Across the four games in this series, Pierce averaged 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, marking the best playoff performance of his career to date.
But what good was it? The Nets were still swept out of the playoffs by the Celtics.
Therefore, Pierce's expression was grim when he attended the post-game press conference with his head coach.
However, the reporters showed no mercy for Pierce, directly prodding him, "What do you think about losing to He Xi Meng again?"
"What do I think? I see it with my eyes!" Pierce said unhappily. "We didn't play badly on offense, but we had significant issues on defense! Especially against He Xi Meng, we were unprepared. I've always emphasized that He Xi Meng is the most threatening player on the Celtics, and you were all fooled by his regular season performance...
He is a very deceptive player!
You think he's a point guard?
No, no, no, if you think that simply, you are gravely mistaken!
Then what is he? A shooting guard? A combo guard? Don't ask me, ask yourselves!
I won't tell you the answer!
You have to see with your own eyes and think with your own hearts!
All I want to say is, he is definitely not just a point guard!
I am not afraid of him, I dream of defeating him every night, and I am always on the path to improvement, but I must admit, the current Celtics are very strong!
Why are the current Celtics so strong? The root of it all comes from He Xi Meng..."
It was rare for Pierce to speak so highly of He Xi Meng in public, and it seemed that this time, He Xi Meng had truly made the arrogant Pierce admit defeat.
The Nets are out, the Celtics advance!
In other Eastern Conference matchups, the Pistons defeated the Pacers 4-1.
The Pacers had traded Artest for the sharpshooter Peja, improving their offensive strength but weakening their defense. Overall, it was a move with both pros and cons.
For the regular season, such an adjustment would have been beneficial for improving their record, but for the playoffs, it proved detrimental.
Facing the defensively strong Pistons, the Pacers' offense sputtered, and they couldn't stop their opponents on defense, making their defeat an inevitable outcome.
In comparison, the matchup between the Heat and the Bulls was much more exciting.
Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal faced fierce resistance from a group of young Bulls players.
Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich... the Bulls' young talents took turns performing, strongly defending their two home games.
In the crucial Game 5, the Heat showed their strength, dramatically increasing their defensive intensity, holding the Bulls to 25 made field goals on 72 attempts, a shooting percentage below 35%, and successfully securing a match point for advancement. Wade had 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in this game.
In Game 6, the Bulls attempted to stop the Heat on their home court. However, what the Bulls didn't anticipate was that O'Neal, who had seemed to be coasting through the previous five games and "not quite there," revealed his shark fangs in this game, dominating the court with 30 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, completely stunning the Bulls' young players.
The Heat also seized the momentum, defeating the young Bulls 4-2 to advance.
The final Eastern Conference matchup was between the Cavaliers and the Wizards.
The young LeBron James led the Cavaliers' rise!
The equally young Gilbert Arenas refused to be outdone!
Arenas, considering himself to have entered the league two years earlier than James and thus having more seniority, looked down on the exceptionally strong "Little Emperor" this season.
In the first game, James, playing at home, recorded an all-around stat line of 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, showcasing his brilliance.
But in the second game, Arenas showed James the might of "The General."
Arenas went all out on both offense and defense, scoring 30 points while also dishing out 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.
Concurrently, Arenas forced James, who was handling the ball, into 10 turnovers.
In this game, James, also playing at home, managed 26 points, 9 rebounds, 10 turnovers, and 5 fouls, nearly achieving a peculiar triple-double.
This demonstrated that while James was formidable this season, his consistency still needed improvement.
However, James's strongest trait was his resilience and unwillingness to concede defeat.
In Game 3, playing at the Wizards' home court, James came out even stronger, scoring 41 points with drives and outside shots!
Especially in the final minute of the game, the score was tied at 93-93.
James took the ball and drove, sinking a mid-range shot to give the Cavaliers a two-point lead.
Arenas immediately responded with a strong drive to the basket, drawing a foul from James and successfully making the layup to take a 96-95 lead with a three-point play.
The Cavaliers took the final possession. James drove with the ball, and amidst the pursuit and blockade of the Wizards' players, he forcefully attacked the basket, successfully completing a powerful slam dunk and regaining the lead for the Cavaliers.
After this play, James was displeased that the referee hadn't blown the whistle, repeatedly tapping his right wrist to signal to the referee that the play should have resulted in an additional free throw, as the Wizards had fouled him!
However, while James had become an All-Star starter in the East and was gaining renown, he was still only a third-year player with limited seniority. He was not yet qualified to receive special treatment on the road. Thus, the referee ignored James's protest and signaled the end of the game.
With only 5 seconds left on the clock, the Wizards trailed 96-97 by one point. Head coach Eddie Jordan drew up a play for Arenas to receive the ball and drive to the basket.
But this play was anticipated by the Cavaliers' Michael Brown, who, through switching defenses, delayed Arenas's reception and nearly caused the Wizards to commit a travel violation.
The Wizards finally managed to get the ball to Arenas, who was then double-teamed by Eric Snow and Larry Hughes. After breaking through the initial coverage, he was met by LeBron James.
As time was running out, Arenas was forced to take a shot from beyond the three-point line with James guarding him closely...
The outcome was predictable; "The General" missed the game-winning shot, and the Wizards lost to the Cavaliers by one point, forfeiting the home-court advantage they had fought hard to regain.
In Game 4, the Wizards once again disrupted the Cavaliers' offensive rhythm by forcing James into as many as 7 turnovers, thereby controlling the game.
Arenas with 34 points, Antawn Jamison with 22 points, and Caron Butler with 21 points - three core players of the Wizards scored in double figures, defending their second home court.
In the crucial Game 5, the two teams battled fiercely once again...