With only five minutes left in the ga, Hansen easily broke past Jas and charged into the paint, slamming the ball through the hoop over an aggressively backpedaling Westbrook.
The slow-burn strategy also had another advantage; Hansen still had plenty of energy left.
After getting dunked on, Westbrook didn’t go after Hansen but instead released his pent-up emotions, confronting Jas, "Why do you always let him get past you so easily?"
This question shocked everyone, including Jas, of course.
As previously ntioned, Westbrook wasn’t soone who would air team conflicts in public.
Especially now on the court, where not only the Thunders’ players were present but also the Grizzlies.
Brooks imdiately called for a tiout upon seeing this.
If the two really started arguing on-court, no need to guess; Hansen would yet again step forward to cheer them on like before.
However, Brooks hadn’t anticipated that his tiout wouldn’t end the conflict between the two.
As they walked to the bench, Westbrook continued to speak to Jas, "You just need to delay him a bit, and I can stop him!"
It was apparent that Westbrook’s emotions were getting out of control.
Perhaps only by putting oneself in his shoes could one understand his feelings at that mont.
He wasn’t aware of the Grizzlies’ tactical adjustnts for the night; he only knew that he had given his all in the previous two gas to win, but to no avail, and tonight’s ga seed like the Thunders’ only chance.
And although he said what he said before the ga, who didn’t know that losing tonight’s ga and falling behind 0-3 ant the Thunders would completely lose their chance? They might even be swept out of the playoffs.
In such a situation, how could he not be anxious?
Not to ntion the dissatisfaction with Jas that had long been simring in his heart.
"Then why didn’t you block him?" Jas, too, beca infuriated by Westbrook’s attitude; could he not care about his dignity in public?
"Russell, calm down," was all Brooks could say to Westbrook.
"I am calm enough, why can’t he fight like a man? Why can’t he respond like a man with his performance when Han told him to kneel again?!"
Westbrook finally lost control. Brooks, being his ntor and having favored Jas all season long, was part of the reason.
"Shut your mouth, you bitch!" Jas lashed out, pointing his finger directly at Westbrook’s nose.
For him to kneel was his own business. Westbrook bringing this up was a public humiliation.
In English, there are not as many ways to express this as in Chinese; "bitch" is already a strongly offensive insult, second only to the N-word in its harmfulness.
Westbrook’s pupils widened in shock because the word implied being a sissy.
Despite Jas playing like a wimp, he had the nerve to call him a sissy?!
In a turn of events no one saw coming, Westbrook threw a punch directly at Jas.
Jas’ reaction was quick, swiftly retracting his head and blocking with his hand.
His face didn’t get hit, but his arm took a solid punch from Westbrook.
The next second, the Thunders’ players who had reacted belatedly rushed to separate the two.
"You don’t really want to win, you just want the stats, you’re ruining everyone’s efforts!" Westbrook continued to shout even as they pulled him away.
Jas’ face turned steely green, but he didn’t retort.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; he simply couldn’t.
"Enough!" Brooks’s roar put an end to the fiasco.
But by then, the scene had not only been displayed on the LED big screen, ESPN had also broadcast the whole thing live.
Perhaps worried that viewers might miss the action during the break, they replayed the clip, with Westbrook’s punch shown in slow motion repeatedly.
Interest in this already widely followed series peaked in that mont.
No, it even rivaled last year’s finals in viewership.
Human nature gravitates toward gossip and repeating narratives.
Hansen was also shocked.
He could foresee a conflict between Westbrook and Jas, but he never imagined Westbrook would actually take a swing!
You should know that after that punch, Westbrook and Jas basically couldn’t be on the sa team next season.
It’s either Westbrook goes, or Jas does.
So even Coach Brooks was agitated because he knew the consequences of that punch were severe.
Many of the Thunders fans on site were holding their heads too.
With that punch, they knew that the Thunders’ season had co to an end.
After the tiout, Jas was still on the court, but Westbrook had disappeared.
He had gone back to the locker room after the conflict.
Without any surprises, the Grizzlies outscored the Thunders by 15 points in the last quarter, taking a sweeping victory and pushing the series to 3-0.
Before the ga ended, Jas had also left the court early.
At 3-0, with one more ga, the Grizzlies could complete the sweep of the Thunders.
The score was unexpected since, after all, ESPN’s analysis was not wrong: the Thunders had the paper strength and were in good shape at the end of the season; even if they couldn’t beat the Grizzlies, they should have won at least one ga.
But it was reasonable, the Thunders seed to have lost due to internal conflict, but in reality, they were just no match for the Grizzlies.
When the Grizzlies can play their "slow and steady, turn up the heat at the end" ga, you know how big the gap is between the two teams.
And many people overlooked the changes in Hansen.
In Hansen’s first two years with the Grizzlies, he was just a "regular season star," but in the playoffs, a "superstar"!
Especially this season, Hansen was practically cruising through the regular season; his physical condition was very good.
Social dia blew up with news of the Westbrook and Jas infighting imdiately after the ga.
Player conflict and even fights are big news, let alone teammates coming to blows like this.
Social dia reactions were of two kinds, one naturally blaming Westbrook.
"The hitting is not okay" argunt doesn’t only apply to spouses but also to teammates.
Regardless of what Jas did or said, Westbrook might vent with trash talk, but resorting to violence was absolutely wrong.
The other side was in firm support of Westbrook.
After all, Jas had played far too soft in this playoff series, or more accurately, this entire season.
Imagine your teammate kneeling to your archrival; put yourself in Westbrook’s shoes; he has been holding back until now, which is quite remarkable.
"Russell is a warrior. Just like he said, he fights until the final mont," Hansen also posted support for Westbrook on social dia after the ga.
This wasn’t for the sake of provoking fans but was genuine support.
If he were the Thunders managent and had to choose one, he would definitely pick Westbrook.
To be blunt, when it cos to the culture of the team, Westbrook’s contribution is arguably even greater than Durant’s.
Before Ga 4, the Thunders suspended Westbrook for one ga.
This punishnt was expected; no matter how fans on social dia discussed it, the fighting Westbrook was bound to be suspended.
This decision also ant the Thunders had given up the struggle; let the sweep happen; the season ended like this.
However, so fans were quite excited because they had seen plenty of Thunders gas led by Westbrook alone this season; they hadn’t seen Jas lead the team yet, which would certainly be interesting.
"Han, be careful, he might trip you again," Guy casually warned Hansen the day before Ga 4.
"Would he dare?" Hansen chuckled as he glanced at Johnson and Jones on the training court.
Jas wouldn’t dare, not now.
Last year in the finals, Jas wanted to turn things around, but this situation was different; the Thunders didn’t even have a point to turn around, Jas wouldn’t take the risk.
Guy nodded as if that made total sense.
Then, out of the blue, he asked, "What if we just don’t let him rack up any stats, what would happen?"
Hansen’s eyes widened as he looked at Guy.
He just wanted to rough up Jas a bit—you’re directly going for his life!
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