"Three steals and three blocks in a single quarter?"
Van Gundy was stunned when he heard the stat line.
"That's right."
Mike Breen nodded repeatedly.
After taking a moment to process it, he continued, "But when you think about how hard Blake played in the second quarter, it makes sense.
"Just from what I remember, he hit the floor at least three times, and probably more than that.
"Honestly, it's been a very long time since I've seen a center fight for loose balls on the floor with that kind of intensity.
"You can tell how badly Blake wants to win tonight."
"Absolutely."
Van Gundy nodded. "Three steals and three blocks in one quarter, along with nine points, four rebounds, and two assists.
"He earned every bit of that all-around stat line by throwing himself into play after play.
"And for a center to put up nine points and four rebounds in a quarter while also adding two assists, three steals, and three blocks...
"Honestly, other than Blake, I can't remember another center doing something like that.
"His all-around game barely even looks like that of a traditional center.
"And because Blake has been playing this hard, Phoenix has taken a seven-point lead into halftime.
"That's the largest lead the Suns have held over Miami in any game since Game 1 of the Finals.
"If they can keep playing at this pace tonight, they have a real chance to win."
"With their backs against the wall and Blake fighting for every possession, even the Heat Big Three can't simply walk over them."
During halftime, Mike Breen and Van Gundy made no effort to hide their praise for Blake.
In the stands...
"The Admiral" David Robinson exclaimed, "That 'Monster Rookie' Blake is incredible. He's playing unbelievably hard!"
"Absolutely."
"Skyhook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nodded in genuine admiration. "For a rookie, Blake is leaving everything he has on the floor tonight."
Magic Johnson shook his head in amazement.
"It's hard to believe a rookie center can face the Heat Big Three, create steals and blocks like this, and defend with that much intensity."
"That's how badly he wants to win."
"The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon spoke emphatically. "Blake is the leader of the Suns.
"When your team doesn't have the same overall talent or strength as Miami, the only way to give yourself a chance is to fight harder than they do.
"And tonight, Blake has done exactly that.
"His extra effort is finally paying off. Phoenix is up seven and has control of the game."
"Yes."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nodded. "It's still going to be difficult, but part of me really wants Blake to win this one.
"I like this kid."
In the front row...
"Come on, Blake!"
Mia Quinn didn't know what else she could do.
All she could do was silently hope Blake would somehow become the Suns' savior.
"Let's go, Blake!"
"Come on, Suns!"
"Keep pushing!"
The home crowd never stopped cheering, not even during halftime.
Blake had thrown himself onto the floor again and again, fighting for every possession on defense.
His effort had not only pushed his teammates to play harder, but had also fired up the entire arena.
The fans couldn't step onto the court themselves.
So they gave Phoenix the loudest support they possibly could.
Before long, with the atmosphere inside the arena still surging, halftime ended.
The second half began.
Third quarter.
Miami had the ball first.
But Bosh's opening attempt was immediately blocked by Blake.
Then, on the very next possession...
"Smack!"
Wade got past Blake off the dribble.
But with [Eagle Spear], Blake reached back from behind and knocked the ball cleanly out of Wade's hands.
One block.
One steal.
Right from the start of the second half, Blake continued putting enormous pressure on Miami with his aggressive, almost reckless defense.
At the other end, his approach remained the same as in the previous game and the first half.
Attack the rim.
Attack Miami's weak interior defense.
And it worked.
Over roughly half a quarter, Blake kept pushing the pace, and Phoenix rode that momentum to stretch its lead to as many as thirteen.
But the problem soon became obvious.
All that sprinting, rotating, contesting, blocking shots, attacking the basket, absorbing contact, and drawing fouls was taking a tremendous toll on Blake's stamina.
After about half a quarter, his energy began to fade.
His level of play dipped.
His efficiency gradually fell with it.
By the final two minutes of the third quarter, Blake had no choice but to head to the bench early and catch his breath.
Miami immediately took advantage.
The Heat Big Three began attacking more aggressively and cutting into the lead.
But Blake was only off the floor for about two minutes.
So even with Miami making a push, they couldn't erase much of the deficit.
At the end of the third quarter...
Phoenix still led by eight.
"Blake added another three steals and two blocks in the third quarter," Mike Breen said, staring at the box score in disbelief.
"Through three quarters, he has 41 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 steals, and 5 blocks.
"That stat line is ridiculous."
Van Gundy looked excited.
"This is how hard Blake has to play for Phoenix to hold an eight-point lead and have a chance to win."
On the court...
The fourth quarter began.
After the exhausting pace of the first three quarters, both teams needed to give their starters some rest.
The bench units stayed on the floor for a full three minutes and forty-two seconds.
"Beep! Beep!"
Spoelstra called timeout.
Only then did both teams bring their starters back for the final battle.
Fresh off the bench, Blake was still sharp on both ends.
But as the minutes passed, his stamina began to drop again.
And so did his performance.
Five minutes later, with 2:18 remaining, Blake had already recorded 47 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 steals, and 7 blocks.
An absurd stat line.
But over those final five minutes, his declining stamina had begun to affect his offense.
His efficiency was no longer what it had been earlier.
Miami seized the opportunity.
The Heat steadily chipped away at the lead, and with 2:18 left, they had cut the deficit to just two points.
One possession.
Then both teams hit a wall.
Every player on the floor had been fighting desperately for the win, and now fatigue had caught up with them.
Neither side could score.
The clock kept running.
Suddenly, only 33.3 seconds remained.
Phoenix still led by two.
There was enough time for one possession from each team.
What happened next could decide the game.
Phoenix had the ball first.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Blake controlled the ball near the logo.
He dribbled patiently, showing no urgency to attack.
He let the clock run.
Five seconds.
Blake shifted the ball into his left hand and gave a quick jab as if he were about to drive.
Then...
He rose.
From roughly a meter beyond the three-point line at the top of the floor, Blake launched a logo three directly over "King James" LeBron.
"A logo three?!"
LeBron's eyes widened.
He clearly hadn't expected Blake to take a three in that situation with Phoenix already ahead.
Much less one from that far out.
LeBron rushed forward to contest.
Too late.
The spinning basketball traced a perfect arc through the air.
Then...
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
Blake buried the logo three.
The lead was five.
The dagger.
Game over.
...
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