The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball
Chapter 312 - 173 This is the Effective Sacrifice_2

Chapter 312: Chapter 173 This is the Effective Sacrifice_2

Before this, they thought Hansen was more for the team atmosphere, but it turned out he considered much more than they had expected.

"Facts have proven that I was right because we were the best team at the end of the season."

"So we don’t need anyone to tell us what to do, because as long as we play the way we did in the regular season, we can win."

Hansen’s words weren’t particularly stirring, but they solidly resonated within the players’ hearts.

They didn’t need any so-called championship DNA; last season, when Hollins was there, it had not helped them at all.

Did the Mavericks have this so-called championship DNA last season? They did not either.

Once they won the championship, that kind of thing would naturally belong to them.

What they needed to do was actually very simple, just to believe in themselves.

In the second half, the Mavericks continued their defensive strategy, but in the first possession, Little Gasol posted up Nowitzki, maneuvered around, and then drew a foul from the helping Chandler while attacking the basket.

Chandler’s defense was indeed formidable, but he was only one person, while the Grizzlies had two players capable of post-up plays.

Then, Hansen blocked Nowitzki’s attempted layup on the defensive end.

Turning back, Conley received a pass from Little Gasol on the perimeter and swiftly sank a three-pointer.

The Grizzlies started the second half with a 5-0 run against the Mavericks.

And that was just the beginning.

Scoring started to become very difficult for the Mavericks, and their defense seemed scattered, frequently leaving players unguarded.

The Grizzlies continued to push and narrowed the gap in the score.

After Carlisle called a timeout and returned, the Grizzlies’ momentum didn’t fade and they surged ahead, overtaking the score.

Not to mention Carlisle, even Joerger found it unbelievable.

It was still the same group of players on the Grizzlies’ side, and there hadn’t been significant tactical changes from either side, but the game’s outcome was vastly different from the first half.

This continued to be the case even when both teams began to bring in their substitutes.

Old Brin at the commentary desk finally realized the key point by the end of the third quarter.

The Grizzlies were the same players, but each one of them played with more confidence and decisiveness in the second half.

And it worked, precisely because of Carlisle’s defensive strategy.

Carlisle’s excessive defensive focus on Hansen was bound to create opportunities for the rest of the Grizzlies.

It’s just that the Grizzlies had gotten used to the playing style of Game 1 and had developed a subconscious dependency on Hansen.

It was as if they couldn’t break the Mavericks’ defense without giving the ball to Hansen.

But obviously that wasn’t the case, because no matter how good the defensive rotations, there will always be openings as long as the ball and shots are released quickly, and leaving players unguarded is inevitable.

That was also why the Mavericks’ defense had frequent issues in the second half.

In fact, what Hansen had done in Game 1 was just this: playing with more confidence and decisiveness.

So when he said his 51 points were "Heaven’s arrangement," it was not about showing off, but the simple truth because shooting touch is unpredictable.

But even if he couldn’t score 51 points, through defense or playmaking, he would still find other ways to help the team win the game.

Of course, all this was based on the premise that the other four players on the Grizzlies had the ability or were in that kind of form.

Without the ability and form, you wouldn’t make shots, the passes would be off, and ultimately it would just be a turnover.

As it turned out, Hansen’s regular season efforts were truly effective sacrifices, as opposed to Wade’s unnecessary sacrifices.

Carlisle realized this too in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late.

Because even after he switched the defense back, he still couldn’t stop the Grizzlies’ performance.

Fundamentally, besides Hansen, none of the five starters of the Grizzlies were All-Star players, but they were all above average starters and even close to All-Star level; when they played with confidence and form, on the court it became really unclear who should be defended against.

In the end, the Grizzlies outscored the Mavericks 56 to 42 in the second half, going from trailing to leading, and won the game with a comeback of 100 to 94.

After the game’s stats were compiled, five players from the Grizzlies scored in double digits, while only Nowitzki and Terry did for the Mavericks.

When it came time for the press conference, Hansen nonchalantly played it up big.

"I’ve said it, we don’t need someone to score high to win the game; we are a team-oriented team."

