May 3, 2017, Game 2 of the series between the Grizzlies and the Rockets.
Today, the tone of the entire game was vastly different from the previous one.
In the last game, the two sides had spent most of the night trading blows in a fiercely contested battle.
Had Link not scored 10 straight points in the closing moments, the final score would certainly have been much closer.
But today, everything changed.
The fierce back-and-forth turned into a one-sided rout with no suspense whatsoever.
The Houston media and fans who had hoped the Rockets could turn things around were finally silenced.
"I told you those Houston people were daydreaming! Win? What were they going to win with? I said it before: the Grizzlies won't run into trouble before the conference finals. Now let's see who was right and who was wrong!"
For the second straight game, Bill Simmons appeared at FedExForum's commentary table as a special guest, all so he could witness this moment in person.
Today, the Rockets shot only around 34% from three-point range. That was not necessarily a poor percentage, but it was still a huge drop from their outrageous 44% in the previous game.
Without the protection of that miraculous three-point shooting, the Rockets became utterly vulnerable.
The facts proved that relying too heavily on three-point shooting streaks was not a good thing.
Indeed, the Moreyball Theory used extensive data analysis to select the most efficient offensive methods and build tactics around them.
But shooting touch was something data analysis could never account for!
On the Grizzlies' side, Link looked energized today. Ever since his insomnia stopped bothering him, he had quickly rediscovered his shooting touch.
Right from the opening tip, he displayed the scorching touch he had in the final minutes of the previous game,