You Can Always Trust CP3.

Before coming to the Grizzlies, Randolph had been labeled as a 'team poison,' and Han Sen was once described by LeBron's fans as a 'cancer' during his time with the Cavaliers.

Shaq really does have a knack for handing out nicknames.

Thanks to the outstanding performance of Han Sen and Randolph, the Grizzlies' 'Poison Duo' managed to keep pace with the Lakers during the starting lineup's minutes.

Han Sen was subbed out with three minutes left in the first quarter to rest, looking far more energetic than in their previous matchup.

Randolph's return has clearly made a big difference.

Moreover, this change had another effect: it extended Kobe's playing time, as he was forced to play the entire first quarter.

When looking at salary structures, the Grizzlies benefited from a 'rookie bonus.'

This season, Gay and Randolph are each making $15 million, while Marc and Conley are on deals under the new CBA with significant increases but lower starting salaries—$13 million and $8 million, respectively, for a total of $51 million for the four players.

In contrast, the Lakers had Kobe at $25 million, Pau Gasol at $18 million, Chris Paul at $16 million, and Okafor at $12 million, summing up to $71 million.

This shows that, while the Lakers may not be a superteam like the Heat, their payroll is just as top-heavy, leaving little room for a strong bench.

Although Dunleavy was a quality signing, he's not the type to create scoring opportunities on his own.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' bench has seen a significant upgrade over last season.

The biggest change, of course, is Gay's return, which adds a higher level of play to their lineup stagger strategy.

Additionally, on the front line, Speights and Faried are a huge improvement over last season's Haddadi and Johnson.

Faried, in particular, has become like a 'Westbrook of the paint,' energizing his teammates with his hustle once he found his groove.

Thus, the Lakers' backcourt needed at least one of their stars on the floor, preferably Kobe. Without him, the Grizzlies could easily widen the score gap.

Kobe's form was exceptional this season, and he handled these staggered minutes with ease, which was actually a good thing for the Grizzlies since it meant the game would stay intense for four quarters.

At halftime, the score was tied at 58.

"We can say it now—this Grizzlies team is definitely a contender for the title this year!" Barkley popped the halftime champagne, as few teams could push the Lakers this hard.

The intensity didn't let up after the break.

The Lakers capitalized on the Grizzlies missing several perimeter shots, launching an 8-2 run.

In response, Joerger brought Randolph back in early, and the "Poison Duo" reignited the offense, taking the Grizzlies on a 9-2 run of their own.

The heated play led to some skirmishes, causing the referees to tighten their calls.

Fans, both in the arena and online, were getting their money's worth tonight with this national broadcast.

With five minutes remaining, the score was once again tied at 108.

Han Sen ran a pick-and-roll with Randolph, who, upon receiving the pass, faced Barnes' help defense and simply threw up a shot—and it went in, giving the Grizzlies the lead.

This was also his 20th point of the night, a strong showing for someone coming off the bench.

"Defense! Defense!"

Though the game was far from over, a good number of fans were already on their feet, and the noise in the arena was deafening.

The Grizzlies ramped up their defensive intensity, and the Lakers failed to execute their plays on two consecutive possessions, forcing Chris to give the ball to Kobe.

Kobe took the ball in isolation against Gay, pulled off a quick dribble move, stopped, spun, and took a jump shot.

Gay didn't lose his position on defense, but Kobe's timing was quicker, managing to get the shot off over the defense.

Swish!

He scored again, marking his 36th point of the night.

On defense, Kobe and World Peace switched assignments.

When Han Sen ran another pick-and-roll with Randolph, Kobe used his 'puppy steps' to get in front of Han Sen, preventing a mismatch.

The NBA has seen, and will continue to see, many 'poison duos' as Shaq calls them, but as long as defenders don't get screened off, no switch is forced, and the so-called poison doesn't even come into play.

Kobe struck a defensive stance, preparing to face Han Sen one-on-one.

But Han Sen didn't rush to attack, dribbling the ball back to the three-point line and signaling a play.

After Randolph got good position in the low post, Han Sen passed it to him.

Kobe didn't expect this decision from Han Sen and turned his head to check if help defense was needed in the paint.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a gust of wind right in front of him.

When he looked back, he saw that Han Sen had cut inside just as he turned his head!

The timing was perfect. Kobe, fatigued from playing hard, was a step slow on his reaction, giving Han Sen a clear path.

Randolph passed the ball back to Han Sen and also shielded Okafor.

Pau hurriedly dashed to the paint, but by the time he got there, Han Sen was already airborne, raising the ball with his right hand and slamming it down right in his face.

