Recaps

Boston weathered Miami’s brutal fouling and physical defense, then used a fresh lineup and disciplined half-court play to win game one, 92-78. The battered Heat left the court as Lin Qi passed Pat Riley and headed for the visitors’ locker room.

• Pat Riley ordered Miami to foul Garnett hard, and the Heat cut Boston’s lead from sixteen points to eight through punishing physical play.
• Lin Qi told Adelman to return Boston’s starters and meet Miami’s rough tactics with even tougher play.
• Boston’s returning lineup slowed the game, as P.J. Brown scored over Brian Grant and Mutombo blocked Mourning’s shot.
• Boston shut down Miami in the fourth quarter and won 92-78.
• Mourning limped toward the tunnel while Lin Qi passed Riley and walked to the visitors’ locker room.

The Miami Heat used controlled fouls, physical defense, and slow half-court possessions to disrupt Boston and force Game 2 into their preferred style. Miami won 85-80 to tie the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 1-1, and Pat Riley gave Lin Qi a provocative smile.

• Pat Riley rested Alonzo Mourning and Brian Grant early while Miami's reserves fouled Boston to stop its fast breaks.
• Mourning returned in the second quarter and scored through Bo Outlaw as Miami focused its offense on the low post.
• Brian Grant drew an offensive foul on Kevin Garnett in the third quarter, giving Garnett his fourth foul and sending him to the bench.
• Miami slowed the fourth quarter with long possessions, and Tim Hardaway assisted Mourning on a late basket that put the Heat ahead 83-78.
• The Miami Heat defeated Boston 85-80 to tie the series 1-1, and Riley gave Lin Qi a cold, victorious smile.

After Miami tied the Eastern Conference semifinal at 1-1 with rough play, Lin Qi publicly attacked Pat Riley’s tactics and argued that the Heat’s fouling threatened the NBA’s appeal to viewers and sponsors. His remarks set off a media storm and put pressure on the league to change how the next game was called.

• Lin Qi compared Miami’s midcourt fouls to wrestling and hockey, arguing that the Heat were preventing basketball from being played.
• Lin Qi invoked NBA broadcasts, sponsors, and David Stern’s efforts to make basketball a respectable sport, then left the briefing room.
• Reporters recognized that Lin Qi had framed the issue as a threat to the league’s business, and predicted that the next game would be officiated differently.
• ESPN replayed Miami’s fouls with a hockey penalty-box timer, while Boston and Miami newspapers published opposing reactions.
• The New York Post attacked Riley by contrasting his Lakers-era basketball with the Heat’s rough tactics.

Pat Riley responded to Lin Qi’s “hockey theory” by doubling down on Miami’s physical play, and Lin Qi prepared Boston to exploit the Heat’s fouls while avoiding retaliation. The chapter left Boston ready for a pivotal Game 3, with strict orders to keep the bench off the court and avoid suspensions.

• Pat Riley mocked Boston’s concerns at the airport and declared that Miami pursued only ultimate victory.
• Lin Qi told the team that Miami would keep testing the referees and ordered the players not to retaliate when whistles blew.
• Rick Adelman outlined how Boston could attack the basket and draw free throws if the Heat continued fouling.
• Lin Qi urged Kevin Garnett to stay composed and smile after being knocked down, prompting jokes from Sam Cassell and Robert Horry.
• Lin Qi ordered everyone on Boston’s bench to stay seated during any on-court fight, and Robert Horry warned that leaving the bench meant automatic suspension.

Lin Qi’s media campaign led officials to crack down on Miami’s rough defense, helping Boston win Game 3 and take a 2-1 lead. Pat Riley adjusted Miami’s approach in Game 4, slowing the pace and wearing down the Celtics to tie the series at 2-2, setting up Game 5.

• Before Game 3, league officials were instructed to strictly penalize Miami’s rough tactics, while Boston fans mocked the Heat with hockey jerseys and banners.
• The officials repeatedly called fouls on Miami, and the Heat reached the team foul limit before the first quarter’s eighth minute.
• Lin Qi urged Boston to run, and the Celtics exploited the whistles with cuts, fast breaks, and free throws to win Game 3, 96-84.
• For Game 4, Pat Riley abandoned Miami’s midcourt fouls and slowed the game with deliberate half-court offense and draining physical defense.
• With thirty seconds left and the teams tied at 83, Tim Hardaway scored a pull-up jumper, and Miami won 88-83 to tie the series at 2-2.

Lin Qi bought Amazon shares during Wall Street’s panic selling while preparing the Celtics for the decisive games against Miami. Boston won Game 5, lost Game 6, and Lin Qi left the story poised to reveal a new strategy for Game 7.

