Abu seemed to notice something, turned around, and rested his head on the bench, curiously looking upward.
He didn’t know why his owner was kissing someone else. Was it a way to share some delicious food?
"We are very clear about the Grizzlies’ weaknesses," he said. "They have a scoring cap, and once we manage to score 120+ points, they find it hard to win the game. We managed to do that last game, and all we need to do is replicate that three more times in the upcoming games."
Because of his outstanding performance in G2, Green became the focal interview for reporters before G3.
His words were the same as before, an exaggeration based on facts, and there was a reason why he was popular on social media as a role player.
Moreover, when the reporters asked about Hansen’s previous comments, he fully played into his role as a provocateur.
"Michael never deliberately belittles his opponents. Hansen is not in the same league as Michael."
On the evening of April 24, the G3 match between the Grizzlies and Warriors kicked off at the Oracle Arena.
Ajalee still occupied her usual spot at the front row.
However, tonight she was dressed in Hansen’s jersey number 77, not Curry’s number 30, which she usually wore.
This scene was captured by the on-site photographers and also displayed on the LED screens, causing a stir in the crowd.
Hansen didn’t know Ajalee before, but many Warriors fans did since she was the boss’s attractive daughter.
Who would have expected her to switch allegiances from a die-hard Curry fan!
The game quickly started, and the Warriors, back on their home court, were full of confidence, especially since winning tonight’s game would bring the large score to 2-1, keeping the possibility of a black seven alive!
However, it didn’t take long for them to realize something was off.
The defensive intensity from the Grizzlies tonight was unlike any seen in the first two games.
Especially Hansen, who was everywhere defensively, making Thompson miss threes, stealing from David Lee, and blocking Curry’s shots.
This performance made Jackson drool from the sidelines.
The Grizzlies, relying on a strong defense-led counterattack, scored 31-20 in the first quarter.
The Warriors fans hoped the situation would improve in the second quarter, knowing the Grizzlies didn’t have a deep bench this season.
But once the reserves took the stage, the Grizzlies played surprisingly well tonight, with Battier and Carter hitting consecutive threes to maintain their lead.
Then, when the main players returned, Hansen switched from defense to offense.
You say Klay Thompson, a top league 3D?
You say Iguodala, the one who can guard James and made the All-Defensive Team?
Hansen burst out with 20 points in the quarter alone, and the Grizzlies scored 36-21 in the second quarter.
By halftime, they had surged to a lead of 67-41, a whopping 26 points ahead of the Warriors.
Under the high-pressure defense of the Grizzlies, the Warriors’ key weapon of three-pointers had yielded nothing in the first half.
Instead, the Grizzlies were successful from beyond the arc, 6 of 12 attempts, shooting an astonishing 61% in the first half.
It proved that as long as the fast breaks were ample, it was hard to keep the shooting percentage low.
There would be a chance to counterattack in the second half if the Grizzlies’ shooting cooled down.
The Warriors fans continued to think this way.
Indeed, the Warriors’ offense improved in the third quarter, with Curry and Thompson scoring threes, contributing 32 points to the quarter.
But Hansen continued his explosive performance, adding 16 points in the quarter for a total of 36 points.
By the end of the third quarter, Hansen had racked up 44 points, and the Grizzlies were leading by an overwhelming 30 points, turning the final quarter into garbage time.
Crucially, even during garbage time, the Grizzlies’ reserves did not let up, further dominating the Warriors 33-25 in the quarter.
This drove away a large portion of the fans from Oracle Arena. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱
In the end, the Grizzlies washed out the Warriors with a near 40-point victory, 136-98, on the road.
Green said the Grizzlies couldn’t score over 120+ points, a piece of intelligence likely sourced from former Grizzlies players like Speights and Crawford.
Clearly, however, they were unaware of Hansen’s transformation this season.
Hansen’s unstoppable scoring ability had shattered all previous limitations, and the Grizzlies could fully support him on defense while he spearheaded the offense.
Most importantly, Green’s disparaging remarks fueled the Grizzlies, rallying the team around Hansen.
"Not for the championship but for Hansen," that was the Grizzlies’ biggest motivation this season.