Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 174 This is an effective sacrifice

"51 points in the playoffs, Han surpasses LBJ and KD"

After G1, Kalil published an article with a striking title on TNT.

This not only earned Hansen a large number of black fans, but even his social media was blasted by Durant.

Those small accounts that Han Sen had seen before and those that he had not seen before came rushing over in large numbers. The scene was quite spectacular, and many of them even left messages in the middle of the night.

By the way, ever since he and Scarlett got in touch, Durant has completely blocked him, with a +1.5 black fan value constantly appearing when the two teams are playing.

In fact, this is no longer just a problem for Scarlett, but a matter of face.

It’s like you like a female star, and you don’t know whether she has a boyfriend or not. But suddenly one day you find out that your colleague in the office has actually won that female star. You will feel trampled on!

What's more, Durant is a very sensitive person.

Back to this article, Carril is mainly targeting James, because the conflict between Hansen and James has now become public, and Durant is just a side issue, after all, Durant now has a limited number of fans.

But judging from the results, this greatly intensified the conflict between Hansen and him. If the two met in the playoffs, there would definitely be a bloody battle.

Of course, it is too early to say that now. After all, even if they want to meet, they have to wait until the Western Conference Finals.

Two days later, the Grizzlies continued to face the Mavericks at home.

Carlisle used a very extreme tactic in this game, trying to prevent Hansen from receiving the ball and shooting.

In a sense, Hansen and the Jordan he interviewed received the same treatment, or perhaps Carlisle used the "Jordan Rule."

This is equivalent to giving the other four players on the Grizzlies a chance. If the other players on the Grizzlies are capable, they can beat the Mavericks.

It turns out that Carlisle is indeed a tactical master, and this tactical change made the Grizzlies very uncomfortable.

Especially now that Randolph can't break Chandler's defense, the Grizzlies are left without a tactical fulcrum.

At the end of the first half, the Grizzlies trailed the Mavericks 44-52, and the situation was reversed from G1.

This Mavericks team is completely different from the 2007 Heat team.

Not only did they not lose their spirit after winning the championship, but the Mavericks, who are mainly composed of veterans, also did not have the ball rights, contracts, and status that should have appeared on the defending champions.

This may seem incredible, but there are traces to follow.

It's not that the players are so different, but it's the environment that creates it.

Without the Lakers, Cuban wouldn't have been able to achieve this effect even if he kept the roster.

But the Lakers appeared in front, which made Cuban's behavior of retaining the lineup look bold and gave the Mavericks players enough motivation.

After all, the team owners are all emotional people, and they have no reason to try again.

Moreover, the Mavericks' operations in the summer were also very successful. They boldly let go of Butler, who had a conflict with Marion, and then brought in Carter to maintain the competitive environment within the team.

In addition, the Mavericks accidentally dropped to the fifth place, which automatically brought them into the Rockets team that said "don't underestimate the heart of the champion."

Such a team will never be defeated so easily.

During the half-time break, after arranging the tactics, Joerger said some words of encouragement, but the effect was not very good.

Jorger also seemed a little remorseful at the end: "If only Lionel were still here."

Joerger was brought up by Hollins. Before that, he had only been a head coach in the Development League, so his relationship with Hollins and the players is different.

Of course, when he said this at this time, he was not saying that Hollins would be in a better situation, but that Hollins knew how to adjust his mentality at this time.

The current Grizzlies have everything but experience, or what is commonly known as championship genes.

However, a team that has made history by winning a playoff game before cannot have this gene.

To put it concretely, it means what kind of mentality we should have when encountering such difficulties and how to find a breakthrough.

Although the journey of each champion is different, what they go through is very similar.

Not only has Hollins been in the league for a long time, but he also won a championship when he was a player.

After Joerger left, not many people talked during the players' free time and the atmosphere in the locker room seemed a little depressing.

Han Sen stood up at this time.

"guys."

As he spoke, the team members turned to look at him one after another.

"Do you know why I didn't take more shots in the regular season?" Han Sen's words shocked everyone else.

Is this topic open for discussion?!
"Because when I was in Cleveland, I knew that would bring honor, not victory."

