Inside FedExForum, every fan was waving their arms and cheering.
Men and women, young and old alike, all of them had completely unleashed their passion.
Because all the way into the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies had firmly controlled the initiative.
Up to this point in the game, the Grizzlies had not given the Warriors any opportunities. The Warriors had neither produced the league's best offense nor displayed the defense they took such pride in.
From the first quarter onward, the Grizzlies had kept the situation under control. During that span, Curry and Thompson had repeatedly tried to take over the game.
But one clanked shot after another, along with baskets that never came in a sustained run, kept them from closing the gap.
Neither side had scored particularly well today, yet the Grizzlies had somehow remained in front the entire time.
The Grizzlies' outstanding defense and the Warriors' dreadful shooting were part of it. But another reason the Warriors had been unable to take the lead was that Link had delivered a truly MVP-caliber performance!
It was now the Warriors' possession, and "Brazilian Lightning," Leandro Barbosa, was bringing the ball upcourt.
On the previous possession, Barbosa had used his speed to attack the basket and finish a layup, cutting the deficit to 11 points.
If he made this one too, he could help the Warriors trim the deficit to single digits before the starters returned!
Barbosa was full of confidence. Whiteside, guarding the Grizzlies' interior, was certainly huge, but Barbosa believed that as long as he was fast enough, he could evade the giant's block!
The battle-tested Brazilian waved a hand, calling Speights over for a screen.
As a center with shooting range, Speights was someone Whiteside did not dare leave even half a step open. Back when he was