Pierce again signaled for the ball from He Xi Meng.
"You want it, so I give it? Where's the dignity in that?" He Xi Meng shot back at Pierce.
Pierce took a deep breath. Between dealing with external threats and internal strife, he chose the former!
"Fine, I'll beg you then. For the next game, I don't need the ball..."
"You say that as if this game you're not getting the ball, and next game you definitely will..."
Although He Xi Meng said this, he still passed the ball to Pierce.
It was rare for Pierce to yield, so He Xi Meng decided to give him some face, and also to make Rivers feel a bit happier.
"You wanted to see old Pierce play the core? Fine, I'll indulge your wish for now, and let you see how it works..."
After handing the ball to Pierce, Pierce lived up to his reputation as the king of the floor.
He dribbled past Artest, jockeyed for position, lightly shoved Artest's waist with his elbow, forcing Artest to shift his weight back. Pierce seized the opportunity for a pull-up jump shot!
Artest's block was too late, and Pierce easily scored two points!
When it came to offensive capability, Artest was indeed no match for the floor king, Pierce.
However, the current Artest was unwilling to admit he was outmatched, so for the entire first quarter, Artest was locked in a battle with Pierce!
The two of them battled fiercely on the court, and the fans on the sidelines were thoroughly entertained. However, the score remained largely unchanged.
With Yao Ming's advantage in the paint, the Celtics maintained a slight lead.
As the first quarter neared its end, Rivers subbed out the "hard-working" Pierce for a rest, allowing He Xi Meng to lead the younger players.
Rivers assigned Malik Rose, Josh Smith, Ariza, and Tony Allen to He Xi Meng's unit.
Hu Weidong and Kevin Martin didn't even make the Celtics' second lineup.
As he went onto the court, He Xi Meng, as usual, emphasized some of the game plan to his teammates.
Josh Smith had a heavy responsibility today because the core of the Pacers' rotation was an ailing Jermaine O'Neal!
This meant Josh Smith would have to guard O'Neal.
He Xi Meng's instructions to him were to focus on boxing out and providing support.
Ariza, on the wing, was to rotate in at any time to help Josh Smith double-team O'Neal, thus reducing Josh Smith's defensive burden.
As for the others, David Harrison, Fred Jones, and Eddie Gill, they couldn't put much pressure on the Celtics.
Under He Xi Meng's leadership, the Celtics focused their defense inside and attacked outside.
Ariza performed exceptionally, hitting two open threes off He Xi Meng's drives and passes!
Combined with He Xi Meng's two three-pointers, the Celtics went on a 12-5 run, successfully extending their lead to nine points.
Seeing the score about to enter double digits, Artest couldn't stand it and volunteered to come in and stabilize the team.
Upon seeing Artest about to enter the game, Pierce ripped off his white towel and immediately signaled to Rivers, indicating he also wanted back in!
Rivers immediately subbed out He Xi Meng to make room for Pierce. At the same time, he subbed out Ariza for Payton.
Artest had originally intended to avoid Pierce and pick on Ariza to boost his personal stats. He never expected Pierce to not give him even a second's rest. Artest decided then and there that this was a fight to the death between him and Pierce!
Thus, the middle and latter parts of the second quarter once again became a fierce confrontation between Artest and Pierce. Before halftime, Pierce, who held the advantage both team-wise and individually, pressed his advantage relentlessly, continuing to attack Artest fiercely, attempting to crush him completely!
Enraged, Artest, during one of their intense exchanges, subtly twisted his elbow and added a bit more force. As Pierce turned, he drove his elbow into Pierce's ribs...
Pierce felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest, and all his strength drained away. He cried out, clutching his chest with his left hand, but his right hand still protected the ball.
The referee's whistle blew again. Artest was called for a defensive foul on this play.
This time, Artest said nothing. He shook his head and turned away.
Pierce tried to do a deep breath to alleviate the pain in his chest, but it didn't subside. Instead, the stinging sensation intensified. He realized the situation might be serious and quickly signaled to Rivers.
Rivers quickly made a substitution, taking Pierce out.
After a brief examination by the team doctor on the sideline, Pierce's pain persisted, so he was immediately taken to the locker room with the team doctor.
Preliminary diagnosis: Pierce might have a fractured rib!
The post-game MRI confirmed this suspicion. Pierce would be sidelined for four weeks!
His ambition cut short before it could even take flight, Pierce's battle for leadership with He Xi Meng had just begun, only for him to be sidelined by Artest!
A feud with Artest had been ignited.
At the post-game press conference, when a reporter mentioned Pierce's injury, Artest explained, "It was an accident! I just wanted to stop Pierce's offense, I didn't mean to hurt him... He's so strong, I didn't expect the injury to be so severe..."
After Pierce left the court, Artest's personal statistics indeed improved significantly.
The rookie Ariza was no match for Artest's relentless attack.
However, the Pacers did not see a reversal of the game's momentum despite Artest being unleashed.
After Pierce left the court, He Xi Meng, along with Yao Ming, Josh Smith, Ariza, and Tony Allen, played a fluid offensive game in the second half!
The Pacers' defense was not bad; they were even among the top defensive teams in the Eastern Conference.
But facing the默契 cooperation between He Xi Meng and Yao Ming, coupled with the impact of the younger players Josh Smith, Ariza, and Tony Allen, the Celtics successfully defeated their opponents, securing their second victory of the new season!
In this game, He Xi Meng didn't even resort to his three-point shot. Simply by using his organizational and playmaking abilities, he successfully led the team to a multi-pronged offensive attack!
Besides He Xi Meng and Pierce, four other Celtics players scored in double digits!
Yao Ming once again recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Smith had 12 points, Ariza 11, and Fox 10.
He Xi Meng himself had 22 points, 15 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. His playmaking performance in the first two games was impeccable.
He Xi Meng's outstanding performance and Pierce's sudden injury left the most awkward situation for none other than the Celtics' head coach, Rivers!
Rivers had intended to build the offense around Pierce. However, Pierce was injured after only two games, forcing Rivers to shift his strategy to a lineup centered around Yao Ming and He Xi Meng.
If he had known this would happen, why the initial decision?