On April 20, 2002, the 2001-2002 NBA playoffs officially began.
Before the first round began, the entire American media was scrutinizing the matchups Western Conference. The competition in the Western Conference was fierce. The 62-win Sacramento Kings faced the Houston Rockets, who barely made it into the playoffs. The 61-win Los Angeles Lakers took on the aging but still formidable Utah Jazz. The 59-win Dallas Mavericks faced the Seattle SuperSonics. And the 57-win San Antonio Spurs would face the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
The top four teams in the Western Conference would almost all be second in wins if they were in the Eastern Conference. This is a bracket where a slight misstep could lead to an upset in the first round.
In contrast, the situation in the Eastern Conference appears somewhat unbalanced. The Boston Celtics sit atop the standings with a 66-16 record, a significant lead over the teams behind them. The Orlando Magic will face the Miami Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers will play the Indiana Pacers, and the Toronto Raptors will take on the Detroit Pistons.
The Boston Celtics ' first-round opponent is the Charlotte Hornets, who have a record of 41 wins and 41 losses, a winning percentage of just over 50%.
Judging from the record and roster, this is almost a series with no suspense. But for the venue where this series took place, the outcome is actually not that important anymore.
Late April, Charlotte Coliseum, North Carolina.
Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics had already won the first two games in Boston, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Tonight, the game returns to Charlotte.
However, when Lin Qi stood in front of the glass of the visiting team's VIP box and looked down at the entire arena, what he saw was not the fervor that should be expected in the playoffs.
In this massive arena that can hold more than 20,000 people, the back rows of the stands were empty, with large swaths of blue seats exposed. Even during the playoffs, the number of spectators is probably only a little over 10,000.
The home fans didn't unleash a deafening roar to overwhelm the visiting team. Huge banners were strung around the stands, one half reading "Don't go, leave our team here," while the other half was filled with profanities and insults directed at team owner George Shinn. The Bee Girl cheerleaders were still dancing energetically on the sidelines, and the mascot was trying to liven things up, but the cheerful music echoing in the empty arena carried an undeniable sense of dejection.
This is the Charlotte Hornets' last season in North Carolina. The referendum on a new arena failed, owner George Shinn was embroiled in scandal and completely broke with the fans, and the team's application to relocate to New Orleans was submitted at the beginning of the year, awaiting only the league's formal approval in May.
In the locker room, in the press box, and in the stands, everyone was waiting for the final farewell. This wasn't just an ordinary first-round exit; it was a city saying goodbye to its NBA team. The Boston Celtics, like strangers who had inadvertently stumbled into someone else's funeral, could only go through the motions of eliminating their opponents.
After the game started, in a lifeless atmosphere, Hornets' 23-year-old point guard Baron Davis played like a lone hero.
He knew the owner was leaving and the fans had dispersed, but he still kept his center of gravity low outside the three-point line, trying to use his explosiveness and speed to break through the Celtics ' defense, not wanting to be swept out of the playoffs on his home court.
But he was facing 33-year-old Gary Payton.
The moment Davis accelerated, Gary Payton subtly engaged him with his body, blocking his path with his knee and subtly tugging at his jersey. This seasoned, law-abiding defense repeatedly neutralized Davis's explosiveness. The young Davis not only had to contend with Gary Payton's tight defense but also endure the veteran's incessant trash talk. Davis's all-out drives often ended up as a forced shot or a rebound snatched by Ben Wallace in the paint.
In the second quarter, the Hornets attempted to find a breakthrough on the front line through veteran Jamal Mashburn.
Rick Carlisle substituted Ron Artest on the sidelines. At that moment, the strategic value of the coaching staff's decision to keep Artest and eliminate Kirilenko was clearly validated.
After entering the game, Artest barely looked at the basket; his only task was to wear down Mashburn. Facing Mashburn's post-up moves, Artest used his solid lower body and excellent upper body strength to hold his own. There were no unnecessary movements, just pure muscle contact and exhaustion. After several minutes of high-intensity competition, Mashburn's offensive rhythm was completely disrupted, resulting in two consecutive turnovers. Boston's defensive toughness made the Hornets ' offense increasingly sluggish.
Midway through the third quarter, an unexpected incident occurred that gave Boston fans a scare.
Grant Hill received the ball in the right corner, shook off his defender, and drove into the paint. Hornets power forward P.J. Brown helped defend, pulling Hill down in mid-air along with the ball. Hill lost his balance in the air and crashed heavily onto the hard wooden floor.
A moment of silence fell over the arena. The Celtics' bench players all stood up, and Rick Carlisle frowned. For a player who had just recovered from ankle surgery and had been plagued by injuries for nearly two years, such an unprotected fall was often unsettling.
Lin Qi watched the game from his private box, feeling somewhat worried.
A few seconds later, Hill pushed himself up from the floor. He dusted off his jersey and stretched his left ankle. Then, he calmly stood up, walked to the free-throw line, took the basketball from the referee, and steadily made both free throws.
In the next possession, the Hornets attempted to double-team Garnett at the high post, and Hill received a pass back at the top of the arc. He jumped, released his shot, and made a clean three-pointer.
This three-pointer widened the score gap and completely relieved Hill of the last bit of pressure. He truly felt that his body had fully recovered and could withstand the most realistic Crash on the professional court.
"Drop..."
The buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game, with the score set at 106-82.
The Celtics swept the first round with a score of 3-0.
When the final buzzer sounded in the Charlotte Coliseum, there were no boos directed at the visiting team. A small number of home fans stood up, letting out sighs tinged with reluctance and anger. The era of the Charlotte Hornets had come to an end in a relatively uneventful sweep.
This doesn't feel like the first round of the playoffs; it feels more like a farewell ceremony attended by a guest.
In the away team's box, Lin Qi had already put on his suit jacket.
"Boss, our next opponent will most likely be the Detroit Pistons or the Toronto Raptors," assistant Margaret reported, following behind Lin Qi. "They're still neck and neck; it might go to a fifth game."
"Then we'll wait a few more days." Lin Qi pushed open the door to the private box, his tone calm. This series was just a warm-up; the Celtics players hadn't even encountered any real trouble on the court.
Next comes the real playoffs.