Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable

After dropping Game 3, the pressure shifted to the Grizzlies.

If they couldn't find a solution and lost Game 4, the series would reset to an even playing field.

Unresolved issues would persist in the later games, putting the Heat in the driver's seat.

Before practice on the off day, Coach Joerger approached Han Sen.

"Zach just told me he's willing to come off the bench if the team needs it," Joerger said.

Following Rudy Gay's example, Zach Randolph was ready to sacrifice himself to change the series.

The idea wasn't without precedent.

Against the Warriors earlier in the playoffs, the Grizzlies had benched Randolph in favor of Shane Battier, effectively countering Golden State's small-ball lineup.

"That might not be the best move," Han replied, offering a different perspective.

Benching Randolph would essentially mean playing fast, trying to outpace the Heat.

The Grizzlies beat the Warriors because Mark Jackson hadn't fully unlocked Golden State's offensive firepower.

But the Heat's offense was on a different level—more potent and relentless.

Game 3 had already shown that trading buckets with Miami wasn't a winning formula.

"To beat the Heat, we need to lock them down defensively," Han concluded. "I'll guard KD."

While Miami had managed to look like a hybrid of the Warriors and Spurs in Game 3, their offense was neither as deadly from beyond the arc as Golden State's nor as cohesive as San Antonio's.

It all came down to Durant's individual brilliance.

Joerger agreed to Han's proposal.

...

Before Game 4, Han shocked the media with a daring declaration:

"If KD scores 20 points next game, I'll retire on the spot."

The comment sent shockwaves through the basketball world, sending his detractors into a frenzy.

Just after Durant had set a new career-high in the Finals, Han was already betting big against him. It felt like the spirit of Larry Bird had possessed him—but even Bird never went this far.

While Bird's legendary trash talk often came from a position of calculated confidence, Han's statement seemed downright reckless.

Take Bird's famous claim about holding Michael Jordan to 19 points. It sounded bold, but context revealed it was the No. 1 seed Celtics facing the No. 8 Bulls—a game heavily tilted in Boston's favor.

For Han, this wasn't a mismatch. The Grizzlies and Heat were evenly matched, and his words felt like playing with fire.

But the effect of his statement was massive, far beyond anything Shaq or Barkley had ever bet on.

Game 4 ticket sales at Miami's American Airlines Arena hit the roof. The pregame viewership shattered records, drawing even superstars like Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony to tweet about watching live.

The media section at the arena doubled in size, as journalists came not just to witness the game but to see if Han would fall flat on his face.

Han's trash talk had always been a source of frustration for his critics—he talked big, but time and time again, he delivered. His success made him untouchable, and that only added to the hatred.

This time, though, he had set himself up for a potential disaster. If KD went off, the media would have a field day, and even if Han tried to backtrack, they'd hold him accountable.

During pregame warmups, the cameras panned to Han, and the crowd erupted into deafening boos.

"I know Han's a big talker," Shaq said during the broadcast. "But even for him, this feels a little too much."

As a former teammate, Shaq didn't want to see Han fail.

"But that's what makes him special, doesn't it?" Barkley countered, more intrigued than concerned.

If Han pulled this off, Barkley knew he'd cement his status as the undisputed king of trash talk.

"No matter what, you have to respect him," Kenny Smith added.

Han's bold statement wasn't just a bluff. It was a message: Tonight, I'm shutting KD down.

It was the kind of leadership that set him apart.

...

Game Time

The game tipped off with both starting lineups announced:

Heat: Chalmers, Wade, Ray Allen, Durant, Bosh

Grizzlies: Conley, Han, Gay, Randolph, Gasol

Bosh won the opening tip, and Durant immediately took the ball. The arena erupted in cheers.

Han's grin widened as he saw Durant's decision.

Durant was already out of sync, falling for Han's mental game.

The Heat's strength was their team play, but a Durant iso was much easier to defend.

Durant's personality was too honest. Trash talk always got under his skin. Han had switched up his tactics over the years, but Durant never seemed immune.

Still, Han locked in. KD wasn't LeBron—a player Han could easily hold to single digits.

Durant opened the game by testing his range, using his height advantage.

Han, laser-focused, timed his contest perfectly. Though he couldn't strip the ball, he disrupted Durant's rhythm just enough to force a miss.

Gasol secured the rebound and dished it to Conley, who leisurely brought the ball upcourt to start the Grizzlies' offense.

The Grizzlies did not rely on their usual fast-break strategy but instead slowed the tempo to focus on half-court play.

Before the game, Coach Joerger suggested double-teaming Durant, but Han Sen rejected the idea. Han Sen's goal was to disrupt the Heat's offense, not let them dictate the Grizzlies' defense.

Even after Han declined, Joerger didn't remain idle. Lowering the game's pace and reducing possessions was his way of minimizing Durant's scoring opportunities.

In the Grizzlies' half-court set, Han Sen didn't handle the ball but instead worked off the weak side to create space.

The last game had already proven that Miami's starting big men couldn't stop the 'Black and White Bears.' (TL/n: Randolph-Gasol duo)

Zach Randolph wasted no time. After receiving the ball, he spun quickly and bulldozed Durant all the way to the rim for the basket.

In transition, Durant opted for an off-ball play with a pick-and-roll involving Chris Bosh.

Bosh set a solid screen, but it wasn't enough to stop Han Sen.

Durant caught the ball decisively and drove hard to the basket.

Han had vowed to hold Durant to under 20 points—but that didn't mean Durant would score even those points on him.

