Mercy Gets You Killed.
In the fourth quarter, Kyrie finally broke free from Hoiberg's game plan. He stopped looking for teammates. Stopped playing the system.
Instead, he attacked.
He charged straight into Cleveland's defense, possession after possession, trying to drag Chicago back into the fight.
For a moment, he looked like Allen Iverson.
The same defiance. The same isolation-heavy playstyle. The same unwillingness to surrender.
And ultimately—the same result.
108-99. The Cavs took Game 3, pushing the series to 3-0.
Han Sen finished with 55 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Wade added 14 points, 7 assists.
Korver chipped in 13.
Jokić had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 fouls.
For Chicago:
Kyrie led with 31 points.
Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Butler managed just 14 points.
---
Postgame, Malone didn't hold back in his praise for Han.
"When Nikola got into foul trouble, when our shooters couldn't hit a shot, I started thinking—maybe we wouldn't win tonight."
"But Han made sure we never had to find out."
"He kept fighting. Kept carrying us. And when the rest of the team found their rhythm, we all saw what happened."
"That's what a great leader does. It's not just about how many points he scores."
And then, almost as an afterthought, he addressed Kyrie.
"I've never doubted Kyrie's talent."
"He played a huge role in our championship run last year."
"But being a leader?"
"That's a different challenge."
It was as close to a compliment as Kyrie would get.
Whether he listened?
That was another matter entirely.
---
Two days later, Cleveland finished the job.
Game 4: Cavs 114, Bulls 86.
A 4-0 sweep. Just like Han had promised.
Just like NBC's headline predicted—
Han Sen had killed Nike's future.
And now?
He was about to face Nike's present.
From the start, this season had felt like a Nike-themed gauntlet for Han.
First, Giannis—the brand's future—had been obliterated.
And now, standing in his way was Kevin Durant, Nike's golden boy.
Durant and the Celtics had been just as dominant.
They steamrolled the Pistons and Raptors, sweeping both series without breaking a sweat.
And now—the East's two best teams were finally colliding.
Cavs vs. Celtics. Han Sen vs. Kevin Durant.
For longtime NBA fans, this matchup awakened old memories.
Because Han Sen's rise to superstardom began with Cleveland vs. Boston.
Seven years ago, in 2009, with LeBron sidelined by injury, a young Han Sen had led the Cavs to a shocking series win over the Celtics—marking the end of Cleveland's first era with LeBron.
It was in that series where the infamous "Who's Your Daddy?" chant was born.
So for both Cavs fans and Celtics fans, this wasn't just a playoff series.
This was history repeating itself.
---
But before Game 1, a story broke that shifted the entire mood.
Earlier in the playoffs, Isaiah Thomas suffered a personal tragedy.
His younger sister, Chyna Thomas, just 22 years old, had died in a car accident.
By all logic, he should have left the team. Should have gone home to grieve.
But he didn't.
Instead, he played Game 1 against Detroit.
When the media found out, the reaction was immediate—an outpouring of sympathy, respect, and admiration.
Now, as fate would have it, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals fell on what would have been Chyna's birthday.
And that night?
Isaiah played like a man possessed.
He attacked Cleveland relentlessly, scoring from every angle, hitting impossible shots, refusing to let Boston lose.
Even Durant deferred to him.
By the end of the night—33 shots, 18 makes, 5 threes, 12-of-13 from the line.
53 points.
Celtics 129, Cavs 119.
Han Sen's 42 points, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks didn't matter.
Not against a moment like this.
---
Postgame, Isaiah Thomas was in tears.
"I couldn't hear anything," he said, his voice shaking.
"I felt like I was in the gym, just me and her.
Every shot—I could feel her there.
I felt like she was guiding me.
I can't even describe it."
He wiped his face and took a deep breath.
"When she passed, I wanted to quit.
But for the rest of my life, I will fight for her."
It was the purest, rawest emotion an athlete could show.
It was an NBA moment.
But for Cleveland?
There was no time for sentiment.
Game 1 was over.
They had lost homecourt advantage.
Lose Game 2, and suddenly, they'd be in the same position the Bulls had been.
---
The next morning, Han walked into practice like a man possessed.
No jokes. No small talk.
Just pure, locked-in fury.
And everybody felt it.
From the first whistle, Han ripped through Covington and Tucker like they weren't even there.
Scrimmages turned into executions.
He bullied Covington in the post. Snatched rebounds over Tucker. Talked constant trash while doing it.
"You think I feel bad? Y'all think I give a damn?" Han barked after sinking a step-back three.
"This is MY f***ing season. Not Isaiah's fairytale."
Nobody said a word.
Because they knew what was coming.
---
After practice, Malone called the team in.
Normally, this was the part where Coach Lue would step up with some motivation.
Not today.
Because today, Han wasn't standing with the players.
He stood next to Malone.
Even Dante Cunningham—one of the longest-tenured Cavs—had never seen that before.
Guys exchanged looks.
Something was coming.
Then, Han spoke.
"I know what happened to Isaiah was tragic.
But that ain't a reason for us to play soft."
Silence.
Because deep down?
They knew he was right.
Human nature made people sympathize with suffering.
That's why the media ran those stories.
That's why defenders instinctively let up against a grieving player.
Maybe just a late rotation.
Maybe just half a step slow on a closeout.
But those little moments added up.
And Han wasn't having it.
His voice sharpened.
"Next game, I need EVERYONE locked in on defense.
If anyone ain't ready to shut that s*** down—
I don't care who it is—stay on the damn bench."
Nobody moved.
Even J.R. Smith—who always had a joke ready—kept his mouth shut.
Han let the silence breathe.
Then, he dropped the hammer.
"The playoffs are war.
And in war?
