Chapter 802: Chapter 802

After Jokic adjusted, he made the first free throw steadily.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Then, silence returned.

It was the crucial second free throw that Jokic failed to make.

But at that moment, JR rushed to grab the offensive rebound!

Seeing James in front of him, JR quickly dribbled to the three-point line.

His first reaction was to find Hansen, but Huoledi and Davis immediately cut off his connection with Hansen.

At this point, JR, who was unguarded, entered a state of mental short-circuit.

It wasn’t until Jokic frantically signaled under the basket that he realized he should shoot.

But by that time James was already upon him, and in the last second, he tossed the ball to the unguarded Covington. Official source ıs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩

Covington, without a chance to adjust his shot, ultimately missed the basket, sending the game into overtime.

It was then that Coach Malone suddenly appeared very angry on the sidelines, shouting loudly at the referee.

He had signaled for a timeout, but it was ignored by the referee.

Malone’s protest yielded no effect, and the game went into overtime.

"Boss, I’m sorry." As soon as he sat on the bench, Jokic apologized to Hansen.

If it wasn’t for his missed second free throw, the game would have ended.

JR didn’t dare to look at Hansen.

He hadn’t recovered from the situation earlier, and he even forgot the score when he realized he couldn’t pass the ball to Hansen.

In crucial moments, a person’s brain is prone to a short circuit, not to mention his brain capacity is naturally smaller than others.

"Save the apologies for after we win overtime."

Hansen’s expression wasn’t good either.

It wasn’t because of Jokic and JR, but because the referee could ignore a timeout request.

Since the playoffs began, he was mentally prepared for a 5-on-8 situation, but this was too much.

After a brief rest, both sides entered a 5-minute overtime.

Right at the start of overtime, Hansen showed his anger, spinning past Huoledi’s defense and aggressively attacking Davis’s defense.

This wasn’t a good choice, but Davis was hit by Hansen’s elbow and knocked aside, and Hansen soared in the air to score.

And this was just the beginning.

Hansen was challenging the referees with his actions.

If the referees wanted to see him fouled out, they could go ahead and call fouls on him.

The whistles from the referees didn’t sound.

Defense needs a loose standard to be executed, which is the tone of this championship series.

Hansen’s moves were small, but they didn’t exceed the set standard for penalties.

More importantly, the League doesn’t want to see the Cavaliers finish their dynasty, but they also don’t want Hansen fouled out.

Hansen’s global influence now surpasses Jordan’s in the past, guaranteeing viewership.

Soon, the Pelicans realized that their whole approach of using Huoledi and Davis to limit Hansen’s defense in the game did not work in overtime.

Hansen was like a frenzied tiger, with no one able to stop him.

Throughout overtime, the Cavaliers scored a total of 10 points, and Hansen accounted for all 10!

Under his leadership, the Cavaliers had a lopsided score of 10-2 in overtime and ultimately defeated the Pelicans 106-98, securing the first victory of the finals.

The fans at the stadium experienced a roller coaster ride during the game.

However, it was full of stories.

This will become a classic event in the future!

At the post-game press conference, Hansen and Jokic attended together.

Hansen contributed 51 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the whole game, and Jokic had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.

"I almost messed up the game. Although we won, it was a great experience and lesson for me. I need to make my mental resilience stronger."

Jokic once again brought up the final free throw.

He believed if he were to shoot again now, he would definitely make it.

But that’s the psychological change in crucial moments of the game. Without enough mental resilience, or not as tough as Hansen who lived two lifetimes, missing such a shot is quite normal.

Not to mention a center like him, even if a guard known for stability came, they might not be able to make both shots steadily.

"Nikola making the shot might not be a good thing for us."

At this moment, Hansen took the microphone in front of him.

"According to tonight’s penalty standard, if he made the shot, our opponents would have gotten two free throw opportunities in the final moments."

Hansen really didn’t want to pretend anymore.

Remember, there were still 4.7 seconds left, enough time to call a defensive foul on the Cavaliers.

There was a stir among the reporters below.

Only Hansen would dare say something like that; otherwise, just for the attitude, he’d receive at least a one-game suspension as punishment.

Even Hansen, however, won’t escape the fines.

Their uproar was not because of what Hansen said; it was because he dared to say it, as given the referees’ bias tonight, what Hansen cited was definitely a possibility.

"What was JR thinking? Why didn’t he choose to shoot?" At this time, a reporter from NBC questioned Hansen.

Compared to Jokic’s one out of two free throws, JR’s mental lapse was more fatal, almost ending the Cavaliers’ chance to win in regulation.

Plus, JR wasn’t new to this kind of blunder; had it not been for Hansen’s godlike performance in overtime, JR would have been nailed to history’s pillar of shame.

"It’s not his responsibility." Hansen immediately denied the reporter’s claim.

"After Nikola’s second free throw, he secured the offensive rebound for us. We know how difficult it is for a guard to grab a rebound in that situation."

"But at the last moment, he didn’t shoot or call a timeout," the reporter added.

"Ending a game in crucial moments isn’t the responsibility of role players. He wanted to pass it to me, but it didn’t work out."

JR’s choice in the final moments was foolish but understandable, because if he took the shot and missed, leading to defeat, he’d be the primary responsible party. Not everyone is ready to assume responsibility.

"As for the timeout, we’re all familiar with the Chris Webber call timeout story; players don’t count if there are timeouts left." As he said this, Hansen’s tone became somber again,

"Coach Malone’s request for timeout was ignored by them. They claimed they didn’t see him because they had their backs to him. Are our referees only equipped with eyes and no ears?"

Hansen’s words stirred excitement among the reporters again.

Hansen was far from complaining; he was openly attacking.

But clearly, Hansen is crucial for League viewership; Silva might do anything, including what’s mentioned, but suspending Hansen is out of the question.

"We won’t let the game reach that kind of moment again."

Moreover, at the end of the press conference, Hansen made a bold statement.

He certainly knows that even addressing the referees’ families won’t change the situation, because Silva doesn’t know when he will leave the Cavaliers, and this approach is from the League’s interest perspective.

So if the situation can’t change, and the League wants the Pelicans to win, then simply don’t let the game reach such a moment.

Hansen’s comments during the interview earned him a hefty fine of up to US $10,000, but also sparked intense discussions among fans on social media.

The argument that 8-on-5 couldn’t be stopped was unapologetically pervasive.

Most people were more impressed by having a good team leader like Hansen for Jokic and JR.

Because if roles were reversed, with James leading this Cavaliers team in such situations, the Cavaliers would likely lose, and Jokic and JR, especially JR, would directly become eternal sinners.