February 25, Boston, New Garden.
The first major Eastern Conference matchup after the trade deadline.
The Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia is on fire this season.
Allen Iverson's scoring explosiveness was at the peak of his career, with an average of 31 points per game, leading the league and making him the most unstoppable outside scoring machine in the entire league.
Jermaine O'Neal, with his all-around skills and tough rim protection, firmly anchored Philadelphia's no-fly zone.
With their core combination of an inside-outside player, the Philadelphia 76ers have firmly secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference, making them one of the Celtics' most threatening rivals on their path to a three-peat.
The cameras of basketball media across the United States had already been pointed at this arena.
All eyes were on the same question: After trading away their perimeter defensive anchor Doc Doug Christie, could Boston's newly rebuilt starting defense withstand Iverson's firepower? And could Bruce Bowen, who was thrust into the starting lineup in a crisis, withstand the onslaught of " The Answer "?
The referee's whistle blew suddenly, and the basketball was tossed high into the air.
The first quarter of the game has officially begun.
Rick Carlisle fielded a new starting lineup: Gary Payton, Bruce Bowen, Chris Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ben Wallace.
In the first possession of the game, the Celtics were on offense. Facing the Philadelphia 76ers ' high-pressure defense, Gary Payton passed the ball to Pierce near the free-throw line. As soon as Pierce received the ball, the Philadelphia 76ers ' wing defender, George Lin Qi, immediately collapsed to double-team him.
In the past, Doug Christie would usually take a step after receiving the ball, or make a probing step to observe the defense.
But tonight, Bruce Bowen is playing in the weak-side corner.
Pierce flicked the ball to the right corner before the double team closed in. The instant Bowen caught the ball, Philadelphia 76ers Eric Snow was desperately rushing over to help.
The moment Bowen touched the ball, he jumped up and decisively threw it out.
The entire process, from receiving the ball to releasing it, takes no more than 0.5 seconds.
"Whoosh."
A three-pointer swished through the net.
Pierce was somewhat surprised as he watched Bowen retreat on defense. Bowen's decision-making speed was even more decisive than his. Pierce was used to reading the defense first when he received the ball, but Bowen had already seen the defensive positions on the court in advance when he was running off the ball. As soon as the ball was passed, his body executed the movement as if it had been pre-programmed.
Defensively, Bowen's task was to match up against Iverson.
Doug Christie defended Iverson by anticipating his moves and using sliding steps. Bowen's defense, on the other hand, relied more on physical confrontation and applying pressure.
Iverson used O'Neal Jr.'s screen to receive the ball. Bowen didn't go around the screen, but forced his way through. The moment Iverson received the ball, Bowen's hand was on Iverson's lower back, and his knee was against the outside of Iverson's thigh.
Iverson used two sharp crossover steps to get past Bowen by half a body length, then pulled up for a jump shot. Bowen immediately closed in on Iverson, blocking Iverson's view with one hand.
"Bang." Iverson's jump shot missed.
Bowen turned and ran towards the frontcourt. His demeanor on the court was completely different from the other players in Boston. Bowen was very composed, even somewhat lacking in presence. But he was very compatible with this lineup because he understood the habits of the core players too well.
In the 8th minute of the first quarter, Pierce drove and passed the ball to Bowen at the top of the key. The defender was out of position, and the whole audience thought Bowen would shoot another three-pointer. But as soon as the ball touched his fingertips, Bowen flicked his wrist, and the ball did not stay in his hand. He directly passed it to Garnett who was cutting down the court.
Garnett received the ball and completed a two-handed dunk over O'Neal Jr..
"A beautiful touch and pass!" the commentator exclaimed. " Bruce Bowen is not only a striker, but he also has a very high football IQ."
At the end of the first quarter, with Bowen on defense, Iverson made 3 of 9 shots, giving the Celtics a 26-19 lead.
In the second quarter, the situation began to change.
Rick Carlisle substituted in an all-sub lineup: Chauncey Billups Billups, Michael Redd, Ron Artest, Rasheed Wallace, and Brad Miller.
The Philadelphia 76ers also brought in their Sixth Man of the Year, Aaron McGee, in an attempt to keep the score close during the rotation. Larry Bird Brown's plan was to use McGee's defensive abilities to suppress Boston's backcourt.
