Chapter 138: Fearless.
Before the intense Game 7 showdown between the Thunder and the Grizzlies, the other first-round series had already concluded:
Bulls 4-1 Pacers, Heat 4-1 Wizards, Celtics 4-0 Knicks, Spurs 4-2 Hornets, Mavericks 4-1 Nuggets, Lakers 4-2 Blazers.
The only upset? Hawks 4-2 Magic, just as Stan predicted.
Now all eyes were on this Game 7, a pivotal battle that could solidify Stan's reputation off the court.
For the Grizzlies, this was their most high-profile moment since the franchise's inception.
Pundits weighed in on the game's outcome.
Besides a few like Stan and Barkley, most believed in the Thunder's comeback. With home-court advantage, surging momentum, and the stars aligning, the Thunder seemed primed to turn the tables.
In contrast, the Grizzlies weren't known for explosive play; losing Game 6 was seen as a death sentence.
"Who can save Memphis? Maybe only Michael Jordan, but they don't have a No. 23 on their roster," quipped the famous commentator Stephen A. Smith, venting his frustration after the Knicks' sweep.
"I know tonight will be our toughest challenge since the playoffs began."
In the locker room before the game, Han Sen gathered his teammates for a pregame speech.
It was his first time doing so. He never had to in Cleveland, where LeBron took charge, or in Memphis, with Battier as the locker room leader.
But tonight, Han knew he had to step up, aware of the uphill battle ahead.
"Look, I ain't gonna sugarcoat it—tonight's gonna be hell. This is the toughest battle we've faced all season.
"But here's the deal: tough times? They make us stronger."
"Real strength doesn't come from easy wins. It comes from clawing our way through the fire, fighting when every damn thing is stacked against us."
"You want to be a champion? You want to leave your mark? Then you've got to take these moments and make them yours."
"So don't look at this as a problem—see it as our shot to show everyone who we are. Get out there and fight like it's your last damn game. Hit hard, push harder, and let's send these guys packing."
Han Sen wasn't used to giving speeches, but the impact was clear—everyone nodded or held back their emotions. It was working.
He scanned the room one last time and shouted the Grizzlies' rally cry:
"Now, let's go out there and wreck 'em!"
The team echoed him before charging out of the locker room.
At the Ford Center, the arena was packed, fans buzzing like a summer heatwave.
A year ago, the Thunder had been eliminated in the first round by the Lakers. But now, they were one step away from their first postseason victory in OKC.
All they needed was to beat the opponent they demolished in the last game. A win would make them the ninth team in NBA history to come back from a 1-3 deficit.
As the Grizzlies entered the arena, they were momentarily stunned by the roar of OKC's fans.
Han Sen's words weren't exaggerated. Without the right mindset, the intimidation could make a player's legs buckle.
Han Sen's eyes roamed the crowd until he found what he was looking for—a fan in a blue Grizzlies #77 jersey stood out against the sea of white.
Swift had paused her songwriting to be there, cheering for him in OKC.
He walked over and exchanged a few words with her, the moment captured on the arena's LED screens, causing a stir in the crowd.
Durant, who had been warming up, looked up at the commotion and saw the scene.
His eye twitched involuntarily.
He wanted Scarlett, but Han Sen was out here flaunting his romance with Swift.
How maddening!
After the warm-ups, the game moved to the opening ceremony.
The crowd let loose with explosive cheers that could rattle even the most composed opponent.
The starting lineups were announced:
Grizzlies: Conley, Han Sen, Battier, Randolph, Gasol
Thunder: Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka, Perkins
The Grizzlies had made a lineup adjustment—Battier was starting for the first time since joining the team.
Durant saw this and felt a surge of excitement. Allen had stifled him earlier, but tonight he could finally play freely.
Yep, knock the Grizzlies out and send Han Sen home to cry in Swift's arms!
The ball was tipped, and Ibaka secured possession for the Thunder.
Durant took the ball at the high post, ready to back down Battier and attack one-on-one.
