Chapter 216: It's Just Basketball.
LeBron James, who angrily called out Russell Westbrook in the previous game, merely chuckled dismissively in the face of Han Sen's 'concern.'
This season, James' actions and decisions had made it abundantly clear what kind of person he was.
Perhaps, ever since his infamous 'they gotta wake up tomorrow with the same personal problems that they had today' remark in 2011, people already had a glimpse of the reality behind his so-called kingly facade.
He wasn't, and perhaps never would be, someone with a strong mental fortitude.
Han Sen quickly lost interest.
In a way, he felt grateful to the Thunder. If the Grizzlies had encountered last season's Miami Heat again in the Finals, he might have realized how underwhelming such a matchup would have been.
LeBron James didn't return to the court in the second half.
According to a post from his personal trainer Mike Mancias on social media, James had sustained an ankle injury prior to the game. The situation had worsened after playing the first half, leaving him unable to continue.
Han Sen heard the news from Damon during a timeout.
No surprise there.
It seemed his earlier remarks had little to no effect on James—except, perhaps, prompting him to come up with a new injury excuse.
The Grizzlies went on to crush the Thunder 103-71, completing a 4-0 sweep to advance to the next round.
This series had never been much of a contest. Even the lopsided scoreline didn't fully capture how one-sided it was. Yet, despite the lack of suspense, it became one of the most talked-about matchups of the first round.
And the conversation didn't end when the games did.
In the Thunder's post-game press conference, James attended with a heavily iced ankle.
"The medical staff advised me not to play tonight," James said, shaking his head, his tone heavy with self-reproach. "But I knew the situation we were in as a team. I had to try and step up, even if I couldn't help us in the end."
Khalil, blending in with the crowd, hit him with a piercing question:
"Why do you always seem to get injured at critical moments?"
James froze, clearly caught off guard.
He fumbled with the microphone, stammering for several seconds without managing to form a coherent answer.
The room fell into awkward silence until Thunder coach Scott Brooks came to his rescue.
"Injuries are something no player can control," Brooks interjected. "The higher the stakes, the more intense the competition, and the greater the risk of injury."
James shot Brooks a grateful glance and quickly jumped on the lifeline.
"You can check my career attendance records," he added. "Before this season, I never missed more than ten games in a single season."
Khalil, eager to follow up, was waved off as James signaled for the next question.
"Last season, while you were with the Heat, you were swept in the Finals by the Grizzlies. This year, with the Thunder, the same thing happened. How do you reflect on this?"
This question, posed by an NBC reporter, made James cough awkwardly.
He had thought Khalil's question was brutal—but this was next level.
Even Brooks was at a loss for how to spin it. Facts spoke louder than any words could.
After clearing his throat, James responded, "At the end of the day, this is just basketball."
James' words, though short, sparked as much controversy as his infamous 'life is more than basketball' comment years prior.
"If the Thunder had upset the Grizzlies, LeBron would've said, 'Basketball is everything to me. Without it, life would be meaningless.'"
"What do you expect LeBron to say? Look at the Grizzlies' roster: three All-Stars, two borderline All-Stars, and even an ex-All-Star on the bench. Losing is perfectly reasonable."
"If it weren't for Jones' dirty play at the start of the season, LeBron's ankle wouldn't even be an issue right now!"
"The Grizzlies clearly forced LeBron to drive tonight, knowing about his injury. This team is just as dirty as the Spurs used to be!"
"If I hadn't watched the game, I might've believed you. How do you guys convince yourselves of this nonsense?"
After eliminating the Thunder, the Grizzlies enjoyed a brief period of rest.
Before the playoffs began, the players had looked forward to the challenge of the first round.
By the end, however, it felt underwhelming.
Looking back, they realized their initial preference was correct. Playing the Rockets or Jazz would have been far more engaging.
The Thunder had offered little resistance. As a result, the Grizzlies didn't feel sharp or battle-tested.
Following nearly a week of rest, the Grizzlies' second-round matchup began.
Their opponent wasn't the Nuggets as expected, but the Warriors—the only lower-seeded team to pull off an upset in the first round.
This result shocked everyone.
The Nuggets had posted a stellar 56-win regular season compared to the Warriors' modest 47 wins. Moreover, after losing Game 1, the Warriors also lost their starting power forward David Lee to a season-ending hip injury.
But coach Mark Jackson adjusted brilliantly, fielding a small-ball lineup with Jarrett Jack starting at point guard and Stephen Curry at shooting guard. The Warriors roared back to take three straight games, eventually winning the series 4-2.
This outcome underscored Jackson's superior adaptability compared to Lionel Hollins.
The Nuggets' ambitious offseason moves had ultimately fallen short.
In the playoffs, star power reigns supreme. Team-oriented, egalitarian basketball simply couldn't carry the day.
Andre Iguodala, their prized offseason acquisition, struggled to shoulder additional offensive responsibilities, proving better suited as a secondary or tertiary option.
Denver, being a small-market team, had always faced challenges attracting top talent. Over the past two decades, they'd only seen fleeting star power in Dikembe Mutombo and Carmelo Anthony.
Unless they managed to draft another franchise cornerstone like the Thunder had, their prospects looked bleak. Alternatively, they could replicate Memphis' formula by trading for a 'Han Sen.'
But how many Han Sens were out there?
...
Having dispatched the Thunder's 'Big Green,' Han Sen now faced another challenge: his number three 'hater-in-chief' from the Warriors, Draymond Green himself.
The two teams' Game 1 took place on May 6 in Memphis.
The game's opening followed expectations.
