Chapter Summaries

Reggie Miller scored 42 points to lead the Pacers past the Celtics 91-87 in Game 3, cutting the series deficit to 2-1. After Lin Qi planned to target Miller’s stamina in Game 4, Miller reflected on his past and resolved to keep fighting.

• Miller scored 13 first-quarter points, then helped the Pacers take a 54-47 halftime lead as the Celtics’ double-teams opened opportunities for his teammates.
• Miller carried the Pacers through a physical second half and hit a difficult go-ahead fadeaway three late in the fourth quarter.
• Jalen Rose blocked Pierce’s last-second putback, sealing the Pacers’ 91-87 victory as Miller finished with 42 points.
• Lin Qi reviewed Miller’s final shot with Doc Rivers and proposed making Miller work on defense and increasing the Celtics’ offensive pace in Game 4.
• Miller recalled his childhood, texted his sister Cheryl, and went to sleep determined not to let the Pacers’ series fight end in defeat.

After Reggie Miller’s 42-point performance gave the Pacers their first win, Lin Qi and Doc Rivers planned to wear him down by forcing defensive switches and attacking him physically. The Celtics took a halftime lead, but Miller kept the game close with a long three-pointer in the third quarter, and Lin Qi noticed his right leg falter as he landed.

• Lin Qi urged the Celtics to drag the game into a war of attrition, and Doc Rivers told them to use screens to force Miller into mismatches or create open shots.
• Miller scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Pacers took a 26-21 lead, but Lin Qi noticed that his breathing was already faster than in Game 3.
• The Celtics repeatedly attacked Miller with pick-and-rolls, scoring against him when the Pacers switched and exploiting the space when they refused to switch.
• The Celtics pushed the pace to tire Miller and went into halftime ahead 52-50, while Miller’s legs looked heavy.
• Miller declined to rest and opened the third quarter with a deep three over a double-team, but Lin Qi saw his right leg stagger when he landed.

Reggie Miller’s exhaustion let the Celtics defeat the Pacers 96-85 and take a 3-1 series lead, but Larry Bird urged him to keep fighting for Game 5. Lin Qi studied Miller’s fading stamina while Miller resolved not to concede.

• Miller scored 32 points, but his legs gave out in the fourth quarter as the Celtics pulled away and won 96-85.
• The Pacers’ crowd applauded Miller, who told reporters, “I'm old, nothing more,” while the Celtics prepared for a hard-fought Game 5.
• Larry Bird encouraged Miller to trust his teammates and remain ready to deliver in the final minute.
• Lin Qi reviewed footage of Miller’s fourth-quarter shots and concluded that fatigue had undermined his movement and shooting.
• Miller remembered the struggles of his childhood and vowed to fight through the next game without conceding.

In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lin Qi warned Boston not to underestimate Reggie Miller, while Larry Bird urged Indiana to fight back. Boston led by 11 at halftime, but Miller refused to leave the game despite his worsening knee and exhaustion, and Bird recognized the stubbornness he had once shown himself.

• Larry Bird rallied the exhausted Pacers by recalling Boston's comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals, and Reggie Miller vowed to keep fighting.
• Lin Qi reminded the Celtics of Miller's past playoff heroics and warned that Indiana would mount a fierce counterattack.
• Miller opened the game with a three, but Garnett and Pierce attacked Indiana's defensive weaknesses as Boston took a 28-22 first-quarter lead.
• Boston repeatedly targeted Miller and wore down the Pacers, taking a 56-45 halftime lead as Miller scored 19 points and struggled with fatigue.
• The team doctor warned Miller that continued exertion could cause a strain, but Miller invoked Bird's injured 1991 playoff performance and insisted on playing the second half.
• Bird accepted Miller's decision, giving him two minutes to secure his knee bandage before returning to the court.

The Celtics defeated the Pacers 96-80 to win their series four games to one and advance to the NBA Finals, while Reggie Miller earned a standing ovation after a draining performance. Lin Qi congratulated Miller and warned Doc Rivers that the Celtics had to prepare for a difficult Finals against either the Lakers or the Trail Blazers.

• Miller scored 27 points through three quarters, but exhaustion left him unable to keep pace as the Celtics extended their lead.
• Larry Bird let Miller stay in the game until he pulled the starters late, and Boston fans applauded Miller as he left the court.
• The Celtics beat the Pacers 96-80, eliminated them four games to one, and secured a place in the NBA Finals.
• Lin Qi shook Miller's hand and praised his performance, then told reporters the Celtics were ready for either Western Conference opponent.
• Lin Qi and Doc Rivers discussed the Lakers and Trail Blazers, and Lin Qi identified the team's vulnerability when its talent and tactics failed to control a game.

Lin Qi brought the Celtics together to study Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and identify how to counter the Lakers. At halftime, the Trail Blazers had taken a two-point lead, giving the Celtics a closer look at the Lakers’ strengths and weaknesses.

