Chapter 92: I'm your Daddy!
When the game-winning shot sank into the basket, disbelief was written all over the faces of the fans.
Rivers, in a fit of emotion, rushed to the referee to argue that Han Sen had pushed off during the play to break free from the defender.
The referee just shook his head.
This play was reminiscent of Reggie Miller's game-winner against the Bulls years ago. But just like back then, if the ref didn't call it during the game, they weren't about to change the result afterward.
By now, Han Sen was already surrounded by his Cavaliers teammates.
This scene was broadcast on the arena's LED screen, and the crowd erupted in boos and insults.
Soon, those insults morphed into one unified chant: "Referee Sucks!"
The sheer volume of the chant made even the Cavaliers players pause their celebration.
Han Sen frowned.
These Boston fans couldn't stand losing!
He pushed through the crowd surrounding him and strode quickly toward the scorer's table.
At first, no one knew what he was doing, but by the time they realized, it was already too late.
With a leap, Han Sen jumped directly onto the scorer's table at TD Garden.
The crowd went silent.
Every fan's eyes widened in disbelief.
What did he just do?!
And more importantly, how dare he?!
Not only did Han Sen dare, but what he said next was what truly sent the place into chaos.
He raised both fists high in the air and shouted toward the crowd:
"Who is your daddy?!"
Previously, when interviewed by reporters, Han Sen had chosen to respond mildly. After all, when he had said "Daddy's back," it was just to gain some "hater points" and not to make things too hostile.
But Boston fans didn't appreciate that. On his very first day in Boston, they had someone try to drug him, and from then on, every time he entered the arena, people pointed in his face and cursed at him.
Sure, he was earning hater points from it, but seriously, who actually enjoys being insulted like that?
All of that bottled-up emotion exploded when these sore losers couldn't even handle defeat.
Alright, so you all want to know the answer to that question?
Let me tell you.
As the crowd stood in stunned silence at Han Sen's words, he pointed both index and middle fingers at his chest and shouted again:
"I am your daddy!"
The fans, snapped out of their shock, turned from disbelief to fury.
They screamed and cursed at Han Sen, with some even throwing their water bottles at him.
Han Sen didn't dodge. He raised his fists high again, his gaze icy cold.
And at that exact moment, a photographer named Khalil, who was at the game, captured what would become an iconic image.
This was a hundred times more epic than when Han Sen jumped onto the scorer's table back at Michigan State.
It was destined to go down in history.
Perhaps one day, when someone else knelt on this court, it would truly become legendary.
Malone finally ran over to the scorer's table. He had found a board somewhere and held it over his head to shield Han Sen from being hit, then pulled him down from the table.
"Are you crazy?!" Malone genuinely thought Han Sen had lost it. This was Boston, after all.
Was he planning to risk his life here?
Han Sen didn't answer. He simply walked straight toward the tunnel.
Water bottles kept flying at him, and Malone held up the board to protect him.
Even after Han Sen disappeared into the tunnel, the crowd's cursing continued for a long time.
Before tonight, the Celtics had many rivals in the league, and several players had been booed on this court.
But after tonight, Han Sen would top that list. He would become Boston's public enemy number one.
At the post-game press conference, Coach Brown didn't initially want to let Han Sen attend, considering how insane his actions had been.
It was no exaggeration to say that his actions were like figuratively pinning Boston fans under his heel.
But Han Sen chose to attend anyway, because this victory belonged to both him and Shaq.
Why skip the celebration after such a hard-fought win?
When Han Sen appeared at the press conference, the room was immediately buzzing.
Since the game was in Boston, there were quite a few local reporters in the room.
They hadn't expected him to show up.
Han Sen, Shaq, and Coach Brown took their seats, and the conference was about to begin.
Brian Windhorst was the first to stand up.
This was a bit unconventional, and a nearby staff member wanted to stop him, but Brown signaled that it was okay.
Windhorst's question was for Brown, asking about LeBron James.
"His injury got worse. He's receiving treatment now. After the last game, his body didn't respond well, despite playing through the pain. The team doctor originally recommended he sit out tonight, but he insisted on playing. He knew how important this game was, and he didn't want to be seen as a quitter."
LeBron went 3-for-14 from the field tonight, barely scraping together 15 points thanks to free throws. But after hearing Brown's explanation, his performance sounded less bad and more heroic.
This is the advantage of letting the media spread the word about injuries beforehand — no matter what happens, you can never be blamed.
Brown and Windhorst clearly had rehearsed this, playing off each other perfectly. They also took the opportunity to explain why LeBron wasn't at the post-game press conference.
These two were working hard.
After LeBron's question was answered, the next reporter immediately aimed their question at Han Sen.
"Do you think you pushed off on that game-winning shot?"
The question was aggressive right from the start.
Han Sen smirked. "Do you think Reggie Miller pushed off when he hit that dagger against the Bulls? Or MJ with 'The Shot'? Push or not, the bucket still counts, doesn't it?"
He didn't answer directly but turned the question around.
The reporter was stumped. Both Miller's game-winner against the Bulls and Jordan's 'The Shot' were highly controversial, with no definitive conclusion.
Han Sen's counter-question was an answer in itself.
"Why did you jump on the scorer's table after the game? It looked like a pretty provocative move." asked another reporter, this one from NBC Boston.
"Is there a rule in the NBA handbook against it?" Han Sen shot back.
Once again, the reporter was stumped. The NBA only prohibits physical altercations between players and fans, but the reporter quickly tried to recover, saying, "No, but it's still seen as provoking the fans."
Han Sen just shrugged. "Well, if you'd heard the trash they were yelling at me when I walked in, you'd understand it wasn't provocation— it was a response. Sometimes you've got to give the people what they want."
Han Sen's command of words completely crushed the reporter, leaving him speechless.
Shaq couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing Han Sen verbally spar was a treat.
"You shouted that you were their 'daddy'... Don't you think that's a bit much?" asked another local Boston reporter.
The person managing the press conference was clearly local too, giving these reporters every opportunity.
"Did I? That's not really my style. Things said in the heat of battle should stay on the court." Said Han Sen, feigning surprise.
The room goes silent for a beat.
"So, do you really think you're the Boston fans' daddy?" The reporter pressed on and dug an even deeper trap.
"Oh, come on. The fans are the reason this league exists— they're like our customers, our gods. Who's got the audacity to claim they're God's daddy? Maybe you should grab a Bible and think that one over."
After Han Sen's response, even Coach Brown struggled to contain his laughter, though he quickly wiped the smile off his face.
Han Sen had a thick skin, but he always found a way to justify himself with some half-truths that left people with no room to argue.
"Aren't you worried about the reception you'll get next time you're back in Boston?" asked another reporter, touching on a sensitive topic, since the series wasn't over yet.
"Not really," Han Sen smirked. "Cause we're not coming back."
With tonight's win, the Cavaliers were up 3-1 in the series, one win away from closing it out. The next game would be in Cleveland.
If they won at home, there wouldn't be a next game, and they wouldn't have to come back to Boston.
And Han Sen wasn't just being cocky or trying to rack up hater points.
Because in tonight's game, his [Giant Slayer] had finally hit its peak!
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(The stats for LeBron and Shaq in this game were based on their actual performance in Game 5 of the Cavaliers vs. Celtics semifinal series that year.)
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