Recaps

The Celtics used Ben Wallace’s screens and a redesigned pick-and-roll to dismantle the Nets’ defense and build a decisive lead. Boston won 112-91, with Garnett, Wade, and Ben Wallace leading the way.

• Yao Ming moved in front of Ben Wallace to stop Wade’s drive, but Wallace turned the screen around and caught Wade’s lob for an alley-oop that put the Celtics ahead 16-14.
• Rick Carlisle used Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace, and Mehmet Okur to sustain Boston’s screening and outside shooting, and the Celtics led 58-45 at halftime.
• Byron Scott pushed the Nets’ defense outward after halftime, but Pierce cut along the baseline and dunked off Garnett’s lob after Ben Wallace screened Yao Ming away.
• Boston’s pick-and-roll attack overwhelmed the Nets, and the Celtics won 112-91 as Garnett recorded 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, Wade scored 22 points, and Ben Wallace had 10 points and 16 rebounds.

NBA trade rumors spread ahead of the February deadline, and Lin Qi decided his team would avoid the market and preserve its strong frontcourt rotation. He left to watch practice while Sam Presti and Rick Carlisle prepared to monitor rival teams’ moves.

• Trade rumors linked Kobe Bryant with Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis with Allen Iverson, while teams pursued Erick Dampier and Dallas considered moving several players.
• Sam Presti told Lin Qi and Rick Carlisle that other general managers were asking whether their team would trade Mehmet Okur or Tyson Chandler.
• Lin Qi rejected the idea of trading any of their centers and said the team should keep its current rotation intact.
• Rick Carlisle agreed that the team should stand pat while Gary Payton recovered and Tyronn Lue and Dwyane Wade handled the backcourt.
• Lin Qi instructed Sam Presti, Daryl Morey, and Masai Ujiri to track rivals’ offers and report roster changes, especially among potential playoff opponents.
• Lin Qi, Sam Presti, and Rick Carlisle left the office to watch practice.

Lin Qi explained why he traded Chauncey Billups for Gary Payton and why Boston needed Payton to help Dwyane Wade become the centerpiece of a new dynasty. He appealed to Payton’s legacy and ambition, leaving Payton facing the prospect of guiding Wade rather than reclaiming his old role.

• Gary Payton complained that Lin Qi was keeping him out of action despite his medical clearance and making him practice five hundred three-pointers a day.
• Lin Qi reminded Payton that he had traded Chauncey Billups to bring him to Boston, even though Billups was a rising star and the trade had drawn criticism.
• Lin Qi said Boston could not build a dynasty with Billups controlling the ball and explained that Wade needed to lead the new offense.
• Lin Qi described how Payton and Kevin had helped power Boston’s four consecutive championships and said Wade would have to become a similarly dominant centerpiece.
• When Payton accused Lin Qi of wanting him to give up his starting spot, Lin Qi said he wanted Payton to become Wade’s godfather and pass on his Celtics legacy.
• Lin Qi invoked the four championship rings Payton wore in the Kingmaker post-credits scene and asked how Michael Jordan would react when the movie came out.

Lin Qi convinced Gary Payton to mentor Dwyane Wade by tying the role to Payton’s ambitions of surpassing Michael Jordan and eventually owning the Seattle SuperSonics. Payton joined practice and immediately began testing Wade’s ball-handling, leaving Wade to retrieve the ball and attack him again.

• Lin Qi argued that mentoring Wade and helping Boston build another dynasty could give Payton the championships and standing he needed to pursue ownership of the Seattle SuperSonics.
• Payton accepted the prospect of mentoring Wade and criticized his weaknesses, while Lin Qi urged him to start teaching.
• Payton entered the main practice court and challenged Wade’s decision-making after a drive ended in a deflected pass.
• Payton stripped Wade’s ball during a one-on-one pick-and-roll drill and demanded that the team keep practicing until Wade improved his footwork and ball protection.
• Wade retrieved the ball, lowered his shoulders, and drove at Payton again.

