The Poison Duo.

The FedEx Forum was buzzing with excitement.

Early in the season, the Grizzlies had started with an impressive four-game winning streak, the best season opener in team history, raising fans' hopes.

But then Randolph got injured, sidelining him for two months.

Now, at last, Memphis fans could see their team at full strength again! Like Han Sen, they were eager to find out how a showdown with the Lakers would unfold.

Realistically speaking, if the Grizzlies wanted a championship this season, they had to get past the Lakers. 

Hoping for another team to eliminate them didn't fit the Grizzlies' fighting spirit. 

In other words, only by crushing the Lakers tonight could they truly be in the championship conversation.

This matchup had garnered high attention across the league, with TNT's Big Three commentators on-site.

"The last time the Grizzlies lost was without Randolph; tonight, they're going to give the Lakers a real beating," Barkley began hyping the game.

"But Okafor was also absent last time. The Lakers are still the stronger team on paper," countered Shaq.

Not to be taken too seriously—it was all for the show, with each playing their role.

No one wanted to see the Lakers lose more than Shaq, but as a commentator, he had to offer a balanced view, even if his legacy was forever tied to the Lakers.

The two then made a bet, with the loser agreeing to get a haircut like Kenny Smith's.

Why Kenny Smith? Well, Shaq's 'Peak Trio' needed all three to make an impact!

As for Kenny Smith's haircut, it was basically a shaved head. With his receding hairline, his bald head gleamed.

With Barkley backing the Grizzlies and Shaq supporting the Lakers, the broadcast's energy instantly skyrocketed.

After their banter ended, the players wrapped up their warm-ups, and the opening ceremony began.

The Lakers, as the visiting team, took the floor first with their usual starting five: Chris, Kobe, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Okafor.

For anyone wondering, Metta World Peace was the name Ron Artest had changed to last September.

Then came the Grizzlies: Conley, Han Sen, Gay, Speights, and Marc Gasol.

This lineup left the Lakers puzzled.

Randolph wasn't starting! Was his return a Grizzlies smokescreen?

But Randolph had been seen warming up.

As the final three minutes of prep time ticked down, the starters from both teams took the court.

The crowd was electric.

Marc Gasol won the tip-off against his brother Pau, sending the ball to the Grizzlies' side and kicking off the game.

The Grizzlies opened with Marc Gasol posting up on the low block.

This move was Joeger's way of testing Okafor's condition.

Last season's playoffs had given Marc confidence, and with Randolph absent, Marc had honed his inside game. Now, he had a solid post-up skill set.

The duel between the two giants ended with Marc faking out Okafor and banking in a score.

The Grizzlies took the lead.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Most outsiders focused on the Grizzlies' lineup changes, but their core players had improved since last season.

Joeger's strategy was paying off, too. Okafor could play, but wasn't in top shape, as repeated injuries take a toll on any player's form.

Chris took the frontcourt, with Kobe drawing the Grizzlies' defense. Chris then delivered a no-look bounce pass to Pau Gasol, who rolled to the basket off the pick.

Pau floated a shot over Marc, banking it in.

The Lakers' offense showed why they were the league's top team.

Okafor was merely an extra boost; the synergy among their three core players was the real key.

Marc called for the ball in the low post again, but this time, the Lakers double-teamed him—exactly what the Grizzlies had hoped for.

Han Sen and Speights set quick screens, then shifted to the free-throw line, and Marc's pass was already there.

Han Sen had a moment of open space.

This was where Speights' spacing ability helped, forcing Metta World Peace to move out.

Han Sen caught the ball, faked out Pau Gasol with a feint, and drove past him. Kobe rushed over to help, but Han shot a mid-range jumper before he arrived.

Swish!

Kobe's early jump to contest couldn't prevent Han Sen from making the shot.

Back on defense, Chris and Pau Gasol ran a pick-and-roll, drawing a double-team and passing to Pau at the perfect moment.

It was a clean setup, but Marc Gasol stepped up early, cutting off Pau's angle. Pau stayed calm, made a back pivot, and passed to the cutting Kobe, effectively blocking Marc's recovery path.

Kobe drove, adjusting mid-air to avoid Han Sen's block, and banked in the shot.