• Lin Qi gathered the Celtics to watch the Lakers and Trail Blazers’ pivotal Game 5 and asked Ron Harper to explain Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.
• Harper explained the Lakers’ strong-side triangle and Shaquille O’Neal’s weak-side post-up, while Lin Qi and Dikembe Mutombo discussed doubling O’Neal and wearing him down.
• The Celtics studied Kobe Bryant’s turnaround jumper, Peja Stojaković’s shooting and defensive weakness, and Jermaine O’Neal’s developing midrange game.
• Lin Qi listed the Lakers’ weaknesses, including their reliance on O’Neal and Kobe, defensive vulnerabilities, shallow bench, and potential tension over possessions.
• Lin Qi and David Blatt instructed the Celtics to exploit the Lakers’ older reserves by pushing the pace, as Steve Smith and Gregg Anthony helped the Trail Blazers take a 48-46 halftime lead.

Lin Qi analyzed the Lakers’ Game 5 win over the Trail Blazers and prepared the Celtics for a possible NBA Finals matchup. He left the film room resolved to challenge the course of history and give the team everything.

• The Lakers used a 14-6 run to take control, but the Trail Blazers rallied to tie the game and kept the score close through the fourth quarter.
• Kobe Bryant and O'Neal traded clutch plays as the Lakers won 93-89 and took a 3-2 series lead over the Trail Blazers.
• Lin Qi identified the Lakers’ fatigue, strained Kobe-O'Neal partnership, and weak bench as vulnerabilities for the Celtics to exploit.
• Lin Qi assigned Mutombo, Garnett, Pierce, Gary Payton, Jones, and the Wallace Duo specific preparation and defensive tasks for the Lakers.
• Lin Qi predicted that the Lakers would advance and told the Celtics they would beat them in the NBA Finals.

Lin Qi showed the Celtics how the Trail Blazers defended Shaquille O'Neal with physical pressure, double-teams, and fouls, while explaining how Scottie Pippen’s help defense held the system together. He told Kevin Garnett that the Celtics would need him to become their own gap filler in the upcoming NBA Finals.

• Lin Qi and Thibodeau explained how the Trail Blazers fronted O'Neal, blocked passing lanes, and used weak-side help to keep him from receiving the ball comfortably.
• The Trail Blazers rotated defenders against O'Neal and used selective fouls, holding him to five first-quarter points as they led 22-18.
• Rasheed described how he would use footwork, ball pressure, and hard fouls to defend O'Neal, and Lin Qi praised his approach.
• Lin Qi showed how Scottie Pippen's rapid rotations and help defense covered the gaps created when the Trail Blazers crowded the paint.
• Lin Qi told Garnett that he would need to play a role like Pippen's in the NBA Finals, and Garnett recognized himself as the next gap filler.

Lin Qi and his players studied the Trail Blazers’ Game 6 victory over the Lakers to identify how their defense and tactics could guide a Finals game plan. The Trail Blazers won 91-89 to force Game 7, and Lin Qi concluded that their greatest weakness was lacking a scorer who could deliver a decisive blow.

• Bonzi Wells wore Kobe Bryant down with physical defense and post-up scoring, while the Trail Blazers led 48-44 at halftime.
• Lin Qi’s players identified the Trail Blazers’ reliance on fronting and double-teaming Shaq, Pippen’s rotations, and Wells’s post game, along with the strain those tactics placed on their veterans.
• The Trail Blazers stretched their lead to 68-56 in the third quarter as Shaq, Kobe, and Pippen showed signs of exhaustion.
• The Lakers rallied to tie the game at 87-87, but Scottie Pippen assisted Steve Smith on a late three-pointer to put the Trail Blazers ahead.
• Kobe missed a three at the buzzer, and the Trail Blazers won 91-89 to force Game 7.
• Lin Qi wrote down seven tactics for containing the Lakers and concluded that the Trail Blazers lacked a scorer capable of delivering the decisive blow.

The Celtics held an intense practice and studied Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to prepare for the Lakers. After watching Los Angeles rally past Portland, Lin Qi rallied the team ahead of the NBA Finals, which began June 7.

• Doc Rivers scheduled practice against the Lakers and Trail Blazers, and Thibodeau drilled the Celtics on defending Shaquille O'Neal.
• Blatt led the team through offensive plays built around Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton, and Rasheed.
• The Celtics watched the Trail Blazers lead the Lakers by fifteen after three quarters in Game 7.
• Kobe Bryant and Brian Shaw led a fourth-quarter comeback as the Lakers held Portland scoreless for the final six and a half minutes and won 89-84.
• Lin Qi warned the Celtics about the Lakers' resilience and depth, then urged the players to prepare for Game 1 of the Finals on June 7.

