Capítulo 176: Seeds of Discord.
"You're only doing well because you're on a better team!" Paul retorted.
"Oh, so the Grizzlies are the better team?" Han Sen grinned. Funny—he remembered that before he arrived, the Grizzlies had never won a single playoff game.
Paul turned away without a word.
"Aww, don't be mad." Han Sen hadn't expected Paul to get triggered so quickly—maybe his friendship with James hadn't toughened him up enough.
"Want to talk about that 121-63 game?" Han asked with a smirk.
Paul didn't catch on at first.
"F**k!" Once he realized, Paul lost his cool and gave Han Sen a hard shove.
The ref blew the whistle, and Han Sen raised his hand, signaling he hadn't made a move.
Paul was called for a defensive foul.
Han Sen was dissatisfied. They weren't calling that a technical? This home court officiating was too much!
He turned to the ref in front of Paul, saying, "Just because he's shorter than me, not as handsome, and less popular with the ladies, doesn't mean you have to pity him!"
Han Sen kept up with all the trash comments his haters spewed online, so he'd picked up a few tricks.
Paul was genuinely rattled. Han Sen hadn't said much, but each line hit him right where it hurt.
Paul spat out a curse, while the ref, who had intended to warn Han, turned and gave Paul a technical foul instead.
Han Sen spread his hands towards Paul as if to say, 'See, you asked for it. You wanted to challenge me at trash talk.'
Kobe then pulled Paul aside for a quick chat.
"Don't get into a war of words with that guy. It's hard to come out on top," Kobe advised, having been in similar exchanges with Han himself.
Paul snapped back to his senses, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He'd been trash-talking to provoke Han Sen into going one-on-one against him, but Han's few words had thrown him off his game entirely.
Though he prided himself on being a high-IQ player, Han Sen was turning out to be much harder to handle than he'd thought.
By the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies and Lakers were tied at 20.
Han Sen had only taken two shots, scoring two points, but he added two assists and two steals.
With a neat '2-2-2' stat line, he was subbed out for a rest.
As he took his seat, he noticed something different about the Lakers' approach. Coach Brown had kept Paul on the floor to lead the bench lineup rather than Kobe.
It was a little unusual since Paul had been more aggressive in the first quarter, which would drain his energy faster.
However, as a smaller player, Paul had more stamina. Instead of attacking, he was now focused on facilitating, pairing well with Dunleavy to keep the offense steady.
The Lakers' adjustment was sharp.
And admittedly, Paul was in fine form tonight, excelling in both scoring and playmaking—displaying the talent that had earned him the title of the league's top point guard.
Paul might be the opposing team's star, but his skills were undeniable, even if it wasn't yet crunch time.
After half a season together, Coach Brown seemed to have found the Lakers' ideal game plan.
Shaquille O'Neal had said it himself—the Lakers were significantly stronger than they had been in the regular season.
By halftime, the two teams were tied at 58.
Paul had an excellent half, scoring 18 points and dishing out 5 assists.
During the break, Coach Joerger emphasized the need to lock down Paul on defense.
Han Sen listened carefully.
Joerger's strategy was to have Randolph stay inside, with weak-side help coming over to deny Paul any mid-range looks.
The idea was sound, as Paul's scoring primarily came off mid-range shots from pick-and-rolls with Pau Gasol.
However, as Han Sen listened, he wondered if Joerger's approach would be effective.
Paul wasn't limited to pick-and-roll mid-range shots.
In fact, he was even more dangerous as a playmaker—that was his bread and butter.
If they allocated too many defensive resources to Paul, it would free up Kobe and Pau, which would be an even bigger problem than letting Chris Paul score.
Han Sen didn't raise his concerns directly but waited until Joerger was leaving to pull him aside and share his thoughts.
"Do you have a better idea?" Joerger was open to feedback.
"I could give it a try," Han Sen replied. He wasn't one to offer criticism without a solution.
...
When the second half started, the Lakers adjusted their lineup, swapping Hill for Turiaf at center.
The Lakers sacrificed some height, but Turiaf's defense was notably stronger than Hill's.
The Lakers opened with the ball, and as Paul advanced to the frontcourt, he noticed that Han Sen was now guarding him.
Just as he looked over to see who was covering Kobe, Han Sen piped up again, "I'll allow you to pass it to Kobe."
