On sunday, May 18, 2008, as Champion Coach Jeff Van Gundy blasted the G6 referees in front of the media, the intensity of the Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 grew!
The NBA actually has a script, and in some games, the league gives special attention to certain teams.
Since the rise of television broadcasts, as a mature commercial league, the NBA has had to be responsible to advertisers.
If ratings drop, advertisers won't pay, and the sponsors won't be interested in the games.
NBC abandoned its broadcasting agreement years ago due to a sharp drop in advertising revenue.
After TNT, ESPN/ABC took over, poor ratings in previous years led to excessive referee interference in games.
Only the most naive children would believe the NBA is pure competitive sports.
Old fans know that only big markets truly enjoy "fair treatment."
Facing a foul crisis on their home court, Cavaliers fans collectively broke down after the game.
Complaint calls, letters, and emails continuously flew to the league.
To give the fans an explanation, a referee report finally appeared this morning, clearly admitting errors:
"The foul at 8 minutes and 57 seconds of the 4th quarter was confirmed to be an error after review. Kendrick Perkins pulled Dwight Howard first."
"At 2 minutes and 36 seconds of the 4th quarter, Kevin Garnett's defensive position was not problematic. LeBron James committed an offensive foul."
The content of the report was interesting.
In summary, the referees did make mistakes, but both sides had missed and incorrect calls, which did not clearly affect the game's outcome.
The league will continue to improve officiating standards in the future.
Cavaliers fans were even more furious after seeing the official announcement.
Was it "fair" that they had to play a Game 7 on the road?
Did the league take Cleveland for fools?
For a time, local sports media once again launched a heated battle.
Twitter became the best platform.
The more intense the fight, the more spectators, and in just two days, user numbers saw another surge.
Boston's most famous columnist, Bill Simmons, personally joined in, setting the pace.
Due to character limits, he could only update a short sentence on Twitter:
"The tough Boston Celtics never make excuses."
That short sentence almost crashed the recently opened comment function.
Supporters, insults, spectators, and those discussing were all over the comment section.
Local Cleveland media personalities, who had just registered on Twitter, quickly retaliated:
"Basketball doesn't lie! Justice will prevail!"
Supporters from both sides joined the fray, starting an online war.
"Teaming up" still relied on referees.
Some onlookers sided with the Cavaliers.
The "The Big Four" were inherently disliked.
Against this backdrop, the game's popularity, which began at 3:30 PM that day, continued to climb.
ABC, as the broadcaster, was overjoyed.
If all games were sweeps like the New York Knicks, advertisers would have left long ago.
A Game 7 could attract more viewers.
At 2:30 PM, Boston fans began gathering near the TD Garden.
ABC sent out its best broadcasting team. In the studio, host Stuart Scott even led the charge, fanning the flames:
"We've been discussing this for two days, and now a strange idea has emerged: Is Head Coach Van Gundy's success a coincidence?"
"Sorry, I have great respect for Head Coach Van Gundy. He is the founder of the New York dynasty. He discovered Clay Lee, and he consistently led New York to 60 wins, while also holding multiple records."
"But looking back at all this, it's not hard to see that the biggest factor in the New York Knicks' success might be Lee's arrival. You know, in the 1996 playoffs, New York still lost to Chicago Bulls in the semifinals."
After saying this, Scott smiled on his dark face, pushed up his glasses, and looked at his partner on the other side.
The bald Jon Barry cursed under his breath, knowing he'd offend someone no matter what he said:
"Cavaliers losing Game 6, in my opinion, was more due to the young players' lack of experience. You know, they led for a half!"
"LeBron James is not Clay Lee, nor is he Michael Jordan. He is just a young man who is showing his talent. In such a tense environment, poor performance is understandable."
Scott was a bit disappointed.
This didn't answer his question at all.
Then he looked at his other partner.
Michael Wilbon smiled in front of the camera.
He had some health issues in recent years, which caused him to gain some weight.
This made his bald image look a bit greasy, but his big mouth remained unchanged.
He spoke like an old commentator:
"I agree with Jon Barry's point of view. I also have great respect for Head Coach Van Gundy. You all know that when I was at the Washington Post, I always praised that New York Knicks team."
"But we also need to respect objective facts. Head Coach Van Gundy is not as successful in Cleveland as he was in New York. He is starting to move away from the NBA Finals and has consistently been unable to lead his team to defeat the New York Knicks."
"You know, he is the creator of this team. No one in the NBA knows Clay Lee better than him, and we've all seen the results: Cavaliers keep losing."
