The most crucial game of the Eastern Conference Finals saw the Celtics, back on their home court, receive the full support of the entire city!
It's not that Boston fans were overly enthusiastic.
Looking back, the Celtics had been dormant for too long.
Nobody likes "losing," and this year, the fans held immense expectations.
Unlike the New York Knicks' home court, which was filled with advertisements and upbeat music and dancing, the Celtics' arena seemed more "pure."
The large amount of indoor fireworks set off before the game even created a European basketball atmosphere.
While the TD Garden was still filled with a lot of white smoke, the game quickly began.
ESPN, as the broadcaster, helplessly found the TD Garden "smoggy," which affected the viewing experience for fans watching on TV.
Tonight, the TD Garden was packed, with New York fans occupying nearly 3,000 of the 18,624 seats.
With it being Sunday and not far away, those who enjoyed a good show wouldn't hesitate to buy prime seats to hype up the atmosphere.
The jeering of nearly a thousand people affected the Celtics' home atmosphere.
Some fans wearing green jerseys entered a "verbal sparring" rhythm right after the game started, determined to defend their home court.
It wasn't until nearly 4 minutes into the game that the smoke from the indoor fireworks completely dissipated.
At the ESPN commentary booth, Mike Breen, watching Marbury miss another shot, instinctively quipped:
"Perhaps the smoke affected the Celtics' players' performance. They need to find their shooting touch quickly!"
With 8 minutes and 23 seconds left in the first quarter, the Celtics hadn't scored a single point.
Ray Allen and Pierce contributed two turnovers right from the start.
The sports reporters on site were dumbfounded.
The somewhat slow-starting Knicks managed to take a double-digit lead purely through transition offense.
They didn't understand why the Celtics would make such adjustments.
With the shot clock nearing 24 seconds, Marbury's pick-and-roll, followed by a pull-up jumper from near the left restricted area, was wildly off target due to Lee's interference, barely grazing the rim after hitting the backboard.
Watching the basketball rebound into Chandler's hands, Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines shouted in frustration:
"Move!!"
Perhaps the pressure of this game was too great, as the Celtics players on the court seemed to be in a daze.
There were also issues with their retreat Defense, with Pierce almost completely abandoning Ron Artest on the left wing.
In transition, without waiting for the opponent to stop and complete the matchup, Lee, near the half-court line, passed the ball early.
Ron Artest on the left wing caught the ball, but his transition three-point jumper missed, and the long rebound bounced out again.
Celtics fans didn't have time to cheer.
Pau Gasol, who had just rushed near the paint, grabbed the offensive rebound behind Kevin Garnett.
The latter fumed, and the basketball returned to Lee's hands at the top of the arc.
"Defense!"
The synchronized shouts of "Defense" drowned out some of the jeering and cheers from New York fans.
The home team hadn't scored a single point, and many fans were still standing, their shouts betraying a sense of anger.
Pau Gasol, who had passed the ball, didn't care about Kevin Garnett's pulling from behind.
He pushed his opponent and squeezed hard towards the lower left of the basket.
The Knicks also made a tactical adjustment.
Chandler was more involved in pick-and-rolls and screens tonight.
Kevin Garnett, who had delivered an excellent defensive performance this season, felt powerless at this moment.
His opponent was clearly trying to pick on the weak, which he considered "unethical."
"Shit! Why aren't you involved in the offense? You're scared! I haven't seen you actively ask for the ball…"
Kevin Garnett, pulling and tugging, incessantly chattered about "you're afraid," but his eyes were always on the situation beyond the three-point line, growing increasingly anxious.
Pau Gasol, wearing the away blue jersey, was indeed less active than the home team after the start, rarely participating in pick-and-rolls, and not facilitating from the free-throw line.
He just pushed straight towards the basket, stopping once he was near the rim.
"Buddy, do you know what being down by 10 points means?"
After leaning on Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, with a smile, simply responded while leaning on his opponent.
The latter naturally understood, and was so angry that he cursed repeatedly in a low voice, but he couldn't change the situation on the court.
As the game approached halftime, the Celtics' Defense on the court was no longer as determined as it was at the start.
When Ron Artest and Raja Bell ambled towards the baseline, the double-team didn't happen again.
