บท 112: I Will Let You.
Randolph continued to play in the low post. This time, after receiving the ball, he made a move against Anthony and quickly turned baseline to take a fadeaway shot before the Heat's help defense could arrive.
For a player of his build, his moves were incredibly smooth.
Anthony indeed had good shot-blocking ability, but Randolph's rich experience allowed him to initiate contact early, preventing Anthony from closing out in time.
Swish!
The ball went through the net cleanly.
Randolph had earned the trust of a seasoned coach like Hollins, who built the team's tactics around him. Being a legitimate low-post threat, he was more than just a decent player.
After about five minutes of play in the first quarter, the score was 10-2, with the Grizzlies leading.
These five minutes could be described as LeBron James' public humiliation.
Gay, despite his physical strength, could not shut down LeBron every time. The lack of speed limited him to merely containing LeBron.
The key issue, however, was that out of the five Grizzlies on the court, Gay was the weakest defender!
When LeBron did manage to get past Gay, his lack of a consistent mid-range shot forced him to keep driving inside.
But waiting for him at the rim were either Randolph or Marc Gasol- usually Randolph.
With Randolph's physical presence, it was always LeBron who came out on the losing end of the collision.
To make matters worse, the Heat's center was Joel Anthony, a player with zero offensive threat, making things more frustrating than when LeBron was with the Cavaliers.
Shaq was the kind of player who could score if you fed him the ball, but with Anthony, passing to him was practically a turnover.
LeBron's stats for those five minutes read: 0-for-4 shooting, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, and 1 foul.
And to top it off, in the most recent possession, Marc Gasol blocked LeBron's shot volleyball-style.
Wade, mature enough to let LeBron take the lead, was left watching LeBron perform like he was struggling with a stomach ache.
Han Sen's earlier assessment was spot on—the Grizzlies' lineup was a nightmare matchup for LeBron.
Especially with the referees no longer favoring him, Han didn't even have to push himself.
The crowd was buzzing.
They could never have imagined such a start for the 'Big Three'.
Or rather, they refused to imagine it, despite warnings from Stan about the Heat's interior issues, and Heat fans realizing the Grizzlies would be a tough opponent.
After all, this was the peak 'Big Three!'
It was fair to say the Grizzlies' opening slap stunned the Heat.
In a critical moment, Spoelstra bailed LeBron out by calling a timeout.
After the timeout, LeBron was subbed out for a rest, and Mike Miller entered the game.
Miller, the fifth pick in the 2000 draft and a friend of Tracy McGrady, was known for his three-point shooting. He was also a former Grizzlies player and had won the Sixth Man of the Year award with them.
With Miller on the floor, the Heat's offense noticeably improved.
This wasn't just because LeBron's iso attacks were ineffective, but also because the starting lineup's spacing was too cramped.
Could you imagine Wade being the best three-point shooter among the Heat's starting five?
But with Miller providing a reliable three-point threat, Wade's driving lanes opened up significantly.
Wade, being smart, tried pick-and-rolls with Bosh, knowing that Han, who had trained with him over the summer, could pose defensive problems.
Bosh, who could play inside and out, was much faster than the Heat's previously injured starting center, Jermaine O'Neal, and posed a greater offensive threat.
Whether Han Sen switched or not, the pick-and-roll created opportunities.
Spoelstra showed his coaching prowess by replacing Anthony with Bosh to guard Randolph.
Though Bosh's on-ball defense wasn't as strong as Anthony's, he could keep up with Randolph's moves, and his 6'11" height and 7'3" wingspan allowed him to contest Randolph's shots effectively.
With 10 minutes gone in the quarter, the score was 18-14, with the Grizzlies still leading, though their advantage had shrunk.
The five minutes before and after the timeout were like night and day.
Before LeBron made his decision to join Miami, some fans argued that the Heat would be stronger if they built around Wade and Bosh while adding quality 3-and-D players and a sixth man.
That notion was scoffed at then, as the impact of a superstar far exceeded what role players could bring.
