The NBA's Twilight Star System

After finishing their game against the Bulls, the Cavaliers headed to Milwaukee to face the Bucks.

The Bucks, a fringe playoff team in the East, were far from being a real threat to the Cavaliers, who held a double-digit lead over them in the standings.

April 9: Cavaliers vs. Bucks

The Bucks, led by Michael Carter-Williams, had Zaza Pachulia holding down the paint and Khris Middleton on the wing. Despite their scrappy lineup, the Bucks posed no real challenge to the Cavaliers.

Cleveland dispatched them with ease and returned to their home court, preparing for the Boston Celtics.

At this stage in the Eastern Conference, the lower half of the playoff bracket was locked in a fierce battle. Five teams—the Bucks, Celtics, Nets, Pacers, and Heat—were competing for three remaining playoff spots.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference was also a battleground. The Warriors led the charge, followed by the Rockets and Clippers. At the bottom, the Mavericks, Thunder, and Pelicans were vying for the last two playoff positions.

April 11: Cavaliers vs. Celtics

With playoff positions largely secure for Cleveland, Tyronn Lue implemented a rotation strategy to rest his players.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were given the night off for this game, while Jay Sun and Kevin Love would rest during the next matchup.

The timing wasn't random—Lue recognized the Celtics' desperation as a fringe playoff contender and decided it was wise to avoid their potential ferocity during this late-season stretch.

While LeBron and Kyrie's absence left a gaping hole in the lineup, Jay Sun wasn't about to roll over.

"Two stars out? Doesn't matter. We can still play to win," Jay said, exuding confidence.

Cavaliers starting lineup:

Jay Sun, J.R. Smith, Mike Miller, Kevin Love, and Timofey Mozgov.

Celtics starting lineup:

Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Evan Turner, and Tyler Zeller.

Game Start

Mozgov won the tip-off, and Jay brought the ball up.

Smart, known for his tenacious defense, shadowed Jay closely. Jay didn't try to force anything fancy but instead called for a screen from Love.

Using the screen to drive inside, Jay drew the defense toward him before dishing the ball out to J.R. Smith on the wing.

Smith caught the pass, rose for the shot, and drained a three.

Jay wasn't playing hero ball—his game revolved around breaking down defenses with his drives and creating opportunities for his teammates. After all, Dwyane Wade himself had demonstrated the value of this approach firsthand.

On the Celtics' first possession, Smart brought the ball up against Jay's defense.

Jay wasn't about to let him off easy. Activating Clamps, Jay stayed in front of Smart, his hands constantly disrupting the dribble.

Smart, unable to find a rhythm under Jay's relentless pressure, quickly passed the ball off.

The ball ended up in Avery Bradley's hands, who ran a pick-and-roll with Evan Turner. After the screen, Turner received the pass and drove toward the basket.

Love's defense couldn't stop Turner, and the Celtics scored their first points.

Back on offense, Jay and Love ran another pick-and-roll. The Celtics' defense struggled to contain the duo, with Love's shooting range stretching the floor.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens shook his head on the sidelines. "You can't cook a meal without the right ingredients," he muttered to himself.

Throughout the first quarter, Jay's pick-and-roll mastery left the Celtics scrambling. Smart, hoping to step up as a leader after Rajon Rondo's departure, found himself thoroughly outplayed.

Jay smirked after a particularly clean move. "This is just a reality check for you, Smart."

End of the first quarter: Cavaliers 28, Celtics 20.

Second Quarter

Jay got a brief rest on the bench while the Celtics subbed in Isaiah Thomas.

Thomas immediately made an impact, scoring two quick buckets. Without Jay on the floor, the Cavaliers' offense stagnated, lacking a true playmaker to organize their attacks.

Sensing trouble, Tyronn Lue called for an early timeout. The offense was clearly struggling without Jay's presence, and a scoring drought loomed.

Lue didn't hesitate to send Jay back into the game.

On Jay's first possession back, he called for a screen from Shawn Marion. Using the pick, he rose for a three-pointer with Thomas trying to contest.

Thomas's effort was commendable, but it wasn't enough.

Swish.

On the other end, Jay applied relentless defensive pressure on Thomas. Despite Thomas's best efforts to create separation, Jay stuck with him, forcing him to pass the ball off to Bradley.

Bradley tried a pull-up jumper but bricked the shot.

Mozgov grabbed the rebound and quickly passed it to Jay, who saw an opportunity to push the pace. Jay exploded down the court, his speed leaving Thomas in the dust.

After a clean euro-step around the defense, Jay finished with a smooth layup.

Brad Stevens, watching from the sidelines, sighed. "This guy's unguardable tonight."

The second quarter continued in similar fashion, with Jay effectively shutting down Thomas on defense while consistently exploiting him on offense.

The Celtics had no answers.

End of the second quarter: Cavaliers 53, Celtics 38.

Jay had thoroughly outplayed Thomas, who looked visibly frustrated.

Third Quarter

Jay sat out the beginning of the third quarter to catch his breath, leaving the offense in the hands of J.R. Smith and Kevin Love.

While the duo managed to hold the lead, the Celtics began chipping away at the deficit.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was 74-66, with the Cavaliers still ahead by eight points.

Fourth Quarter

As the fourth quarter began, Jay was back on the court, energized and ready to close out the game.

He locked eyes with Thomas, who had enjoyed some freedom in the previous quarter.

"Alright, Thomas," Jay muttered under his breath. "Time to remind you who the real Closer is."