radicalducati Chapter 294 What is the ultimate level of culinary skill? Bird angrily berates the Celtics.
Chapter 294 What is the ultimate level of culinary skill? Bird angrily berates the Celtics.
Chapter 294 What is the ultimate level of culinary skill? Bird angrily berates the Celtics!
"Where's Auerbach? Did that damn old man go to the bathroom?" Miller scanned the Celtics' bench but couldn't find the old man who once struck fear into the entire league!
Has this old man's kidney function deteriorated to the point where he has to urinate less than 20 minutes after entering the venue?
"He might have gone to the bathroom, or he might already be asleep," Lin Tian shrugged and said casually. "After all, he's an 80-year-old man; it's perfectly normal for him to go to bed early."
"Sleeping?" Miller hadn't realized what was happening yet.
"Isn't it normal to sleep in your own home in Boston?" Lin Tian said, looking at Miller's bewildered expression. "He's not even here."
"But you just said..."
"I was just making things up to Larry, but I never expected you bunch of bastards to fall for it." Lin Tian finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What I said was that Larry would dominate the battlefield and be unstoppable tonight, not what would happen to Larry after he meets Auerbach."
"Don't forget our bet, I have a very good memory."
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he quickly raised his hand to interact with the fans in the audience. He also gave a high-five to a few familiar faces in the front row, indicating that the team would definitely win the game tonight.
Miller and the others stood there looking completely lost and dejected.
They finally realized that Lin Tian had tricked them! He had tricked them completely!
"Lin has a great memory! You guys need to remember the bet!" Ben, who had successfully bet on Lin Tian, didn't quite understand how Lin Tian had won, nor did he know why they had determined Bird's attitude before the game even started. But he knew very well: Lin Tian won, and he won too! If you win, then be happy!
Just as Miller and the others were about to go and say something to Lin Tian, Bird had already confirmed that Auerbach was not there. Then, he turned around and shouted loudly, calling everyone to his side.
"Tonight, we have only one goal! Kill them! Beat them to a pulp!" Bird said viciously. "No mercy, no leniency. Treat them as your mortal enemies, your greatest adversaries, your rivals in love!"
"Kill them! Got it?"
"clear!"
The entire Pacers team answered in unison!
This time, they weren't just giving a casual answer; everyone was really angry right now!
I was furious that Lin Tian had tricked me!
They need to release it, they need to vent it!
Taking it out on Lin Tian is obviously inappropriate.
After all, you can't win an argument with Lin Tian, and you can't win a fight either!
Since going to Lin Tian won't work, we'll just have to find the root of the problem and the person responsible for the debt!
Get revenge on the Celtics!
Damn, if you hadn't chosen Bird back then, would we have been played by Lin Tian today?
It's all your fault!
I'll kill you! Beat you to death!
The Pacers' pre-game form speaks volumes.
Today, they have only one thought.
I'll beat you Celtics to death!
There is no other reason.
The Pacers' attitude somewhat frightened Celtics head coach Rick Pitino.
Because he noticed early on that the Pacers weren't playing well today!
During warm-up, no one joked or chatted; everyone was doing their warm-up and layups in a very serious manner! No one came to chat with any of the Celtics players, and Bird didn't even come to talk to him.
Apart from Lin Tian waving to the fans and showing his friendliness, everyone else did not interact with the fans and was just warming up!
This somewhat oppressive atmosphere gave Pitino a very bad feeling!
This renowned coach, who has a distinguished reputation in the NCAA, won the NCAA March Madness championship, and led the Knicks to a division title, clearly understands what the current atmosphere within the Pacers means.
The calm before the storm!
Teams with this kind of atmosphere are either having internal conflicts, facing strong opponents, experiencing unfair treatment and wanting to prove themselves, or preparing to beat their opponents to a pulp!
There will be no fifth possibility other than these four!
In short, this is abnormal!
Pitino pondered deeply why the Pacers were behaving this way.
Only by figuring this out can you prevent your team from losing so badly.
Internal strife is impossible! How could a team with 75 wins in the regular season and a championship goal have internal conflicts at this time? Nervousness from facing a strong opponent? Even less likely. The Celtics have only won 35 games, less than half of the Pacers' record. A 40-game lead is the largest margin of victory in a series in NBA history.
