The NBA's Twilight Star System

The Cavaliers lined up for a baseline inbound pass. Jay Sun came forward to receive the ball.

After being forced into a traveling violation earlier, Wade felt a bit embarrassed and wanted to get back at Jay.

Jay pushed the ball up the court himself, crossing the half-court line when Wade lunged forward, trying to catch him off guard with a quick steal.

But Wade's plan to teach the rookie a lesson didn't work out.

Jay spun with the ball, maintaining control before calmly dribbling to the top of the arc. Seeing Wade pressing hard on Jay, LeBron James quickly stepped up to receive the pass.

LeBron took the ball and activated "beast mode," signaling that he was ready to take control.

On the defensive end, Miami's best option to contain LeBron was Luol Deng, but even he wasn't enough.

LeBron powered his way through Deng. Kevin Love boxed out Hassan Whiteside under the rim, creating space for LeBron to score a strong layup.

With that basket, the Cavaliers stretched their lead to nine points, prompting Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout.

The Miami crowd erupted into their usual "Boo LeBron" routine, a ritual they seemed to take great pride in.

After the timeout, Spoelstra made adjustments, subbing out Whiteside for Chalmers and opting for a small-ball lineup.

With this new arrangement, Wade slid to the small forward spot, matching up against J.R. Smith, while Jay was now guarding Dragic.

The lineup change invigorated Wade. Against J.R. Smith, Wade rediscovered his All-Star form and led Miami to a few quick buckets.

However, it wasn't enough to stop the Cavaliers' relentless offense. LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and Jay Sun took turns attacking the Heat's interior, with Love launching threes from outside.

The Heat couldn't keep up.

With one minute remaining in the game and a double-digit deficit, Spoelstra waved the white flag, pulling his starters to prevent injuries.

On the Cavaliers' side, Tyronn Lue also benched his starters, ensuring his key players stayed healthy for the remainder of the season.

Final Score: Cavaliers 106, Heat 92.

Jay Sun's offensive performance was impressive, but what stood out even more was his defense on Wade.

Jay finished the game with 32 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Since fully integrating Stockton's card, Jay had consistently scored 20+ points per game, with occasional 30-point performances when Closer kicked in.

After the game, LeBron approached Wade for a hug. The complicated friendship and rivalry between the two was evident, but they kept it professional.

Meanwhile, Jay was packing up to leave the court when he was stopped by a reporter.

"Jay, hello. We've noticed that your driving style resembles Dwyane Wade's. Are you a fan of his?"

Jay chuckled internally. You're just now noticing? I've already updated to the next version.

"Uh, yes. I grew up watching Wade play. He's an excellent player, and I've always admired his drives. But… I'd only give his dunks a nine out of ten."

Before the reporter could react, Jay quickly walked into the tunnel.

Joking was fine, but he didn't want to burn bridges with a legend.

Later, Jay asked LeBron for Wade's number and called to pay his respects to the Heat veteran.

"Mr. Wade, it's an honor to play against you. Respect!"

With the Heat game behind them, the Cavaliers took a deep breath. Their remaining opponents weren't considered top-tier teams.

Tyronn Lue decided to start rotating his players to manage their workloads and avoid injuries ahead of the playoffs.

Though Cleveland had grown significantly throughout the season, no one could fully replace LeBron's impact when he rested.

For Jay, however, the biggest impact wasn't LeBron's absence — it was Kevin Love's.

Without Love on the floor, Jay's pick-and-roll game suffered. The chemistry between Jay and Love had become a crucial part of Cleveland's offense.

Love's ability to shoot threes and create space made him the perfect partner for Jay's driving plays.

Without him, Jay's offensive threat diminished, and his stats took a slight dip.

Despite the fluctuations, Jay's numbers continued to improve:

19.9 points, 6.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.

His shooting percentages:

Field Goal: 45.5% Three-Point: 40.2% Free Throw: 88.3%

Jay's offensive game leaned heavily on drives and three-point shooting, with a secondary focus on playmaking. His mid-range game was still a work in progress, mainly effective when Closer was activated.

Jay believed that with continued progress (and more card upgrades), he'd become more consistent and efficient.

In March, Cleveland's record fluctuated due to Lue's rotation strategy. There were moments when it seemed like the Hawks might overtake the Cavs for the top spot in the East.

But just when the Hawks gained momentum, Lue would make the necessary adjustments to secure wins and maintain their lead.

It was like a cat-and-mouse game — the Hawks were always chasing, but never quite catching up.

By the time April arrived, Cleveland maintained a two-game lead over Atlanta.

April 4: The NBA announced that Russell Westbrook had won the Western Conference Player of the Month for the second consecutive month.

In March, Westbrook averaged 30.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 10.2 assists, leading the Thunder to a 10-5 record.

In the East, LeBron James was once again named Player of the Month.

Meanwhile, the Rookie of the Month award continued to be split between Jay Sun and Andrew Wiggins, with both players dominating the rookie race.

The Cavaliers' first game in April?

Another matchup with the Heat.

But this time, it was in Cleveland.

Unlike their previous encounters, this game had a completely different vibe.

The Cavs sat comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, while the Heat were struggling to make the playoffs.

The Heat's motivation seemed to have vanished. By the second quarter, with six minutes left, the score was 50-31 in favor of Cleveland.

Jay locked down Wade, limiting him to 7 points on 33.3% shooting in just 20 minutes of play.

Final score: Cavaliers 114, Heat 88.

With this game, the season series between the two teams came to an end.

Cleveland had just six regular-season games left.

April 6: Cavaliers vs. Bulls.

The Bulls, sitting third in the East, were considered a strong playoff contender.

But Derrick Rose was out due to injury.

The team now relied on Jimmy Butler and their twin-tower frontcourt to carry the load.

While Chicago's defense under Tom Thibodeau remained solid, their offense struggled.

Facing Cleveland's five-small lineup, the Bulls had no answer.

Final score: Cavaliers 109, Bulls 94.

LeBron posted a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 27 points.

Jay Sun followed closely with 24 points.

Kevin Love, however, was limited to 11 points and 4 rebounds due to the Bulls' dominant interior defense.