The American Airlines Arena was buzzing with excitement that night.
Though it was just a regular-season game, the mood among the Heat fans mirrored that of the New York Knicks’ fans back in the day; they wouldn’t miss the opportunity to witness their home team defeat the man who had always bested them.
Pat Riley, the President of the Heat, was also in attendance.
He was the one most looking forward to this evening’s game.
Back when he was head coach, he could do nothing about Jordan, and as President, he was constantly outmaneuvered by Hansen. Had Hansen not been traded to the Grizzlies last year, he would have already chosen to retire.
This year, there was no reason for the Heat to lose to the Cavaliers.
If they still lost, he would probably resign on the spot, and might as well hang Hansen’s number 77 jersey up in the rafters of the American Airlines Arena, just like he did with Jordan back in the day.
Because it was a marquee matchup, TNT’s The Big Three were also there to broadcast live on-site.
Before the game, O’Neal and Kenny Smith both favored the Heat to win; even Barkley tempered his tone a bit:
"Han has had a lot of wear and tear this past week; the Cavaliers need to play above their level to win tonight."
As he spoke, the camera panned to Hansen, who was warming up.
Hansen was limbering up his fingers, and contrary to many people’s expectations, his expression bore not only relaxation but also an eagerness to try.
No one knew where his confidence came from, but the Heat fans who witnessed this scene suddenly felt uncertain about the game’s outcome.
After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both teams were announced.
Cavaliers: Irving, Han, Tucker, TT, Hawes
Heat: Wade, Seferosa, Durant, Deng, Big Gasol
The Heat had also undergone a period of adjustment at the beginning of the season; this lineup was now their highest-winning one. Newest update provıded by novel※fire.net
Amidst the anticipatory cheers of the fans, Big Gasol tapped the ball back into the Heat’s half, and Wade advanced with the ball, officially kicking off the game.
Big Gasol received the ball in the frontcourt, and right off the free-throw line, he commenced the offense with his back to the basket.
The Heat’s decision this summer to let Bosh go and sign Big Gasol proved to be very successful.
Big Gasol averaged 18.5 points per game this season, his highest since the 2010-2011 season. In addition, he averaged 11.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists, both career highs, and even contributed an average of 2 blocks per game.
Spoelstra placed his full trust in him, and in return, he was experiencing a second spring in his career.
The Cavaliers didn’t double-team him at the start, and after his characteristic back-to-the-basket surveying, he turned and drove directly towards the basket.
Hawes, not known for his defense, was shoved aside, watching as Gasol sunk the ball into the hoop.
In an era with few superstar centers left, Big Gasol still had a physical advantage when playing center.
The Heat took the lead at the opening.
On the subsequent play, Irving handled the ball. Facing Wade, he tried multiple crossovers to break through, but when he encountered Deng’s help defense, he opted for an early floater. However, Deng’s preemptive jump disrupted the shot, causing a miss.
The Heat’s current starting lineup played similar roles to the Heat’s Three Giants during James’ era, with Deng playing the defense and sweeping role that James used to.
But because Big Gasol had great passing abilities, they could use Seferosa instead of Chalmers in the backcourt, thereby enhancing their overall defensive prowess.
Big Gasol continued to hold the ball in the frontcourt; this time he and Durant executed a pass-and-go, with Durant receiving the ball and immediately shooting on the pull-up to score.
Durant, having exchanged words with Han the day before, was full of determination.
More importantly, and different from the James era, the Heat’s starting lineup had much more potent offensive firepower.
With just over four minutes into the game, the score was 3 to 12.
Irving’s ball-handling still needed improvement, and his performance was clearly not as good as during the Christmas Day game against the Lakers.
But more challenging for the Cavaliers was their defense; the Heat not only had multiple scoring options but also intricate collaborations, making it difficult to guard everyone at the same time.
You could tell from the outset that Spoelstra had prepared extensively; the Heat’s offensive plays often started from the opposite side of Han, and the tactics were as simple as possible to limit Han’s chances to help defend.
After this opening sequence, the Heat fans, who had initially been on edge, finally relaxed.
If Han were still with the Grizzlies, they might have had cause for concern, but this Cavaliers lineup clearly wasn’t strong enough.
"Even if Michael joined the Cavaliers, they wouldn’t be able to beat the Heat," stated Kenny Smith with a rational analysis.
"But Han is the one to surpass Michael," said Barkley, who, despite lacking confidence in the Cavaliers, saw Hansen as his source of confidence.
Right then, Han began to orchestrate a pick-and-roll with TT.
After TT rolled to the basket, Han chose to take a mid-range jumper straight away.
The shot was so swift that the switching Deng could not respond in time.
Since TT’s roll posed a threat, Seferosa had to follow, creating a window for Han to shoot.
Han made the open mid-range shot with ease; such an uncontested attempt was practically a free throw for him.
In fact, contrary to the public’s perception, Han’s scoring spree over the last three games was not entirely due to a rivalry with the United States fans.