Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 172 This time, it was Han Sen who cheated

For the Grizzlies, unlike last year's playoffs, this year they have home-court advantage in the first round, and the game will start in Memphis, which saves them the trouble of traveling.

On game day, a large number of Memphis fans gathered outside the FedEx Center early in the morning.

It’s hard for fans not to be excited as the team experienced home advantage for the first time since its establishment.

Han Sen also arrived at the venue to warm up more than an hour before the game. When he arrived, there were already thousands of fans at the scene.

He had a smooth touch when he was warming up, and basically he could throw the ball any way he wanted.

After training, he did not return to the locker room immediately, but sat on the sidelines to rest for a while.

Just then, a child's voice was heard from behind.

He turned around and saw a young fan holding a jersey and asking for an autograph in the stands.

He stood up and walked over, smiling.

However, his action quickly excited the fans there, and they all handed over the things in their hands for autographs.

Han Sen signed some autographs, and when he noticed that the little fan was squeezed in the back, he took off his sneakers, signed autographs, and motioned to the fans to let the little fan come up.

The little fan's face was excited when he was pushed to the front.

"Han, will we win?" the little fan couldn't help asking after taking the sneakers.

Now the other fans also looked at Han Sen.

Most of them witnessed the Grizzlies being eliminated by the Mavericks last season in this arena.

It was acceptable last season, after all, they made it to the Western Conference Finals and Gay was absent, but this year the lineup is complete and it is in the first round. If they are eliminated by the same opponent again, they will not be able to bear it.

"Of course, we will win." Han Sen replied with a smile.

With about twenty minutes left before the start of the game, players from both teams arrived at the field.

The Mavericks players looked relaxed, talking and laughing. Nowitzki even passed the ball to Carter for an alley-oop dunk.

The outside world compares this team to the 2007 Heat, but it is obvious that this Mavericks team is much stronger than that Heat team in terms of both strength and mentality.

After the pre-match warm-up, the opening ceremony began.

The visiting team took the court first, and the Mavericks started with: Kidd, West, Marion, Nowitzki, and Chandler.

The Grizzlies came on stage as the home team. Hansen came out on stage shaking his No. 77 jersey, and the scene erupted in overwhelming cheers.

After this season, Hansen has become the undisputed core of the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies starting lineup: Conley, Hansen, Gay, Randolph, Gasol

Chandler passed the ball back to the Mavericks' half and the game officially started.

Nowitzki received the ball and played one-on-one against Gasol after getting into the high post.

Nowitzki turned around, held the ball, and made a three-threat one-legged fadeaway jump shot.

Time seemed to be pulled back to last season's playoffs, and nothing seemed to have changed.

No, the change occurred when Nowitzki jumped.

Gasol Jr. leaned forward and interfered with Nowitzki.

Nowitzki's shot finally hit the rim and the fans cheered.

The Mavericks may have maintained their strength from last season, but the Grizzlies have made great progress!
Randolph was positioning himself in the low post, and Conley passed the ball to him, but he did not go through the back door. Instead, he stood directly on the outside to create space. He is now very confident in his outside shooting.

However, the Mavericks did not shrink from this ball, and Randolph and Chandler played one-on-one in the low post.

Randolph's hook shot after turning around also missed.

Last season, Randolph relied on his skills to play Chandler in the low post and achieved good results, but his condition this season is not as good as last season.

At the beginning of the game, both teams gave the other team a miss. Then, Marion screened for Nowitzki, who cut in without the ball, received the pass from Kidd and flew to score.

It is unrealistic to expect Nowitzki to perform like he did last season. Nowitzki has only performed in that state once in 11 playoffs. However, superstars all have their own basic foundation, and it is unrealistic to want to completely limit his performance.

The Mavericks came out on top.

Looking back, Conley directed the tactical adjustment and Hansen ran out without the ball to receive the ball.

On this ball, West took advantage of Gasol's pick-and-roll and followed Hansen.

However, after receiving the ball, Han Sen ignored him and took a direct mid-range shot!

"Shh!"

Hansen faced West's defense and slashed with his sword.

This ball instantly caused cheers from the audience.

West's defense on this ball was on point, which is why he was able to suppress Carter and continue to play as the starting shooting guard for the Mavericks.

But that actually highlights Han Sen's determination to win the game tonight.

Nowitzki continued to play pick-and-roll with Marion, but this time the two went in the opposite direction after the pick-and-roll, with Nowitzki going outside and Marion going inside.

