Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 179 "See You in Memphis"

"Mike Brown, do something! You let Han score too many points!" Barkley was a little anxious.

"Charles, if you admit defeat now, I will allow you to wear shorts when you run naked." O'Neal laughed.

"There are four quarters in a game. It's too early for you to be proud." Barkley had already forgotten how cocky he was before.

"The Grizzlies are going to win tonight. That's the experience of five NBA champions."

Barkley's face puffed up with anger. What he couldn't stand the most was that O'Neal acted as if he would die if he didn't mention those five championships.

Kobe finally scored in the next round. He chose the simplest way to play, running without the ball and then catching the ball to face Allen's strong shot.

Allen is indeed good at going around screens, but no matter how good he is, there will be a time difference, which will give Kobe the opportunity to shoot.

Allen's height limits his defensive ceiling, which allows Kobe to turn offense into the most direct competition of talent.

Although he was caught off guard, Kobe demonstrated his ability to adjust as a top star.

And looking back, when Hansen broke through with the ball, Kobe also let Allen go to double-team him.

Barkley was about to whistle, but what happened next on the court made him swallow back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Because when Hansen saw Kobe's double-teaming, he didn't retreat but instead pushed the ball forward, and then performed a basketball version of a man-ball pass!

It is very easy to lose control of the ball with this kind of ball, but Hansen perfectly demonstrated his dribbling ability. Although the ball went out, it had a spin, and he broke through the double-team and regained control of the ball.

This technique, which is usually only possessed by small guards, caused a burst of exclamations from the audience.

Brown on the sidelines also solved his doubts: Hansen has evolved again!

This is simply outrageous, how can someone improve during a series? !

Okafor came over to assist in defense, Hansen jumped towards Okafor, and then made a cross pass in the air under Okafor's armpit to Randolph under the basket.

After Randolph received the ball, he was completely unguarded and scored another easy two-pointer.

Although Hansen did not score as many points as he did in Game 1 against the Mavericks, his opponents were still unable to limit him.

Paul and Gasol finally made a mid-range shot after the pick-and-roll.

Looking back, at Brown's signal, Barnes actually gave Hansen a big step.

This was because Han Sen's breakthrough forced him to do nothing.

Han Sen threw the ball without any hesitation.

At this distance, the interference caused by Barnes's pounce was almost non-existent.

"Shh!"

The basketball hit the net.

He didn't shoot much tonight, focusing mainly on breakthroughs, but scoring through breakthroughs is a way to develop his touch.

Paul deceived Randolph with a mid-range shot after the pick-and-roll, and scored a layup after breaking into the paint.

Then when Han Sen had the ball again, Kobe switched defense to Han Sen.

Judging from Brown's expression on the sidelines, this should not be his signal, because the Lakers need Kobe's offense more than defense.

Especially since it is only the first quarter of the game, if Kobe is exhausted too early, he will have physical problems in the final quarter just like when he lost to the Grizzlies in the regular season.

But Kobe obviously has his own considerations.

If the Lakers could not contain Hansen's offense and fell behind in the first period, there would probably be no chance of winning the game in the final quarter.

Moreover, Paul found the offensive rhythm in this period, and the Lakers' offense did not interrupt.

Han Sen saw that Kobe did not give up the attack, but instead looked excited.

The Lakers have a strong lineup, but in the final analysis, their offense revolves around Kobe. If the Grizzlies can consume Kobe's physical energy in the first three quarters, the probability of winning will greatly increase.

Because that regular season game has fully demonstrated how outrageous Paul can play in critical moments.

But the Grizzlies are different. They play team basketball, and their confidence has been greatly enhanced, especially after playing against the Mavericks. Anyone dares to play at the critical moment.

Hansen received the pass from Conley, and Kobe pressed forward to defend.

Han Sen was not in a hurry to attack. He held the ball in his right hand and pressed forward.

Although Kobe's one-on-one defense is a bit weak, it can be ignored compared to James. His one-on-one defense ability is very strong.

If Han Sen wants to get past him, he must do it cleanly.

Kobe's eyes became sharp at this time. What Hansen did not realize was that this one-handed ball holding posture was one of Kobe's most hated postures.

Hansen made a three-threat sweep, then quickly made a low pass to the right for a quick breakthrough.

Kobe quickly caught up, his sliding steps were thin and fragmented, which allowed him to keep up with Hansen.

Hansen was unable to get rid of Kobe, and he simply pulled him back under his crotch.