However, the Celtics ' bench players created a lot of space on offense.
Redd ran along the baseline off the ball, and Rasheed and Miller set two solid screens for him on either side of the paint. Redd used the screens to run out, and Billups arrived with the ball, allowing Redd to quickly push the ball down with his left hand before he was fully upright. The three-pointer went in.
The Philadelphia 76ers immediately adjusted, instructing McGee to guard Redd, which forced the Philadelphia 76ers ' interior defense to expand outwards. Billups cleverly seized the opportunity, running pick-and-rolls with Rasheed twice in a row at the high post, and Rasheed calmly sank two mid-range jumpers near the free-throw line.
On the defensive end, Artest took over the task of guarding the perimeter. Compared to Bowen's detailed and close defense, Artest primarily relied on physical confrontation, with skills playing a secondary role. He used his broad chest to put pressure on the Philadelphia 76ers ' guards on every screen.
After the second quarter, the Celtics, relying on the firepower of their bench players, extended their lead to 51-38.
The second half turned into a war of attrition.
The Philadelphia 76ers demonstrated the resilience of a strong team. In the third quarter, Iverson began to exert his influence. He changed his strategy, calling for double screens, forcibly replacing Bowen, and going to the roster to attack Big Ben and Gary Payton.
Iverson scored 14 points in the quarter and drew multiple fouls from the Celtics' interior defense. At the end of the third quarter, the score was 72-68, with the difference reduced to just 4 points.
With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Rick Carlisle returned to the starting lineup.
With 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining, the Celtics lead 92-89. The Philadelphia 76ers are on offense.
Iverson received the ball at the top of the key, dribbled between his legs several times, and then suddenly accelerated, getting past Bowen and driving into the paint. Big Ben immediately helped defend, but Iverson dodged Big Ben's block in mid-air and threw the ball towards the basket.
Just as the ball was about to bounce off the backboard, Garnett burst out from the side and completed a help defense block.
Pierce grabbed the rebound and led the fast break.
The Philadelphia 76ers retreated quickly, instantly forming a three-on-three defense. Pierce drew a double team from Iverson and Snow while moving, and at the moment of his jump, he caught a glimpse of Bowen positioned in the right corner.
Pierce spun in the air and passed the ball to the bottom corner.
With 40 seconds left in the game and a mere three-point lead, this was a crucial shot. George Lin Qi desperately lunged towards the corner.
Bowen catches the ball. His gaze is as calm as ever.
0.5 seconds later, the basketball leaves your hand.
"Whoosh." Hollowed into the net. 95:89.
After scoring, Bowen simply turned and ran back to his defensive half, as if it had just been a routine shooting practice.
Larry Bird Brown requested one last timeout.
After the timeout, the Philadelphia 76ers immediately began committing tactical fouls.
The final buzzer sounded, and the Celtics defeated the Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 98-91 at home.
The big screen displayed the key statistics of the game, the cold white numbers standing out clearly under the spotlight.
Chris Paul Pierce: 24 points, 6 assists.
Kevin Garnett: 27 points, 13 rebounds.
Bruce Bowen: Played 36 minutes, scored 9 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, along with 2 assists, 3 steals, and 0 turnovers. Both of his assists were precise passes made before the opponent could double-team him, demonstrating perfect timing.
Allen Iverson: He scored 33 points, but took 30 shots, with his shooting percentage being held below 40% by Bowen, and he also committed 5 turnovers.
Inside the VIP box, Lin Qi turned his gaze away from Bowen, who was exchanging high-fives with his teammates off the court, and gently closed the tactical briefing in his hand.
The anticipated tactical upheaval following Doug Christie's departure did not materialize. Bowen's move to the starting lineup, coupled with his non-hogging style and clear role, actually made the ball distribution among the starters smoother. The second unit, led by Redd and Artest, also perfectly utilized the extra playing time, with no gaps in the transition between offense and defense.
Lin Qi looked at the team members on the field, their morale high, and unconsciously tapped the hard cover of the briefing with his knuckles.
How do I feel...?
Did the team actually become stronger after the trade?
Is this an illusion?