Chapter 142: 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.