Payton wanted to see a desperate, eager-to-prove-himself desire in Monta Ellis's eyes.
Instead, he saw clear eyes filled with gratitude towards He Ximeng...
"Alright! Another young man drunk on Ximeng's chicken soup..."
Payton shook his head helplessly, abandoning his desire to provoke further. There was no point in provoking anymore, as Payton instinctively felt: Monta Ellis had woken up...
As expected, on the Celtics' next possession, Monta Ellis played steadily, using his speed to drive and then passing back to David Lee in the mid-range, assisting him on a catch-and-shoot jumper.
With He Ximeng's guidance, Monta Ellis had finally regained his clarity and escaped the Heat's trap.
Immediately after, the Heat's offense was intercepted by He Ximeng's prediction. He Ximeng passed the ball to Monta Ellis on the wing without hesitation.
Monta Ellis drove quickly to half court, then suddenly slowed down, pretending to wait for his teammates to catch up. In reality, he seized the moment when the Heat's defenders hesitated for a brief second, and suddenly accelerated, driving into the lane with a side step!
The Heat players thought the fast-break threat had been neutralized and were positioning themselves, not expecting Monta Ellis to be right on their heels. After a chaotic scramble, Monta Ellis didn't shoot, but instead passed back to He Ximeng who was following up!
At this point, the Heat's defense was in tatters, torn apart by Monta Ellis. There was no one in front of He Ximeng, leaving him completely open!
He Ximeng hadn't enjoyed such treatment in a long time!
Catching the ball, he adjusted for half a beat before calmly shooting, sinking the ball steadily.
With the three-pointer made, Monta Ellis had utilized the feints and real moves to their utmost.
"Excellent! A very outstanding pass! This is how you should play."
He Ximeng, who had easily scored three points, immediately affirmed Monta Ellis's performance on these two plays.
After assisting twice in a row, on the third possession, Monta Ellis pretended to use the same old trick of a fake drive and real pass, drawing the Heat's defensive attention. At that moment, he drove all the way to the basket and finally scored a layup!
"Alright! I can come off."
As He Ximeng retreated, he high-fived Monta Ellis as encouragement, then turned and signaled to the coach on the sideline, instructing him to substitute him out.
He Ximeng and Perkins came off, replaced by Hu Weidong and Yao Ming.
Under He Ximeng's guidance, Monta Ellis successfully led the Celtics to a 7:2 run against the Heat, tying the score and gaining a foothold.
In the subsequent rotation period, Monta Ellis maintained his rhythm against Payton and didn't allow the Heat to go on a scoring streak.
By the time the starting lineups of both teams returned, Carter once again faced Wade.
The first half of the game ended in a near tie.
In the third quarter, O'Neal put all his effort into it, unleashing the last of his small universe's power for the game, trying to burn a lead for the Heat.
Yao Ming saw the nascent signs of O'Neal's momentum and forcefully contested him.
On defense, neither could get the better of the other.
When the old Shaq went berserk, he was still Shaq. His ability to overturn seas and rivers was still there. A bite from him was unbearable for anyone.
Similarly, the Chinese little giant was now equivalent to the old big shark. His ability to overturn seas and rivers was unstoppable by anyone, including the current O'Neal.
The two giants went head-to-head for a bit, giving the audience a satisfactory "Yao-Sha" showdown for this game.
After the two giants held their ground, the game then entered the rotation period before the decisive fourth quarter.
This was a transitional phase, and the last opportunity for the substitute players to showcase themselves.
Payton wanted to repeat his previous tactic, to further provoke Monta Ellis and see if there were any unexpected surprises.
Monta Ellis played along with the scheme, using himself as bait to draw the Heat's defensive attention, and feeding the ball to another rookie, David Lee.
David Lee lived up to Monta Ellis's expectations, hitting consecutive shots and helping the Celtics to a 7:2 run, successfully calling a timeout for the Heat.
Old Payton, who had been trying to trick others all his life, was finally outsmarted by a rookie today.
As he was being substituted out by head coach Van Gundy, Old Payton grumbled in He Ximeng's direction.
"Damn it, why is Ximeng's chicken soup so potent? This rookie has been ripened into an old bird. How are we old birds supposed to play?"
He Ximeng could no longer hear Old Payton's complaints, but he could guess the general meaning.
It wasn't that He Ximeng's chicken soup had magical powers, but that Monta Ellis was inherently a precocious rookie.
If He Ximeng hadn't interfered, and Monta Ellis had gone to the Warriors, he would have still stood out as a second-round rookie amidst the shadows of Monta Ellis, Baron Davis, and Derek Fisher. He would have made it to the Rookie Challenge in his first season and averaged 16.5 points in his second season, winning the Most Improved Player award.
Strictly speaking, He Ximeng had actually taken advantage of Monta Ellis.
But potential, until it is truly realized, no one can say for sure.
Every player who participates in the NBA draft and is successfully selected, don't they all have potential?
But how many can truly realize their potential, establish themselves in this league, make a name for themselves, and even become the leader of a team?
Moreover, wasn't it because most team scouts or general managers didn't think highly of him? They thought he had this problem or that problem, which is why Monta Ellis fell to the second round?
For example, he hadn't experienced the baptism of NCAA, being a high school player.
For example, he wasn't tall and was somewhat slender.
For example, his shot selection was poor, and his playmaking ability was weak.
For example...
If you want to find weaknesses in a rookie, it's very easy.
If a rookie has no apparent weaknesses and seems to have mostly strengths, wouldn't it be a mockery of the league's professional teams and managers for being blind if he doesn't get into the top 10 lottery picks and instead falls to the second round?
In a future re-ranking, Monta Ellis would definitely be among the top ten picks of the 2005 draft, that's beyond doubt.
And because of the mini-surge from the rookie duo of Monta Ellis and David Lee, the Celtics successfully gained a five-point lead before the final decisive battle.
Don't underestimate a five-point difference.
If it were against an ordinary team, a five-point difference might not be much. In regular NBA games, a difference of less than ten points can be erased in a minute or two.
But against the defending champions, a five-point difference could be an insurmountable chasm...