Halftime.
On the tactics board in the home team's locker room, Adelman wrote several large words in the center with Mark.
"High position. Patience."
"Let the Lakers ' defense move first."
Lin Qi stood beside the tactical board, arms crossed. He knew exactly where the key to victory lay in the second half's tactics. He turned his gaze to Garnett, who had played with extreme frustration tonight, and Eddie Jones on the wing.
Lin Qi walked over, stretched out his large palm, and pressed heavily on the shoulders of the two young men.
"On offense, listen to the coach. But on defense, we need to change our approach." Lin Qi's voice was low, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Ordinary double-teams won't kill O'Neal. Once he gets the ball and sets up his stance, even ten men trying to double-team him will just be giving away free throws."
Lin Qi looked directly at Jones and Garnett: "In the second half, I want you to play anticipatory defense. Don't just focus on the person you're guarding, keep an eye on the Lakers ' passers! Don't wait until the ball gets to O'Neal before double-teaming him; you need to see the pass go out, even while the ball is still in the air, and start moving your double-teams!"
"Use your legs and wingspan to race against the speed of the basketball! Get in position before O'Neal receives the ball! If he's forced to pass, you guys have to bounce back to the perimeter like springs. Only then can you cut off their connection between the inside and outside!"
Garnett exchanged a glance with Eddie Jones beside him, the confusion in his eyes instantly replaced by a fiery fierceness, and he nodded firmly.
The second half begins.
At the start of the third quarter, the Celtics changed their lineup.
On the Boston Celtics' offense, Garnett moved directly to the high post on the right side of the free-throw line with his back to the basket. Mutombo, unusually, stood in the weak-side corner instead of going to the bottom corner, avoiding ineffective space while using his size to restrain O'Neal, preventing O'Neal from leaving the basket completely.
Lakers power forward Gugliotta held off Garnett's lower body, while Doug Christie on the perimeter was poised to collapse the defense at any moment.
Just as the Lakers thought Garnett was about to force a turnaround isolation play, Eddie Jones on the weak side suddenly feigned a bounce to receive the ball from the right wing. Doug Christie instinctively shifted his weight forward half a step.
Now!
Eddie Jones suddenly pushed off the ground, making an extremely sharp reverse run, and drove straight to the empty basket.
Garnett, positioned high up with his back to the basket, didn't even turn his head. With his amazing dynamic vision, he raised his long arms and delivered an extremely concealed behind-the-head bounce pass!
The basketball grazed Gugliotta's shorts and bounced precisely into the hands of Eddie Jones as he took off.
Jones glided through the air and deftly laid the ball up for a layup before O'Neal's massive frame could close in on him.
51 to 50!
The Celtics are only down by one point.
This play instantly showcased Garnett's point guard-level vision, which is beyond his stature.
In the next possession, Garnett continued to hold the ball high up the court.
This time, Sam Cassell made a frantic cut around Mutombo's off-ball screen, feigning a handoff from Garnett. Gugliotta's attention was completely drawn to Sam Cassell's movement.
However, at the moment the two bodies crossed, Garnett made a handoff fake, retrieved the basketball, and used a long stride to turn and get past Gugliotta!
"Cover up the defense--!"
Harris screamed desperately from the sidelines.
Shaquille O'Neal, who was guarding the basket, was forced to leave the depths of the paint and charged forward with a roar.
Faced with the colossal beast that blotted out the sky, Garnett did not blindly charge forward. Instead, he used his long arms to gently push the ball behind him in mid-air while moving.
Robert Horry, lurking on the weak side baseline, cut inside like a ghost, received the ball, and, with Lakers forward Kersey suspended in mid-air, forcefully twisted his body to put the basketball into the basket, while simultaneously drawing a foul on the opponent!
Two plus one!
The penalty was made.
53 to 51!
The Celtics have taken the lead.
After a period of utter frustration throughout the second quarter, Garnett finally let out a wolf howl and frantically pounded his chest.
