Cold-Blooded Execution.

As Jokić and Howard's matchup shifted from one-sided dominance to a back-and-forth battle, the entire game dynamic changed.

The Bulls weren't built to feed Howard in the post consistently. Hoiberg's original plan had been to target Jokić as a weak link—not to turn Howard into a primary offensive option.

Once that plan failed, relying on Howard's post-ups was not a sustainable option. Without a proper four-out spacing lineup, Howard struggled to make plays when double-teamed.

The Cavs, on the other hand, had no such problem. Han could confidently let Jokić go to work, knowing the Serbian big man could handle defensive pressure and make the right reads.

That also meant Han no longer needed to shoulder the entire scoring load. Instead, he shifted his energy toward locking down Kyrie on defense.

To put it bluntly, as the game progressed, it became less about winning and more about Jokić getting battle-tested.

Hoiberg sat on the bench, gripping his hands into tight fists.

The Bulls should have been able to challenge the Cavs. They had found their rhythm by the second half of the season and built solid chemistry.

But chemistry meant nothing when two of your top players didn't get along.

And Chicago had two guys—Kyrie and Dwight—who refused to back down to each other.

It didn't matter who coached them—Phil Jackson himself wouldn't be able to fix this mess.

In the end, Cleveland took Game 1 with a 106-93 victory, securing a comfortable 13-point win.

---

In the Bulls' press conference, a Cleveland reporter pressed Kyrie about his pre-series comments.

"If my words hurt anyone, then I'm open to apologizing," Kyrie said, before doubling down. "But before that happens, I expect an apology from the fans who turned against me. I delivered a championship to this city, and they repay me by being ungrateful."

Classic Kyrie.

Arrogant, self-assured, and unwilling to back down.

"This is just one game," he added. "I've been through worse. We'll fight for the next one. And even if we don't get it, we'll protect home court in Chicago. One way or another, we're going to win."

Han's response in the Cavs' presser was simple:

"I've always said Jokić could be an All-Star," Han said. "But after tonight? That's just his starting point."

He made sure to hype up his young center, who finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists—not mind-blowing stats, but more importantly, he had held his own against Dwight Howard.

Jokić was already ahead of schedule. If he could handle Howard now, he'd be even more valuable in the later rounds against the Celtics or Warriors.

Han also backed Wade's comments on sacrifice.

"I support what DW said. There's a difference between sacrifice and meaningless sacrifice," Han stated.

Wade had proven his worth again, scoring 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench.

Then, when asked about Kyrie's confidence in a long series, Han shut it down immediately.

"Kyrie's confidence has always been one of his strengths," he said. "But this series won't see a Game 5."

Just like Wade had warned—talking down your former team was never a smart idea.

Han wasn't going to take personal shots.

But he would make Kyrie regret those words on the court.

---

Two nights later, Game 2 played out differently.

Jimmy Butler showed up this time—he thrived in high-pressure moments, and it showed in his performance.

But Chicago's real problem hadn't changed.

Kyrie and Howard still weren't on the same page. They could barely stand each other on the court.

That tension held the Bulls back all night.

Cleveland secured a 116-105 win, taking a 2-0 series lead.

Now, the series shifted to Chicago.

If Han's words held true—this series wasn't coming back to Cleveland.

---

"Han Sen Is Killing Nike's Future"

Before Game 3, an NBC article went viral.

Nike had placed its future in the hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving.

Han Sen had already swept Giannis.

And Kyrie was next.

Marketing could build an image, but at the end of the day, performance on the court mattered most.

Without results, no amount of branding could hold up.

The article went as far as calling Nike's biggest mistake allowing Kyrie to leave Cleveland.

"If Kyrie had stayed with the Cavs, Nike wouldn't necessarily be winning," the report stated. "But at least they wouldn't be losing.

Because winning a championship isn't about one player—it's about the team.

If Cleveland wins, Kyrie wins by association."

But now?

With Kyrie gone and Jokić signing with Under Armour, the Cavs were a fully UA-backed team.

Nike executives tried to push back, claiming this wasn't their fault.

"Kyrie was always going to leave," an unnamed Nike source said. "He was the one who said, 'Nobody wants to play with LeBron.' You think we could've stopped him?"

Regardless, the narrative had shifted.

This wasn't just about a playoff series anymore—Chicago's failure could have brand-wide consequences.

If the Bulls got swept, what did that say about their so-called 'super team' of Kyrie, Butler, and Howard?

Game 3 was suddenly the most critical game of the series.

For the Bulls, for Nike, and for Kyrie himself.

---

The United Center was packed to capacity.

When the camera panned to Han Sen during pregame, the crowd responded with a mix of cheers and boos.

Kyrie hadn't been wrong about one thing—Chicago was a real basketball city.

Because of Jordan, this fanbase would always demand excellence.

Han glanced up at the rafters, where Jordan's No. 23 jersey hung in the spotlight.

His mind drifted back to the time he and Kyrie had stood in front of Jordan's statue, talking about legacy.

Kyrie wanted to be the next Jordan.

But it wasn't just him.

Every player who wore No. 23 wanted that.

The problem?

If it were that easy, Jordan's statue would've been torn down years ago.

Tonight, Kyrie was about to learn that lesson firsthand.

---

After the pregame ceremonies, the starting lineups were announced.

