People thought the Ga 7 showdown between the Cavaliers and Celtics was already the pinnacle of tension and excitent.
But once the NBA Finals began, it beca clear—that was nothing in comparison.
Before Ga 1 even tipped off, the television ratings had already shattered season records.
Because honestly... who could resist the greatest spectacle of the year?
Even before the ga started, Cleveland fans gave LeBron Jas a roaring ovation.
The sa fans who once despised him, who once burned his jerseys, were now cheering for him.
Because as Han Sen had famously pointed out—LeBron had delivered Cleveland's dynasty with his own hands.
And no matter how much he road from team to team, he never stopped trying.
How could they not appreciate his efforts?
---
Starting Lineups
Cavaliers: Han Sen, JR Smith, Robert Covington, Tristan Thompson, Nikola Jokić
Pelicans: Jrue Holiday, E'Twaun Moore, LeBron Jas, Anthony Davis, Aron Baynes
LeBron's passive performance in Ga 7 of the Western Conference Finals wasn't just burned into Han Sen's mory—the whole world saw it.
Everyone expected him to carry that sa lethargy into this ga.
But as soon as the ball tipped off... the reality was completely different.
Within monts, LeBron and Davis executed a flawless pick-and-roll, ending in an explosive dunk.
Then on defense, LeBron battled Jokić in the post like his life depended on it.
He wasn't just playing. He was fighting.
Even Han had to admit—he had never seen LeBron like this before.
It was because of LeBron's effort that Davis had enough ti to recover and block Jokić's shot.
Han squinted.
Did LeBron take sothing before the ga?
Wait, no—he's always taking sothing.
That wasn't the point.
The point was his attitude.
This was completely different from Ga 7 of the WCF.
Back then, LeBron clearly had no interest in making the Finals.
It was the sa energy as his infamous "8-point ga" when he didn't want Wade to win Finals MVP.
But now?
Now that he was here—now that the whole world was watching, waiting to see him fail—
He couldn't afford to.
If he had played like he did against the Rockets, his reputation would be buried forever.
So he had to make a show of it.
Even if it was just for one ga.
---
Han wasted no ti.
He imdiately switched onto LeBron.
This wasn't targeting—this was a necessity.
Because if LeBron got hot, New Orleans could actually steal this ga.
They were the No. 1 defense in the league. If they found an offensive rhythm, Cleveland would be in trouble.
LeBron, realizing Han had picked him up, kept testing him with pick-and-rolls.
Han could tell—LeBron wanted this.
Physically, LeBron had the edge.
But footwork doesn't lie.
Han navigated the screens like a shadow, denying LeBron acceleration every ti.
It forced LeBron into mid-range looks—and that was where the cracks showed.
No matter how much hunger a player had, if their skill set wasn't polished enough, desire alone wouldn't save them.
And LeBron had never mastered the mid-range.
Realizing he wasn't getting clean shots, LeBron adjusted.
Instead of forcing the issue, he started feeding Davis.
Davis had once been lumped in with Kevin Love and DeMarcus Cousins—
Players who put up big numbers but never proved themselves in the playoffs.
But unlike them, Davis was actually the real deal.
New Orleans wasn't a Big Three. They were a duo.
And Davis dragging them to the Finals with just LeBron?
That ant sothing.
Especially on defense—he was wrecking Jokić.
Jokić was gifted, but specialized.
He wasn't an athletic freak—his ga relied on calculated movent and precise decision-making.
Davis, however, was a nightmare matchup.
His mobility ant he could contest Jokić, then recover instantly.
Even when Jokić passed out of doubles, Davis still had ti to rotate back.
And most importantly—Davis was locked in.
For his first Finals appearance, he was playing like a man possessed.
With both LeBron and Davis setting the tone, the rest of the Pelicans followed.
They didn't just keep up with Cleveland.
They fought them to a deadlock.
---
With 8 seconds left, the Pelicans led 96-95.
A familiar situation.
The entire arena held its breath.
Could Han deliver another dagger?
New Orleans showed why they were the best defense in the league.
They trapped him instantly with Holiday and Davis.
Han had no choice—he threaded a pass to Jokić.
Jokić attacked imdiately—but LeBron yanked him down, forcing free throws.
4.7 seconds left.
Make both, and the ga was over.
Jokić was an 85% free-throw shooter.
But the deep breaths he took before stepping to the line?
They told the real story.
This wasn't about numbers.
This was about ntal fortitude.
The entire arena fell dead silent.
Swish.
The first one was good.
Thunderous cheers erupted—
Then vanished.
Everyone knew—the second was the real test.
Jokić exhaled, shot—and missed.
But JR Smith flew in for the rebound!
He turned, saw LeBron in front of him, and instinctively dribbled out.
His first thought? Find Han.
But Holiday and Davis had already blocked the passing lane.
And then, the panic set in.
His mind blanked.
He forgot the score.
Until he saw Jokić wildly signaling under the basket.
By the ti he realized?
LeBron had already closed in.
With 1 second left, JR panicked and flung the ball to Covington.
Covington's rushed three barely touched air.
Overti.
But before the extra period even started—
Malone exploded on the sidelines.
He had been furiously signaling for a tiout—
And the refs ignored it.
No whistle. No stoppage.
Nothing.
Jokić sank onto the bench, head down.
"Boss... I'm sorry."
He barely whispered the words, but Han heard them.
If Jokić had made the second free throw, the ga would've been over.
