After the timeout, Westbrook held the ball and charged through, throwing himself into the air against Little Gasol and winning two free throw opportunities.
He didn’t care at all about landing; the way he fell looked quite painful.
Just like James charging in, Westbrook was much more decisive.
James and Ibaka went to help Westbrook up.
But something interesting happened at that moment. Westbrook had initially reached out his hand, but upon seeing James, he suddenly rolled over, propped himself up off the floor, and stood up.
Hansen walked towards the free-throw line, and upon seeing this, was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Westbrook’s emotional intelligence was not low, so whether he had ball conflicts with Harden or James, he never let it show off the court.
But just because he didn’t show it didn’t mean it wasn’t there, especially after what had just happened with Hansen provoking James without any response.
Although Westbrook’s style of play was somewhat like James’s, their personalities were as different as night and day.
It’s okay to be less skilled when playing, but you can’t be a coward.
He must have really looked down upon James from the bottom of his heart.
Amid the noise of the home crowd, Westbrook made both free throws.
And turning back, he suddenly burst from the side, blocking Randolph’s shot.
He jumped very high and after grabbing the ball, he sprinted like someone with a rocket booster from the backcourt to the frontcourt, rising up for a gliding two-handed slam dunk.
After dunking, Westbrook roared with his head thrown back, inciting a stir in the arena.
The Thunders had almost been destroyed by the Grizzlies, but Westbrook, with his individual ability, dragged them back into the game after the timeout.
Conley dribbled past the halfway line and passed the ball to Hansen; the Grizzlies needed to stabilize.
Hansen continued to play pick-and-roll with Carter.
James pushed Afflalo forward, but Hansen took the opportunity to change direction to the right and burst toward the lane.
Little Lopez came in to help on defense. As the two closed in, Hansen slipped the ball to Little Gasol cutting through the middle.
Little Gasol raised his arms sky high, dunking the ball over Little Lopez.
The previously silent arena erupted once more with cheers from the fans.
Westbrook no longer paid attention to James, after a pick and roll with Little Lopez, he exploded with speed again toward the Grizzlies’ inside.
This time, Gasol made a smart defensive choice by collapsing early to the basket since he guessed Westbrook wasn’t going to shoot.
And he guessed right, Westbrook once again confronted Little Gasol under the basket.
Gasol just raised both hands without moving, while Westbrook exhibited his athleticism, going up for an underhand layup while contorting his body.
But as the ball was rising, Hansen came over to help on defense, snatched it in mid-air.
And upon landing, Hansen immediately initiated a fast break.
This time Afflalo managed to get back on defense.
The two charged toward the frontcourt, with Hansen putting the ball behind his back to get past Afflalo, then he leapt up for a reverse layup, smashing the ball into the basket.
This play showed off Hansen’s incredible combination of ball-handling and physical ability.
After landing, Hansen too waved his arms, signaling for an even louder cheer from the home fans.
With the deafening cheers of the audience, the momentum the Grizzlies had lost due to Westbrook’s performance was instantly revived.
Westbrook had the drive, but clearly, he alone couldn’t shake the Grizzlies’ team.
The final score was 108 to 96, as the Grizzlies easily secured the opening game of the series.
The Grizzlies’ shooting percentage for the entire game was an impressive 55%, with a lead of over 20 points by the third quarter end.
Stan once again became "Octopus", and the Grizzlies were only slightly sweaty.
In post-game stats, the Grizzlies had five players scoring in double figures, with Hansen leading the game with 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in three quarters.
On the Thunders’ side, Westbrook had 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists over three quarters, while James had 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Why did James seem to have little presence on the court, yet his stats were almost the same as Westbrook’s in the end? ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
That’s classic James for you. Although he doesn’t stand out during the starting period, his staggering of play is strong.
And in the final quarter, despite the large point difference, he played the full quarter, helping the Thunders reduce the gap.
If there had been a fifth quarter, it’s believable that the Thunders still had a chance.
At the post-game press conference, Hansen and Little Gasol appeared together.
"Tonight, the difference in free throws between the two teams was 31 to 16. I don’t know what my players are supposed to do to avoid getting fouled," Joerger didn’t skip the issue of fouls even with the win.
"Russell gave us quite a bit of trouble. I won’t say we are proud in defeat, but his will to fight as the Thunders’ leading star is admirable," Hansen didn’t skimp on his praise for Westbrook.
If Durant were still on the Thunders, they really would have been a challenge.
But on the other hand, if Durant hadn’t left, Westbrook might not have evolved so soon.
However, Hansen’s words meant something else to the reporters.
What did he mean by the Thunders’ leading star? Based on the stats, the Thunders’ leading star was clearly James!
After the game, the media reported on Hansen’s comment, earning him a lot of negative points from black fans, but it also sparked extensive discussions among fans.