Challenging The Head Coach.

Although Conley came from the 'traditional' school of point guards, where following the coach's directives is paramount, he wasn't as stubborn as someone like Hollins.

He understood the current situation the team faced.

Even though Hollins was a coach with real authority, he was still an NBA coach.

If this were the NCAA, Gay would never have dared to act out like he did. But in the NBA, he was willing to challenge Hollins, and Hollins wasn't in a position to do much about it.

This is the key difference—NBA coaches and players essentially operate in a partnership.

When a team performs poorly and loses, the first one to shoulder the blame is often the coach.

So as long as it worked and got them back in the game, Hollins wasn't likely to say much.

Just after they wrapped up their 'little meeting', the Thunder made substitutions, and the referees signaled for the inbound play.

Battier passed it in from the sideline, Conley got the ball, and Randolph posted up. The Thunder's defense collapsed early, and everything looked the same as before.

But then, off the weak side, Han Sen made a move, using a screen from Marc Gasol to get to the free-throw line.

Harden got completely stuck on the screen, and Conley's pass landed right on target. Han Sen took the shot from mid-range without hesitation.

Although this was a tactical adjustment, it wasn't unfamiliar—they had run these plays before, so the execution felt smooth.

The Thunder were caught off guard by this sudden change, and even though Ibaka rushed over with all his might, Han Sen leaped higher than expected, leaving Ibaka with no chance to contest.

He could only fly past Han Sen as he released the shot.

Swish!

Han Sen's mid-range jumper hit nothing but net.

The arena erupted in a wave of cheers.

This was the first field goal the Grizzlies had made in over five minutes since the game started!

Hollins stood up, looking at Han Sen as he retreated on defense, his gaze full of questions.

Han acted like he didn't notice.

Hollins then looked at Conley, who was genuinely locked in on Westbrook and didn't see him.

Hollins felt his authority being challenged, but he had no outlet to express his frustration.

At that moment, the crowd erupted with Memphis fans chanting for defense, and the Grizzlies' momentum surged.

Someone on the bench was holding back laughter.

Even though Gay couldn't play, as he was in recovery, he was still traveling with the team.

To him, Hollins' insistence on obedience was a joke. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew that a coach's authority is built on winning, not on imposing rigid rules.

The Thunder continued to pass the ball to Durant, who once again drove past Battier.

This time, though, Battier scrambled back and used a hand-in-the-face technique to disrupt Durant's pull-up shot, causing the ball to miss.

Randolph grabbed the defensive rebound, and Conley pushed the ball up the court, settling the team into their half-court offense again.

This time, the ball went into Randolph in the post. It looked like a typical post-up play, but Randolph was surveying the defense.

Seeing Ibaka coming to help, Randolph decisively whipped the ball to the free-throw line, where Han Sen had just used another screen from Gasol to get open.

Poor Harden was once again completely blocked by the big Gasol, and with his less-than-stellar lateral movement, he had no answer for a screen this big.

But this time, Ibaka was ready, and he quickly closed in on Han Sen.

Han Sen faked a mid-range jumper, causing Ibaka to jump.

It wasn't that Ibaka was prone to jumping, but Han Sen's earlier jumper had been so high that reacting late wasn't an option.

But Ibaka was a savvy player—he jumped without fully committing, ready to recover in case of a drive. When he saw Han Sen put the ball on the floor, he turned to help.

However, Han Sen's speed was faster than Ibaka had anticipated. He drove past Ibaka and before Perkins could rotate, Han Sen soared for a layup, scoring smoothly.

The arena exploded with cheers once again.

This scene wasn't unfamiliar—the Grizzlies had used similar strategies against the Spurs before.

"Lionel Hollins made the right choice!" Barkley exclaimed from the commentary booth, seemingly validating his earlier insights.

But as the camera cut to Hollins, his face was flushed red.

The team was playing a strategy completely different from what he had planned before the game, but given their comeback momentum, he couldn't call a timeout.

The reality was, despite being a veteran coach with the Grizzlies, Hollins didn't have enough clout in the league.

If it were someone like Jerry Sloan or Gregg Popovich, a coach of that stature could bench a player for not following orders without a second thought.

In other words, Hollins needed the Grizzlies more than they needed him.

If they fired him for losing, it would be hard for him to find another head coaching job.

Hollins sat back on the bench, still flushed with frustration, while Brooks on the other side was visibly restless.

Brooks had subbed in Harden to spark a counterattack, but instead, Han Sen was exploiting the mismatches on defense.

Brooks shouted some instructions to Harden.

When the Thunder reached their frontcourt, Harden signaled for a new play.

Durant received the ball after running a screen with Ibaka, but his shot, challenged by Gasol, was off the mark. Randolph secured the rebound and quickly handed it to Conley.

Conley instinctively looked for Han Sen, their fast-break specialist, but noticed that Han Sen wasn't running the break.

In fact, when Han Sen caught Conley's eye, he motioned to slow it down.

During their "little meeting," he had suggested tactical changes, but that didn't mean overturning the Grizzlies' game plan completely. They still had to capitalize on their strengths in the half-court offense.

This approach foiled Brooks' plans, but on the court, Westbrook switched onto Han Sen, recognizing that he was better at fighting through screens than Harden.

Han Sen received the ball and was immediately pressured by Westbrook.

Using a triple-threat stance, Han Sen made a feint and then raised the ball for a shot.

Westbrook, shorter than Han Sen, couldn't effectively contest it.

But Westbrook's reaction time was top-notch. He leapt the moment Han Sen moved.

What he didn't expect was that Han Sen was faking it, waiting for Westbrook to start descending before taking a real jump.

The referee's whistle blew, signaling a shooting foul by Westbrook for entering Han Sen's cylinder.

Han Sen had drawn the foul.

Westbrook held his head in disbelief, while Han Sen nodded toward the free-throw line.

Westbrook, still lacking experience at this point in his career, was, in simpler terms, a bit of a hothead.

Brooks seemed lost as he watched Han Sen step to the line.

As last season's Coach of the Year, Brooks had thoroughly studied the Grizzlies' top scorer before the series began.

He not only reviewed the Grizzlies' game film but also looked back at Han Sen's performance with the Cavaliers last season.

Han Sen's playoff series against the Celtics had left Brooks in awe, which is why he devised a comprehensive defensive scheme for Game 1.

However, when Hollins ignored his own playbook and hammered the Thunder's interior defense, Brooks was forced to shift his defensive focus in Game 2, only to have Hollins double down on pounding the paint. Naturally, the momentum swung back.

Brooks realized then that he had overestimated Hollins' tactical rigidity, so he adjusted his approach for tonight.

And initially, it seemed like his call to pack the paint was paying off.

But what he didn't anticipate was another tactical shift from the Grizzlies.

So, had he underestimated Hollins after all?

Han Sen sank both free throws, putting together a personal 6-0 run to close the gap to 10-12.

Durant came up clutch, drilling a pull-up jumper over Battier's outstretched hand.

On the following possession, Randolph muscled his way through Perkins in the post, drawing the foul on a spin move and converting the and-one.

With Han Sen pulling attention away on the weak side, the Thunder couldn't risk doubling the post so easily.

So, when Randolph stepped to the line, he not only high-fived Conley, who fed him the ball but also chest-bumped Han Sen, who walked to his side of the line.

After Randolph sank the free throw, the Grizzlies closed within a single point, and the game reached a standstill.

With around 10 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams began rotating their lineups.

Han Sen took a seat on the bench.

He exchanged a look with Hollins, ready for some confrontation, but even after Han Sen sat down, Hollins made no move, which left Han Sen somewhat disappointed. But he also realized that Hollins only appeared to be tough.

On the court, Brooks opted for a tight rotation.

In Han Sen's two minutes off the court, Harden and Westbrook led the Thunder to build a 5-point lead.

Harden had averaged 26.9 minutes per game this season, putting up 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. Although he didn't win Sixth Man of the Year, his efficiency had significantly improved from his rookie season.

In this year's All-Star Rookie Challenge, he was a late addition, but his performance was second only to Han Sen among the sophomore team players.

This shows he definitely has the talent; it's just that the competition within the Thunder is much tougher compared to other teams.

His 21-point performance in the last game wasn't a fluke, and one could even argue that his 8 points in Game 1 were the fluke.

During the break between the first and second quarters, Han Sen approached Hollins and asked to be put in to guard Harden.

Harden's ball-handling is excellent, and when he's on the floor, he's the primary ball-handler.

Allen is good at guarding pure scorers, but struggles against players of Harden's style.

And it's clear from the first quarter's scoreline that despite tactical adjustments, the Grizzlies hadn't managed to open up a substantial lead.

This Thunder team, while not yet at its peak, was already capable of contending for a championship.① 

The Grizzlies' win in Game 1 had elements of Brooks' strategic miscalculations, and winning again wouldn't be as easy as imagined.

If the Thunder managed to widen the gap at the start of the second quarter, it would be incredibly tough for the Grizzlies to come back.

Hollins instinctively wanted to reject the request, still harboring frustration. He realized that Randolph and Conley, his long-time players, wouldn't defy his orders.

Only Han Sen would, and with his history, Hollins couldn't help but remember how the team's on-court strategy shifted right after Han Sen held that 'huddle' with his teammates.

He couldn't afford to let this insubordination grow, or he would lose control of the team.

But before he could speak, Damon chimed in, "Lionel, I think this is a good call. We need to keep the score tight."

Hollins was just about to silence him when Joerger turned to Han Sen and asked, "Are you okay with your stamina?"

Han Sen shook his head.

Since gaining the [Iron Body] talent, his body's resilience to fatigue had increased, allowing him to stay on the court longer.

Especially after Gay's injury, Han Sen's playing time had inevitably increased, and after half a season, his stamina had improved as well.

But more importantly, compared to worrying about stamina, the immediate concern was the score. If the gap widened early, conserving energy would be meaningless.

Hollins was stunned. Both of his assistant coaches didn't see anything wrong with Han Sen's request.

"Lionel, let Han go in. We need him," Dave Joerger, the defensive coach, added, fully aware that only Han Sen could effectively limit Harden.

It was clear that while Joerger and Damon were focused on winning the game, Hollins was more concerned with maintaining his control over the team.

"Coach, trust Han. He can do it," Battier interjected, "I can buy him a few minutes of rest in the second quarter."

Unlike the assistant coaches, Battier was driven to win for his own 'unfinished business'.

At this point, Hollins had no choice. The most influential voices on the team had backed Han Sen.

Reluctantly, he nodded and, without much enthusiasm, handed the tactics board to Joerger before retreating to the bench.

He never expected that the player who once helped him deal with Gay's issues would now be his biggest headache.

As expected, Han Sen successfully limited Harden after re-entering the game.

Han Sen's size was bigger than Harden's, his speed matched well, and he had ample defensive experience. Harden struggled to organize the offense effectively.

Watching the game unfold, Hollins felt even more frustrated.

Just then, Joerger sat down beside him.

"Lionel, Han doesn't have anything against you," Joerger started, always the peacemaker.

Hollins turned towards him, puzzled.

"Do you remember that game in Cleveland when Zach lost his temper?"

Hollins stayed silent, still unclear about what had happened back then.

"One day, I was chatting with Chris Wallace, and he mentioned that shortly after the Cleveland game, Han approached him, asking a lot about Zach. Then, in the following game against the Lakers, Zach had his season-high performance. I believe Han and Zach must have had a conversation."

Joerger was much more adept at handling interpersonal relationships than Hollins.

Hollins seemed to be lost in thought. He knew about Han Sen and Gay's earlier conflict, but Han Sen and Randolph had none.

Just then, Joerger, watching Han Sen intercept Harden and sprint towards the other end of the court, remarked, "I think he was serious about what he said when he first got here."

"Serious about what?" Hollins asked, unable to recall.

"He wants to bring a championship to this city. He wants to win."

Han Sen finished with a powerful double-clutch slam and celebrated with his signature number 77 gesture.

—End of Chapter—

①: The Thunder reached the Western Conference Finals in the 2010-2011 season, losing 1-4 to the eventual champion Mavericks.