The nationally renowned commentator in the commentary booth was completely blown away, yelling into the microphone, "My God! This isn't how power forwards play in this era! Kevin Garnett... he's standing there like a seven-foot point guard!"
At the very front of the Lakers' bench in the stands, 18-year-old Kobe Brian stared at Garnett, who was unleashing his talent on the court. Both were young prodigies, yet Garnett had already become the tactical core of the entire team, while he was still waiting for handouts on the bench. That sense of resentment and ambition almost overflowed from his eyes.
The Lakers quickly made adjustments. After Del Harris called a timeout, Doug Christie changed his defensive strategy. When Garnett had the ball at the high post again, Doug Christie abandoned his defender and used his long arms to frantically wave in front of Garnett, even bumping into Garnett's chin with his body to forcefully delay his passing vision.
Gugliotta was relentlessly guarding the paint from behind, Doug Christie was harassing the front, while O'Neal remained calmly positioned in the paint.
In two offensive possessions, Garnett's passing lane was deflected by Doug Christie's fingertips once. In the next forced drive, O'Neal was waiting for him with his arms outstretched under the basket, forcing Garnett to take a hasty shot, which bounced off the rim too short.
The Lakers quickly seized their opportunities and launched two fast breaks, regaining the lead. The situation remained tense. When the final buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter, the score was 76-74, with the Lakers entering the final game with a 2-point advantage.
The fourth quarter began. Both teams were at their physical limits, and the first half saw a fierce back-and-forth scoring battle, with the score remaining close throughout.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers got the ball back to O'Neal in the low post. Mutombo struggled to hold up the defense, while Garnett used his speed to slide in from the weak side for a brief moment of interference. He stuck close to O'Neal's side and unleashed his infuriating tirade. " Shaq, what are you smelling like tonight? Did you bring all the sweat from the entire Los Angeles beach to Boston?"
However, O'Neal, who had completely entered "killer mode," ignored him. The behemoth suddenly lowered his shoulder, and his terrifying weight directly shoved Garnett and Mutombo together, creating a gap. Then, with an extremely violent twist, he slammed his hands into the basket!
Bang--!
The behemoth landed with a deafening roar. At this moment, the Lakers were leading the Celtics 89-88, and the point difference had widened again. Garnett was knocked to the ground by the huge impact, but he rubbed his burning shoulder, got up, dusted himself off, and his eyes showed not fear, but rather a morbid excitement.
In the next possession, the Lakers continued to lob the ball to O'Neal in the low post.
Garnett used the same tactic again, sliding over to engage in physical harassment. This time, Mutombo was smarter; he didn't try to block the first time, but instead stabilized his footing and took a half-step back, using his wingspan to force O'Neal to dribble the ball one more time.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers regained possession of the ball to O'Neal in the low post. Mutombo struggled to hold up the defense, while Garnett used his speed to slide in from the weak side. He stuck to O'Neal's side, buzzing frantically in O'Neal's ear like a tireless mosquito:
"Hey Shaq! I went to see your ' Kazaam ' in theaters last month! God, the way you wiggled your ass on the big screen was even cringe-worthy than your low-post moves tonight! Since you played an all-powerful genie in the movie, why didn't you wish for a little bit of free throw technique? Even just a tiny bit!"
After being relentlessly criticized throughout the game, O'Neal finally erupted in a fit of rage. He slammed his hand on the basketball, preparing to unleash a powerful, high-arc spin move.
However, Garnett was waiting for this moment when Garnett would lose control of his emotions.
Just as O'Neal dribbled the ball and it bounced off the floor, Garnett's amazingly long arm shot out like lightning, slapping the side of the ball with pinpoint accuracy!
"Smack!"
The basketball slipped from O'Neal's control and rolled out of the chaotic pile of feet. Robert Horry, who had been waiting for this opportunity, pounced on the ball like Hupu, grabbed it, and then passed it to Sam Cassell on the perimeter.
