The third match begins.
With the score tied 1-1, the battle returns to FleetCenter Arena in Boston.
This is the first time in two weeks since the end of the regular season that Boston has erupted with the frenzy characteristic of the playoffs.
Fratello, true to his old fox nature, made a tactical change right from the start of Game 3. He benched the battered Ferry and threw " Thunder Dan " Dan Majerle from the bench into the starting lineup, using raw, physical play on the frontcourt to annoy Boston's backcourt.
The score was tied at 74 by the Cleveland Cavaliers after three quarters.
Not only was the score disgusting, but the torment in the paint was also pushing players to their physical limits.
Former rebounding champion Michael Cage has an almost obsessive obsession with his signature curly hair, spraying it with copious amounts of hair oil and styling spray before every game. After three quarters, Cage is drenched in sweat, but his meticulously styled curls remain perfectly intact.
This put Garnett, who was battling him in the penalty area, in a difficult position.
Every time the two clashed while jostling for position, Garnett would get covered in thick hair oil from Cage's scalp before he even touched the ball. The mixture of sweat and cheap styling gel nearly made Garnett vomit on the court.
"You old geezer, are you here to play basketball or to open a hair salon?!" Garnett cursed under the basket, wiping the hair oil that had dripped from his eyes.
Cage just sneered, then stuck out his big butt and delivered another hidden, deep thrust.
Midway through the third quarter, Cleveland Cavaliers' wing player Phills tore apart the Boston Celtics' perimeter, seemingly about to complete an easy layup.
A black figure leaped into the air, crossing most of the restricted area.
Just as the basketball was about to touch the backboard, Garnett, with his superhuman speed, swatted the ball away with one hand against the tempered glass!
Bang!
With a deafening roar, the tens of thousands of spectators in the FleetCenter erupted in chaos.
Garnett landed, grabbed his jersey, pounded his chest frantically, and let out a wolf-like roar towards the Cavaliers ' bench.
Then, he turned around and, in front of Cage, disgustedly rubbed his arm, which was covered in sticky hair oil, with his jersey a few times.
"I'm going to smash up your barbershop the night after tomorrow!"
The Cleveland Cavaliers ' physical battles continued, but Garnett's defensive intensity had completely overwhelmed his opponents. In the final quarter, Trey Brandon attempted to break through using a screen, but the moment he switched positions, Garnett's two terrifyingly long arms completely blocked his vision like a spider web.
After failing to create even a fraction of an inch of space with three consecutive changes of direction, Brandon was forced into a line violation as the 24-second countdown ticked down.
94 to 84.
The Celtics knocked the Cleveland Cavaliers out of their home court with a victory that was both impressive and ugly.
The Celtics lead 2-1!
The fourth match begins.
Facing elimination, the Cleveland Cavaliers took their "muddy philosophy" to an extreme, almost reckless, level.
In the first three quarters, the scores of both teams seemed to be stuck in cement, with every point being so hard-won it was almost painful.
Radja took on the responsibility of scoring.
Facing early defensive pressure and elbows, the Croatia center used almost mechanical low-post back-to-the-basket moves and second-chance opportunities to score 20 points for the team in the first three quarters. Until the fourth quarter, a exhausted Radja faced a relentless triple-team from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The time for bloodletting has come."
Inside the private room, Lin Qi slowly loosened his tie.
Fratello gambled that the Celtics only had two strong offensive options, Radja and Sam Cassell, but he forgot that Lin Qi had been keeping his wing arsenal hidden all year in the regular season, and it hadn't been fired yet.
Sam Cassell, surrounded by defenders, didn't even look at the ball; with a flick of his wrist, he delivered a precise no-look pass behind his head.
The outside shooting was wide open.
Eddie Jones silently leaped beyond the three-point line, his body arching like a bow, the ball tracing a clean arc that instantly pierced the Cleveland Cavaliers ' desperately struggling defense!
Swish!
In the following transition, a fully refreshed Michael Finley used his speed to overpower his opponent on the fast break. After scoring 5 points in a row, he delivered a powerful one-handed dunk over Michael Cage, knocking the veteran to the ground!
boom!
The dome of the FleetCenter Arena was almost lifted off by the roar.
With two minutes remaining, the scoreboard flashed a glaring 89-85, the Celtics leading by four points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers launched a final, desperate counterattack. Brandon was surrounded by Garnett and Jones during his drive, and just as he was about to lose his balance, he managed to pass the ball.
Danny Ferry launched a three-pointer over the defender's cover.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire arena, the basketball bounced high off the back rim.