At the Auerbach Training Center, Gary Payton corrected Dwyane Wade’s tendency to take over the offense after getting hot, teaching him how to use his scoring threat to involve Kevin Garnett and his teammates. Wade listened and began to understand how to balance his own attacks with creating opportunities for others.

• Ben Wallace taught Tyson Chandler and Mehmet Okur how to establish legal position and use their hips and base in the paint.
• Wade scored on two early possessions, then forced a contested floater instead of passing to Garnett or Pierce.
• Payton stopped the scrimmage and criticized Wade for ignoring his teammates and losing sight of his role as point guard.
• Payton explained how Wade could use Garnett’s screens, handoffs, and post play to create chances for the team while keeping defenders focused on his own scoring threat.
• Payton demonstrated how Wade could maintain his dribble after a screen or post up smaller guards to draw help and find open teammates.

Gary Payton taught Dwyane Wade to defend with disciplined pressure and use his teammates’ help defense, then watched him apply the lessons during a Boston scrimmage. Wade showed improved defense and playmaking, leaving Rick Carlisle impressed by how quickly he was learning.

• Gary Payton told Wade to stay low, force ball handlers toward the sideline, and rely on Boston’s help defenders instead of gambling for steals.
• Rick Carlisle asked Lin Qi why Payton was mentoring Wade so intensively, and Lin said Payton had figured a few things out.
• Wade used a pass-and-cut with Garnett to set up Ben Wallace for a two-handed dunk.
• Wade pressured Tyronn Lue into a high, late pass that Garnett intercepted, leading to Paul Pierce’s fast-break dunk.
• Wade held his ground against Payton’s shot fake, then took the loose ball and later used a pick-and-roll to assist Garnett on a three-pointer.

Gary Payton returned from injury as a reserve in Boston’s game against Dallas, while Dwyane Wade led the Celtics to a commanding first-quarter start. Payton then joined Boston’s second unit and immediately scored a three-pointer, leaving the Mavericks under pressure.

• Wade scored nine points in the opening five minutes by attacking Nash and the Mavericks’ defense, prompting Don Nelson to call timeout.
• Wade’s cuts opened a three-point opportunity for Pierce, and he later used a screen to set up a one-handed dunk as Boston built a 28-14 lead.
• Carlisle sent Payton, Tyronn Lue, Artest, Rasheed Wallace, and Okur onto the court to a standing ovation.
• Payton taunted Nash and passed to Artest, who scored against Jamison.
• Lue found Payton in the left corner, and Payton made a three-pointer despite Cuban shouting for Dallas to let him shoot.

Boston dominated Dallas behind Wade’s explosive transition play and Garnett’s triple-double, building a huge lead and winning 132-98. Wade’s chase-down block and full-court dunk left the crowd roaring as the Mavericks conceded early.

• Payton taunted Mark Cuban after hitting a three, and Okur and Rasheed Wallace added long-range shots as Boston’s offense surged.
• Payton and Wade trapped Nash and Finley into turnovers, which Wade converted into a reverse layup and a windmill dunk.
• Boston led 72-46 at halftime, with all ten players who had appeared scoring and the team recording 23 assists.
• Wade sprinted from the opposite corner to block Finley’s fast-break layup, then caught Garnett’s full-court pass and dunked between Nash and Josh Howard.
• Garnett recorded a triple-double, and Don Nelson pulled Dallas’s starters after calling a timeout.
• Boston beat Dallas 132-98; Garnett finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, Wade had 28 points and 11 assists, and Payton scored 11 points.

After Dallas lost by 34 points to Boston, Mark Cuban blamed the defeat on the Mavericks’ weak backcourt defense and publicly protested Ben Wallace’s screens. Lin Qi saw Cuban losing control and told Presti to help drive up the price of the big center Cuban wanted.

