In the next possession, Dominique Wilkins continued to call for the ball in the low post. Gary Payton didn't hesitate and once again delivered the ball accurately to the left low post.
This time, Dominique Wilkins didn't rush. He backed down twice, then suddenly took a half-step back with his right foot and swayed his body sharply towards the middle. The defender's center of gravity was instantly shifted, and Dominique Wilkins used the momentum to turn, stopping abruptly near the free-throw line for a jump shot that swished through the net.
A roar of cheers erupted from the New Garden Arena.
Gary Payton raised an eyebrow as he retreated on defense. "Lucky you, you just got lucky, didn't you?"
Dominique Wilkins didn't even look at him. "I scored over 20,000 points, and you're talking to me about luck?"
Gary Payton scoffed. "A hero doesn't dwell on past glories. Twenty thousand points is just a number. Don't let him airball later."
The substitute players on the sidelines, who overheard the two arguing, burst into laughter.
In the next few minutes, Dominique Wilkins completely took over the rotation with his skills. He no longer drives to the basket for dunks like he used to, and his knees and back no longer allow him to play like he used to. But his positioning and offensive rhythm are still there. At this age, he only needs to use a shoulder shake, a probing look, and a half-beat pause to shake off younger defenders.
Turn left, back, roll over and lean back, advance.
On the right side frame, after a trial step, pull out and then advance.
He receives the ball high up the post, fakes a shot, then drives to the basket, and after holding off the defender for half a body length, he makes a floater that goes in.
When the Hawks were forced to call a timeout, the entire crowd at New Garden Arena had already stood up.
Dominique Wilkins walked back to the bench, Pierce immediately came up to him and handed him a towel.
Pierce lowered his voice and said, " Dominique, how did you time that shot? Teach me."
Dominique Wilkins took the towel and wiped his sweat. "I can't teach this."
"Why?"
Dominique Wilkins sat down, pressing the ice pack firmly against his knee. "Because before I made that move, I didn't even think about how I was going to do it. After you've been double-teamed in this position a thousand, ten thousand times, your body will naturally make the decision before your brain does."
Pierce stood there, taking those words to heart.
At halftime, the Celtics regained the lead, 48-44.
In the locker room, Doc Rivers reminded everyone, " The Spurs have already won. We don't deserve to turn this game into an exhibition."
The atmosphere immediately somber. Dominique Wilkins ' farewell was important, but being number one in the league was even more important.
This is Boston. Sentiment is fine, but victory must come before sentiment.
In the third quarter, the Celtics brought back their starting lineup. Garnett made consecutive blocks in the low and high posts, Mutombo shut down the paint, and Eddie Jones closely marked the Celtics' shooters. Gary Payton strictly controlled the offensive clock on every possession.
Midway through the quarter, Pierce stole the ball on a fast break and quickly dribbled up the court. Just when everyone thought he was going to dunk, he caught a glimpse of number twelve following behind him out of the corner of his eye.
Thirty-nine-year-old Dominique Wilkins wasn't keeping up fast, but he was still running forward.
Without hesitation, Pierce tossed the ball onto the backboard.
The pass was a bit low and fast, but Dominique Wilkins still took off. His jump height was noticeably less than before, and his knees seemed heavy in the air, but he still managed to grab the basketball firmly with both hands and slam it into the basket with the momentum!
A huge roar erupted inside the stadium.
Dominique Wilkins patted his knees after landing and slowly straightened up.
Pierce ran over and gave him a high five, and Dominique Wilkins gave a fleeting smile.
At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics led 72-64.
In the fourth quarter Hawks fought back tenaciously, going on an 8-2 run to close the gap to just 2 points. The atmosphere in the arena became tense again.
Doc Rivers turned to look at Dominique Wilkins. Dominique Wilkins stood up, stretched a couple of steps, glanced at the scoreboard, then at the intensity of the defense on the court, and waved to Doc Rivers: "No need, winning is the priority."
He knew very well that in the final four minutes of the decisive battle, the team needed to retreat defensively more quickly.
Doc Rivers nodded. " Robert, go up."
Horry stood up.
The final lineup is confirmed: Gary Payton, Eddie, Pierce, Garnett, and Horry.
With four minutes remaining, the Celtics began to close the gap. Gary Payton backed down the opposing point guard, dribbled to the free-throw line, drew a double team, and then accurately passed the ball to Horry, who hit a three-pointer from the corner, extending the lead to 5 points.
The Hawks tried to play fast, Eddie intercepted the ball with a fingertip flick. Pierce picked up the ball and rushed to the frontcourt, but instead of blindly attacking, he dribbled the ball out and waited for Gary Payton to cross half-court.
Gary Payton nodded in satisfaction. "Well done, rookie."
Pierce glanced at him. "I'm already in the starting lineup."
Even a rookie in the starting lineup is still a rookie.
In the next possession, the ball was passed to the low post. Garnett faked a shot against the defense, drove to the free-throw line, pulled up for a jump shot, and made it, extending the lead to 7 points.
The Hawks' final three-point attempt missed, and Horry grabbed the long rebound and passed it to Gary Payton. With one minute left, the Celtics led by eight points, and the entire New Garden Arena rose to their feet.
The camera on the big screen cut to Dominique Wilkins on the bench. Sweat dripped down his chin, and his chest heaved. Seeing himself on the big screen, he looked down and smiled.
The crowd chanted " Dominique!" Dominique Wilkins slowly stood up and raised his right hand to greet the surrounding stands.
The final buzzer sounded, Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 96-88.
The shortened regular season has officially ended.
The Celtics have a record of 39 wins and 11 losses, surpassing the Spurs to rank first in the entire league.
Dominique Wilkins ' teammates pushed him to the center of the court.
The 39-year-old veteran stood under the spotlight, his jersey completely soaked with sweat.
He played for twenty minutes tonight, scoring eighteen points and grabbing four rebounds.
After the game, near the scorer's table, a reporter handed him a microphone. " Dominique, is this your farewell performance?"
Dominique Wilkins wiped his sweat. "I haven't retired yet, I still have the playoffs to play."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the players' tunnel, where Lin Qi was waiting for him.
Dominique Wilkins stopped in his tracks. "Lin, you said back then that Boston would call my name. Did you hear it tonight?"
Lin Qi looked at him. "I heard you."
Dominique Wilkins extended his hand, Lin Qi grasped it firmly.
"Thank you for bringing me here," Dominique Wilkins said.
Lin Qi shook his head. "I should be thanking you."
Dominique Wilkins patted Lin Qi on the shoulder and walked deeper into the passage.
Lin Qi stood there, watching his figure disappear around the corner.
Pierce stood with his hands on his hips, looking towards the tunnel entrance, while Garnett looked up at the scoreboard.
Gary Payton tossed the towel over his shoulder and his booming voice broke the silence. "Alright, the regular season is over. Now comes the real battle."
Being first in the regular season is just a ticket to the game; the real test comes in the playoffs.
Lin Qi glanced one last time at the striking "39 wins, 11 losses" on the scoreboard, then looked away and turned to walk towards the locker room.
The arena lights behind me were still shining brightly, and the door to the playoffs was now wide open.