Chapter 225: Pace the race.
Miami Heat fans wore their pride like armor. No matter how often their team fell behind, the Heat always clawed their way back into the game.
But beneath that pride lay a creeping despair—every time the Heat were on the brink of overtaking the lead, Han Sen would rise to the occasion and single-handedly pull the Grizzlies away again.
Why does Memphis get to have Han Sen?
As if having the 'Grit and Grind' duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph wasn't enough, now they had Han Sen, too.
For the record, now-Spurs executive Danny Ferry swore this had nothing to do with him.
Late in the game, the Heat cut the deficit to just five points one last time. But when Han bullied his way past Dwyane Wade for another clutch bucket, the Heat's morale shattered completely.
They looked like a worn-down army, akin to the Song Dynasty forces at Jueshugu Valley in an endless cycle of regrouping and breaking apart, only to collapse for good after the eighth wave.
It wasn't about a lack of talent—the Heat could annihilate most teams with ease. Their downfall was running into an opponent that might as well have been using cheat codes.
The game ended with the Grizzlies shocking everyone, taking Game 1 with a final score of 110-103.
Post-Game Stats:
Heat: