The biggest comeback margin in NBA playoff history is 31 points; a 20-point gap isn’t completely hopeless.
Even on their home court, the Heat Team didn’t give up.
They spent the next three quarters tirelessly chasing points.
In the second half, the Cavaliers inevitably started to show signs of fatigue.
By the fourth quarter, the Heat managed to narrow the lead down to single digits.
But ultimately, the hole they had dug was too deep, and they fell to a 106-113 defeat.
After the game, Malone gave the game’s MVP, the big gold chain, to Hansen.
During the decisive 10-0 surge by the Cavaliers at the end of the first quarter, Hansen contributed 8 points.
But Hansen placed the gold chain around Malone’s neck instead.
Tonight’s victory was one of tactical strategy, and it was Malone who seized the only opportunity on the court.
"Our opponents played well tonight; that’s all there is to it."
At the post-game press conference, Riley made no mention of the tactical issues in the first quarter.
Clearly, getting him to admit he was outmaneuvered tactically by Malone was out of the question.
He is the "Divine Calculator," while Malone was just a "young man" who had been a head coach in the League for a couple of years.
With the G2 win, the Cavaliers took home court advantage away from the Heat.
However, after shifting to Cleveland for G3, the Cavaliers lost a four-quarter battle 106-114 to the Heat, handing back the home court advantage.
Riley did not talk about the tactical battle after G2, but come G3, he proactively made a change, starting David West instead of Deng to face the Cavaliers’ small-ball lineup with a regular lineup.
Tucker couldn’t withstand West, and the Cavaliers’ defensive end needed more help and rotations, which allowed the Heat to execute more team plays.
The Warriors lost a total of 9 games this season, and of those losses, the Heat were the only team to have beaten them twice.
When the Heat’s offense gets rolling, they’re unstoppable.
Out of necessity, Malone had to go back to TT and a regular lineup, and the game returned to the pace of G1.
After G3, an ESPN article proclaiming "This is Kevin Durant’s year" sparked heated discussion.
Over in the East, the Heat lead the Cavaliers 2-1 with Durant averaging 36 points a game, while in the West, the Warriors also led the Lakers 2-1.
Based on the current momentum, the Finals will likely be Heat vs. Warriors, and the Heat swept the Warriors in the regular season.
If the Heat do end up winning the championship, Durant, as Nike’s leading face, is sure to be the "savior."
By then, there’s no doubt that the biography of Durant that year would blow up on social media.
The night before the game, Hansen invited the whole team to his estate, and everyone enjoyed a bonfire party on his lawn.
Irving showed off his Native American dance moves at the party, drawing curious glances from his teammates.
Meanwhile, Hansen sat in a distant rest area, discussing the game with Malone.
The Cavaliers’ lineup change proved effective; against any other opponent, they would have already secured the series.
But unfortunately for them, they were facing the Heat; Riley had plenty of cards in his hand, easily finding a solution.
The next games will only become more difficult for the Cavaliers.
"We still need to find a way from the defensive end," Malone had seen the essence; trying to outscore the Heat was a dead end.
"I’ll defend KD," Hansen agreed with Malone’s view.
In fact, the Cavalier’s win in G2 was a bit fluky; given more time, the Heat nearly caught up with the 20-point deficit.
This Heat team might not be the greatest in history, but their offense enters the discussion.
It’s not surprising when a team’s starting five all have All-Star credentials; that’s quite unparalleled.
Perhaps only the 2018-2019 season Warriors could compare, but they didn’t face injuries like the Warriors did.
Even now, looking back, it remains incredible what the Cavaliers managed last season.
"Can Kyrie step up?" Malone turned his head towards Irving, still dancing, seemingly entering his own world of spirit.
Having Hansen guard Durant meant reducing his offensive role, which also meant more responsibility for Irving. Official source ıs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Hansen also looked towards Irving:
"Isn’t this moment what our regular season was all for?"
For Game 4 of the series, Quicken Loans Arena wasn’t just packed inside; a huge number of fans gathered outside as well.
The Cavaliers’ previous plans to renovate the arena had been approved by the city. Unlike the new training center, which was nearly complete, the arena’s renovation was scheduled for the off-season, so it would have to wait until this summer.
However, the Cavaliers had already done something before the playoffs started; they transformed the parking lot across from the arena into a temporary plaza, putting up giant LED screens to broadcast games.
This provided a place for those who could not get tickets to watch the game.
In the first and second rounds, due to a lack of suspense, the crowd there was small, but against the Heat, it had become densely packed.
Trailing 1-2, the importance of this game was without question.
If they lost two home games in a row, taking a 1-3 deficit to Miami, the Cavaliers were likely to be swept out of the playoffs this year.