Oklahoma City was locked in a tough battle. They had never imagined their trip to Memphis would be this arduous.
The game had reached the sixth minute of the fourth quarter, and the Thunder still trailed by nine. Durant and Westbrook's superb offense had kept Oklahoma City from being blown out by the Grizzlies. But likewise, Memphis had not given the Thunder any chance to take the lead.
Ever since Link hit that buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies had held the lead all the way to this point. After running into Link, James Harden had practically vanished. He could neither defend on the court nor create scoring opportunities for Westbrook and Durant.
As a result, the Thunder could only rely on the individual offense of their twin stars to hang on.
At that moment, after Westbrook scored on an incredibly stiff pull-up jumper, the Grizzlies called a timeout.
Lionel Hollins remained calm. Even with Westbrook's basket, he still held a seven-point lead. As the coach of a team known for its defense, Hollins believed his squad could hold the line until the end. They had defended all game long—could they not defend for these final few minutes?
The Thunder's offense was essentially being carried by Durant and Westbrook, but both men were already exhausted. Their efficiency had begun to decline, and they were drenched in sweat.
At this point, if the Thunder wanted to keep the score close, they needed a third option besides Durant and Westbrook. Without question, that man would be Harden.
So Hollins looked at Link and crooked a finger at him. Link rose with practiced ease. He had battled Harden all game today and held the upper hand throughout. James Harden had scored only eight points so far, despite taking twelve