"Oh? Four title contenders?"
"That's right. The way I see it, with the current situation, the Hawks and Spurs no longer have what it takes to win the championship this season.
At the same time, the Heat and the Mavericks both lead 3-0 and both have powerful offenses, so they're definitely title contenders.
As for the Bulls and the Suns, they both finished first in their conferences, and there's no denying their strength. But... the 'Heat Big Three,' that villain team, is just too strong.
Last summer, the moment the Big Three came together, the East already belonged to the Heat. They were destined to crush everything in their path with overwhelming force and reach the Finals.
The Bulls are strong, but they aren't stronger than that villain team. So even though the Bulls have looked great in the playoffs so far, I don't think they count as title contenders.
That leaves the other two title contenders: the Suns and the Lakers.
The Suns may have needed Game 7 to get through the first round, but anyone who watched that series knows exactly how strong they are.
They're absolutely title contenders.
As for the Lakers, they're the two-time defending champions. They've stacked up all the honors, but they've also paid a heavy price. Building a dynasty won't be easy.
But the Lakers have Kobe. They have the 'Black Mamba.' As long as that man is there, anything is possible.
They were down 0-2, trailed by 20 at halftime, and still completed the comeback.
Mamba Mentality tells us that anything is possible. So... the Lakers are still title contenders!"
"That actually makes some sense."
"What a load of crap!"
"Hawks: Do we not deserve any respect?!"
"Spurs: Do we not deserve any respect?!"
"..."
The internet is never short of "experts," but they aren't there to settle who is right or wrong. They are there to keep the conversation lively.
And that only makes fans look forward even more to the unpredictable turns each series might take.
After all, only one team can lift the championship trophy in the end. Only one. As for which team it will be, until the result is decided, all anyone can do is wait and look forward to it.
...
China.
A filming location in an ancient town near the capital, where Mia Quinn's production crew was shooting.
"My lady, I will always follow you!"
"Cut!"
After Mia Quinn delivered that line and the director called cut, her character's scenes in this period drama were finished.
In other words, Mia Quinn had wrapped her own scenes.
"Great work!"
"Great work, Mia Quinn!"
Everyone applauded.
Mia Quinn waved politely in response and said, "You've all worked hard too. Thank you, everyone. I hope this drama becomes a big hit."
After a brief round of pleasantries, Mia Quinn, like the other actors who had wrapped their parts or whose characters had been killed off, returned to her dressing room to pack her things and prepare to leave.
However, after returning to her room, Mia Quinn did not start packing right away.
Instead, she picked up her phone and made a call to... Blake Su.
Ring, ring, ring.
The call connected.
"Hello, Quinnie~"
"Blake, I've got some good news for you."
Mia Quinn sounded excited.
"Oh? What good news?"
Blake Su played along, asking in a gentle, indulgent voice.
"Hehe~"
Mia Quinn smiled and said, "Blake, I've wrapped filming! I'll be able to rest for a while now. I can finally have some fun!"
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"Then... is Quinnie coming over to visit?"
"Mm-hmm, as long as Blake doesn't think I'll be a bother."
"Of course not. I'll book your flight later."
"No need. I did just finish filming a drama, after all. It was only a small role, and the script was pretty ordinary, but I still made a little money."
"Alright. Be careful on the way, then. Tell me when you arrive, and I'll come pick you up."
"Mm-hmm."
"..."
Beep, beep, beep.
After hanging up, Mia Quinn still did not start packing. Her first thought was to book a flight to Phoenix and go see Blake Su.
But after thinking about it, she quickly realized that Blake Su was in the middle of an important playoff series right now. She could not affect him.
So she checked the schedule and chose a time when Blake Su would be relatively free.
And she did not plan to have him pick her up, either.
Even though she desperately wanted to see Blake Su, Mia Quinn knew very well that right now... everything had to revolve around Blake Su's playoff run.
In fact, Blake Su, who was still in Los Angeles, really did not have much time to take care of Mia Quinn.
Even so, he still hoped she would come.
...
Before anyone realized it, three games had already been played in both the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.
For the Celtics and Spurs, who were down 0-3, their playoff runs this year were almost certainly going to end in the semifinals.
[Coming back from 3-0]?
Wishful thinking.
The Suns had created a miracle, but miracles were not something anyone could just create whenever they wanted.
As for the Lakers and the Hawks, both down 1-2, if they could win their next home game and tie the series, then everything would still be manageable.
But once they lost and fell behind 1-3, the situation would become extremely grim.
So for the Hawks and the Lakers, the upcoming Game 4 was especially important. It was still on their home court, and it was a must-win game.
...
Two days later.
Game 4 between the Lakers and the Suns was about to begin.
7:00 p.m.
One hour before tip-off.
The Lakers and Suns players were on the court, going through their final warmups.
Meanwhile, inside the locker room, Suns general manager Lance Blanks and Suns owner Robert Sarver were seated together.
Robert smiled and said, "Lance, you know what? That rookie Blake Su is incredible. He's our treasure."
"Oh?"
Lance smiled faintly and replied, as if he already understood but chose not to say it outright.
"Haha!"
Robert grew more excited as he continued, "Because of Blake Su, because of him alone, our team's market value this year has multiplied compared to last year."
"I see."
Lance also smiled and nodded. "That's true. Blake Su's ability and popularity are both among the very top in the league now.
If he weren't still so young, and if he had already checked off the hard honors like championships, regular-season MVPs, and total career points, he would absolutely be the 'best active player in the league.'"
Praise.
Honest praise.
"Hehe. Exactly."
Robert nodded with a smile, then patted Lance on the shoulder and said, "It's all thanks to you for keeping Blake Su with the Suns at the start of the season.
That decision was brilliant.
And I came here today for more than just watching the game. There's something else I wanted to tell you.
If you have time, you can start feeling him out now.
See how strongly Blake Su wants to stay with the Suns next season.
You can even tell him that not only will I re-sign him with a max contract, I'll also give him some very valuable gifts on top of that.
In short, starting now, you can use every possible way to keep him with the Suns."
"Understood."
Lance nodded seriously and said slowly, "I know that even without you saying it, President. A national treasure like Blake Su...
Who would ever hand him over to someone else?"
...
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