Pierce and Ray Allen both made the same choice: guard their respective matchups and control their defensive positions, which made Marbury even more nervous, and he failed to squeeze past the screen again.
Chandler stood firm beyond the three-point line, not even thinking of rolling to the basket, and solidly blocked Marbury who was trying to chase back.
Perkins, who had come out to guard, watched Lee, who was protecting the ball sideways, begin to accelerate horizontally.
He bit the bullet and slid his feet continuously to delay, but his footwork simply couldn't keep up, so he could only thrust his stomach forward and use his hands.
"Oh!"
Seeing Clay Lee, who had crashed into the defender, attempting to "overtake" forcefully again, many fans in the TD Garden let out a low cry, and then the referee immediately blew his whistle.
Perkins looked helpless and raised his hand voluntarily.
After receiving his first personal foul, Perkins instinctively looked towards Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines.
With the help of the coaching staff, the latter simply gave a thumbs-up, indicating no substitution.
At the commentary booth, Mark Jackson had completely seen through the Celtics' game strategy tonight: slow down, foul, and disrupt the offensive rhythm:
"Clay Lee has already found the best way to break through the help Defense. Perkins cannot drop back to defend, and this foul will put them in a passive position again."
The Celtics' defensive system had been tried and true in the regular season, but when faced with Lee's pick-and-roll pull-up shots, they could only pray to God.
The referee's whistle was a signal: their "home-court whistle" wasn't going to last much longer.
The pace of the game was not fast.
When the sideline ball was inbounded, the Boston fans on site still booed, and Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines was still shouting instructions, but the Knicks' strategy was exceptionally simple.
Marbury's strenuous interference didn't have much effect.
Outside the sideline, Lee casually tossed the ball to Chandler, who was closer to the left wing.
The latter, relying on his height advantage, steadily caught the ball.
Perkins behind him was still trying hard to defend, but Lee quickly rushed onto the court, his body swaying to the left front, then accelerating and running back.
Chandler, who had stabilized his footing, passed the ball with perfect chemistry.
Making the wrong prediction, Marbury didn't have time to steal the ball.
Lee, who received the short pass from his teammate, moved horizontally again.
"Boo!!"
Amidst the boos, Pau Gasol also stood firm at the top of the arc.
Marbury tried hard to chase and defend by his side, but when he squeezed past the screen, he stumbled, and then completely lost his defensive position.
Kevin Garnett, who had come out to guard, had just stopped his feet when Lee suddenly lowered his center of gravity, pushed the ball, changed direction, and easily broke through the gap between players.
Stopping and starting quickly, Kevin Garnett, who had switched Defense, desperately slid backward to the right, but Lee was too fast.
Seeing him suddenly lead the ball forward and directly explode upwards, Kevin Garnett didn't have time to adjust his footwork and instinctively jumped with him.
Some fans started to cheer.
Just as Kevin Garnett was about to complete the block, Clay Lee, in mid-air, briefly suspended himself, grabbed the ball with his left hand, pulled his arm to the side, and the moment Kevin Garnett landed, he suddenly swung his arm and slammed the ball down!
"Boom!!"
The rim exploded.
Clay Lee's clean dunk suddenly silenced the TD Garden. Kevin Garnett, whose feet tangled upon landing, crashed into the basketball hoop.
Seeing the referee seemingly still wanting to blow his whistle, he immediately shouted:
"Hey! Travel!"
Perhaps thinking of the Celtics' significant deficit and that continuous foul calls wouldn't be very friendly, the referee ultimately only signaled for a baseline inbound, which greatly displeased Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines.
Mike D'Antoni kept making a hitting motion with his hand, shouting loudly at the nearest referee:
"Obvious foul!"
12:0. The TD Garden was devoid of cheers.
Some Boston fans couldn't hold it together anymore.
What a crappy start!
Lee, with rich experience in away games, was already too lazy to argue about the home-court whistle.
As he retreated to half-court, he noticed Pierce suddenly popping out and immediately called for Ron Artest to switch Defenses.
On the left wing, far from the three-point line, Marbury made a short horizontal pass, then immediately went up to screen.
Pierce, holding the ball in his right hand, successfully found a "mismatch."
