Su Xi brought the ball into the frontcourt, where Atkins aggressively stepped up to challenge him. Su Xi had faced Atkins before, but he'd never seen him this "fierce." He managed to disrupt Su Xi's rhythm.
Still, Su Xi relied on his superb ball-handling and powerful physique to get past him. The moment he broke free, before he even reached the free-throw line, Pierce came up to meet him, slamming into him head-on.
Pierce's powerful frame brought Su Xi to a halt.
The referee made no call.
Su Xi couldn't slice through the defense with his usual sharp precision.
On the very first play, Su Xi felt the starkly different intensity of the playoffs.
Sitting on the sideline, Celtics head coach John Carroll looked completely at ease. He had already studied Su Xi in meticulous detail and was fully confident about the entire series.
