Why did Jordan only score 5 points back then? Was it because his three-point shooting was that bad?
Obviously, it wasn’t. A man who sunk six three-pointers in a finals game, even if he didn’t practice them much, couldn’t be at that level.
The main reason was that Jordan’s entire rhythm was off. With one minute of competition time, he finished shooting 25 balls and still had nearly 10 seconds left.
You can imagine that he probably hadn’t trained specifically for it before.
But Hansen was near perfect in touch, mentality, and rhythm.
How could this look like his first time competing? It clearly seemed like he was showcasing his best trick! Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
In the third spot, Hansen’s performance fluctuated, although he made the money ball, he only hit 2 out of 5.
At this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief; Hansen wasn’t really a shooting machine.
But the crowd quickly grew restless again because after adjusting, Hansen scored four balls at the fourth spot!
Having completed four spots, his score had already reached 16 points.
At the last spot, Hansen’s performance continued.
And with each successful shot, the crowd erupted with exclamations.
Commentator Mike Brin had already started to tally the score following each shot.
"18 points, 19 points, 20 points, 21 points, 23 points!"
After the last money ball swished through the net without touching the rim, the place was boiling over.
The last spot, all hits!
The stars in the front rows were all applauding Hansen.
O’Neal was even more excited, lifting his camera like a 300-pound baby.
Was this showing off?
This was damn impressive!
"This is just the preliminary round," Kenny Smith played the voice of reason.
Frye, who went second, had a very serious expression.
He ended up with only 11 points, an unremarkable performance for the Phoenix Suns’ most accurate and productive shooter this season.
Following him, the defending champion Cook surprised everyone by scoring only 13 points.
Including Curry, the fourth to appear, who also took several deep breaths before playing.
It was only then that everyone realized the psychological pressure they were under by Hansen’s trash-talking "You’re here for second place" and scoring 23 points.
"He wasn’t wrong; he is the next Bird," Johnson came back to his senses at that moment.
Bird took only 17 points to win the championship in the year he participated, and Johnson remembered it vividly as he was a firsthand witness.
In other words, Bird’s comments that year had seriously messed with the other players’ mentality.
In this sense, Hansen didn’t just boast; he truly mastered the essence of Bird’s showmanship.
When Curry took the stage, the arena quickly quieted down.
Although a rookie like Hansen, Curry’s three-point abilities had already made a name for themselves in the NCAA.
Curry’s performance at the first rack was mediocre, hitting only 2 out of 5 balls, and he also missed the money ball.
You could feel the pressure on him, not much different from Frye and Cook before.
The crowd grew restless again, seeing that if things continued this way, Hansen’s win seemed almost certain.
To be that much of a target for criticism, to show off and then still win is simply infuriating!
But then, Curry surprised everyone at the second rack, hitting 4 out of 5.
At the third spot, the top of the arc, although he only made 3 out of 5, he hit the final money ball.
Curry seemed to be a slow starter, but he was rising to the occasion!
After completing the last five racks, Curry finished with 18 points.
Not very high, but much better than Frye and Cook before him.
When Curry walked off after his turn, Hansen stood up and high-fived him.
That gesture left Curry somewhat surprised, yet it was Hansen’s most genuine recognition.
Under such enormous pressure, to still perform, the potential for Curry to become a superstar wasn’t as simple as saying, "he was a product of the small-ball era."
Curry withstood the pressure, thereby greatly reducing the pressure that Hansen had created.
Billups, who came after, also scored 17 points.
This shifted all the pressure onto Pierce.
According to the rules, only the top three players of the preliminary round could make it to the finals.
In other words, he had to score more than 17 points to advance to the finals.
Before taking the stage, Pierce glanced at Hansen subconsciously. Hansen flashed him a smile and pointed at the display screen.
The screen was showing the player’s scores.
The implication was clear: My number one hater, don’t fail to make it to the finals!
Pierce ultimately withstood the pressure, scoring 18 points, just enough to edge into the finals.
Pierce’s "big heart" was well-known among active players, having delivered 11 game-winning shots, including 5 buzzer-beaters.
After sinking his last shot, Pierce provocatively looked back at Hansen.
Although his 18 points were fewer than Hansen’s 23, the three-point contest graded on individual rounds, meaning he had the same chance of winning the championship as Hansen.
Hansen, embodying a big brother’s persona, smiled and clapped softly for Pierce.
That move totally threw Pierce off.
Anyone unaware would’ve thought they had a great relationship!
With the preliminary over, Hansen, Curry, and Pierce advanced to the finals, appearing in order from lowest to highest preliminary score.
There was a five-minute rest and preparation period between the preliminaries and finals, during which the reporters once again interviewed Hansen.
"Now, do you have anything to say to your opponents?" the reporters, as ever, understood the game well.