JR?
He just sat there, not daring to look at Han.
His mind was still scrambled from the last possession.
Han wasn't even mad at them.
His real anger was with the officiating.
He had prepared himself for 5-on-8 basketball.
But this?
This was straight-up robbery.
---
After a short break, both teams stepped onto the court for the five-minute overti period.
And from the very first possession, Han Sen let his anger be known.
He was done playing fair.
The mont he spun past Jrue Holiday, he went straight at Anthony Davis, ignoring the looming shot-block threat.
It wasn't a good look. Davis had the positioning.
But after catching a sharp elbow to the chest, Davis was knocked off balance—Han floated through the air, finishing the layup with ease.
And that was just the beginning.
Han had decided: If the refs wanted war, they would get war.
If they wanted to foul him out? They could go right ahead and try.
No whistle.
Why?
Because defense in this series had been officiated loosely—a standard set to favor New Orleans.
Han was making full use of that leniency.
And the league?
They might not have wanted Cleveland to complete their dynasty, but they sure as hell weren't about to eject their biggest global star.
Han's reach wasn't just Jordan-level—it was bigger.
He was the ultimate ratings machine.
And soon, the Pelicans realized sothing horrifying:
The defensive sche they had spent all ga perfecting?
Overti had completely erased it.
Han Sen had lost his patience.
He was unleashing hell.
10 points.
All 10 from Han.
The Cavaliers outscored the Pelicans 10-2 in overti, crushing them 106-98 to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
The fans in the arena had gone through an emotional rollercoaster.
But at the end of the night, this wasn't just a ga.
This was history.
A ga that, in the years to co, would be replayed over and over—a true Finals classic.
---
Postga Press Conference
Han and Jokić sat at the podium.
Han's stat line: 51 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists.Jokić's stat line: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists.
Jokić's first words?
"I almost cost us the ga."
Even after the win, he was still stuck on his missed free throw.
"Tonight was a lesson. I need to be ntally stronger in those monts."
And he wasn't wrong.
If Jokić got another shot at those free throws? He'd probably drain both.But that's not how pressure works.
Even elite shooters crack when the mont gets too big. It wasn't about skill.It was about who could handle the weight.
Then, Han casually picked up the mic.
"Honestly? Nikola making that second free throw might've been worse for us."
The room stirred.
Jokić blinked, caught off guard.
"If he made it, the refs would've given New Orleans two free throws on the other end."
Han wasn't even trying to be subtle.
There were 4.7 seconds left. More than enough ti for a mystery foul to magically appear.
The reporters started murmuring—not because they doubted Han.
But because he actually said it out loud.
Then, an NBC reporter jumped in.
"What was JR thinking? Why didn't he shoot?"
Jokić's free throw was one thing.
But JR's brain freeze? That should've been the real headline.
If Han hadn't gone supernova in overti, JR would be getting cooked alive right now.
Han's response?
"That wasn't his fault."
The room went dead silent.
"After Nikola missed, JR fought for an offensive rebound. Y'all know how hard that is for a guard in that situation."
The reporter pushed back. "But he neither shot nor called tiout."
Han didn't hesitate.
"It's not a role player's job to decide the ga. He tried to get the ball to . It just didn't work out."
The real issue?
Fear.
If JR had taken the shot and missed?
He'd be the first man on the chopping block.
Not everyone is built to own that mont.
And JR?
He just wasn't.
Then, Han's voice dropped. Colder. Sharper.
"As for the tiout... Everyone knows the Chris Webber story [1]. Players don't count tiouts."
"But Malone called one."
"And they ignored him."
The room tensed.
"Their excuse? 'The ref had his back turned.'
Tell —
Do NBA referees only have eyes? Or do they have ears too?"
The dia erupted.
This wasn't just complaining.
Han was launching a full-scale assault.
And he didn't care.
Because the league wasn't going to suspend him.
Not a chance.
Han was too valuable.
The NBA could fine him. Hell, they could ban him from talking about refs for the rest of the playoffs.
But they wouldn't keep him off the court.
Adam Silver knew it.
And so did everyone in the room.
Then, Han ended it with a warning.
"We won't let the ga get that close again."
He wasn't stupid.
He knew the league wanted New Orleans to win.
And he knew nothing would change that.
So the solution?
Never let the refs have a chance.
That was his answer.
That was his plan.
---
The NBA handed down a $100,000 fine for Han's comnts.
But that didn't stop the social dia explosion.
"The Pelicans had 8 n on the court and still lost. What a sha!"
"Jokić and JR are lucky as hell Han is their leader. If LeBron were in charge, JR would already be sacrificed to the dia gods."
"Tell how Cleveland is supposed to win when it's literally 5-on-8?"
"Adam Silver hates seeing greatness... unless it's profitable."
"LeBron should send Han a thank-you card. This Finals performance is making all his past losses look respectable."
Ga 1 was over.
Han Sen had thrown down the gauntlet.
And now?
The league had to figure out how to respond.
-------------------
Translator's note:
[1] The Chris Webber story refers to one of the most infamous mistakes in basketball history.
In the 1993 NCAA Championship Ga, Michigan's Chris Webber called a tiout in the final monts—except Michigan had no tiouts left. That resulted in a technical foul, giving North Carolina free throws and possession, sealing the loss for Michigan.
It's a mont that still haunts Webber's legacy, and to this day, players are rarely aware of their team's remaining tiouts in the heat of the mont.
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