On the Pistons' possession, Billups orchestrated the offense, patiently passing the ball around the perimeter with his teammates, seeking to exploit weaknesses in the Celtics' defense.
The Celtics, renowned for their potent offense during the regular season, were by no means weak defensively.
With Yao Ming anchoring the paint and Josh Smith providing help defense, their rim protection, while perhaps not impenetrable, was at least at a league-caliber level.
He Xi Meng's and Carter's defensive capabilities were consistently underestimated by the league.
While neither was a member of the All-Defensive teams, He Xi Meng's exceptional anticipation and Carter's superior leaping ability and shot-blocking made their defense among the league's elite guards, certainly not porous.
On the wing, Ariza, despite being a rookie whose all-around game hadn't reached its peak, had already demonstrated considerable defensive prowess. He was more than capable of matching up against Dupree, a role player with a defensive-minded offense, and even had energy left to support He Xi Meng and Carter on the perimeter.
Crucially, the Pistons' offense, while not lacking in skill, wasn't particularly sharp across the league. They preferred to run the full 24 seconds, passing the ball consistently to probe for openings, and avoided rushed shots.
Therefore, overall, the Celtics felt no trepidation facing the Pistons on the defensive end.
On the Pistons' second possession, the player who had just been emphatically blocked, Ben Wallace, was hesitant to call for the ball, opting instead to wait for his teammates to create an opportunity on the perimeter.
Finally, with the shot clock winding down, Billups resorted to a classic isolation play, driving hard at He Xi Meng before dishing to Rasheed Wallace, who had moved to the mid-range.
Rasheed Wallace caught the ball, stopped, and shot, a last-second attempt. However, the rushed nature of the play resulted in the ball bouncing off the rim.
Ben Wallace attempted to fight for the offensive rebound, but Yao Ming and Josh Smith formed a pincer, preventing him from getting deep into the paint.
Yao Ming secured the rebound, and the Pistons quickly retreated to defend.
On the first possession, He Xi Meng and Carter had already demonstrated the Celtics' transition speed, forcing the Pistons to refrain from fully committing to offensive rebounding.
He Xi Meng, however, was not in a hurry. The game had just begun, and fast breaks were merely punctuation; half-court offense was the true rhythm of the playoffs.
He Xi Meng brought the ball past half-court, Yao Ming setting up position in the post. Ben Wallace, using his strength, forcefully denied Yao Ming entry into the paint.
He Xi Meng first directed Josh Smith to the weak-side three-point line, hoping to draw Rasheed Wallace away, or he would pass to Yao Ming, allowing him to post up Ben Wallace one-on-one.
The Pistons' initial strategy was also to defend Yao Ming in isolation.
Facing the Celtics' two elite guards on the perimeter, no team would willingly choose to double-team in the post, as it would invariably leave someone open on the perimeter.
Therefore, Yao Ming had to work hard to create opportunities for double-teams.
Ben Wallace and Yao Ming, both centers, had a nearly twenty-centimeter height difference, making it appear as though a dominant center was playing against a small forward.
Ben Wallace's ability to hold his own as a center in the NBA, a league filled with towering players, was primarily due to his solid base, exceptional leaping ability, and fierce defensive tenacity.
Ben Wallace abandoned any hope of contesting Yao Ming's shot at the release point, crouching low to focus on anchoring his base and preventing Yao Ming from getting close to the basket.
During the regular season, Yao Ming had frequently struggled against Ben Wallace.
He Xi Meng's advice to Yao Ming now was not to force his way in, but to adapt, utilize his height advantage near the baseline, and take high-post shots, relying on his touch to score over Ben Wallace.
On this play, Yao Ming had the ball with his back to the basket. After confirming there was no double-team, he took one dribble, faked a right-hand drive to the middle, drawing Ben Wallace's weight to the right, then spun back for a fadeaway jump shot.
"Damn! That worked!"
Ben Wallace was stunned! He already had a twenty-centimeter disadvantage against Yao Ming. With his superior athleticism, Ben Wallace could barely close the gap, aiming to disrupt Yao Ming's vision and apply defensive pressure.
But with Yao Ming's fadeaway, it was game over for Ben Wallace. He couldn't even get a hand on it and would only end up fouling Yao Ming, giving him free throws.
Considering Yao Ming's free-throw percentage, Ben Wallace wisely chose to back off.
He decided to trust in Yao Ming's shooting touch.
Yao Ming, having planned this play meticulously and not acting on impulse, executed a fluid sequence of moves that resulted in a successful shot.
Yao Ming's first shot found the bottom of the net, adding two more points for the Celtics.
Larry Brown, the veteran coach on the sidelines, looked displeased.
The Pistons' formidable defense had posed no threat to the Celtics in their opening two possessions, and the Celtics had scored with relative ease, while the Pistons' offense appeared to be struggling.
On their third possession, after finding no open looks, Billups called for a high-post screen from Rasheed Wallace.
Rasheed Wallace screened off He Xi Meng, who was chasing him, forcing a switch with Josh Smith. Rasheed Wallace didn't roll to the basket but suddenly stepped back to the three-point line.
Billups' quick return pass found Rasheed Wallace, before He Xi Meng could even attempt a steal.
Facing He Xi Meng, Rasheed Wallace opted for a high-post isolation, rising up from behind the three-point line.
Rasheed Wallace's shot was decisive, and the ball swished through the net.
"Screaming Rasheed" gave the Pistons their first points of the semifinals, surprisingly coming from a three-pointer.
This shot was unexpected but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
With the Celtics' interior defense so solid, weren't the Pistons forced to seek opportunities from the perimeter?
However, this wasn't the Pistons' typical offensive approach, and such scoring wasn't likely to be sustainable, so He Xi Meng wasn't overly concerned.
On the Celtics' next possession, He Xi Meng again looked for Yao Ming. Yao Ming continued to work near the baseline, using the same method to overpower Ben Wallace.
Ben Wallace was frustrated and had to increase his physical contact before Yao Ming's shot, attempting to disrupt his release, but the effect was still not significant, or at least not yet apparent.
Yao Ming's second shot was also successful!