Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 149: Traveling during off-peak hours (Han Sen version)

The day after Game 2, the Grizzlies flew back to Memphis.

This will be the most difficult period for them. The desperate counterattack is more difficult than their original Game 7.

This can be seen in the mood of the players after the team returned to Memphis.

Although everyone is still very dedicated in training, the decline in morale is visible to the naked eye.

This is normal, because in the first two games, the Grizzlies have almost played all the cards they can play.

In other words, the fact that the Grizzlies' lineup has reached this point has far exceeded most people's expectations.

Of course, it also exceeded management's expectations.

To put it bluntly, from Wallace's attitude when Hansen first arrived at the Grizzlies, it can be seen that the team's goal is the playoffs.

As for the championship, that was something only Han Sen dared to dream of.

Therefore, the management did not aim at that goal when building the lineup, otherwise the substitutes would not be so bad.

Especially in the interior, it sounds absurd for a team with Haddadi playing as a substitute center to compete for the championship.

After finishing the training, Hansen found Randolph alone.

"Zach, I need you to do more."

Randolph was a little confused by Hansen's opening words, but just like he did before leaving the game in Game 4 against the Spurs, he still nodded.

Is there any way for the Grizzlies to turn the situation around now?

Have.

But there is only one.

That is to extend the playing time of the main players.

Because the playing time of the main players is extended, the playing time of the substitutes can be compressed, the transition period of the substitutes becomes shorter, and the disadvantage will naturally become smaller.

However, this is a test of the starting lineup's physical fitness, especially in the playoffs, where the intensity is incomparable to that of the regular season.

And this method is a bit like drinking poison to quench thirst, because you are not playing a game, but a whole series.

But the Grizzlies had no other choice at this time.

After talking with Randolph, Hansen found Hollins and told him his ideas.

Hollins had no way of refusing. It wasn't because of Hansen's current position in the team or anything like that, but because he had played in such a high-end game that he had never played before. As he said in a previous interview, he was completely helpless.

It's really a bit too much to expect a defensive coach who has established himself in the league with the retro twin towers to make adjustments on the Western Conference Finals stage.

If Hollins was stubborn when playing against the Thunder, then starting from the game when Randolph was ejected, he showed more incompetence.

At a time like this, if someone throws you a life-saving straw, what else can you do except grab it with all your strength?

The next day, which was the open training session on game day, the Grizzlies showed a good mental state in front of reporters.

That wasn't entirely fake, because Hollins made changes in today's training session. Although it may not work, at least there is a direction.

He scored 1 points in G38 and defended Nowitzki in G2. As one of the few bright spots of the Grizzlies, Hansen was also the focus of reporters' attention.

"Are you confident about tonight's game?"

"Absolutely." Han Sen's confidence overflowed the screen.

“Have you made any adjustments?”

"Of course, but that's not the point."

"What's the point?" The reporter couldn't help but wonder.

“Because this is our home court.”

The FedEx Center was packed that night.

You can see a lot of "This is our home court" signs at the scene, and you can fully feel how inspiring Hansen's words are.

Hansen's jump from Cleveland's technical table has almost been forgotten by fans, but the scene of him jumping from Memphis' technical table after the team defeated the Thunder in G3 is still vivid.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Mavericks: Kidd, West, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler
Grizzlies: Conley, Hansen, Battier, Randolph, Gasol

After the lineup adjustment in G2, the Grizzlies changed the lineup back tonight.

The direct message of this adjustment is that the Grizzlies will no longer let Hansen defend Nowitzki like they did in G2.

In fact, it was true. Chandler jumped to win the ball for the Mavericks, and when Nowitzki fell to the low post, the person defending him changed back to Gasol.

Nowitzki was not ambiguous when facing Gasol Jr., and he started the game with a fadeaway jump shot.

His shot at this time was no different from that in G1, but due to the interference of Gasol Jr., his shot finally hit the basket and bounced out.

As it turns out, Nowitzki performed above his level in Game 1. It is impossible for him to continue playing like this against defense throughout the series.

"Well done, Mark!" Hansen also gave Gasol positive feedback in time.

Although Nowitzki cannot replicate a game like G1, it is wishful thinking to say that his touch will be bad or even ineffective if he misses a shot.

