Shortly after the Cavaliers wrapped up their first-round series against the Pacers, the NBA announced the regular-season MVP.
Once the Warriors secured 73 wins, the award was never in question.
With a historic season—averaging 30.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 2.1 steals, and shattering records with 402 three-pointers—Stephen Curry claid his first MVP trophy.
For Under Armour, this was another massive win, following Han Sen's back-to-back MVP seasons. At this point, UA might as well have been printing money.
But for the Warriors' front office and their fans, this mont of triumph ca with an uneasy reality.
Because in Ga 4 of their first-round matchup against the Mavericks, Curry slipped and suffered an MCL sprain.
Golden State never disclosed the exact severity of the injury, but even a Grade 1 sprain would require at least two weeks of recovery.
Han had expected this.
Winning 73 gas was a monuntal feat, but it ca at a price—just like it had for Dwyane Wade years ago.
So players, like Michael Jordan or Han himself, could push their bodies to the extre and still hold up. But for guys like Curry or Wade, with a history of nagging injuries, pushing beyond their limits was always a gamble.
And now?
Gregg Popovich and LeBron Jas had to be grinning from ear to ear.
Curry was the Warriors' engine. Without him, the machine wouldn't run—no matter how good the other parts were.
And, of course, Nike's executives had to be thrilled.
The Warriors had been the undisputed dominant force of the regular season. If they were at full strength, few teams had a real shot at beating them in a playoff series.
But now?
Suddenly, the Heat and Lakers had a real opening.
---
While waiting for their second-round opponent, the Cavaliers continued their routine practices.
Han, anwhile, spent his nights studying Miami's playoff film.
His takeaway?
The Heat were a serious threat.
Pau Gasol and Dwyane Wade had naturally declined with age, but Miami's depth was absurd.
Adding Joe Johnson had only made them more dangerous.
Playing alongside elite talent, Johnson faced far less defensive pressure, making his scoring look effortless.
And any potential chemistry issues?
Pat Riley had them locked down.
But the most dangerous piece?
Kevin Durant.
This was, without question, the best version of Durant Han had ever seen.
Still freakishly athletic. Still an elite shooter. But now, with more experience, more composure.
And then Han realized sothing.
In this tiline, Durant had left the Thunder early—aning he had never suffered the infamous foot fracture.
That alone changed everything.
For a brief mont, Han wondered...
What if Rudy Gay had joined him in Cleveland?
But he dismissed the thought almost imdiately.
If he started recruiting players like that, how was he any different from LeBron?
Winning was important.
But how you won mattered just as much.
Besides, this was Han's path to true greatness.
His Hater System had fewer talents left to unlock, but he still had room to grow.
Because the system only provided talent.
Skill?
That had to be earned.
As long as he was better today than he was yesterday, there was no one he couldn't beat.
---
Cavaliers vs. Raptors – Round 2 Begins
On paper, Toronto had finished just two gas behind Cleveland in the standings.
That made them seem like an even matchup.
But basketball wasn't just about numbers.
Compared to the Pacers, the Raptors were better offensively—but worse defensively.
DeMar DeRozan was an elite scorer, but defensively? He was average at best.
And Toronto's biggest weakness?
They lacked a dominant rim protector.
That ant they had no real way to slow down Han or Kyrie.
From Ga 1, Han took on the assignnt of guarding DeRozan.
DeRozan played an old-school ga—heavy on mid-range, light on threes.
And without elite speed, he relied on footwork and rhythm to create shots.
Against Han?
That wasn't going to work.
DeRozan's one-on-one ga was completely shut down. He had to rely on fast breaks and off-ball movent just to get looks.
Ga 1 was a massacre.
Cleveland dismantled Toronto 112-84.
DeRozan?
Just 8 points.
Only six shot attempts.
And that was in three quarters.
Ga 2?
Sa story.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey tried to adjust, giving DeRozan more touches.
Statistically, it worked—DeRozan scored 20.
But he needed 21 shots to do it, and Cleveland still cruised to a 105-89 victory.
Down 0-2, with both losses in blowout fashion, Toronto looked even less threatening than Indiana had.
With the series shifting to Toronto, the Raptors were desperate to respond.
---
As the Cavaliers arrived in Toronto, the league announced the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Han had missed out on MVP, ending his bid for a three-peat.
But he successfully defended his DPOY title.
Statistically, his defensive numbers weren't as eye-popping as last season.
But because he had sacrificed so offensive load, his energy on defense had increased—leading to more signature defensive plays.
And perhaps most importantly?
For the first ti, Cleveland finished top-five in defensive efficiency.
That sealed the deal.
Han beca the first periter player since Sidney Moncrief to win back-to-back DPOY awards.
And unlike Moncrief—who won in the 1980s when defensive trics were limited—Han's dominance was undeniable.
At this point, the league knew:
Han Sen was coming for everything.
And Toronto was next.
---
That Night at Scotiabank Arena
From the mont the ga began, the caras kept zooming in on Han Sen.
It wasn't just about his accolades—it was about what had happened in this very arena three months ago.
Toronto fans still rembered it vividly: Han dominating All-Star Weekend, winning the Three-Point Contest, the Dunk Contest, and the All-Star Ga MVP.
To the fans in Canada, Han Sen wasn't just a basketball superstar—he was a legend.
But when the ga tipped off, the Raptors ca out looking completely different from the team that got blown out in Cleveland.
