Recaps

The Celtics answered the Knicks’ third-quarter comeback with defense and Garnett’s scoring, then Payton and Garnett controlled the final minutes to secure the win. Boston left Madison Square Garden having swept New York in the first round.

• Ewing, Sprewell, and Houston led a 9-2 Knicks run that put New York ahead by four, while Doc Rivers showed his trust in Payton.
• Garnett blocked Ewing’s hook shot, scored through contact against Larry Johnson, and finished Payton’s full-court pass with a two-handed dunk.
• With the Knicks trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, Payton disrupted Houston’s shot, and Garnett collected the rebound.
• Payton slowed the game, used a pick-and-roll with Garnett to create a mismatch, and set up Garnett’s midrange jumper for a five-point lead.
• Payton scored an and-one after driving past Ewing, and Boston’s final possessions helped stretch the lead to ten.
• The Knicks failed to win a game in the first-round series, leaving Madison Square Garden silent.

The Celtics used an airtight, physical defense to stifle Philadelphia in Game One, leaving Allen Iverson struggling against Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett. After Iverson’s pass toward Theo Ratliff was intercepted by Eddie Jones, the Sixers were still searching for a way to score.

• Philadelphia entered the Eastern Conference semifinals after Allen Iverson led the fifth-seeded 76ers past Orlando, while Boston prepared to face his scoring threat.
• Less than six minutes into Game One, Philadelphia had made only one of ten shots, prompting Larry Brown to call a timeout and urge Iverson to call for an early screen.
• Gary Payton pressured Iverson across half court, then Kevin Garnett switched onto him and cut off his drive after Tyrone Hill set a screen.
• Iverson attempted to pass toward Theo Ratliff cutting to the basket, but Eddie Jones intercepted the ball and New Garden erupted.

The Philadelphia 76ers struggled against Boston’s suffocating defense, while Iverson repeatedly attacked the basket despite Gary Payton’s pressure and Dikembe Mutombo’s blocks. Boston won 98-82, and Iverson left the court bruised and exhausted but unbowed.

• Iverson answered a turnover by driving past Gary Payton and scoring over Dikembe Mutombo with an acrobatic layup.
• Boston limited Philadelphia to fourteen first-quarter points as Iverson struggled to find open shots.
• Paul Pierce scored a jumper over Larry Hughes during the second quarter.
• Iverson returned from the bench and continued attacking as Boston’s defense kept Philadelphia from cutting the deficit to single digits.
• Boston defeated Philadelphia 98-82, and Iverson walked toward the tunnel after the final buzzer.

After two losses to Boston, Iverson erupted in Philadelphia in Game 3, scoring through the Celtics’ nearly flawless defense while his teammates continued to miss. Philadelphia led 44-42 at halftime, but Lin Qi planned to intensify Boston’s defense and wondered whether Iverson could carry his team through the full game.

• On the flight back from Boston, Iverson replayed Philadelphia’s 105-88 loss and its 0-2 deficit in the series.
• In Philadelphia before Game 3, Payton taunted Iverson, but Iverson drove past him and opened the scoring with a step-back jumper.
• Iverson attacked Mutombo at the rim, made a contested layup through contact, and completed a three-point play.
• Iverson kept scoring against Boston’s coordinated defense, while Philadelphia’s other players missed open and contested shots.
• At halftime, Philadelphia led 44-42 as Iverson had scored 26 points and the rest of the team had managed 18.
• Lin Qi recognized that Boston’s defense had forced difficult shots but decided to raise its intensity in the second half, leaving Iverson’s ability to sustain his effort in question.

Iverson carried Philadelphia past Boston with a 48-point performance, hitting the go-ahead shot and making decisive defensive plays in a 106-103 win. Philadelphia cut Boston’s series lead to 2-1, but the exhausting game left Iverson and his teammates aware that one victory was not enough.

• Boston trapped Iverson relentlessly in the second half, and Garnett’s three-pointer gave the Celtics a 79-76 lead.
• Iverson scored repeatedly through Boston’s defense, tying the game at 84 by the end of the third quarter.
• Boston took a 103-102 lead in the final minute when Payton scored a hook shot.
• Iverson hit a pull-up jumper to put Philadelphia ahead 104-103 with eighteen seconds remaining.
• Iverson forced a steal and drew an offensive foul, then made both free throws to seal Philadelphia’s 106-103 win.
• Payton acknowledged Iverson’s performance as Boston left, while the exhausted Philadelphia players returned to the locker room knowing Boston still led the series 2-1.