He had used this move to shake off Barnes before, but Kobe was obviously not Barnes, so he pressed forward again.

But this time, Han Sen put his right hand close to the basketball while looking at the frame, and then quickly changed direction with his left hand and made a Buddha worship gesture.

Kobe didn't jump, but he subconsciously leaned forward, allowing Han Sen to pass him.

[Uncle Drew] After reaching the bottleneck, Hansen can not only perform technical moves such as Buddha worship more easily, but more importantly, his further improved agility and body coordination can make his change of direction faster.

This was essentially the reason why Han Sen was able to knock Paul down before.

This is also the biggest difference between him and Irving. Irving's skills often make him stand still due to lack of explosiveness, but he can quickly pass the defender.

Kobe still didn't give up and kept chasing after him.

But Hansen didn't give him a chance. He accelerated directly to the basket, then jumped high and slammed the ball over Okafor.

Okafor was afraid that Hansen would pass the ball to Randolph again, so he didn't dare to jump for the ball too early. As a result, he didn't have time to jump and ended up becoming a background board.

The FedEx Center was in complete chaos.

What’s even more exciting than the dunk is that Hansen passed Kobe!

From Metta World Peace to Barnes, to double-teaming, and then Kobe Bryant...the Lakers have used all the defensive forces they can mobilize, but all ended in failure without exception.

As for shrinking the defense, Han Sen's previous mid-range shot had already shown that doing so would just give him points.

In other words, the Lakers can't do anything to Hansen tonight!

But Kobe is Kobe. He will not give up on something he has decided on just because of a defensive failure.

Despite his persistent fight, Hansen's offensive efficiency declined.

But correspondingly, he also paid a lot of physical energy.

Fortunately, Paul is in good shape, which allows the Lakers to always retain hope.

At the decisive moment of the final quarter, the score was 89 to 100, and the Lakers still had a chance.

At this point, Hansen and Kobe, who were both exhausted, barely held the ball, and the game came to Paul's key moment, which is what fans love to watch.

Paul's first round was relatively stable. He made a mid-range shot against Randolph, helping the Lakers narrow the gap to single digits.

Pau Gasol also fought hard on the defensive end to block Pau Gasol's strong attack under the basket.

The Lakers seemed to be gaining momentum with this attack and defense. The Memphis fans shouted defensively.

They don't want to give up the victory they have just achieved.

Amid the shouting, Paul made a pass error. He was going to pass the ball to Pau Gasol, but for some reason his hands were shaking and the ball went directly to Gasol Jr.

After Gasol Jr. got the ball, the Grizzlies immediately launched a fast break.

After receiving the ball, Gay rushed to the frontcourt and performed a tomahawk slam dunk.

The Grizzlies played around Hansen in the first three quarters, and he is still in plenty of energy.

This dunk immediately put the Lakers' momentum back on track.

Then, after Paul's jump shot after the pick-and-roll missed, he was actually shaken off by Conley and was called for a three-point foul.

Conley made all three free throws.

After these key rounds, the score difference was widened to 14 points, and the Lakers, who were originally half-lying down, were directly knocked down.

In the end, the Grizzlies never fell behind after the first three minutes, led the Lakers for the entire game, and won 3-112, tying the score at 101-2.

This was also the first time in the series that the score difference between the two teams was more than 10 points, and the Grizzlies won.

According to post-match statistics, Hansen scored 34 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists, and 5 Grizzlies players scored in double digits.

Kobe still scored 32 points and Paul also had 26 points and 10 assists, but their performance in the crucial moment still led to their defeat.

The Lakers were the first to attend the post-game press conference.

"What do you think is the key to winning a game?" the reporter asked Kobe.

"We couldn't limit Han. He played well tonight. We have to limit him in the next game."

Although Hansen's statistics tonight were not as impressive as those in the previous G1 game against the Mavericks, Kobe was well aware of how much influence Hansen had on the game tonight.

"There seemed to be some problems with the team's performance in the fourth quarter. What happened?" the reporter continued to ask Kobe.

This question was asked to Kobe, but the reporters all looked at Paul.

Everyone knows where the problem lies.

"It's my problem. I didn't stand up in the final quarter." However, Kobe chose to take the initiative to block the blame this time, which was completely different from the post-game of G1.

This is Kobe's style. To him, playing poorly and being inferior to others are two different concepts.

After the Lakers, the Grizzlies attended the press conference.

However, reporters found that Hansen was not at the scene, but Allen and Gasol Jr. were there.

