The current reserve lineup features strong offensive capabilities from Lowry and Milsap, but neither seems to have earned Kerr's trust, spending most of their time in the third unit.
Among the remaining players, Rondo, Perkins, and P.J. Tucker are primarily defensive-oriented. The strongest offensive threats are Hu Weidong and Ilyasova.
To be safe, Kerr kept Carter to anchor the team, handing over organizational control to Rondo, who was tasked with driving scoring for Hu Weidong and Ilyasova.
Surprisingly, Rondo didn't act like a rookie. As soon as he stepped onto the court, his presence was undeniable, and he directed Carter with no hesitation, let alone the others.
From the sidelines, He Ximeng couldn't help but sigh as he watched Rondo's spirited performance on the court, "Coach Rondo is indeed still Coach Rondo! After I left, the Celtics' organizational end has a successor..."
In the battle between the rotating lineups, both teams remained evenly matched, with the score rising and falling.
The Cavaliers, thanks to James's buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first half, managed to lead the Celtics by one point.
For the home team Cavaliers, being tied by their opponent at halftime was not a cause for celebration.
This was because the Cavaliers, not the Celtics, were the Eastern Conference champions in the regular season this year.
As the second half began, Mike Brown had the Cavaliers players, other than James, also get into motion. They reduced mid-range shooting and intensified their attacks on the Celtics' basket, aiming to maximize their home-court advantage.
This adjustment activated Larry Hughes, and the Cavaliers' scoring efficiency per possession began to improve. Simultaneously, the Celtics players, especially the big men Yao Ming and Gortat, started to encounter foul trouble.
Kerr was forced to increase the rotation frequency, giving Perkins and Ilyasova more playing time to share the defensive burden of Yao Ming and Gortat.
Despite this, the Cavaliers, with this surge, managed to establish a six-point lead before the start of the fourth quarter.
The lead was not substantial enough to guarantee the Celtics wouldn't come back in the fourth quarter, but it at least gave the home crowd a glimmer of hope for a win.
On the Celtics' side, Kerr made no significant adjustments. Although they were the defending champions, by this point in the season, no one believed they could contend for a championship.
In fact, before He Ximeng's return, most fans expected the Celtics to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
It was only after He Ximeng's return that discussions began in the media about the possibility of the Celtics pulling off an upset.
Therefore, no one would be surprised if the Celtics lost this first game.
Early in the fourth quarter, Carter attempted to lead a Celtics comeback, but they couldn't find their rhythm, and James shut them down.
Yao Ming was hampered by foul trouble, carrying five fouls and playing cautiously.
As the game entered the final three minutes, the Cavaliers fans were already preparing to celebrate the first game of the playoffs.
He Ximeng, who had been relatively quiet for nearly the entire game, suddenly felt a surge of inspiration.
In the first three and a half quarters, He Ximeng had only taken six shots, all from mid to long range, making three of them – one three-pointer and two two-pointers, for a total of 8 points.
Compared to the He Ximeng who used to score 20+10 effortlessly, this performance suggested that his injury had not fully healed, or that he was still adapting to the NBA's pace.
LeBron James had guarded He Ximeng for over three quarters, and by the fourth quarter, he also believed He Ximeng hadn't returned to his peak form. Otherwise, how could he have allowed himself to only score 8 points and 4 assists?
Just as everyone assumed He Ximeng still needed time, he suddenly took the ball from Carter. After a deceptive drive, he pulled up for a step-back three-pointer from the top of the arc.
This shot wasn't particularly spectacular, so it didn't immediately draw the Cavaliers' full attention.
James still opted for a drive and a layup, but this time his touch was slightly off, and the ball rimmed out.
After Yao Ming secured the rebound and passed it to He Ximeng, He Ximeng didn't dribble it upcourt. Instead, he quickly passed it to Carter.
Carter was being defended by the Cavaliers' Pavlovic.
Pavlovic played a retreating defense, while Carter accelerated his drive, looking as if he intended to lead a fast break against the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers dared not underestimate the play and reluctantly retreated, aiming to stop Carter at or beyond the three-point line.
To their surprise, Carter didn't stop at the three-point line. He drove straight into the paint, compressing the Cavaliers' defense as much as possible before making a no-look cross-court pass directly to He Ximeng, who was trailing in the middle.
James immediately sensed trouble and turned to sprint back, but it was too late.
He Ximeng caught the ball a step beyond the three-point line at the top of the arc and rose up for a shot, giving James no chance to recover. He unleashed a beautiful catch-and-shoot three-pointer.
The ball traced a familiar arc and found its mark in the Cavaliers' basket.
With two consecutive three-pointers, He Ximeng's personal score instantly jumped from 8 to 14 points, also narrowing the Celtics' deficit from nine points to three.
James was sweating profusely. He truly hadn't expected this – He Ximeng waiting for him here!
This was a surprise attack, forcing him into a three-minute battle to the death at the crucial moment.
James suddenly felt a tinge of regret. In the first three quarters, if they had stuck to head coach Mike Brown's plan and relentlessly targeted He Ximeng, ignoring the temporary score, perhaps He Ximeng could have been worn down earlier, thus avoiding this current predicament.
However, regret was now futile.
After the first three and a half quarters of adaptive play, He Ximeng clearly felt that his injury was no longer an issue, which was why he started to exert himself at this moment.
In this regard, James's guess was correct.
He Ximeng's injury recovery was progressing exceptionally well, to the point where the lead surgeons were astonished, calling him a blessed individual.
Whether He Ximeng was blessed by God, he did not know.
But at least, He Ximeng was certain that his physique was still beyond the ordinary.
Whether it was his resilience before the major injury or his recovery speed afterwards, it all seemed to be top-tier.
After receiving confirmation from the doctors, He Ximeng had organized his own practice games to adapt, and his wound showed no abnormalities, nor did his physical condition appear to have significantly declined.
However, out of an abundance of caution, He Ximeng had been holding back, conserving at least thirty to forty percent of his strength.