The Magic called their final tiout, with only one second left on the clock.
When Han Sen stepped off the court, he was t with wild cheers from the fans, and as he walked to the bench, his teammates were shouting and cheering at him.
He had only been substituted into the ga in the final minute, yet he helped the team rewrite the outco of the ga.
Coach Brown's face was beaming as he also enjoyed the feeling of orchestrating a victory.
In the final second, the Magic set up an alley-oop play for Howard, but the Cavaliers' defense was on point, and the play couldn't be executed. Carter received the ball and threw a desperation shot from way beyond the arc, but it was both off target and too late.
The final score was 103-102.
Thanks to Han Sen's miraculous 3 1 play at the last mont, the Cavaliers completed a stunning coback.
"Han saved the Cavaliers. He saved LeBron," comnted Barkley once again as the Cavs stord the court and the crowd erupted in celebration.
It was hard to imagine how things would have looked for the Cavaliers and for LeBron, had they been eliminated by the Magic again this season, especially after losing to them in the season opener.
Having sealed the ga with a buzzer beater, Han Sen was, unsurprisingly, invited to the post-ga press conference.
LeBron joined him for the interview as well.
Although LeBron's shooting wasn't on point tonight— hitting only 7 of 19 shots— he still recorded a triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Shaq also had a decent performance tonight, with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but with his massive fra, squeezing four players into the interview room might have been a challenge.
As Han Sen walked into the press conference, he saw the room already packed with reporters.
It was the biggest dia turnout he had ever seen.
Once they sat down, the reporters eagerly stretched out their hands, clamoring for a chance to ask their questions.
There was plenty of news to cover after such an exciting ga.
The first question was directed at LeBron.
"In the final monts, the Magic double-tead you. How did you find Han for that pass?"
Hearing this question, Han Sen's previously excited mood dropped significantly.
He glanced at the reporter, who looked vaguely familiar. Narrowing his eyes, he read the na on the press pass: Windhorst.
At that mont, he rembered. After the pre-season ga against the Bobcats, this guy also imdiately asked LeBron-related questions during the post-ga.
And he was the first reporter called on that ti too.
So, was this LeBron's personal reporter?
"You know, I'm a team player. I'm always aware of where my teammates are. When they started double-teaming , I knew soone had to be open. It was a great feeling when my teammate made that shot," LeBron answered.
Shaless!
LeBron's play had fallen apart, and he had been forced to pass the ball, yet he made it sound as though everything was under control.
Windhorst continued, "Your shooting wasn't great tonight, but you still managed a triple-double. How do you do it?"
LeBron smiled and shook his head. "You know, we can't always guarantee our shooting every night, but I can lead the team in other ways. That's my job, and I'm happy I did it well."
Han Sen felt the sa frustration now as he had on the court after hitting the ga-winning three-pointer, only to watch LeBron celebrate as if he had won the ga himself.
He had made the ga-winner, yet it seed like the main hero was LeBron.
Finally, after a series of questions, the reporters turned their attention to Han Sen.
"Did you expect to receive a pass from LeBron and have the opportunity to finish the ga?"
Unfortunately, that strange feeling of being overshadowed still lingered.
Is this Cleveland?
Han Sen had felt a bit uncomfortable during the pre-season, and now it was clear that LeBron's absence back then had been a relief.
So should he thank LeBron for the pass? Should he say he was just doing his job?
No way!
"I knew the coach put on the court in the final minute for a reason. As long as the ball is in my hands, I can finish the ga," Han Sen replied, using no vague terms and exuding confidence.
"You and LeBron seem to have great chemistry on the court. Do you look forward to playing more alongside him?" a reporter asked.
"I can shoot threes, I can defend, and I can drive to the basket. I also have great chemistry with Shaq. What I an is, as long as I'm on the court, I can contribute. I hope the coach keeps on for all 48 minutes," Han Sen smiled at the reporters, now fully composed.
They could ask all they wanted; he wouldn't give them the answers they were looking for.
After several more questions, the reporters finally realized Han Sen wasn't going to play along, even with their not-so-subtle hints.
In the end, they had no choice but to give up and ask him straightforward questions.
Han Sen won this post-ga press conference.
After this experience, unless the reporters wanted to embarrass themselves, they wouldn't try asking him loaded questions again.
Han Sen was humming a tune as he headed back to the locker room, only to find Thomas waiting for him at the door.
He knew Thomas had co to see his debut.
"Just now, your sneaker contract offer was updated," Thomas smiled.
Hearing that, Han Sen's mood brightened, and he imdiately pulled Thomas aside to a quiet spot.
After Han Sen was drafted, Thomas had received several sneaker contract offers, not only from Chinese brands but also from global giants like Nike and Adidas.
One often-overlooked point was that although Han Sen's draft position wasn't as high as Yao Ming's or Yi Jianlian's, he was the first East Asian periter player ever drafted in the first round!
In the sneaker industry, this distinction was crucial, as big n don't typically sell shoes.
So, while Han Sen wasn't a top prospect and his draft position had been unexpectedly high, the huge sneaker market had brands scrambling for his endorsent behind him.
At that ti, Han Sen had calmly told Thomas to wait.
Though there were several offers, none of them had high figures.
Since sneaker deals are typically long-term, Han Sen wanted to wait until he had established his value before signing.
Thomas had advised caution, suggesting he sign a smaller deal first and renegotiate after proving himself.
But Han Sen, confident in his abilities, didn't take the advice.
Now, the sneaker contract offer had jumped from around $500,000 a year to $1 million.
In other words, Han Sen's ga-winning shot had netted him an extra two to three million dollars.
There was no way he could pass on this deal now.
After being frustrated by the reporters, Han Sen finally saw the upside of being drafted by the Cavaliers.
As Thomas had ntioned before, the exposure here was excellent.
As long as he kept playing well, the contract would keep growing.
...
After a good night's sleep, Han Sen happily opened up the sports dia sites the next morning.
Humans, no matter how long they live, never lose their desires.
Of course, after hitting a ga-ending shot, Han Sen wanted to see how the dia praised— oops, crticised— on his performance.
But after reading the headlines, his expression was even more frustrated than it had been the day before.
"LeBron's Century-Defining Pass— Greatness Speaks for Itself."
"Triple-Double in Debut: LeBron Can Do Anything You Ask of Him!"
"LeBron's Chosen One Seals the Win— The Final Championship Piece for the Cavaliers."
...
So this is how shaless people can be!
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