At the start of the second quarter, both the Knicks and Celtics substituted their bench players.
When Ron Artest took off his jacket and stepped onto the NBA regular season floor for the first time, he looked younger than the veteran hooligans around him, but his eyes revealed a chilling hunger.
As soon as the Knicks ' backup point guard dribbled across the half-court line, Artest pounced on him like a vicious dog.
There were no unnecessary small movements, and his hand movements were extremely clean. He relied entirely on the intuition honed on the streets of New York and the defensive discipline instilled in him at the training camp, using his broad chest and lateral speed to press down on him like a moving wall.
Change direction to the right? Blocked.
Pull it back to the left again? It's still a wall!
Under the relentless defense, the Knicks ' point guard's dribbling rhythm was completely disrupted. He was forced to stop two steps beyond the three-point line, and under Artest's waving long arms, he hastily threw the ball towards the sideline.
"Smack!"
Just as the basketball was released, a tall, dark figure appeared out of nowhere. Rasheed Wallace had anticipated the pass and snatched the ball from mid-air.
"Run!"
Before he finished speaking, Artest had already rushed towards the frontcourt like a derailed train.
Rasheed passed the ball to Billups, who didn't even need to dribble, and delivered a brilliant bounce pass across half the court. Artest received the ball at the free-throw line and strode into the penalty area.
Knicks center Marcus Camby leaped high from the wing in an attempt to block the shot.
But Artest showed no intention of dodging. He charged headlong into Camby's defensive center of gravity in mid-air, swung his arm in a wide arc, and slammed the ball into the basket!
"Boom!!!"
The deafening thud of the ball hitting the rim echoed throughout the arena. After landing, Artest tilted his head back and pounded his chest, instantly pushing the roar of the New Garden to its peak.
But what happened next was even more devastating for the Knicks.
Midway through the second quarter, Rasheed Wallace remained on the court, and the Celtics ' bench offense fully demonstrated the power of their system.
Rasheed stood at the top of the key, Artest cut along the baseline, and Billups used a screen to move to the other side.
The Knicks ' defensive formation was forced to spread out.
When Patrick Ewing returned to the court, Rasheed moved up to center, and Garnett retreated to the three-point line.
Patrick Ewing still has a strength advantage in the low post, but he must be wary of Garnett's help defense every time he turns. On the perimeter, Camby is in a dilemma: if he goes out to defend, Garnett will break through in the paint; if he stays inside, Rasheed's long-range shot will be a sure hit.
The Celtics ' attack points were spread out in a fan shape.
Pierce pulls up for a three-pointer from the right side, and it goes in!
Billups tore through the defense and passed the ball to Rasheed, who received it, faked a shot, knocked Camby, and then flicked the ball to the corner. Eddie Jones caught the ball and hit a three-pointer!
In just three minutes, after a 14-3 run, the score quickly widened to 41-29.
"We absolutely cannot let Rasheed receive the ball comfortably outside anymore!" Van Gundy slammed his clipboard during a timeout.
"As long as he gets the ball, we have to double-team him on the weak side early! But that will definitely leave someone open in the corner." The assistant coach frowned.
Van Gundy gritted his teeth. "Then let them throw it."
But the Knicks simply couldn't stop the Celtics ' balanced attack.
In desperation, Larry Bird Johnson attempted to disrupt Rasheed's rhythm with a rough move. During an off-the-ball movement, he angrily raised his elbow and slammed it into Rasheed's chest.
Rasheed was knocked back half a step. He steadied himself, lowered his head, and looked down at Johnson with a condescending gaze.
"Is this the only thing you can do now?" Rasheed sneered mockingly.
Johnson, his eyes bloodshot, was about to erupt when the referee immediately intervened.
Rasheed shook his head dismissively. The next possession, he used the same spot where he had been bumped to take a fadeaway jumper over Johnson's defense, and it swished through the net. As he retreated on defense, Rasheed looked at the Knicks ' bench, whose faces were ashen, and arrogantly spread his hands.
At halftime, the score was 58 to 46.
In the third quarter, the Knicks, with their backs against the wall, launched a final counterattack.
Van Gundy deployed a full-court press, with Houston and Sprewell leading the defense relentlessly, narrowing the gap to 10 points at one point.
With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the game went on another high-scoring session.
The Knicks triple-teamed Billups, who, in a flash, bounced the ball through the defense and delivered it to the ground.
