Chapter 732: Chapter 732
After the timeout, Cole brought back all the main players, and Malone also replaced all the substitutes except Wade, as both sides entered the final battle ahead of time.
The evenly matched scene of the first three quarters showed that with Jokic’s growth and Wade’s excellent form, the Cavaliers’ strength is not much weaker than the Warriors.
Especially in the fourth quarter, it was Hansen’s home court.
Not to mention the Cavaliers entered the decisive phase with a double-digit lead, which means they have at least an 80% chance of winning.
As for the remaining 20%, it depends on whether the Splash Brothers can explode.
Both of them have the ability to reverse the game outcome with their incredible shooting form.
Malone obviously knew this, so he focused the defensive resources on those two brothers.
He even let Covington allow James to score inside to reduce their shot attempts.
James doesn’t have explosive scoring, so this exchange of two points for possession is just helping the Cavaliers consume time as long as they keep scoring.
If people say James is the Cavaliers’ mole, shouldn’t he do some real mole work?
In the end, the miracle did not happen in Oakland, and the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 126 to 118 to win G1.
The game was exciting enough, and the scene of Hansen teasing James and Wade’s throat-slitting gesture would become a topic fans talk about after the game, while the scoring competition in the third quarter would attract fans to rewatch the game’s highlights.
This was a finals that matched the intensity fans expected, but the result wasn’t what most fans predicted.
"Those are games that only kids play; I only focus on the game itself."
At the post-game press conference, when asked about Hansen’s detail of touching his hair during the game, James seemed unconcerned.
That’s the correct stance, as he couldn’t admit that he was played by Hansen, right?
"Although DW is my good brother, that kind of celebration gesture is already banned, and the League should punish him."
When the topic shifted to Wade’s throat-slitting gesture, James demonstrated a "righteous indignation" attitude.
If it weren’t for him and Green being on the same team now, James might have been more drastic, suggesting a suspension similar to Green’s last season.
"Their performance tonight was nearly perfect, but it’s hard for them to maintain that level of play, and the finals have just begun."
Cole wasn’t worried about losing G1 either; 128 points aren’t the scoring ability the Cavaliers should have under normal circumstances.
"We all know this is a man’s war, and we need to give everything to win; victory will only belong to those who desire it more."
At the Cavaliers’ press conference, Hansen paid tribute to what Kobe said in last year’s finals.
"That was a response to LeBron; if he wants to play, I’ll play well. If he doesn’t want to play well, I’ll do the same thing next time."
When it came to the elbow incident during the game, Hansen was straightforward.
The person least likely to be suspended in the finals by the League is Hansen, especially since elbows are considered less severe than undercutting or pushing in the air.
Hansen used this point to directly warn James.
Wade is the "good guy," but Hansen is now recognized as the "bad guy."
"I think DW was just venting his personal emotions, not targeting anyone." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩
Since they knew the throat-slitting gesture would cause controversy, the Cavaliers didn’t arrange for Wade to attend tonight’s post-game press conference, though this issue was inevitable, and Hansen helped explain when asked.
"If the League fines him, will you help pay it?" a reporter asked.
"Do you mean having me pay a fine for a guy who made 200 million in his career?" Hansen replied with a smile.
Of course, if Wade really requested it, Hansen would definitely agree.
Because that throat-slitting gesture was after Wade’s 45-degree slash on James, it was Wade’s way of completely severing ties with James.
Although with Wade’s character, he might not directly become an anti-James, using Wade again would be impossible for James.
But for the Cavaliers or Wade, fines are not an issue; the key is whether the League will suspend Wade.
Because the throat-slitting gesture is among the banned celebratory moves, it’s rated just below the eye-slashing gesture James did during his Cavaliers 1.0 era, similar to racial discrimination.
Ultimately, the League issued Wade a $25,000 fine but did not impose additional suspension.
Not being the Chosen One anymore, James, no matter how obvious his hints, can’t command the League.
Moreover, another incident after G1 left Hansen in a fit of both crying and laughing.
Because his hair-touching motion in the game was so smooth, it directly made the shampoo brand he endorsed from East University go viral on social media.
NBA players, to reduce the interference of hair during games, often have crew cuts or are bald, like Jordan’s "egghead" nickname.
Even those with long hair often have it styled into cornrows or Mohawks to avoid excessive sweat affecting performance.
So they generally aren’t associated with shampoo brands.
But Hansen is different; he’s one of the few with mid-long hair and doesn’t style it.
So even when Hansen was a rookie, the shampoo brand from East University already signed an endorsement deal with him.