Paul shot Han Sen a glance. Did he really think he'd fall for such low-level trash talk?
He'd misjudged Han in the first half, but Han was clearly underestimating him now.
Paul passed to Kobe, and Han didn't switch, instead sticking close to Paul to keep him from wandering freely.
Gay was now guarding Kobe.
Kobe tried to beat Gay off the dribble, but Gay managed to contest his shot, which clanged off the rim.
Gay's defense wasn't quite at Han's level, but with his physical gifts, it wasn't far behind.
From what Han knew of 'history,' Gay had eventually transformed into a 3-and-D player with the Spurs in the later stages of his career.
And there was another key point: Kobe hadn't taken many shots in the first half and still needed time to find his rhythm.
The Grizzlies' offense remained focused inside.
Marc Gasol posted up Turiaf, trying to exploit his height advantage.
Han Sen ran a weak-side cut and drew Paul as a defender.
"I'll allow you to go one-on-one against me," Paul mimicked Han Sen's earlier words.
Han Sen blinked, then burst out laughing.
When it came to trash talk, James was like a rock, but Paul had a whole arsenal of tactics.
Marc Gasol ended up drawing a defensive foul on Turiaf, earning two free throws.
Though Turiaf was indeed a defensive-minded center, his height disadvantage was clear. Otherwise, the Lakers wouldn't have hesitated to pay him $4 million in the past.
Taking advantage of the break, Han Sen sidled up to Paul.
"That MVP speech from Kobe—wasn't it moving?" Han asked out of the blue.
"What's it got to do with you?" Paul replied, as competitive as ever. Though Kobe had warned him, Paul was still curious to see what Han would try.
This time, though, it was different from before. He'd learned his lesson and wasn't going to be easily baited again.
"It has nothing to do with me, but it does with you," Han Sen said with a serious expression.
Paul was puzzled.
Meanwhile, Marc Gasol sank the first free throw.
"If I were you, I wouldn't go all out," Han Sen said with a wink. "You know what I mean?"
"How would I know? I'm not a mind reader," Paul replied, still not following.
"Right," Han Sen sighed.
Marc Gasol was preparing for his second free throw.
"You're putting in all this effort, yet in the end, the MVP is Kobe's. Even if you win the title, the Finals MVP will probably still be Kobe. What do you get out of it? Just a mention in someone else's victory speech."
Swish!
Gasol sank the second free throw.
Seeing Paul's silence, Han Sen smirked.
However, Paul didn't hesitate to pass the ball to Kobe on the next possession.
"I know you're trying to drive a wedge between me and Kobe, but it won't work. I just want the championship," Paul replied to Han after handing over the ball.
"How noble of you," Han Sen said, giving Paul a thumbs-up.
Paul frowned, visibly irritated by Han's sarcastic tone.
Han glanced over at Kobe, who was still guarded by Gay. With Gay sticking close, Kobe's shots were affected, and he chose not to force a contested jumper.
"Knock it off with the sarcasm," Paul snapped.
Han turned back. "Aren't you noble? I think you're even nobler than Kobe! Back in the day, he fought Shaq for control, but now he's lucky enough to have CP3, the Great Chris Paul, as his teammate."
Clang!
Kobe's forced shot missed the mark.
The Kobe-Paul combo was most effective when Paul set things up and Kobe played off the ball, but that required Kobe to be in rhythm.
Han Sen's close marking in the first half had some impact.
The Grizzlies' offense was still pounding it inside.
Marc Gasol posted up again, with Han drawing defenders on the weak side.
This time, Paul's help defense was late, allowing Han to receive Marc's pass and throw down a thunderous dunk.
The Grizzlies were gaining momentum.
Kobe pulled Paul aside again, reminding him to ignore Han's trash talk.
Paul nodded, though his focus was starting to waver.
Han's attempt to drive a wedge between them may have been obvious, but many wedge strategies worked precisely because they weren't based on lies.
High-level wedge strategies didn't invent rumors; they simply emphasized existing truths at the right moment.
Everyone knew about Kobe and Shaq's power struggle back in the day. There was no need to verify that.
A boomerang always returns, though it might be delayed.
On the Lakers' offense, Kobe began moving off the ball, and Paul passed it.
