Chương 91: Iconic Moment.
(TL/n: Double length chapter.)
As play resumed, the Cavaliers made a lineup adjustment, bringing in old man Parker to replace James.
And this time, it wasn't Williams who took the ball on the strong side but Han Sen.
Over the course of the playoffs, Han's performance had elevated his tactical importance over Williams.
O'Neal was very familiar with this strategy since, back in the day, the triangle offense started with him posting up in the low post.
The only difference now was that Han's threat from three-point range was so significant that he didn't need to clear the strong side by cutting backdoor. Just standing there created space for O'Neal.
Moreover, all five players on the court had strong three-point shooting abilities, which essentially mirrored the Magic's playing style.
Almost immediately, O'Neal demonstrated that he was better suited for this system than Howard.
After receiving a lob pass from Hansen, O'Neal powered up with his back to the basket, forcing the massive Perkins to lower his center of gravity. Then, with a swift spin move, O'Neal easily muscled his way to the rim for a powerful dunk.
Perkins wasn't without skill. When O'Neal spun, Perkins secretly used his elbow to apply force. Against someone like Howard, this move might have disrupted his balance.
But on O'Neal? That didn't work at all!
As Hansen had analyzed before the season began, even though O'Neal had aged, his stamina declined, and his defense was lacking, once he got the ball in the low post, he was still the 'Big Diesel'.
Back on defense, Pierce tried to run a pick-and-roll with Garnett to attack O'Neal, but Han Sen's tight defense prevented it from working.
For fans who had been watching the Cavaliers since the pre-season, this sequence wasn't unfamiliar at all.
In the first pre-season game, James didn't play, and this lineup was the one on the floor at that time.
It was almost as if everything had been pre-ordained, and that pre-season game was a rehearsal for tonight.
In the end, Pierce forced a shot over Han, which clanged off the rim.
Whether or not Han Sen was truly Celtics' daddy was up for debate, but what fans agreed on was that ever since Han showed up, Pierce struggled against him like a child against a parent.
It was ugly to watch.
After the Cavaliers secured the stop, they went back to Shaq in the low post again.
Perkins, knowing he couldn't hold his ground, tried to front Shaq, but the latter's frame was too wide. Even after fronting him, Perkins quickly found himself sealed off behind him again.
It was almost humiliating.
Han lobbed the ball inside, forcing the Celtics' weak-side defenders to rotate over and help.
After spinning, O'Neal wasted no time and slung the ball out to Williams, positioned at the 45-degree mark on the weak side.
As the Celtics rotated, Williams passed to Jamison, who was wide open in the corner. Jamison launched a three, and it was nothing but net.
O'Neal couldn't help but wish he'd been born ten years later. If he had, he would've replaced Howard on the Magic, and by now, he'd be battling Kobe for his fifth championship ring.
Han Sen and O'Neal exchanged high-fives as they retreated on defense.
Although the plan had taken some time to come to fruition, their preparation was finally paying off.
Garnett set a pick for Rondo and hit a signature mid-range jumper off a great pass from the latter, temporarily halting the Cavaliers' momentum.
But on the very next possession, O'Neal drew the defense again in the low post before kicking it out. After several passes, the ball ended up in Han Sen's hands.
Hansen let it fly—
Swish!
8-10.
The Cavaliers were on an 8-2 run.
It was a simple yet effective game plan. Ever since James left the court, the Cavaliers' offense had suddenly become much smoother.
The Celtics missed their next shot, and as O'Neal received the ball down low once again, Garnett immediately committed a help-side foul.
Rivers hadn't caught on, but Thibodeau, his assistant, reminded him that the 'Hack-a-Shaq' strategy was coming into play.
Free throws— the eternal bane of Shaquille O'Neal's career.
The referee handed O'Neal the ball, and the noise in the arena became deafening.
In moments like these, O'Neal usually wore a nervous expression.
But this time, he looked surprisingly calm.
Why? Because during his earlier discussions with Han Sen about strategy, they had already anticipated this scenario, and Han had given O'Neal a rather 'special' method.
