Chapter 212: The Conclusion of the 2012-2013 Season.
With the thrilling showdown between the Thunder and the Rockets marking its end, the curtain fell on the 2012–2013 NBA season.
The Western Conference drew significant attention as the standings were finalized:
Memphis Grizzlies: 62–20, ranked 1st
This marked the first time in franchise history that the Grizzlies achieved the top seed in the Western Conference, as well as their first 60+ win season.
Han Sen, in his fourth year, delivered an outstanding stat line: 25.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, with shooting splits of 48.7% FG and 38.6% 3PT. ①
Los Angeles Lakers: 58–24, 2nd
San Antonio Spurs: 57–25, 3rd
Denver Nuggets: 56–26, 4th
Golden State Warriors: 47–35, 5th
Dallas Mavericks: 47–35, 6th
Los Angeles Clippers: 46–36, 7th
Oklahoma City Thunder: 45–37, 8th
The Rockets (44–38) and Jazz (43–39) narrowly missed the playoffs.
...
In the East, the Miami Heat made history with a 70-12 record, becoming just the second team after the '96 Bulls to achieve 70+ wins.
However, the Heat's pursuit of this historic milestone came at a cost. From the moment the record became feasible, the Heat faced immense pressure—not just from fans and media but also from their opponents, who were determined not to be part of their legacy.
The final game of their season against the Pacers, a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, went down to the wire. Only a game-winning shot from Dwyane Wade secured their victory.
While their journey was memorable, the physical toll on the Heat was evident.
Other Eastern Conference playoff seeds were:
Brooklyn Nets: 53–29, 2nd
Indiana Pacers: 52–30, 3rd
Chicago Bulls: 45–37, 4th
New York Knicks: 44–38, 5th
Atlanta Hawks: 42–40, 6th
Boston Celtics: 41–41, 7th
Milwaukee Bucks: 38–44, 8th
Notably, the Thunder's 45 wins, which placed them 8th in the West, would have been enough for 4th in the East.
Fans joked, "If LeBron could teleport, he'd be back in his Eastern kingdom before you could blink."
...
The Thunder's 8th-place finish in the West pitted them against the Grizzlies in the first round. Historically, the Grizzlies had swept the Thunder 3–0 during the regular season, making this matchup a daunting challenge for Oklahoma City.
Stan Van Gundy's playoff predictions showed no mercy:
"The Bucks won't stand a chance against the Heat, and the Thunder might make the Grizzlies sweat a little—if that."
Westbrook, however, pushed back against the dismissive tone:
"We don't care about the noise. We'll give it our all, just like the 2007 Warriors."
ESPN, in their playoff preview, identified the Thunder as the most likely lower-seeded team to pull off an upset:
"Among all lower-seeded teams, the Thunder have the best roster. Their struggles this season were due to chemistry issues, but they've been one of the league's top-performing teams recently. They'll pose significant challenges for the Grizzlies."
...
From the Grizzlies' standpoint, the Thunder's post-'Kneel-Gate' resurgence made them the least desirable first-round opponent.
Facing Oklahoma City almost guaranteed a '5-on-8' scenario due to officiating bias.
Coach Dave Joerger held a special pre-series team meeting. Instead of the usual motivational speech, he emphasized composure and the importance of avoiding unnecessary conflicts, particularly in the earlier rounds.
"We're here to defend our championship. The first round isn't the time to lose our heads and risk suspensions."
...
Before the series began, Han Sen received a straightforward yet impassioned message from James Harden: "Kick their asses for me!"
Clearly, Harden still hadn't forgotten the sting of their loss to the Thunder. Han Sen couldn't help but wonder if Harden had spent the past few days partying in nightclubs while memorizing the league rulebook.
...
The long-awaited matchup drew overwhelming attention. Online polls revealed a lopsided 75% support rate for the Grizzlies—a testament to the backlash LeBron James faced following his infamous kneeling incident.
The FedExForum was packed, with fans holding signs that took direct jabs at the Thunder and LeBron:
"Grizzlies 11, LeBron 0."
"Grizzlies Barbershop: Experts in Clean Cuts."
"Whistles Can't Save You."
Unlike fans on social media, Grizzlies fans brought their frustration and energy directly to the arena.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, LeBron appeared unfazed during pre-game warmups, smiling as though unaffected by the booing crowd.
This wasn't surprising—back when he was with the Cavaliers, the Celtics fans' taunts were far more direct.
After the opening ceremonies, the starting lineups were announced:
Thunder: Westbrook, Afflalo, LeBron, Ibaka, Lopez
Grizzlies: Conley, Han Sen, Gay, Randolph, Marc Gasol
Ibaka won the opening tip for the Thunder, and the game began.
The Grizzlies immediately set up a 2-1-2 zone defense, with Han Sen stationed at the pivotal '1' position.
The playoffs were no place for politeness, and Joerger made that clear.
Westbrook initiated a pick-and-roll with Lopez, then accelerated into the paint.
As the Grizzlies collapsed defensively, Westbrook nailed a mid-range pull-up jumper to score the Thunder's first basket.
On the other end, the Grizzlies executed a high-low set between Marc Gasol and Randolph. Randolph muscled past Ibaka in the post to score.
Westbrook tried the same move again, but this time his mid-range jumper missed under Han Sen's contest.
