After that press conference that night, the course of the series truly changed.
This change wasn't because the Boston Celtics, with their home-court advantage, suddenly figured things out; rather, it was because the Miami Heat's signature aggressive, borderline-play defense was effectively constrained by Lin Qi's media campaign and the league's ethical boundaries.
The league office in New York would certainly not admit to any external pressure, but David Stern acted faster than anyone else. In a closed-door meeting of the referee team before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the referee on duty received a clear reminder from headquarters: strictly control non-basketball actions, strictly investigate malicious pulling at center court, and ensure the smooth flow of the game.
David Stern could tolerate physical play and tough defense, but he absolutely did not want to see a nationally televised prime-time game turn into a wrestling show disguised as basketball. The broadcasters behind NBC and the multinational sponsors lining up with checks wanted alley-oop dunks and exquisite passes, not endless free throws, inbounds passes, and big men wrestling.
The following evening, at the Boston FleetCenter Arena.
An hour before the game started, a striking patch of black and gold had already appeared in the front row of the stands and behind the basket. Dozens of die-hard Boston fans, instead of wearing their green home T-shirts, had donned the black and gold hockey uniforms of the Boston Bruins, with exaggerated protective helmets on their heads, while simultaneously dribbling basketballs in unison.
Even in the VIP section of the front row, several young Boston -born Hollywood actors, dressed in heavy hockey uniforms, were clapping wildly for the home team in front of the cameras.
As the Miami Heat players entered the court to warm up, the front-row fans unfurled a huge white banner that read: [THIS IS BASKETBALL, NOT HOCKEY]
NBC's national broadcast immediately focused on this stand, and the veteran commentator in the commentary booth couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Looks like Mr. Lin Qi's speech yesterday had a great effect; Boston fans have already prepared a brawl atmosphere on the hockey rink for the Miami. I wonder if Mr. Pat Riley has put shoulder pads on his players tonight."
Pat Riley stood expressionless in front of the visiting team's bench. His Armani suit was perfectly pressed, and his slicked-back hair reflected a cold light under the lights. He had certainly seen the mocking and deliberately targeted slogans aimed at the Heat, but he didn't even lift his eyelids. He simply stood with his hands in his pockets, coldly staring at the center of the court.
The whistle blew, and Game 3 officially began. Despite the boos and pressure from the crowd, the Miami Heat did not back down. In the very first possession, Mourning delivered a powerful physical Crash to P.J. Brown in the low post. However, from the very first minute, the referee's whistle was fixed on every defensive move by the Miami Heat.
In the sixth minute of the first quarter, the Celtics grabbed a defensive rebound and launched a fast break. Michael Finley accelerated along the sideline, just about to receive a pass from Mark Price, when Keith Askins, who was responsible for closely guarding him, habitually took a long stride forward and, near the center circle, used the same tactic again, reaching out and wrapping his arm around Finley's waist.
In the past, referees would usually turn a blind eye to such a casual grab without any delay, or only give a verbal warning.
"Beep--!"
The nearby linesman blew his whistle sharply and decisively, pointing firmly at Askins. A simple foul, and the counter-attack was abruptly called off.
A minute later, Chris Mullin faked a cut to the side and ran into position. Dan Majerle was a beat too slow when switching on defense. To prevent Mullin from getting open, Majerle used his chest to knock Mullin to the ground.
"Beep--!"
The whistle blew again, and the referee, without hesitation, immediately signaled a defensive foul.
In the next possession, Miami Heat's tough interior player Brian Grant held Garnett firmly on the defensive end. Just as his forearm pressed down on Garnett's lower back, before he could even exert force in his wrist, the referee's fist was already raised high.
"Are you kidding me? You called that?! He wasn't even standing properly!" The Miami bench erupted in chaos. The assistant coach even rushed to the sidelines and yelled at the first referee, only to be silenced by a stern look from the referee.
Pat Riley stood on the sidelines, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. But he couldn't go up to the referee to put pressure on him as usual, because the day before at the airport, he had made a bold statement in front of countless flashing lights, saying that Miami basketball wasn't about pleasing anyone, they only pursued the ultimate victory. If he backed down now and let his players soften on the court, then his iron-fisted defense, which he boasted about every day, would become a laughing stock in the eyes of the entire nation tonight.
