Recaps

The Celtics struggled against Miami’s punishing defense as Garnett, Cassell, and Mutombo fell into frustration and tactical conflict. Lin Qi refused to call a timeout, leaving the players to face their problems as Miami took a 48-33 halftime lead; their response in the second half remained uncertain.

• Lin Qi and the Celtics’ coaches studied Miami’s physical play and saw how Brian Grant and Alonzo Mourning dominated the Knicks.
• Grant and Mourning overwhelmed Garnett in the opening quarter, while Miami held Boston to sixteen points.
• Hardaway repeatedly exploited Cassell’s screens and Mutombo’s reluctance to hedge, deepening the disagreement between the guards and center.
• Lin Qi stopped Adelman from calling a timeout and told him to trust the players to solve their problems.
• Hardaway hit a buzzer-beating three to give Miami a 48-33 halftime lead as Cassell and Mutombo collided and Garnett followed them into the locker room.
• Lin Qi watched the furious players enter the locker room and lit his cigarette, leaving their second-half response unresolved.

Adelman changed the Celtics’ tactics at halftime, using Kevin Garnett’s outside shooting to pull Brian Grant away from the paint and ordering the guards to double Tim Hardaway. The Celtics’ adjustments worked, cutting the Heat’s lead to four points by the end of the third quarter.

• Sam Cassell and Dikembe Mutombo argued over the Heat’s screens and their defensive roles while Kevin Garnett stayed silent after struggling against Brian Grant.
• Adelman explained how Pat Riley exploited the illegal-defense rules and ordered Garnett to spread the floor while Cassell and Eddie Jones double-teamed Hardaway, with Mutombo directing the defense.
• Cassell and Eddie Jones trapped Hardaway on the first possession of the third quarter, and Garnett’s contact kept Grant from reaching the offensive rebound as Mutombo secured the ball.
• Garnett hit a three-pointer over Grant after Cassell drew the Heat’s defense toward him.
• Garnett’s outside shooting and the Celtics’ improved defensive rotations steadily reduced the deficit, leaving the Celtics trailing 74-78 at the end of the third quarter.

The Celtics completed a late comeback to defeat the Heat in Miami. After the game, Lin Qi began reviewing footage of the Los Angeles Lakers and watched Shaquille O'Neal dominate while Kobe Bryant looked on.

• Garnett grabbed an offensive rebound through Grant's foul and sank both free throws to cut the Celtics' deficit to two.
• Cassell tied the game with a mid-range shot after using Mutombo's screen.
• Mutombo blocked Mourning's shot, and Garnett secured the rebound for the Celtics.
• Cassell passed to Garnett, who found Robert Horry for the winning three-pointer as the Celtics took an 81-78 lead.
• The Heat missed their final three-point attempt, and the final buzzer confirmed the Celtics' comeback victory.
• Lin Qi returned to his hotel and watched a Lakers tape showing Shaquille O'Neal dunk and Kobe Bryant watching intently.

Lin Qi’s Celtics faced Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers in a Christmas showdown, with Lin’s scouting session predicting the dilemma posed by O'Neal’s post game and the Lakers’ shooters. The Lakers opened by scoring through O'Neal and Gugliotta, leaving Kevin Garnett struggling to decide whether to help inside or guard the perimeter.

• Lin Qi told Adelman and Thibodeau that the Celtics had to choose between guarding O'Neal one-on-one and risking his shooters against a double-team.
• O'Neal backed down Dikembe Mutombo and opened the game with a powerful dunk for the Lakers.
• Garnett hesitated to help Mutombo because Gugliotta was open near the free-throw line.
• O'Neal passed beneath Mutombo’s arm to Gugliotta, who made a midrange jumper and taunted Garnett.

The Celtics used Eddie Jones’s defense and their deep bench to challenge the Lakers, while Kobe Bryant made a daring impression in his first-quarter minutes. Shaquille O’Neal’s return helped the Lakers retake the lead, and Lin Qi headed to the locker room to speak with the coaching staff before the second half.