Kidd finally knocked the ball to Marion, who shook off Gasol, received the ball and made a layup, attracting Randolph's help defense, then passed the ball to Chandler under the basket, who took the ball and dunked it with both hands to score.

After the first few rounds, the Mavericks fully demonstrated the quality of the defending champions.

"Don't underestimate the heart of a champion." Mike Breen in the commentary booth also expressed his emotion.

This famous quote from Tomjanovich can be said to be the most classic saying in the NBA, but many people don't know where it came from.

After the Rockets won the championship in their first year, their tactics were thoroughly studied by their opponents. Coupled with injuries, they only ranked sixth in the Western Conference in the defending season, and their chances of winning the championship were considered to be zero.

But in the end, they managed to defend their title after two consecutive reversals in the first and second rounds, raising their chances of winning the championship from 0 to 100%.

In a sense, the current Mavericks are in a very similar situation to the Rockets back then.

If Dallas underestimates the Mavericks just because they are ranked fifth, they may let history repeat itself.

Conley continued to organize the offense in the frontcourt. This time, Gasol Jr. blocked West. Hansen was mismatched against Nowitzki and then changed direction to pass the opponent. Facing Marion who came to assist in defense, he passed the ball to Gay in the bottom corner without looking at him.

Gay received the ball and shot a three-pointer.

Extra practice may not produce immediate results, but continued practice will definitely bring results!
4 to 5, the Grizzlies took the lead.

The Mavericks continued to cooperate, but this time Nowitzki's three-point shot from the outside was blocked by Gay and missed the basket.

Chandler grabbed the offensive rebound with excellent positioning, but his strong attack was blocked by Gasol Jr., and the rebound was also protected by Gasol Jr.

Conley and Gasol played pick-and-roll. Gasol received the ball and passed it to Randolph after Chandler's help defense.

Randolph received the ball and shot, but Chandler turned around and interfered with his shot. He was defending against two opponents at once.

After helping the Mavericks win the championship last season, Chandler began to attract real attention from the outside world. This season, he is still performing well and is the most popular candidate for the best defensive player.

Both teams had high quality offense and defense at the beginning of the game.

Randolph's shot finally hit the rim and Chandler turned around and looked up to grab the defensive rebound.

But at this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

That was Han Sen who had already flown up.

"Oh!"

Before Chandler could get the basketball, Hansen rushed into the paint and dunked past him!

The scene boiled instantly.

This ball has an explosive visual impact.

And what’s more important is the momentum, that’s Chandler!

The live camera was given to Han Sen. After completing the dunk, Han Sen hung on the basket for a while before landing.

But after landing, his expression looked unusually calm, and there was determination in his calmness.

"Defend! Defend!"

Hansen's tip-in also ignited the emotions of the fans at the scene.

Nowitzki switched to the low post and continued to receive the ball and play one-on-one against Gasol.

But this time, just as he was about to turn around, Conley chose to shrink and help defend. He chose to help defend at a good time, after Nowitzki made a single move.

Although Nowitzki has support, he is not good at passing the ball that interrupts the offensive rhythm.

Conley showed his ability to read the game, and Nowitzki finally chose to shoot a one-legged fadeaway shot towards the baseline.

This shot was very difficult. The ball finally hit the side of the basket and bounced out. Gasol Jr. protected the defensive rebound this time.

Conley advanced to the frontcourt with the ball and passed it directly to Hansen.

After holding the ball, Hansen signaled Randolph to pull out and play pick-and-roll.

Randolph successfully blocked West, Hansen dribbled out, and Chandler hesitated at this time.

Because at the same time Randolph was already cutting into the basket, and it was impossible for West to stop Randolph with his size.

But if he didn't go out, Hansen could complete the shot before West returned to defense.

In the end, Chandler chose to retreat, after all, the Mavericks' weak side was also coming to assist in defense.

But at the moment he chose to retreat, Han Sen stopped abruptly and completed the shot.

Without any hesitation, you can fully feel Han Sen's decisiveness and concentration tonight.

"Shh!"

Of course, there is also his stability.

Han Sen hit another mid-range shot.

4:9.

The large LED screen at the scene also gave Han Sen's statistics for tonight: 3 of 3, 6 points and 1 assist.

Except for Gay's three-pointer, all the remaining points of the Grizzlies came from Hansen.

Even Guy's three-pointer was assisted by Hansen.

In other words, every score of the Grizzlies is related to Hansen!
At this moment, even the fans who were not at the scene could fully feel Hansen's determination to win the game.

