With those thoughts running through his mind, Paul's unfocused gaze wandered aimlessly around the arena.
Then his eyes suddenly sharpened.
A strange glint flashed in them as his gaze settled on one particular person.
...
The next morning, news of the Heat's victory over the Suns had already spread throughout the league.
Major newspapers and media outlets rushed to publish their latest reports.
"The Heat defeat the Suns once again, taking a 3-1 lead in the Finals. They now stand just one victory away from the championship."
From The Ionia Telegraph.
"No team in NBA Finals history has ever come back from a 1-3 deficit.
"In other words, the Suns are almost certain to lose, while the Heat are practically assured of becoming the 2011 NBA champions."
From The Bilgewater Gazette.
"Blake scored 51 points in Game 2 of the Finals, 56 in Game 3, and exploded for 58 in Game 4 last night, continuing his incredible streak of 50-point performances.
"Unfortunately, the gap in overall strength has left all those huge scoring nights coming in losses.
"It's hard not to feel for him!"
From The Unrivaled Demacia.
"The Heat Big Three, the villains of this story, have taken a 3-1 lead and moved within one win of the championship.
"Can a superhero still emerge?"
From The Zaun No. 1 Draft Pick.
"'Monster Rookie' Blake led his team to the Finals in his rookie season and has now scored 50-plus points in four consecutive Finals games.
"His performance has been beyond criticism.
"He may ultimately fall short, but even with the series looking grim for Phoenix, Blake deserves applause regardless of the final result."
From The Phoenix Monster.
"..."
That morning, newspapers large and small were all covering the thrilling battle between the Heat and Suns from the previous night.
Fans had been discussing the game nonstop since it ended.
"Man... Blake keeps putting up 50-plus, but the Suns still keep losing. This is the Finals, and even with Blake playing like this, they still can't win.
"I really feel for him."
"I've been feeling bad for Blake all morning!"
"Seriously... if Blake were standing in front of me right now, I'd give him a huge hug and try to cheer him up."
"Blake has already done more than enough!"
"Exactly. He's facing three franchise players, all in their primes. Put those three together and they're like some supervillain straight out of a movie.
"They're incredibly difficult to beat.
"And Blake is still just a rookie. If he can't overcome something like that yet, no one can blame him."
"Exactly. His huge performances may keep coming in losses, but Blake himself has been flawless.
"He deserves everyone's applause."
"That's right. Everyone knows Blake has been incredible in these Finals, but some people might not realize just how incredible he's actually been.
"So let me break it down."
"Go ahead. The mic is yours, the stage is yours. Tell everyone just how good our Blake has been so they'll stop criticizing this kid."
"Ahem...
"Starting with Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals and continuing through Game 4 of the Finals, Blake has now scored 40-plus points in eight consecutive playoff games.
"Do you understand how ridiculous that is?!
"Before this, the NBA playoff record for consecutive 40-point games belonged to 'The Logo' Jerry West, who had six straight.
"For comparison, even the 'God of Basketball' Michael Jordan only had four consecutive 40-point playoff games.
"'Skyhook' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 'The Answer' Allen Iverson only managed three.
"And now Blake, as a rookie, has scored 40-plus in eight straight playoff games.
"He has already set a new record, and the streak could continue.
"That alone shows you how dominant Blake has been.
"And there's more.
"From Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals through Game 4 of the Finals, Blake has scored 50-plus points in six consecutive games.
"Looking through NBA playoff history, only Michael Jordan had ever scored 50-plus in consecutive playoff games, and he did it twice in a row.
"Blake has now done it six straight times.
"He's shattered Jordan's record several times over, and the streak still hasn't ended.
"Then there are all the other records.
"The single-quarter three-point record, the single-game three-point record, the youngest player to score 40 points in the playoffs, the youngest to score 50, and a triple-double in his playoff debut.
"The scoring record for a Finals debut, back-to-back game-winners, [Coming Back from 3-1 to Win Four Straight, an Against-All-Odds Comeback], and more.
"During these playoffs, Blake, still just a rookie, has broken countless records and produced one incredible performance after another.
"That is 'Monster Rookie' Blake.
"His individual performance throughout these playoffs has been virtually flawless, and what he's doing is already worthy of a place in NBA history.
"Unfortunately, the difference in overall strength between Phoenix and Miami has left the Suns trailing 3-1.
"And no team in Finals history has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit.
"So the Suns will probably lose this series.
"But Blake hasn't lost.
"He deserves everyone's respect, and he deserves everyone's applause!"
"Exactly!"
"Yeah! Blake deserves everyone's respect!"
"..."
The Suns had lost game after game.
They were now down 3-1, and the Finals seemed to be slipping away from them.
Ultimately, Blake had been unable to carry the team to victory.
And yet, instead of being blamed, he had earned recognition from nearly everyone.
Even Suns fans weren't criticizing him.
They were applauding him.
Blake was only a rookie, yet he had already led his team all the way to the Finals, faced the seemingly unstoppable Heat Big Three, and even managed to take a game from them.
That alone was already impressive.
Blake had given everything he had.
He had done everything within his power.
Back in the first round, when Phoenix lost games to the relatively weaker Grizzlies because of its lack of playoff experience, many fans had been understanding.
But there had still been plenty of people who thought those losses were ridiculous and unacceptable.
Now, those voices were completely gone.
There was only support.
Only applause.
And anticipation for what Blake might accomplish next season.
...
Inside the Heat locker room...
"Woo-hoo!"
"The championship is ours!"
"This is amazing! The Heat need this championship. We need it to silence the doubters and prove what this team is capable of!"
"Yeah!"
Even the following day, Miami's commanding 3-1 lead had the locker room overflowing with excitement.
The atmosphere already felt like an early championship celebration.
"Hey!"
Wade playfully punched LeBron and laughed. "So, LeBron, looks like you really are better with the ball in your hands. That's the rhythm that suits you."
"Hahaha!"
LeBron laughed loudly. "Yeah. Maybe I just don't know how to play without the ball.
"But because of me, you've had to sacrifice some touches.
"I definitely owe you for that."
"Heh."
Wade shook his head with a smile. "We're close. There's nothing to thank me for.
"Once we win the championship, just treat me to a good meal."
"Absolutely!!! And it won't stop at dinner. Clubs, models, whatever you want!"