After checking no one was catching up, Hansen began to slow down, then performed a between-the-legs dunk.
The last time Hansen used this dunk was against the Spurs, that time it was out of frustration, this time it was clearly a celebration.
As the ball slammed into the hoop, the FedEx Forum completely erupted.
The Lakers? They’re nothing special!
This dunk expanded the Grizzlies’ lead to 8 points with one and a half minutes remaining in the game, sealing the victory.
In the end, the scoreboard was frozen at 121 to 114.
When the game ended, the scene plunged into a frenzy, with the Grizzlies’ players shouting and screaming.
Not only had the Grizzlies "won it back" as Hansen had said, but they also proved that at full strength, they could beat this Lakers team.
This boost in confidence meant more than just securing a win!
Post-game stats showed Kobe scored 38 points on 27 shots, Chris Paul scored 16 points and had 9 assists on 14 shots, Big Gasol scored 19 points with 11 rebounds, Okafor scored 12 points with 8 rebounds.
Hansen scored 29 points, had 6 rebounds and 10 assists, Randolph had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Guy scored 18 points, Little Gasol scored 14 points, had 15 rebounds and 3 assists, Conley scored 14 points, had 5 assists and 2 steals.
At the post-game press conference, Hansen and Randolph appeared together.
"Returning to the field feels great, I know my teammates went through a tough time, and the feeling of fighting alongside them again is amazing." Just back from injury too, Randolph’s speaking was noticeably way better than Guy’s.
"Hansen is now terrifyingly strong, I feel he can achieve anything he wants, and I’m glad he’s my teammate, not my opponent." Of course, the familiar mutual admiration came back too, more natural than Little Gasol’s.
"Zack is still Zack, if not for the injury, he would be a starter in the All-Star game of The West, who are you asking he’d replace? Naturally, it would be Griffin, he’s just a kid who can dunk." Hansen didn’t forget about his number two detractor.
Of course, after Hansen spoke, his detractor value began to rise; Lakers and Griffin both belong to the precious Luo City fans.
"What do you think was the key to tonight’s victory?" The reporter continued to ask Hansen.
Randolph’s outstanding performance? Kobe’s physical condition? Or maybe?
"Chris Paul," Hansen gave an answer that the reporters didn’t expect at all.
Luckily, he soon gave his explanation;
"At critical moments, you can always trust Paul."
Ah, the reporters finally understood, Hansen was here mocking!
However, given the arrogant words Paul had declared before the game, Hansen’s response was understandable.
And it’s irrefutable.
Because in the last five minutes, Paul’s stats were 1 for 3, besides scoring a basket when the game was already decided, he did nothing before that.
You should know Paul is best at the pick-and-roll, which Randolph fears the most, and with Kobe on the court, the pressure on defense Paul faced was a lot less.
If only Paul managed to make a mid-range shot, giving some support to Kobe, the result might have been different.
But this is Paul, just as Hansen said, as an opponent, you can always "trust" him.
Actually, Hansen was very familiar with Paul’s performance issues at key moments.
And unlike the fans’ impression of Paul always getting injured at critical moments, unlucky, even unharmed Paul tends to perform inexplicably poorly.
In the "history" Hansen knew, Paul has the most overturned records in NBA history, with 8 playoff reversals in his career, 4 of which were after leading 2-0, echoing with Doug Rivers.
And for a long time, they’ve worked together.
So at River’s celebration for his "Reversal Master" title, no one dared to touch the chopsticks unless Paul was there.
In fact, the more realistic data shows Paul’s record in game sevens is 3 wins and 5 losses. Get full chapters from 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵
And there was that classic peak moment when his team lost by 58 points to the Nuggets in the playoffs, where his stats in that game were 4 points, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers.
So it’s not always bad luck; even if it sometimes appears that way, it’s essentially about mental toughness.
Because he lacks the toughness, he hesitates to shoot at critical moments, and even if he shoots, his hand involuntarily shakes.
Ultimately, Paul still lacks an opportunity, like the one Hansen previously had, to be James’ teammate.