As the NBA Finals approached, the media framed Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett as opposing heroes while Boston prepared for the Lakers' arrival. Lin Qi warned the Celtics that Shaq's pressure could make him both dangerous and vulnerable, and the chapter ended with the teams ready to meet on the court the next night.

• Bill Plaschke published a Los Angeles Times column questioning whether O'Neal could escape comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain by winning a championship, while Bob Ryan celebrated Boston's history in the Boston Globe.
• Lin Qi told Doc Rivers and Garnett not to let the media's Shaq comparisons distract them, and Garnett resolved to win in his own way.
• Boston fans swamped stores and the New Garden seeking Celtics jerseys and Finals tickets, while Lin Qi reserved one of his family seats for assistant Mary.
• Lin Qi told the Celtics that the media pressure would make O'Neal especially dangerous but psychologically vulnerable ahead of Game 1.
• O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson arrived in Boston, where O'Neal mocked the Celtics' planned defenders, Kobe answered Pierce's challenge, and Jackson praised the Lakers.
• Lin Qi told Rivers that the Lakers' tightly wound ferocity could break under unexpected resistance and sent him home to rest before the Finals opener.

The Celtics and Lakers opened Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Boston, with Shaquille O'Neal dominating inside while the Celtics targeted Jermaine O'Neal and Peja on defense. Rasheed Wallace pulled Shaquille away from the paint, allowing Kevin Garnett to drive past Jermaine, score, and draw a foul as Boston established its attack.

• Shaquille O'Neal won the opening tip and scored over Dikembe Mutombo, then Kevin Garnett answered with a fadeaway over Jermaine O'Neal.
• Eddie Jones denied Kobe Bryant's preferred drive, and Gary Payton's help forced Bryant to pass out before Derek Fisher missed a three-pointer.
• Shaquille O'Neal scored the Lakers' first eight points, while Kobe struggled against Jones and Payton's defense.
• Rasheed Wallace backed down Jermaine O'Neal for a dunk, then hit a three-pointer that drew Shaquille O'Neal away from the paint.
• Kevin Garnett drove past Jermaine O'Neal for a one-handed dunk, drew a defensive foul, and roared over him as he lay on the floor.

The Celtics used Kevin Garnett’s high-post playmaking and a late defensive trap to beat the Lakers 102-91 and take Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers left New Garden determined to respond in Game 2.

• O'Neal blocked attacks from Garnett and Rasheed, but the Celtics led 58-50 at halftime as Kobe struggled against Boston’s defense.
• Phil Jackson adjusted the Lakers’ offense, and Kobe’s movement and O'Neal’s rim protection helped cut the deficit to one point in the third quarter.
• Lin Qi told Doc Rivers to move Garnett to the high post, where Garnett scored and set up Rasheed as Boston pulled ahead by nine.
• With six minutes left, Eddie Jones and Gary Payton trapped Kobe, stole the ball, and sparked an alley-oop dunk that put Boston ahead 92-86.
• Garnett secured a late rebound, Payton and Pierce made four free throws, and the Celtics won 102-91.
• O'Neal vowed to make Boston’s frontcourt pay in Game 2, while Kobe silently walked to the tunnel.

After the Lakers lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals, media criticism grew as Phil Jackson and Lin Qi prepared their teams for the next matchup. Jackson adjusted the Lakers’ plans, while Lin Qi anticipated those changes and urged Boston to protect its home court.

• Los Angeles newspapers and radio callers criticized Kobe, the Lakers’ defense, and their lack of interior depth after the 102-91 loss.
• Tim Legler analyzed Boston’s defensive pressure and size advantage, then suggested adjustments for the Lakers in Game 2.
• At practice, Kobe told Fisher he planned to counter Eddie Jones, and Phil Jackson instructed Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal, and O'Neal to change their approaches.
• Lin Qi warned Doc Rivers that the Lakers would respond aggressively, then outlined Boston’s defensive plans for Kobe’s off-ball movement and the Lakers’ revised big-man rotation.
• Lin Qi urged the Celtics to exploit O'Neal’s deep defensive drop and declared that Boston would not let the Lakers leave tied 1-1.

The Celtics followed Ron Harper and Lin Qi’s defensive plan as Eddie Jones erupted for 24 first-half points, giving Boston a 45-28 lead over the Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. At halftime, Phil Jackson planned to deny Jones the ball and slow the game, while Lin Qi and Tom Thibodeau prepared Boston to use his decoy role and push the pace.

• Ron Harper urged the Celtics to disrupt the Lakers’ Triangle Offense by denying Kobe his preferred catches and disrupting passes into Shaq.
• Lin Qi told Eddie Jones to take open shots, and Jones scored 16 first-quarter points as Boston built a 24-13 lead.
• Eddie Jones hit seven three-pointers in the first half, helping the Celtics extend their lead to 45-28.
• Phil Jackson told the Lakers to face-guard Jones, feed Shaq, and slow the pace after halftime.
• Lin Qi instructed Jones to draw defenders away from the strong side, while Tom Thibodeau told the Celtics to run after rebounds and keep pressuring Kobe.

