As the basketball reached its highest point, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal, with his exceptional physical attributes and height and wingspan, was the first to touch the ball, sending it back to his half-court.
The Los Angeles Lakers gained possession of the ball first.
Jason Kidd controlled the ball firmly and decisively lobbed it to the low left post.
O'Neal received the ball with his back to the basket, and Ben Wallace immediately closed in, blocking O'Neal's path. The moment O'Neal received the ball, he exerted force, his massive back muscles slamming backward.
Big Ben's defensive footwork was forced to move back half an inch, and O'Neal followed up with a low step and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
"Bang!"
As he retreated on defense, O'Neal ran quickly back to the backcourt with a blank expression. This was extreme focus under duress.
But in Boston, no one was emotionally affected by this dominant start.
Gary Payton slowly dribbled the ball across half-court. Facing Kidd, who was younger and more aggressive than himself, Gary Payton played with extreme composure. He glanced at the positioning on the court; Bowen and Garnett had already spread out completely.
Gary Payton flicked his wrist and passed the ball to Chris Paul Pierce in the right 45-degree corner.
Tonight, Sean Marion is in charge of marking Pierce, and his long arms are constantly interfering with Pierce's vision.
Pierce lowered his center of gravity and made two consecutive triple-threat probing steps. Marion's center of gravity instinctively shifted slightly. In that fraction of a second of pause, Pierce suddenly gathered the ball, stepped back, and jumped.
"Whoosh!"
Hollow core into the net.
This clean and decisive goal immediately kicked off Boston's offensive onslaught in the first quarter.
Tonight, Pierce displayed a level of focus far exceeding his usual intensity from the very first touch of the ball.
Possession changes, Lakers attack.
Kidd had the ball at the top of the arc, but this time, he immediately felt suffocating pressure. Gary Payton used aggressive tackles to constantly disrupt and block Kidd's passing attempts.
Left with no other option, Kidd could only pass the ball to Lamar Odom, who had moved up high, hoping that the versatile power forward would make a second play.
Odom holds the ball with both hands above the free-throw line, ready to find Quentin Richardson cutting inside.
Kevin Garnett instantly spread his arms, forming an insurmountable barrier. Odom tried to fake out KG, but as soon as he lowered his shoulder to prepare to break to the left, Garnett immediately followed, blocking his path.
Just as Odom was forced to stop the ball and was about to turn and shield it, Gary Payton, who was originally marking him on the wing, suddenly collapsed to help defend!
Gary Payton made an incredibly precise cut to the basketball with tremendous force. Odom instantly lost control of the ball!
"Smack!"
Steal!
Gary Payton scooped up the basketball from the floor and tossed it forward. Pierce caught the ball, faced an open basket, and easily made a layup.
Phil Jackson frowned on the sidelines.
Seventh minute of the first quarter.
Odom received a pass from Kidd in the left corner after a drive. It was a half-open opportunity, and Bowen was still rotating towards him. Without hesitation, Odom jumped and launched a three-pointer.
But just as he released the basketball, a dark figure leaped into the air from the side of the restricted area.
Garnett stretched out his right arm in mid-air.
With a muffled "thud," he actually managed to grab the basketball that had just left Odom's fingertips in mid-air with one hand!
"My God! A hat-trick in mid-air!" Commentator Marv Albert on the sidelines roared in a frenzy.
Garnett landed on both feet and without hesitation, tossed the basketball in his hands like a cannonball to Gary Payton in front of him.
Gary Payton received the ball and delivered a long bounce pass while on the move.
Pierce received the ball beyond the three-point line. Facing Marion, who had pulled back to defend, Pierce executed a behind-the-back dribble followed by a step-back, completely shaking off Marion's balance before launching a three-pointer.
"Whoosh!"
The basketball swished through the net, not even brushing the edge of the rim.
The Boston Celtics have completely taken control of the game.
In the latter part of the first quarter, both teams began to rotate their players. But the Los Angeles Lakers ' nightmare was far from over.
When Chauncey Billups Billups, Ron Artest, and Rasheed Wallace are on the court, this team displays its most desperate roster depth.
Midway through the second quarter, the score was 42-31, with Boston leading by 11 points.
O'Neal sat on the sidelines, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his chin like a waterfall. His individual statistics were still impressive, but under the relentless pressure from Big Ben, Rasheed, and Miller, his stamina was visibly waning.
What made the Lakers even more desperate was the unsolvable problem of Chris Paul Pierce.
One minute before the end of the first half.
Pierce was one-on-one against Quentin Richardson at the left horn. Richardson tried to block Pierce's advance with his body.
But Pierce used his incredibly thick back to lean on Richardson, using the momentum to complete a perfect half-turn, and then, using his signature footwork, seized a gap in the narrow space and flipped over for a jump shot!
The basketball traced a very high arc in the air.
"Whoosh."
A buzzer-beater!
The halftime buzzer sounded. The Boston Celtics went into the locker room with a commanding 14-point lead, 54-40.
In the VIP room on the second floor.
The massive one-way soundproof glass completely blocked out the frenzy of the 20,000 people inside, yet it also allowed them to see the entire stadium's fervor. Beth downed the last sip of red wine in her glass. After drinking most of the bottle, a charming blush rose on the cheeks of this usually decisive and efficient lawyer, and her eyes gained a touch of languor and intoxication.
She put down her wine glass and swayed in her high heels as she walked up to Lin Qi.
Then, with unabashed aggression, she straddled Lin Qi's lap and naturally spread her legs.
The haute couture business suit rode up slightly because of this posture. Beth's long arms encircled Lin Qi's neck, her body leaning forward slightly, her warm breath, carrying the aroma of red wine, gently brushing against Lin Qi's ear.
"It wasn't until I received the invitation that I finally realized you weren't truly indifferent to me." Beth's voice was slightly hoarse from the intoxication, her fingers casually playing with Lin Qi's shirt collar, her tone carrying a charmingly reproachful tone, "But if it weren't for this plausible excuse tonight... would you never have taken the initiative to see me?"
Lin Qi placed his hands naturally on Beth's slender waist, letting her scrutinize him from this distance.
"I'm very busy, Beth," Lin Qi said calmly. "There's a lot to handle to get this team to where it is today."
"So busy... you don't even have a private life?" Beth lowered her head, her eyes fixed on Lin Qi with a hint of inquiry. "I've investigated you, Lin Qi. All these years, you've never had a woman in your life. I've even questioned your sexual orientation."
Faced with the woman's probing in his arms, Lin Qi did not flinch.
"Because the craziest things..." Lin Qi's fingers on her waist tightened slightly, "... I've already done them all back in college."
Beth was slightly taken aback. She looked at the man before her, who was always calm and seemed to have no weaknesses.
She pressed her chest even closer, her red lips almost touching Lin Qi's chin, her breath sweet as orchids.
How crazy is it?
Do you really want to know?