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[Saba Sports News] During Thursday night’s showdown between the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, Fred VanVleet attempted one of the sneakiest (and grossest) mind games in recent memory.
With 8.6 seconds left and Memphis trailing 119-118, Jaren Jackson Jr. stepped up to the free throw line for a pair of crucial shots. Sensing the high stakes, VanVleet reached deep into his bag of tricks—by trying to wipe sweat on Jackson’s hand, hoping a little extra slickness might throw off his free throw touch.
Unfortunately for VanVleet, Jackson stayed locked in, sinking both shots to put the Grizzlies ahead 120-119—the final score of the game. To add insult to injury (or maybe just karma), VanVleet missed a go-ahead shot with 2.2 seconds left, sealing Houston’s fate.
VanVleet ended the night with 13 points on 4/12 shooting, while Jackson finished with 21 points on 7/15. Credit to VanVleet for the creativity—though maybe next time, he should try a more sanitary strategy.