"Oh?"
Woj responded, clearly interested in hearing more.
McGrady smiled faintly and continued, "The Heat lead the Bulls 3-1, and the Suns lead the Mavericks 3-1. Both the Heat and the Suns have reached match point.
"But their situations are different.
"For the Heat, aside from losing Game 1, they've dominated the next three games. Derrick Rose has played extremely well, but the 'Heat Big Three' are simply too strong.
"The Heat reached match point in dominant fashion and are charging toward the Finals.
"To be fair, that was their goal from the start. Last summer, 'King James' LeBron went to Miami to join forces with 'Flash' Wade, and they brought in 'CB4' Bosh as well.
"They came together to win a championship.
"As for the Suns, they should have reached match point just as comfortably. But the Mavericks have had so many 'X-factors' step up that they've managed to make the games far more competitive.
"So while the Suns have reached match point, it hasn't been easy.
"That's why I say the Heat and Suns may both be at match point, but they got there under very different circumstances.
"And when I said their strength was the same, I meant the Heat and Suns are equally strong. There's no need to say much about how powerful the Heat are.
"As for the Suns, the Mavericks were never a weak team to begin with. Now, with one 'X-factor' after another stepping up for them, the Suns have still managed to reach match point.
"That alone says plenty about how strong Phoenix is.
"They put together the second-longest winning streak in regular-season history and had two separate winning streaks of more than 20 games. This Suns team was never going to be ordinary.
"Granted, they struggled to adjust to playoff basketball early on and nearly went out in the first round, but by now, they've almost returned to their usual form.
"So what I'm saying is, if the Heat and Suns, two extremely strong teams, meet in the Finals, it should be a fantastic series."
"Oh?"
Woj seemed to catch onto something and smiled. "First of all, thank you, T-Mac. That was an excellent analysis, and it lines up pretty closely with what we've seen.
"But judging from the way you said it, do you think the Heat and Suns are going to meet in the Finals?"
"No, no, no!"
McGrady shook his head with a smile. "I was only analyzing things based on the current situation. That's why I said 'if.'
"I wasn't making a definite prediction.
"You know how the playoffs are. This is where teams really go to war. When everyone is fighting for a win, anything can happen.
"Until the final buzzer sounds, nothing is certain.
"And that's exactly why it's worth watching."
"Excellent."
Woj applauded with a smile. "Very well said, T-Mac. And thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me."
"My pleasure!"
...
Their conversation quickly sparked another wave of discussion online.
Although plenty of fans still believed in the Bulls and Mavericks, the general consensus leaned heavily toward a Heat-Suns matchup in the Finals.
Even for tomorrow night's game between the Suns and Mavericks, most fans and many experts were predicting a Phoenix victory. The prevailing opinion was that the Suns would take the Western Conference Finals 4-1.
With a 3-1 lead, the Suns held an enormous advantage.
The Mavericks had been pushed to the brink.
...
The next day.
After finishing the nutritious breakfast Mia Quinn had prepared that morning, Blake headed to US Airways Center to prepare for Game 5 and another chance to close out the series.
Waiting was always tedious, yet it was filled with anticipation.
That evening, at 8:00 p.m., countless fans were counting down the minutes.
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between the Suns and Mavericks would tip off in one hour.
At US Airways Center, the stands were already packed an hour before the game.
The deafening cheers gave this relatively small city an atmosphere that could rival any major market.
Suns fans throughout the arena held up banners and flags with messages like:
"Finish It Tonight!"
"Win It 4-1!"
"It Ends Here!"
"Mavericks: Go Home and Go Fishing!"
Every one of them carried the same message.
The Suns were going to finish the Western Conference Finals tonight and advance to the Finals.
The Mavericks were already dealing with the pressure of trailing 3-1. Now they were on the road, surrounded by hostile fans and staring at those eye-catching signs.
It was impossible not to feel unsettled.
The pressure was enormous.
For Dallas, a loss tonight meant the end of their season.
But that also meant they had nothing left to hold back.
Tonight was their last stand. They had to give everything they had.
There was only one way to keep their season alive.
Win.
Before long, with the arena roaring around them, warmups came to an end.
It was game time.
"Jump ball!"
Once again, Blake and Chandler met at center court.
"Can I win just once?"
There was hardly any confidence left in Chandler's eyes. After losing the opening tip again and again, he almost seemed resigned to his fate.
And sure enough, there was no suspense.
Blake beat Chandler to the ball once more and easily tipped it away.
"Tap!"
George collected it and handed the ball to Nash, who brought it into the frontcourt to begin the Suns' first possession.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Nash dribbled at the top of the key while Blake moved without the ball, cutting toward the paint before using George's screen to curl along the baseline and get open for a pass.
But Nowitzki and Terry immediately converged on him.
They were determined not to let Blake catch the ball easily.
"Whoosh!"
Nash responded by swinging the ball to George at the high post.
He was open.
George caught it and immediately rose for the jumper.
Would it fall?
Could he carry over his hot shooting from the previous game?
"Clang!"
No good.
But Blake flew in for the offensive rebound and kicked it back out.
Curry caught the ball and fired another three.
Would this one go?
"Clang!"
Still no.
This time Chandler boxed Blake out, allowing Nowitzki to secure the rebound.
He passed to Kidd, who pushed the ball up the floor.
At the top of the key, Kidd drove past Curry and looked as though he was searching for Nowitzki.
Then he suddenly accelerated into the paint.
A low scoop layup.
"Swish!"
Good.
Suns 0, Mavericks 2.
Dallas struck first and got off to a good start.
On the next possession, Blake's presence once again drew the defense, allowing Nash to create another three-point opportunity for Curry.
Curry fired without hesitation, but Kidd closed out aggressively and got a strong contest.
"Clang!"
Missed again.
Terry grabbed the rebound and raced the other way.
Was he going to pull up for a transition three?
No.
He swung the ball across to the trailing Nowitzki.
"Whoosh!"
Nowitzki rose for three.
Quick and clean.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
On the very next possession, it was Nowitzki again.
One-on-one against George, he backed him down before going to his "One-Legged Fadeaway."
"Swish!"
Another make.
"Wow!"
Inside the broadcast studio, Mike Breen stared at the screen in surprise.
"The Suns have come out cold tonight, while the Mavericks are red-hot. We're only two minutes into the game, and Dallas has already opened up a 7-0 run.
"Everyone expected the Suns, back on their home floor, to ride their momentum and finish this series tonight.
"But with the way this game has started...
"Could we be looking at a complete reversal?"