After defeating the Indiana Pacers, the high-spirited Boston Celtics charged ahead like wild horses breaking free of their reins, showing no sign of slowing down as they steamrolled every remaining opponent in November.
By the 23rd, Philips Arena in Atlanta was packed and buzzing with excitement. A highly anticipated matchup was about to unfold—the Atlanta Hawks would host the Boston Celtics.
Looking back at this season, the Atlanta Hawks had not undergone any major roster changes. They continued with their established tactical system, built around the twin towers of Al Horford and Paul Millsap inside, with Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver providing firepower from the perimeter.
Moreover, during the offseason, they had actively strengthened the roster by successfully signing DeMarre Carroll as their starting small forward, further bolstering their wing strength.
As the Atlanta Hawks' head coach, Mike Budenholzer had always been committed to turning the team into the "Spurs" of the Eastern Conference.
He held that ambition because he had spent a period of time with the San Antonio Spurs.
That experience had left him deeply impressed by Gregg Popovich's coaching philosophy. He firmly believed that only through teamwork, smooth ball movement, and getting every player involved in the offense—fully harnessing the strength of the entire team—could they secure ultimate victory.
However, from the moment Goodwin stepped into Philips Arena that day, everything seemed to become unusual.
With his jaw-dropping individual ability, this Great Demon King repeatedly tore into the Atlanta Hawks' defense, as if loudly declaring to Coach Mike Budenholzer through his actions: Your philosophy is completely wrong!
In Goodwin's eyes, the key reason Gregg Popovich had achieved such greatness was none other than Tim Duncan.
Without Tim Duncan anchoring the San Antonio Spurs, even if they executed team basketball to perfection, they would still struggle to withstand