Chapter 213: The Braised Pork Tactic.
After the timeout, Russell Westbrook drove to the basket, launching himself into the air to challenge Marc Gasol and earning a trip to the free-throw line.
His landing looked painful, as he didn't seem concerned about protecting himself.
When it comes to attacking the paint, Westbrook is far more reckless than LeBron James.
James and Serge Ibaka moved to help Westbrook up, but an interesting scene unfolded. Westbrook initially extended his hand, but upon noticing James, he suddenly rolled over, pushed himself up off the floor, and stood on his own.
Han Sen, heading toward the free-throw line, paused at the sight, then broke into a laugh.
Westbrook has high emotional intelligence. Whether dealing with Harden or James, he never lets any conflict over ball control surface publicly.
But hiding it doesn't mean it doesn't exist—especially after Han Sen's earlier trash-talking toward James went unanswered.
Though Westbrook's playing style bears some resemblance to James', their personalities couldn't be more different.
You can be outmatched in skill, but you should never appear weak.
Westbrook clearly holds James in contempt now.
Amid the noise of the arena, Westbrook calmly sank both free throws.
Then, on the defensive end, he made a surprise block on Zach Randolph's shot.
Soaring high for the block, Westbrook recovered the ball and seemed like a rocket as he sped coast-to-coast, finishing with a powerful two-handed dunk.
After the dunk, Westbrook let out a primal scream, igniting the crowd.
The Thunder were on the verge of collapse, but Westbrook single-handedly pulled them back into the game.
When Mike Conley brought the ball past half-court, he passed it to Han Sen. The Grizzlies needed a steadying hand.
Han Sen initiated a pick-and-roll with Vince Carter.
James tried to push Arron Afflalo forward to contain Han Sen, but Han used the opportunity to cross to his right and attack the paint.
Brook Lopez rotated to help, and as both defenders converged, Han threaded a pass to Marc Gasol cutting down the lane.
Gasol went up strong, slamming it home over Lopez.
The crowd erupted again.
Westbrook, undeterred, ignored James and went into a pick-and-roll with Lopez. Exploding into the lane, he once again challenged the Grizzlies' defense.
This time, Marc Gasol played it smart, sagging back to anticipate Westbrook's drive.
Gasol guessed correctly; Westbrook drove all the way to the rim and contorted for a layup.
But before the ball could even reach the backboard, Han Sen came over to help and snatched it mid-air.
Landing smoothly, Han immediately pushed the ball in transition.
Afflalo hustled back on defense, but Han made a slick behind-the-back move to evade him, then jumped and finished with a reverse layup off the glass.
The sequence showcased Han's impeccable body control and skill.
Landing with flair, Han waved his arms to pump up the crowd even more.
The Grizzlies had momentarily been subdued by Westbrook's heroics, but Han's response reignited their momentum.
Westbrook had energy, but it was clear that he alone couldn't topple this Grizzlies team.
The final score was 108-96, as the Grizzlies comfortably secured Game 1 of the series.
The Grizzlies shot an impressive 55% from the field and had built a 20-point lead by the end of the third quarter.
For yet another game, Dave Joerger's team barely broke a sweat.
Postgame Stats
The Grizzlies had five players score in double figures. Han Sen led all scorers with 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in just three quarters.
For the Thunder, Westbrook had 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, while LeBron James finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
James' stat line seemed to mirror Westbrook's, but his presence on the court had been largely invisible.
This is classic LeBron basketball: not much impact during the starters' minutes, but a strong ability to dominate during staggered rotations and garbage time.
James played the entire fourth quarter, shrinking the deficit during meaningless minutes. If there were a fifth quarter, the Thunder might have had a chance.
Postgame Press Conference
Han Sen and Marc Gasol addressed the media together.
"The free-throw disparity tonight was 31 to 16. I don't know what my players need to do to avoid getting called for fouls," Joerger remarked, taking a jab at the officiating despite the win.
"Russell gave us a lot of trouble. I won't say anything like 'a valiant effort in defeat,' but his willpower as the Thunder's franchise player was admirable," Han Sen said, praising Westbrook.
If Kevin Durant were still on the Thunder, this team might have posed a significant threat.
But then again, Durant's departure allowed Westbrook to evolve into the player he is today.
Han's words, however, stirred a different reaction among the reporters.
What did he mean by calling Westbrook the Thunder's franchise player? Based on the stats, isn't LeBron James their clear star?
Han's comment was widely reported, earning him a wave of backlash but also sparking intense fan discussions.
The Thunder's issues aren't just about star compatibility; this game left fans with an entirely different impression.
As the eighth seed facing the first, the gap in skill was undeniable.
Since the NBA adopted the 16-team playoff format in 1947, there have only been four 'eighth-seed over first-seed' upsets in 130 instances.
Since the first-round series changed to a best-of-seven format, there have been just two such upsets—one of which occurred because Derrick Rose was injured.
Simply put, winning this matchup is nearly impossible.
As Han Sen once said last year, adversity reveals a person's true character.
Westbrook faced it head-on, losing on his feet.
Meanwhile, James disappeared after Han's trash talk, padding his stats in garbage time.
The perception of James after this game is unlikely to fade.
Fans questioned Nike's decision to position him as their centerpiece:
"Why does Nike back a coward as their flagship athlete? Is this their brand identity?"
One comment struck a chord: "I'd rather root for KD. At least he's not soft."
This led many to question: why not make Durant the face of Nike?
Kobe's too old and came from Adidas, so he's unlikely to be Nike's headliner. But Durant is younger and led the Heat to a 70-win season, becoming the first player since Jordan to achieve that.