No, it’s the determination to defeat the Mavericks, the opponent who once defeated them!

The Mavericks finally continued to score, again from Nowitzki, whose shot into the basket caused Gasol Jr. to commit a defensive foul.

After stepping onto the free throw line, he made both free throws despite the noise of fans in the stadium.

It seems incredible that Nowitzki made all 1 free throws in Game 24 against the Grizzlies last season, but in fact he is the most accurate inside player in NBA history.

His free throw percentage in the regular season this season reached 89.5%, and his free throw percentage in his career so far is close to 90%.

Giving him a free throw opportunity is equivalent to giving him a chance to score, and this statement is completely applicable to the German tank.

And during this dead ball time, Carlisle replaced West with Barea in advance.

Kidd switched defense to Hansen and began to restrict Hansen from receiving the ball.

In addition to strength and mentality, the Mavericks also have extremely rich experience.

And there is Carlisle, a tactical master. Substituting Barea is to speed up and attack the point where the Grizzlies' twin towers have no time to retreat.

Conley organized a wave, and Randolph still didn't have many good opportunities for low-post singles.

When the ball finally returned to Conley, the Grizzlies' offensive time was already halfway through.

The Mavericks' adjustments have worked halfway.

Conley knew Carlisle's intention and didn't dare to act rashly at this time.

Fortunately, Hansen used the pick-and-roll with Gay to get rid of Kidd.

With 6 seconds left in the offense, Hansen finally received the ball.

The person defending him at this time was Marion, and Chandler in the inside was also ready to assist in defense.

Han Sen did not hesitate, nor did he have time to hesitate. After breaking through and forcing Marion to move his center of gravity backward, he quickly stepped back to the three-point line.

Then, he still attacked without hesitation.

Marion was a forward after all, and even though he tried his best to save the ball, the interference he caused to Hansen was still limited.

The basketball drew a long parabola.

"Shh!"

Once again in the bag!

In less than half a quarter, Hansen scored 9 points!
At this point, the cheers of the fans at the scene could no longer be stopped.

Han Sen was not only fully determined tonight, but his touch was also very hot.

Or perhaps, it was precisely because of his determination to win that his touch was so hot.

In the Mavericks' offense, Barea cut into the basket after a pick-and-roll for Nowitzki, received the ball and scored on a high rebound despite a block by Gasol Jr.

8 to 12, the Mavericks are still keeping close to the score.

At this time, Conley passed the ball to Hansen and signaled everyone to move away.

Han Sen didn't call for a pick-and-roll at this time.

The Mavericks will definitely double-team him in this pick-and-roll, and the person defending him is Kidd.

Although Kidd has rich defensive experience, he is 38 years old after all, and his old arms and legs cannot help him move at a fast speed.

Kidd naturally knew this, so he kept putting pressure on Hansen.

Hansen's back-to-the-basket technique is not strong now, so he simply holds the ball with one hand in his right hand and lifts it up, using his body to press Kidd forward.

In addition to speed, his size is also an advantage.

After getting close to Kidd, he then used his body to make a triple-threat sweep, then quickly passed the ball and broke through to the right.

The Mavericks' weak-side help defense came over again, and Hansen changed direction to the left and quickly stepped back for a jump shot.

Kidd was very experienced in this game. He predicted Hansen's shot and moved to the left, almost jumping at the same time as Hansen.

But he was old after all, and the height of his jump only allowed him to reach Han Sen's front elbow.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of a hit was heard, and the referee's whistle sounded on the sidelines.

However, Kidd did have experience. After seeing the thug, he simply increased his strength and successfully disrupted Hansen's shooting shape.

Han Sen's shooting point was obviously raised.

The ball ended up hitting the backboard.

However, after bouncing back, it still fell into the net bag!

This finally turned into a 2+1!

Han Sen, it’s like God is helping you!
The FedEx Center was in complete chaos.

Han Sen was stunned for a moment after seeing the ball go in, but soon smiled with relief.

Luck is also part of strength.

However, the emotions of the Mavericks players were very complicated at this time.

Especially Carlisle on the sidelines, he couldn't help but shook his head.

Because they are old rivals, the scene in front of them is not unfamiliar.

Such a scene occurred when the two teams met in the Western Conference Finals last season.

The only difference is that the man who was killing everyone changed from Nowitzki to Hansen.

However, perhaps this is the power of belief.

Nowitzki knew that was his only chance last season, so he shot decisively and confidently.

This season, Hansen is equally determined to avenge the Mavericks and bring the championship to Memphis.

(End of this chapter)