• Eddie Jones stole Doug Christie’s pass intended for O’Neal and finished a fast-break dunk, then Sam Cassell posted up David Wesley and tied the score at 4-4.
• The Lakers led 28-24 at the end of the first quarter as O’Neal anchored their offense against Boston’s perimeter defense.
• Mark Price, Chris Mullin, and Michael Finley led a 7-0 Celtics run against the Lakers’ second unit, putting Boston ahead.
• Kobe Bryant missed a steal attempt against Price, then answered with a difficult finish through contact after demanding the ball on the next Lakers possession.
• Del Harris brought O’Neal back early, and the Lakers used his inside scoring to regain the lead and reach halftime ahead 51-48.
• Lin Qi headed to the locker room to talk with the coaching staff before the second half.

The Celtics defeated the Lakers 97-95 after Kevin Garnett tied the game and scored a last-second dunk, completing his breakout performance in the Christmas showdown. As Boston celebrated, Kobe Bryant watched the retired jerseys above FleetCenter, leaving the rivalry’s future unresolved.

• At halftime, Lin Qi told Garnett and Eddie Jones to anticipate the Lakers’ passes and double Shaquille O'Neal before he caught the ball.
• Garnett used high-post passes to help the Celtics take the lead, but the Lakers adjusted their defense and went into the fourth quarter ahead 76-74.
• Garnett helped force a turnover from O'Neal, and Robert Horry made a corner three to put Boston ahead before the Lakers reclaimed the lead.
• With thirty seconds left and Boston trailing 95-93, Garnett hit a high-post jumper to tie the score, then Eddie Jones intercepted the Lakers’ final lob.
• Cassell sent the ball upcourt, and Garnett dunked through a foul as time expired to give the Celtics a 97-95 win.
• After the game, O'Neal praised Garnett, while Kobe Bryant stared at Boston’s retired jerseys and Lin Qi watched the Lakers leave.

After David Robinson’s season-ending injury made San Antonio’s protected 1997 first-round pick valuable, Lin Qi traded its control back to the Spurs for two unprotected future picks, then exchanged those picks with Vancouver for the Grizzlies’ unprotected 1997 and 2001 first-round selections. He ended the night holding Vancouver’s picks as Boston celebrated Kevin Garnett’s game-winner over the Lakers.

• After Dallas sent Jason Kidd to Phoenix, Lin Qi rejected his assistant’s suggestion to pursue Kidd, citing Boston’s need for a stable winning culture.
• When David Robinson’s injury threatened the value of San Antonio’s top-three-protected 1997 pick, Lin Qi ignored offers from other teams and called Gregg Popovich.
• Lin Qi persuaded Popovich to trade two unprotected first-round picks in 1998 and 2000 for control of San Antonio’s 1997 pick.
• Lin Qi called Vancouver and traded the Spurs’ two future picks, adding several second-rounders, for the Grizzlies’ unprotected 1997 and 2001 first-round picks.

In January 1997, Lin Qi’s Celtics rested three starters but overwhelmed Vancouver 142-102 with fast, pass-heavy basketball led by Chris Mullin and Steve Nash. The victory confirmed Lin Qi’s confidence in his team’s depth and in the two unprotected future first-round picks he had acquired from the Grizzlies.

• Rick Adelman announced that Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, and Dikembe Mutombo would sit out, angering Shareef Abdur-Rahim and motivating him to challenge Kevin Garnett.
• Lin Qi and Adelman started Mark Price, Eddie Jones, Chris Mullin, Kevin Garnett, and P.J. Brown, and the Celtics raced into a 72-59 halftime lead through quick passing and Mullin’s shooting.
• Steve Nash entered for Price and impressed the crowd with a behind-the-back assist, then broke Vancouver’s pressure and helped Boston extend its lead to 108-87 by the end of the third quarter.
• The Celtics finished with a 142-102 win, as Mullin scored 36 points, Nash recorded 17 points and 12 assists, and seven Boston players reached double figures.
• After the game, Lin Qi reflected on the Grizzlies’ lack of organization and regarded their two unprotected future first-round picks as valuable prospects.

