The air in the TD Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals was different. It wasn't the festive roar of the regular season or the anxious buzz of a close game. This was a deeper, more guttural sound. A hungry sound. The banners hanging from the rafters weren't just decorations; they were expectations. The smell wasn't just popcorn and sweat; it was tension, distilled and electrified.
Their opponents were the Chicago Bulls, a tough, physical eight-seed that had fought through the Play-In Tournament. They had nothing to lose and everything to prove. They were led by DeMar DeRozan, a master of the mid-range, a surgeon who operated with methodical, old-school precision. For Kyle, it was another new challenge, another test in the endless examination of his defensive versatility.
