Returning the Favor.

Two days later, the Grizzlies and Spurs shifted their series back to Memphis for the next game.

In a surprising turn of events, the Spurs claimed a 110-103 victory on the road.

It wasn't due to a poor performance from Han Sen or Randolph; the Grizzlies' scoreline made that clear.

The key was Duncan.

After two games in the series, Duncan was underperforming due to his plantar fasciitis.

But on this night, he switched up his game, aggressively demanding the ball in the low post and quickly drawing a defensive foul on Marc Gasol.

Taking advantage of Gasol's foul trouble, Duncan fearlessly attacked the paint again and again.

While Duncan's plantar fasciitis wasn't magically cured in two days, his eyes radiated an undeniable hunger to win.

As a seasoned veteran, Duncan knew exactly what a 0-3 deficit meant. In NBA history, no team has ever come back from 0-3.

So, this was do-or-die for the Spurs: lose and go home, or win and stay alive.

With Duncan's 30 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists, the Spurs cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Such a performance during Duncan's peak would have been ordinary, but playing like this while injured was truly moving.

"There's a 'superstar button' inside TD's body—though it's a bit rusty, when he pushes it with all his might, he can still make it work," Han Sen acknowledged Duncan's effort after the game.

"Do you think that button will change the series?"

"No, we won't let him press it twice."

Han Sen's words were polite, but everyone knew Duncan couldn't replicate that performance again.

Duncan's Game 3 effort was great, much like his entire career, but barring surprises, the Grizzlies were still the favorites to advance in this series.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Mavericks swept the Lakers 4-0, shocking the league.

Han Sen's account saw an extra 2 million dollars, thanks to a bet that was paid up. He also received a brand-new Ferrari from Shaq as a gift.

The stars of the Lakers-Mavs series were Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe, but Shaq's role shouldn't be overlooked.

Even as a bench player now, eliminating—no, sweeping—Kobe brought Shaq immense satisfaction.

The car also reminded Han Sen that if the Grizzlies could beat the Spurs, he'd face Shaq and David West in the Western Conference Finals.

On May 9th, at the FedEx Forum.

The arena, with its capacity of over 18,000, was packed to the rafters. The place was flooded with signs saying "Fxck Popovich."

These signs had shown up in Game 3, and Grizzlies fans were determined to repay the treatment Han Sen got in San Antonio with interest.

Losing one game to the Spurs was no big deal; everyone knew the state of Duncan's body at this point.

After the pre-game ceremony, both teams announced their starting lineups.

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

Grizzlies: Conley, Han Sen, Battier, Randolph, Gasol.

McDyess won the tip-off for the Spurs.

Right from the start, Duncan didn't demand the ball in the low post like in the previous game; instead, he ran a standard pick-and-roll with Parker.

The Grizzlies opted to collapse on the pick-and-roll, and Parker kicked it back out to Duncan, whose mid-range bank shot clanked off the rim.

On the other end, the Grizzlies didn't look to exploit Randolph early. Instead, Han Sen came off a screen and hit a mid-range jumper.

Throughout this series, and whenever playing the Spurs, Han Sen's mid-range game served as the Grizzlies' barometer.

If he was off, even with Duncan struggling, the teams would be evenly matched.

But if he was on, the Grizzlies would gain an edge.

Swish!

Han Sen's jumper was smooth as silk, and the FedEx Forum erupted in cheers.

It was shaping up to be a good night.

After five minutes, the score was 10-4, with the Grizzlies leading.

Though it was still early, Han Sen's previous words about Duncan not being able to replicate his Game 3 performance seemed prophetic.

Even Randolph wasn't having his best shooting night.

But that wasn't surprising—Randolph was steady, but you couldn't expect him to play like a machine every night.

Fortunately, Han Sen was on fire. He blew past Jefferson and hit another mid-range jumper, further widening the gap.

At this point, Jefferson was completely outmatched against Han Sen—any mismatch was essentially a free bucket.

Popovich called a timeout and subbed in DeJuan Blair for McDyess.

Right after the timeout, Randolph and Blair got into a scuffle under the basket, and the refs blew their whistles in warning.