In other words, judging solely from the regular season records, this series is the most lopsided series in NBA history!
Normally, it should be a series with no suspense, no ups and downs, and a completely one-sided affair.
That's because they were treated unfairly.
That's even more ridiculous!
They had 75 wins in the regular season, and Lin Tian had been named Player of the Month for four consecutive months. Before the playoffs began, their odds of winning the championship were far ahead of all other teams, making them the undisputed number one.
Lin Tian also almost monopolized the MVP rankings, leading everyone else. He spent 95% of the regular season in first place on the MVP rankings!
In addition, Miller, who averaged 14 points per game in the regular season, is leading the predictions for Sixth Man of the Year. Although Ben Wallace is not the first candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, he is still in the top five. Webber has a high probability of making the All-NBA First Team. Bird is also leading the rankings for Coach of the Year and has a great chance of winning his second Coach of the Year award in three years.
With just this small group of people, the league and the outside world have already given them the utmost recognition. So why would they fight for honor, reputation, or prejudice?
Then there's only one possibility!
A famous detective in London once said: When you eliminate all the wrong answers, the one that remains, no matter how outlandish, is the truth!
Now, Pitino is faced with only one possibility, a very absurd fact.
We need to crush the Pacers!
Why the hell?
Pitino couldn't understand it.
My team has never had any connection or grudges with the Pacers. What grudges could there be between a team that is 40 games behind the Pacers?
Had Pierce or Walker offended them? Pitino pondered the details of their regular season matchups.
Wait a minute! There's no conflict at all! In fact, after one game, Walker even treated several Pacers players to drinks!
What could be the reason?
While Pitino was deep in thought, he suddenly saw Bird!
He got it!
It's this guy!
This guy wants to kill himself.
It must be out of jealousy! Bird, as the second greatest player in Celtics history, failed to inherit Auerbach's mantle, and instead became the Celtics' head coach, an outsider himself!
So, Bird was jealous!
He was jealous that he hadn't been able to continue the Celtics' glory! He wanted to prove it, he wanted to prove to Auerbach and the Pacers' management that choosing him was the right decision, that he was the true successor with 'green blood'!
Hmm...that's it! Definitely!
How so?
Pitino's thoughtful reflections, after being influenced by Dihua, actually yielded a fairly accurate guess.
It was indeed Bird who demanded that the players play like they were going to die.
However, he overestimated himself.
Bird wasn't targeting him at all.
Bird was targeting every single Celtic player!
He wanted to prove that all the Celtics players present were trash!
He wanted to avenge his mentor!
A few minutes later, the starting players from both sides took to the field.
The Pacers still fielded their usual five starters, while the Celtics, besides their offensive trio of Kenny Anderson, Antoine Walker, and Paul Pierce, had two other starters: shooting guard Adrian Griffin, who couldn't score, and center Vitaly Potapanko, who wasn't good at rebounding, blocking shots, or scoring.
Just by looking at their profiles, you can tell what their technical strengths are.
That's just a background character with no distinguishing features!
When a team's starting lineup includes two players who are purely supporting players with no distinguishing characteristics, then that team's characteristics become particularly distinct.
That's the dish.
Their true colors were revealed right from the start of the jump ball!
Big Ben won the jump ball!
He's only won a maximum of 10 jump balls this season!
Yes, he won this Potapanco at least 3 times!
A white center whose height is comparable to Ben Wallace's, but who has no outstanding features other than his enormous weight!
Big Ben slapped the ball to Lin Tian, and Lin Tian did not disappoint Bird's expectations. He took the ball, lowered his head, and drove straight into the heart of the Celtics' defense. Then, taking advantage of the fact that Potapanko was still outside the three-point line and there was no one protecting the rim under the basket, he pulled up and made a thunderous dunk!
After finishing the dunk, Lin Tian landed gracefully. He wanted to find someone to trash talk and show off his toughness, but after looking around, Lin Tian was a little confused.
What's this?
He got his comeuppance the first time he tried to trash talk!
Of course, it's not that the Celtics players are particularly good at criticizing; it's just that he doesn't have a single Celtics player around him.
He can only spray air when he tries to spray!
