Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable-Chapter 389: Not Alone.

The night before Game 5, tensions were high in Cleveland. With the series tied 2-2, the Cavaliers knew this was a must-win battle.

Quicken Loans Arena was packed to capacity, the energy electric. The crowd could sense it—this wasn't just another game. This was a turning point.

After the opening ceremony, both teams revealed their starting lineups:

Celtics: Kyrie Irving, Avery Bradley, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns.

Cavaliers: Han Sen, Dwyane Wade, Robert Covington, Tristan Thompson, Nikola Jokić.

Brad Stevens raised an eyebrow.

Wade was in the starting lineup?

Cleveland had given no indication of a lineup change before the game. Their secrecy was impressive.

But Stevens quickly understood the strategy—this was about reducing Han Sen's early workload. With Wade on the floor, the Cavs could shift some of the ball-handling duties, giving Han more energy for later in the game.

Smart move.

But it also meant Cleveland's bench was weaker. If Boston's second unit could exploit that, they could force Malone's hand and get Han back on the floor earlier than planned—draining his energy over the course of the series.

At least, that was Stevens' thought process.

But when the game tipped off, he quickly realized something was off.

Malone wasn't using Wade as a primary ball-handler.

Instead, Cleveland was running a mismatch-heavy offense—except the ball wasn't in Han's hands.

It was in Jokić's.

Han was playing off the ball, Wade was cutting weak-side, and Jokić was initiating from the post.

Stevens stood up and signaled defensive adjustments.

No double-teams.

Boston would let Jokić go one-on-one.

Jokić caught the ball against Bradley, spun baseline, powered through Towns, and banked in a soft hook shot.

And just like that, the tone was set.

This wasn't just about Han anymore.

Cleveland was playing through Jokić.

The shift wasn't just about offense—it showed up on defense too.

Malone had Han guarding Kyrie Irving.

In the first four games, J.R. Smith had taken that matchup to save Han's energy. But not tonight.

If Jokić was going to take on a bigger offensive role, then Han had to balance it out with more effort on defense.

The adjustments were working.

Jokić was dominant.

His footwork was crisp, his reads were instant, and Boston struggled to counter him.

By the nine-minute mark, Cleveland led 27-20.

Jokić already had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.

For the first time in the series, it was Stevens who found himself reacting instead of dictating.

But he wasn't panicking.

Boston's depth was their biggest weapon.

If they could just keep the game close, the second unit could swing things back in their favor.

And so, the game entered its most dangerous stretch—the bench minutes.

---

Cleveland: Derrick Rose, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Tristan Thompson, Dewayne Dedmon.

Boston: Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, Jeff Green, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kelly Olynyk.

Boston had staggered Kyrie and Towns to punish the Cavs' weaker lineup.

Immediately, Kyrie attacked.

A high pick-and-roll with Towns got him into the lane, where he banked in a floater over Thompson.

27-24.

On the other end, Cleveland ran a pick-and-roll with Rose and Thompson.

Boston trapped Rose hard—forcing the ball out of his hands.

Rose found Thompson, but Jeff Green rotated early, cutting off the passing lane.

Trapped, Thompson forced up a tough shot.

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Miss.

Towns grabbed the rebound and pushed the break.

Boston was gaining momentum.

Back down the floor, Kyrie attacked again.

This time, Thompson held his ground.

Kyrie missed—but Towns was there to tip it in.

27-26.

A quick 6-0 run, and Boston was right back in it.

Stevens smirked.

This was their chance.

If they could take the lead before Han returned, it would force Cleveland into a desperate game script.

On the sideline, Malone was visibly frustrated.

He glanced at Han.

If the lead vanished, he'd have to send him in early.

And that was exactly what Stevens wanted.

But then—

"LET'S GO CAVS!"

The home crowd erupted.

And Derrick Rose answered.

Boston's trap came again, but this time, Rose split the double-team.

He burst into the lane, floated up a layup—

Glass, bucket, score.

29-26.

Malone immediately signaled for a new play.

The next time down, Rose got another pick—but instead of driving, he kicked it to Dedmon.

Dedmon popped instead of rolling, spacing the floor.

With more room to operate, Rose blew past Olynyk.

Another layup.

31-26.

Stevens was on his feet.

Boston had planned to dominate these minutes.

But instead, Rose was keeping the Cavs afloat.

And that was a problem.

