In the stands, Pippen sighed. "The Heat's offense isn't complicated at all. LeBron attacks, then Wade attacks, then Bosh attacks.
"It's extremely simple, but also extremely effective.
"And their strongest weapon, their defense leading into fast breaks, is even simpler. They rely on individual talent to force turnovers and create more opportunities in transition.
"The Heat Big Three are just too powerful when you put them together."
"Yeah."
Michael Jordan nodded. "One player can only do so much on his own. But the game has only just started.
"Let's see how things develop.
"With Blake out there, I don't think this series is going to end easily."
Across the arena, Yao Ming frowned slightly. "LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are unstoppable. Or, to be more precise, the three of them together are unstoppable."
"Yeah."
Yi Jianlian nodded in agreement. "All three of them are elite one-on-one scorers. Even with Blake's defensive ability, he can only contain one of them.
"That means the Heat's offensive firepower barely drops at all.
"And for Blake, defense is secondary. Offense has to be his top priority because the Suns rely too heavily on his scoring."
"No."
Yao Ming shook his head. "This is the Finals. This is the last stage and the biggest stage of all.
"The Suns don't just rely on Blake's offense.
"The Suns... rely on everything Blake does!"
On the court, Wade and LeBron had scored on consecutive possessions.
In transition, Blake used George's screen to shake LeBron, accelerated down the left wing, blew past Bosh with one quick step, and gathered for a layup.
"Step!"
Blake rose with the ball held high, ready to throw down a powerful dunk.
But Haslem had already prepared himself. He jumped straight up with both arms extended. He wasn't necessarily looking for the block, but he wanted to meet Blake with enough physical resistance to disrupt the finish.
However...
"Whoosh!"
Blake folded his body in midair, switched the ball around Haslem's contest, and avoided the contact.
"Swish!"
He finished off the glass.
A three-pointer, then an acrobatic layup. Even against layer after layer of Heat defense, Blake made scoring look easy.
Completely shutting him down?
Impossible!
And it wasn't just Blake. The rest of the Suns were playing extremely well tonight too.
Stephen Curry had trouble creating offense off the dribble against Wade, but with Blake drawing defensive attention and Nash feeding him perfectly...
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Curry still knocked down a three and scored on a driving floater.
He was fully displaying the offensive ability expected of the team's second option.
George was still a rookie and hadn't developed much of an offensive arsenal yet, but as the Suns' second-best defender behind Blake and their primary defensive stopper, he was doing his job.
He rotated between guarding Bosh and LeBron and occasionally found himself switched onto Wade.
The results weren't especially good, but he still managed to bother them to some extent.
At the very least, he kept the Heat Big Three from scoring completely at will.
Channing Frye was nominally a power forward, but most of the time he played more like a center, doing everything he could to protect the glass.
Whether it was the Grizzlies' "Black and White Bears" in the first round, the Lakers' three big men in the second round, or the Mavericks' rebounding monster Chandler, Frye had spent all three series at a disadvantage inside.
Against Haslem, though, things were different.
He was still at a slight disadvantage in strength, but he had the height advantage, making the matchup much more even.
He was doing everything he could to protect the rim for Phoenix.
"Captain Canada" Steve Nash remained a major weakness defensively and was the first player the Heat Big Three looked to attack on switches.
But his outstanding passing, court vision, control of the Suns' offensive rhythm, and reliable shooting helped make up for those defensive shortcomings.
Then there was the bench.
Vince Carter had always relied heavily on his athletic gifts. As those physical tools declined, he naturally lost the dominance he once possessed during his superstar years."
But in a reserve role, his experience and increasingly reliable jumper still made him effective.
In short, the entire Suns team was playing extremely well tonight.
There were barely any mistakes or weaknesses in their performance.
You could almost call it flawless.
But the Heat were playing just as well.
"King James" LeBron kept using those bulldozing drives. You could argue that, to some extent, it was the one move he relied on over and over again.
But if one move worked every time, why change it?
This was the Finals. There was no need for anything flashy.
All that mattered was scoring efficiently, keeping things simple, and winning.
With his exceptional basketball IQ, LeBron understood that perfectly.
And he was executing it extremely well.
"The Flash" Wade also relied heavily on penetration, especially that explosive first step.
It really was lightning fast, perfectly fitting his nickname.
Players quicker than Wade weren't as strong as he was.
Players stronger or taller than Wade weren't as quick.
Combine those lightning-fast drives with his Eurostep, and he was incredibly difficult to stop.
"CB4" Bosh had a dependable mid-range jumper. He could also attack laterally toward the basket and finish with a hook, or stop suddenly, use a shot fake, and rise for a jumper.
As one of the top five, perhaps even top three, power forwards in the Eastern Conference, Bosh's individual ability was never in doubt.
The only reason he didn't stand out more was simple.
LeBron and Wade were just that good.
Then there was Chalmers.
As a role player for the Heat, he played hard and took his responsibilities seriously.
He started with defense and made sure to capitalize on the open three-point opportunities created by the Big Three, consistently giving the team valuable support.
Haslem was a classic undersized center.
He wasn't tall, but he rebounded well and protected the rim effectively.
That was enough.
And because the Heat lacked size inside, the Heat Big Three also devoted part of their energy to helping secure defensive rebounds.
In short, Miami was playing extremely well too.
Every player was bringing out the best in himself, and there were almost no flaws in their performance.
Both teams were playing at a very high level.
Naturally, that produced an intense, tightly contested battle.
"Damn!"
"Blake and Curry hitting threes, Nash throwing brilliant passes, LeBron hammering home tomahawk dunks, Wade using his Eurostep, Bosh working in the post...
"They're trading shot for shot. This is incredible!"
"Exactly!"
"This game has been amazing!"
"Now this is what a Finals matchup should look like. What a game!"
"..."
Even though this was Miami's home court, the fans genuinely appreciated the back-and-forth action and the fierce offensive battle between the two teams.
Everyone expected the game to remain close all the way into the fourth quarter, perhaps even down to the final minute.
But what happened next caught everyone by surprise.
Despite the two teams trading baskets throughout the first quarter, the Suns somehow ended the period trailing by seven.
And by halftime...
The Suns were already down by 13 points!!!