June 5th, Boston, New Garden.
The 2001-2002 NBA NBA Finals officially kicked off amidst a sea of green.
When Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal and Ben Wallace walked to center court for the jump ball, the air in the entire arena seemed to freeze. All the cameras were focused on the court, and the eyes of the entire nation were not only on the star players, but also on the three referees.
David Stern's strict orders had an effect, and the media storm Lin Qi stirred up before the match made the referees feel uneasy. The first three rounds set the tone for the entire match's officiating.
In the opening possession, Barkley attempted to push Garnett aside in the low post with his signature big butt. Garnett didn't back down, and the two became very entangled in the physical contact. In previous series, the defending player (like the Sacramento Kings ) would likely have been called for a defensive foul, but today, the referees exercised restraint in their calls.
Michael Jordan then received the ball on the left side of the free-throw line. His defender was Gary Payton, who had volunteered for the position.
Gary Payton stuck to him like a leech, muttering incessantly, "Come on, old man, let's see how much oil you have left!"
Jordan, his face grim, tried to shake off the defender with a jab step. Gary Payton stuck close to Jordan, subtly making a physical contact the moment Jordan raised the ball. Jordan's shot missed, and he instinctively looked at the referee, spreading his hands.
The referee shook his head, signaling for the game to continue.
On the sidelines, Phil Jackson keenly noticed the change in the officiating. He frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure. As a legendary coach accustomed to big games, Phil didn't believe the Lakers would be at a disadvantage without the protection of the whistle. In his view, as long as the game was dragged into a half-court set, the Lakers ' veteran experience and absolute individual ability were enough to win at this level of competition.
The facts seem to be confirming his judgment.
In the first quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers displayed the depth of a super team. Jason Kidd, like the most composed helmsman, controlled the rhythm of the game. On every offensive possession, he patiently waited for O'Neal to box out or for Jordan to get the ball in a comfortable position.
Facing Big Ben's defense, O'Neal displayed his devastating dominance in the paint. Even without the whistle, he could still use his sheer size to push Big Ben aside and put the ball in the basket with powerful dunks or floaters.
On the perimeter, although Jordan was tightly marked by Gary Payton, making it extremely difficult for him to receive the ball, he still managed to find some space near the free-throw line thanks to his extremely shrewd off-ball movement and sense of rhythm, and steadily made two mid-range jump shots.
At the end of the first quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers led 24-22 on the road.
Phil Jackson sat on the coach's bench, listening to the slightly anxious shouts of the home fans, looking relaxed.
He glanced at the Celtics' bench on the other side. Rick Carlisle hadn't made any crazy substitutions in the first quarter, just a normal eight-man rotation. Although Boston's defense was fierce, it didn't gain much advantage against the Lakers ' half-court offense and star players' isolation plays.
"They're still too young," Phil whispered to his assistant coach. "They wanted to speed things up, but Jason ( Kidd ) didn't give them the chance. As long as we maintain this pace and squeeze every possession into the last five seconds, Boston's advantage of relying on stamina and running won't work."
In Phil's logic, the Lakers had already taken control of the game.
But in the VIP box on the other side of the court, Lin Qi held a cup of coffee, looking at the first quarter's stats, his expression even calmer than Phil Jackson's.
"Boss, their star players are indeed very strong. We're having a bit of a hard time defending them in the first half." The assistant looked at O'Neal's 10 points in the first quarter, his tone tinged with worry.
" Shaq is definitely a problem, and Michael's mid-range shot is still sharp." Lin Qi put down his coffee cup, glancing at the Lakers' bench as they rested. "But pay attention to their breathing."
The assistant paused for a moment, then followed Lin Qi's gaze.
The broadcast camera cut to the Lakers ' bench. Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal was gulping down Gatorade, his chest heaving. Michael Jordan was wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel, his breathing noticeably rapid. Charles Barkley slumped into his chair, and the team doctor immediately rushed over to put an ice pack on his knee.
"We didn't use a full-court press in the first quarter; Rick Carlisle just used normal defensive rotations and physical play," Lin Qi said calmly, leaning back on the sofa. "He was just testing these veterans in their thirties to see how much stamina it would take to maintain this level of positional play without referee protection."
"What were the test results?" the assistant asked.
"They were able to keep the score close in the first quarter because they started strong," Lin Qi said, pointing to the sweating Lakers veteran on the screen. "But to score those tough baskets and break through Gary and Kevin's double-teams, they've used up more energy than usual."
The second quarter begins.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, in order to maintain their offensive firepower, Phil Jackson kept Jordan and Barkley on the court, only letting O'Neal rest for two minutes.
Meanwhile, Rick Carlisle made adjustments in Boston.
When Jordan received the ball at the free-throw line again, attempting a one-on-one shot, he found that his defender had changed. It wasn't Gary Payton, but Ron Artest, who had just come off the bench.
Jordan tried to create space with his footwork, but Artest was unmoved and used his strong body to desperately block Jordan's lower body, constantly applying physical contact. After an eight-second stalemate, Jordan was forced to choose a very difficult fadeaway jump shot.
At the same time, Stephen Jackson on the weak side rushed over, severely obstructing Jordan's vision.
The basketball bounced off the front edge of the rim.
Big Ben secured the rebound. The instant he grabbed the rebound, Stephen Jackson, who had been lurking in Big Ben corner, and Gerald Wallace on the other side, shot towards the Lakers ' half of the court like arrows.
Fast break! Boston suddenly accelerated in the second quarter!
The Los Angeles Lakers ' veterans dragged their weary legs and desperately tried to get back on defense, but they couldn't keep up with the young players. Chauncey Billups Billups made a precise long pass, and Gerald Wallace caught the ball and completed an easy dunk.
The second quarter has reached the sixth minute.
The Los Angeles Lakers ' offense began to fall apart. Kidd tried to organize the play, but he found that his teammates were moving slower and slower. Barkley couldn't get deep positions in the low post, and Jordan's steps became increasingly heavy as he tried to shake off Artest and Jackson.
After Jordan was blocked by Ben Wallace during a drive, he braced himself on his knees and stood in the backcourt for a full three seconds, catching his breath, before starting to run back.
Rick Carlisle glanced at his watch from the sidelines.
He stood up and made a gesture toward the substitutes' bench.
Pierce, Garnett, Gary Payton, and other key players all returned to the court. After resting for a full six minutes, everyone was in high spirits, their eyes gleaming with an intense desire for victory.