When Hansen ended the press conference and returned to the locker room, he found it was eerily quiet.

As he entered, he was ambushed from all sides with champagne.

Last time, to celebrate Joerger’s Best Coach award, Hansen had Faried buy a large box of champagne, some of which was left over and stored in the locker room.

Hansen never expected the champagne that eventually sprayed on him would be bought with his own money.

But he opened his arms and enjoyed it all.

To hell with championship DNA, after tonight they didn’t need that stuff at all because they had their own winning DNA!

After a come-from-behind victory in Game 2, the Grizzlies led the series with a score of 2 to 0.

The same opponent, the same series lead, but this time it was the Dallas people who found themselves in a desperate situation.

The teams also traveled to Dallas to continue their showdown.

In Game 3, Carlisle reverted to the usual defensive strategy. The previous game’s loss had been a huge blow to the team’s morale, and he didn’t dare gamble.

This game was also fiercely contested, with the Mavericks backed into a corner with no way out.

Because if they didn’t give it their all, they would really become a replica of the 2007 Heat team.

Of course, the same applied to the Grizzlies. If they could secure Game 3, they would preemptively clinch the series, nipping any uncertainties in the bud.

The score rose alternately on both sides, tangled until the very last moment.

Hansen hit a precise buzzer-beater against Marion’s defense, but Nowitzki’s high-difficulty fadeaway three-pointer at the last second killed the game.

to 2, the Mavericks claimed a victory on home court.

However, losing Game 3 didn’t impact the Grizzlies’ morale.

Just like those cultivators who had found their way, the Grizzlies had, after Game 2, discovered their method to victory.

Game 4 surprised everyone.

Perhaps it was because they had fought too hard in Game 3, or perhaps the Grizzlies played too well, but the Grizzlies established their victory in just three quarters and effortlessly won to take match point.

"The series is not over; we will take the game back to Dallas."

Before heading to Memphis, Nowitzki made a declaration in front of the media.

Of course, under the shadow of a 1 to 3 deficit, it sounded somewhat hollow.

Perhaps Nowitzki’s rare frequency of statements actually indicated he had a premonition.

The Mavericks couldn’t possibly be without the pitfalls of defending champions. In fact, before the regular season ended, some players discussed whether to deliberately lose games to drop to the sixth position, to face the Thunders in the first round.

Because the Grizzlies’ team-oriented playstyle was clearly more difficult to deal with than the Thunders’ superstar-centered attacking, even surviving the first round would take its toll.

They eventually gave up on the idea due to the insurmountable number of wins separating them from the Clippers.

But from this, it could be seen that the Mavericks’ mentality was already a step behind.

Because a real defending champion would never stoop to choosing their opponents.

Moreover, with Hansen’s stirring performance in Game 1, the momentum of the series had early on tipped towards the Grizzlies.

That’s why Nowitzki had been so forthright after Game 1, and why he was speaking up frequently now, because he sensed it and tried to correct it.

But just because he did it didn’t mean the outcome would change.

In Game 5 of the series, the Mavericks, led by Nowitzki, fought fiercely from the start, but that couldn’t change the result.

Hansen found his shooting touch again, scoring 40 points for the second time and leading his team to a narrow 101 to 98 victory, thus eliminating the Mavericks from the series with a 4 to 1 score.

When the game ended, Nowitzki sought out Hansen for a tight hug.

From his reddened eyes, you could tell he didn’t want to lose; after all, such a chance to defend the title would not come again for him.

But he still had many words of congratulations for Hansen, because Hansen and the Grizzlies deserved the victory.

And at that moment, the FedEx Forum was a tumultuous ocean, with the Memphis fans swaying their bodies to their heart’s content.

If Game 1’s victory allowed them to see the hope of winning, now, they had truly accomplished their revenge.

The Grizzlies players clapped in response to their fans as well.

Guy was so eager to dive into Hansen’s arms.

Because at that moment, he truly experienced what Hansen had described as "the best outcome" when the rankings came out.

They had gained so much in this round.

And it was because of these things that they could proudly move on to the next round, to face that seemingly unbeatable opponent that awaited them there.