The Bulls' starting lineup was center Ben Wallace, power forward P.J. Brown, small forward Luol Deng, shooting guard Ben Gordon, and point guard Kirk Hinrich.
This lineup was nearly flawless in its composition. Each player was in their most suitable position, which was the primary reason the Bulls were able to eliminate the Miami Heat in the first round.
However, against the Celtics, the Bulls' lineup couldn't fully exploit its advantages.
Ben Wallace was a power center, most effective against players like Shaquille O'Neal. But against Yao Ming, who was a head taller, Ben Wallace found himself with limited options.
While Ben Wallace could use his physicality to keep Yao Ming outside the paint, Yao Ming wasn't solely a post-up center.
His shooting range extended beyond the paint, even to the free-throw line area.
Catch the ball, turn, and shoot!
With this simple move, Yao Ming rendered Ben Wallace speechless.
Meanwhile, Tony Allen's man-to-man defense on Ben Gordon proved remarkably effective.
In the first round against the Heat, Ben Gordon shot 44.3% from the field and 40% from three-point range, averaging 25.5 points per game.
But against Tony Allen, Gordon's field goal percentage dropped to 40%, his three-point percentage to 32%, and his scoring average to 16 points.
One of the Bulls' two strongest offensive weapons was successfully contained by the Celtics!
On Luol Deng's side, although Carter couldn't stop him, he didn't let Deng run wild. Carter used offense to offset defense, engaging in a scoring duel with Deng and preventing the Bulls from gaining any advantage at the small forward position.
At point guard, Kirk Hinrich possessed good defensive capabilities. But He Xi Meng played unconventionally. Instead of engaging in one-on-one battles with the younger Hinrich, he continuously used his teammates' screens, particularly the elevator door tactic, which became the Celtics' most frequently used pick-and-roll play in the playoffs.
And this tactic, when executed by Yao Ming and Marc Gasol, or Perkins and Gasol, yielded surprisingly good results!
Initially, He Xi Meng frequently called for this play. Later, when Carter saw how easily He Xi Meng was scoring, he tried running the same play during He Xi Meng's rest periods. And surprisingly, it worked wonders!
Consistent three-point shooting skills plus high-quality down-screens were the essence of the elevator door tactic!
Combined with Carter's off-ball movement awareness, which was no less than He Xi Meng's...
Coach Kerr, pacing the sidelines, suddenly realized he had made a significant mistake: why hadn't he used the elevator door tactic during the regular season?
If they had played this way in the regular season, the Celtics' record probably wouldn't have fallen to eighth in the Eastern Conference, would it?
However, if the Celtics had used this tactic during the regular season, its effectiveness in the playoffs might not have been as potent.
The entire league would likely have developed strategies to counter it.
Overall, it had its pros and cons.
At least, this tactic was very effective against the current Bulls!
With Yao Ming dominating inside and He Xi Meng and Carter both finding their rhythm outside, it was a game no team in the East, let alone the Bulls, could stop when the Celtics' "Big Three" were all firing on all cylinders!
In Game 1, the Bulls were completely overwhelmed by the Celtics and lost a home game.
In Game 2, the Bulls, having somewhat recovered, attacked the basket relentlessly, using their home-court advantage to needle Yao Ming, at least preventing him from dominating Ben Wallace.
Successfully forcing Yao Ming into foul trouble and reducing his playing time, the Celtics' elevator door tactic, lacking Yao Ming's presence, saw its screening power diminish.
Seeing this, He Xi Meng exchanged a look with Carter and didn't force a confrontation with the Bulls.
The Bulls managed to secure a home victory, tying the series at 1-1.
The victory in Game 2 gave the Bulls newfound hope of defeating the Celtics.
So, upon arriving in Boston, the Bulls prepared to repeat their strategy, intending to contain the Celtics by containing Yao Ming.
However, very few players who tried to draw charges against Yao Ming actually succeeded in getting him to commit a foul. Instead, Yao Ming, standing under the basket, would block shots from outside!
Bulls players charged him one after another, offering themselves as offerings to Yao Ming, who happily dished out blocks, achieving an unprecedented triple-double of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks!
Not only were the Bulls players on the sidelines stunned, but the Boston fans in attendance were also bewildered: "Are they really just giving him points like this? Do they have some other scheme? Like, wearing Yao Ming out?"
In the end, Yao Ming wasn't worn out, but several Bulls players who attacked the basket shot incredibly poorly.
He Xi Meng barely had to exert himself. The Celtics, relying on Yao Ming's outstanding shot-blocking and subsequent fast breaks, successfully won Game 3!
Generally, teams that win through offense are said to be in "offensive games," like the Mavericks and Suns, who are typical teams that prefer offensive wins.
Teams that win through defense are called "defensive games." For instance, the Pistons and the Spurs also liked to play "defensive games," defeating opponents through tough defense to secure victory.
But the Celtics' victory today was, strictly speaking, outside of both those categories.
If you called it offense, He Xi Meng and Carter didn't exert much effort.
If you called it defense, Tony Allen and Barnes didn't expend too much energy.
If a term had to be applied, perhaps "block party" would be a more accurate and fitting description...
The Celtics won a game somewhat inexplicably, and the Bulls, after butting their heads against the wall, realized that their strategy only seemed to work at home and was completely ineffective on the road...
Therefore, in Game 4, the Bulls finally returned to their normal selves, abandoning their impractical attacking tactics and reverting to a dual-core offense centered around Luol Deng and Ben Gordon.
The re-stabilized Bulls indeed had some fight in them.
Especially Ben Gordon, who, under Tony Allen's tough defense today, made many difficult jump shots, helping the Bulls keep the game close and preventing the Celtics from establishing a comfortable lead.
But in the fourth quarter, the Celtics suddenly concentrated their firepower and fully committed to the elevator door tactic. In a short span, He Xi Meng and Carter took turns scoring, each hitting two three-pointers, igniting a 12-2 run that shattered the Bulls' psychological defense! 138 Reading Network
In the end, the Celtics swept the Bulls at home, extending their series lead to 3-1.