The match officially started at 7:45 p. m.
Celtics starting lineup: Gary Payton, Doc Doug Christie, Chris Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace.
Detroit Pistons starting lineup: Chuck Atkins, Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Stephen Curry, Joe Smith, Jerome Williams.
Center circle jump ball. Ben Wallace leaps like a spring and flicks the ball over Jerome Williams ' head.
Celtics' first possession!
Gary Payton dribbled steadily across half-court, and with a gesture, the whole team spread out.
In this game, Big Ben's weaknesses on the offensive end were exposed without reservation... He has no shooting range, and his relatively short stature makes him inadequate when providing high-quality screens.
Pistons head coach Alvin Gentry had clearly done his homework, yelling from the sidelines, "Leave that guy with the afro! Double-team the ball handler!"
Gary Payton's penetrating bounce pass accurately found Pierce positioned on the right wing.
The entire audience held their breath.
Pierce caught the ball with both hands, lowering his center of gravity. Just as he was about to take a jab step, the Pistons ' play began.
Jerome Williams, who was defending Big Ben Wallace, abandoned him without hesitation and pounced on the Big Ben like a mad dog, forming an extremely fierce double-team trap with Stackhouse!
"Bang!"
Two strong bodies, one on the left and one on the right, surrounded Pierce!
At the very moment their muscles collided, Pierce's movements abruptly froze.
In the instant his vision was blocked by two burly men and his body was violently crushed, memories of that night suddenly flashed through his mind—the chaotic flashes of blades. The phantom pain of being surrounded by a crowd, the sharp metal piercing his skin, and the intense fear struck his nerves like an electric shock!
He involuntarily hunched over, completely distorting his previously skillful ball-protecting technique.
Stackhouse deftly poked the ball away and shot forward like an arrow, finishing the counterattack with a powerful dunk!
Lin Qi sat on the sidelines, his brows instantly furrowing into a deep knot.
He saw Pierce's expression at that moment... terror, trembling, and a face as pale as paper. On the court, Pierce didn't even go back to defend; he stood there, clutching his left ribs tightly, gasping for breath.
" Chris Paul!" Gary Payton ran over and grabbed him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Pierce flung Gary Payton's hand away as if he'd been electrocuted, gritting his teeth and staring at the floor.
But the next five minutes became Pierce's nightmare.
The Pistons got their kicks and started treating Big Ben like he wasn't there. Every time Pierce received the ball, he was immediately double-teamed aggressively. Under that suffocating double-team, Pierce, whose body couldn't handle the contact, couldn't even keep his grip on the ball.
In the first quarter, with 5 and a half minutes played, the Celtics managed to keep the score close thanks to Garnett's dominance in the paint, but Pierce faced double teams 5 times, committed 2 turnovers, and only scored 2 points on 1-of-5 shooting.
"Drop..."
Rick Carlisle promptly requested a timeout.
The players returned to the bench. Rick Carlisle, holding his clipboard, glared at Pierce: " Chris Paul, what are you doing?! If it's really bad, I can substitute you. You can rest. Don't push yourself."
"I didn't!" Pierce slammed the towel down and roared furiously.
The bench fell silent instantly. Pierce realized he had lost his composure, his voice trembling, "I'm sorry... Coach, whenever they surround me, I feel... I can't control my body."
Rick Carlisle looked at the young man, who was covered in sweat and whose eyes were filled with fear, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes. He sighed and was about to turn around and signal to the assistant coach to make a substitution when Lin Qi walked over and squatted down in front of Pierce.
" Chris Paul," Lin Qi pointed to the fans in the stands wearing number 34 jerseys, "Do you know what these people bought tickets to see tonight?"
Pierce, his eyes red, shook his head blankly.
"They're not really here to see you score; they're just here to make sure you can play on this court." Lin Qi's voice was calm and gentle, yet carried a reassuring quality.
Then, Lin Qi's gaze sharpened. "But those two years of double-team training that you've practiced to the point of nausea weren't for nothing. You know better than 99% of the people in this league how to handle this double-team situation!"