Potapanko was still sprinting back beyond the three-point line, while Anderson simply stood outside the three-point line ready to call for the ball. Walker went even further, showing no awareness of getting back on defense; he had already driven to the Pacers' basket, ready to call for the ball and start the attack.
Only Pierce and Griffin had some defensive intentions, but one was with Carter and the other with Christie, so they were a long way from Lin Tian.
Lin Tian couldn't help but gasp.
hiss……
The Celtics' defensive attitude is absolutely explosive!
Is this the attitude a playoff team should have?
Well, okay, this lousy team shouldn't have made the playoffs in the first place. If the Knicks hadn't collapsed and the Raptors hadn't been hollowed out by Bird, they wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs.
In short, by the time Potapanko reached the baseline and passed the ball to Griffin, who was closest to him, and Griffin then passed it to Anderson, the Pacers' defensive formation was practically set in stone.
They had been waiting impatiently for a long time.
The Celtics' offense is so lazy! Isn't Pitino's tactical system known for its fast breaks, transition offense, and fast pace? Wasn't that what won him the NCAA championship?
Why are they so lazy in the first round of this playoffs?
The Celtics couldn't understand why the team was so lazy because the two teams had completely different goals.
Most of the Celtics players don't have much ambition. They know their own level and the Pacers' level. They know that although they made the playoffs, they are just there to make up the numbers. Forget about playing with flair or passion; they just hope they don't lose too badly.
Even compared to playing in the playoffs, several veterans on the team felt that it would be better to be in the lottery, at least they could disband 10 days earlier and go on a proper vacation, right?
Many people in the team share this view, with a few exceptions...
That is Pierce.
This guy has a strong desire to win and perform. After Anderson dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, he immediately blocked Christie and reached out for the ball.
Although he was well-positioned and completely blocked Christie, Anderson ignored his call for the ball and instead looked at Lin Tian.
"Kid, you think you're the best point guard in the NBA?" Anderson said with a look that said, "You're just lucky."
Lin Tian had several Nick Young-esque question marks on his head; he didn't understand what this guy was doing.
No, it's not like it's the first time we've played together. Why are you suddenly talking trash like it's the first time we've met?
You haven't played before because your team is too bad to mention, but we've faced off at least 10 times, so why are you acting like we're meeting for the first time?
"I'm the best point guard in the league!" Anderson roared, then suddenly dribbled between his legs and tried to get past Lin Tian with a crossover.
"Snapped!"
But what awaited him was a crisp sound.
Lin Tian reached out and slapped the ball away from his dribble, then charged towards the frontcourt!
The journey was smooth and unobstructed!
Lin Tian even had time to look back. He saw Anderson standing there, shrugging his shoulders and protesting to the referee, indicating that Lin Tian had fouled him. He also saw Griffin walking back slowly, seemingly indicating that he had returned to defense. Of course, there was also Walker, standing there with his hands on his hips and pursing his lips, looking completely indifferent.
The fastest defender was actually Pierce, a second-year student. He tried his best to catch up with Lin Tian, but his speed was nothing compared to Lin Tian's. He couldn't catch up with Lin Tian at all. No matter how fast he ran, he could only get one chance to inbound the ball from the baseline.
With another loud bang, Lin Tian slammed home his second consecutive dunk.
This time, he wasn't going to bother trash-talking anyone anymore; it was pointless!
In this league, there are two types of people who will never be hurt by trash talk: one is a wooden guy like Duncan, and the other is a terrible team like the Celtics tonight, with no fighting spirit and no ambition.
You can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, and you can never provoke someone who doesn't want to win.
The Celtics' advance remained careless and erratic. Anderson, after reaching the frontcourt, continued to inexplicably trash-talk Lin Tian: "Kid, I won't let you steal the ball anymore! You're just a lucky bastard! I was 100 times better than you in my prime!"
As soon as Anderson finished speaking, Lin Tian suddenly pressed forward, giving him intense close defense. Anderson's dribbling immediately became shaky. At least one thing this guy said was true.
He's definitely not at his peak anymore! At his peak, Anderson wouldn't have been unable to handle the ball properly when facing Lin Tian.
"Snapped!"