Celtics have a chance to counterattack!
Instead of blindly forcing his way in after receiving the ball, Sam Cassell skillfully controlled the pace. He moved to the right low post once again, using his muscular lower body to block David Wesley, who was shorter than him.
Seeing the situation was turning against them, Lakers ' key perimeter player Doug Christie had no choice but to abandon his defender and frantically collapse the defense to double-team Sam Cassell.
Sam Cassell's lips curled into an ugly yet extremely confident smile. The instant the double team was formed, he made a very subtle pass to Eddie Jones on the perimeter. Jones, without pausing for a moment upon receiving the ball, made an extremely selfless second pass, and the basketball flew in a straight line to Robert Horry, who was already positioned in the corner.
The bottom corner was completely deserted.
Horry catches the ball, adjusts, and jumps. His hand shape in the air is perfect, like a sculpture, with a gentle flick of his wrist.
Swish!
Three point hit!
With that crucial shot, the Celtics instantly took a 91-89 lead!
Turning back, Wesley lobbed the ball to Gugliotta at the high post. O'Neal boxed out Mutombo in the low post, and the Celtics ' weak side was forced to stay in position due to the immense gravity of the space. After calmly observing the situation from the high post, Gugliotta delivered a precise bounce pass to Doug Christie, who was cutting off the ball. Christie grazed his defender and scored a layup, drawing a foul in the process.
The Lakers made the free throw, putting the score at 91-92 and regaining the lead.
The two teams then engaged in a near-frantic back-and-forth battle. With thirty seconds remaining in the game, the Lakers led 95-93.
The suffocating sense of oppression caused all 20,000 audience members to stand up simultaneously.
The Celtics requested a timeout.
On the bench, the players were panting heavily. Head coach Adelman, with sharp eyes, pounded on the tactical board and roared at Garnett in a hoarse voice.
" Kevin! Listen! Harris sees you as a passer now, they're all betting on you to keep passing, so they're frantically blocking all your passing lanes!"
Adelman, panting heavily, pointed to the red circle on the whiteboard. "If all the routes are blocked, you don't need to look for anyone else! You just finish the fight at the free-throw line!"
The whistle signaling the end of the pause sounded.
Garnett ripped off the towel, the confusion in his eyes instantly replaced by an unprecedented ferocity. Before he went on the court, Lin Qi patted him on the back of the head again, offering no tactical advice, but simply gazing at him with deep eyes.
Garnett let out a long breath and stepped onto the field.
The Celtics were down by 2 points when Garnett received the ball again at the high post. Sam Cassell and Eddie Jones made off-ball runs on both sides, Horry lurked in the corner, and everyone was frantically spreading out the floor.
The Lakers ' defense was indeed focused on the Boston Celtics ' perimeter cuts. Gugliotta left half a step to defend the drive, while Doug Christie pressed forward, trying to block Garnett's passing options.
They're all betting that Garnett will pass the ball again.
However, at this moment, the twenty-year-old Garnett abandoned all desire to pass the ball. He held the basketball with both hands, faced the defender in front of him, and took off!
It was an almost completely unreasonable fadeaway mid-range jumper that utilized an extremely high release point. Gugliotta and Doug Christie's long arms almost blocked his face, but they couldn't reach that extremely high release trajectory at all.
The basketball traced an extremely long and high parabola as 20,000 people held their breath in suspense.
Swish!
Swish! 95-95, tied! 5 seconds left in the game!
The Lakers didn't call a timeout, David Wesley pushed the pace to launch a final attack. Everyone knew that the ball would definitely be passed to Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal on the baseline.
O'Neal had already secured position on the left low post, Mutombo used every last ounce of his strength to hold him off. Wesley then launched a high lob pass, attempting to cross the halfway line into the penalty area.
However, Eddie Jones, who had been lying in wait throughout the entire game since the first quarter, finally erupted at this moment.
