The NBA's Twilight Star System

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the fourth quarter.

Jay Sun led a lineup of Cavaliers reserves onto the court, with Kevin Love still resting on the bench, ready to check in for the latter half of the quarter.

On the Celtics' side, their main players—Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, and Evan Turner—were all back on the floor.

The first possession of the quarter belonged to Jay. As usual, he called for a Pick & Roll Maestro play with Love and pulled up for a three-pointer.

When your defender is undersized and you have a three-point attribute boosted to 96 by the Closer badge, why hesitate? It felt almost unfair—like experiencing Durant's smooth scoring dominance firsthand.

The Celtics pushed the ball down the court, with Isaiah Thomas orchestrating their offense. He called for a screen to shake off Jay's Clamps. Thomas tried to speed past him into the lane, but Jay easily slipped through the pick using Pick Dodger.

Thomas found himself boxed in, unable to shake Jay's suffocating defense. Desperately, he passed the ball to Smart, who swung it to Turner. However, by the time Turner took the shot, the shot clock had nearly expired, and the ball clanged off the rim.

Jay secured the rebound, pivoted sharply, and immediately sprinted downcourt.

His speed was unmatched—almost reminiscent of sprinter Su Bingtian's lightning pace.

Jay reached the basket, soared into the air, and slammed it home with a resounding dunk.

He followed up with a celebration in LeBron James' signature style: chest-thumping and a fierce pose, stamping his authority on the game.

Frustrated, Celtics coach Brad Stevens called for a timeout. The Celtics' morale had clearly taken a hit, and they needed to regroup.

After the timeout, Boston executed their set play beautifully. Bradley found an opening off a screen and drained a clean three-pointer.

Jay, seeing that the Celtics' lineup was more balanced, adjusted his own strategy. This time, he utilized a screen from Shawn Marion to fake a drive and then stepped back for a mid-range jumper—a move he had been refining.

Marcus Smart was caught off guard. He had assumed Jay would either drive or shoot a three, but this unexpected mid-range shot found nothing but net.

The Celtics tried to respond with more team plays, but their execution faltered under the Cavaliers' solid defense. The game steadily slipped away from Boston as the Cavaliers, bolstered by Jay and Love's effective Pick & Roll Maestro chemistry, extended their lead.

With two minutes left on the clock, Coach Stevens subbed out his starters, effectively conceding the game.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Cavaliers secured a 100-87 victory over the Celtics.

Jay was named Player of the Game with a stellar performance: 31 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, achieving another 30+ point double-double.

This brought Jay's season average to over 20 points per game, a significant milestone for a rookie.

After the game, Jay joined Coach Tyronn Lue and Kevin Love for the postgame press conference. With LeBron James and Kyrie Irving resting, Jay and Love had taken center stage.

"Jay, congratulations on your double-double! As the rookie with the highest scoring average this season, how do you feel about your performance?"

"This is the result of my hard work," Jay replied. "But I also want to thank my coach and teammates for their guidance and support. Without them, none of this would be possible."

After wrapping up the media session, Jay returned home to rest. With the playoffs just around the corner, he couldn't risk an injury at this crucial stage.

The next day, Jay enjoyed a rare lazy morning. With the upcoming game against Detroit being a home game and his scheduled rest for the following match, he could relax for a bit.

During his downtime, Jay also received a few calls from his agent regarding upcoming endorsements and scheduled them for the offseason.

On April 13, the Cavaliers headed to Boston for a rematch against the Celtics. However, this time, Coach Lue decided to extend the rest period for LeBron and Kyrie.

This meant the Cavaliers would be playing without four of their starters, practically handing the game to Boston.

Unsurprisingly, the Cavaliers suffered a heavy defeat, losing 78-117. Despite the loss, some players had notable performances: J.R. Smith scored 22 points, grabbed 8 assists, and pulled down 5 rebounds, while Iman Shumpert contributed 15 points.

After the back-to-back games against the Celtics, the Cavaliers had only two games remaining in the regular season:

April 14th against the Pistons. April 16th against the Wizards.

Both matchups seemed manageable, and the Cavaliers were ready to finish the season strong.

Looking out at the setting sun, Jay reflected, "It's hard to believe the regular season is almost over."

"But the real battle is about to begin."