Then came another crisp sound as Lin Tian made another steal and charged towards the frontcourt with the ball!
This time, it was still incredibly easy; the Celtics players seemed to have no concept of retreating on defense.
If it's been cut off, then it's cut off. What else can we do?
Wasting my energy chasing after him? Whether I can even catch him is another matter, but what if I commit a foul and it affects my stats on the court? That would be a huge loss!
"boom!"
After another loud bang, Lin Tian completed his third consecutive dunk.
After Lin Tian's dunk, the Celtics' offense finally started to look more like a team.
This time, Griffin, who was taking the inbound pass, didn't pass it to point guard Anderson, but instead passed it to Pierce, who had retreated to the midfield. After receiving the ball, Pierce didn't even think about passing it. He had desperately tried to get the ball for two consecutive rounds but failed, and he was starting to get a little frustrated.
Facing Christie outside the three-point line, Pierce launched an immediate attack!
His speed isn't particularly fast; his absolute speed is only average in the NBA. However, his rhythm and finesse are truly excellent! Coupled with his outstanding strength, after a series of fakes and physical contact, Pierce created an opening and then pulled up for a shot that made two points!
The Celtics finally made their first shot and scored of the night!
"Paul, you can't play like that!" Before Pierce could even celebrate after scoring, Anderson spread his hands and complained, "I'm the point guard, but I haven't touched the ball this play! You should give me the ball first so I can orchestrate the attack!"
Pierce pursed his lips and ignored Anderson; he really had nothing to say to the guy.
Give it back to you? What good is it if I give it to you, so you can boost Lin Tian's steal stats?
Pierce really didn't expect that someone who had been dispossessed twice in a row would still have the audacity to ask him to pass the ball to him!
That's utter nonsense!
But this is exactly the situation within the Celtics team right now. Most people aren't thinking about winning; they're only thinking about their own stats and just getting by, taking it one day at a time, and figuring out what to do if they get traded or their contracts expire!
This is a common problem for most tanking and rebuilding teams in the league. They lack a winning culture, and the locker room conversations are always about women, alcohol, drugs, and various forms of entertainment. Winning is never something they need to consider.
Generally speaking, the longer a team takes to rebuild and the longer it remains stagnant, the more serious this situation becomes!
The Celtics last made the playoffs five years ago. They lost for five years in a row. The players on the team were either young guys who had never been to the playoffs before and were used to losing, or they were old hands who were just there to coast along. They were just playing for a job now; if they won, they won, but if they didn't, it didn't matter.
As the game went on for a few more minutes, the point difference between the two sides widened. The Celtics' tactics were basically to have their three scoring options take turns creating space for one-on-one plays. There were no screens, no teamwork, and no movement. Everyone just stood still, watching their core players run around, call out plays, and take shots themselves.
Other?
Perhaps Pitino made arrangements, but clearly no one listened, no one remembered, and no one was prepared to execute them. Compared to the style of play where everyone runs around providing cover and then gets a chance to attack, they preferred endless one-on-one tactics!
If you don't play basketball one-on-one, what's the point of playing basketball?
Under this mindset, the Celtics played like a disorganized mess, with each player going about their own business and completely ignoring how their teammates were doing.
However, unless you have a skill level far exceeding your opponent's or absolute certainty, the hit rate in this endless one-on-one battle is obviously very low!
For example, by the end of the first quarter, the Pacers had already scored a high of 38 points, while the Celtics had only scored 17 points in total!
In the first quarter, the Celtics were down by a whopping 21 points!
Even so, it was because they were really too bad that the Pacers started to lose their momentum.
Stomping noobs isn't all that fun!
For example, Lin Tian, who scored 10 points in the first quarter, didn't even bother to use his back-to-the-basket moves and strength to bully Anderson; he hadn't reached that point yet!
It's worth mentioning, however, that the Celtics didn't have a single assist in those 17 points!
They were all playing one-on-one, each one-on-one, and when they got the ball in their own offensive position, they were single-mindedly focused on their own game. Under these circumstances, they still managed to score 17 points, which can be considered a way for them to showcase their talent.
Walker and Pierce are indeed formidable one-on-one fighters!
One is a burly, tough guy, and the other is a floor-skill specialist; their back-and-forth one-on-one battles are actually quite interesting.
