Looking at the score on the electronic screen, Lakers fans had lost the arrogance they'd shown at the start of the game.
A ten-point gap honestly wasn't much in this era. A few three-pointers or a few fast breaks could potentially turn it into a lead.
But the form the Grizzlies had displayed in the first quarter left them deeply shaken.
Link scored 15 points in a single quarter, making both James and Anthony Davis pale in comparison.
Howard, Jokic, and the others had also delivered outstanding performances. The facts proved that without their excellent defense, the Lakers would not have been held to just 22 points in the first quarter.
Before this quarter ended, the Grizzlies in the minds of Lakers fans should have been a feeble, fake powerhouse.
Their players should have been severely lacking in talent, and their aging roster should have been utterly lifeless.
Link should have been like James during his 1.0 era—individually dominant, yet unable to turn the Grizzlies back into the elite team they were during their three-peat because of the roster around him.
After all, they had somehow played the Chicago Bulls to a draw and even lost to the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler.
But now, Lakers fans' impression of the Grizzlies had completely changed.
The Grizzlies were strong. They were still terrifying.
In terms of controlling the game, they were no worse than they had been during the three-peat!
Most importantly, Link was even more powerful than anyone had imagined.
The Grizzlies couldn't contain Anthony Davis at the power forward position today?
No problem. Link's solution was to score more than Davis!
Link's scoring had barely ever been stopped over James's head, as though the man guarding him was just some nobody.
No one knew how a Grizzlies team like