Jerry Sloan made his name in the League with the pick-and-roll, helping the Jazz reach the finals multiple times.
Moreover, the Heat signed Mike Bibby, who averaged 4.6 three-point attempts per game for the Hawks last season and hit 44.1% of them, a clear step up from either Alroyo or Chalmers. As a result, the Heat’s offensive spacing was incomparable to what it was at the start of the season.
So there was no need for any new "medicine."
Seeing James so decisive, Paul promptly put away the medicine.
"I didn’t think it through; there’s no need for any new medicine. The King can easily win the game."
He was adept at reading people. Though he was the last to join the Four Knights, his status rose the fastest.
Of course, he didn’t throw the medicine in the trash, because no one knows what the future holds.
On March 24th, the game between the Heat and the Grizzlies kicked off at FedEx Forum.
The arena, with its 19,000 seats, was filled to capacity.
Even without League promotion, Memphis fans were fired up about playing against the Heat.
After all, they were the first team to defeat the Heat at the peak of The Big Three era, colloquially known as "the first ones to eat the crab."
No, more precisely, they were the first team to put the Heat into "garbage time."
And that was in an away game. Now at home, the fans would undoubtedly give the Heat a "warm" welcome.
During the pre-game warmups, the cameras cut between Hansen and James.
In theory, Wade was the leader of the Heat, but the "treatment" said otherwise.
Players like Wade and Bosh were the basics, but the Heat’s ceiling depended on James.
Unlike the opening game, the two didn’t exchange words before the match, but their eager expressions were the same.
James obviously wanted to redeem himself with this game, while Hansen was curious to know just how strong the "Classical Master" could be after reaching his limit.
After the warmups, the starting lineups for both teams were announced.
Heat: Bibby, Wade, James, Bosh, Ilgauskas
Grizzlies: Conley, Tony Allen, Hansen, Randolph, Little Gasol
Ilgauskas won the tip-off, and the Heat went on the attack first.
This time, James didn’t start with the ball; the Heat initiated a low-post play with Wade in the paint.
Allen’s low-post defense was average at best; he tried to put pressure on Wade with a steal attempt, but Wade used the opportunity to turn towards the free-throw line and hit a fadeaway jumper.
Wade’s low-post game was severely underrated. He wasn’t a full-sized guard, and often at a height disadvantage, it wasn’t easy to play. But with Allen, they were on the same level.
Randolph received the ball in the low post against Ilgauskas and was quickly double-teamed.
With Allen starting, the Grizzlies’ offensive spacing inevitably shrank.
Randolph, under the double team, chose to turn towards the baseline and his fadeaway missed.
Ilgauskas secured the defensive rebound, and the Heat countered with a fast break, with Wade lobbing the ball into the air for James to follow up with an explosive alley-oop dunk—a "James and Wade connection."
The crowd erupted in excitement.
Unlike the opening game, the Heat started with the upper hand.
The main reason for this change was the adjustments in the lineups.
The Heat’s starting lineup had better spacing, while the Grizzlies’ offensive spacing worsened.
Plus, the Heat’s ability to run fast breaks had dramatically improved after their integration; if the Grizzlies couldn’t keep up their scoring efficiency, their twin towers would be left running suicides on the court.
Hansen then exchanged a few words with Conley, instructing him to feed the ball to Randolph.
Once in the frontcourt, Hansen signaled Tony Allen for a pick-and-roll.
Allen was a bit confused, but he trusted Hansen had a good reason for it.
The Grizzlies continued with their low-post strategy while Hansen and Allen set off-ball screens on the weak side.
Randolph was still being double-teamed, but Hansen’s perimeter threat drew the Heat’s defensive attention, and at that moment, Allen cut to the basket undetected. Read full story at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Randolph saw him and passed the ball right away, allowing Allen to score quickly with a layup.
Though he wasn’t a shooter or ball-handler, cutting for layups was still within his ability.
More importantly, with movement on the weak side, even the Heat’s swift defensive rotations couldn’t prevent the double-team from leaving someone open.
Allen, excited on the way back, high-fived Hansen; Hansen’s move was a real brainwave.
On the next transition, Wade again went for the low-post play, and Hansen started "chatting" with James.
"How does it feel, being the King from Cleveland, only to turn into Pippen in Miami? Can’t even touch the ball, can you?"
Hansen drew from his past experience trash-talking Kobe, bringing out his heavy artillery from the get-go.
James’s face... it’s hard to see color changes on a black man, but what was visible was that James got tough; his fists clenched.
Everybody thought Hansen’s trash talk in the opening game was bad enough, but that was just a warm-up!
While they exchanged words, Wade made a quick pivot and hit another fadeaway from the baseline.
Allen played tighter defense than before, but it was still ineffective; if left unchecked, he could explode on Allen.
In the Grizzlies’ frontcourt, Hansen continued with the pick-and-roll with Allen.
Another important reason for picking Allen was to switch James onto himself.