The classic NBA "highlight battle."
Hansen too, experienced the NBA’s most beautiful vistas.
All he could say was that sotis reality was more thrilling than fiction.
The half ended with the teams at 43 to 41, the Grizzlies holding a slender lead.
At halfti stats showed Wade with 13 points, Jas with 10, and Bosh picking up 7 for the Heat.
That’s how deceptive stats can be; those not watching might think Wade and Jas were neck and neck in the first half.
For the Grizzlies, Randolph, as the main offensive weapon, scored 14 points, Guy had 9, and Hansen made a three-pointer to contribute 7 points.
During the halfti break, after Hollins finished laying out the strategy, Hansen pulled Guy aside for a chat.
Although Jas perford as poorly as he had expected, Wade and Bosh secured the Heat’s foundation.
Plus, with Spoelstra’s excellent command, the Heat weren’t the pushover Hansen had thought they’d be against the Grizzlies.
"You’re saying let Jas through?" Guy didn’t understand Hansen’s request, especially since Hansen had told him to exert full force before the ga.
"Then, I’ll double-team him, and we’ll give him a cheese in a sandwich press," Hansen tried to keep it simple. He didn’t ntion that Spoelstra might adjust for a better starting lineup in the second half.
"But then, who will guard DW?" Guy didn’t get Hansen’s idea, but a double team would inevitably leave soone open.
"I’ll fall back on defense, trust ."
Seeing Hansen so confident, Guy could only nod.
After all, he had enjoyed scoring easily in the first half.
Coming back after halfti, the Heat indeed adjusted their starting lineup.
Chalrs and Ilgauskas replaced Alroyo and Joel Anthony.
In the season’s first ga, Spoelstra was still exploring the team’s lineup, but his in-ga adjustnt skills were leagues beyond Mike Brown.
The Heat took the offensive first after halfti, with Wade taking charge.
But he quickly felt a change in Hansen’s defense, which was far more intense than in the first half.
Wade failed to execute a successful pick-and-roll with Bosh twice.
Wade returned to the three-point line with the ball, looking at Hansen baffled. Did you get a shot of adrenaline during halfti?
That was, of course, out of the question. Hansen’s relentless defense was ant to force Wade to give up ball-handling.
The effectiveness of this approach was due not only to his minimal energy consumption in the first half but also to the physical training provided by Grover.
The scene fit perfectly with the saying: Taught by the sa master, their defense couldn’t be cracked!
With the shot clock at half, Wade didn’t continue to try but passed it to Jas instead.
The starting lineup in the second half had larger offensive spaces, and with Jas’s old partner Ilgauskas on the floor, Jas should be able to perform.
Jas called for a pick-and-roll with Ilgauskas right away. With Guy’s slow lateral movent, he couldn’t stop Jas from breaking inside, even if he wanted.
Jas, miss-matched against Little Gasol and gearing up for revenge on the early foul call, suddenly saw a figure streaking towards him.
Before he could identify the figure, his hand felt light.
[Star Catcher], activated!
Hansen’s attack was abrupt because he attacked from behind and beside Little Gasol, where Jas hadn’t noticed him at all.
That’s the benefit of being forr teammates; Hansen was familiar with Jas’s attacking habits.
By the ti Jas realized that Hansen had stolen the ball, he was almost grinding his teeth in frustration!
But Hansen didn’t have ti to worry about Jas’s reaction because he had hit the turbo button, sprinting forward.
His speed was definitely faster than the previous season!
Jas was too late to chase him, and the only one from the Heat who reacted in ti was Wade.
The two chased towards the Heat’s backcourt.
Though Wade’s shot-blocking prowess was not as good as Jas’s, as one of the best shot-blocking guards in NBA history, his defensive presence was not to be underestimated.
But Hansen was well aware of Wade’s style. Upon entering the frontcourt paint, he leapt high for a two-handed slam dunk, leaving no chance for a block.
Wade didn’t attempt to jump, instead shaking his head in resignation as Hansen landed.
