The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball
Chapter 349 - 189: Flipping the Table

Chapter 349: Chapter 189: Flipping the Table

Before the first training session began after arriving in Miami, Joerger entered the locker room and gave the players a reminder.

The reminder was to make everyone aware of the Heat Team’s defensive moves to avoid injuries.

After finishing the warning, Joerger even took a few core members aside to stress the point again.

That was also the content of the conversation Hansen had with Joerger.

Because while chatting with Guy, he remembered the incident where Granger was undercut.

Although the Grizzlies now had the advantage, if one of their core members was taken out like that, the scales of victory could be tipped.

Moreover, from the last game, it was already apparent that the referee’s calls would still tend to favor the Heat in the subsequent finals games.

So it was very likely the other team could hit you, you hit back, and then you end up suspended.

Especially from the perspective of Hansen the transmigrator, in the "history" he knew, the Warriors had been set up by the Knight in just such a way, leading to the Knight’s historic and only Finals comeback from 1-3 down.

The following evening at the American Airlines Arena, not a single seat was left empty, and the local fans were as enthusiastic as could be.

Hansen was naturally very familiar with this arena; not only did he often come here to play games, but he also worked as a temporary ball boy in this stadium in the past.

Even the second-tier league finals he played for Barry University were temporarily hosted in this arena.

Now, this place had become the stage for the championship finals, inevitably leading him to reflect.

Looking around, he was quickly attracted to a huge sign.

It read "Let’s do it again."

Speaking of which, the current situation was very similar to the 2006 finals; back then, the Heat Team started their last stand at home despite falling behind 0-2.

Thinking of this, Hansen couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

Especially when he looked away and saw that tonight’s head referee was an old acquaintance, Foster.

This referee, who was beaten up in Memphis, had returned to the fray after resting for half a month.

It seemed very necessary to be mentally prepared for difficulties in advance.

Miami is an international metropolis, and the front row of the audience was peppered with international stars.

Paul and Anthony also came to the game together tonight; they were clearly here to support their good friend.

However, Hansen noticed someone surprising, Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan owns a waterfront mansion in Miami, but at the peak of his career, he was constantly filming and seldom stayed in Miami, never having shown up at the American Airlines Arena before.

This was an unprecedented first for him, and photographers gave him frequent attention.

In terms of international impact, no star was his match.

Of course, his appearance here made sense since his son is an NBA fan, and let’s not forget that Han is the first person from East University to make it to the NBA Finals.

Jackie Chan’s presence was simply a microcosm of the East University fans’ celebration.

In fact, the viewership for the past two finals in China had exploded.

Not only fans, but even the average person who didn’t discuss this over tea and meals seemed out of touch with current international events.

During the pre-game warm-up, Jackie Chan took his son to meet Hansen and even took a photo together.

Once the warm-up was over, the venue moved on to the opening ceremony, and the starting line-ups for both sides were revealed in succession.

The Grizzlies stuck with their regular starting five, while the Heat Team reverted to their lineup with one big and four small players.

Once the starting line-ups were announced, Randolph rubbed his hands with glee; he was all too fond of the Heat using this lineup.

As the game started, it wasn’t long before the Grizzlies team ran into trouble.

First, Randolph was called for an offensive foul on a turnaround move in the low post, followed by Little Gasol getting called for a defensive foul on the other end.

With those two whistles, a subtle shift occurred on the court.

The Grizzlies’ key to suppressing the Heat was their twin towers in the paint, an advantage that was evident not just on offense, but on defense as well.

Both Wade and James were apprehensive about attacking the Grizzlies’ towering defense.

However, once these "towers" got fouls, things could change drastically.

Generally speaking, starters are benched in the first quarter if they accumulate two fouls because if they aren’t benched and accidentally commit another, then they’re pretty much out for the evening.

This is particularly true for interior players who bear the responsibility of guarding the paint; the difference between playing with fouls and without is night and day.

Of course, professional things should be done by professionals.

A veteran like Foster knows how to use his whistle in the most deadly places, keeping a tight hold on you.

In fact, if it weren’t for Hansen’s last-minute block and steal to seal the game against Kobe in G6 with the Lakers, the Grizzlies would be fishing by now.

But the Grizzlies’ ability to withstand pressure was indeed strong; although their defensive intensity inevitably declined, they still managed to trade blows with the Heat thanks to their offensive success rate.

Then, before the halfway point of the first quarter, Little Gasol’s second foul came.

This call was too professional because the timing was far enough from the first whistle but close enough to when substitutions usually happen.

If Joerger substituted Little Gasol, the Grizzlies’ paint dominance would plummet, but if he didn’t and Little Gasol picked up a third foul, the Grizzlies would lose their inside presence for the entire first half.

Joerger had no choice, he had to replace Little Gasol with Faried.