Pierce had no idea what Han Sen ant by "I'm different," but he found his cocky attitude incredibly annoying.
When it was the Celtics' turn to attack, Pierce didn't attempt to isolate Han like the latter had anticipated. Instead, he also utilized Garnett's screen to run a set play.
Garnett's screens were of high quality, and the key was his excellent mobility and impeccable timing.
Han couldn't get around the screen, and Pierce received a pass from Rondo, sinking a mid-range jumper.
"Rookie, this is the Truth," Pierce taunted after scoring.
"Oh, so the Truth is worth just a mid-range jumper?" Hansen laughed in response.
Pierce was left speechless again. When they had faced each other last ti, he couldn't understand why Han Sen, a rookie, was so skilled at trash-talking.
Is he playing in the NBA or preparing for a graduate exam?
The Cavaliers went on offense, and Han continued to run his off-ball play. Once again, Jas passed him the ball.
This ti, Pierce was fully focused, yet he grew more confused.
The last ti these two teams t, which was just a month ago, Han didn't have this kind of tactical importance, did he?
And to top it off, he was on the trade block. Was this just a way to showcase him to other teams?
From the stands, the Cavaliers' GM nodded with satisfaction as he watched.
Although this ga against the Celtics was a marquee matchup, at the end of the day, it was still just a regular-season ga.
Winning was important, but what mattered more was delivering on the promises they had made.
On that point, Jas and the GM were aligned.
Coach Brown was executing well, and Han was seizing his opportunities.
Han Sen, seeing Pierce charging at him hard, faked a shot and then drove past him, heading straight for the paint.
Han's offensive skills were limited. In reality, his overall abilities weren't as exaggerated as he had shown during the team's scrimmages. But he was very good at making plans.
We often talk about the term "balanced attack," aning when a defender guards against your shot, you can drive; and when they defend against your drive, you can shoot.
However, even in the NBA, there aren't many players who truly excel at both because most players are only proficient in one of these skills.
But when both skills beco equally threatening, it makes it very hard for defenders to stop you.
At this mont, Cunningham pulled Garnett to the weak side, and Perkins quickly stepped out to help defend.
Seeing this, Han lobbed the ball toward the basket.
The pass was a bit off, slightly behind its target, but fortunately, Shaquille O'Neal was under the hoop instead of Jackson.
"The Big Diesel" soared and slamd the ball ho with one hand.
Who said he's past his pri?
The crowd at Quicken Loans Arena erupted.
As O'Neal strutted around like a king under the basket, Han turned to Pierce with a smile, "So, how many Truths is that alley-oop worth?"
"Shut up!" Pierce snapped, visibly frustrated.
Was he trying to steal his nickna, the "Truth"?
Actually, no, not really.
Just like how O'Neal once dubbed him "The Terminator," Han had later looked it up and found out that nickna originally belonged to Reggie Miller.
So, even though O'Neal's nickna suited him, it didn't really stick.
The truth is, it's difficult to steal soone else's nickna, unless your influence far surpasses theirs.
The "Truth" nickna was the sa. While Pierce wasn't quite a true superstar, his influence had grown significantly since winning the championship in 2008.
For Han to steal that nickna right now would be difficult.
So, "stealing" wasn't really his goal. His goal was exactly what he had initially planned—to provoke Pierce.
And he had succeeded. But after exchanging trash talk with Pierce, Hansen thought of another way to double down on his efforts.
This thod ca from what he considered the Bible of his hater system: 'The BOAT Quotes'.
The seventh rule states: The most effective way to anger soone is to devalue the thing they care about the most.
And the most efficient way to make sothing worthless is simply to make it worthless.
This isn't just rhetoric; it's a fact.
Before LeBron Jas declared himself the GOAT, no one would associate the term with anyone other than Michael Jordan.
But Jas managed to change that. Through his repeated assertions, the term "GOAT" beca so common that even players like Kai Jones, who aren't even notable, now dare to call themselves the GOAT.
It has even spread to other industries.
So, he was doing sothing similar.
On the Celtics' next possession, Pierce continued to run a pick-and-roll with Garnett.
Although he was fuming, he knew from their previous encounter that isolating Han Sen wasn't the best strategy, given Han's defensive prowess.
This ti, Han anticipated the screen and fought through it, forcing Garnett to commit an illegal screen violation.
Garnett was strong, but at 33 years old, his foot speed had slowed, a common issue for big n as they age.
The most important difference, of course, was that Garnett wasn't on the Cavaliers. Otherwise, an illegal screen wouldn't have been called.
As possession switched hands, Han didn't move off the ball this ti.
With limited preparation ti, the Cavaliers couldn't devise too many set plays for him. Most of his plays were off-ball screens.
Unlike the Cavaliers, the Celtics didn't have an obvious defensive weak spot like O'Neal, so Hansen's on-ball screens wouldn't be as effective.
That's why the Cavaliers primarily used him as a play finisher.
The early weak-side off-ball plays were one example of this.
But a single tactic can't be used repeatedly; it quickly becos predictable.
So, Hansen now moved to the corner to spread the floor, while Jas and Cunningham ran a pick-and-roll attack, with Jas driving to the basket.
Garnett quickly switched to defend Jas, but Jas, with his bulldozing strength, powered past him into the paint.
When no one on the periter can slow down Jas' drive, he becos a ferocious force, especially this season after bulking up.
The Celtics' defense collapsed, and even Pierce had to rotate into the paint.
But before the Celtics could form a defensive wall, Jas whipped the ball to the corner.
This pass was not a bailout but a planned tactical pass.
Han received the ball and even had ti to make a slight adjustnt before shooting a three.
Swish!
The ball sliced through the net once more.
Just as he had felt in the pre-ga warm-ups, his shooting was indeed on point tonight.
And compared to the previous three-pointer, this one was much easier.
After nailing the shot, Hansen turned to Pierce and held up four fingers.
Yes, according to the previous exchange rate, Hansen now had four "Truths."
Pierce finally snapped.
He called for the ball and posted up against Han Sen, preparing to go one-on-one with him.
Pierce was aggressive, clearly angered by how Han had devalued what he held dear.
Han Sen didn't back down either, engaging in a physical battle with Pierce.
But during their struggle, Garnett quietly slid into Han's blind spot.
Pierce took advantage of this, spun toward the free-throw line, and caught Han off-guard.
Facing Cunningham's help defense, Pierce executed his signature step-back jumper and scored.
After the shot, Pierce turned and looked at Hansen, ready to deliver so trash talk.
"No need to say anything," Han said, nodding. "I know, you've earned two 'Truths'."
"..."
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