Chapter 234: Playing with Anger.
On the sidelines, Robert Sacre waved a towel enthusiastically, while Coach Joerger clapped his hands in approval.
Though Shane Battier's defensive IQ remained top-tier, his slower footwork made navigating screens increasingly difficult. Vince Carter, though no spring chicken himself, excelled in this area. His strategy was simple but effective: funnel opponents toward the paint, giving Han Sen enough time to rotate and contest.
Han's first block of the night came precisely from such a help defense play against Kendrick Perkins.
On the Heat's bench, Coach Erik Spoelstra rubbed his forehead in frustration. Even after actively avoiding Han on offense, Joerger kept forcing the Heat to confront him.
The Heat's sideline inbounds play resumed, but a quick pick-and-roll led to a contested mid-range shot from Wade that clanged off the rim. With their offensive spacing effectively halved, Miami's efficiency cratered. By the 10-minute mark in the first quarter, the score was 23–12 in favor of Memphis.
Miami's Big Three, hailed as an offensive juggernaut, found themselves flustered, scoring fewer than 20 points in a quarter.
When Han finally subbed out, he grabbed the towel Sacre handed him, wiping away the sweat dripping from his forehead. For the first time, he truly appreciated the unseen stamina that fueled Michael Jordan's greatness. Dominating on both ends of the floor was exhausting.
Luckily, the Grizzlies thrived in half-court sets; a faster-paced game would have drained him entirely. But in the two minutes Han was on the bench, Miami surged with a 6–0 run behind Chris Bosh, cutting the lead to five.
Forced to return at the start of the second quarter, Han immediately steadied the ship, helping Memphis head into halftime with a 50–38 lead. The toll on his energy was palpable, but the result shocked everyone.
Even analysts like Stan Van Gundy, who had expected Memphis to crumble under the league's new defensive rules, were floored. Instead of regressing, the Grizzlies had put on a defensive clinic.
Social media buzzed during halftime: