With six minutes gone in the first quarter, the Atlanta Hawks still trailed the Grizzlies by six points.
Ever since the Grizzlies opened the game with a 6-0 run, the Hawks had been on the back foot.
At first glance, a six-point deficit was nothing special—just two three-pointers.
But when you actually tried to cut into the Grizzlies' lead, you realized just how difficult it was.
For Budenholzer and the Hawks players, these might have been the hardest six points they had ever tried to make up.
The game entered a timeout.
Holding the tactics board, Joerger gave Link a meaningful look.
Link immediately grew excited. A brand-new challenge had finally arrived!
"Hassan, you've done well. Take a few minutes to rest. Link, when the timeout ends, you'll take over at the five. You only need to hold on for around three minutes, then I'll sub you out to rest."
Joerger had finally begun putting his plan into action. At that moment, not just Link, but everyone on the Grizzlies felt inexplicably excited.
The Grizzlies' plan was this: Link would play at the five for several minutes. Once Whiteside had rested for a few minutes, he would come back in to replace Link, and only then would Link get a proper rest.
That way, the Grizzlies would not have a gap at the five.
Whether it was Link or Whiteside, the Grizzlies would always have someone at the five. At the same time, both men would be guaranteed rest.
But the Grizzlies' plan was not as simple as having Link play the five.
Once Link took the court as the center, the Grizzlies' entire style of play would change!
Thus, it was not only Link—the entire Grizzlies roster was eagerly anticipating what came next.
If it failed, they would become