Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable Chapter 375: A Christmas Clash with History on the Line

It was breakfast on ga day, and Han Sen sat with his Breakfast Club crew after a grueling morning workout. The atmosphere was light, and J.R. Smith was the most animated one at the table, his mood clearly lifted.

It was no mystery why. He had clawed his way back into the rotation, and the front office had abandoned any plans to trade him. The primary reason, of course, was his noticeable resurgence in form after weeks of intense training.

The secondary reason, however, had to do with the Cavaliers' current system.

The mismatch isolation offense—much like the triangle offense—was a system that revolved around star players. Role players were there to space the floor and defend. And with J.R. regaining his rhythm, his three-point shooting alone put him miles ahead of Murray.

What's more, when J.R. played with the right mindset, his physicality allowed him to defend far better than soone like Korver.

"Boss, I think you're already better than Michael," J.R. said with a grin, his voice dripping with enthusiasm.

He hadn't been thrilled with Han initially, feeling that his captain hadn't done much to stand up for him. But after learning that Han had vouched for him to get an extra month to regain his form, J.R.'s gratitude had beco as overflowing as a river in a storm.

"You surpassing Mike is just a matter of ti," Wade chid in.

After all, Han was only nine seasons into his career. Even if he couldn't lead the Cavaliers to a dynasty this season, winning two more championships down the road would cent his place above Jordan.

Everyone knew Jordan's two three-peats were legendary, but people often forgot that his career wasn't limited to those six seasons. Comparatively, by his ninth season, Jordan had only just completed his first three-peat.

Moreover, Han was already rewriting history books. He even held the single-ga playoff scoring record—sothing Jordan never managed to claim.

Han shook his head, his smile calm yet determined. "Let's talk about this after we win the championship this year."

Among the TNT panel, Kenny Smith had the most balanced perspective: only those who dominate their contemporaries can enter the conversation for the greatest of all ti.

The difficulty of leading the Cavaliers to a dynasty far exceeded what Han had faced with the Grizzlies, but it was all part of the process. And if he succeeded, surpassing Jordan would no longer be a question—every title after that would rely be adding to his legacy while creating an even higher bar for the next generation to chase.

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By ga night, the TD Garden in Boston was packed to capacity. The energy of the Celtics' fan base was palpable, their enthusiasm radiating from every corner of the arena.

In just two years since drafting Karl-Anthony Towns, the Celtics had transford into a legitimate powerhouse. Their roster grew stronger with each season, and this year, their championship hopes felt tangible.

For Boston fans, this ga wasn't just about the present. It was about history. Stopping the Cavaliers' dynasty would feel like breaking through the sa barrier that teams in 1998 could have with Jordan—or like the Bulls beating the Lakers in 1991 to cent a new era.

If the Celtics dethroned the Cavaliers this season, they wouldn't just be contenders. They'd be legends.

And tonight's Christmas ga was the perfect beginning.

During prega warmups, the caras lingered on Kyrie Irving, drawing cheers from the Boston faithful.

Since arriving in Boston, Kyrie had kept a surprisingly low profile, avoiding the drama that had plagued his career in Cleveland. So of his recent comnts had even earned him genuine affection from Celtics fans.

Last month, Kyrie had made headlines with a statent: "I wish I had been drafted by Boston in 2011 instead of Cleveland."

He later clarified his remarks, explaining, "When I was drafted, I needed guidance, developnt. If I had given myself the chance to learn from people smarter than , more experienced than , I could have reached my best self earlier."

Kyrie's words carried a pointed subtext. In Cleveland, there hadn't been any veterans to guide him, so while he shined individually, he didn't know how to lead a team to victory. It wasn't until Han Sen's arrival that Kyrie began to grow and find direction.

But if Boston had drafted him, he argued, the ntorship of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen would have accelerated his developnt—turning him into an even better player than he was now.

Unsurprisingly, Kyrie's comnts had infuriated Cleveland fans. The 2011 Celtics only had the 25th pick in the draft, so there was no realistic scenario in which they could've selected Kyrie, the clear first overall pick. Unless Kyrie had refused to play for any team but Boston—or if the Celtics had traded away significant assets to obtain the first pick—his "what if" was pure fantasy.

But the Boston crowd didn't care. To them, Kyrie's comnts were proof of what could have been—a bittersweet connection with a player they felt was always ant to wear green.

It didn't hurt that Kevin Durant, during his decision to join Boston last year, had made similar remarks about the city. Clearly, the Celtics had a way of inspiring players to reimagine their careers in the storied franchise's colors.

(TL/n: In 2007, the Celtics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the second-worst record in the league, but they ended up with the fifth pick in the draft lottery, ultimately missing out on Kevin Durant.)

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Han finished his warmups, glancing up at the LED screen where the caras still lingered on Kyrie. For a brief mont, he felt a pang of nostalgia.

It had only been a year ago that Kyrie was his teammate, standing side by side as they faced the Warriors in the Christmas ga.

Now, Kyrie was the biggest obstacle in Han's path to centing the Cavaliers' dynasty.

Han looked away from the screen, a steely determination flashing in his eyes.

Dominating one's era was both a vague and crystal-clear concept. Vague, because players from opposite conferences might never face each other in high-stakes gas. For example, there would always be debates about whether Jordan or Olajuwon had the greater peak dominance, since they never t in the Finals.

But the clarity ca from within the sa conference. The one who erged victorious there was the one who ruled over the rest.

In "history", LeBron fans often claid that he had dominated his generation by ruling the Eastern Conference. Whether he did so by forming superteams or falling short in the Finals was a separate conversation.

For Han, defeating the Celtics wasn't just a goal.

