The Grizzlies ultimately defeated the Thunders at an away game, 108 to 96.
After the game, the statistics revealed Durant’s 29 points, Westbrook’s 27 points but only 10 out of 26 shots made, and Harden’s 16 points.
Five players from the Grizzlies scored in double digits, with Hansen contributing 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The score reflected the gap in prowess between the two teams, yet more importantly, as Durant had conveyed, "The Grizzlies made it to the Western Conference Finals because Paul was injured." This appearance led the Thunders to evidently lack sufficient mental preparation for the game.
It was as though they thought they were facing a black bear, only to realize it was a grizzly bear.
Was there no chance left for the Thunders?
Clearly not, as the course of the game showed that their victory over the Spurs was not a matter of luck. The Spurs were not as weak as Barkley and O’Neal had suggested.
In fact, besides promoting Leonard and trading for Jackson, the Spurs had also signed Boris Diaw from the buyout market this season.
The former "French Magician," now a "nimble fat man," turned out to be Duncan’s most fitting frontcourt partner after the "Admiral" Robinson.
It was after the Thunders were down 0 to 2 against the Spurs that Brooks’s tactical adjustments shut down Parker and Duncan’s pick-and-roll, leading them to a 4-2 series win over the Spurs.
The next game would be a test of the Thunders’ adjustments.
After two days of rest, the matchup between the Thunders and the Grizzlies continued at the Ford Center.
Not long after the game began, the Thunders showcased their adjustments.
Durant was positioned in the power forward spot as the Thunders played a small lineup.
This seemingly irrational lineup initially had a surprising effect. Randolph committed a turnover while being double-teamed in the post and even got stripped by Durant.
The Thunders also capitalized on defense to unleash an offensive surge. The source of thɪs content is 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙
Essentially, the contest between the two teams was still a battle of paces. In a fast game, the Grizzlies struggled to keep up with the Thunders’ defensive counterattacks.
However, once the Grizzlies stabilized, the small lineup became somewhat comical.
As Ibaka put it, using him in the post meant they could not stop Little Gasol, but with Perkins, they essentially lost their help defense in the paint.
It’s not about just putting one big man out there with four smaller players to claim "one big, four small." Unlike the Heat, who have a defensive system, the Thunders lacked such a thing.
Of course, the most important thing was after Randolph got his rhythm back, Durant in front of him turned into an ATM.
Brooks’s adjustment was declared a failure, and he had to switch back to the twin-tower lineup.
At the start of the game, just like in G1, the Grizzlies continued to hold a firm advantage on the court.
However, once the game reached the phase where substitutions intertwined, the situation changed drastically.
The change was brought by Harden.
Harden’s performance was good in G1, and tonight’s showing seemed even better than G1’s. Not only was he scoring frequently with his signature European Step and step-back jump shots, but his outside shooting was also excellent.
When Joerger sent Allen to guard him, Harden delivered brilliant passes that assisted his teammates in scoring.
Hansen’s strength improved rapidly, but Harden’s progress was not slight by any means.
In the "history" known by Hansen, Harden went to the Rockets in that summer and seemed to have suddenly "unblocked his channels," transforming from a sixth man into a league superstar overnight.
Clearly, this was not the case. Harden’s transformation was similar to McGrady’s.
Before moving to a new team and gaining more ball-handling responsibilities, they had already shown potential as core players on their original teams.
This became the X-factor in the game.
Hansen scored a game-high of 36 points, and the Grizzlies’ total score was no less than the previous game.
Yet, the Thunders managed to snatch a victory with a 113 to 108 scoreline.
Harden made 10 out of 13 field goals, 10 out of 13 free throws for 30 points, while Durant and Westbrook contributed 34 points and 23 points, respectively.
In this showdown between talent and teamwork, this time talent proved to be more effective than teamwork.
The game also provided a significant revelation for the Thunders: they could not win solely with defense against the Grizzlies; their only chance was to outscore them.
This might also be the Grizzlies’ greatest weakness as their scoring has a ceiling, given their twin-tower system’s slower possessions.
"I’ve said it before, we’ll finish the fight in five games," Durant confidently declared after the game’s victory.
Two days later, the teams moved to Memphis to proceed with G3.
The Grizzlies also made tactical adjustments for this game, giving the ball more to Hansen right from the start.
After taking G2, the Thunders raised their importance level on the Grizzlies’ side, treating them as a high-caliber opponent akin to the Lakers.
As the game began, the Grizzlies nearly dismantled the Thunders in less than half of the quarter.
Having Hansen on the offense allowed the Grizzlies’ other players to devote more energy to the defensive end.
Joerger’s defensive strategy was very targeted tonight, focusing on hard double-teams against Durant, while letting Westbrook shoot from the outside.
True to form, Westbrook dared to shoot. His ball-handling significantly increased this season, and coupled with the Thunders’ strategy of star players’ isolation plays, while not being efficient, his stats were on par with Hansen’s, and his confidence was through the roof.
The Grizzlies’ basket was almost skewed by his shooting.
Brooks, seeing this, had no choice but to replace Seferosa with Harden sooner.
But unlike the previous game, Harden didn’t get much ball-handling opportunity after coming in, as the ball primarily remained in Westbrook’s hands.