The OKC crowd was already cheering, their energy boundless and infectious.
Durant turned, knowing Battier's defense was tough to shoot over, but he believed driving was the way to go.
A quick crossover to his right, but when he pulled up, Han Sen rotated over.
Forcing Durant to rush his shot.
Clang!
Durant's timing was off, and the ball bounced off the rim.
Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound.
The Thunder's transition defense was quick, but the Grizzlies didn't rush their offense.
Randolph established position in the post.
It looked like the Grizzlies were running their usual sets, but subtle changes were noticeable.
Randolph angled his body towards the free-throw line, allowing for better court vision.
The Thunder collapsed to help, and Randolph quickly passed to Han Sen, who had used a screen from Gasol to move to the free-throw line.
But the Thunder's energy was high, and Durant immediately closed out on Han Sen.
Without hesitation, Han Sen faked the shot, drove past Durant, and attacked the paint.
Ibaka was back in position, but Han Sen didn't seem to be aiming for a layup.
With a sudden burst, Han Sen launched himself into the air.
Boom!
Before Ibaka could recover, Han Sen threw down a powerful one-handed slam.
The crowd was stunned, and the Grizzlies' bench erupted in celebration, towels waving wildly.
"OKC! OKC!"
But the fans had endless energy, and they resumed their loud chants for the Thunder.
Durant called for the ball again and decided to post up Battier, turning for a fadeaway jumper.
This shot would avoid Han Sen's double team, but Battier's hand was in his face.
Swish!
Durant displayed his elite shooting touch, unaffected by Battier's contest.
The Grizzlies went back to their offense, once again feeding Randolph in the post as Han Sen moved off the ball.
Han Sen wasn't fixated on holding the ball. He sought the most efficient way to play.
Now, with his passing still developing, his movement without the ball was his best bet.
The Thunder had learned to watch for him at the free-throw line, so Han Sen faked a cut and reversed to the weak-side corner.
Randolph passed to Gasol at the high post, who then dished it to Han Sen.
Han caught the ball in space, but Ibaka lunged at him.
Instead of forcing a contested shot, Han Sen faked and drove right.
Perkins had rotated to the paint.
The Thunder's defense was in full gear tonight.
Seeing this, Han Sen stopped for a mid-range jumper.
Thanks to [Iron Body], this taxing move barely affected him.
Swish!
Han Sen started the game with 4 points.
Pretty words are easy to say. Even LeBron said plenty back in Cleveland. The key is following words with action.
From defense to offense, Han Sen backed up his words.
It was like two armies meeting on the battlefield, with the general charging first. Victory wasn't guaranteed, but the troops were inspired.
Westbrook's drive to the basket was blocked by Gasol.
On the next possession, Randolph's shot was denied by Perkins, and his second-chance attempt was blocked by Ibaka. Perkins secured the defensive rebound.
The scramble for the ball sent Randolph and Ibaka crashing to the floor.
Both teams were bringing the intensity expected in a Game 7.
At this level of play, every point was crucial.
The Thunder went back to Durant.
This time, he faced up and drove away from Han Sen's help, pulling up for a jumper over Conley and Battier.
Swish!
Durant scored again!
The Ford Center erupted.
Durant was the face of the Thunder, the heart of Oklahoma City.
As possession changed, Brooks frantically waved his hands on the sidelines, showing his knack for adjustments.
Perkins started fronting Randolph in defense.
Conley tried to lob a pass down low, but Westbrook was bouncing in front of him like a Ninja Turtle.
Playing at home, the Thunder turned up their defensive energy, eating up over half of the Grizzlies' shot clock, leaving their plays stifled.
Han Sen moved up to receive the ball, with Thunder defenders trying to disrupt him. By the time he finally got the ball, only 8 seconds were left on the clock.
In these tight situations, Han Sen remained calm—he'd seen it all during his early days with the Cavaliers.
He called for a pick from Gasol, used the screen, then kept a low dribble as he bypassed Ibaka and accelerated toward the basket, leaping up in the paint.
