The final minute not only determines the outcome of this game but also the direction of the entire series.
The winner is highly likely to take the series in Game Six, as at this stage, there are no secrets between the teams.
Morale and psychological advantage will be decisive, making this the most crucial minute of the series.
Beelman called a timeout, trailing by two points, never expecting Gerald Wallace to make that three-pointer.
This is just the unpredictability of basketball games, and Beelman also reflected on how because of Wallace’s previous inaccuracies, the Celtics had a defensive blind spot.
This blind spot was exploited by Glory, and even if Wallace missed, Ah Gan and Yao Ming would have fiercely fought for the offensive rebound inside.
In short, it was a terrible defense.
But Beelman and the Celtics players must immediately forget about this defense and focus on the next offense.
The atmosphere of the game was undoubtedly suffocating to the extreme, with the Celtics fans at Fleet Center looking anxious.
From a 2:0 lead to a 2:2 tie, this Game Five is so tough, and they’re now trailing by two points - it’s dire.
Some of the team’s management came over to check on Auerbach’s situation, asking if he wanted to leave and stay in the locker room for a while.
The live atmosphere was just too suffocating, the game too tense, and Auerbach, being old with a bad heart and having undergone surgery, was a concern.
No matter whether they win or lose in the end, it would be troubling if emotions ran high and triggered a heart attack.
But Auerbach waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "If I could die at a Celtics game, it would be a worthy death! Don’t worry about me!"
The executives naturally weren’t reassured, so they had the medical staff bring over oxygen tanks and tubes, standing by the sidelines to prevent any emergencies.
"Duncan’s at this position, give the ball to Tim, we’ll run a triangle on the wing, watch for weak-side opportunities. Don’t make it too complex, take your shot if there’s a chance, don’t hesitate, don’t hesitate! Use personal skills to solve problems; overthinking will lead to mistakes, so be decisive."
Beelman didn’t lay out overly complex tactics, knowing that at such a critical moment, everyone’s stamina was drained.
The more complicated the plans, the easier it was to make mistakes, so it’s better to keep it simple and let the superstars handle the ball.
The primary ball handler, of course, is Duncan, with Nash and Pierce both capable of taking shots from the outside.
Big Z and Bowen are lurking on the weak side, and if they get a chance, they can take a shot, too.
Ultimately, it still relies on the players’ personal abilities, just like when Beelman once rested everything on Ah Gan.
Ah Gan never disappoints, but now he’s on the opposite side, with Glory. Will things change?
Beelman didn’t set up a three-point play, as tonight’s low scores made three-point shots too risky.
The timeout ended, and the two teams returned to play. Big Z inbounded the ball, with Yao Ming guarding him. The ball was smoothly inbounded to Nash.
Nash held the ball, with Duncan posting up low. Now Gan Guoyang was defending Duncan, firmly holding the low post.
Duncan received the ball, gauging Ah Gan’s defense with his back, steady as ever, proving hard to beat.
Glory didn’t pressure the ball handler. At this time, defense had no room for error, employing the most conservative defensive tactics.
Nash gave the ball to Duncan, who received it, backed down, couldn’t move, spun, spun again, struggling to take a shot.
Gan Guoyang’s static rim defense remained top-notch in the league, and Yao Ming and others didn’t come to help defend, not giving Duncan a passing opportunity.
Seeing Duncan nearing a three-second violation, and unable to get a shot off, he reluctantly passed to Pierce on the wing for a bailout.
Pierce caught the ball, almost intercepted by Jordan, who didn’t make an aggressive steal, instead immediately returning to his regular defensive position.
The two engaged in a one-on-one duel at the top of the arc, with little time remaining. Pierce had to force a mid-range jumper, but it didn’t go in!
Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound. There were 40 seconds left in the game, and Glory had a chance to seal the victory.
Gan Guoyang passed to Jordan, and the two executed a high pick-and-roll. Jordan dribbled straight to the basket, with Duncan closely following.
Jordan turned to pass to Gan Guoyang, but the intention was too obvious and was intercepted by Bruce Bowen!
The Gan-Jordan pick-and-roll’s power was immense, with Gan Guoyang in a mismatch against Pierce, whether mid-range or a drive, both were guaranteed.
But because of that power, everyone knew Jordan would pass to Ah Gan, and the Celtics players knew it, too.
This was also a blind spot, an offensive blind spot. Whether in offense or defense, when variations are lost, failure becomes easy.
In this high-intensity game, both teams made the same mistake, and with the successful steal by Bowen, the Celtics’ hopes for victory were dashed as well.
Beelman didn’t call a timeout; he knew it would be pointless and only give Glory a chance to set up their defense.
They must rely on unexpected offense. The ball went to Nash, who sped past half court as Glory quickly retreated on defense.
But Nash found a gap, passing to the cutting Pierce in the middle, Pierce caught it, dribbled, stepped back, mid-range jumper out, and scored!
72:72, it’s tied!
Now, with 15 seconds left in the game, the Celtics tied the score with Pierce’s mid-range shot.
Jordan felt very guilty about his passing mistake, and Gan Guoyang went over, patted him, indicating it was okay.