A little after 2 a.m., at Los Angeles International Airport, a chartered plane from Cleveland slowly touched down on the runway.
When the cabin door opened, a group of Cleveland Cavaliers players stepped out, every one of them wearing an excited expression.
After all, only a few hours earlier, they had completed their redemption at their home court, Quick Loan Center Arena, tying the Finals series score!
And with the next three games all set to be played at the Los Angeles Lakers' home court, Staples Center, the Cleveland Cavaliers packed their bags and flew to Los Angeles overnight immediately after their postgame interviews, all to secure more time to prepare and give their all for the upcoming stretch of three straight road games.
Naturally, Mike Brown wanted to win all three road games and lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in one fell swoop!
But even if they could not win all three, Mike Brown still hoped the team could take at least two and return to Cleveland with a 3-2 series lead.
The Cleveland Cavaliers players carried their luggage onto the bus in the parking lot.
Only after everyone had arrived did the driver start the bus, press down on the accelerator, and pull out of the airport.
However, the bus did not head toward downtown. Instead, it drove out toward the suburbs.
That was right. For their final road trip of the season, they would not be staying in a hotel, but at a luxurious estate about fifteen kilometers from Staples Center.
It was one of team owner Dan Gilbert's properties in Los Angeles.
To ensure the players' health and prevent a repeat of what had happened in the Eastern Conference semifinals, team owner Dan Gilbert decisively submitted an application to the league, which approved it without