The Suns suffered a heartbreaking 3-point loss.
The Finals were now tied 1-1.
With "King James" LeBron back in form, the Heat Big Three played with renewed aggression, unleashing the fierce offense expected of the league's great villains.
For a time, more and more people began favoring Miami to win the series.
Of course, there were still plenty of fans supporting Phoenix.
Despite the loss, Blake had delivered another spectacular 50-point performance, giving his supporters plenty of reason to remain hopeful.
They still believed that as long as Blake was there, as long as their "superhero" remained on the court, everything would work out in the end and Phoenix would ultimately prevail.
Besides, the series was only tied 1-1.
With all those factors combined, the Finals remained a toss-up, with neither side holding a clear advantage.
And naturally, Blake's popularity surged yet again.
"Man, Blake is incredible!"
"Seriously, at the start of the season, I never imagined the Finals would end up being a rookie going toe-to-toe with the Heat Big Three and keeping the whole series in suspense."
"Exactly! The 'Monster Rookie' became a sensation the moment he entered the league. He's putting up phenomenal performances worthy of an era-defining center."
"He's been unbelievable."
"Back-to-back 50-point games in the Finals. That's insane."
"No kidding. Blake is my superhero. I believe in him completely. He's going to take down the Heat, beat the final boss, and win the championship!"
"Go Suns!"
"Go Blake!"
"Let's go!"
Countless fans online rallied behind Blake.
His nearly flawless performances had turned more and more people into fans of the "Monster Rookie," sending his popularity soaring once again.
...
Around the same time, inside Wagner's office at Adidas headquarters, Wagner and Production Manager Leviton were once again seated on the sofa.
"Wagner, the Suns lost last night. It looks like the momentum might be shifting."
Leviton sounded a little concerned.
"So what?"
Wagner shrugged and smiled.
"They lost, sure. But I checked the numbers. Since last night, pre-orders for the 'Blake Su Generation' have actually increased."
"That tells us something.
"Phoenix may have lost, but Blake's popularity still went up.
"That's a good thing. In fact, it's exactly what we want to see."
"Oh?"
Leviton looked surprised.
"It's already been several days since pre-orders opened for the 'Blake Su Generation.' And sales are still rising even after a loss?"
"Of course."
Wagner nodded.
"The Suns didn't lose because of Blake. He played exceptionally well.
"That kind of performance only makes him more popular.
"And besides, the series is tied 1-1. Nobody knows who's going to win yet.
"So as long as Blake keeps playing well, his popularity will keep rising.
"And the more popular he becomes, the more 'Blake Su Generation' signature shoes we'll ultimately sell."
"So in other words..."
Leviton narrowed his eyes as he understood.
"For Blake, what matters is putting on spectacular performances.
"What matters is popularity?"
"Exactly."
Wagner snapped his fingers.
"Of course, winning games and building an early series lead would be even better."
...
At noon, Blake finally woke up at his villa.
After getting out of bed and washing up, he found that Mia Quinn had already prepared a nutritious breakfast and was waiting for him to come eat.
"Blake, how are you feeling?"
Mia asked with some concern.
"Why? Do I look bad?"
Blake asked.
"No."
Mia pushed a glass of milk toward him.
"You lost yesterday, so... I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Ah."
Blake understood and smiled.
"I'm fine. You win some games and lose some games, especially when the opponent is the Heat Big Three.
"Beating them was never going to be easy.
"And even though we lost, the series is still tied 1-1.
"Nobody knows who's going to win from here.
"So why would I let one loss get to me?"
"Mm-hmm."
Mia nodded with a smile.
"That's more like it."
"Oh, right."
Blake changed the subject.
"I asked you before to see whether Charlotte would be willing to come live here. What did she say?"
"Um..."
Mia thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"She doesn't want to."
"Huh?"
"Why wouldn't she?"
Blake frowned and fell into thought.
Clearly, that wasn't the answer he had expected.
Mia simply stared at him.
Then...
"Pfft!"
She suddenly burst out laughing.
"What?"
Blake looked at her in surprise.
Mia smiled brightly.
"I was kidding. My mom is willing to come.
"Actually, she really wants to."
"Hey!"
Realizing he had been tricked, Blake glared at her.
"Mia, I was being serious and you still messed with me."
As he spoke, Blake stood up as if he were about to "teach her a lesson."
"Hehe!"
"Silly Blake!"
Mia laughed as she dodged him, ran into the living room, hid behind the couch, and made a face at him.
"Hmph."
Blake followed, caught her from behind, and wrapped his arms around her as if he were about to get even.
"Wait, Blake!"
Mia ducked her head, then suddenly pointed at a puppy on the television.
"Wow, that puppy is so cute!
"Blake!
"Can we get a dog?"
"Uh..."
Blake scratched his head and glanced at the adorable puppy on the screen.
"I guess we could."
They might tease and bicker with each other, but when it came to something Mia liked, Blake usually gave in.
He spoiled her quite a bit.
...
At 5:00 p.m., the Heat players were back at their training facility in Miami.
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
Bosh, Wade, and LeBron each threw down a powerful dunk.
"Ha!"
LeBron pounded his chest.
"See that? That's our talent. That's our strength.
"If we play the way we're supposed to, a Suns team with only Blake has no chance of beating us.
"Forget what people outside say.
"Forget how much they criticize us.
"Winners get the last word.
"Once we win the championship, none of that will matter anymore.
"Everything we've sacrificed, everything we've worked for, it'll all be worth it."
"Exactly."
Wade raised his voice in agreement.
"Guys, there's only one opponent left.
"Beat them, and we're champions.
"We'll be the best team in the league.
"We'll finally have the championship trophy every player dreams of.
"The series is tied 1-1, but now we have two games at home.
"This is our territory.
"Let's keep pushing, finish the job, and take the Suns down."
"Yeah!!!"
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.