The Grizzlies were not a team known for their fast breaks, but that didn’t matter as Hansen ca from the Cavaliers.
The dunk also sent the Grizzlies’ bench into an uproar; it had been a while since they’d seen such a steal and breakaway slam dunk sequence from their team.
Even Swift, seated in the front row of the stands, got pumped up, standing and pumping her fist in support of Hansen.
Because of the unique number 77 Cavaliers jersey she wore, her figure was quickly displayed on the LED big screen, causing a stir among the audience.
And because of her jersey, many people were reminded of the enmity between Hansen and Jas during their ti with the Cavaliers.
Hansen’s furious denunciation of Jas as a coward after being eliminated by the Cavaliers still echoed in people’s ears.
Especially after Jas left the Cavaliers, that statent was magnified and beca known to even more people.
Was Hansen now starting to prove his words with actions?
Hansen, retreating on defense, had already seen his "black fan" value skyrocket.
Good, this was the effect he wanted.
"The Decision" had made many LeBron fans unfollow, but the community was large enough, and thanks to Nike’s publicity, new LeBron fans were added every year.
Wade continued to hold the ball in the frontcourt, with Hansen still applying intense pressure.
However, this ti Wade didn’t pass but chose to force his way to the basket, only to be thwarted by Hansen’s close defense and Little Gasol’s help defense.
Randolph secured the rebound.
The Grizzlies moved the ball into the frontcourt to play a set offense, with the ball still in Hansen’s control, then prepared to lob it inside to Randolph.
Bosh demonstrated his mobility and chose to defend by moving in front.
Hansen couldn’t find a good angle for the lob pass and suddenly drove left for a breakthrough.
The muscles that Grover had strengthened for him included the hamstring group, which is directly related to leg explosiveness.
In other words, Hansen’s explosiveness in his breakaway had also improved compared to last season.
The last ti Wade and Hansen had trained together was before free agency started, so this change in Hansen caught him off guard.
By the ti Wade reacted, Hansen had already swiftly moved towards the free-throw line.
At that mont, Jas quickly ca to help on defense. As a forr teammate, he was equally familiar with Hansen; he knew passing was not Hansen’s strong suit.
Especially with Jas and Wade, the Heat’s defensive rotation was very strong.
Indeed, after Wade was beaten, he didn’t chase after Hansen but instead went straight for Guy.
Jas and Wade showed their defensive understanding.
But Hansen had no intention of passing at all.
Especially when he saw Jas co to help, he was even less likely to pass.
He sped up to et Jas, then ca to an abrupt stop, glanced at the basket, and as Jas jumped, he quickly stepped wide to the right, then released a sidearm floater.
This had beco one of his signature moves, but compared to last season, it was faster and more stable.
Jas was completely faked out and could only watch in midair as Hansen shot the floater.
"Swish!"
The ball fell through the net with nothing but net.
After the ball went in, Hansen spread his hands out to Jas.
Jas simply turned his head, pretending not to see.
Hansen scored 4 consecutive points, bringing the score to 47-41.
"I rember when Hansen first ca to mphis, he boldly claid he would help the Grizzlies contend for a championship. It seed like a joke at the ti, but it seems, it wasn’t just a joke."
Such performance elicited a sigh from comntator Mike Brin.
Facing The Big Three without any fear, Hansen’s potential, as seen in last season’s playoffs against the Celtics, might just be the tip of the iceberg.
The Heat were sowhat passive on the court at this point.
At this mont, Wade tried to play a pick-and-roll with Jas, hoping to use a mismatch to break through Guy.
But Hansen chose to drop back and not switch.
Wade bounced the ball to Jas, who was cutting after the screen.
But Hansen quickly switched to defend Jas again.
If you said there was no personal grudge involved, no one would believe it.
Hansen’s ball denial forced Jas to retreat to the top of the key.
With little ti left on the shot clock, Jas was left with no choice but to isolate with the ball.
It was then that Hansen, looking at Jas, spoke up, not giving him a chance to dodge:
"I’ll allow you to call for a screen."
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