(TL/n: Nvm gonna switch back since it felt odd.)
At the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers led the Celtics 100-92.
One thing was clear tonight: Han Sen's scoring was directly tied to the Cavaliers' success.
When he had a high-scoring quarter, like in the first and third, Cleveland built a lead. But when his scoring dipped, like in the second quarter, their advantage evaporated.
This dependency highlighted the Cavaliers' reliance on their core. Whatever offensive production Nikola Jokić couldn't deliver had to be made up by Han Sen.
So, while the Cavaliers led by 8 points, the situation wasn't as favorable as it seed.
From the first half, one pattern was evident: after a big quarter, Han's performance would drop significantly, as it did from the first to the second. If the trend continued, it could spell trouble in the fourth quarter.
Although coach Michael Malone had given Han a two-minute break at the end of the third, scoring 62 points in three quarters was a massive strain on anyone's stamina.
The cara frequently panned to Han on the bench. His face looked pale, his exhaustion apparent.
Scoring 62 points in three quarters without a stamina issue? Who are we kidding?
Michael Jordan once said scoring 30 points in a ga was easy. Han had doubled that in just three quarters. For context, Jordan's career-high was 69 points.
To make matters worse, Han's first-quarter scoring binge had been fueled by a strategy completely different from what he was used to. Players aren't machines; adrenaline can carry them only so far before reality sets in.
The good news was that Han's stamina issues weren't as severe as they seed.
While the Celtics' defense wasn't as relentless as the Raptors' had been against Kobe Bryant back in 2006, it still included plenty of double-teams and help defense. The difference, however, was the Cavaliers had Nikola Jokić.
With Jokić stationed near the arc, Han could benefit from off-ball opportunities that Bryant never had in his 81-point ga. This allowed Han to conserve energy, especially in the third quarter.
Still, the fourth quarter promised to be a grind. The Celtics were stronger than the Raptors, and Han would likely have to flirt with Kobe's legendary 81-point mark to secure this Christmas victory.
---
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Celtics had trimd the lead to under five points. Malone called Han back into the ga earlier than planned.
Like last year's Warriors and Heat, the Celtics boasted an embarrassnt of riches. With so many stars on their roster, coach Brad Stevens could mix and match lineups to maintain defensive pressure throughout the ga.
anwhile, with Dwyane Wade no longer in his pri, he struggled to provide the spark that had made him so vital last season.
The ga's intensity demanded nothing less than a heroic effort.
Han entered the ga and imdiately called for the ball in the high post, posting up against Marcus Smart.
With Jokić still resting on the bench, the offense would run entirely through Han.
After scanning the court and confirming no double-team was coming, he leaned into Smart, spun off him, and exploded toward the basket.
Bradley? Smart? It didn't matter.
Han's low center of gravity allowed him to spin and accelerate effortlessly. The Celtics' defense was still scrambling to rotate, but it was already too late.
Han launched himself into the air, gliding above Kelly Olynyk, who stood a half-ter away, preparing to contest.
Han's jump was explosive—too much for Olynyk. The Celtics center gave up, turning away and shielding his head as Han slamd the ball through the rim.
Boom!
The arena fell silent for a mont, stunned by what they had just witnessed. Then chaos erupted.
The Cavaliers' bench exploded in celebration. This wasn't just a dunk. It was a statent. A poster. The kind of play that would be immortalized alongside Tracy McGrady's dunk over Shawn Bradley, Vince Carter's over Fred Weis, and Michael Jordan's over Patrick Ewing.
And Han was doing this in the fourth quarter of a grueling ga.
Even the Celtics players stood frozen, shaken by the sheer force of Han's play.
Everyone had assud Han would run out of gas in the final quarter. This dunk told them, loud and clear, that they were wrong.
A collective thought began to creep into the Celtics' minds: We can't stop him.
Han landed with a roar, releasing the tension in his body. He knew he'd burned so stamina with that play, but it was worth it.
The energy rippled through the Cavaliers as they turned up their defensive intensity. On the next possession, Karl-Anthony Towns attempted a spin move toward the basket, only to be t by Tristan Thompson and Dewayne Dedmon, who combined for a thunderous block.
The Cavaliers raced down the court, and Han found Wade for a transition dunk, swinging the montum entirely back in Cleveland's favor.
Stevens, unable to wait for a dead ball, called a tiout.
---
Coming out of the break, both teams returned to their full lineups, and the ga entered its decisive stretch.
Kevin Durant cald the Celtics with a mid-range jumper, his trademark "Reaper Scythe" shot.
On the other end, Jokić resud his role at the top of the arc, facilitating while Han ran without the ball.
But Han's gravitational pull had reached a new level.
As soon as he caught the ball, the Celtics sward him.
This wasn't a strategic trap. It was pure instinct—the fallout of that earlier dunk. When faced with a force like Han, defenders either freeze or swarm. The Celtics, to their credit, chose the latter.
Han calmly swung the ball to the corner, where J.R. Smith waited.
J.R. rose, the shot leaving his hands cleanly.
Splash!
The three-pointer stretched Cleveland's lead back to double digits. J.R. celebrated by running along the sideline, mimicking an airplane.
---
On the next possession, Durant missed a jumper.
The Celtics' stars were visibly fatigued, having spent the ga not only trying to score but also enduring the relentless demands of defending Han.