• Lin Qi ordered his broker to begin buying Amazon shares discreetly, planning to invest more if the price fell further.
• Sam Cassell hit two late jumpers and Dikembe Mutombo blocked Alonzo Mourning’s final shot as Boston won Game 5, 91-88, and took a 3-2 series lead.
• Miami rallied in Game 6, overcame Kevin Garnett’s late cramps, and tied the series at 3-3 after Michael Finley’s potential game-winning three missed.
• Lin Qi reviewed trade confirmations showing that more than $100 million of his credit facility had been invested in Amazon shares.
• Lin Qi interrupted the coaches’ film review before Game 7 and announced that Boston would change its strategy.

The Celtics opened Game Seven with a defensive lineup and faced the Heat’s attempt to provoke a brawl. After the referees ejected Keith Askins, P.J. Brown, and Sam Mitchell, Boston kept its key players available, and Kevin Garnett entered the game with the Celtics in control.

• Before the game, Lin Qi warned P.J. Brown and Ben Wallace that Miami would try to provoke a fight, while Sam Mitchell volunteered to take the penalty if he had to leave the bench to contain a confrontation.
• Adelman started Sam Cassell, Eddie Jones, Ben Wallace, P.J. Brown, and Dikembe Mutombo, leaving Kevin Garnett and Robert Horry on the bench.
• Keith Askins sent Cassell crashing into the photographers, and Brown grabbed Askins by the jersey and slammed him to the floor as both teams converged.
• Mitchell separated the Celtics players and dragged Wallace back, while Horry stopped Garnett from crossing the sideline; Cassell then stood up and told his teammates he was fine.
• The referees ejected Askins for a flagrant foul, Brown for a technical foul, and Mitchell for illegally leaving the bench; Mitchell accepted that he would miss the next game if Boston advanced.
• Cassell made both free throws, and Adelman sent Garnett into the game with three minutes and twenty seconds left in the first quarter.

The Boston Celtics overcame Miami’s physical play and defeated the Heat 85-81 in Game 7, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. Kevin Garnett led Boston’s attack and defense as the game’s final moments secured the win.

• After the officials tightened their calls on contact, Garnett exploited the space to set up Eddie Jones’s dunk and help Boston finish the first quarter ahead 24-19.
• Garnett scored from the high post, led a fast break that created Finley’s three-pointer, and gave Boston a 47-42 halftime lead.
• Lin Qi urged Garnett to use the room the officials were giving him, and Boston made Garnett the center of its offense in the third quarter.
• With the game tied 81-81 late in the fourth, Garnett passed to Mutombo for a dunk, then stripped Mourning and helped Boston extend its lead to 85-81.
• Mutombo secured the rebound on Miami’s final three-point attempt, and Boston won Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

After Boston beat Miami, the media predicted Chicago would sweep the Celtics, and Pat Riley warned that courage alone would not be enough against Michael Jordan. Boston began studying the Bulls, and Adelman ended the film session with a mysterious “But...” before explaining his plan.

• American media celebrated Boston’s Game 7 victory but overwhelmingly predicted the Bulls would sweep them in the Eastern Conference Finals.
• ESPN commentators dismissed Boston’s chances against Jordan and Chicago’s defense.
• Pat Riley acknowledged Boston’s toughness but warned that the Bulls’ one-on-one game made them nearly impossible to stop.
• Adelman showed the Celtics footage of the Bulls’ Triangle Offense, Jordan’s fadeaway, Pippen’s passing, and Rodman’s rebounding.
• Adelman told the Celtics that no one could lock down Jordan, erased the Bulls’ names from the whiteboard, and began to explain his counterpoint.

Lin Qi and Adelman planned to wear down Michael Jordan and force the Bulls' other players to beat Boston, but Chicago won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 92-84. Lin Qi saw Jordan’s limited scoring as a reason to adjust, and Boston prepared to start Kevin Garnett at small forward in Game 2 with P.J. Brown returning from suspension.

• Adelman showed Boston the Bulls’ past losses and assigned Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, and Kevin Garnett defensive roles, while Lin Qi added a plan to rotate defenders, prioritize rebounding, and accept open shots from lesser scorers.
• Michael Jordan mocked Boston in a pregame interview, and the Celtics arrived at Chicago’s United Center without suspended P.J. Brown.
• Boston’s defense forced Jordan to shoot poorly early, but Scottie Pippen and the Bulls’ supporting players exploited openings and built a lead.
• Dennis Rodman elbowed Kevin Garnett while fighting for a rebound, then helped Jordan score as Chicago maintained its advantage.
• Sam Cassell and Finley helped Boston cut the deficit to four, but Jordan’s late bank shot secured Chicago’s 92-84 win and a 1-0 series lead.
• Lin Qi pointed to Jordan’s 10-for-26 shooting and Adelman set Boston’s Game 2 lineup with Garnett at small forward and Brown back at power forward.

