"Pierce drives to the basket, oh, James steals the ball."
The commentator sighed in frustration.
The changes in player adjustments were minimal for both sides, but there were noticeable shifts in their tactical formations.
The Cavaliers, in particular, had Larry Hughes guarding Ray Allen one-on-one. LeBron James defended Pierce, and also had Pavlovic provide help defense, thus relaxing his guard on Garnett a bit.
As a result, in the first quarter, Garnett scored frequently in the frontcourt, but Ray Allen and Pierce's performances were inconsistent.
Pierce, especially, struggled after being contained, shooting 1-of-4 and having a shot blocked by James, scoring only two points in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers' tactical objective was very clear.
In this game, they would loosen up on Garnett, with Tang Long responsible for defending Garnett in the mid-range, while James and Pavlovic would lock down Pierce, cutting off the Celtics' passing lanes.
In fact, the Cavaliers' performance in the first quarter was very successful. Although they allowed Garnett to score ten points, the Celtics only managed seventeen points for the entire quarter.
Conversely, as Tang Long's pressure increased, Perkins also had a solid performance in the first quarter.
However, the Cavaliers scored 25 points in the first quarter, leading the Celtics by 8 points.
James alone accounted for 12 of the team's points, while Tang Long only scored 6.
Yet, he secured four defensive rebounds and one offensive rebound, along with one steal. Drew Gooden contributed 5 points.
No one expected the Cavaliers, playing away, to not only play with such determination but also to stifle Pierce, leaving the Celtics feeling suffocated.
Garnett scoring a lot individually was not enough. His scoring was largely due to his personal ability.
The team lacked connection and coordination, resorting mostly to isolation plays.
"Fuck, these damn guys."
Pierce sat on the bench, angrily throwing his towel.
Why weren't these guys limiting Garnett? Why were they targeting me?
Without Pierce's playmaking, the Celtics' offense was very passive.
Doc Rivers clearly realized this situation but seemed to have no good solutions. He couldn't possibly bench Pierce.
"Kevin, when you go back on the court, the Cavaliers will definitely stick to their first-quarter strategy. With Pierce being contained, you can't just focus on your own offense. You need to take responsibility for orchestrating the team and relieve some of Pierce's pressure."
Doc Rivers was also frustrated.
When did Mike Brown become a tactical genius? This strategy was so devious.
And this wasn't the most critical issue. The most important thing was that if they couldn't solve the problem of Pierce being locked down, other teams would do the same next season. How would they even play?
But he had no immediate solutions, so he could only ask Garnett to shoulder some of Pierce's burden for now.
"Coach, I understand."
"Rajean, you too. Your passing is excellent. You need to take some responsibility as the point guard and control the tempo of the game. As long as we have multiple players contributing, the Cavaliers' defense on Pierce will naturally break down."
Doc Rivers' plan sounded good, but when it came down to it, Garnett and Rajon Rondo not only failed to relieve Pierce's pressure but also found their own performances hampered.
In the second quarter, the Celtics became even more passive, with frequent turnovers. How could Tang Long and James let such opportunities slip away? With wave after wave of momentum, the Cavaliers scored another 25 points in the second quarter, while the Celtics only managed 15.
At halftime, the Cavaliers led 50-32 on the road.
The Cavaliers' strategy of taking control on the road exceeded everyone's expectations. Who would have thought the Cavaliers would lead by so much after just two quarters away from home?
"Well done. As long as we can hold onto this lead, victory will be ours. 3-0, we've already got one foot in the finals!"
Mike Brown's bold experiment had paid off.
The players' hard work in training was also paying off at this moment.
"Next, Varejão, Gibson, West, you'll start the third quarter. Continue executing the game plan from the first and second quarters. If Pierce is on the court, lock him down, understand?"
"Don't worry, Coach, he won't even touch the ball."
Varejão's playful remark made several substitute players laugh. Tang Long and James exchanged a look and shrugged helplessly.
The Cavaliers were still leading. If they pointed out that Varejão shouldn't be so arrogant, it wouldn't make them stay humble and might even incite rebellion.
Fortunately, they had a huge advantage. As long as they didn't mess up, even if they didn't play in the third quarter, the Celtics wouldn't catch up.
However, Tang Long clearly hadn't anticipated how much trouble these Cavaliers reserves would cause.
As the third quarter began, Varejão and Gibson immediately forgot Mike Brown's instructions. Not only did they not guard Pierce closely, but they also relaxed their defense on Ray Allen.
As a result, right at the start, Pierce drove to the basket, drawing both Big Z and Varejão out, and Perkins immediately slammed home a dunk.
Immediately after, Gibson's drive was stolen by Pierce, who then led a fast break.
After a few successful possessions, Pierce scored again with a jump shot, pounding his chest to release his frustration.
BEEP!
Mike Brown quickly called a timeout.
As soon as the substitute players came off the court, Mike Brown unleashed a torrent of criticism.
"Why aren't you executing the game plan? Varejão, I told you to stick to Pierce, what were you doing? Gibson, where's your help defense? Do you guys believe I'll send you all to the G-League?"
Mike Brown was truly angry.
A great situation had been squandered. In less than three minutes with the substitutes on the court, the Celtics had gone on an 8-0 run, and their lead of nearly twenty points had shrunk to just ten.
"You're all staying for extra practice."
After berating Varejão and the others, Mike Brown turned to Tang Long and James, his meaning clear: you guys better not mess this up.
Tang Long and James, of course, wouldn't mess up. Once the starting five returned to the court, they regained control. The third quarter was tied 23-23, and the Cavaliers still maintained their lead of nearly twenty points!
In the fourth quarter, the Celtics finally seemed to have broken through Mike Brown's strategy of locking down Pierce and took control of the game.
By the end of the fourth quarter, they had finally outscored the Cavaliers 25-21 for the period, but the hole dug in the previous three quarters was too deep. In the end, the Cavaliers secured another victory on the road with a score of 94-80!
After the game, during the post-game interviews, Mike Brown wisely gave the interview opportunities to the players.
Especially to Tang Long and James, as the team's dual cores, Mike Brown would naturally not steal their thunder.
"Tang, you've now taken the series lead. Everyone believed your team's strength was inferior to the Celtics, and no one thought you could defeat them. Did you expect to win this game before it started?"
Tang Long and James exchanged a glance. Was this reporter an intern? He didn't even know how to ask a question.