Han Sen was quickly pulled up by his teammates this ti.
After standing up, he let out a long breath, and then smiled.
He had used up all his energy, but this outco made it all worth it!
Han Sen stepped up to the free-throw line.
"MVP! MVP!"
The familiar chants echoed through the arena once again.
Han Sen had already scored 39 points, second only to his performance in the first-round Ga 7 against the Thunder.
But tonight, it wasn't just about the numbers. He played for 44 minutes, the most out of all the players from both teams.
Especially in the latter half of the fourth quarter, when he was running on fus, he still managed to give the Grizzlies the edge. This was even more valuable than the points he scored.
MVP, leader—he deserved all these titles.
Swish!
Amid the fans' chants, Han Sen calmly sank the free throw, sealing the ga's outco.
The final score was locked at 105-101. Although Terry hit a last-minute three-pointer, there wasn't enough ti left to change anything.
After the ga, the stats showed Han Sen with 40 points, Randolph with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, Marc Gasol with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Conley with 11 points and 5 assists.
Nowitzki had 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Terry scored 15, Kidd had 13, and Barea added 11.
As the ga ended, the ho crowd erupted in cheers, with fans waving signs that read, "This is our ho court."
This coback from a desperate situation kept the Grizzlies' hope alive and reignited their confidence.
However, Han Sen was now sitting on the bench, completely drained.
It wasn't until the post-ga handshake that Randolph pulled him up from his seat.
"You played great, and you deserved this win," Nowitzki said, impressed by Han Sen's performance that night.
"But next ga, I'll bring my best," he added.
"See you then," Han Sen replied with a smile.
He knew Nowitzki would play better in the next ga, but after such a battle, the Grizzlies' spirits were lifted.
A win at ho again?
Why not!
"The Monkey King Takes Down the Silver Horn King"
Back at ho, because of Zhang Weiping's comntary, Basketball Pioneer used that phrase as their front-page headline.
It was so fitting, and it made perfect sense.
Everyone could see that the Mavericks had the better and stronger roster in this series.
But Han Sen's performance in Ga 3, especially his relentless effort until the end, resembled that of the legendary Monkey King.
"Han has already had two 40-point gas in these playoffs, and he's averaging 31 points per ga in this series against the Mavericks! And we must rember, Han is only in his second year!"
In TNT's latest program, Charles Barkley went on a praise spree.
Nowitzki's playoff performance this year was unbelievable, but it couldn't overshadow Han Sen's brilliance.
"I bet there are so people in Cleveland who can't sleep right now because they gave away the team's future with their own hands," Barkley added, taking a jab at the Cavaliers' managent.
Even though most dia were focused on the Heat vs. Bulls series—given the drama of Miami's Big Three vs. Chicago's rise—Han Sen's efforts earned him attention on his own terms.
In this year's playoffs, he had truly made a na for himself.
After a two-day break, Ga 4 between the Mavericks and Grizzlies continued in mphis.
With montum from the previous ga, the Grizzlies ca out with aggressive defense right from the start.
The sudden increase in defensive intensity seed to throw the Mavericks off their rhythm.
The Grizzlies outscored them 26-15 in the first quarter.
The fans saw firsthand what a young and spirited team looks like.
However, things changed in the second quarter.
The Grizzlies, having pushed themselves hard in the first, ran into stamina issues in the second quarter.
Fortunately, the Grizzlies' trademark resilience held them together, and they maintained a 51-46 lead at halfti.
With the Mavericks starting their coback efforts early, not only Han Sen but also Marc Gasol had to play the entire first half.
Then ca the third quarter, and after the halfti break, the Grizzlies once again used their defense to create an advantage.
At one point, their starting lineup led the Mavericks by as much as 15 points.
The two teams started rotating players, and Han Sen finally got a chance to rest.
But barely a mont after sitting down, he had to get back in, as the Mavericks, led by Terry and Barea, launched a furious coback.
