Not long aftersweeping the Hawks, the Cavaliers prepared to face theMiami Heatin the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat had also swept their opponent, theNets, in the second round.

TheNets, plagued byDeron Williams' injuries, had seen their competitiveness decline over the years. However,even a weakened Nets teamwas stillstronger than the Hawks.

Yet despite their playoff experience, theNets couldn't win a single game against the Heat.

TheHeat's average margin of victoryacross the first two rounds was anastonishing 15+ points per game, a clear sign that they wereplaying at a higher levelthan any other team.

Their success wasn't just aboutroster fit. It was fueled byan intense hunger for a championship.

WithGoran DragićandNikola Vučevićboth incontract years, this season represented theirbest chance to win a title. And for this group,there wouldn't be a better opportunity.

Thewin-or-bust mentalitythey displayed was reminiscent of the2011 Mavericks, who overcame the odds to win a championship.

...

Before theConference Finalstipped off, the NBA announced theAll-NBA Teams.

Han Sen was named to both the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team, completing aclean sweep of major individual honorsfor the season—MVP, DPOY, and now First-Team selections.

With the awards announced, the league ramped uppromotionfor the two highly anticipated matchups in the Conference Finals:

Cavaliers vs. Heatin the East.Warriors vs. Lakersin the West.

TheWarriors eliminated the Spurs4-2, while theLakers took down the Grizzliesby the same margin.

TheGrizzliesremainedtough and scrappy, but withoutHan Sen's presence in clutch moments, they ultimately fell short.

Interestingly, both matchups turned intoa direct battle between UA and Nike-sponsored teams, drivingmedia narratives to a fever pitch.

...

Predictions and Opinions: The TNT Roundtable

TheInside the NBA crewkicked off their predictions segment withErnie Johnsonleading the discussion.

"Alright, fellas. We've got two big matchups coming up in the Conference Finals. In the East, it'sCavs vs. Heat. In the West, it'sWarriors vs. Lakers. Let's start with the West. Who's got the edge?"

Barkleyleaned back in his chair with his signature smirk.

"Lakers. Easy.Look, the Warriors are a great team. They shoot the ball well, they've got that splashy offense, but this ain't the regular season. Playoff basketball is a whole different beast."

Shaq nodded in agreement. "Preach."

"Man,Kobe and LeBron—those two have been throughwars, alright? They know what it takes. The Warriors? They're likekids at the grown-ups' table. They just got here."

Ernie jumped in. "So you're saying experience wins out?"

Barkley chuckled. "Exactly.Kobe and LeBron have beeneatin' steaks at this table for years. The Warriors? They're stillsippin' on juice boxes."

Shaq, always ready to stir the pot, cut in.

"Chuck, you gotta stop hatin' on these young dudes. The Warriors are no joke. I mean, you saw what they did to the Spurs."

Barkley waved him off. "Shaq, come on now. TheSpurs were old.Tim Duncan out there lookin' like me tryin' to run a fast break."

Kenny laughed. "Chuck, you couldn't run a fast break if your life depended on it."

The studio erupted in laughter.

"Okay, okay," Shaq said, cutting through the noise. "Let me tell you whythe Lakersare winning this series.Defense wins championships.Period. The Warriors? They live and die by the jump shot."

Barkley nodded. "Exactly! Jump-shooting teams don't win titles.How many times I gotta say it? You needa strong post presenceto win it all."

Kennyfinally chimed in, always the more measured voice.

"Listen, I hear what y'all are saying, butthe Warriors are different.This ain't just a jump-shooting team. They've gotthe best defense in the league, and they've gotdepth."

He pulled up his stat sheet.

"Look at this.Second in offensive efficiency. First in defensive efficiency.The last team to do that?The '96 Bulls.And we all know what happened that season."

Shaq leaned in. "So what's your call, Kenny?"

"Warriors in 7.They've gotyouth, depth, and healthon their side. The Lakers? They're gonna have togrindfor every bucket."

Ernie redirected the conversation to theEast.

"Alright, what about the East?Cavs vs. Heat."

Barkley didn't hesitate.

"Heat in 5.Look, I love Han. Y'all know that. He's a beast. But the Heat? They're on a mission.They've been steamrolling everyone.And the Cavs?They ain't got Kyrie."

Shaq nodded in agreement.

"Heat in 6.But I'm giving Cleveland a little more respect. Han Sen can steal a game or two, butthe Heat are too complete."

Ernie glanced at Kenny. "What do you think?"

Kenny sighed.

"I gotta go with the Heat too.Theiroffensive efficiency is off the charts, andthe Cavs' defense ranks ninth. That's not good enough against a team like Miami."

