บท 60: Not a Smart Basketball Player.
The Celtics called a timeout.
After the timeout, both teams made extensive substitutions.
Han Sen was also subbed out at this time.
He wasn't surprised at all about being taken out after scoring seven straight points.
Tonight, he was most likely tied to James.
In fact, if he hadn't gone on a small scoring burst just now, his stat line would have been empty.
But it was precisely because of his burst that Brown didn't dare to keep him on the court.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 21-23, both teams evenly matched.
Then, in the second quarter, James started the game.
This was... unsurprising.
In the first quarter, James was held in check by the Celtics' defense, and he needed to make up for it during the substitution period.
Otherwise, even if they won, the media wouldn't have much to praise him for.
James started by driving past Marquis Daniels for a dunk.
At this point, the Celtics' interior defense consisted of Rasheed Wallace and "Big Baby" Glen Davis— one old, one out of shape— significantly weakened on the defensive end.
In this situation, unless the perimeter had a defensive stopper to limit James' drives, there was no way to stop him from scoring.
Luckily for the Celtics, they did have such a player.
In the Cavaliers' next possession, James' defender switched from Daniels to Tony Allen.
The reason Allen didn't start off guarding James was that he's only 6'4" (1.93m), so guarding James would be considered a size mismatch.
But if it's just about limiting James' acceleration, no one on the Celtics does it better than Allen.
Watching James struggle under Allen's defensive pressure, Han Sen was itching to get back in the game.
Winning, of course, is something every player wants, but right now, Han Sen was more interested in improving his own driving skills.
Whether it was Delonte West or Paul Pierce, neither could help him anymore— but Allen could.
James' drive was stripped by Allen, leading to a Celtics fast break where Daniels dunked in transition, igniting the TD Garden crowd.
Han Sen could even hear someone cursing James from not far behind.
He stood up and walked towards Brown, who was standing by the sideline.
"Coach, sub me in," he volunteered.
Brown turned and frowned when he saw it was Han Sen.
But he didn't order him to sit down because, once again, James was forced into a dead ball situation without a good passing option.
The reason Tony Allen is so effective against James' drives isn't just because he's quick with his hands and feet; it's because he hardly ever falls for screens.
And James just so happens to be a player whose offensive game heavily relies on pick-and-rolls.
Brown eventually called for a quick timeout.
The short timeout was only 20 seconds, but it could stop the play, avoid a turnover from James, and allow for one player substitution.
Han Sen was subbed in for James.
James didn't have much of a reaction to being taken out, though he did give him a glance as he passed by.
Both teams had a substitution available during the short timeout, but Rivers didn't make any changes.
If James could be contained, could Han do any better?
The lineups on the floor were as follows:
Celtics: Eddie House, Tony Allen, Daniels, Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis;
Cavaliers: Daniel Gibson, Parker, Han Sen, Varejao, Ilgauskas.
As soon as the Cavaliers resumed their offense, Gibson drove hard to the rim.
When James is on the floor, the ball always ends up in his hands, but with him out, nobody— especially James' close friends— felt obligated to pass the ball to Han Sen.
At this moment, James was on the bench, habitually biting his fingernails, looking calm, as if everything was under control.
Brown knew better; West, O'Neal, and Cunningham— Han's buddies— were all on the bench. No one on the floor had any connection to Han Sen.
How was Han going to play well without James? He first needed to actually touch the ball.
Gibson's layup was blocked by Wallace, the "Big Nasty" showing that he's still got it.
Ilgauskas quickly grabbed the offensive rebound. Seeing no opportunity to score, he passed the ball out to Han Sen, who had found an open spot on the perimeter.
James paused his fingernail biting.
Ilgauskas may not have been close to Han, but he was a player who would always do what was best for the team.
However, James quickly resumed biting his nails, this time faster.
After receiving the pass, Han Sen didn't have an open shot as Allen had already closed in to contest him.
He hadn't expected Allen to move so quickly.
Gibson had repositioned himself outside the arc and was signaling for the ball.
But Han ignored him. How could he expect a pass after refusing to pass himself?
