Blake was done after three quarters.
The Suns had led by more than 20 points at one stage and cruised past the Mavericks.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals had been completely one-sided, nothing like what the fans, the media, or even the rest of the league had expected.
The game might have been over, but the debate showed no sign of dying down. Even the next day, interest remained as strong as ever. In fact, it only seemed to be growing.
"Hey, what happened?! Weren't the Suns and Mavericks supposed to be evenly matched? How did it turn into a one-sided beatdown by the Suns?!"
"I'm wondering the same thing."
"Come on, isn't it obvious? Both teams are built around a single star, and Blake is an 'upgraded version' of Nowitzki. He completely shut Nowitzki down.
The Mavericks' offense revolves around Nowitzki. Once he couldn't get going, losing was only natural."
"That's true. The Mavericks are so strong because Nowitzki commands so much attention. No one can stop him, and that creates a chain reaction throughout the rest of the team.
That's how the Mavericks, who weren't favored at the start of the playoffs, managed to play at such an incredible level."
"Oh, I get it now. So if Nowitzki keeps getting suppressed by Blake, does that mean the Suns will breeze through this series?"
"Bingo!"
"Exactly. If this continues, the Mavericks are in serious trouble."
"Smart people catch on quickly."
"Smart my ass. It was only one game. The Mavericks aren't going to lose."
"Just watch. This season will be the year the 'German Wunderkind,' Dirk Nowitzki, takes the league by storm and becomes a legend."
"Heh..."
All day long, people discussed the Suns' one-sided victory over the Mavericks the previous night.
Some agreed with Van Gundy and Mike Breen's earlier analysis. With Blake locking down Nowitzki, they believed the Mavericks had little chance.
Of course, others still felt that one game was nowhere near enough to draw a conclusion. In their eyes, the two teams remained evenly matched.
In any case, after Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, people were no longer united in believing the Suns and Mavericks were on equal footing.
The direction of the series had become a matter of debate.
...
That evening at 8:00 p.m., Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Bulls and the Heat tipped off at the United Center as scheduled.
It was a matchup between the two strongest and most accomplished teams in the East, so anticipation was extremely high.
Before the game, experts gave the Heat a 70 percent chance of winning. The Bulls, despite playing at home, were given only a 30 percent chance and were clearly considered the underdogs.
The game initially unfolded exactly as expected.
The Heat's "Big Three" each scored on their first attempt. LeBron drove in for a powerful dunk, Bosh knocked down a mid-range jumper, and Wade converted a layup with his Euro step.
The three of them combined for six quick points.
Rose answered with a lightning-fast drive and an acrobatic reverse layup, but he was badly outnumbered.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Heat already led by five. Despite being on the road, they had taken control of the game.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was:
Bulls 24, Heat 31.
Miami led by seven.
By halftime, the Heat had extended the margin to 12 points. The deficit itself was not overwhelming, but the Bulls had been completely overpowered in terms of momentum.
"Is this the pressure of facing the league's ultimate villains?!"
At the commentary table, Jon Barry could not help but marvel.
Mark Jackson nodded, equally impressed.
"For the Heat, it almost feels as though basketball is no longer a five-man game.
With LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, those three alone seem to be enough.
Honestly, the league should have stopped the Heat from forming their 'Big Three' last offseason. They're simply too strong."
"Exactly."
"The experts were right. It looks like the Bulls don't have much of a chance tonight."
Both commentators believed Chicago was headed for defeat.
Yet almost as soon as they reached that conclusion during halftime, the second half began and everything changed.
"BOOM!"
Rose used his terrifying speed to leave his defender behind, stormed into the paint, and threw down a clean dunk without hanging on the rim, instantly igniting the crowd.
Moments later...
"Swish!"
Luol Deng buried a three from the perimeter.
Meanwhile, Boozer and Noah served as twin defensive anchors in the paint. They wreaked havoc inside, securing rebound after rebound for the Bulls while also contributing on offense.
"Buzz!"
Chicago opened the second half with a devastating 15-5 run. In the blink of an eye, the Heat's lead had been reduced to only two points.
"Wow!"
"The Bulls..."
The brilliant offense and flawless comeback left both commentators stunned.
The Heat's "Big Three" then stepped up and stabilized the situation. By the end of the third quarter, Miami still held a four-point lead, but the momentum had completely shifted away from them.
In the fourth quarter, reserve sharpshooter Korver delivered a brutal blow to the Heat.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
He only attempted four shots, but he made three of them, all from beyond the arc. His nine points stunned the Heat's second unit, led by Wade.
The Bulls took the lead.
When both teams brought their starters back, Chicago had already reclaimed its confidence. With the home crowd behind them, the Bulls became unstoppable.
Their lead continued to grow, and their momentum only became stronger.
For the Heat, LeBron struggled against Luol Deng's defense, while Bosh also had trouble scoring against Boozer.
Only "Flash" Wade remained in rhythm.
But the Bulls still had Rose.
the "Windy City Assassin" fully blossomed in the fourth quarter, producing an offensive performance that even surpassed "Flash."
As a result, the gap kept widening.
With two minutes remaining, the Bulls had stretched their lead to 17 points. The game was completely out of reach, and the Heat had no chance of coming back.
In the end, the Bulls cooled off the Heat on their home court, winning by 13 points and taking Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
"Hahaha!"
After the game, Jon Barry tried to hide his embarrassment with a laugh.
"I take back what I said at halftime. The Bulls are incredibly strong."
Mark Jackson also shook his head and laughed.
"We underestimated them. Then again, the Bulls beat the Heat during the regular season and finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
How could they possibly lack strength?
They have Boozer and Noah as twin towers inside, Luol Deng, who can drive, defend, and shoot threes, and Korver providing shooting off the bench.
Most importantly, they have their superstar, the 'The Windy City Assassin,' Derrick Rose.
With such a well-balanced roster, how could the Bulls be weak?
This is the Eastern Conference Finals. There are no weak teams left. The Bulls and Heat are certain to give us a spectacular series.
Everyone should look forward to it."
...
Game 1 of both Conference Finals had now concluded.
The Suns and Mavericks had originally been expected to produce an evenly matched series, but Phoenix now appeared to have the upper hand.
Meanwhile, the prediction that the Heat would crush the Bulls had been overturned by Chicago's emphatic victory in Game 1, making that series look far more balanced than expected.
None of these developments had been anticipated, but the fans were thrilled.
A playoff series needed unexpected twists like these to become truly exciting and worth anticipating.
Now, one day later, Game 2 between the Suns and Mavericks was about to begin.
And one of the game's biggest attractions would be Carter's return.