Standing once again on the playoff stage after a year's absence, CJ and Jokić looked far calmer than they had the year before.
This time, the Kings had truly emptied their coffers.
Even Richardson and Bojan, who had been honing their skills in the G-League, were recalled.
Neither was on the active roster, but that didn't matter! Strength in numbers—even if it was just towel-waving, they'd outdo the opposition!
The Kings' starting lineup today: CJ, Booker, Butler, Gay, Jokić.
The Grizzlies countered with: Carter, Barnes, Farmar, Randolph, and Andersen.
As for their other two core players, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, both sat on the bench with injuries.
Chen Yilun, usually laid-back, had dropped his casual look for once. Wearing a sharp suit, he sat courtside, eyes locked on the Grizzlies.
Because while the Grizzlies and Kings had no real feud, Chen Yilun certainly did.
Back in the 2011 season, the Grizzlies' stunning historic 8-over-1 upset not only shamed the arrogant Silver and Black squad but also nearly gave Gregg Popovich a heart attack.
Unfortunately, Chen Yilun happened to be part of the Spurs' coaching staff at the time.
Popovich didn't care who it was—he ripped into the entire staff one by one.
Of course, Chen Yilun wasn't spared that mental torture. The old man grabbed him by the ear and yelled at him for a whole week.
From that moment on, Popovich officially declared war on the Grizzlies, issuing what was essentially a lifetime bounty.
From then on, whenever anyone from the Spurs system faced the Grizzlies in the playoffs, there was to be no mercy. Play as brutally as possible!
One upset, and the grudge lasted a lifetime.
In the original timeline, the first round had indeed been Spurs versus Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were ruthlessly swept 4–0, with the Spurs showing no hint of sportsmanship.
Who the hell plays a gentleman's sweep against a mortal enemy?
That's why Chen Yilun gave this series 120% of his focus. Of course, he told himself it was just professional integrity as a General Manager. Definitely not because of Popovich's sudden phone call the night before.
"You know what to do, right? Try to go easy on them, and see how I deal with you!"
Those were Popovich's exact words.
...
The Kings secured the opening possession at tip-off.
CJ brought the ball across half-court and set the play. Gay and Jokić immediately came up to set a double high screen.
This was the Kings' signature double drag play from the regular season. But this time, CJ didn't kick the ball back to Gay for an isolation.
Instead, using Jokić's screen as a pivot, he spun sharply and slashed into the paint.
Facing Chris Andersen's interior defense, CJ showed no hesitation, calmly sinking a floater.
After hitting the first basket of the series, CJ didn't celebrate. He immediately sprinted back on defense.
Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger watched the five Kings players, their faces blank, and felt a sudden chill down his spine.
What's going on? Why does it feel like the Kings came in with a vendetta?
As he puzzled over it, Joerger glanced toward the front row and spotted Chen Yilun, hands in his pockets, face grim. Suddenly, it all made sense.
Joerger could only shake his head, both amused and exasperated.
"You Spurs guys—do you really hold grudges this deep? The 8-over-1 upset wasn't even me! That was my mentor, Hollins! Back then I was just his assistant. Is it really necessary to go all-out like this, like you're exterminating my whole clan?"
But there was no room for pleading on the court.
The Kings knew exactly what they were doing. With Marc Gasol out, the Grizzlies' interior was wide open, and Sacramento kept attacking it—scoring points while also piling fouls on Randolph.
On defense, the Kings set up a simple 1-2-1 zone. With Conley missing, the Grizzlies' supposed second scoring option was Vince Carter—already in the twilight of his career.
The offense of this depleted Grizzlies squad was painfully predictable.
After one quarter, the Kings had built a comfortable double-digit lead.
"In the second, Joerger sent in Lance Stephenson—better known as 'Born Ready'. A chaos specialist, he had no room to operate in this controlled environment."
Butler alone shut down every option Stevens tried.
"Timeout!"
Seeing the game slipping further, Joerger had no choice but to call another timeout.
"Rudy, sit down and rest. Let Thaddeus Young get some run."
Malone, sensing the moment, also began rotating out his starters to conserve energy.
"Okay!" Gay, now on the bench, nodded distractedly. During the timeout, he wiped sweat from his brow with a towel, then turned and glanced at the Grizzlies' bench with a complicated look.
Randolph, already subbed out, noticed Gay's gaze. Across half a court, their eyes met. Randolph gave him a helpless, wry smile.
He knew exactly why the Kings were coming out swinging tonight.
The shame of a powerhouse could only be erased with relentless victories.
But what hurt most was that the Kings' current leader, Gay, had once been part of those same iron-willed Grizzlies. He had played a big role in that legendary 8-over-1 upset.
Life had a cruel way of twisting paths.
Former teammates now stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
...
With Randolph off the floor, the Grizzlies' interior was left completely exposed. Their lone rim protector was Jarell Martin—a player on the margins of the league.
Jokić caught the ball in the paint, looked at Martin, and suddenly a familiar figure flashed through his mind.
"Watch closely, kid. I'll only show you this once." — Dirk Nowitzki.
In that instant, inspiration struck Jokić. Glancing around and finding no open teammates, he immediately backed Martin down.
Martin struggled to hold his ground against Jokić's powerful shove.
This fat guy actually has some strength!
But before the thought even finished, the pressure vanished. Jokić had spun free of Martin's defense, lifted one foot, and leaned back.
Looking at the open rim, Jokić thought to himself in awe: "Just like the old master taught—simple and effective."
He raised the ball behind his head, his shooting form awkward but smooth, and released.
Swish!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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