It had been many years, and it was Durant’s turn to walk the walk.
"You know, the game is won by talking," Hansen said with a smile to Durant.
The boomerang only needed 24 hours this time.
Durant trash-talking Hansen was clearly looking for trouble.
After scoffing, Durant began to use pick-and-rolls to take his shots.
He wanted to respond to Hansen with his actions, but his shot was ultimately deflected by Hansen and went astray.
Big Gasol wasn’t on the court, making it not easy for him to score under Hansen’s defense.
Turning it around, Hansen took the ball for a solo drive, broke through to the inside, scored on a layup, and even caused Vucevic to commit a defensive foul.
JR was shooting well from the perimeter and kept on moving, which distracted the Heat’s defense and gave Hansen more space to play one-on-one.
Hansen made his free throw, smiling at Durant on the side of the free-throw line,
"Keep it up, Kevin, you’ll become Shaq."
Durant provoked Hansen, who just got more hooked on trash-talking.
Others looked on in confusion, wondering what the connection was between Durant and O’Neal.
But Durant’s face had already turned red.
The Cavaliers led with a score of 61-60 at the end of the first half.
They shot 16 threes in the first half, making 10, a shooting percentage of over 60%, with JR being the most conspicuous as he alone nailed four three-pointers.
Hansen scored 20 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists in the first half, scoring 12 points alone in the second quarter.
Hansen still focused on organizing in the first quarter, but it was hard not to score when staggering his play.
The fans of the Heat were burning with anxiety during the game.
Although the Cavaliers’ performance in the first half was related to their hot hands outside, who knew if they could keep it up in the second half?
Riley had disappeared from the stands, only to return just before the break ended, looking very upset.
The Heat players also looked grim, seeming like Riley had gone down to the locker room to give a speech.
Coming back in the second half, the Heat significantly intensified their defense on the Cavaliers’ perimeter.
But you can’t defend both the Cavaliers’ shooters and Hansen.
Hansen scored 24 points in that quarter alone, ending with stats of 44 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Under his leadership, the Cavaliers kept it even with the Heat throughout the quarter.
When the quarter ended, Hansen’s stats showed up on the LED screen, causing a stir in the venue.
Three games with 50+ points had already shut those United States fans up, but who would have thought Hansen was about to hit 50+ tonight!
Four consecutive games with 50+ points, a feat previously only achieved by Chamberlain and Kobe.
No, it wasn’t just about 50+ points, it could potentially be a 50+ triple-double!
The Cavaliers frequently used a small lineup tonight, with Hansen playing small forward, which gave him more rebounds than usual.
Barkley had already started again in the commentary booth.
"You know, if you make two or three shots a quarter and then make four or five free throws, you can score 40+ points." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
His remark also made O’Neal and Kenny Smith burst into laughter.
It was a nod to the old response Jordan gave when a journalist asked why he always scored 30+ points.
Of course, that was just a rhetorical flourish since, facing strong opponents like the Heat tonight, defensive strategies always vary on the court.
Hansen scored 8 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, and 24 in the third, his scoring adjusting to these variations.
At this time, both sides’ main players rested off the court; the tension of the third quarter saw almost non-stop play from the key players.
Durant looked up at the stats on the LED display and couldn’t help but curse under his breath.
Now, it seemed Hansen not only brought the weaker Cavaliers to a stand-off with the Heat, but what was more crucial was his numbers.
Damn it, Hansen, always pushing the narrative to the backdrop!
The Cavaliers clung to the score at the start of the fourth quarter.
Irving finally made some plays, hitting a three-pointer and then scoring 7 consecutive points through penetrations.
With 8 minutes left in the game, the score was 106-104, with the Cavaliers ahead.
Both teams gradually brought back their main players for the final showdown.
Upon returning, the Heat adjusted their strategy, starting to double-team Hansen.
The strategy immediately had an effect, as Tucker’s three-point shot from the outside didn’t go in.
Apart from needing space, shooters also need a shooting touch, which requires making shots to maintain.
Spoelstra seemed to be jumping back and forth with his defensive strategies, but in reality, he was strategically tweaking their defense.
The Heat’s success this season stemmed not only from the team’s synergy but also from the brilliance of their coach.
Turning back, Big Gasol played back to the basket, cleverly passed it to Durant who drove in against TT’s help defense, scored, and also drew the foul.
After making the basket, Durant roared towards the sidelines, sending the American Airlines Arena into a frenzy.
As long as he won the game, the so-called broader storyline wouldn’t land on him.
And indeed, his performance tonight wasn’t bad at all; with that last basket, his points had reached 30.
His free throw was steady, helping the Heat take the lead.
The chants for defense rose from the crowd again.
Taking advantage of the Cavaliers’ cooling perimeter shooting, sweeping the game in one go wasn’t out of the question.