Inside the paint, Garnett leaped into the air amidst the shoving of two Cleveland Cavaliers big men. His eyes widened, and with his two abnormally long arms, he grabbed the defensive rebound that would decide the outcome of the entire series in mid-air!
"Bang--!!"
The red light flashed, and the final whistle blew throughout the stadium.
The Boston Celtics have won the series 3-1 and officially advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals!
The Cleveland Cavaliers dragged the Celtics into the most disgusting quagmire, but this time, the Celtics crawled out covered in mud.
The Celtics earned their ticket to the semifinals, to meet Michael Jordan.
But before actually meeting Michael Jordan, Lin Qi first saw a financial fax thicker than the Cavaliers' defensive report.
The morning after advancing to the next round, in the president's office for basketball operations.
While the players were still in the training facility icing their wounds, stretching, and cursing the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lin Qi's desk was already piled high with reports from another battle.
That was good news in the business world.
Mark Wahlberg's thriller "Fear," which was released in April, has become a hit.
This was entirely within Lin Qi's expectations. In fact, Lin Qi had been eyeing this local Boston hoodlum from the very beginning, intending to capitalize on his popularity before he became a household name.
Mark was not yet the Hollywood superstar he would become, commanding millions in film fees. While "Fear" didn't sweep across America, it precisely stirred up a tsunami among college students and street kids nationwide.
The inventory originally intended to last the summer was snapped up in just three days. 12,000 playoff-limited edition T-shirts printed with "47 WINS" were sold; pre-orders for the green patterned hoodie were booked until June; and the short jacket that Mark wore was snatched up by the distributor at a higher price.
For the first time, April's monthly revenue exceeded seven figures.
Lin Qi looked at the line of numbers and smiled.
What truly propelled this business deal into the mainstream was the press conference following G4.
At the time, the entire American media was complaining about the lack of entertainment value in Cleveland's brawls. Lin Qi, on stage, unscrewed a bottle of water and faced the barrage of cameras and microphones below, speaking calmly.
"Coach Michael Fratello has dug a huge quagmire between Boston and Cleveland; he wants to drown us in it."
At this point, Lin Qi put down his water bottle and glanced at the camera.
"But luckily, we made it out."
There was no hysterical provocation, nor any superfluous embellishment; he was simply stating a fact.
But this calm statement definitively defined the nature of this brutal series.
"We crawled out."
This answer, which was repeatedly quoted by the American media after the game, went viral overnight on the streets of Boston.
Training ended at noon.
The equipment manager pushed several large boxes into the locker room.
Sam Cassell was the first to look up. "What's this?"
The box was opened, revealing neatly stacked black and green hooded sweatshirts inside, with a line of small print on the lower left corner: "47-35".
Behind them was an even more stern black-and-white message: "WE CRAWLED OUT."
Garnett picked up one of the items and examined it closely.
Mr. Lin said it's free. Two sets per person. Wear them whenever you want—to the post-match press conference, training days, and on the plane to Chicago.
Finley had already put on his coat and twirled halfway in front of the mirror. "Pretty handsome."
Eddie Jones didn't say anything, and silently put on the hoodie.
Soon, the locker room was filled with a striking black and green ensemble. Garnett, wearing the hoodie that read "We made it out," rolled up his sleeves in front of the mirror, revealing bruises from his fight with Michael Cage, and grinned, showing off his white teeth. "I like this."
Lin Qi stood at the locker room door, watching this scene unfold, but did not go in to disturb it.
This is exactly the business effect he wanted.
When a group of young men who have just won a game in the playoffs walk out of the training facility with fierce expressions and wearing the same clothes, it's no longer just about clothes.
That was a rebellious attitude that would give any young person in America goosebumps, and it was also Boston's most valuable mobile billboard.
The next day, on local Boston television, Sam Cassell was seen wearing the same hoodie, launching into a barrage of trash talk for the next round; Garnett was wearing the same hoodie and had a sullen expression as he boarded the team bus; Finley and Eddie Jones walked into the training facility one after the other, and the photos were taken by newspapers and prominently displayed in the windows of boutiques.
Lin Qi sat in his office, looking at the latest additional order worth millions, and finally nodded in satisfaction.
On the field, they won a high-intensity game.
Off the court, the Celtics have also become young, dangerous, attractive, and extremely valuable again.
Now, this group of young people dressed in their United Front uniforms are about to board a special plane bound for Chicago.
They were going to meet the man who truly stood at the top of the alliance and ruled this entire era.
Michael Jordan.