Derrick Rose was blocked by Wade, and Anthony was *** by Link.
Those two plays were enough to quiet the Knicks fans in the arena for a while.
The more excited and happy Knicks fans had been just moments ago, the more devastated they felt now.
Knicks fans had been full of hope for this season to begin with, and Rose's beautiful double-clutch layup had sent their expectations soaring even higher.
Yet before long, those expectations had been dashed.
Would the Grizzlies simply surrender? Obviously not!
They had not come to Madison Square Garden to serve as foils for this brand-new Knicks team!
After Link scored, the Knicks prepared to set up their offense again.
Rose slowed his advance and was no longer as aggressive as he had been over the previous two possessions.
He knew he could no longer soar through the air as freely as he had in his prime.
And Wade was not nearly as washed-up as everyone thought.
Wade stationed himself near midcourt. Today, he was responsible for defending Rose.
A slashing player like Rose was best defended by another slashing player like Wade.
As for Conley, he would be more accurate in reading the movements of an off-ball player like Courtney Lee.
Many people believed Wade was finished this season mainly because his offensive firepower had declined sharply from before.
As a guard, Wade had made only seven three-pointers in the regular season last year, the lowest total of his career. That was almost unbelievable by today's standards.
Porzingis, a 2.21-meter giant, had made eighty-one threes last season. Wade, as a guard, had not even made a fraction of that.
With his three-point shooting gone and his ability to finish drives declining with age, that was why so many people were pessimistic about Wade's prospects