By the ti the fourth quarter arrived, the Mavericks had already closed the gap to single digits.
At that point, the Grizzlies' fatigue was clearly becoming an issue.
Ultimately, they lost the ga.
This ga was a learning experience for the entire Grizzlies team.
It was all about the finer details of energy managent.
Young teams often struggle with pacing themselves due to over-excitent at the start.
Even Han Sen, despite being a ti-traveller, was caught off guard by this, as so lessons require real experience.
In reality, it was supposed to be the coach's responsibility to manage this, but Hollins didn't seem to have the ability to handle it either.
Of course, this was also because the Mavericks were, as Shaq put it, the best team at staging cobacks this season.
After being reversed, trailing 1-3, and having Ga 5 on the road, the Grizzlies' season seed to be over.
Just like the Lakers, whose morale collapsed under similar circumstances, getting swept and losing by 36 in their final ga.
But this Grizzlies team, just like Han Sen said after Ga 1, might lose, but they would never give up.
This spirit was evident in every ga of this series. Although they had both wins and losses, they never let the ga slip into garbage ti.
And because of this, they pulled off an unexpected victory in Ga 5.
Even though they didn't open with a big lead like in Ga 4, they remained in a deadlock with the Mavericks throughout.
Or rather, they learned from Ga 4's mistakes and didn't burn all their energy too early.
This deadlock, or rather this dogfight, eventually allowed them to find their opportunity.
Despite their lack of depth and stamina issues in the fourth quarter, Han Sen and Randolph put together a crucial run in the middle of the fourth quarter, allowing them to secure a 106-100 win over the Mavericks and bring the series to 2-3.
"This team deserves everyone's respect!" This ti it wasn't Barkley, but ESPN's veteran and legendary comntator Mike Breen, who voiced his admiration.
Due to their lack of depth and experience, the Grizzlies were at a disadvantage against the Mavericks, but on the court, they played toe-to-toe with them.
In Ga 6 of the series, the two teams returned to mphis.
The Grizzlies' strategy didn't change much from the previous ga, but Nowitzki entered an unstoppable mode again.
Perhaps only Han Sen's words from the Spurs series could explain Nowitzki's form this season.
"He has a super button inside him, and it didn't rust like Duncan's. It allows him to press it every so often."
By the end of the third quarter, Nowitzki had already scored 30 points, helping the Mavericks build a double-digit lead.
But the Grizzlies once again displayed their resilience, bringing their starters back early. Amid the continuous cheers from the ho fans, they fought back fiercely in the fourth quarter.
Han Sen scored 12 points in the final quarter, including a ga-tying three-pointer near the end, pushing the ga into overti.
However, in overti, the Grizzlies' extended minutes took their toll.
Nowitzki scored 9 points in overti, dominating the period.
With six seconds left in overti and the Grizzlies trailing the Mavericks by seven, Coach Hollins chose to pull out his starters.
The arena filled with applause and cheers.
Although they unfortunately fell short against the Mavericks, every ga they played, including tonight's, was praiseworthy.
Because not once did they try to give up.
This team had built a culture of courage and resilience.
That was the true mark of a successful team.
Han Sen gazed at the court, unwilling to accept the outco.
If he could be just a bit stronger, the Grizzlies might have won the championship this year.
Beep!
The final buzzer sounded, and the Grizzlies players began to rise.
Han Sen also stood up.
Suddenly, cheers erupted.
"Whoop that trick!"
Han Sen looked up to find himself on the LED screen.
"Whoop that trick" has two anings.
The first is what the fans shouted most often: "Beat them."
But at this mont, it clearly wasn't that. Instead, it ant, "Well done."
Why did they start chanting when Han appeared on the LED screen?
Because the person who established this culture for the team was Han Sen!
Before Han Sen ca, the Grizzlies hadn't made the playoffs in four years.
But once he arrived, he led the Grizzlies to break through obstacles all the way to the Western Conference Finals, making franchise history!
Now no one thought Han Sen's earlier promise to bring a championship to the Grizzlies was a joke anymore, because he made people see that hope for real.
Plus, this Grizzlies squad is so young.
The Thunder next door are a young powerhouse, but so are the Grizzlies!
During the post-ga handshakes, Nowitzki took the initiative to give Han Sen a hug this ti.
"You were the biggest problem for us this year," said Nowitzki, with genuine admiration.
He originally thought facing the Lakers would be their toughest challenge, but the Lakers crumbled far too easily.
But the resilience the Grizzlies showed? It kept Nowitzki on his toes the entire ti.
"You're speaking too soon," Han Sen replied, reminding him.
Before their series even ended, the Heat had already swept the Bulls 4-1, advancing to the Finals.
"You know, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Nowitzki said with a aningful tone.
"I'm looking forward to it," Han Sen replied, curious to see what a rematch with the sa opponents from last year would bring.
After the handshake, Han Sen and Randolph attended the post-ga press conference together.
...
As Han Sen stepped into the press conference room, the weight of the loss hung heavy in the air. He sat down next to Zach Randolph, nodding slightly to acknowledge the reporters.
A reporter broke the silence. "Han, you averaged 28 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.2 steals in this series. That's a hell of a stat line, especially for a sophomore. If you had to grade your own performance, what would it be?"
Han leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a second before shaking his head. "Man, when you lose, stats don't an a damn thing," he replied flatly. It was clear he was in a bad mood and not interested in self-praise.
The reporter wasn't giving up. "If it's out of 10, I'd say you deserve a 9. A strong showing, even in defeat."
"There's no such thing as a 'good loss,'" Han countered, his voice firm. "We didn't get it done. That's what matters." He gave a nod towards the next question, ready to move on.
Another reporter from ESPN jumped in. "Do you think losing Rudy Gay was the key factor in the series?"
"Nope," Han replied imdiately. "Injuries can't be an excuse. Never. We didn't execute like we should have, especially in Ga 4. That's on us, not on who wasn't on the court."
"During the regular season, you guys swept the Heat. If you had made it to the Finals, there was a real chance at winning it all. Does that add to the disappointnt?"
For the first ti, a flicker of emotion crossed Han's face. He took a mont before answering. "Would've, could've, should've—none of that matters, 'cause we didn't beat Dallas. It's that simple."
The room fell silent as he continued, lifting his head, eyes locked in. "But this is only our first season together. We're coming back. And next season, no team's gonna want to face us."
...
After returning to the locker room to embrace his teammates and say their goodbyes, Han Sen's second season officially ca to an end.
Despite the regret, there was no ti to dwell on the past.
He needed to plan for the sumr.
During the playoffs, Chris Rondo and Henry Thomas had both reached out to him, confirming what he suspected: a league-wide lockout was almost inevitable this sumr.
This was bad news for most people, but for Han Sen, it was an opportunity.
It ant more ti to train.
And he already had a plan for how to spend this long sumr.
From what he knew, many players would go overseas or join other leagues like the Drew League to stay in shape during the lockout.
Han Sen wasn't interested in that; it was a waste of ti with little payoff.
His idea was more like what Wade did in the past: rent a gym, and gather so players to train together.
Before this season, he didn't have the influence to do that. But after this playoff run, he had it now.
Plus, with the lockout, players couldn't use their team's training facilities, making it easier to gather people.
He'd even figured out how to cover the costs.
UA (Under Armour) had the funds, and it wasn't just a waste of money—it was a solid investnt.
Selling docuntaries, promoting sneakers among players—these were all profitable ventures.
UA's biggest challenge right now was finding more potential endorsers. One spokesperson wasn't enough.
But before all that, Han Sen had Rondo get him so front-row tickets for the Finals.
Even though he couldn't make it there himself, he wanted to witness what might be the most dramatic Finals in NBA history in person.
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