Chapter 389: Not Alone.
The night before Game 5, tensions were high in Cleveland. With the series tied 2-2, the Cavaliers knew this was a must-win battle.
Quicken Loans Arena was packed to capacity, the energy electric. The crowd could sense it—this wasn't just another game. This was a turning point.
After the opening ceremony, both teams revealed their starting lineups:
Celtics: Kyrie Irving, Avery Bradley, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns.
Cavaliers: Han Sen, Dwyane Wade, Robert Covington, Tristan Thompson, Nikola Jokić.
Brad Stevens raised an eyebrow.
Wade was in the starting lineup?
Cleveland had given no indication of a lineup change before the game. Their secrecy was impressive.
But Stevens quickly understood the strategy—this was about reducing Han Sen's early workload. With Wade on the floor, the Cavs could shift some of the ball-handling duties, giving Han more energy for later in the game.
Smart move.
But it also meant Cleveland's bench was weaker. If Boston's second unit could exploit that, they could force Malone's hand and get Han back on the floor earlier than planned—draining his energy over the course of the series.