• Mark Cuban stormed into the Mavericks’ locker room and argued with Don Nelson over the 34-point loss and Steve Nash’s defensive and injury problems.
• Don Nelson defended Nash and the team’s run-and-gun system, while Cuban demanded tougher players and a dominant center.
• Cuban went to the press conference and accused Ben Wallace of illegal screens, saying he had filed a formal protest with the league.
• Lin Qi watched Cuban’s televised protest as Presti noted that it would draw attention to Boston’s tactics.
• Lin Qi told Presti to contact Golden State and Toronto and pretend to bid, hoping to push up the price of the center Cuban wanted.

After Kingmaker’s box-office success drove a surge in Celtics tickets and merchandise, Lin Qi reviewed the team’s growing commercial returns and All-Star voting dominance. He ordered overseas promotion for the film and accelerated Dwyane Wade’s first signature shoe ahead of All-Star Weekend.

• Kingmaker earned $71.4 million over its opening weekend and $136.8 million in its first ten days, prompting theaters to replace competing films with it.
• Margaret brought Lin Qi reports showing that Celtics merchandise and tickets had sold out, Converse sales had surged, and players had received substantial bonuses and endorsements.
• Lin Qi reviewed the Celtics’ league-leading record, Garnett’s MVP odds and All-Star vote lead, Pierce’s starting position, and Wade’s rise among Eastern Conference guards.
• Margaret told Lin Qi that David Stern was pleased with the team’s momentum and had asked about his plans for the All-Star trip to Los Angeles.
• Lin Qi signed off on additional Converse production, ordered overseas promotion for Kingmaker, and told Margaret to prepare Wade’s signature shoe for launch in Los Angeles before All-Star Weekend.

Lin Qi surveyed the NBA’s financial troubles and the looming 2005 collective bargaining agreement, recognizing that rival teams’ payroll problems would create opportunities for Boston. He decided to wait as other teams scrambled, leaving his major moves for the summer.

• The Knicks traded Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, two first-round picks, and Miloš Vujanić’s signing rights to the Clippers for Stephon Marbury, Vin Baker, and others.
• The Clippers cleared much of their future payroll as they pursued Kobe Bryant, while Portland owner Paul Allen ordered management to cut costs amid the team’s troubles.
• Mark Cuban received a $50,000 fine from David Stern for criticizing referees and vowed to donate the same amount to a Dallas children’s charity.
• League executives circulated rumors of a hard salary cap, shorter maximum contracts, and an amnesty provision in the next collective bargaining agreement.
• Lin Qi considered how the coming agreement could drive cash and draft picks toward Boston and decided to wait for the summer to act.

As the BALCO scandal prompted the NBA to intensify surprise drug testing, Lin Qi’s strict medical and nutrition program kept the Celtics prepared for scrutiny. The chapter ended with league testers arriving at the Auerbach Training Center while Garnett and Payton joked about their treatment and clean samples.

• Payton emerged from the cryotherapy chamber and complained to Garnett about the team’s herbal electrolyte drink.
• The BALCO investigation led David Stern to order more frequent surprise testing across the NBA.
• The chapter contrasted widespread risky medication practices with Lin Qi’s strict rules and advanced support system for the Celtics.
• Dr. Marcus told Lin Qi that league testing officers had arrived, and Lin ordered testing under supervision and provided the team’s medical records.
• Garnett praised the cryotherapy’s effect on his legs, while Payton teased him about his role on the court.

Arthur Levin’s surprise drug-testing team found Boston’s players cooperative and the team’s monitoring and medical records exceptionally thorough. Levin left without finding any violations as Rick Carlisle continued correcting the team’s defense on the practice court.