A couple of possessions later, Randolph threw an elbow that knocked Blair to the ground, earning an offensive foul.

The replay showed Blair grabbing Randolph's arm first with a sneaky move.

Han Sen glanced at Popovich and immediately understood what was happening.

While retreating on defense, he pulled Randolph aside:

"Zach, they know they're losing, so they're trying to bait you to mess things up. Stay cool—we're about to win."

With Han Sen's warning, Popovich avoided targeting Randolph directly, but he had other tricks up his sleeve.

Randolph's temper was their entry point, especially on a night when he was struggling with his shot.

However, after Han Sen's reminder, Randolph quickly regained his composure.

Randolph trusted Han completely after their series against the Thunder.

On the next offensive possession, Han Sen fed Randolph the ball in the post.

Blair kept up his dirty tricks, but Randolph powered through him, scoring an and-one. Shaking his head in celebration, he and Han Sen slapped hands hard.

Han Sen then shot a look at Popovich and smiled upon seeing the coach's look of frustration.

There was no way to keep Randolph down forever—an interior player finding rhythm was easier than an outside shooter.

In a critical moment, Ginobili drained a three, keeping the Spurs within reach.

Ginobili, the Spurs' second-leading scorer in the regular season behind Parker, was a versatile player who thrived in any role—starter or bench.

Sensing the shift, Han Sen adjusted his game, signaling Randolph to come up for a high screen.

Ginobili's strength was his offense; his weakness was his defense.

Randolph's screen completely sealed Ginobili off, allowing Han Sen to switch onto Duncan.

Duncan's feet were still stuck to the floor, but Ginobili was closing in fast, looking to double-team Han Sen.

Seeing this, Han opted to pass.

He rarely passed, but it didn't mean he couldn't, especially when the double-team left Randolph wide open.

The pass was a bit low, but Randolph, with his long arms, snagged it.

Randolph then drove to the basket.

His shot had been off all night, but the closer he got to the rim, the better his chances.

Ginobili retreated into the paint, positioning his body sideways.

Randolph saw it and went up for a crafty step-through layup.

Despite his size, Randolph was surprisingly agile.

But in the next instant, he lost his balance mid-air and crashed to the floor.

Everything happened too quickly—Han Sen, who was busy boxing out Duncan, didn't notice what had transpired.

In the blink of an eye, Randolph flipped over, grabbed Ginobili, and took him down in a street-style tackle.

Both teams rushed in.

The refs' whistles pierced the air, and it took several players to restrain Randolph.

Meanwhile, Ginobili lay on the floor, grimacing in pain.

The game was halted for an official review.

As Han Sen watched the replay on the big screen, he saw what went down.

Ginobili had lifted his hips ever so slightly as Randolph went up, causing him to lose his balance in mid-air.

If this had been Griffin, with his explosive jumping, he would've been seriously injured.

After seeing what really happened, Han Sen's expression darkened.

Had his warning to Popovich expired?

It didn't seem like it. Popovich's style was to target role players while protecting his stars—it wasn't like him to sacrifice a key player like this.

Especially considering Popovich's earlier expression of resignation; it didn't seem faked.

Then Han remembered a few things—one of them from this season.

Among the Spurs' Big Three, Duncan and Parker played clean games. Ginobili, however, was a different story.

Aside from his flashy style, Ginobili had a history of dirty plays—though his reputation was overshadowed by guys like Bowen and Horry.

This season, Ginobili had stepped under a long-distance Aaron Brooks' jump shot, costing Brooks his season.

Brooks had just won the Most Improved Player award the previous season with 19.6 points per game.

His downfall wasn't a 'curse'—it was Ginobili's foot.

After reviewing the play, the refs assessed Ginobili with a technical foul, and Randolph with a flagrant, ejecting him from the game.

The crowd erupted with chants of "Referee Sucks!" while coach Lionel Hollins argued with the officials, to no avail.

Han Sen glanced across the court, seeing Ginobili back on his feet, listening intently to Popovich's instructions like nothing happened.

His face hardened, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

He turned to Randolph, who was preparing to leave the court, and pulled him close:

"Go find a spot to watch the game live."