After Boston’s media hype over Kevin Garnett’s All-Star votes and Steve Nash’s big game, both young players struggled against Philadelphia’s pressure and lost 91-96. They accepted the lessons of the defeat and returned to practice, while Lin Qi watched them work.

• Boston media celebrated Garnett’s rise to seventh in Eastern Conference frontcourt voting and praised Nash after the Celtics routed Vancouver.
• Mark Price warned Nash that the media’s praise could quickly turn to criticism, and Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson exposed Nash’s vulnerability to pressure in the first half.
• Derrick Coleman baited Garnett into forcing low-post attacks, and the Celtics went into halftime down nine as Adelman challenged both young players to play to their strengths.
• Nash used screens and precise passes to help Boston rally, but Iverson beat him with a late floater as Philadelphia won 96-91.
• Nash took responsibility for his turnovers and promised to improve, while Garnett vowed to reach the All-Star Game despite his struggles against Coleman.
• After Boston’s media turned against the team, Lin Qi found Nash and Garnett working on their weaknesses under Adelman’s guidance.

Kevin Garnett earned an Eastern All-Star injury-replacement spot, and Kobe Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest at the 1997 All-Star Weekend. After Garnett gained confidence among the league’s stars, Lin Qi called Larry Bird and prepared to make an undisclosed proposal.

• After Patrick Ewing and Mourning were ruled out, David Stern named Kevin Garnett to the Eastern All-Stars roster instead of Christian Laettner.
• Michael Finley struggled in the Slam Dunk Contest, and Kobe Bryant won with a spectacular final dunk and a score of 49.
• At the All-Star Game, Garnett began nervously but settled down after advice from Mutombo and praise from Michael Jordan.
• Lin Qi learned that Larry Bird had missed the fiftieth-greatest-players ceremony because he was recovering from back surgery.
• Lin Qi called Bird, who asked him to state his real purpose, and Lin Qi began to explain what he wanted to discuss.

Lin Qi recruited Paul Westphal as a special offensive adviser to help Kevin Garnett develop his offense, following Larry Bird’s advice and John Havlicek’s introduction. The chapter ended with Harvey Weinstein calling to report that Good Will Hunting had received nine Oscar nominations and that they were heading to Los Angeles.

• Lin Qi asked Larry Bird to return to Boston and then sought his advice on finding Garnett an offensive mentor, but Bird declined to return and warned Lin to leave Rick Carlisle alone.
• Bird recommended Paul Westphal and directed Lin to ask John Havlicek to contact him, explaining that Westphal respected Havlicek and had ties to Boston.
• Lin contacted Havlicek, who agreed to invite Westphal to help Garnett, and Westphal was soon named the Celtics’ special offensive adviser.
• Lin reflected on Bird’s cryptic remark about Garnett before Harvey Weinstein called to announce that Good Will Hunting had received nine Oscar nominations.

Paul Westphal joined the Celtics as a special consultant and taught Kevin Garnett to build his game around high-post face-up offense, while Rick Adelman integrated those skills into the Princeton system. Garnett’s transformation powered Boston’s offense and culminated in a triple-double, as Lin Qi turned his attention toward Chicago.

• Paul Westphal came to Boston after John Havlicek urged him to help the Celtics and visited the FleetCenter before meeting with the team.
• Rick Adelman asked Westphal to develop Garnett’s individual offense while ensuring his instruction fit the team system.
• Westphal identified Garnett’s discomfort battling stronger defenders in the low post and encouraged him to attack from the high post, drawing on Charles Barkley’s game.
• Westphal trained Garnett in face-up moves, drives, and reads, while Adelman built the skills into Boston’s Princeton offense.
• After the All-Star Game, Garnett shifted toward high-post play and recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a game.
• Garnett credited Westphal and Adelman for teaching him to read the court, and Lin Qi reviewed his progress before looking toward Chicago.

