Second quarter.
First came the bench rotations.
With the lead in hand, the Suns' bench, lifted by the energy of their home court, kept the advantage and stretched it to 8 points.
"Beep, beep!"
After 4 minutes and 11 seconds of rotation.
Hollins called a timeout and brought all the Grizzlies starters back in. Alvin Gentry did not hesitate either, sending Blake Su and the rest of the Suns starters back onto the floor.
The game resumed.
The Grizzlies' defense on Blake Su was still as intense as ever, but... Blake Su had enough height to handle the double-teams and still pass the ball out effectively.
A scoring chance might not appear on the first pass, but with Nash organizing from the side, as long as Blake Su drew enough defensive attention, Nash could always find a teammate.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
His teammates were still in rhythm.
However... the Grizzlies' offense did not fall behind either, especially the "Bear Duo" under the basket, who continued to show their "bear power" in the paint.
As for the perimeter.
The Grizzlies played smart. When Blake Su dropped down to defend the "Bear Duo," Gay and Conley attacked from the outside. When Blake Su stepped out.
The two would hand the offense back to the "Bear Duo" inside.
Because of that.
They could not stop the Suns' offense, driven by Blake Su's gravity, but... their own offense did not fall off either.
Of course.
Overall, the Suns had more and better scoring chances, and their offensive firepower was stronger, especially with Blake Su, who could not be completely contained even under tight double-teams.
Suns (57): (48) Grizzlies.
At halftime.
The Suns temporarily held a 9-point lead.
During halftime.
At the commentary desk.
Looking at the steady state of the game, Van Gundy said, "The Suns should win tonight and tie the series 1-1. Even though the next two games will be on the Grizzlies' home court, the Suns are adjusting more and more to the playoff rhythm, so they still hold a huge advantage."
"That's right."
Mike Breen nodded in agreement. "In my view, the advantage in this series doesn't come down to home court. It comes down to when the Suns can adjust to the playoff stage.
To put it simply.
I think if the Grizzlies can't win tonight, then even after returning to their own home court, they won't have any chance of beating the Suns."
"Exactly."
Van Gundy nodded as well.
The two chatted for a while, and after the cheerleaders' energetic dance routine, the second half finally began.
The sides switched, and play resumed.
Grizzlies ball.
"Clang!"
Conley tried a three from the perimeter, but it came up short.
"Smack!"
Blake Su grabbed the rebound and pushed the counterattack himself, accelerating all the way. Marc Gasol could not keep up at all, and Gay was being held off by George.
Only Allen kept pace.
But Allen, at just 193 centimeters, was completely ignored by Blake Su. From the left arc, one step beyond the three-point line, Blake Su suddenly fired.
"Whoosh!"
Against Allen's contest right in his face, he launched an unreasonable three.
Deadeye.
"Swish!"
Clean through the net.
"Hiss, you really can't give Blake Su any kind of opening. Not even the tiniest bit, not even for an instant. This 'super rookie' will turn it into points."
"A 12-point gap now, and the third quarter has always been when the Suns blow games open. The Grizzlies really don't have a chance tonight."
The two commentators spoke excitedly.
They sounded as if the Suns already had the win in hand.
However.
Right after Blake Su hit that three, the Grizzlies suddenly exploded.
First, Randolph powered through contact inside and rose up for a fierce dunk. Then, with Marc Gasol facilitating efficiently from the high post, Conley drove in and finished at the rim.
After that.
It was Conley again.
"Swish!"
He drilled a three over Curry from the perimeter.
Gay's "unblockable shot" also ignored George's defense, calmly sending the ball into the basket.
"Bang!"
"Swish!"
Tony Allen slipped through the chaos and somehow banked in a difficult shot as well.
The Grizzlies suddenly went wild, with every player contributing on offense. In just 3 minutes and 16 seconds, they hit the Suns with a 15-4 counterattack storm.
The lead suddenly shrank to just one point.
"Beep, beep!"
Alvin Gentry called a timeout to slow the Grizzlies' momentum and, at the same time... give the Suns players a little breathing room to settle down.
Because during that 15-4 run, although the Grizzlies' offense had been sharp, the Suns had also gotten chances. They simply failed to take them.
After all.
When you are holding a 12-point lead and your offense stops converting, you cannot blame the Grizzlies. That is your own problem.
They had to adjust.
After the timeout, Blake Su went one-on-one against Marc Gasol. He accelerated with one step, stopped suddenly, stepped back, shook him loose, and got an open mid-range look.
"Clang!"
It actually missed.
Then, on the change of possession.
Just as the Suns nearly forced the Grizzlies into a 24-second violation, with 2 seconds left, Randolph was forced to launch a three from beyond the arc.
But.
"Swish!"
It banked in.
Randolph, who averaged only 0.6 three-point attempts per game and shot a pitiful 18 percent from three, actually made this one.
When it rains, it pours.
After coming back in the second half.
The Grizzlies used less than half a quarter not only to erase a 12-point deficit, but also to take a 2-point lead. That undoubtedly put endless pressure on the Suns.
Curry, George, and the others had not been able to shoot even while leading.
After falling behind, losing confidence, and feeling the pressure, their touch grew even colder. The chances Blake Su created for them.
None of them were converted.
After three quarters.
The Grizzlies had taken a 6-point lead.
In the final quarter, Blake Su faced double-teams, even multi-man traps. Not only did he have to force difficult attacks himself, but he also kept creating good chances for his teammates.
But.
They just could not hit. Their hands felt frozen, and the shots simply would not fall.
In the end.
The Suns, who had once led by as many as 12 points, were brutally overturned by the Grizzlies and lost at home to them again, this time by 8 points.
The Grizzlies... won two straight road games against the Suns, taking a 2-0 series lead.
After the game.
At the commentary desk.
Mike Breen shook his head and exclaimed, "Unbelievable. The Suns actually let that slip away?"
"Yeah."
Van Gundy nodded, then rubbed his chin. "In the second half, once the Suns fell into a passive position, they clearly started to panic and lose their composure.
That state.
It clearly comes from a lack of playoff experience. When they faced adversity, they got nervous, unsettled, and at a loss. Their confidence also dropped.
Playoff newcomers like Curry and George still haven't adjusted to the playoffs.
Only Blake Su, who finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, another 'near triple-double,' stayed relatively steady.
But... that isn't enough to lead the team to victory."