But that's about it; they're far from being able to change the Pacers' defense and strategy and catch up in the score on their own.
They're worlds apart!
After the first quarter, the Celtics, who were down by about 20 points, showed no signs of anger, displeasure, or anxiety except for Pierce. Everyone was relaxed and didn't seem to be down by 20 points at all, as if they were just there to work.
Head coach Pitino looked completely calm, clearly used to the team's behavior! He didn't give any instructions to tighten up or focus on physicality and defense; he had become somewhat numb to the team's years of failures.
As for that slightly bad feeling before the match?
Once the game started and he saw that the team was still the same as before, Pitino completely forgot about the incident.
Anyway, we're going to lose, we're going to get swept! Making the playoffs is a huge bonus for the team, and we can't possibly beat the Pacers anyway, so we'll just have to deal with the rest next season!
Honestly, with this kind of playing style and this kind of team atmosphere, the fact that they've won 35 games this season is partly due to the contrast with their competitors; those bad teams are truly awful.
One is Pierce and Walker, who are truly talented and capable of winning games through their individual abilities.
The Celtics were so relaxed and indifferent, so the Pacers, who were leading by a large margin, were even less concerned. During timeouts and breaks, they forgot about their pre-game determination and anger to crush the Celtics.
In just one quarter, the Celtics infected the Pacers with their laziness, lack of motivation, and casualness, making them forget their anger and hatred.
This is the biggest problem with playing chess against a terrible player!
It will make people lose their sense of urgency and their fighting spirit!
Since we can win anyway, let's just play casually!
So, during the first quarter break, both the Pacers and the Celtics looked relaxed and carefree. Judging from their expressions, they were treating this playoff like a preseason game!
This competition has absolutely no intensity!
In comparison, only one person from both teams looked extremely grim and was in a very bad mood.
Larry Bird!
Bird's face looked terrible from the middle of the first quarter, and it only got worse as the game went on!
By the end of the first quarter, this guy's face had turned pale! During the break, he didn't even give any instructions, but asked assistant coach Carlisle to give him instructions, while he sat alone with his arms crossed, sulking for some unknown reason.
"What's wrong with Larry?" Miller asked curiously, wondering why he still looked unhappy even though the team was leading by 20 points.
"Perhaps they feel we're not ruthless enough?" Lin Tian thought for a moment and said, "They feel we're not brutal enough?"
"Then..." Miller thought for a moment and said, "...even more brutal?"
"Let's do it! We have to make Larry happy!" After Lin Tian nodded, the Pacers quickly reached an agreement.
We need to tighten up the pace in the second quarter!
We have to beat him up for a while and really help Bird vent his anger!
In the second quarter, Lin Tian, Christie, and Ben Wallace, three key players, rested on the bench.
Carter, Webber, Miller, Mullin, and Buckner continued the game!
At the start of the game, the Pacers' defensive rhythm became noticeably faster. They played more aggressively and fiercely, and their physical confrontation and rotation speed also increased!
The Celtics were quickly outscored by the Pacers, who scored two goals in a row.
The point difference between the two sides has reached 25 points!
But Bird's face looked even worse!
At this point, Celtics' star player Walker got a little carried away. After being repeatedly hit, he wasn't thinking about how to unite his teammates or how to improve defense and reduce the Pacers' shooting percentage.
His choice was to start shooting hoops with all his might!
Shoot as many three-pointers as possible!
"Bang!"
He dribbled the ball onto the court and immediately pulled it up and shot! At that moment, the team's center, Potapanko, hadn't even entered the Pacers' three-point line!
"Bang!"
The second shot came when Walker received the ball in the frontcourt and pulled up for a tough jump shot over Webber's defense, but naturally missed again!
"Bang!"
After missing two consecutive shots, Walker seemed unfazed and continued to call for the ball beyond the three-point line. Then, without making any adjustments or fakes, he caught the ball and shot immediately!
Walker missed three consecutive three-pointers, while the Pacers launched three consecutive fast breaks, with Miller hitting a three-pointer and Carter dunking!
The score difference between the two sides has reached 30 points.
At this point, Bird finally couldn't hold back any longer.