"Perhaps we should re-examine Clay Lee's experience. You know, in his first year in the league, he led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. In my opinion, only Magic Johnson's rookie season was better than Clay Lee's."
"Clay Lee is not Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson to win a championship, but Clay Lee made Head Coach Van Gundy successful."
Shaking his head, Michael Wilbon officially opened fire on the Champion Coach.
Although he didn't explicitly question his coaching ability, his words implied that Van Gundy was riding on Lee's coattails.
Jon Barry quietly glanced at his partner.
Insiders knew that speaking ill of Lee would generally prevent you from getting firsthand information, but Michael Wilbon was the first to openly praise him so effusively.
Scott's dark face finally showed a satisfied smile.
This was the answer he had been waiting for.
After receiving a cue from the director, he faced the camera and made another announcement:
"Cavaliers' closed practice has just ended. Head Coach Van Gundy is currently allowing players to be interviewed. Jon, which team do you think has the advantage in tonight's game?"
No longer equivocating, Jon Barry had to seriously give his opinion:
"Anything is possible in a Game 7. Player status is very important in a winner-take-all game. Cavaliers are younger and have a physical advantage, but the away environment can easily affect the young men's emotions."
"If the game goes into the 4th quarter, I expect LeBron James to step up!"
"Just like Clay Lee's buzzer-beater against Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals back then, James also needs to play his signature game in the playoffs, officially announcing that the era of young people has arrived."
Michael Wilbon immediately offered a different opinion.
No matter who his partner supported, he would always contradict them:
"The Boston Celtics returning home clearly have the advantage. Boston fans will become their best sixth man. The Old guys will not miss such an opportunity!"
"I must praise Kevin Garnett's tough performance. He is too outstanding, infecting the entire team with his energy."
"..."
The analysis in the studio continued. Michelle Tafoya had already interviewed Van Gundy before the game.
The 50,000 dollars fine hadn't made the Champion Coach feel better, and he was barely controlling his emotions at this moment:
"I didn't pay attention to that post-game referee report, because the game is already over!"
"These past two days, I've been telling my players to stay focused. Basketball doesn't lie. The young men are in great shape, and everyone is hungry for victory."
Michelle Tafoya didn't make things difficult for the Champion Coach.
After all, this was the last game, and regardless of the outcome, there would definitely be a big story afterward.
In the home team's locker room, Rivers was also giving his final motivational speech.
This game was simply too important.
If they fell in the semifinals, he would be completely finished.
The Boston Celtics would definitely fire him.
"Hey! Listen, now think back to your past experiences, think about those days of constantly losing, think about those media reporters who looked down on you!"
"Now you have a chance to change everything. You are only one victory away from creating a miracle. We have no reason to lose. We must win!"
"Win the semifinals, win the Eastern Conference Finals, and finally win the championship! Then reap all the praise and completely say goodbye to the failed past."
"..."
As he spoke passionately, Rivers even tore open the collar of his white shirt.
Looking into everyone's eyes, the master of motivational speeches raised his arm and shouted:
"No one can stop us, no one!"
"Come on, Let's go!"
Marbury was the first to be ignited by the "chicken soup."
He had lost too much.
Hearing the coach's words, he now only wanted to prove himself.
He wanted to reclaim the title of "New Yorks Son."
"We will win! We will keep winning!"
Watching Marbury shout loudly, Garnett quickly responded, shouting along, and the locker room instantly ignited.
The exhilarating emotion compensated for the physical disadvantage.
Ray Allen wasn't as excited as his teammates, but he also clapped his hands repeatedly.
He likewise couldn't accept the result of their "teaming up" stopping at the semifinals.
Under the call of "Let's go!", Rivers became even more excited.
He didn't discuss tactical details.
Now, motivational speeches were reliable.
He decided to leave the game to the players.
At 3:28 PM, the TD Garden was already buzzing.
Sports reporters gathered in Boston.
The moment of truth was about to arrive.
The noise in the TD Garden made LeBron James, near mid-court, a bit nervous.
This was his first Game 7 since entering the NBA.
The Old players on the opposing team were all glaring at him.
Dwight Howard, preparing for the jump ball, also lost his smile.
They had already reached match point, so why did it end up like this?
As time ran out, Howard and Garnett leaped up, and the Cavaliers gained possession.
The Boston fans immediately responded with a chorus of boos.
Amidst the boos, a somewhat nervous LeBron was caught off guard during a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc with a teammate.
Pierce seized the opportunity, muscling his way past and stealing the ball from behind, instantly igniting the TD Garden with cheers.
Pierce, having completed the steal, gritted his teeth and charged.
