Blake Su: the season-defining game that sealed his legend!
Yes.
Experts had already made it clear that in last night's game between the Suns and the Heat, Blake Su hit 15 threes, poured in 72 points, and capped it all with an off-balance three.
A game-winner right over LeBron's head.
It was undoubtedly Blake Su's strongest game of the season. At the same time... it was also the best single-game performance by any player this season.
This was Blake Su's season-defining game, the one that sealed his legend.
Of course.
The experts had their reasons.
First, the Suns and the Heat, two teams from opposite conferences that could almost be called the strongest in the league, would not meet again this regular season.
Second.
Blake Su's performance last night truly pushed the idea of a "superhero" to the limit. Taking it even higher would be extremely difficult.
Third.
There were only a dozen or so games left before the end of the regular season. In such a short span, putting up the kind of terrifying numbers Blake Su had last night would be nearly impossible.
Not just for anyone else.
Even for Blake Su himself, it would be hard.
For all those reasons, calling last night's Suns versus Heat matchup Blake Su's season-defining game was no exaggeration at all.
The fans agreed.
And so.
After transforming into a superhero and delivering the defining performance of the season, Blake Su once again became the center of attention and the subject of endless discussion.
Blake Su was explosively good.
Add in the fact that he was only a rookie, with potential that seemed limitless, and this season-defining game once again sent his popularity and fanbase soaring.
One game to seal his legend.
It also pushed him closer and closer to true superstar status!
...
3:00 p.m.
The Suns' practice facility.
While the outside world was still buzzing over the Suns and Blake Su, the Suns players arrived at the facility for their usual daily training.
However.
They had already locked up a playoff spot 17 games early. Now, after beating the Heat, their strongest opponent in the second half of the regular season, and extending their winning streak to five games, the Suns no longer felt the pressure of "March Madness."
They were relaxed, both physically and mentally.
Of course.
That was the result of Blake Su's leadership and the entire Suns team's hard work to keep winning. This was the kind of breathing room they had earned.
However.
There was also one piece of bad news.
The injury report for Carter, who had gotten hurt the previous night, had come out. It was a fairly serious ankle sprain, and the medical staff's initial estimate was a recovery period of seven to eight weeks.
In other words.
Carter would not be able to play for roughly the next two months.
Nash brought Blake Su, Curry, and George with him to the facility's recovery room, where they found Carter resting.
Nash smiled and said, "Vince, because of that stretch last night where you looked like your old self, we ended up winning the game. And on a game-winner, no less."
Carter smiled, then shook his head. "Come on, I'm injured, not blind. The talk is everywhere already. Who doesn't know last night was Blake Su's season-defining game?
"Well done.
"Blake Su, you're the leader of the Suns. Great job."
"Mm."
Blake Su nodded and said, "You definitely deserve credit for last night's win too. But... right now, the most important thing is for you to recover.
"In the playoffs.
"We'll still need the power of 'Half-Man, Half-Amazing.'"
"Half-Man, Half-Amazing, huh?"
Carter smiled faintly. "At this point, I don't think I really deserve that name anymore. But I'll take rehab seriously and do everything I can. After all, I still want to follow you guys and get a championship ring.
"If I don't play in the playoffs, that'd be too much of a free ride."
"Haha!"
Nash shook his head and laughed. "Where is all this coming from? Championship? That's still way too early. Don't think too much. Focus on getting healthy first."
"I know, I know."
Carter curled his lip and said bluntly, "I'm just being honest. I want a championship ring. Even if I'm not FMVP, that's fine with me."
"Haha!"
Everyone laughed and chatted with Carter for quite a while before finally leaving.
But as soon as they returned to the court.
Coach Gentry walked over, smiling broadly, and said, "We beat the league's great villain, the Heat. Everyone did a great job, especially Blake Su. He deserves special praise.
"Beating the Heat is definitely something worth celebrating.