The team members were in a commotion, but Han Sen continued talking.

"You can't let a person have no ball, no tactical position, no opportunity in the regular season, and expect him to perform well in the playoffs. Players are human beings, and they need those things to maintain their state."

What Popovich knew, Hansen already knew after one season with the Cavaliers.

At this time, the commotion stopped, and the players looked at Hansen differently, especially Gay and Gasol Jr.

They knew about the sacrifices Han Sen made, but they didn't know why Han Sen made those sacrifices.

Before this, they thought Han Sen was more concerned about the team atmosphere, but they didn't expect Han Sen to consider more than they thought.

“It turns out I was right because we were the best team at the end of the season.”

"So we don't need anybody to tell us what to do, because as long as we play what we did in the regular season, we'll win."

Han Sen's words were not particularly moving, but they touched the hearts of the team members.

They don't need any championship genes at all, and that didn't help them at all when Hollins was there last season.

Did the Mavericks have the so-called championship gene last season? Neither did they.

When they win the championship, they will naturally have that kind of thing.

All they need to do is actually very simple, just believe in themselves.

After returning to the second half, the Mavericks continued to stick to their defensive strategy, but in the first round, Gasol Jr. bypassed Nowitzki in the low post, and then caused Chandler, who was defending, to foul when attacking the basket.

Chandler's defense is indeed strong, but he is only one person, while the Grizzlies have two inside players who can perform low-post singles.

Then, Hansen blocked Nowitzki's layup on the defensive end.

Looking back, Conley received a pass from Gasol Jr. on the outside and made a three-pointer.

The Grizzlies beat the Mavericks 5-0 at the start of the second half.

And that’s just the beginning.

It became very difficult for the Mavericks to score, and their defense seemed to be distracted and they frequently missed players.

The Grizzlies closed the gap in one go.

After Carlisle called a timeout, the Grizzlies continued their momentum and took the lead in one fell swoop.

Not to mention Carlisle, even Joerger felt incredible.

The Grizzlies still had the same group of players on the court, and even the tactics of both teams didn't change much, but the results of the game were completely different from that in the first half.

This continued even after both teams entered the substitute transition period. It was not until the end of the third quarter that the old Brin in the commentary booth discovered the key.

The Grizzlies are still the same guys, but everyone played more confidently and decisively than in the first half.

And it worked precisely because of Carlisle's defensive strategy.

Carlisle's excessive defensive investment in Hansen will inevitably give other Grizzlies players opportunities.

It’s just that the Grizzlies had adapted to the G1 style of play and had developed a subconscious dependence on Hansen.

It seemed that they couldn't break through the Mavericks' defense unless they gave the ball to Hansen.

But this is obviously not the case, because no matter how good the defensive rotation is, there will be gaps. As long as you pass the ball fast enough and shoot fast enough, missing people is inevitable.

This is also the reason why the Mavericks had frequent defensive problems in the second half.

In fact, that’s what Hansen did in G1: played more confidently and more decisively.

So when he said that getting 51 points was "God's arrangement", he was not pretending, but it was the truth, because the feel of the ball depends on luck.

But even if he can't score 51 points, or defend, or organize, he will help the team win the game in other ways.

Of course, all this is based on a prerequisite, that is, the other four players on the Grizzlies have this ability or are in this state.

Without the ability and condition, you won't be able to score a goal, and you won't be able to pass the ball to the right place, and in the end you will just be giving the ball to the opponent.

Facts have proved that compared to Wade's meaningless sacrifice, what Hansen did in the regular season was an effective sacrifice.

Carlisle also realized this in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.

Because even after he switched back to defensive mode, he still couldn't stop the Grizzlies from playing.

Essentially, except for Hansen, none of the five starters of the Grizzlies are All-Star players, but they are all above the level of ordinary main players, even close to the quasi-All-Star level. If you let them play with confidence and in good shape, they will really not know which one to defend on the court.

In the end, the Grizzlies scored 56 to 42 in the second half, lost first and then won, reversing the Mavericks 100 to 94 to win the game.

According to post-match statistics, five Grizzlies players scored in double digits, while only Nowitzki and Terry from the Mavericks scored in double digits.