Therefore, Gasol's defensive confidence is crucial. He is not required to defend, as long as he can limit Nowitzki's performance.

Looking back, the Grizzlies played positional defense in the frontcourt, with Randolph playing against Chandler in the low post.

He still used more footwork skills, but after missing the shot, he grabbed the frontcourt rebound and shot again, causing Chandler to foul.

After two games, Randolph actually has nothing to hide in front of Chandler, but his aggressiveness is obviously getting stronger.

This was the "something more" he promised Han Sen.

Of course, it's not just this.

After Nowitzki used a fake shot after catching the ball to shake off Gasol Jr. and break through for a layup, showing his offensive skills.

Looking back, Randolph continued to score in the low post with a turnaround breakthrough hook shot.

After two rounds, Hansen did not participate in the offense, but was more focused on the weak side.

This is what Han Sen meant by "something more".

In the starting lineup, the Grizzlies' offensive focus will be on Randolph, and he will try to save his energy as much as possible.

What to do with the energy saved? Naturally, to play as a substitute.

You want to extend the playing time of the starters, but it is impossible to extend the playing time of all the starters. If you do that, they will be exhausted by the decisive moment and have no time to play.

Moreover, the transition period between the substitutes is not very organized, and most of the time it is just chaos, so a heavy inside player like Randolph is not suitable.

About 7 minutes into the first quarter, Hansen was replaced by Tony Allen for rest.

Then around 9 minutes later, both sides started to rotate and Han Sen took to the field again.

"Leave it to me." When the technical desk made the substitution, Hansen and Randolph high-fived.

Han Sen glanced at the scoreboard before going on stage.

Thanks to Randolph's heroic performance in the interior, the Grizzlies were only 16 points behind the Mavericks at 18 to 2.

It just feels a little strange because, in a sense, he is now playing the same role he had Gay play with the Grizzlies.

He also travels during off-peak hours.

Of course, after seeing the other side also replace their players, Han Sen knew that what he was about to face would not be easy.

At this time, the lineups of both teams are: Mavericks: Barea, Terry, Peja Stojakovic, Marion, O'Neal
Grizzlies: Conley, Tony Allen, Hansen, Johnson, Haddadi
Perhaps, this cannot be called off-peak travel.

The Mavericks got the ball. O'Neal sat in the low post to play against Haddadi. Johnson retreated. After being double-teamed, O'Neal passed the ball to Marion. Marion received the ball and cut inside to attract Hansen's help defense. He passed the ball to Peja on the outside, and Peja made a three-pointer.

The score difference on the field came to 5 points.

As a bought-out player this year, Peja was basically considered to be a bootlegger after joining the Mavericks. After all, he had only played 8 games for the Hornets and Raptors before this season.

But after arriving at the Mavericks, he became a core rotation player, and together with West, he filled in the scoring gap left by Caron Butler, who was ruled out for the season. Especially in the playoffs, he performed quite well as a veteran.

In the series against the Lakers, he averaged 52.4 points per game with a shooting percentage of 12.5%, second only to Nowitzki and Terry.

Looking back, Hansen held the ball and set a screen with Haddadi, then punished O'Neal with a mid-range shot from the free throw line.

The Mavericks' lineup looks strong, but there are actually many points that can be exploited.

O'Neill couldn't help but shake his head at this time.

The guy who saved him from being pulled out by opponents in Cleveland is now the one pulling him out.

He turned around and vented his anger on Haddadi.

Haddadi chose to foul on the spot and sent O'Neal to the free throw line.

Han Sen patted Haddadi on the shoulder, indicating that he was doing the right thing, and then exchanged a few words with him.

O'Neal made one of two free throws, and the rebound was protected by Haddadi.

After grabbing the rebound, Haddadi raised the ball and looked forward.

Han Sen has already rushed out of the three-point line.

In Game 4 against the Spurs, the Grizzlies proved they could run without the twin towers, and Hansen carried that over.

Of course, the premise for this to work is Haddadi’s passing ability.

Haddadi is far behind in other aspects, but the reason he can stay in the NBA basically depends on two things: one is his body size, and the other is his passing ability.

With a quarterback-like long pass, Hansen started to break down quickly after receiving the ball.

Barea behind him was chasing him relentlessly, and caught up with him when he fast-breaked to the front three-point line.