Without a pick-and-roll, facing Lee's sudden steal attempt, Pierce quickly stopped, then immediately changed direction between his legs.
Taking advantage of Lee turning sideways, he decisively lowered his shoulder and accelerated.
Pierce worked hard to maintain half a step ahead, pushing against Lee to break through forcefully.
As he moved to the left elbow area, he suddenly stopped short, then exerted force with his right arm, attempting to completely push away the Defense.
This tried-and-true move, however, failed to work this time.
As Pierce completed his step-back and prepared to gather the ball for a shot, Lee, who was tightly guarding him, once again stole the ball.
His right hand accurately slapped the basketball with a "thwack," and Pierce, still in his continuous motion, immediately fumbled the ball.
He instinctively waved his arms in the air and let out a loud cry:
"Ah!"
Marbury didn't let the fast break go unchecked, decisively fouling to stop the play, which drew a chorus of boos from the several thousand Boston fans in the TD Garden.
Tonight's game was heading towards three hours again.
It was Pierce's second turnover of the first quarter, and he could hear some fans muttering curses.
He slapped his hands in frustration.
The coaching staff's advice seemed to have little effect.
When the Knicks attacked again, Lee, seeing Perkins guarding Gasol, called Chandler for a pick-and-roll early on the left wing.
After attracting the Defense, he immediately lobbed the ball to his teammate.
Receiving the ball with his back to the basket, Gasol then suddenly turned, spinning past the Defense and backing Perkins down to the left block.
He faked a shot, forcing Perkins to raise his arms, and then watched as the ball banked into the basket.
"Damn it!"
Kevin Garnett, unable to get back on Defense, had a dark expression and muttered incessantly.
Fortunately, Head Coach Rivers finally called a timeout, and all the Celtics players quickly walked towards the bench.
On the other side, the Knicks' cheering section roared with delight.
Fourteen points in half a quarter was an average performance, but their opponent was even worse, which felt like a blessing from God.
Sitting back down, Pierce took several deep breaths.
When a staff member handed him a drink, he immediately tilted his head back and drank it down.
Pierce felt the drink tasted a bit different than usual, but upon hearing his Head Coach's call, he put the thought out of his mind and once again drank in the "chicken soup":
"Paul! Attack the basket! We need to get some points quickly!"
"Hey, this is our home court! This is our game! Everyone is cheering for us, don't hang your heads, the game has just begun!"
Rivers waved his tactics board, his face flushed with excitement, roaring at his players.
The cheering section around them also responded, completely breaking the dull atmosphere that had settled moments before.
"Let's go!"
Timeout over, Rivers stood up and continued to shout.
This point differential was simply too dangerous.
The tactical adjustments had limited effect, and his teammates failed to pass the ball in time.
Ultimately, Ray Allen's drive on the right wing resulted in a shooting foul on Raja Bell.
When both free throws swished through the net, a huge cheer finally erupted in the TD Garden, and the fans who had been standing since the start of the game gradually sat back down.
Noticing that the Celtics' defensive strategy had once again shifted to a double-team, Mike Breen on the commentary desk began to praise this timeout adjustment:
"Head Coach Rivers has solidified his players' confidence. Their defensive intensity is back to where it was at the start of the game. You can tell they intend to continue slowing down their opponent's offensive rhythm."
When the double-team came early at the top, Lee would always pass the ball to the wing.
This time, Ron Artest received the ball on the left, and Kevin Garnett's perfectly positioned Defense came into play.
Unable to seize the fleeting opportunity, as Pierce returned to Defense, Ron Artest, for safety's sake, had no choice but to pass the ball to Gasol, who was receiving at the free-throw line.
With his teammate cutting off-ball and Lee running a back-cut at the top, when he received the pass on the left wing, Kevin Garnett again proactively double-teamed.
Gasol, now open, missed a jump shot from the free-throw line, and Rivers on the sidelines repeatedly pumped his fists.
When Kevin Garnett aggressively drove to the basket from the left low post, drawing Chandler's help Defense, and then assisted Perkins for a score under the basket, the TD Garden completely erupted!
14:4! Boston fans cheered loudly.
They had narrowed the deficit.
Facing the Celtics' frantic help Defense, the Knicks didn't force their offense.