The Boston Celtics struggled against the Chicago Bulls’ physical play and a barrage of foul calls in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Lin Qi was ejected for confronting the referees, and Chicago won 98-89 to take a 2-0 series lead.

• Kevin Garnett blocked Scottie Pippen’s opening shot, helping Boston build a six-point first-quarter lead.
• Dennis Rodman fouled P.J. Brown and Dikembe Mutombo out of the referees’ view, grabbed an offensive rebound, and elbowed Garnett, who was called for a foul.
• The referees’ calls put Mutombo and Brown in foul trouble, allowing the Bulls to rally and take a nine-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
• Lin Qi confronted the lead referee over the free-throw disparity and was ejected after receiving two technical fouls.
• Lin Qi told the frustrated Celtics to hold their heads up as Chicago won 98-89 and took a 2-0 series lead.

Michael Jordan tried to intimidate the Celtics before Game 3, but Boston answered with a brutal, physical win over Chicago. The Celtics cut the series deficit to 2-1.

• Jordan blocked the Celtics' player-tunnel entrance with his Ferrari, then entered their locker room, smoked a cigar, and challenged them to name his defender.
• Adelman ordered Jordan out after Jordan taunted Garnett, and Garnett kicked the tactics board in anger.
• Lin Qi watched from courtside as Boston fans raised posters of him and the Celtics and Bulls began a punishing, low-scoring game.
• Garnett stopped Pippen's drive, stole the ball, and poster-dunked over Rodman, igniting the FleetCenter crowd.
• The Celtics harassed Jordan until his shots failed, while Garnett blocked three shots and Boston won 88-81 to make the series 2-1.

After Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson tried to demean Boston as a team of “boys,” Lin Qi rallied the Celtics to confront the Bulls’ psychological warfare in Game 4. Kevin Garnett helped Boston win 92-91, tying the series 2-2 and setting up Game 5.

• After losing Game 3, Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson publicly belittled the Celtics, calling them lucky boys and Boy Scouts.
• Lin Qi showed the Celtics the newspaper before Game 4 and urged them to prove Chicago wrong.
• Jordan dominated in the third quarter as Chicago surged ahead, but Garnett’s block on Pippen helped Boston stop the run.
• With Boston leading 90-89, Garnett grabbed a rebound over Dennis Rodman, whose apparent breakdown turned into a bloodied, furious confrontation with Garnett.
• Garnett stood his ground against Rodman, and both received technical fouls while Boston retained possession.
• Garnett secured the rebound on Chicago’s final possession, and Boston won 92-91 to tie the series 2-2.

In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls fought through a punishing contest at the United Center. Dennis Rodman tried to provoke Kevin Garnett, but Garnett responded with disciplined defense as the teams entered the fourth quarter tied 72-72.

• Chicago fans taunted the Celtics with leaflets mocking Kevin Garnett, while Rick Adelman calmly reviewed the game plan with Garnett and Sam Cassell.
• Boston pushed the pace in the first quarter and finished ahead of Chicago by two points.
• Michael Jordan took over in the second quarter, scoring through Boston's defense as the Bulls went into halftime leading 46-45.
• Dennis Rodman repeatedly fouled and provoked Garnett after halftime, but Garnett stayed composed and answered with forceful defense and rebounds.
• Garnett blocked Scottie Pippen and helped limit Chicago as the game became a war of attrition, tied 72-72 after three quarters.

The Boston Celtics lost to the Chicago Bulls when Scottie Pippen scored on a last-second alley-oop after Kevin Garnett's dunk briefly put Boston ahead. The Bulls took a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Garnett would wear a black protective mask in the next game in Chicago.

• Michael Jordan hit a late jump shot to put the Bulls ahead 93-92 with six seconds remaining.
• Kevin Garnett dunked Sam Cassell's pass through Dennis Rodman's foul, giving Boston a 94-93 lead, but Garnett missed the free throw.
• Michael Jordan grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 0.8 seconds left.
• Toni Kukoč passed over Boston's defense to Scottie Pippen, who tipped the ball into the basket as time expired to win the game 95-94.
• Garnett knelt beneath the basket as the Bulls celebrated, and the series moved to Chicago with the Bulls leading 3-2.

