Where was Goodwin?
What happened to that promised showdown between the 2003 Rookies?
Quite a few fans felt they'd been "scammed."
At that moment, Goodwin was sitting on the bench when he heard Doc Rivers say, "Goodwin, we'll be counting on you early in the second quarter."
Goodwin nodded.
This had been planned well before the game. Goodwin would serve as a decoy on offense in the first quarter and help out on defense, rotating over to cover players and so on. He'd taken just one shot.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Denver Nuggets' head coach turned to his players. "In the second quarter, shut down Goodwin. Don't let him get off easy shots, especially from three."
"Got it, Coach!"
But the Denver head coach never expected the Boston Celtics' reserve Walter McCarty to explode at the start of the second quarter.
First, he caught the ball and hit a midrange jumper. Then he sank a short hook shot. Next, he caught the ball and suddenly drove to the rim for a layup... In just over three minutes, he went five-for-five and racked up ten points.
Doc Rivers applauded nonstop from the sidelines. This was an incredible surprise.
With Walter McCarty on fire, the Boston Celtics went on a 12–5 run, taking the lead and even stretching it to six points.
38:32
"Coach, put me in." Carmelo Anthony couldn't sit still. At this rate, the game would be over.
The Denver Nuggets' head coach thought it over, then sent in several starters.
Seeing this, Doc Rivers didn't put his own starters back in. He remembered that they were playing in Denver, up in the high altitude. Even though they'd arrived two days early and the players had some time to adjust, the altitude could still affect them during such