Chapter 160: Took an Arrow to the Knee.
During this stretch with the bench squad, Gay played like a man possessed, single-handedly blowing up the Spurs.
Once the starters returned, the Grizzlies kept up the momentum, outscoring the Spurs 29–16 in the second quarter and leading by 17 points at halftime.
AT&T Center, which had been buzzing at the start, fell silent by the end of the half.
By the time play resumed, there were noticeably fewer fans in the stands. Those who came for an entertaining game decided the suffering wasn't worth it.
Still, the Spurs didn't give up.
They came back after halftime, executing with precision, and outscored the Grizzlies 29–22 in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 10.
Then Gay returned, immediately scoring on Anderson.
Popovich, seeing this, finally substituted in Leonard for Anderson. This was Leonard's debut for the Spurs in the regular season.
True to expectations, Leonard immediately stole the ball from Gay.
Even as a rookie, his physical gifts were off the charts, especially with those massive hands that could practically palm a size-F cup—making him a defensive nightmare.
Gay, with his slower first step, found himself getting locked up.
Han Sen noticed and stood up, signaling for Gay to draw a foul on Leonard before Gay got back on defense.
It worked like a charm.
Gay drew consecutive fouls on Leonard, which had Popovich storming over to the scorer's table, loudly protesting.
Leonard, being a rookie, was still inexperienced and didn't fully understand the refs' calls.
Typically, rookies adapt during summer league, but the 2011 draft class didn't get that luxury.
As the Grizzlies pulled away again, the audience looked increasingly numb. Who would've thought they'd see the day where Gay would dominate them?
In the end, the Grizzlies won on the road, beating the Spurs 95–82 to open the season with a win.
The post-game stats read as follows: for the Spurs, Parker had 20 points and 6 assists, Duncan recorded 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Ginobili scored 13 points.
For the Grizzlies, Gay had 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, Han Sen contributed 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, Gasol had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Conley scored 11 points with 6 assists, and Randolph added 10 points with 6 rebounds.
"They had 30 free throws while we only had 15—this isn't how the fouls should go in a normal game," Popovich complained, clearly frustrated.
Everyone who watched the game could see that the Grizzlies attacked the paint more aggressively, especially Gay, who alone had 13 free throws.
But it's not like Popovich could just say he wasn't prepared for Han Sen and Gay or outright admit that they couldn't beat the Grizzlies, right?
People need excuses for their failures.
Of course, his "excuse" cost him $25,000.
The post-game press conference for the Grizzlies, meanwhile, had a much lighter tone.
"Getting back on the court felt amazing; it's like I've been on a year-long drought and finally let it all out," Gay joked, sparking laughter all around, while Han Sen could only shake his head, holding back a laugh.
"Han, tonight you dished out seven assists, a career-high for you. How'd you manage that?" After Gay's remarks, reporters turned their attention to Han Sen.
"Really? My assists are that low?" Han's quip brought another round of laughter.
"I gotta thank my teammates for that one—they were on fire, turning every pass I threw into a bucket."
Now that is what we call humble!
"Zach struggled a bit tonight; are you concerned about his performance?" Of course, an ESPN reporter couldn't let it slide without a serious question.
"We have to learn to be content. If Zach had also gone off tonight, we would've won by over 20, and then someone would accuse us of committing a crime," Han joked, making the reporters laugh again.
"A big win against the Spurs to open the season. You guys look even better than last year. Is your team aiming for the Finals this season?" Khalil, standing up, asked.
"No, we're gunning for the championship. No one's stopping us."
The media hadn't taken his words seriously when he'd said something similar at East High, so now that the season's started, he needed to make it official.
Lakers, Heat, season just beginning? Forget all that—this is the energy they needed.
And, of course, those precious hater points.
After the game, Han Sen checked out news on the other two games.
The Lakers beat the Bulls 100–88, with Kobe scoring 28 points on 12-of-23 shooting and Chris Paul adding 18 points and 13 assists.
