The next morning at 10:00, the NBA officially announced the Conference Finals matchups.
Most fans already knew who had advanced, but the announcement still drew plenty of attention.
Eastern Conference: Bulls vs. Heat.
Western Conference: Suns vs. Mavericks.
The top two seeds in each conference would face each other, which was largely what fans and the media had expected.
Naturally, heated discussions soon followed.
"Same as always. Who wants to go first?"
"Ahem... I'll start. Both Conference Finals should be extremely competitive. The teams are fairly evenly matched.
"Still, even before the series begin, we can make some predictions about who will reach the Finals.
"Let's start with the East.
"The Bulls finished first and the Heat finished second, so they're clearly close in strength. As for how I'd compare them...
"Has anyone here watched One Piece?
"Derrick Rose is playing at his peak this season. In One Piece terms, he's like one of the Four Emperors, while the Heat's Big Three are like the Navy's three Admirals.
"One of the Four Emperors may be incredibly strong, but one man can only do so much. Rose might be able to handle any one of the Admirals by himself, but he can't defeat all three together.
"So Rose may put up great numbers in the Eastern Conference Finals, but I think the Bulls will ultimately lose the series.
"My prediction is that Chicago wins two games before Miami eliminates them 4-2.
"Now for the West.
"The Suns and Mavericks are much harder to predict. The Suns have the 'Monster Rookie' Blake, whose individual ability is almost impossible to contain.
"He has essentially carried the team by himself, dominating everyone in his path.
"But the Mavericks also have Dirk Nowitzki, the 'German Wunderkind,' leading them with his unstoppable One-Legged Fadeaway and relentless mismatch scoring.
"If we compare only individual statistics and ability, Blake is stronger than Nowitzki. That might make you think the Suns are the better team.
"But that isn't necessarily true.
"The Suns rely heavily on Blake. Curry, Nash, George, and the others have not played quite as well as expected during the playoffs.
"The Mavericks, on the other hand, have received consistently excellent performances from Terry, Kidd, Marion, Stevenson, Chandler, and the rest of their supporting cast.
"That depth helped Dallas become the first team to sweep its opponent and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
"The Mavericks are extremely difficult to handle. Even against a team as dangerous as the Suns, it's impossible to say who will win.
"Personally, I think the series will go to Game 7, with the more balanced Mavericks coming out on top.
"So my final predictions are Miami over Chicago 4-2 and Dallas over Phoenix 4-3, giving us a Heat-Mavericks Finals."
"That was a thorough analysis, but I don't believe you."
"What was all that?"
"Pirates, Four Emperors, Navy Admirals... How is anyone who hasn't watched the anime supposed to understand any of that?"
"I didn't understand a word."
"Basically, he thinks the Heat will beat the Bulls comfortably, while the Suns and Mavericks will be evenly matched, with Dallas winning Game 7.
"So he predicts a Heat-Mavericks Finals."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"Got it."
"I understand too. Actually, I understood the whole time. I just don't agree."
"Neither do I. I'm rooting for the Bulls and Suns. I believe Derrick Rose and the 'Monster Rookie' Blake can pull it off."
"I don't care who advances from the West, but the Heat absolutely have to lose in the East. They're the villains. I want them eliminated immediately."
"You really hate the Heat, don't you?"
"Not that much."
"You're all just jealous because the Heat are too strong."
"Say whatever you like. Once LeBron, Wade, and Bosh win the championship, all the criticism will disappear."
"Yeah, right."
As always, speculation and debate intensified before the Conference Finals.
News outlets and sports media also found every possible way to capitalize on the excitement and promote the upcoming matchups.
As a result, anticipation continued to build for Game 1 between the Suns and Mavericks two days later.
...
Mia was still recovering from her cold, so despite having several days off after winning the series, Blake did not take her anywhere.
Even if she had been healthy, Mia would not have distracted him.
Everything revolved around Blake's playoff run now. Her filming had already wrapped, and she had come solely to support him.
Blake went to practice that morning and did not return to the villa until three in the afternoon.
The moment he walked inside, he saw Mia lying on the couch playing video games.
"Quinnie, you haven't been playing all day, have you?"
"Yeah. Is there a problem? If I'm going to become a gaming streamer, I need to improve my skills. What else am I supposed to do, rely entirely on my looks?"
Blake laughed.
"That wouldn't be the worst idea."
"No."
Mia shook her head repeatedly.
"I don't want to be that kind of streamer. I want people to watch me because I'm good."
Blake smiled and shook his head.
"Quinnie, you haven't even taken the first step toward becoming a streamer, but you're already acting like one."
"See? I'm only doing what you told me."
Mia smiled, though her eyes remained fixed on the game.
"Wait a minute."
Blake suddenly realized what was happening and laughed.
"Mia Quinn, you little gaming addict. You don't actually care about becoming a streamer. You just want an excuse to play games all day without me criticizing you."
"Hehe."
Mia smiled without answering.
Blake shook his head, but privately, he began to consider the idea seriously.
Having Mia stream games could help her gain popularity, attract a larger audience, and secure better opportunities. That might allow her to become one of the industry's most popular young actresses sooner.
It was time to start putting that plan into motion.
Letting her improve her gaming skills now might actually be useful.
Perhaps she could eventually succeed in both acting and gaming. That would be the ideal outcome.
Blake also needed to start preparing for his own business ventures.
Once the playoffs ended, he would begin working on them officially during the offseason.
With that in mind, Blake called his agent, Austin.
...
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