On the night of May 12, the clock quietly struck seven.
By then, Boston's TD North Shore Garden Arena was already packed to the rafters, every seat filled. The atmosphere was so electric it felt as though the roof might be blown off.
Here, the highly anticipated Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was about to begin.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, this night was destined to be filled with challenges and adversity. After all, a loss would mean a complete farewell to this season.
Right from the opening tip, the Cleveland Cavaliers' two core players—Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving—looked constrained against Coach Jack's carefully designed defensive scheme, having completely lost their usual flair.
Kevin Love in particular, who had posted a career playoff-high score in the previous game, looked as though he had gotten lost in a maze on the court tonight, unable to find his own offensive rhythm.
Kyrie Irving was likewise stuck in a slump. No matter how he tried to drive or pass, he could not tear through the opponent's airtight defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers fans watching from in front of their televisions were frantic. They pinned all their hopes on LeBron James, praying that the team leader would step up, turn the tide, and lead the team out of its current predicament.
Yet, to everyone's disappointment, LeBron James's performance that night was far from satisfactory as well.
He attacked the basket again and again, but every attempt was disrupted by Goodwin, causing his layups to miss repeatedly. The physical gifts he supposedly relied on for survival gave him no advantage at all against Goodwin.
And whenever he chose to shoot from the perimeter, the ball seemed determined to work against him, constantly grazing past the rim.
Throughout the game, LeBron James was like a man