The Warriors started Festus Ezeli to combat the Grizzlies' twin towers but to little effect. Memphis quickly built an early lead.
However, the tide turned with Draymond Green's entrance.
Green's pick-and-rolls with Curry and his interior defense alongside Andrew Bogut disrupted Memphis on both ends.
With David Lee out, Jarrett Jack flourished, averaging nearly 20 points per game against Denver.
Green also benefited, seeing his minutes and stats nearly double. More importantly, he shot 39% from three, establishing himself as a legitimate stretch-four threat.
Though the Grizzlies maintained a slim lead by exploiting Klay Thompson on defense, the gap steadily narrowed.
The Warriors surged ahead in the second half, led by a red-hot Curry, who drained four third-quarter threes. Their defense stifled Memphis, whose lack of preparation became increasingly apparent.
Memphis mounted a furious rally in the fourth, with Han Sen hitting a game-tying three to force overtime.
But in the extra period, the Warriors pulled away as Curry and Green executed pick-and-pops to perfection, securing the win.
Curry finished with a career-high 44 points on 18-of-35 shooting, including six threes.
Han Sen's valiant 40-point effort went to waste.
Reflecting on his first collegiate game, where his Barry University team lost to Curry's Davidson, Han Sen couldn't help but notice the irony. Their first NBA playoff meeting ended the same way—with a loss.
Han Sen attended the post-game press conference with Coach Joerger.
"I should have made that game-winning shot. The coach set up the play for me to make that shot. The loss is on me."
The Grizzlies had numerous issues tonight. With a clear strength advantage over the Warriors, theoretically, they shouldn't have needed a last-second play to win.
From the way the game unfolded, it was evident the team wasn't adequately prepared and had underestimated their opponent.
After breezing through a low-intensity first-round matchup and enjoying nearly a week of rest, the players naturally relaxed.
Especially since their opponents had lost a key interior player.
That lax attitude only tightened up in the final quarter, but by then, it was too late.
As the team leader, Han Sen needed to step up in moments like these.
After Game 1 ended, the league announced the regular-season MVP: Kevin Durant, earning the honor for the first time in his career.
With a 70-win season, stellar stats, and his position as Nike's second-biggest star, the result was unsurprising.
The day after the loss, the Grizzlies prepared for practice in the locker room.
The atmosphere was heavy due to the defeat.
Rudy Gay approached Han Sen and bluntly said, "Han, yell at us!"
Han Sen froze for a moment, not expecting such a request.
As Gay spoke, all the other players turned their attention to Han.
Zach Randolph furrowed his brow into a deep '川' shape, clearly surprised at Gay's directness.
But the looks on the others' faces revealed they were also hoping Han would say something.
After all, their Game 1 performance was atrocious, and Han had taken all the blame.
Anyone with a shred of self-awareness would feel ashamed.
Especially since Han hadn't won the MVP this year, giving him plenty of reason to vent his frustration.
Han stood up, patted Gay on the shoulder, and simply called everyone to head to practice.
Before practice started, Joerger gathered the team for a motivational talk.
This time, it was a real wake-up call. The players' complacency needed to be shattered.
Although it was just one loss, it was a home loss, and they had given up home-court advantage. This series was now tougher than expected.
"Coach, let me guard Stephen next game," Han Sen said after Joerger's speech.
His proactive suggestion surprised everyone, including Joerger.
Han had never made such a direct proposal during a team meeting before. If he had tactical ideas, he usually discussed them privately with the coach.
"I'm good at navigating screens. I'm the best option to guard Stephen," Han explained.
"But you're our offensive centerpiece," Joerger reminded him.
"My stamina won't be an issue. Besides, we play team basketball."
By now, Joerger had figured it out.
The Grizzlies' Game 1 loss was largely due to underestimating their opponent. Such a mindset naturally dissipates after a loss.
Judging by the locker room's atmosphere, the players were eager to bounce back.
In this situation, there was no need to berate them.
Instead, Han Sen's willingness to step up and lead by example was the best way to inspire the team.
"Stephen's yours," Joerger nodded and then looked at the rest of the team.
"Next game, let's remind them whose house this is."
Heading into the second round, series like Lakers vs. Spurs and Nets vs. Pacers were considered the most compelling matchups.
However, with the Grizzlies losing Game 1, their series against the Warriors suddenly garnered significant attention.
This was particularly due to the presence of Stephen Curry.
Curry's NCAA career was well-known. In the 2008 tournament, he averaged 34.5 points per game, leading the unheralded Davidson College to victories over Gonzaga (WCC champions), Georgetown (Big East champions), and Wisconsin (Big Ten champions) before narrowly losing to Kansas (the eventual champions) by two points.
The word 'upset' was practically synonymous with Curry.
He had pulled off such feats in the NCAA, already upset the Nuggets in this year's playoffs—why couldn't he continue the streak?
If such a story unfolded in the NBA, its impact would far surpass anything from the NCAA.
Around this time, Draymond Green, who had gained notoriety during the regular season for his clashes with the Grizzlies, seized the spotlight once again.
"I've said it before—this is modern basketball. We're ready to bury the Grizzlies," Green declared, further stoking interest in the series.
Someone even resurfaced Han Sen's earlier comment about bringing a dynasty to Memphis.
With two outspoken players like Han Sen and Green, one of them was bound to be proven wrong.
And no matter who it was, the audience would enjoy the spectacle.
On May 8, under immense scrutiny, Game 2 between the Grizzlies and Warriors tipped off at FedExForum.
-End of Chapter-
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