The Celtics overcame Shaquille O'Neal's dominant third quarter and foul trouble for their centers, then used their stamina and transition offense to defeat the Lakers 93-74. Boston took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, leaving Los Angeles facing an uphill fight at Staples Center.

• O'Neal scored repeatedly against Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, fouling both Celtics centers out as the Lakers erased their deficit and tied the game at 67-67.
• Lin Qi sent Rasheed Wallace to guard O'Neal and ordered the Celtics to double him, while Garnett and Eddie Jones turned a Lakers miss into a fast-break dunk.
• Jones, Paul Pierce, and Gary Payton fueled a late Celtics run as the exhausted Lakers struggled to score and get back on defense.
• The Celtics finished with a 16-2 run to win 93-74 and take a 2-0 Finals lead.
• O'Neal and Kobe Bryant walked off toward the Lakers' locker room, with Game 3 set for Staples Center two days later.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, Lin Qi and the Celtics prepared for three consecutive road games against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Lin Qi warned that Shaq and Kobe would be stronger after resting, leaving the Celtics braced for the series’ hardest stretch.

• Boston fans celebrated the Celtics’ 2-0 Finals lead while Phil Jackson and Tex Winter reviewed the Lakers’ Game 2 loss and discussed Shaq’s fatigue and Kobe’s poor shooting.
• Lin Qi told Doc Rivers that the Lakers would adjust and that Shaq and Kobe could recover at home, so the Celtics needed to prepare for a full-strength OK Duo.
• Sports media and Isiah Thomas criticized the Lakers’ supporting cast and praised the Celtics’ depth, including Garnett, Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, and Paul Pierce.
• The Celtics boarded a charter flight to Los Angeles as Lin Qi reviewed footage and anticipated the three games at Staples.

The Celtics faced a dominant Shaquille O'Neal in Game 3 at Staples Center and fell behind the Lakers by nine at halftime. Lin Qi encouraged the shaken team in the locker room, insisting O'Neal could not keep up his pace, though the game remained uncertain.

• Lin Qi saw the hostile Lakers crowd as the Celtics arrived at Staples Center, and Doc Rivers urged his team to stay focused before Kevin Garnett led a rallying cheer.
• Shaquille O'Neal overpowered Dikembe Mutombo for an opening dunk, then dominated Boston's big men throughout the first quarter as the Lakers took a 28-20 lead.
• Kobe Bryant struck from the weak side while Boston double-teamed O'Neal, helping the Lakers extend their lead to 53-44 by halftime.
• Mutombo admitted to Lin Qi that he could not stop O'Neal, and Lin Qi reassured him before urging the Celtics to keep their heads up.

The Celtics brought Wang Zhizhi into the game after their other centers fouled out or were injured, and his shooting helped them mount a comeback against the Lakers. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal closed out the game for a 98-90 Lakers victory, leaving Lin Qi watching O'Neal collapse onto the bench in exhaustion.

• Kobe Bryant and Peja hit threes as the Lakers extended their lead, while Mutombo and Ben Wallace accumulated fouls and Brad Miller was bloodied by O'Neal and forced out of the game.
• Lin Qi told Rivers to put Wang Zhizhi in, and Wang entered to jeers before hitting a corner three on his first playoff touch.
• Wang fouled O'Neal and drew him away from the paint, helping Garnett and Pierce cut the Lakers' lead to seven by the end of the third quarter.
• The Celtics narrowed the deficit to five in the fourth, but Kobe hit consecutive jumpers and O'Neal continued to dominate inside.
• The Lakers won 98-90 to bring the series to 1-2; Wang finished with six points and four fouls, while O'Neal collapsed onto the bench after his 42-point, 18-rebound performance.

After the Lakers beat the Celtics in Game 3, Lin Qi exploited the rivalry between Shaq and Kobe by stoking media arguments over which star deserved credit. The two Lakers began trading barbs, and Lin Qi told Jeff to keep feeding the feud as the series headed toward Game 4.

• At the press conferences, Shaq emphasized his dominance while Kobe claimed he had made the decisive shots, and Garnett vowed the Celtics would respond despite their 2-1 series lead.
• Lin Qi told the battered Celtics that the Lakers’ two stars were competing for control and urged his team to watch for cracks in their partnership.
• Lin Qi and Jeff fueled media coverage that portrayed Shaq and Kobe as rivals over who was the Lakers’ real savior.
• During practice, Kobe said he finished games, and Shaq retorted that his work inside had created Kobe’s open shots.
• Lin Qi instructed Jeff to keep supplying gossip outlets with claims that Kobe’s camp resented Shaq monopolizing the ball.