Jay Sun took advantage of the Thunder's timeout to bust out a quick celebratory dance. He jumped, waved his arms, and shook his shoulders in one smooth motion, like a dancer with two and a half years of training under his belt.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks urgently gathered his players, laying out strategies. Having been with the team through thick and thin, Brooks wasn't keen on being dismissed just yet. Though he was eventually replaced by Billy Donovan, Brooks clearly wasn't ready to give up.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
Brooks sent Kevin Durant back into the game, but Durant's condition still seemed off. He missed his first shot after coming back on the court.
On the other end, Jay drove past Russell Westbrook's defense and dished it out to Shawn Marion on the perimeter. Marion launched a three-pointer, but Durant closed in just in time to contest it, forcing a miss.
Both teams exchanged missed shots, and the game entered a cautious phase.
Westbrook, weary from Jay's relentless defense, decided to pass to Dion Waiters instead of forcing a play.
Waiters, however, wasn't a one-on-one player. He quickly redirected the ball to Durant.
Durant caught it and scanned the defense. Without hesitation, he exploded toward the basket.
Shawn Marion, now past his prime, couldn't keep up. Durant breezed by him into the paint.
Seeing Tristan Thompson slide over to contest, Durant adjusted mid-air, switching from a dunk attempt to a layup, which he banked in off the glass.
"87-80," the announcer called. The Thunder had cut the deficit to seven.
Jay took the inbound pass and brought it up the court. This time, he didn't look to pass. He drove directly at Westbrook and finished with a strong layup through contact.
"89-80," the Cavaliers pushed the lead back to nine.
Durant, refusing to be outdone, pulled up for a smooth jumper over Marion and drained it.
Watching Durant's high-release jumper, Jay couldn't help but mutter to himself, This guy's jump shot is a cheat code.
But Durant was clearly winded. His movements were slower, and his shooting form was starting to waver.
With two minutes left in the game, the Cavaliers maintained a seven-point lead, while Durant took a seat on the bench, visibly drained.
Westbrook, still fighting, looked gassed too. Though his reputation as an ironman was well-known, even he had his limits.
Sensing the opportunity, Tyronn Lue wasn't about to let up.
"Bring in the Big Three!" Lue commanded.
LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving checked back in, rested and ready to close the game.
With Jay running alongside the Cavaliers' stars, the Thunder didn't stand a chance.
The final buzzer sounded.
Cavaliers 110, Thunder 98.
The Cavaliers secured a commanding 12-point victory, even with some late-game mercy from their side.
Jay finished with 24 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter, solidifying his reputation as a Closer.
Durant posted an impressive 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Westbrook came close to a triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Waiters quietly contributed 14 points.
For the Cavaliers, LeBron led with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Love had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Kyrie added 21 points and 6 assists.
It was a statement win for the Cavaliers, and Jay was all smiles as he followed his teammates back to the locker room.
Shortly after the game, on January 29th, the NBA officially announced the Rising Stars Challenge rosters. Jay was selected to represent the World Team.
Interestingly, both Jay and Andrew Wiggins, the two leading candidates for Rookie of the Year, were on the World Team, leaving the U.S. Team looking noticeably less star-studded.
Joining Jay and Wiggins on the World Team were names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Dennis Schröder, Steven Adams, and Jusuf Nurkić.
The U.S. Team featured players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, Zach LaVine, Mason Plumlee, and Michael Carter-Williams.
The new international format gave the game a fresh angle, with fans excited to see Jay and Wiggins team up.
It didn't take long for this storyline to gain traction. Just days after the rosters were announced, on February 1st, the Cavaliers visited Minnesota to face the Timberwolves.
This was Kevin Love's first game back in Minnesota since being traded to Cleveland, and the media swarmed him with questions.
Jay and Wiggins also drew attention, though the questions aimed at them were more focused on the Rising Stars game.
"Kevin, how does it feel to return to the Target Center?"
"Do you feel nostalgic being back in the city where your NBA journey began?"
"Andrew, you'll be teaming up with Jay Sun in the Rising Stars game. How do you feel about that?"
"Jay, how do you think you and Andrew will mesh as teammates for the World Team?"
Despite the barrage of questions, Love, Wiggins, and Jay all handled the media gracefully, keeping their answers short and to the point.
When the game tipped off, Jay played a quiet first quarter, content to execute his role as a Corner Specialist and Catch and Shoot threat.
He nailed two of his three three-point attempts, doing just enough to contribute without forcing the issue.
Wiggins, however, came out with something to prove. The usually laid-back forward played with rare intensity, scoring 11 points in the opening quarter alone.
By the end of the first quarter, the Timberwolves led 30-21.
In the second quarter, Jay took over point guard duties as Kyrie Irving took a seat. J.R. Smith slid in at shooting guard, giving Jay the keys to the offense.
Jay quickly called for a pick-and-roll with Love. Timberwolves center Nikola Peković, a big-bodied bruiser, was too slow to keep up.
Jay took advantage, pulling up for a three after the screen.
Swish.
Jay's shot dropped cleanly through the net.
On the defensive end, Wiggins continued to impress. He isolated Mike Miller, using a quick first step to blow by the veteran and glide toward the basket.
Love stepped up to contest, expecting Wiggins to go for a dunk. Instead, Wiggins pulled up for a smooth mid-range jumper.
The crowd groaned. They had hoped for a highlight-reel dunk, but Wiggins had opted for a more efficient shot.
Seeing the disappointed faces in the crowd, Wiggins chuckled to himself. Fools. You think I'm going to risk injury? I've got a 30-year plan.
Jay wasn't concerned with Wiggins' long-term plans. He was focused on making the most of his time on the court.
Another pick-and-roll with Love led to Jay driving hard to the basket. Seeing Peković still lumbering back into position, Jay leapt with both arms spread wide.
Boom!
Jay threw down a powerful dunk.
As he landed, Jay quickly jogged back on defense, keeping his celebrations muted.
Why so reserved? you ask.
Because Peković's reputation wasn't limited to basketball. His family connections in Montenegro were... interesting.
Jay wasn't about to provoke the wrong guy.