As the curtain finally fell on the 2012-2013 season following the climactic battle between the Thunders and the Rockets,
The West garnered much attention.
The Grizzlies ultimately secured a record of 62 wins and 20 losses, ranking first in the West.
It was the first time in team history that the Grizzlies topped their division and the first time they achieved more than 60 wins.
Hansen, in his fourth year of his career, delivered an impressive stat line averaging 25.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, with a shooting accuracy of 48.7% and a three-point shooting rate of 38.6%.
The Lakers ranked second with 58 wins;
The San Antonio Spurs third with 57 wins;
The Nuggets fourth with 56 wins;
The Warriors fifth with 47 wins;
The Mavericks sixth with 47 wins;
The Clippers seventh with 46 wins;
The Thunders eighth with 45 wins.
The Rockets (44 wins) and the Jazz (43 wins) missed the playoffs.
On the East side, the Heat Team finalized their record at 70 wins and 12 losses.
This made them the second team in NBA history, after the Bulls, to win more than 70 games.
Unlike the Grizzlies, the Heat Team had paid a lot in their quest for the championship.
From the moment media reports speculated they could break this record, both the Heat Team and their adversaries were inadvertently swept up in the fervor.
The Heat Team felt compelled to chase the record, owing to external expectations, and their opponents didn’t want to be mere background in their record-setting quest.
Despite their strength, the Heat battled fiercely until the very last moment.
Particularly in the last game against the Pacers, a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, they narrowly escaped defeat thanks to Wade’s game-winning shot.
This regular season journey was nothing short of legendary, but their exertion was visibly taxing.
The Brooklyn Nets ranked second with 53 wins;
The Pacers third with 52 wins;
The Bulls fourth with 45 wins;
The New York Knicks fifth with 44 wins;
The Hawks sixth with 42 wins;
The Celtics seventh with 41 wins;
The Bucks eighth with 38 wins.
Although the Thunders ranked eighth in the West, their record would have placed them fourth in the East.
To quote some fans, "If possible, LeBron would wish to return to his Eastern kingdom in the next second."
However, the reality was, the Thunders were set to face the Grizzlies in the first round.
This was certainly no easy task for them as, during the regular season matchups, the Grizzlies had swept them 3-0.
"The Bucks had no chance against the Heat, and the Thunders might at best cause the Grizzlies to break a sweat," Stan predicted unsparingly in his first-round playoff forecast.
"We don’t care about external noises; we will give it our all to win, just like the 2007 Warriors did," Westbrook retorted to Stan’s remarks.
ESPN also mentioned during their first-round analysis that the Thunders were the most likely team to stage an upset.
"The Thunders have the best lineup of all lower-bracket teams, their low final ranking was due to adjustment issues, and by the end of the season, they were one of the best performing teams in the league; they will cause significant trouble for the Grizzlies."
ESPN was right, the Grizzlies indeed felt some pressure.
If given the choice, they would certainly prefer to play the Rockets or the Jazz in the first round.
Not that the Thunders were much stronger than those two teams, but at that point, the Thunders were the post-"shocking kneeling" team, and everyone could guess it was a 5 versus 8 situation.
Though the Grizzlies had adapted to playing under biased officiating this season, that did not mean they enjoyed such games.
Before the game started, Joerger gathered his players for a pre-game pep talk.
This meeting was particularly unique; it wasn’t about encouraging fierce play but was aimed at psychologically preparing everyone.
This was crucial because the stakes in the first round differed from those in the finals, and conflicts leading to suspensions would disadvantage the Grizzlies.
After all, their aim was to defend their title, and they had to consider subsequent games.
Before the first-round game started, Hansen received a succinct yet firm text from Harden,
"Kick their asses hard for me!"
It appeared that even after several days, Harden was still unable to digest the bitterness.
After replying to the message, Hansen suddenly wondered if Harden had spent the past few days in nightclubs instead of reviewing game rules.
The opening game between the Grizzlies and the Thunders was the center of attention.
As the live broadcast began, the online support overwhelmingly favored one side.
Over 75% supported the Grizzlies—three-quarters of the viewers.
This was alarming, given that the Thunders had James, who naturally attracted LeBron fans.
This indicated that the number of supporters backing the Thunders in the final regular-season game had been severely underestimated, and it highlighted how significant the backlash from LeBron’s "shocking kneeling" had been.
FedEx Forum was packed to capacity. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱
The fans wielding KT boards added a significant vibe.
"Grizzlies vs LeBron, 11-0," "Grizzlies’ Barber, Specializing in Clean Shaves," "Whistles Can’t Save You"...
Unlike social media fans, the Grizzlies’ supporters brought their discontent straight to the venue.
During the pre-game warmup, the camera also focused on James.
James appeared all smiles, seemingly unaffected by everything around him.
This wasn’t surprising, as back in his Cavaliers days, Celtics fans had been much more direct in their heckling.