The crowd roared; fans watched intently.

Regardless of the outcome, the game's quality was top-notch.

"If they meet in the playoffs, this will be one of the most thrilling series we'll see," even the usually objective Kenny Smith from TNT marveled.

Around six minutes in, the Lakers led 13-10.

Okafor was less than peak form, yet the Lakers' collective strength still outmatched the Grizzlies.

Coach Mike Brown was also sticking to his previous strategy of cutting off Han Sen's connection with his teammates.

Kobe drew a foul on Speights with a driving move, giving him two free throws as the game paused.

Just then, a short whistle blew, and the camera panned to the scorers' table where Randolph was adjusting his headband, ready to sub in.

A deafening cheer erupted—finally, he was back!

It was clear now that Randolph's bench role wasn't a ruse; the Grizzlies simply wanted him to ease back in.

After all, no matter how well you recover, training is different from actual gameplay.

Randolph high-fived Speights as he came off and tapped his head in a signature move.

Just as Han Sen had noticed before, Randolph was itching to get back on the court.

Kobe made both free throws, widening the Lakers' lead to five.

Conley took it up and fed the ball to Randolph in the low post.

Pau Gasol matched up with Randolph, but Randolph held the advantage in strength.

Conley fed it inside and moved baseline to take Chris with him in a classic low-post setup for Randolph.

But Chris was clever, faking to follow Conley, only to double back, timing a perfect swipe and stealing the ball from Randolph.

The Lakers swiftly capitalized, with Kobe scoring on a fast-break layup, pushing the lead to seven.

"The Grizzlies need to convert; they can't let the Lakers dictate with fast breaks," Barkley said, showing some genuine concern.

There was an element of performance, but he was right: in a game this close, small details made the difference.

Joerger didn't call a timeout but instead gestured a new play to Conley.

Conley passed to Han Sen, signaling for space on the weak side.

This time, Conley positioned himself at a 45-degree angle instead of the top of the key, preventing Chris from interrupting again.

Han Sen took the ball, ready to assist Randolph, but rather than an immediate pass, he watched for an opening.

The Lakers had switched Okafor onto Randolph.

Despite their earlier defensive success, the Lakers' interior lineup had shifted.

The Lakers were highly detail-oriented.

This was less about individual players and more a result of Coach Brown's adjustments.

Since leaving LeBron, Brown had frequently shown his defensive expertise.

Han Sen signaled for a pick-and-roll with Randolph.

Randolph happily complied; there was no one he'd rather work with.

Randolph's solid frame set a strong pick, and Han Sen found himself up against Okafor.

Okafor's current form couldn't contain Han Sen on a switch, not to mention even in his best shape, he'd struggle.

Metta World Peace had no choice but to double-team.

Han Sen dished a no-look return pass to Randolph.

While Brown's strategy was to cut off Han Sen's link with his teammates, pick-and-roll plays are hard to contain without elite defenders rotating on the fly.

So why hadn't Han Sen tried this with Speights earlier?

Because while Metta couldn't return, Chris' help defense had arrived.

When fans salivated over the Lakers' offensive duo, it's easy to forget that they formed an All-Defensive First Team combo.

If Speights had the ball, the play would have fizzled out.

But Randolph was different.

Randolph went straight for a shooting motion.

Chris had no choice but to jump; without the jump, his height alone wouldn't contest the shot.

But Randolph was only faking. He pulled the ball back, made a quick drive, and slipped past Chris on the opposite side.

Chris, still in the air, had no chance to grab the ball.

Randolph barreled into the paint, knocked off Metta, and scored while drawing a foul.

In terms of skill, even a newly improved Marc Gasol couldn't match Randolph.

Randolph let out a celebratory roar at Chris, then turned to bump chests with Han Sen.

The earlier isolation play where he got stripped looked a bit clumsy, but this recent and-one helped him find his rhythm.

It's gotta be Han Sen.

And it's a newly evolved Han Sen.

To be fair, he and Randolph ran pick-and-rolls last season too, but back then, Han's passing ability limited them; whether it was timing or angle, the ball always seemed just slightly off, and the opportunity would slip away.

So, last season, their pick-and-rolls were mostly about Han Sen finishing the play himself.