Han Sen's performance tonight was totally worthy of attendance, but the reality was that Han Sen gave the opportunity to Allen.

Compared to him who has opportunities every night, Allen, who performed well tonight, obviously needs such an opportunity more.

"I should have thought of Tony earlier. If I had thought of him earlier, maybe we would be leading 3-1 now." Joerger also specifically praised Allen.

"I often train with Han Sen. Of course, most of the time he attacks and I defend. That taught me how to defend top guards." Allen took the initiative to mention Han Sen when talking about his own defense.

Although training together actually helped Han Sen more, it was a mutual thing.

And more importantly, he thought that Han Sen had helped him get this opportunity tonight, plus Han Sen gave him the opportunity to attend the press conference. This was a beautiful misunderstanding.

This is an outcome that the Lakers don't want to see, but it is one that the fans are happy to see.

Because the two sides will face the decisive battle next, and the intensity of the decisive battle is second only to the seventh game in the series.

For a series that has already attracted much attention from the outside world, this undoubtedly adds to the suspense.

It is worth mentioning that this is the first time the Grizzlies have experienced a decisive battle.

In previous series, the score was either 3 to 1 or 1 to 3, and it had never reached this situation.

The same is true for Hansen. He only played in one round of playoffs against the Celtics with the Cavaliers, and both teams failed to reach the decisive game.

But of course he had heard of this kind of game. The term "Tianwangshan" was derived from the Battle of Yamazaki in the Warring States Period. It was named because it was fought at the foot of Tianwangshan Mountain. It refers to the key battle and is not specific to basketball. It is usually used in a game where two evenly matched sides are fighting for the match point.

Needless to say, this game is crucial, and it has become the most watched game in the playoffs.

Two days later, the Grizzlies and the Lakers moved to Los Angeles to officially start the battle.

At the beginning of the game, the Lakers showed their adjustments.

Kobe did not struggle with Hansen on the defensive end, but instead ensured the team's output on the offensive end.

Both teams worked hard on the defensive end, but Hansen and Kobe remained in good shape and the game entered an offensive situation.

Seeing this, Joerger sent Allen on the field early.

Kobe obviously responded better when facing Allen again.

Before the game, ESPN reported that Kobe had watched all of Allen's game videos in the past two days. Although that was a bit exaggerated, it was obvious that Kobe had put in a lot of effort.

However, Allen's restrictions on Kobe still exist.

Shortly after that, Allen was called for two consecutive defensive fouls.

That obviously disrupted Allen's defensive rhythm.

Han Sen couldn't help but protest to the referee when he saw this. Allen and Conley are the cleanest defensive players in the league, and that kind of whistle is not even a hair whistle, but an air whistle.

But the referee ignored it.

In fact, it wasn't just Allen who was whistled for repeatedly. The referees also turned a blind eye to some of the Lakers' small moves when Hansen was attacking.

The penalty bias in this game was very obvious and had gone beyond the scope of a home referee.

So, is James the only one in the league who has enjoyed the legendary "league whistle"?

the answer is negative.

Wade's free throw attempts continued to soar after Game 2006 of the 2 Finals, and his average of 16+ free throws per game is the most typical example.

科比也一样，他在2008年西部半决赛对阵爵士的比赛场均17+罚球，生涯场均2犯不到的基里连科在那轮系列赛里有4次被6犯罚出场。

These examples are almost identical to James' game against the Magic in 2009. The only difference is that with the help of this kind of cheering, Wade and Kobe both won, but James did not.

The scale of penalties is the easiest to control, otherwise there wouldn't be so many 5 vs. 8 games.

Even some NBA referees, when interviewed by reporters after retirement, admitted that the league would show them the videos of these stars before the game and correct those "missed" calls to ensure that the calls would be more favorable to the stars in the next game.

Now, if you ask Stern who he wants to play against the most in the Finals, it will undoubtedly be the Lakers and the Heat.

23VS24 has always been the script he has been dreaming of, and this year both teams have star-studded lineups, which can bring in explosive traffic and imaginable huge revenue.

The Lakers eventually had a huge free throw ratio of 43 to 16 against the Grizzlies in the decisive game, which allowed them to win the decisive game 110 to 100.

"I don't fucking know what the referee's whistle criteria are. They just want the Lakers to win. This is their only criterion." Hansen directly criticized at the post-match press conference.

When asked what he had to say about G6, Hansen only said four words:

"See you in Memphis."

After saying this, he left the scene without caring that the press conference was not over yet.

(End of this chapter)