Halftime.
In the Suns' locker room.
The atmosphere was tense.
After all, this was their first playoff game. They were facing the Grizzlies, a team ranked only eighth in the West, a team the Suns had swept not long ago.
And yet they were down 13 at halftime.
Even if, as the commentators had said, a 13-point deficit was nothing for a Suns team with such explosive scoring power.
Still.
It was a real blow to the entire team.
"Uh..."
Nash, the veteran leader, paused for a moment, then looked around and said brightly, "It's fine. Treat it like practice, like getting used to the playoff stage.
This is something you need to experience.
I believe we'll adjust quickly. The series has seven games. We only need to win four of them, which means even losing this one wouldn't be the end of the world.
Everyone, let it go and stay calm."
"Exactly."
Although Carter was out injured and could not play, he was still with the team, encouraging his teammates. "You're only missing a bit of experience.
But.
Our talent is right here. We can definitely win tonight, and we can definitely win this series. Keep it up, everyone!"
"Mm."
Blake Su, who had been silent the whole time, also spoke up. "In the second half, I'll use the attention I draw. When the Grizzlies double-team me, I'll pass the ball to you guys more.
I'll create more and better shooting opportunities for you.
Just treat it like the regular season. Catch the ball, shoot, and finish the play."
As he spoke.
Blake Su looked at Curry, the team's most reliable second scoring option besides himself. If they wanted to win tonight, they needed Curry to perform.
"Got it!"
"No problem!"
"With Blake Su here, we've always got confidence!"
Curry, George, and the others answered one after another. Even though this was their first playoff run, and even though they had taken a serious hit in the very first game, because of Blake Su.
They would not lose confidence.
They fired themselves up. Everything was for the win!
...
Before long.
The second half began.
Just as the Suns had discussed during halftime, Blake Su used the Grizzlies' constant double-teams on him to create better scoring chances for his teammates.
"Swish!"
Curry hit a three.
"Swish!"
Nash knocked down a mid-range jumper.
"Swish!"
George attacked the rim and scored.
For a while, the Suns' offense looked better than it had in the first half, but... their offensive efficiency still was not as good as it had been during the regular season.
And.
Against the Grizzlies, a team known for defense, with their playoff defensive intensity raised even higher, the Suns' advanced run-and-gun tactics.
They simply could not get them going.
They were scoring, and it even seemed like they were gradually putting pressure on the Grizzlies, but the 13-point gap had not shrunk by much.
After three quarters.
The Suns were still down 8.
Inside the broadcast studio.
"Tsk, tsk!"
Van Gundy clicked his tongue and said, "The Grizzlies are really targeting him, aren't they? From the moment Blake Su steps on the floor until the moment he comes off, they're almost always double-teaming him.
They're putting the highest level of defensive pressure on him. They'd rather leave one Suns player open than let Blake Su get an easy chance to attack on his own.
But even then.
After three quarters, Blake Su already has a brilliant all-around stat line of 21 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
For Blake Su, a rookie, to put up numbers like that on the playoff stage against this kind of defense is seriously impressive."
At that point.
He sighed again and said, "But even with Blake Su playing this well, the team is still down by as many as 9 points."
"That's right."
Mike Breen nodded. "There's no way around it. Aside from Blake Su, the rest of the Suns players have been struggling under the Grizzlies' airtight defense.
Their offense has stayed cold.
They're too short on playoff experience. This sudden defensive pressure has left the Suns' young forces like Curry and George unable to adjust.
And while Nash has plenty of playoff experience, 'Captain Canada' is getting older. His body can't keep up anymore, and his scoring ability has already been declining.
All of that together.
Has led to this situation.
Fortunately, there's still one quarter left. Let's see whether the Suns' young players can adjust a little in the fourth and claw their way back."
As he was saying that.
The final quarter began.
The first 4 minutes and 16 seconds of rotation.
The two teams' bench units fought to a standstill, giving both starting lineups enough time to rest. That made the final showdown even more intense.
Sure enough.
Coming out of the timeout.
The Grizzlies continued to put the entire Suns team under high-intensity defense. Meanwhile, on offense, the "Black and White Bears," along with Conley and Gay on the perimeter.
Were like iron warriors, fearless in fighting for every ball.
They kept suppressing the Suns.
On the Suns' side, the role players remained lost. Nash could find Curry and George and get the ball to them, but their offensive efficiency was miserable. Blake Su's own efficiency was still decent.
But he was constantly being double-teamed, so he could not get many good opportunities.
Because of that.
Nash's passing ability began to lose its impact.
As for Blake Su, he still trusted his teammates. He used his own offensive threat to draw enough defensive attention, then created good looks for them.
Time flashed by.
There were 3 minutes and 11 seconds left.
"Swish!"
Curry, who had missed his previous two threes, received Blake Su's kick-out pass after a drive and finally made a three-pointer, stopping the bleeding for the team.
But the gap was still 10 points.
And with that assist.
Blake Su had 24 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks tonight, recording a triple-double.
Another possession.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
On the left high post.
With double screens from George and Frye, Blake Su finally found a one-on-one chance against Gay. He used a fake pass to shake Allen, who had quickly rotated over.
With his back to Gay, Blake Su powered through with his waist and back, bumped him once, turned around, and decisively rose for the jumper.
"Thud!"
Gay did everything he could to contest, but the height difference was too big. He could not block it, but...
"Clang!"
Blake Su missed it himself.
"Ah, that was a chance to cut into the lead. Blake Su couldn't take advantage of it. Looks like those nonstop, high-intensity double-teams are taking a real toll on him."
"It seems... even someone as strong as Blake Su hasn't fully adapted to playoff intensity."
As the commentators analyzed the play.
On the court.
The possession changed hands.
Randolph was like a brute again, bullying Frye under the basket and powering the ball in.
There was less and less time left.
The Suns' role players still could not score, and Blake Su could no longer worry about anything else. He began to force the issue, faintly showing signs of taking over the game.
"Swish!"
At the left arc, facing a double-team, Blake Su pulled up with unreasonable dominance and fired a three-pointer off the glass and in.
Then, on the next possession.
It was Blake Su again. From the middle at the top of the arc, once again facing a double-team, he stopped on a dime with the same domineering force, shooting over four huge hands and launching a three from the highest possible release point.
"Swish!"
Straight through the heart.
He hit again.
In the final three minutes, Blake Su scored 8 straight points, fully displaying the terrifying scoring ability that belonged to the "Monster Rookie."
However.
The Grizzlies' offense could not be ignored either. Besides, they still had a 10-point lead in hand. Even though Blake Su scored 8 straight points, they still scored 5 during that stretch.
"Clang!"
After Blake Su's final quick three-point attempt missed.
In the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the eighth-seeded Grizzlies took down the top-seeded Suns, completing the upset and winning on the road by 7 points.
The Suns... suffered a shocking loss!