Lin Qi brought Kevin Garnett and his family to a private screening of Good Will Hunting, then used Andrew Miller’s interest in the film’s clothing to set up a connection. The evening ended with Garnett meeting Mark Wahlberg and agreeing to play basketball with him.

• Lin Qi invited Andrew Miller to bring Garnett’s mother and sister to a private screening, intending to lay a trap for Miller.
• Garnett watched Good Will Hunting and, after his mother compared him to Will, quietly reflected on her words.
• At dinner, Miller recognized the workwear jacket from the film and predicted the brand would benefit as the movie won awards.
• Lin Qi offered to introduce Miller to someone at the brand and called Mark Wahlberg to join them.
• Wahlberg arrived, and he and Garnett bonded over basketball before agreeing to play one-on-one.

Lin Qi recognized Miller’s concern for Kevin Garnett’s future and offered him an opportunity of his own, while Garnett began to question whether the people around him truly protected him. Lin Qi left with Miller’s background check placed atop Eric Fleisher’s file, suggesting his next move in the struggle over Garnett’s representation.

• Miller proposed that Garnett pursue streetwear work, and Garnett’s mother recalled that Eric had sent a birthday card with his daughter’s name wrong.
• Lin Qi praised Miller for thinking about Garnett’s long-term image and offered to connect him with a streetwear company seeking a sports consultant.
• A week later, Lin Qi’s assistant delivered Miller a film-party invitation and a catalog of unreleased streetwear samples.
• On the drive home, Garnett asked Lin Qi whether he resembled Will from the movie, and Lin Qi said that people who had been hurt needed to know whether those helping them were protecting them or exploiting their talent.
• Garnett thanked Lin Qi for the evening, while Miller looked back at Lin Qi’s car before going upstairs with Garnett and his mother.
• Lin Qi placed Andrew Miller’s background check on top of Eric Fleisher’s thick file in his briefcase.

As the Celtics struggled to contain Alonzo Mourning with Dikembe Mutombo in foul trouble, Lin Qi sent Ben Wallace into the game, where his relentless defense and rebounding helped Boston hold off the Heat. After the victory, Lin Qi guaranteed Wallace’s contract, giving the overlooked rookie security at last.

• Ben Wallace trained alone after hours, lifting weights while staring at the draft picks chosen ahead of him.
• With Mutombo sidelined by foul trouble and P.J. Brown unable to stop Mourning, Lin Qi urged Rick Adelman to put Wallace in the game.
• Wallace held his ground against Mourning, fought through a crowded rebound to pass to Price for a three-pointer, and then blocked Tim Hardaway’s layup at the cost of crashing into photographers.
• Wallace’s physical defense disrupted Miami throughout the final seven minutes, helping the Celtics defend their home court.
• After the game, Lin Qi gave Wallace a fully guaranteed contract, and Wallace accepted it with a solemn nod.

Lin Qi reviewed the Boston Celtics’ 57-win season, highlighting the players’ development and the team’s defensive strength as they finished third in the Eastern Conference. With the playoff field set and Boston still untested in the postseason, the Celtics stood as an unknown variable behind the Bulls and Heat.

• Lin Qi calculated that Good Will Hunting had earned him over $40 million in profit, with VHS sales expected to bring in far more, but he judged the money insufficient.
• At Boston’s season review, Lin Qi presented the Celtics’ 57-25 record and player statistics, noting how coaching and development had helped the roster improve; Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year.
• Lin Qi reviewed the Western Conference standings, where Utah finished first and Karl Malone won MVP, while the Spurs’ future picks had been traded to the Grizzlies for their unprotected first-round picks.
• Lin Qi reviewed the Eastern Conference standings, with Chicago first, Miami second, Boston third, and Atlanta barely making the playoffs after Mutombo’s departure.
• Lin Qi concluded that the Bulls and Heat were the major obstacles, while his young, deep Celtics remained an unknown variable in the playoffs.

