Or, to put it another way, even without Jas and with only Westbrook as the sole core, the team still had competitive strength.
Hansen also knew that the psychological warfare had co to an end, and it was ti to pick up the sledgehamr and start the real "siege."
When Randolph’s low post tactics were thwarted by the Thunders’ defense again and there wasn’t much ti left on the offense clock, Hansen called for the ball from Afflalo.
The fans in the arena started to cheer wildly.
The other mbers of the Grizzlies were strong enough to handle most situations, but when they encountered problems they couldn’t solve, it was ti to play their ace, Hansen.
Afflalo’s defensive tendencies beca more evident now; he stuck close to Hansen while defending laterally, forcing Hansen towards Ibaka.
Just like last season when Hansen defended Durant/Jas, they set a trap to push him into it.
With little ti left for offense, Hansen took advantage of his defensive positioning and quickly broke through him.
Ibaka didn’t rush to help defense but waited until Hansen was near the three-second zone to co over, a tactic to prevent Hansen from passing the ball inside.
With tight space in the paint, even if Hansen were to pass the ball inside, Ibaka could quickly fall back to defense.
At this mont, Afflalo also closed off Hansen’s space to retreat.
The two top defenders exhibited an incredibly strong defensive performance.
That’s when Hansen increased the pressure on the ball with his right hand.
"Bang!"
The basketball struck the floor and emitted a dull thud, rebounding back to Hansen at an even faster speed.
Taking advantage of this rebound, Hansen swiftly turned around, creating distance from Ibaka and pulled up for a fadeaway shot.
The "God’s Afterglow" technique was displayed in this mont, flawlessly showcasing both the turnaround speed and the hang ti.
Ibaka was left as if frozen in place.
"Swish!"
Hansen nailed the fadeaway jumper.
The FedEx Forum instantly filled with the cheers of fans.
That move was simply, cool!
anwhile, on the court, not just Ibaka, but the other Thunders were taken aback.
At that mont, they thought they saw a shadow of that man.
But, not quite the sa, because Hansen didn’t have the sa leaping ability as Jordan.
It was more reminiscent of a larger Kobe, because whether it was the taller height or the bigger palms, Hansen appeared more elegant and stable than Kobe.
But whether it’s Jordan or Kobe wasn’t the point. The key was that Hansen hadn’t used the turnaround fadeaway at all last season!
This ant that, Hansen had mastered this elite scoring move of a shooting guard in just one, shortened sumr!
And to such a level?
"My strongest talent is my learning ability."
The words Hansen spoke during his NCAA days continued to gain value.
He truly brought a surprise in every season, the kind that drops jaws.
Westbrook continued with the pick-and-roll, which drew Guy’s double team this ti, and he passed the ball to Jas.
Jas, after receiving the ball and adjusting, hit his first three-pointer in his Thunders career.
He should thank having played two years with Wade, as his skill in handling such catch-and-shoot threes had clearly improved.
This basket also allowed the Thunders to regain the lead.
During the retreat, Westbrook and Jas shared a vigorous high-five.
You know, they were indeed producing so chemistry.
"Whoop that trick!"
The situation was tense, and the Grizzlies’ "sixteenth man" started to exert force.
Conley continued to look for Hansen.
This ti, there was a subtle detail as Hansen was facing the pass when he jumped to catch the ball at the free-throw line.
If the Illusion Step were likened to a martial art, this would be the initial stance.
Of course, the most crucial part: resetting the pivot foot.
According to basketball rules, when you catch the ball while moving, the foot that is on the ground at the mont of receiving the ball is established as the pivot foot.
But if you land on both feet after a jump, there is no pivot foot, aning you can choose a new pivot foot, and that’s what resetting implies.
Hansen, after receiving the ball at the free-throw line, used a half-turn shoulder fake, seemingly about to use his right foot as the pivot for a turnaround fadeaway.
But since Hansen had just made a fadeaway, Afflalo instinctively surged up, but Hansen instead spun back towards the basket, completely shaking him off.
Ibaka was forced to help defend, and as the two closed in, Hansen passed the ball to Randolph under the basket.
Ibaka was unable to fall back in defense in ti, and Randolph received the ball to score with a powerful two-handed dunk.
The arena erupted.
Jas’s expression at that mont was priceless.
The previous fadeaway was unfamiliar to him, but the footwork Hansen had just used was sothing he was very familiar with!
It was as if he had just attended a cram school and barely improved his grades to passing, only to discover a classmate scored full marks after attending the sa cram school.
Indeed, the most feared thing in the world is comparison.
to 12.
The Grizzlies took the lead again!
Not only did the fans get energized, but the defensive enthusiasm of the Grizzlies started to surge.
Westbrook continued to drive to the basket but was blocked by Little Gasol.
Returning to offense, Conley again passed the ball to Hansen.
This ti, the Thunders players on the court were conflicted; if they didn’t double-team Hansen, he would score, but if they did, Hansen would surely pass the ball.
Of course, Afflalo was the most conflicted.
As a top defender, he had definitely studied Hansen’s gaplay before the match.
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