Boom!

Before Pau could raise his hand, Han Sen threw down a vicious dunk.

The arena erupted instantly.

Randolph, pumped, ran over and gave Han Sen a good head rub.

With that dunk over Pau Gasol, Han had avenged him.

Looking back at the surprised Kobe, Han Sen grinned, "I'm not 21 anymore," a callback to their season-long trash-talk saga that even made Kobe crack a smile through his frustration.

When Kobe got the ball on the next possession, Han Sen switched onto him.

Han Sen was not only more mature but also just as willing to take responsibility in clutch moments as ever.

With the strong side cleared, Kobe chose to post up, shifting his feet and pulling off his signature fadeaway after a spin.

Han Sen stayed right with him, sensing Kobe's moves were a bit slower than before.

Kobe's shot, heavily contested by Han, clanged off the rim.

Approaching 34 years old, Kobe could still play the entire game, but trying to maintain efficiency on both offense and defense in the fourth quarter was too much.

Han Sen grabbed the ball on offense and passed it to Randolph.

This time, he didn't cut in, allowing Randolph to take a low-post shot against Pau's help defense, which he missed, but Marc cleaned up with a put-back dunk.

114-110.

With three minutes left, the Grizzlies had pushed the lead to four points.

The Lakers' experience gave them an edge, but in a grueling game, the Grizzlies' youth began to shine through.

Han Sen started denying Kobe the ball, and with Chris forced to work with Pau in a pick-and-roll, he ended up missing a contested mid-range shot over Randolph.

Gay jumped high to snag the defensive rebound, and the momentum clearly swung toward the Grizzlies.

"The Grizzlies' performance tonight makes the Lakers look old!" Shaq seemed completely unconcerned about his upcoming head shave.

Conley brought the ball up and gave it to Han Sen, who signaled for the strong side to clear out, bringing Marc up high for a screen.

Marc's pick-and-roll is the best on the Grizzlies; it's a mandatory skill for European big men.

Kobe got screened, and Han Sen drove past Pau Gasol.

Pau backpedaled furiously as Han Sen stopped for a mid-range jumper.

Just as he rose, he felt someone closing in from the weak side.

A quick glance revealed it was none other than Kobe, who had slipped past Marc's screen.

Kobe's competitive spirit is truly something to admire.

Han Sen adjusted midair, angling his shot to avoid Kobe's block.

Although he wasn't used to taking shots like this, his strong core allowed him to maintain perfect form.

The ball arced higher than usual before descending.

Swish!

Han Sen nailed the difficult shot!

With his energy levels high, he still had a solid shooting touch in the final quarter.

The crowd erupted once more.

With that bucket, the Grizzlies' lead was now at six, their largest of the game.

Victory was nearly within their grasp.

Kobe pulled his jersey up to his mouth, taking a deep breath.

Then, he pushed the ball up court and signaled to spread out.

With the Lakers' lineup and the league-best record, they seemed unbeatable.

But now, the Grizzlies were shattering that illusion.

If they could pull this off, they'd establish themselves as the Lakers' toughest threat in the West.

Kobe wasn't ready to lose.

He chose to face up, driving to the free-throw line before executing his signature move—a stop followed by a quick spin and a fadeaway jumper.

When Han Sen jumped up to contest, Kobe still got the shot off over him, sinking it.

The crowd was abuzz as Kobe's basket pulled the Lakers back from the brink.

As Han Sen landed, he grew even more determined to work on his footwork over the summer.

Good footwork can make up for the impact of fatigue on speed.

In the frontcourt, Han Sen ran another pick-and-roll with Marc Gasol, but this time, as he made his move, Kobe quickly returned to his defensive position.

It all came down to footwork—Kobe's 'puppy steps' allowed him to counter the pick-and-roll effectively.

Han Sen didn't call for another screen but instead seized a momentary opportunity.

No matter how well Kobe maneuvered around the screen or how nimble his footwork, he was still in motion, his center of gravity shifting.

Han Sen exploited this, pausing the ball in his left hand and faking a shot with his right, only to suddenly change direction with a hard crossover to the right.

A classic 'praying mantis' move.

Since hitting a plateau with [Uncle Drew], Han Sen had managed to pull off some dribbling moves he previously couldn't.

Kobe jumped to contest but, realizing the fake too late, couldn't pull back in time.

Han Sen blew past Kobe, driving into the lane, and Pau Gasol closing in near the basket, he executed a sudden floater.

Swish!

The lead returned to six points! 

With only two minutes left, the Lakers called a timeout.

