Twice Struck Down.

After the Grizzlies adjusted their tactics, both teams went back and forth, with the score gap never exceeding 5 points.

At halftime, the Grizzlies led by a narrow 53-51 margin.

Coming into the second half, the Grizzlies, driven by their home-court advantage and Randolph's dominance in the paint, pushed the lead to 8 points.

However, Westbrook and Durant quickly led a counterattack, seizing the lead.

In a crucial moment, Han Sen stepped up, hitting two consecutive mid-range shots to stabilize the team, and the game returned to a deadlock.

The fans at the arena were watching with bated breath.

"Is this really just the first round? This feels like a Western Conference Finals!" 

But it was Barkley's remark that best captured the moment:

"This is the Wild West!"

Last year, the eighth seed in the West had 50 wins, and though the Nuggets and Jazz have weakened after losing their stars this season, this series featured the fourth and fifth seeds in the West.

In theory, both of these teams had the strength to reach the conference finals, but the playoff format forced them to clash in the first round.

With just a minute left in regulation, the score was tied at 91-91, resetting the game.

The Thunder had just used their last timeout and the players returned to the court.

Every player on the court looked intensely hyped.

In theory, after nearly 48 minutes of such a high-intensity game, the extended minutes should have drained their energy. 

But clearly, both sides were running on adrenaline, enjoying this fierce, evenly matched battle.

Durant was on the weak side, exhausted after being guarded by Allen and Battier all night.

Harden had the ball on the strong side, seemingly preparing to run a pick-and-roll with Ibaka, but Westbrook suddenly cut inside like lightning.

Conley couldn't keep up with his speed.

Harden immediately delivered a bounce pass, and Westbrook drove in with a floater over Marc Gasol.

Gasol couldn't match Westbrook's speed and hit his wrist.

The ref's whistle blew, and the ball banked off the backboard into the net.

It was an and-one!

Westbrook roared to the sideline after seeing the ball drop.

The crowd went wild.

His passion sometimes got the best of him, but at moments like this, it was an endless source of energy.

However, his free throw was a bit stiff, bouncing off the back rim and into Marc Gasol's hands.

The Grizzlies called a timeout.

The fans anxiously stared at the clock.

There were only 40 seconds left, and this next possession for the Grizzlies was crucial.

Coach Hollins drew up a play for Han Sen on the whiteboard.

Despite Coach Joerger's earlier words easing his mind, Hollins was still unhappy with Han Sen's challenge to his authority.

But grudges aside, winning was just as important to him.

Coming back from the timeout, the game resumed.

"Whoop that trick!"

The Grizzlies' rallying cry echoed through the arena.

Han Sen received the ball on the perimeter, and Conley signaled for the floor to spread.

Westbrook was now guarding Han Sen.

It wasn't the ideal matchup for the Thunder, but it was the best option.

The Thunder had no more timeouts in regulation, so without a dead ball, they couldn't make substitutions. Keeping Harden on the floor was more valuable than putting in Thabo Sefolosha.

"I won't fall for it again!" Westbrook kept trash-talking Han Sen.

It was clear he was still hung up on the foul Han Sen drew from him earlier.

Han Sen ignored him and studied the Thunder's defensive positioning.

As his scoring ability improved, his main weaknesses became more apparent: ball handling and passing.

Even though he'd been training those aspects, and Grover had worked on lowering his dribbling stance, his ceiling was limited by his physical gifts.

Especially passing. He could move the ball, but the accuracy was lacking, leading to potential turnovers.

So if double-teamed, his only option was to force a tough shot, which hurt his efficiency.

Fortunately, Hollins had subbed in Battier at small forward, making the Thunder hesitant to double-team him.

"Oh, really?"

After throwing that rhetorical question back at Westbrook, Han Sen quickly drove past him.

Westbrook was momentarily stunned, but he was fast enough to recover and regain his defensive position.

But right then, Han Sen abruptly stopped and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.

Or rather, upon seeing the Thunder's defensive alignment, he had already made this choice.

Westbrook paid for his momentary lapse; his jump was noticeably late, and with a height disadvantage, all he could do was desperately raise his arms.

But that height wasn't enough for Han Sen.

He calmly released his shot in mid-air.

The ball spun towards the basket under the flash of the cameras.

"Swish!"

It dropped cleanly.