Marc Gasol rotated back to the paint, arms up, forcing Durant into an acrobatic layup.

Durant displayed his rare speed for a player of his size as he maneuvered mid-air.

But just as he released the ball, he felt a shadow loom overhead.

BAM!

The ball was swatted straight into the backboard!

The crowd erupted in shock, needing no guesses—it was Han Sen chasing from behind.

Han's leap was otherworldly, and his recovery speed was terrifying. From fighting through the screen to chasing down the block, it all happened in an instant!

Han grabbed the defensive rebound before even landing, shutting down yet another Heat possession.

Turning back, Randolph attempted another low-post play but was met with an early double-team. He passed to Gay, whose three-pointer missed, but the Black-and-White Bears fought for the rebound, and Randolph eventually scored on the putback.

With the game at 0-4, it wasn't the most encouraging sign for the Heat.

...

Back on offense, Durant adjusted after Han's successful defensive plays. He drove hard and unleashed his signature sweeping-arm spin move, aimed at drawing a foul.

This move was a surefire way to secure two points—or so he thought.

But this time, after the exaggerated arm motion, no whistle came.

Durant's shot, disrupted by Han's defense, clanked off the rim.

Landing, Durant channeled his inner LeBron, looking at the referees with outstretched arms, visibly frustrated.

The refs, however, made no call.

The NBA's new commissioner, Adam Silver, had sent a clear directive: no biased officiating.

Unlike Stern, who might have protected stars like Durant, Silver aimed for a fair game.

Seeing this, Han couldn't help but smirk. He had once loathed Silver in his past life but was starting to appreciate him now.

The Grizzlies continued to exploit their size advantage. Randolph drew an interior defender before dishing the ball to Gasol for a quick slam.

The 'Black and White Bears' were feeding off Han's defensive intensity, pouring their energy into dominating the paint offensively.

6–0.

The Oracle Arena crowd grew restless.

Han Sen high-fived Marc Gasol as he fell back on defense.

The previous external analyses were correct, but they missed one thing: the difference between theory and reality.

In theory, a scorer like Durant, given enough ball-handling opportunities, shouldn't score fewer than 20 points.

But in reality, when Durant's offense isn't flowing, will the Heat let him keep shooting?

This wasn't the regular season, nor was it even a division playoff; this was the Finals, and the Heat were already down 1-2!

This was the difference between Han and Larry Bird's scenarios. It's why Han dared to throw out such bold trash talk.

The Heat couldn't let Durant's pride ruin Game 4 because if they lost and went down 1-3, they wouldn't recover.

Sure enough, on the next possession, the Heat adjusted their offense.

Wade took the ball and drove to the basket before executing a spinning floater off the backboard to break the scoring drought for the Heat.

This kind of score was perfectly acceptable for the Grizzlies.

As long as the Heat's outside shooting wasn't falling, both teams grinding it out in the half-court, the Grizzlies were just fine.

Five minutes in, it was 12-4, Grizzlies.

Spolestra was not happy.

After Han Sen limited Durant, the Heat's small lineup couldn't exploit its offensive advantage, and their interior defense was being destroyed.

He had no choice but to pull Chalmers for Perkins.

Perkins came in and made an immediate impact, finally setting up a scoring opportunity for Durant. Durant capitalized with a mid-range jumper.

This shot showed that Durant's shooting touch wasn't terrible tonight, but Han Sen's defense was suffocating, making it hard for him to get comfortable.

Of course, Han Sen could accept the result, considering Durant had missed 3 of his first 4 shots.

At that point, Spolestra gestured to Wade, signaling for a change in tactics after Durant's shot went in.

He didn't care much about Han Sen's trash talk but knew that if Durant couldn't get going, the Heat wouldn't win.

Perkins attempted another screen, but this time, the Grizzlies immediately double-teamed Durant!

Now Durant was in a dilemma.

This season, he had improved at passing out of doubles. But with Perkins as the roll man, even a perfect pass wouldn't guarantee points.

Moreover, Han Sen's trash talk echoed in his mind like a curse.

In the end, Durant attempted a difficult fadeaway over the double team.

He chose to trust his shooting touch.

But the difficulty was too high, and the ball clanked off the front of the rim and bounced out.

After five attempts, Durant had only scored once.

The crowd was on edge.

At this pace, scoring 20 points tonight would be tough for Durant, and even harder for the Heat to win!

In fact, it wasn't just the fans getting restless—Durant himself was starting to lose his composure.

His offseason training was meant to overcome Han Sen, not to keep being a backdrop for him.

Next possession, he demanded the ball in the post and immediately went to work.

This time, his shot wasn't blocked by Han Sen, but the defense Han Sen applied was still strong, making Durant's shot look off-balance.

Han Sen seized the moment, leaping high and swatting at Durant's shot.

Boom!

The ball was slapped straight out of bounds!

Getting blocked again, Durant couldn't take it anymore and turned to the referee, protesting that Han Sen had made illegal contact.

When the referee continued to ignore him, he couldn't hold back his frustration and cursed.

This led to a technical foul.

"Who's this year's DPOY?" Barkley asked on the commentary.

"Whoever it is should be ashamed, because no one else can make KD look this bad!" he added, answering his own question before Shaq and Smith could speak.

—End of Chapter—

Author's Note: Historical reference – Larry Bird once joked in 1986 that he'd retire and become a truck driver if Michael Jordan scored fewer than 20 points in the next game after putting up 63. Han's bold claim mirrors Bird's confidence, but he's proving it in real-time.