Even now, Steve Kerr still couldn't believe that Link had actually blocked Thompson's shot.
Though Kerr was in his first year as a head coach, he had spent many years in the league as a player. After retiring, he had served as the Suns' general manager and worked as a commentator for TNT...
It could be said that Kerr had spent his entire life dealing with NBA players. He had seen countless incredible players, watched countless careers rise and fall, from the Jordan era through the second decade of the new millennium.
But a block like that—taking off from mid-range and swatting a shooter beyond the three-point line—was something Steve Kerr had never seen in all his years.
One block had destroyed the Warriors' victory. Without Link's block, the Warriors would have been up three points with 3.1 seconds left.
Without that block, Kerr could already have been celebrating in advance.
But Link had crushed all of that. By himself, he had destroyed it all. Even with his offensive firepower diminished, Link could still torment the Warriors in other ways.
He was like some great demon, making the Oakland fans suffer endlessly.
Last season, after watching the Spurs-Grizzlies series, Kerr had come up with the idea of a small-ball lineup.
Although the Grizzlies had played brilliantly last season, Kerr still found it utterly unbelievable that the Spurs had won only one game in that series.
Kerr had played for the Spurs during his career and had worked alongside both Duncan and Popovich. Better than anyone, he knew just how great and powerful the San Antonio Spurs were.
Yet last season, despite playing team basketball at its absolute peak, the Spurs had somehow won only one game against the Grizzlies. Kerr simply could not figure it out, and it left him