James immediately called for the ball with his back to Jones.
Although Jones is also a defensive player, he’s still a guard, and there’s over a twenty-kilogram weight difference between the two.
This was like offering up a head on a platter, and James couldn’t help but take advantage of it.
However, once he received the ball and started backing down, he realized the situation was different from what he had expected.
Jones might not have been able to handle him, but he was full of tricks. The source of this content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Jones has never been known for playing clean defense. He could even be considered the opposite of Conley, having once greatly irritated Phil Jackson with his antics.
James was made very uncomfortable, to the point where he turned around with a pronounced elbow, landing it straight into Jones’s chest.
The move was vicious, but the referees did not blow their whistle.
James took the opportunity to muscle past Jones and drive to the basket, jumping and colliding mid-air when he saw Faried coming to help defend.
His decision was smart, as he took advantage of the referees’ bias that he had observed.
Indeed, the referee’s whistle then signaled an in-air defensive foul by Faried, presenting James with two free throws.
James had a smile of satisfaction, but it didn’t last long.
Because as he was landing, he felt his foot step on something unexpected.
Caught off guard and despite his superior physical condition, James went down hard, his ankle twisting at a 90° angle as he fell to the ground.
The players from both sides immediately confronted each other, but fortunately, the referees were quick to respond, blowing the whistle and intervening to separate them, preventing any conflict.
Hansen was still chatting with Sacre, thinking it would just be a brief talk, but Sacre turned out to be quite the conversationalist and didn’t want to stop.
The urgent whistle on the court diverted Hansen’s attention back to the game, where he then saw James on the ground, clutching his ankle and looking pained.
The Thunders’ medical staff rushed onto the court.
Hansen looked up at the LED big screen, which was replaying the sequence of events.
Jones’s dirty play, James’s elbow, and... Jones’s foot placement under James.
Damn, that was slick!
The scene almost mirrored last season’s finals—only this time, it was James on the receiving end of the foot placement, which made Hansen exclaim in surprise.
Looking at Jones again, Hansen couldn’t help but think he looked more handsome.
After all, tripping up James isn’t something just anyone can do.
Since James was known to trip others, he’d naturally be on guard for payback, so his alertness was usually high.
But he met his match in Jones.
It often takes a villain to handle another, what goes around comes around!
Unlike Hansen, James wasn’t about to jump up and keep fighting. Firstly, the added weight made the twisted ankle far more painful than it would have been before, and secondly, it was just a regular season game—not worth the risk.
But James’s physique was indeed tough; he left the court without a wheelchair, hopping on one foot with the help of the medical team.
However, as he exited through the tunnel, he seemed very angry, slapping a chair at courtside and sending it flying.
Leaving alongside him was Jones, who, having been called for a Flagrant Foul Type 2 for tripping, was ejected from the game.
James’s exit changed the balance on the court, considering his strong staggered-playing abilities.
Brooks had no choice but to sub Westbrook back into the game earlier than planned.
And what do you know, the Thunders still put up a good fight.
By halftime, the Thunders were only trailing the Grizzlies by a single-digit margin.
Westbrook contributed 20 points and 4 assists by the half, shooting an efficient 8 for 14.
Durant’s early departure allowed Westbrook to evolve sooner, which could be considered a blessing in disguise for his development.
But Joerger adjusted the defense against Westbrook during halftime, and by the third quarter, the Grizzlies began to exert pressure, ending the period with a decisive 28 to 15 run and effectively turning the last quarter into garbage time.
Unfortunately for the fans, Sacre did not make the active list, so they missed out on seeing this player’s presence, which was significant even though he didn’t set foot on the court.
In the post-game press conference, Hansen and Randolph appeared together.
Randolph, with 18 points and 8 rebounds in three quarters, was in much better shape than last season.
After scoring 14 points in the first quarter, Hansen barely broke a sweat in the next two periods, ending up with 26 points.
There were plenty of topics tonight—the championship ring ceremony, the champion’s speech, and of course, James’s injury.
What should have been focused on the championship rings was overshadowed by James’s departure due to his injury.
"That was just an accident. I haven’t known Dentye for long, but I can tell he’s a hardworking player," Hansen said solemnly, pure baloney.
Even the reporters below the stage couldn’t help but wipe their sweat away. Everyone knew what kind of player Jones was, and how dirty one plays has nothing to do with how hard one tries—Hansen’s overt defense was just too obvious.
No, not just obvious, it was flagrant.
"If he gets fined for this, I’ll pay the fine for him. He just wanted to win so badly for the team."
Don’t ask why. Just know it’s because it pleases me.