Coach Brown had noticed Kobe's fatigue, and he was known for using timeouts strategically to help his star players recover.

However, two minutes isn't enough to fully regain stamina, so the Lakers turned to Chris Paul to lead the next possession.

Chris attacked Randolph, the weak link in the Grizzlies' defense, and this time he had a golden opportunity after the screen.

But he still couldn't convert!

When Marc Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound, he saw Han Sen already sprinting past the three-point line.

The Lakers didn't react in time to the sudden shift, and Marc launched a long pass downcourt.

Han Sen caught it and sprinted in transition, the crowd already roaring.

Glancing back to confirm no one was close, he slowed down and executed a between-the-legs dunk.

The last time Han Sen had used this dunk was against the Spurs, and it was out of frustration. This time, it was pure celebration.

Boom!

As the ball slammed through the hoop, the FedExForum erupted.

The Lakers? Not so invincible after all!

This dunk put the Grizzlies up by eight with a minute and a half left, essentially sealing the game.

In the end, the final score settled at 121-114.

When the game ended, the arena was in a frenzy, and the Grizzlies players were celebrating wildly.

The Grizzlies had not only done what Han Sen had promised—win it back—but had also proven they could beat the Lakers at full strength.

Building this level of confidence was even more valuable than the win itself!

In the post-game stat line, Kobe had 38 points on 14 of 27 shooting, Chris Paul had 16 points and 9 assists on 7 of 14, Pau Gasol added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Okafor had 12 points and 8 boards.

Han Sen had 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists; Randolph contributed 20 points and 11 boards; Gay scored 18; Marc Gasol posted 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists; and Conley had 14 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

...

At the post-game presser, Han Sen appeared alongside Randolph.

"Feels amazing to be back out there," Randolph said, grinning.

"The team's been through some tough times, but getting to go to battle with these guys again? Nothing like it." He was smoother with his words than Gay, handling the press with ease.

"Han is just on another level now," Randolph continued, looking at his teammate. "It's like he can do whatever he wants on the court. I'm glad he's on my side and not the other way around." This brought a few laughs from the room; the mutual respect was obvious.

Han Sen joined in, nodding. "And Zach is still Zach. If he hadn't gotten injured, he'd be the All-Star starter in the West, no doubt."

"Replacing who? Well that'd be Griffin obviously—he's just a kid who knows how to dunk," Han Sen said, not missing the opportunity to take a jab at his number-two 'hater'.

Of course, as soon as he finished speaking, Han Sen's [hater points] began to rise, considering the Lakers and Griffin both had loyal fans in Los Angeles.

"What do you think was the key to your team's victory tonight?" a reporter asked Han Sen.

Was it Randolph's outstanding performance? Kobe's fatigue issues? Or perhaps something else?

Han glanced at Randolph, then back at the reporter.

"Chris Paul," he replied with a sly smile, leaving the room in brief confusion.

Realizing he'd left them hanging, he explained, "You can always count on him in the clutch."

Ah, now the reporters understood—Han Sen was being sarcastic!

After Chris' arrogant remarks before the game, Han Sen's response felt justified.

Moreover, it was hard to argue with him.

In the last five minutes, Chris' stats were 1-for-3, with his only basket coming after the game had already been decided.

Even though Chris excels at pick-and-rolls, which Randolph struggles against, and had Kobe drawing defensive attention, Chris' performance under minimal pressure was still lacking.

Had he managed to hit just one more mid-range shot to help Kobe, the game might have ended differently.

But that's Chris Paul. As Han Sen put it, you can always 'trust' him.

Han Sen, in fact, was all too familiar with Chris Paul's tendency to falter in crunch time.

And contrary to the popular belief that Chris' failures were due to injuries or bad luck, even when uninjured, his performance often mysteriously declined in clutch moments.

In the 'history' Han Sen knew, Chris held the record for the most comeback losses among NBA stars, with his teams blowing 2-0 leads four times in the playoffs, tying Doc Rivers in this dubious honor.

In reality, the numbers were more revealing: Chris Paul's Game 7 record was 3-5.

And who could forget that notorious playoff game, where his team suffered a 58-point loss to the Nuggets while he had just 4 points, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers?

So it's not really a case of constant bad luck, but more of a survivor's bias. Chris' shortcomings ultimately stem from a lack of mental toughness.

Without that mental fortitude, he hesitates in critical moments; even when he does take the shot, his hand trembles instinctively.

At the end of the day, Paul's still missing that one chance—the chance to have a teammate like LeBron.

'It worked for me, and it might just be what he needs.'