When the press conference came, Han Sen acted calm and composed.

"I said, we don't need anyone to score high points to win the game. We are a team-oriented team."

When Han Sen returned to the locker room after the press conference, he found it quiet.

When he entered, he was bombarded with champagne from all directions.

Last time, in order to celebrate Joerger's award for the best coach, Hansen asked Farid to buy a large box of champagne, and some of the remaining unused champagne was placed in the locker room.

Han Sen didn't expect that the champagne that was sprayed on him in the end was bought by him.

But he enjoyed it all with open arms.

Screw the championship genes, they don’t need that after tonight because they have their own winning genes!

After winning the second game in a comeback, the Grizzlies took a 2-0 lead.

Same opponent, same big score, but this time it was the Dallas team that was forced into a desperate situation.

The two sides also moved to Dallas to continue their competition.

In Game 3, Carlisle switched back to his regular defensive style. The loss in the previous game dealt a heavy blow to the team's morale, so he didn't dare to take the risk.

This game was also very intense, and the Mavericks were pushed to the edge of the cliff with no way out.

Because if they don't try their best, they really will become a replica of the 2007 Heat team.

Of course, the same goes for the Grizzlies. As long as they win Game 3, they will win the series in advance and nip all variables in the bud.

The scores of both sides rose alternately and the battle lasted until the last moment.

Hansen hit a near buzzer beater against Marion's defense, but Nowitzki's difficult fadeaway three-pointer at the final moment killed the game.

1 to 2, the Mavericks pulled one back at home.

However, losing G3 did not have any impact on the Grizzlies' morale.

Just like those immortals who found their own way, the Grizzlies have found their way to win after G2.

The G4 match was beyond everyone's expectations.

Perhaps it was because they fought too hard in Game 3, or perhaps it was because the Grizzlies played too well, the Grizzlies secured victory in just three quarters and eventually won easily to get the match point.

"The series isn't over yet, we're going to take it back to Dallas."

Before leaving for Memphis, Nowitzki expressed his determination in front of the media.

Of course, that pales in comparison to the backdrop of being 1-3 behind.

Or maybe Nowitzki's rare frequent statements actually meant that he had a premonition a long time ago.

It is impossible for the Mavericks to be without any drawbacks as the defending champions. In fact, before the end of the regular season, some players were discussing whether to lose on purpose and drop to sixth place so that they could play the Thunder in the first round.

Because the Grizzlies' team-based play is obviously more difficult to deal with than the Thunder's super-giant hard-hitting style, even if they can get through the first round, they will still have to work hard.

In the end, they gave up because the gap in wins between them and the Clippers was too big.

However, it can be seen from this that the Mavericks have already lost in mentality.

Because truly successful defending champions will never bother to pick their opponents.

Coupled with Hansen's thrilling performance in G1, the momentum of the game shifted to the Grizzlies' side early on.

That's why Nowitzki spoke so bluntly after the G1 game and is speaking frequently now, because he had a premonition and was trying to correct it.

But just because he did it doesn't mean the outcome will change.

In Game 5 of the series, the Mavericks fought hard at the beginning under the leadership of Nowitzki, but that did not change the result.

Hansen regained his touch and scored 40 points again, leading the team to a narrow 101-98 victory, thus eliminating the Mavericks with a score of 4-1.

When the game was over, Nowitzki found Hansen and hugged him tightly.

From his red eyes, we can tell that he really doesn't want to lose. After all, he will never have another chance to defend his title.

But he still said a lot of congratulations to Hansen, because Hansen and the Grizzlies deserved the victory.

At this time, the FedEx Center was already a boiling sea, and Memphis fans were shaking their bodies to their heart's content.

If the victory in G1 gave them hope of winning, then now they have truly completed their revenge.

The Grizzlies players also applauded and responded to their fans.

Guy couldn't wait to get into Hansen's arms.

Because at this moment he truly experienced the "best result" that Han Sen mentioned when the ranking came out.

They gained a lot in this round.

It is precisely because of these things that they can hold their heads high and move forward to the next round to face the seemingly invincible opponent who has been waiting there.

(End of this chapter)