NBA M3 - Chapter 580: The Consecutive Triple-Double Streak Comes to an End (Patreon)

Phoenix had built a twenty-point lead in the first quarter. Things could hardly have gone better for the Suns, and for a weaker team like Minnesota, coming back to win looked almost impossible.

Still, only one quarter had been played. There was always a chance things could change.

The second quarter soon got underway, beginning with the reserve units. Phoenix once again relied on the Curry-and-Klay pairing, with Carter and two other bench players alongside them.

Minnesota's starters were already ordinary enough, and its second unit was even weaker.

“Swish!”

Curry hit a three.

“Swish!”

Klay answered with another.

“BOOM!”

With the defense stretched by Curry and Klay's outside shooting, Carter found room to attack the basket and threw down one of the dunks fans were seeing less and less often from him. The Suns were scoring from every direction.

“Wow!” Shaq exclaimed at the sight before breaking into a grin. “Phoenix's bench got crushed by the Spurs' reserves last game. Looks like they're taking it out on Minnesota tonight.”

“That's right,” Barkley agreed with a chuckle.

Over the next five minutes and fifteen seconds, Curry and Klay helped stretch the twenty-point lead all the way to twenty-seven.

“That's a wrap.” Shaq spread his hands. “We haven't even reached halftime, and the Timberwolves are down twenty-seven. Phoenix has officially clocked out. Minnesota might as well give up.”

“Yeah.” Barkley nodded, then suddenly widened his eyes. “Wait a minute. If the Suns are putting this away so early, doesn't that mean Blake won't play again?”

“Probably not,” Shaq replied. Noticing Barkley's alarm, he added, “Blake sitting out blowouts is nothing new. Why are you so worked up about it?”

“It's not that. Blake's only played one quarter tonight, and he has twenty points, five rebounds, and three assists. If he doesn't come back, he won't get a triple-double. That means his streak of consecutive triple-doubles ends here.”

“Ah!” Shaq finally understood. “That would be a shame. But with a lead this big, I doubt Blake will return. He's not the kind of player who forces his way back onto the floor just to chase statistics.”

And that was exactly what happened. After Minnesota called a timeout and sent its starters back out, Phoenix also brought back four starters.

Blake, however, stayed on the bench. His night's work really was done after one quarter. With such an overwhelming lead, there was simply no reason to risk playing him.

By halftime, the Suns had extended their advantage to thirty-one points. When the second half began, Phoenix sent out an entirely reserve lineup.

Minnesota kept fighting for a few more minutes, if only to save face in front of the home crowd, but eventually gave up as well.

The outcome was never in doubt. Phoenix cruised to a twenty-five-point victory over the Timberwolves, extending its winning streak to thirteen games.

“Sigh...”

After the final buzzer, Shaq shook his head. “The Suns won, but it's a shame for Blake. He finishes with twenty points, five rebounds, and three assists.

“Those numbers might not seem all that special until you realize he produced them in just one quarter. That's unbelievable.

“At the same time, because he clocked out after one quarter, his consecutive triple-double streak ends at eleven games.

“That's two more than the ‘Ancient Beast’ ever managed. The streak is over, but Blake has set another record. It might stand for ten years, twenty years, or even longer.”

“Absolutely. Blake, the young player, is already becoming a legend,” Barkley agreed. Then he changed the subject. “Shaq, Blake barely needed to do anything tonight, yet Minnesota still got blown out. Why do you think that is?”

“Well...” Shaq considered it for a moment, then smiled. “Simple. There's a huge gap in ability between these teams. Even before, when Love had a big game and put up great numbers, Minnesota still lost badly.

“Tonight Love couldn't buy a basket after that opening burst. With him struggling, the Timberwolves never stood a chance. Getting blown away in one quarter was only natural.”

“Fair enough.”

...

Nobody was surprised that the Suns had beaten the Timberwolves. What caught people off guard was how early Phoenix had put the game away, leaving Blake on the bench after a single quarter and freezing his triple-double streak at eleven games.

Of course, a record couldn't grow forever. There was some regret that the streak had ended, but fans and reporters alike remained overwhelmingly positive. Blake had given them another extraordinary achievement to celebrate.

With thirteen consecutive victories, Phoenix still held the top spot in the West. Its next opponent would be the Dallas Mavericks, the same team the Suns had faced in last season's Western Conference Finals.

Back then, ‘The German Wunderkind’ Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks as a whole had been at their strongest. They were formidable opponents who had put enormous pressure on Phoenix.

So when the teams were scheduled to meet again the following day, fans immediately began looking forward to another showdown between Blake and Nowitzki.