The Celtics used Kevin Garnett’s defense and their many scoring threats to lead the Bulls through three quarters of Game Six, but Michael Jordan calmly orchestrated Chicago’s offense and kept the game close. After Boston extended its lead to seven, Jordan’s look made Lin Qi realize he was about to get serious.

• Garnett entered Game Six in a protective mask to a roaring FleetCenter crowd as the Celtics faced elimination against the Bulls.
• The Celtics raced to a 28-21 first-quarter lead, with Garnett assisting Mutombo and Cassell and Chris Mullin adding scores.
• Jordan drew Boston’s defense and passed to open teammates, helping the Bulls cut the Celtics’ lead to 49-48 by halftime.
• Thibodeau urged the Celtics to keep pressuring Jordan, while Garnett asked what they could do if Jordan made the right pass every time.
• Garnett led Boston’s defensive effort in the third quarter and scored as the Celtics rebuilt a seven-point lead at 67-60.
• After the Bulls called timeout, Lin Qi recognized Jordan’s focused expression as a sign that he was about to get serious.

Michael Jordan led the Bulls past the Celtics 100-95 in Game 6, winning their Eastern Conference series 4-2 and advancing to the NBA Finals. After the loss, Lin Qi told Rick Adelman to make the young Celtics train hard over the summer if they wanted another chance against Jordan.

• Jordan helped the Bulls take the lead with a fadeaway and a pass to Scottie Pippen, while Boston answered to keep the game close.
• With the score 94-93, Jordan grabbed the rebound from Chris Mullin’s missed three and later scored over the Celtics’ defense to put Chicago ahead 96-93.
• Kevin Garnett made a jumper to bring Boston within one, but Jordan drew the defenders with a fake and passed to Steve Kerr, who hit a three to make it 99-95.
• Sam Cassell missed a late three, and Dennis Rodman grabbed the rebound as the Bulls won 100-95 and advanced to the NBA Finals.
• Jordan praised Garnett after the game and left, while Lin Qi told Rick Adelman that the Celtics had to train hard over the summer.

After the Celtics lost to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals, Paul Gaston announced that Rick Pitino would become head coach and take over basketball operations in a year, forcing Lin Qi to defend his authority. Lin accepted the one-year challenge while secretly deciding to use the coming offseason to settle accounts.

• Paul Gaston announced that Rick Pitino had signed a ten-year contract and would become the Celtics' president of basketball operations in one year.
• Lin Qi confronted Gaston, who defended hiring Pitino by citing the Celtics' losses, financial risks, and Kevin Garnett's looming contract demands.
• Gaston gave Lin one year to prove his value and demanded a championship-caliber roster capable of challenging the Bulls.
• Gaston showed Lin a list of former Kentucky players—Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Ron Mercer, and Derek Anderson—that Pitino wanted brought to Boston.
• Lin left with the list, resolved to play along for the year before settling accounts when the takeover deadline arrived.

After Rick Pitino’s arrival threatened to displace Lin Qi’s staff and veterans, Lin arranged respectful departures and future opportunities for those being pushed out. As the office fell quiet, Larry Bird called from Indiana.

• Lin Qi called a meeting and told the listed staff that Pitino would bring his own support team, then offered recommendations and help finding new jobs.
• Rick Adelman thanked Lin Qi for their two years together and warned that Pitino would not tolerate Lin’s control over tactics.
• Lin Qi offered Mark Price a trade to a contender and invited him to return to Boston later as a coach or player-development specialist.
• Sam Mitchell asked Lin Qi to warn Kevin Garnett about the veterans’ departures and keep him from reacting violently at the hospital.
• Chris Mullin accepted Lin Qi’s promise to find him a suitable contender after reflecting on his games against Michael Jordan.
• Lin Qi’s secretary told him that Larry Bird had called from Indiana on the private priority line.

Lin Qi negotiated a trade with Larry Bird, the newly appointed Pacers head coach, sending Chris Mullin to Indiana for the ninth overall pick, Derrick McKey, and a future second-round pick. Bird also warned Lin Qi not to expect loyalty or reward from the Celtics’ front office.

• Larry Bird told Lin Qi he had accepted the Pacers head coaching job and wanted Chris Mullin.
• Lin Qi argued that Mullin could help Indiana contend immediately, and Bird agreed to make the ninth overall pick the centerpiece of a deal.
• Bird asked Lin Qi to take Derrick McKey’s contract so Indiana could make room for Reggie Miller’s extension.
• Lin Qi negotiated an additional future second-round pick, and Bird accepted the terms.
• Bird warned Lin Qi that the Celtics might not reward his efforts, and Lin Qi agreed to remember the advice.
• The trade sent Chris Mullin to Indiana and brought Derrick McKey, the Pacers’ ninth pick in the 1997 draft, and Indiana’s 1999 second-round pick to Boston.