As the Celtics prepared to face the Bullets in the first round, the media focused on the matchup between Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett. Lin Qi confronted the team with the coverage doubting Garnett and challenged him to prove the critics wrong.

• The media highlighted Webber and Garnett as opposing visions of the power forward position ahead of the Celtics-Bullets series.
• Lin Qi brought an ESPN playoff preview questioning whether Webber would teach Garnett a lesson into the Celtics' film room.
• Lin Qi pointed out that Webber and Juwan Howard averaged nearly 40 points combined and formed Washington's core.
• Lin Qi tore Webber's photo from the preview and told Garnett to show how badly the media had misjudged him.

The Boston Celtics struggled against the Washington Bullets as Rod Strickland’s aggressive play forced Sam Cassell into early foul trouble and Chris Webber dominated Kevin Garnett in the post. The Bullets surged to a 16-6 lead, while Lin Qi suspected the referees were favoring the visitors.

• Rod Strickland used hard defense and a Shamgod crossover to unsettle Sam Cassell, who fouled him and picked up two fouls within three minutes.
• The Celtics benched Cassell and brought Mark Price into the game early.
• Chris Webber repeatedly scored over Kevin Garnett in the low post, building eight points and three rebounds while Garnett struggled.
• Garnett lost his temper after a disputed offensive-rebound call, threw the ball against the basket stanchion, and received a technical foul.
• The Washington Bullets opened a 16-6 lead, and Lin Qi watched as the angry Boston crowd reacted to the referees’ calls.

Boston fell behind Washington after Tracy Murray's hot shooting and Chris Webber's matchup with Kevin Garnett disrupted the Celtics. Rick Adelman changed the lineup at halftime, and Boston's three-big combination quickly neutralized the Bullets and forced Bernie Bickerstaff to call timeout.

• Tracy Murray scored 11 points in four minutes, stretching the Bullets' lead to 15 as Garnett struggled against Webber.
• Lin Qi told Garnett to ignore the media's comparison with Webber and play his own game, pointing to Ben Wallace's defense as an example.
• Wallace disrupted Webber in the post, but Webber sagged off Wallace to clog Boston's driving lanes, and the Celtics went into halftime trailing 42-32.
• Rick Adelman opened the second half with P.J. Brown, Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo together, letting Brown defend the post while Garnett roamed as a help defender.
• Garnett blocked Murray's shot, then found Brown for a high-low dunk that helped Boston's new lineup shut down the Bullets' offense.
• Bernie Bickerstaff called a timeout after Boston's three-big lineup solved the matchup early in the second half.

The Celtics lost Game 1 to the Washington Bullets, 92-89, after falling behind by 15 points and failing to complete their comeback. Lin Qi defended Kevin Garnett at the press conference and publicly vowed the Celtics would win Game 2, leaving Garnett determined to back him up.

• The Celtics cut the Bullets’ lead to two points late, but Rod Strickland’s clutch shot and Sam Cassell’s missed three secured Washington’s 92-89 win.
• Chris Webber finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Garnett held him to 2-for-11 shooting in the second half and recorded 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks.
• Lin Qi watched the Celtics leave the court calmly, believing they had learned how to turn the series around despite losing the opener.
• At the press conference, Lin Qi rejected a reporter’s criticism of Garnett and blamed Boston’s loss on its 15-point first-half deficit.
• Lin Qi vowed the Celtics would win Game 2, then told Garnett to help him make good on the boast; Garnett nodded firmly.

Lin Qi’s challenge galvanized Boston, and Rick Adelman’s new lineup used Garnett’s defense and team-first play to beat Washington in Game 2 and take a 2-1 series lead in Game 3. The Celtics left Washington with the tactical advantage, while Webber sensed it slipping away from the Bullets.

