This was the NBA Finals—no room for pleasantries or sportsmanship nonsense.
To hell with being polite.
Han Sen had just set an example.
Did Wade truly take it to heart? That was uncertain.
But LeBron?
He was pissed.
Fuming, he sprang to his feet, his crab-like motion a blur as he tried to rush Han from behind.
But before he could even make a move—
BOOM.
Dedmon stepped in.
Like a human shield.
If before tonight, Han Sen had only been a basketball legend to Dedmon—someone he admired from afar—
Then tonight?
Han Sen was his leader.
And there was no way in hell he was letting LeBron get a cheap shot in.
The two squared up.
Dedmon's biceps flexed like steel cables, emphasizing exactly why he had been giving LeBron problems all night.
LeBron had always struggled against guys like him—tall, long-armed, and solid as a rock.
The refs quickly blew their whistles, separating them.
No extra calls.
After all, technically, Han hadn't done anything excessive—
Hell, compared to a taunting step-over? This wasn't even that bad.
But the psychological damage?
Severe.
And the worst part?
Han wasn't done.
When the game resumed, he stood right in front of LeBron again—
And raised a hand.
The Come On gesture.
A direct challenge.
The boos rained down from the Warriors' crowd.
Even they thought Han was going too far.
LeBron didn't want to take the bait.
He wasn't stupid.
But then—
Han spoke.
"Are they booing you?"
That did it.
The logic was airtight.
Han had just knocked him down.
Han had just taunted him.
Han had just clowned him.
And now? The home crowd was booing.
Who were they booing?
LeBron.
LeBron James.
He snapped.
Summoning Pachulia for a pick, he prepared to drive.
He knew Pachulia wouldn't hold Han for long, so he planned to rush through the gap immediately.
A quick push-ahead dribble—
SMACK!
Han never bit on the screen.
Instead, he read the angle perfectly, slipping under with tight puppy-steps—
And LeBron?
He had just passed the ball directly to Han Sen.
The crowd gasped.
LeBron tried to recover, lunging forward—
But Han was gone.
A quick crossover.
A burst of speed.
Transition.
LeBron was still cursing himself at midcourt as Han flew down the floor.
---
The worst part?
This was something Kyrie Irving used to do all the time—
Split defenders, drop a tight handle, and break through double teams with pure feel.
But LeBron?
His ball control wasn't even in the same universe.
He saw Kyrie do it.
He thought he could do it.
But instead?
He handed Han a fastbreak dunk.
It was a knockoff version of a superstar move—and it had backfired spectacularly.
---
Han slowed down, eyeing the rim.
Everyone knew what was coming.
The bench was already standing.
And then—
BOOM.
A windmill off the backboard.
Violent. Brutal. Disrespectful.
The arena exploded in shock.
Steve Kerr rushed to call timeout.
---
As the teams headed to the bench, Kerr made two immediate subs—
LeBron and Klay out.
Curry and Draymond in.
Malone responded by subbing Han out for a breather, sending Jokić in.
Draymond's presence made an instant impact.
Even with the second unit, his chemistry with Curry was undeniable.
But Cleveland had an answer.
Jokić was just as adaptable.
He wasn't just a low-post bruiser.
He could stretch the floor, facilitate, and make plays.
And tonight?
He had been a problem.
Since Game 6 of the Conference Finals, Jokić had built a new reputation.
Even though his three-point shooting hadn't been great this season—
That one dagger against the Celtics had changed how teams guarded him.
Even NBA players weren't immune to recency bias.
So when Wade and Jokić ran the pick-and-roll?
Golden State hesitated.
And that hesitation gave Jokić an opening.
With Zaza and JaVale struggling, Kerr had no choice but to throw Draymond at Wade—
Even though it meant giving Jokić more space.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 58-51, Cavaliers up by 7.
Jokić had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists—his best first half of the entire playoffs.
---
As both teams headed to the locker rooms, Han walked past Wade without saying a word.
Wade noticed.
The silent treatment.
And he knew why.
This wasn't about basketball.
This was about what happened earlier.
Han wasn't upset that Wade got knocked down.
He was upset that Wade took LeBron's hand afterward.
It was a bad look.
It sent the wrong message.
It showed weakness.
Wade understood now.
He took a deep breath, then sat next to Han.
"My bad. I shouldn't have reached out."
Han exhaled.
Then—he laughed.
Because if there was an award for 'Nicest Superstar in NBA History', Wade was winning it unanimously.
Han leaned back.
"DW, do you think we have this series locked?"
Wade paused.
He wanted to say yes.
They were leading.
Jokić was on fire.
Han was dominating.
But it wasn't enough.
Because this was Golden State.
A 7-point lead was nothing.
Not against a team that thrived on third-quarter explosions.
He exhaled, shaking his head.
Han nodded.
"Then why aren't we treating them like enemies?"
Han's words were simple.
But his meaning was clear.
This was the Finals.
The championship was on the line.
This wasn't just another game.
You had to go for the kill.
No hesitation.
No second thoughts.
You fight like hell or hand them the trophy.
Wade stared at him for a second.
Then—
"I got it."
Han clapped him on the shoulder.
Did he really get it?
Han hoped so.