This guy is really fast.

Seeing this, Han Sen blocked him from getting in front of him, and at the same time, he started to do the Eurostep after entering the free throw line.

After dodging Barea's cut-back, he made a last-ditch leap for a two-handed dunk.

After landing, Hansen performed his iconic No. 77 jersey celebration gesture to the home fans, which instantly made the FedEx Center boil.

Theoretically speaking, Han Sen’s playing time tonight will not be short, and he should save his energy, but momentum on the court is also very important.

"Defend! Defend!"

In fact, this is true. This dunk ignited the emotions of the home fans.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Haddadi used all his strength in the low post and successfully blocked a shot by O'Neal.

But in the end, he was still called for a defensive foul by the referee.

There were boos at the scene.

Han Sen went over and patted Haddadi on the butt, commending his defense.

For O'Neal, you can just cut directly and be done with it. If you can consume his physical strength before cutting, then this defense will definitely be a success.

And there is another benefit to letting O'Neal go to the free throw line, which is that it deprives other Mavericks players on the field of opportunities to perform.

There was booing at the scene.

However, O'Neal withstood the pressure and made one of two free throws.

As long as he didn't miss both free throws, it would be a normal performance for O'Neal.

Then, Hansen turned around and used a pick-and-roll to find O'Neal.

He really said it just as he had said during their previous conversation, without any reservation.

However, with Carlisle's shout, the Mavericks showed their defensive mobility. Hansen immediately faced Marion's help defense after the pick-and-roll.

And his fake shot didn't make Marion jump.

Johnson has no shooting ability, and with O'Neal in the Mavericks' interior, his role on the offensive end can be ignored.

Hansen chose to take Marion's strong shot.

Marion's reaction speed was also very fast, and he jumped up to interfere immediately.

The two competed in the air, and in the end, the young Hansen was better and completed the attack against Marion in the air.

This ball is very Kobe, but the ending is very Jordan.

"Shh!"

The basketball hollow falls into the pocket.

The emotions of the fans at FedEx Center were ignited again.

Scoring this kind of difficult goal can boost morale as much as a slam dunk.

Moreover, this is the correct version of off-peak travel. Since I am on board during this time period, I am here to score points, so it has nothing to do with whether it is an easy score or not.

22:23.

After Han Sen scored 6 points in a row, the score difference was narrowed to just 1 point.

Hollins seemed to have reacted at this time and shouted for Haddadi to foul directly.

O'Neal reluctantly went to the free throw line again.

At this time, there were only 20 seconds left until the end of the first quarter.

Hollins wanted to turn the score around before the end of the first quarter.

There were a lot of interferences at the scene, but O'Neal made both free throws despite the interference.

After making the second free throw, O'Neal waved his fist excitedly.

Han Sen had no reservations, and he had no reservations either.

Hollins called a timeout.

"Coach, let me play!" At this moment, Gasol Jr. volunteered.

Han Sen's encouragement to him on defense didn't have much effect, but Han Sen's performance on the court made his young heart boil with blood.

Hollins agreed. Although Gasol was not in good shape this round, the quality of his pick-and-roll was better than Haddadi's.

After the timeout, the Grizzlies' tactic was simple, which was to pass the ball to Hansen and let him take the shot.

Hollins arranged a three-point tactic.

Hansen received a pass from Conley with the help of Gasol's pick-and-roll, but O'Neal saved the shot this time.

Han Sen dribbled a bit and then took a step. When he saw Marion rushing towards him, he chose to throw the ball under the basket.

Gasol Jr. cut into the basket after the pick-and-roll, and O'Neal's rush meant he had a chance at the basket.

Moreover, this kind of passing is not difficult, you just need to hang the ball into the basket.

Gasol is tall and has long arms, and he successfully received the pass from Hansen. Terry chose to directly grab his arm and commit a foul.

Terry's foul was decisive, but Gasol's shot was more resolute, and he still passed the ball even though he lost his balance.

The referee blew the whistle and the ball went into the basket.

The final score was 2+1!

After scoring the goal, Gasol roared to the sky.

Han Sen went over and gave him a high five.

Because he could feel that with this goal just scored, Gasol's heart, which was killed by Nowitzki in G1, came back to life.

(End of this chapter)