"That was a cheap shot!" Westbrook grumbled in frustration.

"You should've made that free throw," Han Sen replied coolly before retreating to the half-court.

Westbrook felt a pang in his chest.

What a way to deliver the most hurtful words in the calmest tone.

If he had made that free throw, the Grizzlies would've been forced to play for a three-pointer, which is much easier to defend.

With 23 seconds left, Harden dribbled up and ran down the clock.

The Thunder had a chance to win the game in regulation with the shot clock now under 24 seconds.

With about 10 seconds remaining, Harden got the ball to Durant.

In crunch time, Durant was the only man for this shot.

Battier instinctively took half a step back, knowing he had slower footwork.

But Durant, seeing this, opted for a surprise pull-up three!

This caught everyone off guard, even Thunder coach Scott Brooks, who had planned for Durant to drive for a mid-range shot.

After all, Durant's three-point shooting had been cold, going 0-for-4 so far.

Driving would not only give him a higher-percentage shot but also kill more clock, leaving little time for the Grizzlies to respond.

Durant's decision, if it missed, would hand the Grizzlies a chance to win.

But the fans' hearts collectively sank.

Superstars like Durant and Kobe don't need rhythm; they only need one shot.

Swish!

The fear became reality as Durant's three-pointer went in.

With just 7 seconds left, Durant put the Thunder up 96-93!

Durant pounded his chest and roared in triumph.

The home fans looked on in despair.

The Grizzlies had no timeouts left, and advancing the ball from the backcourt to hit a game-tying three seemed almost impossible.

Battier inbounded to Conley, who sped down the court. Seeing Han Sen calling for the ball, he passed it to him immediately.

Westbrook nearly got the steal, but Han Sen reacted quickly to regain control.

With 4 seconds remaining, Han Sen was a meter outside the three-point line.

He took a step forward.

Westbrook recovered and got in front of him. Han Sen jumped; he had no other choice.

Westbrook jumped at the same time, raising his hands without fouling.

It looked like a vertical duel, but Han Sen, with the height advantage, managed to shoot over him.

It wasn't a drawn-up play, just a contested shot.

But Han Sen had taken enough last-second shots with the Cavaliers last season to stay composed.

The ball reached its peak as the backboard's red lights came on.

Every fan held their breath.

Was this the Grizzlies' defeat, or would they force overtime?

The ball's arc looked perfect.

It seemed destined to go in!

Swish!

"He does it again!"

As the net swished and Barkley's excited shout rang out, Han Sen's clutch three-pointer tied the game!

The game was headed to overtime!

The Thunder players were stunned—how did that go in?

The Grizzlies' bench erupted in celebration—how did that go in?

The Grizzlies on the court swarmed Han Sen, screaming in excitement.

No timeouts left, no drawn-up play—what a miraculous shot!

Han Sen stayed calm, giving high-fives to his teammates before heading to the bench.

This wasn't the end; there was still overtime to play.

On the bench, Hollins went over strategies while fatigue began creeping into Han Sen's body.

He wasn't the only one; his teammates felt it too.

It was like running a marathon—while you're running, you don't feel the exhaustion, but the moment you stop, every cell in your body screams for rest.

Especially in a game like this, with intensity beyond a typical match.

Overtime began, and Marc Gasol won the jump ball for the Grizzlies.

Han Sen's first shot in overtime rimmed out.

He could feel his shooting touch slipping with the fatigue.

But at least he wasn't alone.

Durant also missed his shot against Tony Allen.

The first three minutes of overtime felt like an homage to Kobe, with both teams missing shot after shot.

It wasn't until the third minute that Randolph finally broke the scoring drought with a strong post move against Perkins.

It was like a breath of fresh air, as both sides started regaining their shooting touch.

Randolph's clutch post play gave the Grizzlies a 102-100 lead with 50 seconds left.

Durant's isolation shot against Allen missed the mark.

His legs looked heavy, and his shooting touch was fading.

Randolph secured the crucial rebound, and the Grizzlies called a timeout.

With just 30 seconds left on the clock, the Grizzlies were on the brink of victory. All they needed was one steady possession to seal the game.

Coming out of the timeout, it was the same plan—get the ball to Han Sen. Conley dribbled at the top, bleeding the clock down. With about 10 seconds left, he made his move.

He passed it to Han Sen, but out of nowhere, like a flash of lightning, Westbrook darted in and snatched the ball!

