The first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals had both been blowouts.
The Bulls dominated Game 1, while the Heat returned the favor in Game 2.
Now, heading into Game 3, which team would prove stronger?
At first glance, they appeared evenly matched. Either side seemed capable of winning.
After plenty of pregame discussion, experts eventually reached a consensus. The Heat held a slight advantage because they were playing at home tonight.
With that prediction hanging over the game, the two teams took the court.
"Jump ball!"
Noah won the tip, giving the Bulls the first possession. However, Luol Deng's opening drive was immediately cut off by LeBron.
The Heat raced the other way.
"Whoosh!"
Wade became "Flash," slicing through the defense and attacking the heart of the paint. Once Noah, Luol Deng, and Rose converged on him, he tossed the ball high toward the rim.
LeBron's towering figure burst into view behind him. He caught the ball in midair and threw down a powerful two-handed windmill dunk.
"Boom!"
The rim shook violently.
The Heat opened the game with a spectacular Wade-to-LeBron connection, sending the home crowd into a thunderous frenzy and igniting the entire arena.
From that possession onward, the Heat's offensive onslaught, the offense of the "Big Villain," became completely unstoppable.
"King James" LeBron could drive, shoot, and orchestrate the offense while also providing All-Defensive First Team-caliber defense.
"Flash" Wade could likewise attack the rim, shoot, and create for others. At the same time, his defense was also at an All-Defensive First Team level.
Then there was Chris Bosh.
As the former franchise player of the Raptors, claiming that Bosh was not a star would have been one of the funniest jokes of the year.
The "Heat Big Three" all came alive on their home court.
They finished the first quarter with a seven-point lead, even though Rose had scored 13 points in the period.
Rose was playing brilliantly. Neither Wade nor LeBron could contain him.
But he was the only Bull producing at that level. Faced with the same suffocating defense, his teammates struggled badly on offense.
That was why the Heat had built their lead.
In the second quarter, the "Heat Big Three" kept pressing their advantage and widened the gap even further.
By halftime, the Heat were already ahead by 15 points.
By the end of the third quarter, their lead had ballooned to 23.
The game was effectively over.
During the semi-garbage time of the fourth quarter, Van Gundy clicked his tongue in amazement from the commentary booth.
"Watching those three Heat players on the court, honestly, I'd feel completely helpless if I were one of the Bulls."
"Why?" Mike Breen asked.
Van Gundy chuckled.
"Because the Heat have too many ways to finish a possession. You have no idea who you should focus on, especially with LeBron controlling the game.
"After several quick passes, you suddenly realize the Heat have open men everywhere. After defending a few possessions like that, the opponent's confidence starts falling apart.
"They're incredibly difficult to deal with."
"That's right," Mike Breen agreed. "More importantly, the 'Big Three' aren't only dominant offensively.
"On defense, LeBron, Wade, and Bosh put tremendous pressure on their opponents.
"We've mentioned it many times before. Their defensive pressure forces rushed shots and turnovers, which immediately allows the Heat to attack in transition.
"That is the Heat's most dangerous form of offense.
"The clearest example is the nearly unstoppable Wade-to-LeBron connection on the fast break, something we've seen countless times this season.
"It once terrified the entire league."
"Exactly."
Van Gundy adjusted his microphone and picked up the discussion.
"When two players who are both roughly among the five best in the league play together, their combination is almost impossible to stop.
"And in the playoffs, the Wade-to-LeBron connection has been even more aggressive and dangerous than it was during the regular season.
"The Bulls, on the other hand, only have Rose.
"Rose is unquestionably great. He has already reached his peak in just his third season, but one man can only do so much. He simply cannot overcome all three of them by himself.
"In the end, the Bulls still can't match the Heat.
"The teams split the first two games in Chicago, so the gap between them didn't seem particularly large. But once the series moved to Miami, the strength of the 'Heat Big Three' immediately became obvious.
"We originally thought the Bulls and Heat were evenly matched.
"But the Big Villain is still the Big Villain. As the boss standing at the end of the road, the Heat are simply a level above the other teams.
"For now, the Bulls, with only Derrick Rose, still belong among those 'other teams.'"
As the two commentators spoke, the "Heat Big Three" continued giving the Bulls no chance on the court.
They had no intention of repeating what happened in Game 1, when they controlled the early stages only to suffer a comeback loss.
All three remained on the floor deep into the fourth quarter, keeping the lead safely above 15 points.
In the end, the Heat won by 17, crushing the Bulls at home to claim another victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
After two dominant wins, fans believed the situation had already become one-sided.
The Heat, cast as the Big Villain, would sweep aside the Bulls and storm into the NBA Finals.
As for the Bulls, Derrick Rose had originally been hailed as the superhero destined to defeat the "Heat Big Three."
Now, fans had stripped him of that title.
Who could become the "superhero" capable of defeating the villainous Heat?
In the minds of the fans, only two candidates remained.
"Monster Rookie" Blake and the "German Wunderkind" Nowitzki.
...
Game 3 between the Bulls and Heat remained a hot topic throughout the night.
The next day, everyone's attention shifted back to the Mavericks and Suns as they awaited Game 4 that evening.
Meanwhile, at Adidas headquarters, Wagner and Production Manager Leviton sat on the sofa in Wagner's office, drinking coffee.
Both appeared to be in excellent spirits.
"Blake's popularity just keeps growing," Leviton said with a smile. "Wagner, we already have more than four million pairs of the 'Blake Su Generation' ready. When do you plan to put them on sale?"
"Uh..."
Wagner did not answer the question.
Instead, he asked, "Leviton, do you think the Suns can reach the NBA Finals this year?
"And do you think they can win the championship?"
Leviton's mind went blank for a moment.
After thinking carefully, he slowly replied, "Honestly, I think the Suns can reach the Finals.
"But against the Big Villain, the 'Heat Big Three,' it may be difficult for Blake, a mere rookie, to become a 'superhero' and save the world."
"May be difficult?"
Wagner immediately seized on those words, his eyes narrowing.
"So you're saying there is still a chance that Blake could become the 'superhero' who defeats the Big Villain, the 'Heat Big Three'?"
"Yes."
Leviton nodded.
Wagner burst into loud laughter.
He leaned closer to Leviton, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes as his expression became serious.
"Leviton, how about we take a gamble?
"Let's bet on our chance to stun the world!"