Barkley leaned forward, looking straight into the camera.

"Lemme say this. If the Cavsbeat the Heat, I'll get out there andrace Kenny on a fast break."

Shaq burst out laughing. "Chuck, you'd lose to a tortoise."

The studio erupted in laughter again, butthe consensus was clear—theHeat and Lakerswerethe favorites.

...

The day before the series began, the Cavaliers prepared tofly to Miami.

However, at the airport,Kyrie Irving showed up unexpectedly.

The original plan had been forKyrie to stay in Clevelandandreturn for Game 3 once fully recovered.

But Kyrie had other ideas.

"If you're not going to let me play,trade me," he said, with anunusually firm tone.

Han wasa little taken abackby Kyrie's insistence.

Kyrie was typicallyself-focused, and Han had expected him toprioritize his health.

In most cases,players returning early from injurydid sobecause of fan pressure, accused ofnot being tough enough.

ButKyrie's resolve was real.

Given theHeat's strength, Han didn't argue.Even with Kyrie, beating the Heat would be difficult.

Still, Hanwarned Kyrie of the risks:

"If you come back too soon, you're at risk ofre-injury or something worse."

But Kyrie remained steadfast. "If we lose because of me,I can't stay in Cleveland."

Kyrie wasn't exaggerating.

Hissubpar first-round performance, combined with hisabsence in the second round, had already put him underintense scrutiny.

If the Cavaliers lost the Conference Finals,Kyrie would take the blame.

Management might evenconsider trading himfor aPippen-like player, allowing Han tofocus solely on scoring, much like his time with the Grizzlies.

After listening to Kyrie, Han smiled.

"Do you know what inscription I'm planning to put on my statue in Memphis?" Han asked.

Kyrie looked at him curiously.

Han continued:"I Am the Impossible."

No one believed theGrizzlies could win a championship, and even fewer believed they could builda dynasty.

But Hanproved them wrong.

That inscription perfectly captured what he had achieved in Memphis.

Hearing those words,Kyrie's eyes lit up with excitement.

Turning the impossible into reality—what could be more worthwhile?

...

After arriving inMiami, the Cavaliers held anopen practice.

Despite beingoverwhelming underdogs, the team'smorale was high.

This wasn't surprising.

The Cavaliers hadn't beenfavored all season, yet they had made it to theConference Finals.

When they tied the series against the Bulls at1-1, many thought they'dlose in the first round. Yet here they were,still standing.

For many players on the roster, this was theirfirst time in the Conference Finals.

Evenveterans like Mo Williamsandold Cavaliers playerswere motivated.

They had reached this stageduring LeBron's first stintbutnever made it to the Finals.

They still carried thesting of those losses, particularly the infamous"8-on-5" series against Dwight Howard's Magic.

This time, though, there wasno LeBron to carry them into history's hall of shame.

Most importantly,Han Sen wasn't injuredthis time like 5 years ago.

This time, they were ready to fight their way to theNBA Finals.

...

At the Cavaliers'open practice session, asurprising visitorshowed up.

WhenHan SensawShaquille O'Nealwalk into the gym, he was visiblycaught off guard, but quickly broke into a smile and walked over.

"You're abig ol' fish now, Shaq,"Han teased.

Shaq grinned and pulled Han intoa bear hug so tight it could've crushed a smaller man.

"Yeah, well, give it time. You're gonnablow up faster than me once you retire."

Han laughed, but Shaq's playful jab wasn't done.

"Man, I'm tellin' you,I wanna come back and play right now!" Shaq said, eyeing the Cavaliers players warming up. He couldn't help butclench his fists. That competitive fire never really left him.

"I can call David Griffin," Han joked, "and see if we can make yousecurity captainat the arena. That's close enough, right?"

Shaq erupted in laughter. "You know I always wanted to be a cop."

After a bit more playful banter, the two sat down on the sidelines. Shaq quickly gotserious, his gaze shifting toward the court.

"So...you ready for the Heat tomorrow night?" he asked.

Han shook his head. "Man,they're strong.And after getting Dragic?Ridiculous."

Shaq nodded slowly. He knewthe odds weren't in the Cavaliers' favor. That's whymost analysts, includinghimselfandBarkley, hadn't given Cleveland a chance.

"They're saying y'all can't even win a game," Shaq reminded him.

Han smirked.

"I just want to win one."

"And then?"

"Win two."

"And after that?"

"Win three."

Shaq paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, clapping Han on the shoulder. Hegot the message—Han wasn't thinking about the whole series at once. He wastaking it one game at a time.

Shaq's tone shifted again, this time more reflective.

"I heard about that thing with KD," he said, his face suddenly serious.

