Inside the practice facility, Gentry looked at the players standing before him, full of energy and fighting spirit, and found himself overwhelmed by mixed emotions.
He had just delivered an impassioned speech, encouraging them to keep fighting until the very end.
But in truth, given the current series score and how the first four games had unfolded, even Gentry believed their chances of winning and completing the comeback were... very low.
And it wasn't just Gentry.
With Phoenix trailing Miami 3-1, nearly every report and discussion outside the team had swung heavily in favor of the Heat Big Three.
Almost everyone believed Miami would win the championship.
Even Wagner, the Adidas executive who had always believed in Blake, was starting to get nervous.
At Adidas headquarters, Wagner and production manager Leviton once again sat across from each other on the sofa in Wagner's office.
Both men were frowning.
"Man..."
Wagner sighed. "No matter what happens, Blake's rising popularity is good for us.
"It'll definitely help sales of the upcoming 'Blake Su Generation.'
"But ultimately, winning is what maximizes the profit and creates the biggest possible buzz."
"Right."
Leviton nodded. "But looking at the series now, it almost feels like the outcome has already been decided.
"The Suns don't seem to have much of a chance anymore."
Wagner sighed again.
"That's the reality now, and there's nothing we can do to change it.
"At this point, I just hope Blake keeps playing well in the next game, or however many games are left.
"That would still be a pretty good outcome."
"Exactly."
For Adidas, waiting until after the Finals to release the "Blake Su Generation" shoes had been a bold idea, but a perfectly reasonable one.
If Phoenix lost, they would still make a decent profit.
If Phoenix won...
Sales would explode.
At first, Wagner had been completely confident in the second scenario.
Now, with the Suns seemingly headed for elimination, he was starting to worry and had begun settling for the safer outcome.
...
One day later.
8:00 p.m.
US Airways Center.
Game 5 between the Suns and Heat was set to begin in one hour.
"BOOM!"
Even with an hour still left before tip-off, the atmosphere inside the arena was already electric.
Most people believed Phoenix had no realistic chance of winning the series anymore.
But the Suns had fought hard enough to deserve every cheer and every bit of support their fans could give them.
In the broadcast studio, Mike Breen said, "According to ESPN's pregame projections, Phoenix has roughly an eighty percent chance of losing tonight.
"If not for home-court advantage, most fans and experts would probably expect the Suns to lose Game 5 and Miami to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy tonight."
"Why does it have to be tonight?"
Van Gundy didn't understand.
He could accept the idea that Phoenix might eventually lose the series.
But why did everyone assume it had to end in Game 5?
Why so soon?
"Hmm..."
Mike Breen thought for a moment. "It probably has something to do with that comparison people have been making online, saying Blake's situation mirrors D-Rose's.
"Both teams were built around one dominant star.
"Rose and the Bulls won Game 1 against Miami, then lost the series 4-1.
"And now the Suns are following almost the exact same pattern against the Heat.
"That's probably why so many people think it'll end the same way."
"I don't buy it!"
Van Gundy rejected the idea outright.
Mike Breen smiled and shook his head without arguing.
Then he looked toward the court, and his eyes lit up.
"Take a look.
"Blake's doing a pregame interview. Let's hear what he has to say."
On the court, ESPN reporter "Woj" approached Blake before the game.
"Blake, the Suns have played extremely well as a team, almost without mistakes, and still haven't been able to beat Miami.
"Now you're down 3-1.
"Do you still believe you can win tonight?"
"Of course."
Blake answered without hesitation.
"I've never once thought we were going to lose.
"And besides... this is our home court.
"We have to win here."
"Haha."
Woj laughed. "You certainly haven't lost your confidence.
"And on the Finals stage, confidence is something you absolutely need if you want to win.
"So what about the series itself? Even down 3-1, do you still believe you can come back?"
"Of course."
Again, Blake answered with the same two simple words.
Short.
Direct.
Completely confident.
"Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Blake. We're looking forward to seeing what you do tonight."
Woj ended the interview with a smile.
"Whoa!"
Blake's confidence immediately drew loud applause and cheers from the crowd.
The fans poured their support into him, hoping he could lead Phoenix to another victory.
At the very least, they wanted the Suns to defend their home floor.
Once the cameras stopped rolling, Woj gave Blake a thumbs-up.
"Good luck, Blake. I'm rooting for you.
"Go be the superhero tonight!"
Having followed Blake's rise throughout the season, Woj had long since become a fan.
"I will."
Blake smiled and nodded.
With the interview over, tip-off was drawing closer.
The arena was packed tonight.
Mia Quinn was there, along with several legendary NBA stars who had also come to watch.
"The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon.
"The Admiral" David Robinson.
"Skyhook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
And Magic Johnson.
Before long, Game 5 began.
"Jump ball!"
Once again, Blake and Bosh met at center court for the opening tip.
"Ha!"
Bosh roared and jumped with everything he had.
It still wasn't enough.
"Smack!"
Blake got there first with ease and tipped the ball straight to Nash.
Nash collected it and brought the ball up to begin Phoenix's first possession.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
At the top of the key, Nash controlled the ball as Blake moved toward him.
It looked like Blake was coming over for a handoff.
Instead, he set a screen for Nash and immediately popped out toward the other side.
"Step!"
Blake moved to the left side above the arc.
Nash settled on the right.
LeBron and Chalmers both followed Blake, leaving Nash completely alone.
Nash immediately recognized it.
He rose and fired.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
Suns 3, Heat 0.
Nash's three gave Phoenix the first points of the game.
On Miami's first possession, LeBron brought the ball up and attacked George one-on-one.
Curry slid over from the wing to pressure him.
"Whoosh!"
LeBron kicked the ball back out to Wade on the perimeter.
Blake immediately rotated over to help.
"Whoosh!"
Wade moved the ball again, sending it down to Bosh on the right block.
Bosh had Nash switched onto him.
He caught the pass, gave a quick jab as if he were going to drive, then rose straight into a mid-range jumper.
"Swish!"
Good.
"Wow... Phoenix did a great job on that possession.
"They stopped LeBron, then stopped Wade too.
"Defensively, you really can't ask for much more than that.
"But Miami has three stars.
"Even after LeBron and Wade were cut off, Bosh simply finished the possession himself.
"And just like before, dealing with all three members of the Heat Big Three is still a nightmare."