Chương 94: This is My House!
Rivers didn't make any major adjustments— there was a reason Tony Allen had limited minutes with the Celtics. Plus, as the 'master of blown leads in history', Rivers wasn't known for his in-game adaptability.
Han Sen's performance kept the Cavaliers in the game, and by the end of the first quarter, both teams were tied at 23.
Han Sen played the entire first quarter, scoring 13 points with a standout performance, but the energy expenditure was high.
With Jamison now leading the Cavaliers on the court, Rivers countered by sending in Garnett. Both teams were now in full-on battle mode, with no thought given to the next game.
This was when the impact of LeBron's absence started to show. LeBron's decision to sit out had been criticized, but without him, the Cavaliers struggled to maintain their scoring pace.
Jamison could've filled that role, but Garnett locked him down. Meanwhile, Williams had only had one good game so far in the series, leaving Coach Brown with a helpless expression.
Han Sen was in excellent form, and if LeBron were playing, the Cavs would have a great chance of winning. But, LeBron had made his decision, and Brown had to go along with it.
The Celtics executed a brilliant play, with Nate Robinson (acquired at the trade deadline) catching an alley-oop pass from Garnett and posterizing Varejao with a thunderous dunk.
Varejao instinctively fell to the ground, but the refs didn't call it. As good as his acting was, it didn't impress the officials this time.
The momentum shifted in favor of the Celtics, and the crowd became restless. Brown had no choice but to call Han Sen, who had only just sat down for a rest, back into the game. Han Sen barely had time to put on his warm-up jersey before getting up.
The energy the Celtics displayed tonight showed that they were still the team that had pushed the Lakers to seven games in the Finals.
Han Sen didn't disappoint— he came in, drove to the basket, and drew a foul from Rasheed Wallace, sinking both free throws to steady the Cavs. On the next possession, he blocked Robinson's attempt at another drive to the rim.
This offensive and defensive sequence had Brown pumping his fist with excitement on the sidelines. Han Sen's desire to win was palpable, making him a stabilizing pillar on the court.
At halftime, the Cavs led the Celtics 45-42, with Han Sen scoring another 10 points in the second quarter, bringing his total to 23 by the half.
He didn't return to the locker room during halftime, instead going straight to the medical room for treatment with the team doctor. He had only rested for 2 minutes in the entire first half.
If this were the regular season, he could've handled this level of intensity, but tonight's game had Finals-level intensity, and his knees were already aching.
He now fully understood why 'Steel Bones' was a top-tier talent that required 2 million [Hater Points] to unlock. The body, in a sense, is the strongest talent. Without a body that can support your skills, even the best techniques are just a house of cards.
Take McGrady, for example. If he hadn't suffered from those back injuries, his place in history wouldn't have been at the bottom of the "Four Guards".
"I know you won't listen to me, but I still have to say it. If you keep playing like this in the second half, your season might end here," the team doctor warned with a serious expression.
Han Sen could only offer a bitter smile. "If it really comes to that, I don't think I'll have any regrets."
Sure, he wanted to make it to the Finals— doing so would skyrocket his value. But as for his desire to win a championship, it wasn't as strong as people might think. After all, he was just a rookie, and as he had told Ferry before, winning a championship was more of a dream for the team's core players. This team was LeBron's, not his.
But there was something else driving him tonight. Watching LeBron smirking on the sidelines in the first half, Han Sen couldn't let things end that way. He had to win tonight.
"My luck's always been pretty good," Han smiled.
The doctor didn't say anything more. He knew why Han Sen was pushing himself so hard tonight.
Were everyone on the Cavaliers mute or deaf? No, they just had to play that way because of the environment.
The second half began, and both teams resumed their battle.
Despite the halftime break, both teams started the half with cold shooting, clearly drained from the intense first half. Neither could put the ball in the basket, so both sides shifted their focus to defense.
This brought the intensity of the game to a fever pitch. From Han Sen's perspective, it was starting to feel like the epic Lakers-Celtics rivalry from his 'history'.
Han Sen only rested for a minute and a half at the start of the fourth quarter before returning to the game.
With two and a half minutes remaining, the Cavaliers held a slim 72-69 lead. Both teams were now exhausted and fighting tooth and nail.
On a Cavaliers possession, Han Sen got open for a three-pointer, but Garnett's aggressive contest caused him to miss. However, Ilgauskas grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it back outside. Old Parker immediately shot a three-pointer in one fluid motion.
Swish!
The three-pointer found the net, and the Quicken Loans Arena erupted into cheers. This three-pointer was priceless!
But before the cheers could settle, Ray Allen ran off screens, popped out to the corner, and nailed a three-pointer off a Rondo pass.
Allen, a T0-level shooter, showed his mettle in the clutch, cutting the lead to one possession.
O'Neal posted up, dished to Jamison for a three, but it clanked off the rim. Han Sen grabbed the long offensive rebound, drove to the hoop, and collided with Perkins, drawing a foul and earning two free throws. He collapsed to the ground afterward, causing a stir in the crowd.
If Han Sen was injured now, the Cavaliers would be done for tonight.
The Cavaliers' players rushed to his side, and after a long moment, his teammates helped him to his feet. It wasn't an injury— he was just too exhausted to stand.