Iverson played through a severely swollen ankle as the Philadelphia 76ers lost Game 4 to the Boston Celtics, putting them one loss away from elimination. After Lin Qi warned that Iverson was risking lasting injury, Iverson insisted the series was not over and prepared for Game 5.

• Iverson concealed the severity of his ankle injury at practice, and Larry Brown allowed him to decide whether to play.
• Boston exploited Iverson's limited mobility and shut down Larry Hughes after his strong first quarter, taking a nine-point halftime lead.
• Iverson was knocked out of bounds in a collision with Bowen, then made both free throws despite his painful ankle.
• Boston pulled away in the second half, and the Celtics won 109-91 to take a 3-1 series lead.
• Lin Qi warned Iverson that playing injured could seriously damage his ankles and knees, but Iverson told him to prepare for Game 5 and bumped fists with him.

Iverson played through a swollen ankle and led Philadelphia against Boston in Game 5, but the Celtics' teamwork overcame his scoring and eliminated the 76ers. After the loss, Iverson told Larry Brown that he could not keep him on the bench.

• Iverson traveled to Boston with his injured right ankle packed in ice and returned to face a hostile crowd.
• Iverson's scoring kept Philadelphia close early, but Boston pulled ahead while he rested and extended its lead with its balanced offense.
• Iverson attacked relentlessly in the second quarter, narrowing Boston's lead to four before the Celtics restored an eleven-point halftime advantage.
• Philadelphia briefly cut the deficit to six in the third quarter, but Boston answered steadily and led 79-66.
• Iverson stayed on the court until Boston won 104-89, eliminating Philadelphia four games to one and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
• Larry Brown apologized to Iverson after the game, and Iverson replied, "You couldn't keep me down, old man."

Larry Bird brought his deep Indiana Pacers roster to Boston to face Lin Qi's Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals. Chris Mullin opened the scoring against his former team, while Lin Qi watched from the suite and accepted the fans' blame for the trades that had sent veterans to Indiana.

• Larry Bird sat on the Pacers' bench as Boston fans recognized him and struggled with seeing their former hero coach against them.
• Lin Qi watched the Pacers warm up and considered how their veteran starters and deep bench contrasted with his own team-building approach.
• The referee started Game One of the Eastern Conference finals between Boston and Indiana.
• Chris Mullin curled around a screen, caught the ball, and made a three-pointer for the game's first points.
• A TNT commentator credited Lin Qi with helping assemble Indiana's lineup, and Lin Qi privately blamed Rick Pitino and former owner Gaston for the earlier departures.

Boston overcame Indiana in a tense Eastern Conference finals opener, with Paul Pierce hitting the decisive three-pointer in the final seconds. The Celtics won 92-91 and took a 1-0 series lead.

• Paul Pierce hit a transition three, and Reggie Miller taunted him as Gary Payton answered with a post-up jumper over Mark Jackson.
• Reggie Miller made a quick-release three after the Pacers exploited Pierce's double-team, then mocked him; Pierce responded with a forceful dunk over Dale Davis.
• Kevin Garnett scored over Dale Davis, blocked Jalen Rose, and powered in another basket as Boston regained momentum.
• With two minutes left, Pierce drew an offensive-foul call, and Miller tied the game at 88 with a three-pointer.
• With twelve seconds left, Garnett stripped Jalen Rose, and Pierce drove upcourt and hit the go-ahead three over Miller as time expired.

Reggie Miller’s steady shooting helped the Pacers defeat the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals after Chauncey Billups’s turnover stopped Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback. After the game, Lin Qi told Billups to be ready to go somewhere with him the next morning.

• Reggie Miller repeatedly scored as the Pacers controlled the pace and kept the Celtics from imposing their preferred rhythm.
• The Celtics cut the deficit in the fourth quarter through hard-fought plays, and Chauncey Billups entered during the comeback.
• Billups hesitated between shooting and passing, threw an aimless pass, and Dale Davis intercepted it.
• Mark Jackson organized the Pacers’ next possession, and Miller made a three-pointer that restored their double-digit lead and ended Boston’s threat.
• Billups watched television commentators mock his turnover, then left the hallway as Lin Qi told him to go somewhere with him the next morning.

