Kick ‘Em When They’re Down.

After giving Budenholzer a friendly nod, Han Sen turned back towards the Grizzlies' half.

"What were you doing over there?" asked Rudy Gay, dressed sharply in a suit, as Han returned to the bench.

"Nothing much. Just gave him some friendly advice."

"You trying to scare him? Aren't you afraid he'll retaliate?"

"He wouldn't dare."

"How can you be so sure?"

Gay's blunt question caught Han off guard. Sometimes straightforwardness can hit you hard.

"Well, it'll be interesting to find out," Han replied with a grin.

Game 1 played out without much drama, with the Grizzlies taking the win against the Spurs, 101 to 93. Randolph dominated in the low post, and Han hit mid-range shots with consistency.

It turned out that the jinx Han joked about earlier was just a stereotype, much like the "Most Improved Player" award he knew so well. If you could win games by jinxing alone, who would need to practice basketball?

But Duncan really did underperform. What Han said before the game seemed like a jinx, yet Duncan, troubled by plantar fasciitis, was having the worst season of his career, averaging 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in the regular season.

Those numbers would never get MVP votes. Especially since his injury had worsened towards the end of the season, forcing the Spurs into a six-game series with the Hornets in the first round.

Even Coach Popovich seemed intimidated by Han's words and didn't dare to stir up trouble during the game. However, he dropped a bombshell during the post-game press conference.

Since Han's pre-game move was so unusual, a reporter asked about his interaction with Popovich.

"He told me he injured me on purpose," said Popovich, sparking a major controversy.

This was a big deal because Han had already been accused of injuring Popovich on purpose in the past. Now, to confront him directly? It was outright audacious!

When it was time for the Grizzlies' press conference, all eyes turned to Han. But he was ready.

"He really said that?" Han responded with a look of disbelief when questioned by a reporter.

"You know, Popovich is a legend in this league, one of the coaches I respect the most. I approached him to apologize, even though the incident was unintentional on my part. It's always weighed on me to see him injured like that."

Han delivered his words with such sincerity that even the reporters seemed moved.

"But if he truly believes I did it on purpose," Han continues, shaking his head slightly, "there's probably nothing I can say that'll change his mind. After all, I'm just a young player trying to make a name in this league."

His series of moves left the reporters confused. Han appeared to be the wronged party.

Considering the Spurs had just lost, Popovich's statement started to sound like sour grapes.

Some people even began scouring the game footage for any lip-reading evidence of what Han might have said.

But with the limited camera angles of the era and the lack of short video platforms or widespread mobile recording, there was no direct footage to corroborate either side's claims.

Ultimately, the truth remained uncertain.

Yet for Spurs fans, there was no doubt in their minds that Popovich was telling the truth. To them, he was as significant as Duncan—a guiding figure of the Spurs' dynasty.

Why would a man of his reputation falsely accuse a young player?

So, as Game 2 approached, the crowd was littered with signs 'greeting' Han with all sorts of creative messages, with the most popular one being a simple and blunt: "Fxck Han Sen."

During the warm-up, Popovich gathered his players and, with anger in his voice, commanded, "Knock the stuffing out of them!"

Han's shameless attitude in the press conference had clearly pissed him off.

When Han Sen stepped on the court, he was met with a chorus of loud boos.

Han Sen frowned.

He noticed that his hater points hadn't increased much.

What's going on, Spurs fans? Just booing, but not really hating?

Is Popovich not influential enough in your hearts, or did my performance against the Thunder leave too good an impression?

Following the opening ceremony, both teams' starting lineups were announced:

Grizzlies: Conley, Tony Allen, Han Sen, Randolph, Marc Gasol

Spurs: Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Duncan

In Game 1, Popovich had started Blair and Hill but, seeing that didn't work, he switched up the lineup.

Marc Gasol won the tip-off against Duncan, giving the Grizzlies the first possession.

Randolph, relentless in the low post, powered his way through McDyess and scored.

So did Han Sen really hype up Randolph in his post-game interview?

For a big man, consistency is everything. That's why Duncan is regarded as the greatest power forward in history.

Randolph has only had one off-game in the entire playoffs so far, in Game 2 of the first round, showing consistency on par with Duncan.

Parker responded with a floater off a pick-and-roll with Duncan.

Being the youngest of the Spurs' 'Big Three', Parker was also in the best shape among them.

Randolph went back to work in the low post, but with McDyess failing to front him, Duncan came over to help.

Han Sen exchanged a look with Marc Gasol, who understood immediately and set a screen.

Han used the screen to find an open spot, and Randolph delivered a quick pass.

This is what it means to evolve after a seven-game war against the Thunder—the chemistry requires nothing but a glance.

Han took the shot.

Ginobili rushed over to contest it, but that level of defense didn't faze Han much.

The ball had a clean trajectory but somehow rattled out!

Duncan secured the rebound, and the Spurs launched a fast break. Parker spun past Conley and finished with a layup.

The arena erupted with cheers from the San Antonio fans.

Popovich stood up, pumping his fist towards Ginobili.

Randolph tried his luck in the post again, but the Spurs' defense collapsed on him, forcing a miss.

Back on the other end, Parker's aggressive drive earned Randolph a foul, and then sank both free throws.

"Defense! Defense!" Spurs fans started chanting, trying to build momentum.

This time, Han used a screen to get open at the three-point line.

Randolph passed out of the double-team, and Han faked out the rotating Jefferson before taking a three.

"Clang!"

Another brick.

