First Defeat

92:80

The scoreboard glowed on the giant screen above Scotiabank Arena.

In their third preseason game, the Boston Celtics traveled to face the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors came out firing and quickly took the lead.

Despite Coach John's active adjustments, he couldn't stop the team's slide. The Toronto Raptors held onto their lead throughout the game and ultimately won, dealing the Boston Celtics a heavy blow.

But Goodwin had little to do with it. As usual, he sat by the water cooler and didn't get a single second of playing time. As soon as the game ended, he headed straight for the players' tunnel without looking back.

Rather than listen to John Carroll's "bullshit" after the game, he'd be better off getting to practice.

After these few preseason games, Goodwin had a very clear idea of what he needed to do!

He wouldn't obsess over playing time. Even if he didn't get any, he would keep training hard every day.

Gold would shine eventually—and the gold in question was me, Goodwin!

Over the next few days, Goodwin continued traveling with the team to games. Even though he still wasn't getting any playing time, he was a member of the Boston Celtics.

The preseason came to an end, and the Boston Celtics finished with a 2–6 record. Interim coach John Carroll Alexander hadn't expected the team to seem like a completely different one after winning two in a row, then lose six straight.

No matter how he adjusted the lineup, he couldn't turn things around.

But he was glad it was still the preseason. If this had been the regular season, he might have lost his job. So, the day before the regular season began, he gathered all the players and poured a huge bucket of motivational talk over them.

After listening, every player except Paul Pierce and Goodwin was fired up, hoping to achieve something in the new season.

At 7 p.m. on November 1, 2003, TD Garden in Boston was packed, and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

This was TD Garden, renowned as a hostile home court!

Goodwin couldn't help marveling as he warmed up.

The atmosphere in the regular season was completely different from the preseason. Fans didn't care much about wins and losses in the preseason, but this was the regular season, and it would affect the playoffs months later. Naturally, the fans wanted the home team to win.

And the Boston Celtics' opponent in their first game of the new season was the New Orleans Hornets.

The Hornets had moved from Charlotte to New Orleans the previous season, but kept their name. After leaving Charlotte, the team had a dreamlike start in New Orleans. They won their first game against the Utah Jazz, 100–75, and opened the season with an 11-game home winning streak. Injuries later took their toll, however, and their record became more ordinary. They finished fifth in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs, but once again lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, 2–4. Head coach Paul Silas was fired as a result.

But they had strengthened their roster in the offseason, and their talent was not to be underestimated. They were a formidable opponent for the Boston Celtics.

Before the game, Coach John repeatedly stressed that they had to shut down their star player, Baron Davis.

"Beep, beep!" But as soon as the game began, Baron Davis dealt the Boston Celtics a heavy blow, scoring again and again with drives and jump shots.

Starting point guard Mike James was getting badly outplayed.

"Timeout!" Coach John immediately called one, hoping to stop Baron Davis with double-teams.

Baron Davis wasn't bothered at all. He used the Celtics' double-teams to set up his teammates for one assist after another.

John Carroll: "..." He sprang up from his chair, went to the sideline, and kept shouting at the players on the court.

Just then, the Boston Celtics' leader, Paul Pierce, stepped up. First, he disrupted George Lynch on defense, then he spun into a jump shot on offense.

Swish. The ball dropped neatly through the hoop.

As he ran back on defense, Paul Pierce called out to his teammates, "Don't rush. Focus on every defensive possession!"

Paul Pierce's voice reached the other four Celtics on the court, and their agitation immediately eased.

"Right!" they answered one after another.

With Paul Pierce leading the way, the Boston Celtics gradually erased the deficit. In fact, in the final moments of the first quarter, they took the lead.

33:31

The Boston Celtics entered the second quarter up by two.

"Great job! That's how you play. Keep it up, and the win is ours!" Coach John shouted to the players.

Goodwin didn't think much of it. The crucial part was still to come: Paul Pierce's rest period.

Could the Boston Celtics maintain their lead while Paul Pierce rested?

They would find out soon enough.

"Beep, beep." The whistle sounded, and the second quarter began.

Both teams sent in their second units. Without either team's star players on the floor, the difference between the lineups became clear. The Boston Celtics fell further and further behind on both offense and defense.

The New Orleans Hornets soon retook the lead, and before long they were ahead by a sizeable margin.

"Paul, get ready to go in." Coach John had no choice but to bring Paul Pierce back in, but it made little difference.

The New Orleans Hornets won the second quarter 25–15, outscoring the Celtics by 10 and laying the foundation for victory.

In the second half, the New Orleans Hornets, led by Baron Davis, withstood the Boston Celtics' determined comeback.

"Beep, beep." The game ended, and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Boston Celtics 97–90, winning by seven and starting the new season with a victory.

Baron Davis was unstoppable, shooting 13-for-21 from the field and 6-for-7 from three-point range. He racked up 37 points, four rebounds, and seven assists to lead his team to victory.

Paul Pierce, meanwhile, shot just 9-for-25, finishing with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists. After the first quarter, the Hornets focused their defense on him, and his shooting percentage steadily dropped. None of the other Celtics stepped up, either.

The Boston Celtics had no choice but to swallow their first defeat.

"Fuck!" Paul Pierce angrily punched the chair he was sitting in.

Goodwin had been heading for the players' tunnel, but he stopped, turned around, and went over to Paul Pierce. He reached out with his left hand and patted Paul Pierce on the shoulder, his voice full of frustration. "We'll get them next time, Paul."

Even though he hadn't played, he still hated seeing his team lose.

Then Goodwin turned and headed for the players' tunnel. He wanted to work off his frustration at practice.

Paul Pierce watched Goodwin's retreating figure in silence, and, for some reason, his anger faded.