How Does It Compare to Michael?

A single-game 63 points was not the highest scoring record in NBA history, but it still became the focus of fan discussion.

After all, the circumstances surrounding Link's 63-point outburst were rather special.

First, both the Houston media and Dwight Howard had provoked Link before the game, declaring that they would make the injury-riddled Grizzlies pay and knock them off their pedestal.

And the Rockets truly were one of the strongest teams in the league at the moment. Their previous 6-0 record was level with the Grizzlies'.

Link's 63 points had not been piled up against some bottom-feeding team, nor had they come in an insignificant game.

He had scored 60-plus in a single game against a formidable opponent, in a crucial matchup. That made those 63 points immensely valuable.

Moreover, only 12 of Link's 63 points had come from free throws; all the rest had been scored in live play. By comparison, although Harden had scored 35 points, 18 of them had come from free throws.

Through his actions, Link showed everyone that you did not necessarily have to rely on free throws to put up a huge score.

Link's extraordinary efficiency, his outrageously cocky gun-drawing celebration, and his usual arrogant postgame remarks once again made him the center of attention for basketball fans around the world.

Nearly every sports news outlet was talking about Link's 63 points, while sports channels replayed his 63-point highlights from time to time. Whenever they aired Link's highlight reel, ratings rose noticeably.

The Grizzlies even took the opportunity to release a commemorative Link 63-point T-shirt, and preorders sold out as soon as it was announced.

Even by the following evening, the heat wave Link had stirred up had yet to fade.

The next day, before the Heat vs. Mavericks game began, reporters interviewing