Three Hundred and Forty-Five: The Future Is Yours

At the FedEx Arena, some fans are waving a huge banner of the Grizzlies. In the past, in Vancouver, the fans used to be so enthusiastic. But as the team lost year after year, the enthusiasm faded.

Later, the Grizzlies came to Memphis. However, a city like Memphis is very different from Vancouver. Here, people are more concerned with their own livelihood. basketball? Just pay attention once in a while.

But now, when the team is about to reach the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. The enthusiasm of the Memphis fans was also completely ignited.

At this time, the total score of the series has become 3 to 2. After the Grizzlies won two consecutive victories at home, they went to the ATT Center and were pulled back by the Spurs.

But this still hasn't affected the Grizzlies' determination to advance. They are bound to capture the Spurs at this home court!

After all, so far in the series, the Grizzlies have not lost at home!

Link gets the ball from beyond the arc, and Leonard's defense is less difficult for Link now. It's not that Leonard has become weaker, but that Link has gotten used to Leonard's defensive strength.

Link looked up, and behind Leonard, Boris Dior was ready to help defend him. The Spurs' defense has always been one after another, but if you observe carefully, you can also find patterns.

Link then resorted to tactics, called Gasol Jr. to cover, and then broke through the basket!

Under the "enthusic care" of the two forwards Leonard and Diaw, Link walked to a deep position under the basket, striving to open up more space for Randolph.

When to pass the ball, this is actually a science. It's too early. The purpose of attracting defense cannot be achieved. But it is too difficult to pass the ball after walking to the basket.

But for Link, finding teammates in the crowd is not too difficult.

Link pretended to layup after taking off, but in the air, he used the strength of his waist and abdomen to lift his body and passed the ball from Dior's armpit.

At this time, Randolph, who was standing in the middle distance, was completely emptied. Link has fully achieved the goal of attracting defenses, and his passing is still deadly!

Randolph did not disappoint Link's wonderful pass. Since scoring 22 points and 16 rebounds in Game 4 of the series, Randolph's state has recovered somewhat. This time, Randolph's mid-range shot still made a steady hit!

"Hey!" Popovich waved his fist helplessly, it was really impossible.

Dior doesn't help defend, Link wants to score. Dior help defend, Link can help others score.

Link, Link... This entire series, Link has been a nightmare for the Spurs.

Randolph's shot allowed him to score his 18th point in the game. At the same time, it also made the Spurs trail by 10 points at the critical moment with three minutes left in the game!

"The efficiency is too low. Under the strong defense of the Grizzlies, the offensive efficiency of most of the Spurs players today is very low! Leonard, who scored 14 points on 5 of 7 shots in the last game, has only 1 of 4 shots so far. Medium. Duncan was not efficient today, shooting only 42.4%. Parker made 6 of 12 shots and sent 4 assists, but had 5 turnovers! There are rumors that Stephen Jackson is very dissatisfied with Parker's state and style of play. Possibly the first time in history that a Spurs team has had infighting."

Hubie Brown summed up the state of the Spurs today with one sentence at the end, "It's a complete defeat!"

The Spurs actually performed very well in this year's playoffs. In the first game, Leonard made 100% three-pointers, and in the second game, Duncan and Parker both scored 20 points and returned to the top. In Game 3, Diaw made 7 of 9 shots and cut all-around data. In Game 5 and Game 6, the Spurs also played their integrity.

But this is the playoffs, and it's not about who plays worse, it's about who plays better.

The performance of the Spurs is excellent, but the performance of the Grizzlies is even better!

Link has played six games, and none of the data is lower than 20+5+5. In the third game of the series, he even scored the first triple-double in the history of the Grizzlies in the playoffs.

Except for the slightly lower hit rate in the first game, Link basically had no black spots in the entire series.

His excellence completely buried the Spurs.

In the last three minutes, the shouts of the Grizzlies fans became more radical. Reaching the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years is not an easy task.

Chris Paul's dream for so many years is to touch the floor of the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets, which won 22 consecutive victories, were far from the Western Conference Finals. And now, the Grizzlies are only 3 minutes away from standing on the battlefield of the Western Conference for the second consecutive year!

"The Memphis Grizzlies have risen, and they proved that the success of last season was not just a flash in the pan! Being able to defeat the Spurs in the playoffs for two consecutive years, the ability of the Grizzlies can be seen! I know that in the impression of many people, the Grizzlies Still an underdog team. But the Memphis players will let that fade over time!"

Of course Hubie Brown knew that the game was not over yet, but he still celebrated the victory ahead of time without any hesitation.

The players of the Grizzlies are like hungry beasts. Once the prey is in hand, they will not let go easily! The San Antonio Spurs are now the prey of the Grizzlies players!

"The Grizzlies could be down without Gay."

"With Randolph in decline and Gay out for another season, the Grizzlies can't go very far."

"Without Mayo, Gay and Randolph, use Link as a scorer? Haha, the Grizzlies have the most rounds this year!"

"Using an undrafted pick as the core? The Grizzlies are hopeless!"

"He's a good player, but not yet at the level where he can lead a team alone."

"Bang!" Link made a one-handed dunk, and the basket made a loud noise. This sound broke the last hope of the Spurs, and at the same time, it also broke the doubts that had been lingering in Link's ears for a whole season!

Now, I have led the team to the Western Conference finals, what else do you have to say!

After scoring the goal, Link raised his arms towards the stands, and was greeted by thousands of fans adoring him. With 23 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds, Link scored another 20+5+5 to end the game!

For him, this is undoubtedly a season to establish the status of the team! Last season, Link was just a surprise soldier, Zach's left and right hand.

But this year, he proved that the team centered on himself is still one of the best teams in the West!

After 20 seconds, the game is over. Confetti fell from the sky, and the entire FedEx Arena was shaken.

Duncan walked up to Link and hugged him. But he did not say "the future is yours", but said, "You are great, you deserve this victory more than anyone else. Take this honor and go to the finals."

Link is naturally very happy to be recognized by his opponents, especially players like Duncan.

But Link is also very clear that this may not be the last time the Spurs cause trouble for the Grizzlies.

"Next season, your No. 2 will become very strong." Link patted Duncan on the back and whispered in his ear.

"Haha, you're right. Next season, we may not be able to say who will say goodbye to whom."

Link shook his head, sure enough, this is Duncan's style.

"but......"

Link originally wanted to separate from Duncan, but found that Duncan's arms were still hugging him tightly, and said "but."

"However, you are really good. Keep working hard, and you will become a top star in the league. I believe that the future is yours."

Five years ago, after the Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4-0 in the NBA Finals, Duncan embraced LeBron James, who was on his way to the league's first man throne, and said a famous saying of the century to James: "The future is yours. "

Today, 5 years later, Duncan, who is almost 40 years old, once again embraced a top small forward in the league in the playoffs, which can't help but make people think a lot.

As the famous ESPN reporter Adande wrote on Twitter after the game: "When Link looks into Duncan's eyes and talks to him like LeBron, it always makes people think. Maybe a few years later, We will usher in a new era. This time, the future may really belong to Link!"