If Cleveland could survive this stretch, then when Han checked back in, Boston would be in real trouble.

Stevens quickly called Marcus Smart over, issuing new defensive instructions.

The Celtics had underestimated Rose.

They wouldn't make that mistake again.

But for now—

Quicken Loans Arena was alive.

The crowd could feel it.

The momentum was shifting.

Derrick Rose wasn't the player he used to be.

He had lost his explosiveness.

His jumper was unreliable.

But the man could still fight.

And as long as he kept Cleveland in this game, Han could rest.

---

The Cavaliers' defensive intensity was at its peak.

Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns both struggled to create good shots against Cleveland's pressure.

Eventually, Kyrie had no choice but to signal for an isolation.

The arena, which had been roaring with defensive chants, instantly shifted to deafening boos.

Cleveland fans no longer cared about what Irving had once done for their team.

To them, he was the enemy now.

Kyrie went into his signature dribble package, creating just enough space to rise up for a three.

J.R. Smith, locked in defensively, didn't fully bite on the move—this was a tough shot.

But Irving was still Kyrie Irving.

Swish.

A crisp net snap silenced the crowd.

Kyrie smirked and spread his hands toward the fans—his way of reminding them who he was.

Han noticed Jokić clenching his fists.

It was subtle, but clear—Jokić was still measuring himself against Kyrie.

Boston locked in defensively, forcing a tough shot from Derrick Rose on the next possession.

And now, the Celtics had a chance to tie the game before the quarter ended.

Again, Kyrie waved off the play.

One shot had given him the confidence to go for another.

He wanted this moment.

But before he could start his move, something unexpected happened.

"J.R., LOCK HIM UP!"

Jokić—normally quiet, normally reserved—suddenly stood up and shouted at Smith.

The entire bench turned toward him.

Even Han was momentarily surprised.

But then, he smiled.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Jokić wasn't just playing basketball anymore.

He was leading.

Kyrie hesitated for half a second.

Jokić? Talking trash?

That slight hesitation threw off his rhythm.

When he pulled up from the free-throw line, the shot came up short.

Dewayne Dedmon secured the rebound, and Cleveland was off to the races.

Rose exploded down the floor in transition, pushing the ball past defenders.

Stevens yelled for the defense to get back, but it was too late.

Rose attacked.

Smart stayed in front, challenging him at the rim.

But Rose twisted in mid-air, adjusting mid-contact, finishing a smooth underhand layup off the glass.

Whistle.

And one.

The crowd erupted, but all eyes were still on Rose.

He landed off-balance, stumbling toward the baseline.

A courtside cameraman instinctively reached out, keeping him from falling.

For a moment, Rose just stood there.

Then, as if the weight of everything—the injuries, the setbacks, the doubt—suddenly lifted, he clenched his fists and let out a primal scream.

This wasn't just a basket.

This was everything.

This was his moment.

For the first time since arriving in Cleveland, he felt like he belonged.

Like he was truly part of this run.

The crowd, sensing it, gave him a standing ovation as he stepped to the free-throw line.

Swish.

34-29, Cleveland led at the end of the first quarter.

Boston had failed to take the lead.

And Cleveland?

They had momentum.

---

As the second quarter started, Boston subbed in Kevin Durant and Al Horford, giving Kyrie and Towns a breather.

They needed to capitalize on this stretch.

Stevens wasn't giving up on his plan—if Boston could win these bench minutes, they could still turn the tide.

But across the court, Michael Malone made a move of his own.

Han checked back in.

And that was exactly what Stevens wanted.

He wanted Han on the floor early.

He wanted him to burn energy now so that by the time the fourth quarter arrived, he wouldn't have much left in the tank.

And yet—

Stevens still felt uneasy.

Because the momentum had already shifted.

If Han took over right now instead of later?

Boston could be in real trouble.

Han wasted no time.

But instead of attacking the rim, he set up in the post.

Stevens immediately signaled for a double-team.

This wasn't the time for his "let Han burn himself out" strategy.

But Han didn't force it.

As Boston collapsed on him, he whipped a no-look pass to the cutting Rose.

The Celtics barely had time to react before Rose finished another layup.

Boston had prepared for Han to dominate.

They hadn't prepared for him to orchestrate.

As they ran back on defense, Han turned to Rose and slapped his hand.

He had been wrong before.

He had tried to carry the weight of the series alone.

But tonight?

He finally saw it.

He wasn't fighting alone.