In the early part of the second period, both sides rotated their lineups.
Nets head coach Byron Scott brought in Richard Jefferson and Wang Zhizhi, attempting to use the athleticism of the forwards and the shooting of the inside players to counter Boston's high-post playmaking system.
For the Celtics, Rick Carlisle fielded a completely new second unit: point guard Mark Jackson, shooting Dwyane Wade, small forward Raja Bell, and in the frontcourt, Rasheed Wallace partnered with Mehmet Okur.
As soon as the lineup was in position, Scott, standing on the sidelines, keenly noticed the change in tactical structure.
Boston's restricted area has been completely cleared.
With Garnett and Ben Wallace resting, Rasheed Wallace and Okur replaced in the paint, but neither of them ventured into the paint. Rasheed positioned himself outside the three-point line at the right 45-degree angle, while Okur moved directly to the left corner. To guard these two sharpshooting big men with nearly 40% three-point shooting percentages, the Nets ' interior defenders were forced to be dragged out of the paint.
What made the Nets' defense even more uncomfortable was Boston's distribution of ball possession.
Young rookie Wade, who was originally required to handle the ball in the second unit, relinquished possession. Veteran Mark Jackson leisurely dribbled the ball across half-court, stopped a step inside the three-point line, turned around, and used his broad, sturdy back to shield the defender, beginning his signature back-to-the-basket ball-handling maneuver.
"Slow down, rookie, don't run around like a wild horse in heat." Mark Jackson, while shoving his massive rear end in and feeling the defender's weight, yelled at Wade, who was standing not far away, without turning his head. "Think about what I taught you before."
"Make room! Create some space!"
The paint area of Nets was so empty at this moment that there wasn't even a single big man protecting the rim.
Just as the defensive formation was stretched to its limit, Wade, who had been standing in the right corner, moved.
Wade unleashed an astonishing burst of speed with his first step. He practically brushed past Richard Jefferson, cutting straight into the unobstructed paint.
Kirilenko attempted to collapse and help defend from the weak side, but he had barely taken a step when Wade caught the ball and jumped into the air.
"Bang!"
With a clean and decisive one-handed dunk, Wade slammed the ball into the basket before Kirilenko could get into position to help defend.
The fans at the New Garden erupted in cheers. As he retreated on defense, Wade excitedly high-fived Mark Jackson. The frustration of being constantly hampered in half-court sets over the past two weeks was swept away by this unhindered, straight-line attack.
Turning back, the Nets attempted to adjust their defense. When Mark Jackson backed down the ball again and Wade cut to the basket, the Nets ' defense instinctively collapsed into the paint, trying to block Wade's drive.
But the seasoned Mark Jackson immediately picked up on the shift in defensive focus. Instead of forcing a pass to Wade, he flicked his wrist and precisely tossed the ball to Okur was left wide open in the left corner.
The Turkey big man received the ball, calmly adjusted, and launched a three-pointer.
"Swish." The basketball swished through the net.
Standing on the other side of the three-point line, Rasheed Wallace immediately shouted mocking Kenyon Martin on the Nets: "See that? That's what shooting is! Your old-fashioned, turtle-like defense is outdated, you softies!"
Rick Carlisle watched the game from the sidelines with a blank expression, but his tense shoulders had visibly relaxed. This was exactly the situation he wanted. With the space widened, Wade's offensive role was greatly simplified: no need for shooting, no need for playmaking, just to exploit the open paint under the guidance of veterans. And if the opponent collapsed their defense to fill the paint, Rasheed and Okur's shooting range would immediately punish them.
In the six minutes he played with the second unit, Wade completely abandoned his isolation plays. He made all three of his cuts and scored six points, while also drawing two fouls with his drive.
Wade clapped his hands excitedly, preparing to retreat on defense, but saw that Rick Carlisle had already requested a substitution from the scorer's table.
"Coach, I'm just getting into the swing of things, my hands are burning hot!" Wade walked to the sidelines, panting, somewhat unwilling to give up.
"Do you want to play in this league for fifteen years, or just enjoy it for fifteen minutes?" Rick Carlisle pointed expressionlessly to the physiotherapist at the end of the bench.
Wade paused for a moment, then obediently sat back on the bench. Regardless of the game's outcome, the coaching staff must strictly adhere to the playing time limits set by the medical team. This is not only for the sake of results, but also to protect the team's most crucial future asset.
In the second half, the returning starting lineup completely dominated the game.
With his responsibilities clearly defined by Rick Carlisle, Artest unleashed his frustration at being deprived of the ball on offense on the defensive end.
Midway through the third quarter, Andrei Miller attempted to use Yao Ming's screen to get past him. But Artest was like a heavy truck, squeezing through the gap between the two big men and slamming his chest into Miller, forcing the point guard, known for his steady play, to dribble the ball out of bounds.
"The coach won't let me shoot!" Artest spat at Miller, who was lying on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, as if trying to shove all the frustration of not being able to shoot into his opponent's ears. "So you're not going to shoot today either! Nobody's going to score!"
This almost neurotic logic made Miller's scalp tingle. Under Artest's extremely focused and rough defensive pressure, Miller only delivered 4 assists throughout the game, but committed as many as 5 turnovers, forcibly extinguishing the Nets ' half-court offense.
The final whistle blew, and the score was 104-88.
The Celtics defeated the New Jersey Nets, a rising powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, by 16 points at home.
The game statistics were quickly sent to the commentary booth and the media room. The reporters who had been preparing to make a big fuss at the start of the first quarter fell silent as they looked at the statistics.
Billups hit four three-pointers, scoring an efficient 18 points. Pierce got plenty of mismatches and open looks on the weak side, easily racking up 24 points. Artest only scored 6 points, but his plus-minus was a high +15.
What's most striking is the big guy standing at the very center of the tactical system.
Kevin Garnett, 26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists.
After losing Gary Payton as their primary ball-handler and initiator, Garnett delivered an impeccable triple-double, officially announcing the successful operation of Boston's new system.
The locker room was filled with the exhaustion and satisfaction of winning a tough battle.
After giving a brief post-game summary in front of the tactics board, Rick Carlisle turned and walked out the door.
He knew that David Stern's ban still hung over the team, and the long regular season was still halfway over. But after tonight, Boston had proven one thing: no crisis was insurmountable in the face of this team's solid foundation and tactical discipline.
Even without Lin Qi, the Celtics are still a strong team.