At halftime, the Cavaliers lead the Warriors 54 to 45.
Aside from tactical adjustments, the Cavaliers have noticeably increased their defensive intensity tonight.
The team’s defensive strength improved significantly after the Irving trade, which was also crucial in their previous win over the Celtics.
Especially when playing at home, the fans’ shouts can greatly boost defensive enthusiasm.
So despite the low scores by halftime, the energy expenditure was greater than in the previous two games.
Cole was prepared for a tough fight, but the game proved to be more challenging than he anticipated.
The direct result was that, unlike the previous two games, the Warriors didn’t explode in the third quarter.
When forced into a defensive battle with the Cavaliers, the intensity on the court skyrocketed.
Green, who was targeted tonight, lost his composure, performing poorly on offense, but when the game turned into a defensive battle, his presence was immediately felt.
However, with the Cavaliers frequently attacking the basket, Green faced significant defensive pressure.
After JR drew Green’s fourth personal foul while attacking the basket, the frustration that Cole had managed to suppress during halftime flared up again.
Green approached James to discuss defense.
James had a somewhat perplexed expression.
Firstly, Green hadn’t stopped JR.
Secondly, JR wasn’t even his assignment, so why was Green discussing defensive issues with him?
Green was exasperated by James’s reaction.
Though the defensive issues seemed unrelated to James at present, defense is a system, and the collapse of the system started with James.
Initially tasked with marking role players, James was always looking to launch a fast break, leading to missed assignments and forcing others on the Warriors to cover, ultimately causing the defensive setup to crumble.
Because the defensive battle prioritized attacking inside, this breakdown ultimately transferred to Green, the Warriors’ last line of defense.
James, however, remained puzzled; without defensive transition, there’s no point in playing defense!
It’s important to know that in a set defense, the Cavaliers are currently tightly guarding him and Curry, negating the Warriors’ strengths in a half-court game.
The key to the Madness of Warriors is high-speed offense and defense, which involves defensive transition, Cole’s tactical philosophy, and one of the main reasons he originally joined the Warriors.
Now, is Green telling him that was wrong?
Due to their differing understandings, what started as a discussion escalated into an argument.
Even as Cole called Pachulia to ready him for subbing in for Green, Green kept arguing with James.
Hansen, witnessing this, could no longer stand idly by, and he approached the two.
Old fans might unconsciously smirk at this, recalling that when James argued with Westbrook on the Thunders years ago, Hansen playfully encouraged them both.
Clearly, many years have passed, and Hansen has matured.
Instead of being playful, he earnestly persuaded them:
"Stay calm, it’s just basketball."
Yet, perhaps due to something a fan shouted earlier that created a rift between them, neither paid Hansen any heed.
Hansen: It seems I can’t be the good guy here, only the bad guy.
He leaned into Green’s ear, raising his voice: "Calm down, Draymond!"
The words shouted right beside Green’s ear made him turn sharply, looking at Hansen with indignation.
"Do you really want to be traded? You don’t think you can match LeBron’s status in the league, do you? So calm down, it’s just business!"
Just as Malone once said, a championship always comes with sacrifices.
In "history," when Durant joined the Warriors, Curry made the biggest sacrifice because Durant needed a lot of shots.
Now, with James on the Warriors, James needs ball control, making Green the one who sacrifices the most.
Green’s stats and standing in the team have declined; if it weren’t for James helping him earn money off the court, he would’ve exploded long ago.
So, Hansen’s reminder was truly well-intentioned, essentially informing Green that if he gets traded, his off-court earnings will stop as well.
Or, in other words, if Green chose to cooperate despite his grievances, he should learn from "history’s" Anthony Davis, who sat with dissatisfaction, bearing the injustices.
Clearly, Green is not like Davis in character; he didn’t respond to Hansen or continue arguing with James but turned and walked towards the bench.
James’s gaze towards Hansen had a hint of complexity.
"No need to thank me."
Hansen looked at James, spoke, then turned and walked away. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩
As the saying goes: Once the deed is done, retreat and hide the achievements and name.
With Green off the court and Pachulia on, the Warriors’ interior defense, especially their help defense and sweeping ability, dropped significantly.
At this point, Malone also adjusted his offense, no longer using drives to compress the Warriors’ defense, but spacing out for Jokic to post up inside.
Despite the game not going as he anticipated, he never forgot his strategy.
Fearing Jokic’s passing, the Warriors dared not double-team easily, allowing Jokic to easily score against Pachulia one-on-one.
However, midway through the third quarter, an unexpected turn took place on the court.