No Mercy, No Brakes.
(TL/n: Here's the revised chapter—appreciate all the feedback!
I'll keep experimenting, so keep sharing your opinions. Every day, I'm working to improve—after all, it gets boring for me if I don't switch things up.)
As the final three minutes of pre-game preparations wound down, the intensity inside American Airlines Arena reached a fever pitch.
Pat Riley stood in front of his Heat players, his expression as serious as ever.
"They're coming at us with everything tonight. Break them. The championship is within reach."
He could sense it—the Cavaliers were playing like a team with nothing to lose.
On the other side, Tyronn Lue had his own final words for Cleveland.
"If we go down, we go down standing over their corpses!"
The Cavaliers had thrown all their cards on the table. Whether that would be enough remained to be seen.
The short whistle at the scorer's table echoed through the arena.
Players stepped onto the court, their eyes burning with intensity.
There were no heroes or villains tonight—just two teams that had to win.
The ball was tossed into the air.
Pau Gasol reached up, tipping it back toward Miami's half. Game 2 was officially underway.
---
Kevin Durant started the game moving off-ball, trying to shake free.
But P.J. Tucker wasn't having it. He lunged, deflecting the pass.
Dwyane Wade reacted instantly, diving to the floor, scrambling for possession.
Tucker hit the deck too. Both players wrestled for control, but neither could claim it cleanly.
The referee blew the whistle—jump ball.
The crowd roared.
One play in, and both teams were already in the trenches.
Wade won the tip, keeping possession with Miami.
Goran Dragić saw a gap in Cleveland's defense—just for a second.
He exploded forward, cutting through the lane with a slick Euro step.
He had beaten Tucker. He had slipped past Nikola Jokić.
One last step, the layup was up—
BANG!
Jokić recovered and swatted the shot from behind!
He didn't scream. He didn't celebrate. But in his mind, one thought echoed:
"That's for my horse!"
Tucker grabbed the loose ball off the rebound, then collided into Jokić as he sprinted forward.
The Cavaliers ran the break at full speed.
Kyrie Irving got the outlet pass and tore down the court.
Miami scrambled to get back.
Dragić recovered, sliding in front of Irving at the rim.
Kyrie countered with a lightning-quick Euro step—
But Wade, coming from behind, leapt at the last second!
Kyrie adjusted in mid-air, trying to avoid the block.
Too tough. The ball rolled off the rim.
But just as it did—
BOOM!
Han Sen had already read the play, soaring in to grab the rebound and slam it home.
Cavaliers strike first!
---
Miami came back down, running a high pick-and-roll.
Dragić dropped it to Gasol at the free-throw line.
Irving switched onto him, jumping repeatedly to contest any shot.
Gasol didn't force it. Instead, he put the ball on the floor and drove inside.
Before he could finish, Cleveland's defense collapsed.
J.R. Smith came out of nowhere—steal!
Fast break opportunity.
But before J.R. could take off—
Swipe!
Wade knocked it loose right back!
Quick pass to Gasol under the rim.
Gasol was off-balance but muscled through Jokić for the basket.
The crowd erupted.
On the Miami bench, Riley sat back, stroking his chin.
The Cavs were playing at full intensity from the jump.
It was a risky strategy.
If they didn't establish a big lead early, their energy would drain fast.
Malone's game plan was bold. But was it the right one?
---
Cleveland's offense reset.
Irving worked a pick-and-roll with Jokić.
Jokić popped outside after the screen, drawing Gasol out with him.
That opened the lane.
Miami reacted instantly.
Luol Deng rotated over.
Wade collapsed to the corner.
But they left J.R. Smith wide open.
Irving saw it.
A quick pass.
J.R. rose up.
Splash!
Cleveland extended the lead.
Miami came right back.
Dragić passed to Gasol at the high post, looking to facilitate.
Wade made a backdoor cut, dragging defenders.
Durant worked a pick with Deng, freeing himself for a catch-and-shoot.
But just as he caught the ball—
Han flew in from behind, ripping it right out of his hands.
Gasps from the crowd.
Han barely touched the floor before he launched the pass ahead—
Fast break!
Irving sprinted down the court, weaving past Dragić.
One smooth gather, left-hand finish.
Cleveland 7, Miami 2.
The Cavaliers had all the momentum.
The crowd murmured.
---
Riley leaned forward.
Then, he made his call.
New play.
Miami set up.
Dragić stopped at the wing.
Durant and Gasol ran an off-ball screen action.
Gasol's screen wasn't solid enough. Han fought through it.
Durant caught it in the post.
No hesitation.
One turn, one fadeaway.
Hand in his face.
Swish!
Durant drained it anyway.
A statement shot.
Miami wasn't going down easy.
The Heat picked up their defense.
Irving attacked but got trapped between Deng and Wade—miss.
Dragić grabbed the rebound and pushed it.
Fast break.
Layup.
Cleveland 7, Miami 6.
The crowd exploded.
The Cavs had thrown the first punch.
But Miami was still standing.
Riley sat back, nodding.
This fight was just getting started.
---
Han Sen extended his hand, calling for the ball right in front of Riley's bench.
Jokić saw the signal and quickly fed him the pass.
As soon as Han caught it, Jokić stepped out beyond the three-point line to set a screen.
The pick wasn't the cleanest, but his roll was fast—forcing Luol Deng to follow.
