe, with his powerful clutch mentality, could only end the possession with a miss.
Game over.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Suns and the Lakers ended with the Suns defending their home court.
The Suns won.
They took a 1-0 series lead and struck first!
After the game, at the commentary desk, Van Gundy tapped the table with his finger and said, "At the final moment, Kobe nearly completed a steal and a fast-break reversal. The Lakers gave it everything they had.
But there was nothing they could do.
Blake Su, this center, once again used a magical, completely unbelievable logo three, a near-game-winner, to kill the game.
Tonight, he was the MVP. And on the very night he lifted the regular-season MVP trophy, this night ultimately belonged to Blake Su!
Let's congratulate the Suns on taking the first win of the series."
"Exactly. Congratulations to the Suns."
Mike Breen picked it up and said, "This was Blake Su's night. He finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.
Such an all-around, flawless stat line deserves to be rewarded with a win.
The Suns opened the series with a victory on their home floor, but Lakers fans don't need to be too upset.
This is a best-of-seven series. It is still far too early to decide who wins."
On the court.
Kobe found Blake Su. The two slapped hands and embraced.
"Hey, rookie, don't get cocky. Next game, I'm winning it back."
Kobe said it with confidence.
No matter when it was, this man was always full of confidence.
But Blake Su was no different. He smiled faintly and said, "Go ahead and win it back if you can. And... please shoot a little better.
There's no fun in beating someone who's laying bricks all night."
"Hahaha!"
Facing Blake Su's seemingly mocking trash talk, Kobe did not get angry. Instead, he laughed and said, "Rookie, is that all you've got?"
"Want to hear something harsher?"
"Forget it."
Kobe waved his hand and turned to leave.
Who knew whether he was too lazy to argue with a kid, or whether... he simply could not win that either?
...
The Suns-Lakers game had only just ended when it sparked plenty of debate online.
"Hey, did you see that? Even against the defending champions, the Suns still won. They took Game 1 right away. Bros, what does that mean?!"
"It means... my mighty Suns have basically adjusted to the rhythm of the playoffs and are about to start another dominant winning streak like they had in the regular season!"
"Ohhh, it's locked up. We're good."
"No, no, no. George, Curry, and the other newcomers clearly haven't fully adjusted yet. All we can say is that Blake Su has truly adapted to the playoffs.
And he dares to attack, and he has found a way to lead the team to wins."
"Exactly. The Suns are basically a single-core team, and Blake Su is their only true core. In the playoffs, which people call the 'stage for superstars,' this is exactly how aggressive he should be. This is how he should carry the team forward."
"Blake Su had 41 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Kobe had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Rookie Blake Su put up numbers tonight that were more than a level above Kobe, the 'league's No. 1 player.'
He's seriously fierce!"
"Gorgeous numbers, a flawless performance, and a big heart in the clutch. Blake Su really became a legend the moment he debuted!"
"The Lakers can't stop the Suns from moving forward."
"Stop exaggerating. It's obvious the Lakers lost tonight because Kobe's form fell off starting in the second quarter.
He was way too cold.
That's what ultimately led to the loss."
"Exactly. And even with my Kobe struggling, the Suns only barely won because of Blake Su's lucky logo three.
So even though they lost, the Lakers still have the better overall chances."
"Bingo!"
"The Lakers are the defending champions. Their foundation is far stronger than the 'dark horse' Suns. In the end, the Lakers will use their championship power to crush the Suns.
This season is when the Lakers rebuild the Purple and Gold Dynasty."
"Heh, that's hilarious. Blake Su's game-killing logo three is just pure luck to you people, huh? Then if your Kobe is so strong, why couldn't he luck one in?"
"Exactly!"
"No way!"
The heated discussion online kept going and going until it turned into an endless, unsolved argument.
At the same time.
At the United Center.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the Bulls and the Hawks also tipped off on schedule.
...
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