June 7, 2000, Boston.
The first game of the NBA Finals is about to begin.
At 7 a. m., Lin Qi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his apartment. The sky was clear; for Boston, it was a perfect game day.
Lin Qi took a deep breath of the morning air. It was going to be a long day, and it would set the tone for this NBA Finals.
At 8:00 PM sharp, Boston's New Garden.
Under the dome, nearly 20,000 fans wearing matching green T-shirts created a massive roar that seemed to lift the entire stadium roof off.
With a long whistle from the referee, the first game of the NBA Finals officially began.
At center court, O'Neal and Mutombo stood facing each other. The basketball was tossed high into the air, and O'Neal, with his superior explosiveness and speed, tipped the ball first, giving the Lakers the first possession.
Fisher controlled the ball steadily and pushed it past midfield, immediately deploying a low-post offense. O'Neal drove straight into the left low post, reaching out for the ball. Mutombo knew the consequences of letting him receive the ball in that position and tried his best to step in front of him. But O'Neal simply lowered his center of gravity slightly, using his massive body and broad back to create absolute space in the paint, shielding Mutombo behind him.
The ball was lobbed high into the penalty area.
The moment O'Neal received the ball, without any hesitation, he turned his back and slammed backward!
"Bang!"
With a dull thud of muscle collision, Mutombo's feet were momentarily suspended in mid-air by the impact of O'Neal's 300-plus pounds of weight and terrifying strength. He was forced back half a step, and his defensive balance instantly collapsed.
The Big Shark used the momentum to execute a swift baseline spin, completely ignoring Mutombo's desperately raised arms, and soared into the air...
"Clang!"
A powerful one-handed dunk, the immense impact causing the entire basketball hoop to shake violently.
2-0, the Lakers took an early lead. The roar of the crowd in Boston's New Garden paused for a second, then erupted into a deafening chorus of boos.
On the next possession, the Celtics had their first possession. Garnett called for the ball at the right corner, Gary Payton immediately passed it to him. Jermaine O'Neal was guarding Garnett.
The two players were similar in height and had equally impressive wingspans. However, Garnett, who was two years older, completely dominated O'Neal Jr. in terms of core strength, technical maturity, and game experience.
Garnett immediately lowered his center of gravity and backed down. He used his shoulder to lean against O'Neal Jr., took two steps in, followed by a shoulder fake, and then flipped over for a fadeaway jump shot.
O'Neal Jr. tried his best to defend, completely losing his defensive balance, but could only watch the basketball pass through his fingertips.
"Whoosh!"
Hollow entry into the net, 2-2.
On the Lakers ' second possession, Kobe received the ball on the right wing. He was being guarded by Eddie Jones.
Late last Late Night, Lin Qi called Jones into the video room, and the two of them dissected Kobe's offensive initiation frame by frame in the Western Conference Finals.
"He habitually uses a jab step followed by a shoulder drop drive on the right wing." Lin Qi's tactical instructions were extremely clear. "Cut off his first step, force him to stop the ball or jump, and leave the rest to Gary."
Back on the court, Jones remained unmoved by Kobe's continuous jab steps. He kept his center of gravity low and deliberately positioned his feet to block Kobe's preferred right-side driving route.
Kobe was forced to drive hard to the left, and Jones immediately slid in and met him with a strong physical confrontation using his chest.
Kobe attempted a sudden stop and change of direction, but the instant he slowed down, Gary Payton on the weak side decisively collapsed to double-team him. Trapped in the encirclement, Kobe was forced to stop the ball and could only pass it to Fisher on the perimeter. With little time left on the shot clock, Fisher hastily attempted a three-pointer but missed, Garnett grabbed the rebound.
In the first half of the first quarter, the tone of the game was completely set.
The Lakers relied entirely on O'Neal's dominance in the paint. The Big Shark used his weight and strength to overpower Mutombo, scoring the Lakers ' first 8 points with hook shots, dunks, and drawing fouls. However, on the perimeter, Kobe struggled against Eddie Jones's targeted defense and Gary Payton's decisive help defense. In the first 5 minutes, Kobe only made 1 of 3 shots.
The Celtics ' tactics were simple and clear: relentlessly attack O'Neal Jr. and Peja, two defensive weaknesses.
In the 6th minute of the first quarter, Rasheed Wallace received the ball in the low post, facing O'Neal Jr.. He lowered his center of gravity and made two powerful back-to-the-basket impacts, causing the young O'Neal Jr. to lose his balance. He then executed a smooth baseline spin and slammed the ball down with both hands.
O'Neal Jr. staggered back two steps, staring speechlessly at Rasheed's wild roar. His still-childish face remained blank.
On the next offensive possession, the Celtics quickly changed tactics. Rasheed moved directly to the three-point line. Facing O'Neal's slightly hesitant defensive positioning, Rasheed received the ball and decisively took the shot.
"Whoosh!"
A precise three-pointer swished through the net.
This three-pointer was like a cold arrow, hitting the Lakers ' defensive weak point precisely. In order to limit Rasheed's outside firepower, O'Neal was forced to take an extra step to the perimeter in the subsequent defensive play.
It was this crucial step that instantly opened up the previously crowded restricted area.
In the 7th minute, Garnett reached out for the ball from the left corner.
After receiving the ball, he turned directly to face the basket. Facing O'Neal Jr., who was guarding him, Garnett glanced at the empty paint... Without O'Neal as his most formidable barrier, the path to the basket was unobstructed.
Garnett lowered his center of gravity and took a probing step. O'Neal Jr.'s defensive focus shifted slightly, Garnett instantly released the ball.
His first step was so fast it was unbelievable for a power forward! He sped past the baseline, leaving O'Neal Jr. half behind.
O'Neal Jr. desperately turned and chased after Garnett, trying to block the shot from behind. But without O'Neal's help defense, Garnett didn't give him any chance to contest the ball. He leaped into the air towards the basket, stretching his long arms out in mid-air, and with his exaggerated wingspan advantage, he bypassed O'Neal Jr.'s hasty fingertips and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
"Clang!"
The force of the impact caused O'Neal Jr. to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
"Beep..."
The referee blew the whistle; a defensive foul was committed.
Upon landing, Garnett instantly became extremely excited. He stared down at O'Neal Jr. on the ground, his eyes wide open, pounding his chest wildly, and letting out a wild, tearing roar.