Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable-Chapter 385: Never Wake a Sleeping Tiger.

Chapter 385: Never Wake a Sleeping Tiger.

Unlike the Cavaliers, who breezed through the first round, the Philadelphia 76ers barely survived. It took them six grueling games to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks.

The turning point? A tense Game 5 showdown in Milwaukee, where the Sixers edged out a 120-115 victory.

Joel Embiid dominated with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. But Giannis Antetokounmpo answered right back, dropping 37 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

The chess match between both teams was fascinating.

Brook Lopez, who had developed a reliable three-point shot since his time with the Magic, was now attempting 6.3 threes per game at a respectable 36.5% clip. That forced Philadelphia to guard him with Embiid, pulling their defensive anchor away from the rim.

With Lopez stretching the floor, the paint was wide open for Giannis to attack. And once he got downhill? Nearly unstoppable.

On the other end, Dario Šarić pulled Giannis out of the paint, allowing Embiid to dominate Lopez in the post.

Milwaukee adjusted by sending Eric Bledsoe to help off Ben Simmons—daring the Sixers' point guard to shoot.

But instead of forcing jumpers, Simmons exploited the defense with perfectly timed cuts, catching feeds from Embiid for easy dunks.

Both teams played to their strengths, neither able to fully stop the other.

The deciding factor? Jimmy Butler.

The Sixers' closer put up 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. And in the final seconds, with Antetokounmpo draped all over him, Butler nailed the dagger—an ice-cold game-winner that silenced Milwaukee's home crowd.

That shot changed everything.

Confidence soaring, the Sixers returned home and closed out the Bucks in Game 6 with their only blowout win of the series.

After the game, an ecstatic Embiid declared:

"We can beat anybody. The sky is our limit."

For a second-year player in his first-ever postseason run, the bravado wasn't shocking.

Milwaukee was a tough opponent—they had been the East's second seed back in November, briefly ahead of Cleveland. Knocking them out in six? That made Philadelphia look like a legitimate contender.

And if you're a contender, that means one thing:

You have to take down everyone in your path.

The problem? Embiid had yet to master the art of media narratives.

The headlines ran wild:

"We Can Beat the Cavaliers."

Paired with his infamous "Han should fear me" comments earlier in the year, the media crafted a storyline overnight:

Embiid wasn't just confident—he was arrogant.

Of course, Philadelphia insisted the quote was taken out of context, but that didn't matter. Cleveland wasn't going to step in and defend him.

Embiid had unknowingly added more fuel to the fire.

---

Despite all the media buzz, the Cavaliers weren't overly concerned with the Sixers.

Their focus?

The Boston Celtics.

Back when the season was still fresh, Milwaukee was projected to be the third seed. Han had even envisioned a Bucks-Celtics matchup in the playoffs.

Why?

Because the thought of Giannis and Kyrie Irving meeting in a playoff series instantly made him think of that infamous closeout incident [1].

If Irving got undercut again?

Cleveland might as well start engraving their championship rings early.

But that scenario never materialized.

The Raptors, once again proving to be regular-season specialists, failed to challenge the Celtics.

There was no avoiding it now.

Boston and Cleveland were on a collision course.

Still, first things first—the Sixers had to be dealt with.

---

Cleveland had home-court advantage, meaning the first two games were in Quicken Loans Arena.

The hype was real.

Cavs fans had one thing on their minds:

They wanted Joel Embiid humbled.

They wanted their team to shut up the kid who didn't know his place yet.

But to the Sixers' credit, they came out swinging.

Just like in the regular season, they opened the game by feeding Embiid in the post.

But this time, Simmons made an adjustment.

Instead of cutting behind Embiid—where Han could easily pick off passes—he attacked straight down the middle.

This did two things:

1. It forced Cleveland's defense to collapse, limiting Han's ability to help.

2. It made Simmons a direct scoring threat instead of just a passer.

Clearly, Embiid's confidence wasn't just empty words—he had learned from their past matchups.