But this time, Han Sen's pass was spot-on, helping him successfully fake out Chris.

...

Now both teams are making substitutions—Barnes is coming in for Artest on the Lakers, while Battier replaces Gay for the Grizzlies.

Randolph calmly makes the additional free throw, bringing the score difference back to four points.

"Defense! Defense!"

The crowd erupts with chants.

Chris then shows off his basketball IQ, running a pick-and-roll with Gasol to find Randolph for a mid-range shot.

But Conley navigates around beautifully, managing to disrupt Chris' play.

Chris' final shot bounces off the rim, and the rebound is secured by Marc Gasol.

Conley brings the ball up to the front court and passes it to Han Sen, then signals for the weak side to clear out for spacing.

This time, he even moves to a 45-degree angle rather than standing at the top of the arc, preventing Chris from interfering again.

Han Sen and Randolph run another pick-and-roll, and Han Sen breaks through quickly.

This time, the Lakers don't dare double-team him, and weak-side Kobe is held back by Battier.

Han Sen crosses Okafor with a close, in-front crossover, then springs up like a coil, finishing with a one-handed slam.

The FedEx Forum instantly lights up.

"The Lakers are in trouble—they're in trouble now!" Shaquille O'Neal shouts, looking worried but with an unmistakable smile.

The Grizzlies have cut the gap to one possession.

Since Randolph came in off the bench, the Grizzlies have started clawing back!

Kobe now gets into position on offense, posting up and waiting for Chris to pass him the ball to go one-on-one with Battier.

Kobe's post moves, combined with his shoulder fakes, turnarounds, and step-backs, make his isolation plays an art form.

Han Sen can't help but watch closely for a moment; although his own mid-range game is strong, his footwork and technique still have room to catch up to Kobe.

This summer, he'll have room to improve, especially in footwork.

Battier jumps up, going for his signature hand-in-the-face defense.

This move has played out countless times in the past, and Kobe is well-accustomed to Battier's defensive style.

However, his shot is slightly off this time, bouncing off the front rim, and Randolph grabs the rebound.

On the next possession, Han Sen and Randolph go for another pick-and-roll.

This time Barnes helps on defense, so Han Sen dishes it to Randolph, who quickly takes a mid-range shot before Barnes can recover.

Swish!

Like a clean slice.

With Randolph finding his rhythm, he's back to being a dominant force in the paint.

The score is tied at 17.

The Grizzlies have launched a 7-0 run, evening the score!

Kobe receives the ball again and this time drives hard inside, blowing by Battier and drawing a foul on Randolph.

Randolph's foul was a bit rough, nearly sparking a confrontation with Kobe.

Han Sen steps in to calm Randolph down.

They've got the momentum now.

Once the scuffle subsides, Kobe steps to the free-throw line.

The crowd boos.

Kobe doesn't flinch, making both free throws to give the Lakers the lead again.

Conley brings the ball up and hands it to Han Sen, with the familiar Grizzlies chant rising from the fans:

"Whoop that trick!"

Han Sen and Randolph go for another pick-and-roll, but this time they change it up.

Previously, Randolph would roll out while Han Sen drove inside.

But this time, after the pick, Han Sen steps back, drawing Barnes's attention outside.

The next second, Han Sen seizes the opening, directing a bounce pass to Randolph, who's rolling inside.

Randolph accelerates with the ball and challenges Pau Gasol's help defense with a floater.

After the earlier altercation, Pau's defense is also a bit rough, bumping into Randolph mid-shot.

The referee's whistle blows, and Randolph's unbalanced shot misses the rim.

Randolph jumps to his feet the next moment.

Everyone thinks he's about to confront Pau Gasol, but instead, he taps his head a couple of times and walks directly to the free-throw line.

He manages to keep his emotions in check.

After a deep breath, he nails both free throws.

Even coming off the bench, he's already scored seven points in three minutes.

The Grizzlies' decision to delay his return is paying off.

More importantly, it's the chemistry between Han Sen and Randolph—something they didn't have last season or even at the beginning of this one.

"They're the Poison Duo!" Shaq, abandoning his usual persona, enthusiastically coins a new nickname.

"They're like two doses of poison; whichever one the Lakers pick, they're done for!"