Lin Qi took Billups to a small steakhouse in New York, where its former Celtics player owner helped him confront his hesitation in the previous night's game. Billups recognized the owner in a championship photo and left with a clearer understanding of his role as a point guard.

• Lin Qi flew with Billups to New York and brought him to a quiet steakhouse to eat.
• The owner recognized Billups from his televised mistake and told him that a point guard had to make decisive choices focused on winning.
• The owner shared how his own hesitation in a conference finals taught him not to pretend to be a “proper point guard.”
• Billups felt his confusion ease, and Lin Qi confirmed he had brought him there on purpose without identifying the owner.
• Billups recognized the owner in a Celtics championship photo as he returned from the restroom.

The Celtics traveled to Indiana for Game 3 after losing home-court advantage, and Gary Payton rallied the team and encouraged Chauncey Billups to stop doubting himself. Billups entered the game focused and ready to fight as the Eastern Conference finals were about to begin.

• The Pacers treated their home-court advantage with confidence while the Celtics flew to Indiana under pressure.
• Payton challenged the team's gloomy mood and urged Billups to play without fear.
• Payton confronted a reporter in Indiana and declared that Boston would win.
• Payton pushed Billups to face the Pacers without hesitation, and Billups resolved to trust himself.
• Before Game 3, Payton fired up the Celtics, and Billups took his place on the floor ready to play.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Gary Payton dominated Mark Jackson early and helped the Celtics open up their offense, but Reggie Miller’s movement and shooting kept the Pacers in rhythm. Chauncey Billups entered the game to a hostile crowd as Gary Payton headed to the bench.

• Indiana fans jeered Chauncey Billups and mocked his turnover from Game 2, while Lin Qi encouraged him to focus on playing.
• Gary Payton backed Mark Jackson down for a jumper, then pressured him relentlessly on defense as the Celtics took control of the opening possessions.
• Gary Payton scored a floater over Dale Davis and passed to Kevin Garnett for a dunk after drawing Rick Smits into a fake.
• Larry Bird urged Mark Jackson to slow the game down and find Reggie Miller, who scored on a three-pointer and a long two as the Pacers used screens to create openings.
• Chauncey Billups entered to loud boos, and Gary Payton told him to play well as he went to rest.

The Celtics’ reserves took control as Ron Harper disrupted Reggie Miller and Chauncey Billups found his confidence, helping Boston defeat Indiana 103-88. The Celtics took a 2-1 lead in the series, while Billups left the court welcomed by his teammates.

• Ron Harper anticipated Reggie Miller’s screen moves and forced him into several difficult misses.
• Chauncey Billups hit a three-pointer and set up Robert Horry for another as the Celtics’ lead grew.
• Ben Wallace blocked Reggie Miller’s fast-break layup, and Billups dived for the loose ball before hitting a three after the foul.
• After a timeout, Harper contained Miller while Billups drove and found Horry for two corner threes that pushed Boston’s lead into double digits.
• Larry Bird removed Miller with two minutes left, and the Celtics won 103-88 to take a 2-1 series lead.
• Gary Payton and Ron Harper congratulated Billups, who slapped hands with Garnett at the tunnel.

Lin Qi pushed Doc Rivers to start Ron Harper against Reggie Miller, but Rivers balanced the tactical case with the need to preserve the locker room’s cohesion. Rivers introduced Harper’s increased role as a way to conserve Eddie Jones’s energy and have Harper teach the team how to defend Miller, leaving Lin Qi impressed by Rivers’s management of the players.

• Lin Qi asked Rivers to start Harper, and Rivers worried about how the change would affect Eddie Jones and the team.
• Rivers agreed to give Harper more minutes but resisted making him a starter immediately.
• At practice, Rivers showed the players how Eddie’s exhaustion had allowed Miller to score late in the game.
• Rivers announced that Harper would enter earlier, explain his experience defending Miller, and direct the defense while on the floor.
• Rivers told Eddie to study Harper from the bench, and Eddie agreed.
• Lin Qi recognized that Rivers had turned the defensive adjustment into a team-learning opportunity.

Ron Harper shut down Reggie Miller as the Celtics beat the Pacers 101-87 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3-1 series lead. Afterward, Lin Qi and Doc Rivers reconciled over Harper’s role, and Rivers decided Harper would not start Game 5.