The advice was simple: while shooting free throws, he should silently tell himself, 'For every shot I make, my chances of winning one more championship than Kobe increase by 1%.'
O'Neal's free-throw problem started as a technical issue but gradually became a mental block as well.
After years of underperforming at the line, he had begun to lose faith in himself.
Han's method was designed to help O'Neal focus on what mattered most to him, bypassing the psychological issue so he could focus solely on technique.
The result? O'Neal's first free throw went through the hoop cleanly!
The fans were stunned, and Rivers shot a blameful look at Thibodeau.
Even O'Neal himself was a bit surprised. He glanced at his hands as if they had suddenly acquired magical powers.
Then he made the second free throw as well.
He went 2-for-2!
Unable to contain himself, O'Neal burst out laughing and, just like during the pre-season, wrapped Han Sen in a bear hug and planted a big kiss on his head.
Hansen cringed but smiled in satisfaction.
The method he had suggested wasn't something he had come up with on the fly. He had closely observed Shaq's free-throw form during practice.
O'Neal's free throws weren't great, but they weren't as bad as they had looked in games either.
He had been training to improve his free throws for a long time, experimenting with various shooting forms. While none had been a magic fix, his overall percentage had improved.
Though there was some luck involved in making both free throws, luck is part of the game.
And these two free throws were critical— they completely changed the Celtics' defensive approach.
On the next possession, when O'Neal posted up again, the Celtics abandoned the Hack-a-Shaq strategy.
They didn't know what had changed with O'Neal, but Rivers was sharp enough to realize that putting O'Neal on the free-throw line wasn't the right call that night.
Thibodeau, meanwhile, was left speechless. Like Malone, he was merely an assistant coach, and to have any real say, he would have to be in the head coach's seat.
Shaq continued to dominate in the paint, and this created a positive feedback loop.
Since O'Neal was punishing the Celtics inside, both teams were forced to play a half-court game, allowing O'Neal to conserve energy as he didn't have to run up and down the floor. This gave him more stamina to post up and keep dominating.
He played a solid nine minutes before being substituted out, finishing the stretch with 9 points on 5-for-3 shooting and 3-for-4 from the line.
What a sight it was! Young fans who hadn't seen Shaq in his prime got a small taste of it.
Some even fantasized about what it would be like if O'Neal joined the Celtics— that would be a huge upgrade for Boston.
After all, Garnett excelled at help-side defense, and his skills perfectly complemented Shaq's.
But that wasn't the focus of the moment. The key point was that, before James left the court, the Cavaliers had been down 0-8.
By the time O'Neal sat down, the Cavaliers were ahead 17-14!
In the past, the Cavaliers couldn't afford to lose James, just like the West couldn't afford to lose Jerusalem.
But tonight, the Cavaliers were playing better without James!
With two minutes left in the first quarter, Han also took a rest.
Brown didn't wait for the start of the second quarter and quickly sent James back in.
At this point, James' stat sheet was empty except for field goal attempts and turnovers.
No matter how big the issue, it couldn't be more important than this.
Despite trying to adjust, James still performed poorly.
He even committed an offensive foul while driving against Glen Davis.
This wasn't just an issue with injury; it was a complete mental collapse.
The Celtics took advantage and closed the gap. By the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 21.
As the second quarter began, Han Sen and O'Neal were still resting, leaving James to lead the team.
But within just three minutes, the Cavaliers were already trailing by five points.
Han and O'Neal exchanged helpless looks.
James was completely counterproductive tonight.
Brown eventually substituted James out again, partly to give him time to reset mentally, and partly because this game was crucial for the Cavaliers.
If they lost this game, the series would be tied, putting them back on equal footing with the Celtics.
And Brown knew the Celtics too well. If the series dragged on, the odds would likely shift in Boston's favor.
---
O'Neal was still resting on the bench, but Han Sen and Jamison were sent in early.
After Han came on, he missed an outside shot off a pick-and-roll with Jamison.
Having sat on the bench for a while, his shooting touch had cooled off.
This was a normal fluctuation— no one can maintain a hot hand on the court forever.