The Heat topped the Mavericks 105–99, with LeBron putting up 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, Wade adding 24 points, and Bosh recording 13 points and a single rebound.
It seemed they were starting the season strong.
After the opening win, the Grizzlies went on to beat the Rockets and the Kings, racking up three consecutive victories to start the season.
With the next two games against weaker teams, the Grizzlies focused on getting Randolph back in rhythm.
Randolph scored 18 in one game and 21 in another, showing clear improvement.
Over these three games, Han Sen averaged six assists per game.
The feeling was strange; sometimes, he found that setting up teammates was more satisfying than scoring himself.
Is this that fabled joy of passing?
Building on their early-season success, the Grizzlies then defeated the Thunder 98–95 at home, extending their winning streak.
Randolph continued his impressive play, with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
"No one can stop us," Randolph said, brimming with confidence at the post-game press conference.
After the Thunder, it was time for a back-to-back at home against the Bulls.
That's when disaster struck.
In a scramble for a rebound, JJ Hickson collided knees with Randolph, forcing him to leave the game.
Randolph walked off under his own power, and the Grizzlies didn't initially think much of it.
The initial diagnosis was a medial collateral ligament bruise, requiring only a short recovery.
But worse news followed; an MRI showed that Randolph's injury was more severe than expected—a torn ligament in his right knee.
Although surgery wasn't necessary, Randolph was expected to miss 6–8 weeks.
Randolph had already missed most of the 2004–05 season due to a knee injury, and his weight issues seemed to have caught up with him again.
The Grizzlies would have to face two months without Randolph.
This was a massive blow to the team, considering how much of their offense was centered around Randolph's post play.
When the news reached Joerger, he looked visibly upset.
In the NBA, there are lots of assistant coaches but only 30 head coaches.
Being named an NBA head coach was a good thing, but the timing was terrible.
He was hired right before the season started, so there was no time to adjust the team's system, and now, only five games in, he'd lost his offensive anchor.
He was perhaps the unluckiest head coach of all.
And with the Grizzlies' Eastern Conference road trip about to start, their first opponent would be the Heat.
Last season, the Grizzlies' dominance over the Heat was largely based on their size advantage.
Without Randolph, it would be even harder to beat them—just look at how they'd struggled against the Spurs in last season's playoffs without him.
Joerger and Damon exchanged a look and, in unison, spoke Han Sen's name.
Han Sen had been passing more this season, which opened up a different set of possibilities for the Grizzlies.
After the Grizzlies arrived in Miami, Han Sen didn't go back to Barry University—most of his old teammates had graduated.
Instead, he sent Chris Rondo to deliver tickets to any Barry University players who wanted to attend.
Meanwhile, he hit the American Airlines Arena for extra shooting practice.
He'd worried about Randolph's weight causing an injury before the season and had even discussed it with Joerger.
Joerger had limited Randolph's minutes, giving him time to gradually improve his conditioning. But the injury came anyway.
And it was a complete freak accident—an arrow to the knee.
And this was a lockout season, so two months later, it would be late March, just a month before the playoffs.
How much Randolph could recover by then was anyone's guess.
But looking on the bright side, at least Randolph could return, unlike Gay last season.
After a couple of rounds of practice, Damon approached Han Sen.
They sat down, and Damon explained the coaching staff's plan.
The gist: Han Sen would have to handle more ball-handling duties.
Han Sen nodded calmly.
This was a case of plans not surviving contact with reality.
He hadn't chosen talents for a primary ball-handler role, but the team's changes were forcing him to adapt.
But he knew it was the only option.
Not just with the Grizzlies—even in the league, there were few big men who could dominate in the post like Randolph.
"You're taking this better than I expected. You've matured," Damon remarked.
Han Sen chuckled to himself. These past two years had been far more intense than anything he'd experienced in his last life combined.
Going through all of that really had a way of making a person grow fast.