Randolph wasn't sure what Han Sen meant by that, but he nodded anyway.

After the technical timeout, both teams took their free throws following the rule of two shots and possession exchange, meaning each side got two free throws, and possession was neutralized, leaving it as the Grizzlies' ball.

First up were the Grizzlies, and Han Sen made both free throws.

On the Spurs' side, it was Ginobili's turn.

As soon as he stepped to the line, a wave of boos rained down from the stands.

Han Sen wasn't the only one who had seen the replay.

Amidst the boos, Ginobili calmly sank both free throws, seemingly unfazed.

But the dynamics on the court shifted dramatically.

The Grizzlies' success against the Spurs had hinged on their dual-core setup with Han Sen and Randolph.

When Han Sen was off, Randolph's solo effort could hold the Spurs to a stalemate.

But now, with Randolph ejected, Han Sen was facing an uphill battle leading the team alone.

And that was exactly what unfolded—Han Sen received the ball, and the Spurs immediately double-teamed him.

Popovich knew Han Sen's passing wasn't his strongest suit.

But what no one anticipated was Han Sen bursting past the double-team with a sudden explosive acceleration.

Charging into the paint, he soared over Blair and slammed the ball into the basket.

In mid-air, Han Sen's knee bent slightly, causing Blair to be sent flying out of bounds.

The dunk ignited the crowd, and the Grizzlies fans erupted in deafening cheers.

…

Meanwhile, Randolph had made his way to the first-floor café of the arena, where a group of Grizzlies fans who couldn't get tickets had gathered around a TV to watch the game.

When Randolph arrived, the fans cheered, just in time to catch Han Sen dunking over Blair.

Seeing this, Randolph grinned, squeezing into the group of fans and sitting down, raising his fist toward the TV.

So, this was why Han Sen wanted him to find a place to watch live—was he planning to settle the score with all those guys, one by one?

…

Fueled by the home crowd's roars, the Grizzlies played with intense defensive energy, effectively shutting down the Parker-Duncan pick-and-roll.

With no opportunities there, Parker dribbled back to the three-point line and passed to Ginobili.

With Duncan hindered by injuries, Ginobili was the Spurs' best option for creating plays.

But guarding him was Han Sen.

Ginobili attempted to drive past Han Sen, but Han's exceptional lateral movement blocked him every time.

And Han's defensive focus was at its peak—he was practically glued to Ginobili.

With no other choice, Ginobili resorted to one of his signature moves: a step-back three after a forward lunge.

There's a reason why Harden's scouting comparison was Ginobili—this move that Harden would later master had long been Ginobili's weapon of choice.

Han Sen lunged forward in a desperate attempt to block, but it seemed a bit too late.

Ginobili got his shot off before Han Sen could contest.

But in the next second, instead of turning sideways to avoid him, Han Sen crashed straight into Ginobili.

Both players lost their balance in mid-air, with Ginobili on the bottom and Han Sen on top as they fell to the floor.

Conley quickly helped Han Sen up, who seemed relatively unscathed.

Ginobili, however, wasn't so lucky.

He remained on the floor, clutching his waist in pain.

He had landed directly on his lower back, and Han Sen's fall had added a second impact.

The referee blew the whistle to stop the game.

This time, it wasn't because of a conflict, but due to the unexpected turn of events.

The game went into another technical timeout, with the Grizzlies' players returning to their bench while the Spurs gathered around the fallen Ginobili.

…

In the café, the TV was replaying the recent play.

The sudden twist caught the Grizzlies fans off guard, leaving them momentarily stunned.

Randolph, however, stood up, his face flushed with excitement.

So, this was the real reason Han wanted him to find a place to watch the game live!

If Ginobili could play dirty, why couldn't Han?

After all, Han Sen had the guts to go after Popovich himself.

Besides, the Grizzlies still had a score to settle over Rudy Gay.

Popovich was still lively on the sidelines, but Gay had been sidelined for the rest of the season, missing his first career playoff run.

This was just about returning the favor!

(TL/n: Edited a paragraph in the previous chapter, thanks @nevershe.

I'm extremely grateful to everyone sharing their thoughts in the comments. You guys raise the quality of this translation.)