When the Cavaliers advanced the ball, Stevens made a bold decision. He called off the double-teams.
Han raised an eyebrow, unsure of Stevens' reasoning but unwilling to waste the opportunity.
He posted up Bradley, took the pass from Jokić, and powered his way to the rim. Karl-Anthony Towns t him there, but Han absorbed the contact and forced the foul.
Han sank both free throws, bringing his total to 71 points.
As the ga wound down, Shaquille O'Neal grew increasingly animated on the broadcast.
"If Han breaks Kobe's record tonight, it's going to be the single greatest scoring performance in NBA history! Against the Celtics, the title favorites, and under constant double-teams! This is legendary stuff!" he bellowed.
anwhile, in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant, finished with his training session and heading ho, sneezed—twice.
---
The ga pressed on, and so did Han Sen's scoring, but the Celtics continued to chip away at the lead.
With a minute left, the Cavaliers held a slim 130-126 advantage.
Thanks to Brad Stevens' defensive adjustnts, Han's scoring had skyrocketed, and he now stood at a jaw-dropping 79 points. As Han posted up again in the frontcourt, the arena began to buzz uncontrollably.
As the opposing team, Celtics fans naturally wished Han's scoring spree would end. But as basketball lovers, witnessing an 80-point performance unfold before their eyes was undeniably thrilling.
After all, it had been 11 years since Kobe Bryant's iconic 81-point ga. Entire generations of fans had co and gone since then.
This ti, Han faced imdiate double-team pressure when he spun into the post.
At this point, it wasn't just about strategy anymore—letting Han score again would effectively end the ga.
But Han was decisive in his drive.
The safest way to secure the win in this situation? Draw a foul and head to the free-throw line.
"No fouls!" Stevens shouted from the sideline, his voice sharp and urgent.
Two points would be manageable, but if Han converted a potential and-one, the ga might as well be over. At this stage, a single point could change the entire dynamic.
Stevens' instructions were spot-on, but the second he barked the warning, Han sensed a brief hesitation in the defensive intensity around him.
And that was all he needed.
Han accelerated toward the rim, bulldozing past Karl-Anthony Towns and banking the ball off the glass into the net.
81 points!
As the ball rolled through the hoop, cheers erupted—not boos, cheers.
This was Boston, of all places.
But how could fans suppress their excitent? After 11 long years, soone had matched Kobe's legendary scoring record.
Stevens imdiately called tiout.
The clock read 45 seconds, with the Celtics trailing by six. Their next possession was critical—they had to score.
---
Coming out of the tiout, Kevin Durant's movent pulled the defense, creating space for Kyrie Irving.
Irving called for a pick-and-roll with Al Horford and, in one swift motion, rose up for a three-pointer the mont he ca off the screen.
Jokić, exhausted from the night's grind, couldn't contest in ti. All eyes were on the arc of the ball.
Kyrie had the nerve, the calm, and the clutch gene.
Swish!
The crowd exploded in celebration as Kyrie's three cut the deficit to just three points.
Say what you will about Irving's quirks, but no one could deny his scoring ability in crunch ti.
Now it was Malone's turn to call a tiout.
With 28 seconds left, the Cavaliers had possession and a three-point lead. They needed to score to avoid giving the Celtics a chance to tie the ga on the next possession.
Out of the tiout, Han took the ball near the periter and signaled for Jokić to set a screen.
For the most critical possession of the night, Malone called the Cavaliers' signature play.
Jokić slipped the screen and popped to the top of the arc, while Han barreled toward the basket, drawing the Celtics' defenders like a magnet. Han whipped the ball backward to Jokić at the arc—a no-look pass full of trust.
The move triggered an imdiate reaction from Boston's defense.
It was déjà vu.
Fans and players alike rembered the play vividly. This was the sa action that had eliminated the Celtics in Ga 6 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals—a pass rooted in trust.
Horford, the closest defender, lunged at Jokić with all his might, while other Celtics players also shifted toward him, anticipating a ga-sealing three-pointer.
Jokić raised the ball as if to shoot. The defense bit hard.
But at the apex of his motion, Jokić made a shocking decision—he passed.
It wasn't a simple pass either. Jokić fired the ball like a cannon straight toward the paint, where Han had slipped past Bradley and darted to the rim.
Han caught the ball in stride and exploded upward.
Towns, determined to contest, jumped to et him, his defensive effort far more physical than it had been all night.
Finally, Towns brought the toughness he was capable of—but it was too little, too late.
Han, braced for the contact, twisted in mid-air, absorbing the hit while repositioning himself for a reverse hook shot.
The whistle blew.
Foul on Towns.
Han adjusted his body, flicked his wrist, and lofted the ball high above the outstretched arms of Towns.
The shot kissed the backboard, hung in the air for a split second, and then fell.
Swish!
Han had done it. 83 points.
The crowd gasped, then erupted into a chaotic mixture of awe and disbelief.
The shot itself was highlight-reel material—a twisting, contested layup that required every ounce of strength and finesse in Han's arsenal. It was the type of play destined for the pantheon of great NBA monts.
As the buzzer echoed through TD Garden, the reality settled in: this was history.
Han Sen didn't just match Kobe's iconic record. He surpassed it. And he did so against a team many considered the favorites for this year's championship.
Tonight wasn't just a win for the Cavaliers. It was a statent to the entire league.
And it wasn't just about scoring.
It was about being unstoppable.
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