LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 34: Showtime
The Warriors came out firing.
Draymond Green held the ball at the top of the key, scanning the Cavs' defensive setup.
Once again, he found Curry cutting to the basket.
This time, no three-pointers.
Curry slipped through the defense, caught the pass, and finished with an easy layup.
The Warriors' spacing was impeccable. Cleveland's big men couldn't get there in time to help.
On the Cavs' next possession, Kyrie Irving brought the ball up the court.
Unlike his earlier attempts, this time he signaled to JR Smith to take the shot.
"Here, you go for it."
Guarding JR was Harrison Barnes, still in his third season and a little green.
JR, ever the crafty veteran, hit Barnes with a rhythm dribble.
Barnes' footwork wasn't quite there, and he got caught leaning the wrong way.
JR pulled up for a mid-range jumper — splash.
The first quarter continued like that.
Both teams traded blows, but the surprise standout for the Cavs was JR Smith.
Against the younger Warriors, JR's experience showed.
By the end of the first quarter, Cleveland led 32-30.
Second Quarter
With Kyrie taking a rest, Jay Sun slid over to the point guard position.
Mike Miller checked in at small forward.
Jay wasted no time.
His first play of the quarter?
A pick-and-roll with Kevin Love.
But, unlike most defenders, Draymond Green wasn't an easy mark.
As soon as Jay made his move, Draymond switched to stay with him.
Jay quickly dished it back to Love at the high post.
Love pulled up for a long two-pointer — money.
The Warriors clearly respected Jay's driving ability, which forced them into switches that left Kevin Love with mismatches.
And when they didn't switch?
Jay was more than happy to take Steph Curry one-on-one and finish at the rim.
The Cavs had a slight edge in the second quarter, largely thanks to the two-man game between Jay and Love.
But despite their best efforts, Golden State's depth was overwhelming.
The Warriors had Andre Iguodala coming off the bench, and Shaun Livingston was deadly with his mid-range game.
The Cavs could only manage a slight advantage.
By halftime, the score was 62-58, with Cleveland up by 4.
Third Quarter
Everyone in the Cavs' locker room knew the score didn't matter.
The Warriors' third quarter was infamous.
Jay glanced at the Warriors' lineup as they took the court.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"These guys don't play fair."
Golden State was going full "Death Lineup."
Curry.
Thompson.
Iguodala.
Barnes.
Green.
Five smalls. Five killers.
The message was clear:
"We're closing this game right here."
Golden State wasn't even trying to save energy for the fourth quarter.
They wanted a knockout punch in the third.
Tyronn Lue wasn't about to back down.
With a quick gesture, he sent the Cavs' starters back out.
Well, most of them.
Jay Sun sat down to start the third, catching his breath after playing the entire second quarter.
The Cavs' lineup:
Kyrie Irving JR Smith James Jones Kevin Love Timofey Mozgov
The Warriors wasted no time.
They pushed the pace and cranked up the intensity.
Every possession was a blur of motion, screens, and quick passes.
Kyrie did his best to answer, driving into the paint repeatedly.
But the Warriors' five-man switching defense was relentless.
Curry's threes. Thompson's cuts. Draymond's playmaking.
It was all too much.
By the middle of the third quarter, Golden State had taken a six-point lead.
Lue called a timeout.
He turned to Jay, who was ready to check back in.
"Jay, get out there."
The Cavs adjusted their lineup:
Kyrie Irving Jay Sun JR Smith Mike Miller Kevin Love
Lue was ready to go small to match Golden State's pace.
"Let's run with them."
The moment Jay stepped on the court, he started running.
Klay Thompson was already gassed from the first half.
Jay darted around screens, zigzagged through defenders, and eventually broke free for an open look.
Kyrie saw him.
Quick pass.
Jay caught the ball and rose for a three.
But Andre Iguodala closed out fast.
Jay pulled the ball down.
Instead of forcing a contested jumper, he drove hard to the basket.
The lane was wide open, thanks to Love pulling his defender out to the perimeter.
Iguodala chased him down, but Jay wasn't fazed.
As he reached the basket, Jay hit him with a slow, deceptive euro step.
Iguodala mistimed his jump.
Jay waited him out and finished an easy layup.
Iguodala's expression?
Total confusion.
Jay chuckled as he jogged back on defense.
"Lost, huh? Don't worry — that move even confused me the first time I saw it."
What Jay had just pulled off was a mix of Dwyane Wade's euro step and Kyle Anderson's slow-motion pace.
"Human Sloth Mode" activated.
By the end of the third quarter, the Warriors still led 90-84.
But their starters were clearly fatigued.
The Cavs still had a chance.
Fourth Quarter: Jay's Time
As the final quarter began, Golden State went full bench mode.
The Cavs?
They sent out Jay Sun with the second unit.
Jay couldn't help but grin.
"All bench? Oh, this is my time to shine."
Five minutes into the fourth, the Cavs had tied the game — 95-95.
Jay was unstoppable.
He attacked Shaun Livingston repeatedly, mixing in threes and crafty finishes at the rim.
By the time Steve Kerr called timeout, Jay had already scored 10 points in the quarter.
As Jay sat down during the break, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"Coach, they're done."
Tyronn Lue nodded.
"Not yet. We've got to finish them off."
When play resumed, both teams sent their starters back in.
The Warriors and Cavs were ready for one final showdown.
Curry launched a deep three on the first possession.
Clank.
Irving wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Phew. That was close."
On the other end, Kyrie passed the ball to Jay again.
Jay, unfazed by the pressure, called for a screen from Love.
This time, Draymond Green switched onto him.
Jay sized him up, took a step back, and drove hard to the basket.
Green jumped to contest the shot, but Jay adjusted mid-air with a smooth reverse layup.
97-95, Cavs lead.
The Cavs were back in front.
Now, it was time to close out the game.