Chapter 182: I’m Heading There Again!
"He did it! Han did it!" Shaq leaped out of his seat in the commentary booth, unable to contain his excitement.
His 'little Shaq' was still alive!
The once-silent FedEx Forum exploded in a frenzy.
Grizzlies players charged the court, rushing towards Han Sen.
They had won.
Not just against the Lakers, but they'd won playing 5-on-8!
So what if there were biased calls? So what if the Lakers kept getting the ball? We're the ones who won in the end!
Han Sen dashed over to the scorers' table, taking a quick step to jump up on it.
In front of him were the crazed Memphis fans.
Behind him were his equally ecstatic Grizzlies teammates.
"F**k the Lakers! F**k the refs! This is Memphis!"
Han pointed to the ground beneath him, shouting.
"That's Han Sen!" Shaq shook his head in awe.
If he were on the court, he'd grab Han's head and give him a big, slobbering kiss.
No, he regretted it; he should've played another year and joined the Grizzlies!
After collecting himself, Han made a listening gesture with his hand.
The crowd, momentarily hushed, erupted once again.
Tonight, Memphis would be a city of celebration!
When a staff member came over to remind him, Han finally hopped off the scorers' table to shake hands with the Lakers players.
It was then he noticed Chris Paul was nowhere to be seen.
Did he pull a LeBron, slipping into the tunnel after losing?
At the post-game press conference, Han became the center of attention.
After his game-winning steal and a clutch performance under unfair calls, it was destined to be another career-defining night.
"If the officiating's going to be like that next game, I'm not sure we'll even bother to play."
But as the spotlight turned to Han, he didn't dwell on his game-winner. Instead, he made a shocking statement.
It went beyond mere complaints about officiating; it was a threat.
And no one thought Han was bluffing—Ginobili's injury last season proved that.
After the presser, Han got a call from Thomas. The league office had contacted him to warn Han to watch his words.
"I didn't say we wouldn't play at all; I said there was a condition," Han replied.
"What should I tell them?" Thomas asked. In essence, Han was outright rejecting the league's warning.
"Just repeat what I said, word for word." The biased officiating came first, and now they didn't want anyone speaking up?
Han didn't believe Stern would actually suspend him for this. If they did, he'd be ready to cover any fines his teammates faced.
It was bound to be a sleepless night.
According to TMZ, head referee Scott Foster was assaulted by an unknown assailant as he left the FedEx Forum.
The attacker was shockingly professional—no visible facial injuries, but Foster still ended up in the hospital.
More reports indicated that family members of the officiating crew were receiving threatening phone calls.
Chaos reigned in Memphis after the game.
Khalil even published an article titled "Han Saved the NBA," unleashing criticism on the referees.
"This was the ugliest game; the referees were insulting the players and fans. They're the ones who should be locked up!"
True to his goal of stirring the pot, Khalil exaggerated his points, earning Han plenty of hater points.
But on social media, Han's supporters clearly outnumbered his detractors.
Han's heroic game-ending play was the quintessential display of American individualism.
The speed and reach of the news spread quickly, and the league soon found itself struggling to control the narrative.
Under pressure from all sides, the league released a "Last Two Minute Report" the next day, admitting the call on the final possession was a mistake.
Although this was little more than a formality, it did show where the league stood.
It was now likely that the obvious biased officiating wouldn't be a factor in the upcoming Game 7.
With the publicity stirred up, the final showdown between the Grizzlies and Lakers drew even greater attention.
The Grizzlies players were ready.
Although the game would be in Los Angeles, they were confident they could win.
But just before their flight, a news report shook everyone.
According to TMZ, an anonymous source revealed that Paul had jammed his finger in Game 6's final moments, putting his Game 7 appearance in doubt.
Though the report came from TMZ, a Los Angeles-based tabloid, it carried significant credibility.
Fans who watched Game 6 knew Paul had indeed hurt his finger while trying to steal from Gasol.
This also explained why Paul had skipped the post-game handshake.
For the Grizzlies, this was a sudden stroke of luck.
Though Paul had faltered in key moments, the Lakers' foundation relied heavily on him.
Fans online were quick to remark: "When it counts, you can always rely on Paul… to not show up!"
On the flight to Los Angeles, the Grizzlies players couldn't hide their excitement.
After winning Game 6, it felt like everything was finally falling into place, making it hard to imagine losing Game 7.
"Han, we're so close to the championship!" Gay exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement as he sat beside Han.
Noticing the players were getting a bit too relaxed, Coach Joerger gave a pep talk before practice in LA.
But it didn't have much impact—the players felt Joerger was being too strict.
Han eventually stepped in.
During the scrimmage, he switched over to the third team.
He didn't need many possessions to dominate the starters.
The team had indeed grown a bit complacent.
It was understandable, given the string of good news and the Grizzlies' youth.
After they lost, Han shouted to everyone, "Have we accomplished anything yet? Did we already win?!"
His words felt like a bucket of cold water, and his influence clearly carried more weight than Joerger's.
After all, he was the one who'd built the team culture and led them to this height.
Of course, Han's words had the desired effect.
Back in the locker room, Gay even came up to Han to apologize.
Gay wasn't one for sneaky politics.
"Rudy, I understand how you feel, and I get everyone's excitement…" Han began, noticing other teammates were also looking at him.
