With the Heat trying to tie the score before the final minute, He Xi Meng tightly controlled the game's tempo for the Celtics, largely achieving zero turnovers in the final quarter.
He Xi Meng didn't attempt three-pointers. Instead, by strictly controlling turnovers and thus dictating the pace, he continuously fed Carter and Yao Ming, successfully wearing down the Heat in the final quarter and thwarting Wade's comeback attempt.
The Celtics secured an opening win of 108-97.
Carter scored a game-high 31 points, He Xi Meng had a game-high 15 assists, and Yao Ming grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and registered a game-high 4 blocks.
Of the five major statistical categories, only steals were claimed by Wade of the Heat. Wade recorded a game-high 3 steals, but all of them occurred when He Xi Meng was not on the court.
At the post-game press conference, Kerr briefly touched upon the performances of the three main players, showing little inclination to elaborate. He focused his attention on the newcomers and rookies who joined the team this year.
"Boris provided significant help to Yao Ming in the paint today. His defensive instincts surprised me. I am very happy we didn't miss out on him..."
While Di o's offensive contribution was minimal, resulting in only 8 points, his defensive performance was noteworthy. He secured 8 rebounds, along with 2 steals and 2 blocks. In terms of defensive efficiency, he was outstanding for the Celtics, which is why head coach Kerr offered such praise.
After praising Di o, Kerr's second focus was on Monta Ellis, who came off the bench.
Although Kerr did not personally lead the team during the preseason, he had been observing the performance of this year's rookies.
Monta Ellis gave Kerr the impression of a highly aggressive, speed-oriented point guard with a penchant for taking risks.
Kerr's primary challenge was to help Monta Ellis control his overly strong scoring urge and find a balance between facilitating and scoring.
At the start of the game, Monta Ellis exhibited his usual issue of being too impulsive, which allowed Payton to capitalize on opportunities.
Later, after receiving guidance from He Xi Meng, Monta Ellis recognized the problem, calmed down, and finally succeeded in fulfilling his responsibilities.
"Monta is young, and we were all concerned about whether he could handle the heavy responsibility of backing up Xi Meng. We were prepared; if he messed up, Nick would have been ready to step in for Monta at any moment. I even considered having Nick start warming up. However, Monta adjusted his mindset well and completed his true professional debut in the fourth quarter! His smooth coordination with David Lee showed me the future of the Celtics..."
Monta Ellis recorded 9 points and 5 assists in his debut, while David Lee had 11 points and 6 rebounds in his.
While praising Monta Ellis, Kerr also commended David Lee.
After securing this opening night victory, the Celtics' second game of the new season was another home fixture against the Hornets.
The Hornets' starting lineup this season consisted of David West, P.J. Brown, J.R. Smith, Desmond Mason, and the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, Chris Paul!
Before the game officially began, a young Paul, holding a number 4 jersey from Wake Forest University, walked directly up to He Xi Meng.
"Senior Xi Meng, could you please sign this for me? You know, for the past two seasons in the NCAA, I lived under your shadow. Your number 4 jersey put immense pressure on me... I tried my best to lead the team, but the records you set were too brilliant for me to match..."
"Don't sell yourself short, Chris! I've seen your performance leading your school in the NCAA, and you played wonderfully! But you lacked a teammate like Tim. Honestly, if Tim hadn't helped me when I was there, I don't think I would have done any better than you."
He Xi Meng comforted Paul while, as requested, signing his name on the retro number 4 Wake Forest jersey bearing his own name.
"You are my idol, the goal I strive for! I hope one day I can achieve the glory you have..."
"You will! Soon, you'll become a top point guard in the league. I have high hopes for your future, keep up the good work, Chris!"
"Thank you, Xi Meng! It's a shame we play the same position; otherwise, I would have been really looking forward to playing alongside you!"
"Don't rush! Perhaps in the near future, we will fight side-by-side in a different way!"
"A different way?" Paul was a bit confused.
"Yes! A different way." He Xi Meng gave a mysterious smile and, no longer addressing Paul who was still in the half-court area, returned to his teammates.
Carter noticed the Wake Forest jersey in Paul's hands. As a fierce rival of North Carolina, Carter certainly remembered the distinctive emblem of the Demon Deacons.
"Your junior?" Carter asked.
"Yes! A very outstanding rising star, plays point guard like me."
"Playing point guard at Wake Forest?" Carter raised an eyebrow. "Then your college life must not have been very pleasant!"
"What do you mean?"
"Because he couldn't do better than you, yet he wanted to do better than you. He was in a state of internal conflict and torment every day. How could he have had a pleasant time?"
"Hmm? That sounds like you have a lot of experience."
"How could I not? To be precise, in my last two years of college, I also lived under the shadow of you and Tim! In the 1995-1996 season, you led Wake Forest to win the NCAA Championship representing North Carolina. That year, I was a freshman. For the next two years, I kept trying to lead the University of North Carolina to an NCAA Championship, but I always fell short in the Final Four... My coaches and teammates comforted me, saying the Final Four was also a great honor, and I tried to comfort myself with that, but deep down, I knew that what I truly wanted was not merely..."
Perhaps it was the arrival of young Paul that stirred up the buried memories within Carter.
Carter's decade-old memories were completely unlocked at this moment.
Being able to express the shadow that had haunted him in front of He Xi Meng, one of the instigators, actually signified that Carter had finally let go of that past and achieved reconciliation with himself...