• During warmups, Ron Harper checked the Pacers arena lighting after studying Reggie Miller’s shooting from the right corner.
• Harper directed the Celtics’ defense, disrupting Reggie’s routes and helping hold him to 0-for-8 at halftime.
• Larry Bird used stacked screens in the third quarter, but Harper stayed close to Reggie and continued to break up his shots and passes.
• The Celtics won 101-87 as Reggie finished 1-for-15 with five points, then Reggie told Harper he was still tough to deal with and that he had figured out Harper’s calls.
• Doc Rivers admitted Lin Qi had been right about using Harper, and Lin Qi affirmed Rivers’s caution about the locker room; Rivers said Harper would not start Game 5.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 90-86 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, eliminating them 4-1 and advancing to the NBA Finals. As Boston celebrated its conference title, Lin Qi reminded Doc Rivers that the team still had four wins to go.

• Doc Rivers changed Boston's starting lineup by adding Ron Harper, while Larry Bird kept the Pacers' starters unchanged.
• Eddie Jones smothered Chris Mullin after Mullin's hot first quarter, and Paul Pierce later overwhelmed Indiana's exhausted bench.
• The Pacers cut Boston's lead to two in the fourth quarter, but Gary Payton and Paul Pierce answered with key scores.
• Pierce drew a foul and converted a free throw, while Reggie Miller hit threes to keep Indiana close; Pierce then set up Kevin Garnett for a dunk to make it 90-86.
• Kevin Garnett blocked Reggie Miller's final shot, sealing Boston's 90-86 win and its 4-1 series victory over Indiana.
• As the Celtics celebrated their Eastern Conference championship, Lin Qi told Doc Rivers to enjoy the win briefly and prepare for the NBA Finals.

Lin Qi faced a San Antonio column mocking the Celtics and sought Auerbach’s advice on handling the media before the NBA Finals. He gave the press a story about the Celtics’ painful decline and rebuilding, leaving the players free to focus on the game and the league with a new narrative to promote.

• Lin Qi imposed a media blackout on the Celtics players after San Antonio’s column called the Eastern Conference a joke.
• Lin Qi asked Auerbach how to handle the press, and Auerbach advised him to draw reporters’ attention toward stories he wanted them to tell.
• Lin Qi appeared alone at the press conference and invited reporters to direct their questions to him.
• Lin Qi recounted the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, the Celtics’ losing years, and their rebuilding from rock bottom.
• Lin Qi compared the Celtics’ journey with San Antonio’s and declared that basketball would give everyone the answer the next night.
• The NBA monitor praised Lin Qi’s remarks as material for NBC coverage, and Lin Qi said the players, reporters, and league had all gotten what they needed.

Gary Payton warned the players not to take their chance in tomorrow night's game for granted, and Lin Qi urged them to rest instead of exhausting themselves. He left the gym without locking it after finding Pierce, Garnett, Billups, and Wallace still working late.

• Gary Payton recalled Seattle's lost chance at another Finals run and urged Lewis, Billups, and Pierce to give everything in tomorrow night's game.
• Lin Qi erased Doc Rivers's plays and wrote, "Which hurts more, the pain of hard work or the pain of regret?" on the whiteboard.
• Lin Qi and Gary Payton sent the players home to rest, and Lin Qi persuaded Wallace to stop lifting weights.
• Lin Qi returned late for documents and saw Pierce, Garnett, and Billups practicing while someone worked in the weight room.
• Lin Qi left through the side door without locking it, leaving the late-night workers inside.

The Celtics hosted the Spurs in Game 1 of the 1999 NBA Finals, with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan battling intensely while the teams traded baskets. Boston finished the first quarter ahead 19-17, and Garnett remained fixed on Duncan as both teams prepared for the second quarter.

• Celtics fans packed New Garden as Boston and San Antonio took the court for the Finals opener.
• Garnett won the opening tip, and Gary Payton scored Boston’s first basket before Duncan answered for San Antonio.
• Payton set up Garnett for a three, and Garnett later dunked over David Robinson before confronting Duncan.
• The teams traded scores, and Garnett and Duncan continued matching each other in the post and on drives.
• With 47 seconds left, Payton scored over Duncan to put Boston ahead 19-17 at the end of the first quarter.
• Popovich told Duncan to be more decisive in the low post, while Doc Rivers urged Garnett to keep pressuring him.

The Celtics and Spurs fought through a tightly contested Game 1 of the NBA Finals, with Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton helping Boston build a late lead. Tim Duncan missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, and the Celtics won 74-73 to take a 1-0 series lead.

