In the second quarter, compared to the Celtics' orderly rotation, the Trail Blazers appeared much more disorganized. Rick Carlisle, perhaps out of options, sent everyone onto the court.
Facing a 0-1 deficit in the Finals, he surprisingly used a 10-man rotation. Dell Curry, AC Green, Ben Wallace, Terry Porter, and even the previously benched Henderson all got playtime.
As a result, the Trail Blazers suffered an 8-0 run by the Celtics in the second quarter, stretching the gap between the teams to 9 points.
Seeing this, Bobby Berman knew their chance to win had come. During a Trail Blazers timeout, Berman urged the players to continue playing steadily and maintain their advantage.
The Celtics, having learned from their previous victory, knew how to win and continued to advance at an unhurried pace, step by step.
The main players of the Trail Blazers weren't in a hurry either. Gan Guoyang, in particular, sat on the bench and only returned mid-second quarter, hitting a three-pointer and a fast-break to help the Trail Blazers close the score gap.
On the Celtics side, Duncan continued to avoid attacking Gan Guoyang; the two of them weren't matched up tonight. Duncan focused his offense on Little O'Neal, using bank shots at 45 degrees when facing Little O'Neal and driving the ball to the basket against Sabonis, either along the baseline or through the middle.
Duncan's mid-to-long range shooting touch was average, but his ability to finish near the basket was formidable. No matter how he lost his center of gravity or twisted his body, he found a way to put the ball in the hoop.
This skill allowed Duncan to step up and score during crucial stretches of high-intensity competition, helping the Celtics gain an advantage on the court.
Throughout the second quarter, Duncan's scoring ensured the Celtics maintained a lead of more than 5 points — Paul Pierce played this role in the last game.
Tonight, Pierce was heavily guarded by Kobe, the two entangled near the three-point line, ignoring everything else, engaged in a duel oblivious to everything else.
For several possessions, it was a 4 vs. 4 with the Trail Blazers and Celtics; the two were off to the side, competing, and after a possession ended, neither had touched the ball, possibly not even looking at the hoop, but they were already exhausted.
This was Berman's strategy; he demanded Paul Pierce exhaust himself on both ends dealing with Kobe, draining Kobe's energy, preventing the Trail Blazers' most crucial offensive and defensive player from fully devoting himself to the game.
Though it significantly impacted Pierce's performance, with Duncan, Nash, and Cliff-Robinson among others, the Celtics didn't lack offensive resources.
51:57, at halftime, the Celtics regained a 6-point lead.
This situation made many believe that the Celtics truly surpass the Trail Blazers this year.
And Ah Gan's ordinary performance in the first half made people feel that the era belonging to Ah Gan was really ending, like a hero in twilight.
Bird was worried about the team's performance, but the pregame concerns about Gan Guoyang's unsportsmanlike conduct or resorting to cheap tactics didn't happen.
During halftime in the locker room, the Trail Blazers maintained a usual atmosphere; trailing by 6 points didn't seem to discourage these veterans.
Bird approached Gan Guoyang, asking, "Sonny, is this the 'fight' you mentioned?"
Gan Guoyang, wiping his sweat, replied, "It's not time yet, why are you in such a hurry? You haven't defected, your heart set on the Celtics, have you?"
"I haven't, stop talking nonsense."
"I find you very suspicious! And Rick, both of you have Celtics ties, I think you're all traitors!"
A burst of laughter erupted in the locker room, the atmosphere was extremely relaxed, making Bird unsure if it was a good or bad sign.
Bird didn't interfere much with the pregame plans set forth by the coaching staff; he didn't want to disrupt Carlisle's arrangements.
Although it seemed that Carlisle's first-half plan was a mess, especially with giving the substitutes too much time.
But Bird remained silent, waiting for the second half to start.
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The atmosphere at the Fleet Center had become utterly frenzied. With a halftime lead and dominance on the court, it gave Boston fans immense confidence.
This young team was indeed very strong, and people were beginning to see the shadow of a new dynasty emerging. Duncan was on the brink of passing Ah Gan's torch, poised to rule the NBA, and the Celtics would return to the peak of the world.
Could there be a more beautiful future vision? Even Auerbach's face was beaming with joy, and during halftime, he commented to Bob Cousy beside him, "I see weaknesses in the Portland people."
Indeed, the Trail Blazers felt weak during the first half, playing with no particular strategy, no changes, merely raising their intensity a bit — the pursuit of a three-peat must have left them exhausted.
Of course, the Celtics remained vigilant and did not let their guard down, especially Bobby Berman, who vowed not to relax until they clinched the series victory and the buzzer sounded.
Especially in the third quarter, he knew that Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers were very adept at turning the tide in the third quarter, using a wave of high-quality defense and offense to crush their opponents and regain control of the game.
Before the third quarter started, Berman kept emphasizing defense, wrapping his arm around Nash's shoulder, advising him to control the tempo, avoid rushing or making mistakes, and not to give the opponents any chances.
Nash, traded to the Celtics in 1997, struggled in the 98 and 99 seasons, with declining shooting percentages, subpar defense, and fluctuating form, facing a lot of criticism.
Bobby Berman firmly believed in Nash, guiding him step by step, teaching him various skills and experiences, most importantly, stabilizing Nash's mentality.