• Arthur Levin and two laboratory technicians collected samples from Ben Wallace, Dwyane Wade, Garnett, and Paul Pierce, who followed the testing procedure without resistance.
• Dr. Marcus showed Levin the team’s biochemical monitoring records, supplement test reports, and tightly controlled medication procedures.
• Levin compared Boston’s clean records with doping and testing problems at other NBA teams and admitted he could find no fault with Boston.
• Rick Carlisle corrected Gerald Wallace’s positioning during a defensive drill, while Gary Payton, Ben Wallace, and Garnett continued the play.

David Stern reviewed the NBA’s widespread drug and painkiller problems and learned that Lin Qi’s Celtics had passed rigorous testing with a clean, science-based medical program. He decided to present Boston as a model for the league and support the team’s rising profile.

• Stu Jackson reported drug-testing problems and banned substances in Orlando and Atlanta, as well as unregistered medication use in Golden State.
• Stu told Stern that Dallas and Memphis relied heavily on anti-inflammatory drugs and pain-blocking injections to keep players on the court.
• Arthur Levin gave Stern the Celtics’ clean test results and detailed records of their modern recovery and medical practices.
• Stern ordered Stu to circulate an anonymized version of Boston’s medical protocols to team owners as a model for the league.
• Stern directed the referees’ committee to preserve legal physical play and told Stu to reserve All-Star Weekend places for Celtics players.

Lin Qi granted Ron Artest two weeks away from the team to pursue music, with strict training and reporting requirements, while offering him a chance to contribute a song to the Kingmaker soundtrack. Artest left for the treatment room, and Lin Qi planned to use his absence to evaluate Tayshaun Prince and Gerald Wallace ahead of the Bobcats' expansion draft.

• Artest erupted during practice, broke Rick Carlisle's clipboard, and berated Tyronn Lue before Carlisle ended the scrimmage.
• Lin Qi rejected Artest's month-long leave request but granted him fourteen days off without a pay cut or disciplinary record, provided he followed daily conditioning and shooting programs.
• Lin Qi offered to send Artest's demos to the Kingmaker music supervisor and possibly include one of his songs on the film's soundtrack.
• Artest thanked Lin Qi, took his CD, and left for the treatment room.
• Lin Qi told Presti that Tayshaun Prince and Gerald Wallace would receive more playing time so the team could assess its expansion-draft protected list.

Lin Qi and Sam Presti reviewed the 2004 draft prospects as the coming age limit made this the last year high school players could enter the NBA directly. Lin criticized Dwight Howard, Shaun Livingston, and Sebastian Telfair, leaving the scouting discussion underway.

• After Artest left, Presti discarded the unfinished suspension draft and told Lin Qi that Rick Carlisle would adjust the wing rotation for the game against Indiana.
• Presti explained that the NBA’s planned minimum age rule was driving high school seniors toward the 2004 draft and attracting shoe-company brokers.
• Presti presented Dwight Howard’s report, and Lin Qi questioned Howard’s post skills, strength, and family situation.
• Presti described Shaun Livingston’s height and point-guard skills, while Lin Qi warned that his slight frame could fail against NBA physicality.
• Presti introduced Sebastian Telfair, and Lin Qi dismissed his streetball style and predicted he would struggle to stay in the league.

Lin Qi and Presti reviewed high school prospects and weighed their skills against their weaknesses. Lin Qi challenged Presti’s dismissal of Rajon Rondo, pointing to data that showed how Rondo powered Oak Hill Academy’s offense with precise passing and ball control.

• Presti described Al Jefferson’s scoring, poor conditioning, and limited defensive potential, and Lin Qi agreed he was not a cornerstone prospect.
• Presti and Lin Qi discussed J.R. Smith’s athleticism and shooting range alongside his emotional play and his father’s interference with coaching.
• Presti praised Josh Smith’s athletic tools but noted his stubborn, inefficient outside shooting.
• Lin Qi asked about Oak Hill’s overlooked point guard, Rajon Rondo, and Presti said Rondo was undersized, a poor shooter, and unlikely to enter the draft.
• Lin Qi showed Presti tracking data and explained that Rondo’s rebounding, low turnovers, and accurate passes fueled Oak Hill’s transition offense and Josh Smith’s dunks.

