The Heat played with great tenacity, closing the gap multiple times, but throughout the game, the Grizzlies firmly controlled the situation on the court.
For Heat fans, watching the game felt like being pinned under a mountain, unable to turn over.
Post-game stats showed Hansen’s high efficiency with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on 11-for-20 shooting, Randolph with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Little Gasol with 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Guy with 16 points.
James got 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers on 9-for-24 shooting, Wade scored 21 points on 7-for-19 shooting, Bosh added 17 points and 4 rebounds, and Haslem contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The Grizzlies had an absolute advantage in rebounding, 45 to 30, which was the decisive factor in the victory.
At the post-game press conference, Hansen and Guy were present.
"How do you evaluate the Heat’s performance tonight?" The first to ask was a reporter from NBC.
"They’re a very strong team, but we’re stronger."
Hansen’s first half of the statement surprised everyone, but the second half enlightened them.
"We all know you and LeBron had the chance to compete in the finals together, but now you’re opponents on the court. Does that feel special?" asked a reporter from ESPN.
Hansen smiled, clearly, the reporter was fishing for something about former teammate dynamics and nostalgic memories.
"You know, I played college ball in Miami, I still have a set of fishing gear there. I think if I gave them to LeBron, it would be very special, that’s if he’s still there by then."
There was a stir among the audience, Hansen’s words were full of teasing and the logic was sound.
"Do you think the Grizzlies can win the championship from here?" asked a reporter from TNT.
"No, we all know this is just the beginning."
The Heat had been using a defense-counterattack system since the last postseason, which had matured this season, relying mainly on playing with one big and four smalls. Thus, Game 1 (G1) was crucial since this tactic and the Grizzlies’ positional war were mutually restrictive.
And the fans saw the result – it simply didn’t work.
Once Randolph found his form again, the Heat couldn’t stop the black-and-white duo inside; defense-counterattack was out of the question.
It could be said that even without Hansen, the Heat would have had a tough time against the Grizzlies.
Let alone now with Hansen, the Grizzlies had no issues with offensive spacing and had gained an additional perimeter offensive core.
But Hansen said what he did because he knew that the Grizzlies would be facing more than just the Heat.
Two days later, the Grizzlies continued their finals with the Heat in Memphis for Game 2.
In this game, Spoelstra started with the regular lineup, and the Heat was much more proactive than in G1, with many changes on the court.
The biggest change revolved around James, who instead of playing as he had the whole season or during G1, was assisting Wade.
Hansen’s words in G1 hurt James, but they also reminded him that he couldn’t afford the consequences of losing.
And he remembered, in all NBA history, there were only three instances of a finals comeback from 0-2, and if you narrow it down to after 1980, it’s just once – Wade’s in 2006.
At any rate, the goal was to win one game first.
As for the rest, he could pad his stats during garbage time, then let ESPN push and the FMVP would still be his.
After all, Wade’s form this season wasn’t as good as in the last, and even with stat advantages, it wouldn’t be as exaggerated as in the last finals; scoring a few more points than him wouldn’t hurt.
Being versatile was always his trump card for awards, if all else fails, Wade would just become the next Anthony.
Wade, amidst adversity, exploded with individual talent, leading his team to a fifty-fifty situation with the Grizzlies at halftime.
Then, in the second half, Joerger made a lineup adjustment.
He boldly substituted Allen in for Guy as a starter.
The main purpose was to free up Hansen defensively.
Hansen had spent the first half dealing with Wade’s onslaught and hadn’t made many personal achievements on offense.
Of course, the downside was that this compressed the Grizzlies’ offensive space on the court.
But the result was unexpected.
Because with Allen on the floor, the Heat’s offense almost went silent.
Or more accurately, their positional game was ineffective. Newest update provıded by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥
Essentially, the Heat and the Thunders didn’t differ by much, both teams played star basketball.
Now with both stars constrained, the Heat’s offense naturally stagnated.
Even because Wade and James lacked the mid-range capability to disregard defense, their performance was actually worse off than the Thunders’.
As for Bosh, not in his best shape due to an injury, even if uninjured, his physicality would struggle against the Grizzlies’ hefty frontcourt.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies also adjusted their positional offense, initiating more offense from Hansen instead of the inside.
With Allen on the court, it was easy for the inside plays to be double-teamed, but with Hansen’s speed and ball-handling, the Grizzlies only had to keep Allen on the weak side, making it difficult for the Heat to double-team.
Spoelstra reacted swiftly, switching back to one big and four smalls, trying to restrict Hansen by speeding up defensive rotations and help defense.
On the Grizzlies’ end, they adapted to every move, utilizing the high-low game between Little Gasol and Randolph.
This, in turn, posed a big problem for the Heat’s inside defense.
The back-and-forth adjustments between the coaching staff were exhilarating to watch.
After a series of exchanges, the Grizzlies quickly widened the gap to double digits.