First Win Against the Celtics

Paul Pierce's sudden words startled Li Chen, and just as he was about to speak, Paul Pierce immediately completed a perfect jump shot.

It turns out this was just a bait used by Paul Pierce to deceive Li Chen, and it has to be said that he succeeded.

Li Chen only had time to raise his arm, a symbolic defensive gesture.

However, the smile that Paul Pierce had been wearing froze on his face the next moment.

The basketball slammed into the rim with incredible force, as if guided by a GPS device.

With a loud "thump," the basketball bounced high into the air, and Paul Pierce felt as if his heart had been shattered. How could it not go in? He was truly questioning his existence.

"Chris Paul, you really fooled me. It's a pity that the ball didn't go in. You can definitely do it next time. I believe in you."

Li Chen looked extremely regretful, then encouraged the younger generation with the air of a senior. These words, so scathing, dealt Pierce another devastating blow.

Right now, Paul Pierce has in his mind is "MMP," but he doesn't know whether he should say it or not.

However, the Celtics' offense was not over. Garnett, true to his two-way prowess, outmaneuvered Odom and Wang Zhizhi to grab another offensive rebound.

However, Odom and Wang Zhizhi reacted quickly, immediately implementing a double-team tactic against Garnett.

Garnett didn't press the issue; he passed the ball back to Ray Allen near the free-throw line.

Ray Allen faked out Richardson, but his mid-range shot bounced off the rim again.

It was Garnett again; he grabbed the rebound once more, and then pulled the ball out to create a one-on-one situation with Odom.

At that moment, he saw Li Chen trying to double-team him, so he hastily took a shot, but it missed.

This time, Garnett didn't get a chance to grab the rebound.

Li Chen outmaneuvered Perkins to grab the defensive rebound.

After securing the rebound, Li Chen quickly advanced the ball, speeding up the pace of the game to wear down the Big Three's stamina.

After crossing his team's frontcourt, Li Chen drove straight towards the basket, overpowering Perkins, Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.

The sounds of muscles colliding filled the air.

Despite being defended by three players, Li Chen missed the shot, but he successfully grabbed the offensive rebound and then passed the ball to Odom on the right wing.

Odom, left wide open, easily scored a layup.

The Knicks extended their lead to 72-66.

Everything is going well, and the Knicks are on the verge of victory.

Meanwhile, the Celtics, trailing in the score, began to increase their offensive pace.

Ray Allen drew a foul from Richardson while driving to the basket from the top of the key.

Ray Allen stepped to the free-throw line and made one of two shots.

The Knicks are on offense.

Li Chen was heavily guarded under the basket.

Kidd decisively passed the ball to Richardson outside the three-point line.

Richardson missed Open Three-Pointer, but Li Chen put it back in for a basket.

74 to 66.

At the end of the third quarter, the Knicks led the Celtics 85-75.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"While the return of a king seems to boost morale, Paul Pierce's triumphant return hasn't brought about many substantial changes to the team."

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Yes, Charles, not only that, it could also affect our performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals."

"Yes, Paul Pierce's decision was a huge failure," Barkley asserted.

The Celtics very well in the fourth quarter.

With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they narrowed the score to 91-90.

If the Celtics can score on this possession, they will take the lead.

Paul Pierce drove to the basket and attempted a Euro-step layup, but was intercepted by Li Chen just as he started moving.

At this crucial moment, Li Chen once again demonstrated his responsibility as the core of the team.

He passed the ball to Kidd to organize the attack.

A moment later, Kidd, positioned at the top of the arc, observed his teammates' positions and then faked a drive before passing the ball to Li Chen.

Having played point guard for several years, Li Chen had long since developed the habit of watching his teammates' positions.

So, as soon as he received the ball, he made a through pass to Odom was in an open position.

Li Chen's direct pass was a stroke of genius.

Kevin Garnett truly lives up to his reputation as a two-way superstar; even under these circumstances, he successfully prevented Odom from shooting.

However, Garnett still paid the price with a foul, and he now has four fouls.

Odom stepped to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and took his first shot.

Swish! The basketball wobbled as it went in.

He took his second shot decisively, and the basketball swished right into the basket.

Thump! The basketball bounced high, Li Chen once again demonstrated his ability in crucial moments, putting the ball back in over P. J. Brown.

The Knicks extended their lead to 94-90.

The Celtics on offense, and the game has now reached a fever pitch, with both sides making aggressive moves in their pursuit of victory.

Rondo was fouled by Kidd while dribbling, Rondo went to the free-throw line.

