NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53: The Playoffs Begin
On April 14, the Cavaliers faced the Pistons at home with their full lineup.
Although it was a full-squad game, it served more as practice to help the stars find their rhythm before the playoffs.
Before the game, Coach Tyronn Lue assured the starting four that they wouldn't play extended minutes. The priority was to secure a win without overexerting anyone.
The Pistons, ranked 12th in the East with a record of only 31 wins and a sub-40% win rate, were no match for the Cavaliers.
By halftime, the Cavs were already up by 23 points.
In the third quarter, Lue rested the starters, allowing the bench to finish the quarter. Although the Pistons clawed back a bit, the lead was never seriously threatened.
In the fourth quarter, Jay Sun was subbed in for about five minutes to entertain the crowd before being pulled again.
The Cavaliers eventually cruised to a 117-97 victory. Jay finished with exactly 20 points, while J.R. Smith led all scorers with 28 points.
Two days later, the Cavaliers wrapped up their regular-season schedule with a home game against the Wizards on April 16.
LeBron James and Smith were rested for this game. On the Wizards' side, John Wall and Bradley Beal also sat out as both teams were locked into their playoff positions.
Jay played until he hit 20 points before being subbed out.
The Cavaliers finished the regular season with a 113-108 win over the Wizards.
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Cavaliers officially wrapped up the 2014-15 season.
League Leaders
Scoring Champion: Russell Westbrook (Thunder) – 28.1 PPG
Rebounding Champion: DeAndre Jordan (Clippers) – 15.0 RPG
Assist Champion: Chris Paul
(Clippers) – 10.2 APG
Blocks Leader: Anthony Davis (Pelicans) – 2.9 BPG
Steals Leader: Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) – 2.3 SPG
Jay's season averages: 20.2 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG.
Looking at his stats, Jay felt a swell of pride. With these numbers, he was playing at an All-Star level. Alongside LeBron, Kyrie, and Love, the Cavaliers now boasted four All-Star-caliber players.
Final Standings
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks
New Orleans Pelicans
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers
Atlanta Hawks
Toronto Raptors
Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks
Washington Wizards
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
In the East, the Nets edged out the Pacers for the final playoff spot due to a tiebreaker.
Cavaliers' First-Round Opponent: Brooklyn Nets
The Nets' roster included Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanović, and Brook Lopez. On paper, this lineup seemed respectable, but the "Brooklyn effect" was evident.
Jay couldn't help but reflect on how seemingly every All-Star who joined the Nets experienced a significant decline—be it due to injuries, aging, or other factors. He silently prayed to avoid ever playing for the Nets in the future.
April 19: The Playoffs Begin
The Cavaliers' first game against the Nets was scheduled for April 20.
On April 19, the first day of the playoffs, the results across the league followed expectations:
East:
Wizards 93-86 Raptors
Bulls 103-91 Bucks
West:
Warriors 106-99 Pelicans
Rockets 118-108 Mavericks
Top seeds held their ground without surprises.
April 20: Quicken Loans Arena – Game 1 vs. Nets
Before the game, Coach Lue emphasized to Jay the importance of his defensive assignment against Joe Johnson.
"Jay, Joe is one of their most reliable scorers. He may lack explosiveness and speed, but his combination of ball control and size makes him deadly in the low post. Watch for his fadeaways and jump shots. Stay focused and disrupt his rhythm."
Jay nodded, mentally preparing to unleash his Clamps and Defensive Anchor badges.
Tip-off: Mozgov secured possession, and LeBron brought the ball up.
Passing to Kyrie, the Cavs' first play was a Pick & Roll Maestro setup with Kevin Love. Kyrie sliced into the paint, drawing defenders, then delivered a no-look pass back to Love at the top of the arc.
Love caught it in stride and drained a wide-open three.
The Nets responded by feeding Joe Johnson in the post against Jay.
Joe backed down a couple of times, testing Jay's resistance. Suddenly, he spun and launched a step-back jumper.
Jay couldn't fully contest the shot but made sure to apply pressure.
Clang—Swish.
The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling in. Joe's seasoned scoring touch was undeniable.
Jay studied Johnson for a moment, nodding slightly in respect. This was going to be a battle.