At halftime, the score stood at:
Mavericks 66, Suns 54.
Inside the broadcast studio, Hubie Brown glanced at the statistics in disbelief.
"The Mavericks are a one-star team built around Nowitzki.
"Yet Nowitzki scored only nine points in the first half, and somehow Dallas still leads by twelve. That's unbelievable."
"How did that happen?" Dave Pasch asked in surprise.
"Because of Terry, tonight's 'X-factor.' 'The Jet' has made six threes on only seven attempts.
"He scored 18 points in the first half alone.
"His efficiency has been incredible. That highly efficient scoring, combined with the contributions of the other Mavericks players, is why Dallas has built a twelve-point lead."
Dave Pasch drew a sharp breath.
"'The Jet' made six threes on seven attempts in one half. That's 86 percent.
"That's terrifying.
"He really is an 'X-factor.'"
"Exactly."
Hubie Brown nodded repeatedly and adjusted his glasses.
"'Wonder Kid' Barea and 'The Jet' Terry have emerged as two 'X-factors' in succession, taking pressure off Nowitzki.
"If they can sustain this level of play, it will be extremely difficult for the Suns to mount another comeback."
"Well..."
Dave Pasch shook his head.
"They can't possibly keep this up for an entire game. In the second half, Blake should be able to rely on his superior ability and lead the Suns back."
"Let's hope so."
...
Inside the arena, Terry's continued outburst had the Mavericks fans on their feet, cheering with their arms raised.
The Suns fans, meanwhile, were grinding their teeth in frustration. Their eyes burned with barely restrained anger, like enraged lions.
They were furious.
Absolutely furious.
"Damn it! With Dallas exploding like this, the Suns aren't playing against the Mavericks. They're playing against the Mavericks' ridiculous luck."
"This is absurd."
"Please, Terry, come back down to earth! You're not normally this good from three!"
"Damn it, does anyone have a magic mirror? Let me borrow it. I want to expose whatever monster has possessed Terry."
"It's only a twelve-point deficit, and there are still two quarters left. Even with the Mavericks' 'X-factor' going off, the Suns can still come back."
"I'm just saying... 'The Jet' isn't going to stay this hot in the second half, is he?"
The Suns fans could only complain helplessly.
Some of them feared Terry would maintain his touch and continue his outburst after halftime.
Their fears soon came true.
...
The second half began.
"Swish!"
"The Jet" Terry opened with another three, stretching the lead to fifteen and dealing the Suns another heavy blow.
"Damn it! How is he this accurate?!"
Terry's absurd shooting even made Blake curse under his breath.
A moment later, however, Blake's expression turned completely serious.
He had no choice but to lock in.
And it was not just Blake. Against a Mavericks team producing one "X-factor" after another, the entire Suns roster needed to raise its level.
"Swish!"
Blake started by using a double crossover to shake Nowitzki before knocking down a jumper from the right side of the free-throw line.
On the next possession, he drove again and drew the defense before kicking the ball out to Curry at the top of the arc.
Curry caught the pass, loaded up, and fired.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
George absorbed Nowitzki's physical post play and disrupted his rhythm, reducing the effectiveness of his One-Legged Fadeaway.
Under the basket, Frye sacrificed his own perimeter offense and devoted all his energy to rebounding. He repeatedly kicked the ball back out to Blake, creating more scoring opportunities for him.
"Captain Canada" Nash also displayed every bit of his ability as a passing maestro and floor general, repeatedly delivering brilliant passes to his teammates.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
After Terry opened the half with that three, the Suns' offense began running smoothly.
However, the Mavericks were playing well offensively too.
Marion was excellent defensively tonight and attacked the basket with determination.
"The Jet" Terry, the "X-factor" who had Suns fans and players grinding their teeth, still had his touch and remained on fire.
As for the "German Wunderkind" Nowitzki, his individual performance remained ordinary under Blake's pressure, but his presence still commanded attention.
That created opportunities for Kidd and Terry on the perimeter.
Chandler also battled relentlessly for rebounds inside, giving his teammates repeated second-chance opportunities.
For a time, the two teams became locked in an intense back-and-forth battle, with neither able to seize control.
This was Dallas with Nowitzki struggling, yet they were still going toe-to-toe with the Suns while Blake was on the floor.
That alone was extremely impressive.
After three quarters, the Suns still trailed by seven.
...
During the break, Hubie Brown tapped his fingers against the desk.
"The Suns played very well in the third quarter. But even with Blake limiting Nowitzki to a certain extent, they only managed to cut five points from the deficit.
"The biggest reason was still 'The Jet' Terry's spectacular performance.
"Terry made three more threes in the third quarter tonight.
"Through three quarters, he is nine for twelve from beyond the arc. That's an incredible 75 percent, giving him 27 highly efficient points and making him Dallas' biggest 'X-factor' tonight.
"With Barea, Marion, and Stevenson all doing their jobs as well, the Mavericks have managed to stay with the Suns and maintain a seven-point lead even without their top star, Nowitzki, taking over."
"Exactly."
Dave Pasch nodded.
"Nine threes through three quarters on only twelve attempts, giving him 27 points.
"'The Jet' Terry has truly taken flight tonight!"
...
On the court, Blake leaned back against the bench and wiped away his sweat with a white towel.
Looking at Terry's nine made threes on the stat board, he could not resist complaining.
"A veteran coming off the bench is playing like this? This old guy just isn't playing fair."
"He really isn't playing fair!"
Curry echoed him, shaking his head repeatedly.
"He averages only 8.3 points, but tonight he already has 27 through three quarters.
"Take him out of the equation, and we would have blown the Mavericks out through three quarters. The game would already be in garbage time."
"No kidding."
George shrugged helplessly.
"But Terry really has made all those threes, and he's been ridiculously accurate.
"The Mavericks must be blessed by the heavens tonight. Their luck is completely maxed out!"