In this game, Lakers head coach Mike Brown used full-court single coverage on Hansen, employing Artest, Barnes, and even Kobe in a rotating defense.
The Grizzlies are a team that plays together, cutting off the connection between Hansen and his teammates is more effective than just stopping Hansen from scoring.
Brown is not great at offense, but his defensive skills are clearly on point.
As a result, Hansen poured his heart into the game, scoring his career’s first 50 points.
However, the Grizzlies ultimately lost with a score of 106 to 115.
Kobe scored 41 points, Gasol had 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Paul contributed 14 points and 14 assists.
This game was the best representation of Hansen’s current ability; even against a championship-contending team, he could truly score 50 points when he went all out.
But a loss is meaningless, and after the game, Hansen only said one sentence, "We will win it back."
The next time the two teams faced each other was in March, after the All-Star Game.
Upon returning to Memphis, Hansen saw Randolph in the training facility.
Time flies, and it’s already been over a month since Randolph was injured; he was already starting some non-contact training.
Given his recovery pace, he could come back after the All-Star Game.
Hansen went over to greet Randolph and then joined him in some training for a while.
Losing to the Lakers clearly shows that basketball is not a one-person sport. Even though Conley, Guy, and Little Gasol have improved this season, Randolph is indispensable against an experienced team like the Lakers.
It’s not to say that having Randolph play guarantees a win, but his presence makes a big difference in a series.
At this time, Randolph was also eager to return.
It’s not about Hansen fighting alone; it’s that the Grizzlies are playing so well even without him, he might lose his spot on the team if he doesn’t come back soon.
"It’s not scary to win; it’s embarrassing to be absent," and this applies to anyone.
On February 26th, Randolph continued his recovery training in Memphis, while Hansen, Little Gasol, and Conley flew to Orlando to participate in the All-Star Game.
This year, Hansen only needed to play in the main event, so he had a more relaxed schedule than in past All-Star Games.
On the first day, aside from participating in business activities, he spent the time roaming around with Little Gasol and the others.
On the second day, while Conley was participating in the Skills Challenge, he and Little Gasol, all dressed up, sat in the front row, ready to watch the competition.
This year’s Skills Challenge, besides Conley, included Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Rondo, Parker, and Irving, all of whom had plenty of star power.
Especially Irving, who had just scored 34 points and 9 assists in the Rookie Challenge the day before, drew a lot of attention.
As Hansen was discussing with Little Gasol who might win tonight, he suddenly heard a woman’s voice greeting someone near his ear.
He turned his head, puzzled, and then saw a very familiar face.
The seat next to him seemed to have been occupied by a guy before, so how did it suddenly become Scarlett?
Moreover, when Scarlett greeted him, she was smiling and reaching out her hand as if they were familiar with each other.
Out of politeness, Hansen shook hands with Scarlett.
"Have we met before?" he asked curiously.
Scarlett shook her head, smiling in response,
① "One of the most important reasons is that I am a very loyal person. I have always believed that loyalty is more important than anything. The past few months have been very tough for me, but unlike what many people think or describe, I am loyal. Defecting is not in my nature," Howard talked about his reasons for staying.
② The West starters: Hansen, Kobe, Durant, Griffin, Little Gasol Updates are released by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽
Reserves: Paul, Westbrook, Parker, Alderich, Nowitzki, Love, Binamu
The East starters: Ross, Wade, James, Anthony, Howard
Reserves: Deron, Joe Johnson, Iguodala, Pierce, Luer Deng, Bosh, Hibbert