Besides, he was on the floor specifically for the purpose of facing Allen.
Han drove hard to the right with a power move.
Top-tier defenders like Allen would be watching from the bench, so using his signature Euro step wouldn't work anymore. A powerful first step was more effective in this situation.
His's judgment was correct. Allen didn't anticipate this move, but Han couldn't fully capitalize, as Allen recovered his position with a quick slide.
This guy's lateral speed was insane! He was even faster now than he had been before bulking up.
Allen didn't give him a moment to breathe, immediately putting pressure on him by swiping at the ball.
Han was forced to pivot and protect the ball, effectively killing his drive.
Ultimately, he was left with no choice but to attempt a turnaround fadeaway, but Allen easily swiped the ball out of bounds.
No wonder even top scorers like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant had struggled against this man.
James finally bit through his fingernail and rested his hand, leaning lazily back on the bench.
Anyone could see that Allen was tough to beat, and Han foolishly tried to go at it alone after finally getting the ball— definitely not the smartest move.
"You should've passed the ball to me!" Gibson yelled after the ball went out of bounds.
"Did you score last time for me to pass it to you? Give me the ball first!" He shot back, refusing to back down.
"Fine, fine! I'll pass it to you!" Gibson turned and shot a glance at Allen, already scheming.
With the shot clock winding down, the Cavaliers' possession ended without a score.
But on the other end, Han Sen also helped force Wallace to miss his low-post shot through help defense.
Allen's defense was as strong as his offense was weak, so when he was on the floor, the Celtics were basically playing four-on-five offensively. This gave Han Sen the freedom to double-team the ball handler.
Ilgauskas secured the defensive rebound, and Gibson pushed the ball up the court.
True to his word, once they were in the frontcourt, he immediately passed the ball to Han Sen and then signaled for everyone to clear out for an isolation play.
Clearly, seeing him struggle against Allen, Gibson wanted to set him up for more failure.
The Boston crowd began to boo, with some whistles mixed in.
Han's comments yesterday had already infuriated them. Never mind that the white guy had made a racist gesture first— in their eyes, they had the right to discriminate.
And to top it off, Han Sen had disrespected Pierce today. Sure, Pierce was also Black, but he was their star, an elite Black man. How could someone like him— a yellow-skinned person at the bottom of the hierarchy— compare?
So, bring it on! Tony Allen, teach this arrogant Asian guy a lesson he'll never forget!
Han Sen began his move, this time using the Euro step.
One advantage of the Euro step is that the ball stays secure in your hands during the move, which protects it against defenders like Allen who like to swipe at it.
It was the perfect counter to Allen's aggressive style.
And to top it off, Han Sen uncharacteristically initiated contact during the move, bumping into Allen.
Allen had speed and quick hands, but he was small and lacked strength, making him vulnerable to physical plays.
After the bump, Allen's balance was thrown off, and Han Sen took the opportunity to finish with a layup while keeping his body between Allen and the ball.
Wallace quickly rotated over to help. Like Kevin Garnett, he was tall with long arms and, at his peak, a top-tier defender.
Seeing Wallace approach, Han Sen adjusted midair and floated the ball up just in time.
Thanks to his improved body control, he executed the move perfectly.
Wallace realized he couldn't reach the ball in time, but with his aging body unable to stop on a dime, he crashed into Han Sen.
Han flew out of bounds as the referee blew the whistle.
As he fell, Han kept his eyes on the ball.
The photographers under the basket instinctively clicked their cameras before ducking out of the way.
Bang!
The ball kissed the backboard, spun around the rim, and dropped through the net.
Han collided with one of the photographers who hadn't managed to move in time.
The arena erupted.
Han Sen had beaten Allen, driven past Wallace's help defense, and converted a three-point play!
He untangled himself from the pile of photographers and got to his feet.
Ignoring the pain, he immediately turned to the Boston fans nearby, flexed his arms, and let out a primal roar.
You thought I couldn't beat Allen?
You were all waiting for me to fail?
How does it feel to get slapped in the face?
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