June 16, 1999, Boston's New Garden.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The streets outside the stadium had been completely jammed since noon, with crowds in green jerseys blocking the entrance. The air was thick with anticipation for victory. Everyone was thinking the same thing...
The Celtics have finally returned to the NBA Finals stage after a twelve-year absence.
Long lines formed at the security checkpoints, with fans holding up banners that read "Banner 17," carrying huge signs that said "KG," and others holding up pictures of Gary Payton. Street vendors hawked scarves and hats with the team's logo, the dense green color turning the entire street into a sea of color.
ESPN's broadcast van was parked tightly to the side of the arena, and technicians were racing against time to adjust the equipment. NBC's commentary booth was already set up, and Bob Costas and Doc Collins were sitting in front of the camera doing a pre-game call.
At 5 p. m., the stadium doors officially opened.
A tidal wave of people surged in instantly, their chaotic footsteps echoing through the wide corridors. The stadium's ceiling lights weren't fully on yet, but looking up, one could clearly see the sixteen championship banners hanging high. Rows of green seats were neatly arranged, stretching from the lowest courtside seating area all the way to the highest stands.
Reporters were already in position, their cameras and microphones all aimed at the empty field. In the front row of the sidelines, Hollywood stars and political and business figures were already seated, dressed in sharp suits, but their eyes were all fixed on the center of the field.
At exactly 7 p. m., the lights in the stadium suddenly went out.
A blinding spotlight shone on the players' tunnel, and the Celtics players rushed out one after another. Eddie Jones, Chris Paul Pierce, Dikembe Mutombo, and Kevin Garnett took to the court in succession. Garnett pounded his chest as he ran onto the field and roared at the boisterous stands. Finally, Gary Payton, the last to enter the game, burst out of the tunnel expressionlessly, coolly cracking his knuckles as he jogged, his eyes fixed on the away team's half.
The entire audience instantly stood up, and a deafening roar of cheers surged forth like waves.
Meanwhile, the Spurs players silently emerged from the other tunnel. Tim Duncan, Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott, and Mario Elie ran out in turn, with David Robinson making his final appearance, his face showing a calm and resolute expression. Head coach Gregg Popovich stood on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed coldly on the court, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise.
At 8 p. m., the referee blew his whistle, and the game officially began.
With a whistle from the referee, the basketball, spinning, was tossed high into the sky.
Garnett and Tim Duncan jumped at the same time, their arms colliding in mid-air. Garnett's fingertips touched the ball first, flicking it backward. Gary Payton caught the ball, lowered his center of gravity, and steadily advanced.
First attack of the game.
Gary Payton dribbled to the top of the arc, where Avery Johnson immediately closed in. Without warning, Gary Payton turned, his shoulder suddenly dropping, using his back and elbow to block Johnson as he drove hard into the paint. Johnson lost his balance and was forced back half a step. Gary Payton then cut past the defense and drove to the basket, where Tim Duncan quickly collapsed to help from the weak side.
Facing the overwhelming long arms, Gary Payton flicked his wrist in mid-air and deftly tossed the basketball.
The basketball grazed Tim Duncan's fingertips, gently bounced off the backboard, and fell into the net.
2 to 0.
The Boston New Garden erupted in cheers. Doc Rivers stood up on the sidelines and gave Gary Payton a thumbs-up. Lin Qi, behind the bench, leaned back in his chair with a faint smile on his lips.
The Spurs immediately responded. Johnson dribbled the ball across half-court and lobbed it into the low post. Tim Duncan anchored on the left side, calling for the ball, with Garnett closely guarding him. Tim Duncan backed down, lowered his shoulder, and made a powerful drive, followed by a half-turn. Garnett pressed forward relentlessly, but in the instant a gap appeared in their contest, Tim Duncan used his right arm to push the ball smoothly, sending a short floater over Garnett's raised arm.
The basketball swished through the net.
2 to 2.
Popovich nodded slightly on the sidelines, his right hand habitually touching his chin.
The Celtics gave their opponents no chance to breathe. Gary Payton used the same tactic again, lowering his shoulder to stick close to Johnson and driving hard inside. Johnson was forced back, Tim Duncan immediately came from the weak side to help double-team him. Gary Payton had already noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and at the moment the double-team closed in, he flicked his wrist and sent the ball to the top of the arc.
With the top of the key wide open, Garnett received the ball, jumped, and launched a three-pointer.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and swished through the net.
5 to 2.
Garnett excitedly pounded his chest and turned to retreat at full speed on defense. The fans in the stands rose to their feet, chanting "Defense! Defense!" in unison.
The Spurs remained completely calm. Tim Duncan called for the ball in the low post on the right, and Johnson lobbed it into the paint again. Garnett was in position to guard him closely, and Tim Duncan adopted a back-to-the-basket stance, his body slightly lowered, but he had a clear view of the entire court out of the corner of his eye. He passed the ball to the weak side with both hands. Elliott received the ball and, facing the onrushing Pierce, pulled up for a three-pointer.
Both involve hollow entry into the network.
5 to 5.
Popovich stood with his arms crossed, watching the game with a blank expression.
The Celtics came back strong. Gary Payton dribbled up the court, and Garnett quickly moved to the high post to set a screen. Gary Payton used the screen to instantly shake off Johnson and, with lightning speed, passed the ball to Garnett, who was cutting to the basket. Tim Duncan's lateral movement to help defend was as fast as lightning, blocking Garnett's path in an instant.
Garnett didn't slow down; instead, he accelerated sharply and forcefully brushed past Tim Duncan.
Robinson moved to the other side to help defend, Mutombo positioned himself under the basket. Garnett drove to the basket and took off, but Robinson also jumped to block the shot.