• Both teams rotated their benches in the second quarter before their defenses slowed the game into a half-court battle.
• Tim Duncan caught David Robinson's final-second high-low pass and scored to put the Spurs ahead 42-40 at halftime.
• Gary Payton exploited his matchup in the third quarter, helping the Celtics take a 64-58 lead into the fourth.
• The Spurs rallied behind Steve Kerr's two long-range shots and Tim Duncan's free throws to tie the game at 66-66.
• Paul Pierce missed a late step-back jumper, and Tim Duncan secured the rebound with 4.2 seconds remaining.
• Tim Duncan missed the potential game-winner over Garnett's contest, and the Celtics held on to win 74-73 and lead the series 1-0.

Boston’s defense initially contained Tim Duncan, but Gregg Popovich shifted Duncan to the high post, where his passing opened the floor and fueled a Spurs comeback. The Spurs entered halftime with a nine-point lead, and Lin Qi left the suite to head toward the players’ tunnel.

• Kevin Garnett shut down Tim Duncan in the low post as Boston built an early 16-7 lead with scoring from Gary Payton, Paul Pierce, and Garnett.
• Gregg Popovich sent Duncan to the high post, where Duncan drew Garnett away from the paint and assisted David Robinson on a dunk.
• Duncan continued feeding Robinson and Sean Elliott for scores, while Boston’s defense broke down and the Spurs took the lead with a 14-4 run.
• Doc Rivers called a timeout but could not resolve the defensive dilemma created by Duncan’s high-post role.
• The Spurs went into halftime ahead by nine points despite Duncan scoring only six, and Lin Qi left the luxury suite for the players’ tunnel.

Doc Rivers’s defensive adjustment helped Boston build a brief lead, but Tim Duncan punished Garnett’s retreat with repeated midrange shots as the Spurs won 91-88 and tied the Finals at 1-1. After the game, Lin Qi explained that Garnett’s need to prove himself differed from Duncan’s focus on winning.

• At halftime, Doc Rivers told Garnett to sag off Tim Duncan and help protect the paint, while Gary Payton was asked to keep attacking Avery Johnson.
• Boston’s packed defense forced a shot-clock violation, and Pierce’s steal led to a Payton fast-break layup during a 7-0 run.
• The Spurs adjusted with screens and cuts, then Duncan made three consecutive midrange jumpers when Garnett backed off.
• Payton scored 32 points, but the Spurs won 91-88, tying the series at 1-1; Duncan praised Garnett’s defense as they left the court.
• Walking out with his friends, Lin Qi said Garnett’s desire to prove himself could get in the way of winning, unlike Duncan’s focus on victory.

Boston arrived in San Antonio and discovered that the Alamodome’s darkness and uneven, concrete-backed court would hinder their shooting and punish their players’ bodies. Lin Qi told Doc Rivers that these conditions were San Antonio’s home-court advantage as Boston prepared for three road games.

• Boston’s players entered the Alamodome for practice and were unsettled by the vast arena and the darkness beyond the court.
• Robert Horry repeatedly missed his corner threes and realized that the pitch-black background deprived him of visual reference points.
• Paul Pierce noticed that the court felt wrong beneath his feet during a change of direction.
• Lin Qi presented the court-testing report at the tactical meeting, and Doc Rivers explained that the modular floor had no cushioning and varied widely in rebound.
• Lin Qi warned Doc Rivers that Boston would face three games on the punishing floor and called it San Antonio’s home-court advantage.

The Spurs used the Alamodome’s disorienting background and visual conditions to lure Boston into open perimeter shots, then shut down the paint when the Celtics tried to attack inside. Boston’s offense stalled, and San Antonio finished the first quarter ahead 25-13.

• As the game began, Gary Payton and Avery Johnson abandoned trash talk because the Alamodome’s roar made speech difficult to hear.
• Boston repeatedly missed open perimeter shots, while its few first-quarter field goals came from contested attempts by Payton and Garnett.
• Lin Qi realized Gregg Popovich’s defense was deliberately conceding open perimeter shots, and the Spurs led 22-11 with four minutes left in the quarter.
• After Robert Horry hesitated and Boston committed a shot-clock violation, Doc Rivers called a timeout and told the Celtics to attack inside.
• Garnett and Pierce drove into the paint but were stopped by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, as the Spurs’ rotations shut down Boston’s interior attack.
• The first quarter ended with the Spurs leading Boston 25-13.