Right from the opening tip, Link came out guns blazing and caught the Rockets completely off guard.
The Rockets were still planning to ease into the game, but Link went straight for the kill.
D'Antoni was somewhat surprised as well. He had watched recordings of the Grizzlies' first two games and had noticed Link's habit of launching a full-force assault right from the start.
But he hadn't expected Link to dare do the same against the Rockets.
If the Grizzlies failed to build a large enough lead over the first three quarters and Link was already exhausted by then, wouldn't victory become the Rockets' for the taking?
Link was simply overestimating himself!
"Keep the score steady! Don't let their sudden attack throw us into disarray!"
D'Antoni began shouting from the sidelines. End the Rockets early? What was he thinking?
This time, Harden got serious too. Faced with Link's suffocating defense, he was prepared.
Link stuck to Harden tightly. Most players didn't dare defend Harden that closely.
They weren't just afraid of Harden's drives—getting too close also made it easy for Harden to suddenly draw a foul.
But Link did the opposite. He wanted Harden to feel uncomfortable. He wanted to disrupt Harden's rhythm.
The more you gave in, the more Harden would push his luck.
Seeing Link defend so "recklessly," Harden decided to grant his wish. Bearded Harden extended his powerful arm once more, deliberately hooking it around Link's, then raised the ball to shoot.
But Link did not simply wait to be victimized, nor did he just throw both arms up to plead innocence.
The instant Harden lifted the basketball, Link suddenly swiped down and yanked his arm free from Harden's grasp.
Link easily completed the steal. Harden failed to draw the foul and instead added a turnover to