However, that enthusiasm was quickly doused with a bucket of cold water.
The person who splashed that cold water...
JR: That’s right, it was yours truly!
JR caught Hansen’s pass and sank his fifth three-pointer of the night!
Five three-pointers in a single game is no small feat, but for JR, it wasn’t a lot.
He was the kind of role player who had hit 10+ threes in a game three times in his career and once scored a whopping 45 points.
This was also the confidence behind his previous statement in front of Hansen, "Only those who can score can dominate the court."
For him, the excuse of having cold hands from not shooting from the perimeter for a while didn’t apply; whether his hands were hot or not was entirely up to his own whims.
Wade tried to punish on the offensive end with an iso, but JR played solid defense. Although Wade eventually squeezed past him, JR gave Tucker enough time to help, and Wade’s shot did not go in.
After Tucker secured the defensive rebound, the Cavaliers launched another fast break. Hansen, in the fast break, dished out another beautiful assist, with Irving following up and sinking a three-pointer as well.
He had hit a total of two three-pointers tonight, both coming in the last quarter.
Unlike JR, he wasn’t blowing hot and cold; he had found his shooting touch again, scoring his 10th point of the quarter.
Now the pressure was on Coach Spoelstra. His strategy had worked, but not quite completely.
Because now the Cavaliers were ahead of the Heat Team by four points.
After some deliberation, Spoelstra chose to revert to the defensive strategy of the third quarter. Fınd the newest release on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝘯𝘦𝘵
Because Hansen’s passes tonight always seemed to convert into perimeter scoring for the Cavaliers, making it easy for the Heat to fall behind.
It turned out that Spoelstra’s judgment was correct; after he readjusted the defense, the game entered a deadlock.
However, this also led to Hansen’s score not only breaking 50 points quickly but also starting to develop in another direction.
With 4 minutes and 18 seconds left in the game, Hansen’s floater on the drive missed, but he secured his own rebound to score, bringing his personal tally to 51 points and his rebounds to nine.
At 3 minutes and 34 seconds, Hansen drove inside, drawing a foul and making both free throws, bringing his score to 53 points.
With 2 minutes and 13 seconds to go, the Heat were whistled for a defensive three-second violation, and Hansen made the technical free throw, reaching 54 points.
With 1 minute and 5 seconds remaining, Hansen completed a close-range layup while being blocked, scoring 56 points.
At 41 seconds, JR’s three-pointer was off, but Hansen accurately predicted the landing spot and grabbed his 10th rebound, followed by a quick jump shot for a mid-range basket, achieving a 50-point triple-double!
Moreover, this basket gave the Cavaliers a crucial four-point lead.
With 18 seconds left, Durant drew a defensive foul from Tucker with an external shot, but after the referee reviewed the replay, it was confirmed that Durant stepped on the line, and he was awarded only two free throw attempts.
Durant made both free throws, and the Cavaliers called a timeout.
Out of the timeout, Hansen was fouled and went to the free-throw line.
A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd at that moment.
Not only because these two free throws were related to the outcome of the game, but more importantly, Hansen had already scored 58 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.
If he made both free throws, he would become the first NBA player to achieve a 60-point triple-double!
At this time, Durant seemed more nervous than Hansen.
He thought he’d be just a backdrop, but now this backdrop might turn to gold!
Hansen’s first free throw hit the front rim but crawled in.
Tonight, Irving’s overall form was just average; he had been playing as the main ball-handler for almost the entire game, and his energy was nearly at its limit.
This shot essentially secured the Cavaliers’ victory.
Hansen adjusted his breathing and calmly made the second free throw without a breath.
"A new record is born!" Barkley exclaimed excitedly from the commentator’s booth.
He had expected the Cavaliers to play above their level, but in the end, it was Hansen who delivered a historic performance!
At this moment, the mood among the Heat fans in the arena was complex.
Hansen’s free throws had almost locked the victory for the Cavaliers, but they had also witnessed history.
During the Heat’s timeout, Durant, with his hands on his hips, looked up at the LED screen for a good while before turning his gaze back down, remaining there until Wade came over to call him, and then he shook his head and walked towards the bench.