Game 2 continued in Boston.
The Celtics maintained their tempo, continuing to focus on the inside presence of Yao Ming.
The Nets began adjusting their lineup, with Richard Jefferson returning to the starting position. Veteran Clifford Robinson was given significant playing time, while Kostic and Jason Collins rotated at center, aiming to wear down Yao Ming with tough defense.
Why are the playoffs so difficult? Because the defensive intensity in the playoffs is incomparable to the regular season.
As long as players don't use injurious actions, normal physical contact can be escalated!
Correspondingly, the referee's whistle will also change accordingly.
This is why it's said: the playoffs are the sole standard for testing superstars!
Only superstars who can withstand the defensive intensity of the playoffs are true superstars!
The Nets wanted to test Yao Ming's mettle by increasing defensive intensity, but unfortunately, they failed!
Because next to Yao Ming, there was He Xi Meng, the best point guard!
He Xi Meng would absolutely not stand by and watch Yao Ming fight alone without offering assistance!
Upon seeing the Nets employ a tag-team approach combined with increased defensive intensity to wear down Yao Ming, He Xi Meng immediately changed his passing style to Yao Ming.
He Xi Meng no longer simply lobbed passes to Yao Ming for him to rely on his individual ability to score one-on-one. Instead, he called Yao Ming to the high post for pick-and-rolls, then either rolled to the basket to receive the pass and attack, or caught and pulled up for a short jumper in the paint!
Yao Ming still scored, but he did so in a different way, leaving the Nets no opportunity to find fault with him.
104:87, the Celtics once again dominated the Nets, heading to New Jersey with a commanding 2-0 lead!
In Game 3, back on their home court and fueled by the cheers of their fans, the Nets finally played a game of equal footing!
Pierce, Kidd, and Richard Jefferson all exerted themselves simultaneously, constantly attacking the paint guarded by Yao Ming, successfully putting him in foul trouble.
With multiple fouls accumulated early, Yao Ming was unable to be the Celtics' primary scoring threat. Kerr was forced to alter the offensive strategy from the previous two games, tasking He Xi Meng and Carter with greater scoring responsibilities!
This somewhat impacted the Celtics' scoring efficiency, but it was still too early to defeat them.
The two teams battled until the final moments of the game. The Nets led by 3 points, 90:87, with victory in sight. If they could just stop the Celtics' final possession, the Nets would secure a hard-fought win!
In a crucial moment, He Xi Meng drove and kicked to Carter on the wing, who received the pass and drove again!
Judging by the approach, the Nets expected the Celtics to quickly score two points and then try to draw a foul, sending the Nets to the free-throw line.
Unexpectedly, after a series of drives by the Celtics, their final choice was a three-pointer!
After Carter drove, he passed to He Xi Meng at the corner!
And before heading to the corner, He Xi Meng had set a screen for Yao Ming in the paint!
Yao Ming's large frame solidly blocked Kidd behind him!
This allowed He Xi Meng to drift to the left corner, where he received the pass from Carter for a nearly unguarded open shot!
Kidd roared from under the basket, simultaneously urging Pierce on the wing to rotate over!
Pierce, whose attention was initially on Carter's drive, was caught off guard by He Xi Meng's move!
Pierce twisted to rotate over!
However, the open look was too significant. Despite the desperate efforts of Kidd and Pierce to close out, they were unable to disrupt He Xi Meng's shot.
He Xi Meng calmly released the ball and calmly sank the game-tying three-pointer!
90:90, the game was not over yet.
The Nets had one final possession. Pierce held the ball and drove, with Carter guarding him.
The two stars, whose fates had now been reversed, engaged in a critical offensive and defensive showdown in the final 10 seconds of regulation in Game 3.
Carter, whose defensive ability had always been underestimated, successfully defended Pierce's final attempt, forcing the game into overtime.
In overtime, both teams' core players focused intensely on defense, resulting in missed shots on their first possessions.
On the second possession, Yao Ming drove to the basket, drew a foul, and successfully made both free throws, giving the Celtics a two-point lead.
Pierce turned and drove as well, aggressively leaning into Yao Ming, and also successfully drew two free throws. More importantly, he managed to draw Yao Ming's sixth foul of the game, forcing him out.
The balance of victory seemed to tilt towards the home team, the Nets.
The Nets fans in the arena erupted in cheers, as if the Nets could win the game once Yao Ming was off the court.
On the Celtics' side, Kerr did not substitute in backup center Perkins, instead calling on veteran Malone to step in at center.
In this critical moment, the team needed stability.
However, Kerr was not flustered.
Because the Celtics had more than just one Yao Ming!
Yao Ming's departure, while significantly diminishing their interior advantage, did not cripple their offense, as they still had He Xi Meng and Carter!
"How should we play this?" Carter asked He Xi Meng.
"Still attack the paint!" He Xi Meng replied. "At this crucial moment of battling for every point, let's prioritize stability!"
"Alright! I'll go first!"
"Okay! This ref is a bit blind today, try not to rely on drawing whistles as much as possible. If you can score yourself, do it!"
"I see it! I'll do my best to put the ball directly in the basket!"
"Whoa! You can still dunk at a time like this?"
"As a man! You can never say no at any moment! How will you know if you don't try?" Carter grinned and separated from He Xi Meng, preparing to receive the ball on the offensive end.
He Xi Meng dribbled past half-court and handed the ball to Carter.
Carter, with the ball, pump-faked Pierce, but Pierce's defense was as solid as a rock and didn't fall for the bait.
Carter was forced to retreat with the ball, calling for a high screen from Josh Smith. After creating a mismatch, he drove to the basket with his side against Kostic!
Kostic desperately backpedaled, and Richard Jefferson also collapsed, helping Kostic double-team Carter!
But Carter was undaunted. With his final step, he leaped forward, breaking through the Nets' double-team, and with the power of a霸王 (overlord), forcefully slammed the ball into the Nets' basket!
In overtime, at this special juncture, Carter could still execute such a dominant dunk?
It truly was a dunk whenever and wherever he pleased!
He Xi Meng was immediately in awe of Carter's stamina!
The New Jersey fans in the arena were also stunned!
They had finally managed to get the interior behemoth Yao Ming off the court, and now the UFO was flying?
What the hell was this supposed to be?