The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball
Chapter 232 - 142: Mayor of Sacred City, Fack Hansen

Chapter 232: Chapter 142: Mayor of Sacred City, Fack Hansen

Right after completing the slam dunk, Hansen knew why the Spurs he knew from "history" were defeated by the Grizzlies in a monumental upset.

It couldn’t simply be explained away by the restraint. Wasn’t Parker and Duncan’s pick-and-roll specifically effective against Randolph?

Every other time the Spurs and the Grizzlies met in the playoffs after that, didn’t the Spurs thrash the Grizzlies?

In the end, it was because Duncan wasn’t up to par that year.

Some Spurs fans loved to praise Popovich, even calling him "Zhuge Vich" as if he was the soul of the team.

But the truth was, as soon as Duncan retired, Popovich lost his edge, and his command became especially rigid on the FIBA court.

To put it plainly, Duncan was the true core of the Spurs. If your core has issues, it would be surprising if the Spurs remained dominant.

However, Hansen’s shooting was really off tonight. Although he could score some points by attacking the basket, the main problem was that with his poor shooting, he couldn’t create a distraction for Randolph on the weak side, making it difficult for Randolph to play well in the low post.

To some extent, their inside-outside game, combined with the Grizzlies’ half-court style, resembled a weakened version of the "OK" duo.

Moreover, although Duncan wasn’t at his best for the Spurs, Parker and Manu Ginobili were in very good shape, particularly the French sports car, who was spot on with his pick-and-roll plays against Randolph.

At halftime, the score was 50 to 48, with the Grizzlies leading by a slim margin of two points.

This half of the game showed what it meant for a skinny camel to be bigger than a horse; even with Duncan out of form, the Spurs were still the top team in the regular season in The West.

During the halftime break, Hansen didn’t go back to the locker room with his teammates but instead asked Hollins for permission to stay on the court.

Generally speaking, it’s rare for shooting to go both hot and cold in one night; it’s either one or the other.

But it wasn’t absolute, and what Hansen was doing now was trying to make some changes.

His method was also pretty standard, involving dribbling and some simple hooks to increase wrist activity.

Shooting, to put it plainly, came down to the final flick of the wrist, as long as the shooting rhythm was not off.

He practiced for about ten minutes, then sat back on the bench, closed his eyes, and rested.

After missing his first two attempts, he drove toward the basket more - a correct decision, but it also led to a loss in shooting confidence.

Kobe said he would rather go 0 for 20 than 0 for 9, a bit extreme, but it shows his unquenchable shooting confidence.

Hansen needed to get that mindset back.

After resting for about five minutes, with only the last five minutes remaining before the second half, Conley and Battier came onto the court early.

Hansen stood up and signaled Conley to be his ball boy for a while.

He shot a few three-pointers, and his touch still wasn’t great.

But after shooting more, he drained five in a row.

By now, players from both teams had come back onto the court.

Popovich happened to see this scene, and his expression visibly changed.

Coming back for the second half, the Grizzlies switched up their starting lineup with Battier replacing Allen.

The Spurs took the first possession, and it was Parker, who drove inside and dished it to McDyess at the baseline. McDyess hit a mid-range shot, tying the score.

The fans erupted into cheers.

In fact, losing Game 1 had a big impact on the Spurs.

Not only because they lost the home court advantage, but also because of how they lost.

Hansen and Randolph played well, scoring around 20 points, but there was no major outburst.

It was as if the Grizzlies took them down with a normal hit.

So, this game they needed not only to win but to regain their momentum.

The Spurs came out in the second half with a 2-1-2 formation, intending to take the game in one fell swoop.

The Grizzlies continued to break through the zone defense. Little Gasol handled the ball at the top of the arc while Randolph established position down low. Hansen and Battier ran a pick-and-roll.

The difference was, Hansen actively reached out for the ball after creating an opportunity.

As soon as Little Gasol passed the ball, Hansen didn’t hesitate and took the shot.

Jefferson didn’t jump. Having been burned in the first half by Hansen’s fake shots and real drives, he anticipated Hansen driving again, but Hansen pulled up for the shot, and by the time Jefferson reacted, it was too late.

Bend the knees, leap;

Extend the arm, flick the wrist.

Thanks to the Anti-Fans System, it didn’t just boost his abilities but allowed him to break through his talent’s upper limit.

This meant he had to work hard in training to reach his peak, which made his shooting technique very precise.

The basketball, after leaving his hands, spun elegantly through the air like a ballet dancer.

"Swish!"

The ball fell through the net cleanly, and Hansen started the second half with a successful mid-range jumper.

Popovich started coughing violently.

The scene stirred restlessly.

For the fans in San Antonio, this was not a good sign.

Duncan finally showed some effectiveness; after receiving a pass from Parker, he scored a layup to help the Spurs keep pace.

Taking the ball back, Conley wanted to continue feeding the ball inside, but Randolph didn’t assume position, indicating to switch from the strong side to the weak side.

One basket didn’t prove much. He wanted to see if Hansen truly recovered his shooting touch.

Hansen got the ball and waited for his teammates to spread out, then Little Gasol set a high pick-and-roll.

Ginobili tried to squeeze past but failed, and Hansen drove past Jefferson.

Jefferson stepped forward, but Hansen immediately connected with the Mysterious Steps, breezing past him.