Chapter 773: Chapter 773
After the timeout, both teams’ main players gradually returned to the court, and the game entered its final decisive moments.
Once Durant was back, he wielded the Grim Reaper’s scythe, hitting a mid-range shot to stabilize the Celtics.
Back on the Cavaliers’ side, they continued with Jokic holding the ball at the high post, while Hansen ran off the ball.
However, just as Hansen received the ball, Han’s gravity emerged, and almost everyone quickly converged towards him.
This was a chain reaction brought about by that previous dunk.
Once the thought of "we can’t stop him" appeared, people generally have two choices: either too scared to defend, or rushing in a swarm.
The Celtics have excellent defensive discipline, so they weren’t the former, which left only the latter option.
Hansen directly made a long pass to JR in the corner.
Although Hansen had a chance to chase Kobe’s 81 points target, it didn’t mean he had to do so.
JR caught the ball and shot a three-pointer, delivering the shot smoothly.
After making the shot, he happily performed a plane takeoff celebration on the sideline.
All the sweat and effort you put in will show themselves in another way when you need them.
to 100, JR’s three-pointer once again pushed the point difference on the court to double digits.
Stevens couldn’t help but frown.
He also knew the biggest difference between Hansen and James is that Hansen is not the kind of person who chases stats relentlessly.
So if he lets his team follow this instinctual defense, the Celtics might collapse within these two or three minutes.
So he’s now facing a choice, whether to fight for the win with everything or stop Hansen from scoring.
Durant’s mid-range shot in the frontcourt missed.
The wear and tear are mutual; to deplete Jokic, Irving and Durant played many isolations in the first three quarters, consuming their stamina considerably.
And on the defensive end, the Celtics’ main players also expended a lot of energy to defend Hansen.
When the Cavaliers pushed forward to the frontcourt again, Stevens made a new choice.
After receiving the ball in the frontcourt, Hansen found that the Celtics were no longer double-teaming him.
He didn’t know what Stevens had in mind, but he surely wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.
After backing into Bradley to secure the position, he reached for the ball that Jokic fed in.
Post-up, turnaround, spin move breakthrough, drawing a foul on Towns and earning free throws.
Under the condition of energy depletion, Hansen was trying his best to play close to the basket.
The noise at the scene was deafening, but Hansen calmly sank both free throws.
Back on the other end, Irving executed a pick-and-roll and then passed to the cutting Durant, who hit a three-pointer after receiving the ball.
Stevens’ judgment was correct; without the need to help defend and double-team, the Celtics could launch better offenses.
Of course, he couldn’t stop Hansen from continuing to score.
When there were only four minutes left in the game, Hansen’s spin-hook shot after a breakthrough brought his personal score to 71 points.
It was Hansen’s career-first 70+ game.
And it was also the highest score in the league since Kobe’s 81 points in 2006.
From the commentary booth, O’Neal was already excitedly predicting the possibility of Hansen breaking Kobe’s 81 points record.
"If Han does it, it will be the greatest scoring performance in NBA history; you have to remember he’s facing the Celtics tonight, the championship favorite of the season, and spent most of the game under double-teams!"
So who was being single-covered the entire game?
Having just finished practice guidance, Kobe was sitting in a car ready to go home and enjoy family time when he suddenly sneezed twice.
The game continued, as did Hansen’s scoring, while the Celtics kept closing the gap.
But with one minute left in the game, the score was 130 to 126, with the Cavaliers leading.
After Stevens’ defensive strategy adjustment, Hansen’s score soared rapidly, having reached 79 points by now.
When Hansen posted up once more in the frontcourt, the venue started to get uncontrollably restless.
Although, as opponents, they surely hoped for Hansen to score less.
But as fans, witnessing an 80-point performance live was genuinely thrilling.
After all, it had been exactly 11 years since 2006, and fans had turned over a new leaf.
This time, Hansen’s spinning offense was met with a double-team.
At this point, strategy was irrelevant; continuing to allow Hansen to score would essentially end the game early.
But Hansen broke through with determination.
In these moments, the best way to ensure victory is to get to the free-throw line.
"No fouls!" Stevens loudly reminded from the sidelines.
Two points could be accepted, but if Hansen made it a 2+1, then the game would be effectively over.
At this stage, a one-point difference could lead to two entirely different outcomes.
Stevens’ reminder was correct, but with his shout, Hansen felt the defensive intensity he faced instantly decreased. For origınal chapters go to 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
He immediately accelerated towards the basket, bumping off Towns to lay the ball in.
As the ball rolled into the basket, a cheer broke out unexpectedly at the scene.
This was unbelievable; it was, after all, Boston.
But truly, when someone equaled Kobe’s scoring record after 11 years, it’s hard to contain your emotions!
Stevens called a timeout.
There were only 45 seconds left in the game, and the Celtics trailed by 6 points, needing to score in the next possession.
After the timeout, Durant ran to draw defense, Irving suddenly executed another pick-and-roll with Horford, and raised for a three-pointer right off the screen.
This was the kind of shot Jokic couldn’t possibly contest, not to mention his stamina was nearly drained.
Irving got a golden opportunity; this came down to the clutch shooting mentality.
And Irving had the heart for it.
Accompanied by a crisp sound and the enthusiastic cheers of the fans, Irving’s three-pointer landed decisively.
Irving’s character may be quirky, but you must acknowledge his scoring ability in critical moments.
Malone called a timeout.
With 28 seconds left, and a three-point difference, the Cavaliers needed to score on the last possession to prevent giving the Celtics a chance to tie.
After the timeout, Hansen held the ball outside, signaling Jokic for a screen.
The most crucial play, Malone chose the Cavaliers’ trump card tactic.
Jokic set a screen and quickly moved out, while Hansen drove to the basket to attract the double-team, then sent a behind-the-back pass to the top for Jokic.
This moment instantly triggered everyone’s memory in the arena.
In last season’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 6, the Cavaliers used such a "trust shot" to eliminate the Celtics.
So without hesitation, Horford, who was the closest, turned and lunged out.
But it wasn’t just Horford; several Celtics players on the court moved towards Jokic to some extent.
Jokic made a shooting motion, lifting the ball up, but just as he reached the highest point, his choice once again surprised everyone.
He actually passed the ball straight down the lane with both hands, like delivering a strike!
Hansen had already broken free from Bradley and cut into the paint. Upon receiving Jokic’s pass, he immediately leaped up.
But Towns also jumped up with effort at that point, with a rather aggressive defensive move.
Soft the entire game, he hardened up at the last moment.
However, he made his move at the wrong time since Hansen remained focused on drawing contact for free throws.
The referee’s whistle blew.
Upon hearing the whistle, Towns forcibly pressed down with both hands.
In mid-air, Hansen twisted his body to avoid contact, then flicked the ball backward against Towns with a hook shot.
The difficulty of this shot was immense; after release, the ball arced over Towns’ head, striking the backboard.
Then, it rebounded and began to drop towards the hoop.
Accompanied by a crisp sound, Hansen scored his 83rd point of the night, with a shot worthy of his career’s top ten highlights!