Chapter 796: Chapter 796

Stevens nodded in satisfaction upon seeing it, realizing the Cavaliers’ bench had little firepower. If the Celtics could score, they could overtake the score very soon.

At this moment, Malone also frowned as he looked at the court.

It was clear he was worried about this period as well.

After all, the Celtics’ biggest advantage was their depth, and this was the toughest phase for them.

He then glanced at Hansen beside him.

If it didn’t work, he would have to bring in Hansen.

"Come on, Cavaliers!"

In adversity, Cleveland fans started cheering overwhelming chants of support.

The advantage of playing on the home court manifested at this moment, as Ross accelerated through the double team, then made a floater off the glass before Green could provide help defense.

This basket was quite critical.

Malone immediately stood up and made new tactical gestures to the players on the court.

Towns received the ball low and single-handedly played against TT, making a fadeaway shot under the intense defensive chants of the crowd.

The Celtics’ offensive firepower was undiminished.

The Cavaliers needed to keep their scoring going crucially.

Ross continued with the pick-and-roll, but this time the screener changed from TT to Dedmon.

This must have been the tactical gesture Malone made just now.

Dedmon had the advantage over TT with his ability to stretch the floor, allowing Ross to avoid getting trapped.

Or perhaps this was Malone choosing to trust Ross.

Of course, with this lineup, he could only trust Ross.

Ross lived up to expectations, using his speed to exploit a mismatch and outpace Olynyk, slicing in for another banked shot.

Even with no outside shooting, and even as the post-injury version of Ross, his driving ability still secured him a place in the NBA.

Ross’s consecutive 4 points helped stabilize the situation for the Cavaliers on the court.

With one minute left in the first quarter, the score was 26 to 31.

Taking advantage of a backcourt inbound, Stevens stood up from the bench and quickly called Smart over to give instructions.

He looked quite concerned.

The Cavaliers had only Ross as a scoring option on the court, and even this one point source they couldn’t defend.

If the Cavaliers maintained this score until the main players returned in the second quarter, it would be the Celtics who suffered.

It’s worth noting that Hansen hadn’t really played on the offensive end tonight.

Ross’s standout performance ignited the emotions of the fans on-site, with defensive chants engulfing the arena.

The Cavaliers’ defensive intensity was at its peak, as both Irving and Towns from the Celtics couldn’t capitalize on their offensive attempts.

Irving finally signaled for an isolation play.

The defensive chants quickly turned into boos.

Due to Irving’s previous remarks, the fans had forgotten his contributions to the Cavaliers.

Irving attempted a three-pointer with a shake. Orıginal content can be found at 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥

JR was highly focused on defense this time, and Irving couldn’t shake him off entirely; it was a high-difficulty shot.

However, despite a moment of tension, the ball eventually swished through the net.

Irving still possessed strong individual skills.

After scoring, Irving spread his hands toward the fans.

Hansen noticed Jokic sub-consciously clenching his fist.

It seemed Jokic was instinctively comparing himself with Irving.

Smart’s effortful defense stopped Ross’s attack.

The Cavaliers then had a chance to tie the score towards the end of the quarter.

This time, Irving directly signaled for an isolation play.

The previous basket gave him a sense of his good touch, and he was ready to seize the opportunity to directly tie the score.

However, at this moment, something unexpected happened.

Jokic stood up and yelled at JR.

Even Hansen was surprised by this move.

But he quickly smiled understandingly.

It seemed his feeling yesterday was correct, and Jokic would soon become a qualified team leader.

Jokic’s shout even caught Irving off guard.

In Irving’s impression, Jokic’s image was no different from others’, just a worker clocking in and out.

This unexpected shout caused a slight mental ripple in him.

This ripple ultimately led to a completely different outcome for his shot.

Irving’s stop-and-shoot from the free-throw line missed the basket.

The rebound was secured by Dedmon.

The Cavaliers launched a fast break, and Ross accelerated fully after receiving the ball, charging forward aggressively.

Stevens anxiously shouted from the sideline.

Ross finally advanced to the frontcourt, forcing his way up against Smart’s defense for a layup.

The two had contact in the air, but Ross demonstrated his top-tier finishing technique in a mid-air twist, completing the underhand shot.

The referee’s whistle and the sound of the ball going through the net occurred simultaneously.

Then, all attention was on Ross, who lost his balance in the air.

Thankfully, a photographer under the basket supported him, preventing a direct fall to the ground.

Moreover, seeing the ball go in after he stood up, he let out a rare roar.

Since joining the Cavaliers, his last highlight was way back at the start of the regular season.

After being injured early in the season and returning, his form was average, and he even got injured again later. If not for Hansen’s previous words "the only chance in this life," he might have chosen to retire.

So, this roar was an expression of an entire season’s worth of suppressed emotions, and a shout at his challenging career.

If this is truly the only chance in his life, he’s willing to pay his career to win that championship!

As Ross was at the free-throw line, the audience delivered him thunderous applause and cheers.

Despite the recurrence of injuries related to his playstyle, his persistence through numerous injuries and performance in this King Mountain Battle was moving.

Moreover, for the Cavaliers, signing Ross and not waiving or trading him after his injury paid off abundantly today.

Ross made the free throw, and the Cavaliers ultimately led 34-29 at the end of the first quarter.

The scenario Stevens hoped for, where the score was flipped, did not materialize; instead, the Cavaliers completed the first quarter with heightened morale.

In the second quarter, as the Celtics rotated players, Irving and Towns were subbed out for rest, with Durant and Horford brought in at the start of the fourth quarter.

Stevens was still unwilling to give up, wishing to close the gap during this substitution phase.

However, on the Cavaliers’ side, Hansen also entered at the beginning of the second quarter.

Hansen’s early appearance finally fulfilled Stevens’s wish, but Stevens felt an unease creeping in.

As the momentum had shifted to the Cavaliers, if Hansen made a push to increase the margin, the Celtics would be in a tough spot.

Stevens’s concerns weren’t unfounded.

Upon entering, Hansen immediately began a ball-dominant play.

However, he played with his back to the basket, not facing it.

Upon seeing it, Stevens quickly gestured for strong-side help defense, as it wasn’t a time for a war of attrition during this substitution stretch.

But Hansen spun toward the free-throw line and charged the basket.

The Cavaliers’ weak-side help moved in, and at this moment, Hansen made a no-look pass.

Following the ball’s trajectory, others realized that Ross had somehow already cut toward the basket.

Receiving Hansen’s pass, Ross took a quick layup for another 2 points before the Celtics could react.

Ross’s cut didn’t seem spontaneous; it appeared to be a set play.

Malone wasn’t bringing Hansen in to take over the game but to orchestrate the team’s offense with minimal energy expenditure!

Hansen slapped hands with Ross as they transitioned back on defense.

Seeing both Jokic and Ross step up, he realized his earlier thoughts were wrong.

He had considered turning the series into a personal challenge, but the truth is, he wasn’t fighting alone.