Perkins couldn't get back in time, but Westbrook had somehow slipped into the paint, jumping high to meet Han Sen.
G3 was over a week ago, and what fans mostly remembered was Han's clutch three-pointer in double OT.
Few realized that both threes were shot right over Westbrook!
Most people would take months to recover from that humiliation, but Westbrook was here, ready to reclaim his pride.
Han was a bit surprised to see him, but his move never faltered.
The two collided in midair, and then—
Boom!
He slammed the ball in, posterizing Westbrook with a one-handed dunk!
Before facing Miami in March, he had nearly maxed out his [Classical Master] talent and then spent his training focusing on perfecting [All Dunk Pack Except Tomahawk].
Although he hadn't reached mastery, he was close enough.
After the collision, Westbrook, thrown off balance, crashed into the photographers. Han held onto the rim briefly before letting go, barely regaining his footing after landing.
One standing, one sprawled—there was no doubt about the result of their duel.
The crowd went wild.
Did Han Sen really just dunk on the notoriously athletic Westbrook like that?
The Grizzlies bench went even wilder.
Players waved towels in the air, and Jordan Crawford jumped up, holding his head, in disbelief.
This dunk was even more electrifying than his famous one over LeBron in the regular season.
The front-row reaction from Swift was also priceless; her mouth dropped open in shock.
Could it be that Han's explosiveness had improved again?
With momentum building for the Grizzlies, Westbrook's next drive was denied, with Randolph grabbing the board.
Han Sen glanced at the scoreboard as he ran upcourt.
6-4.
The Grizzlies had held up in this opening stretch.
It mattered, because with OKC at home in G7, letting them go on an early run would make a comeback tough.
That's why he attacked the rim hard right from the start—it burned energy, but the Grizzlies needed to match the Thunder's intensity.
So far, it was working.
But this was still OKC's home court, and tonight was anything but typical.
"Defense! Defense!"
The Thunder fans erupted, a wall of sound pressing down on the Grizzlies.
The Thunder's early edge had briefly waned, but the fans' cheers lifted them again.
Randolph struggled to shake off Perkins and get open.
Frustrated, he elbowed Perkins, and the ref called an offensive foul.
The arena exploded in cheers.
Han quickly pulled Randolph aside, saying just one thing: "Set a screen, and I'll get him for you!"
Durant then drew a foul on Gasol with a drive and hit both free throws, tying the score again.
The LED scoreboard displayed the player stats: Han with 6 points, Durant with 6 points.
No one expected G7 to start like this.
But Han Sen and Durant knew—it was like a continuation of their summer one-on-ones.
G7. One game to decide it all.
As Conley brought the ball up, he signaled for a play and then passed to Han Sen.
Randolph moved to the top for a screen, letting Han switch onto Perkins, whose lateral movement wasn't as strong as Ibaka's.
But the Thunder were sharp tonight, and Ibaka and Perkins had already communicated, completing the switch.
Still, it left Han a slight opening.
After a quick dribble, Han stopped for a mid-range jumper.
Ibaka, fired up, lunged forward, leaping nearly in unison with him.
The crowd buzzed with excitement. This was Ibaka, one of the league's elite shot-blockers, who even LeBron tried to avoid.
But Han wasn't fazed. He raised his arm swiftly, releasing the shot at its peak.
The ball barely cleared Ibaka's fingertips.
Clap!
Ibaka's attempted block struck Han's hand.
The sideline ref's whistle immediately sounded.
As he watched the spinning ball, a smirk crept onto his face.
Swish!
The ball sank cleanly through the net.
Ibaka, after landing and seeing the ball go in, held his head in frustration.
The Ford Center was buzzing with energy.
Dunking over Westbrook, swishing a jumper over Ibaka—Han Sen's performance tonight was unreal.
He wasn't just trying to win—he was sending a message.
Off the court, Hollins watched in awe. Han's play brought to mind one phrase:
"When warriors clash, the fearless prevail!"
-End of Chapter-
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