Garnett received the pass at center circle, Pierce sprinted down the left flank, drawing the Knicks ' remaining defense.
Meanwhile, Eddie Jones on the right quietly started up.
Garnett didn't even turn his head, tossing the ball high toward the basket with one hand.
Eddie Jones soared into the air, stretching out to the maximum in mid-air, and slammed the ball into the Nets over Patrick Ewing's help defense!
boom--!
Twenty thousand fans stood up at the same time, and the roar of the New Garden almost lifted the roof off.
On the sidelines, the camera focused on Van Gundy's face. The head coach, his fingers white as he gripped the clipboard, slowly lowered his head. The Knicks ' hard-won morale was completely shattered by this fluid counterattack.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 88 to 65.
The 23-point deficit effectively ended any suspense in the game.
With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Pierce hit a pull-up three-pointer from the right side, making it 102-70.
Leading by 32 points!
A disheartened Van Gundy replaced Patrick Ewing, and Doc Rivers also pulled his starters.
During the timeout, the Bee Gees' disco hit "You Should Be Dancing" suddenly started playing from the arena's speakers.
The large screen suddenly lit up, switching to an old video from the 1970s with blurry edges.
A man with an exaggerated mustache, wearing a tight-fitting T-shirt with the words "Gino Vannelli" printed on it, makes comical and exaggerated twisting dance moves to the music.
Gino Time!
This is a secret victory signal unique to Boston fans. When Gino appears, it means the game is officially over.
On the bench, Garnett slumped into his chair the moment he heard the music. He looked up at the big screen, a bright smile spreading across his face.
He tapped his knees to the beat, and even started mimicking Gino's arm swings as if no one else was around.
"What the hell is this thing?" Rasheed Wallace wiped his sweat, looking utterly bewildered.
" Rasheed!" Garnett laughed, slapping his thigh and shouting at the scoreboard, "Because we're now leading by thirty-two points!"
Artest, standing nearby, curiously stood up and earnestly imitated the movement, twisting his shoulders twice.
Billups burst out laughing, " Ron, stop jumping! Your moves are awful!"
The substitutes' bench burst into laughter instantly.
Amidst cheers and laughter, Doc Rivers turned around and waved to the end of the bench. "King, get ready to go on."
Wang Zhizhi pulled off his long-sleeved jacket, looked up at Gino, who was still dancing wildly on the big screen, and at the Boston fans around him who were caught up in the disco frenzy, his expression showing a hint of tension.
Just then, on the ground floor of the east side stands, a fan suddenly held up a whiteboard.
The words "Wang Zhizhi, buddy's here!" were written in bold black Mark on it.
When Wang Zhizhi saw the board, his tense expression finally relaxed, and he nodded seriously in that direction.
Enter the field and take your positions.
Wang Zhizhi received a pass from Billups at the high post of the free-throw line. Facing the Knicks ' backup center rushing in, he calmly held the ball with both hands and made a convincing pass fake.
The moment the defender shifted his weight, Artest circled around the baseline.
Hand in hand, cooperate!
Artest receives the ball and drives to the basket, drawing the defense before passing the ball back to the free-throw line.
An opening appeared in front of Wang Zhizhi.
Without hesitation, he bent his knees, raised his hand, and flicked the ball. The movement was smooth and graceful.
The basketball traced a very high arc, bounced lightly twice on the rim, and fell into the net.
104 to 72.
Wang Zhizhi retreated to the backcourt, raising his right hand and waving it lightly.
Garnett, standing on the sidelines, jumped up, waving a towel and yelling, "That's it, King! You're on fire!"
The final whistle blows.
112 to 81.
A 31-point rout signaled a strong start to the new season.
Ten minutes later, in the home team's locker room.
Champagne bubbles splashed in the air, and deafening hip-hop music echoed in the room. Artest imitated Gino's moves, twisting and turning in the middle of the locker room, only to be shoved against a locker by Rasheed.
Doc Rivers pushed open the door and walked in, clapping his hands loudly.
"Great job tonight! But this is only the first game, don't celebrate like we've already won the trophy!"
Pierce, while wiping his hair, teased, "Coach, Kevin was the most flamboyant when he was dancing with Gino."
Garnett grabbed a towel and threw it at them. "How can that be the same!"
What's different?
"Gino is out, which means the match is over, and we won!"
There was a moment of silence in the locker room, followed by a burst of wild laughter that completely dispelled the dullness of the night.