Chapter 248: Pray To God.
Han Sen's relentless drives were putting enormous pressure on the Heat's defense.
It was obvious that Miami's defensive resources were a far cry from the Spurs'. Once upon a time, Wade could hold his own against Han. But now? Wade's defense had slipped, while Han's skills had skyrocketed, making that old matchup irrelevant.
To be fair, the Heat's defense wasn't terrible—they ranked 11th in the league in defensive efficiency. But against Han Sen, 'not terrible' wasn't good enough. Even the Spurs, with the league's best defense, could only slow Han down in Games 3 and 4 of the last series.
Faced with Han's aggression, the Heat couldn't execute effective help defense or double-teams. Their only option was to collapse inward defensively. And every time they did, Han shifted gears, pulling up for precise mid-range jumpers.
Each shot was like a bullet piercing the hearts of Miami fans.
That's when it hit them: They had no answer for Han Sen.
"Pray to God Han has an off night—that's Miami's only way to stop him," quipped Charles Barkley from the commentary desk.
As he said it, Barkley turned to Shaq and mimed counting stacks of money.
"I told these fools—don't piss off Han!" Shaq barked, throwing his hands in frustration.
By halftime, Han had torched the Heat for 26 points, leading the Grizzlies to a 58-46 advantage.
Social media erupted during the break. Heat fans clung to hope, praying for Han's shooting touch to vanish. Others hurled curses or even joked about spiking the Grizzlies' locker room snacks with poison. Desperation was setting in—four straight Finals losses will do that to a fanbase.