Bogut, who suffered a concussion and was carried off on a stretcher while semi-conscious, would not return to the court that night.
The Bucks' game was effectively over.
The final quarter turned into garbage time and, for the fans, a chance to talk about Bogut.
"Ever since Bogut tried to stick his leg out and trip Blake Su, he first got a three drilled right in his face, then got dunked on, then got crossed into a split, followed by a brutal poster dunk that split his brow.
And finally,
he tried to dunk over Blake Su, only to end up with a concussion and getting carried off on a stretcher while half-conscious. That's rough… really hard to watch."
"What do you call that? "You hurt them, but you hurt yourself even more?"
"Haha, no… that's called getting what you deserve. Mess with others and it comes back to you."
"Exactly. He plays so dirty. Almost everyone matched up with him has gotten hurt to some degree. Tonight it's finally his turn to feel the pain.
He must be enjoying it."
"Haha!"
"With his athleticism and weight, dunking from a step inside the free-throw line is already questionable, and he still tried to dunk over Blake Su? That's just asking for trouble.
So yeah,
he burned himself."
"Just a trash No. 1 pick. Why even talk about him?"
"Exactly. Let's just wait for the Suns to win and lock in their 20th straight, breaking their franchise record again."
"Exactly."
"..."
Amid the heated discussion, time passed quickly. The one-sided game ended with a Suns victory.
As the fans predicted, the Suns secured their 20th straight win and continued to rewrite their franchise record.
In the ESPN broadcast booth,
Hubie Brown smiled and said, "33 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. That's what Blake Su put up in just three quarters tonight. An easy win over the Bucks and their 20th straight victory.
Blake Su… he's been outstanding."
"Heh."
Dave Pasch chuckled and continued, "With 20 straight wins, they're now tied with the Bucks for third place on the NBA's all-time winning streak list. Before this, only two teams have gone further.
The Rockets during the 'Yao-McGrady' era in the 2007–2008 season with 22 straight wins,
and the Lakers in the 1971–1972 season with the record of 33 straight wins.
Now, two of the top three streaks in NBA history have ties to our compatriots. That's something truly special, a real point of pride.
Since Blake Su joined the Suns, he's taken the team to a whole new level and is about to usher in a new era for the franchise. Let's look forward to it and witness it together."
...
The next day.
[Suns Win 20 Straight!]
[Bogut: Concussion!]
These two headlines became hot topics among fans and across the media.
The first marked another milestone for the Suns as they continued breaking records. As the team's franchise player, Blake Su once again received widespread praise.
His popularity kept rising.
As for the second, Bogut's entire sequence of getting humiliated by Blake Su was replayed clearly, ending with his failed dunk attempt that backfired and left him concussed.
It was thrilling for fans to watch.
Many fans, and even players who were fed up with Bogut's dirty play, couldn't help but cheer.
While fans were still discussing it, Austin and Lexus completed all the procedures for the endorsement deal, officially making Blake Su a Lexus brand ambassador.
At the same time,
Lexus announced it on Twitter right away, even showcasing the fully loaded Lexus LX570 that Blake Su would be driving for free, which caused another wave of buzz.
"Wait, didn't Blake Su just sign a massive deal with Adidas not long ago? And now he's already a Lexus ambassador?!
That's insane!
Seriously unbelievable!"
"Heh, that's just the kind of insane popularity Blake Su has."
"Exactly."
"My God, he's only 19 and already worth millions, stacking endorsement deals left and right. He's got a car, probably a house too, treated like royalty and adored by everyone.
And me?
At 19, I was still asking my parents for money. The gap is just ridiculous."
"What about me? I'm 22 and still using a six-digit password to protect a two-digit bank balance!!!"
"Guys, comparing yourselves like that will just drive you crazy. A player like Blake Su is one in a million. Just enjoy watching him."
"Exactly. My husband is obviously amazing."
"Your husband? So you're a girl? Mind if we get to know each other? I'm 185 cm (6'1") tall, classic good looks. No car, no house…
But I've got personality!
Hit me up if you're interested."
"Legend."
"..."
While the fan discussions were starting to go off track,
the Suns were already on a private plane, heading to Utah, bound for Salt Lake City.
On the plane,
Alvin Gentry walked into the players' cabin. Looking at their tired faces, he paused before speaking.
"Guys, this is the last game of our four-game road trip.
And it's also a back-to-back on the road.
I know you're all exhausted, but I have to remind you, the Jazz's home court is known as the 'Devil's Home Arena.' Even teams like the Heat and the Lakers
have a hard time winning there.
We've been on four straight road games, and now it's a back-to-back. Even as the top team in the West, this won't be easy. However…"
He paused again, then spoke more firmly.
"We've already won 20 straight. We're just three games away from breaking the Rockets' 22-game streak.
We've come this far. Forget 33 for now, but the 22-game streak right in front of us, we should fight for it.
Can we do it?"
"Oh!"
"No problem!"
"We're going for 23 straight, breaking the second-longest streak!"
"No, we're going for 33!"
Gentry's words fired the team up. Even though they were tired and not at their best, they were determined to win at the Jazz's "Devil's Home Court."
"Mm."
Blake Su nodded slightly.
Yes.
They had already reached 20 straight wins. The 22-game streak was right there. No matter what, they had to go for it.
At the very least, they had to surpass Yao Ming's 22-game streak.
Inside the Suns' flight to Salt Lake City, the cabin was filled with determination.
2 p.m.
They arrived in Salt Lake City.
The team checked into a hotel near the Jazz's home arena, Energy Solutions Arena. As usual, Blake Su and Curry shared a double room.
Curry was watching a golf highlight video. After seeing a great shot, he was about to call Blake Su over to watch, but then he suddenly noticed something.
Blake Su didn't look right.
"Blake Su, what's wrong?!"
Curry asked quickly.
Blake Su frowned slightly and said, "I've got a bit of a headache. I think… it might be altitude sickness."
...
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