When the series reached this stage, both sides had very limited adjustments they could make, relying more on on-the-spot performance.
Cleveland fans quickly received both good and bad news after the opening.
The good news was that Irving was in great form today, scoring consecutively under Wade's defense.
The bad news was that the Heat Team adopted a more aggressive defensive style against Hansen, fouling him harshly every time he tried to shoot.
Riley clearly wasn't betting on Hansen missing his free throws; he was using this method to disrupt Hansen's shooting rhythm.
The result was, he was half-successful.
Hansen's mid-range shots were as stable as his free throws, but his three-point shooting touch was indeed disrupted.
As Hansen mentioned earlier, three-pointers are a weapon heavily reliant on shooting touch.
This is also why teams facing the Warriors would exhaust Curry on offense and then foul him aggressively on defense.
