Heat vs. Celtics.
LeBron, Wade, and Bosh vs. Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rondo.
A clash between superstars.
In terms of both strength and hype, it was a matchup on another level.
On top of that, longtime rivals LeBron and Pierce were meeting once again. Back then, neither of them had much help around them.
Now, the battle between them was not just about individual ability, but also about team depth.
A battle.
A fierce clash was about to begin.
And yet... what looked to everyone like it should have been a hard-fought contest somehow turned into another one-sided game.
The "Heat Big Three" completely overwhelmed the "Celtics Big Four."
After three quarters, the Heat already led by a full 17 points, and the game was starting to look like a blowout.
"How did this happen?!"
In the broadcast studio, Mike Breen looked at the situation on the court and, for a moment, found it hard to believe.
"Heh."
Van Gundy smiled faintly and said, "I think... this is what an era looks like when it's constantly changing hands. Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen.
They're old now.
The era when they ran through the league is already over, just like the era of the Four Great Shooting Guards has almost vanished, aside from Kobe.
Now, little by little, it's becoming the era of the 'Heat Big Three,' the 'Thunder's Young Trio,' and other younger players."
"That's true."
Mike Breen could not deny it. He continued, "The Celtics do have their Big Four, but their primes have passed. Together, they still have a certain level of strength.
But against the younger, prime, and more powerful 'Heat Big Three,' they seem a little outmatched.
There's nothing they can do about it.
The current villain Heat are simply that strong."
As the commentators analyzed and discussed the game, the action continued on the court.
In the final quarter, although the Celtics did not give up, they could not erase the 17-point deficit. In the end, the Heat handled the Celtics with ease, winning by 13 points.
They took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
After the game, Mike Breen sighed and said, "Before the semifinals began, it felt like every team was fairly close in strength, and any team had a chance to win.
But now, it seems strong teams are still strong teams. The Suns, Bulls, Heat, and Mavericks are gradually showing the edge that belongs to true contenders.
The playoff picture is becoming clearer.
At the same time, the games are only getting more exciting."
"Hmm..."
Van Gundy nodded slightly, but then frowned. After thinking for a while, he spoke again. "The Mavericks, Heat, and Bulls have all shown the presence of strong teams.
However, the matchup between the Suns and the Lakers really is tense.
Right now, it's genuinely hard to say which team will have the last laugh. It depends entirely on Blake Su and Kobe's individual performances."
The palm and the back of the hand were both flesh.
As the strongest "Su fan" and "Kobe fan" on Earth, Van Gundy was caught in a painful dilemma now that his palm and the back of his hand were fighting each other.
"Hahaha!"
Realizing what was going on, Mike Breen could not help laughing. He played along and said, "Right, right. Suns versus Lakers, the strongest dark horse versus the defending champions.
The No. 1 center versus the No. 1 shooting guard.
Monster Rookie versus the league's No. 1 player.
Blake Su versus Kobe.
It really is still hard to say who will win between them. At the very least, we'll have to wait until Game 2 is over before making any real judgment."
...
At the Suns' practice facility.
While the Mavericks and Spurs, and the Heat and Celtics were locked in fierce battles, the Suns players, led by Blake Su, Curry, and George, were at their own facility.
They were training hard and preparing for the next game.
"Blake Su, let's have a three-point contest!"
"Sure."
Curry issued the challenge, and Blake Su gladly accepted.
In the end, Blake Su won. However... Curry only lost by two shots. Although there was still a gap between his three-point ability and Blake Su's, Curry, only in his second year, had already made huge progress if Blake Su was set aside as the measuring stick.
"George, come at me."
"Got it!"
Blake Su issued the challenge, and George accepted immediately. Even though he knew scoring on Blake Su would not be easy, George understood that this was all part of his growth.
However, after missing shot after shot, George realized that Blake Su's defense had improved again. Scoring on him had become even harder.
"Hiss..."
After the one-on-one ended, George could not help sucking in a sharp breath. Shocked, he said, "Blake Su, that guy... he's still improving and growing."
Amid the busy training and preparation, time passed extremely quickly.
Soon.
Two days later.
US Airways Center.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Suns and the Lakers arrived as scheduled.
Before the game, at the commentary desk, Jon Barry said, "Tonight's game is extremely important for the Lakers. Winning would be fine, but if they lose, things will get ugly.
An 0-2 deficit would put the Lakers at a huge disadvantage for the rest of the series.
Don't say losing on the road doesn't count as losing. In the Western Conference Semifinals, having a two-game lead gives a team endless possibilities to win the series."
"That's right."
Mark Jackson straightened his collar and said, "As the defending champions, the Lakers certainly understand that, so they'll definitely give everything they have tonight.
At the same time, the Suns are still at home and want to keep extending their advantage. They will absolutely do everything they can to keep winning as well."
"Look, the game is about to start."
As the two commentators spoke, the warmups ended on the court. Both teams' starters came out, and Game 2 began.
"Jump ball!"
Blake Su and Bynum contested the opening tip.
"Let me get this one!"
Bynum growled and jumped with everything he had, but he still could not match Blake Su's effortless leap. Blake Su completely overwhelmed him with pure leaping talent.
There was no suspense at all.
"Smack!"
Blake Su tipped the ball away again, giving it to Nash to push into the frontcourt and run the Suns' first possession, the opening attack that fans had grown used to seeing.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
At the top of the arc.
Nash held the ball and passed it to Blake Su at the left high post. With his back to Artest, Blake Su was just about to post up when he caught a glimpse of the paint from the corner of his eye.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, he whipped a behind-the-head pass, threading it beautifully under the basket.
"What?!"
Bynum froze. Frye, who had just spun away from him, caught the ball perfectly and immediately jumped straight up from a standstill.
"Boom!"
A thunderous dunk.
"Wow. Blake Su opens the game with a gorgeous pass."
"There's no way around it. Blake Su's presence is just too threatening. As soon as he gets the ball, he draws every Lakers player's attention."
Suns (2): (0) Lakers.
With Blake Su's assist, the Suns struck first again and scored the opening points.
Possession changed.
At the left high post, Kobe found George. He accelerated one step toward the right wing, took one step into contact, bumped into George, and flowed into a half-spin.
"Whoosh!"
A shoulder fake, then a spin back into a fadeaway jumper.
"Swish!"
Clean hit.
"A picture-perfect post-up fadeaway. George's contest was already very good, but Kobe still made it. That's just unstoppable."
Possession changed again.
Blake Su also faced Artest at the left high post. He accelerated one step toward the right wing, took one step into contact, and failed to knock Artest back, but he used the momentum to flow into a half-spin.
"Whoosh!"
A shoulder fake, then a spin back into a turnaround jumper.
"Swish!"
Clean hit.
"Artest didn't lose his position, but Blake Su still hit it anyway."
"Wow. Blake Su's shot had exactly the same footwork as Kobe's post-up just now. One was a jumper relying on height, while the other relied on the fadeaway.
But there's no question.
Their identical post-up attacks are both equally impossible to stop!"
...
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