LeBron, who had lost the ball, reacted incredibly quickly, soaring into the paint and, with a late surge, delivered a chasing block from behind.
"Oh!"
Seeing both players tumble out of bounds, some fans involuntarily let out low gasps, but the referees showed no reaction, clearly having loosened the officiating standards for the night.
The very first possession set the tone for the game: brutal screen-setting, aggressive hedging.
LeBron's pick-and-roll was immediately met with a double-team, and Howard wrestled with Perkins in the paint.
After Pierce successfully scored twice on isolation plays, helping his team get into the game, the Cavaliers quickly ran into trouble, going nearly 3 minutes without scoring.
Every missed shot was met with cheers.
Van Gundy on the sidelines couldn't maintain his Champion Coach demeanor, wishing he could play himself, constantly shouting reminders to his players on every possession.
Rivers on the other side was the same, pacing back and forth on the sidelines, occasionally yelling with his neck strained.
He didn't want to be fired!
Howard's one-for-two free throws helped the Cavaliers open up the scoring, and soon LeBron also activated his scoring mode, combining drives and shots to keep the score close.
By the end of the first quarter, thanks to Pierce's outburst, the score was 16:18, with the Boston Celtics temporarily leading.
The wild atmosphere at the TD Garden made the two commentators on the ABC broadcast desk particularly engrossed.
Mark Jackson was praising the "Devil's Home Court":
"The Boston fans are amazing. They've made the Cavaliers lose themselves in the roar! Pierce is carrying the offense well, and the Boston Celtics seem to have made the right adjustments!"
Letting Pierce go for individual isolation plays, while others waited for easy baskets or offensive rebounds, such a simple tactic surprisingly worked wonders.
All the flashy screens and off-ball movements of the past were nowhere to be seen tonight.
Mike Breen hadn't expected the Cavaliers to fall behind.
After seeing the statistics, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Howard needs to pay attention to his free throws. In a Game 7, every point can affect the outcome of the game."
Before the start of the second quarter, Jeff Van Gundy, being interviewed, tried his best to maintain his composure in front of the camera.
When asked about tactical adjustments, he instinctively uttered some motivational words:
"Rebounds are very crucial, the boys are doing great! Stay focused, we must seize those easy scoring opportunities!"
"..."
During the rotation, the Cavaliers only brought in Gibson.
The other starters were still in.
Tonight was the time to play all 48 minutes, and the Boston Celtics' Old players were also gritting their teeth and holding on.
LeBron and Pierce went head-to-head, constantly helping their teams score.
Every basket caused gasps of amazement, and the score difference simply couldn't be stretched.
Dwight Howard also started to play desperately.
By halftime, the score was 46:48, the deficit had been narrowed, and the TD Garden grew even louder.
The lenient officiating turned the second half into a full-blown physical battle.
Grabbing and pulling became the main theme of the game.
As time passed, all players from both teams grew increasingly tense.
When the game entered the fourth quarter, Van Gundy's voice was hoarse from shouting on the sidelines, while Rivers on the other side even had sweat on his head.
The score difference remained within 2 points.
Whenever the Cavaliers took the lead, the Boston Celtics always responded.
Neither side had players who could sustain an outburst, and the seesawing score made the players even more nervous.
With 16.5 seconds left in the game, LeBron, once again at the free-throw line, made both shots, successfully tying the score.
Rivers, the Head Coach, called his last timeout.
Watching his players walk to the bench, he went up to each one, patting their hands in encouragement.
There was no special tactic.
He took out the prepared tactics board and loudly told Pierce:
"Paul, we have enough time to end the game, be patient! We won't set a screen for you, one-on-one, take them on!"
"I can do it! I swear, I can do it!"
A sweating Pierce agreed immediately.
It wasn't until this series that Rivers truly found his instruction manual for using him.
Now he had to prove himself.
Ray Allen didn't get many opportunities tonight.
The Boston Celtics didn't want to give the opponent long rebounds, so they reduced the tactical emphasis on three-pointers.
The timeout ended quickly.
Marbury looked at his Old players, Garnett called everyone over, gave a brief encouragement, and then quickly walked onto the TD Garden.
At this moment, he was also a little nervous.
There was ample time to easily inbound the ball.
By the time Pierce, with the ball in his left hand, reached the left wing, Garnett was already set at the free-throw line, and everyone cleared one side.
The timer was ticking fast.
Facing LeBron's Defense, Pierce, on the three-point line, dribbled between his legs several times, then suddenly raised his center of gravity, faking a drive.
After body contact, he immediately stopped short.
