Leading

Indiana Pacers bench:

"Who the hell is he? Since when did the Celtics have someone like that?" the Indiana Pacers head coach shouted toward his assistants.

The assistants: "..." We don't know either!

In the midst of this awkward atmosphere, one assistant suddenly recalled something and said, "I know who he is." As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone's gaze locked onto him.

"Do you remember the NCAA championship game last year? When the University of Kansas was trailing by three points in the final moments, Coach Roy subbed in a freshman who hit a game-tying three-pointer to force overtime."

"He then dominated overtime, hitting consecutive three-pointers. He only played for five-plus minutes the entire game, went 3-for-3 from the field, scored 9 points, and helped the University of Kansas win the NCAA title. That player is the one wearing number 20 today, Goodwin!"

What!

Hearing the assistant's words, the entire Indiana Pacers team was slightly shocked.

So it was him!

Reggie Miller couldn't help but turn his head to look at Goodwin, who was sitting on the Boston Celtics bench.

He had heard about that game back then, and later heard that he had entered the NBA, but there had been no news of him since. So, he had gone to the Boston Celtics.

"Everyone, get over here." The Indiana Pacers head coach shouted at his players while holding his tactical board.

Boston Celtics bench:

Doc Rivers first praised Goodwin and the other players on the court, then immediately picked up his tactical board to continue setting up offensive plays for Goodwin.

In Doc Rivers' view, Goodwin had the hot hand, so they should try to give him all the shot attempts.

The other players had no objections to this result.

But just as Doc Rivers finished speaking, the protagonist, Goodwin, spoke up: "Coach, I have a different opinion."

Doc Rivers felt a bit annoyed. Goodwin had performed well, but that didn't mean he could question his coaching ability.

Doc Rivers was very smart; he didn't lash out at Goodwin immediately, but instead asked to hear the details: "Goodwin, what different opinion do you have?"

Goodwin sensed Doc Rivers' annoyance, but he only wanted to win the first NBA game of his career.

"Coach, we should do the opposite." As Goodwin said this, he naturally took the tactical board from Doc Rivers' hands.

Doc Rivers: ???

Paul Pierce: "..." What is this kid thinking? Grabbing the head coach's tactical board in front of everyone—does he want to go back to the bench?

"The Pacers are definitely wary of my three-point shot now and will surely assign heavy defensive pressure to me. We can use that to our advantage by using me as a decoy to draw their defensive attention and open up space for my teammates."

In an instant, the annoyance in Doc Rivers' heart vanished. He reached out and excitedly patted Goodwin on the shoulder, saying, "Goodwin, I didn't realize you had the mind of a coach."

Goodwin's words made Doc Rivers look at him in a new light; he hadn't expected Goodwin's tactical awareness to be this strong.

Come to think of it, why didn't I think of that?

Is my coaching ability not as good as Goodwin's?

Doc Rivers couldn't help but fall into self-doubt.

"It was just a flash of inspiration," Goodwin replied calmly. In his past life, besides watching the NBA, Goodwin often played 2K, so he had tactics and strategies for days.

"Alright, let's listen to Goodwin then." Doc Rivers immediately changed the tactics.

This made Goodwin think even higher of Doc Rivers; as expected, a head coach who could win an NBA championship was no mere figurehead.

The timeout ended, and the players from both sides returned to the court. Neither side made any substitutions; they kept their original lineups.

A few minutes later.

The Indiana Pacers head coach clutched his head with both hands and cursed, "F***, we've been played!"

For several minutes, the Indiana Pacers followed their coach's instructions, guarding Goodwin with heavy pressure, with all players ready to rotate at any moment to ensure Goodwin didn't get an open look.

But Goodwin did the opposite; not only did he not take shots, but his off-ball movement ran the entire Indiana Pacers defense into the ground, allowing the other Boston Celtics players to score with ease.

The point gap didn't shrink; instead, it grew wider and wider.

"Timeout!" The Indiana Pacers head coach had no choice but to call another timeout.

"Great job, Goodwin!" As soon as Goodwin returned to the bench, Doc Rivers immediately came over to praise him.

Doc Rivers knew the strength of the Indiana Pacers very well. They were one of the favorites to win the title this season, even hailed by fans as being able to go toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Lakers and their F4.

Before the game, Doc Rivers had prepared for a tough battle, but he never expected that they would be leading the Indiana Pacers by a full 16 points in the second quarter.

And it was all thanks to the handsome guy in front of him—Goodwin!

Compared to the excited Doc Rivers, Goodwin appeared very calm. "Coach, it's time for me to come out now."

??

Doc Rivers was stunned for a moment. This, this, this... Then, Doc Rivers' mind raced, and he understood in an instant, giving Goodwin a thumbs up.

Doc Rivers immediately took his tactical board to execute the next set of plays.

"Beep." The timeout ended.

Both sides subbed in their starting players.

The Indiana Pacers coach was full of confusion; Goodwin was being subbed out just like that?

He turned his head to look at Doc Rivers sitting on the chair on the other side. Doc, what exactly are you up to?

At this moment, the Indiana Pacers coach felt as if his intelligence was being crushed by Doc Rivers, and he felt inexplicably annoyed. He could only hope that his starting players would be able to close the point gap in the second quarter.

Led by Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers began to chip away at the lead bit by bit.

There was indeed a certain gap in the raw strength between the two sides.

With the final 3 seconds remaining, Paul Pierce received the ball from Vin Baker and forced a shot over the defense of Ron Artest.

With a "clang!" the ball hit the side of the rim, bounced very high, reached its apex, and fell back down, landing perfectly into the embrace of the basket.

lucky!

Relying on Paul Pierce's lucky shot, the Boston Celtics successfully maintained a double-digit lead.

58:48

"FUCK!" Ron Artest looked at the score on the big screen hanging from the ceiling, his eyes blazing with fire as he cursed.

It wasn't just Ron Artest; every member of the Indiana Pacers wore a look of unwillingness, having been suppressed throughout the entire first half.

Goodwin watched the backs of the Indiana Pacers players, feeling inexplicably that the second half would not be easy to play.