Han raised an eyebrow. "You're not offended by that comparison, are you?"

Shaq snorted. "Man,KD ain't even close to me.But that's not the point. The point is...I've been where the Heat are right now."

Han looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Shaq leaned back, arms crossed.

"Back in '95, when webeat Michael Jordan's Bulls, we thought we wereunstoppable.We'd justtaken down the GOAT.And who'd we face in the Finals? TheHouston Rockets."

Shaq's expression turned somber.

"We thought we were gonnasweep them.The media thought so too. Hell,everyone thought so."

Han nodded. He knew what came next.

Shaq sighed. "And then?They swept us.We walked in thinkin' we wereinvincible, butanything can happen."

His voice softened. "That's what I'm sayin', Han.Don't listen to the noise. Don't let the odds fool you.Anythingcan happen."

Han understood.Shaq had come to encourage him.

"Thanks, Shaq," Han said sincerely, looking at the big man withgenuine gratitude.

"I'll win this series for you."

...

As the Cavalierswrapped up practice and headed out, they crossed paths with theHeatplayers arriving at the gym.

SeeingDwyane Wade, Han couldn't help but call out, "Hey, DW! Who's guarding me tomorrow?"

Wade grinned. "Who else?You think they're gonna put Dragic on you?"

Han laughed. "Fair enough."

Wade, ever the considerate teammate, asked, "How's Kyrie doing?"

Han shook his head with afake look of concern.

"Not great.He probably won't play tomorrow."

Wade nodded sympathetically. "Tell him to take his time.One game won't decide the series."

Han smirked, his tone turning playful. "You be careful, too. Don't get hurt again. People still say I only beat you last time because of your injury."

Wade burst out laughing. "Man, you never change." He gave Han a friendly pat on the shoulder before joining his teammates in the gym.

...

The next night,American Airlines Arenawaspacked to capacity.

Heat fanswerebuzzing with excitement, ready to witness what they believed would bea dominant series victory.

In theregular season, the two teams had playedthree times, with Miami winningtwo out of three. Theonly loss? A game whereHan Sen dropped a 60-point triple-double.

But this was theplayoffs, and no one expected Han to replicate such a feat—especially after the Heat acquiredGoran Dragicat the trade deadline.

This series felt like avictory lapfor Miami fans.

EvenPat Rileywas in attendance, sitting courtside with his arms crossed, lookingcalm and confident.

As warmups ended, both teams prepared for theopening ceremony.

TheCavaliers, as the visiting team, were introduced first:Irving, JR Smith, Han Sen, PJ Tucker, Tristan Thompson.

Coach Malone's decision to start with the Death Lineupwasn't surprising—it was ago-big-or-go-home move.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstradidn't flinch.

He knew the Cavaliersneeded to take risksto have a chance.

But whenWade saw Kyrie Irving starting, his eyeswidened in surprise.

"Wait, wasn't he supposed to be out?"

TheHeat's starting fivefollowed:Dragic, Wade, Durant, Luol Deng, Pau Gasol.

Spoelstra hadno choice but to stick Wade on Han Sen, asneither Dragic nor Durantcould handle that assignment.

Wade hadmeant itwhen he told Han he'd be the one guarding him.

...

Just before the final preparations,Kevin Durantwalked toward the court—and noticeda woman in the stands. She caught his eye immediately.

Durant couldn't resist. Hethrew a playful look her way, raising an eyebrow.

Thearena's LED screencaught the moment, displaying it for the whole crowd to see.

The woman lookedconfused, but the crowdwent wild, cheering loudly.

In theTNT studio,Barkleycouldn't help but laugh.

"Well, looks like KD's ready for the win tonight!"

----

All-NBA Teams

First Team: Stephen Curry, Han Sen, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Second Team: Chris Paul, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol

Third Team: Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Klay Thompson, Tim Duncan, Joakim Noah

All-Defensive First Team: Chris Paul, Han Sen, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis

All-Defensive Second Team: John Wall, Jimmy Butler, Tim Duncan, Andrew Bogut, Marc Gasol

-End of Chapter-

Translator's note:One of you asked about the increased number of bold text I've been using in recent Chapters. It was something new I was trying out. They were meant to emphasize key phrases, but looking back I see that I was kinda overdoing it.

I'll now use them to highlight key dramatic moments only, like I used to before. Sorry about the last couple Chapters, I'll try and revise them later when I have the chance.

Also, I wrote the entire TNT segment. The raws just mentioned their predictions. Let me know what you guys think.

Do you want me to weave other media personalities into the story, too? Think Skip Bayless stirring the pot, Stephen A. Smith going off, or Bill Simmons dropping deep-cut NBA analogies...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com