LeBron, who had slid his feet in time, continued to slide when he saw Pierce accelerate to drive again.
Pierce, who had squeezed out half a step, did not force an offensive play, but suddenly changed direction with a crossover.
"Oh!!"
The TD Garden erupted in cheers the moment the Defense was shaken off.
As LeBron stopped his feet and moved horizontally, Pierce spun around, completely shaking off the Defense.
Below the left side of the basket, Pierce leaned in, cradling the ball with his left hand, ignoring the help Defense from Howard, and leaned forward for a scoop layup!
The TD Garden suddenly became eerily quiet.
The basketball flew towards the backboard, ultimately hitting the rim and bouncing out.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had squeezed into the paint, hadn't even had time to crash the boards when the referee, a beat late, blew his whistle.
"Fuck!!"
Van Gundy on the sidelines immediately jumped up and down, his face flushed with anger.
He rushed to the sideline referee, loudly complaining repeatedly:
"My player didn't foul! Damn it! You should go look at the replay right now! Don't explain it to me, go look at the replay!"
Both coaching staffs crowded near the scorer's table.
Rivers, realizing the referee was leaning towards overturning the call, immediately rushed over and loudly shouted:
"Hey! My player was knocked down, what are you hesitating about? Look at the movement of his left arm, a clear downward press!"
Howard and LeBron, among others, also surrounded the referee.
Garnett and Pierce tried to separate the two sides.
Players from both teams knew how important this call was, and the shouting match almost turned into a boxing match again.
After watching the replay for a full two minutes and confirming the remaining game time, when the head referee announced that the original call would stand, the TD Garden instantly erupted:
"Oh!!"
With 3.7 seconds remaining after the clock adjustment, if Pierce made both free throws, they had a very high chance of completing the comeback.
Van Gundy, pulled back to the coaching bench, had completely forgotten his Champion Coach demeanor.
The hair on both sides of his head began to deform, and he continued to complain to the referees incessantly.
"Calm down, man! We still have time, enough time to win the game!"
Thibodeau held his partner tightly, muttering non-stop.
When Pierce made both free throws, Van Gundy cursed under his breath in anger, and the Cavaliers called their last timeout.
"Oh!!!"
Everyone on the Cavaliers' bench stood up.
The Boston fans behind them were all loudly jeering, some still muttering non-stop.
Van Gundy, who had just calmed down, sat in front of everyone.
The moment he pulled out the tactics board, his mind suddenly went blank.
All his confidence vanished.
He instinctively doubted whether the tactic would work.
A sweating LeBron noticed that the coach was distracted.
Fortunately, Thibodeau reminded him in time, and Van Gundy snapped back to reality:
"Two screens, LeBron, you'll execute the last possession, catch the ball at the top of the arc—"
A very conventional tactical play. 3.7 seconds was enough time for a dribble-and-shoot or a drive.
Howard wanted to say something else, but LeBron loudly interrupted him and immediately agreed:
"I can do it..."
When the timeout ended, the TD Garden erupted again.
When fans realized the Cavaliers' inbound play was recognized, they cheered even more excitedly.
With frantic delays, Garnett felt a surge of energy, chasing LeBron beyond the three-point line.
Seeing that a turnover was imminent, Delonte West quickly inbounded the ball to the far end.
As LeBron was forced to receive the ball far from the three-point line, Garnett, wrapping him like an octopus with his Defense, gave his opponent no chance, following with quick slides.
The two rushed to the left wing.
LeBron was forced to take a fading jump shot.
As the basketball hit the back rim, time expired.
"Ah!!!"
All the atmosphere creators rushed onto the TD Garden, desperately squeezing next to Garnett and embracing in a group, shouting repeatedly.
Rivers' face was even flushed dark red with excitement.
After hugging the coaching staff behind him, he repeatedly punched the air.
On the other side of the TD Garden, Van Gundy stood frozen, seemingly still unable to believe the Cavaliers had been overturned. 95:97, the game was over.
Perhaps it was because the Boston Celtics hadn't won a playoff series in so many years, but the Boston fans at the stadium were screaming with excitement, as if they had already won the championship.
Van Gundy stared blankly at the wildly celebrating Boston Celtics.
At this moment, he suddenly recalled the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, when Clay Lee hit the game-winner against the Chicago Bulls, he had celebrated just like this:
"It's over, Tom, it's all over, I've become a joke."
Looking at his distraught partner, Thibodeau could only pat his shoulder.
Gazing at the wildly celebrating Boston Celtics, a reminiscent look also appeared on his face as he quietly comforted him:
"This is just one playoff series."
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)