He angrily called a pause!
Then he started cursing: "What the hell are you playing! FUXX! A bunch of trash! Garbage! You don't deserve to step onto the professional stage! You're insulting the jerseys you're wearing!"
Bird unleashed a torrent of words, a frenzy that left the Pacers players completely bewildered.
Of course, it wasn't because they were bewildered by Bird's insults, nor was it because they were leading by 30 points but Bird was still hurling insults at them.
They were confused because Bird wasn't even yelling at them!
Bird was yelling at the Celtics' bench!
Not content with just hurling insults, Bird grew increasingly enraged, eventually throwing his clipboard to the ground before walking past the scorer's table and heading to the Celtics' bench!
"You think you're worthy of being the Celtics' leader? Which Celtics leader plays like you? Did you even think before you took those shots? Did you even consider what would happen if you missed? Did you ever use your brain when you played? Or were you just using all that fat on your body to think while you were playing?" This was a rebuke directed at Walker.
"Trash! Utter trash! My grandma played better as a point guard than you! Do you even know how to spell 'point guard'? Do you know what the most important job of a point guard is? You play only according to your own preferences, completely ignoring tactics and the game situation? Why didn't you pass Pierce the ball when he got his position?"
"Why did you pass the ball to Walker when he was just standing outside the three-point line without asking for it? And why didn't you pass it to that guy in the paint when he had the chance? Are you even playing point guard? Lin's toe is better than yours!"
This is a rant against Anderson.
「还有你，你到底想不想赢？我觉得你想赢，我觉得你是唯一想赢的，但是你的态度呢？你长嘴就只是用来舔娘们的是幺？冲着你的队友吼啊！吼踏马的啊！他们不听就揍他们，就指着他们的脸骂娘，他们不好好打球就让他们滚下球场滚出球队啊！」
"You think playing quietly by yourself is the right thing to do? Let me tell you, your inaction disqualifies you from being a Celtics player!"
This is a spray of Pierce.
"And then there's you. You call yourself a coach? Huh? What kind of trash are you? You're coaching the Celtics? You completely ignore your players' behavior? Don't you know how to call a timeout and yell at them? Don't you know what a coach is supposed to do?"
"If you don't know, then you better quit and get the hell out of here! The Celtics can't afford to lose face like this! If you do know, then you should get out even more! You're the root of the Celtics' current state of disgrace—a bastard coach who watches his players make mistakes and play like crap without doing anything about it!"
"Trash! You're trash! If the Celtics are a trash team right now, you're the worst, smelliest, and most disgusting piece of shit!"
This is a criticism of head coach Pitino.
"You bunch of trash! Utter trash! You don't deserve to be Celtics, you don't deserve to wear green jerseys! You all have to get out! All of you have to get out! FUXX!"
Bird took advantage of the timeout and rushed straight to the Celtics' bench.
A furious barrage of attacks was launched at the entire Celtics team!
His actions stunned Lin Tian!
What kind of scene is this? He had never seen anything like it in his entire life, past and present.
In the playoffs, how bad must a team be for the opposing head coach to go around criticizing them for playing terribly?
Of course, Bird was so angry mainly because he was so disappointed with the team he loved so much! He also felt sorry for Auerbach.
His mentor, the godfather of the Celtics and the number one contributor to making the NBA's top franchise, retired from the NBA because of this bunch of rotten potatoes and rotten eggs?
It's infuriating!
Bird truly felt sorry for Auerbach!
He was absolutely furious!
He truly couldn't believe that the Celtics could be so bad, so bad that they would play like this in the playoffs!
He completely broke down and lost all control of his emotions.
That's why they specifically call a timeout to criticize others!
In the entire history of the NBA, spanning 50 years, this is absolutely the first time in NBA history that someone has ever rushed over to berate an opponent and teach them how to play!
A truly one-time event!
Bird's outburst of anger will surely become a classic moment!
The opposing coach couldn't stand how bad they were; this Celtics team was truly awful!
After Bird finally unleashed his fury, the Pacers players and referees on the court finally came to their senses.
The players rushed over to pull Bird back, while the referee quickly went to Bird and issued him two technical fouls, ejecting him!
In fact, Bird's behavior should have warranted only a technical foul.