The two people collided in mid-air.
Garnett lost his balance during the confrontation, but desperately grabbed the basketball with his right hand, forcefully adjusted his posture in mid-air, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
"Clang!"
The entire basketball hoop was shaking.
7 to 5.
The entire New Garden in Boston erupted in cheers, the deafening roar almost lifting the roof off.
Garnett landed with a powerful dunk, the vibration of the basket still lingering. He spun around abruptly, almost running up to Tim Duncan, his voice piercing and burning.
"What were you muttering just now?! Say it again louder if you dare!"
The shout echoed throughout the entire stadium, and the referee instinctively reached for his whistle.
Before Tim Duncan could react, Garnett was already pressed against him. Their foreheads were almost touching, and Garnett was breathing heavily, his chest heaving as he bumped against Duncan. His face was so close that Tim Duncan could see the bloodshot in his eyes and feel the hot, sweaty, and violent breath coming at him.
Tim Duncan didn't back down; his expressionless face showed no anger. He simply uttered a few words: "I didn't say anything."
After saying that, he lowered his head and wiped away his sweat, without even lifting his eyelids again.
Garnett, instead, grinned maliciously.
He reached up and grabbed his jersey collar, lowering his head even further, his forehead pressed tightly against Tim Duncan's. His voice was a low, rapid mutter, audible only to the two of them. "Stop pretending... those eyes of yours have been provoking me... you're a coward, a piece of trash. If you've got the guts, don't pass the ball, come and take me one-on-one, come on..."
The sound never stopped in his ear. Tim Duncan stood still, able to clearly feel the force pressing against his forehead and the hot breath blowing against his ear.
He looked at the madman in front of him, who was even fabricating stories to ignite himself, without saying a word. He turned his head away with a cold face and walked away.
Garnett stood rooted to the spot, his eyes blazing with a terrifying light, pounding his chest frantically, and roaring at the sky towards the crowd of fans.
In the front row, Lin Qi watched all this, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
Doc Rivers, watching from the sidelines, didn't try to stop them, but simply took a deep breath. He knew this team needed that kind of fighting spirit.
For the next two minutes, the two teams traded baskets. Robinson hit a mid-range jumper from the high post, and Eddie Jones responded with a three-pointer from the right wing. Tim Duncan scored with a hook shot in the low post, and Pierce answered with a layup. The score went back and forth, and neither side could pull away.
11 to 11.
Spurs half-court offense. Tim Duncan receives the ball on the left low post, Garnett closely guards him. Tim Duncan backs down and drives in, Garnett grits his teeth and holds on, their bodies pressed tightly together. Tim Duncan drives in, and Garnett is knocked back half a step.
It's that half-step gap.
Tim Duncan turned around, took a big step forward during the confrontation, raised the ball above his head and released it.
The throw went in.
11 to 13.
Garnett stood still, his gaze fixed on Tim Duncan, his eyes revealing a fierce, unyielding determination.
Tim Duncan turned and retreated to defend, their eyes briefly meeting in the air, and he shook his head—a rare occurrence for him.
The Celtics immediately countered. Garnett received the ball at the high post, but Tim Duncan didn't give an inch. Garnett feinted, then suddenly accelerated and overtook Duncan from the left, followed by a smooth spin that cut half his body away, heading straight for the basket. Tim Duncan moved laterally to defend, Garnett jumped against the defense, completing a hang time fadeaway in mid-air, and flicked the ball out despite the interference.
The basketball swished through the net.
13 to 13.
After landing, Garnett pointed at Tim Duncan, gritting his teeth and growling, "Weren't you just talking so dirty? Why are you mute now?!"
Tim Duncan didn't respond; he simply accepted the basketball passed to him by his teammate.
Another fast break ensued. Elliott hit a mid-range jumper from the right wing, and Mutombo followed up with a putback. Johnson drove and made a floater, and Gary Payton scored on a fast break layup.
17 to 17.
There are 47 seconds left.
Spurs' half-court offense. Tim Duncan, pivoting at the top of the key, handoffs the ball to Johnson. Johnson uses a screen to shake off Gary Payton, pulls up for a jump shot at the free-throw line, and bounces off the rim.
Garnett leaps to grab the rebound, lands with a powerful push, and launches a long pass forward.
The Celtics have 8 seconds left.
Gary Payton kept his balance and slowly advanced. Johnson closely guarded him. The cheers from the stands subsided, and only footsteps and breathing filled the arena.
Without any unnecessary movements, Gary Payton suddenly lowered his shoulder, using his back to block Johnson. A simple back-to-the-basket move, one step, two steps. He forcefully tore a hole in the defense. Tim Duncan burst out from the weak side, his long arms covering the sky.
Gary Payton leaped into the air against the long arms, flicked his wrist slightly, and sent the basketball flying over the backboard.
Wipe the board.
Caught in the net.
The whistle blows.
End of first quarter.
19 to 17.
The Celtics lead by 2 points.
Garnett plopped down, ripped off his mouthguard and tossed it onto a towel, his chest still heaving. He took the water his teammate handed him, tilted his head back and gulped down most of it, but his gaze never left the Spurs' half of the court... Tim Duncan was sitting there quietly wiping his sweat.
Popovich stood in front of Tim Duncan and said succinctly, "Ignore him. Be more assertive in the low post."
Tim Duncan wiped the sweat from his brow and mumbled, "Understood."
Doc Rivers greeted the returning players, patted Garnett on the shoulder, and said, "Well done, Kevin. Keep the intensity on him in the second quarter."
The fans in the stands were still immersed in excitement, with shouts of "Let's go Celtics!" echoing throughout the stadium.