Han Sen stepped up to the free-throw line.
As he was adjusting his stance, the crowd, which had been quiet, slowly started to chant.
In the past, that chant would have only been for LeBron James, but now, they were chanting for Han Sen.
Hearing it, James turned around, and the fans behind him quieted down under his gaze.
But the moment he turned back, the chants roared again, even louder.
"MVP! MVP!"
The chant thundered through the arena, but Han Sen just shook his head.
He wanted [hater points]!
Was the crowd trying to make him feel touched?
Taking a deep breath, Han Sen knew that any emotional fluctuation at this moment could cost him the opportunity.
After settling his emotions, he calmly sank the first free throw.
The second free throw? Same result.
Two-for-two!
The Cavaliers now held a crucial 5-point lead.
"Defense! Defense!"
With less than a minute remaining in the game, all they needed was to stop the Celtics' next possession, and the 5-point lead would secure the win for the Cavs.
The Cavaliers' players were completely drained, but they fought hard on defense.
This time, the ball ended up in Paul Pierce's hands, who shot after a screen by Garnett.
Han Sen lunged forward to contest the shot.
Pierce's three-pointer clanged off the rim, but Garnett, with brilliant anticipation, grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it out to Rondo in the corner.
Rondo wasn't known for his three-point shooting, but he took this one decisively.
The ball swished through the net— he made it!
In this critical moment, Boston's grit seemed to have the favor of the basketball gods.
The lead was down to 2 points with half a minute remaining. The Celtics still had a chance!
Coach Brown wanted to call a timeout, but Malone quickly grabbed his arm— they had already used up all their timeouts!
"Run play 7! Play 7!" Brown yelled toward the court, shaking off Malone.
Play 7, Han Sen's off-ball screen play, named after his jersey number, 77.
Williams nodded in acknowledgment and brought the ball up, burning as much time off the clock as possible.
By now, almost every fan in the arena was on their feet.
If they could score here, the game would essentially be over.
The camera zoomed in on Han Sen— after his game-winner against the Celtics last game, could he hit another clutch shot?
At this point, two Celtics players surrounded him, with a third ready to help.
Boston wasn't dumb— they had just been eliminated by him last time. No way were they going to let him get the ball easily.
With about 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Williams looked to pass to Han Sen, but he couldn't shake free from his defenders despite continuous movement.
With no other option, Williams drove into the paint, hoping to draw a foul.
In moments like this, just getting to the free-throw line would seal the win for the Cavaliers.
But just like in Boston, the refs didn't blow the whistle, and Williams' shot missed the rim.
A scramble for the rebound ensued, and once again, Ilgauskas came up with the offensive board!
Without today's "Hack-a-Shaq" restrictions, Coach Brown had opted to keep Ilgauskas on the floor, and his second offensive rebound paid off!
Ilgauskas quickly saw Han Sen cutting to the basket, freed from the double-team, and passed him the ball.
Han Sen caught it, but Garnett was right there again, this time completely blocking his front-facing shot angle.
Despite Garnett's declining athleticism due to injuries, he was still giving everything he had, defending Boston's paint with his body and soul.
Han Sen didn't stop his drive. The two players raced towards the basket.
Just as Garnett expected Han Sen to go for a direct layup, Han Sen suddenly veered right, creating space with a large step, and then leaped into the air, twisting his body for a side-angled floater.
There was no way Garnett could block it in time.
All he could do was hope that Han Sen would miss. After all, a drifting floater is hard to control.
But when Garnett saw the ball reach its apex and start to descend, a look of dread filled his eyes.
This shot was going in!
Swoosh!
The ball went cleanly through the net!
Having reached the peak of his [Giant Slayer] talent, Han Sen could now execute Jamison-like drifting floaters in live games!
The Quicken Loans Arena erupted in chaos.
"Handsome! Handsome!"
The fans chanted with ease, as his name sounded so fitting.
In this moment, Han Sen was Cleveland's hero.
The Celtics called their final timeout.
With only 6 seconds left in the game, unless a 'Reggie Miller moment' happened, the game was over.
The Cavaliers' bench was going wild, even Varejão was on his feet.
Meanwhile, LeBron, sitting at the end of the bench, looked forlorn.
This was supposed to be his team, but at that moment, he felt like an outsider.
After the timeout, the Celtics' final possession saw them execute well, with Garnett grabbing yet another offensive rebound, but both Ray Allen and Rondo missed consecutive three-point attempts.
Jamison secured the defensive rebound and quickly passed the ball to Han Sen, who sprinted beyond the three-point line.
As he dribbled away from the chasing Celtics, the buzzer sounded.
79-75!
The Cavaliers won, eliminating the Celtics 4-1 and avenging their loss from two years ago!
Han Sen was ecstatic.
He had really done it.
As he thought back to the MVP chants from the fans, his blood surged with excitement.
Yes, Cleveland didn't need a so-called King!
He spotted the scorer's table, and his instincts took over.
Taking two long strides, he leapt onto the table.
Once on top, with the ball in his left hand and his right pointing down at the court, he shouted passionately:
"This is my house!"
This was his territory!
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