It's no wonder He Xi Meng dared to entrust the basketball to Yao Ming with such confidence. Yao Ming's turnaround jump shot from this position had a surprisingly high success rate!
In fact, back with the Spurs, Yao Ming had trained extensively in this spot with Duncan.
It was just that Duncan favored bank shots, and Yao Ming couldn't quite grasp the essence of it, ultimately opting for shots that went directly into the basket.
Now, it seemed, different paths led to the same destination. Yao Ming hadn't wasted his three years with the Spurs; he had learned a pirated version of Duncan's dream shake, a copied turnaround jumper from the post, and the authentic baseline step-through from David Robinson!
If he could master these three moves, it would basically guarantee Yao Ming a permanent spot as an All-Star player!
On the Pistons' counter-attack, Billups again employed a pick-and-roll after a substitution, breaking through and passing. This time, however, the pass went to Hamilton!
Hamilton found himself matched up against He Xi Meng and forced a shot, which he made.
Good heavens! Did Coach Larry Brown have some misunderstanding about He Xi Meng? Was he planning to target He Xi Meng as the Celtics' defensive weak point?
He Xi Meng had been exploited by both Rasheed Wallace and Hamilton, who had driven past him for scores.
Bring it on! Let's hurt each other!
He Xi Meng continued to orchestrate the offense around Yao Ming. This time, Hamilton, who had been on the top line, decided to sag back and help Big Ben double-team Yao Ming.
Yao Ming didn't hesitate, spinning the ball back to Carter on the perimeter.
Ducey slid over from the wing to cover for Hamilton's absence. Carter faked a shot, drawing Ducey off balance with his lateral movement, and then drove into the Pistons' paint!
The Pistons' interior defense immediately tensed up, with all players on high alert, expecting Carter to charge towards the basket!
However, Carter didn't force his way to the rim. Instead, about a step inside the free-throw line, he abruptly pulled up for a jump shot!
Ducey, trailing behind, couldn't recover. Hamilton on the wing wasn't in position. Big Ben, directly in front, couldn't reach him.
With the grace of using minimal force to achieve maximum effect, Carter softly shot the ball, which was so close to the basket, into the net. This sight greatly surprised Carter's long-time fans!
It had to be said, since Carter arrived in Boston and started playing with He Xi Meng, his style of play had become much craftier!
While He Xi Meng's decision to avoid a forceful drive was understandable, Carter choosing not to force it was somewhat unexpected for the fans.
The Celtics fans in the arena had prepared to erupt with thunderous cheers for Carter. But then, Carter played gently, leaving the fans unsure whether to cheer or not!
If they cheered, the play was too ordinary! Not worth such a commotion.
If they didn't cheer, they had already posed for the action, and it would be disappointing to go empty-handed.
Just as most fans were wondering what to do, a fan somewhere let out a hearty laugh, and then the entire North Garden Arena burst into laughter.
Carter's shot had brought the fans more joy than surprise!
"Don't mind them! The fans mean no harm!"
He Xi Meng consoled a slightly embarrassed Carter as he jogged back on defense. 138 Reading Network
Carter raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "I know. I'm just not used to this kind of laughter..."
"You'll get used to it after a few more times. Enjoy this slightly unusual, yet loving, appreciation from the fans," He Xi Meng smiled.
The crafty Carter, compared to the all-out attacking Carter, might be missing something, but the crafty Carter also had his own charm!
At the very least, his opponents would find it more troublesome to defend him.
Because once Carter could control his pace and attack at will, it would be even harder for the Pistons to contain him, given his already strong scoring ability.
In the early stages of the game, with Yao Ming's excellent post-up fadeaway jumpers and Carter's controlled offense, the Celtics gradually gained a lead.
As the first quarter drew to a close, He Xi Meng, who had been relatively quiet, also managed to sink a three-pointer "in his busy schedule," helping the Pistons push their lead to the verge of double digits.
28:19, the Celtics had a smooth start to the game.
At the beginning of the second quarter, both teams entered their rotation periods.
On the Pistons' side, Coach Larry Brown began to shorten his rotation, only substituting out Ben Wallace and Billups, who had played a lot in the first quarter. He brought in Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter, letting Rasheed Wallace play center.
On the Celtics' side, coach O'Neal hesitated, "We're already in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, should we still rotate normally? Should we shorten the rotation?"
"I don't think so! Let everyone try it out first. If they can't handle it, we can always switch back!"
"Alright!"
With He Xi Meng's support, O'Neal's biggest concern disappeared, so they continued with the same strategy.
The rookies continued to develop, and the veterans continued to contribute.
The Celtics kept only He Xi Meng on the court to anchor the team, while the other four positions were filled by Perkins, Malone, Kevin Martin, and Tony Allen.
After moving to the center position, Rasheed Wallace stopped drifting on the perimeter and returned to the low post. He received a lob pass from Lindsey Hunter and executed a post-up turnaround jumper over Perkins, which he made.
Perkins was strong and powerful, but lacked mobility and defensive awareness. While he was effective against physical centers, he struggled against interior players like Rasheed Wallace who possessed decent post-up skills and shooting ability. This was an unavoidable situation.
"Don't overthink it, Kendrick! Just play hard defense. Whether you succeed or not, leave it to God!"
"Okay, Simon! I'll do my best." As a second-year rookie, Perkins was still a bit green.
It was the Celtics' bench unit's turn to go on offense.
In this lineup, apart from He Xi Meng, Perkins and Tony Allen weren't particularly skilled scorers. Kevin Martin was the most proficient, and the last of Old Man Malone's energy was being used on offense. Against mild defense, Malone's mid-range jump shot was still accurate and stable!
For this possession, He Xi Meng called for a high pick-and-roll with Malone.
Malone had played high pick-and-rolls with Stockton for years on the Jazz, and he was a master of this technique. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a master of pick-and-rolls.
Without needing extensive pre-game practice, Malone immediately positioned himself in the most comfortable spot for He Xi Meng, helping him screen off the shorter guard, Lindsey Hunter.
He Xi Meng found himself matched up against Antonio McDyess. He didn't drive into the paint; instead, he pulled the ball back, intending to pass to Malone near the free-throw line, allowing Malone to go high and exploit the mismatch against Lindsey Hunter.
However, he caught sight of Kevin Martin, wearing jersey number 23, sneaking in from behind him.