Kevin Garnett became the Celtics' most dazzling star, with big delays, inside help Defense, and continuous tight double-teaming.
In a few possessions, Lee's passing broke through the Defense, and Perkins' slow rotation on Defense would lead to easy scoring opportunities under the basket.
However, for the remaining few minutes, the Knicks' offense mostly focused on other players.
Kevin Garnett defended with increasing vigor, and Pierce repeatedly went to the free-throw line.
After Tayshaun Prince entered the game, Pierce's burst of power remained undiminished, and whistles frequently blew, which greatly displeased the New York fans in the back, while the Boston fans became increasingly happy.
Late in the first quarter, Pierce seized a fast break opportunity and, despite Tayshaun Prince's tug, miraculously threw the ball into the basket.
"Ah!"
Standing up, Pierce roared loudly near the baseline, and soon, shouts of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" echoed through the TD Garden.
Thanks to this additional free throw, the first quarter ended with a score of 28:17, and the Celtics successfully narrowed the deficit to 11 points.
Returning to the bench, high-fiving teammates, Pierce sat down and again took a drink to rehydrate.
He seemed very excited and proactively told the coaching staff:
"I don't need a rest! We need to narrow the deficit as quickly as possible!"
1-for-6 from the field, 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, and a strong finish in the latter half of the quarter, Pierce scored half of the points.
Head Coach Rivers was quite satisfied with this.
Kevin Garnett only took two shots, scoring 2 points from free throws.
Just as they had planned before the game, Pierce got more shooting opportunities:
"Keep shooting, Paul! I'll screen for you."
Kevin Garnett, who was constantly taking deep breaths, was drenched in sweat.
At this moment, he was constantly gesturing on the tactics board, explaining details to his teammates, and everyone listened intently.
The 11-point deficit also invigorated the Celtics fans in the TD Garden.
After the second quarter began, seeing that the home team had only substituted Perkins, the cheering grew even louder.
In the first offensive possession, Ray Allen received the ball, shook off JR Smith, and hit a pull-up jump shot from the left block, instantly igniting the TD Garden.
When Rajon Rondo's layup attempt was interfered with by Kevin Garnett and missed, the shouts grew louder and louder.
In transition, Marbury drove hard to the basket, drawing a foul on the Rookie and earning free throws.
With his eyes full of anger, Marbury clenched his fists repeatedly as he stepped to the free-throw line.
He, too, was ready to strike back with full force.
28:21, the deficit was narrowed again.
Facing the aggressive opponent, JR Smith missed a three-pointer from the right wing, and the long rebound was collected by Davis, causing Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines to frown.
In a crucial possession, Kevin Garnett set a screen and quickly rolled.
As Marbury delivered a bounce pass, Kevin Garnett, near the right block, hit a long two-point jump shot over Gasol's long arm!
"Ah!"
Pounding his chest repeatedly, Kevin Garnett roared as he retreated on Defense.
Driven by him, the cheers almost broke through the TD Garden.
The counterattack was here!
The Knicks also didn't hesitate to call a timeout.
Mike D'Antoni shook his head slightly.
In fact, he was very conservative and never trusted role players when playing from behind.
An excited Pierce walked towards the bench, chest-bumping with teammates.
When he returned to his seat, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach, but he was quickly drawn in by the Head Coach's pep talk.
"Defense!"
In the first possession after the timeout, the defensive cheers rang out again.
Lee's early return meant Rajon Rondo could only watch the game from the bench with his chin in his hand.
The Knicks hadn't made many adjustments.
When Tayshaun Prince received the ball at the top of the arc and quickly completed a hand-off pass, an excited Pierce decisively switched on Defense.
Facing Lee on the left wing, he rolled up his shorts and clapped his hands repeatedly.
With the referee on the sideline, Lee dribbled between his legs several times, then suddenly raised his center of gravity, gathered the ball, and stepped back, confidently shooting a jump shot over Pierce's close-out Defense!
The latter lost some balance as he lunged into the air.
The moment he landed, Pierce lost his footing and fell in front of Lee:
"Pfft."
A wet sensation stunned Pierce, who was on the floor.
He instinctively touched his shorts, then rolled over, clutching his leg and screaming in pain:
"Ah! My leg!"
....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)