• Lin Qi left a provocative newspaper beside Garnett’s shoes, and Garnett responded by preparing to focus on the team rather than Webber.
• Rick Adelman started Sam Cassell, Eddie Jones, Kevin Garnett, P.J. Brown, and Dikembe Mutombo in Game 2.
• Garnett and Brown contained Webber, and Garnett finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks as Boston won 1-1 in the series.
• In Game 3, Boston used disciplined double-teams and rapid recoveries to disrupt Washington’s offense.
• The Celtics beat the Bullets 86-83 in Washington, taking a 2-1 series lead as Webber sensed Boston gaining tactical control.

Chris Webber opened Game 4 against Boston by attacking and creating for teammates, giving Washington a halftime lead, but the Celtics' disciplined play and punishing physical defense wore him down. As the fourth quarter approached, Lin Qi watched to see whether Webber could keep prioritizing the team or would give in to his need to be the savior.

• Webber left the locker room determined to answer Boston's defensive trap and scored, assisted, and passed through the Celtics' coverage early in Game 4.
• Webber led Washington to a seven-point halftime advantage with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.
• Lin Qi told Kevin Garnett that Webber's real test would come when exhaustion and pressure threatened to revive his urge to prove himself.
• Boston tightened its defense and ran its offense through Sam Cassell and Garnett, cutting Washington's lead to two points by the end of the third quarter.
• Webber showed clear signs of exhaustion before the fourth quarter as Lin Qi watched from a luxury suite, uncertain whether he could carry Washington through the final stretch.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets 93-89 to win their series 3-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat. After Chris Webber’s final shot missed, Kevin Garnett recognized how pride had trapped Webber and saw the same danger in himself.

• Gheorghe Mureșan scored on an offensive rebound to put the Washington Bullets ahead 89-88 late in the fourth quarter.
• Kevin Garnett passed out of Washington’s double-team, and Eddie Jones hit a corner shot to give the Boston Celtics a 91-89 lead.
• Chris Webber refused to call a timeout, forced up a contested three over Garnett and P.J. Brown, and missed; Dikembe Mutombo secured the rebound.
• Sam Cassell made both free throws, and the Celtics held on to win 93-89 after Rod Strickland missed a transition three.
• Kevin Garnett watched Webber leave the court and understood Lin Qi’s warning about becoming trapped by the need to prove himself.
• The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they would face the Miami Heat.

Rick Adelman and Lin Qi planned a drastic lineup change to counter Pat Riley’s slow, physical Miami Heat in the first road game. They left the team ready to use six minutes of bruising defense before unleashing a faster second unit to exhaust Miami’s big men.

• Rick Adelman explained that Miami slowed games and used physical contact to wear opponents down.
• Lin Qi warned that Miami would grow rougher if the playoff referees let contact go, and said Boston could not play at Miami’s pace.
• Adelman named Sam Cassell, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, P.J. Brown, and Dikembe Mutombo as the new starters, instructing them to meet Miami’s physicality for six minutes.
• Adelman planned to send Kevin Garnett, Michael Finley, Mark Price, Chris Mullin, and Bo Outlaw in together to push the pace and attack Miami before its big men could recover.
• Lin Qi called the second unit his trump card against Pat Riley and ordered the players to sprint relentlessly, and the team answered that they understood.

In game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Boston used physical half-court play before replacing all five starters and unleashing a fast-paced attack that overwhelmed Miami. Pat Riley called timeout with the Heat trailing by sixteen and prepared to use harder fouls to slow the Celtics.

• Boston and Miami traded punishing half-court possessions, and the score was 8-6 after six minutes.
• Rick Adelman replaced all five Boston starters with rotation players after Tim Hardaway drew a foul.
• Kevin Garnett led a fast break and dunked over Alonzo Mourning, then Boston forced a turnover and Michael Finley hit a corner three to put Boston ahead.
• Boston finished the first quarter on a 20-7 run and extended its lead to sixteen in the second quarter through Finley and Chris Mullin.
• Pat Riley called timeout and decided to use harder fouls and delays to bring the game back to Miami's physical style.