The Spurs capitalized again, with Parker speeding down the court and dishing it off to Ginóbili for the finish.

2-8.

The Spurs were off to a perfect start.

Popovich's smirk was beginning to show.

Though his attempt at a reverse psychology speech didn't work last game, it seemed Han's lies had now incurred divine punishment.

Han was off his game, and if the Spurs could just neutralize Randolph, this win seemed within reach.

Seeing the situation deteriorating, Coach Hollins called a timeout.

The rhythm on those two shots was definitely right, and the feel on the release was good too.

Looks like I've got an off night.

During the timeout, Hollins was ready to make adjustments, but he looked towards Han first.

Han's clutch performance against the Thunder in Game 7 had changed a lot of things, including how Hollins viewed him.

Even if Hollins wasn't a people person, he could tell Han's stock had risen significantly with the management.

"Sub in Shane," Han suggested when Hollins looked his way.

Tony Allen was in the starting lineup to guard Ginobili, but tonight the Spurs' offense revolved around Parker and Duncan's pick-and-roll.

And right now, they needed more offense than defense.

Coming out of the timeout, the Grizzlies swapped Allen for Battier, while Popovich set up a 2-1-2 zone defense.

Popovich was a master strategist—he knew Han's shooting was off and aimed to exploit it.

Conley called for a 1-3-1 offensive set, with Gasol at the free-throw line pulling Duncan away from the paint.

Once Randolph got position down low, Gasol fed him the ball.

Randolph pivoted towards the baseline for a turnaround jumper, but McDyess contested it perfectly, forcing another miss.

Duncan boxed out for the defensive rebound, but as he reached up, he suddenly felt a shadow loom over him.

Boom!

To everyone's astonishment, Han slipped past Ginóbili, crashed the boards, and delivered a monstrous putback dunk over Duncan!

When finesse fails, attack the rim!

The impact sent Duncan stumbling out of bounds. Han hung on the rim for a moment, his right arm bulging with veins before he dropped back to the floor.

The crowd erupted with boos.

Han had the audacity to sneak attack Duncan from behind!

If it were a face-to-face challenge, Duncan would've swatted him with a block!

Han, ever cheeky, placed his hand behind his ear as he looked towards the stands, signaling the crowd to speak up.

With that gesture and his smug expression, he was practically begging for a beating.

Sure enough, the boos gradually morphed into something else.

"Fxck Han Sen!"

Spurs fans weren't content just putting it on their shirts anymore!

Han grinned, satisfied.

Finally, his hater points were ticking up!

Han's putback seemed to energize the Grizzlies.

Parker's next drive was blocked by Marc Gasol and Conley, who had sandwiched him in the paint.

With Duncan off his game, the Grizzlies could focus more on defensive help.

Gasol grabbed the rebound and passed it to Conley, who slowed the pace as they crossed half-court.

The Grizzlies continued to attack the zone, with Gasol again receiving the ball at the free-throw line.

Han set a pick for Battier, then cut towards the corner while Han rolled to the rim.

In response to the Grizzlies' need for more offense, Popovich had inserted Ginobili into the starting lineup, but Ginobili's defense wasn't strong enough to fight through screens, forcing him to follow Battier out to the corner.

Seeing the opportunity, Marc dished the ball to Han, who faced off against Jefferson.

Han pulled a mid-range pump fake, baiting Jefferson into the air.

Just because Han had missed a couple of shots, did Spurs players think they could leave him wide open?

Wake up—this is Han, not LeBron!

Or to put it another way, even if that was Kobe in Han's place, you don't just leave him open. Kobe once tore apart the Spurs' zone, and even with Pop's schemes, defenders would jump on instinct.

Though Jefferson was known for his athleticism, even after two knee surgeries in his Nets days, he still relied on it to catch up with Han.

And thanks to the zone, Duncan had already collapsed into the paint.

Han made a quick stop and threw another pump fake.

As Jefferson tried to recover, Han leaned into him, drawing a foul. Two free throws coming up.

Players known for their athleticism really do love to jump.

More boos erupted from the stands.

Han's so shameless—if he's not shooting, he's either sneaking around or baiting for fouls!

When Han stepped to the free-throw line, that familiar chant filled the arena again.

"Fxck Han Sen!"

You could really feel how 'loved' Han was in San Antonio.

Amid the sea of insults, Han hit one out of two free throws. His shooting touch was clearly off tonight.

Fortunately, Randolph grabbed the offensive board!

Despite standing just 6'9", Randolph had a 7'4" wingspan and top-tier rebounding instincts. He was the best offensive rebounder in the league, second only to Dwight Howard.

Randolph quickly spotted Han cutting to the rim and whipped a pass over.

Han caught it and exploded off the floor like a spring.

After maxing out his dunking talent, he was basically a springboard at this point.

Duncan was waiting in the paint, extending his long arms to challenge him.

Duncan's natural gifts were even scarier than Randolph's—standing at 6'11" with a 7'5" wingspan.

But Han wasn't dumb enough to take on Duncan head-on.

Instead, he shifted his body mid-air, gliding past Duncan's outstretched arms…

Boom!

Han slammed the ball through the hoop with his right hand!

The AT&T Center fell silent.

This time, Han didn't sneak up on Duncan—he had genuinely dunked on him!

As he landed, Han let out a deep breath.

As expected, Duncan, struggling with plantar fasciitis, felt like he had been hit with a debuff in a video game—his reactions had slowed down.

This was truly like hitting someone when they're down.