---
Coming out of halftime, the Warriors went all-in on small-ball, unleashing their infamous Death Lineup to open the third quarter.
And just like that, an all-out shootout erupted.
Steph and Klay?
They caught fire.
The Splash Brothers exploded, draining eight threes combined in the quarter.
With them leading the charge, Golden State torched the Cavs for 45 points in the period.
But Han Sen?
He refused to back down.
Five threes of his own.
Straight-up violence to counter violence.
Under his lead, Cleveland matched the firepower, dropping 40 points in the quarter.
By the time the dust settled, the scoreboard read:
98-96.
Both teams locked in a dead heat.
---
The third quarter had been a warzone.
Both teams refused to sit their stars—Han Sen, Jokić, the Splash Brothers, and LeBron all played the full 12 minutes.
And that made the start of the fourth quarter crucial.
Neither side could afford to keep their stars on the floor any longer.
This was a battle of the benches.
Lineups to start the fourth:
- Cavaliers: Deron Williams, Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver, Dante Cunningham, Tristan Thompson.
- Warriors: Shaun Livingston, Patrick McCaw, LeBron James, David West, JaVale McGee.
The first possession belonged to Cleveland.
Deron Williams ran a pick-and-roll with TT, stopping for a mid-range jumper.
Decent look—but his release wasn't as quick as it used to be.
McGee closed out hard, tipping the shot just enough.
The ball clanked off the rim.
TT crashed the boards, securing the offensive rebound.
But instead of forcing up a contested shot against Livingston and McGee collapsing on him, he made the right play—
He kicked it out.
TT could feel it—Dedmon's performance earlier in the game had lit a fire under him.
Wade had already cut inside, catching the ball at the free-throw line.
One fluid motion.
A high-arcing floater.
McGee leaped—but it was too high.
The ball soared past his fingertips.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
Pure fundamentals.
---
On the other end, LeBron tried to run a pick-and-roll to force his way inside.
Wade didn't even hesitate.
He ditched McCaw entirely, leaving him wide open.
And together with TT, he trapped LeBron at the free-throw line.
The Warriors' spacing was a mess.
With Draymond and Klay still on the bench, the floor shrank dramatically.
LeBron had nowhere to go.
He swung the ball out to McCaw—
But McCaw bricked the shot.
TT grabbed the rebound.
Wade had just sent a clear message.
He wasn't siding with LeBron tonight.
---
Deron Williams pushed the tempo.
Another pick-and-roll with TT—this time, he collapsed the defense and kicked it out to Cunningham.
But the Warriors still had elite defensive rotations.
McCaw immediately closed out on Cunningham.
No hesitation—Cunningham swung it to Wade.
And here's where it got interesting.
Wade was WIDE OPEN.
LeBron didn't even rotate.
Instead of closing out, he sagged back into the paint.
Because he knew Wade wasn't a great three-point shooter.
Wade eyed the space.
He pulled up.
LeBron, expecting a miss, turned and ran toward the rim for the rebound.
Swish.
A clean three.
Wade buried it.
The crowd groaned.
Kerr's face on the sideline?
Pure frustration.
The Warriors had spent the entire third quarter battling back—
Now, Wade's personal 5-0 run had wiped it all away.
---
Kerr didn't make a move.
Not because he didn't want to—but because he couldn't.
Bringing the starters back this early would mean running them into the ground.
And Malone knew it.
That's why he had pushed the pace.
This was Cleveland's strategy: force Kerr's hand.
And now, Wade was delivering an unexpected bonus.
A 'surprise' impact.
---
LeBron took matters into his own hands.
No screen.
No hesitation.
He backed up beyond the three-point line—a full step behind the arc.
Then—
Tank Mode.
He exploded forward, lowering his shoulder, barreling through traffic.
TT had no choice—he yanked LeBron down.
The whistle blew.
But neither player reacted much.
No staredowns.
No trash talk.
Both just reset and moved on.
LeBron stepped to the free-throw line—
First shot?
Brick.
Second shot?
Brick.
The Boston crowd would've lost their minds.
If Karl-Anthony Towns had half the defensive effort TT was showing right now, maybe the Celtics would be in the Finals.
---
TT grabbed the rebound.
Deron Williams rushed the ball up.
The Warriors' crowd was getting nervous.
They hadn't scored all quarter.
The game was slipping.
Deron swung it to Wade at the right wing.
Wade was on fire.
The defense scrambled—but LeBron was on him this time.
He wasn't giving up another easy three.
Wade smirked.
He put the ball on the floor, attacked inside.
LeBron retreated slightly to absorb the drive—
And Wade stopped on a dime.
Step-back.
Three-pointer.
LeBron lunged forward to contest.
The ball floated just over his outstretched hand.
The entire crowd held its breath.
Swish.
Dead silence.
---
106-96.
An 8-0 personal run from Wade.
The Cavaliers had officially pushed the lead to double digits.
For two teams this evenly matched, a lead like this was devastating.
Kerr had no choice.
Timeout, Warriors.
Wade?
He turned to the crowd, chest heaving, adrenaline pumping.
Then, without hesitation—
He lifted his right hand.
Ran his fingers across his throat.
A cutthroat gesture.
The message was clear.
The Warriors were done.