This is the anticipatory defense that Lin Qi emphasized before the start of the second half! He didn't even wait for the ball to drop; in the fraction of a second that Wesley raised his hand to lob the ball and it just left his hand and flew into the air, Jones had already cut across Doug Christie without warning!
He slid across the floor in a near-flying motion, his amazingly long arm suddenly thrusting through the air, his fingertips precisely touching the edge of the pass!
Just like the steal in the first quarter, the two defensive plays formed a perfect, fateful echo at the most crucial moment!
The basketball changed course instantly. Sam Cassell, lying on the floor, pounced like Hupu, grabbing the ball before Byron Scott could reach it. He didn't even stand up; lying on the floor, he used all his strength to throw the ball hard towards the frontcourt!
"Get down quickly!"
At this point, there are 3 seconds left in the game.
The timer on the big screen was counting down rapidly. And that green number 5 figure had already transformed into a sprinting lone wolf the moment he intercepted the ball, charging at full speed towards the front.
Garnett received a pass from Sam Cassell, with Gugliotta frantically chasing behind him. But the screams of 20,000 Boston fans fueled his momentum; Garnett took one step and leaped into the air just inside the free-throw line!
He threw himself into the air. In desperation, Gugliotta slammed into his waist from the side, attempting to pull him down with a vicious foul.
But Garnett was unstoppable at that moment. He withstood the violent impact in mid-air and, with his incredible hang time and core strength, slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
Bang--!
Goal! Lights on! Whistle blows!
Garnett was sent flying out of bounds, crashing heavily into the photographer. But the instant he landed, he bounced wildly back up, unleashing the most ferocious and unrestrained roar of his life at the Lakers ' bench and the entire arena!
97 to 95!
A decisive blow!
Kevin Garnett sealed the victory with a powerful dunk in the final second, overcoming a foul.
Next to the technical desk, an NBC statistician practically yelled as he handed the data sheet to the commentators' booth.
Throughout the game, Kevin Garnett played 39 minutes, scoring 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, making 3 steals, and blocking 2 shots.
More importantly, he scored 16 points and dished out 5 assists in the second half. In the last 30 seconds, he first tied the score with a high-post fadeaway jumper, and then received a long pass from his teammate across the court before the final buzzer, and finished the game with a fast break dunk while fouled.
This was no ordinary victory.
This is a 20-year-old young man who, for the first time, announced his name to the entire league during a Christmas Day game broadcast nationwide.
From this night forward, no one can treat Kevin Garnett as just a remarkably talented high school rookie anymore.
He is Boston's true future.
The entire FleetCenter Arena was completely transformed into a sea of revelry. Green ribbons rained down from the sky, and countless fans hugged and wept wildly in the stands.
The match is over.
Even in a loss, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal still racked up an astonishing 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists in Boston's paint. In this era of rigid and demanding defensive rules, no one can truly contain this devastating monster in the paint.
In the center of the chaotic court, O'Neal walked by, rubbing his slightly sore shoulders. He looked at the skinny boy still pounding his chest and stamping his feet at the stands, and a rare, helpless smile appeared on the fat man's face as he mumbled, "Little bamboo pole, you've been talking a lot tonight. But, your shots were pretty accurate."
Garnett grinned, his face covered in sweat, revealing a set of white teeth. " Shaq, next time we face off, I'll have even more to say."
Lin Qi slowly buttoned up his suit jacket, watching calmly as the Lakers team left the court in dejection.
His gaze swept through the cheering crowd, finally settling on the figure lingering in front of the visiting team's bench. Eighteen-year-old Kobe Brian stood there alone, not looking at the celebrating Celtics, but instead raising his head slightly to stare at the retired championship jerseys belonging to Boston hanging high in the FleetCenter Arena.
There was no frustration or fear in the high school student's eyes, only an almost extreme coldness and gloom.
Lin Qi withdrew his gaze.
The Christmas Eve festivities have come to an end.
But the battle between these two powerhouses has only just begun.