"FUCK!" The Indiana Pacers' head coach held an A4 sheet showing the stats from the third quarter. At the top of the page was Paul Pierce: six-for-eight shooting, a 75% field-goal percentage, two-for-two from the line, and 14 points in a single quarter.
He'd scored more in one quarter than he had in the entire first half.
The Indiana Pacers' head coach was already regretting his decision to have Artest guard Goodwin.
If he hadn't made that call, how would Paul Pierce have suddenly caught fire?
"Artest, your job from here on out is to shut Paul Pierce down."
Artest nodded at the coach's words.
The brief break ended. There were 12 minutes left, and neither team wanted to lose.
The Indiana Pacers didn't want to lose to the No. 11 team in the Eastern Conference. How embarrassing would that be?
The Boston Celtics wanted to use this game to get back on track. It was also Goodwin's first game in the NBA.
Of the 10 players on the court, all but Goodwin were starters.
"Beep, beep." The whistle blew, and the final battle began.
Both teams came out with their defense turned up to the max. The collisions were brutal. Even though Goodwin wasn't much of a defender, he gave it everything he had to stop the Indiana Pacers' offense.
"Clank!" "Clank!" "Clank!" ... With the intensity of the defense ramped up, neither team scored for a full four minutes.
At such a crucial moment, Goodwin stepped up.
Goodwin suddenly cut back the other way, shaking his defender and sprinting to the three-point line on the left wing.
Vin Baker, who had the ball, immediately passed it to Goodwin.
Goodwin caught the ball, jumped, hung in the air, and released it in one fluid motion.
The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Swish. It dropped cleanly through the net.
Three points.
"Ahhhhh!" "Woooo!" "Ahhhhh!" "Woooo!" "Ahhhhh!" "Woooo!" ... The entire arena erupted in an instant. After four long minutes, the deadlock had finally been broken.
The fans could finally breathe again.
Clap, clap, clap! Doc Rivers was applauding wildly on the sidelines. That basket had been huge.
81–78
Thanks to Goodwin's three-pointer, the Boston Celtics had taken the lead once again.
But barely a dozen seconds later, the fans in the arena were holding their breath again.
Jamaal Tinsley used a screen and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
Clank! The shot missed.
But the Indiana Pacers grabbed the rebound.
As the ball bounced away, Jermaine O'Neal leaped up at once and tipped it out. It went straight to Reggie Miller, wide open on the perimeter.
NO!
Goodwin was the closest and rushed over, but he was too late.
Reggie Miller jumped, hung in the air, and launched a three.
The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air and dropped perfectly through the net.
Three points.
81–81
The score was tied again.
After scoring, Reggie Miller glanced at Goodwin in front of him. "When it comes to three-pointers, I won't lose to anyone!"
That was the confidence of the league's reigning three-point king!
"Oh." Goodwin didn't argue. He simply replied in a flat tone.
Reggie Miller: "..." What a bore!
Reggie Miller immediately turned and ran back on defense.
The Boston Celtics inbounded the ball. It went to Mike James, who quickly dribbled across half court. As soon as he crossed the line, he handed it to Vin Baker.
The moment Vin Baker caught the ball, Paul Pierce and Goodwin, positioned on opposite sides, began moving without the ball.
"Watch Goodwin!" "Keep an eye on Paul!" ... The Indiana Pacers players warned one another.
Once the Indiana Pacers focused their defense on those two, Vin Baker suddenly drove. He accelerated past the defender in front of him, then pulled up for a mid-range jumper before the help defense could arrive.
Swish. The mid-range shot went in.
83–81
The Boston Celtics took the lead again.
"Did you forget the Celtics still have me, Vin Baker?" Vin Baker roared at the Indiana Pacers players after scoring, as if to remind them that Paul Pierce and Goodwin weren't Boston's only scoring options. There was also him.
This season, Vin Baker was averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, making him the Boston Celtics' second-leading scorer.
Indiana Pacers players: "..."
Having been caught off guard like that was a bit of a blow to the Indiana Pacers.
"It's okay. Let's focus on the next possession," Reggie Miller, the team's veteran leader, immediately reassured his teammates.
He didn't just say it—he backed it up with action.
Reggie Miller moved without the ball and got open for a pass. Without hesitation, he drove at Goodwin and pushed his way toward the basket. After two steps, he delivered a razor-sharp pass that zipped past several players and found Jermaine O'Neal cutting into the paint.
Jermaine O'Neal jumped and slammed the ball through the hoop with both hands.
83–83
The teams were tied once again.
For the next few minutes, the two teams traded baskets. One would score, then the other would answer. The lead changed hands and the game was tied again and again.
Time ticked away. With 30 seconds left, the score was 92–92, and the Boston Celtics had possession.
"Ball!" Paul Pierce called from the low post.
Mike James lobbed it in to Paul Pierce. As soon as he caught the ball, Paul Pierce drove hard into Artest, who was guarding him.
Artest gritted his teeth and held his ground against Paul Pierce's charge.
Both men were starting to run on fumes, but neither wanted to let his team down in the final moments. They fought through their exhaustion, relying on sheer willpower.
I'm going to make this shot!
I'm going to stop him!
After several unsuccessful moves, Paul Pierce abruptly turned and rose for a fadeaway jumper.
"Not a chance!" Artest leaped with all his might and lunged at Paul Pierce.
Seeing him coming, Paul Pierce arched backward, trying to avoid the block.
Artest responded by throwing his whole body into Paul Pierce. He wasn't about to let him score, no matter what.
With a thud, the two collided in midair and came crashing down together.
As he fell, Paul Pierce forced the ball out of his hands.
Thump!
They hit the floor hard, but both immediately looked up at the hoop.
Clank! The ball struck the back rim.
"YES!" Artest shouted excitedly. But his excitement vanished the next second.
Mark Blount had beaten O'Neal to the defensive rebound.
"Blount, ball!" Goodwin called from the unguarded corner.
"Goodwin! Goodwin!" the Indiana Pacers' head coach shouted frantically from the sideline.
Jamaal Tinsley, the closest defender, sprinted over with all he had, but he still couldn't stop Goodwin from shooting.
Mark Blount passed the ball to Goodwin. Without the slightest hesitation, Goodwin jumped, hung in the air, and released it.
With more than 20,000 pairs of eyes watching, the ball sailed toward the hoop.
Swish. The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Three points.
95–92
There were 4.8 seconds left, and the Boston Celtics had taken a three-point lead at the last moment.
"Timeout!" The Indiana Pacers' head coach called his final timeout.
Back on the bench, Goodwin was immediately mobbed by his teammates.
"Beautiful shot, Goodwin!"
"Big-time shot, Goodwin!"
"Great job, Goodwin!"
So far, Goodwin had played fewer than 20 minutes. He'd hit four of six three-pointers and scored 12 points, and every one of his threes had been crucial for the Celtics—especially that last one.
After a brief celebration, Doc Rivers hurriedly laid out the defensive plan for the final possession.
"Beep, beep." The whistle blew, and both teams returned to the court.
The Indiana Pacers wanted to get the ball to Reggie Miller, but Doc Rivers had already anticipated that and sent two defenders to cover him, refusing to let him get the ball.
With no other choice, they passed it to Jamaal Tinsley, who was also tightly guarded.
"Ball!" Artest hurried over to take the pass.
Jamaal Tinsley passed it to Artest, who launched a three-pointer.
Clank. It missed.
At the same time, the clock ran out!
In the end, the Boston Celtics won at home by three points.
In an instant, TD Garden became a sea of celebration.
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