The pass was a bit late, and Kobe struggled to receive it smoothly.
It wasn't intentional on Paul's part; he was simply a bit distracted.
Kobe's final drive and layup attempt was blocked by Marc Gasol.
The absence of Okafor had a significant impact on the Lakers, but with the Grizzlies' twin towers and Randolph effectively avoiding Paul's pick-and-roll, the paint remained solidly defended.
On the Grizzlies' offensive side, Han Sen received a pass from Marc Gasol on the weak side, drawing a double team. He kicked it out to Conley on the perimeter.
Paul rushed out to defend, only to be faked out by Conley, who took one dribble and drilled the three-pointer.
The Grizzlies started the second half with a 7-0 run against the Lakers!
Brown called an immediate timeout.
As Han Sen exited, Joerger joyfully reached out for a high-five.
He hadn't expected Han Sen's strategy to work so effectively—it really made an impact!
Han Sen glanced over at the other side of the court, where Kobe merely patted Paul on the shoulder, saying nothing further.
Sometimes communication between teammates isn't entirely open; speaking too much can make people overthink.
From this perspective, Gay was the ideal teammate, as he was straightforward and uncomplicated.
...
After the timeout, Kobe took the ball up front and ran a pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol.
Their chemistry was impeccable, with Kobe driving into the paint for a score, stabilizing the Lakers' momentum.
Back on defense, the Lakers set up a 2-1-2 zone to limit the Grizzlies' twin towers in the paint.
Seeing this, Han Sen perked up instantly.
In the first half, he was focused on battling Kobe and didn't take many shots, so his rhythm was off. But if they're playing zone defense, it would be a shame not to attack.
He received a high-post pass from Marc Gasol and confidently sank a mid-range shot from the right wing.
This type of mid-range shot against zone defense is much easier than Kobe's one-on-one moves.
Brown really deserved his title as his 'mentor.'
The crowd buzzed as the Grizzlies suddenly seized control of the game at the start of the second half.
"The Lakers need to get CP3 more involved offensively. Kobe's been a bit too selfish here, missing three of his last four shots!" Shaq said, anxiously giving advice to the Lakers from the commentary booth.
"CP3's been locked down. Han's defense is airtight!" Barkley laughed on the side, looking smug as he was about to win yet another bet against Shaq.
Shaq's presence had practically turned him into an undefeated champ.
"Nonsense! Has CP3 even tried to attack this half?" Shaq grumbled, not wanting the Lakers to win but also hoping to avoid showing up in shorts on TV, which would be quite revealing.
Kobe continued the pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol, assisting Pau for a layup inside.
This old Lakers duo still had it.
But on the next play, Han Sen received a pass in mid-range, drawing the defense and passing it to Randolph in the paint, who scored with a close shot.
The Grizzlies kept building momentum in the second half.
Kobe demanded the ball up front, while Paul found himself in a slightly awkward role, reduced to the guy who just dribbles across half-court.
Kobe's choice wasn't wrong; with Paul's current shaky performance, the Lakers needed to close the scoring gap during the starters' minutes or risk losing the game.
Losing Game 1 would not only surrender home-court advantage and break their unbeaten playoff streak, but it would also give the Grizzlies a massive confidence boost, completely changing the rest of the series.
The Lakers had to keep it close, and Kobe and Pau's pick-and-roll was working.
Still, after passing the ball, Paul's frustration was evident. Being the league's top point guard without the ball in his hands was unbearable.
An invisible, negative cycle had begun.
Han Sen noticed this and decided it was time to go all out.
Yes, he had a big move up his sleeve.
As Kobe and Gasol ran their pick-and-roll, Han Sen leaned over to Paul and spoke again.
"If I were you, I'd take a page from my buddy LeBron and learn from his experience. In Miami, he's already taken the 'reins' from DW."
"Yes, you might say Kobe is 33 and will hand over the reins to you eventually, but this is Kobe we're talking about. He might hold on until retirement. When will that be? Age 38?"
Just as Han Sen finished, Kobe used a smooth footwork move to beat Marc Gasol, soaring for a powerful dunk.
Clearly, without Han Sen guarding him, Kobe was starting to find his rhythm.
"That's Kobe. I think he could play until he's 40!" Kenny Smith exclaimed in amazement from the commentary booth.
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