The Brilliant Lineup of Contestants

Link's putback with 0.3 seconds left to drag the Spurs into overtime earned him the top spot on the day's Top Five Plays once again.

This game had not only disappointed Popovich and Spurs fans. More precisely, it had disappointed fans of the other 29 teams in the league.

The Spurs had given people hope. Everyone had thought the Spurs would stop the Grizzlies, that they would be the "savior."

But when that hope was shattered, people would rather the Spurs had never given it to them in the first place.

After all, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

32 wins, 2 losses, and an eight-game winning streak! The Memphis Grizzlies showed no signs whatsoever of slowing down. More and more people believed that the Bulls' unbelievable 72-win record would be broken this season.

Among those most eager to see the Grizzlies break that record was undoubtedly Charles Barkley, who had been trampled under Jordan's feet countless times.

"It's time for the 1996 Bulls to fall from their pedestal! I support the Grizzlies with both hands. People can't live forever in the glory of the past. If possible, I'd be more than happy to witness the birth of a new dynasty!"

Barkley no longer hid his fondness for the Grizzlies and Link on his show. People joked that Barkley no longer dared to provoke any Chinese player.

But in truth, plenty of fans hoped the Grizzlies could make history. Jordan in the '90s was a memory from the last century, and many people had never actually lived through the era when Jordan ravaged the league.

Naturally, the younger generation of fans hoped to witness the birth of an era for themselves.

Besides the 72-win record, interest in the Slam Dunk Contest continued to build thanks to Link's immense