Lin Qi stared into his eyes. "Look at the guys around you, the best defensive resources in the entire league are covering for you!"
After saying that, Lin Qi stood up and looked down at the young man who had just taken over as captain. "You have teammates behind you, understand?!"
Pierce looked up at Lin Qi, then turned to look at Garnett, Gary Payton, and Big Ben beside him, whose faces were full of trust.
He took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.
There are 3 minutes and 12 seconds left in the second quarter.
Pierce received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side, and the Pistons arrived as expected.
Jerome Williams and Stackhouse charged in like two walls.
This time, Pierce didn't panic. He calmly lowered his center of gravity and, with a fraction of a second before the two men closed in, used his exceptional footwork to make a nimble back turn, slipping half his body through the gap between them like an eel!
The double-team defense was instantly torn apart! Pierce didn't try to score himself; instead, he delivered a precise bounce pass to Ben Wallace, who was completely open due to the Big Ben from Williams. Big Ben caught the ball and unleashed a furious two-handed dunk!
The crowd cheered!
Pierce took a deep breath, perhaps due to the adrenaline rush, or perhaps because he was focused on the game. The phantom pain from the knife wound was gone, and the fear gradually began to fade from his eyes.
In the next possession, Gary Payton drove hard to the basket, and the Pistons collapsed their defense. Pierce received the ball in the left corner.
Stackhouse lunged forward fiercely. Pierce calmly executed a feint, easily shaking Stackhouse off balance, then shifted sideways, leaving himself undefended two meters in front of him.
Jump, snap your wrist. That shooting motion, honed millions of times, is where muscle memory completely overrides all distractions.
"Whoosh!"
A three-pointer swished through the net!
45-44, the Celtics take the lead!
Pierce pounded his left chest!
The New Garden is completely destroyed!
At halftime, Pierce regained his rhythm in dealing with double teams, shooting 5-for-12 and scoring 13 points with 5 assists. He used his exceptional basketball IQ to punish the Pistons ' double-teaming tactics.
With five minutes remaining in the third quarter of the second half, Pierce had the ball at the top of the key, and the Pistons once again double-teamed him.
This time, Pierce didn't choose to pass the ball.
He watched as the two burly men pounced on him, dribbled between his legs repeatedly, and suddenly changed direction with a crossover step, choosing to actively face their encirclement, plunging straight in like a sharp knife!
Stackhouse and Williams desperately swerved to close the door, and the three of them collided violently.
Bang!
This time, Pierce didn't back down. He gritted his teeth, used his broad shoulders to force his way through, and in the instant he lost his balance, threw the ball toward the backboard!
Beep...
Defensive foul!
The basketball bounced twice on the rim and obediently fell into the net. 2+1!
"Ah!!!"
Pierce leaped to his feet, roared to the sky, and unleashed a beast-like howl towards the audience!
In this extremely brutal one-on-two hand-to-hand combat, he finally shattered the wall in his heart!
The fourth quarter completely became garbage time.
Under the Celtics' relentless pressure from both Celtics starters and second unit, the Pistons were limited to just 83 points.
Final score: 103:83.
Chris Paul Pierce played 38 minutes, shooting 10-for-23 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range. He not only scored a game-high 26 points but also dished out 7 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds despite being double-teamed.
"Drop--!"
The red backboard light illuminated as the game ended.
Pierce stood in the center of the court, his jersey already soaked with sweat.
Gary Payton, Garnett, and Big Ben rushed over and hugged him in the center. Artest was also waving a towel wildly on the sidelines.
As the crowd dispersed slightly, Pierce's gaze swept across half the court and landed on the sidelines.
Lin Qi stood there quietly.
Pierce raised his right hand, tapped his forehead lightly with his index and middle fingers, gave Lin Qi a playful yet respectful salute, and then pointed to the eighteenth champion banner above his head.
Lin Qi slowly raised his right hand and gave a thumbs-up.