Goodwin's Appeal

"Beep." With the sound of the whistle, the game began.

With a slap, the Boston Celtics secured possession of the ball...

Sitting on the bench, Goodwin watched the situation on the court silently. In his view, his team's starters definitely held the advantage—not just in terms of the lineup, but in momentum, having just taken down the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.

(Indiana Pacers: Shut your mouth! (•́へ•́╬))

(Goodwin: Oh! (⊙x⊙;))

Sure enough, the situation on the court developed just as Goodwin had guessed; the Boston Celtics, led by Paul Pierce, quickly gained the upper hand.

Half a quarter passed, and the Boston Celtics led 16:11, a five-point lead, before the official timeout was called.

An official timeout occurs when neither side calls a timeout within a certain period, and it is triggered during a dead ball. The NBA is a commercial organization; if there were no timeouts, there would be no time to broadcast commercials, and advertising revenue would be lost. The reason for official timeouts is to ensure television broadcasts have time to air commercials.

"You played beautifully; this is your true strength," Doc Rivers praised immediately as the starters returned to the bench.

Goodwin glanced at Doc Rivers; he had to admit, Doc Rivers really knew his stuff.

Just as Goodwin was lost in his thoughts, Doc Rivers looked at him and said, "Goodwin, get ready."

A few seconds later, Goodwin remained in the same position, as if he hadn't heard a word Doc Rivers said.

Ricky Davis, sitting nearby, nudged Goodwin with his elbow and reminded him, "Goodwin, the coach is calling you."

Goodwin finally snapped back to reality, looked at Doc Rivers, and shouted, "Coming, Coach."

Doc Rivers: "..."

Not far away, Paul Pierce walked over and gave Goodwin a kick, saying, "What are you thinking about? The coach wants you to get ready to go in."

Go in?

Goodwin's eyes lit up as he looked at Doc Rivers and asked, "Coach, are you really putting me in?"

"Yes, but if you're going to be daydreaming on the court like that, I'll pull you right back out," Doc Rivers said helplessly.

"Received, Coach." Goodwin excitedly took off his warm-up gear and began his preparations.

He never expected to get on the court so early, otherwise, he wouldn't have been lost in his own world.

This was all John Carroll's fault.

John Carroll: None of my business! I've already been fired.

Goodwin: It's definitely you.

The on-site photographers were very good at capturing the moment, and knowing what the home fans wanted to see, they pointed their cameras directly at Goodwin as he warmed up.

Goodwin's figure immediately appeared on the big screen.

"It looks like the buzzer-beater king from the last game, Goodwin, is about to check in!" As soon as the arena host finished speaking, the female fans in the stands erupted, cheering loudly: "Goodwin!" "Goodwin!" "Goodwin!"...

This thunderous cheering shocked quite a few people; this was not at all how a rookie who had only played one game should be treated!

One had to admit, the power of fangirls was not to be underestimated.

Vin Baker said with an envious look, "I really wish I could swap faces with a guy like Goodwin."

Vin Baker had voiced the inner thoughts of all the Boston Celtics players, and the rest of the team nodded in agreement with his sentiment.

At this moment, Doc Rivers offered some comfort: "Don't be envious. As long as you play well, you'll have just as many fans."

Boston Celtics players: "..." They begged to differ!

Could it really be the same? Fans were divided into male and female fans, after all.

"Beep." The whistle ending the timeout brought the players' minds back, focusing their attention entirely on the game.

The players from both sides returned to the court. The Boston Celtics made an adjustment, subbing out Jiri Welsch for Goodwin, while the Chicago Bulls made no changes, keeping their full starting lineup in.

The Boston Celtics inbounded the ball to Mike James, who dribbled it to the top of the arc.

In the left corner, Goodwin began moving without the ball.

His defender, Jerome Williams, followed closely behind.

Just then, Paul Pierce came over and built a wall for Goodwin.

Jerome Williams had never expected Paul Pierce to come over; he had been chasing Goodwin while keeping an eye on Mark Blount's position.

As it turned out, Mark Blount didn't come over, but the leader of the Boston Celtics did.

The leader setting a screen for a rookie.

This was perhaps a privilege reserved only for Goodwin.

If it were anyone else, Paul Pierce wouldn't have bothered.

With a thud, Jerome Williams ran straight into Paul Pierce, forced to stop his pursuit of Goodwin.

Goodwin ran toward the three-point line at a 45-degree angle on the right side.

The ball arrived as he did, and Mike James passed it to Goodwin.

Goodwin caught the ball, jumped, hung in the air, and released his shot.

FUCK!

Hinrich, who came over to help on defense, was a step too slow and could only jump as a formality, attempting to disrupt Goodwin.

The ball left Goodwin's hand, soared over Hinrich's head, and flew toward the rim.

"Swish." The ball went through the net, a three-pointer made.

19:11

Goodwin made an immediate impact upon entering, instantly sending the entire TD Garden into a frenzy.

Goodwin did not celebrate the basket, turning around immediately to get back on defense.

Basic stuff, just basic stuff.

Just because Goodwin didn't celebrate didn't mean his teammates wouldn't; Paul Pierce ran over at once, threw an arm around Goodwin's neck, and said, "Goodwin, beautiful shot, you didn't let my screen go to waste."

In truth, when Paul Pierce heard Doc Rivers tell him to set a screen for Goodwin, he had been a bit reluctant. I'm the team leader, setting a screen for a rookie—what kind of decorum is that? But after Doc Rivers persuaded him and they held an internal scrimmage, Paul Pierce's mindset changed, and he became willing to accept it.

"Senior Paul, would I dare miss?" Goodwin replied with a smile.

"Hahaha, that's true."

The Chicago Bulls head coach couldn't sit still anymore; he sprang up from his chair and walked to the sideline. This next possession was crucial; if they didn't score, there was a possibility the Boston Celtics would extend the lead to double digits.

"Ball!" Jamal Crawford immediately reached out for the ball. He was the team leader, and at this moment, he wanted to answer with a three-pointer of his own.

After a series of pump fakes to create space, Jamal Crawford decisively jumped and released a three-pointer.

"Clang!" Jamal Crawford's three-pointer missed, failing to provide a response.

Mark Blount secured the rebound.

At the same time, Goodwin and Paul Pierce sprinted toward the frontcourt, looking to push the fast break.

Not a chance!

The Chicago Bulls players immediately scrambled back on defense, moving in a unified direction as they all swarmed toward Goodwin.

Goodwin: (O_o)??

Paul Pierce: O(∩_∩)O

The coach was right after all; as long as Goodwin hits a three-pointer, my offensive space will expand.

Mark Blount didn't hesitate to throw the ball to the wide-open Paul Pierce.

Paul Pierce caught the ball, accelerated into the heart of the Chicago Bulls' defense, and took off.

Seeing Paul Pierce already in the air, Hinrich, who had just rotated over to help, chose not to jump, knowing he couldn't stop it.

With a loud boom, Paul Pierce easily completed the dunk.

21:11, the Boston Celtics' lead reached double digits.

After the basket, Paul Pierce turned around with a smile and pointed at Goodwin, acknowledging the great gravity he provided.

On the bench, the corners of Doc Rivers' mouth curled upward; this was the gravity of Goodwin.