Dillon Brooks stepped to the free-throw line amid the cheers of the Grizzlies fans.
Even some Grizzlies fans were somewhat unfamiliar with Dillon Brooks.
After all, he had not played much during his rookie season, and last season he had appeared in only 18 games due to injury.
Over the previous two years, he had absolutely been a fringe player.
But now, all of Memphis would surely remember that name.
Link watched Dillon Brooks walk to the free-throw line and smiled with satisfaction.
With youngsters like Jokic and Brooks around, Link could retire without worry.
With them as the Grizzlies' future cornerstones, the team could remain among the Western Conference's elite.
Come to think of it, the Grizzlies really were a team with an extraordinary character.
Link, the greatest player in franchise history, had gone undrafted.
Jokic and Brooks, the cornerstones of the future, had both been second-round picks...
Yet that was the Memphis Grizzlies. They had no glamorous image, no overwhelming talent.
But they knew how to win.
Brooks made the bonus free throw, tying the score early in the second quarter.
Kenny Atkinson, who had been smug just moments ago, nervously rose to his feet again. The performances of Dillon Brooks and JaMychal Green were something he had not expected.
Those two "scrubs" had actually become the key to the Grizzlies tying the game. Who would have believed it?
Brooks had scored six straight points, and LeVert was extremely unwilling to accept it.
He could not stand being humiliated like this by some unknown nobody.
So on the next possession, LeVert raised his hand early and called for the ball from Irving. He wanted to get one back on Brooks.
Brooks really did look like an easy target. His wingspan was lacking, he did not look particularly fierce,