It was a necessity.

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After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups were announced.

Cavaliers: Han Sen, Kyle Kuzma, Robert Covington, Tristan Thompson, Nikola Jokić

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

Jokić secured the opening tip for the Cavaliers, and right from the start, Han Sen positioned himself in the elbow area, backing down Bradley for a post-up opportunity.

Jokić, stationed at the top of the key, created spacing and fed the ball into Han. After a fake pass to Covington that pushed Durant slightly off, Han turned and powered past Bradley, driving hard toward the basket.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens had anticipated this. He knew Bradley couldn't handle Han one-on-one, so Towns rotated quickly to provide help defense, forming a double-team sandwich with Bradley.

But Han, with a subtle glance over Towns' shoulder, tricked him into montarily checking behind himself. That split-second hesitation was all Han needed. He leapt before Towns could react. By the ti Towns turned back, it was too late—Han was already mid-air, gliding past him and slamming the ball ho with authority.

The crowd gasped. Han had just posterized Towns, who, as the saying goes, was still the sa youthful player, unchanged in his struggles.

On the Celtics' next possession, Durant utilized a high pick-and-roll with Horford. After slipping past Jokić's coverage, Durant hit a pull-up jumper, capitalizing on the Cavs' strategy to wear Jokić down defensively—a tactic every team had begun to deploy.

Back on offense, Han once again posted up Bradley. Despite Bradley's attempt to fight for position, Han expertly held his ground. When Jokić passed the ball inside, Han powered through, causing Bradley to lower his center of gravity defensively. Using a deft spin move toward the baseline as a fake, Han quickly pivoted back and created enough space for a clean fadeaway jumper. The shot fell effortlessly.

This increasing reliance on post-ups was part of Cleveland's adjustnt to their mismatch-focused strategy. Post-ups not only conserved Han's energy compared to constant drives, but they also played to his advantage against smaller defenders. Elite defenders like Bradley and Jrue Holiday struggled to contain him in the post due to his size and skill.

Bradley, despite his best effort to contest, found himself outmatched. His smaller fra couldn't stop Han's relentless combination of power and precision.

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Stevens rose from the bench, signaling for a tactical adjustnt. On the next Celtics possession, Irving called for a screen from Horford. Three attempts at setting a proper screen later, Horford still couldn't fully block Han. Even so, Irving seized a fleeting chance to break right, driving hard to the rim.

But Han, undeterred by Horford's partial screen, recovered in ti to disrupt Irving's layup attempt. With Jokić and Han forming a wall around the rim, Irving's shot bounced harmlessly off the glass.

The Celtics didn't bother fighting for the offensive rebound. They prioritized a quick retreat to defense instead.

Jokić grabbed the rebound and initiated a Cavaliers' half-court setup. This ti, Durant preemptively doubled Han in the post. Sensing the double-team, Han imdiately cut toward the free-throw line, drawing both defenders with him. The movent opened up a passing lane for Jokić, who delivered the ball to an open Covington in the corner.

Covington's three-pointer looked good but bounced out at the last second.

Beneath the rim, TT and Towns fought furiously for position. The "J.R. incident" had served as a wake-up call for TT, reminding him that no player—regardless of past contributions—was indispensable on this Cavaliers squad. Cleveland's mismatch-heavy offense required role players to focus on doing their jobs well or risk being replaced.

As TT and Towns jostled for position, a blur of movent descended from above. It was Han, cutting to the basket from the weak side, soaring for a thunderous putback dunk.

The TD Garden buzzed with nervous energy. Boston fans could feel it—Han was playing differently tonight. Whether on-ball or off-ball, he was relentless in his mission to attack the rim.

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The Celtics' offense turned to Irving and Horford again. This ti, Irving threw his body into Jokić on the drive, drawing a foul and earning two free throws.

Malone stood up from the Cavs' bench, reminding Jokić to watch his fouls.

Irving sank both shots, bringing the score closer.

Han initiated a pick-and-roll with Jokić on the next possession. As Bradley tracked Jokić's roll to the basket, Han faced Horford and smoothly stepped back for a three-pointer.

Swish!

The net snapped as Han's shot found the bottom.

9–4. The Cavaliers were off to a flawless start.

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On the other end, Irving continued to run pick-and-rolls with Horford. Malone stroked his chin, puzzled by Stevens' stubborn approach. Stevens wasn't the type to keep attacking a brick wall. Even if the goal was to force Jokić into early foul trouble, it wasn't that simple.

The Cavaliers stymied the Celtics' attempt at pick-and-roll, with Han chasing Irving from behind and blocking his shot cleanly.

It was then that Malone abruptly stood up from the bench, his eyes narrowing.

He realized what Stevens was doing.

Han was in attack mode tonight, clearly locked in offensively. Stevens didn't care if the pick-and-rolls worked imdiately; his goal was to wear down both Han and Jokić over the course of the ga. With Kuzma unable to guard Irving and Covington tied up with Durant, the defensive burden fell squarely on Han's shoulders.

This wasn't about winning individual battles—it was about the war of attrition.

Malone turned to his bench, scanning the available options. His gaze landed on J.R. and Murray. After a mont of thought, he gestured for J.R. to check in.

Han's offensive rhythm was too good to risk disrupting, and J.R.'s shooting and defensive versatility made him the ideal substitute for the situation.

As J.R. headed to the scorer's table, Han drew a foul from Bradley on a post-spin move and converted a short floater. The arena lights flashed as the scoreboard displayed Han's early dominance: 5-for-5 shooting, 11 points in under five minutes.

Sothing felt off tonight.

Han wasn't just good.

He was overwhelming.