Lin Qi and Presti reviewed college prospects and decided to track Andre Iguodala secretly while publicly downplaying his value. Lin Qi used Channing Frye as cover for the scouting operation, then asked about the incoming Wake Forest University report.

• Lin Qi told Presti to let Rajon Rondo attend the University of Kentucky and quietly monitor his development for a year.
• Presti summarized scouting reports on Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tony Allen, Trevor Ariza, and Anderson Varejao.
• Lin Qi identified Andre Iguodala’s defensive and playmaking strengths as valuable, despite scouts viewing him as a raw offensive prospect.
• Lin Qi ordered Presti to scout Iguodala discreetly by listing Channing Frye as the target and sending Iguodala footage to Frank Vogel.
• Lin Qi instructed Presti to downplay Iguodala publicly and promote Frye as a distraction, then asked whether the Wake Forest University material had arrived.

Lin Qi and Sam Presti discussed how to persuade Chris Paul to enter the 2004 draft early without alerting rival teams or leaving evidence for the NBA. Lin Qi proposed using Converse sponsorships and consulting contracts to benefit Paul's family, and Presti believed the plan would avoid league penalties.

• Presti presented scouting reports on Chris Paul's performance and explained his family ties, loyalty to Wake Forest, and reasons he was unlikely to declare early.
• Lin Qi told Presti that Paul would become a top prospect if he waited another year and asked what penalties they might face for secretly encouraging him to enter the draft.
• Presti said proven illegal contact could cost the team a fine, a second-round pick, or his suspension, but warned that leaks could let rival teams draft Paul ahead of them and demand a ransom.
• Lin Qi proposed that Converse sign C.J. Paul as a sports marketing consultant and Charles Paul's gas station as a service provider for youth basketball camps.
• Presti noted that the commercial deals involved people outside the Lin Qi Clause and NBA salary cap, leaving the league with little recourse.

Lin Qi outlined a covert plan to pressure Chris Paul into entering the 2004 NBA draft by offering his family money and a shoe deal, spreading rumors that Wake Forest wanted to replace him, and threatening an NCAA investigation. Presti agreed to carry out the scheme, while Lin Qi approved two weeks off for Ron.

• Lin Qi told Presti to have Converse warn Charles Paul about the risks of staying in college, Chris Paul's lack of injury insurance, and a five-year, twenty-million-dollar shoe deal that would go to Devin Harris or Ben Gordon if Paul stayed.
• Lin Qi proposed giving Paul's brother a well-paid job and sponsoring Charles Paul's gas station to encourage the family to push Chris toward the draft.
• Lin Qi instructed Presti to hire a PR firm to spread rumors that Coach Skip Prosser wanted to replace Chris Paul with Rajon Rondo and was pursuing other point guards, while Justin Gray's family resented Paul's role.
• Lin Qi planned to use an anonymous letter alleging NCAA scrutiny of Converse payments to Paul's family to make Chris fear suspension and harm to Wake Forest and Coach Prosser.
• Presti agreed to execute the plan without involving Celtics scouts before Chris Paul filed his draft paperwork, and Lin Qi approved fourteen days off for Ron.

The Celtics endured a punishing stretch of road games marked by travel delays, injuries, slippery floors, and failing outside shots, but adapted by attacking the paint to keep winning. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce raised their production, while Garnett’s full-court passes to Dwyane Wade became a highlight-reel fixture.