Could Nike consider replacing James?
Even Rajon Rondo brought this up to Han Sen in conversation.
"When does LeBron's Nike contract expire?" Han asked.
He vaguely remembered James signing a seven-year, $96 million deal when he entered the league.
"That deal ended in 2010, and they renewed for four years, $80 million," Rondo explained.
"2010, 2014…" Han repeated the years like he'd discovered a clue.
2010: The Decision, forming the Heat's Big Three.
2014: The Decision II, returning to Cleveland.
It suddenly all made sense.
LeBron James wasn't just a Nike athlete; he was a product crafted by Nike—a god on a throne built by their marketing machine.
But even a false god can be replaced.
"If LeBron doesn't win a championship by 2014, I think that'll be KD's chance," Han predicted.
Durant might lack charisma, but was James really any better without the veneer of branding?
Nike's power can turn anything into gold—even if it's a pile of dirt.
Compared to that, Durant's so-called flaws are hardly worth mentioning.
Han Sen found himself eagerly anticipating the summer of 2014.
...
After a two-day break, Game 2 between the Grizzlies and Thunder resumed in Memphis.
The game's flow was almost identical to Game 1.
In truth, even if James and Westbrook could manage their ball-sharing issues, the Thunder would still struggle to defeat the Grizzlies.
Their playstyles overlapped too much, leading to a result where the combined effort felt more like 1+1 < 2.
Of course, the Thunder's management wasn't aiming to beat the Grizzlies or the Lakers—they were focused on making money.
It wasn't that the front office lacked intelligence; they simply couldn't have foreseen Westbrook's rapid development or the speed at which conflicts between him and James would escalate.
If we're honest, Westbrook, Afflalo, James, Ibaka, and Lopez made up a lineup far superior to the Nuggets.
Securing a top-four seed in the West and making the second round was all they really aimed for.
The Grizzlies quickly gained control of the game, with the situation looking even better than in Game 1. By the end of the first half, they had already built a 15-point lead.
It was at this point that a conflict broke out on the court.
During a clash with Randolph, James first used small tricks that annoyed Randolph, then escalated by elbowing him in the neck.
Despite Coach Joerger's pre-game warnings, Randolph's fiery temper couldn't tolerate such behavior. He immediately grappled with James, and the two ended up in a wrestling match on the floor.
The referees assessed a technical foul on James, while Randolph was ejected from the game.
James lacked the boldness for blatant dirty plays, but he was skilled in more subtle, underhanded tactics.
During the timeout, Joerger decisively sent in Jones.
Jones proved to be quite the character, mimicking James's behavior and relentlessly provoking Westbrook.
"You can't win a single game without KD!" Jones's taunt, following a sly elbow, finally pushed Westbrook over the edge. The two ended up in a scuffle and were both ejected.
It's worth noting that this marked the first playoff ejection of Westbrook's career.
While he was known for his tenacity, he'd always maintained good emotional control on the court.
This time, his outburst wasn't solely Jones's doing.
His pre-game comments directed at Coach Stotts revealed his burning desire to win.
Even if victory wasn't possible, he didn't want to be humiliated repeatedly like James.
When Westbrook left the court, his expression seemed calm, but it was clear that his anger and frustration had likely reached a boiling point.
With Westbrook gone, James assumed control of the ball, racking up points, rebounds, and assists.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, the deficit remained unchanged.
In the second half, things took a turn for the worse—the point gap only widened.
In the end, despite some on-court drama, the Grizzlies secured a 103-88 home victory, taking a 2-0 series lead.
James posted a triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
You can criticize James's abilities in many areas, but his knack for putting up stats is unquestionable.
The league's response to the altercations mirrored that of past Finals incidents: fines were issued, but no suspensions.
Despite the lopsided competition, this series garnered the highest viewership ratings of the first round—a testament to Stern's unwillingness to let money slip through his fingers.
Game 3 would take place in Oklahoma City.
Before the Grizzlies departed, Joerger sought out Han Sen to discuss Randolph's situation.
Han Sen had been instrumental in calming Randolph's temper on numerous occasions.
During their conversation, however, Han Sen offered his own perspective.
He argued that James's actions were unlikely to recur.
Given James's personality, he only resorted to physical aggression when pushed to his limits.
This particular incident, Han Sen believed, was partly driven by the recent online chatter questioning whether James's 'softness' aligned with Nike's branding as its flagship athlete.
By showing some aggression, James hoped to quell those criticisms and silence the negativity.
Of course, there was another factor.
Han believed the large point deficit also played a role.
It was an unusual angle, but he had his reasoning.
He noted that James's past altercations often occurred when his team was significantly behind on the scoreboard.
In fact, this pattern extended beyond James; most on-court scuffles happened out of frustration during blowouts.
As Joerger had emphasized earlier, the Grizzlies' goals extended far beyond the first round. They weren't interested in trading ejections with opponents just to prove a point.
Their priority was ensuring a smooth path to the Finals.
After all, losing a key player before the Finals would make it significantly harder to contend with the Heat.
"Dave, are you familiar with Chinese cuisine?" Han Sen suddenly asked, veering into an unexpected topic.
The question left Joerger momentarily dumbfounded. They were in the middle of discussing playoff strategies—why bring up food now?
But Han Sen didn't seem to care whether Joerger knew or not. Instead, he began explaining on his own.
"There's a famous dish in Chinese cuisine called hongshao rou—braised pork."
Joerger still didn't grasp the point Han Sen was trying to make.
"Its preparation is quite simple," Han Sen continued. "It boils down to nine words: slow simmer over low heat, reduce with high heat."
-End of Chapter-
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