"I just really... don't want to lose again."
Last year, they'd lost to the Mavericks, and people saw them as the unofficial runner-up since they'd pushed the Mavs to the limit.
If they lost to the Lakers this year and the Lakers went on to win it all, would they just be the runner-up again?
But there's no second-place trophy in the NBA.
Can you summon a championship by collecting seven second-place finishes?
Kobe's 'Number One Loser' philosophy was clear—only one team wins; everyone else is just a loser.
...
The following night, Game 7 tipped off in Los Angeles.
Han spotted Scarlett courtside.
She'd been on a promo tour for The Avengers, but with the movie now released, she'd finally found time to come.
Apparently, she'd heard that Han had been unstoppable lately and felt she had to be there.
But Chris Paul was still the main focus.
Everyone wanted to know if he'd play.
He showed up in warmups, with a protective brace on his finger—the report was no rumor.
In Los Angeles, word travels fast, and any minor detail soon becomes common knowledge.
Despite the injury, Paul warmed up and was listed in the starting lineup.
Paul was hurt but determined to play.
Seeing this, the Grizzlies players exchanged glances with Han, looking at him with a new level of respect.
Initially, they'd been unsure if Paul would play, but now, it didn't really matter.
This mentality set them up for a strong performance that night.
On the Lakers side, though Paul was playing hurt, his impact wasn't quite like Duncan's the previous season when he played through plantar fasciitis.
Duncan's size alone gave him an edge.
Paul's passing, however, relied heavily on his finger's dexterity—something Han knew from experience with his own passing skill.
Still, the game stayed competitive thanks to Kobe and Gasol.
The duo's resilience in adversity commanded respect.
They battled neck-and-neck with the Grizzlies until the fourth quarter.
But fatigue soon became an issue for the Lakers.
Kobe and Gasol were no longer in their primes.
And maybe the outside assessments of the Lakers were right—their roster couldn't sustain the loss of any core player.
The Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Lakers 30-20 to clinch Game 7 with a final score of 106-94, winning the series 4-3.
At the post-game press conference, Kobe sat alone.
"Does falling short of the Conference Finals due to CP3's injury leave you with any regrets?" an ESPN reporter asked bluntly.
"No, losing is hard, but injuries weren't the issue. We missed our chances in Games 4 and 6." Kobe's words felt familiar.
"But the fact is, CP3's injury did change the balance," the reporter countered.
"The Grizzlies' Zach Randolph wasn't at full strength either, yet they still matched us point for point. They were the better team this series, and they deserved to win."
"We failed this time, but we'll be back. I look forward to meeting them again next season," Kobe said before leaving.
...
On the Grizzlies' side, the press conference was much lighter.
"Tell CP3, I'm heading to the Western Conference Finals again."
Han Sen opened the presser with a memorable line.
To Chinese fans, this line carried an extra layer of meaning because 'CP' is also shorthand for 'referee' – Han's words were a clever double entendre.
"I love Charles Barkley, but I'm really looking forward to his performance on Dancing with the Stars."
Han had kept up with Barkley and Shaq's playful bet; they had helped him out in their own way.
"Was injury the deciding factor in this series?" An ESPN reporter, as expected, asked the tough question.
"If the officiating had been consistent, we might have wrapped up the series in Memphis." What's $25,000 anyway? Han wasn't worried.
"What do you have to say about the upcoming Western Conference Finals against the Thunder?" another reporter asked.
Before this, the Thunder had come back from a 0-2 deficit, winning four straight games to eliminate the Spurs 4-2 and advance to the Conference Finals.
"You know, KD's my good friend. We've trained together in the summer, but this is the playoffs—I'll be giving it everything I've got.
If he still needs Scarlett's bathwater, though, tell him I can help with that."
After a grueling series against the Lakers, Han was looking forward to facing the Thunder, especially since KD was his close friend.
After the press conference, Han went out with Scarlett.
In Los Angeles, Scarlett knew her way around better than he did.
They went to a private theater.
Scarlett had brought him to watch The Avengers.
Han hadn't expected this, but revisiting an older movie was actually kind of fun.
It was especially interesting to watch with one of the actors from the film right next to him, adding a unique charm to the experience.
Partway through, Scarlett excused herself to the restroom, and when she returned, Han saw her dressed as Black Widow from the movie.
Seeing her walk right out of the film like that was exhilarating.
You know, Scarlett is someone who loves to seek thrills.
…
"Han is just a loser who got lucky. If CP3 hadn't gotten injured, he'd already be off fishing!"
"KD isn't really close with him. Han's just a shameless guy, and KD doesn't even want to be associated with him!"
"Just wait, the Thunder will knock out the Grizzlies. KD will reach the Finals, and Han Sen will only be able to go home and cry!"
Durant's fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed furiously. Han's post-game comments had left him livid.
But after a while, he suddenly lost interest and stopped.
Usually, a few of Han's critics would show up to challenge him, but tonight, there wasn't a single one.
It seemed his repeated exchanges with them had finally driven them off.
Having won his battles, he felt an unexpected sense of loneliness.
…
He leaned in, his breath warm against her skin, murmuring, "The movie's over."
She pulled him closer, her voice soft but insistent. "No... don't stop."
…
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