Through the first two gas, DeRozan had struggled against Han's defense. But Kyle Lowry hadn't been much better either—Kyrie Irving's improved defense had stifled him as well.
Fans had even started calling them the 'Trash Brothers'.
But back at ho, everything changed.
Lowry let it fly from deep—and he couldn't miss.
By forcing Kyrie to guard him tighter, his driving lanes opened up, making him even more dangerous.
As for DeRozan? Han's defense hadn't dropped off, but sohow, DeRozan kept making tough shots.
That's when Han realized sothing.
DeRozan wasn't just dealing with a physical matchup—he had ntal hurdles too.
Only players with psychological barriers struggled this much between ho and road gas.
In the end, Toronto's so-called 'Trash Brothers' flipped the script—Lowry hit 4-of-7 threes on his way to 35 points, while DeRozan shot 14-for-23 and put up 32.
Behind their resurgence, the Raptors took Ga 3, 114-108.
---
Postga Press Conference
An ESPN reporter asked the obvious question:
"You just won Defensive Player of the Year, yet tonight we saw DeRozan and Lowry have big gas. Does that frustrate you?"
The implication was clear—they were questioning whether Han truly deserved DPOY.
After all, both Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green had strong cases this season.
But Han? He just smirked.
"No, I hope they keep playing like this."
The reporters were stunned.
Was Han Sen a masochist?
Of course not.
The first two gas had been too easy.
And when things co too easy, complacency follows.
If Cleveland wasn't locked in by the ti they faced Miami, they could take a brutal punch to the mouth.
But now?
Now the Raptors had forced them to wake up.
It was like riding a horse—if the horse doesn't resist, there's no thrill.
But when it fights back?
That's when it gets exciting.
---
Ga 4 – Back in Toronto
Scotiabank Arena was packed once again, but this ti, the energy felt different.
The ho crowd had real belief.
Even rapper Drake showed up courtside, wearing DeRozan's No. 10 jersey.
Indiana's Ga 4 win in the last round hadn't ant much—they were down 0-3.
But 1-2? That was different.
If Toronto could hold serve again, they'd tie the series and force a Ga 5 in Cleveland.
And once a series reaches 2-2, anything can happen.
Dwane Casey made another adjustnt—he benched Jonas Valančiūnas and started Bismack Biyombo instead.
That decision paid off imdiately.
Biyombo won the opening tip, and Lowry ca out firing, drilling a three on the first possession, picking up right where he left off.
On the other end, Kyrie and Jokić ran a pick-and-roll, but Kyrie's floater was swatted by Biyombo.
Like Serge Ibaka, Biyombo was a defensive force from the Congo—long, physical, and an elite shot-blocker.
Unlike Ibaka, though, he had zero offensive ga.
His entire offensive role was setting screens and catching lobs.
But defensively? He was a problem.
And just as he turned to secure the defensive rebound—
A shadow ca crashing down from above.
BAM!
Han Sen posterized Biyombo with a vicious one-handed dunk.
The crowd went wild, as if they had been transported back to the Dunk Contest.
And on the very next possession?
Han and Jokić ran a pick-and-roll, Han drove past Biyombo, and mid-air, spun 360° for an acrobatic layup.
The fans had seen Han's iconic free-throw line 360 dunk before, but this?
This still sent a shockwave through the arena.
It took only two possessions for the Toronto crowd to realize—
Han Sen wasn't here to ss around tonight.
Casey noticed it too.
He imdiately called for a double-team.
But Toronto didn't have Indiana's defensive depth.
Before the double-team could even form, Han spun baseline and drilled a fadeaway.
Then Casey tried an even bolder move—trapping Han at the three-point line.
Han simply rifled a pass through traffic, hitting Kyrie in stride.
Kyrie?
Nothing but net.
Casey was now facing the sa nightmare Sam Mitchell once had when he coached the Raptors.
Back then, Mitchell had planned to single-cover Kobe Bryant.
Now, Casey had to decide:
Single-cover Han Sen and watch him destroy them?
Or double him and let the Cavaliers' shooters light them up?
Either way, they were going to lose.
Casey picked his poison.
He chose to let his team focus more on offense—hoping to outscore Cleveland instead of shutting them down.
---
By the end of the first quarter, Han had already dropped 20 points, leading Cleveland to a 32-24 advantage.
In the second quarter, his shot cooled off, managing just 10 points.
At halfti, the score was 55-50—Cleveland still led, but Toronto had kept it close.
Casey believed his strategy was working.
Then Cleveland went small.
The Cavaliers cranked up the pace.
And Toronto?
They couldn't keep up.
Unlike Indiana, who had Tony Allen and Paul George to throw at Han, the Raptors only had DeMarre Carroll and DeRozan.
Carroll could hold his ground in half-court sets, but in transition?
He was toast.
Midway through the third, Jokić secured a rebound and imdiately fired an outlet pass to Kyrie.
Kyrie pushed the break and lobbed the ball to the opposite wing.
Han?
He soared through the air, catching it in stride for a windmill alley-oop.
The arena fell silent.
Toronto fans sat frozen, hands on their heads in disbelief.
Then the scoreboard updated.
Han Sen—44 points.
And in that mont?
The fans realized sothing.
They had seen this before.
They were watching history repeat itself.
They weren't just playing against the Cavaliers.
They were playing against Han Sen.
And that ant only one thing—
They were about to beco another footnote in his story.
(End of Chapter)
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