• The Celtics waited two hours at Toronto Pearson after a customs system failure, then narrowly beat Toronto after a grueling game.
• A blizzard delayed the team bus on the way to Cleveland, where Dwyane Wade cramped late and LeBron James and Carlos Boozer helped the Cavaliers steal a win.
• In overtime against New Jersey, Wade slipped on a damp floor and was called for traveling with fourteen seconds left, costing the Celtics a chance to win.
• The Celtics’ outside shots kept missing on the road, and Ben Wallace suspected visiting arenas had tampered with the rims.
• Rick Carlisle removed the team’s perimeter sets and sent the Celtics to attack the basket, helping them grind out wins against Miami and Orlando.
• Kevin Garnett led the league’s MVP rankings with outstanding numbers, while Paul Pierce averaged 26 points and Garnett’s long passes to Wade became regular highlight plays.

Gary Payton settled into a 28-minute role that let him organize Boston’s offense and defense while preserving his health. In Philadelphia, his late-game play helped Boston pull away for a 106-98 win.

• Rick Carlisle and the medical staff limited Payton’s minutes and used him as a bench adviser, transitional-lineup leader, and closer.
• On February 11, Boston entered the final four minutes against Philadelphia with a 96-94 lead and sent in its closing lineup.
• Payton helped create Rasheed Wallace’s three-pointer, then stole the ball from Allen Iverson and sent Wade ahead for a dunk.
• Payton passed through Philadelphia’s press, relocated to the corner, and hit a three-pointer to extend Boston’s lead to eight.
• Boston held Philadelphia off and won 106-98 after Pierce scored and Rasheed secured the final rebound.

Ron Artest returned to the Auerbach Training Center after a disastrous music promotion tour that left him feeling exploited and disillusioned. He turned back to basketball training, where the work felt honest, and arrived at the fitness testing room to meet Mike.

• Ron Artest arrived at the Auerbach Training Center with more than two hundred and eighty unsold CDs after a fourteen-day promotion tour.
• Music-industry workers overcharged Artest for recording and promotion, while a radio DJ barely played his song.
• A nightclub owner used Artest's name to sell tickets, then left him with a $4,600 liquor bill and discarded CDs.
• Sean stopped Artest from attacking the nightclub owner by warning him about the police and the risk to his Celtics career.
• Artest retrieved clean CDs from the dumpster and trained at a high school gym the next morning, finding reassurance in basketball.
• Ron Artest and Sean reached the training center, where Mike was waiting in the fitness testing room.

Artest returned from leave in better shape and passed the team’s fitness tests before bringing Lin Qi a demo cassette for a new song. He explained that he had abandoned the fake street-rap image and wanted to write about his real experience of reaching the NBA Finals and winning a championship.

• Artest reported to the training facility, where Boyle confirmed his weight and body fat had fallen and his muscle mass was unchanged.
• Boyle checked Artest’s knees and Achilles tendons, while Sean confirmed Artest had completed every assigned workout and followed the meal plan during his leave.
• Artest passed the shuttle-run test in one minute and two seconds, beating the qualifying time by two seconds.
• Artest met Lin Qi in his office and handed him a demo cassette labeled “Champions.”
• Artest told Lin Qi that music-industry workers had exploited him and that he had rejected the imitation street-rap songs he had previously recorded.
• Artest recalled realizing during a cold training session in Indiana that he should write about his own life, including reaching the NBA Finals and winning a championship.

Artest told Lin Qi how his memories of defeating Michael and Shaq inspired the song “Champions,” and Lin arranged for him to record it professionally in Los Angeles during All-Star Weekend. The chapter left Artest heading to practice, energized by Lin’s support and warning that he had to keep earning his place on the team.

• Artest recounted the brutal Finals Game 7 in which Michael lost his first Finals and explained how those memories shaped the lyrics of “Champions.”
• Lin Qi offered Artest a professional recording studio and producers in Los Angeles so he could finish the song for the second Kingmaker movie.
• Lin Qi warned Artest that Tayshaun Prince and Gerald Wallace were competing for his playing time and that he needed to keep performing on the court.
• Artest declared that he would defend his place on the second unit and set off to practice.
• Lin Qi bought ten of Artest’s homemade CDs for one thousand dollars and asked him to sign and date each one.