Lin Qi exploited Wall Street's bearish turn against Amazon to acquire more shares, bringing his Seattle investment to $140 million. As the 1997 NBA draft approached, he held several high picks and faced decisions that could shape Boston's future.

• Lin Qi read a report on coordinated short selling and Amazon's falling share price, then continued buying shares through offshore companies and agreements with locked-up investors.
• Lin Qi's Amazon purchases brought his total investment in Seattle to $140 million.
• As the 1997 NBA draft neared, media and scouts focused on Tim Duncan and debated prospects including Keith Van Horn, Chauncey Billups, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Mercer.
• Lin Qi sat in Boston's front office with Vancouver's third pick, Denver's fourth pick, Indiana's ninth pick, and Boston's twenty-fifth pick as draft night approached.

Lin Qi controlled the Celtics’ 1997 draft night, trading picks to select Chauncey Billups, Ron Mercer, Tracy McGrady, and Derek Anderson while satisfying Rick Pitino’s requests. He also acquired Tony Delk and Walter McCarty, leaving Pitino with his Kentucky loyalists but aware that Lin Qi had dictated the night’s pace.

• The Spurs selected Tim Duncan first, and the 76ers selected Keith Van Horn second before Lin Qi submitted Boston’s pick.
• Boston selected Chauncey Billups third, then Lin Qi traded the fourth pick to New Jersey for later picks and selected Ron Mercer sixth.
• Lin Qi selected Tracy McGrady ninth despite Pitino’s objections, then traded picks and future second-rounders to Cleveland for the thirteenth pick and selected Derek Anderson.
• Lin Qi used later picks and cash to acquire Tony Delk and Walter McCarty, assembling most of Pitino’s Kentucky loyalists.
• Pitino recognized that Lin Qi had controlled the draft-night decisions even as the Celtics added the players he wanted.

Lin Qi used Seattle's turmoil over Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton to trade a package of Boston players and a protected first-round pick for Payton. The chapter ended with Lin Qi envisioning a Boston starting lineup built around Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo, though Rick Pitino's final choices remained uncertain.

• Lin Qi questioned Derrick McKey about Seattle, and McKey revealed that Gary Payton was loyal to Kemp but hated wasting his prime.
• After Seattle put Kemp on the trading block, Payton demanded a trade, and his agent secretly contacted Lin Qi through McKey.
• Lin Qi negotiated with Wally Walker and offered Sam Cassell, Mark Price, Michael Finley, Steve Nash, and a protected 1999 first-round pick for Payton.
• Walker accepted the deal, giving Lin Qi the Hall of Fame-caliber star he wanted.
• Lin Qi mapped out a projected starting lineup of Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo.

Lin Qi assembled a star-studded, defense-heavy Celtics roster by trading away much of the chemistry and depth he had built, including Steve Nash. He left Rick Pitino with a high-ceiling but volatile team and the burden of proving he could control it.

• Lin Qi finalized a 15-man roster led by Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo.
• Lin Qi reflected on the role players and team chemistry he had sacrificed, including Mark Price, Chris Mullin, Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and Steve Nash.
• Lin Qi traded Derrick McKey to the Los Angeles Clippers with two future second-round picks to clear cap space.
• Lin Qi recognized that the roster's talent came with risks: uneven play, clashing egos, and Gary Payton's defiance of coaches and management.
• Lin Qi left Rick Pitino to prove he could control the volatile team and lead Boston toward a championship.

Lin Qi publicly handed Rick Pitino control of the Celtics’ on-court decisions as Boston’s media hailed the new coach as a savior. In private, Lin Qi saw dangerous conflicts beneath the team’s talent, especially between Pitino and Gary Payton and the uncertainty over Kevin Garnett’s extension.

• Lin Qi greeted Rick Pitino before the press conference and sat at the edge of the spotlight beside owner Paul Gaston.
• Lin Qi told reporters he would stay out of daily basketball decisions and give Pitino full authority and support.
• Lin Qi read the glowing press coverage three days later and privately resented how readily the media praised Pitino.
• Lin Qi reviewed the roster and anticipated that Gary Payton would clash with Pitino, while Kevin Garnett’s unsigned extension added another concern.
• Lin Qi expected the team’s talent and regular-season wins to conceal its problems as Pitino and Payton took credit for the success.