The outside world has been discussing Noah this season, because not only did Noah make the first team, but he also defeated Hansen to win the DPOY.
But let’s not forget, last year’s DPOY was Little Gasol.
Furthermore, the Grizzlies’ solemn pre-game attitude wasn’t just due to them being underestimated. More importantly, they had set their determination during the Western Conference Finals to let Hansen leave without regrets.
Now, as they drew closer to their goal, their yearning became increasingly intense.
This desire continued to manifest in the next round. Conley missed a shot from the outside, but Little Gasol and Randolph fiercely battled for rebounds under the basket, with Randolph ultimately securing the offensive board and scoring a direct 2+1 over Bosh.
The arena was instantly filled with the cheers of Grizzlies fans.
Although it was the same opponent and the same starting lineup, after a season’s worth of experiences, especially in the playoffs, their condition was completely different from before.
What kind of game the two teams would play when they met again only became clear after the game had been played.
From the opening, it was evident that the Grizzlies were more aggressive and proactive than the Heat Team.
Or rather, their thirst for the championship was greater than that of the Heat.
This was completely contrary to the pre-game media analysis.
After all, the Heat, on the brink of disbanding and having lost to the Grizzlies for two consecutive years, should have been more desperate for a win.
But now, the facts were laid out plainly in sight.
After Randolph made his free throw, the Grizzlies took a 5-2 lead.
Durant, after being double-teamed with the ball once more, assisted Wade with a cut to score two points.
In the season opener, Durant showed his improved passing ability. However, lacking in actual combat at that time, he now showed a clear improvement in his decision-making for passing after playing a season—even if the term "organizing forward" still didn’t quite apply to him.
The Heat’s easy victory over the Pacers this year was partly due to the new rules but also closely related to Durant’s improved strength.
Putting personal charisma aside, his current strength made him the undisputed top Nike endorser.
However, Heat fans hadn’t had much time to celebrate before, turning back to the game, Hansen once again broke into the basket, slamming the ball through the hoop over the defending Bosh!
Only then did everyone realize that tonight, Hansen was playing differently.
And the way of scoring, especially dunking over someone, was exactly as Hansen had said in the post-game press conference: although it hurt the hand, it certainly was enough to damage the opponent’s confidence in the game.
Of course, it also greatly boosted his own team’s morale.
In the next defensive round, the Grizzlies displayed the kind of defensive intensity they had shown when facing the Spurs, eventually forcing Bosh to take a three-pointer from the top of the arc.
As expected, without James’s "push," Bosh’s three-point ability hadn’t been effectively developed, and the ball was obviously short, hitting the front rim and bouncing out.
The rebound was successfully gathered by Little Gasol, and the Grizzlies initiated a defensive counterattack.
Having played a series filled with defensive counterattacks against the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies had unconsciously changed their game tendencies.
This time, the Heat’s transition defense was quite timely, not allowing the Grizzlies to directly form a fastbreak scoring opportunity.
Conley, who rushed with the ball to the frontcourt baseline on the fastbreak and saw no opportunity, prepared to reorganize. But at that moment, he spotted Hansen following up the middle to the three-point line and swiftly delivered a through pass. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
Hansen caught the ball and accelerated, soaring from within the free-throw line in one leap. With his right hand, he raised the ball high, ready to perform another violent basket assault.
Wade had retreated under the basket at that moment and jumped as well, attempting to block Hansen’s shot.
However, at that moment, Hansen did not choose to force a dunk over the defender but instead pulled the ball back with his right hand, switched to his left to avoid Wade’s block, and turned the dunk into a layup, successfully landing the ball in the basket.
The scene brought a brief moment of silence to the arena, which was then filled with an eruption of cheers.
What a recreation of Jordan’s classic moment!
No, it wasn’t a recreation; it was a surpassing.
Because back then, Jordan could dunk but chose not to, to show off. Hansen, on the other hand, truly used the move to evade Wade’s defense.
[As long as he entered the dunk contest, he’d be the champion], having reached a plateau, gave him such ability!
Little Gasol had just run past the three-point line. Seeing Hansen’s score, he immediately turned around, raised his hands high, and celebrated with a face full of shock.
"Thanks to ESPN, NBC, FOX, CBS, YAHOO..." Barkley recited the list of major media outlets from the commentator’s booth,
"Thank them, for now, they have succeeded in making Hansen angry."