As soon as Game 3 between the Mavericks and the Suns ended, it sparked an uproar online. Everyone had plenty to say.
"???"
"Again? Another 'X-factor'?
It was already bad enough that 'Wonder Kid' Barea and Stevenson caught fire in Game 2 and kept the game close until the very end.
But it happened again tonight?
'The Jet' Terry hit nine threes and scored 33 points? A nearly retired Peja scored 13 points in a single quarter?!
What the hell is this?!"
"I'm stunned."
"Same here. I watched the game in person, and I was completely dumbfounded. I kept rubbing my eyes because I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Then the final loss slapped me right back to reality."
"That's ridiculous!"
"Ridiculous? It's beyond ridiculous!"
"The Mavericks have had unexpected players step up in two straight games. Tonight, their 'X-factors' were even more explosive than Nowitzki.
That's just not fair. It doesn't even make sense!"
"Hah, what doesn't make sense about it? Terry and Peja have always been good three-point shooters. They've been quiet for so long, so what's wrong with them going off tonight?
It's perfectly normal."
"Exactly. Everyone has a hot streak once in a while. Even Paul George, whose offense is usually terrible, has made several threes in a row before.
There's nothing strange about Terry and Peja having a big night."
"George: ???"
"That's right. Besides, even setting everything else aside, luck is part of the game. They didn't cheat, steal, or pull any dirty tricks. They earned it.
Let Paul George on the Suns have a breakout game too. Let him hit nine threes in one game.
We Mavericks fans promise we won't say a word."
"George: ???"
"Well... damn."
"O-okay, fine. There's nothing wrong with that argument. It's just annoying that the Mavericks have been so lucky, with so many unexpected players stepping up."
"Man, the Mavericks really have had incredible luck this year."
"Maybe this is a little compensation for all the bad luck Dirk Nowitzki has suffered?!"
"Who knows? But the Mavericks' luck meter is completely maxed out. If they keep playing like this every game, I think... the Mavericks might actually beat the Suns."
"Exactly. The Mavericks are already a strong team. If another surprise contributor catches fire every game, then even with the 'Monster Rookie' Blake...
The Suns won't be able to withstand it."
"The Mavericks' luck is unbelievable. If I were their owner, I'd buy a lottery ticket. I might just hit a million-dollar jackpot."
"Hah!"
"Hey, everyone keeps talking about the Mavericks' luck. Is nobody paying attention to Blake?"
"What about Blake?"
"What do you mean, what about him? Blake just put up 45 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and two blocks tonight. He recorded a '40+ triple-double.'
Those numbers are incredible."
"Hey, I've been waiting for someone to bring that up. Finally, someone who gets it. Recording a '40+ triple-double' in the playoffs is incredibly difficult.
According to the available records, only three players in NBA history had ever recorded a '40+ triple-double' in a playoff game.
They were 'The Big O' Oscar Robertson, who did it twice in the 1962/1963 season; the 'Round Mound of Rebound' Charles Barkley, who did it once in the 1992/1993 season; and Jerry West, who did it once in the 1968/1969 season.
There's no need to say much about 'The Big O,' the all-time triple-double king.
In 1993, the year Barkley recorded his '40+ triple-double,' he took the regular-season MVP award away from Michael Jordan himself.
That tells you how dominant he was.
In 1969, the year Jerry West, 'The Logo,' recorded his '40+ triple-double,' he led his team to the Finals. Although they suffered a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Celtics, West's extraordinary performance made him the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP trophy as a member of the losing team.
For the Finals MVP to be awarded to a player on the losing team shows just how phenomenal Jerry West was throughout that series.
Now, Blake has become the fourth player in history to record a '40+ triple-double' in the playoffs.
And he's still only a rookie.
Blake is already every bit as formidable as those legends, and his potential is limitless."
"Damn!"
"That's incredible!"
"'Monster Rookie' Blake really is that good!"
"..."
...
While the fans were still arguing online, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was locked inside a restroom stall at the American Airlines Center, resolving an internal conflict.
The tension of the game had forced him to hold it in all night.
Only after the Mavericks won could he finally breathe a sigh of relief and happily take care of his physical needs. As he sat there, he scrolled through Twitter and read the fans' heated discussions.
That was how he came across a comment telling him to buy a lottery ticket.
Cuban shook his head and laughed.
"Forget whether I'd win. Do I look like I need a few million dollars in prize money?!
Buying a lottery ticket is out of the question.
If I really do have a luck buff, I want every bit of that luck to go to the Mavericks and help them win me a championship!
That's what I want more than anything!
Go, Mavericks!!!"
Cuban pumped his fist and growled fiercely. Just as he strained, there was a soft plop. Something seemed to have broken off and dropped into the bowl.
...
The next day, the matchup between the Suns and the Mavericks remained a major topic among fans and the media.
Previously, most people had believed the Suns were certain to win the series.
But after the Mavericks won Game 3, with unexpected contributors stepping up for the second straight game and their luck meter seemingly maxed out both times, opinions began to shift.
On paper, the Mavericks still could not match the Suns, especially with Blake keeping Nowitzki in check.
But if the Mavericks continued to receive a luck buff in every game, with another 'X-factor' catching fire each time, then they would have the better chance of winning the series!!!
The theory sounded far-fetched, even superstitious. Yet in the face of what had already happened, plenty of fans were willing to accept it.
Mavericks fans hoped the team's role players would continue their explosive performances in Game 4.
Suns fans, meanwhile, could only pray that the Mavericks' role players would perform normally and act like ordinary human beings for once.
Regardless, the Western Conference Finals between the Suns and the Mavericks remained wide open, with the outcome still too close to call.
The Suns-Mavericks series dominated the discussion throughout the day.
That lasted until 9:00 p.m., when the fans' attention temporarily shifted to Game 3 between the Bulls and the Heat, another series that appeared evenly matched and impossible to predict.
...
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