Pierce's performance was far from as stellar as in the previous game. Trailing by a significant margin of 0:3, Pierce had lost confidence in advancing.
Richard Jefferson's performance was also not as good as in the last game. Having come back ahead of schedule, he also lacked the determination to fight to the death.
Only Kidd, as the nominal leader of the Nets, never gave up hope of winning! In this game, Kidd, who was not good at long-range shooting, did not hesitate to go all out, taking 10 three-point shots. Although he made 4 of them, with a shooting percentage exceeding his average three-point percentage, it was still of no avail...
As many as 6 players on the Celtics scored in double figures, with the role players' performance nearly crushing the Nets...
The rookie players that He Xi Meng had nurtured and trained for a season were finally beginning to repay the team in the playoffs!
Seeing his team sweep the Nets 4:0 to enter the Eastern Conference semifinals, Jordan couldn't help but start boasting in the media.
"To manage a team well, you first need a reliable general manager! Secondly, you need a reliable head coach. Finally, you need a few reliable core players! One is not too many, and three are not too few..."
"Of course, the points I'm making here are not something that can be achieved just by having money! It really tests the vision, courage, and charm of the team owner! This is not me boasting... I have quite a bit of experience in this regard..."
Whether Jordan was boasting or not was up to the fans to judge.
But the Celtics' performance this season was undeniable to the fans. In the playoffs, the Green Army continued to show no signs of slowing down, which indeed brought a considerable surprise to the Boston fans. It made the Boston fans full of anticipation for the Eastern Conference semifinals!
And the Celtics' opponent in the East would be the winner between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers!
Although the Pacers were still without their core player Artest, who was still suspended after the Malice at the Palace incident, the Pacers players still showed a defiant performance!
In games 1 and 2 in Detroit, the Pacers couldn't find their rhythm to win. After losing two games in a row, many fans thought that the Pacers might be swept by the Pistons.
However, on their home court, the Pacers began a sharp counterattack!
In Game 3, Reggie Miller, who was less than 40 months away from his 40th birthday, scored a game-high 28 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals! With 37 seconds left in the game, he made a mid-range jump shot that sealed the victory for the Pacers!
With Billups' game-tying three-pointer missing, the Pacers won 82:79 by three points, tying the series.
In Game 4, Reggie Miller continued his brilliance, again scoring a game-high 33 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 steal, leading the Pacers to a dominant 99:76 victory, successfully tying the series 2:2!
In Game 5, Billups' three-pointer with 15 seconds left in the game, a near-game-winner, helped the Pistons take the lead and reach a match point for advancement.
But in Game 6, the Pacers refused to give up. With Reggie Miller facing double-teams from the opponent throughout the game, the Pacers had multiple players contributing. Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, Dale Davis, James Jones... five Pacers players scored in double figures, and they defeated the Pistons again 90:85, successfully dragging the series into a Game 7!
In the decisive Game 7, the Pistons deployed their strongest "iron barrel" defensive tactics. In the entire first half, they only allowed the Pacers to score 32 points!
With their strong defense, the Pistons ultimately eliminated the tenacious Pacers with a score of 97:70!
In terms of overall strength, the Pistons were actually a notch above this depleted Pacers team.
However, with their unyielding will, this incomplete Pacers team managed to push the Pistons to a Game 7. To be honest, the term "honorable defeat" was perfectly fitting for this Pacers team.
Artest, who couldn't play, seeing his teammates' performance, must have regretted not listening to He Xi Meng's half-joking warning at the beginning of the season...
Alas, there is no regret medicine in the world.
Artest could only place all his hopes on the next season, but would Reggie Miller still be with the Pacers next season?
In the remaining two matchups in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4:1!
Iverson put up averages of 31 points and 10 assists in the five games, a performance that couldn't be anything but excellent, but besides Iverson, Iguodala was too young, and Webber's peak had passed...
In the middle of the season, the 76ers management took a risk by accepting Webber's $20 million contract, hoping to get a bargain, but ended up with a tragedy!
Webber's knee injury was much more severe than the 76ers management had imagined.
Webber's condition declined much faster than the 76ers management had anticipated.
This trade directly locked up the 76ers' salary cap for the next two seasons, forcing Iverson into a tanking situation, exacerbating his relationship with the management, and ultimately leading to the "Son of Philadelphia" leaving Philadelphia in late 2006.
While it cannot be said that Webber solely caused this outcome, at least Webber's bad contract contributed to its occurrence and acted as a catalyst.
In this playoff series, Webber averaged 19 points and 5.8 rebounds, a far cry from his peak of 24 points and 11 rebounds.
What was even more damning was that Webber couldn't even outplay O'Neal, who still contributed 20 points and 8.8 rebounds in this series...
In the final Eastern Conference matchup, the Wizards and the Bulls, two new teams, faced off.
If the Bulls hadn't lost Eddy Curry and Luol Deng to injuries, they would have had a good chance of beating the Wizards.
After all, the Wizards were a regular-season team with strong offense and average defense. They didn't have an advantage in the playoffs.
The Bulls, on the other hand, were a team that primarily focused on defense and interior offense, very well-suited to the playoff game rhythm.
However, man proposes, but fate disposes. The Bulls lost two key players before the end of the regular season, further damaging their already not-so-strong offensive firepower.
Kirk Hinrich was forced to step up and become the team's offensive focal point.
In the end, at 2:4, the young Bulls fell to the equally young Wizards.
Arenas was in the spotlight, scoring a series-high average of 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists!
However, the Wizards' next opponent would be the Heat, the strongest team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season!
Facing an O'Neal whose form had declined, who would the Wizards use to stop him?