However, he was just too excited, so much so that the referee was worried about what might happen next, so he simply ejected him!
After all, his behavior of going to the opposing bench to cause trouble deserves to be ejected without any loss!
Even if Bird was actually there to encourage the Celtics and teach them how to play, it wouldn't work!
This kind of behavior can easily escalate into a brawl on the sports field!
As Bird stormed out of the arena, grumbling and looking annoyed, the Indiana home fans were left speechless, unsure how to react.
Meanwhile, in Boston, Auerbach turned off the television, downed most of his glass of wine in one gulp, lit a cigar, and leaned back in his rocking chair, swaying casually.
"Larry, that little bastard, still has a terrible temper, hasn't changed at all. I thought he'd be more well-behaved and mature after becoming general manager and head coach, but he hasn't improved a bit! What a disappointment! I'll have to give him a good talking to next time I see him!"
Although his words were quite harsh, Auerbach's expression at that moment showed an indescribable sense of relief.
He was clearly extremely satisfied with Bird's actions!
This is the demeanor that his top disciple should have!
Well, okay, he's not the eldest disciple either.
His top disciple was Russell, his second disciple was Havlicek, his third disciple was KC Jones, and his fourth disciple... well, anyway, Bird was a good disciple!
After Bird left the court, the game situation remained unchanged.
Bird's tearful and heartfelt outburst clearly failed to wake up these Celtics kids. They were used to losing, tanking, padding their stats, just going through the motions, and getting by. With their stats and big contracts in hand, they were fearless!
If Bird could wake them up with just one word, then Pitino, a top NCAA coach, wouldn't have worked so hard for so long and still failed to build a good team culture.
This kind of team needs someone to give them some tough measures, someone to put them to the test, and then a few tough and respected senior players to guide them. Only then can they gradually cultivate a winning culture and the right team atmosphere.
Bird knew perfectly well that this wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight, nor was it his responsibility. However, he simply couldn't tolerate the Celtics' attitude at this moment.
This is the playoffs, and these guys represent the Celtics!
But they delivered this performance.
As the saying goes, you can be bad at something, but you can't be weak, cowardly, or indifferent!
Bird's impression of the current Celtics team was that they were bad, lazy, and didn't work hard.
This utterly atrocious attitude was the real reason Bird got angry.
But clearly, the Celtics guys weren't taking Bird's words to heart. They continued to do their own thing on the court and played the way they always had.
They remain lazy, careless, and only think about their own stats instead of winning. They still don't defend much and still don't want to pass the ball on offense.
The score gap between the two sides widened, and by the end of the third quarter, the difference had reached 45 points!
Then, even though interim head coach Carlisle substituted his starters early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics still couldn't catch up, and the gap quickly reached 50 points, then 55 points...
A brutal and inhumane massacre!
The game was so boring that even the most die-hard Indiana fans chose to leave early.
Watching too many of these massacre-like games can easily cause psychological trauma and make people lose their passion for basketball.
Leave early to avoid traffic jams!
Ultimately, the score settled at an absurd number.
108: 51!
The Celtics scored only 51 points in the game, setting a new franchise record, and their 57-point loss also broke their franchise record for points lost in a single game!
Although the two teams are 40 games apart in wins, they should not have played such an outrageous game under any circumstances!
After the game, the whole of Boston went crazy! From the media to the fans, everyone launched a fierce attack on the team. Newspapers, TV programs, fan letters, daily discussions among fans, and even hundreds of fans spontaneously gathered outside the TD Garden to protest.
They demanded a rebuild, demanded the team fire Pitino, and demanded the team trade away players like Walker, Pierce, and Anderson!
Those trash don't deserve to play in Celtics jerseys!
This bunch of trash is so disgusting that even the opposing coach can't stand it anymore!
Well, that's because the Pacers' head coach is Bird, who has a special affection for the Celtics. If the Pacers' head coach were Magic Johnson, West, or Riley, they probably wouldn't be able to stop laughing in their beds at night.
In short, the result of this game exceeded the limits of what Celtics fans could tolerate! They couldn't stand it.
This time, it's not just about losing the game; it's about touching the pride and bottom line of the Boston community!
(End of this chapter)