The Whip of the God of Basketball

On June 6, the rain that had been falling in Boston for a week gradually stopped. By about seven o'clock in the evening, the rain clouds had completely disappeared over Boston, which made the enthusiasm of Boston fans even more intense.

The square outside the North Shore Garden Arena was filled with fans who came from all over the city of Boston and had no way to buy tickets and had to watch the game on the big screen in the square.

"Through the camera, we can see that the Garden Square is filled with Celtic fans wearing green jerseys. It has been a long time since we have seen such a grand occasion. Even last year, when Boston reached the Finals, this square did not With such a large number of fans, it is simply a grand party. Because their opponent tonight is the Los Angeles Lakers." ESPN Finals anchor Mike Breen narrated the fanatical and grand scene in Boston through the TV camera.

Countless green fans crowded the square, and the local Boston Police Department had to dispatch a large number of police officers to maintain order at the scene. However, for those police officers, tonight was a good opportunity to come out to watch the game, and everyone was scrambling to get this spot. , those who couldn't grab it had to drive their cars to patrol elsewhere and listen to the radio in the police car.

In the North Shore Garden Arena, with more than half an hour before the start of the game, all the fans began to sing the American national anthem. The opening national anthem hadn't even started yet, and the Star-Spangled Banner was echoing on the floor and dome of the Garden Arena.

On the shiny parquet floor, Lakers players wearing blue and purple jerseys are trying to eliminate distractions and conduct shooting warm-up training. However, several players' faces were obviously a little tired, because they didn't get a good night's sleep until about three o'clock in the middle of the night last night. A while ago, the fire brigade said it had received a call and there was a fire. A moment later, the police came and said someone was selling drugs here. A moment later, bells were ringing and noisy downstairs. The hotel owner said that the water pipe in one room was broken.

All in all, it was noisy for most of the night. Although they could sleep in in the morning, the irregular sleep made the players feel a little uncomfortable. When they arrived at the North Shore Garden Arena, they discovered that their locker room was not the one used during the regular season, but a smaller and more cramped locker room. O'Neal's head almost touched the ceiling.

Of course the Lakers players didn't know that this was not a locker room at all, but a temporarily modified locker room using a cleaning equipment room. The staff moved all the mops and vacuum cleaners, put some lockers and stools in, and that was it. Jackson angrily tried to complain to the arena management before the game started, but he couldn't find anyone at all, and the league had nothing to do with it. Even if he wanted to change, he would have to wait until the next game.

Such a bad environment naturally reminded Jackson of his own experience as a player. He had long been mentally prepared for this, but he forgot that not everyone had this valuable experience. Obviously, the Lakers players were inevitably affected, although Jackson asked everyone to treat it calmly before the game, treating it like an ascetic as an experience.

Shaquille O'Neal was the one who complained the most, because his huge body was really uncomfortable in that small locker room. When being interviewed by reporters before the game, O'Neal directly said to reporters, "We seem to be thrown into the The washing machine was small and dizzy."

The big-mouthed Payton mocked, "Before coming to Boston, I didn't expect it to be so poor and there wasn't even a decent locker room."

In comparison, the Celtics were very calm. The players all said they would focus on the court, and no war of words broke out between the two sides. This is a principle that Auerbach has always adhered to. No matter how he uses off-court tricks or attacks each other in public opinion, he will try his best not to involve the players in it, but to ask them to focus on the court. superior.

Auerbach's tradition is correct and effective. Leon inherited this tradition. The Celtics players were not affected by too much public opinion. They concentrated their energy on the basketball court. They were all in high spirits until the start of the game. Full and high-spirited.

When American pop singer Jason Majez sang the national anthem in the center of the North Shore Garden Arena, the atmosphere reached its peak. More than 20,000 spectators sang together, plus tens of thousands of fans outside the stadium, singing for a while shook the Boston night sky. This is not an important holiday in the United States. The national anthem at this time is not to express American patriotism. The Star-Spangled Banner Never Falls is like the battle song of the Boston Celtics. The Star-Spangled Banner does not fall, but hangs high on the dome of the arena. The championship flags and retired jerseys fluttering in the sky.

At this time, Fox-Leon raised his head and looked at the densely packed flags in the air, including not only the Celtics' championship flags and retired jerseys, but also the championship flags and retired jerseys of the NHL team Boston Bruins. Leon heard that what Larry Bird looked up to every time he opened the game was not the jersey or championship flag of any Celtics player, but the Bruins' ice hockey legend, Bobby Orr.

The second greatest hockey player in NHL history symbolizes the entire Boston sports heritage. Leon once also noticed that this retired jersey, which was not so conspicuous among the many flags, was a No. 4. Today he looked up at it again and could feel that not only the soul of the Celtics survived here, but also the tradition and spirit of sports in the entire Boston area.

"The game is about to begin, and the starters of both sides are standing on the court. Sixteen years have passed, and the Purple and Gold Army once again stood on the parquet floor in Boston in the finals. The sea is changing, things and people have changed, and the two great Teams compete again for the highest honor in the Basketball Temple. Loud slogans have already sounded at the scene!" Although Brin is an out-and-out Knicks fan who once hated the Celtics, but at the scene Feeling the deafening slogans, he couldn't suppress his inner excitement.

Because the audience started chanting the slogan "Beat-LA".

"Beat-LA!"

"Beat-LA!"

"Beat-LA!"

The old slogan seems to be passed down from the fight hymn of the golden age of the 1980s. No arena is more suitable for this slogan to ring than the North Shore Garden. The Celtics players' blood began to boil, and Kevin Garnett was beating his chest frantically. Even Fox-Leon, who has always been calm, could feel the uncontrollable heartbeat in his chest. He clenched his fists and waited for the start of the game.

"Are you all ready? The game is about to begin. I hope you can perform well and follow my instructions. I have presided over more finals than you have participated in combined." Before the game started, the referee Bawe Ta Ban said to the players on both sides with a warning, and at the same time began to prepare to throw the ball in the middle circle.

PJ Brown contracted his muscles all over his body, and he showed no fear when facing Shaquille O'Neal. He was ready to hinder the progress of this behemoth to the greatest extent even if he sacrificed himself in the next battle.

The ball flew into the air, and Brown felt the pressure from the opposite side. O'Neal was the first to touch the ball like a killer whale leaping from the water. Gary Payton got the ball, the Lakers launched their first offense, and the first game of the 2004 Finals finally began!

The atmosphere of the finals is different from any regular season or other playoff games. Everyone will be honest with each other here, and the past will be left behind. Historical battle records, playoff results, player comments or tactical characteristics, etc., are all just fodder for the media to make boring predictions. If any player or coach is obsessed with these superficial things, they will pay a heavy price.

On the Lakers' first offense, Gary Payton unexpectedly attacked with the ball by himself. He started with his back against Arenas from outside the three-point line, and then with the help of a screen from Karl Malone, he cut from 45 degrees into the penalty area, facing the two kings of Kevin Garnett and PJ Brown. He calmly threw a floater, and the ball hit the board and went into the basket.

Payton scored the first point of this finals, which many people did not expect, including Leon. This is obviously a dangerous sign. Payton has not found a suitable position and comfortable offensive feeling in the Lakers' triangle offense throughout the season, including since the start of the playoffs.

However, if he can perform at 70% of his past peak performance in the finals, he will cause huge trouble to the Celtics.

There is no doubt that this will be a life-or-death crucial battle that determines the trend of the series. Leon's mind immediately calmed down in the noisy North Shore Garden Arena. He squatted on one knee and started talking to Phil Jackson. A battle of wits and courage.