Yet, the Heat's performance during this stretch was a slap in the face to that thinking.
With both teams' starters gradually subbing out, Han was replaced by Tony Allen.
The lineups now stood as:
Grizzlies: Delonte West, Tony Allen, Rudy Gay, James Johnson, Hamed Haddadi
Heat: Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, LeBron James, Haslem, Ilgauskas
Gay was Hollins' choice, while LeBron...
It was like two different generations of cars hitting the road together.
The style of play in this segment was the opposite of the opening.
Gay and LeBron didn't match up directly; instead, they each scored based on their abilities.
And both coaches allowed it.
After all, the Grizzlies needed Gay's scoring to stabilize his emotions, while LeBron needed this period to pad his stats.
Classic NBA 'stat-padding' action.
Han Sen was getting his taste of the NBA's quirks.
Sometimes, reality was more dramatic than fiction.
At halftime, the score was 43-41, with the Grizzlies holding a slight lead.
The stats showed Wade scoring 13 points, LeBron 10, and Bosh 7 for the Heat.
But stats could be deceptive; anyone not watching the game would think Wade and LeBron had performed equally well.
For the Grizzlies, Randolph led the way with 14 points, Gay had 9, and Han Sen hit a three-pointer for 7 points.
During the halftime break, after Hollins finished laying out the strategy, Han chatted with Gay.
Although LeBron's performance was just as disappointing as anticipated, Wade and Bosh kept the Heat competitive.
Combined with Spoelstra's excellent coaching, the Heat were not as easy to defeat as Han had expected.
"You want me to let LeBron drive inside?" Gay was puzzled by Han's request, especially since Hansen had initially instructed him to go all out.
"Then I'll trap him. We'll sandwich him with a double-team," Han Sen explained as simply as possible, without mentioning that Spoelstra might adjust to a lineup with better spacing in the second half.
"But what about DW?" Gay was concerned about leaving Wade unguarded.
"I'll rotate back. Trust me."
Seeing Hansen's confidence, Gay could only nod.
After all, he had enjoyed scoring in the first half.
As the second half began, the Heat indeed made adjustments to their starting lineup.
Chalmers and Ilgauskas replaced Arroyo and Joel Anthony.
It was only the first game of the season, and Spoelstra was still experimenting with the rotation, but his in-game adjustments were miles ahead of Mike Brown's.
The Heat had the first possession of the second half, with Wade leading the attack.
However, he quickly noticed that Han Sen was defending him more aggressively than in the first half.
After trying twice to run pick-and-rolls with Bosh without success, Wade reset at the three-point line, baffled by Han's sudden intensity—had he given himself a pep talk at halftime?
That was out of the question; Han was expending all his energy to force Wade to abandon his iso plays.
His effective defense owed much to conserving energy in the first half and to Grover's intense conditioning program.
Moreover, Han was using his knowledge of Wade's tendencies and techniques, gained from their shared training, to his advantage.
With the shot clock ticking, Wade gave up and passed to LeBron.
The second-half lineup provided better spacing than the first half, and with LeBron's old teammate Ilgauskas on the floor, he was expected to make an impact.
LeBron called for a pick from Ilgauskas. Gay's lateral speed was too slow, so even if he didn't sag off, he couldn't stop LeBron from driving.
LeBron found himself facing Marc Gasol one-on-one, seeking revenge for an early foul call, when suddenly a shadow darted toward him.
Before he could see who it was, the ball was gone from his hands.
[Star Catcher] activated!
Han had sprung an unexpected ambush, coming from Marc Gasol's blind side, leaving LeBron completely unaware.
This was the benefit of having been teammates—knowing LeBron's offensive habits inside out.
Seeing him steal the ball made LeBron clench his teeth in anger!
But Han didn't have time to care about LeBron's reaction; he was already sprinting down the court like a machine.
He was definitely faster than last season!
LeBron couldn't catch up, and the only Heat player responding was Wade.