"But... I'm sure everyone has already heard about Carter's injury. For the next stretch of time, he won't be able to play.
"That's a loss for us.
"But injuries are part of the game. None of us can predict them, and none of us can stop them from happening. There's nothing we can do about that.
"So now.
"There's an open spot in the starting lineup. I've decided to let George fill it. He happens to play small forward as well, and he can make up for some of the height we need on the wing.
"Of course.
"There's another key reason for starting George. It strengthens the defense of the starting lineup.
"Even though we beat the Heat, against the 'Heat Big Three,' aside from Blake Su's matchup, our defense was poor. You all should be clear on that.
"We're good at 'run-and-gun,' and we're good at using offense to win games. But against truly elite teams, when their offense isn't much weaker than ours.
"Defense becomes especially important.
"And right now.
"On offense, Blake Su, Curry, and Nash give us plenty of firepower. What we lack is defense. With Carter injured, this is the right time to move George up.
"Before the regular season ends and the playoffs arrive.
"We'll work on this lineup of Nash, Curry, George, Frye, and Blake Su. Let's try to make this group capable on both ends of the floor.
"Any objections?"
"None."
Curry was the first to speak up.
"None!"
"I agree!"
"George can absolutely start and strengthen the team's defense."
Once Curry had spoken, everyone else agreed as well. In fact, George's defensive performance lately really had been quite good.
Putting him in the starting lineup to add defense.
Naturally, no one had any objections.
As for George himself, when he heard the news and confirmed that he was moving from the bench to the starting lineup, his heart filled with excitement. It also strengthened his determination to improve.
Because.
Right in front of him was Blake Su, a fellow rookie and the strongest possible role model. George had no reason not to keep working hard and make himself better.
...
That night.
Blake Su rested on the sofa in his living room, his mind replaying what Coach Gentry had said that afternoon.
"The Suns' defense really is a little weak right now. Even though the future 'General George' will be a strong defender, this is still his rookie season.
"He has the body, but he's still lacking experience.
"And now that George is moving straight into the starting lineup, he'll still need time to build chemistry with the other starters. Of course, strictly speaking, George is still better than Carter on defense.
"Even if we've lost one scoring option.
"I hope the team can come together before the playoffs and develop better chemistry. I also hope George's defense can bring something real to the team.
"And.
"I need to improve my defense too.
"On offense, it's hard for anyone to stop me one-on-one. But on defense, when it comes to the 'Heat Big Three,' aside from Bosh being relatively easier to guard.
"Whether it's 'Flash' Wade or 'King James' LeBron, neither is easy for me to defend.
"And one of the biggest holes in my defense comes from my lack of strength. As a center, my strength is just too weak."
Yes.
On defense, Blake Su could rely on [Iverson's Talent], along with his height and wingspan, to guard most players in the league. But his strength had not improved much.
Against top players with outstanding talent of their own, his lack of strength made defense difficult, especially against players like LeBron. In physical confrontations, he simply could not hold his ground.
And if the Suns made the Finals this year, there was a strong chance their opponent would be the Heat.
In that case.
Improving his strength would be especially important.
"If possible, give me a random defensive task that improves my strength. That way, I can become more complete, more all-around.
"Only then will I have a better chance of leading the Suns past the 'Heat Big Three.'"
That was what he thought.
But Blake Su knew that System tasks had always been random. When they appeared, what kind of tasks they were, and what rewards they offered were not things he could control.
So.
Blake Su only thought about it briefly.
"Anyway, no matter what, I beat the 'Heat Big Three.' The next time we meet, it'll at least be in the Finals, and that's still a long way off.
"Today.
"The whole world is talking about my season-defining game. I should relax and enjoy it a little."
With that in mind.
Blake Su stopped thinking about System tasks. He opened his phone and went on YouTube to watch some videos. Almost as soon as he opened it, he saw a video sitting at the top of the trending list, absolutely exploding in popularity.
And.
It was a video about him!