Inside FedExForum, every fan had already given up hope.
The Clippers were indeed on a far higher level than most other teams. The Grizzlies' cold three-point shooting in the first half had certainly been a major reason this game had become so difficult.
But if the Clippers had not been strong enough, they could not have remained in control of the game throughout the second half.
Down 14 with 37 seconds left, the outcome was already decided by NBA standards.
The fans had lost all confidence. All they could do now was hope that Link could somehow turn things around after falling behind 0-2 in the series.
But considering the Clippers' strength, that seemed like nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy...
Joerger called a timeout, and every Grizzlies player wore a grave expression.
Jokic covered his head with both hands, frustrated over all the three-point opportunities he had missed today.
Conley panted heavily, hating how powerless he was at this moment.
Vince Carter clenched his fists tightly. He did not want the final year of his career to end in such a tragedy.
Finally, the camera shifted to Link, who had already put up 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists today.
His face was expressionless. No one knew what he was calculating. Perhaps he was considering whether he should retire if he failed to win the championship this year.
Or perhaps he was already calculating the odds of overtaking the Clippers in the series.
No one truly knew what he was thinking. He probably had not given up yet, because Link never gave up.
But the situation now was no longer something that could be solved through sheer determination alone.
On the other side, the Clippers players were celebrating wildly.
Paul George had delivered the killing blow. Link's best