In the second quarter, Link clawed his way back and tied the score, putting both sides back on the same starting line.
He led the team to accomplish that without taking a single shot.
The Rockets really were lucky to have caught one of Link's rare off-shooting nights.
But whether the Rockets could actually win because of that was still unknown.
After the score was tied, the game grew tense.
The Rockets brought on Lou Williams, further boosting their offensive firepower. On the Grizzlies' side, Link continued to control the game by leveraging his advantages in other areas.
The two teams went back and forth all the way into the fourth quarter. Though the lead changed hands constantly, the largest margin never exceeded seven points.
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Conley launched a long-range shot that clanked off the front of the rim, creating a long rebound.
D'Antoni had just raised his fist to celebrate when he saw Link charge in and fight for the rebound.
"Another offensive rebound! That's already Link's seventh offensive board of the game! Seven offensive rebounds—unbelievable!"
Kevin Harlan shouted as he shook his head in amazement.
Link was indeed far more aggressive on the boards than usual today. His shooting wasn't as accurate as the Rockets'? No problem—he could just grab the misses back.
Link really was making up for his shooting woes today through effort in other areas. By now, he had already put up a triple-double of 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. His poor shooting touch seemingly hadn't affected him at all.
If the Rockets hadn't been shooting so accurately from beyond the arc today, Link would probably have embraced victory long ago.
After securing the offensive rebound, Link immediately ran out beyond the three-point line. Ariza didn't