He didn't force it, though. After signaling to West, he used his off-ball movement to create opportunities for Jamison.
Even though Jamison was at a disadvantage against Garnett, he wasn't on the court at that moment.
A mid-range jump shot off a pick-and-pop, a turnaround floater after a low-post catch, and a cutting layup that drew a foul, with one free throw made out of two.
This strategy proved effective. As long as Jamison wasn't matched up against Garnett, he still looked like the Jamison from the first round.
This performance forced Rivers to sub Garnett back into the game, while Brown, prompted by Malone, countered by bringing Shaquille O'Neal back in as well.
By halftime, O'Neal was 5-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line, with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists— a stellar performance.
Thanks to his presence inside, the Cavaliers hit 49% of their three-pointers in the first half and led the Celtics 56-53.
Is the Shaq old? At 37 years old, definitely.
But he can still get the job done!
Han Sen's shooting was inconsistent tonight, going 3-for-8 in the first half, but he managed to score 8 points with free throws.
Jamison contributed 11 points as well.
James, on the other hand, had a miserable showing, going 0-for-7 from the field in the first half and scoring just 4 points off of 6 free throws, along with 4 turnovers.
Hansen hadn't followed the Cavaliers closely during LeBron's first stint with the team in his previous life, so he wouldn't have known the Cavaliers got knocked out in the semifinals that year without guessing.
However, back then, Yao Ming was on the Rockets, and like many from the Far East, he was a die-hard Rockets fan who never missed a game.
Because of this, his most vivid memory of James was that iconic 'See you in Houston' game.
In that game, under the defense of Artest and Yao Ming, James put up a stat line of 7-for-21 from the field, 21 points, 1 rebound, and 0 assists, which had always been considered one of the most embarrassing games of his career.
But compared to the game at hand, that game didn't seem like much.
Both teams headed to halftime.
Unlike usual, Brown wasn't the one making the halftime adjustments tonight— it was Malone. James wasn't in the locker room either.
It was obvious that Brown had gone to give James some psychological counseling.
It turned out that, although Brown was just a placeholder for the Cavaliers, he was a competent one.
Whatever he did, it worked because, by the second half, James was warming up.
In the early stages of the third quarter, James made two shots, blocked Pierce once, and finally had a stat line of 2-for-9 from the field and 10 points— not stellar, but respectable.
Han Sen also regained his touch in the second half, hitting a three-pointer from outside and sinking a floater on a drive to the basket.
With O'Neal drawing attention in the paint, the Cavaliers played with the same momentum they had in the previous game, outscoring the Celtics 30-20 in the third quarter.
By the end of the third, they led the Celtics 86-73, a 13-point margin.
At this pace, the Cavaliers were on the verge of taking a 3-1 series lead.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Hansen and O'Neal were still resting on the bench, while James stayed on the floor to lead the team.
With James finding some rhythm, it was important to let him rack up some stats.
Ten points weren't fitting for a 'Chosen One'.
But once again, James fell into a slump, either turning the ball over or missing shots.
Under his 'leadership', the Celtics mounted a comeback, quickly narrowing the gap to within five points, forcing Brown to call a timeout.
At this point, Han was looking at Brown in disbelief, as he was still sending out West and James together on the floor.
It was clear Brown wasn't trying to deliberately mess with James— it was just that his rotation decisions tonight were genuinely foolish.
Perhaps James' over-the-top performance had thrown him off his game as well.
After the timeout, Han and Jamison were subbed back in, but this time Rivers was ahead of the curve, bringing Garnett back in as well.
Fortunately, Han had recovered his shooting form, and under his lead, the Cavaliers managed to hold their lead.
Both teams gradually brought their starters back, and the game became highly contested.
With two minutes left in the game, the Cavaliers were clinging to a 110-108 lead over the Celtics.
Rivers then opted for the Hack-a-Shaq strategy, sending O'Neal to the free-throw line.
Amidst the crowd's noise in Boston, O'Neal calmly sank both free throws.
That brought his total to 26 points— he was turning back the clock tonight.