Mercy gets you killed.
So make a choice.
You wanna win?
Or you wanna be a damn Disney movie?"
---
Later that night, Han took Jokić out for dinner.
Jokić was tense.
All season, Han had been the easygoing leader. Cracked jokes. Kept the mood light.
But today?
Today, he'd been a tyrant.
And now, Jokić was getting pulled aside.
He braced himself. Maybe this was about his defense. Maybe another hard lesson was coming.
Either way—he wasn't ready.
Han sat down, didn't waste a second.
"Nikola, I need you handling the ball more next game."
Jokić blinked. That was it? No lecture? No grilling?
Han leaned back, arms crossed.
"I'm locking in on defense. That means someone else needs to control the offense. That's you."
Jokić nodded slowly. It made sense. Han had been everywhere last game—scoring, passing, defending. Carrying too much weight.
Han smirked. "This is what I threw you at Howard for. You think I had you banging in the post last round just for fun?"
Jokić exhaled, finally relaxing.
Then Han grinned.
"So do it for your horse, Nikola."
Jokić's face lit up. "No problem, boss!"
Han chuckled, shaking his head.
Basketball was work.
Horse racing?
That was what Jokić lived for.
---
With the Eastern Conference Finals alternating rest days, all eyes shifted westward as the Warriors and Spurs tipped off Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Golden State had steamrolled their way to the WCF, sweeping their opponents—including a Grizzlies team that had reached the second round for the first time in three years.
Meanwhile, the Spurs had barely survived a grueling six-game war against the Rockets.
On paper, San Antonio looked outmatched.
Analysts gave Golden State an 80% chance of advancing.
But when the game started?
The Spurs punched the Warriors in the mouth.
They silenced Oracle Arena in the first quarter, jumping out to a 14-point lead.
By halftime, they had pushed the gap to 20.
On offense, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge torched the Warriors inside and out.
On defense, Kawhi made life hell for LeBron.
Leonard wasn't just an elite two-way player—he was one of the few superstars who could dominate both ends of the court.
But just as the Spurs extended their lead to 23 in the third quarter… disaster struck.
Leonard rose for a jumper.
Zaza Pachulia slid underneath him.
And when Leonard came down, his ankle rolled violently.
The moment he hit the floor, he knew his night was over.
So did the Warriors.
Golden State pounced immediately, erasing the deficit in a relentless comeback.
By the final buzzer, they had stolen Game 1, 113-111.
And the bad news for San Antonio didn't stop there.
Postgame, the injury report confirmed Leonard's season was over.
It was a death sentence for the Spurs.
At the press conference, Popovich didn't hold back.
He tore into Pachulia, calling him "a disgrace to the game" and "a dirty player through and through".
Then, he dropped the real bombshell.
"If the Warriors lost Curry, do you think they'd still win?"
The internet exploded.
Pachulia was roasted online.
His track record was filthy, and his two-step forward 'contest' was blatant.
During the game, the refs had already given him a technical under the 'Bruce Bowen Rule'.
But that was a slap on the wrist compared to the reward.
However, as much as people ripped Pachulia, others called Popovich a hypocrite.
Bowen had injured Vince Carter three times.
Dahntay Jones had taken out Rudy Gay.
Manu Ginóbili had wrecked Chris Paul's knee.
Hell, Han Sen himself had once said, "I'm here to avenge CP3" after the Spurs took out Paul.
Now?
San Antonio was getting a taste of their own medicine.
And to add fuel to the fire, Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown pointed out something else.
After Leonard went down, Aldridge tried the same move on Curry.
Curry just dodged it in time.
Which meant?
Popovich wasn't just making threats.
The Spurs had already retaliated.
At that point, the internet was in full meltdown mode.
With Leonard gone, the West had already lost its suspense.
But this controversy?
It was going to last for a long, long time.
---
Back in the East, Game 2 tipped off.
Last game, Malone had assigned J.R. Smith to guard Isaiah Thomas.
This time?
Han took the matchup himself.
Thomas had speed, but Han had anticipation and length.
Even in the regular season, Han had smothered him before.
And now?
Han was twice as locked in.
From the jump, Thomas struggled.
His drives got cut off. His jumpers were heavily contested.
Boston had no choice but to shift their offense to Durant.
But tonight, Cleveland's defense was relentless.
Covington and Tristan Thompson swarmed Durant from every angle.
They couldn't stop him from scoring, but they wrecked his efficiency.
And with the refs letting them play, the game turned into a slugfest.
Meanwhile, on offense?
Jokić broke Karl-Anthony Towns.
Talent-wise, they were close.
Skill-wise, Jokić just had a playmaking edge.
But when it came to mental toughness?
Towns wasn't built for this.
Jokić threw elbows, used his weight, and played dirty.
Everything Howard had done to him last round?
He was giving it all back to Towns.
And Towns folded.
The moment he backed down, Boston's interior collapsed.
And that was exactly what Jokić wanted.
He didn't just attack for his own points—he attacked to pass.
Han kept slipping behind Thomas, catching dimes from Jokić for easy buckets.
Boston's defense fell apart.
Game 1 had been a storybook for Thomas.
Game 2?
A nightmare.
By the second half, Stevens had to pull him.
Jae Crowder took over to boost the defense, but without Thomas, Boston's offense slowed.
With Durant being harassed all night, they had no answer.
Final score: 106-91, Cavaliers.
Cleveland had evened the series.
Han finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.
Jokić had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Wade added 16 points, Covington had 13 with 3 steals.
For Boston:
Durant had 33 points, but it took him 30 shots.
Horford had 18 points and 8 boards.
Towns finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds—but spent most of the second half invisible.
And Isaiah?
8 shots.
8 points.
Completely erased.