Sunday, April 29, 2001.
While the Boston players were enjoying a two-day break following the sweep, in the Auerbach Center president's office, Lin Qi and head coach Rick Carlisle sat on the sofa, intently watching the large screen television on the wall.
The television was broadcasting live across the United States another Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup—Game 3 between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.
This is not just an ordinary playoff game; more importantly, the winner of this series will be the Boston Celtics' opponent in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
However, with only half of the fourth quarter gone, the suspense on television had already vanished.
"Lifeless Miami." Rick Carlisle took a sip of his water, looking at the nearly 20-point deficit on the scoreboard. "Without Alonzo Mourning, this series was a foregone conclusion from the start."
On the screen, the broadcast camera keenly captured the end of the Miami Heat's bench. Miami's iconic figure, Alonzo Mourning, was wearing a dark, custom-made suit, his eyes dim as he watched his teammates being unilaterally dominated by the Knicks.
"For the sake of so-called 'deterrence' or saving face, Pat Riley forced Alonzo into the playoff 12-man roster. But he has no chance of playing." Lin Qi shook his head, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). When it was diagnosed last October, the entire league was shocked. He fought back desperately and played more than ten games at the end of this season; he was practically risking his life."
"Iron Man," Rick Carlisle sighed.
"Iron Man? In this league, how can a fleshy body really be made of iron?" Lin Qi sneered. He knew all too well what lay behind the so-called "iron-blooded" reputation.
"Everyone's praising Pat Riley's ' Heat culture,' lauding his grueling training camp-like demands," Lin Qi, his fingers tapping lightly on the sofa armrest. "But Rick, how do you maintain that kind of defense built on endless physical battles? Frankly, it's an unbridled drain on the players' health."
Rick Carlisle fell silent. As a coach who also valued defense, he was well aware of the extremes of Pat Riley's system.
" Pat Riley's coaching philosophy is essentially a cruel form of 'survivorship bias'," Lin Qi pointed out incisively. "Some people's physiques are naturally suited to this kind of high-intensity, overtraining, like Alonzo. He endured it, his body didn't immediately break down, so he became the 'iron-willed icon' that Pat Riley touts. But what about those players whose bones and muscles are naturally unable to withstand this kind of pressure? They'll be ruined in training camp, and then Pat Riley will label them 'soft' and kick them out."
Lin Qi pointed to Mourning's face on the TV screen, which looked somewhat swollen from long-term medication, and his voice gradually deepened.
"But even for a naturally muscular guy like Alonzo, how long can his bulky body withstand the strain? When overtraining leads to joint contusions and muscle tears, and Pat Riley is yelling in the locker room with his tactical board, 'Play as long as your leg isn't broken,' what can the team doctor do?"
"They can only rely on medication," Rick Carlisle continued, his brow furrowed.
"That's right. Giving players those high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like candy to forcefully suppress the warning signs from their bodies." Lin Qi leaned back on the sofa. "The kidneys are responsible for metabolism. With the body constantly overdrawn and overworked, coupled with swallowing painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that could kill a cow day after day for ten years, do you think his kidney failure was just 'bad luck'? It was built up little by little!"
Lin Qi paused, his tone becoming incredibly realistic. "You might sometimes think I'm cold-blooded. But our Boston medical team has the strictest rules: absolutely no excessive fatigue to the point of exhausting a player's career, and absolutely no abuse of painkillers to force players with serious injuries to play. To destroy the internal organs of a future Hall of Fame center just to win one or two games? Pat Riley's approach isn't toughness, it's shortsightedness."
Just as the two were talking, the referee on the television blew the final whistle to end the game.
The New York Knicks cruised to a 89-72 victory at Madison Square Garden, sweeping the Miami Heat 3-0 in the series.
"Alright, the opponent for the second round is confirmed." Rick Carlisle stood up, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and wrote down the name " New York Knicks ".
"I have to say, the Knicks played quite well in their first season Patrick Ewing left." Lin Qi gave a fair assessment, watching the New York players celebrating on TV. "Originally, everyone thought that after trading away the greatest center in their history last summer, the Knicks would become a complete bottom-feeder. But Jeff Van Gundy really has something."
"Yes, he turned this Knicks into a pure defensive team." Rick Carlisle picked up a pre-prepared scouting report from the table.
"Second in the league in points allowed per game during the regular season, which is quite good, but we're first in that category. Second to last in points per game," Rick Carlisle pointed to these extreme statistics. "Without Patrick Ewing's absolute dominance in the paint, Van Gundy simply abandoned complex offensive tactics. Their strategy was simple: drag you into the mire, and then use their vast experience to defeat you there."
Lin Qi's gaze swept over the core list on the report.
"Their backcourt is interesting," Lin Qi said, pointing to the names on the roster, "' Mid-Range King ' Allan Houston and ' The Madman ' Sprewell. This 'backcourt duo' accounts for nearly half of the Knicks' points. Mid-season, they also traded Chris Childs to the Raptors for Mark Jackson to orchestrate the offense."
"The key is their frontcourt," Rick Carlisle added. "Even without Patrick Ewing, Marcus Camby won the regular season block title, and with Kurt Thomas and veteran Larry Bird Johnson, those three big men are all fearless and aggressive. Not to mention they also have Glen Rice on the wing."
The Knicks ' roster may be constipated on offense, but their defensive rotation speed, toughness, and variety of dirty tricks are absolutely top-notch in the entire league.
"It sounds like Van Gundy wants to compete with us defensively in the second round, playing an ugly 60-point game?" Lin Qi closed the report and smiled.
"That must have been his plan," Rick Carlisle replied calmly.
"Then let him give it a try."
Lin Qi turned around and looked out the window at the bright spring sunshine over Boston.
"It's time to show New York what the league's best defense is all about."