In the Grizzlies' final game of February, the entire team traveled to the Denver altitude to face the Nuggets.
People had expected this game to be like the previous one against the Suns, with the outcome decided only in the final moments.
However, the thin air of Denver failed to stop Link's offensive onslaught. He had his teammates "clock out" by the third quarter.
31 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, and an overall shooting percentage as high as 56.3%.
And Link had put up those numbers in just three quarters!
If Link had been willing to play all four quarters like Westbrook, a triple-double would not have been out of the question.
For Westbrook, a triple-double was a matter of whether he could get one. For Link, it was merely a matter of whether he wanted one.
After three quarters, the Grizzlies held a 26-point lead over the starless, workmanlike Nuggets.
Theoretically, the Nuggets still had hope, but it was only theoretical. Even if the Grizzlies had scored nothing in the fourth quarter and simply let the Nuggets attack freely, the Nuggets might not have been able to make up 26 points.
"Link went all out today. He made Wilson Chandler suffer tremendously." Behind the commentary desk, Denver's local announcers could only keep marveling.
"Yeah, Link showed no mercy today. I get the feeling he came specifically to end this game early. From the very first second, he went straight to maximum output."
The cameras at the arena seemed to agree with the announcers, cutting to a close-up of Link.
Despite leading by 26 points, despite the game already entering garbage time, Link still frowned deeply, looking extremely serious.
It was as if the Grizzlies were the ones trailing by 26.
What Link was worried