I'm Goodwin, After All

"Coach John, I want to play the entire game next time!"

Twelve games into the new season, the Boston Celtics had managed only a 4–8 record, and Paul Pierce was very unhappy about it.

Especially after their last two games against the lowly New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Boston Celtics absolutely had to win those games, considering their goal was to make the playoffs again.

But whenever Paul Pierce built up a lead with the starters, the moment the rotation players came in, that lead turned into a deficit. They kept giving up points, and when Pierce returned to the court, he faced opponents who had built up a head of steam and had to fight tooth and nail.

In the end, the Boston Celtics had no choice but to lose both games by slim margins.

They fell 86–83 to the New York Knicks and 91–90 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Furious, Paul Pierce stormed into Coach John's office and asked to play the entire game next time.

He didn't want to do this if he could help it, but... right now, Paul Pierce missed Antoine Walker, who had averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game the previous season.

But with the season just about to begin, Antoine Walker had been traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Danny Ainge didn't like Antoine Walker's style of play at all. He thought Walker's three-point shot was wildly inaccurate and that he wasn't active enough on the boards, so he traded him away without a second thought.

The trade gave the Boston Celtics a slight financial advantage, saving them six million dollars in salary and letting them bring in another free agent. But nearly everyone thought it was the worst possible time to trade players, with just over a week left before the new season began.

Even Paul Pierce thought the trade was a bad idea. But there was nothing he could do. He was still just a player. Even as the team's leader, he hadn't brought the team any honors, which meant he was still a tradeable asset!

"Fine!" Coach John agreed to Paul Pierce's request without hesitation. He needed wins, too, if he was going to keep his job as head coach.

After the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Danny Ainge had already issued an ultimatum: if they kept losing, Coach John would be fired.

The Boston Celtics' next opponent was the Eastern Conference's last-place team, the Orlando Magic.

At 7 p.m. on November 26, the Boston Celtics were set to face the Orlando Magic at TD Garden in Boston.

During warmups, Goodwin kept glancing toward the court on the other side, where Tracy McGrady—the man who would score 13 points in 35 seconds—was shooting around.

McGrady was still with the Orlando Magic. This season, he was putting up a remarkable 28.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. His individual stats were outstanding, but his ability to lead a team was nothing special.

He and Paul Pierce were in much the same boat. Which of the two would lead his team to victory? We'd just have to wait and see.

"Tweet, tweet." The whistle blew, and the game began.

Right from the start, both teams' stars, Paul Pierce and McGrady, went on the attack and kept scoring.

The first quarter ended with the Boston Celtics holding a slim 28–26 lead.

The Orlando Magic's head coach watched Paul Pierce stay on the court and couldn't help but look puzzled.

Wasn't he going to rest?

Nope!

With Paul Pierce leading the way, the Boston Celtics were on a roll and tried to widen the gap. But just then, Orlando Magic reserve Donnell Harvey stepped up.

He went five-for-five, scoring 10 points and helping his team withstand the Boston Celtics' attack!

Paul Pierce: "..."

When McGrady returned, the Orlando Magic took the fight to the Celtics and began to close the gap.

In just a few minutes, the Orlando Magic had tied the game and even taken the lead.

No!

Paul Pierce stepped up again. Thanks to his play, the Boston Celtics managed to keep the deficit to two points.

49–51

The Orlando Magic took a two-point lead into halftime.

"Everyone, stay focused! Trust me, the Boston Celtics are going to win this game!"

Back in the locker room, Paul Pierce shouted to his teammates. His fierce desire to win spread through the Boston Celtics players, even infecting Goodwin, who was usually stuck by the water cooler.

"Yeah!" everyone replied in unison.

The Boston Celtics noticeably tightened their defense in the second half, forcing the Orlando Magic into turnover after turnover. Unfortunately, the Celtics couldn't capitalize on their chances and kept missing their shots, so the two teams stayed neck and neck.

The game remained close until the final five minutes. Then Paul Pierce stepped up once more, grabbing a defensive rebound before quickly dribbling toward the heart of the Orlando Magic's defense.

"Stop him! Stop him!"

With no other choice, the Orlando Magic players fouled Paul Pierce to stop him.

Paul Pierce went to the free-throw line.

Swish. Swish. He made both free throws for two points.

Next, Paul Pierce caught a pass from a teammate and, with a defender in his face, didn't hesitate to take a mid-range shot.

The ball sailed over the defender and toward the basket.

With a swish, it dropped cleanly through the net.

He scored!

Paul Pierce scored four straight points, putting the Celtics up by four. The Boston Celtics held on to their four-point lead until the final buzzer.

94–90

The Boston Celtics won by four and snapped their losing streak.

There was no doubt that Paul Pierce was the game's MVP. He played 48 minutes, went 12-for-22, and put up 30 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals to lead his team to victory.

The good times didn't last long. On the 28th, they lost 89–82 to the Chicago Bulls; on the 30th, they fell 91–85 to the Detroit Pistons.

Even with Paul Pierce playing more minutes, the team's lack of depth remained a problem.

On the first day of December, Goodwin got up early as usual, brushed his teeth, washed up, got dressed, and headed out for his morning workout.

After his workout, Goodwin's phone rang.

He stopped on his way to the bathroom, picked up the phone, and heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"Goodwin, how have you been lately?"

"Coach Roy!" Goodwin cried excitedly.

"Coach, I'm doing great. I train hard every day."

Hearing Goodwin's answer eased some of Coach Roy's worries.

This offseason had been a very happy one for Coach Roy, since he had helped develop three NBA players.

But the new season had already been underway for a month. Hinrich and Collison were both doing well on their teams, while Goodwin hadn't even gotten any playing time. Coach Roy couldn't help worrying about him.

"That's good. I was worried you weren't holding up."

"Of course I am, Coach. Don't worry. I'm Goodwin, after all!" Goodwin replied with confidence.