The Celtics Successfully Evened the Score

At 7:00 p.m. on May 24, TD North Shore Garden Arena in Boston hosted Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals series.

Although the defending champion Boston Celtics had unexpectedly lost to the Chicago Bulls in the previous game, most fans and experts still had full confidence in the Boston Celtics.

From the opening tip, players like Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, and Marc Gasol quickly found their form, repeatedly knocking down perimeter shots and greatly increasing the defensive pressure on the Chicago Bulls.

Seeing this, Goodwin began adjusting his strategy as well. He reined in his edge on offense and devoted more of his energy to defense.

His defensive target was crystal clear: Derrick Rose, who had posted 39 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the previous game.

With a sharp smack, Goodwin successfully blocked Derrick Rose's layup.

After that, Goodwin's ghostlike figure seemed to appear everywhere around Derrick Rose, disrupting Rose's offense and making him extremely uncomfortable.

Once Derrick Rose was contained, the entire Chicago Bulls offense fell into a stagnant state.

They could not find any effective way to score and could only rely on scattered offensive opportunities.

As a result, they managed a pitiful 14 points in the first quarter, while the Boston Celtics put up 30 through outstanding teamwork and offensive efficiency.

That gave the Boston Celtics a 16-point advantage in the first quarter alone, putting the tempo of the game firmly in their own hands.

What made the Chicago Bulls even more desperate was that the Boston Celtics' core player, Goodwin, had not even gone all out on offense yet.

The Chicago Bulls players and fans could not help but wonder: was this the true strength of the defending champion Boston Celtics?

Facing such a powerful opponent, the Chicago Bulls