Conley chased him down, desperate to stop Westbrook, but instead, he fouled him.

Westbrook nailed the layup, took the hit, and screamed to the rafters as the ball dropped in.

He was playing with a fierceness that even overshadowed Durant, and his point total reflected it.

He made the free throw.

With only 10 seconds remaining, the Thunder now led 103-102.

Hollins immediately signaled for the Grizzlies' final timeout in overtime.

As both teams moved to their benches, Westbrook turned and shouted at Han Sen, "You're not more deserving than me!"

He was talking about the Most Improved Player Award.

The Thunder had a better record, Westbrook's stats were more versatile, and he had that Nike contract. In his mind, he was the rightful winner.

When it came to chasing glory and numbers, LeBron was number one—he was number two.

That explained his burning hunger to win this game.

"My bad," Conley muttered, sinking into the bench with his head in his hands.

He blamed himself. If only he had delivered the ball to Han Sen securely, Conley was sure Han could have finished the game.

"It's alright," Han Sen responded with a reassuring smile.

"I shouldn't have fouled. That was just stupid," Conley continued, his voice full of regret.

If he hadn't fouled, they might've at least forced another tie. His mind had gone blank in the heat of the moment.

"We've got 10 seconds left. We've still got the inbound play and a chance," Han Sen said, giving Conley's head a firm pat.

During the chase, Han Sen had actually shouted not to foul, but this wasn't the time to dwell on that.

Conley nodded, grateful they were only down by one. If it had been a three-point deficit, Han Sen wouldn't have had the freedom to look for an open shot.

Coming out of the timeout, Battier replaced Allen.

The crowd was already on its feet.

Though the Grizzlies had won Game 1, that was on the road. They hadn't yet broken their home curse.

Now it was a frontcourt inbound, a different setup from regulation. Han Sen cut hard off a screen and received the pass.

The rest of the Grizzlies spread the floor. Sefolosha rushed to help on defense, but Han Sen's quick fake pass froze him in his tracks.

The Thunder didn't want a repeat of Battier's Game 1 dagger.

Meanwhile, Marc Gasol shifted out to the three-point line. Unlike Randolph, Gasol wasn't just a solid screener—he was mobile too.

After setting the screen, Gasol immediately rolled to the basket.

This made it impossible for the Thunder to switch defenders, as a roll by Gasol could end the game just as easily as a three.

With Durant's energy visibly fading, the Thunder couldn't afford a mistake.

Westbrook sprinted around the screen, scrambling to contest Han Sen.

But he didn't expect what happened next—before he could close in, Han Sen had already pulled up for a three!

Down by one, Han Sen chose to go for the win with a three-pointer!

It was a daring decision, riskier than Durant's attempt, but it was the best opportunity in front of him.

Driving for a two would draw heavy defense and might even end in a missed shot or a turnover. Taking the three was the bolder move, but it was there for the taking.

And like Durant, Han's stamina was fading fast. If he got a chance to finish the game, he had to take it.

He released the shot just before Westbrook could contest it.

The arena held its breath.

Han Sen's decision was bold, but it wasn't reckless. A drive would've given him a chance to draw a foul, but this three? It was a pure gamble on his touch.

But this was the same Han Sen who had drained a miracle three at the end of regulation. Could he do it again?

The shot had rhythm and confidence.

The timeout had given Han some recovery, and this time, the defensive pressure was much lower than during his last clutch attempt.

Underneath the basket, Randolph and a sprinting Gasol were fighting tooth and nail to box out their defenders for a potential rebound.

But Perkins and Ibaka were holding their ground, exerting every ounce of strength to deny the Grizzlies a second chance.

The ball sailed through the air, reaching its apex before beginning its descent.

Boom!

Barkley couldn't contain himself.

Swish!

The net snapped crisply as the ball dropped through.

Han Sen's dagger three—good!

After the ball went in, Han turned to Westbrook, who arrived just a second too late, and spread his arms wide:

"What was that you were saying?"

The FedExForum exploded.

The Grizzlies' bench erupted into chaos. Coach Joerger grabbed the nearest assistant in a bear hug, shouting with all his might.

In regulation, Han had tied the game with a miracle three, and in overtime, he sank the game-winner.

Han Sen hadn't just killed the Thunder once—he'd killed them twice!