Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 356 The Zone
Jokic was suspended and the Cavaliers ultimately failed to hold their second home court.

Although Hansen scored 36 points in three quarters, the Cavaliers were already trailing the Warriors by double digits at the end of the third quarter.

Kerr also started a snowball game, putting the Splash Brothers on the court at the beginning of the fourth quarter to force Hansen to play early.

With five minutes left in the game and the Cavaliers still trailing by double digits, Malone replaced Hansen in advance.

His behavior was considered to be giving up the game and was questioned by some Cavaliers fans after the game.

However, Ma Long also gave his own explanation in the post-match press conference.

The Cavaliers had little chance of catching up at that time, and it would be irrational to let Hansen expend all his energy in a game that he couldn't win.

Ma Long's explanation was recognized by the fans, but some people still think that it is wrong to do so, and they should try their best as long as there is a chance.

After losing Game 4, the Cavaliers gave up the home-court advantage they had seized back to the Warriors.

Although Jokic will return after one game of suspension, the next decisive battle will be played in Oakland, and it will be very difficult for the Cavaliers to win.

If they lose the decisive game, the Cavaliers' road to defending the title will basically be over.

It was at this time that many Cavaliers fans and Han fans also started to criticize the league.

If the league hadn't suspended Jokic, the game situation would be completely different from what it is now.

Some people even started to use the example of the Lakers turning the tables two years ago when Green was suspended and the Lakers lost 1-3.

The day before the decisive battle, the Cavaliers flew to Oakland.

As soon as Han Sen landed, he received a call he was not expecting.

Kobe said he will come to Oracle Arena to watch his game tomorrow.

The two chatted for a while, and when they hung up the phone, Han Sen felt quite emotional.

Time is the thing in this world that is least likely to pass. In the blink of an eye, it has been a whole year since Kobe retired.

Kobe rarely appeared in the public eye this year, and rarely appeared on the sidelines of the game, so much so that people, including Hansen, almost forgot his existence.

So he was really surprised that Kobe came to watch him play, and of course he was confused.

Although the Bay Area and Los Angeles are very close, Kobe did not come when the first two games of the finals were played in Oakland.

On game night, Oracle Arena was packed.

When Kobe appeared in the stadium with Vanessa and his daughters, it caused a stir at the scene.

Many people speculated that he came to the scene to support James. After all, the two had been teammates for two years, and this was at the Warriors' home court.

However, when players from both teams arrived at the stadium, Kobe took the initiative to walk towards Hansen.

"Congratulations on bringing a second championship to Cleveland." Kobe said as soon as he came up.

"Are you poisoning my milk?"

Kobe laughed, then stretched out his arms and gave Hansen a big hug.

"Long time no see." Kobe continued to smile and shake hands with Hansen after the hug.

It can be clearly felt that his overall condition after retirement is completely different from before retirement.

If Kobe hadn't retired yet, he would probably still be upset about losing the finals last season.

"What are you doing now?" Han Sen also asked about Kobe's retirement life.

As for Duncan, he still heard that he was immersed in car repair and modification in San Antonio, but as for Kobe, he had almost disappeared.

"I'm preparing for my training camp, Mamba Academy." Kobe was honest with Hansen.

But there is a reason for his honesty.

"The first session will start this summer. Are you available?"

Even for Kobe, this kind of academy needs NBA stars to promote it and increase its influence.

If Han Sen could go, it would be of great help to him.

"Is this why you came today?" Han Sen was a little surprised, because this kind of thing can actually be handled over the phone.

"Yes, but not all, or not the main part." Kobe said, looking towards the Warriors' half.

"I came to see you win."

At the end of his speech, Kobe put away his smile, and you could even see that he was gritting his teeth.

Kobe's condition after retirement is different from before retirement, but his personality will not change. He is still brooding over what happened in last season's finals.

Of course, apart from last season's finals, what Kobe is more concerned about is James' departure.

James' departure from Los Angeles broke his heart both personally and as an organization.

"I'll go." Hansen promised Kobe.

As he spoke, he also looked towards the opposite half of the court.

He will help the Cavaliers win this game no matter what.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Cavaliers: Hansen, JR, Tucker, Covington, Jokic
Warriors: Curry, McCaw, Thompson, James, Green

Kerr made a lineup change in the last game, putting Iguodala back to the bench in order to deal with the Cavaliers' lineup depth.

Jokic jumped to get the ball for the Cavaliers. When he got to the frontcourt, he took the initiative to set a pick-and-roll for Hansen, and quickly went down to take McCaw away.

McCaw's defensive experience is definitely not as good as Iguodala's, but what can also be seen is Jokic's desire to play.

Because of his likable personality, Cavaliers fans previously complained about Malone and criticized the league, but few said anything about Jokic.

But just like Jokic apologized to Hansen before Game 4, he knew better than anyone who was the culprit for the Cavaliers' loss.

Since it was his mistake at work, he is now doing his best to help the team win the game tonight.

Hansen seized the opportunity to pass the ball in, and after receiving the ball, Jokic rolled over McCaw and scored easily.

Jokic had a strong desire at the start, and Hansen frequently passed the ball to him using pick-and-rolls.

What Ma Long said after Game 4 was correct. In fact, even though he was eliminated early in the end, Han Sen still consumed a lot of energy in Game 4.

It's good news for the Cavaliers that Jokic is in good form at the start of the game.

However, the Warriors' offensive performance after returning to their home court was much better than when they were in Cleveland.

The scores of the two teams also rose alternately.

This is a situation that Cole is happy to see.

When both sides entered the substitute transition period, Iguodala came on the court to face Wade, and with the addition of James, the Warriors did not fall behind in this substitute transition period.

At the end of the first half, the two teams were tied at 58.

The intensity of this decisive match was the highest since the finals.

After returning from the halftime break, the third quarter becomes particularly crucial.

Kerr also put Iguodala back into the starting lineup in this quarter, preparing for the Warriors' three-pointer to win the game in one go. The Cavaliers certainly wouldn't sit still and wait for death. Malone stood on the sidelines at the beginning of the second half and constantly micro-managed the team's defense.

This section is a confrontation between spear and shield.

The end result was that the Cavaliers once again proved their defensive strength.

Hansen against Curry, Covington against James, these two points can match up and suppress each other, which means they can hold down the Warriors and prevent them from going crazy.

The two sides returned to the familiar defensive battle.

When the game came to this stage, James's passivity was triggered, and all the Warriors' defensive pressure was concentrated on Green in the interior.

Green's constipated expression showed that he must have greeted James at this time, but unlike the previous game, he did not argue with James again.

This is most likely because the Warriors coaching staff communicated with Green privately.

In other words, Green's dissatisfaction was temporarily suppressed.

This was the Cavaliers' chance to pull away.

It was also at this time that Han Sen demonstrated his unparalleled presence on the court.

He first completed a life-and-death defense on James, forcing James directly from the three-point line to the fast midfield position, and when James passed the ball, he successfully judged the route and flew to complete a steal.

James tried to steal the ball back, but was knocked to the ground by Hansen's quick transition.

Amid the fans' excitement, Hansen quickly broke through to the frontcourt and performed a one-handed windmill dunk.

Then in the positional offense, Hansen passed Iguodala and performed a difficult layup against Green.

And this is just the beginning.

The defensive intensity of both teams was very high in this period, and it was difficult for others to score. However, Hansen not only scored consecutive points on the offensive end, but also frequently contributed highlights on the defensive end.

It felt like he was on a different level from everyone else.

This is different from the previous gap in strength.

It can be seen from the frustrated expressions of Iguodala and Green that they were obviously a little discouraged in their defense.

In fact, not to mention the Warriors, Han Sen also felt that he was in a very special state.

