The day after Game 7 ended, the front pages of sports media across the United States were almost entirely filled with the same set of images:
The stands at the Miami Arena were deathly silent.
Dikembe Mutombo raised his provocative index finger high.
Kevin Garnett roared to the sky.
And Lin Qi, standing behind the away team's bench with a cold expression.
The Boston Celtics won after a bloody seven-game series. They pulled themselves out of the quagmire laid out by Pat Riley.
But the American media gave them no time to breathe. Because in everyone's eyes, defeating Miami did not mean that the Eastern Conference was about to change hands.
That only proves that the Boston Celtics are indeed courageous.
In the ensuing Eastern Conference Finals, the voices across the United States were surprisingly unanimous...
The Chicago Bulls will sweep the Boston Celtics.
There was no suspense. 4-0, that was the only outcome.
Because next, they will be facing the Chicago Bulls.
They are the defending champions with a regular season record of 69 wins and 13 losses.
It was Phil Jackson's unstoppable Triangle Offense.
It was Scottie Pippen's long arms that could cover most of the court.
It was Dennis Rodman's terrifying rebounding instinct, his ability to anticipate the ball's trajectory.
as well as...
Michael Jordan.
ESPN aired two clips consecutively during its evening program.
The first clip is of Garnett hitting a high-post three-pointer in Game 7 of the Miami Heat, silencing the entire arena.
The second clip shows Michael Jordan facing a double team during a regular season game. He backs down, fakes a shoulder movement, and leans back, letting the basketball pass through the defender's fingertips and fall steadily into the basket.
After the two clips finished playing, the host spread his hands and chuckled.
" Boston just beat Pat Riley in a physical battle. But now, they're going to Chicago just to see the world. Their youngest defensive system in the league won't last four games against Michael Jordan."
This statement immediately sparked a frenzy across the American media.
The Eastern Conference Finals garnered immense attention overnight.
This is no longer simply a young team challenging the defending champions; it's more like a clash between two extremes.
Boston's green meets Chicago's red.
A young man's ambition clashes with a mature dynasty.
The ordinary people of Boston, having crawled out of the mire, finally raised their heads and saw the Chicago Bulls' lofty throne.
Miami Heat training facility.
Pat Riley sat in his office with a cold cup of black coffee in front of him. His slicked-back hair was still shiny, but he looked as if the Game 7 had drained him of all his energy.
The reporter knocked and entered, asking a direct question, " Pat, all the media outlets in the US are predicting the Chicago Bulls will sweep the Celtics 4-0. As their opponent, having just played seven games against them, do you think they have a chance to win a single game?"
The office was silent for a few seconds.
Pat Riley slowly raised his head. "They're tough."
The reporter was slightly taken aback. Given Pat Riley's personality, no one expected him to admit defeat first.
The reporter's pen hovered over the paper.
" Chicago doesn't care if you're tough," Pat Riley shook his head. "They just use the most orthodox tactics. Spread out the defense, Michael goes one-on-one. You know he's going to turn right for a layup or a fadeaway, you've got your defense in place, but he still makes the shot. That's the most frustrating feeling of helplessness."
The reporter couldn't help but press, "So you really think Boston will be swept?"
Pat Riley paused for a moment, then said, "I wish them good luck, because going to play in Chicago requires more than just guts."
At the same time, in FleetCenter Arena, Boston.
The Celtics ' video room was dimly lit.
The joy of winning Game 7 didn't linger long. The whiteboard on the wall had been wiped clean and replaced with a huge new name: Chicago Bulls.
Below are the names of the five main players:
Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley.
Next, we have the key substitutes:
Tony Kukoč, Steve Kerr, Randy Brown.
Adelman pressed play, and the recording began.
The first segment is about the Chicago Bulls ' Triangle Offense.
Jordan receives the ball in the low post on the right, Harper dives to the corner, Luc Longley holds the free-throw line, and Pippen slowly cuts in from the weak side. The defense doesn't appear to be out of position.
But Jordan simply leaned back slightly, swayed his shoulders, turned around, and leaned back.
The basketball flew past the defender's fingers and went in.
In the second segment, Pippen receives the ball on the wing.
His long pass pierced the weak side of the defense, and Kukoč, without hesitation, passed the ball to Steve Kerr in the bottom corner.
Three-pointer, hit.
In the third segment, Jordan misses his shot, and the rebound bounces high into the air.
Dennis Rodman was tightly marked behind two big men and seemed to have completely lost his position. But he simply twisted his body to the left and managed to squeeze out half a body length.
He jumped, touched the ball. He jumped again, touched it again. On the third time, the ball landed steadily in his arms.
The video recording room was deathly silent.
Adelman pressed the pause button, and the screen froze at the moment Jordan released his fadeaway jumper.
"Let's get one thing straight," Adelman turned to look at everyone in the room, "No one can shut down Michael Jordan."
There was no dissent in the room, and the young players unconsciously lowered their breathing.
The usually mild-mannered coach didn't rush to speak. He simply walked back to the whiteboard and slowly erased the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup that he had just written, one by one.
Under everyone's questioning gaze, only a glaring blank space remained on the whiteboard.
Adelman turned around, looking at Sam Cassell, whose face was pale, and then at Garnett, whose fists were clenched. His eyes remained calm and gentle, even revealing a reassuring certainty.
"But..."