May 19th, Boston's New Garden.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals officially kicked off amidst the frenzied hype of a "revenge battle" across the American media.
In the opening eight minutes, the game seemed to be unfolding exactly as the media had hoped. The Orlando Magic took control, raining down three-pointers on Boston's home court.
"Whoosh!"
Michael Redd, using Brad Miller's screen, circled out to the three-point line, received the ball, and quickly pushed it down with his signature left hand, the basketball swishing through the net.
This was his second three-pointer of the game.
In the next possession, Brad Miller had the ball at the top of the key. Facing Ben Wallace's defense, he astutely observed the mismatch in the paint and delivered a bounce pass to O'Neal Jr. in the low post. O'Neal Jr. caught the ball, spun around, and banked it in for a basket.
22-14. With four minutes left in the first quarter, the visiting Orlando Magic took the lead, gaining an 8-point advantage.
In the media section, reporters from Orlando were already excitedly typing away, drafting headlines such as "The Fury of Revenge Burns in Boston " and " Doc Rivers ' Perfect Start." The three Orlando Magic, who had been traded away by Boston, now looked like an unstoppable All-Star team.
On the sidelines, Orlando Magic head coach Doc Rivers pumped his fist and yelled at the players, "That's it! Keep moving, spread the floor!"
However, at the other end of the court, the Celtics ' bench was eerily quiet.
Head coach Rick Carlisle looked at the scoreboard without a trace of panic. He simply glanced down at the tactics board and then turned to look at the end of the bench.
" Ron," Rick Carlisle called out a name.
Ron Artest immediately ripped off his warm-up suit and stood up like a pit bull that had smelled blood.
"Go say hello to your old friend," Rick Carlisle said, gesturing to Michael Redd, who was celebrating a goal on the field. "Don't let him get the ball so comfortably anymore."
During a break in play, Artest replaced Chris Paul Pierce and stepped onto the court.
When Michael Redd saw the strong figure approaching him, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an instinctive unease.
The entire league knows that Redd is now a top shooter, but only Redd himself knows how he was tormented by this scoundrel in front of him during team practice in Boston last season.
"Hey, Michael." Artest leaned in, his face almost touching Redd's nose, and lowered his voice, revealing a sinister grin. "You're a starter in Orlando? I'm starting to envy you."
Redd ignored his trash talk and tried to shake off the defender by making runs.
But Artest didn't talk to him about tactics or positioning at all; he just relentlessly harassed him. When Redd ran to the left, Artest blocked his path with his heavy body. When Redd tried to use a screen, Artest squeezed past the screener and, from an angle where the referee couldn't see, bumped into Redd with his body and then subtly tugged at Redd's jersey.
The Orlando Magic's point guard tried to pass the ball to Redd, but Artest's one hand remained in Redd's path to receive the ball, while his other hand subtly pressed against Redd's lower back.
Redd received the ball with a very awkward posture, and he instinctively wanted to jump and shoot. But the moment he raised the ball, Artest engaged in high-intensity physical contact and deliberately bumped into him.
"Bang!"
Redd lost his balance, his shooting motion completely distorted, and the basketball didn't even touch the rim, hitting the backboard directly and bouncing out of bounds.
"Is that all the strength you have? Can't you even get enough to eat in Orlando?!" Artest shouted at Redd as he retreated on defense.
This was just the beginning. In the next five minutes, Redd seemed to be back in that nightmarish intra-squad practice where he was relentlessly humiliated by Artest. His once-proud shooting rhythm was completely disrupted by Artest's relentless, dog-like defense that teetered on the edge of fouls. He went from being a "sharpshooter" in the first quarter to a "blacksmith" who was constantly missing shots.
This scene caused Doc Rivers on the sidelines to frown and silenced the reporters in the media section.
It wasn't until this point that the entire league finally understood why Lin Qi had decisively traded away Redd, who could shoot, last summer, while keeping Artest, who had no offensive capabilities. In the playoffs, without matching physicality and defensive toughness, even the most accurate shooter in the regular season will become a burden to the team under pressure.
But that wasn't the end of it; Rick Carlisle's tactical countermeasures had only just begun.
The Celtics not only good at fast breaks and half-court sets, but they also have the most terrifying problem-solving ability in the entire league.
In the second quarter, Boston began calling for pick-and-rolls frequently on offense. Their target was very clear: relentlessly targeting Brad Miller.
" Chris Paul, bring him out!" Garnett set a solid screen at the top of the key, directly blocking the Magic player guarding Pierce.
The Orlando Magic were forced to switch on defense, and Brad Miller, whose lateral movement was slow, was exposed to Chris Paul Pierce.
Pierce looked at his old teammate and gave a cruel smile.
He took two very realistic probing steps in a row, Miller nervously took a half step back. Just as Miller shifted his weight backward, Pierce pulled up for a jump shot and made a precise three-pointer that pierced through the net.
In the next possession, it was Garnett's turn to isolate Miller. Garnett called for the ball in the low post and backed down Miller. Garnett used his shoulder to push up Miller by half a body length twice in a row, and then easily turned and made a jump shot.
Brad Miller is the Orlando Magic's pride and joy as a high-post playmaking center on offense, but on defense, his slow lateral movement and mediocre rim protection have turned him into a cash cow for the Boston duo.
Miller wasn't a bad defender; it's just that his two former teammates knew his weaknesses all too well.
Being repeatedly targeted and isolated took a heavy toll on Miller's stamina, leaving him breathless. And when his defense was repeatedly breached, his high-post playmaking on offense also lost its accuracy, resulting in two consecutive turnovers that allowed the Celtics to capitalize on fast breaks.
Inside the VIP box, Lin Qi watched the Orlando Magic's offensive system crumble rapidly in the second quarter and shook his head slightly.
" Doc ( Doc Rivers ) spent a year in Boston, thinking he'd grasped the essence of dynamic offense and the Princeton offense," Lin Qi said, turning to his assistant Margaret. "But he had no idea what the prerequisites for those tactics to work."
"What's the premise?" Margaret asked curiously.
"It's all about defensive backup." Lin Qi pointed to Brad Miller, who had been blown past by Pierce once again. "In the regular season, a center like Brad Miller, who can pass and facilitate, is really useful and can create very flashy team offenses. But in the playoffs, opponents won't play by the rules."
Lin Qi took a sip of coffee. "Without a solid defensive backup, this kind of high-post center is just a cash cow in other players' eyes. Boston has Ben Wallace and Garnett, who will the Orlando Magic use to protect Miller? O'Neal Jr.? O'Neal Jr. is a good defender, but his weakest point is defending pick-and-rolls."
At halftime, thanks to Artest's dominance over Redd and Pierce and Garnett's relentless targeting of Miller, the Celtics had taken the lead and extended it to 14 points.
The "fire of revenge" that briefly existed in the first quarter was mercilessly extinguished by Boston's extremely precise tactical strikes.