Han immediately called out Gasol, isolating him at the top of the key.
One hesitation, a quick fake toward the basket—Gasol bit.
Han switched gears, blew past him, and attacked the lane.
As Deng scrambled back to contest, Han flipped a pass to Jokić.
Jokić didn't waste a dribble—just one step and an easy finish.
Cleveland 11, Miami 6.
---
Dragić went right back to Durant.
But Han had locked in.
Durant spun into his patented fadeaway—miss.
Gasol fought for the putback.
He tipped it, but Jokić's box-out kept him from guiding it in.
Instead, Jokić snatched the rebound, pivoted, and with Gasol all over him, heaved a full-court pass.
Irving tore down the floor.
He kicked it to J.R. on the weak side—
Pull-up three.
Miss.
But Han was already there for the offensive board.
A quick pump fake sent Dragić flying past him.
Han dumped it inside—Irving, uncontested, laid it in.
---
Miami was damn good, and as Han and Malone had studied, their execution was top-tier.
But tonight?
Execution didn't matter.
This wasn't about precision.
Cleveland was throwing everything at them.
On defense, someone was always there, contesting every shot, forcing Miami to grind for every point.
And in transition?
It was an all-out sprint.
The Cavaliers weren't just running the break.
They were playing like their lives depended on it.
---
At the 9-minute mark—
Cleveland 28, Miami 18.
Double-digit lead.
Riley adjusted.
Dragić, Durant, Gasol, Deng? All out.
In came Chalmers, Sefolosha, Joe Johnson, and David West.
It was a complete shift in strategy.
Game 1? Riley had slowed Cleveland down and crushed them with discipline.
This time?
He flipped the script.
Instead of matching Cleveland's all-in approach, he absorbed it.
Like a sponge soaking up a bullet.
His plan was simple:
Let Cleveland burn their energy early.
By the second half, they'd have nothing left.
Because basketball wasn't won in one quarter.
It was won over four.
Malone saw the move.
And he didn't counter.
He knew Miami's bench was deeper.
If Cleveland tried to match subs, they'd just repeat Game 1's mistakes.
Instead, he made minimal changes:
- Tristan Thompson in.
- Mike Dunleavy in.
J.R. and Jokić got a breather.
That left Cleveland with its two biggest weapons—Han and Kyrie—still on the floor.
The message was clear:
Now or never.
Either they kill this game here—
Or they'd be out of gas by the second half.
---
Riley Raises an Eyebrow.
He hadn't expected this from Malone.
During the regular season, Malone was methodical, a coach who valued stability.
But this?
This was reckless.
A gamble.
If Cleveland didn't bury Miami with this run—
They were dead in the water.
---
Wade slowed the game, feeding David West in the post.
Miami needed to kill momentum.
Clock control.
West had the space.
But TT wasn't giving him an inch.
They banged inside.
West forced a tough shot—off the rim.
Tucker boxed out.
Rebound.
And then—Cleveland ran again.
Han hit Irving in stride.
Kyrie attacked Chalmers.
A quick hesitation—drive, layup, bucket.
30-18.
---
Wade came back down and used a West screen to get inside.
His signature step-back floater—
Blocked.
TT got a piece of it!
Kevin Garnett—watching from the sidelines—pumped his fist.
Two years under KG, and TT's defense had taken a massive leap.
Tucker dove on the loose ball.
He didn't even wait—he flung it to Han while still on the floor.
Another fast break.
This time, Miami scrambled back.
Han slowed at the top of the key, scanning the floor.
Sefolosha turned his head—bad mistake.
Han saw the opening.
He exploded past him.
Straight to the rim.
Joe Johnson stepped up—too late.
Han launched himself, elevating like a damn springboard.
Contact. Layup. AND-ONE.
The whistle blew.
The crowd erupted.
Han stepped to the free-throw line.
If he hit this, Cleveland's lead would be 15.
Riley hesitated.
Then, he turned.
"KD, get back in."
Durant returned, checking in for Sefolosha.
Han sank the free throw.
33-18.
---
Durant immediately made an impact.
His movement kept Cleveland's defense on edge.
And Cleveland's starters?
They were feeling the toll.
Joe Johnson finally got loose.
But as he reached for the catch—
Han came flying in.
Intercepted!
Johnson didn't even see him coming.
By the time he looked up—Han was already past halfcourt.
Miami had no chance to catch him.
Han soared in—BAM!
A vicious tomahawk slam.
---
30 seconds left.
Durant dribbled it out near halfcourt.
He waited for the shot clock to wind down—
Then used a West screen, curling to his spot.
Pull-up mid-range—
Clank.
West got the offensive board.
Went up for the putback—
TT DENIED IT!
Irving grabbed the ball, immediately pushing.
Clock ticking—6 seconds.
Han sprinted ahead.
Wade lunged, trying to slow him down—Han spun past him.
One more dribble.
Top of the arc.
Three seconds left.
Han pulled up.
Deep three.
Riley jumped up.
"CLOSE OUT!"
Too late.
SWISH!
The buzzer sounded.
Cleveland had just torched Miami 10-0 in the final three minutes.
The lead?
20 points.
Riley had tried to slow Cleveland down.
But what he never expected—
Was that Malone wouldn't stop pressing.
The Cavaliers saw an opening—and went for the kill.
All gas, no brakes.
Miami had a long night ahead.
-End Of Chapter-