And early on, his skill matched his bravado.

Just five minutes in, Embiid was already 4-for-5 from the field with 8 points.

His combination of touch, size, and footwork made him look unstoppable.

That was bad news for Tristan Thompson.

The moment Embiid got the ball, Thompson was jumping at every fake—falling for pump fakes, getting beat on spin moves, completely overwhelmed.

And then came the exclamation point.

Embiid hit him with a textbook drop step, exploded to the rim, and threw down a thunderous dunk.

As he landed, he cupped his hand to his ear—Allen Iverson's signature "I can't hear you" taunt.

The crowd erupted in boos.

Han?

He just laughed.

He had done that celebration plenty of times himself.

And truthfully? It looked kinda funny on Embiid.

But there was something deeper at play.

Iverson was a Philadelphia legend—a Sixers icon.

By copying his move, Embiid was claiming Philly as his city.

Han's amusement faded.

His expression turned serious.

He had watched Philly's first-round series against Milwaukee.

And while Embiid was putting up numbers, the real X-factor?

Jimmy Butler.

When it mattered most, Butler had been the one hitting clutch shots.

The problem with Butler?

He couldn't sustain high-level performances over an entire series, but when it came to big moments, he always showed up.

That made him dangerous.

And this Sixers team?

They reminded Han a little too much of that old Boston Celtics squad—relentless, physical, and the kind of team that could wear you down if you let them hang around.

Cleveland had to crush their spirits early.

No letting them build confidence.

No giving them hope.

Just step on their throats and end the series before it got ugly.

---

Michael Malone's strategy mirrored what the Bucks had tried.

Pull Embiid away from the basket and let Han attack inside.

Jokić, as always, played the bait—stretching the floor with his passing and shooting.

With Embiid out of the paint, that left Dario Šarić as the rim protector.

And everyone knew what that meant.

Han licked his chops.

Šarić protecting the rim?

That was the basketball equivalent of an empty goal in soccer.

The real game was about to begin.

The Sixers adjusted by sending help from the wings—Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder collapsing into the paint.

Both were high-IQ defenders with strong instincts, making Han opt for more drive-and-kick plays early on.

However, Cleveland's outside shooting wasn't clicking. And with Embiid controlling the boards, the Cavs struggled to find rhythm offensively.

That's when Han shifted gears.

He got aggressive.

Butler rotated over, just like before—but this time, Han didn't pass. He jump-stopped into the contact, used his strength to absorb Butler's challenge, and banked in a hook shot.

Butler was a physical defender, but his wingspan was a weakness. Against Han's footwork and touch, there wasn't much he could do.

And once Han fully committed to scoring, it wasn't just about one move.

The very next possession, Crowder rotated over instead—so Han went into a dream shake, resetting his pivot foot before turning for a fadeaway, only to fake again, step through, and score effortlessly.

One bucket. Then another. Then another.

When the Sixers were finally forced to start doubling Han early, he kicked it out to Jokić at the top of the key—letting the big man orchestrate the offense while Han moved off the ball, just like he had against Boston earlier in the season.

There was no solution for Han in this mode.

If there was, the Celtics wouldn't have watched him drop 86 points in their own building.

Paul Pierce had put it best:

"Playing for Boston comes with a certain pride. We've won the most championships, we have the richest history. It's in our DNA to believe we're better than you."

That night in TD Garden?

Han shattered that pride.

Now?

It was Philly's turn.

---

Han erupted for 25 points in the opening quarter.

Cleveland, who had trailed early, suddenly flipped the game—turning a 5-minute deficit into a 35-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The ESPN broadcast crew immediately identified the turning point.

"Embiid never should've done that," Mike Breen said, shaking his head. "You don't taunt a guy like Han Sen. You just don't."

"Some players, you fire them up, and they spiral. Others? You wake up something you can't stop."

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"And right now, Han looks unstoppable."

"You wanna poke a gorilla? It might just beat its chest. But a tiger?" Breen exhaled. "You poke a tiger, and you're playing a dangerous game."