Ray Allen missed a tactical three-pointer from outside, and O'Neal grabbed the defensive rebound. With less than a minute remaining, the Cavaliers were highly likely to win the game.
James started demanding the ball for an isolation play.
This reminded Hansen of the Christmas Day game, where Brown had subbed James in for the final possession.
If James hit a 'clutch' shot, the media would at least have something to talk about after the game.
But while the idea was great, reality wasn't so kind.
With his current form, James had no chance in this key moment. He drove to the basket, got swarmed, and had the ball stripped by Garnett.
The Celtics pushed the ball on a fast break, and Rondo made a layup, cutting the deficit back to two points.
There were now less than 30 seconds left in the game.
Brown didn't call a timeout, and James attempted to take control again, but Han Sen, reminiscent of the Christmas game, yelled at Williams, "Give me the damn ball!"
After getting the ball, Han slowed the pace and then fed it inside to O'Neal, who drew a foul.
The Cavaliers were in the lead, and with O'Neal shooting well from the line tonight, the strategy was to keep feeding him the ball to close out the game.
O'Neal stepped to the line, knowing that if he hit both free throws, the Cavaliers would seal the win.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Shaq faced the challenge. His first free throw bounced off the front of the rim before rolling in.
But his second free throw missed.
You couldn't expect him to shoot free throws like Jordan— going 8-for-10 from the line was already above his average.
Garnett grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Celtics called a timeout.
The Celtics now had a chance to force overtime.
After the timeout, Rondo advanced the ball into the frontcourt, and the Celtics began to run their play.
Brown assumed the Celtics would set up a shot for Pierce, but Rivers was once again a step ahead. Using Pierce as a decoy, he set up Ray Allen for the shot.
James' defense lapsed, and he lost Ray Allen.
Hansen had been drawn to the weak side by Pierce, leaving him too far to help in time.
Ray Allen rose up for the shot, and with 3 seconds left on the clock, the Celtics miraculously tied the game.
"Damn!"
The TD Garden erupted in cheers, and while Brown called a timeout, Han couldn't help but curse.
He and O'Neal had been working hard, like two men struggling to swim to shore, only to have James dragging them down like a ghost pulling at their legs.
It was absolutely frustrating!
"I'll take the final shot." As soon as the timeout was called, Han made his intentions clear to Brown.
Interestingly, he positioned himself between Brown and James, preventing James from even reaching for the playbook.
Brown glanced at James, who remained silent.
Finally, Brown nodded in agreement.
James had played horribly tonight, and if they lost the game, it would be yet another 'milestone failure' for him.
Winning, however, was always better than losing.
The game resumed with the crowd making all kinds of noise to disrupt the Cavaliers.
"Don't lose him! Stay with Han!" Thibodeau, who had bypassed Rivers at this point, shouted instructions from the sidelines.
Though just an assistant coach, Thibodeau's in-game instincts tonight were clearly sharper than Rivers', the head coach.
Han was tightly defended, unable to break free.
At this point, he stopped caring. After a sharp cutback, he gave Ray Allen a hard shove.
The referees didn't blow the whistle, letting the players decide the game.
After shoving Ray Allen, Hansen sped past Pierce and sprinted towards the sideline.
Williams delivered the pass just in time, and Han caught the ball, getting his shot off just before Garnett could close out on him.
The ball soared through the air as the game clock hit zero.
Though it was a high-pressure situation, Han Sen's movements were fluid, and more importantly, his gaze showed no signs of nervousness or panic— instead, there was a bloodthirsty hunger.
This was his moment. His arena. His destiny.
The ball spun through the air toward the basket. As it reached its apex and began its descent, fans on the edge of their seats clasped their heads, some unable to watch, others drawn in by the gravity of the moment.
The arc was perfect. Too perfect.
As the ball began to drop, Hansen had already turned, his arms raised high in silent triumph, as if he had known— no, demanded— the outcome before it even happened.
Swish!
The net snapped with a crisp, beautiful sound that silenced the roaring crowd for a split second before the arena exploded into pandemonium.
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