"Damn, what a crooked trick!" Budenholzer's jaw dropped. Who could have imagined that Link would score the first basket of the game in such a way?
It had to be said that Link truly was a highly unconventional superstar. No wonder the league had gone to such lengths to weaken his influence.
But one basket alone couldn't prove anything. In basketball, the winner was the one who lasted until the final minute.
The Hawks quickly pushed the ball upcourt. Offense—that was the Hawks' strength.
The Hawks' offense looked simple and unadorned: pick-and-rolls, passes and cuts, open jumpers.
But this style of offense thrived on efficiency. Many times, before anyone noticed, the Hawks had already widened the gap.
Joerger's response was to commit firmly to man-to-man defense.
He believed in the Grizzlies' individual defense. They might have had more players selected to the All-Defensive Team than any other team in the league.
As long as they gave the Hawks no room and no openings, Atlanta's offense would struggle to function.
And that was exactly how the Grizzlies carried it out. The Hawks' lineup had no single offensive focal point, but everyone could become one.
In that case, they would make everyone enjoy the feeling of being tightly guarded.
The Hawks' offense was extremely fluid, their passes quick and precise.
But after passing the ball around for what felt like forever, they still couldn't find an opening.
In the end, by the time Horford received the ball at the high mid-range area, there wasn't much time left on the shot clock.
Horford didn't try to battle Whiteside head-on. He gave a pump fake, lifting Whiteside slightly off balance before driving with the ball, ready to attack the rim!
Horford's footwork was quick. He blew past Whiteside like a guard.
But just as