They raced toward the Heat's half-court, Wade trailing behind.
Though not as known for chase-down blocks as LeBron, Wade's shot-blocking prowess as a guard was formidable.
Han Sen knew Wade well, though. As soon as he entered the paint, he leapt high for a two-handed dunk, leaving Wade no chance for a block.
Wade gave up mid-air and watched Hansen dunk, shaking his head in resignation.
The Grizzlies clearly aren't known for fast-break plays, but Han coming from the Cavaliers changes things.
This dunk energized the Grizzlies' bench, as they hadn't seen a coast-to-coast steal and slam like this in a while.
Even Swift, sitting in the front row, got excited, standing up and pumping her fist to show her support for Han.
Wearing that distinctive No. 77 Cavaliers jersey, she quickly appeared on the LED screen, stirring up the crowd.
Her jersey also reminded many people of the past tensions between Han and James on the Cavaliers.
Han's post-game comments after being eliminated by the Magic, where he angrily called James a coward, still echoed in people's minds.
Especially after James left the Cavaliers, Han's remarks gained more attention and were widely known.
Is Han now trying to prove his words with real actions?
As Han retreated on defense, he noticed his hater count was rapidly increasing.
Good, that's exactly the effect he wanted.
Although 'The Decision' made many LeBron fans stop supporting him, LeBron's fan base was still large, and thanks to Nike's marketing, new fans emerged every year.
Wade continued to hold the ball in the frontcourt, while Han maintained high-pressure defense.
But this time, Wade chose to attack the basket instead of passing, yet Han's tight defense combined with Gasol's help defense left Wade empty-handed.
Randolph secured the rebound.
The Grizzlies advanced to set up a half-court play, with Han still controlling the ball and preparing to feed Randolph in the post.
Bosh showed his mobility by fronting Randolph to prevent the entry pass.
Seeing no good angle for the pass, Han suddenly drove to the left.
Grover had specifically trained his muscles, including the hamstrings, which are crucial for leg explosiveness.
In other words, Han's first step had improved compared to last season.
Wade, who hadn't trained with Han since before free agency, was caught off guard by this change.
By the time Wade reacted, Han was already speeding toward the free-throw line.
At this moment, James quickly rotated over to help, and as a former teammate, he knew that passing wasn't Han's strength.
Especially since the Heat had James and Wade, their defensive rotations were exceptional.
And indeed, Wade did not chase Han after being beaten but instead moved directly toward Gay.
James and Wade demonstrated their defensive chemistry.
However, Han had no intention of passing the ball.
Seeing James rotate over only made it even less likely for him to pass.
He accelerated toward James, stopped abruptly, glanced at the basket, then quickly took a big step to the right and released a floater with his body turned.
This move was one of his signature shots, but now it was faster and more stable than last season.
James was completely fooled and could only watch Han's floater in mid-air.
Swish!
The ball went through the hoop cleanly.
After scoring, Han extended his hands toward James.
James chose to turn his head away, pretending not to see it.
Han had scored four consecutive points, bringing the score to 47-41.
"I remember when Han first arrived in Memphis, he boldly claimed he would help the Grizzlies compete for a championship. At the time, it sounded like a joke, but now, it seems that maybe it wasn't just talk."
Han's performance drew praise from commentator Mike Breen.
Facing the Big Three without fear, Han's potential might just be the tip of the iceberg, as seen in last season's playoffs against the Celtics.
The Heat found themselves in a tough spot on the court.
Wade then attempted a pick-and-roll with James, looking to exploit a mismatch against Gay.
But Han backed off, refusing to switch.
Wade bounced the ball to James, who cut inside after setting the screen.
But as soon as Wade made the pass, Han swiftly switched to defend James.
No one would believe there wasn't some personal rivalry involved.
James was forced to retreat to the perimeter by Han's pressure.
With the shot clock winding down, James had no choice but to go one-on-one.
It was then that Han spoke up, giving James no room to evade:
"I'll let you to call for a pick."
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