Of course, what Breen didn't know?

Han had always planned to play this way.

Whether Embiid taunted him or not didn't matter.

Because at the end of the day, survival against a tiger doesn't depend on what you do.

It depends on whether the tiger is hungry.

Before the second quarter started, the cameras caught an interesting moment on the Cavs' bench.

After Michael Malone finished addressing the substitutes, Han stepped forward.

He gathered the second unit, barked a few words, and led them in a pre-quarter huddle.

When play resumed, Cleveland's bench came out with energy—scrapping hard, pushing the pace, forcing turnovers.

The result?

Philly had to leave Butler on the floor to stabilize their offense.

And just like that, they were forced into a slow death.

By the end of the third quarter, Cleveland's lead swelled to nearly 20 points.

By the fourth quarter, it was officially garbage time.

The broadcast kept cutting to Embiid on the bench.

He sat there, staring blankly at the court.

The light in his eyes? Gone.

That shift in body language was easy to understand.

It was like a kid, training for years to get revenge on the bully who once humiliated him—only to step up for the rematch and get his ass kicked even worse.

It was the kind of loss that breaks something inside you.

And that was exactly what Han wanted.

Butler had the heart to fight through adversity.

But the rest of Philly's young core?

They weren't built like that.

If Han could crush their spirits in Game 1, the entire series would become easier.

Cleveland steamrolled the Sixers 118-98 to take a 1-0 lead.

---

Postgame Press Conference

Naturally, the media wasted no time.

Han was immediately asked about Embiid's pre-series comments.

But instead of taunting him back, Han actually gave Embiid credit.

"Joel's only in his second year. He's trying to be a leader, and that's what leaders do."

Philadelphia's roster was young.

Going up against a two-time defending champion like Cleveland?

A lot of players would be nervous. Some might even crumble under pressure.

Butler? He had the mentality for these battles.

But not everyone did.

So for Embiid to give his team confidence—even if it meant running his mouth—Han could respect that.

He almost brought up his own second-year experience as an example...

...but stopped himself.

After all, by his second year, he was already leading Memphis to the Western Conference Finals.

Of course, the real reason for Han's tone?

He wasn't looking to push Embiid into a corner.

If Embiid got too frustrated, things could escalate—like when he fought Karl-Anthony Towns in the other timeline.

If a brawl led to suspensions, that wouldn't benefit Cleveland at all.

Why force an opponent to go all-in, when you could beat them easily without it?

Sometimes, the smartest move... was to let them lose gracefully.

---

Two days later, Game 2 tipped off in Cleveland.

This time?

Han's shot wasn't falling.

The bad news? He wasn't dropping deep jumpers like in Game 1.

The good news? Cleveland's outside shooters WERE.

The combination?

Even WORSE for Philly.

Because when Han's jumper was on, he'd still take contested looks, meaning there was room for variance.

But when Han relied on attacking the rim?

The efficiency went UP.

Either the ball went in, or he drew fouls.

And with Cleveland's shooters hitting their marks, Philly's defense collapsed completely.

Michael Malone adjusted immediately—subbing in Kyle Kuzma at power forward to go full five-out offense.

Philly's defense?

Completely overwhelmed.

Unlike Game 1, where the Sixers lasted three quarters—this time?

By halftime, they were already broken.

Han's work in Game 1 had done its job.

The Cavs rolled to another blowout win—115 to 89.

With a 2-0 lead, and momentum completely on their side, Cleveland was in position to end this series fast.

A sweep? Very possible.

A one-sided demolition? Almost guaranteed.

At this rate?

Philadelphia might not even make it back home before the series was over.

It's referencing the 2021 NBA Playoffs, when Giannis Antetokounmpo undercut Kyrie Irving in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, causing Kyrie to land awkwardly and suffer an ankle injury.

If Kyrie had stayed healthy, the Brooklyn Nets easily win the championship. Even with a hobbled James Harden and no Kyrie, Kevin Durant still pushed the Bucks to seven games.