Chapter 278: The Han Sen Effect.
Kobe Bryant's mental toughness was legendary. A man who once said, "I'd rather go 0-for-20 than 0-for-9" wasn't someone who crumbled under pressure.
What had happened so far didn't faze him. He calmly sank both free throws, cutting the Lakers' deficit to single digits.
But on the very next possession, Han Sen faced off against Jordan Clarkson. Seeing that the double-team wasn't coming immediately, Han spun gracefully into a fadeaway jumper and knocked it down with ease.
Clarkson, the half-Filipino rookie, could do nothing but look up in awe.
After hitting the shot, Han spread his hands toward Kobe's direction, as if to say, "What else can you do?"
Kobe couldn't be everywhere at once, and LeBron was practically a walking ATM for Han, coughing up easy points. Whenever the Lakers' defense was even a step slow on rotations, Han effortlessly capitalized.
It looked eerily similar to the third quarter of the Christmas game, when Han had obliterated the Lakers.
The Cavaliers were riding a wave of momentum, and it showed.
...
Kobe came back down the court and used a high pick-and-roll with Mozgov, freeing himself up for a quick mid-range jumper.
His physical abilities had declined, but Kobe still refused to chase fouls like LeBron. He didn't rely on baiting defenders to rack up points.