The Grizzlies resumed their half-court offense. Randolph drew defensive attention, allowing Han Sen to cut from the weak side.
Randolph delivered the pass, and Han Sen shed Afflalo with a powerful one-handed dunk, igniting the crowd.
Compared to the regular season, Han Sen's intensity was on a whole new level.
The Thunder switched to LeBron, who posted up Gay but faced a Conley double-team. LeBron passed out to Westbrook, whose three-pointer was disrupted by Han Sen and missed.
Marc Gasol secured the rebound.
Back on offense, Han Sen drove, drew a double-team, and kicked it out to Gay. Gay missed the three, but Marc Gasol grabbed the offensive board and scored over Lopez, despite contact.
Lopez's foul went uncalled, but with Joerger's pregame warnings fresh in mind, Marc merely signaled to the referee before retreating.
LeBron aggressively attacked the zone, aiming to draw contact.
As he leaped for a contested shot, Marc Gasol and Han Sen skillfully sidestepped, leaving LeBron off-balance.
Without contact, even the refs had no basis for a foul.
LeBron's shot hit the front of the rim, and Marc Gasol grabbed the rebound.
Gay sprinted out, received a pass from Marc, and soared for a windmill dunk.
The crowd roared again, sensing the elevated playoff energy—not just from Han Sen, but the entire team.
2–8.
Though Westbrook had scored first, the Grizzlies surged to a dominant start.
Teams coming off extended rest typically fall into two categories: sluggish, needing time to find rhythm, or explosive, like caged beasts unleashed.
The Grizzlies were clearly the latter, fueled in part by the Thunder's emotional value.
As defending champions, the Grizzlies' first-round energy could have been low, but facing the infamous Thunder—remembered for their past collapses—fired them up.
The camera caught LeBron again, his earlier smile gone.
If this pace continued, the Thunder might not even last until halftime.
Sensing this, the referees began tightening their calls.
Gay was whistled for two quick fouls while defending LeBron's post-ups, sending LeBron to the free-throw line.
Gay smirked at the calls but didn't argue, heading to the bench.
Joerger subbed in Carter instead of Battier, prioritizing speed to contain drives.
LeBron sank one of two free throws as the crowd chanted a familiar taunt: "Who is your daddy!"
This phrase, once used by Cavaliers fans against the Celtics, felt fitting here. After LeBron's infamous 'kneel,' many believed the league favored him with calls—his 'father' now obvious.
The cameras focused on Han Sen, who remained composed.
Back on offense, Han Sen drove and attracted LeBron's help defense before dishing a no-look pass to Carter.
LeBron quickly recovered, but Carter leapt explosively, completing a posterizing dunk over LeBron.
Though no longer in his prime, Carter proved he could still soar—because he's Vince Carter.
The arena erupted, and Carter celebrated with his signature 'motorcycle' gesture, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Carter and Han Sen exchanged high-fives, with Carter clearly energized by Gay's earlier foul trouble.
"Watch for him undercutting you," Han Sen warned.
Having experienced such tactics before, Han Sen's caution was timely, especially against someone with a history of dirty plays.
The crowd chanted "Defense! Defense!" as Thunder possessions faltered.
Afflalo missed a three off Westbrook's pass, and LeBron's attempt also clanked out after Lopez secured the offensive rebound.
The Thunder's cold shooting spread like a contagion.
Han Sen ran a pick-and-roll with Carter, broke past LeBron, and scored with a floater.
Though he warned Carter about potential dirty plays, Han Sen himself played fearlessly, knowing LeBron wouldn't dare risk foul play after last year's incident.
3–12.
The crowd's whistles grew louder as the lead stretched toward double digits.
The Grizzlies poured their pent-up energy from the extended break into this game, fully unloading on the Thunder.
LeBron tried to force a foul on Marc Gasol but received no whistle this time.
The refs couldn't maintain blatant favoritism without crossing into outright bias—a move that could provoke another dramatic protest from the Grizzlies.
While LeBron argued with the refs, the Grizzlies ran a fast break.
Though the Thunder's transition defense improved, they realized too late they were defending 4-on-5.
LeBron was still in the backcourt!
Capitalizing on the advantage, Randolph scored in the paint, extending the lead to 3–14.
Thunder coach Brooks called a timeout as both teams headed to their benches.
As LeBron walked back, still muttering at the referees, Han Sen couldn't resist:
"Why not kneel again?"
Perhaps that would prompt the refs to overlook potential protests and fully embrace bias.
Aware of the cameras, Han Sen positioned himself strategically between LeBron and the lens, seemingly waiting for something.
LeBron ignored the taunt, immune to Han Sen's trash talk.
However, Westbrook, overhearing, turned red with anger, clearly provoked.
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2012–2013 Scoring Leaders (fictional):
Carmelo Anthony (28.7), Kevin Durant (27.3), LeBron James (26.2), James Harden (25.9), Kobe Bryant (25.3), Han Sen (25.1), Russell Westbrook (24.3), Dwyane Wade (23.2), Stephen Curry (22.9), Kyrie Irving (22.5).
-End of Chapter-
Translator's note:
① PPG: Points Per Game, RPG: Rebounds Per Game, APG: Assists Per Game, SPG: Steals Per Game, BPG: Blocks Per Game, FG%: Field Goal Percentage (shooting accuracy for all field goals), 3PT%: Three-Point Percentage (shooting accuracy for three-pointers)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone