CHAPTER 580: CHAPTER 285 "CLEVELAND, YOUR EMPEROR HAS RETURNED!

In this substitution period, the Cavaliers surprisingly not only avoided being outscored but managed to tie the game by the time the starters returned.

It was something no one had anticipated, yet everyone witnessed with their own eyes.

Everyone had underestimated this team’s desire for victory.

And this was crucial.

By halftime, both teams were tied at 64.

The Heat Team was strong, and the Cavaliers couldn’t stop their fierce offensive firepower, but they matched the Heat’s score with a superior offensive performance!

"If the Heat Team can’t pull ahead in the third quarter, they’re really going to be in trouble," Barkley became increasingly excited at the commentary table.

Spoelstra’s strategy wasn’t wrong, but if Hansen had normal stamina entering the fourth quarter, then it would be the Heat Team that would have trouble.

After all, who could outscore Hansen when it mattered most in the fourth quarter?

Back from the halftime break, Durant started to significantly increase his offensive frequency.

Spoelstra showed his level of tactical adjustment; since he couldn’t limit the Cavaliers’ offense, he would try to wear down Hansen’s stamina on the offensive end.

After all, there isn’t just one road that leads to Rome.

Seeing this, Malone immediately stood up and signaled Tucker and Hansen to switch on defense. Although he didn’t have as much coaching experience as Spoelstra, he reacted swiftly.

However, Tucker clearly couldn’t handle Durant.

Although Tucker was nearly 30 years old, he had spent time overseas, and by strict definition, he was still only a third-year player.

At this time, Hansen also began to increase his offensive frequency, and he started to play with purpose.

Irving’s resolute attacking style from the opening had created opportunities for him.

Big Gasol picked up his first foul early in the first quarter, then was subbed out due to two fouls, which explained why he was part of the substitution period in the first half.

With another foul in the second quarter, Big Gasol now had three personal fouls.

Hansen directly called TT to the three-point line for a pick and roll.

The Heat Team’s offensive efficiency ranked first in the League this season, but their defensive efficiency was just seventh—not bad, but only slightly better than the Cavaliers’.

Moreover, pick and rolls at the three-point line aren’t so easy to help defend.

This was also where the Warriors’ "small ball" lineup made it difficult to defend, with full-court spacing and pick and rolls at the three-point line. If you fail to defend even one spot, it leads to a defensive collapse.

TT, having learned from Garnett, had clearly improved his pick and roll ability—he set the screen and then immediately rolled, forcing Wade to follow him.

Hansen was calm, waiting until the mismatch was complete before starting to isolate against Big Gasol.

In reality, drawing fouls isn’t about memorizing the rulebook at 4 a.m. because for a true scorer, if he wants to draw a foul on you, he’s likely to succeed.

Unless you play passive defense, there’s always a moment he’ll get you off balance.

Hansen drove past Big Gasol to the free-throw line, abruptly stopped and faked him out, drawing the latter’s fourth personal foul.

It was at the referee’s whistle that Spoelstra, with his hands clasped over his head, realized Hansen’s intention.

But his reaction was clearly too late, or perhaps, there was nothing he could do.

Vucevic was subbed in for Big Gasol as the whistles blew.

This adjustment brought the game into a new phase.

Vucevic was the type of player who, with enough time, could consistently contribute double-doubles, but his real help to the team was much less than Big Gasol’s.

He lacked playmaking abilities, and more importantly, in a high-stakes game like this, his defensive weaknesses could be fatal.

After both sides aimed at each other’s weak points and found themselves evenly matched during the starting minutes of the third quarter.

This was clearly good news for the Cavaliers, as the game was heading towards a deadlock across three quarters.

And Hansen hadn’t excessively drained his stamina.

Of course, that’s if the Cavaliers could handle this substitution period in the third and fourth quarters well.

With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Hansen was subbed out to rest; the Cavaliers still had Irving leading on the court.

This time, Spoelstra also made adjustments, having Dragic and Wade lead the backcourt during this time.

And with Wade specifically guarding Irving, it seemed they intended to stretch the lead in these minutes.

Indeed, stretching the lead didn’t need a lot of time—just a few successful plays on both offense and defense would suffice.

Spoelstra’s lineup and deployment were good, only that things didn’t go in the direction he had anticipated.

Wade couldn’t stop Irving.

Irving’s strategy for tonight’s game was one word: charge in.

Wade, hampered by chronic knee injuries, couldn’t keep up with Irving’s agility and explosiveness.

Additionally, when Irving encountered a double-team, he didn’t go for the layup; instead, he went in hard, drawing fouls to earn free throw opportunities.

Tonight, his stat sheet showed only 7 shots, but he had already been to the free-throw line 8 times.

With a shooting efficiency of 7 out of 4 tonight, his scoring effectiveness was frighteningly high.

At the end of the third quarter, the scoreboard read 103 to 102 with the Heat Team leading the Cavaliers by just 1 point.

When Wade missed the final buzzer-beater of the third quarter, Riley in the stands already had a furrowed brow.

The game had reached the state he least wanted to see.

The atmosphere in the arena was restless—could the Heat really lose G1?

The opening of the fourth quarter saw Spoelstra’s strategies finally pay off.