Irving signaled to TT for a pick and roll.
On the Lakers’ side, Coach Scott yelled from the sidelines to double-team.
Passing the ball was not an option for Irving, but he accelerated and slipped through the encroaching defense!
Varejao desperately chased from behind, but Irving jumped up and finished with a reverse jelly lay-up.
That play was pure showmanship, instantly igniting the arena.
Irving’s shooting had been spot on from the start, hitting all his attempts tonight. His touch seemed quite good.
Kobe kept trying to move without the ball, but Hansen was relentlessly sticking to him.
He could only draw Hansen to the weak side, trying to prevent Hansen from blocking James like before.
This time, James didn’t call for a pick and roll but sent Varejao to the low post, and then he backed down Tucker at the high post.
With Frye starting at the power forward for the Lakers, the offensive spacing on the floor was as large as the Cavaliers’.
James lowered his center of gravity to back down Tucker, then spun quickly to make his move.
But he clearly underestimated Tucker, and during the spin, the ball was poked loose by Tucker.
Though the ball wasn’t stolen outright, it slipped from his control and rolled forward like a bowling ball.
Suddenly, a figure darted towards the ball, and with a practiced motion, pushed it forward, gaining control effortlessly.
Irving wasn’t just shooting hot tonight, he was extremely focused.
After regaining possession, he sprinted ahead as if riding on wheels of wind and fire.
Usually, a player’s speed with the ball is slower than without, but Irving’s legendary ball-handling skill made it seem as if he hadn’t slowed down at all.
Nevertheless, James, having lost the ball, was racing at full speed behind Irving, trying to catch up.
According to the rules, that last play was counted as a steal for Irving, and considering the verbal sparring before the game, he couldn’t let Irving finish the fast break.
Ultimately, Irving jumped and released the shot a step ahead.
James, unable to catch up, had no choice but to push Irving from behind.
Before being pushed out, Irving managed a quick toss. His remarkable fingertip ball control allowed the ball to trace a delicate parabola and drop into the basket.
The referee’s whistle blew then, signaling a personal foul against James for the push.
Irving slid backward on landing and sat down on the court.
Upon seeing the ball go in, he let out a rare roar of triumph.
He was clearly holding back his energy tonight.
The insults from the LeBron fans, he probably hadn’t missed any; he’s more self-reliant and rebellious, but when it comes to competitiveness, he’s second to none.
Quicken Loans Arena was already boiling over.
The spotlight of this Christmas battle was supposed to be on Hansen, Kobe, and James, but unexpectedly, the most dazzling performance so far was by Irving.
At that moment, Hansen also moved up front, reached down to pull Irving off the ground, and patted his head.
Smith wasn’t wrong in his statement; purely in terms of strength, the Lakers were stronger than the Cavaliers.
For the Cavaliers to win this Christmas battle, the key was still on the defensive end.
So, naturally, he was pleased to see Irving stepping up on offense because that meant he could immerse himself fully in defense.
Irving also made his free throw, scoring a personal 7 points in a row at the start.
The Cavaliers led the Lakers 7 to 2.
Curry, who had been digesting "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" this season, might be watching this Christmas battle. If he were, he’d probably remark with admiration, "I have Admiral Irving; I can slay BOAT."
Kobe finally found an opportunity to receive the ball and hit a midrange shot despite Hansen’s defense.
Though his speed and other attributes had declined with age, his signature strong shooting ability was still there.
And in the following offensive to defensive transition, Kobe switched to defend against Irving.
Irving was feeling pumped and, seeing Kobe, didn’t choose to pass but initiated a drive with a crossover.
Kobe quickly taught him a lesson.
Even though he had aged and slowed down, his defensive experience and skills were all intact, forcing Irving, with his dazzling changes of direction and dribbling, to a standstill.
Irving was stubborn at that moment, retreating against Kobe and forcing a shot, which resulted in a crushing block.
This scene stirred up turbulence in the audience.
However, this was Irving now; sometimes, he would make you believe he was the league’s top guard, but in the next second, he’d do something that made you question your previous conclusion.
Fortunately, the ball rolled out of bounds, and possession remained with the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers had 6 seconds left on the shot clock, and the ball was inbounded to Hansen.
The Lakers’ double-team was decisive, but Hansen’s reaction after receiving the ball was even more so, as he violently forced his way into the free-throw line. Fresh chapters posted on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍
By the time the Lakers were ready to condense their defense, it was already too late.
Hansen leaped high, with his right hand pulling the ball over his head, the whole person flying above the rim as if in flight.
As the basketball was slammed into the hoop like a heavy bomb, Barkley excitedly jumped up from the bench, and everyone finally realized the competitive desire housed in Hansen’s body that evening.
Did he want to win this year’s Christmas game?
If defense didn’t make it clear to everyone, then that dunk had just explained everything.
The big LED screen at the venue replayed Hansen’s recent dunk.
James, back in his Cavaliers days, was famous for his tomahawk dunks, and many fans came to associate that style of dunking with him.
But clearly, Hansen’s dunk just now—whether in height or extension—completely blew past James.
"Maybe this is the most appropriate year for LeBron to enter the Slam Dunk contest," Barkley couldn’t help but tease from the commentary table.
That dunk directly maximized the Cavaliers’ morale.
Malone then gestured from the sideline for Hansen and Tucker to switch on defense.
This adjustment was timely, for Irving against Kobe was not going well, but Kobe going against Irving meant that Hansen would be guarded by Lin Shuhao.
Hansen’s ability to rush through was also greatly related to this defensive change.
So, arranging for Hansen to defend James let him devote his energy to offense and ball-handling.
What about the energy expenditure when Hansen switched to James on defense?
No! No one understood James better than Malone; when Hansen was guarding James, James would not choose to attack.
Indeed, that’s how it turned out; seeing Hansen in front of him, James signaled Lin Shuhao to pass the ball to Kobe, then stood aside with his hands on his hips outside the three-point line.
Kobe, with the ball, played a pick-and-roll with Frye, breaking into the paint and drawing a defensive foul from TT, winning two free throws.
Malone clapped from the sidelines, encouraging his players; allowing Kobe to score in this manner was within his acceptable range.
As Kobe approached the free-throw line, Malone substituted TT with Conningham.
This was to protect TT but also because he realized Frye posed no low-post threat, and the Cavaliers could employ a more thorough spacing lineup.
Kobe scored both free throws, bringing the score to 6-9, with the Cavaliers in the lead.
After pushing into the frontcourt, Hansen held the ball high.
At this moment, the Cavaliers’ positioning was Conningham and Tucker in the strong and weak side corner, Bargnani at the top of the arc, and Irving at the weak-side 45-degree angle.
This was also the "One Star and Four Shooters" version of their back-to-the-basket offense.
Lin Shuhao’s expression was identical to Chalmers’s in "history" when he was compelled to guard Durant.
He truly wasn’t cut out for this job.
Although they were both Asian, when Hansen backed down with his strong frame, the disparity in their physical confrontation forced Lin Shuhao to sink his center of gravity.
Then, connecting to a spin move for a breakthrough, Lin Shuhao could only chase behind Hansen’s back.
The Lakers’ defense quickly shrank, and before the double-team formed, Hansen looked to Tucker in the corner, then flung a long pass through the crowd to Irving at the 45-degree angle.
Irving caught the ball, and instead of a feint, he quickly gathered and jumped for a shot as James furiously tried to block him.
The basketball flew over James’s fingertips.
Along with the crisp sound of the net, Irving’s 45-degree three-pointer smoothly dropped in!