Of course, there was another important factor, Kobe hadn't been aggressive in the first half, he too needed some time to find his rhythm.
The Grizzlies' offense was still focused on the inside.
Little Gasol received the ball in the low post and went one-on-one against Turiaf, trying to take advantage of his height.
Hansen ran a distraction without the ball on the weak side, and when he was covered, he faced up against Paul.
"I'll let you go one-on-one with me," Paul mimicked.
Hansen was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
When it came to trash talk, James was like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, but Paul knew much more about it.
Little Gasol's one-on-one eventually drew a defensive foul from Turiaf, earning two free-throw opportunities.
Turiaf was a defensive big man, but he was at a clear disadvantage in height, otherwise the Lakers wouldn't have been reluctant to offer even 4 million for him.