Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 (End)

A hint of tension hung in the New York Knicks' locker room. The room was so quiet that only the players' heavy breathing could be heard. No one dared to speak lightly, as though every word might shatter the deadlock of silence.

The intensity of the first half had exhausted even the seasoned veterans, especially Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who had already used up most of their energy.

Ray Allen in particular had put tremendous effort into defense, resulting in excessive physical exhaustion.

However, at that moment, the New York Knicks' head coach acted swiftly to calm the players' emotions.

With the coach's encouragement, the players gradually regained their confidence and energy, and their morale rose.

In contrast, the atmosphere in the Boston Celtics' locker room was clearly much more relaxed and cheerful.

They had taken the lead in the first half and entered the locker room with a ten-point advantage.

The players laughed and chatted with one another, sharing the exciting moments from the first half. Goodwin was the only exception.

He sat quietly to one side, chin resting on his hand, lost in thought.

Goodwin thought to himself, If I were in the New York Knicks' position, how should I change the current situation? After careful consideration, he concluded that the key to solving the problem lay with Rondo.

In fact, among the New York Knicks' starting five, they held no advantage against the Boston Celtics at any position. The only possible point of advantage was Rondo!

But Rondo needed to have a reliable shot. Otherwise, he could not gain an advantage in the matchup, nor could he change the course of the game.

Goodwin immediately asked an assistant coach for Rondo's statistics from the first two rounds.

First Round vs. Atlanta Hawks, Rondo averaged: 16.8 points,