This was already the fourth season of cooperation between Yao Ming and He Xi Meng. If national team games were included, their time together was even longer.
There was no need for extensive planning or preparation between them. Essentially, with just a glance or a gesture, Yao Ming could keenly grasp He Xi Meng's intentions and execute them resolutely!
In this game, He Xi Meng had specifically instructed Yao Ming before the match to be ready for a strong offensive push!
The key to breaking through the Nets' defense lay with Yao Ming!
Yao Ming was already prepared!
Before Pierce left the court, He Xi Meng had been doing his best to run the offense around Yao Ming, and after Pierce's departure, this trend became even more pronounced, to the point where it was practically an open secret!
"I'll attack your inside! I'll attack Yao Ming! I'll attack with high efficiency! What can you do to me?"
The Nets' biggest headache was that they truly couldn't do anything to Yao Ming!
The Nets' interior defense had never been strong. Their big men were essentially blue-collar players who could barely handle average opposing centers. Against a center of Yao Ming's caliber, it was obviously asking too much!
Coach Frank was well aware of his team's weaknesses!
There wasn't a lack of ways to counter Yao Ming. Shrinking the defense, double-teaming him, these were all feasible measures!
But the problem was that the Celtics weren't just Yao Ming!
The Celtics' backcourt boasted two giants in He Xi Meng and Carter! Once defensive efforts shifted towards the paint, Frank knew with his eyes closed that the Nets' three-point shots from the perimeter would not be polite if left unguarded!
Compared to leaving either He Xi Meng or Carter open, Frank would rather have Jason Collins guard Yao Ming one-on-one!
If there was a defensive lapse, it was a tactical issue, the head coach's fault!
If they couldn't defend, it was a roster problem, an issue with the management's player acquisitions!
At least, the coaching staff's tactical setup had no obvious flaws!
You can't make bricks without straw!
"Yao Ming is too strong, management needs to pay attention! Find me a reliable inside player quickly..." This was Coach Frank's inner monologue.
With their advantage in the paint, the Celtics quickly gained a scoring lead.
As the first quarter drew to a close, Pierce returned to the court, serving as the core of the rotation lineup.
For caution's sake, the Celtics' coach, Kerr, also kept Carter on the court to anchor the defense, paired with Payton.
For the other positions, Kerr substituted in Perkins, Malone, and Ariza.
This rotation, consisting of two veterans, two rookies, and Carter, was more than enough to handle the Nets' starting lineup, let alone their bench!
Fortunately, after receiving a technical foul, Pierce seemed to have sobered up significantly. Back on the court, Pierce played with extreme calmness and restraint. When he had a clear opportunity to score, he would decisively take the shot, and when he didn't have one, he would choose to pass the ball to a teammate in a better position!
Although his teammates might not always make the shot. Because this rotation lineup of the Celtics still possessed strong defense!
With the exception of slower movement speed, there were almost no obvious weaknesses at any position.
Therefore, it was an impossible task for the Nets to narrow the deficit during the rotation period. Being able to avoid letting the Celtics extend their lead further was the greatest fortune amidst misfortune!
Midway through the second quarter, the Nets were the first to bring back their full starting lineup.
The Celtics followed suit shortly after.
Carter went to the bench to rest, while He Xi Meng and Yao Ming, along with Ariza, Josh Smith, and Tony Allen, returned to the court!
Kevin Martin and Hu Wei Dong had not yet had the opportunity to play.
Facing this lineup from the Celtics, Coach Frank attempted to double-team Yao Ming in the paint.
However, He Xi Meng, without needing any reminders from Kerr, immediately responded!
When Yao Ming was double-teamed in the paint, He Xi Meng immediately used off-ball screens from Ariza and Tony Allen to create space on the wing to receive the pass!
Yao Ming passed the ball, and He Xi Meng caught it and shot!
Utilizing this off-ball shooting tactic, He Xi Meng hit three consecutive three-pointers in the latter half of the second quarter, directly forcing the Nets into a timeout!
The Celtics' lead had already expanded to double digits!
The strategy of double-teaming Yao Ming in the paint could no longer continue. If it did, the Nets would be directly shot to death by He Xi Meng from the perimeter!
Thus, at the start of the third quarter, Coach Frank adjusted the interior defense back to single coverage on Yao Ming.
Concurrently, he had Jason Collins, Kostić, and the reserve Jabari Smith rotate to defend Yao Ming, hoping to find someone who could perform slightly better in single coverage.
But unfortunately, Frank failed. The Nets lacked such talent. Under the single-guard policy, Yao Ming was essentially unstoppable, directly exploiting and dominating the Nets' paint!
116:98, the final whistle blew, and the Celtics secured a dominant home victory over the Nets!
Yao Ming scored a game-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. He Xi Meng had 25 points, 12 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Carter contributed 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks!
With the playoffs underway, the Celtics' three core players began to display their true power. With all three scoring over twenty points, the Nets were unable to defend them effectively!
For the Nets, Kidd had a team-high 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists! For Kidd, 10 rebounds and 8 assists were routine, but 22 points was a career-best performance!
However, there was nothing that could be done.
Because Pierce had a very sluggish start to the game and received a technical foul, and Richard Jefferson was hesitant to assert himself, who else but Kidd could step up?
Although Pierce's emotions returned to normal from the second quarter onwards, and his scoring also recovered, due to the Nets falling too far behind in the first three quarters, Pierce had no interest in padding his stats in garbage time during the final quarter, ultimately finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
At the post-game press conference, Kerr, who had maintained a steady demeanor throughout the game, calmly responded to the media's questions, stating, "We are on the right path! We are united, and we are confident in defeating any opponent..."
His aura was perfectly captured.
And in line with Michael Jordan's post-game declarations, "This victory is just the beginning..."
Yao Ming, as the player who performed best in this game, seeing the big bosses speak so concisely, didn't say much more: "I just did what I was supposed to do! The team needed me to score, so I scored, that's all!"
He Xi Meng did not attend the press conference for this game. Defeating an incomplete Nets team at home was not worth boasting about.
For the current Celtics, winning was a matter of course, and losing was what required serious reflection...