And over these two seasons—especially last season—he'd come to understand what it really takes to chase a championship.
The truth is, there are very few championships won without serious obstacles. Most champions have to overcome huge challenges to reach the top.
Just because you say you're hungry for the title doesn't mean others aren't. And if you say you have to win, well, who's willing to lose?
Look at last season's Mavericks. They took on injuries, age, and all the criticism thrown their way before they finally climbed to the top.
Even the Lakers of the past two seasons—think about all the pressure Kobe endured after that loss in 2008, and then carrying the team through a season when most of his teammates' performances dropped.
When was that ever easy?
Bottom line: chasing a championship is like a pilgrimage. Only by enduring all the hardships can you finally grasp the ultimate truth—the title.
Right now, Han Sen was treating Randolph's injury as just another test on that path.
"Coach, work with me on my passing."
Han Sen got to his feet.
Might as well, since he was already here.
...
If there was anyone in the league more thrilled at the start of this new season, it had to be LeBron James.
The season opener—a sweet revenge win over the Mavs—had led to a five-game win streak.
Wins, stats, team standing—everything he wanted, he had it.
He was walking like he was gliding, feeling like a king all over again.
And, as if the universe was smiling on him, he was about to face the Grizzlies, one of his biggest rivals, when—surprise! Randolph was out with an injury.
LeBron laughed out loud.
At that moment, he finally understood what it felt like to be the chosen one.
At the public practice session the day before the game, he was glowing with confidence.
When a reporter asked him if he thought they could beat the Grizzlies, he couldn't hold back his excitement. "Of course, a thousand percent, I can't think of a single reason we'd lose this game."
And when the reporter brought up Han Sen's recent comments about winning a championship, he gave a knowing, older-brother sort of nod.
"I get where he's coming from. I used to think like that when I was younger too. But winning a championship is a lot harder than he might realize. As a former teammate, all I can do is wish him luck."
...
"Han, LeBron sent you his regards again," Rudy Gay said to Han Sen with a smirk after their training session.
This time, the tone was playful, knowing the history between them.
"Seems he's in good spirits," Han replied with a smile.
"Don't worry, I'll lock him down," Rudy said confidently, patting his chest.
"Watch out for his low-post moves," Han reminded him.
He hadn't watched the game film from opening night, but he'd definitely studied the Heat's strategies in preparation.
LeBron was playing at a high level this season, and it wasn't just because Wade had given up some of his ball-handling duties and tactical standing; LeBron's playing style had changed considerably as well.
Rudy was strong in physical play, but LeBron had almost 10 kilograms on him now and could bulldoze his way through.
"Relax, with that back-down game of his, I've got him covered," Rudy said confidently.
Han didn't add anything. Without Randolph, he'd need to focus more on offense and wouldn't be able to switch onto LeBron as much.
He could only hope Rudy stepped up.
That night, the American Airlines Arena was packed to the rafters, and Miami fans were buzzing with excitement.
There were all kinds of signs in the crowd, some of them very eye-catching, like one that read, "We are the Avengers."
Marvel's popularity was sky-high, especially with the "Avengers" movie set to release this May. The synergy was strong.
Han couldn't help but smile when he saw it.
So they failed once, and now they're the heroes? If that's the case, does that make the Grizzlies—the team that swept them last season—the villains?
Then he spotted a group of fans wearing Grizzlies jerseys with his number 77—alumni from Barry University.
Most of the faces were unfamiliar, but they all lit up when they saw him, clearly excited.
It seemed that although his original teammates had graduated, his impact on the Barry University basketball team was still going strong.
After all, he was the only NBA player they'd ever produced, and now, he'd become a star.
He waved to his former schoolmates, then turned his attention back to those Avengers-themed signs.
Well, tonight, let's see what it feels like to play the villain.
---
Author's Note: Last season, after Ginobili's injury in the playoffs, Coach Popovich had criticized Han Sen, accusing him of foul play and calling it criminal.
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