It felt like his movements were a little faster than anyone else on the court, and sometimes he could even predict the defender's movements.

This was the first time he had experienced such a feeling.

If I have to describe him in one word, he is now almost "omnipotent".

Kobe's eyes also lit up at this time.

In addition to his wife and daughter, his old partner Gary Vitti also came with him today.

"Han has entered that state." He turned and said to Gary Vitti.

Gary Vitti nodded.

The state they are talking about is called The Zone.

If the two of them told Han Sen that you entered The Zone, Han Sen's first reaction would definitely be: Are you two watching "Kuroko's Basketball" too?
But what Han Sen didn't know was that this state actually existed in reality.

In other words, it is a term coined by Jordan and later quoted by Fujimaki Tadashi.

Just like the [alley-catch three-pointer], he has also appeared in NBA games.

Jordan described that state as "a state of near selflessness", in which he can switch attack modes at will, and the opponent's movements will slow down in his eyes, and the defensive loopholes will be completely exposed in front of him.

Kobe also learned about this condition when he found Jordan after an experience similar to Hansen.

They also exchanged ideas on how to control entering this state.

The first thing is to train hard so that you can master the basketball skills to the point where you can use them at will on the court. This does not necessarily mean that you must master all the skills, but you must master them well.

Secondly, you must have enough endurance, because this state usually occurs after the body is fully mobilized, which is also what distinguishes it from "feeling hot".

Finally, it has a lot to do with your own psychological state, and it will only appear when your subconscious desire reaches a sufficient level.

After the two people's communication, Kobe also shot an advertisement called "Enter The Zone" based on this inspiration.

They finally concluded that this is a state with harsh entry conditions and cannot be controlled artificially, but once entered, it is unstoppable.

For example, Klay Thompson's 37 points in a single quarter was actually in that state.

Han Sen didn't know this, but after he started to have that feeling, he almost single-handedly crushed the Warriors.

There was even a classic scene on the field: three stalls.

When Hansen easily broke through James and scored 2+1, he spread his hands to James, James spread his hands to the referee, and Kerr spread his hands to James. It was a famous scene.

At the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers led the Warriors by 96 points, 80 to 16.

韩森在这一节贡献了24分4板4助攻3抢断2盖帽，这几乎是大多数球员一整场比赛都打不出来的数据。

By the end of the third quarter, Kerr had returned to the bench and was just playing badly.

How can one fight this?
And that's not even the worst for the Warriors.

Because Kerr put Iguodala into the starting lineup in the third quarter, he wanted to make a big push, but not only did he fail to do so, but he had to face the situation of a weak lineup in the transition period with the bench.

Moreover, Hansen's performance in the third quarter not only shocked the opponents and Warriors fans, but also greatly boosted the morale of the Cavaliers.

Wade instantly returned to his G1 game form.

Under his leadership, the Cavaliers quickly widened the gap to 20+.

The Warriors' main players don't even need to come back, the game has ended early.

Although James was not convinced, he still asked Kerr to let him go on the court to catch up.

But the Cavaliers eventually defeated the Warriors 121-104 and won the decisive battle.

"I have nothing good to say about tonight's game. For us, all we need to do now is to try our best to win Game 6."

In the post-game press conference, Kerr skipped commenting on the game.

Generally, we need to summarize the experience after the game, but there is nothing good to summarize in this game.

Because Han Sen cannot be stopped by human power tonight.

"Han got us the win tonight."

Ma Long was also very decisive.

虽然韩森今晚数据上来说仅有47分10板6助攻4抢断3盖帽，但是数据并不能体现韩森对比赛局势所产生的变化。

"What we have to do next is to lift the championship trophy at home."

Malone also gave his outlook on G6.

Last season, because the Lakers lost too quickly, Cleveland fans were unable to see the scene of holding the trophy at home.

This year, they have that opportunity.

(End of this chapter)