Chapter 73: BOAT Quotes.
Pierce had no idea what Han Sen meant by "I'm different," but he found his cocky attitude incredibly annoying.
When it was the Celtics' turn to attack, Pierce didn't attempt to isolate Han like the latter had anticipated. Instead, he also utilized Garnett's screen to run a set play.
Garnett's screens were of high quality, and the key was his excellent mobility and impeccable timing.
Han couldn't get around the screen, and Pierce received a pass from Rondo, sinking a mid-range jumper.
"Rookie, this is the Truth," Pierce taunted after scoring.
"Oh, so the Truth is worth just a mid-range jumper?" Hansen laughed in response.
Pierce was left speechless again. When they had faced each other last time, he couldn't understand why Han Sen, a rookie, was so skilled at trash-talking.
Is he playing in the NBA or preparing for a graduate exam?
The Cavaliers went on offense, and Han continued to run his off-ball play. Once again, James passed him the ball.
This time, Pierce was fully focused, yet he grew more confused.
The last time these two teams met, which was just a month ago, Han didn't have this kind of tactical importance, did he?
And to top it off, he was on the trade block. Was this just a way to showcase him to other teams?
From the stands, the Cavaliers' GM nodded with satisfaction as he watched.
Although this game against the Celtics was a marquee matchup, at the end of the day, it was still just a regular-season game.
Winning was important, but what mattered more was delivering on the promises they had made.
On that point, James and the GM were aligned.
Coach Brown was executing well, and Han was seizing his opportunities.
Han Sen, seeing Pierce charging at him hard, faked a shot and then drove past him, heading straight for the paint.
Han's offensive skills were limited. In reality, his overall abilities weren't as exaggerated as he had shown during the team's scrimmages. But he was very good at making plans.
We often talk about the term "balanced attack," meaning when a defender guards against your shot, you can drive; and when they defend against your drive, you can shoot.
However, even in the NBA, there aren't many players who truly excel at both because most players are only proficient in one of these skills.
But when both skills become equally threatening, it makes it very hard for defenders to stop you.
At this moment, Cunningham pulled Garnett to the weak side, and Perkins quickly stepped out to help defend.
Seeing this, Han lobbed the ball toward the basket.
The pass was a bit off, slightly behind its target, but fortunately, Shaquille O'Neal was under the hoop instead of Jackson.
"The Big Diesel" soared and slammed the ball home with one hand.
Who said he's past his prime?
The crowd at Quicken Loans Arena erupted.
As O'Neal strutted around like a king under the basket, Han turned to Pierce with a smile, "So, how many Truths is that alley-oop worth?"
"Shut up!" Pierce snapped, visibly frustrated.
Was he trying to steal his nickname, the "Truth"?
Actually, no, not really.
Just like how O'Neal once dubbed him "The Terminator," Han had later looked it up and found out that nickname originally belonged to Reggie Miller.
So, even though O'Neal's nickname suited him, it didn't really stick.
The truth is, it's difficult to steal someone else's nickname, unless your influence far surpasses theirs.
The "Truth" nickname was the same. While Pierce wasn't quite a true superstar, his influence had grown significantly since winning the championship in 2008.
For Han to steal that nickname right now would be difficult.
So, "stealing" wasn't really his goal. His goal was exactly what he had initially planned—to provoke Pierce.
And he had succeeded. But after exchanging trash talk with Pierce, Hansen thought of another way to double down on his efforts.
This method came from what he considered the Bible of his hater system: 'The BOAT Quotes'.
The seventh rule states: The most effective way to anger someone is to devalue the thing they care about the most.
And the most efficient way to make something worthless is simply to make it worthless.
This isn't just rhetoric; it's a fact.
Before LeBron James declared himself the GOAT, no one would associate the term with anyone other than Michael Jordan.
But James managed to change that. Through his repeated assertions, the term "GOAT" became so common that even players like Kai Jones, who aren't even notable, now dare to call themselves the GOAT.
It has even spread to other industries.
So, he was doing something similar.
On the Celtics' next possession, Pierce continued to run a pick-and-roll with Garnett.
Although he was fuming, he knew from their previous encounter that isolating Han Sen wasn't the best strategy, given Han's defensive prowess.
This time, Han anticipated the screen and fought through it, forcing Garnett to commit an illegal screen violation.
Garnett was strong, but at 33 years old, his foot speed had slowed, a common issue for big men as they age.
The most important difference, of course, was that Garnett wasn't on the Cavaliers. Otherwise, an illegal screen wouldn't have been called.
As possession switched hands, Han didn't move off the ball this time.
With limited preparation time, the Cavaliers couldn't devise too many set plays for him. Most of his plays were off-ball screens.
Unlike the Cavaliers, the Celtics didn't have an obvious defensive weak spot like O'Neal, so Hansen's on-ball screens wouldn't be as effective.
That's why the Cavaliers primarily used him as a play finisher.
The early weak-side off-ball plays were one example of this.
But a single tactic can't be used repeatedly; it quickly becomes predictable.
So, Hansen now moved to the corner to spread the floor, while James and Cunningham ran a pick-and-roll attack, with James driving to the basket.
Garnett quickly switched to defend James, but James, with his bulldozing strength, powered past him into the paint.
When no one on the perimeter can slow down James' drive, he becomes a ferocious force, especially this season after bulking up.
The Celtics' defense collapsed, and even Pierce had to rotate into the paint.
But before the Celtics could form a defensive wall, James whipped the ball to the corner.
This pass was not a bailout but a planned tactical pass.
Han received the ball and even had time to make a slight adjustment before shooting a three.
Swish!
The ball sliced through the net once more.
Just as he had felt in the pre-game warm-ups, his shooting was indeed on point tonight.
And compared to the previous three-pointer, this one was much easier.
After nailing the shot, Hansen turned to Pierce and held up four fingers.
Yes, according to the previous exchange rate, Hansen now had four "Truths."
Pierce finally snapped.
He called for the ball and posted up against Han Sen, preparing to go one-on-one with him.
Pierce was aggressive, clearly angered by how Han had devalued what he held dear.
Han Sen didn't back down either, engaging in a physical battle with Pierce.
But during their struggle, Garnett quietly slid into Han's blind spot.
Pierce took advantage of this, spun toward the free-throw line, and caught Han off-guard.
Facing Cunningham's help defense, Pierce executed his signature step-back jumper and scored.
After the shot, Pierce turned and looked at Hansen, ready to deliver some trash talk.
"No need to say anything," Han said, nodding. "I know, you've earned two 'Truths'."
"..."
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