Rondo made his first free throw, but the ball bounced off the rim on his second attempt.

During the scramble for the rebound, Wang Zhizhi touched the ball out of bounds, and possession remained with the Celtics.

The Celtics inbound the ball from the baseline.

Garnett made Rondo to Rondo, who was two steps away at the top of the key.

Garnett sets a screen, Rondo drives to the basket for a layup.

Wang Zhizhi and Odom jumped up at the same time.

Just then, Rondo the ball to James Posey in the right corner.

Posey didn't give Li Chen a chance to jump, but the basketball still bounced off the rim as expected.

Just then, Garnett once again demonstrated his individual skill, leaping high and slamming the ball in with both hands.

Garnett was a godsend; that was a beautiful shot.

With the score at 94-92, the outcome of the game has once again become suspenseful.

Li Chen dribbled the ball and broke through, Garnett was once again matched up against Li Chen.

Li Chen's lips curled up slightly, then he turned his back to the ball and assumed a one-on-one stance.

However, Garnett had matured by now, and he didn't try to compete with Li Chen. When he saw Paul Pierce come over to switch with him, he immediately returned to his original position in the paint.

Li Chen felt a little regretful, but then he suddenly sped up and passed Pierce before the private room was formed.

At that moment, Pierce fouled, sending Li Chen to the free-throw line.

At this moment, Pierce belatedly covered his head, looking annoyed, because he remembered Li Chen's free throw percentage of over 90%.

As expected, Li Chen made both free throws.

96 to 92.

In the transition between offense and defense, the Knicks launched a full-court press against the Celtics.

Garnett receives the ball from Rondo and then passes it to James Posey.

Immediately afterwards, Garnett went down to the paint and raised his hand to signal Posey to pass the ball.

A moment later, Garnett, with his back to the basket, dribbled past Odom and headed towards the basket.

When Li Chen came over to help defend, Garnett immediately passed the ball to Rondo outside the three-point line.

Garnett once again pulled out to receive the ball beyond the free-throw line, with Wang Zhizhi close behind.

After receiving the ball, he turned and broke past Wang Zhizhi.

Seeing that Wang Zhizhi had been beaten, Odom fouled while trying to block the shot, Garnett went to the free-throw line.

Garnett, his first shot went in cleanly and neatly.

The second free throw was a bit too forceful, but after the ball bounced back and forth in the rim a few times, it still didn't bounce off the rim.

The score is 96-94, with one minute remaining in the game.

While dribbling the ball up the court, Li Chen suddenly Pull-up Jumper from a step away at the top of the arc, his movements as beautiful as a painting.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

99 to 94.

The shot came so suddenly; Pierce had just settled down and prepared to defend when Li Chen fired.

There are 35 seconds left.

Rondo passed the ball to Garnett, Garnett moved laterally and then made a difficult fadeaway jump shot.

Although the chances of the ball going in were extremely slim, no moment of carelessness was allowed. With the mindset of "better safe than sorry," Li Chen leaped high into the air.

Thud! The basketball bounced off the rim and went wide; Wang Zhizhi grabbed the rebound.

With 20 seconds left, the Celtics no resistance.

The Knicks ultimately won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals 99-94.

Garnett led the Celtics in points with 24, shooting 9-for-22 from the field, along with 3 assists, 13 rebounds, and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Pierce scored 20 points, Rondo 15 points.

For the Knicks, Odom and Wang Zhizhi each scored 15 points, Kidd 14 points.

Everyone else scored between 4 and 5.

Li Chen scored 32 points, 6 assists, and 15 rebounds, shooting 11-for-20 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Without the [Assist Master] perk, teammates are definitely not reliable.

On the other side, the Lakers was also very intense, with the outcome not decided until the final quarter.

At the start of the first quarter, the Lakers launched an aggressive attack, while the Spurs kept the score close.

The match was intense and full of twists and turns, with every offensive and defensive play keeping the Lakers' home fans on the edge of their seats.

Lakers Lakers gained a significant advantage thanks to Kobe's drives to the basket and his accurate mid-range shooting.

Of course, the most important thing was that Yao Ming, being a big man, was able to hold Duncan back under the basket, which allowed Kobe to attack with ease.

However, the Spurs did not back down, and through quick passing and solid defense, they managed to narrow the score gap at one point.

In the second quarter, the Lakers' outside shooting firepower erupted again, frequently hitting crucial three-pointers.

The Spurs adopted a more aggressive offensive strategy in an attempt to turn the tide.

The two teams traded blows, sparks flew, and the score fluctuated, keeping the fans on the edge of their seats.

In the second half, the Lakers displayed even greater explosiveness on the court.

They maintained firm control of the game's tempo through constant fast breaks and accurate shooting.

However, the Spurs were not willing to be passive. They intensified their defense and quickly narrowed the gap through several brilliant fast break points, especially Ginobili.

In the final quarter, the game entered a heated phase.

Neither the Lakers nor the Spurs were willing to give up, and they fought tooth and nail for every rebound.

Both teams displayed tenacious fighting spirit on the court, with the score fluctuating back and forth, keeping the Lakers fans on edge once again.

Ultimately, the Lakers, through teamwork and Kobe Bryant's exceptional individual performance, defeated the Spurs 89-85 to win the first game of the Western Conference Finals.

The game's dramatic twists and turns fully demonstrated the strength and perseverance of both teams. This victory boosted the Lakers' confidence and kicked off the Western Conference Finals.

The next morning, Avril hugged Li Chen and said, "Chen, I heard there was an earthquake in your country?"

Still a little dazed, Li Chen was slightly taken aback. He turned around, kissed her, and then asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Me, hehe! Actually, I'm a wizard too." Avril mysteriously, with an air of profound mystery.

Li Chen sat up, then looked at Avril was wearing pajamas, and said, "Witch, I didn't see that coming. You look a bit like a witch to me."

Avril was slightly taken aback, thinking, aren't witches and wizards the same thing? Then she realized what she meant and immediately flew into a rage.

"Li Chen, I'll fight you to the death! How dare you insult me!" With that, she bared her teeth and claws and pounced on Li Chen, knocking him down.

Then...

Two hours later, "Chen, you still have a competition..."

"Hehe! Singing."

Avril "..."

And so, "I was conquered by you, all my escape routes cut off..."

A moment later, Li Chen said smugly, "Avril's song really suits you. Why don't you sing this English song at your concert this year?"

Avril's face darkened. "Fuck, I hate this song."

In the afternoon, Avril called Li Chen triumphantly and said, "Chen, I donated five million dollars in our name."

Upon hearing this news, Li Chen's lips twitched. He seriously doubted how much of the money donated to that so-called association would actually be used to help disaster victims.

However, upon further reflection, he realized it wasn't a bad idea, since Avril's donation could improve her public image in China.

Just then, Avril added, "By the way, Britney also donated a million after hearing about this."

Li Chen was speechless.

"However, she borrowed the money from me."

Hearing this, Li Chen was stunned. Britney borrowing money from Avril? This was truly unbelievable. Britney wasn't much worse off Avril now! Why would she borrow money?

"Wait, Avril, are you kidding me? Britney asked you for money?" Li Chen really couldn't believe it.

"Yes! She's invested all her money, and she's a little short on cash right now."

"Hey! Chen, which girl are you calling?" Odom shouted loudly.

Upon hearing Odom's words, Avril was immediately displeased. "Li Chen, if you misbehave again this time, I will absolutely not forgive you."

Li Chen's face turned green. Odom was such a jinx!

"Don't listen to that Odom bastard's nonsense."

"Hmph! You'd better watch yourself!" Avril said angrily, hanging up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Avril was very pleased with herself. She wrinkled her nose and snorted, "I told you not to sing 'Conquer' this morning. This is my revenge." She thought smugly.

On the other side, Odom cheekily put his ear to the phone, trying to sneak a peek at what was being said first.

He was shoved away by Li Chen said irritably, "What the hell are you listening to? They all hung up already."

Who is it?

"Who else could it be? Avril!"

Hearing Li Chen's words, Odom blinked and said, "You won't break up with me because of my words, will you?"

"Get lost, why can't you wish me well?" Li Chen kicked out, but Odom dodged it.

Li Chen didn't intend to kick him, otherwise Odom might not have been able to dodge it.

"What do you want?"

Upon hearing Li Chen's words, Odom remembered something and said, "Coach Alvin, I need you to go over and study the tactics."

Li Chen nodded, and so...

In the following games, the Celtics defeated Knicks in two consecutive games, taking a 2-1 lead and successfully turning the tide of the game.

However, the Celtics' fatal weaknesses are becoming increasingly apparent.

That is because the rotation players are too poor and simply cannot compare with the Knicks' bench depth.

Therefore, this weakness was magnified in the fourth game.

The Knicks thrashed the Celtics 110-90 in this game.