The Heat could only continue to stubbornly resist, using physical play and fouls to test the referees' limits that night. The price of this persistent probing was extremely high... Before the eighth minute of the first quarter had even passed, the Miami Heat's team fouls had already reached the limit, forcing them into free throws.
Lin Qi stood behind head coach Rick Adelman, arms crossed, observing the situation on the field. His lips barely moved as he said, "Now, start running."
With the whistle protecting them, the young Boston players played with complete freedom. Garnett was once again tackled to the ground by Grant's shoulder while scrambling for position in the paint. Unlike in Game 2, he didn't angrily jump up to confront Grant. Instead, he spat out his mouthguard, dusted himself off, and stood up. Then, he stared intently into Grant's eyes, forced a wide grin to reveal a set of gleaming white teeth, and forced out a strange and maniacal smile that Sam Cassell had taught him.
Grant looked at the young face that was suppressing its anger but forcing a smile, and felt a strange chill run down his spine. He even subconsciously took half a step back.
Garnett completely ignored him, turning around and making a fierce cut to the basket, receiving a through ball from Mark Price and finishing with a powerful two-handed dunk. Finley used his speed to repeatedly draw fouls and reach the free-throw line, calmly making both shots. Sam Cassell frequently held the ball in the low post, using his broad lower body and rear to repeatedly push against Tim Hardaway, using his physical advantage and the referees' frequent whistles to keep the game's pace firmly in the Heat's most painful free-throw quagmire.
96 to 84.
When the final buzzer sounded throughout FleetCenter Arena, the entire arena transformed into a sea of green. The Celtics didn't engage in a fistfight with the Heat tonight; instead, they used consistent free throws, tireless cuts, and relentless fast breaks to turn the Heat's foul trouble into a noose tightening around their necks, winning the game at home in the most rule-abiding way possible.
With the score at 2-1, Boston has regained control of the series.
But the playoffs are never decided by a single media battle. In Game 4, Pat Riley quickly demonstrated his ability to adapt as a seasoned veteran and his iron-fisted the Godfather.
After the start of Game 4, Pat Riley decisively stopped his tactics. He completely eliminated the Heat's suicidal tactical fouls in the center circle and stopped trying to provoke the referees. Instead, he ordered the team to drag the entire game into a different, slower pace that suffocated the young Boston team.
Tim Hardaway reduced his unnecessary quick drives and forced fast breaks. Every time he dribbled across half-court, he moved as slowly as if he were taking a stroll, carefully controlling the ball until the last eight seconds of the shot clock before initiating a play. Alonzo Mourning also stopped insisting on diving into the low post to attack Mutombo; instead, he started moving up to the high post to act as a screen, using his broad frame to firmly block the Boston Celtics ' defenders and run the simplest, yet most grueling, half-court pick-and-roll with Hardaway.
Miami stopped making unnecessary moves and started to retreat on defense in a disciplined manner. But whenever the Celtics tried to push for a fast break, the Heat's defenders would stick to them with their chests and shoulders in the half-court, using the most energy-consuming off-ball contact to stifle Boston's counterattacks in their infancy.
"These Miami guys have turned the playoffs into a jogging club for middle-aged and elderly people." Sam Cassell gasped for breath during a defensive retreat, hands on his knees, and couldn't help spitting on the floor.
Despite the criticism, the young Celtics players were indeed struggling against the tenacious, persistent defense that seemed impossible to shake off or break through. Garnett managed to stay in control, and Finley repeatedly attacked despite the defense, but after enduring the continuous high-pressure and slow-paced torture, the young team finally showed signs of fatigue and inexperience in the latter part of the fourth quarter.
With 30 seconds left in the game, the score was tied at 83. Hardaway took a step to the side using Mourning's solid screen and completed a textbook pull-up jumper before Sam Cassell could close in.
The basketball bounced off the back of the rim, soared high, and then fell into the net amidst the despairing gazes of the Boston fans.
88 to 83.
The Heat stole a home-court advantage in Boston, tying the series at 2-2.
The series has officially entered the crucial final battle.