After scoring, Jokic raised his hands and waved them; this was the first time since he joined the NBA that he was so excited about basketball.
If it were a play drawn up by Malone, and he made the shot in the end, at most, it would feel like a weight off his shoulders.
After all, completing tasks assigned by the leader makes you worthy of the salary you earn.
But Hansen’s kind of passing the buck, no, not that, an unexpected pass of trust, is just like when Artest received a pass from Kobe and hit a three-pointer in "history," a delightful surprise.
Who wouldn’t like a little surprise in a monotonous job?
Malone was initially taken aback by Hansen’s decision because passing to Jokic, who only had a little over a 30% three-point shooting rate this season, didn’t seem as reliable as Hansen driving to the basket himself.
But now, he just wanted to say: Great pass! Wonderful pass! A divine pass!
Of course, the game hadn’t really ended yet, with 2.6 seconds remaining.
The Celtics had no time-outs left.
Horford, with his experience, had already run to the backcourt to get the ball, and as Jokic celebrated, he quickly inbounded the ball to Durant at midcourt.
Durant caught the ball and turned to break through.
But as he turned, Hansen was already in front of him.
Hansen couldn’t possibly let Durant seize this final opportunity.
Durant was forced to dribble to create a shot opportunity but lost the timing for a shot due to this motion.
In the end, he didn’t manage to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Not only that, but his overtime shot was also snatched out of the air by Hansen.
Don’t ask, if you ask, Garnett once played for the Cavaliers.
The fans on-site couldn’t believe their eyes.
The last minute of the game was simply a rollercoaster.
As it reached the end, they all plunged into the abyss together, shattered beyond repair.
The game had determined a winner, but it was not yet over.
Because Hansen, who had secured the basketball, quickly walked towards the scorer’s table.
Originally, he hadn’t intended to do this, but he couldn’t ignore the Boston fans who had taunted him throughout the game, so he decided to jump onto the scorer’s table, out of respect.
When Hansen shot up there, Barkley and O’Neal at the commentary desk grew excited.
After seven years, the Boston outlaw appeared once again!
Holding the ball, Hansen spread his arms wide to the Boston fans on-site.
The on-site fans, as if triggered, chanted "handsome is a bastard" once more in unison.
However, at this moment, it sounded more like a cheer.
The reporters began taking frantic photos with their cameras.
Jokic, witnessing this scene for the first time, widened his eyes.
He couldn’t manage such a cool thing himself, but it sure was cool.
Hansen jumped down from the scorer’s table, and unlike seven years ago, this time, no one dared to throw a water bottle at him.
The changes brought by status shifts often manifest in these small details.
After jumping down, Hansen shoved the ball to Jokic.
It was Jokic who made the clutch shot, so the ball should belong to him.
"My play was for Han to drive to the basket, but he chose to pass instead. This is the on-court judgment of the best player in the league," Malone gave Hansen’s choice the highest praise in the post-game press conference.
In fact, Hansen’s thought process was far less complicated than Malone imagined; he simply wanted to give Jokic some practice.
Although, in a certain light, using such a crucial ball for practice might seem criminal.
But in reality, it’s only by withstanding tests in critical moments that one grows quickly.
Since he once said this was a man’s war, real combat is always more meaningful than drills.
"This is the 7th time KD has been beaten by you in the playoffs. Do you have anything to say about that?" an ESPN reporter asked.
This question left Hansen momentarily stunned.
He even couldn’t help but turn to Malone.
Malone shook his head, clearly unsure as well.
"2011 first round, 2012 Western Conference finals, 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals, 2015, 2016, and this year’s Eastern Conference finals," the reporter recounted.
Hansen scratched his head reflexively upon hearing this.
He was somewhat embarrassed.
It’s important to note he’s only in his 8th season, meaning they encountered each other in every playoff year except his rookie season.
If his path to greatness is a staircase, Durant’s shadow is on every step.
Engineer Du, indeed, lives up to the name.
"KD is a great competitor. I still remember the first playoffs after going to Memphis, where I had to give my all to beat him."
"Is he the Drexler of this era?" the reporter made a comparison.
This analogy was quite apt because during Jordan’s time in the league, Drexler was the second-best shooting guard of the time.
Han shook his head: "I think he should be Carl Malone or Hakeem Olajuwon."
If Durant had gone to the Warriors last summer, then in Hansen’s eyes, he wouldn’t be as esteemed as the two he mentioned. Thıs content belongs to 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩
But since Durant stayed in the East, Hansen’s evaluation elevated as well.
The pairing of Malone and Olajuwon reflects the reality that if Jordan hadn’t retired at his peak, Olajuwon’s fate might not have been much different from Malone’s.
Hansen’s evaluation of Durant sparked heated discussions among fans on social media after the game.
This high praise greatly boosted Durant’s personal image and showed to outsiders that while Hansen and his opponents are fierce on the court, they truly respect each other off the court.