Cleveland remained unchanged, but Chicago made an adjustment—Hoiberg inserted Nikola Mirotić into the starting five, replacing Taj Gibson.

The reasoning behind this change became clear immediately.

Hoiberg fully committed to feeding Howard in the post.

And looking at the Bulls' new lineup—Kyrie, Sefolosha, Butler, and Mirotić— all of them could shoot threes.

Chicago had essentially turned into a modernized version of the Magic's old "Four-Out, One-In" system, with Howard as the lone inside presence.

It was the right call—Howard had been the only clear advantage the Bulls had over Jokić.

But the surprising part?

Kyrie didn't seem to mind.

He was actually playing along, actively looking to feed Howard.

This wasn't the Kyrie people knew.

Either this was a sci-fi movie, or Hoiberg had drugged him.

Turns out, Hoiberg really had fed Kyrie something—just not actual drugs.

It was a psychological trick.

When two people in a group refuse to get along, the best solution isn't to force them to like each other—it's to give them a common enemy.

For Kyrie and Howard, that enemy was the Cavaliers.

Hoiberg made it simple: If Kyrie got swept by Han Sen, his decision to leave Cleveland would go down as the biggest joke of the season.

So this wasn't sacrifice for Kyrie—it was self-preservation.

And for Howard?

He had always wanted to be an old-school low-post big man, like Shaq, with a heavy dose of back-to-the-basket touches.

Now that he was getting them, there was nothing left to complain about.

Howard's confidence returned, and with it, his dominance.

Jokić didn't back down, continuing to battle physically.

But by the end of the first quarter, Jokić had picked up two fouls.

---

In NBA history, some revisionists claimed that 'Dwight Howard shut down prime Jokić' in the 2020 Lakers-Nuggets series.

The truth was that Jokić had been plagued by foul trouble, struggling to stay on the floor against Howard's physicality.

Tonight, there was one major difference—the officiating was actually fair.

But a second-year Jokić still wasn't experienced enough to manage his fouls in a game this physical.

And his absence?

Devastating for the Cavs.

Cleveland's entire offense was built around the Han-Jokić pick-and-roll.

Malone had only one option—slide Tristan Thompson to center and bring in Dwyane Wade early.

With this shift, the Cavs went back to their own "Four-Out, One-In" system, relying more on Han and Wade's individual scoring and kick-out threes.

And that revealed a problem.

The Cavs' new roster had depth—but at the cost of lower margin for error.

And tonight?

Their outside shooting was ice cold.

J.R. Smith and Covington couldn't buy a bucket.

In the 2015 playoffs, when Cleveland faced Miami, they had survived thanks to an explosive three-point performance that pushed the series to Game 7.

Even after Kyrie's injury, the Cavs' shooters had stepped up—and that was the only reason Han had been able to break the playoff scoring record.

Because no matter how great you are—you can't play 1-on-5 for an entire game.

But bad luck doesn't wait for the right time—tonight, Cleveland was facing one of their biggest challenges yet.

"This is Chicago's night," Kenny Smith said on the broadcast. "It feels like the basketball gods are on their side."

By the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, the Bulls led 22-12.

---

Malone called a timeout.

He immediately subbed in Kyle Korver and Dante Cunningham, searching for a spark.

The Cavs' energy was off.

They weren't playing their game.

And then—

Han spoke.

"I'll keep us in it. When you're ready, we close the door."

It wasn't reassurance. It was a directive.

Basketball was a five-man game.

But sometimes, one man had to hold the line.

That single sentence steadied the team.

And when the game resumed, Han got to work.

This season, he had honed his elite floater talent—[The Tear-Drop]—to perfection.

Now, it was unstoppable.

Every possession became a battle.

After fighting through traffic for a tough bucket, he turned to Hoiberg, smirking.

"Your double-teams feel like open space to me."

After a hard-fought and-one, he cupped his hand to his ear, taunting the Chicago crowd.

Han wasn't just scoring.

He was making it personal.

By the end of the quarter, the entire arena felt different.

Chicago's fans sat in silence.

For a moment, it felt like Jordan's No. 23 had returned.

But when they blinked—

It was No. 77.

By the time the first quarter ended, Han had 20 points—almost all of them in the paint.

The Bulls collapsed their defense, packed the lane—it didn't matter.

Han forced his way through.

Or forced a foul.

By halftime, Han had 18 free throw attempts—a career high.

And despite Jokić's foul trouble and Cleveland's miserable 20% three-point shooting, the Bulls only led 51-46.

They had thrown everything at Cleveland.

And yet—they were barely ahead.

---

Chicago had survived because Cleveland's shooters were cold.

But the Cavs weren't going to stay cold forever.

At halftime, Malone made his move.

He went small, subbing in Korver and Cunningham to start the second half.

And then—

BOOM.

Korver hit one. Then another.

The floor stretched. The lanes widened.

And just like that—Chicago was drowning.

Cleveland's Four-Out, One-In offense came alive.

The Cavs lit up Chicago from deep, burying seven threes in the third quarter alone.

They won the quarter 38-20, flipping the game upside down and taking an 84-71 lead.

And by then?

The game was already over.

As the Cavs blew the game wide open, Barkley shook his head.

"Man, forget Nike—Han Sen is out here ENDING dudes."

Shaq smirked. "Chicago thought they had something. Han made 'em pay for it."

Barkley chuckled. "Han ain't even talking anymore. He's just handing out eliminations."