Although not quite there yet, it was already very close.
After the clash, Westbrook, who lost balance in the air, crashed into a pile of photographers beneath the hoop.
Hansen hung onto the rim for a moment after his dunk before being forced to let go. He landed and barely stabilized his body.
One man stood while the other fell – the outcome of their confrontation was clear.
The fans on-site went wild.
Hansen had just dunked over the athletically renowned Westbrook?!
Was this really an Asian?
It was the Grizzlies’ bench that truly went insane.
Players waved their towels wildly, Jordan Crawford stood up, holding his head in disbelief.
That dunk was even more visually impactful than his regular-season slam over James.
But at that moment, the most interesting reaction was from Swift in the front row of the spectator stands, her mouth agape as if she could fit an egg inside.
Why did it feel like Hansen’s impact was growing even stronger?
The Grizzlies’ momentum was building; Westbrook’s attempt at the basket was once again thwarted, with Randolph securing the rebound.
As Hansen ran forward, he glanced at the scoreboard.
The Grizzlies had withstood the opening onslaught.
This was crucial because the Thunders had all the advantages in Game 7, and if they had come out strong, it would have been tough to fight back.
That was why he went for those successive forceful dunks at the start. Although it accelerated the exhaustion of his energy, to hold on, one had to exhibit dominance.
So far, the effect was not bad.
However, this was the Thunders’ home court, and the night was so extraordinary.
The chants of the Oklahoma City fans enveloped the arena once again.
The invisible waves of sound seemed ready to drown the players of the Grizzlies on the court.
The temporarily suppressed energy of the Thunders was once again lifted by their fans.
Randolph, still struggling to receive the ball up front, grew irritated and threw an elbow at Perkins, which the referee spotted and called an offensive foul.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Hansen then pulled Randolph aside and said just one line, "Set a pick for me, and I’ll take care of him!"
Durant drove to the basket, drawing a foul on Little Gasol, and confidently made both free throws at the line, tying the score once more.
The giant LED screen displayed the players’ stats: Hansen with 6 points, Durant with 6 points.
No one would have expected this kind of situation before the start of this do-or-die Game 7.
Of course, Hansen and Durant knew, it was like a continuation of their one-on-one duel that summer.
Game 7, a battle to decide it all.
After Conley pushed forward into the frontcourt, he started signaling a play and then passed the ball to Hansen.
Randolph moved up to set a pick for Hansen.
Randolph’s screen would allow Hansen to mismatch against Perkins, who had poorer mobility than Ibaka.
But the Thunders were in such good form tonight, Ibaka and Perkins had already communicated swiftly and completed the switch on defense.
However, this move gave Hansen a sliver of space.
After dribbling to shake off his opponent, Hansen decisively went for a mid-range pull-up jump shot.
Ibaka, as if injected with adrenaline, leaped with all his might, nearly taking off at the same time.
The crowd started to get excited – after all, Ibaka was a 28-card player, a top-tier presence in the realm of shot-blocking, someone even James had to shy away from.
But Hansen didn’t flinch. He simply accelerated his arm raise and released the ball at the apex of his jump.
The basketball barely cleared the fingertips of Ibaka.
Ibaka’s attempted block landed on his palm.
The whistle of the sideline referee immediately followed.
A smirk grew on Hansen’s face as he watched the spinning basketball.
The crisp sound of the net announced the shot was good.
Ibaka, after landing, held his head in frustration seeing the ball go in.
The Ford Center was buzzing with unrest. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥
Slamming over Westbrook, facial shot on a 28-card player – Hansen’s performance tonight was incredible.
Off-camera, Hollins sat there, shocked at everything unfolding on the court.
In his mind echoed the last words Wallace shared with him, which were also spoken by Hansen.
Brave ones prevail in a narrow path encounter!