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TD Garden, Boston, was packed to capacity.

As one of the oldest teams in NBA history, the Celtics also had some of the most loyal fans in the league.

Under Stevens last year, the team had tanked while still making the Playoffs. Their momentum had also been good since the start of this season, and the fans' support for the team had not diminished.

Moreover, the media hype before the game had made this matchup even more compelling.

If the Celtics could successfully knock the Pelicans off their horse tonight, it would provide an unprecedented boost to the team's morale.

Stevens, look—the team you once looked down on had defeated the team you led!

The team's general manager, Danny Ainge, had also come to the arena.

He looked full of high spirits.

As a decorated former player for the team, after entering the front office, he had first assembled the Big Three and lifted the Championship Trophy again after twenty-two years.

Then he had made a decisive move, quickly clearing out the aging Big Three and acquiring a large number of high-quality Draft Picks.

Now, the team was rebuilding while making the Playoffs. There was nothing more satisfying than that.

Especially tonight, with Stevens coaching under immense pressure, the Celtics had a good chance of winning.

Ending their opponent's fifteen-game winning streak during a rebuild would give him even more confidence to recruit Superstars in the summer, when the Salary Cap surged next year.

After the players from both teams took the court, Celtics players came over one after another to greet Stevens.

This showed that Stevens' coaching had truly won the hearts of the players.

And at the end of the opening ceremony, when Stevens was introduced, quite a bit of applause rose from the crowd.

Although Ainge had