In the tenth minute of the fourth quarter, FedExForum in Memphis was still packed to the rafters.
By then, the gap between the two teams had grown to 20 points. With only two minutes left in the game, the outcome had long been decided.
Contrary to what most people would have expected, it wasn't the Utah Jazz, with their stronger roster on paper, who were up by 20. It was the Memphis Grizzlies, who everyone had assumed were certain to lose after their star player was sidelined.
If this game had been played at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, half the fans would probably have left early. But in Memphis, not a single fan had left just because the game was already decided.
That was because people at FedExForum hadn't enjoyed a blowout like this in a long time.
On the court, Link had the ball. He was the offensive centerpiece of the lineup now. Since the outcome was already settled, Lionel Hollins had taken out the other starters early. After all, the Grizzlies had to travel to Los Angeles tomorrow to face the defending champion Lakers in the second game of a back-to-back.
Hollins had kept Link on the floor to make sure the Grizzlies didn't blow their lead at the last minute.
Link had done his job well. In the final few minutes, he shouldered the burden of scoring and defending alike. Twice, he successfully rotated over to help defend Millsap, crushing the Jazz's hopes of a comeback.
The Grizzlies fans went wild when they saw Link with the ball. The rookie wearing number zero, making his first start today, hadn't let them down. If the first half had belonged to Grit and Grind, then the second half belonged to Link.
His polished offensive skills and pinpoint